Collection of Discourses, Part 11 · Subpart 27
OF THE LORDS SVPPER.
Diſputed in the Coll. of Wiſdome the 2. of May, Ann. 1575.
1 ONe of the Sacramentes of the new teſtamēt is called the Lords ſupper, not becauſe it muſt needs be ſolemniſed onlie in the evening or at ſupper time, but becauſe it was inſtituted by Chriſt in the laſt ſupper that he made with his diſciples before his death. The Lords table it is called, becauſe therin the Lord feedeth vsus. The ſacramēt of the bodie and bloud of Chriſt, becauſe therein are theſe thing… communicated vntounto vsus. The Euchariſt, becauſe therein are ſolemne thanks giuen vntounto Chriſt for his death and benefits towardes vsus. Synaxis or aſſemb… becauſe it muſt be celebrated in aſſemblies and meetings of the church. It is alſo amongſt ancient wrighters named a ſacrifice, becauſe it is a repreſentation of that propitiatorie ſacrifice which Chriſt perfourmed on the croſſe, with an Euchariſticall ſacrifice or ſacrifice of thākſgiuing therefore.
2 The Lords ſupper is a ſacrament of the newe teſtament wherein by commandement of Chriſt the bread and wine is in companie of the faithful diſtributed and receiued in remebrance of Chriſt, The defnition or nature.that is, that Chriſt maie witneſſe vntounto vsus, that hee feedeth vsus vntounto etern…ll life, with his bodie and bloud giuen and ſhed for vsus: and we render vntounto him ſolemne thankes for theſe benefits.
3 The firſt & principal end & vſe of the Lords ſupper is that Chriſt may thereby witneſſe vntounto vsus that he died for vsus and with his body and bloude feedeth vsus vntounto eternal life,The endes. that by this witneſſing he may cheriſh and increaſe in vsus our faith, & by conſequent this ſpiritual feeding The ſecond is a thankſ-giving for theſe benefit of Chriſt, with a publique & ſolemne profeſſion of them, and our duty towards Chriſt. The thirde is a diſtinction of the Church from other ſectes. The fourth, that it may be a bond of mutuall charitie amongſt Chriſtians: ſeeing they are all made members of one bodie. The fite, that it may bee a bonde and occaſion of frequent aſſemblies of the church, ſeeing Chriſt would hauehave one bread, and one cup to be diſtributed amongſt many.
4 Hence hath the Lordes ſupper that firſt vſe, which is,How the Lords ſupper confirmeth our faith. a confirmation of our faith in CHRIST, becauſe CHRIST himſelfe by the hand of his Miniſters reacheth & dealeth vntounto vsus this bread and cuppe in remembraunce of himſelfe, that is, that by this token and ſigne, as by a viſible word, hee may admoniſh vsus, that he died for vsus, and that he is vntounto vsus the meate of eternal life, whileſt hee maketh vsus his members, and becauſe he annexeth a promiſe vntounto this rite, that he will feede with his owne bodie and bloud ſuch as eate this bread in remembrāce of him: when he ſaid, This is my bodie: and becauſe the holy Ghoſt by this viſible teſtimony moueth our minds and harts with more certainety to beleeue the promiſe of the goſpell.
5 There is then in the Lords ſupper a twofold kinde of food and drinke: one externall, viſible, and earthly, namely the bread and wine: the other internall, inviſible & heavenly, namely the body and bloud of Chriſt: there is alſo a twofolde eating and receiving, the one externall, viſible, and ſignifying, which is the corporall receiving of bread & wine, that is ſuch a receiving as is perfourmed by the handes, mouth, and corporall ſenſes; the other internall, inviſible, and ſignified, which is the fruition of the death of Chriſt, and a ſpirituall engraffing vsus into the bodie of Chriſt; that is, ſuch an eating as is not performed with the hands and mouth of the bodie, but by ſpirit and faith. Laſtly, there is a twofold miniſter of this foode and cup; one externall of the externall foode and cup, which is the miniſter of the church deliuering to vsus with his hand the bread & wine; the other an internal miniſter of the internal food and cup, which is Chriſt himſelfe feeding vsus with his owne body and bloud.
6 The ſignes and elements ſerving for cōfirmatiō of our faith,The ſignes of the Lords ſupper. are not the body & bloud of Chriſt, but the bread and wine: for the body & bloud of Chriſt are receiued that we may liue for euer, but the bread and wine are receiued, that we may bee confirmed in the certaintie of that celeſtiall food, and more and more enioy it.
