A Treatise of Christian Religion, Chapter 38
CHAP. 38.
Of the Supper of the Lord.
Wherein conſider
The parts,
Signes,
Elements.
Actions about them.
Things ſignified.
The circumſtances,
Time.
Perſons.
MATTH. chap. 26. verſ 26. 27. 28. 29.
26. And as they were eating, Ieſus tooke bread, and bleſſed it, and brake it, and gaue it to the Diſciples, and ſaid, Take, eat, this is my body.
27. And he tooke the cup, and gaue thankes, and gaue it to them, ſaying, Drinke ye all of it:
28. For this is my blood of the new Teſtament, which is ſhed for many for the remiſſion of ſinnes.
29. But I ſay vntounto you, I will not drinke henceforth of this fruit of the vine, vntill that day when I drinke it new with you in my Fathers kingdome.
Q. SO much for Baptiſme. What is the Lords Supper?
A. It is the other Sacrament of the Goſpell; whereby is ſealed vntounto vsus our continuance, miniſhment, 1. Cor. 11. 20.and growth in Chriſt, and in his body, which is his Church.
Q. What are the outward ſignes in this Sacrament?
A. Bread and wine, and the ſacramentall actions, in, and about the ſame, Matth. 26. 26. &c..
Q. VVhat manner of bread is fittest?
A. Ordinarie bread; for ſuch our Sauiour (at the firſt inſtitution) tooke, as was at that time commonly Exod. 12. 18. 19vſed. It was indeed vnleauened bread, but no other at that time was lawfull, nor to be had in that place.
Q. VVhat doth the bread and wine ſignifie?
A. The body and blood of Chriſt.Mat. 26. 26. 28.
Q. VVhy did the Lord make choyce of theſe creatures of bread and wine to this end?
A. Becauſe they are (of all the meanes of our nouriſhment Pſal. 104. 15.) the chiefeſt; and therefore meaning to ſet forth our ſpirituall nouriſhment by bodily things, he made choyce of them.
Q. VVhy did hee not content himſelfe with one of theſe onelyonly?
A. That hee might thereby ſhew, that by him wee hauehave whatſoeuer is needfull to nouriſh vsus to life euerlaſting, and that wee hauehave a plentifull and aſſured redemption in Chriſt. Wherefore the practice of the Papiſts, in taking away the cup, is anſwerable to their doctrine; who teach, that neither we are ſaued wholly nor certainly by Chriſt.
Q. VVhat are the ſacramentall actions about the bread and wine?
A. The Actions of the Miniſter, or Communicants.
Q. VVhat are the Miniſters actions?
A. Firſt, after the example of our Sauiour Chriſt, he conſecrateth the bread and wine.
Q. How did our Sauiour conſecrate them?
A. Firſt, by ſeparating the bread and wine from the ordinarie vſe to this holy vſe, by prayer and thankeſgiuing; the latter whereof being plainly expreſſed by the Apoſtle, doth imply the former. Whereby wee may vnderſtand, that our Sauiour Chriſt prayed to Mat. 26. 26. 1. Cor. 11. 24.God his heauenly Father, to this effect, that his death in it ſelfe ſufficient to ſaue, might by the working of his ſpirit, be effectuall to the elect; and that thoſe outward ſignes of bread and wine might (through the operation of his holy ſpirit) bee effectuall to the purpoſes they are ordained for.
Q. Doth this conſecration change the bread and wine into the body and blood of Chriſt?
A. No: but they ſtill continue in nature and ſubſtance bread and wine ſtill, and are but only types and ſeales of Chriſts body and blood.
Q. But doth not our Sauiour ſay of the bread, This is my body; and of the wine, This is my blood?
A. Though he do; yet it thence no more followeth, that the bread is his very reall body, and the wine his blood, then that he is a materiall doore, or vine, becauſe he ſaith, I am the doore, I am the vine.
Q. How is our Sauiour then to be vnderſtood?
A. To ſpeake by an vſuall figure, where the name of the thing ſignified, is giuen to the ſigne. After the ſame manner that in the old Teſtament, Circumciſion is called the Couenant, and the Lambe, the Paſſeouer, Act. 22. 16. Tit. 3. 5.becauſe they were ſignes of thoſe things.
Q. What ſpeciall reaſons hauehave you againſt the change of theſe elements into the very body and blood of Chriſt, commonly called Tranſubſtantiation?
