** 8 not for private Subjects to alter the Laws of a Land, nor for a powerful Man to supersede the Commands of his Prince; nor may a Bishop cancel the least Law of our

Lord, nor the highest Prelate, though called a Pope, make void the

least Part of the Institutions of Jesus. What he enacts must remain in Force, till he revokes it ; and what he hath established to be ob-

| served till he comes, must continue to the End of the World. Tis

upon this Account that the Laity are allowed the Cup at the Sacra-

ment. For, He took the Cup, and gave thanks, and gave it

to them, saying, Dink ye all of it.

Which speaks the Sense of the Thirtieth Article, which declares, that © the Cup of the Lord is not to be deny d to the Lay- People; for both the Parts of the Lord’s Sacrament, by Christ’s Ordinance and Commandment, ought to be minister’d to all Christian Men „“ alike ”. Let us consider,

]. The Right the People have to the Cup of the Lord : It is not to be denied to Lay-People

II. Christ hath ordained and commanded, that Both Parts of his Supper should be minister’d to all Christian Men.

I. The Right the People have to the Cup of the Lord, is so good and strong, that it ought not to be denied them. They are Part of the Flock of Christ, the greatest Part by far, and ought to be Partakers of that, which the great Shepherd hath appointed for the Support of their Faith, and their Encouragement in an Holy Life. And ‘tis not left in the Power of any Minister of the Gospel, or any Assembly made up of such, to deprive them of any Part of that, which their Saviour hath bestowed upon them. The Ministers of the Gospel are to feed the Sheep with proper Food in due Season, and may not drive them from the Water of Life, or hinder them when they would fill themselves with it. And therefore unless it could be proved, that our Lord design’d that his Lay-Disciples should not drink at his Supper, but be deny d the Cup, they have a Right to

drink

Thirty Nine ARTICLES. 201 lll

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drink of it for their Spiritual Good, and are bound to prepare themselves Article for it. For they are subject to his Laws, and no Power upon Earth can XXX. excuse them from Obedience. The whole Stress of this Truth lie in this, Whether Christ intended and commanded that the Laity should drink of the Cup, or not? For if it appears by his own Haflituticn that he enjoins them to drink of it, their Right is undoubted , and no Power upon Earth can deny it: For there is no less Authorit required to take it from them, than that which at first granted it to them; and as Christ himself laid the Command upon them, no other than Christ can cancel the Obligation, or make void their Du- ty : For he is Lord of the Houle, and Supreme Governor in his Church; he hath all Power in Heaven and Earth; he openeth and no Man shutteth,and he shutteth and no Man openeth. And all the Com- , bination of Men in Councils, or elsewhere, cannot deprive him of his Regal Power, or exempt the Laity from his Jurisdiction: As he hath given no Power to Men to reverse what he hath established, the Laity remain obliged to be obedient, and will be so to the End of the World; though their Guides should insinuate the contrary, and banish them from their Lord’s Table ; and as they have taken away the Cup, they should take away the Bread also. For the same Usurpation that hath been bold enough to take the Cup from them, may in time become more daring, and with as much Justice, drive them from the whole Communion. Our Lord’s Authority is un- deniable. For be must reign till be bath put all Enemies under his * Cor, 13. Feet; the last Enemy that sball be destroped, is Death. And till?“ then his Ordinances will be in Force, and there will be no altering of them | e

II. Both Parts of the Sacrament, according to Christ’s Ordinance and Commandment, should be minister’d to all Christian Men: His Commandment is plain, Drink ye all of this ”. And it was thought

so necessary for all that were then present, that our Lord was pleas’d with his own Hands to take the Cup, and give it to his Disciples ; ..—. and in Obedience to him, the Apostles delivered the Cup to all that 5 i communicated with them; as is evident from the Case of the Corin- thians: For though they profaned the Communion to an high De- gree, and betrayed a loose and sensual Spirit, yet it is notorious from thence, that they all drank of the Cup: Some indeed too freely; for otherwise, how was it possible for them to be drunken at it. And 1 as the Abuse is a sufficient Proof, that all the Communicants in the 11 Apostles Times drank of the Cup, we may conclude from thence, that they deprived none of it, but left it as free for the Laity to drink of it, as our Saviour had left it to them. And therefore if our Sa- 9 viour’s Command may be allowed to be in Force, and the Practice 1 of the Apostles conformable to that Command may be produc’d for — Imitation; the Right which the Laity hath to the Cup is as good as i ever it was, and it is unreasonable to deny it to any Person, that is Wil duly qualified for it. According to the Sense of the Apostles, the Bread was a Communion of the Body of Christ, and the Cup a Com- munion of his Blood. And as the Fw thus distinctly — an

An EXPOSITION of the

Article

and a particular Communion alotted to either of them, it seems to be

XXX. very unkind to allow the Laity one Part of Christ , and to den SY — them the other; to grant them Communion in the Bread, and of

