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SECOND place, to produce our Objections against II. it. Which will be of fo much the greater force, because I have already fhewn this Doctrine to be deftitute of all Divine warrant and authority, and of any other fort of Ground fufficient in reafon to justify it. So that I do not now object against a Doctrine which hath a fair probability of Divine Revelation on its fide, for that would weigh down all objections which did not plainly overthrow the probability and credit of its Divine Revelation: But I object against a Doctrine by the mere will and Tyranny of men impos'd upon the belief of Chriftians, without any evidence of Scrip and against all the evidence of Reafon and

ture,

Senfe

The Objections I fhall reduce to these two Heads. First, the infinite fcandal of this Doctrine to the Chriftian Religion. And Secondly, the monstrous and infupportable abfurdity of it.

First, The infinite fcandal of this Doctrine to the Chriftian Religion. And that upon these four accounts, 1. Of the ftupidity of this Doctrine. 2. The real barbaroufnefs of this Sacrament and Rite of our Religion upon fuppofition of the truth of this Doctrine. 3. Of the cruel and bloudy confequences of it. 4. Of the danger of Idolatry; which they are certainly: guilty of, if this Doctrine be not true.

T

Upon account of the stupidity of this Doctrine. I remember that Tully, who was a man of very good fenfe, inftanceth in the conceit of eating God as the extremity of madness, and so stupid an apprehenfioncas he thought no man was ever guilty of. When we call,* De Nat.Defays he, the fruits of the earth Ceres, and wing Bacchus, we ufe but the common language; but do you think any man fo mad as to believe that which he eats to be God? E 2

It

orum 1. 3.

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CA DISCOURSE.

It seems he could not believe that fo extravagant a folly had ever entred into the mind of man. It is a very fevere faying of Averroes the Arabian Philofopher (who lived after this Doctrine was entertained among Chriftians) and ought to make the Church of Rome *Dionyf.Car- blush, if the can; I have travell'd, fays he, over the thuf.in 4.dift. world, and have found divers Sects; but fo fottish a 10. art. I. Sect or Law I never found, as is the Sect of the Chrifti

ans; because with their own teeth they devour their God whom they worship. It was great ftupidity in the People of Ifrael to fay, come let us make us Gods; but it was civilly faid of them, Let us make us Gods that may go before us, in comparison of the Church of Rome, who fay, Let us make a God that we may eat him. So that upon the whole matter I cannot but wonder that they should chufe thus to expose Faith to the contempt of all that are endued with Reason. And to fpeak the plain truth, the Chriftian Religion was never fo horribly exposed to the fcorn of Atheists and Infidels, as it hath been by this moft abfurd and fenfelefs Doctrine. 2 Theff. But thus it was foretold that the Man of Sin fhould come with power and Signs and Lying Miracles, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness, with all the Legerdemain and jugling tricks of falfehood and impofture; amongft which this of Tranfubftantiation, which they call a Miracle, and we a Cheat, is one of the cheif: And in all probability those common jugling words of bocus pocus are nothing elfe but a corruption of hoc eft corpus, by way of ridiculous imitation of the Priests of the Church of Rome in their trick of Tran-fubftantiation. Into fuch contempt by this foolish Doctrine and pretended Miracle of theirs have they brought the most facred and venerable Mystery of our Religion.

