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"the participant is deceived, and the rite itself mifapplied *.

"THE LORD'S SUPPER IS SIMPLY A MEMORIAL OF OUR LORD."

He fums up all in his conclufion by faying, "the Lord's Supper is a rite of the "fimpleft and plaineft nature, perfectly in"telligible to every capacity, and the "performance of it is not attended with

any other benefits than those we our felves make it productive of, by its religious influence on our principles and "practice +."

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If the whole of this account be true, the fentiment it excites is deep regret. Even the fick and dying can no longer expect a laft folace from, what they deemed, the facred cup of confolation. All thofe who have kindly, as well as devoutly, kneeled at the bedfide of departing finners, held out the holy elements, and told them, on receiving with faith and repentance, their fins would be forgiven, have, according to Dr. Bell," deceived the poor communicant, and mifapplied the holy

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"rite."

"rite." How can this opinion be reconciled to a folemn approbation of the Liturgy?

No longer is the congregation to expect fanctifying grace-the influence of the Holy Spirit, from that folemn fervice, for which they have prepared with anxious hearts, and from which they were accustomed to return with fouls ftrengthened and refreshed.

Nothing myfterious is allowed to be contained in the most folemn act of Chriftian devotion. Every thing is faid to be perfectly plain in it, and intelligible to the meanest capacity. Thus all religious awe is at once removed, and the Christian is to go to the Euchariftical table with nearly the fame freedom and familiarity as to the meal which he daily partakes of, in the family or convivial circle.

There is nothing to induce men to go to the facrament but a pofitive command, for which he who gave it is reprefented, in the depreciating scheme, as not affording the flightest intimation of any peculiar benefit to be derived from it.

It

It is a comfortless account. I am convinced it is not the true one; and think myself not mifemployed in endeavouring to recommend thofe more dignified ideas of the Sacrament, which our forefathers adopted, and which contributed both to their own virtue and happiness, and to the general prevalence of the Chriftian Religion.

SECTION IV.

The Opinion that the Eucharift is a bare Memorial, confidered.

THC

HOUGH the opinion of Bishop Hoadley, 'that the Sacrament of the Lord'sSupper is but a bare memorial,' has been repeatedly refuted, yet it is faid to gain ground, and to be likely to prevail more and more, in an age when the whole of our Religion is reprefented by the Sect of felf-named Rationalifts, the modern Socinians, as totally devoid of every thing myfterious.

This notion of a bare memorial, it is obferved, recommends itself by its fimplicity. Every body can understand what is meant by an act of commemoration. The idea is perfectly familiar. We keep a birth-day in our families, and we remember public events in anniversary festivals. To receive the Sacrament as a

mere

mere commemorative act, like these in common life, requires no peculiar grace of Christianity, no examination of the heart, no preparatory discipline. The remembrance of a friend at a convivial table, is an act nearly as religious and as virtuous as the reception of the Sacrament, according to the ideas of those who affirm that it is nothing more than an act of memory, performed with fome formalities indeed, which however, as far as any benefits to ourselves are received, might as well be omitted, if they had not been pofitively commanded. They fometimes fuggeft a hint that the command to perform this flight fervice may poffibly not extend to us in these days, but might have been confined to the Apostles, to whom it was immediately given by the Inftitutor. Dr. Bell, whom I am forry to quote fo often, inftructs his disciples thus: "Should any one," fays he, " be fincerely "convinced that the Lord's Supper was "not inftituted for a ftanding rite of "his religion, but merely for the ob"fervance of the Apoftles themselves

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