Principles of Faith and Good Conscience, Chapter 52
CAP. LII.
Of right participation of the Lords Supper.
Q. WHo ought to be partakers of the Lords Supper?
A. Only ſuch as have bin Baptized, & are able to make profeſſion of their faith, & to examine themſelves; that is, Such as are able to diſcerne the Lords body.] Exod: 12.43, 44, 48. 1 Cor. 11.28. Ezra: 6.21. Ezek: 44.7.]
Q What muſt a man examine himſelf in?
A. Whether he be a true Member of Chriſt or not;Of ſelf-examination. [For none elſe can partake worthily of the Sacrament of Chriſt.] 2 Cor. 13.5. 1 Ioh 5.12. Eph. 5.23.
Q. How may that be known?
A. If I have a ſound faith, and true b repentance, and am c quickned to newneſse of life and d love of the brethren, I am aſſuredly a member of Chriſt, a Rom: 11.17, 20. b Gal 5.24. Mat. 3.8, 10. c 2 Cor: 5.17. John 15.4, 5. d 1 Pet 1.22. 1 Iohn 3.14. [For further trial of theſe graces I referre you to my other ſmall Catechiſme, entituled, An help for Young People, &c. Anno Dom. 1640. and it may be fitly bound with this.]
Q. A Chriſtian that hath theſe graces, may yet through careleſneſſe come to the Lords table unworthily; for preventing wherof what muſt we do before we come?Before we come.
A. We muſt ſtirre up thoſe graces in us, and labour to ſee our a need of Chriſt, and to b clenſe our ſoules afreſh from every new pollution wherewith we have been defiled, a Math. 5.6. Luke 1.53. b 2 Chron. 30.17, 18. Matth 5 23 24. 1 Cor. 11.17, 18. Levit 15.31. Num: 9.6, 7, 10, 1 Renued faith & repentance is needfull.
Q. How ought a Chriſtian to behave himſelfe in the act of receiving?
1. In the time of Receiving.A He muſt diſcerne the Lords body (that is) he muſt not uſe thē as common bread & wine, but conſider in them their ſpirituall relations, & ſo receive them as tokens of the covenant.Wax ſealed, and ſet to a deed, though for ſubſtance it be Wax ſtill, yet for uſe it is to you more then wax, & of more value then al the wax in the Merchants ſhop: So this Bread and Wine by Chriſts inſtitution are ſeals ſet to his Teſtament, & with them Chriſt gives us his Body and Blood for remiſſion of ſins, by whom as by Bread and Wine, our ſpirituall hunger is ſatisfied, our Graces ſtrengthened, our ſpirituall Life preſerved unto Life eternall. [We uſe our ordinary bread & wine for naturall uſes, viz. to refreſh and nouriſh our bodies, but this bread & wine for ſpirituall ends and uſes.] 1 Cor: 11.12, 29, Levit: 10.3. In the uſe of this Sacrament Bread & Wine, we muſt behold the love of the Father giving his Son to death, the love of Chriſt in laying down his life for his friends, & the merit, & al ſufficiency of Chriſts blood to take away al our ſins.
Q. How may this be done?
A I muſt ſee and conſider in the ſignes the things ſignified, and apply both to my own ſoule in particular, giving thanks to God for Chriſt, and for my redemption by him. [This particular application of faith is to eate Chriſt: Chriſt gives me to underſtand that his body was broken for me as the Bread is: and as certainly as I behold the bread of the Lord broken to me, and the cup communicated to me, ſo we have a true right to him; and he is as truly ours as our meat and drink are ours.] Iohn 6.33, 35, 36. Heb. 9.20. Luke 22 20.
Q. What muſt a Chriſtian doe after receiving?
A. We muſt pay our vowes, (that is) we muſt be carefull to performe our covenant which now we have renued with God in Jeſus Chriſt,3. After Receiving. Pſal. 50.14 2 Cor. 6.1. 2 Cor. 7.1. 2 Pet. 1.4. Rom. 2.25.
Q. How may we find that we have made a right uſe of this Sacrament?
A. When we are more refreſhed with the feeling of Gods favour towards us, and doe grow in newneſſe of life. [As the right uſe of food is to outgrow ſickneſſe, and gather ſtrength for the better performance of actions of our naturall life; ſo when we are more lively and zealous, and get more ſtrength againſt our corruptions, and Tentations, or any waies grow in the new creature, then have we not received in vaine.] 2 Chro. 30.25, 26. with 2 Chro: 31.1. 1 Cor. 11.17. when we are bettered by it, then have we received aright.
Q. There be ſome to whom this Sacrament doth not at all belong, they have no intereſt in the matter; who be they?
A. The ignorant & diſobedient, that is, ſuch as cannot give account of their faith, or by their wicked lives ſhew themſelves utterly unworthy: [They come not within the judgment of charity.] Ezr 6.21 2 Chro: 30.17, 18. God had ſmitten them, &c. Ezek. 44.7. 1 Cor. 5.6, 13 Infants and naturall Fooles, and all perſons that cannot examine thēſelves, nor diſcern the Lords body, as alſo all open impenitent ſinners, all ſuch perſons muſt not meddle with the Lords Supper▪ … Cor. 11.28, 29. 1 Cor. 5.7, 13.
Q The leaſt ſinne that a man knows by himſelfe unrepented, i… a juſt cauſe to keep himſelfe from the Sacrament; But are all the ſinnes we kn…w by other men a juſt cauſe for us to keep them from the Lords Supper?
