thing to object against it the plain declarations of the author to the Hebrews, ch. IX. 26, 28. X. 10, 14. that Chrift once in the end of the world appeared, to put away fin by the facrifice of himself; that he was once offered, to bear the fins of many; that we are fanctified through the offering of the body of Jefus Christ once for all; and that by one offering he hath perfected for ever them who are fanctified. All thefe, it seems, and a thousand more declarations of fcripture, muft ftand for nothing, when once the authority of the church is concerned in an article of faith. Yet, to those who have any regard to fcripture, these texts plainly fhew; that, under the difpenfation of the gofpel, Chrift is the only priest who could offer propitiatory facrifice; and that he has done it completely once for all. It is not therefore in the power of any perfon upon earth to repeat that facrifice, which Chrift alone could offer: befides that by offering it once for all, Chrift fhewed he did. not defign it should ever be repeated. The only facrifices the new teftament acknowledges left for men to offer, are those of praise and thankfġiving, and doing good to one another, out of gratitude towards God; Heb. XIII. 15, 16. And as for offering any facrifice in behalf of the dead; the new teftament knows nothing of it: but on the contrary fignifies, that, upon leaving this prefent state of trial, mens condition is fo determin'd, that every one fhall, at the judgment feat of Chrift, receive the things done in his body, according to that which he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 2 Cor. V. 10. And confequently any facrifices offered in their behalf can avail nothing. But notwithstanding

K 2

notwithstanding all this, the church of Rome will be obeyed: and accordingly, it is thus decreed in the fynod of Trent. *If any man shall Jay; that the facrifice of the Mass is only a facrifice of praife and thanksgiving, or a meer commemoration of the facrifice completed on the cross, but not propitiatory; or that it is profitable only to the receiver; or that it ought not to be offered for the living and the dead, for fins, for punishments, for fatisfactions, and other neceffities: let him be accurfed.

VI. I also confefs, that under one kind only, whole and intire Chrift, and a true facrament is received.

In pursuance of this article, the Romish church allows to the people only the bread in the celebration of the Lord's fupper, the wine being received by the priest alone: herein relying intirely on their own authority, without the leaft authority from Chrift the lawgiver, but in a direct oppofition to him. For Chrift himself, in the inftitution of this ordinance, gave not the leaft intimation of a difference intended between minifters and people, in giving the bread and the

wine

* Si quis dixerit, Miffæ facrificium tantum effe laudis & gratiarum actionis, aut nudam commemorationem facrificii in cruce peracti, non autem propitiatorium; vel foli prodeffe fumenti; neque pro vivis & defunctis, pro peccatis, pœnis, fatisfactionibus, & aliis neceffitatibus offerri debere: anathema fit. Conc. Trid. Sess. XXII. de facrif. Miffa, can. 3.

wine to the one, and the bread only to the other: nor do any of his apostles, or any of the new teftament writers, intimate any thing like a direction given to them for this purpose. St Paul, 1 Cor. XI. when he relates to the Corinthians what he had received from the Lord, concerning the institution, gives the fame account as the Evangelists; that our Lord celebrated this ordinance, at its institution, to the apoftles in the character of difciples only. In this character he tells the Corinthians, ch. XI. 26. As often as YE eat this bread, AND DRINK THIS CUP, ye fhew the Lord's death till he come. He writes these words to the Corinthian church, the members in general of the Corinthian church; and not to the minifters, exclufive of the people. One would think therefore, that the church of Rome withheld the cup from the people merely to fhew her authority and power, in difpenfing with, or rather, in oppofing directly, the laws of her profeffed Lord and Master. Whether the council of Conftance does not acknowledge this, let their own words, in the following decree, teftify for them. * In the name of the holy and undivided

