A Golden Chain, Chapter 34 – Chapter 35
CHAP. 34. Of the Lords Supper.
THe Lords Supper is a Sacrament, wherewith in the signes of bread and wine, such as are engraffed into Christ, are in him daily, in a spirituall manner, nourished to eternall life. 1. Cor. 11.23,24,25. Rom. 6.5.
The proportion of the parts of the Lords Supper, is on this wife.
The Elements of bread and wine, are signes and seales of the bodie and blood of Christ.
The action of the Minister, is a note of Gods action.
The Ministers action is fourefold.
The first is, his taking the bread and wine into his owne handes: this doth seale the action of God the Father, by which he, from all eternitie, did separate and elect his Sonne, to performe the duetie of a Mediatour betwixt God and man. Ioh. 6.27. For him hath the Father sealed.
The second is, his blessing of it, whereby he, by the recitall of the promises, and praiers conceiued to that ende, doth actually separate the bread and wine receiued from their common vntounto an holy vse. This doth seale that action of God, by which he did in the fulnesse of time, send Christ to performe the office of a Mediatour, vntounto the which he was fore-ordained.
The third is, the breaking of the bread, and powring out of the wine: this doth seale the passion of Christ, by which he, verely vponupon the crosse was, both in soule and bodie, bruised for our transgressions.
The fourth is, his distributing of the bread and wine into the hands of the communicants. This sealeth the action of God, offering Christ vntounto all, yea, to the hypocrites; but giuing him indeede vntounto the faithful, for the daily encrease of their faith, and repentance.
The action of the receiuer, is double.
The first is, his taking the bread and wine in his hand. This sealeth a spirituall action of the receiuer, namely, his apprehension of Christ by the hand of faith. Ioh. 1. 1….
The second is, his eating of the bread, and drinking of the wine, to the nourishment of his bodie. This sealeth his application of Christ by faith, that the feeling of his true vnion and communion with Christ may daily be encreased. 1. Cor. 11.16. The cuppe of blessing which we blesse, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? the bread which we breake, is it not the communion of the bodie of Christ?
That doctrine of Transubstantiation, which teacheth that the bread is turned into the very bodie of Christ, and the wine into his blood, is a very fable: the reasons why, are these. I. In the first institution of the Supper, which was before Christ his passion, the bodie of Christ was then eaten as alreadie crucified. Now, how the bodie of Christ crucified should after a corporall manner be eaten, he himselfe being not as yet crucified, it is impossible to imagine. II. The bread after the consecration, is distributed into parts: but the whole bodie of Christ is receiued of eueryevery singular communicant. III. The bread is the communion of Christs bodie: therefore not his very bodie. IV. By this meanes the bodie of Christ should not onelyonly be made of the substance of the Virgin Marie, but also of the bakers bread. V. Let the bread & wine be kept for a time, and the bread will mould, and the wine turne to vineger after the consecration, by which we may conclude, that there did remaine the substāce of bread and wine. VI. This opinion quite ouerthroweth the sacramentall vnion, namely, the proportion which is betwixt the signe and the thing signed.
Th… l…ke may be said of the Lutherans Consubstantiation, whereby they b…re men in hand that there is a coexistence, by which the bodie of Christ is eith… in, or with, or about the bread. Against this, these reasons may suffice: I. The …ho… …ction of the Supper is done in remembrance of Christ, now what …f the bodie of Christ were really present. II. Act. 3.21. Whom the heauens … containe, vntill the time that all things be restored. III. This is an essential propertie of eueryevery magnitude, and therfore of the bodie of Christ, to be in one place, and circumscribed or compassed of one place. IV. If that Christs bodie were eaten corporally, then should the wicked as well as the faithfull be partakers of the flesh of Christ; but to eate his flesh, is to beleeue in him, and to hauehave eternall life. V. It were very absurd to thinke, that Christ sitting amongst his Disciples, did with his owne hands take his owne bodie, and giuegive it wholly to each of his Disciples.
Such as will, in an holy sort prepare themselues to celebrate the Lords Supper, must hauehave:
First, a knowledge of God and of mans fall, and of the promised restauration into the couenant by Christ. 1. Cor. 11.26. So often as ye shall eate this bread, and drinke of this cuppe, ye shew the death of the Lord till he come. 29. and discerne his bodie.
Secondly, true faith in Christ: for eueryevery man receiueth so much, as he beleeueth he receiueth. Heb. 4.2. For vntounto vsus was the Gospel preached, as also vntounto them: but the word, that they heard, profited not them, because it was not mixed with faith in those that heard it. Furthermore, true repentance of their sinnes. Esai 66.3. He that killeth a bullocke, as if he slue a man: he that sacrificeth a sheepe, as if he cut off a dogges necke: he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swines blood: he that remembreth incense, as if he blessed an idol: yea, they hauehave chosen their owne waies, and their soule delighteth in their abominations. Psal. 26.6. I wash mine hands in innocency, O Lord, and so come before thine altar.
