Three Treatises, Text 2
A short Introduction to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper.
Question.
WHy are you called a Christian?
Ans. I am so called of Christ,Act. 11. 26. to whom I am knit as a member of his body.
Q. What is the means of this vnion betweene Christ and the Christian?
A. The meanes is twofold.
1. On Gods part,Ioh. 1. 13. the blessed Spirit of God.Rom. 8. 9.
2. On mans part,1 Cor. 6. 17. the excellent gift of sauing Faith, Ioh. 6. 35.
Q. How is this Faith wr…ught in vsus?
A. By the ordinary way of preaching the Word.Rom. 10. 14.
Q Gal. 3. 2.How is it strengthened?
A. Both by the same word preached, and by the worthy receiuing of the Sacraments.
Q. What is a Sacrament?
A. An ordinance of God,Gen. 12. 9. by which Christ and his sauing graces are by certaine eternall rites signed,Rom. 4. …1. sealed, and exhibited to beleeuers.
Q. How many Sacraments bee there?
A. Two, Baptisme and the Lords Supper.
Q. Must none receiue the Sacrament of the Supper but Baptized persons?
A. No; because,
1. The same couenant is solemnly renewed and ratifi…d in the Supper which was made in Baptisme.
2. None can grow vp into the Church that are not borne into it.
3. No vncircumcised person might bee admitted to the Passeouer.Exo. 12. 48
Q. In the Supper of the Lord, what must you specially consider?
A. Two things:
1. The signes or outward Elements.
2. The signs by them signified, which are, Inward, Spirituall.
Q. What are the signes or elements?
A. Bread and Wine.
Q. Why did Christ make choyce of both these?
A. To shew,Ps. 194. 15. that in himselfe is all sufficiency of grace and spirituall nourishment: for bread strengthens the heart, and wine makes the countenance glad.
Q. What are the things signified by them?
A. The body & blood of Christ,Ioh. 6. 55. the true & only food of the soule.
Q. Is the Bread and Wine turned into the very body & blood of Christ?
A. No, for then the Signs were abolished, & so no Sacrament remained.
Q. But are they the …ame they were?
A. They are changed, but …o… in substance, but onelyonly in end & vse.
Q. But doe these Elements make a Sacrament?
A. No, vnlesse they be administred and receiued according to Christs institution.
Q. When are they vsed according to Christs institution?
A. This vse standeth,
1. In the obseruation of the requisite actions about them.
2. In application of them according to their proper significations.
Q. What be the requisite actions about the Elements?
A. They be either the actions of the Minister or Receiuer.
Q. Which be the actions of the Minister?
A. The same which our Lord obserued in the first institution; and they be …oure, and all of signification.
Q. What is the first?
A. Separation or taking the Bread and Wine.
Q. What doth this action signifie?
A▪ An action of God the Father, whereby he hath from all eternity seperated & taken from the common masse of mankinde,Psal 2. 7. Iesus Christ,Ioh. …. 27. to the high office of mediation.
Q. What is the second action of the Minister?
A. Sanctification or blessing of the Elements: as Christ, when he had taken them, gaue thankes, or blessed them.
Q. What is it to blesse the Elements?
A. To consecrate the Bread & Wine for this spirituall banquet.
Q. How are they sanctified?
A. EueryEvery creature of God is sanctified by Word and Prayer.1 Tim. 4, 5▪
Q, What word is this?
A. The word of institution, declaring the will of God touching those signes, as also of commandement so to vse them.
Q. What is this prayer?
A. It is both petition for blessing of these signs in this holy vse, as also thankesgiuing for Gods vnspeakable louelove in ordaining his deare Sonne to bee a sacrifice for our sinne.
Q. What doth this action signifie?
A. Another solemne action of God the Father, whereby he actually sent in fulnesse of time his beloued Sonne, with fulnesse of gifts aboue all measure to worke the great worke of our redemption.
Q. What is the third action of the Minister?
A. To breake the Bread, and poure out the Wine.
Q. What doth it signifie?
A. The breaking of his blessed Body, and the shedding of his precious Bloud, which is the most bitter passion and death of Christ.
