Worthy Communicating, Introduction · Part 3 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. Two Hindrances from Communicating.
The Contents.
One most General Hindrance, that keeps men from the Sacrament, is a Fear of their being Vnworthy and Vnfit to receive it. This Answer'd by shewing, 1. The Partiality of it, because they are not so scrupulous about Neglecting, as about Vnworthy Receiving, though there be the same cause for it. 2. That every true Penitent is worthy of it: Yea, he that has only fully purposed Amendment, though he has not had time to perform it. 3. Impenitence, which unfits them for it, is no Excuse for the Neglect of it. 4. Impenitent men, who alone are unfit, if they understand the danger of their State, cannot continue in it but amend it, and then they may worthily Communicate. 2. A Second Hindrance is, because an Vnworthy Receiver eats his own Damnation, 1 Cor. 11.29. which makes not Receivin… seem the safer side. By Damnation is meant, 1. A Damning Sin, which is deadly till we Repent of it; and such are both unworthy eating and sinful abstaining, so that they are equal as to that point. 2. Temporal Penalties, which were inflicted for their Intemperance at this Feast, and other Disorders peculiar to those Times, and are not now usual in ours, so that the fear of them need not discourage us from it.
SInce a worthy receiving of the Holy Sacrament is a Duty which our Bless…d Lord has so straitly injoyn'd, and from which we may all hope to reap so great Benefit, as has been shewed; it may well be expected, that all who would do Service either to their Saviour, or to themselves, should readily join in it whensoever an Opportunity is offer'd. And so, 'tis like, all that pretend to serious Religion would, were it not that they have some Exceptions in their own minds against it, which, till they are removed, make all Discourses of the Duty or Vsefulness of it fall without effect, and perswade them, that, however necessary or adviseable it may be to others, yet it is not so to them, who have so just an hindrance to excuse or discourage them from being present at it.
To give this Duty as fast hold as I can therefore on the Consciences of all those, who shall peruse this Treatise; having already set forth the indispensable Obligations we have to it, I shall now proceed to remove those Hindrances, and to take off those Pleas, which are offer'd to excuse, and keep men back from complying with it. And as for them, the most weighty and considerable, which I have been able to learn, or have had opportunity to meet with, are such as follow.
Men are most ordinarily hindred from the Sacrament, notwithstanding it is so much both their Duty and their Interest to frequent it, by one, or other of these things.
1st, Because they think themselves unworthy of it, and unfit to receive it.
2ly, Because of the great danger of Vnworthy Communicating, Damnation being said to be eaten in it, which seems to make abstaining the safer side.
3ly, Because therein they are to promise concerning every Sin they find themselves guilty of, that they will no more commit it; and this Promise they dare not make, because they fear they shall not keep it.
4ly, Because of the great difficulty they apprehend to be in worthy receiving, and their want of time and leisure to prepare for it.
5ly, Because they see others, or have found themselves, to be no whit bettered or improved by it; so that 'tis not worth their … to fi… themselves for it.
6ly, Because they have not that Charity for all the World, which is to be professed in it.
7ly, Because, though they be with others, y…t … are not in Charity with them; and therefore they fear they want that Peace which is required to it.
8ly, Because it is a Presumption in us to approach it, and therefore an humble man should abstain from it.
9ly, Because many Good People are seldom… or never seen at it, and therefore they may be Good too, and have Good Company, if they keep away from it.
10ly, Because others that are unworthy of it, are admitted to joyn in it.
11ly, and Lastly, Because though they ought, and would come to the Sacrament; yet they would not Kneel, which is the Posture appointed by the Church wherein they are to receive it.
These are such things, as do most ordinarily hinder Good People from partaking in this Ordinance; but indeed they ought in no case to be their hindrance from doing their Saviour, and their own Souls this Service, as will more fully appear from treating of all the Particulars.
1st, One Thing, that is the most general hindrance of all, and keeps back very many from the Sacrament, who otherwise are desirous enough to partake in it; is their thinking themselves unworthy of it, and unfit to receive it.
Now to silence this Plea, and to satisfie the minds of those that make it, so as there may be no more cause for it; I shall observe,
1st, Their great Partiality in it; because they are not so Scrupul…s about neglecting, as about unworthy receiving it, though there be the same cause to scruple it.
