The vniversallity of God's free-grace in Christ to mankind.: Proclaimed and displayed from 1 Tim. 2.6. and Hebr. 2.9. according to their genuine sense. That all might be comforted, encouraged; every one confirmed and assured of the propitiation and death of Christ for the whole race of mankind, and so for himself in particular. / Through urgent importunity, written by Thomas Moore.

I. The first REASON from the words, I am the doore, &c.

1. It is injurious; Seeing it is confessed by the most and soundest Interpreters, and ordinarily used as an Argument against the Papists, prohibiting Christian people the reading the Scriptures, under pre∣tence of their difficulty to be understood; that whatsoever is neces∣sary to salvation, is therein plainly delivered, even so, as the diligent and humble Reader may easily understand. Now nothing more ne∣cessary, nor more plainly delivered; then the foundation, and first beginnings of the Gospel of Christ, against which is here Objected, and so the Affirmation of sound Interpreters; yea, and the Scripture it self gainsaid.

2. It is unjust, seeing it is granted by Interpreters, that hard and difficult places, as Sacramentall Speeches, Allegories, Parables, &c. are to be opened by plaine places, and not plaine places made darke by them. Now, I an the Doore, Joh. 10.9. and The Vine, Joh. 15.1. are Metaphoricall speeches. And This is my Body, Matth. 26.26. is a Sacramentall Speech: Thus confessed by All, There being a greater Mystery, and mysticall signification therein: then men, at first hear∣ing the Gospel, or in first receit: till they have some acquaintance with, and growth in the things of Christ, can understand: There∣fore very unjustly brought forth, to darken the sayings in Hebr. 2.9. 1 Tim. 2.6. and Joh. 4.42. being plain, and of the beginnings of the Gospel, by which those other sayings are to be explained.

3. It is very grosse, Intimating (yea some have said it,) As if the sense those words seem to Import; were as if hee mere a door of wood, and an earthly Vine, and as if the Sacrament all bread were tran∣substantiate, and turned into, and become the corporall or naturall body of Christ: whereas there are no such words in any place, nor any importing such a sense: and if it were lawfull to become ridiculous, to answer such ridiculous conceits, as are thought so strong: as if no truth to be found in such sayings of Scripture, without casting out the sense, the words seem to import: I would ask this puestion; Isa master say to his servant, Reach my clothes in the Presse: and a Dame saith to the maid, Turn the cheese in the Press; & the Child cries to his mother, The Pott boiles over, and runnes in the fire, cannot all these (by meane Country people,) be understood in the very same sense the words import; though Presse have no one sense in one saying, and another in the other saying, and the pottage, not the po•••• runne in the fire; but I leave this, least I runn too much into folly, to shew this foolish arguing.

4. It is very false; for Jesus Christ is the very Doore, and Way indeed of entrance into any Peace with God, or approaching for any life to him. Joh. 14.16. Ephes. 2.17, 19. And he is the true Ʋine indeed, of the Fa∣thers setting, and filled with all living sapp of the Spirit: whence all true fruit comes. Joh. 15.1, 7. Hos. 14.8. And our Saviour, being to finish his sufferings, and shortly to leave the World, having newly ea∣ten the Passeover with his Disciples, himself being the Truth of that was Typed and Shadowed thereby, (both in Remembrance, and Thing re∣membred,) And now Instituting the Supper, in which his Disciples and Beleevers may have him, and his Sufferings, with the benefit thereof; in such fresh Remembrance: That they might have somewhat from his owne hands, to be in stead of his visible presence with them (who by spirit would be still with them,) That they by faith, in use thereof, might have fellowship with him, eat and drinke with him; yea, eate his Flesh, and drinke his Blood; and so enjoy such Communion, as they become one Body in and with him, and each other: Hee now in Delivery of this Re∣membrance,

1. Was present with them, speaking, and instructing them about the Propitiation made by his Sacrifice, and the Testament seated in his blood.

2. He instituteth this Ordinance for them, to keep in mind, and shew

forth his death, till he come againe: and to have Communion with him, and one another.

3. The businesse was knowne to be mysticall, and as wee call it, Sacra∣mentall, in which a Command and a Promise meet, in appointing the use of an outward signe and Action: as in that they had now bee about: as appeares. Exod. 12.1.

4. This businesse was not appointed to, nor the words spoken to the men of the world, to unbeleevers, (as that part of the Gospel here treated of, is also to be) but to Beleevers, that had already some spirituall discern∣ing, and a Promise of a further portion of Spirit to be given them.

5. He saith not, This is changed into my body, nor so much, as this bread is my Body, nor a word to colour such a grosse conceit as Tran∣substantiation; nor doth he say, This is onely a figne or figure of my bo∣dy; his words are of more force then so: and now to a spirituall un∣derstanding, what should be the scense? but what the words by him spook on such an occasion, in such a businesse, to his Disciples, doe import: So that this Argument appears injurious, unjust, absurd, and false, and so of no strength.