7 Neither is the bread changed into the body and the wine into the bloud of Chriſt,The māner of Chriſts preſence in the Lordes ſupper. neither are the bread and wine aboliſhed, that ſo the bodie & bloud of Chriſt may ſucceede in their places, neither is the very body of Chriſt ſubſtantially preſent in the bread, or vnderunder the bread, or where the bread is: but in the lawfull vſe of the LORDS ſupper the holy Ghoſt vſeth this ſigne and Sacrament as an inſtrumente to ſtirre vppe faith in vsus; whereby he dwelleth in vsus more and more, and ingraffeth vsus into Chriſt, making vsus become iuſt for him, and by him to gaine everlaſting life.
8 But when Chriſt ſaith: This, that is this bread, is my bodie: Sacramental ſpeech.and this cup is my bloud, it is a ſacramental or metonymicall kinde of ſpeech, whereby is attributed to the ſigne the name of the thing ſignified, that is, we are taught that the bread is the Sacrament or ſigne of Chriſts bodie that is, doth repreſent and witneſſe that Chriſts body was offered for vsus on the croſſe, and giuen to vsus for foode of eternal life, and is therefore an inſtrument of the holy Ghoſt to continue & increaſe this foode in vsus, as Paule ſaith, The bread is the communion of Chriſts body, 1. Cor. 10. 16.that is, that thing whereby we are made partakers of Chriſts body: and elſe where: We hauehave al dr…nke of one drinke into one ſpirit. 1. Cor. 12. 18.The ſame is meant whē it is ſaid that the bread is called the body of Chriſt by ſimilitude which is betweene the thing ſignified and the ſigne, namely becauſe the body of Chriſt nouriſheth our ſpirituall life, as the bread the corporall life: and becauſe of the ſure connexion of receiving the thing and the ſigne, in the lawfull vſe of a ſacrament. And this is that ſacramentall vnion of the bread, & the body of Chriſt, which is expreſſed by the ſacramentall ſpeech:Sacramentall vnion. not that local coniunction, which by ſome is deviſed.
9 As therefore there is one body of Chriſt, A twofolde feeding on the body of Chriſt.properly ſo called, and an other ſacramental, which is the bread in the Euchariſt or Lordes ſupper: ſo alſo the feeding on Chriſts body is of two ſortes; the firſt ſacramentall, which is an external & corporal receiving of the ſigne, namely the bread & wine; the ſecond real, or ſpirituall, which is the receiving of the body of Chriſt: Ioh. 6.and it is to beleeue in Chriſt, and by faith dwelling in vsus by his ſpirit, to be engraffed into his body, as members ioyned to the head, and branches to the vine, & ſo to be made partakers of the life & death of Chriſt. Wherby it appeareth that they which teach thus are falſely accuſed, as if in the Lords ſupper they did admit nothing beſides the bare and naked ſignes, or participation of the death of Chriſt, or his benefits, or the holy Ghoſt alone, excluding the true, reall, and ſpirituall communion of the bodie it ſelfe of Chriſt.
10 The lawfull vſe of the Lords ſupper is,The lawful vſe. when the faithfull obſerue this rite inſtituted by Chriſt, in remēbrance of him: that is to ſtir vp their faith and thankefulneſſe.
11 As in this vſe the body of Chriſt is eaten ſacramentally and really;How the wicked ear. ſo without this vſe, as by infidels and hypocrites it is indeede eaten Sacramentallie, but not reallie: that is, the ſacramental ſignes, as bread and wine, are indeede receaued, but not the things themſelues ſignified by the ſignes, namely the bodie and bloud of Chriſt.
