The Badges of Christianity, Book 3 · Chapter 11
Chap. II. Of the fourth inward part of the Lords Supper.
THe last inward part of this sacrament of the supper remaineth, which is the aThe fourth inward part of the supper is the faithful receiuerfaithfull and christian receiuer. As eueryevery communicant sensibly and outwardly taketh the bread and wine giuen vntounto him: eating the bread and drinking the Wine for the nourishment of his body: so the faithful receiuer apprehendeth and layeth hold on christ by the hand of faith, and applyeth him particulally, that the feeling of his true vnion with christ may daily be increased, bIohn 1, xiiaccording to that saying Ioh. 1. As many as receiued him, to them he gaue prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God, euen to them that beleeue in his name. And 1 Cor. 10. The cup 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 body of Christ? Wherefore, when we do faithfully and worthily take the bread and the cup into our hands, we must consider that withall we take and receiue Iesus christ himselfe offered vntounto vsus. When we eate the bread and drinke of the cup, and so apply them to our bodily vses: we must consider, that we apply christ Iesus to our selues, euen to our soules, particularly, that he is meate indeede, and that he is drink indeed vntounto vsus, if we bring with vsus the hand of saith. For faith is like cFaith is like the mouth of a vesselthe mouth of a vessell: if you poure Lyquor vppon it all the daye longe, vnlesse the mouth of the vessell bee open to receiue it, the Water is spilt on the ground, & the vesselremaineth empty: so may a man come to the lords table eueryevery month, receiuing the bread & wine that represent whole christ, yet except he bring with him faith, which is the mouth of the soule, hee receiueth not Christ vntounto a spirituall life, to be his righteousnes and sanctification. And this is the reason, why we receiue a little portion and a small quantity as well of bread as wine, dConcil. Nicean ex Biblio. vatican. vse 1because the end of our eating and drinking serueth for the sanctification of the spirit, not for the silling of the body.
Now let vsus see what vses are offred to our consideration, in the meditation of this truth. First, seeing onelyonly the faithfull are partakers of the things signifyed in this Sacrament: we see all doe not receiue alike, there is a difference to be made among receiuers. But as you snatch after the leaues of the tree, and let go the fruit, want the profit of their labour: so is it among many men in this worlde, who take the signe of Christ, but let goe Christ. Nowe, as Moses intreating of thinges eLeuit. 11, 4cleane and vncleane, noteth out foure sorts of beasts, some onelyonly chew the cud, and some onelyonly diuide the hoofe, some neither chew the cudde nor diuide the hoofe, and some both chew the cud & diuide the hoofe: or, as in the dayes of the Gospell, some were circumcised in heart not in flesh, fGal, 2. 3as Titus: some were circumcised in the flesh not in the hart, as Iudas: some were circumcised neither in flesh nor in the spirit, gBph, 2, 11as the gentiles: and some were circumcised both in the flesh and in the spirit, hAct. 16. 3as Timothy: so is there a difference among receiuers, i… sortes of receiuerssome receiue Christ onelyonly spiritually, not sacramentally: some onelyonly sacramentally, not spiritually: some neither receiue him spiritually, nor Sacramentally: and some receiue him both spiritually and Sacramentally. Of these we will speake … and in order, as they hauehave bin propounded.
The spirituall eating is by faith, whereby we are made one with Christ and partakers of his benefits without the Sacramentes, kIohn, 6, 56,where of Christ speaketh, He that eateth my …, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. Thus to eat him, is to beleeue in him: and therfore he vseth these words, lIoh. 6 29. 33 35as being of one force, to beleeue in him and to eat him: to drinke him, and to come vntounto him, This is the … of God, that ye beleeue in him vvhom he hath sent: I am that bread of life, hee that commeth to mee shall not hunger, and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thrist. Againe, mIoh. 6. 54. 40Christ attributeth the same fruit and effect to them that beleeue in him, that hee doth to them which eat his body & drink his blood: therefore by eating and drinking hee meaneth nothing but beleeuing. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life: And in the 40. verse of the same chapter, he saith, This is the will of my father, that euerie one that beleeueth in the sonne, should hauehave cternall life, and I vvill raise him vp at the last day. Heerby we may see that Christ attributeth the same to beleeuing, which in the other place hee did to eating and …: so that the meaning of Christ is, that to beleeue in him is to eat him. And thus many receiue Christ, eating and drinking his body and bloode, that neuer came to the Sacramentes. Heere … some will obiect, If this doctrine be true, then are the Sacraments needlesse. For if Obiectwe may … christ by faith spiritually without any vse or comming to the Lordes supper, to what ende serueth the Supper? It seemeth by this, to be made void and superfluous. God forbid: for the sacraments are the holy ordinances Answer.of Christ by his blessing appointed for our help and benefitte, so that the most perfect christians of the strongest faith, hauehave need to seeke the strength ofsaith against weaknes and wauering in the promises of God.
