Jones on Article XXVIII: Of the Lord's Supper

” But the Almighty God which prepared this feast for all the world, for all those that will come unto it he otfereth his only Son to he eaten, and his hlood to be drunken. Belike he loved his guests well, because he did feed them with so costly a dish.

Again, our Saviour, the bridegroom, offereth himself at his last supper, which he had with his disciples, his body to be eaten, and his blood to be drunk. And to the intent that it should be done to our great comfort: and then again to take away all cruelty, irksomeness, and horribleness, he sheweth unto us how we shall eat him, in what manner and form; namely spiritually, to our great comfort; so that whosoever eateth the mystical bread, and drinketh the mystical wine worthily, according to the ordinance of Christ, he receiveth surely the very body and blood of Christ spiritually, as it shall be most comfortable unto his soul. He eateth with the mouth of his soul, and digesteth with the stomach of his soul, the body of Christ. And to be short: whosoever believeth in Christ, putteth his hope, trust, and confidence in him, he eateth and drinketh him; for the spiritual eating is the right eating to everlasting life; not the corporal eating as the Capernaites understood it. For that same corporal eating, on which they set their minds, hath no commodities at all: it is a spiritual meat that feedeth our souls

But I pray you wherefore was it ordained principally?

Answer: it was ordained for our help, to help our memory withal; to put us in mind of the great goodness of God in redeeming us from everlasting death by the blood of our Saviour Christ; yea and to signify unto us that his body and blood is our meat and drink for our souls, to feed them to everlasting life. If we were now so perfect as we ought to be, we should not have need of it; but to help our imperfectness it was ordained of Christ; for we be so forgetful when we be not

pricked forward, we have soon forgotten all his benefits

Now ye have heard what shall be the chiefest dish at this mar- riage, namely the body and blood of Christ. But now there be other dishes which be sequels, or hangings on, wherewith the chief dish is powdered, that is remission of sins ; also the Holy Ghost, which ruleth and governeth our hearts ; also the merits of Christ which are made ours. For when we feed upon this dish worthily, then we shall have remission of our sins ; we shall receive the Holy Ghost. Moreover all the merits of Christ are ours; his fulfilling of the law is ours; and so wc be justified

before God, and finally attain to everlasting life.” — Scr. on Malt. xxii. 2, 3.

” I say that there is none other presence of Christ required than a spiritual presence ; and this presence is sufficient for a Christian man, as the presence by the which we both abide in Christ, and Christ in us, to the obtaining of eternal life, if we persevere in his true gospel. And the same presence may be called a real presence, because to the faithful believer there is the real or spiritual body of Christ : which thing I here rehearse lest some sycophant, or scorner, should suppose me, with the ana- baptist, to make nothing else of the sacrament but a bare and

naked sign Concerning the second conclusion” (that after

the consecration there remaineth no substance of bread and wine, nor none other substance but the substance of God and man) ” I dare be bold to say that it hath no stay nor ground of God’s holy word; but is a thing invented and found out by man,

and therefore to be reputed and had as false The third

conclusion” (’ that in the mass there is lively sacrifice of the Church, which is propitiatory, as well for the quick as the dead’) ” as I understand it seemeth subtilly to sow sedition against the offering which Christ himself offered for us in his own person, and for all, and never again to be done ; according to the scrip- tures written in God’s book. In which book read the pithy

place of St. Paul to the Hebrews, the ix, and x I will speak

nothing of the wonderful presumptions of man that dare attempt this thing without any manifest calling; specially that which intendeth to the overthrowing and fruitless-making (if not

wholly yet partly) of the cross of Christ I am sure if God

would have had a new kind of sacrificing priest at mass, then he or some of his apostles would have made some mention thereof

in their master Christ’s will But he spake never a word of

sacrificing or saying mass; nor promised the hearers any reward, but among the idolaters with the devil and his angels, except speedy repentance with tears. Therefore sacrificing priests should now cease for ever: for now all men ought to offer their own bodies a quick sacrifice, holy and acceptable before God.” — Dixpntatioii irith Smith.

