The Sum of Christian Religion, Catechism · Part 2 · Section · Question 77
Queſt. 77. Where hath Chriſt promiſed, that hee will as certainly give his body and bloud ſo to be eaten and drunken, as they eat this bread broken, and drink this cup?
Anſ. In the inſtitution of his Supper, the words whereof are theſea1 Cor. 11.23, 24, 25. Matth. 26.26, 27, 28. Mark 14.22, 23, 24. Luk. 22.19, 20; Our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, in the night that hee was betrayed, took bread: and when he had given thanks, hee brake it, and ſaid, Take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you: this doe you in remembrance of me. Likewiſe alſo hee took the cup, when he had ſupped, and ſaid, This cup is the new Teſtament in my bloud: this doe, as often as ye ſhall drink it, in remembrance of mee. For as often as ye ſhall eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye ſhew the Lords death till bee come. This promiſe is repeated by S. Paul, when he ſaithb1 Cor. 10 16, 17. This cup of thankſgiving wherewith wee give thanks, is it not the communion of the bloud of Christ? For we that are many, are one bread, and one body, becauſe we all are partakers of one bread.
The Explication.
THe inſtitution of the Lords Supper doth confirme unto us by evident reaſons, what is the true and ſaving communion of Chriſts body and bloud: and therefore the true ſenſe and meaning of the words of the inſtitution is diligently to be conſidered. The holy Evangeliſts, Matthew, Marke, and Luke, do moſt eſpecially of all others deſcribe the inſtitution of the Lords Supper: and beſides them, the Apoſtle ſo declareth it no leſſe plainly in his Epiſtle to the Corinthians. The words of them all are theſe:
Matthew, Chap. 26.26. &c.
As they did eat, Jeſus took the bread, and when hee had given thanks, hee brake it, and gave it to the diſciples▪ and ſaid, Take, eat, this is my body. Alſo hee took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, ſaying; Drink ye all of it: For this is my bloud of the new Testament, that is ſhed for many for the remiſsion of ſins.
Mark, Chap. 14.22. &c.
As they did eat, Jeſus took the bread, and when hee had given thanks, he brake it, and gave it to them, and ſaid, Take eat this is my body. Alſo hee took the cup, and when hee had given thanks, gave it to them and they all drank of it: and hee ſaid unto them, This is my bloud of the new teſtament, which is ſhed for many.
Luke, Chap. 22.19. &c.
And hee tooke bread, and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and gave it to them, ſaying This is my body which is given for you; doe this in remembrance of mee. Likewiſe after ſupper hee took the cup, ſaying, This cup is the new Testament in my bloud, which is ſhed for you.
Paul, 1 Cor. 11.23, &c.
I have received of the Lord that which alſo I have delivered unto you; to wit, that the Lord Jeſus, in the night that he was betrayed, took bread: And when he had given thanks, hee brake it, and ſaid, Take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you: this do yee in remembrance of mee. After the ſame manner alſo he took the cup, when he had ſupped, ſaying, This cup is the new Teſtament in my bloud; this doe as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me: For as often as yee ſhall eat this bread, and drink this cup, yee ſhew the Lords death till he come.
The words of the Apoſtle wee will briefly expound, and then wee will demonſtrate our opinion in this point by true and firm arguments in the Queſtion of Catechiſme immediatly following.
The Lord Jeſus.] This is the Authour from whom it is intituled the Lords Supper: wee muſt therefore obſerve what the Lord did,Lib 2. Epiſt. 3. ſaid, and preſcribed, as Cyprian well warneth us: If chriſt alone be to be heard, wee must not attend or regard what any man before us hath thought meet to be done, but what Christ (who is before all) firſt did perform.
