A collection of several discourses against popery By William Wake, preacher to the honourable society of Grays-Inn.

Wake, William, 1657-1737., Wake, William, 1657-1737. Exposition of the doctrine of the Church of England. aut, Wake, William, 1657-1737. Defence of the Exposition of the doctrine of the Church of England. aut, Wake, William, 1657-1737. Second defence of the Exposition of the doctrine of the Church of England. aut, Wake, William, 1657-1737. Discourse of the Holy Eucharist. aut, Wake, William, 1657-1737. Two discourses of purgatory, and prayers for the dead. aut, Wake, William, 1657-1737. Discourse concerning the nature of idolatry. aut, Wake, William, 1657-1737. Continuation of the present state of controversy, between the Church of England, and the Church of Rome. aut, Tenison, Thomas, 1636-1715. Present state of the controversie between the Church of England and the Church of Rome. aut, Clagett, William, 1646-1688. aut

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PART II. OF THE SACRAMENTS.

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ARTICLE. XXIII. Of Communicating only under one kind.

THis is the last of those consequences that give us a just detestation for that great Errour of the Corporeal presence on which they are founded. It is so plainly contrary to the express command of our Bles∣sed Saviour, that we are perswaded it has pleased God to suffer them to fall into it, on purpose to cor∣rect that vanity whereby they have so proudly aspi∣red to an Opinion of Infallibility: That whilst they Lord it over mens Consciences, and will not so much Page 73 as give them leave to ask them a Reason of what they do, they might here at last be surprised in an Error which the most vulgar Eye is able to discern.

The Church of England conformably to all Antiqui∣ty declares,

That the Cup ought not to be deny'd to the * Lay-people; forasmuch as both parts of the Lords Sa∣crament by Christs Ordinance and Commandment, ought to be ministred to all Christian men alike.

For indeed, Did not he who said of the Bread,

Take, Eat, this is my Body,

say also of the Wine, with the same expressness,

Drink ye all of this, for this is my Blood of the New Testament which is shed for you for the remission of sins?

Did not he who commanded them,

Do this in Re∣membrance of Me,

for the Bread, even according to their own Construction, Take and Consecrate, and give to Others, as I have done to you; command them for the Cup in like manner,

Do this;

i. e. consecrate, and give it to Others, as I have done to you,

in remem∣brance of Me?

We confess, That the Grace of God is not tied to the outward signs: Yet we think withal, that without taking the outward and visible signs, we can have no pretence to the inward and spiritual Grace of that holy Sacrament; which deriving all its Effect from our Saviour's Promise, we can have no security that it shall have any good one to them, who do not re∣ceive it according to his Institution.

Had Christ esteemed it sufficient for us to receive the Blood in the body, we suppose he would not have consecrated the Cup afterwards. But if it was our Sa∣viour's pleasure, that to commemorate the more lively his Passion, we should take his Blood as it was spilt for our Redemption, separate from his Body; we think Page 74 it an unwarrantable presumption for us to make our selves wiser than God, and say, that it is sufficient to participate of Both in One.

Monsieur de Meaux has received so full an Answer upon this point, from the Reply made to his Treatise written purposely on this Subject, that he will have no cause to complain of us for not repeating here, what has been so fully and so successfully handled there.

Only as to that Negligence of these latter Ages, which he is pleased to alledge as the reason of this change; We must needs say, that God be thanked, we cannot observe any such Negligence of this holy Communion in our Churches, where yet this holy Sa∣crament is administred to as large Congregations, and with as great frequency as any where among Them. Both our Priests and the People, give and receive it with that Care and Reverence, that we find as little grounds for any such pretence, as there is reason in it, were it never so true, to justifie so great and unwar∣rantable a Change.

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