Notwithstanding, we must confesse to the glorie of god and the great comfort of manie persons, that the faithfull soule maie and doth often feed vponupon christ to saluation, beside the vse of the sacrament. For the spirituall grace is not of necessitie tied to the outward signes, as if without them God cannot or doth not sometimes bestow the same. We see in the acts of the Apostles, nAct. 10, 2. 44Cornelius and his company was sealed with the spirit of God before the receiuing of the outwarde sacrament. Abraham beleeued the promise being stronge in faith, oRom. 4. 18, 10, 18and vnderunder hope beleeued aboue hope before circumcision was giuen vntounto him.
Thus also the beleeuing theefe vponupon the crosse, though he did nener receyue the sacrament of christ, yet he did eat the body and drinke the blood of christ to eternal life: so that he beleeued in him, pLuk. 23, 40and was the same day with him in paradise. He was not crucified for the profession of christ, but was condemned for the merit of his transgression: neither did he suffer because he beleeued, qLumb. sent. lib 4. dist. c. 1but he beleeued while he suffered. He was not baptized, he receiued not the Lords supper, yet his rRom. 10, 10saith saued him, spiritually eatinge the true food of euerlasting life. Rom, 10. With the hart man beleeueth vntounto rightcousnesse, and with the mouth man confesseth vntounto saluation: for the scripture saith, whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not be ashamed. According to that in the prophet, The iust shall liue sHabac. 2, 4by faith, And Iohn 11. I am the resurrection and the life he that beleeueth in me, though he were deade, yet he shall liue, and whosoeuer liueth and beleeueth in me, t10. xi. 25, 26shall neuer dy. This ministreth great comfort in trials, and tribulations, to consider that howsoeuer by sickenes, by persecution, by imprisonment, we may be seperated from the Supper of christ, uRom 8, 35yet we cannot be seperated from christ: though we may bee hindered from eating him sacramentally, yet we cannot be hindred from eating him spiritually: though we may bee kept from eating the bread and drinking of the cup of the Lord, yet we cannot, by the malice of Satan or violence of his instrumentes, be kept from feeding vppon christ by faith to saluation.
Againe, other receiue christ onelyonly sacramentally and not spiritually, who are partakers of the outwarde Elements of bread and wine, and so receiue the bare signes of the body and blood of Christ. For, as they are said to eat the true body of christ spiritually, which receiue christ with the mouth of the soul, that is, by a true faith, and are truely ioyned to him: so they eat him sacramentally, that handle, eate, and drinke the signes and seales of his true body; but because they want faith, they want the means to receiue christ himselfe.
Thus many hauehave bin baptized, that were neuer regenerated and inwardly purged, aAct. 8, 13as appeareth in Simon the sorcerer whose hart was not vpright, so that albeit he were partaker of the Sacrament of regeneration and repentance, yet he remayned in the gall of bitternes and in the bond of iniquity. So, many hauehave resorted to the Lords Supper, that neuer drew nourishment or strength of Faith from him to life and saluation: and thus many thousands in the worlde come to the sacraments.
…, some neither receiue Christ spiritually nor sacramentally: and such are they, that neuer come to christ nor receiue the sacraments of christ: such are they that liue out of the bosome of the church, as it were out of the Arke of Noah, as Infidels, Iewes, Turks, Saracens, Persians, and such like, these mast needes perish in the deepe floodes of Gods endles iudgements. For, as christ is the fountaine of life, and the wel-spring of all bColos. 1, 19 & 2, 3heauenly treasures that accompany saluation, and the Sacraments his instrumentes whereby these graces are conueyd vntounto vsus, and the church the parties to whome both these belong: so such as are without Christ: without the sacramentes, without grace, without the church, and consequently without the priuiledges that pertaine to the heires of his eternall kingdom, lye in darkenes, and in the shaddowe of death, cMat. 15, 26and are as Dogges to whome the childrens bread doth not belong.
Lastly, other receiue Christ both spiritually by faith, and sacramentally with the mouth, who are partakers both of the signes and of the things signified, who eat of the bread of the L. dAug. tract. 59 in Iohan.& the bread which is … L. And thus the apostles thatsat at the table with christ at his last supper, did receiue him, applying the outward part to their bodies, and the inward part to their souls. Also, thus al the faithful that come to the table of ch. to the end of the worlde, do receiue him spiritually and sacramentally to the great comfort of their own souls: & thus must eueryevery one of vsus seek to come to ch. whensouer we come to the sa. of ch. Wherfore, we see what difference and distinction is to be made between those that receiue christ, that we be not deceiued in the manner of the receiuing of him.