A. Not only ſuch offences as are openly known, and ſcandalous to the congregation; [The reſt doe profeſſe with their mouthes, and if they do not believe with their hearts, and repent indeed, they are no better then Judas, who ſeemed to be one of the reſt, but was not. It is not our own private knowledg or ſuſpicion of the parties unſoundneſſe that muſt put him off, unleſſe the party be accuſed and admoniſhed of his ſinne by them that have authority in the name of Chriſt for the good of the party, and the ſatisfaction of the Congregation to reſtraine them; Chriſt knew Iudas from the beginning, yet &c.] Iohn 13.11, 18. 1 Cor. 5.1, 2. It is reported, &c. Mat. 22.2, 10, 11, 12. Mat. 18.15, 17.
Q. Is not the reſt of the congregation polluted by the mixture of unworthy perſons with them?
A. No,The wicked doe not pollute the Godly at the Lords Supper. unleſſe they be conſenting unto their wickedneſſe; for Iudas b did not defile Chriſt; The wicked among the Jews did not make the ordinances of Circumciſion, of preaching in the chaire of Moſes, of the Paſſeover, and of Sacrificing, uncleane unto the godly of thoſe times; Chriſt himſelfe held Communion with the Church of the Jewes, which at that time was marvilouſly corrupted both in Doctrine and Diſcipline. a 1 Cor. 5.2, 6. with 2 Cor. 7.11. Cleare in this matter, els not, Luk. 2.22, 24. Luke 3.21. Iohn 2.13. 1 Sam. 2.16, 24. 1 Cor. 11.17, 29. to himſelfe, &c. b Mat. 26.20, 21. He ſate down with the Twelve, Judas as he was imployed in the Apoſtleſhip with the reſt, ſo he was admitted alſo with the reſt unto the fellowſhip of all divine worſhip and ordinances▪ to teach us, that neither is the Sacrament the worſe, nor are the Comunicants polluted; albeit ſome unworthy and undiſcovered Hypocrites be in company with them at the Lords table; the Pollution of the Sacrament remained with Judas alone. The ſtate of the viſible Church is like to ten Virgins, whereof ſome were wiſe and ſome fooliſh. Mat: 25.1. To a great houſe. 2 Tim: 2.20. 1 Cor. 11.33. with 1 Cor: 3.3. 1 Cor: 10.17, 21.
Q. Then it is Chriſts will that evill livers ſhould be excomunicated, to the end they may be brought to ſhame and repentance?
Who to be ExcommunicatedA. It is ſo; ſcandalous perſons if they obey not the admonitions of the Church but remain obſtinate, ought to be caſt out and kept from the Lords Supper. Mat 18.18. Iohn 20.23. 1 Cor: 5, 3, 4, 5, 13. 1 Tim: 1.20. Wicked and obſtinate perſons are to be baniſh…d from the fellowſhip of the faithfull (1.) By the Authority (and in the name) of Jeſus Chriſt. (2) Diſpenced by the office and judgement of the Miniſters of the Goſpel. (3) With the aſſiſtance and conſent of the Congregation.1. Who to be admitted. 1. All that profeſſe repentance toward God, and faith towards our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, are to be admitted if they offer themſelves, as Judas; Simon Magus, Ananias and Saphira, and thoſe ſeverall divided parties at Corinth. (which are for that cauſe called Carnall; 1 Cor. 3.3.) and ſurely they did judge one another unworthy,If a company of Men ſhould agree in ſome evill Action, & we joyne with them then we were partakers of their evill; But when Chriſtians Agree to ſerve the Lord Jeſus, if ſome joyne that do it not as they ought, they joyne with us in our good, not we in their ſin, or unworthineſſe. and therefore did communicate apart. 1 Cor. 11.18, 21. Yet Paul bids them all that were divided into factions, to Tarry one for another. v. 34. that ſo their eating together might teſtifie and maintain their Chriſtian charity and unity in the body of Chriſt. Neither is there any danger to the Godly by the cō pany of them that doe thus profeſſe Faith, Repentance, and new Obedience, though in deed and in truth they be not ſuch as they profeſſe; Becauſe in ſuch a mixt congregation all doe joyne in an acknowledement that men are ſaved by Chriſts blood (and …hat is true) 2. And we all joyne in profeſſion of Chriſtianity, and in a ſolemne vow and promiſe of living holy and Chriſtian lives for time to come [and that we may doe lawfully, and ſincerely with them who are not ſincere, but meer outſide profeſſors.] And therefore ſuch mixture of good and bad in that ordinance, can be no ſufficient warrant and ground, either for the Miniſter to refuſe to doe his office, or for the people to refuſe to partake of this Ordinance.2. Who ſhould forbeare to come. 2. Howbeit all carnall perſons who are conſcious to themſelves of their ignorance, or hypocriſy, that they are not in truth what they ſeem to be, or are privy to themſelves of living in any ſin, ought in good conſcience to keep themſelves back from the Lords table.3. Who muſt be kept back. 3. And all ſuch Perſons as are groſly ignorant of Chriſt, or elſe are guilty of groſſe errors, and ſcandelous ſins, inconſiſtent with Faith and Repentance, they ought to be kept back by the diſcipline of the Church.
Q. Thus of the publicke; Are there any private helps of a Chriſtians converſation and communion with God?
A. Yes, Many, as private reading, prayer, ſelf-examination, calling our waies to account, trials of the grounds of our hopes, private faſting and humiliation, holy medidation, of the worth of things heavenly, & the vanity of things earthly, of the Attributes of God, of promiſes, &c. alſo private admonitions, & comforting one of another. Holy reſolutions againſt the corruption of the times, of our own hearts, &c.