Animadversions on a treatise entitled Fiat lux, or, A guide in differences of religion,…Animadversions on a treatise intituled Fiat lux, or, A guide in differences of religion,…

But if this will not do, he would fain have us grant, That the whole manner of giving the Communion unto the Laity, whether under one, or both kinds, is left to the disposition of the Church; I tell you truly, I should have thought so too, had not Christ and his Apostles before-hand determined it: but as the case stands, it is left so much to the disposition of the Church, whether the blessed Cup shall be administered to the people, as it is, whether we shall have any Sacraments or no, and not one jot more. And let not our Author flatter himself, that it was a pre-conceived Opinion of the arbitrariness of this business, that made men scruple it no more in former ages, when the Cup was first taken from them. They scrupled it, until you had roasted some of them in the fire, and shed the blood of multitudes by the Sword, which was the old way of satisfying scruples.

But if this will not do, he would fain have us grant, That the whole manner of giving the Communion unto the Laity, whether under one, or both kinds, is left to the disposition of the Church; I tell you truly, I should have thought so too, had not Christ and his Apostles before-hand determined it: but as the case stands, it is left so much to the disposition of the Church, whether the blessed Cup shall be administred to the people, as it is, whether we shall have any Sacraments or no, and not one jot more. And let not our Author flatter himself, that it was a pre-conceived Opinion of the arbitrariness of this business, that made men scruple it no more in former ages, when the Cup was first taken from them. They scrupled it, until you had roasted some of them in the fire, and shed the bloud of multitudes by the Sword, which was the old way of satisfying scruples.

At length our Author ventures on St. Paul, and hopes, if he can satisfy ⟨p. 380⟩him he shall do well enough; and tells us, This indifferent use of Communion amongst the ancient Christians in either kind, sometimes the one, sometimes the other, sometimes both, is enough to verify that of St. Paul, We are all partakers of one Bread and of one Cup. But what is this indifferent use, and who are these ancient Christians he tells us of? Neither is the use of one or of both indifferent among the Papists, nor did the ancient Christians know any thing at all of this business of depriving the People of the Cup; which is but a by-blow of Transubstantiation. He knows they knew nothing of it, whatever he pretends. Neither doth the Apostle Paul say nakedly, and only, that We are all partakers of one Bread and one Cup; but, instructing the whole Church of Corinth in the right use of the Lords Supper, he calls to mind what he had formerly taught them, as to the celebration of it; and this he tells them was the imitation of the Lord himself, according as he had received it in command from him, to give the blessed Bread and Cup to all the Communicants. This he lays down as the Institution of Christ; this