The glory of the true church, discovered, as it was in its purity in the primitive time also, a manifestation how and when the apostacy came, and how long it hath continued in the Church of Rome, proved to be in it, because she differs in doctrin & practice from the Church of Christ in the Apostles dayes : published for this end, that people may be informed, and their understandings opened to discern of the times and seasons, and see the difference between the lambs wife and the mother of harlots / by one who desires that all may come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved, and walk in the light of the Lord, Francis Howgill.

CHP. XI. Concerning the Passover and the Supper. (Book 11)

THE Passover was a command of God by Moses unto Israel, while they were in captivity in Egypt, which God manifested his wonderous works in the land of Egypt, and in the field of Zoan, for their delive∣rance, Exod. 12. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. That every family shall take to them every man a Lamb, according to the house of their Fathers, a Lamb for an house, and where the fa∣mily was little the Neighbours were to joyn with him, ver 21. Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, draw out and take a Lamb according to your families, and kill the Passover, and ye shall take a bunch of Hysop and dip it in the Blood that is in the basin, and sprinkle the lintel and the two side posts of the door with the Blood, and none of you shall go out of doors untill the morning, ver. 22, 23. The Lord will pass through to smite the Eyptians, and when he sees the Blood upon the lintels and posts, he will not suffer the destroyer to come into your houses to smite you, and ye shall observe this thing as an ordinance for thee and thy seed forever, ver. 24. And it shall come to pass when the children shall say unto you, what means this service? ye shall say it is the sacrifice of the Lords Passover, who passed over our Houses in Egypt, and smote the Egyptians; And this was the Ordi∣nance which was performed, and this is that Passover which Christ sent his Disciples to prepare according to the time prescribed, because it became him to fulfill all Righteousness, and he being not yet sacrificed up,

this offering was not ended, but now he being offer∣ed up, this is to be witnessed in the Spirit, and in the hearts of his people who are marked and bear his spot, when a destroyer comes to execute vengeance upon the Wicked, he passes over his Seed which bears his Image. And when Christ came with the twelve and sate down in the place appointed in the even, the same night he was betrayed, And he said unto them, I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, Luke 22. 15, 17, 19. And he took Bread, and gave thanks and brake it, and gave it unto them, saying, this is my Body which is given for you, this do in remembrance of me; likewise also the Cup after supper, saying, this is the Cup of the New Testament for you in my blood, ver. 20. and this he gave as a sign & a token to the Disciples, that as often as they did eat the bread, & drink the Cup, they should remember him; and it should shew forth his death till he came again, and this was practised by the Disciples according as Christ had said unto them, therefore the Apostle said 1 Cor. 11. 23. That I re∣ceive of the Lord, that delivered I unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night he was betrayed, took Bread, and brake it, and said, take, eat, this is my Body which is broken for you after the same manner also he took the Cup when he had supped, saying, this Cup is the New Testament in my blood, this do ye, as often as ye do it in remembrance of me, ver. 24, 25. For as often as ye eat this Bread, and Drink this Cup, ye shew forth his death till he comes; and so he pureth them upon examination, ver. 28. Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of this bread, and drink of this cup, ver. 29, For he that eats and drinks un∣worthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lords Body; But Believers grew in the knowledge of the mystery, which was revealed through the Spirit, and came to see beyond these out∣ward things, and things visible, 2 Cor. 4, 28. While

we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things that are seen are tempo∣ral, but the things that are not seen are eternal; So that which was given for a sign to be observed in remem∣brance of Christ till he came, was visible, to wit the bread and the Cup, which he gave to the Disciples at supper, which they were exercised in for some time, in the time of weakness while their eyes and minds where much outward, but they came to look at things which are beyond time, and things they saw which are not seen in time, but things that were Eternal, and this they sed upon; and so the Corinthians grew up in the Life, and knew the flesh of Christ and his Blood, and they did eat his Flesh and Drink his Blood, and had Life in them; now they which eat his flesh and drink his Blood, need nothing to put them in memory of that which they already enjoy and pos∣sess, and so the Apostles brought them to a further ex∣amination, not to look at things visible, but to exa∣mine themselves whether they were in the Faith, for he that is in the Faith, is in that which is visible, Prove your selves, know you not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates, 2 Cor. 13. 5. Now they who came to wit∣ness Christ in them, knew the Resurection and the Life in them, and witnessed the Life of the Son of God to live in them, and they in it, and this was a further state then looking at visible things, which was in re∣membrance only of his death; and blessed are they who have an eye to see, and an heart to believe these things.

And now the Apostle spake unto wise men, and bad them judge what he said, 1 Cor. 10. 15. So that novices or them that were young, or Babes, had hardly been able to discern if he had spoken such things to them, but he spoke to wise men which could judge of

what he said, and ver. 16. thus he said, the Cup of bles∣sing which we bless, is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ? and the Bread which we break, is it not the com∣munion of the Body if Christ? ver. 17. for we being ma∣ny are one Bread and one Body, for we are all partakers of that one Bread, and that one Bread was Christ, who said, I am the Bread of Life, and this they witnessed, and these are great mysteries, and them whose eyes are towards visible things cannot see them. And what a noise and a stir hath been made these many hundred years, and what killing and persecuting about things that are seen.

And since the Mysterie hath been lost, and the key which opens the Mysterie, how people have waded in the dark till they have lost themselves, and are sunk down into utter darkness, as hath been mani∣fest about visible things which do corrupt; how ma∣ny have been killed about this Bread and this Cup which are visible, since the Apostles daies? and how many Institutions and Laws have been made about this, and have foughten like Swine about the husk, and discerns not the life, neither the Lords Body.

It is endless to declare what stir they make about this Bread and this Wine in the Church of Rome, which I shall not now stand to particularize much; but however after the Priest have consecrated it, they conclude it to be the very Body and Blood of Christ, and yet a thing which may be seen, and that is a temporal thing, and so gave it names past numeration.

And what work they have made about times and dayes, when it was fi•• to be received, and how ma∣ny Decrees have been made about these things. Ana∣clatus caused a Decree to be made that all was to come to it under pain of Excommunication. And Victor de∣nounced that those should be interdectid from all ser∣vice, when they should receive the Sacrament that

would not be reconciled to their Neighbours of all Gurdges and hatred. Again Clepheranius one hun∣dred years after Anaclatus, commanded that all that professed Christ or bare the name of Christians, being of the age of twelve or fourteen years, should at least once a year at Easter receive the blessed Sacra∣ment. Fabianus decreed that they should receive it three times in a year; and Innocentius the third, de∣creed it should be kept in the Church, that it should be ready at all times, least they that were sick should want the spiritual comfort of it; And Honorus the third confirmed the same; And Austin concluded, the Eucharist to be of absolute necessity for Infants.

And what a stir hath been in the reformed Churches so called about this? And what disorderly work, and what high Imputations they have gained to it, when as they commanded the Parishes to buy it, and then sells it them again, that the Priest must have an offering at Easter; also a token of a piece of lead, a token that they are at unity with the Priest, or else they may not have their bread and wine again for which they paid before, and this hath been called a great mystery.