Principles of Faith and Good Conscience, Chapter 51
CAP. LI.
Of the Lords Supper.
Q. WHat is the outward ſigne in the Lords Supper?
A. Bread and Wine given and received as Chriſt hath ordained.
Q What is the thing ſignified and remembred in, and by them?
A. The death of Chriſt, when he offered up his righteous ſoule a ſacrifice for ſin, [gave his body to be broken, and his bloud to be ſhed for ſinners,] Eſay 53.6, 8, 10. Luke 22.19, 20. 1 Cor. 11.24, 25, 26.
Q. The Bread and Wine then are not turned into the very body and blood of Chriſt by the conſecration of the Elements, as if Chriſt ſhould be there bodily preſent?
A. No, by no means:Against Tranſubſtantiati- for the Heavens muſt containe his body till he come again for our full redemption. And it is as impoſſible for Chriſts body to be in Heaven and Earth, & in ten thouſand places R. 1 at once, as it is for one of us. [This conceit of Papiſts is not only againſt our ſenſes of ſight, and taſte, and feeling, but alſo againſt an Article of Faith, namely, the trueneſſe of Chriſts humane nature in his Incarnation; and againſt that Article of Chriſts ſitting at the right hand of God; Gods Omnipotency doth not make a true body to be in many places at the ſame inſtant of time.] Act. 3.20, 21. Luke 24.6.
Q Shew ſome other reaſons againſt Tranſubſtantiation, and the reall preſence of Chriſt in the Euchariſt.
R. 2 A. The Bread which is broken in the Sacrament cannot be his very body, becauſe his very body is whole, and the Sacrament ſets forth Chriſt broken for us: [Therefore it is a remembrance, not a tranſubſtantiation.] 1 Cor. 11.24. We ſet forth his death, we do not kill him again.
Q. Shew a third reaſon.
R. 3 A. All that eat the fleſh of Chriſt, and drink his bloud, in the Scripture ſence are ſaved; But all that eate of the Maſſe are not ſaved: [Therefore the Maſſe and the Scripture-eating agree not.] Iohn 6.51, 53, 54, 57.
Q. Shew a forth reaſon againſt the bodily eating of Chriſt.
R. 4 A. Becauſe. if one ſhould eat a piece of his fleſh, (as his finger, or foot, &c.) that would not profit, Ioh. 6.52, 61, 63. What if the Souldier that pierced him, had taſted of the blood which came out of his ſide, could that have done him any good? ſurely no, for our redemption ſtands in the ſatisfaction which by his dying he made unto the Law: and the means by which we eat his Fleſh and drink his Blood, is not with the Mouth and Teeth but Faith in the heart.
Q Then Chriſt is not offered up a Sacrifice for the quick and dead in the Euchariſt, [as the Papiſts teach.] Catechiſmus Rom. part. 2. c. 4.
A No: for as Chriſt cannot dye and ſuffer often, ſo neither is he offer…d often. But by one ſacrifice of himſelf once offered, he hath put away ſinne for ever. [He hath perfected for ever them that are ſanctified, by once dying, elſe were his ſacrifice weak and imperfect, like the ſacrifices of Aarons Prieſts. Our duty in the Sacrament is to receive him by faith, not to offer him in ſacrifice to God. In the Sacrament God offers Chriſt to us: we do not offer him to God. Heb. 9.25, 26, 28. with Heb. 10 10, 11, 12, 14 Rom. 6.10. Ioh. 1.29. The offering of Chriſt once made, is a perfect redemption, propitiation, and ſatiſfaction for the ſinnes of the whole World, both originall and Actuall, and there is none other ſatisfaction for ſin, but that alone, Art. 31. of Ch. Eng.
Q. What followes hereof?
A. Therefore the Maſſe is a very Idoll and they that uſe it,Papiſts be Idolaters. or adore it, or aſcribe to it the vertue of Chriſts ſacrifice, are very Idolaters. The ſacrifice of Maſſes, in the which it was commonly ſaid, that the Prieſts did offer Chriſt for the quick & dead, to have Remiſſion of Paine and Guilt, were blaſphemous fables, and dangerous deceipts ibid.
Q. What then is the meaning of theſe words; This is my body?
A. Paul tells us, it is the Communion of the body & bloud of Chriſt; (that is) an ordinance wherein the faithfull have exhibited to them a fellowſhip in the merits and vertue of the Sacrifice of Chriſts death,] 1 Cor. 10.16, 17. Exod. 24.8. [as the Cup is called the New Teſtament, & Chriſt is called our Paſſeover, 1 Cor. 5.7.] The Lords ſupper is a Sacrament of our redemption by Chriſts death, inſomuch that to ſuch as worthily, and with faith receive the ſame, the Bread which wee break, is a partaking of the body of Chriſt, and the Cup of bleſſing is a partaking of the bloud of Chriſt. Art. 28. of the Church of Eng.
Q. What is the end and uſe of this Sacrament?The Ʋſe of the Lords Supper. 1.
A. There be three eſpecial uſes of it. 1. By it as by a token or pledge from God the worthy Receiver is aſſured that he hath a part & ſhare in Chriſts death. [The Lord Chriſt eſtabliſhed the New Teſtament by his own death: all the good things contained in the New Covenant are made ſure by the death of Chriſt the Promiſer, & he bids us eat of that bread, & drink of that Cup, in remembrance of the ſame.] 1 Cor. 11.25, 26. There is a Sacramental Union between the ſignes, and the things ſignified, ſuch an union as is between a ſealed will, and the Legacies bequeathed by the ſame: He that hath a Leaſe ſealed knowes that he hath more then paper and wax: ſo it is in this buſineſſe.
Q. Doe all that come receive ſuch a pledge of Gods favour?
A. No, onelyonly they that be worthy receivers; the reſt receive meere bread and wine, and ſo prophane Gods ordinance, and procure judgments to themſelves, 1 Cor. 11.27, 29. The Wicked and ſuch as be void of a lively faith, are in no wiſe partakers of Chriſt, but rather to their condemnation, doe eat and drink the ſigne or Sacrament of ſo great a thing: Art. 29. of Ch. of Eng.
Q. What other end and uſe is there of this Sacrament?
A. It is a badge of our Chriſtian profeſſion, wherein we with believing and thankfull hearts doe remember the love, and ſhew forth the vertu of Chriſts death: And alſo profeſſe our ſelves to be the people of Chriſt, againſt all Atheiſts, Sects, Hereticks, misbelievers, & looſe-livers whatſoever; we are hereby obliged to ſtand for Chriſt againſt all the world, 1 Cor. 10.20, 21. 1 Cor. 11.25, 26. 2 Cor. 6.15.
Q. What third uſe is there of it?
A. It is a Bond and Pledge of that Love which Chriſtians ought to have one to another, and of their joynt-fellowſhip in Chriſt the Head. 1 Cor: 10.17. 1 Cor. 12.13, 14. 1 Cor. 11.18, 21, 22. Iohn 13.2, 4, 14, 34.