ES

2. It

fcandalous

2. It is very fcandalous likewife upon account of the real barbaroufness of this Sacrament and Rite of our Religion, upon fuppofition of the truth of this Doctrine. Literally to eat the flesh of the Son of man and to drink his bloud. St. Austin, as I have fhewed before, declares to be a great Impiety. And the impiety and barbarousness of the thing is not in truth extenuated, but onely the appearance of it, by its being done under the Species of Bread and Wine: For the thing they acknowledge is really done, and they believe that they verily eat and drink the natural flesh and bloud of Chrift. And what can any man do more unworthily towards his Friend? How can he poffibly use him more barbarously, than to feast upon his living flesh and bloud? It is one of the greatest wonders in the world, that it fhould ever enter into the minds of men to put upon our Saviour's words, fo eafily capable of a more convenient sense and fo neceffarily requiring it, a meaning fo plainly contrary to Reason, and fenfe, and even to Humanity it felf. Had the ancient Christians owned any fuch Doctrine, we fhould have heard of it from the Adverfaries of our Religion in every page of their Writings; and they would have defired no greater advantage against the Christians than to have been able to hit them in the teeth with their feasting upon the natural flesh and bloud of their Lord, and their God, and their best Friend. What endless triumphs would they have made upon this Subject? And with what confidence would they have set the cruelty used by Christians in their Sacrament, against their God Saturn's eating his own Children, and all the cruel and bloudy Rites of their Idolatry? But that no fuch thing was then objected by the Heathens to the Chriftians, is to a wife man instead of a thousand Demonstrations that no fuch Doctrine was then believed.

3. It

3. It is fcandalous alfo upon account of the cruel and bloudy confequences of this Doctrine; fo contrary to the plain Laws of Chriftianity, and to one great end and defign of this Sacrament, which is to unite Chriftians in the most perfect love and charity to one another: Whereas this Doctrine hath been the occafion of the most barbarous and bloudy Tragedies that ever were acted in the world. For this hath been in the Church of Rome the great burning Article; and as abfurd and unreasonable as it is, more Chriftians have been murther'd for the denial of it than perhaps for all the other Articles of their Religion. And I think it may generally pass for a true obfervation that all Sects are commonly most hot and furious for those things for which there is leaft Reafon; for what men want of Reason for their opinions they usually supply and make up in Rage. And it was no more than needed to use this feverity upon this occafion; for nothing but the cruel fear of death could in probability have driven fo great a part of mankind into the acknowledgment of so unreasonable and senseless a Doctrine.

O bleffed Saviour! thou beft Friend and greatest lover of mankind, who can imagine thou didst ever intend that men should kill one another for not being able to believe contrary to their fenses; for being unwilling to think, that thou shouldft make one of the most horrid and barbarous things that can be imagin'd a main Duty and principal Mystery of thy Religion; for not flattering the pride and prefumption of the Priest who fays he can make God, and for not complying with the folly and stupidity of the People who believe that they can eat him?

4. Upon account of the danger of Idolatry; which they are certainly guilty of if this Doctrine be not true, and such a change as they pretend be not made in the Sacrament

;

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Sacrament; for if it be not, then they worship a Creature instead of the Creatour God bleffed for ever. But fuch a change I have fhewn to be impoffible; or if it could be, yet they can never be certain that it is, and confequently are always in danger of Idolatry: And that they can never be certain that fuch a change is made, is evident; becaufe, according to the express determination of the Council of Trent, that depends upon the mind and intention of the Priest, which cannot certainly be known but by Revelation, which is not pretended in this cafe. And if they be mistaken about this change, through the knavery or crofness of the Priest who will not make God but when he thinks fit, they must not think to excuse themselves from Idolatry because they intended to worship God and not a Creature; for fo the Perfians might be excus'd from Idolatry in worshipping the Sun, because they intend to worship God and not a Creature; and so indeed we may excufe all the Idolatry that ever was in the world, which is nothing elle but a mistake of the Deity, and upon that miftake a worshipping of fomething as God which is not God.

II. Befides the infinite fcandal of this Doctrine upon the accounts I have mentioned, the monstrous abfurdities of it make it infupportable to any Religion. I am very well affured of the grounds of Religion in general, and of the Chriftian Religion in particular; and yet I cannot fee that the foundations of any revealed Religion are strong enough to bear the weight of fo many and fo great abfurdities as this Doctrine of Tranfubftantiation would load it withall. And to make this evident, I fhall not infift upon thofe grofs contradictions, of the fame Body being in fo many feveral places at once; of our Saviour's giving away himself with his own hands to every one of his Disciples, and yet still

keeping