Againe, seeing onelyonly the faithfull are the inward part of this sacrament, it is not to bee administred to such as shew themselues vnfaithfull and vnrepentant, so farre as they may be known so to be. Such as are without faith, without repentance, without sanctification hauehave no right and interest in this blessed communion. For, if eueryevery one should without difference be admitted and receiued: the Church of God, which is a blessed fellowship of Saintes, should be turned into a stye of vncleane Swine, a stable of vncleane beastes, a cage of … birdes, and as Christ speaketh, the e…, 2, 16 Luk, 19, 46house of God should bee made a … of theeues. God did shut out of his fEzek, 44, 9 Leuit, 10, 10 Math, 7, 6sanctuary eueryevery stranger vncircum cised in heart and in the …: he commaunded also the priestes to put a difference between the holy and prophane, betweene the cleane and vnclean. … her to belongeth that saying of Christ Math. 7. GiueGive ye not that which is holy to Dogs, neither cast ye your pearles before svvine, least they tread you vnderunder their …, and … againe all to rent you. If therefore such as remaine in grosse and open sinnes of blasphemy, swearing contempt of Gods worde, adultery, …, vncleanesse, wantonnesse, drunkennesse, maliciousnesse, and such like, offer themselues at any time with the rest of the members of the church to partake this supper, and as it wer insectious leapers come into the Lords host gLeuit, 13, 3 45, 46 Numb, 5, 2, 3 2 King 15, 5to be admitted to the sacrifices: it is the Pastors duty to vse the power of the keies, and barre them from this Sacrament, vntill there appeare in them the testimonies of repentance, and the confession of their offences. Should not the shepheard feuer the rotten and … sheepe from the fold? Doth not h1 cor, 5, 6a little leauen sower the whole lump? Wil an housholder admit into his house eueryevery one that vanteth himselfe to be of the houshold? The Idothers, by the light of nature, iHesiod, … oper … dier. Eustath in …. lib. 1would not suffer all to approch to their sacrifices, their heathnish sacrifices, but cryed out that prophane persons should be packing and get them thence, and not presume to offer with vnwashen hands. Such as hauehave a very cleere … aine and spring of Waters committed vntounto them, if they see … swine come to warde it, kChris. hom. 83. in Mat. cap, 37must not suffer them to trouble the spring and annoy the water. Shall they then, that hauehave the sacred and hallowed spring, not common water, but of the precious blood of Christ springing vp to eternallife committed vntounto them, lZeph. 3, 4suffer such as are notoriously … with sinne, to prophane the bloode of Christ, and make a mocke of him to their owne destruction? Wherefore such as are open Wicked persons are not, without open repentance, to bee admitted to the Sacrament of the supper, but to be seperated from the Church, as dead members from the body, and as rotten sheep from the flocke, m1 Cor. 5, 7 vse. 3.that the rest may be preserued in sound doctrine, and in innocency of life and conuersation.
Moreouer, if onelyonly the faithfull receiue christ, let eueryevery one prepare a true and liuely faith in his heart. It is not enough to hauehave the bodily hand to receiue, the mouth to tast, and stomack to digest: but we must bring with vsus the hand of faith. For this holy supper, albeit by Gods ordinance it be a spirituall thing, yet throgh the vnworthines of the receiuers, it becometh a meer corporal & earthlything. The passeouer was a liuely figure of Christ, oReue, xiii, 8representing the lambe slaine from the beginning of the worlde: but such as did eate thereof vnworthily, it was to them an instrument of destruction, and as the messenger of death. Iudu was one of the twelue and did eate the paschall lambe with the rest, but he did not eat christ with the rest: he did receiue damnation to himselfe, pIohn 13, 2Satan entering into him, and procuring the confusion of soule and body. It seemeth he receiued the supper of the Lord, qIoh. xiii. 30forasmuch as Ioh. 13 the Euangelist noteth, that as soone as he had receiued the soppe, he went immediately out. Wherefore rLuk. 22, …that which Luke affirmeth, cha, 22. Behold the hand of him that betraieth me is with me at the table, albeit it be set downe after the supper, yet, was vttered before the supper, according to the vsuall manner sHil. in Mat. c, 30. & lib. 8 de Trinitateof the scripture. And this is the iudgement of sundry writers sHil. in Matt c. 30, & lib, 8 de trinitate. Clem. Rom. const, l, 2, c. 61both old and new. But inasmuch as he was present at the Passeouer, which was a figure of the passion of Christ, God by this one fearful example teacheth, that he neuer suffereth the abuse of his Sacramentes to goe vnpunished. The Apostle saith. 1 cor. 11. He that eateth and drinketh vnworthily, eateth and drinketh his own iudgment: tZanch, de redemp, lib, 1 cap, XIX & 16 Beza in 10. 