Fathers, with one confent, understood of the Sacrifice of the Eucharift, and the Priests of the Gofpel. The definition of a Sacrifice, which is here given, is not, as mine is, a definition of Sacrifice in general, as it is common to all forts of Sacrifices of any Religion true, or falfe, but a particular definition of an Oblation, made only to the true God by the hands of a lawful Minister, whether it were, or were not, confumed in whole, or in part, upon the Altar by Fire, Effufion, or Sprinkling, which were but the Rites attending fome fort of Sacrifices among the Jews, but not all. And as according to this definition, the Eucharist is a real Sacrifice: So the Minifters of it must be real Priefts. It is alfo to be obferved, that this Author's distinction between an Oblation, and a Sacrifice is alfo in effect the fame with theirs, who, according to the Hebrew word Corban, making Sacrifice, and Oblation equivalent Terms, then divide Sacrifice, as a Genus, into its Species, of which a Sacrifice offered by a Prieft to God upon a Table, or Altar, with certain Rites, and Ceremonies is one, and one of the most folemn fort. And now, I hope, by thefe additional Authorities, and thofe cited in my Book, I fhall convince the late Writers, I have fpoken of in the beginning of my first Letter, that the Eucharist is the true Chriftian Sacrifice, and that we, who offer it, are proper Priefts, and that there is no danger in this Doctrine, which was taught and practifed by the ancient Catholick Church. I hope alfo what I have faid here, and in that Letter, will fufficiently refute, and expofe the incomparable prefumption of the Author of the Rights, who reprefents the whole Notion of the Lord's Supper, as I have fhew'd it was taught in the primitive Times, for * p. 74. + See p. 65, 66, &c. p. 101, 102, &c. Prieft Prieftcraft, faying, That they made it a Mystery in the heathenish fenfe of the Word, and for heathenish Reafons, that they might have the fame Power, as the Priefts of Idols had, to exclude, whom they pleafed to term unworthy. He ridicules the notion of Confecration, as invented by the Fathers to produce the real Prefence, and make the Eucharift a real Sacrifice, and the Miniftery real Priefts, and the Communion-Table, an Altar, and faith, that among Chriftians, one no more than another, can be reckoned a Priest from Scripture, and that there is no more reafon to affirm, that the Minister offers up the Peoples Prayers, than they his, except it can be fuppofed that God hears him only, who talks the loudest, in that he is the Servant of the Congregation and the Clerk hath as good a Title to the Priesthood as the Parfon, fince the People join with him in offering up their Sacrifices of Spiritual Songs, Hymns, and Thanksgivings. This is a heavy charge of heathenish Knavery, and Prieftcraft upon all the ancient Fathers, as well those who lived with the Apostles, as those who lived not long after them, who, as it were, with one Voice taught the Holy Eucharist to be a Sacrifice, as I have fhewed in the firft Letter. They are all included in this impudent Charge of heathenish Priestcraft, and perhaps if he durft, he would have laid it upon the Apostle, as well as upon his Fellow Labourer, St. Clement; for he spoke of the Holy Eucharift after the fame heathenish manner, as he will have it, in Sacrificial Terms; for fuch are not only an Altar, put for an Altar-offering, but the Lord's-table, and the Lord's Supper; for Antiquaries know, that it was the Cuftom among the Greeks after Sacrifice was ended, to make a Feast, and that for that purpose, there were tables fet up ¥ a p. 102, 104. See § VI. VII. of the first Letter. in the Temples. Hence the words, which exprefs Eating, and Drinking, and Feasting are often ufed for Sacrificing, as in Virgil's Æneid, Lib. IV. с Jupiter omnipotens, cui nunc Maurufia piltis d Hence theGods are faid to feast with Men, Odyf. n and Jupiter, and the reft of the Gods are faid to go to Feaft ine Ethiopia. And in the Old Teftament, thefe heathenish Sacrificial words, and Phrases are often used by the Holy Pen-men, as in the Prophet Ezech, where the juft Man is faid to be one, who had not eaten upon the Mountains, nor lift up his Eyes to the Idols. And in Exodus, To go into the Wildernefs to facrifice to the Lord, and to hold a Feast to him there, fignifie the fame thing. And the Sacrifice to the Golden Calf is defcribed after this manner: When Aaron Saw it, he built an Altar before it, and made proclamation, faying, to morrow is a Feast to the Lord. And they rufe up early on