12. The doctrine of the Lords ſupper is grounded vponupon manie & thoſe very forcible argumēts.The co… mation. All places of ſcripture, which mention the Lords ſupper, do cōfirme it. And Chriſt doth not cal any inviſible thinge in the bread his bodie giuen or brokē for vsus, but that verie viſible bread which he brake: which becauſe properlie it could not be ſo meant, himſelfe addeth an expoſition, that hee woulde hauehave that bread receaued in remēbrance of him, which is as much as if hee had ſaide, that this bread was a ſacrament of his bodie. Alſo he ſaith that the ſupper is the new teſtament, which is ſpiritual, one, and eternall. And Paule ſaith that it is a communion of the bodie and bloud of Chriſt, becauſe all the faithfull are one bodie in Chriſt, which can hauehave no fellowſhippe with the divell. Alſo he maketh the ſame engraffinge into Chriſtes bodie, by one ſpirit in baptiſme, and the holy ſupper. The whole doctrine and nature of ſacraments doth confirme it, which repreſent vntounto our eies the ſame ſpiritual cōmunion of Chriſt to be receaued by faith, which the worde or promiſe of the Goſpell declareth to our eares: and therfore they are called by the nāes of the things ſignified, and hauehave not (except in the lawful vſe) the receauing of the verie thinge annexed vntounto them. The articles of our faith cofirme it, which teach that Chriſtes body is true humane, not preſent in manie places at once: and that now it is receaued vp into heauen, and ſhall there remaine, vntill the Lord returne to iudgment: that the cō munion of the godlie with Chriſt is wrought by the holie Ghoſt, not by enterance of Chriſts body into the bodies of men: & therefore al the purer antiquitie of the church with verie great and open conſent profeſſed the ſame doctrine.
13 The Lords ſupper differeth from baptiſme, 1 In rite and manner of ſignifying, becauſe the waſhing ſignifieth remiſſion and clenſing of our ſins,Differēces of baptiſme and of the Lords ſupper. by the bloud and ſpirit of Chriſt, and ſocietie of the afflictions and glorification of Chriſt. But the diſtribution of breade and wine, ſignifieth the death of Chriſt imputed vntounto vsus for remiſſion of ſinnes, and that wee beeing nowe ingraffed into Chriſt are become his members. 2 In special vſe, becauſe baptiſme is a teſtimony of our regeneration, or covenant betweene God and vsus, and of our admiſſion or being receiued into the church: but the Lords ſupper witneſſeth, that we are perpetually to be nouriſhed by Chriſt abiding in vsus, and that the covenant which we hauehave once made with God ſhall ever endure ſteadfaſt, and that we ſhall for ever abide in the church and bodie of Chriſt. 3 By the perſons to vvhom they muſt bee miniſtred. Baptiſme is due to all which are to be accounted for members of the church, vvhether aged or infantes: the Lords ſupper to them onelyonly which can vnderſtande and celebrate the benefites of Chriſt, and examine themſelues. 4 In often vſe. Baptiſme muſt only once be received, becauſe the covenant of God once begun, is ever firme and ſteadfaſt to them that repent, But the Lords ſupper muſt be often receiued, becauſe the renuing of that league, and often remē brance thereof, is neceſſary for the ſtrengthning of our faith. 5 In the order of vſing; becauſe baptiſme muſt be miniſtred before, the Lordes ſupper never but after baptiſme.
14 They come worthily to the Lords table which examine themſelues,Who may not come to the Lords ſupper. that is, which are endued with true faith and repentance. Which who ſo do not finde in themſelues, they muſt neither preſume to approach without them, leaſt they eate and drinke iudgement to themſelues, nor deferre repentaunce whereby they may approach, leaſt they pull vponupon themſelues hardneſſe of hart and eternall puniſhments.
15 The church ought to admit to the Lords ſupper all that profeſſe that they embrace the foūdation of Chriſtian doctrine,Who may be admitted. & purpoſe to obey it: and to prohibit all ſuch as being admoniſhed by the church and convicted of their errors, will not for all that deſiſt from their errors, blaſphemies, or manifeſt ſinnes againſt conſcience.
16 The Pope hath done wickedly in taking the breaking of bread from amongſt the rites of the the Lords ſupper, as alſo in barring the people the vſe of the cup. He hath alſo done wickedly in adding ſo many ceremonies, never commanded by the Apoſtles. Hee hath fowly tranſformed the Lords ſupper into a theatricall maſſe, that is, into a fooliſh imitation of Iudaical traditions, & ſtage-like geſtures. But moſt impious & idolatrous are thoſe deviſes, to perſwade that the maſſe is a propitiatorie ſacrifice, wherein by the Maſſe-Prieſts Chriſt himſelfe is offered vp to his father for the quicke and dead: and by vertue of conſecration is ſubſtantially preſent, and ſo abideth as long as the bread and wine remaine vncorrupt: and beſtoweth the grace of God and other benefits on them for whom he is offered, and by whom he is eaten with the bodily mouth, without any good motion of their owne: and alſo that he is to be adored & worſhipped, as he is included and borne about vnderunder thoſe two kindes, namely bread and wine. For theſe damnable and abominable idols it is very neceſſary that the maſſe bee baniſhed from the Chriſtian church.