A Preparation to the Receiving of the Lords Supper, Chapter 12 – Chapter 1
CHAP. XII. Of the ground, why vnworthy Receiuers are guilty of the Body and Bloud of Chriſt.
THe ground and reaſon, why thoſe who receiue vnworthily, are guilty of the Body and bloud of Chriſt, may be gathered from the former Doctrine of the Sacrament. For from that doth the Apoſtle inferre and conclude the ſame.
1 Such perſons in ſo doing, doe plainely deſpiſe the ſacred authority of Chriſt, the Inſtitutor & firſt Adminiſter hereof. Now they that deſpiſe the authority of Chriſt, doe therein (in ſome ſort) diſpiſe the Perſon of Chriſt, and his ſufferings, and by conſequent ſhew contempt vntounto his Body & bloud; by which principally his authority is ratified and confirmed. And to deſpiſe the Perſon, ſufferings, Body and bloud of Chriſt; what is it (but in ſome ſort) to aſſent vntounto, & therein to ioyne with them that crucified him, and ſhed his bloud.
2 They contemne a ſpecial token of his louelove, a ſpeciall memoriall of his Body and bloud, a ſpeciall inſtrument, by means wherof, his Body & bloud is applyed vntounto them. What is this but to offer an indignity, vntounto his ſacred Body and bloud?
3 They offer heerein contempt, to the principall Cognizances & Enſignes of Chriſtianitie, to a ſpeciall coine and picture of Chriſt crucified.
The like wrong offered to the Enſignes and picture of a Prince, is worthily iudged to bee offered to the Prince himſelfe; Yea, foraſmuch as in this Sacrament, the very Body and bloud of Chriſt, and all the benefits depending therevpon, are ſpiritually offered vntounto the Receiuer, as lands are offered & conuaied to men, by the ſealing and deliuering of Deeds and Indentures; he that ſhall vnworthily behaue himſelfe, in the receiuing of this Sacrament, ſhall therein as much deſpiſe the Body & bloud of Chriſt, as hee may bee ſaid to deſpiſe, the gift of lands, which cōtemneth the writings, Seales, and Indentures, whereby they vſe to bee conuaied, ſecured, and confirmed.
Hence from this conſequent we may note.
1 That Chriſt receiues damnable indignitie, and contumely ſometimes; not from Iewes and Infidels onelyonly: but often from Chriſtians, ſuch as looke to be ſaued by his bloud-ſhedding, & that when they are performing ſpeciall worſhip & ſeruice vntounto him. For what greater wrong can there be, then to be guiltie of that bloud, which was ſhed to redeeme vsus? which was the ſinne of this Church, and is the ſinne of all ſuch Perſons, as are vnworthy receiuers of this Sacrament.
2 The bare conformitie vntounto the outward exerciſes of Religion, whether Word, Prayer, or Sacraments, is not enough to make vsus good Chriſtians; but we may be the worſe Chriſtians for this, Romans 2.28. 1 Cor. 10.1-7. Many ignorant and ſeduced ſoules, thinke they are Chriſtians good enough, if their foreheads hauehave been ſprinkled, with the water of Baptiſme; if ſomtimes they heare the Word, and receiue the outward elements of this Sacrament. But they may doe all theſe in ſuch a manner, that by doing of them, they may crucifie Chriſt, and trample his bloud vnderunder their feet. It were better for vsus, neuer to receiue this Sacrament, then in and by the very act thereof, to pull vponupon our heads the guilt of Chriſts body and bloud.
3 Note the different and contrary effect, of this Sacrament in the receiuers thereof. It is the ſauour of death vntounto death, to ſome; to otherſome, the ſauour of life vntounto life. The worthy Receiuer is fed, and refreſhed, and nouriſhed, by the Body and bloud of Chriſt receiued therein. Contrarily, the vnworthy Receiuer, is polluted & defiled thereby; & the oftner he receiues it, the more hee receiues therein, the bane & poyſon of his owne ſoule. Thoſe therefore, which in ſuch a manner, receiue the Body and bloud of Chriſt, and looke for Grace thereby, are therin as fond, as if they that whipt Chriſt, and nailed him on the Croſſe, and by meanes thereof, had their faces, hands, and garments, beſprinkled with his bloud, ſhould thinke by that meanes to be purged & freed from their ſinnes. Or as if hee (who pierced chriſts ſide with a Speare) ſhould hauehave held a cup at the wound, and filled it, and drunke it off, and hauehave fancied by that meanes, to drinke the bloud of Chriſt, to the health and eternall ſaluation of his owne ſoule. And thus much of the firſt Part of Preparation.
Wherein wee hauehave been plainely taught, by the Apoſtle, what a dangerous ſinne it is, to abuſe this holy Sacrament. God grant, that the conſideration hereof may deepely affects vsus; that wee may with feare & trembling, take heed what hands wee lay vponupon ſo holy Myſteries, Amen.
A Preparation to THE RECEIuing of the Sacrament, of CHRISTS Body and Bloud. The ſecond Part. Directing weake Chriſtians how they may worthily receiue the ſame. By W. BRADSHAVV.
LONDON Printed by Iohn Beale, 1617.
The means to preuēt the former ſin cō ſiſts in certaine duties
Propoūded
1. The triall of our ſelues, whereof the
Triall it ſelfe
In generall, Cha. 1.
In ſpeciall
1. Of our faith by the
Groūd Ch. 3.
Subiect. Chap. 4.
2. Of our Repētance. C. 5.
The Perſons that are make it Ch. 7.
2. The continuance of the Tria Chap. 8.
Vrged
By the ſpeciall curſe that follow the neglect of the former duti Chap. 9.
By the ſignes of that curſe in t Church of Corinth, Chap. 10.
The ground of this ſecond Part. 1 COR. 11.28-33.
28. LEt a man therefore examine himſelfe, and ſo let him eat of this Bread, and drinke of this Cup.
29. For hee that eateth and drinketh vnworthily, eateth and drinketh his owne damnation, becauſe he diſcerneth not the Lords Body.
30. For this cauſe many are weake and ſicke among you, and many ſleepe.
31. For if we would iudge our ſelues, we ſhould not be iudged.
32. But when we are iudged, we are chaſtened of the Lord, becauſe wee ſhould not be condemned with the world.
A Preparation TO THE RECEIuing of Chriſts Body and Bloud. The ſecond Part. Shewing how to preuent the dangerous ſinne, of profaning this Sacrament.
CHAP. I. Of the method of this ſecond Part.
THe Apoſtle (by whoſe line wee drawe the doctrine of Preparation, hauing ſet forth the odiouſneſſe of that ſinne, whereby the holy Sacrament is abuſed, doth afterwards in the wordes following, preſcribe a ſpecial remedy how that ſinne may be preuented. In the due conſcionable practiſe wherof, doth our ſecond Part of Preparation conſiſt.
The meanes and remedy aforeſaid, conſiſts in certaine ſpeciall and neceſſary duties, to be performed by eueryevery Chriſtian, that will (to his comfort) partake of this Sacrament.
The duties the Apoſtle
1. Propounds.
2. Vrgeth.
The duties propounded are two:
Firſt, That a man try, ſearch, & examine himſelfe, before hee preſume to receiue.
Secondly, That hee giuegive not ouer triall and examination of himſelfe, till hee hauehave found that which he ſeekes for.
In the firſt duty, wee are to conſider the triall it ſelfe: Firſt, generally: Secondly, more ſpecially. And then the Perſons that are to make this Triall.