” They would fain have the word” (mass) ” to be Hebrew : but if it be so it rather makes against them than with them. For if it be a sacrifice of the Jews then it is taken away by our Saviour Christ, and fulfilled by him as all other sacrifices of Moses be ; or else they be Jews using those sacrifices which God forbad to use at these days after the coming of Christ. They glory much that the name of their mass is missah in Hebrew, and should be written Deut. xvi. and thereof should missa come in Latin, or else the Hebrew name to remain still. The word missah signifies a freewill gift that a man offers willingly unto the Lord ; and not only that which the priests offer of them- selves, but also which any man freely brings to be offered: therefore if this word or place make for them it proves that all

manner of men may say mass But the word signifies also a

lifting up as some do take it, and therefore they prove their elevation by it They are well content with either significa- tion, or both if they might keep it ; for the one bids men bring and they would gladly take; the other to lift up as a sacrifice and that maintains their state.” — Confutation of an Addition.

” For as it is not enough to write the conditions of a bargain in an indenture except it be sealed ; so God for our weakness thought it not sufficient to make us promise of his blessings in writing in his scripture ; but he would seal it with his own blood, and institute his sacraments as seals of the same truth to remain to be received of us in remembrance of him, and

strengthening our faith The supper is a sacrament wherein

he feeds us spiritually, thus taken into his service with his own precious body and blood ; and we, reckoning with ourselves wherein we have offended him, ask mercy, nothing doubting to obtain it, and renew our bond to him which we have so often broken, and promise to do so no more. So that when God giveth these his sacraments to us by his ministers, and we receive the same, the bargain is full made betwixt God and us, the writing sealed and delivered, we are become his people and he our God.”— Exp. on Prophet Aggeus.

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” Of this infallible verity, ’ only the death of Christ to be the sacrifice for the expiation of sin,’ may be necessarily taught the right and true use of the Lord’s supper, which men call the mass. First it is manifest, that it is not a sacrifice for sin, as men teach contrary unto the word of God, that saith, ’ Christ

by one sacrifice made perfect all things.’ Ileb. via and to

take away all doubt that remission of sin cannot be obtained for the merits of the mass, Paul saith plainly, that without

blood-shedding no sacrifice can merit remission of sin As

concerning the use of this sacrament, and all other the rites and ceremonies that be godly, they should be so kept and used in the Church as they were delivered unto us of the high bishop

Christ, the author of all sacraments The best manner and

most godly way to celebrate this supper, is to preach the death of Christ unto the Church, and the redemption of man, as Christ did at his supper, and there to have common prayers, as Christ prayed with his disciples ; then to repeat the last words of the supper, and with the same to break the bread and distribute the wine to the whole church ; then giving thanks to

God, depart in peace Although Christ said of the bread,

’ This is my body,’ it is well known that he purposed to insti- tute a sacrament, therefore he spake of a sacrament sacra- mentally. To speak sacramentally, is to give the name of the thing to the sign ; so yet, notwithstanding, that the nature and substance of the sign remaineth, and is not turned into a thing that it signifieth.” — Declaration of Christ, §c.

” This is the definition of the Lord’s supper. It is a cere- mony instituted by Christ to confirm and manifest our society and communion in his body and blood until he come to judg- ment. Every word of this definition is in the scripture. That is, it is a ceremony instituted by Christ ; Matthew, Mark, Luke and Paul testifieth : that it confirmeth the conjunction and society of Christ and his Church, these words of Paul proveth ; ’ For we being many are one bread and one body, for we are all partakers of that one bread.’ 1 Cor. x. And that it

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shall be done till the end of the world, Paul proveth, 1 Cor. xi.

