The Protestant religion truely stated and justified by the late Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter ; prepared for the press some time before his death ; whereunto is added, by way of preface, some account of the learned author, by Mr. Danel Williams and Mr. Matthew Sylvester.

The One and Fortieth accused Point.

That there is not in the Church a true and proper Sacrifice; and that the Mass is not a Sacrifice.

Ans. True and proper, if the words are intelligible, are put against false and equivo∣cal

or figurative. And what man can tell us which Sence of the word [Sacrifice] must be taken for the only proper Sence, when with Heathens and Christians the word is used in so many Sences, and there are so many sorts of Sacrifices? This man would not tell you whether it be the Thing or the Name that he controverteth; that would be to come into the Light. If it be the thing, we never doubted but divers things are and must be in the Church, which are called Sacrifices, some in Scrip∣ture, and some by Papists: And some things by them called Sacrifices, are in their Church which God is against.

If it be the Name that is the question, we know that in a General Sence it may be given to many things of different Spe∣cies, and equivocally yet to more; but which Sence to call proper among so many, let quibling Grammarians tell him: We strive no further about Names, than tend∣eth to preserve the due Judgment of things.

Sometime a Sacrifice signifieth a second thing offered to God by way of worship.

Sometime more strictly, somewhat suppo∣sed highly to gratifie or please him, offered to expiate some Crime that displeaseth him, or by pleasing to procure some benefit from him.

Among Heathens and Jews, there were various sorts of Sacrifices: Some Hilasti∣cal, some Eucharistical: Some of things Lifeless, and some of Living Creatures; where strictly part was burnt and so offered to God, and part given to the Priest, and part eaten by the Offerers.

We hold, 1. That Jesus Christ offered his Body on the Cross a Sacrifice to God for the expiation of Sin, as a thing pleasing to God, in a sence which no other Sacri∣fice ever▪was or is; not that God delighted in his Blood, Pain or Death as such; but as finis gratiâ, it was the most excellent means to demonstrate his Wisdom, Love, Justice, and Mercy, and save a sinful race of men, with the honour of his Law and Government.

2. We hold that Christ hath instituted his Sacrament, to be a visible Representa∣tion of this his Sacrifice, both for Comme∣moration and for actual Investiture and Col∣lation of Christ to be our Saviour, and Head in Union, and of his Grace and Be∣nefits, Pardon, Reconciliation, Adoption, Justification, Sanctification, and Title to Glory. And we know that the ancient Churches called this often a Sacrifice: Not in the same sence as Christ was our Sacri∣fice; nor as the Mosaical Types were Sa∣crifices;

but a Representative Sacrifice, re∣presenting Christs own. But we are the shier to use the name Sacrifice, where Pa∣pists apply it to Idolatry.

3. We know that all Christians are bound to dedicate themselves to God, and even to lay down their Lives when he re∣quireth it; and bound to offer him peni∣tent Confession, Praise, Thanksgiving, and to give Alms to the poor, and serve and honour him with all their Wealth and Power. And all these are called Sacrifices in Scripture, because they are sacred ob∣lations, acceptable to God through the merits of Christs Sacrifice.

Is not this man a Calumniator then, that faith we hold, [that there is not in the Church a true and proper Sacrifice,] unless he call none true and proper but what no man can offer to God.

But what say we to the Sacrifice of the Mass? We say, that for the Priest to pre∣tend that after his words, Bread is turned into Christs Flesh in a Physical sence, and Wine into his Blood, and that this is our God, and that he sacrificeth this God to God, and eateth and drinketh him so sa∣crificed, and that all that so receive him have Eternal Life: This is a prophanation of Holy things, a deceiving of Souls, a

blaspheming of Christ, and Idolatry a∣gainst God. And all sacrificing in their Mass, that is more than a Representation of Christs own sacrificing himself, for Comme∣moration and Communication of the gifts of his Testament, and the expression of our Gratitude, and Devotedness to God by him, is their own prophane invention.

How do they offer his broken body and blood shed, any otherwise than Representa∣tively, unless they kill him, and eat him when he is Dead? It was only a Repre∣sentation of his own sacrificed Body and Blood, which he made at the Sacrament himself; not then broken and shed, but to be broken, slain, and shed soon after, (unless he had two bodies, one dead and one alive.) The Sacrament indeed was called a Sacrifice by the ancient Churches, to signifie that it is not Christs body as now glorified in Heaven that is there Re∣presented, but his body as once flesh and blood sacrificed on the Cross: And how can it be that, but by Representation, sacrificing it was killing it: Do they kill Christ a thou∣sand thousand times over, yea, and kill his Gloryfied body? He hath no existent Flesh and Blood in Heaven, speaking pro∣perly and formally; but a Spiritual glorified body, that was Flesh and Blood on Earth:

And doth every Priest turn Christs Spiri∣tual glorified body into Flesh and Blood again? O what a Mass of prophanation is their Mass.