Our Answer.

Your former fancy hath taken that impression in your braynes, that now whatsoeuer you look vpon, doth seeme vnto you to be of the same colour, and to make for the manifestation of your former pretence. And ther∣fore now the Table of Christ must needs inferre the like Table, wheresoeuer the Sacrament is administred; and this Table must inforce a Table-gesture of Sitting; and this Table-gesture must resemble the Coheirship of the faithfull with Christ, in the Kingdome of heauen: and all these you hold to be essentiall points of this Supper. But if I might be suffered to pose you from point to point, according to this our methode, I thinke that you would not be so farre in loue with your owne conceit.

First [A Table.] Christ had an artificiall one; for Page  252〈1 page duplicate〉Page  253〈1 page duplicate〉Page  254〈1 page duplicate〉Page  255〈1 page duplicate〉Page  256 so the Passeouer required, and the place afforded: but let vs suppose the woman driuen into the Desert (as it is in the Apocalyps) that is,* the Church, or any part thereof to be in distresse, in a Wildernesse, where no Table can be had; do you thinke that the Grasse, or ground (as it did in the miraculous Banquet of the feeding of fiue thou∣sand with fiue loaues and two fishes) may not serue the turne?*

Secondly, you exact that there be vsed at this one Ta∣ble a sitting gesture for all the Communicants: as though, without sitting, they could not be Partakers of the Ta∣ble of the Lord: But suppose (which happeneth yearely in many parishes within this Kingdome) that a thou∣sand, and sometimes two thousand Communicants are assembled,* may not I (as Andrew said of the fiue loaues and two fishes, for the satisfying of fiue thousand people) say of one Table, What is this for so many? Can you pre∣pare one Table, to containe thousands to sit one with another; for resemblance of our ioynt communion in heauen? Or if not, will you haue vs thinke that Christ doth exact of his faithfull a circumstance of Impossibi∣lity? Be you rather perswaded, that if the bread and wine, being set on one Table, shall be distributed to some thousands of people, although placed in Seats, se∣parated from the Table; yet is each one of them Par∣taker of the same Table of the Lord. And this is not in∣fringed, but established rather by the Text, which you haue alleaged:*You cannot be partakers of the Table of the Lord, and of the table of diuels. For by the Table of diuels, is meant euery Altar, whereupon there was offered any sacrifice vnto Idols; where the Heathen people were made partakers of those sacrifices, not by sitting at the Altars; but by receiuing part of those sacrifices, Page  257 and Libamina, which were immolated, and offered vpon such Altars.

As for your resemblance of Coheirship, and fellow∣ship with Christ, in his Kingdome, by thus sitting at one T•ble, in receiuing of the holy Communion; I haue proued that it is but your priuate and pe•tinacious fig∣ment: And for further euidence, we are to enter into consideration, what person it was that Christ did sustaine, at the celebration of his owne Supper; was it of a Lord, or else of a Seruant? The Tenure of the first Institution runneth thus: He tooke bread, brake it,*and gaue it vnto them.— Likewise he tooke the cup, and gaue it vnto them. These are Acts of Ministration, which he put vpon his Apostles, and all other Ministers of the Word and Sacraments, saying, [Do this &c.] If any could possibly doubt hereof, Christ himselfe would resolue them, who saith a little after,*I am among you as him that serueth. And I trust that you dare not affirme, that CHRIST, in his ministra∣tion of this Supper of Grace, was a Type and Fi∣gure of himselfe, in the estate of his Coheirship, which is in his Kingdome; for so shall you confound things infinitely distant, Ministration, and Dominion; estate Militant, and Triumphant; Lord, and Seruant; Earth and Heauen.

Let vs therefore compose our minds vnto a Chri∣stian moderation, and thinke, that we are at this Feast, both Suters in prayer, for remission of sinnes; and Congratulators, by thanksgiuing, for remis∣sion of our sinnes, and all the Royall Benefites of his Death and Passion: And not to presume too much of such familiaritie with CHRIST,Page  258 which seemeth to thrust out Humility from this Banquet, and Type of Christ his humiliation: But be it sufficient contentment, that we might be but as Ostiarij, Doore∣keepers, in that Celestiall Temple; and not presume that, by vertue of our Coheirship, we must needs set our selues vpon the same Tribunall with Christ, Who is set at the right hand of God in the heauenly places,*farre aboue all Principalitie, and Power, and Might, and Domination, and euery name that is named, not onely in this world, but also in that which is to come.