2ly, That every Penitent, who is resolv'd to leave his Sins, and has begun the change, is really worthy; so that the thoughts of unworthiness … not to put him by it.
3ly, … Imp…nitence, the only thing which unfits them for it, is no excuse at … for their ….
4ly, That Impenitent men, who are unworthy of it, if they understand the danger and misery of their State, can by no means continue in it, but must forthwith Repent and amend, and then this hindrance is gone, and they may worthily approach to it.
1st, I say, They shew great Partiality in this Plea, because they are not so Scrupulous about Neglecting, as about the unworthy Receiving it, though there be the same cause to scruple it. They shew all their niceness in doing what God bids them, but none in letting of it alone; they are afraid of offending in coming to the Sacrament, but have no Fear of giving Offence in staying away from it: as if God had only forbid them to receive unworthily, but had no where forbid them to absent themselves, and not receive at all.
But this, as I have already shewn, is a very wrong Judgment. For God doth as straitly injoyn a Worthy, as he forbids an Vnworthy Communicating. He has given us his Command for it, and that too with such Notes and Circumstances above-mentioned, as shew he lays a particular weight upon it, and highly expects to be obeyed in it. So that if we would not bring Guilt upon our selves by sinning against him, we must make Conscience of not coming to the Sacrament, as well as of irreverent Treating and Prophanation of it when we come.
This then is very Partial and Vnfair dealing, to be scrupulous only about the manner of Performing this Duty, but to have no scruple at all about the Omission of it: as if, when God Commands us to do a thing, not to do it at all, were not as much a Fault as to do it wrong; and it were not equally transgressed when we Neglect, as when we Prophane it. And if all those, who are full of Fear about Vnworthy Receiving, would be but as Fearful of Sinful abstaining; this equal Fear on both sides would make them diligent in seeking satisfaction, and in carrying on the Work of Preparation: so that they might neither offend by coming, nor by staying away, but worthily approach the Lords Table, and be heartily welcome to it when they do.
2. Every Penitent, who is Resolv'd to leave his Sins, and has begun the Change, is really worthy; so that the thoughts of unworthiness ought not to put him by it.
He is a true Penitent, who considers of all Gods Laws, and is resolved to keep them; and of all his own Sins, and is resolved to leave them: and so, changing his former evil Course and Practice, becomes a New Man. And whosoever doth this, he is a fit Person, and worthy to come to the Holy Communion. For all the particulars of worthy Receiving, are Instances of Duty, as has been observ'd, and parts of a Good Man; so that every man, who turns Penitent and becomes Good, will be endowed with all of them. Nay, if any man were to learn them, there would be no difficulty in any thing else, if Repentance would go down with him: So that any Person who Repents, may do every thing else which God Requires of him. The great things expected of us at this Feast, as has been said, are these; namely, That we give thanks for Christs Death, and resign our selves up to his Service, and Repent of all our Sins, and be in Love and Charity with all Persons, and have Faith in Christ and his Merits: And all these are easie, and create no great difficulty to a Penitent Person. For is it not an easie thing for him to thank Christ, who verily believes he dyed for him? And cannot he readily resign himself up to his use, who has already given himself up to an Holy Life, which is all the use that he would make of him? And is not he in Peace and Charity with all men, who has Repented of all his Sins, and then surely of Malice and Vnpeaceableness among them? And doth not he believe in Christ, i. e. doth not he believe those things which his Saviour Christ has declared to him, viz. That he dyed for us to purchase Terms of Grace; and that now, for his sake, God will forgive us any Sins, when we Repent of them, and help us by his Spirit to any Graces when we indeavour after them, and give us Eternal Life in Heaven when we intirely obey him, but that otherwise, than upon these Terms, he will not give us any of them; which are those Declarations he makes to us in the Scriptures, and wherein he expects to be trusted and believed by us: doth not every Penitent man, I say, believe all this, who is at the pains to live according to it, and Repents that he may be pardoned, and indeavours that he may be assisted, and obeys that he may be graciously rewarded for it? All this Faith, which is required to the Communion, is necessary to Repentance, and is sh…wn in it; for we should not leave Intemperance, Fraud, Malice, or any other sin that is strongly recommended to us, unless we believed God had forbid it, and would now for Christs sake freely forgive, and eternally Reward those who Repent of it. And all this Thankfulness, and Resignation, and Peace, and Charity towards all men, which are likewise required, are not only easie after it, but are parts of it: for if we are unthankful for Christs Benefits, or unresigned to his use, or out of Charity with any Persons, we have not yet Repented of all our sins, but, as to these at least, are still Impenitent. So that where once Repentance of all our sins is, there is or may be in us, every thing else, which God requires at this Feast to fit us worthily to partake of it.