1 Tim. 2. 4

is the most that can be said in De

the Body of Christ, and to deprive them of the Cup, and of the Blood of Christ, For his Blood was as well shed in their Behalf, as his Body was crucified ; and their Souls stand in as much need of his Blood, as of his Body for the Remission of Sins, and the Assi- stance of Grace. And as these cannot be without Danger separated in their Application to the Soul, they may not be separated in the Ministration ; for Christ is not divided, his Body and Blood were

both made an Offering for Sin, and purchased Redemption for us; his Body was given for every Christian, and his Blood was shed for every Soul; and for that Reason every one ought to partake of his Body and Blood for their Salvation. For it is our Saviour’s De-

sign that all snould come unto him, and find Rest for their Souls. IW ho will have all Men to be saved, and come unto the Knowledge of the Truth. Whereas then the Authority, which ordained the Use of the Sacrament, hath granted the Cup to the Laity, and they are bound to drink of it; to remove any Sctuples that may arise about it, I will examine the Arguments, by which the Laity are supposed to be justly deprived of the Cup, and observe how conclusive they

may be in the Sight of God. And in this Respect it is said , That our Saviour gave Commandment to the Apostles only to drink of the Cup, there being no other then present ; That the Church can dispense with this, and allow the Laity the Bread only ; and that

the Bread being turned into the Body of Christ, the Laity receive

the Blood with the Bread, by my of Concomitancy. I think this ence of the Refusal of the Cup to

the Laity, which carries any Appearance of Strength. I shall ex-

amine them apart, and shew you the Insufficiency of every one, ot of all together to support such a Charge. |

1. It is said, our Saviour gave the Commandment to the Apostles only, there being then no other present; and consequently his De- sign was, that the Priests should drink of the Cup, and no other. To this I reply, That allowing there were no other than the Apo- stles present with him, when he administred the Sacrament in his

_ own Person, yet he made it an Ordinance for the whole Church, according to his express Command, as St. Paul delivers it to the (Co-

rintbians, and the People as well as Ministers are under the same Obligation: And were this Reason good, the Bread might with as

much Pretence, be denied the LAY as the Cup; for if they are

not permitted to drink of the Cup , because there was no Laity pre- sent ; then for the same Reason, the Laity may not eat of the Bread. And thus the Sacrament, which was appointed for the Use of the whole Church, may be monopoliz’d and turn’d to the peculiar Use of the Priests, there being full as much Reason to deprive the Laity of the Bread, as of the Cup. But if they can out of meer Shame

allow the Laity the Bread, who had no Representatives, when our

Lord administer’d it; they may from meer Conviction yield up B up

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Thirty Nine ARTICLES.

Cup to them, being ordained by our Lord for the Benefit of both Ministers and People. And therefore, tho’ there were none but A- poltles present at the first Celebration, it concerned all that then were, or afterwards should become Christians, and who believed they might obtain Remishon of Sins by the Blood of Jesus, to partake of both Kinds, and to apply to themselves the Merits of his Body and Blood. And however Pretences are started to defend an Abuse, the Priests have no Authority to administer the Sacrament by Halves to the People, or to apply it to themselves in a way quite different from our Sawiour’s Institution. He took the Cup, and sid This ao ye, as oft as ye drink it, in Remembrance of me.

A

Article XXX. GI F

1 Cor. 11. 28.

2. It is pretended, that the Church can dispense with this Insti-

tution, and bar the Laity from the Cup: That She has an Autho- rity, upon weighty Causes, and good and mature Consideration, to

take the Cup from them. To this I return, That the Church can

have no Authority, but from Christ ; and we know of no Grants of his made over to the Church , but in his Word. If then the Text can be produc’d, in which this Power is given, the Con- troversy shall be at an End. But there is no such Grant in his Word, but rather the contrary : For the Institution is to remain in full Force and Power to the End of the World, or till our Lord comes to Judgment. And what Power upon Earth can pretend to an Authority, of Altering.and Changing that, which is to continue in full Force, according to our Lord’s Appointment, to the Last Day ? Can any, in his House and Church, in his Name, and by his Commission , assume an Authority to change his Laws, or to dispense with them, without Offence or Presumption 2? Or, if some are so topping, and bold ; who can, without Scruple, venture his

Soul upon such Decisions, which so manifestly break, and lay aside

the Commandment of God, and set up and ordain the Determination

of Man in the Room of it? If it were written any where, that the

Church, for manifest and weighty Reasons, might change the Sacra-

ments ; we might acquiesce in that, which the Church determines in this Case: But because we no where find such a Superlative

Power granted to her, but that She is © the Pillar and Ground of

; 1 a —

_« [Truth ”, and

3. To

I Tim. 3. 19.

ad.