13 & tractat. de excom.for this cause many are sick, and weake among you, and many sleepe. Vngodly persons that he and liue in sinne, togither with all impenitent persons, attribute to much to the outward signe, and rest therein as in the comfort of their soules. Adam thought after his fal, if he could reach out his hand & take the fruit of the tree of life and eat thereof, uGen, 3, 22he should liue for euer. For these words vsed in that place, Least he put forth his hand to the tree of life, & eat and liue for euer: do respect the purpose and intent of the man, not the euent and yssue of the matter: inasmuch as the eating of that fruit al the daies of his life could not giuegive grace, or restore him to that life he had lost, and to that high estate from whence hee was fallen. Now, as he imagind, if he could but tast of the tree of life again, it should go wel with him: so his posterity in al ages, dream of a secret power inherent in the sacraments, wheras by taking the same vnworthily, and by iudging of them corruptly, sin is increased, god is offended, and the punishment is dubled. The ark was a testimony of gods presence, a witnes of his louelove and leag with man, and an assured sign that God woulde make his dwelling place among them, that he would abide with them, that he would walk before them, that he would be their gratious God, and that they should be his people: but the Priests, elders and people attributed ouermuch vntounto it, and far greater things thē they 1 Sam. 4, 3ought, They said, Wherefore hath the lord smitten vsus this day before the Philistims? Let vsus bring the arke of the couenant of the lord ovt of shiloh vntounto vsus, that when it commeth among us, it may saue us out of the hanàs of our enemies. Euē as the church of Rome, whē any iudgement or calamity is vponupon them, carry forth their breaden-god on procession, hold him vp to be seen, and adored, and thereby think to hauehave themselues deliuerd, and Gods wrath to be appeased. These neuer thoght of turning to God with all their harts, and of changing their liues: but ascribe saluation and deliuerance to the Arke it selfe, and attribute power to the outward signe, which of it selfe and in it selfe was no better then a few boards ioyned togither, and therefore through their vaine confidence c1 Sam, 4, Xthey were destroyed, the Arke was taken, the two sonnes of Eli were slaine, and the whole hoast was discomfited. Thus is it with the sacrament, & with such as come without faith to the Sacrament. The sacrament indeed is holy, the sacramental rites are holy, the bread and wine are holy: but let them be receiued of persons that are prophane and vnholy, they make the sacramentes to themselues vnholy, so farre are they from conferring grace and holines to all receiuers of them. For can the Sacraments make him holy that is vnholy? Or a godly man, that is vngodly? Or make him to fear an oth, that is a blasphemer? They cannot: nay to such the Sacraments become vnholy, and the receiuers grow more vnholy, as Iudas did after the partaking of the passeouer. Wherefore, God as a iust iudge would driue Adam out of the garden of Eden, least putting forth his hand to the tree of life, he should take and receiue it vnworthily, eMercer in 3 cap. Genes, analys, Frāci Iunij in Genthereby prophaning dGen, 3, 22the sacrament, and so eat to himselfe iudgement. The Sacrifices were holie ordinances of God, yet when men that liued vngodly came vntounto them, they turned to bee sinne to them: so is it with all those that come without faith and feeling to the Supper of the Lorde, let vsus not therefore be faithlesse but faithfull.
Lastly, if the faithfull onelie receiue with profit: then such as are Hypocrites and wicked liuers cannot be partakers vse. 4.of the bodie and blood of Christ, no more then God and Satan can be ioined together. True it is, such maie receiue the bare signes, but they receiue them to their condemnation, because, fWicked mē do not receiue Christ.through want of faith and repentaunce they offend God, repell Christ from them and all his benefites, and drawe vntounto themselues temporall and eternall punishments. For, no man can eat christ, and withall eat his own damnation. Againe, whosoeuer eateth the flesh of christ and drinketh his blood, shall liue for euer, and hath christ d welling in him to saluation (for christ can neuer be seperated from his sauing graces) but the vngodly shall not liue for euer by christ with God. For christ is not eaten with the teeth or mouth, as the gospell directly determineth. Iohn, 6. Whosoeuer eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life: my flesh is meat indeed, my blood is drink indeede, gIohn 6, 14he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me and I in him. But infidels and wicked persons hauehave not eternall life, neither abide in christ, therefore by the doctrine of christ our sauiour, hAug. tract in Iohan XXVthey neither eate his flesh, nor drinke his blood. Wee must open the eyes of our faith to beholde him, and the mouth of our soule to receiue him: for by faith onelyonly we are made partakers of him, which the vngodly want iIohn 4, …he that drinketh of the blood of christ shal neuer be more a thirst.