Against such imaginations,” (fear of God’s wrath) ” and

perilous temptations, availeth greatly the ceremony and use of Christ’s supper. For as man is by his senses drawn to accom- plish the act of all inward and secret conceived mischief and

sin so where as a good opinion is conceived of God in the

heart the will that with great difficulty consenteth unto this

assured promise of God in Christ,” (the pardon of sin) ” is the more constrained to obey the knowledge of faith, because the mind is not only inspired by divine operation of God’s Spirit, that his sins be forgiven, but also by the object the celebra- ting of this holy supper And lest this thing once done by

Christ should fall into oblivion, and out of remembrance, most diligently he himself shewed the manner and form how he would Ids church might best be kept in mind of this inestimable benefit ; gave and instituted this holy sacrament, to be used for the consolation of the Jideles (faithful) till the world’s end.” — Ansicer to Bishop of Winchester’s Book.

“But this remembrance which is thus ordained, as the author thereof is Christ, (both God and man) so by the Almighty power of God it far passeth all kinds of remembrances that any other man is able to make either of himself or of any other thing : for whosoever receiveth this holy sacrament thus or- dained in remembrance of Christ, he receiveth therewith either

death or life It is not meant that they which are dead

before God, may hereby receive life ; or the living before God can hereby receive death. For as none is meet to receive natural food whereby the natural life is nourished, except he be born and live before ; so no man can feed (by the receipt of the holy sacrament) of the food of eternal life, except he be regen- erated and born of God before : and on the other side, no man here receiveth damnation which is not dead before.” — Decl. of the Lord’s Supper.

” But his omnipotence will not do, as you say, contrary to h’13 word and to his honour. It is not God’s honour to include him bodily into a piece of bread, of necessity to tie him thereto. It is not God’s honour for you to make a piece of bread God and man, which you see before your face doth putrify after a certain time. Is not God’s Omnipotency as able to give his body with the sacramental bread, as to make so many turuings-away of the bread, as you do, and that directly against the scripture, which calleth it ‘bread’ many times after the consecration. Are you not ashamed to make so many alterations of the Lord’s holy institution as you do, and to take away the substantial parts of the sacrament, as, ’ Take ye, eat ye, drink ye all of this ; do ye this in remembrance of me,’ and to place in their steads, ’ Hear ye, gaze ye, knock ye, worship ye, offer ye, sacrifice ye for the quick and the dead.’ If this be not blas- phemy to God and his sacraments, to add and to pluck away in this sort, and that contrary to the mind of all ancient writers, and contrary to the example of Christ and all his apostles, tell me.” — Ninth Examination.

” Christ taketh in his hands bread which was upon the table ; Christ giveth his disciples thilk same bread ; Christ whiles he giveth the bread speaketh. Tell me, I desire thee, whiles the disciples eat this bread, chaw it with their teeth, and swallow it down into their stomach, where was Christ ? was he not sitting

at the table? did not his apostles behold him before them ?

In whether of these two places was the body of Christ ; whether under the teeth of his disciples, other else, where they both

saw and heard Christ? I grant Christ to hare given his

body, and his disciples to have received the same, not after a natural fashion, but supernatural ; that is after a heavenly and

divine sort What, I pray thee, took he but bread ? what

brake he but bread? what gave he but bread? But for that they be mysteries which be done, therefore they contain high and divine things. 1 This is my body,’ saith he, ’ that is given

for you ; do ye this in remembrance of me.’ And likewise of the cup of wine, ’ This cup is the New Testament through my blood which is shed for you.’ The which words what mean they ? what contain they ? what signify they ? Truly no won- derful thing, but the sum of our salvation, and a full certain testimony thereof, which by the death of Christ we have obtained.” — Translation of Curio’s Defence.