Thus is every true Penitent sit to eat at the Table of his Lord, and to be a worthy Communicant. And therefore when any Persons do from their Hearts Repent them of all their sins, and are fully purposed to lead new Lives thence-forwards; let them not be afraid to come to the Sacrament, for they are truly such as God accounts worthy of it. If they have not shaken hands with their sins, indeed, but live still in them, and are ready to repeat them on the next occasion; they will come unworthily whilst they are in that state, and not be made the better, but the worse for it. But if they have broke loose from them, and have been acted by Gods Fear, and led new Lives for some time; and are still putting out more indeavours, and praying for more Grace to do this yet more perfectly: they are the Persons whom God calls to this Feast, and may justly expect to receive an hearty welcome at it.
Nay, if their Return to God has been so late, as that they have not yet had time sufficient for well-doing, but only for holy purposing that they will do well as often as they shall have occasion: yet, if out of a serious Conviction of the detestableness of every sinful Course, they are resolv'd to leave it; and after a due Consideration of every part of their Duty, they are fully, and without all reserve resolved to practise it; I doubt not, but that this will and purpose, before the time and opportunities for Practice come, will render them welcome Guests, and worthy to Communicate. For what…ver Rigors afterwards came in, not from the Nature of the Sacrament it self, or the Necessity of the thing, but only through the Discretionary Power of the Church, and the Rules of Discipline, thus I think 'tis plain it did in the Apostles times. For the three thousand Souls, whom St. Peter Converted at one Sermon, did not stay till they had opportunities of performing; but were admitted that very day, upon their inward change and resolution, to the Apostles Fellowship, and therein to the Holy Sacrament, which was a part of it. They that gladly received his Word, says St. Luke, were Baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand Souls. And all these continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship, and in breaking of Bread, and in Prayers, Act. 2.41, 42. And when the Apostles went about to Convert the World, they admitted men presently to Baptism and the Christian Worship, upon their Profession of Faith in Christ and b…ing Penitent, without staying to see them practise what they had promised, as appears in the Converts now mentioned, and the story of the †Act. 8.36, 37, 38.Eunuch: and when they were admitted to the Christian Worship, they were admitted to the Communion too, because in the Apostles Days, as I have †Part 1. Chap. 3.shewn, that was an ordinary part of it, and always went along with it.
If any Persons then have already left their sins, and do not willingly allow themselves in any of them; if th…y have been striving long against them, and are daily gaining ground, and making a more perfect conquest of them: Nay, if they, who, since their return to God, have not had time to perform all this, are yet fully and deliberately purposed, and without all Reserve resolv'd in themselves so to do; they are the Persons whom God invites to this Feast, they are worthy to come to it, and will be sure to meet with a kind and hearty entertainment. God and they are fully agreed in their own Thoughts, and the Terms of Reconciliation betwixt them are consented to on both sides: for he proclaims Mercy upon Repentance, and they thankfully accept it; he offers to return into Favour with every Sinner that will amend his Faults, and they are glad of the joyful News, and fully resolve to do it. And since they are both agreed upon the thing, what should hinder them from coming to the Sacrament, which he has appointed for this very end, that therein they may give their express consent to this Agreement, and mutually make this Declaration.
Thus is every man, who has left his sins, and begun to lead a New Life; or, who is fully purposed in his own mind, and absolutely intends so to do; a welcome Guest at this Feast, and worthy to Communicate: so that no apprehensions of unworthiness ought to put him by it.
And as for those who neither have left all their sins, nor are determined in their own hearts, and wholly bent upon it; they are plainly Impenitent, and thereupon most unworthy to Communicate. But then,
3ly, That Impenitence, which unfits them for it, is no excuse at all for the neglect of it.
