He saith not in
the former, that if they do not eat of that bread, and drink of that
wine, that they shall be prejudiced by it; but here he says expressly to
Peter, that 'if he wash him not, he hath no part with him;' which being
spoken upon Peter's refusing to let him wash his feet, would seem to
import no less, than not the continuance only, but even the necessity of
this ceremony. In the former, he saith as it were passingly, 'Do this in
remembrance of me:' but here he sitteth down again; he desires them to
consider what he hath done; tells them positively 'that as he hath done
to them, so ought they to do to one another:' and yet again he redoubles
that precept, by telling them, 'that he has given them an example, that
they should do so likewise.' If we respect the nature of the thing, it
hath as much in it as either baptism or the breaking of the bread;
seeing it is an outward element of a cleansing nature, applied to the
outward man, by the command and the example of Christ, to signify an
inward purifying. I would willingly propose this seriously to men, that
will be pleased to make use of that reason and understanding that God
hath given them, and not be imposed upon, nor abused by the custom or
tradition of others, whether this ceremony, if we respect either the
time that it was appointed in, or the circumstances wherewith it was
performed, or the command enjoining the use of it, hath not as much to
recommend it for a standing ordinance of the Gospel, as either
water-baptism, or bread and wine, or any other of that kind? I wonder
then, what reason the Papists can give, why they have not numbered it
among their sacraments, except merely Voluntas Ecclesiae et Traditio
Patrum, that is, the Tradition of the Fathers, and the Will of the
Church.
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