” Christ charged the Apostles to do this in the remembrance of him. Whereupon thus I conclude, ‘Nothing is done in remem- brance of itself. But the sacrament is used in the remembrance

of Christ. Therefore the sacrament is not Christ Besides

this, I see that Christ ordained not his body, but a sacrament of

his body.’ St. Augustine saith, ” Aliud est sacramentum

aliud res sacramenti. Sacramentum est quod in corpus vadit : res autem sacramenti est corpus Domini nostri Jesu Christi.” (The sacrament is one thing, the matter of the sacrament is another. The sacrament is that which goeth into the body : but the matter of the sacrament is the body of our Lord Jesus

Christ) Furthewuore, Christ’s body is food not for the body

but for the soul ; and, therefore, it must be received with the

instrument of the soul, which is faith Now if a man may

eat and drink righteousness with his spirit, no doubt his spirit

hath a mouth Wherefore, whoso will be relieved by the

body of Christ, must receive him as he will be received, with the instrument of faith, appointed thereunto not with his teeth or mouth. And whereas I say that Christ’s body must be received and taken with faith, I mean not that you shall pluck down Christ from heaven and put him in your faith, as in a visible place ; but that you must, with your faith, rise and spring up to him, and leaving this world, dwell above in heaven.” — Dialogue between Custom and Verity.

’• This food offered us at the Lord’s table is to feed our souls withal ; it is meat for the mind and not for the belly. Our

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souls being sph-itual can neither receive nor digest that which is corporal ; they feed only upon spiritual food. It is the spiritual eating that giveth life. ’ The flesh,’ saith Christ, ’ doth nothing profit.’ We must lift up ourselves from these external and earthly signs, and, like eagles, fly up and soar

aloft, there to feed on Christ ’ How shall I,’ saith

Augustine, ’ lay hold on him which is absent ? how shall I put . my hand into heaven ? Send up thy faith and thou hast taken bold. Why preparest thou thy teeth ? Believe, and thou hast

eaten.’ Abusing the scriptures,” (they are) ” dreaming

evermore, with the gross Capernaites of a carnal and fleshly eating. Behold the one part of this sacrament consecrated is termed bread, the other a cup, by the apostle himself.” — Ser. 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2.

” Now as the graces of God purchased for us by Christ are offered unto us by the word, so are they also most lively and

effectually by the sacraments In the eucharist or supper of

the Lord, our corporal tasting of the visible elements, bread and wine, sheweth the heavenly nourishing of our souls unto life by the mystical participation of the glorious body and blood of Christ. For inasmuch as he saith of one of these sacred elements, ’ This is my body which is given for you,’ and of the other, ’ This is my blood,’ he giveth us plainly to understand that all the graces which may flow from the body and blood of Christ Jesus are in a mystery here not represented only but presented unto us. So then although we see nothing, feel and taste nothing, but bread and wine ; nevertheless, let us not doubt at all but that he spiritually performeth that which he doth declare and promise by his visible and outward signs ; that is to say, that in this sacrament there is oflered unto the Church that very true and heavenly bread which feedeth and nourisheth us unto life eternal ; that sacred blood which will cleanse us from sin and make us pure in the day of trial. Again, in that he saith, « Take eat : drink ye all of this,’ he evidently dcclareth that his body and blood are by this sacra- ment assured to be no less ours than his And thus hath he

made himself all ours ; ours his passions, ours his merits, ours

his victory, ours his glory If we be not of the sanctified

household of God, not Christ’s servants and faithful disciples,

shall we dare presume to press in? But such as will worthily

feed at this blessed feast, must earnestly and truly mourn for their sins past, in a settled purpose and resolution never wil- lingly to defile themselves again.” — Ser. 2 Cor. vi. 1, 2.

ARCHBISHOP CRANME1J.

” And doth not the nature of sacraments require that the sensible elements should remain in their proper natm-e to signify an higher mystery and secret working of God inwardly, as the sensible elements be ministered outwardly ? And is not the visible and corporal feeding upon bread and wine a con- venient and apt figure and similitude to put us in remembrance, and to admonish us how we be fed invisibly and spiritually by the flesh and blood of Christ, God and man ? And is not the sacrament taken away when the element is taken away ? Or can the accidents of the element be the sacrament of substantial feeling ? Or did ever any old author say, that the accidents