Q. What is the fourth action of the Minister?
A. The distribution and deliuery of both Bread and Wine.
Q. What doth that signifie?
A. A solemne action of God, whereby he offereth Iesus Christ vntounto all, and giueth him and all his benefits vntounto beleeuers.
Q. Now tell me what are the requisite actions of receiuers?
A. The same which the Disciples obserued in the first institutiō.
Q. Which were they?
A. They were two:
1. The taking of Bread and Wine.
2. The eating and drinking of them.
Q. What doth the taking of them signifie?
A. An inward action of the soule, whereby the faith of our hearts, as the hand of our soules, apprehendeth and receiueth Christ for our spirituall food and nourishment.
Q. What doth the other action of eating and drinking signifie?
A. Our neere vnion with Christ, when by the faith of our soules we apply him so straightly to our selues, that we become flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone, euen as the bread and wine become one with our substance.
Q. You said that all these actions must not onelyonly be duly obserued, but applied also according to their significations.
A. Yea, and this must hold the mind intent through the whole action of receiuing the Sacrament, in vniting of the signes & actions, with the things signified by them.
Q. How may we doe this?
A. In all the actions of the Minister▪ I must conceiue the actions of God mentioned before; and in my owne actions receiuing, I must conceiue the inward actions of my owne faith.
Q. This indeed seemes most necessary in the act of receiuing, and therefore explaine it first in the actions of the Minister.
A. 1. When I see the Minister take the Bread and Wine, I must conceiue an action of God, taking & setting apart his Son from the masse of mankinde, to be the Redeemer & Sauior of the world, and my selfe in particular.
2. When I heare him blesse the Bread and Wine, I must conceiue God the Father sanctifying his Son with all gifts and graces, aboue all men and Angels, needfull for the greet worke of redemption of sinners, and of my selfe in speciall the chiefest of them.
3. When I see him breake the bread and powre out the wine, I must conceiue that action of God, breaking his Sonne to peeces, with the infinite weight of wrath and curse due to my sinnes as well as any others.
4. When I see him distribute these signes; I must conceiue that action of God, offering Christ and saluation to eueryevery one, vponupon condition of faith and repentance; and exhibiting and giuing him to the saith of my owne heart.
Q. And what must you conceiue in the actions of beleeuing?
A. 1. In taking of the bread and wine, I must conceiue the hand of my faith now reaching out it selfe to apprehend Christ and all his benefits to my selfe in particular.
2. In my eating and drinking, I must striue to feele the power of my vnion with Christ, strengthening and renewing my soule with new life of grace, & power of godlinesse, as the food doth, applied to an healthfull body.
Q. What must eueryevery Receiuer doe before the Sacrament?
A. Eueryone must prepare himselfe.
Q. Why must eueryevery one prepare himselfe?
A. 1. In obedience to Gods commandements, 2 Cor. 11. 8.
2. To auoid the danger of being guilty of the body and blood of Christ, as the vnworthy receiuer is, ve. 19.
3. We must not be hasty with our feet here, no more than in the hearing of the Word, seeing Christ is here more fully offered, and to moe senses, Eccles. 4. 7.
4. By the example of the Saints. Psal. 26. I will wash my hands in innocency, and so compasse thy Altar. Also according to their ordinary preparation before the Pasteouer, 2 Chron. 35. 6.