Impenitence will excuse a man in no act, but is it self a very great aggravation of it. It is no extenuating Plea, but a Damning Fault; so that no man must ever hope to escape the easier after he has omitted any Duty, by giving it as the Reason for it. When God calls us to the Sacrament, to promise him that we will amend our Faults, and lead new Lives thenceforward; if we return Answer, that we come not because we are Impenitent, that is as much as to say, we come not as he bids because we will not, which is certainly the worst plea that ever was made for any offence, and can never render his Case better, but much worse that uses it.
As for those then, who keep away because they are Impenitent; they are left without all Plea, and have no excuse at all to make for their not coming to the Holy Sacrament. The only thing that can stand them in stead, either as to it or as to any thing else, is their Repentance and Amendment; which they will not delay, if they consider in how great need they stand of it. For, as I said,
4ly, Impenitent men, who are unworthy of it, if they understand the danger and misery of their state, can by no means continue in it, but must forthwith Repent and Amend, and then this hindrance is gone, and they may worthily approach to it.
If they understand the danger and misery of their state, I say, they cannot continue in it. For so long as they remain Impenitent in many, or in any one known sin, they are not only unfit to receive the Sacrament, as I have shewn, but also to say their Prayers, to give Thanks, to make Vows, or to have any thing to do with God in any other part of Religious Worship and Service. They are shut out from all benefits of Religion, they have no Salvation by Christ, nor any hopes of Heaven: if they happen to dye suddenly whilst they are in this state, or are call'd away before the work of Reformation is finished, (as 'tis greatly to be feared they may, if they put it off for the present, and as in all likelihood they will if they delay it till their Death-Bed, at which time 'tis a very rare thing for any man to go through with it) they will go to Hell, there to be tormented with the insupportable Anguish of a wounded Conscience, and unsatisfied Appetites, and a Raging Fire, and all the Terrors and Disconsolation of Darkness, and the utmost malice of Devils and Damn'd Spirits, and the highest Shame and Confusion of Face; all which they must undergo without any Eye to Pity, or Friend to Comfort them, or any one to refresh them, or any Abatement, or Intermission, for evermore: And this is a state of such Horrour and Astonishment, as no man, that looks upon it, can abide in: it is a condition of such extream danger, as no one in his Wits can willingly indure. So that if any of those, who are Impenitent, will but be at the pains to lay to heart, and consider of the sadness of their state; they can by no means persist in it, but will run with haste to Repent, and instantly set about the amendment of their ways, that so they may be delivered from it.
And as soon as ever they do so, this hindrance is gone, and they are worthy to come to the Holy Communion. For that which fits us for it, is not an high Pitch and Perfection in saving Virtues, or Ecstatick Degrees and Transports in Devotion, as I have shewn; but such true Repentance and change of Life, either in Deed, or at least in Will and Purpose, as makes us acceptable and honest Christians; so that whatever we were before, whilst we continued impenitently wicked, we are meet Partakers of this Holy Feast, now we have Repented, and are fully resolv'd to become Obedient, and need not scrupulously draw back, but come to it gladly when we are call'd, and expect a Friendly welcome when we do.
And thus I have consider'd this great, and most common plea, whereby so many are kept back from the Holy Sacrament, viz. their thinking themselves unworthy of it, and unfit to receive it; and shewn plainly that no ill man can be excused, and that no good man ought to be hindred by it. And the Result of it is this. If any Person tells me he cannot come to this Feast, because he is unworthy to join in it: I must tell him again, That he must not only be afraid of unworthy coming to it, but also of unworthy abstaining from it; and that unless he is impenitent, and still unresolv'd to leave all his Sins, he is worthy of it; and that if such Impenitence is the cause of his not coming, it is no excuse for it; and that he must consider of the danger and misery of that state, and so Repent and get out of it; and when once that is done he will be worthy, since every Penitent is welcome to it. If he is truly Penitent, he is worthy; and if he has not Repented yet, he must instantly Repent that he may be worthy; and then let him not hold off from this Heavenly Banquet, but chearfully approach to it when he is invited.
2ly, Others, who cannot positively say they are unworthy of it, are yet kept back from the Holy Sacrament, because of the great danger of unworthy Communicating, Damnation being said to be eaten in it, which seems to make abstaining from it the safer side. He that eats and drinks unworthily, says St. Paul, eats and drinks Damnation to himself, 1 Cor. 11.29.