In nomine fanctæ & individuæ Trinitatis, Patris, Filii, & Sp. fancti, Amen.-Hoc præfens concilium facrum generaledeclarat, decernit, & diffinit: quod licet Chriftus poft cœnam inftituerit, & fuis difcipulis adminiftraverit, fub utraque fpecie panis & vini, hoc venerabile facramentum: tamen, hoc non obftante, facrorum canonum auctoritas laudabilis, & approbata confuetudo ecclefiæ fervavit & fervat, quod hujufmodi facramentum non debet confici poft cœnam, neque à fidelibus recipi non jejunis, nifi in cafu infirmitatis, aut alterius neceffitatis, à jure vel ecclefia conceffo vel admiffo. Et ficut hæc confuetudo, ad evitandum aliqua pericula & fcandala, eft rationabiliter introducta, quod, licet in primitiva ecclefia hujufmodi facramentum reciperetur à fidelibus fub utraque fpe

cie,

vided Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, Amen ---- This prefent facred general council---declares, decrees, and determines: that altho' Chrift inftituted and adminiftred to his difciples this venerable facrament after fupper, under both kinds, of bread and wine: yet, this notwithstanding, the laudable authority of facred canons and the approved cuftom of the church bath maintained and doth maintain, that fuch a facrament as this ought not to be made after fupper, nor to be received by the faithful otherwife than fafting; excepting in cafe of infirmity, or other neceffity, granted or admitted by law, or by the church. And fince, for the avoiding of fome dangers and fcandals, the cuftom has been rationally introduced, that tho this facrament was in the primitive church received by the faithful under both kinds, and afterwards, by the makers of it, under both kinds, and by the laiety only under the fpecies of bread:

Juch

cie, poftea à conficientibus fub utraque fpecie, & à laicis tantummodo fub fpecie panis fufcipiatur :--hujufmodi confuetudo-habenda eft pro lege; quam non licet reprobare, ant fine ecclefiæ au&toritate pro libito mutare.- -Afferentes oppofitum præmifforum, tanquam hæretici, arcendi funt, & graviter puniendi, per dioecefanos locorum, feu officiales eorum, aut inquifitores hæreticæ pravitatis.Item ipfa fancta fynodus decernit & declarat, fuper ifta materia, reverendiffimis archiepifcopis, epifcopis, & eorum in fpiritualibus vicariis, ubilibet conftitutis, proceffus effe dirigendos : in quibus eis committatur & mandetur, auctoritate hujus facri concilii, fub pœna excommunicationis, ut effectualiter puniant eos contra hoc decretum excedentes, qui communicando populum fub utraque fpecie panis & vini exhortati fuerint, & fic faciendum effe docuerint. Et fi ad pœnitentiam redierint, ad gremium ecclefiæ fufcipiantur, injuncta eis, pro modo culpæ, pœnitentia falutari. Qui vero ex illis ad pœnitentiam redire non curaverint animo indurato, per cenfuras ecclefiafticas per eos, ut hæretici, funt coercendi, invocato etiam ad hoc, fi opus fuerit, auxilio brachii fecularis. Conc Conftant. apud Labbé, tom. XII. pag. 100.

fuch a custom as this ---- is to be accounted a law, which must not be rejected, or at pleasure changed, without the authority of the church. They who affert the contrary, are to be driven away as heretics, and feverely punished, by the diocefans of the places, or their officials, or by the inquifitors of beretical pravity. Prefently after which the fame council further decrees and declares to the most reverend--- archbishops and bishops, and their vicars in fpiritual affairs, wherefoever placed, that proceffes fhall be directed: in which it is committed and commanded to them, by the authority of the council, under pain of excommunication, that they effectually punish the violators of this decree, who communicating to the people under both kinds, fhall have exhorted and taught that it ought fo to be done. If thefe return to repentance, they may be received into the bofom of the church, after enjoining them a wholefome penance, according to the measure of their fault. But thofe of them who, thro the hardness of their heart, do not take care to return to repentance, are by these [ fpiritual men ] to be reftrained as heretics, calling in alfo to this purpofe, if need be, the aid of the fecular arm. A ftronger inftance of church authority than this, one cannot reasonably defire. And indeed the · council of Trent itself feems to have been fo well fatisfied with the provifion here made, for punishments of this world against those who should dare to deny, that their half-facrament is equal to the whole; as to be content with only denouncing* anathema against them.

But

*Conc. Trident. Seff. XIII. de euchar. can. 3. & SET. XXI. can. 3.