were the sacramental signs without the substances ? For I

do not say that Christ’s body and blood be given to us in signification, and not in deed. But I do as plainly speak as I can, that Christ’s body and blood be given to us indeed, yet not

corporally and carnally, but spiritually and effectually But

when Christ said, ’ The bread which I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world,’ if he had fulfilled this promise at his supper, as you say he did, then what needed he after to dic’that we might live, if lie fulfilled his promise of

life at his supper? Why doth the catholic faith teach us to

believe that we be redeemed by his blood-shedding, if he gave his life (which is our redemption) the night before lie shed his blood ? And why saith St. Paul that there is no remission

without blood-shedding But the true, faithful, believing man,

professeth that Christ by his death overcame him that was the author of death, and hath reconciled us to his Father, making us

his children and heirs of his kingdom ; that as many as believe in him should not perish, hut have life everlasting. Thus saith the true Christian man, putting his hope of life and eternal salvation, neither in Christ’s supper, (although the same be to him a great confirmation of his faith) nor in any thing else, but with St. Paul saith, ’ God save me that I rejoice in nothing but in the cross of our Lord Jesu Christ.’ And when this true believing man cometh to the Lord’s supper, and (according to Christ’s commandment) receiveth the bread broken, in remembrance that Christ’s body was broken for him upon the cross, and drinketh the wine in remembrance of the effusion of Christ’s blood for his sins, and unfeignedly believeth the same, to him the words of our Saviour Christ efTectuous and opera - tory : ’ Take eat ; this is my body which is given for thee : and drink of this, for this is my blood which is shed for thee to the remission of thy sins.’ And as St. Paul saith, 1 The bread unto him is the communion of Christ’s body, and the wine the communion of his blood.’ For the effect of his godly eating (as you truly herein gather of St. Paul’s words) is the communication of Christ’s body and blood, but to the faithful receiver, and not to the dumb creatures of bread and wine, under whose forms the catholic faith teacheth not the body and blood of Christ invisibly to be eaten. And as to the godly eater, (who duly esteemeth Christ’s body, and hath it in such price and estimation as he ought to have) the effect is, the communication of Christ’s body ; so to the wicked eater the effect is damnation and everlasting woe.” — First Book ; Of the Sacrament.

“Who is so ignorant that hath read any thing at all, but he knoweth that distinction of three eatings ? But no man that is of learning and judgment, understandeth the three diverse eatings in such sort as you do, but after this manner : that some eat only the sacrament of Christ’s body, but not the very body itself ; some eat his body and not the sacrament ; and some eat the sacrament aud body both together. The sacra- ment (that is to say, the bread) is corporally eaten and chewed

with the teeth in the mouth : the very body is eaten and chewed with faith in the Spirit. Ungodly men when they receive the sacrament, they chew in their mouths, like unto Judas, the sacramental bread, but they eat not the celestial bread, which is Christ. Faithful Christian people, such as be Christ’s true disciples, continually from time to time record in their minds the beneficial death of our Saviour Christ, chewing it by faith in the cud of their spirit, and digesting in their hearts, feeding and comforting themselves with that heavenly meat, although they daily receive not the sacrament thereof ; and so they eat Christ’s body spiritually, although not the sacrament thereof.” — Third Book ; Of the Presence of Christ.

” Unto the faithful, Christ is at his own holy table, present with his mighty Spirit and grace, and is of them more fruit- fully received than if corporally they should receive him bodily present : and, therefore, they that shall worthily come to this God’s board, must, after due trial of themselves, consider first who ordained this table ; also what meat and drink they shall have that come thereto, and how they ought to behave them- selves thereat. He that prepared the table is Christ himself ; the meat and drink wherewith he feedeth them that come thereto as they ought to do, is his own body, flesh and blood. They that come thereto must occupy their minds in considering how his body was broken for them, and his blood shed for their redemption ; and so ought they to approach to this heavenly table, with all humbleness of heart and godliness of mind, as to the table wherein Christ himself is given.” — Fourth Book ; Of the Eating and Drinking.