A. Firſt, then at the firſt inſtitution, there muſt needs be two Chriſts, one that giueth, another that is giuen.
Secondly, If the bread bee the very body of Chriſt, &c. then there is no true and proportionable ſigne to repreſent the thing ſignified, and conſequently no Sacrament.
Thirdly, the ſame indiuiduall body muſt then of neceſſity be in more places then one at once, which is not onelyonly againſt the nature of a true humane body, but of a body in generall alſo.
Fourthly, the Apoſtles, and Euangeliſts cal it bread and wine after the conſecration. 1. Cor. 10. 16. 26. 27. 28. Matth. 26. 29.
Fifthly, if there were any ſuch change, it were the greateſt miracle in the world, but all other miracles are ſuch, as hauehave been apparent to ſenſe.
Sixthly, then the wicked as well as the godly, ſhould receiue Chriſt Ieſus and his quickening ſpirit, which is neuer ſeparated from him. Yea (which is horrible to conſider) mice and rats may eate the true bodie of Chriſt, and drinke his blood.
Q. But it is not likely, that at this time, and in this place, our Sauiour would vſe a figuratiue ſpeech, and ſpeak obſcurely, whereas he might hauehave ſpoken plainly?
A. Firſt, it is plaine, that at the ſame time he vſed as Iohn 14. 6. & 15. 5.figuratiue a ſpeech as this. Secondly, in this inſtitution alſo wee muſt of neceſſity acknowledge, that hee vſeth a figure when hee ſaith, that aLuk. 22. 10.the cup is the new Teſtament. Thirdly, there is often more light and plainneſſe in a figure, then in a proper ſpeech.
Q. But what may be noted out of this forme of ſpeech?
A. The neare and ſure coniunction of the ſigne, 1. Cor. 10. 16.with the thing ſignified, which it hath in them that ſhall receiue it worthily; in ſo much as they which partake of the one, receiue the other alſo.
Q. Then it ſeemes, that though vponupon the conſecration, the bread and wine bee not changed into the reall body and blood of Chriſt, that yet they are preſent, in, with, or vnderunder the bread and wine?
A. Not corporally, ſubſtantially, or locally; for then, firſt, the body of Chriſt ſhould be eueryevery where; which doth as much deſtroy the nature of a humane body, as to be in many places at once. Secondly, then as in tranſubſtantiation, the body and blood of Chriſt ſhould not be a ſpiritual food of the ſoule, but bodily, ſuch as the wicked eate of as well as the godly. Thirdly, then alſo (as in tranſubſtantiation) Chriſt ſhould be eaten as ye Capernaites fancied, really, & with the body, Iohn 6. 26.which our Sauiour denieth. Fourthly, it ſhould not then be true, which is ſaid, Act. 3. 21. That the heauens ſhall containe him, till the time that all things bee reſtored. Fifthly, it is the nature of that faith by which we lay hold on, and receiue Chriſt, to ſeeke him, and Coloff. 3. 12. Philip. 3. 10. Hebr. 6. 10.behold him, in heauen, and to feed vponupon him there.
Q. Thus much of the firſt action of the Miniſter: what other actions are there of his?
A. Hee taketh the bread and breaketh it, and the wine and poureth it out, deliuering them vntounto the receiuers, and ſhewing the ſignification of them.
Q. What is meant and ſignified hereby?
A. That Chriſt himſelfe (of his owne accord) offereth his body to be boken, and his blood to be ſhead for our ſinnes; and that this body ſo broken, and his blood ſo ſhead, being receiued by faith, is that food by which we liue euerlaſtingly.
Q. Why doth our Sauiour ſay, This is my body which is broken for you, when yet it was not broken?
A. It is vſuall in the Scripture, to ſhew the certainty of that which is to come, by ſpeaking of them, as if they were preſent. Eſa. 9. 6. Ezech. 39. 8.
Q. Why doth Chriſt call the cup, the cup of the new Teſtament?
A. Becauſe it is a ſeale of the promiſe of God touching our ſaluation in Chriſt; which being in old time vnderunder the Law, ſhadowed by the ſheading of the blood of beaſts, is now vnderunder the Goſpell, accompliſhed by the blood-ſheading of Chriſt.
Q. What are the ſacramentall actions of them which receiue?
A. To take the bread, and to eate it; and the wine, Mat. 26. 26. 27.and to drinke it.
Q. VVhat is ſignified thereby?
A. The applying of Chriſt crucified and all his merits, vntounto our ſelues by faith, as the onelyonly meanes by which we looke to liue eternally.
