A learned and very useful commentary on the whole epistle to the Hebrews wherein every word and particle in the original is explained ... : being the substance of thirty years Wednesdayes lectures at Black-fryers, London / by that holy and learned divine Wiliam Gouge ... : before which is prefixed a narrative of his life and death : whereunto is added two alphabeticall tables ...

§. 107. Of this phrase. This is the blood of the Testament.

THat the people might the better understand what he intendeth, Moses directs them to that very act which he then did, by this phrase, this is the blood, &c. For the note of reference, this, implyeth that which he was then in doing. It is somewhat answerable to a like phrase of our Lord Christ, who having taken bread and broken, it said, this is my body, Matth. 26. 26.

From hence we may infer that a Sacramental denomination of a thing signified by the sign, doth not argue a transubstantiation of the sign into the thing signified, or a consubstantiation of the sign and thing signified. The tree that is called the •…•…ree of life, was not life it self, Gen. 2. 19. Circumcision which is called the Cove∣nant (Gen. 17. 9.) was not the Covenant it self. Nor was the lamb the passeover, yet so called, Exod. 12. 21. Nor the rock Christ himself: yet so called, 1 Cor. 10. 4. The end of a Sacramental phrase is to shew outwardly, what is inwardly intended: and to raise the mind from the outward sign to the inward thing signified: and to

assure us of the presence of grace, and of the thing signified: not carnally, but spiri∣tually. This spiritual presence is as true and real, as a carnal presence can be: and much more effectual and comfortable: for by the spiritual presence of Christ the true believer partaketh of the merit and virtue of Christs passion, and of the benefits that flow from thence.* 1.1

The Rhemists do hence infer, that the chalice of the Altar hath the very sacrificall blood in it that was shed upon the Crosse. Others do hence frame this argument, As there was the true blood of the type in the typical and legal Sacrament, so there must be the true blood of the truth, in the true and Evangelical Sacrament.

Answ.

• 1. All that may be granted, and yet their transubstantiation not concluded thereupon. Thus the resemblance will hold: As under the law, there was shed the very blood of beasts for those legal cleansings: so under the Gospel is shed the very blood of Christ, for a spiritual cleansing of the soul. This none deny. But will it hereupon follow that that blood is shed in the Sacrament.
• 2. The resemblance betwixt legal and Evangelical Sacraments must be in the signes of each. Thus it will follow, that as there was true blood in theirs, so there is true wine in ours: which analogie is taken away by transubstantiation.
• 3. The blood which Moses sprinkled was no more the proper blood of the Co∣venant then the wine: For that blood could not take away sins, Heb. 10. 4.
• 4. The words of Moses are not proper but figurative.
• 5. Their resemblance doth not hold: for Moses and the Apostle refer the rela∣tive, this, to blood: but the Evangelist referreth it to the Cup, in which the wine was, thus, This Cup is the new Testament in my blood, Luk. 22. 20.

By this mention of blood added to the Testament, is shewed the end of sprinkling blood under the law: which was to declare, that blood was the means of Gods en∣tring into Covenant with man: As hath been shewed, v. 18. §. 99.

The joyning of blood with a Testament, and stiling it the blood of the Testament, sheweth, that by Christs blood the Covenant was turned into a Testament and made inviolable, as hath been demonstrated, v. 15. §. 88. and v. 16. §. 93, 94.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Rhem: in An∣no•…•…. on Heb. 9. 2•…•…▪