Q. How must eueryevery one prepare himselfe?
A, By examining himselfe in his
1. Knowledge.
2. Faith.
3. Repentance.
4. Charity.
Q. Why must eueryevery one examine his knowledge?
A. 1. Because without knowledge the mind is not good, Pro. 19. 2.
2. The setting of a seale argueth the agreement and entrance into a couenant formerly made and vnderstood.
3. Monuments to helpe the memory imply knowledge, for memory is onelyonly of things knowne.
Q. How must he examine his knowledge?
A. Whether he hauehave a cōpetent measure of knowledge, both
1. In generall, concerning God, in his nature & persons; and concerning himselfe, both as he was in the state of disobedience, and as now he is in the couenant of grace
2. In special, concerning the matter, vse, & fruit of this Sacaament.
Q. Why must eueryevery one try his faith▪
A. 1. Because without f…ith there is no pleasing of God in any thing, Heb. 11. 2.
2. As the word audible, so this visible word is vnprofitable, vnlesse it be mingled with faith: Heb. 4. 2.
3. Christ is receiued only by the hand of faith, Ioh. 1. 12. and a man receiues no more thā he beleeues
Q. How may he try his faith?
A. 1. Whether he beleeue saluation in Christ alone & no other, and whether he rest himself wholly vponupon the free mercy of God, & ful merits of Christ, disclaiming all that is in himselfe or any other.
2. If he hauehave peace of conscience by the testimony of the Spirit, that his sins are pardoned, Rom. 5. 1.
3. If he hauehave hungri… & striuing, without security or …esumption, for a further sense … measure of faith: for the least degree of sound faith longeth for more.
Q. Why must eueryevery man examine his repentance?
A. 1. Because as the Passe-ouer was eaten with sowre hearbs, so must our new Passe-ouer with godly sorrow, Exod. 12. 8.
2. In the Sacrament of the Supper we come to look vponupon him whom we hauehave pierced, & must therfore mourne, Zach. 12. 10.
3. The renuing of our Couenant in this Sacrament is nothing but a returning vntounto God againe, from whom wee hauehave departed by our sinnes.
Q. How may a man examine his repentance?
A. 1. Whether he be rightly affected to his sin, & be wrought to a
1. Knowledge and acknowledgment of his sin and misery.
2. Sensible sorrow and deepe griefe for … according to God.
3. Dete…ion of all former sinnes, espec…lly those that hauehave beene most famili…r and delightful vntounto him.
2. Whether he finde a thorow purpose of change of life, and the beginning of new obedience.
Q. What are the signes of this new obedience?
A. They be foure: 1. Sound obedience is free, not forced.
2. Tis sincere, not fained.
3. It is vniuersall to the whole law of God, not partiall to some few commandements.
4▪ It is constant and perpetuall, not temporary or by starts.
Q. Why must eueryevery man examine his charity?
A. 1. Because faith, which is here specially required, worketh by louelove, Gal. 5. 7.
2. Christ commandeth to leaue the gift at the Altar, and be first reconciled to our brother, Mat. 5. 23
3. This Sacrament signifieth not onelyonly our vnion with Christ our head by faith: but our communion also with the members by louelove. As many graines make but one bread, and many grapes one vine; so many beleeuers eat but one bread, and drinke but one cup, to signifie the strait vnion among themselus, 1 Cor. 10. 17.
Q. How may a man examine his charity?
A. 1. Whether he louelove all, and malice none.
2. Whether he seek peace with all, and study to keepe the bond of louelove.
3. Whether he forgiue his enemies, as God in Christ hath forgiuen him.
4. Whether in his heart he louelove the Church of God, and testifie it to his power.
Q. Now what must a man do after the Sacrament?
A: He must, 1. Thankfully shew forth the Lords death, & walk worthy of Christ. 2. Obserue himselfe whether he hauehave receiued increase of grace, and strength against sin, and whether he hauehave added any thing to his repētance & obediēce.
Q. What if he finde he hauehave not so done?
A. 1. He must examine his examination, and suspect his vnpreparednes, weaknes of faith, security.
2. Seeke out and hunt out some secret lusts which resist Gods ordinance, bewaile and confesse his sin, and hartily desire forgiuenesse.
3 Pray earnestly to find the sweet fruit of the Sacrament, euen the strength & cōfort which attendeth the worthy receiuing the Sacramēt
Q. What if a man find he hath receiued this comfort from the Sacrament?
A. He must, 1. Be the more thankfull to God. 2. LoueLove God so much the more. 3. Frequent the Sacrament more often, & more cheerefully.
FINIS.
End of the text · Thomas Taylor, Three Treatises (1633)