Q. VVhat is the fitteſt time for the celebration of this Sacrament?
A. The Lords day in the morning.Act. 20. 7.
Q. But our Sauiour celebrated it vponupon another day, & both he and his Apoſtles, at another time, euen in the night?
A. Firſt, our Sauiour did this occaſionally after ſupper, in regard of the Paſſeouer, in the roome wherof this was to ſucceed; and therefore hee did inſtitute it preſently after the eating of it. Secondly, that it might goe immediately before his paſſion, the better to ſhew whereunto it hath relation. Thirdly, the Apoſtles did it in the night, vponupon neceſſity, for feare of perſecution; and therfore where there is no ſuch cauſe of feare, the cuſtome of our owne Churches is to bee performed, which celebrate it in the morning, when our wits, memories and capacities are moſt freſh.
Q. But is there no ſpeciall matter to bee obſerued, that our Sauiour celebrated this Sacrament after ſupper?
A. Yes verily: for thereby we learne, that wee are not to come to this table to fill our bellies; but wee are to hauehave our mindes lifted vp from theſe earthly elements, to our Sauiour Chriſt, repreſented by them. For it is not the vſe after ſupper to ſet bread and wine vponupon the table, but banqueting diſhes: which reproues them which come only for a draught of wine, and ſuch as reſt onelyonly in the receit of the outward elements.
Q. How oft are the Sacraments to be celebrated?
A. As oft in a yeere, as the Church where wee are members may conueniently (and agreeable to the dignitie of the myſterie) communicate therein.1. Cor. 11. 26.
Q. What perſons hauehave title to this Sacrament?
A. All Chriſtians, that are of yeeres of diſcretion, 1. Cor. 11. 27. 28.and hauehave been baptized, being fitted thereunto.
Q. May not infants and children partake thereof?
A. No, becauſe they cannot performe that dutie which the Apoſtle requireth of all worthie receiuers; 1. Cor. 11. 28.that is, they cannot trie and examine themſelues.
Q. By what meanes may we be fit receiuers of this Sacrament?
A. Firſt, by a careful preparation before the action, great heed in the action, and a ioyfull and thankfull cloſe and ſhutting vp of it.
Q. How are we to prepare our ſelues before the action?
A. Wee are, firſt, to examine our knowledge, as in the grounds and principles of religion; ſo alſo in this Sacrament, whether we vnderſtand the meaning and vſe thereof, viz. the ſignification of the ſignes, and the graces that they ſeale.
Secondly, wee are to examine what faith wee hauehave, and what repentance; not onelyonly in the generall, but for our particular ſinnes; whether wee doe bewaile them, or iudge our ſelues for them, otherwiſe we ſhall ſtirre vp Gods wrath againſt vsus, and thoſe that belong 1. Cor. 11. 28. 31vntounto vsus, and moue him (although not to condemne vsus in the world to come) yet to inflict fearfull plagues and iudgements vponupon vsus in this world.
Q. What heed is to be taken in the action?
A. That in the act of receiuing, with the ſignes we conſider and call to our remembrance the particular matters ſignified. Seeing the bread broken, and the wine poured out, wee are affectionately to remember the body of Chriſt broken, and his blood ſhead for vsus; and by the eye of faith, behold him crucified (as it were) before our eyes. Further, beholding the Miniſter reaching forth theſe elements vntounto vsus, wee are to behold Chriſt himſelfe therein, offering himſelfe, and all his merits vntounto vsus, if we will receiue them by faith. Laſtly, in the ſtretching forth of our hands to receiue theſe elements, wee are to labour to hauehave a ſenſe and feeling of our faith, laying hold vponupon Chriſt and all his ſauing benefits: and in our eating of this bread, and drinking this wine, wee are to labour to feele ſuch a ſpirituall refreſhing of our ſoules, with the body and blood of Chriſt, as wee feele in our bodies by the bread and wine.
Q. How are we to cloſe and ſhut vp this action?
A. We are to be comforted in heart, in the ſenſe of Gods fauour towards vsus: from whence we ſhould be ready (with feeling ioy) to ſing a Pſalm vntounto the Lord, of praiſe and thankſ-giuing: and feeling our ſelues ſtrengthened in the new man, we are to depart with a Mat. 26. 30.reſolution to walke more ſtrongly, and ſteadily in the waies of God, all the daies of our life afterward. For this is a Sacrament, not of our incorporation into Chriſt, but of our growth in him.