In the night that hee was betrayed.] This circumſtance is ſpecified by the Apoſtle, to give us to underſtand, that Chriſt would at the laſt Supper of the Paſſeover inſtitute this his Supper, to ſhew, 1. That now an end was made of all the old ſacrifices, and hee did ſubſtitute a new Sacrament which ſhould ſucceed, and ſhould from henceforth be obſerved (that Paſchal Sacrament being finally aboliſhed) and which ſhould ſignifie the ſame thing, difference onelyonly of time excepted. For the Paſchal lamb ſignified Chriſt which ſhould come, and ſhould be ſacrificed: The Supper, Chriſt already ſacrificed. Object. But when the Supper was instituted, Christ was yet to be ſacrificed. Anſw. But then was at hand the offering up and ſacrificing of Chriſt: For, a few houres after hee was ſacrificed, and the Supper was from that time forward to ſignifie Chriſt ſacrificed. 2. That hee might ſtirre up in his diſciples and in us greater attention and marking of the cauſe for which hee did inſtitute it, and that wee might understand how earneſtly Christ would have this Supper to be commended unto us: ſeeing hee did nothing before his death, but that which was of moſt weight and moment. Therefore did hee in the very point or inſtant before his death inſtitute it, to be as it were the teſtament and laſt will of our Teſtatour. Briefly, this clauſe Paul addeth, that we may know, that Chriſt inſtituted this Supper for a memoriall of himſelf now ready to die.
He took bread.] That is, unleavened or not leavened bread, which then they did eat of at the table in that feaſt of the paſſeover, which admitted no leavened bread. The inſtitution of the Supper and unleavened bread did concurre then together, and fall our by an accident; and therefore this circumſtance properly pertaineth not to the Supper (as neither the evening doth, at what time it was inſtituted) neither can a neceſſity of unleavened bread for this uſe be hence inforced, neither would Chriſt hereon preſcribe any certain manner of baking bread for the Lords Supper. Yet notwithſtanding, the bread of the Lords Supper differeth in uſe from common bread, becauſe this is taken for the nouriſhment of the body; but that for the food and nouriſhment of the ſoul, that is, for the confirmation of our faith and union with Chriſt. And here we are to note, that hee is ſaid to have taken bread from the table; to wit, with his hand: hee took not his body therefore, neither took hee his body in the bread, with the bread, or under the bread, ſave only ſacramentally: for his body lay not on the table, but ſate down thereat.
Bleſsing and thankſgiving are all one in the Supper.When hee had given thanks.] Matthew and Mark ſay of the bread, When hee had bleſſed; of the cup, When he had given thanks: Luke and Paul ſay of the bread, When he had given thanks: Wherefore, To bleſſe, and to give thanks, both ſignifie one thing: neither can the myſtery of Popiſh magicall conſecration be cloaked under theſe termes. Chriſt therefore bleſſed, that is, he gave thanks; namely, to his Father (not to be bread) for ſpirituall bleſſings, I meane, for the ſatisfying of ſoules: that his office being now performed and finiſhed on earth (his laſt act yet remaining to be done) the time of his dying for the redemption of the elect was at hand: that thus it had pleaſed the Father to redeem mankind; or that the typicall Paſſeover was aboliſhed, and the ſignified Paſteover was now exhibited, and a memoriall of him was to be ſigned to the Church: or laſtly, hee gave thanks for the admirable and wonderfull gathering and preſerving of the Church.
Hee brake it.] That is, hee brake the bread which hee took from the table, and diſtributed the ſame, being one among many: not any other inviſible thing hidden in the bread. He brake not his body, but the bread, as Saint Paul ſaith, The bread which hee brake, &c. Now he diſtributed the bread, being one, among many; becauſe wee that are many are one body. But the cauſe for which he brake this bread, was to ſignifie, 1. His paſſion, and the ſeparation of his body from his ſoule.Two things ſignified by the breaking of the bread. 1 Cor. 10.16. 2. The communion of many with his own body, and their bond of union and mutuall love. The bread which we breake, is it not the communion of Chriſt? For wee that are many, are one bread, and one body. Wherefore, the breaking of bread is a neceſſary ceremonie, both in reſpect of the ſignification, Poure cauſes why this ceremony is to be retained.and in reſpect of the confirmation of our faith: and therefore is this ceremony alſo to be retained, 1. Becauſe Chriſt hath commanded it; Doe this. 2. Becauſe of the authority and example of the Church planted in the Apoſtles time, which from the rite of breaking, termed the whole action, Breaking of bread. 3. For our own comfort; that we may know the body of Chriſt to have been as certainly crucified for us, as we ſee the bread to be broken unto us. 4. That the opinions of Tranſubſtantiation and Conſubſtantiation may be pulled out of mens minds.
