used for the whole Sacrificial Adminiftration, and fometimes for the Res oblata, or thing offered, or facrificed. And the Adminiftration of the Holy Sacrament being called a Sacrifice, as well as the facramental Bread, and Wine, I fhall inftead of one, give you two Definitions of a Sacrifice; one, as it is taken for the [icpsglia,] or holy Adminiftration, and the other as it is taken for the matter of the Sacrifice, or holy Gift.

In the firft Senfe then I define a Sacrifice thus: A Sacrifice is a holy Action, Performance, or Operation, by which any material thing is folemnly brought, or prefented, and offered to any God, true, or falfe, according to the Inftitution, Rites, and Cuftoms of any Religion, whereby the Thing is changed from the Property, and Ufe it had before, and of common is made holy. Otherwife in fewer Words thus; A Sacrifice is a holy Ation by which any material thing is folemnly brought, and offered by a Prieft to any God, true, or falfe, according to the Rights of any Religion, whereby the Gift is changed from the Property it had before, and from common to facred Ufes. This Definition agrees to the Notation of Sacrificium, and answers to the Greek Terms of facrificing, dev, gdev, pilav, and to the facrificial Term Facere in Latin; and I think is very applicable to the Adminiftration of the Holy Sacrament, as well as to the feveral ways, and manner of facrificing in the Jewish Church.

In the fecond Senfe I define a Sacrifice thus: A Sacrifice is a material thing folemnly brought, or prefented, and offered to any God, according to the Rites of any Religion, whereby it is changed from the Property it had before, and from common to facred Ufe. This relative Change of the Property and Ufe of a thing facrificed, is, as Mr. Weemes ob.. ferves, that deftructio rei oblata, the Deftruction in which the Notion of a Sacrifice doth confift. The thing brought, or prefented, and offered up to any

Deity lofes its former Property, and Ufe, and therefore is faid to be deftroyed, though not in a phyfical Senfe. I fay, disjunctively brought, or prefented, because both Words are ufed by the Holy Writers for bringing the Sacrifice to the Prieft, or Altar, the former being expreffed by p, and 2, and the latter by Toy, and though they fignifie the fame thing, yet they are diftinctly render'd in all Tranflations: This Definition comprehends all forts of Jewish Sacrifices, how foever diftinguifhed, voluntary, or commanded; animat, or inanimat; confumed, or not confumed, publick, or private, daily, weekly, monthly, or anniverfary Sacrifices, principal, or an nexed, more holy, or lefs holy, Sacrifices; Burntofferings, Sin-offerings, Trefpafs-offerings, and Peace-offerings, or Sacrifices, howfoever otherwise diftinguished into their feveral kinds. I think it is alfo properly applicable to the Holy Sacrament, I mean to the Offerings of Bread, and Wine; and if it be a true, and fufficient general Definition, then it will prove against fome of our late Writers, that the facramental Oblations are a proper Sacrifice, as, I hope, I have now fufficiently proved.

Sir, There yet remains another Objection to be answered, taken alfo from the Opinion of another of our learned Divines, Dr. Cudworth, who in a Difcourfe concerning the true Notion of the Lord's Supper, afferts, that it is not a Sacrifice, but Epulum ex oblatis, a Feaft upon a Sacrifice, or in other Words, not Oblatio Sacrificii, but as Tertul lian excellently fpeaks (faith he) Participatio Sacrificii, not the offering of fomething up to God upon an Altar, but the eating of fomething, which comes from God's Altar, and is fet upon our Tables. And then he afferts, that the Notion of the Sacrament's being a Sacrifice is a Miftake for what is the

Chap. V. p. 54, 55.

P. 56.

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Notion of its being a Feaft upon a Sacrifice, and that it grew up by the Degeneration of this Truth, as he expreffeth himfelf; adding, There is a Sacrifice in the Lord's Supper fymbolically, but not as there offered up to God, but feasted on by us, and fo not a Sacrifice, but a facrificial Feaft, which began too foon to be mifunderflood. In another place he expreffeth himself in this manner: The eating of Sacrifices was a due, and proper Appendix unto all Sacrifices one way, or other, either by the Priefts (whom he owns to be the Owners Mediators, unto God, and as their Proxies) or by themselves, when the Perfons that offered was capable thereof; that is, when he had no Uncleanness upon him. and was perfectly reconciled to God, as he alfo expreffeth himfelf. In a Word, from Analogy to this ancient Rite of feafting upon things facrificed, and eating of thofe things in Perfon, or Proxy, which they had offered up to God, he takes his Notion of the Lord's Supper's being a Feaft upon a Sacrifice, and not a Sacrifice it felf. To this purpofe he fpeaks in another place: The very Concinnity, and Harmony of the thing it felf leads me to conceive, that the ChriAian Feaft under the Gofpel, called the Lord's Supper is the very fame thing, and bears the fame Notion in refpect of the true Chriftian Sacrifice of Chrift upon the Cross, that thofe did to the Jewish, and Heathenish Sacrifices, and fo is Epulum Sacrificiale, a facrificial Feaft, I mean, a Feast upon Sacrifice, or Epulum ex oblatis, a Feaft upon things offered up to God. Only this difference arifing in the parallel, that because thofe legal Sacrifices were but Types, and Shadows of the true Chriftian Sacrifice, they were often repeated, and renewed, as well as the Feafts which were made upon them; but now the true Chriftian Sacrifice being come, and offered up once