Now in Answer to this, I shall observe, that by Damnation is meant,
1. A Damning sin, which is deadly to any man till he Repent of it; and such are both unworthy eating, and sinful abstaining, so that they are equal as to that Point.
2. Temporal Death and Punishments, which were inflicted on the Corinthians for their Intemperance at this Feast, and other Disorders which were peculiar to those times, and are not usual now in ours; so that the Fear of them need not discourage us from it.
1st, I say, By eating his own Damnation, the Apostle means not that he shall inevitably be damn'd for it; but only that he commits a Damning Sin, which will prove deadly to him unless he Repent of it: and this is true, not only of unworthy eating, but also of sinful abstaining, so that they are equal as to that Point.
He means not, I say, that he shall inevitably be Damn'd for it. And this is plain, because for Christs sake, God has promised to forgive us all our sins upon Repentance, and therefore this of unworthy receiving among the rest. Nay, as for this their unworthy eating, the Apostle tells the Corinthians in that very place, that when they are Judg'd or Condemned for it, it is not to consign them to, but to deliver them from Eternal Torment. When we are Judg'd, says he, or Condemn'd for this Fault, i. e. to be sick and weak, which God inflicted because of it; we are not in Anger Punish'd, but in Mercy Chastned of the Lord by present Sufferings, that we should not at the last day be Condemn'd with the World to Eternal. 1 Cor. 11.30, 31.
But only that he commits a †So St. Chrysost. understands it. Vid. Chrys. in v. 32.34.Damning Sin, which will prove deadly to him, unless he Repent of it. He that eats this Bread, and drinks this Cup unworthily, says he, shall be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. i. e. Unless his Repentance, that Gospel Remedy for all sin, prevents it, he shall be liable to be punish'd, not only for an abuse in Meat and Drink, as if it were only Common Food; but for violating and prophaning the Body and Blood of Christ, which he should have discern'd in it. 1 Cor. 11.27, 29.
And this is true, not only of unworthy eating, but also of sinful abstaining from it. For that our Lord has expresly forbidden, as I have shewn, and that too in such sort as shews he lays a great weight upon it; so that we most highly offend him in it, and cannot expect to regain his Favour till we Repent and Amend it; and therefore they are both equal as to that Point. We shall be Condemned, without Amendment, for unworthy eating, and so we shall too for sinful abstaining; and therefore if the Fear of Damnation be of Force with us, it must keep us off from both of them, and neither suffer us to neglect this Feast, nor to prophane it, but ingage us to come to it worthily, i. e. with Penitent Hearts, whensoever we are call'd thereto.
2ly, By Damnation the Apostle means Temporal Death and Punishments, which God did then inflict on unworthy Communicants. And this was not for all unworthiness, but particularly for their Intemperance at this Feast, and other Disorders which were peculiar to th…se Times, and are not usual now in ours: so that the Fear of them need not discourage us from it.
By Damnation, I say, he means Temporal Death and Punishments, which God did then inflict on unworthy Communicants. This he plainly intimates, when he sets down weakness, and sickness, and death, as the Penalties, whereto they were Condemn'd for their unworthy usage. He that eats and drinks unworthily, says he, eats and drinks Damnation to himself, whereof you have many sad Examples now in Corinth, for for this very Cause of unworthy eatting, many now are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep, 1 Cor. 11.29, 30.
And this God inflicted, not for all unworthiness, but particularly for some high and heinous Disorders, such as their open Schisms, and gross Intemperance crept in by occasion of their Love-Feasts, which Prophanations were peculiar to those times, and are not now usual, or any where to be seen in ours.
They came to the Sacrament in open Schisms, not eating all together when they met in the same house, but Scandalously dividing into f…ctious Clans, and separate Tables: When ye come together in the Church, and meet all in one place, says the Apostle, I hear there be †foreign.Schisms or Divisions among you, or that you bandy in Parties, and do not meet all as one Body, 1 Cor. 11.18, 20.
