Of Oblatio1zs at tl1e Sacrament. Hozv many Sacraments are tbere ~ Is it Lazvfi;l or aVttty to jo)'1l Oblatio1zs to the Sacrament, m! Jfnf~· I· THere is no quenion but a ~hrifii~n mun give. up hi~fdr filUI. a?d. bo~y, with all Rom. 12. r. 1 rh-at he hath to God, for hts fervtcc; And tbu obltJtJon IS Chr1ll1amty 1t .felf. 1 Pe<. 2. 5, 91 · 2 , It is undoubted that the Lords day is a lit time for our depoGring what we have to fpare, for tharirable and pious ufes, and this is putly of Divine appointment, 1 Cor. 16. 1, 2. 3 . No doubt but what we give to the poor, fhould be for Qods fake, and from our Love to God ; And therefore mufi llrli be devoted or given up to God , and but fecondatily to the Matth. ro. ult. • &::z.$,40, &:c. poor. . 4 .1t is certain t~ut the L_ordsSup~e~ IS as. fit a feafon as a~y put ofthat_day, for fuc~ O~lations and ColleCtions. The antlent Chrlfhans d1d therefore call Jt the Commumo;t, becaufe m tt they (hewed their Love and Communion, and feafle'd in Common to thlt end. There arc two feveral forts of Oblations which rru.y lawfuL} be made ( ar:dfi:ly) at the Communion. r. The.Creatures of Brtad andWine fhould be offered or prefented before God, a.s. acknowledging him to be the Crea~ tor and Giverof all, and to ddire his acceptance and heneditlion. of them for that holy ufe. 2· Our Alms. or charitablecontribution may be then fi.tly offered to God, that he maY fir(i accept it, and fo it may be tommunicated to theChurch and poor. When we receive from God the rnoft obliging benefits, when we: return ouf grearefi thanks, when we retign our fdves and all to Gud, its then fure a feafonable time, to exprefs all by the: oblation of our benevolence ; That hypocrites may not pretend that they are charitable in fecrer, but the Church may have due notice of ir, and thePafiors 1 Cor. 1 6.rj;i. be duly enuuficd with it. Q:efl. 99· Hozv many Sac~aments are tiJere appointed by (hrift? An[w. THe word [ Sacr.l11tnt J hath ro· many fignifieations, that it is not fit for the ~ellion Olwhiob fee till it be explained. Palling all others now, we mufi take notice, I· That our utC: of it Ma~tiRius£ul~ is not fo large: as .theLatin Interpreter who puttt!th it for [ My)ierie ]! . but fOr [ A folemn Dedica~ ~ac~~~a::u}~ tion of man to G9d by a Vow expreffed by fome facrcd Ceremony, fignijymg mtttu.:IJy our Covenant to mine himfelf · God, and Gods Reception of 111 .smlbU Covenant with "'• J Aud it is brought into the Church from reckoneth 6ve. the Roman Military Oath ca1led a Sacrameu,, in which as 1crtuf. de Cor. MtJ. !hewcth, the Souldier fware fidelity and obedience to Ctt{ar, renouncingFather, MJtber, &c. for his fervice, and fwearing ro prefer it and his fafety before them all ; Sec !t1t~rtiniJH reciting the 0Jth out of, divers Authors. This is our fenfe of the word ; Let no man now thar taketh it in other fen{e, pretend therefore that we differ in doCtrine. z. Seeing it is no Scripture word, it is not of neccffity to "the faith or peace of the Church ; but when di£fmtc,rs agree not of the fenfe of the word they are be{\ lay it by, a11d u[c fuch terms whofc frnfe they can agree on. 3• The name [ St~cramcnt ] is either taken from the Cove;~ant fwor>t to, or from the Sig1z or Cc• rettJ~ny of Confcnt by which we oblige our felves, or from both together. 4 . The Covenant of Chrifiianity is different from a puticular Covenant of fome Office; And ac• cmdingly the Sacrament js to be difiin&uin1ed. 5· As Civii)Oc:conomical and Ecclehafiical Offices are diftinC!, fa are their fcveral Sacraments. 6. The folemn rcncw_ing of the facr~d Vow or Covenant , without any infiituted obliging fi~n, is 10 be difiingui!hed lrom the renewmg it by fueb a fign of Gods infiitution ' Anp now 1 conclude , I• As the word [Sacrament J is taken ir.nprqpcrly fe~u11dum quid, from the nobler part only, that is, the Covenant, ( as a mans foul is called the Man) fo th~re are as many Sacrament! as Co~ venants; and there is in [pecie but one Coven(1itt of Chriftianity, and fa bL1t one Sacrammt of Chrifti~ tmity 1 varioufly exprefftd. 2· As the word [ Sacr~tment J is taken .prQperly and fully according to the forefaid defctiption ; fa there are properly twoSacrament! ofChrijlianity, or of the Covcnam ofGrace : that is, Bapti[m, the Sacrament of initiation ( mofi fully fo called ) and the Lords Supper, or the Sacrament of Confir· mation, Excrcife and Progrrfs. • 3· Asthe word [Sacrament J is taken lefs properly, dcfcCI:ivcly, fecundum quid, for the fame Covm,mt of Grace or Chriftianily renewed by any arbitrary flgn of our own, without a folemn Cere~ mony of Divine ii1jtitution, .(o there are divers Sacraments .ifChri}iianiry or she CovmaHt of Grace, th_:a Jf,.
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