HE great Chriftian Doctrine I appear'd in Defence of, in that fhort Difcourfe to the Reverend Clergy of my Diocefe, was, That by our being Commanded to fhew, forth the Lord's Death till he come, in that visible bodily Action of Eating and Drinking in Remembrance of him; we are refrained from performing either in Remembrance of any other Perfon whatever departed this World; tho

he had been the greatest Benefactor upon Earth, and were now the greatest Saint in Heaven. And that to perform either of thefe to any other Perfon, than to him in whofe Honour they were Inftituted; is a deteftable Abufe of an Action most Holy, and Profanation of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.

The Truth of this is fo plain and obvious, that it appears at firft fight; and needs no Proof to any truly fincere Heart, touch'd with an inward Concern for the honour of Chrift and his holy Ordinance ; and jealous of everything which may directly, or by Confequence imply a leffening or difefteem of his deareft Lord; or be any Abuse or Profanation of his holy Inftitution.

However a Practice prevail'd univerfally of celebrating the Memory of a departed Monarch with the very fame Action, under the fenfelefs Style and Name of an HEALTH. Infomuch, that it became the main diftinguishing Teft of a Party that fhall be Nameless; and all who declined it, were immediately branded with Ingratitude to God; with the want of Honour and Regard to the Memory of K-Was being no Friends to the Revolution, to Liberty, or their Country: nor indeed was he reckon'd a good Chriftian who refus'd it. In fhort he underwent any Imputation, but that of profaning the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharift; and the want of True Loyalty and Fidelity to his Queen: This drew many into a Compliance, who had not confider'd that the Nature and Tendency of that Health (as it was call'd) was in it felf to both thefe; however, it might have been.

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innocently design'd of fuch as were unwarily milled by the firft Inventors, and clamorous Promoters of it.

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When that Difcourfe firft appear'd, to Stem this prevailing wicked Practice; I need not fay with what uncommon Zeal it was declared against by many; nay with what rage and fury it. was receiv'd; as if I had promoted fome ftrange. and dangerous Doctrine, deftructive of fome fundamental point of Faith or Practice. Whereas after all, what I maintain'd is a Gofpel Truth, as old as the firft Inftitution of the Eucharift; and infpite of all Oppofition will continue fo to the end of the World. A Doctrine. plain to every Capacity; obvious to common Senfe and Reason; agreeable to the Tenour of Scripture; the nature of that Holy Sacrament it felf; and to the Regard, and Honour, and Gratitude due from us to the divine Author, for, the perpetual Remembrance of whom it was. appointed. And nothing but want of Knowledge and Confideration, or of a fincere Regard

things Sacred; or elfe a fix'd and inveterate Prejudice can put any one, upon Maintaining. the contrary Doctrine, viz. That it is Lawful to celebrate and perpetuate the Memory of any other departed Perfonby Eating or Drinking in Remem brance of hims

15% daera In order to proceed in this with more ftrength and clearness, from a general I made the Que ftion particular; the Subftance of which was, Whether it is a Thing in itfelf Lawful, now under the Gospel, to celebrate or perpetuate the Memory of a departed Monarch (as for inftance KW,) by eating Bread or drinking Wine in Remembrance of

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bim? That it is Lawful is the Cry against me and not only fo, but Commendable; if this Action is perform'd without Confecration of the Elements. Tho' at firft Sight it is an Affertion much more wicked and abfurd than to fay, That St. Paul's Church may be all apply'd for a Monument to perpetuate the Memory of K W fo you do not Confecrate it to him.

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In that Difcourfe I fhew'd, ift, How thiss outward, bodily Action, of Eating or Drink ing in Remembrance of a Perfon departed this s World, was adopted into Religion, 'apply'd to the Perfon of Chrift, and therefore Sanctified: to a divine Use; and become the most folemn: Branch of Religious Worship, and that by ex prefs Command and Inftitutionisen

2. That the Limitation of this Action to the Perfon of Chrift, was plainly imply'd in ther very Words and Form of the Inftitution; particularly by that Claufe oods ar virt; as Often as ye Drink; which being apply'd toother Cup only, and not to the Bread, feemed plainly defign'd, in the purpose and fore knowledge of God, to prevent the Application of fo facred an Action to any profane or civil Ufe. in all future Generations. And withal, how the Words of the Inftitution, Drink this in Remembrance of Me, and not in Remembrance of My Death, were exactly Calculated, effectually to cut off the moft plaufible: Defence: which Men make for that Health, viz. That they don't Drink in Remembrance of R→→ W-m's Death, but of him when alive, &ch et

3. obferv'd, that though that Restraining Claufe was not apply'd to the Bread, yet to

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take Bread and break it, and each Perfon to put it in their Mouths with this Expreffion, Here is to all who Love and Honour the Memory of K-W, would be allow'd Horrid and Blafphemous; becaufe eating Bread in Remembrance of a departed Perfon is a Sacramental Action: And yet this wou'd not come up to the Impiety of doing the like with the Wine.

4. I argu'd, how Chrift, by Inftituting and Commanding this Action to be done in Honour of himself, had Appropriated it to his own Perfon for the paying a Divine Honour, and to render it the moft folemn Act of Chriftian Worship. Nor cou'd I think of any other more effectual Way of Appropriating this to his own Perfon, than by a pofitive Command and folemn Inftitution.

5. I made the Cafe plain by a Comparison with the other Sacrament of Baptifmi; and asking this Queftion, Whether it wou'd not be a moft heinous Profanation of it, to make ufe of Dipping or Sprinkling as a Form of Admiffion of Members into any Civil Corporation? It being the very Action Inftituted and made Sacramental by Chrift,for incorporating Perfons into his Church.

From all which, together with the other Reafons offer'd, it plainly appears, that Eating and Drinking in Remembrance of Chrift Cracified, i.e. Dead, is now under the Gofpel, in the Words of our Church Catechifm, made an outward and visible Sign of an inward and fpiritual Grace; and fhall we apply either of thefe Actions to any Profane or Civil Ufe? God forbid,

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