The Badges of Christianity, Book 3 · Chapter 3
Chap 3. Of the first outward part of the Lords Supper
HItherto we hauehave shewed what the Lordes supper is, and how to apply it to our instruction: now we are to consider in this Sacrament two things, his … and his vses: as we hauehave shewed in the former bookes. The parts are partly outwarde, and partly inwarde. The outward part is one thing, the inward parte is another thing: the outward is taken in at the mouth, the inward by the inward man: the outward is turned into the nourishment of the body, the inward worketh in vsus to eternall life: the outward is taken by some to their destruction, but the inward alwaies to saluation. This appeareth euidently by the wordes of the Apostle, deliuering to the church what hee had receiued of the Lord, and declaring howe the same night he was betrayed He tooke bread, and a1 cor. xi, 23 24, 25 Math. 26. …, 28, 29when he had giuen thankes, he brake it, and said, Take ye, eate ye, this is my body, which is broken for you: this do ye in remembrance of me. After the same manner also, He tooke the cup, when he had …, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, this do as oft as ye drinke it in remembrance of me. In these wordes wee see, both the outward partes propounded, and the number of them defined and determined. For heere are bFoure outward parts of the Lords Supper.foure outward parts handled, to wit, the minister, the wordes of institution, the … and Wine, and the Communicants. The first minister thereof was Christ: the wordes of institution are, This is my body, giuen for you, this is the cuppe of the new testament in my blood: the signes are bread and Wine: the first communicants were the Apostles. So then the Ministers must doe that which CHRIST did, and the people that which the Disciples did: the actions of CHRIST are directions to the Minister, the actions of the Apostles are directions to the people.
Let vsus then see the actions of Christ. He tooke bread, he blessed, he brake the bread, he poured out the Wine, he distributed and deliuered them both. Wherefore, the actions and workes of the minister are cFoure actions of the minister,foure-fould. First, to take the bread and wine into his hands after the example of christ, who did it to shewe that himselfe willingly giueth himselfe for his church, which serueth to strengthen our faith and perswasion of his louelove toward vsus: in whose imitation the minister dothit, to represent the action of God the father giuing his son vntounto vsus for our full redemption The second action is blessing and giuing of thankes, that is, by prayer, by thankes giuing, and by rehearsal of the promises of God, together with the institution of christ, actually to separate the bread and wine so taken from their common vse to an holy vse Whereby we are giuen to vnderstand, that the outward creatures are reuerently to be vsed, calling vponupon the name of God, and crauing his assistance to vse his ordinance as we ought to do: and that we should ioyfully praise God, for the gratious worke of our redemption by Christ. The third action, is breaking the bread & pouring out the wine, which are necessary rites, to be obserued, hauing respect and and relation to the vnspeakable torments of christ for vsus, who was pierced, crucified, and made a curse for vsus vponupon the Crosse, dPsal. 22, 16 …. 53. 5as the prophet teacheth, He was wounded for our transgressions, he was broken for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was vponupon him, and with his stripes we are healed. Wherefore, these Sacramental rites of breaking & pouring out are no: to be reiected & omitted, being vsed by eMath 26, 26 act, 2 42, 1 cor, 10, 16christ, practised by his Apostles, and retained by the churches. Not as in the church of Rome, where they breake not to distribute to the people, neither poure out the Wine to giuegive vntounto them.