Thirdly, we know that satan the prince of darknes, ruleth in all the harts of the children of disobedience, & sitteth in their consciences k2 Cor. 14, 4as the God of this worlde, and filleth them full of iniquity, as wee see in the example of Iudas. Now, if these receive the body of Christ: then christ and the deuill shoulde dwell in one subiect togither, and bee ioynt-possessors of one and the same house: lLuk, xi. 21but this cannot be: these cannot be at one: these can neuer be friends reconciled: there is no m2 cor, 6. 14fellowship between righteousnes and vnrighteousnes, ther is no communion between light and darkenesse, there is no concord betweene Christ and Beliall. Fourthly, the Apostle teacheth, that where christ is nRom. 8. 9he worketh mortification and dying to sinne, Rom. 8, If any hauehave not the spirit of Christ, the same is not his: and if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life for righteousnes sake. But the wicked are not dead to sin, they are dead in their sinnes and trespasses: and they hauehave sinne not onelie remaining but raigning in them, therfore christ cannot be in them. Fiftly, where christ is, there are all things necessary to saluation: and to whom God giueth his sonne, oRom. 8. 31to him he giueth iustification, sanctification, redemption, repentance, remission of sinnes, and eternall life, as Rom. 8. If God be on our side, who shall be against vsus? Who spared not his owne sonne, but gaue him for vsus all to death, how should he not with him giuegive vsus all things also? But the wicked hauehave not these gifts accompaning saluation, they are not iustified, they are not sanctified, they are not regenerated: therefore they cannot hauehave christ from whom these flow. Sixtly, we are charged to try and p2 cor. 13, 5proue our owne hartes, whether Christ be in vsus or not, that thereby we may discerne of our estate and standing in the faith, 2 Cor. …. Proue your selues whether ye are in faith: examine your selues, know ye not your owne selues, how that Iesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? To what purpose serueth this tryall and examination, if christ may bee in vsus, and yet remaine reiected? Wherefore, Christ cannot be in vsus, if we bee not approued, but refused of God.
Lastly, the Apostle chargeth the Church of the Corinthians, not to eate things sacrificed to idols in q1 cor. X, XXthe idols temple, because they cannot be partakers of christ and the Dinels, nor drinke of the cvp of Christ and of the cup of Dyuels, 1 Cor. 10. 20. 21. These thinges which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice them to Diuels and not vntounto god, and I would not that ye should hauehave fellowship with the Diuels, ye cannot be partakers of the Lords Table, and of the table of Diuels. Where hee sheweth that a man may come polluted with idoll sacrifices to the Lords Supper, but then he cannot be partaker of Christ indeede and in truth. Thus we see the doctrine of the church of Rome striken to the ground, which hold it as a principle of their faith and teach it to others, that wicked men do receiue and eate rBel. de sacr. Euch. li. 1. c. 14 Lumb lib. 4 sen. dist. 9. c 2christ himselfe in the supper, making christ indeede to be no Christ. For whereas wee hauehave shewed, that this sacrament consisteth of the outward signs which are bread and wine, and the inward truth represented by them which is Christes body and blood, according to the doctrine of the holy scripture, and the common consent of all antiquity: the Romanists hauehave turned this trueth topsie turuie, and hauehave laid a new plat-forme of the … of the Supper. Hence it is, that they hauehave abolished the signes of bread and wine,gBellar. de sacr. euch. lib 1, cap. 13 and make Christ Iesus an outward parte, as it were thrusting him out of the dores to be receiued of all both good and bad, and the grace of Christ to be the inward part taken only of the faithfull. Thus they make a deuorcement and a separation between Christ and his sauing graces, which can neuer be parted and deuided. For whosoeuer receiueth Christ, pertaketh the merits and graces of christe: and whosoeuer enioyeth the graces of christ, imbraceth withall christ himselfe. Besides, if christ be the signe, and the sanctifying graces of Christ the thing fignified according to the rule of the church of Rome: what shall we say of the accidents and shewes of bread and wine, whereunto shall they be reduced? what parte shall they act and play in this comedy? wherefore we hold it as a strong trueth, which we hauehave euinced by sundrie reasons, that wicked men are not made partakers of christ.