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An EXPOSITION of the

Article XXX. Nd

3. To salve all the Difficulty, it is added, That there is no need of tlie Cup; for the Laity receive the Blood by way of Concomi- tancy, because they receive the Real Body of Christ. But this is a mere Evasion; for it supposes that Transubstantiation is true, and that the Bread is really turned into the Body of Christ. So that if Transubstantiation is false, there can be no Blood by Concomitan- cy, and the Laity ought notwithstanding to drink of the Cup. But a Blood in the Bread; how can it be a Bloodless Sacrifice, as is maintain’d by those that maintain Transubstantiation ? For it appears very hard to understand, that there should be Blood in that which was Bread for the Laity, and no Blood for the Sacrifice. But besides, if the Laity receive Blood with the Bread, and must eat and drink according to our Saviour’s Institution ; then it will undeniably follow, that Eating is Drinking, and that Drinking is

Eating: For then the Laity drink the Blood, when they eat the

Bread; and eat the Bread, when they drink the Blood. And this being one and the same individual Act, Eating must be Drinking, and Drinking mult be rags > which is absurd in it self, and quite contrary to our Saviour’s Institution ; for he commands us to Eat at one time, and to Drink at another. And certainly, had he intend-

ed we should take but the Bread, he needed not have appointed Two

Phil. 4. 9.

distinct Acts for the Commemoration of his Death, which are so ar- tificially combin’d now. adays into one. But I question very much, whether this Notion of Concomitancy is really admitted, since the Priests themselves will not trust to it. For if their Doctrine were true, the Bread which they eat, has as much Blood in it, as the Laity find in theirs; and They might as well eat and drink that way, as These. As we have Reason on our Side in this Point, we have the best Antiquity also. For St. Cyprian owns in his Time,

That the Cup was administer’d, Plebi, to the Common People; and

adds, That we may not start in the least from the Precepts of the Gospel ; and that the Disciples ought to observe and do the very same, which their Master taught and did. And Aquinas is so in- genuous, as to own, that the Custom of delivering the Cup to the Laity, continued in divers Churches, from the Apostles Time down to his, for the Space of One Thousand Three Hundred Years. ” And if he confesses thus much, we may be sure it ought’ not to have been chang’d to this Day: For it must be safest for us, to keep to the Apostolical Practice, as most agreeable to the Mind of Christ. Those Things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and

seen in me, do; and the God of Peace sball be with you.

By this Article, we may see into the Faithfulness of our Church, and our own inexcusable Neglect. FLEA ELIE

1. The Faithfulness of our Church is highly to be valued , as She maintains the Right of the Laity against Innovators, and gives them the Cup of Blessing to drink. Far be it from her to connive at Popish Principles, or to encourage the Practice of Roman Priests, who deny the Cup to the Laity. She declares against such Innova- | ns; and allows all in her Communion , Men and N to | . rink

Thirty Nine ARTICLES.

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205,

drink of that Cup, by which the Blood of their Lord, which was {shed for them, is remember’d ; and invites, exhorts, and encourages all of Age, to come and partake of it. As the Lord has died for all, and excepted none out of his Gracious Promise ; She is willing that all should know it; all should believe, embrace, and hold fast

Artici XXX. GAYS

that Truth, and partake of the Sacramental Signs, by which it is

conveyed to their Souls. By this ye may be satisfy’d, that those are scandalous Reflections, that are without Cause cast upon her, by which She is represented by designing Men as Popishly inclin’d, and her Ministers as Papists in their Hearts : For She, upon all Occasi- ons, asserts the Apostolical Practice against Popish Innovations; and ue subscribe to such Assertions, and do all that 1s reasonable to sa- tisfy an incredulous World, that we are from the Heart against the Roman Church, and abhor her Principles. Nay, I will add, We are greater Enemies to her than those that dissent from us; and that we oppose her upon Grounds truly Primitive and Apostolical ; which our Enemies, with them, do undermine. As ye know this, ye have Cause to deny the Accusation, when our Church is called opish ; and vindicate her Clergy, when they are abus’d by those, that delight to misrepresent us to the People. I any Man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed ; but let him glorify God in this behalf. To 2. We may see into our own inexcusable Neglect: For whilst our Church reaches the Cup to us, too many of us will not accept it, nor drink of it. We condemn the Roman Church, because She

i Pet. 4. 16.

will not allow the Cup to the Laity ; as if we thought it their

Right, and their pe 4 to drink: And yet when our Church blesses the Cup, and begs of you to accept of it at her Hands ; ye turn away from her, as if it did not belong to you. What strange Behaviour is this > Ye will have the Cup your Right ; and ye will not use that Right. Ye call it your Privilege, to have the Liberty of Drinking; and when it is come to your Turn to drink, ye be- tray an Aversion to it. Should our Church deny you the Cup, ye

would immediately, and with Reason, cry out against her as R.

man: And now She calls upon you to remember your dying Lord, and tells you, tis your Right to Receive, and your Duty, and that it is next to Sacrilege to deprive you of it; ye refuse to come. May God in Mercy open your Eyes, to see into the Grossness of this Neglect; that ye may devoutly practise what ye profess, and may all eat of that Bread, and drink of that Cup; that our Church may rejoice in such Children, and such Children may be the Glory of our Church, and both Pastors and People may in the End be hap-

py. The End of all Things is at hand: Be ye therefore sober, and 1 pet. 5 7:

watch unto Prayer.

Rr 1

An EXPOSITION of th -

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ASD

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