A treatise of miscellany questions wherein many useful questions and cases of conscience are…A treatise of miscellany questions wherein many usefull questions and cases of conscience are…

Then it is no Table, for [Greek or Hebrew] is a Table which we dine or sup at, no by-board for holding things which servants are to present unto those who sit at the Table. What then? Is the Table of the Lord in the new Testament intended for the same end and use as the Table of the Lord in the old Testament, Mal: 1. 7. The table of the Lord is contemptible? If so, then we make the Table an Altar, and the Sacrament a sacrifice. For the Sacrifice was Gods meat eaten up by fire from Heaven, and the Altar Gods Table, because it contained his meat. But now the Table of the Lord must have another sense in the new Testament; the Lords Supper being no sacrifice, but epulum ex oblatis, a feast upon the body and blood of Christ offered upon the cross for us. Of this nature of the Lords Supper, Mr Cudworth hath learnedly discoursed in a Treatise printed Anno 1642. I conclude the Table which we speak of, is not for a sacrifice, but for a Sacrament, for a feast, for meat which God offers to us not we to him. Therefore we ought to come unto the Table of the Lord to receive the mystical food in the Sacrament, as well as we come to our ordinary Table for our ordinary food. Otherwise what ever use we may devise for a Table in the Sacrament, sure it serves not for the use of a table, at least not to all the Communicants.

Then it is no Table, for 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 is a Table which we dine or sup at, no by-boord for holding things which servants are to present unto those who sit at the Table. What then? Is the Table of the Lord in the new Testament intended for the same end and use as the Table of the Lord in the old Testament, Mal: 1. 7. The table of the Lord is centemptible? If so, then we make the Table an Altar, and the Sacrament a sacrifice. For the Sacrifice was Gods meat eaten up by fire from Heaven, and the Altar Gods Table, because it contained his meat. But now the Table of the Lord must have another sense in the new Testament; the Lords Supper being no sacrifice, but epulum ex oblatis, a feast upon the body and blood of Christ offered upon the crosse for us. Of this nature of the Lords Supper, Mr Cudworth hath learnedly discoursed in a Treatise printed Anno 1642. I conclude the Table which we speak of, is not for a sacrifice, but for a Sacrament, for a feast, for meat which God offers to us not wee to him. Therefore we ought to come unto the Table of the Lord to receive the mysticall food in the Sacrament, als well as we come to our ordinary Table for our ordinary food. Otherwise what ever use we may devise for a Table in the Sacrament, sure it serves not for the use of a table, at least not to all the Communicants.