The Theological Works of the Most Reverend John Sharp, D.D., Late Archbishop of York (Volume 5) (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1829. Excerpt: ... A SERMON ON JOHN VI. 53. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. My design now is to explain this text, because, indeed, it is a text that needs some explication; and because I am sensible there are several persons to whom it will be very acceptable to have a clear and satisfactory account given of it. For indeed this is the only text in scripture, besides those words of our Saviour in the institution, This is my body, that is apt to stumble those of our communion in the point of the sacrament; it seeming very much to favour the doctrine of transubstantiation. Our Saviour here saith, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. And he adds further, Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I ivill raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. This is the whole passage. What now (say the controversers of the Roman church) can be more evidently plain, than that in the sacrament of the Lord's supper the very true flesh of Christ is eaten, and his blood drunk, even in the most strict, literal sense?, .."... But what if it can be made to appear that the directly contrary is evidently plain, viz. that the words are so far from admitting such a sense as they now speak of, that they must of necessity be interpreted of a spiritual eating and drinking by faith, as we protestants contend for? I will not deny but that our Saviour in these passages might possibly make some allusion to the sacrament which he afterwards instituted; wherein, under the symbols of the bread and wine, he did then and doth still exhibit to all worthy receivers his body and blo...