They came to it also in a most scandalous Excess and gross Intemperance, which Vice, though so confessedly loathsome in all other places, had yet, by occasion of their Love-Feasts, crept into this most solemn part of the Christian Worship and Service. St. Jude seems to charge the Gnosticks, those Sensual and Luxurious Persons, with some such Fault. They are spots, says he, in your Feasts of Charity, when they Feast with you, feeding themselves without Fear, i. e. so freely, as shews they have no Fear of God, or of the Solemnity and Religion of the Feast, Jude 12. And so doth St. Peter more plainly in his Description of the same men, 2 Pet. 2. They count it pleasure to riot in the day time, says he, Spots they are and Blemishes, sporting themselves, or being †foreign.Luxurious with their own *foreign.Deceivings, as we read it; but in some Manuscripts of greatest Authority, particularly the Alexandrian, with which agrees the Translation of the *It reads Deliciis affluentes, n…t Fraudibus.Vulgar Latin, it is being Luxurious in their †foreign.Feasts of Charity when they Feast with you, v. 13. And with a like excess Socrates charges the Egyptians a good while afterwards. For †foreign. Sec. Hist. Eccles. l. 5. c. 22. p. Ed. Val. 287.they, says he, Communicate at Even after they are full fed, and have glutted themselves at their Love-Feast with all the Varieties of a choice Banquet. And because the Love-Feasts minister'd occasion for such excess, and made way for several abuses; they came in time to be wholly laid aside in Communions: and to prevent that Intemperance which they had introduced, it was order'd generally that men should receive Fasting, contrary to what our Lord did at first, which was ratified by a *Ut Sacramenta Altaris nonnisi à jejunis hominibus celebrentur, excepto uno Die anniversario, quo coena Domini celebratur. Concil. Carth. 3. Can. 29. apud Bin. Vol. prim. Concil. p. 711.Decree in the Third Council of Carthage held near 400 years after the Birth of our Saviour Christ.
Now this Intemperance, which had crept into the Love-Feasts, and so mixt with the Holy Sacrament which always went along with them, was another most shameful offence, which St. Paul reproved in the Corinthian Communions. They did not only change this Ordinance of Vnion into a Factious meeting, by falling into separate Gangs and Parties when they came to it: but also turned this Pure and Holy Treat into a drunken Club, and a Riotous entertainment. In your eating, says he, every one as he comes sooner, takes before other his own Supper, and one, being poor, is hungry, through the smallness of his Provisions, and another, being Rich, is Drunken through the excess of his, 1 Cor. 11.21. And upon this Schismatical and intemperate eating, he lays the danger of that Judgment or Condemnation, which God was wont in those days to inflict on them. If any man pretend hunger, says he, for this Greediness and Intemperance, let him eat at home, that so ye come not together at the Lords Supper, as now ye do, to Condemnation ▪ v. 34.
Now these scandalous Irregularities, but especially this Intemperance at the Lords Table, for which God was so … upon the Corinthians, is no Crime in the Communicants of our Days, when among all the Unworthy Receivers, none are so by reason of excess; but was peculiar to theirs, when with the Sacrament they always joyn'd their Love-Feasts, that were lyable to be ab…sed to Gluttony and Drunkenness. And as the Fault, so also the Punishment took place only among them, but is not usual now with us, who do not see our unworthy Communicants smitten by the hand of God, and struck down by Miracle into Death or Diseases. And therefore the apprehension of this Judgment need not at all discourage us from the Holy Sacrament; since, from our observation of the World, we have no reason to expect, that, if indeed we come unworthily, we shall fall under it.
As for this Damnation then, which the Apostl. charges on …rthy eating, it either signifies a … S…n, and that is true of willful abstai…g as well as of unworthy receiving; or a Temporal Punishment miraculously inflicted for their Drunkenness and Intemperance, wherewith at that time they polluted and prophaned it, which was a thing peculiar to those days, and is not now derived down to ours, so that we have no just cause to be deterred by it.
Thus it is, if really we should come unworthily to the Sacrament, we only commit a Damning sin, as we should do by willful abstaining, which will be forgiven us afterwards upon the same Terms whereon God forgives us all other sins, i. e. our Repenting of it, and amending it. But if we are truly Penitent, and have broke off all our evil ways, intending fully to lead new Lives thenceforwards; then we may assure our selves that we are worthy and welcome Guests, and are not concerned in this Damnation threatned to unworthy Communicants at all.