the morrow, and offered burnt-Offerings, and brought peace-Offerings, and the People fat down to eat, and to drink (upon the Peace-Offerings) and rofe up to play. Eating of the Sacrifices, or Sacrificial Entertainments were common to all Religions, Patriarchal, Jewish, and Gentile; and therefore, when God commanded the Ifraelites to deftroy the Altars of the Inhabitants of the Land, he faid, Thou shalt worship no other God, for the Lord, whose Name is jealous, is a jealous God, lest thou make a Covenant with the Inhabitants of the Land, and go a whoring after their Gods, and do Sacrifice to them, and one call thee, and thou eat of their Sacrifice. It was in a parallel between the Sacrifi cial Eating of Pagans in the Temples of their Gods, Dr. Potter's Archæologia Græca, 1 Vol. p. 232, 233. * Ch. xviii. 6. and and that of the Christians in their Churches, that the Apostle faid, Te cannot drink of the Cup of the Lord, and the Cup of Devils, ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's Table, and the Table of Devils. Here the Holy Apostle is involved in his endictment of Prieftcraft, and making the Eucharist a Mystery in the heathenish sense of the word, as well, as in calling it the Lord's Supper; for the word Supper, or Feaft, or any other word for Eating, and Drinking that relates to any God, or Temple, is a Sacrificial Term. So in Julius Pollux, The heathenish Banquets, in honour of their Gods, are called ise darva, Holy Suppers, and the Sacrificial Feafts, in honour of Hecate, are called her dogo, or Suppers. And in fober Truth, were every thing to be branded for heathenifh, that was common to the Religions of the Heathens, Jews, and Christians; not only the names of Mystery, Sacrifice, Priest, and Altar, which these Monsters of Chriftians represent to the World, as all borrowed from Heathenifm by crafty Christian Priests; but the Names of God, and Hear ven, and Religion, and Worship, and Temple, must be reproached for Heathenifh too. Nay, the notion of future Rewards, and Punishments, and of the immortality of the Soul, and whatsoever elfe the Christian Apologifts obferve to have been in any kind, or degree common to the Greeks, and Chri ftians, must be blemished, as heathenifh Inventions of Christian Priefts; as Baptifm for the myftical washing away of Sin, the Mediatory Office of our bleffed Lord, and the eternal Generation of the λöy, must also be branded for a Chriftian travesty of the Fable of Pallas, the heathen Goddess of Wif See Sect. 7. of the first Letter. Onomaft. Lib. x. Segm. 82. os Tis Xena Brñoilo Tal ovéμαζι Κυρίως ῥηθέντι ἐπὶ τὰ δ μάκτρας, ἢ ἐπὶ τὰ ἱερα, δείπνα, ἢ τὰ πρὸς θυσίαν φερέσης, ὡς παρά Σοφοκλεί εἴρη Ἑκαλαίας μαγίδας δόρπων. dom, dom, who was faid to be begotten, and conceived in, and born of Jupiter's Brain. The Lord's Sup per of the Bread, and the Cup, may at this impudent, and blafpheming way of reafoning, be ridicul'd as an heathenish Invention, borrow'd from the & Priests of Mithra, and fo, according to thefe Blafphemers, our bleffed Lord, and Redeemer, "The Catholick Priest of the Father, through whom we offer up our Euchariftical Sacrifice of Praife, and Thankfgiving, muft alfo come in with all his Minifters from the Apostles to our times, for his share of Prieftcraft. I cannot but obferve how the Rights, in the place before cited, calls the Eucharift the Lord's Supper, and not the Sacrament, or Sacrament of the Lord's Supper; becaufe, as I fuppofe, he knew that Sacrament, which was the Term of the Latin Church for it, fignifies Mystery, and anfwers to the Greek word Musnerov, and that as the Greek Church always called it the Holy Mystery; fo the Latins called it the Holy Sacrament of the Body, and Blood of Chrift. And as a Religious Myftery, is fo called, in a fenfe common to Heathens, and Chriftians, because it exhibits one thing to the outward Senfes, and another to the Understanding; So, in most eminent manner, the Church always called Baptifm, and the Lord's Supper Myfteries, because they were outward, visible, holy Signs of a fecret fignification, which none but Chriftian Catechumens understood; and therefore if one of these Mysteries is a Creature of ~ *See Juftin Martyr's 1 Apol. Publifh'd by Dr. Grabe at Oxford, in 8°. § LXXXVI. p. 130. with his Notes on 'Ey Tois To Milea Μυςηρίοις. Tertul. libr. 4. contra Marcionem cap.9.Offere debere Orationem, &ationem gratiarum apud Ecclefiam per Chriftum Jefum Catholi cum patris Sacerdotem.Origen in Roman 1. Debemus Sacrificium Lau dis offerre per JESUM CHRISTUM, velut per Pontificem magnum, |