Take, eat.] This commandement belongeth to the diſciples, and to the whole Church of the new Teſtament: Whence it is cleer and manifeſt, 1. That the Popiſh Maſſe, wherein the prieſt giveth nothing to the Church to be taken and eaten, is not the Supper of the Lord, but a private ſupper of him that ſacrificeth, and a meer ſtage-play. 2. That wee muſt not be idle beholders of the Supper, but religious receivers of it. 3. That the Lords Supper is not to be celebrated but in an aſſembly or congregation where there are ſuch as receive and eat. 4. That the Supper is a ſigne of grace in reſpect of God, reaching out unto us his benefits to be apprehended with a ſtrong faith, even as we receive the ſigne with our hand and mouth.
This is my body.] This, that is, this bread. Object. Then ſhould it have been ſaid, *Theſe Greek pronouns cannot be expreſſed with the like Engliſh particles, becauſe the words, BREAD and BODY, being of divers genders in Greek, the Greek pronouns alſo are divers, when as in Engliſh our particle THIS ſerveth for words of all genders.foreign, not foreign. Anſ. foreign is as much as if he had ſaid, This thing which I have in my hand: now that was bread. And that it is ſo to be underſtood, is proved by theſe reaſons: 1. Chriſt took nothing but bread: he brake bread, and gave bread to his diſciples to eare. 2. S. Paul ſaith expreſly, The bread which he brake, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 3. Of the wine it is ſaid, This cup is the new Testament in my bloud. Wherefore, after the ſame manner it is ſaid, This, that is, this bread is my body, which is broken and delivered unto death for you. The literall ſenſe, if it be properly taken, can be no otherwiſe underſtood then thus; The ſubſtance of this bread is the ſubſtance of my body. But ſo to underſtand it is an undoubted abſurdity: for bread is a maſſe without life, baked of corn, and not united perſonally to the Word: but the body of Chriſt is a living ſubſtance, born of the Virgin, and united perſonally to the Word: Chriſt therefore calleth the bread his body, meaning,Cont. Adim. c. 12. the ſigne of his body, by a ſacramentall Metonymie attributing the name of the thing ſignified to the ſigne, becauſe he appointeth this bread to be ſigne and ſacrament of his body, as Auguſtine himſelf interpreteth: The Lord doubted not to ſay, This is my body, when he gave the ſigne of his body. Wherefore, far be it from us, that we ſhould ſay, that Chriſt took bread viſibly, and his body inviſibly in the bread. For it is to be obſerved, that he ſaith not, In this is my body: Or, This bread is my body inviſible: But, This bread is my body, true, and viſible, which is given for you. Moreover, theſe are the words of the promiſe added to this ſacrament, to teach us what the bread is in this uſe, to wit, the body of Chriſt; that is, what Chriſt exhibiteth and imparteth to the receivers of this bread, and beleevers of this promiſe; even his body, or that fleſh which in the Goſpel hee promiſed to give for the ſalvation of the world. For this is no diverſe promiſe from that hee delivered in the ſixth of John, John 6.51.but every way the ſame concerning his fleſh quickning us, and the eating thereof profitable to ſalvation: Only here the ſacramentall rite is adjoined, wherewith the promiſe is adorned and ſealed; as if he ſhould ſay, In the Goſpel I promiſed life eternall to all that eat my fleſh and drink my bloud; now I confirme and ratifie this my promiſe with an outward ceremony, that henceforth they which beleeve this promiſe, and feed on this bread, may undoubtedly be perſwaded and aſſured, that they verily eat my fleſh, which was given for the ſalvation of the world, and have life eternall. By this promiſe therefore this bread is made the ſacrament and ſigne of Chriſts body, and Chriſts body is made the thing ſignified by this ſacrament:The union of the ſigne & the thing ſignified in the Sacrament. and theſe two (I mean, the ſigne, and the thing ſignified) are united in this ſacrament, not by any naturall copulation, or corporall and locall exiſtence one in the other; much leſſe by tranſubſtantiation, or changing one into the other: but by ſignifying, ſealing, and exhibiting the one by the other; that is, by a ſacramentall union, whoſe bond is the promiſe added to the bread, requiring the faith of the receivers. Whence it is cleer, that theſe things in their lawfull uſe are alwayes jointly exhibited and received, but not without faith of the promiſe, viewing and apprehending the thing promiſed, now preſent in the Sacrament: yet not preſent or included in the ſigne, as in a veſſell containing it; but preſent in the promiſe, which is the better part, life, and ſoul of the ſacrament. For they want judgement, who affirme, that Chriſts body cannot be preſent in the ſacrament, except it be in, or under the bread: as if (forſooth) the bread alone, without the promiſe, were either a ſacrament, or the principall part of a ſacrament.