for all, never to be repeated, we have therefore no more typical Sacrifices left among us, but only the Feaft upon the true Sacrifice ftill fymbolically continued, and often repeated in reference to THAT ONE GREAT SACRIFICE, which is always as prefent in God's fight, and efficacious, as if it were but now offered for us.

Now, Sir, in Anfwer to the Objection taken from this learned Man's new Notion of the Lord's Supper, it will be convenient to diftinguish in this facrificial Feaft of Chriftians between the Matter or the Entertainment of it, and the Eating, and Participation thereof in the holy Feaft, that it may appear in what this Opinion agrees, and how it differs from the ancient, and common Notion, which the Church had of it in the primitive, and pureft times. First then, as to the matter of it, the Bread, and Wine, it must be granted, that by Chrift's own Inftitution, they are Symbols of his Natural Body, and Blood, and by his Appointment are to be deemed, reputed, and received as his natural Flesh, and Blood, in the holy Feaft. And, Secondly, it must be granted, that the Participation of them is a foederal Rite, and hath all the moral Effects between God, and the faithful Communicants, as if they did eat, and drink of his natural Body, and Blood, which was facrificed for us upon the Crofs. Thofe moral Effects, are the folemn, and comfortable Commemoration of his all-fufficient Sacrifice upon the Crofs, and reprefenting it before God on Earth, as he reprefents it before him in Heaven, together with a Confirmation, and Ratification of the Covenant between God, and the Communicants; and the Signification, and Affurance of God's Pardon and of Peace, Reconciliation, and Fellowship between God, and the worthy Partakers, who eat, and drink the myftical, and vicarious Body, and

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Blood of Chrift; according to what St. Ignatius faid of the Hereticks, who afferted, that Chrift was not a real Man, but only in Appearance: They abftain (faith he) from the Eucharift, and [the Euchariftical Office of Prayer, because they do not confefs the Eucharift to be the Flesh of our Lord Jefus Chrift, which fuffered for our Sins, and which the Father of bis Goodness raifed again. The true Sense of which Paffage is explained by Tertullian, in the 40th Ch. of his Book againft Marcion, to which I refer you. Thirdly, it must be acknowledged, that the one great Sacrifice of Chrift upon the Crofs is the only true Sacrifice of the Chriftian Religion, as by one true Sacrifice is understood the one great Sacrifice of propitia+ tion for Sin, which was the Truth and Completion of all the typical Sacrifices; but then his Opinion, that there is no other external material Oblation in the Chriftian Religion, no offering at God's Altar, but only eating fomething that comes from it, add that the mystical or facramental Body, and Blood of Chrift, of which we partake at the Lord's Table, are not there offered up unto God, if there were no other Reafons, is to be rejected, as of no Authority; becaufe it is New, and contrary to the confentient Belief, and Practice of all Churches for above fifteen hun

Epist. ad Smyrn. VII. ευχαρισίας και προσοχῆς ἀπέχον. Multa, gravia peccat ad hunc locum oppugnator epiftolarum noAraram. 1. Perperam accipit vocem egodxs latiffimo modo pre omni prorfus oratione: Cum Ignatius aut loquatur de prece myfticâ, Oratione folemni, qua corpus Chrifti conficitur. Hieronym. Epift. 85.

ad Sophronie 3. Auguft. III. de Trinitate 4. 'Eux appellatar à Juftino Mart. Apol. 2. & origine tum VIII. in Celfum, tum ad Matth. xv. 17. egodxn ab Augustino Epist. 59. Aut potius intelligi preces liturgicas juxta constitutiones Apostolicas, Lib. II. Cap. 54. Cyrillum Hierofolym. Catechefi Mystag. 5. & Zonaram ad Canonem Apostoli. 2. Neocafarienjem 13. Sacrificiorum orationes in Tertulliano lib. de oratione extremo: in oratione quando offerimus facrificia Deo. Epiphanius Johanni Hierofolymitano. Re&a itaque allega tio Theodoriti Dialogo 3. Sed ex fenfu magis, quam ad verbum, ευχαρισίας και προσφορες εκ αποδέχον 3. Cotelerius

dred