” First, where they allege the catholic church to have taught concerning the supper, the doctrine of transubstantiation, of Christ’s real and carnal presence, dearly beloved, know that this is a manifest lie. For as the catholic church never knew of it for nine hundred years at the least after Christ’s ascen- sion ; so after that time no Church did obstinately defend,

cruelly maintain, and wilfully wrest the scriptures, and doctors, for the establishing of it, save only the popish church and

their own doctors, Duns and Gabriel do teach This is a

sacrament and not a sacrifice ; for in this using it as we should, we receive of God obsignation and full certificate of Christ’s body broken for our sins, and his blood shed for our iniquities.” — Currying of Christ’s Cross.

” And besides, that with such additions they thought to garnish the supper of the Lord, peradventure of a good intent, they have almost utterly lost the principal points of the remem- brance of the supper : so that now the right name of it is altered, and no more called the Lord’s supper, but is called mass, which name is both strange and unknown in the scrip- ture : yea, and that worse is, it is named a sacrifice that may

be done for other folks Hereof was renewed the dangerous

idolatry, that we ran unto the mass as to a special work, think- ing there to fetch all salvation, which we should have looked for only at Christ’s hand.” — Defence of a Certain Poor Christian Man.

” This sacrifice is a spiritual meat. For as corporal meat, when it findeth a belly occupied with adverse and corrupt humours, doth both hurt the more, noy the more, and helpeth nothing at all ; so this spiritual meat likewise, if it findeth any man polluted with malignity and evil, shall destroy him the more, not of the own nature of it, but through the fault of him

that rcceiveth it Ye must give serious diligence that ye

eome unto this table of the Lord with a fervent desire, witli an hungry stomach, with a greedy mind, and with a thirsty soul.

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to the hungry soul, as the most blessed virgin saith, ’ He hath filled the hungry with good things, but the rich hath he let go

empty away.’ Therefore, when we sit down to receive the

sacrament of the body of Christ, call stiaightways to your remembrance the death of Christ. Remember that his body

M-as broken for you upon the altar of the cross. Remember that he ’ offered himself a sweet-smelling sacrifice to God ’ the

Father for the abolishment of all your sins In consideration

whereof ye now receive the holy mysteries of Christ’s body and blood, because ye should nothing doubt of the remission of your sins, and of the favour of God toward you, as Christ himself witnesseth, ’ He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life, and I shall raise him up in the last day. For my flesh is very meat, and my blood is very drink. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me,

and I in him.’ So shall it come to pass, that with the

receiving of the sacrament ye shall also receive all the benefits, gifts and graces of Christ, if ye believe ; so that not only Christ is become altogether yours, but also all that ever he hath besides is yours, as St. Paul saith ; ’ He that hath not spared his own Son, but gave him for us all, how is it possible that he also should not give us all things with him ?’ 0 the inestima- ble treasures that lie bent out in the most holy sacrament of the body and blood of Christ for the faithful ! Blessed is he that is a faithful guest of this celestial table. Blessed is he that with a pure faith and sincere charity eateth the body of his Lord.

Such one may be sure to dwell in Christ and Christ in

him.” — Potation for Lent.

” ’ Even as images are wont to be called (as St. Austin saith) by the names of those things whereof they are images, as when we behold a table or wall painted, we say, that is Cicero, that is Sallustius ;’ so likewise, forasmuch as the celebration of the Lord’s supper is a certain representative image of the passion of Christ, which is the alone true sacrifice, therefoi-e the holy fathers many times call the Lord’s supper a sacrifice. Now if the Lord’s supper be not properly a sacrifice, but only a memorial of the true sacrifice which is the passion and death of Christ ; how the massing papists brag that their mass (in the which many things are done contrary to the institution of Christ) is a propitiatory, satisfactory, and expiatory sacrifice for the sins of the quick and of the dead? The papists

