Choice Grounds and Principles of our Christian Religion, Treatise · Question 21
Quest. 21. Doe all such as receiue the Sacrament, feede vponupon Christ, to eternall life?
Answ. Not eueryevery one without exception, but such only as are Gods elect, Ioh. 10.15, 28. Phil. 1.29.
EXPOSITION.
THE Bread and Wine at the Lords Table (as I hauehave shewed before) being set apart by prayer and thanksgiuing, broken, giuen, receiued, eaten, and drunke, is a most holy Sacrament, and representation of Christs body and bloud, broken and shed for vsus vponupon the Crosse. An holy Sacrament and representation (I say) of Christs body and bloud, but not the body and bloud of Christ it selfe. For wee must not confound the outward signe, and the thing signified, but their seuerall natures must be distinguished. Reason 1 For if the nature of the parts were vnited, or naturally knit together, either by changing the substance of the Bread, (as the Papists most grosly imagine:) or by an inseparable concomitance (as the Lutherans professe) then must it needes follow indeede, (as here it is demanded,) that all such as receiue the Sacrament, do in like manner feede vponupon Christ to eternall life: that all they which partake of the signes, must of necessity be partakers also of the things signified. Which to hold and beleeue, is most absurd, and statly repugnant to the examples and testimonies of the Scripture: For Simon Magus receiued the outward signe in Baptisme, but of the thing signified, hee was very farre. And as the Apostle teacheth, 1. Cor. 10. the ancient Fathers before Christs comming, did eate of the same spirituall meate, and dranke of the same spirituall drinke, &c. but yet with many of them God was not pleased, for he ouerthrew them in the wildernes. Shall wee say now that either Simon Magus, or these Fathers, receiued together with the outward elements, Christ Iesus, and his sauing graces, thereby represented? Surely if they had God would not hauehave beene displeased with them, nor depriued them of the sweet and comfortable fruits, and effects therof. The Sacrament is one thing, and the thing signified is another thing. The Sacrament is receiued with the hand, it entreth into the mouth, nourisheth the body, & hath a passage out of the body againe, as other meate and drinke. But the thing signified, which is Christs body & bloud, is not receiued by the hand, but in the heart by faith in Christs death and redemption, as we shal see more fully in the next point. A wicked man, yea a very reprobate, may receiue the Sacrament, and be damned when he hath done, but onelyonly such as are Gods elect, in receiuing the Sacrament, Reason 2 doe feede vponupon Christ to eternall life. And the reasons are cleare, because our Lord Iesus Christ gaue his flesh to be crucified,Iob. 10.15, 28. Tit. 2.14. and his bloud to be shed, onelyonly for their sakes, and for the spirituall nourishment Reason 3 of their soules onelyonly: And because withall, onelyonly they hauehave true faith to apprehend,Phil. 1.29. and apply it accordingly. But now, whereas the Papists are not ashamed to confirme, that wicked and vnfaithfull persons doe, in the partaking of the Sacrament, eate the flesh of Christ, and drinke his bloud, and yet neuer attaine eternall life: How grosse their errour is herein, or rather how blasphemous, let vsus consider by the repugnancy which it hath with Christs words, Ioh. 6.Ioh. 6.54. hee saith there, Whosoeuer eateth my flesh, and drinketh my bloud, hath eternall life. The Papists say: Some men, and namely, wicked men, & vnbeleeuers, may eate Christs flesh, and drinke his bloud, and yet be damned. Are not these assertions directly contrary the one to the other? They that eate the flesh of Christ, and drinke his bloud, hauehave eternall life, and shall be raysed vp at the latter day. But the wicked hauehave not Reason 1 eternall life by Christ, nor shall be raysed vp to life, but to damnation: therefore it is a false and wicked doctrine, that wicked men and vnbeleeuers doe eate the flesh of Christ, and drinke his bloud. For if they did, then should they be partakers of those benefits which Christ (truth it selfe) promiseth to them that eate him. And a little after, He that eateth my flesh, Ioh. 6.56, 57.and drinketh my bloud, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the liuing Father hath sent me, so liue I by the Father, and he that eateth mee, euen hee shall liue by mee. But the wicked ones Reason 2 dwell not in Christ, nor liue by him, therefore doe they not eate his flesh, nor drinke his bloud. But it is manifest (say the Papists) 1. Cor. 11.1. Cor. 11.27. that the body and bloud of Christ is eaten, and receiued of the wicked, the Apostle there affirming, that the vnworthy receiuers are guilty of the body and bloud of Christ. But the Apostle doth not there say (as they would hauehave him) Whosoeuer eateth the flesh of Christ, and drinketh his bloud vnworthily: but whosoeuer eateth of this bread, and drinketh of this cup of the Lord vnworthily, is guilty of the body and bloud of the Lord. Thus speaking of the Sacrament of Christs body and bloud, and not of Christs body and bloud it selfe: for that is alwayes worthily. & can neuer vnworthily be receiued. This difference (I say) is there alwayes between the Sacrament of Christs flesh and bloud, and the flesh and bloud of Christ it selfe. The Sacrament may be eaten well, and religiously of godly men, and not well, but prophanely, of wicked and vngodly men: But as for the flesh and bloud of Christ it selfe, that cannot be eaten and receiued at any time but well, and of the godly alone, & to their life and saluation, according to the expresse words of Christ, which I hauehave remembred. Sacramentally, the flesh and bloud of Christ is said to be eaten, and drunke, in the vse of the Sacrament of both godly and vngodly: but truly spiritually and indéede, of the godly alone, and not onelyonly sacramentally, as it is of the wicked: The Reason 3 godly bringing to the partaking of the Sacrament, not onelyonly the mouth of the body, but also faith, the mouth of the soule: and the other not faith the mouth of the soule, but onelyonly the mouth of the body. And therefore as vntounto the godly, it is the seale of eternall life: so the other (not discerning the Lords body) in eating the bread, and drinking the wine, doe eate and drinke their owne damnation.
Wee must take héede therefore, Vse. that as often as we come to the Lords Table, we prepare not our téeth, and bodily mouth, but be duly mindfull to pray for grace before-hand, that not only sacramentally, but spiritually, truly, and indéed, we may eate the flesh of Christ, and drinke his bloud, and so according to his promise (dwelling in him, and he in vsus) wee may in due and conuenient time, be raysed vp by him to eternall life.