So then, we see that whole bread is not to be deliuered, but that the bread is to be broken, and the wine to be poured out, to be distributed among sundry communicantes. The last action of the minister is, to distribute the bread and wine, and giuegive them into the handes of the people …. CHRIST did not offer them vp to God, … deliuered them to his Discipies. All these, being workes to bee done and performed by the Minister in the administration of this Sacrament, do note out the actions of GOD the Father, sealing vppe his sonne vntounto vsus, as wee shall see afterwarde when wee come to the inward parts
Now, let vsus enter into the consideration of the vses of this parte. Are these the actions commaunded in the vse. 1word, executed by CHRIST, and to be performed by the Minister? Then we see, that such as are set apart to deliuer this sacrament, are not consecrated and appointed priestes of the new testament, to offer vp an vnbloody sactifice for the quicke and dead, as the church of Rome teacheth and practiseth. They are commaunded as ministers of God to deliuer the outward signes to the people, not as priestes to offer them to God the father: they are appointed preachers of the gospell, not priests of the law: which were to abolish the priesthood of Christ. Wherefore, we must detest the blasphemy of these shamelesse shauelings, fstella Clericorum. serdisc serm. 3that teach the priest to bee the maker of his maker, and that he which made them, gcreatur a vobis mediantibus vobis.gaue them power and authority to make him, … so after a sort preser themselues being the sacrificers, before christ who is the sacrifice: thēselues being the creators, before Christ the creature: themselues the makers, before christ being made of them. Thus these sacrificing priests are not ashamed to speake, and to bray aloud. Secondly, if the minister be an outward part of this Vse. 2.sacrament, then it belongeth not hNumb, 3, …, Heb. 5, 4to priuate persons to deliuer it to others, nor to take it to themselues, and deliuer it to themselues, when or where there is no Minister. They may indeede apply to themselues the outward signes, they may eat the bread and drinke the wine, and in respect of the sacramentall rites doe as the Minister doth: yet for that they do it without a calling, it is not a due administration, but a true prophanation of this sacrament of the supper. For let vsus a little insist vponupon the similitude beforestood vponupon: if the keeper of the Princes broad seale be not in the way, or for the present bee not to bee gotten, shall any man presume to take it where it lyeth, without direction, and without commaundement? sucha one woorthily beareth his punishment, whosoeuer he be. In like manner, … one should earnestly desire the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, and euen faint in soul for the fruition of it, finding himselfe in his longing affection able to take it himselfe, … the assistance of another: yet eueryevery one must consider his gifts, his standing, his calling, and place wherin God hath set him, he hath not committed to priuate persons the administration of the sacraments: they may not baptize their children, they may not meddle with the Lordes supper, no more then common subiects may take the … seale, if the keeper be not in the way. Against this … truth, iTwo obiections answeared, pretending that … men may deliuer the supper.two thinges of importance may be obiected, which I purpose to preuent before I proceed any farther. For first, this doctrine seemeth not to agree with that maxime and principle, which … we hauehave resolued vponupon, namely, Accedat verbum ad elementum, & fit …, that is, Ioyne the word of institution to the outward signe, and there is made a sacrament: Secondly, it seemeth to leaue sicke persous without comfort in their harts and peace to themselues, if for want of a publicke minister, themselues may not supply that want, and giuegive vntounto themselues this Supper. These are the two obiections, pretending and intending that priuate persons, may at some times, vponupon some occasions, hauehave some right and interest in despensation of the Sacraments. Touching the former poynt, being a ruled case of Saint Augustine, kAugust. tract …. in Iohan …;that if the signe be … to the word, a Sacrament is ordained, we doubt not to … the rule vndoubtedly to be true, being truely and rightly vnderstoode. For the meaning is, if there be an outwarde signe which is the matter, and a worde of institution which is the forme of the sacraments, lAristot. metaphis. lib. 7 cap. 7the essence of them is fully finished, as if there bee the matter and forme of an house, we conclude rightly there is an house. Howbeit, we presuppose ther was a builder of the house to prepare the matter and to order the forme. So the former principle doth presuppose, a minister to deliuer, and a receiuer to receiue the sacrament: otherwise we shall also warre vnderunder the ensigne of our enimies vnawares, who hold it to be the supper of the Lord, mBellar. lib. 4 de Euch, cap, 2 concil. Trid. sess, 13. can. 4. 7albeit there be no eating, no drinking, no receiuing thereof. If therefore, in the constitution of a sacrament, the institution of Christ touching taking, eating, and drinking must be obserued: then wee see that more is required then the signe and the word in the work of the sacrament.
Againe, touching the obiection of the sicke, who seeme to be wholy left in distresse and discomfort, if they may not lawfully administer the Supper to themselues: I answere, it was an auncient practise of the nbeza …. & vesp. de sacr.Church to carry the sacrament vntounto the sick: besides, albeit in extremity of sicknes the minister be wanting we leaue not the sick without counsell and comfort. For this we teach, this we are readye to maintaine, this we would hauehave all beleeuers in health and in sicknesse to recall and remember, that if they … beleeue that the Lord Iesus had suffered death vponupon the crosse for them, if they … apply vntounto themselues his precious merits for their redemption, if they … remember the benefits of his … passion with all thanksgiuing, and if they truely repent them from the bottome of their harts of all their sins: they do eat and drinke effectually, oIoh, 6, 54, 55 56, 57, 58and to their soules health profitably the body and blood of Christ our sauiour, pIf they do not thus, the sacrament receiud … … themalthough they doe not receiue the sacrament with their mouth. This serueth to comfort the weak, and to keep them within the lifts and limits of their proper calling.
Lastly, seeing the former actions of the minister are done plainely in the sight of all, it is the duty of eueryevery one to giuegive diligent heede, and to hauehave weighty consideration of these outward ceremonies, by the meditation thereof to confirme their faith and to make the outward workes to further the inward graces. For they are offered to our sences, not that we shoulde rest in them, but that our weaknes by them shoulde be helped, and we by them lift vp in our harts to thinke vponupon greater things.