Which for you] my diſciples; that is, for your ſalvation, and the ſalvation of the whole Church.
Is broken.] Object. But Christs body neither is, nor was broken. Anſw. Paul hath a reſpect to the ſignification which the breaking of the bread did import: now this breaking ſignifieth the pains and renting of Chriſts body, and the violent ſundering of his ſoule and his body one from the other: For, as the bread is broken, and parted into divers parts; ſo the ſoul and body of Chriſt were ſeparated and parted from each other. Wherefore the property of the ſigne is here attributed to the thing ſignified.
Doe this.] Theſe words are a commandement to obſerve the ceremony which Chriſt inſtituted. This, to wit, this which ye ſee me do, do you alſo henceforth in the Church: that is, being gathered and aſſembled together, take bread, give thanks, break it, diſtribute it, eat it, &c. He underſtandeth the whole action which he commandeth, and that to us which beleeve, and not to the Jewes, who were ready to crucifie him.
In remembrance of me.] That is, thinking and mediating of my benefits, which I have done for you, and which are by theſe rites recalled into your memory; and further verily feeling and finding in heart, that I give you theſe my benefits; and therefore celebrating them by publick confeſſion before God and Angels yea before men alſo, and ſo giving mee thanks for them. Wherefore the end of Chriſts Supper is remembrance: The end of the Supper is the remembrance of Chriſts benefits.which is not a meer meditation on the hiſtory, but a calling to mind the death and benefits of Chriſt, and a faith whereby we apply Chriſt and his merit unto us, and gratefulneſſe or a publick confeſſion of his benefits. This remembrance is the whole: whoſe parts are the memory of Chriſts benefits; faith, whereby we apply Chriſt and his merit unto us, thankfulneſſe or publick confeſſion of his benefits. Whence it is manifeſt, that the Supper was inſtituted to this end, to be unto us a memoriall of Chriſt, putting us in mind what and how great bleſſings he hath purchaſed for us, and with what and how exquiſite torments and bitter death hee obtained them, confirming in us alſo our faith whereby wee apprehend them. Wherefore it followeth not; Chriſt did inſtitute his Supper for a remembrance of him: Therefore hee did not inſtitute it for confirmation of our faith. For this objection is no leſſe frivolous, then if I ſhould ſay, The holy Ghost confirmeth our faith: Therefore the Supper doth not. For (as it hath been ſaid before) the reaſon followeth not to the removing of the inſtrumentall cauſe, by the putting of the principall cauſe; as neither doth it follow to the deniall of a part, by the putting of the whole: for remembrance compriſeth the remembring of Chriſts benefits, faith, and thankſgiving. For by his ſacraments Chriſt remembreth us of himſelfe and his benefits, and by his ſacraments hee raiſeth and eſtabliſheth in us our truſt and confidence in him; and further, of that remembrance of Chriſts benefits it muſt follow, that we alſo yeeld thanks unto him therefore publikely. So then, the Supper is not only to admoniſh us of our duty, as ſome think; but it muſt firſt repreſent unto us Chriſts benefit, and then afterwards our duty: for where no benefit is, there we cannot be thankfull.
Drink ye all of this.] This commandement of Chriſt we oppoſe againſt the ſacriledge of the Pope, who bereaveth the Laity of the cup;Againſt Popiſh adminiſtring the communion under one kind. and againſt that ſophiſticall figment of concomitancie of the bloud with the body under the form of the bread. Chriſt biddeth all eat, and all drink: The Pope will not permit all to drink, but the Prieſt only; the Lay-men he ſuffereth to eat only, becauſe (ſaith he) they drink it eating. This ſhamefull dealing is reproved and confuted by Chriſts commandement, Drink ye all of this. Here the Popes Sophiſters cavill with us; telling us, that this commandement, which we urge and preſſe on them, pertaineth only to the diſciples then preſent, who were no Lay-men, but Prieſts. But we anſwer, 1. That they fondly imagine Chriſts diſciples to have been Maſſe-mumming Prieſts. 2. There is no ſuch difference in Scripture, as they put of Prieſts and Lay-men, ſeeing the Scripture intituleth all the faithfull prieſts of God: He hath made us kings and prieſts unto God, Rev. 1.6. 1 Pet. 2.9, 5.even his Father. Ye are a royall and holy prieſthood, to offer up ſpirituall ſacrifices acceptable to God by Jeſus Chriſt. 3. Under this pretext and colour the whole Supper might be taken away from the Laity; eſpecially from women, if it were true that ſuch men only were to be admitted to the Supper as were at the firſt Supper. Their tale of concomitancy is an impious and ſacrilegious pretext, which Chriſt confuteth and diſcovereth to be falſe, when he calleth the bread by it ſelf his body, and the cup by it ſelf his bloud, and reacheth both apart to his diſciples to be eaten and drunk, and commandeth them henceforth to be ſo miniſtred apart.