Thirdly, renued faith and repentance, for daily and new sinnes committed vponupon infirmitie: because eueryevery new sinne requireth a new act, both of repentance and faith: & this renouation must be seene by our reconciliation of our selues to our neighbours, for iniuries and wrongs. Mat. 5.23. If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee, 24. Leaue thy gift before the altar, and goe, first be reconciled to thy brother, then come and offer thy gift. If thou canst come furnished with these things, abstaine not from the Lords table, by rea…n of thy many infirmities.
If being thus prepared, thou feelest that thou hast a corrupt and rebellious heart, know this: that then thou art well disposed to the Lords table, whē thou art liuely touched with a sense of thy crooked disposition. Luk. 4.18. The spirit of the Lord is vponupon me, because he hath annointed me, that I should preach the Gospell to the poore: he hath sent me, that I should heale the broken hearted, that I should preach deliuerance to the captiues, and recouering of sight to the blind, that I should set at libertie them that are bruised. Mat. 15.24. He answered, and said, I am not sent, but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel. The Lords Supper is a medicine to the diseased and languishing soule: and therefore men must as well seeke to purifie and heale their hearts in it, as to bring pure and sounde hearts vntounto it.
If thou feele in thy selfe some great defect and want of faith, pray vntounto god earnestly, that he will vouchfafe to increase it. Mark. 9.24. The father of the child crying with teares, said, Lord, I beleeue, helpe mine vnbeleefe.
If thou canst not doe this thy selfe, vse the aide of the faithfull, which may by their faith carrie thee, as men did the sicke of the palsie vponupon their sholders and laid him before Christ. Mark. 2.3.
If thou come not furnished on this maner to the Lords table, thou shalt be adiudged guiltie of the bodie and blood of Christ: as he is guiltie of high treason, who doth counterfeit or clip the Princes coyne. 1. Cor. 11.27. He that eateth this bread, and drinketh this cuppe vnworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of Christ.
But such as feele not thēselues penitent, they neither can come to the Lords table without repentance, least they eate and drink their own damnation, neither must they deferre repentance, by which they may come, least they procure to themselues finall destruction.
CHAP. 35. Of the degrees of executing Gods decree of Election.
VVE hauehave hitherto declared the outward meanes, whereby Gods decree is executed. Now follow the degrees of executing the same.
The degrees are in number two. The louelove of God, and the declaration of his louelove. Eph. 1.6. To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherwith he hath made vsus accepted in his blood. 9. And hath opened vntounto vsus the mysterie of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in him.
Gods louelove is that, whereby God doth freely louelove all such as are chosen in Christ Iesus, though in themselues altogither corrupt. 1. Ioh. 4. 19. Wee loued him because he loued vsus first. Rom. 5.8. God setteth out his louelove towards vsus, seeing that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for vsus. 10. For if when wee were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne, much more wee beeing reconciled shall be saued by his life.
The declaration of gods louelove is two-fold The first, towards infants elected to saluation: the second, towards men of riper yeares.
The declaration of Gods louelove towards infants, is on this manner.
Infants alreadie elected, albeit they in the wombe of their mother before they were borne, or presently after, depart this life, they, I say, being after a secret and vnspeakable manner by Gods spirit engraffed into Christ obtaine eternall saluation. 1. Cor. 12. 13. By one spirit wee are all baptized into one bodie, whether Iewes, or Grecians, bond, or free, and hauehave beene all made to drinke into one spirit. Luk. 1. 35. The Angell answered, and said vntounto her, The holy Ghost shall come vponupon thee, and the power of the most High shall ouershadow thee: therefore also that holy thing, which shall be borne of thee, shall be called the sonne of God. 41. And it came to passe, as Elizabeth heard the salutation of Marie, the babe sprang in her bellie, and Elizabeth was filled with the holy Ghost. 64. And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake and praised God… 80. And the child grewe, & waxed strong in spirit. Iere. 1.5. Before I formed thee in the womb, I knew thee, and before thou camest out of the wombe, I sanctified thee.
I call the manner of infants saluation secret and vnspeakable, because I. they want actuall faith to receiue Christ: for actuall faith necessarily presupposeth a knowledge of Gods free promise, the which he that beleeueth, doth applie vntounto himselfe: but this, infants cannot any waies possibly performe. And surely if infants should hauehave faith actually, they generally either lo…e it when they come to mens estate, or at least shew no signes thereof, both which they could not doe, if before they had receiued actuall faith. Nay we see that in those of riper yeares, there are not so much as the shadowes or sparkes of faith to bee seene, before they be called by the preaching of the Gospell. II. Infants are said to be regenerated onelyonly in regard of their internall qualities and inclinations, not in regard of any motions, or actions of the minde, will, or affections. And therefore they want those terrors of conscience, which come before repentance as occasions thereof, in such as are of riper yeares of discretion. Againe, they are not troubled with that conflict and combate betwixt the flesh and the spirit, wherewith those faithfull ones that are of more yeares are marueilously exercised.