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were not permitted or enabled by Almighty God to do it; and that their Account of the Inftitution, deliver'd down to Us, is Imperfect, who alone had it in their power to convey it to Us in the fullest and most perfect Manner. But these things cannot be conceived. The Writers of the New Teftament being the Earliest of All upon this Subject, and the most certainly acquainted with it; (whether They be confidered as Witneffes to the Inftitution itself, or instructed by Those who were fo; or, as afterwards receiving what They taught from Christ himfelf;) must be the Beft, or rather the Only Writers for us to depend upon. Others who followed, whether fooner or later, have no pretenfes to the fame regard from Us. A very few Years make a great alteration in Mens Notions, and Language, about fuch Points of Religion. And the diftance of Many Years makes a still greater Alteration; whilst Men of Various Opinions, and Strong Imaginations, are continually going on to comment and enlarge upon fuch Subjects. The New Teftament therefore, in this Cafe, is alone to be depended on: from which We ought, with the greatest care and ho

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nefty,

nefty, to take all our Notions of this Duty.

VII. The Writers of the New Teftament give an Account of the Inftitution of the Lord's Supper, in the following Paffages; which, therefore, are principally to be regarded: Viz. St. Matthew, chap. xxvi. v. 26, &c, St. Mark, chap. xiv. v. 22, &c. St. Luke, chap. xxii. v. 19, &c. And St. Paul, 1 Cor. chap. xi. v. 23, &c.·

St. Matth. xxvi. 26. And as they were eating, Jefus took bread, and bleffed it, and brake it, and gave it to the Disciples, and faid, Take, Eat; This is my body.

27. And he took the Cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to Them, faying, Drink ye all of

it :

28. For this is my Bloud of the New Testament, which is shed for many, for the remission of fins.

St. Mark xiv. 22. And as They did eat, Jefus took Bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to Them, and faid, Take, Eat; This is my Body.

23. And

23. And He took the Cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them: and they all drank of it.

24. And He faid unto them, This is my Bloud of the New Teftament, which is fhed

for many.

St. Luke xxii. 19. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, faying, This is my Body, which is given for you: This do in remembrance of me.

20. Likewife alfo the Cup after Supper, faying, This Cup is the New Teftament in my bloud, which is fhed for you.

St. Paul, upon occafion of the Indecent and Unchriftian Behavior of Some amongst the Corinthians, at the time of their meeting together to partake of the Lord's Supper, lays before them, as the most effectual Cure of their Disorders, the following Account of the Original Inftitution of this Holy Rite.

1 Cor. xi. 23. For I have received of the Lord that which alfo I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jefus, the fame night, in which He was betrayed, took bread:

24. And when He had given thanks, He brake it, and faid, Take, Eat; This is my Body, which is broken for you: This do in remembrance of me.

25. After

25. After the fame manner alfo, He took the Cup, when He bad fupped, faying, This Cup is the New Teftament in my bloud: This do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

After this the Apoftle adds, as his own Obfervation drawn from the Inftitution it self,

Ver. 26. For as often as Ye eat this Bread, and drink this Cup, Ye do fhew the Lord's death till He come.

A few Remarks upon the Expreffions made ufe of in thefe Paffages, will be useful; in order to lead Us to their true Meaning, and to a Right Understanding of the Duty appointed in them.

1. In the Words of St. Matthew, here cited, in which it is faid of our Lord -- He took Bread, and blessed it, the word it, (which perhaps may have been the occafion of fome groundless notions,) is added by our Tranflators, without any thing in the Original to anfwer to it, or to require it: for which They themselves thought They had fo little reason, that They did not add it to St. Mark xiv. 22. though the very fame Greek word is ufed by Him. If, instead of this, They had added the Word GOD; the Meaning

Meaning of the Evangelift would have been truly expreffed thus, Jefus having taken Bread, and having bleed GOD, brake it, &c. That this is the one natural Sense of the Word [uλoy'noas] in this place, is plain from the Word ufed by St. Luke and St. Paul, in their accounts of this Inftitution. They both, after speaking of our Saviour's having taken Bread into his Hands, add, Euxaphoas, having given thanks [viz. to GOD] He brake it, &c. And all the Four now cited fpeak of the fame Action of Our Lord, after the taking of the Bread. Since therefore, the Word which St. Paul and St. Luke ufe can fignify nothing but having given thanks to GOD: and the Word ufed by St. Matthew and St. Mark naturally and easily fignifies the fame and fince both the words [ἐυλογήσας and ευχαρισή cas] are applied and defigned to fignify one and the fame particular Action of Our Saviour; it follows, that the word ufed by St. Matthew and St. Mark, muft fignify baving blessed GOD, in the Senfe of giving thanks and praife to Him; and not having bleed the Bread, in any other Senfe, but that of fpeaking over it words of Praife and Thanksgiving to GOD.

Nay,

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