Matthew Poole and continuators on John 6:53

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 .

The short and true sense of these words is, that without a true believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, as he who dyed for our sins; no man hath any thing in him of true Spiritual Life, nor shall ever come to Eternal Life. Here are two Questions arise from this Verse and what follows. 1. Whether the flesh of Christ, that is, his Humane Nature, giveth Life? or all our Life floweth from the Divine Nature? That is a Question betwixt the Lutherans and the Calvinists; the former affirming, that there is a quickning vertue in the Humane Nature of Christ by vertue of its Personal Union with the Divine Nature. It is a curious Question, serving to no great E[illegible: 1 letter]ification; those who have [illegible: 1 letter] mind to be [illegible: 1 word] in it, and to read what is said on [illegible: 1 word] side, [illegible: 1 word] read Tarnovius on this Text, and Zanchy, in [illegible: 1 span], p 540. The other is a Quest[illegible: 3 letters] betwixt the Papists and us, Whether this and the foll[illegible: 4 letters]g Verses sp[illegible: 1 letter]ke any thing about the eating of the flesh, and drinking the blood of Christ in the Sacrament. All Protestants deny it, both Lutherans and Calvinists. The Papists most absurdly affirm it, to maintain their most absurd D[illegible: 1 letter]ctrine of Trans[illegible: 3 letters]tantiation. The vanity of their [illegible: 1 word], as to this Text, appears, 1. Because it was a year and upwards after this before the Sacrament of the Lords Supper was Instituted; and it is very absurd to think that our Saviour should speak of an Institution not in being; his Doctrine about it being what it was impossible People should understand. Nor, Secondly, is the Proposition true, of Sacramental eating; for many m[illegible: 1 letter]y have never Sacramentally eaten the [illegible: 1 letter]lesh, and drank the Blood of Christ, and yet be Spiritually alive, and be saved eternally. Besides that mere Sacramental eating the Flesh, and drinking the Blood of Christ, will not give Life. But the eating here spoken of, giveth Life, Eternal Life, v. 56, 58. 3. Besides, it is plain from v. 29. That the eating here spoken of, is believing▪ but it is plain, that eating the Flesh, and drinking the Blood of Christ in the Sacrament, is not believing. By all which it is apparent that our Saviour saith nothing in this Text of a Sacramental eating the Flesh, and drinking the Blood of Christ.

Marginal references: M[illegible: 1 letter]t. 26.26, 28.