An answer to the discourse of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the knowledge of Christ,…

And to name no more; generally those Sayings of the Fathers, which the Papists plead, for an oral Manducation of Christ, are so many proofs of the Mystical Union. The Schoolmen concur in the same thing: Aquinas saith, that Christ and his Members are but una Persona mystica: And Barthol. Medina expresses it fully;¹ Cùm efficimur membra sub Capite Christo, mirabili quâdam Spiritûs sancti operatione unimur, & transimus in Christum, induimúsque illum, & deiformi quâdam insitione atque Unione illi inserimur. Modern Divines go the same way; to name but a few: Bishop Usher saith,² The Bond of this Mystical Union between Christ and us, is on his part, the quickening Spirit, and on ours, Faith. Est inter Christum & omnia Christi Membra, continuitas quaedam ratione Spiritûs sancti, qui plenissimè residens in Christo Capite, ³unus & idem numero ad omnia ejus membra diffunditur, vivificans singula & uniens universa; so Bishop Davenant. The Spirit knitteth us, as really, ⟨p. 168⟩though mystically, ⁴unto Christ, as his Sinews and Joints do fasten the parts of his sacred Body together; thus Bishop Reynolds. But I shall shut up all with the Authority of our Church: In the Lords Supper there is no vain Ceremony, no bare Sign, nor untrue Figure of a thing absent; but the Table of the Lord, the Bread and Cup of the Lord, the Memory of Christ, the Annunciation of his death, the Communion of the Body and Blood of the Lord in a marvellous Incorporation, ⁵which by the operation of the holy Ghost (the very Bond of our conjunction with Christ) is through Faith wrought in the Souls of the faithful, the true Understanding of this Fruition and Union between the Body and the Head, between Believers and Christ, the ancient Catholic Fathers perceiving themselves, and commending to their people, were not afraid to call this Supper, the Salve of Immortality, a Deifical Communion, pledge of eternal health and food of immortality. This Mystical Union, we see, is no Fancy, no, very great moments depend upon it: Tota veraejustitiae, salutis, vitae participatio ex hâc pernecessariâ cum Christo [Greek or Hebrew] pendet, saith the Learned Zanchy: Without it, how should Christ profit us? which way should his