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greatly abused the Lord’s supper while they made of it a gazing-stock, by carrying it about in pnblic processions, or by heaving and lifting it up above their heads, to make it a spectacle to the people ; by this means provoking them unto the wor- shipping of it, and so to fall unto idolatry, unto the great danger of their soul health. For this sacrament was not ordained of the Lord Jesu to be carried about like a puppet, as the manner is in the pope’s wicked kingdom, nor to be made an heave-offering, as the papists use in their masses ; but to be me.it unto the faithful, and to be broken and eaten in the

remembrance of Christ’s passion and death Neither is this

custom so greatly old, but brought in as it may appear, of Pope Honorius the Third, about the year of our Lord one thousand

two hundred and twenty-two Yes, verily, divers,” (errors

are there) ” but three principally. The first is the doctrine of

transubstantiation thrust into the church by Pope

Innocent the Third in the year of our Lord one thousand

two hundred and fifteen Whereas the holy scripture calleth

the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ bread and wine ; this doctrine of transubstantiation teacheth plainly that there

is neither bread nor wine This word transubstantiation

(meaneth) a conversion or changing of a thing from its own natural substance into the substance of another creature, as if

chalk should be changed into cheese, or a fox into a friar

The second error is the doctrine of the papists concerning the corporal presence of Christ in the sacrament, as he was born of Mary the Virgin, and hanged on the cross. This must needs follow of the doctrine of transubstantiation. For if the sub- stance of bread and wine be turned into the substance of the natural body and blood of Christ, then must this doctrine also be true, that Christ is in the sacrament really, naturally, substantially, corporally, &c. ; yea, that the sacrament is the true, real, natural, corporal and substantial body of Christ. But as the doctrine of transubstantiation is vain and false, so likewise the doctrine of Christ’s corporal presence in the sacra- ment is most vain, false, and erroneous The third error the

papists teach (is) that not only the faithful and godly, hut also the unfaithful and wicked eat and drink in the sacrament the body and blood of Christ.” — Catechism of the Lord’s Supper.

” The other sacrament of Christ’s church is the sacrament of the Lord’s supper, which some have called the sacrament of the altar, some the sacrament of the holy table ; some the sacrament of bread and wine ; but we most properly call it the

sacrameDt of the body and blood of Christ We say and

believe, that we receive the body and blood of Christ truly, and not a figure or sign ; but even that body which suffered death on the cross, and that blood which was shed for the forgiveness of sins. So saith Christ, (John vi.) ’ My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.’ And again, ’ Except ye eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.’ We say there is no other substantial food of our souls, and that he is divided among all the faithful ; and that he is void of salvation and the grace of Christ whoso- ever is not partaker of his body and blood Yet, lest haply

any should be deceived, we say, this meat is spiritual, and therefore it must be eaten by faith, and not with the mouth of

our body ’ This is my body and this is my blood.’ These

words you say are plain. Christ saith, ’ My Father is greater than L’ His words are plain, yet did the Arians gather thereof

an heresy Christ saith of John Baptist, ‘This is Elias

which was to come.’ He saith not he doth signify Elias

John saith of Christ (Matt, v.) ’ He will baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.’ These words are plain ; yet hereof some raised this error, that children at the time of their bap- tism should be marked in the forehead with a hot iron. St. Paul saith, (2 Cor. v.) ’ He hath made him to be sin for us, which knew no sin.’ The words are plain ; yet Christ never

sinned These speeches and infinite others the like are plain,

open, and evident ; yet are they not true as the words sound them literally We see the bread and wine ; but with the

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eyes of our understanding we look beyond the creatures ; we reach our spiritual senses into heaven, and behold the ransom and price of our salvation, we do behold in the sacrament not

what it is, but what it doth signify When we speak of the

mystery of Christ, and of eating his body, we must shut up and

abandon all our bodily senses In this work we must open

all the inner and spiritual senses of the soul, so shall we not only sec his body, but hear him, and feel him, and taste him, and eat him. This is the mouth and feeding of faith. By the hand of faith we reach unto him, and by the mouth of faith we receive his body.” — On the Sacraments.