A SERMON, Shewing that the LORD'S TABLE IS A PROPER ALTAR, And the Sacrament of the Eucharift A PROPER SACRIFICE. BY THOMAS BRETT, LLD. Rector of Bettelhanger in Kent. nes. Sasra Euchariftiaeft Convivium quoddam Fœderale (qualia etiam antiqua fuerunt Sacrificia) inter Deum & HomiHomines enim primo offerunt Panem S Vinum Deo, quas Creaturas ibi oblatas & in Symbola magni per Chriftum pera&ti Sacrificii confecratas, Deus iterum bominibus impertit; quo pacto ipfi per fidem de magna Chrifti Sacrificio revera participant. Bevereg. Cod. Can, Vindicat. lib. 2. cap. 10. §. 4. LONDON: Printed for J. W Y A T, at the Refe in St, Paul's Churc's-Yard, 1713, THE PREFACE A Bout feven Years ago came forth an impious Book, without either Author or Bookfeller's Name affix'd to it; which under the fpecious Title of The Rights of the Chriftian Church afferted, endeavoured (as far as the Malice and pretended Wit of the Author was able) to overthrow all the Rights, Power and Authority which our Saviour had given to his Church. This Book, together with some others publifh'd about that time, gave a juft Alarm to those who had a true Zeal for that Religion which our Saviour Establish'd,which his Apoftles and their Succeffors preached and propagated in all the World, which the Bishops and Pastors of the Primitive Church maintain'ḍ and fupported with the hazard of their Lives, which the Martyrs and Confeffors fealed with their Blood; and which, when it had fhamefully been corrupted by the Church of Rome, the excellent Reformers of this Church, had to the beft of their Ability, reftor❜d to its primitive Purity, Hereupon the very Learned and Reve rend Dr. Potter, at that time Domestick Chaplain to his Grace my Lord Archbishop of ili of Canterbury, wrote and publifh'd his excellent Difcourfe of Church-Government; which being written in his Grace's Family, I doubt not was written alfo by his Directi, on, and published with his Approbation: For had that Book contained what was contrary to his Grace's Sentiments, I cannot think he would have thought the Author to have merited thofe Preferments, which have fince been fo defervedly conferred upon him. I cannot think that his Grace, whose Intereft was at that time very great, would have permitted a Perfon, tho' his own Domestick, to have been advanced to the Divinity-Chair of the University of Oxford, if he had publifhed any thing which in his Grace's Opinion had been Heterodox, or contrary to the known received Doctrine of the Church of England. The very Worthy and Learned Doctor maintains in his excellent Book, and proves from the Scriptures and Fathers of the three Chap. 1. firft Centuries, that the Church is a Society, not a mere voluntary Society, but one whereof all Men must be Members, an outward and vifible Society, an univerfal Society with regard to Time and Place: And a Spiritual Society, different from thofe Civil Societies, which are govern'd by the Kings of the Chap. 2. Earth. Then he fhews that Christ is the Head of this Society, and governs it as the the New Covenant.That Chri's Authority was immediately from God, and not from any Earthly Power what foever. That by vertue of this Authority as the Supreme Head of the Spiritual Ifrael, the Church of God, he appointed Twelve Apostles to fit Mat. xix on Twelve Thrones, and to judge the Twelve 28. Tribes of Ifrael. He fhews in the nextPlace, That when our Lord left the Earth, Chap. 3. bis Apoftles were entrusted with Authority to govern the Chriftian Church. That is, with an Authority derived from him, and not from any Earthly Magiftrate, and confequently must be Independent on all Civil Authority whatsoever. Afterwards he Chap. 4. proves that there muff be, and also that there is a Succeffion of Officers in the Chriftian Church, which fhall continue to the end of the World, who derive their Spiritual Power and Authority from Chrift, and not from the Civil Magiftrate, even as the Apostles did. This very Learned Gentleman has given See bis Preus an Account of the Conftitution, Govern-face. ment, and Rights of the Chriftian Church, chiefly as they are defcribed by the Scriptures, and the Fathers of the three first Centuries; whose fense, as he affures us, he has reprefented, for the most part, in their own Words to avoid Miftakes. It being, as he alfo well obferves, the best Method of difcovering the genuine Senfe of the Scriptures, to compare A 3 them |