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Paffage. Then in the 26th Article, the Church founds the Validity of the Miniftration of the Word and Sacraments on the Commiffion and Authority; and fays, that forafmuch as they do not the fame in their own Name, but in Chrift's, and do minifter by His Commiffion and Authority, the Sacraments be effectual, becaufe of Chrift's Inftitution and Promife. Our Church then having declar'd, that it is not Lawful to adminifter the Sacraments without an Epifcopal Commiffion or Ordination, and likewife that the Sacraments receive their Validity and Effect from that Commission, it evidently follows, that where there is no fuch Commiffion, there can be no Validity or Effect, confequently that an Epifcopal Commiffion is neceffary to the Valid Adminiftration of the Sacraments. But the Church of Rome holds not the Epifcopal Commiffion of fuch Neceffity, allowing De Conthe Sacrament of Baptifm its full Effect and fecrat. Di ftind. 4. Validity, though adminiftred by a Lay- Cap. 24 man, or Woman, or even by a few. Alfo, 36. till it was, with very great Difficulty, and contrary to the Pope's Inclinations, obtained by the Spanish Bishops, and others in the Council of Trent, that Epifcopacy fhould be declar'd to be of Divine Right, + the corrupt Church of Rome held Bishops + Difting. and Presbyters to be the fame Order, and 10. E 2

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that Presbyters were the Bishops Collegues. * Gerh. And Gerhard proves from a Multitude Confe of Popish Authors, that Bishops and PrefLib. II. byters are the fame Order. So that PrefArtic. 6. bytery, and the No-Neceffity of an EpifcoCap. 3. pal Commiffion, had plainly their Original from Popery: And may therefore be called Popish Doctrines, as being maintained in the corrupt State of that Church, till fince our Reformation. And though the Court of Rome was in the Council of Trent forc'd to own Bishops to be Superiour to Prefbyters by a Divine Right, yet I do not know, that they have any where maintain'd the Neceffity of an Epifcopal Commiffion to the Valid Administration of Sacraments; and it is certain, that they allow one Sacrament, the Sacrament of Baptifm, to be miniftred by those who have no fuch Commiffion. This Doctrine is therefore fo far from being Popifh, that in the Cafe of Baptifm at least, which is the Cafe I have been moft concerned with in my Writings, it is directly oppofite to Popery.

3. THE Oblation of the Bread and Wine in the Eucharist as a proper Sacrifice, is also agreeable to the Doctrine of our Church, and as directly oppofite to the Popish Sacrifice of the Mafs, as any Thing can be. For in the Homily of the Sacraments, Part II. our Church declares, That This Lord's Supper

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Supper is in fuch wife to be done and miniStred, as our Lord and Saviour did, and commanded it to be done, as his Holy Apoftles ufed it, and the Good Fathers in the Primitive Church frequented it. Now, the Right Reverend and Learned Bishop Overal, and Bifhop Taylor, and the Reverend and Learned Mr. Mede, Mr. Thorndike, Dr. Hickes, Mr. Johnson of Cranbrook, and many other Eminent Divines of the Church of England, have abundantly proved, `that our Bleffed Lord and Saviour, his Holy Apoftles, and the Good Fathers in the Primitive Church, did offer the Bread and Wine in the Holy Eucharift, as a Sacrifice Representative of the Body and Blood of Chrift, to render GOD propitious and gracious to us; and that thefe Elements were offered by them, as a proper Sacrifice or Oblation; as a continual Remembrance of that One only meritorious Sacrifice which Christ offered upon the Crofs. This therefore, which they have proved to be the Purpose of the Inftitution, the Practice of the Holy Apostles, and the Ufage of the Ancient Fathers, is, in the foregoing Words of the Homily, plainly made the Doctrine of the Church of England. For the farther Proof of which, let us look into our prefent Liturgy, where we find it declared, That Chrift fuffering Death upon the Cross,

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for our Redemption, he made thereby his own Oblation of Himself once offered, a full, perfect, and fufficient SACRIFICE, OBLATION and Satisfaction for the Sins of the whole World. And to the end that we should always remember the exceeding great Love of our Mafter, and only Saviour Jefus Chrift, thus dying for us, and the innumerable Benefits, which by His precious Blood-fbedding he bath obtained to us: He hath inftituted and ordained Holy Mysteries, as Pledges of his Love, and for a continual REMEMBRANCE of his Death, to our great and endlefs Comfort; Inftituting, and in his Holy Gofpel commanding us to continue a PERPETUAL MEMORY of that his precious Death, till His coming again. Then follows the Confecration of the Creatures of Bread and Wine, for a REMEMBRANCE of his Death and Pafion, in the fame Words and Phrases which Chrift our Saviour recommended unto his Apoftles, and the Apoftles to the Primitive Fathers, which now, as then, is to be done only by the Prieft. The Memory, or Commemoration of Chrift's Death thus celebrated by offering, or placing Bread and Wine upon the Altar, or Lord's-Table, to be confecrated with the Words of Inftitution, and then Receiving and Eating it, and the Doing this in Remembrance of Chrift's meritorious

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Death and Paffion, is, in the Prayers imme diately following this Celebration, called a SACRIFICE, a Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving: A Sacrifice Reprefentative of that One, and Only in its own Nature Expiatory Sacrifice which Chrift once offered for us all: The Communicants befeeching GOD. to grant, that by the Merits and Death of his Son Jefus Chrift, and through Faith in his Blood, they and the whole Church may obtain the Remiffion of their Sins, and all other Benefits of his Paf fion: Thereby plainly teftifying, That they have celebrated this Commemorative Sacrifice, in order to render GOD propitious and gracious, through the Merits of that One truly proper Sacrifice, of which it is the Memorial. Then they proceed and prefent unto the Lord their felves, their Souls and Bodies, to be a reasonable, boly, and lively Sacrifice unto Him And howsoever, as they moft humbly acknowledge, they are unworthy, through their manifold Sins, to offer to Him any Sacrifice, yet they befeech Him to accept that their bounden Duty and Service. In which laft Words, that prefent Service, the inftituted Part of which confifts in the Placing Bread and Wine on the Altar or Lord's Table, and in the Confecrating and Receiving it as the Memorial of Chrift's Death, is called The Sa

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