This cup is the new Teſtament.] Or, the Covenant, as both the*foreign. Greek and*Berith. Hebrew word admitteth. Now, it is called the new covenant; that is, renewed, or (to ſpeak in a word) fulfilled. And this new covenant is our reconciliation with God, the communion and participation of Chriſt and all his benefits by faith in the ſacrifice of Chriſt now fulfilled and finiſhed, without any obſervation of the ceremonies of the old Paſſeover. The Supper is called the new Covenant, How the Sacrament is called the new Covenant.becauſe it is a ſigne and a ſeale of this covenant, ſignifying and ſealing unto us our reconciliation with God, and our conjunction with Chriſt, which is wrought by faith. Now Chriſt, in calling the Supper the new Covenant, 1. Comprehendeth both the promiſe, and the condition which is expreſſed in the promiſe; namely, our faith and repentance: whereof alſo it followeth, that the Supper was for this cauſe alſo inſtituted, that it might be a bond to bind us to lead a Chriſtian life. 2. Hee maketh an oppoſition between the new Covenant, and the old Covenant, which was the Paſſeover; together with the rites thereof: For the Supper ſignifieth Chriſt offered; the Paſſeover ſignifieth Chriſt who ſhould be offered. There is notwithſtanding no ſmall ſimilitude and agreeing of both; for both ſignifie our reconciliation with God, and conjunction with Chriſt. Hence alſo we conclude, that the drinking of Chriſts bloud is not corporall: for the new Teſtament is but one, and all the elect before Chriſts birth appertain thereunto.
In my bloud, which is ſhed for you for remiſſion of ſins.] The bloud of Chriſt is his death. In the bloud of Chriſt, is as much as to ſay, In the death, or for the death of Chriſt. The ſhedding of Chriſts bloud is the merit for which, being apprehended of us by faith, we receive remiſſion of ſins.
For as often as ye ſhall eat.] The Supper therefore is often to be iterated and celebrated, 1. Becauſe of the words of the inſtitution. 2. In reſpect of the end and purpoſe of the inſtitution; becauſe it muſt be done in remembrance of Chriſt.
Shew the Lords death.] That is, beleeve that Chriſt dyed, and that for you, and then profeſſe it alſo publickly before all.
Till he come.] Therefore it muſt be obſerved unto the worlds end: neither is any other externall form to be looked for untill the day of judgement.
The words of the inſtitution which have been hitherto expounded,1 Cor. 10.16. may be made more plain and cleer by theſe words of the Apoſtle; The cup of bleſsing which wee bleſſe, is it not the communion of the bloud of Christ? The bread which we breake, is it not the communion of the body of Chriſt?
The cup of bleſsing.] That is, the cup of thankſgiving, which is received; namely, to this end, that we may yeeld thanks to Chriſt for his death and paſſion.
The communion of the body, likewiſe the communion of the bloud, is, to be made, through faith, partakers of Chriſt and all his benefits, the ſame ſpirit being in us which is in Chriſt,John 15.2. …pheſ. 5. 1 John 1.6. and working the ſame in us which he worketh in Chriſt. Or, it is a ſpirituall fellowſhip of the faithfull with Chriſt, as of members with the head, and branches with the vine. Bread and wine is the communion; that is, it is the ſigne and teſtimony of our communion with Chriſt: But this our communion, as the Apoſtle briefly declareth, conſiſteth in this, that wee who are many, are but one body: Whence it is moſt eaſie to collect, That this communion of Chriſt is not a corporalleating. For it is wrought only by faith and the holy Ghoſt. Chriſt is the head, and we the members: and all wee who are members have alſo a communion of all Chriſts benefits: Therefore the head is common, the benefits common, and ſo the members alſo common among themſelves; wherefore their love and dilection is common and mutuall.