Trollope on Article XXIX: Of the Wicked which eat not the Body of Christ in the use of the Lord's Supper

The teaching of this Article follows necessarily from that of the preceding, and seals the testimony of our Church against the doctrine of Transubstantiation. If the sacra- mental elements be really changed into the substance of Christ’s body and blood, then all communicants, whether bad or good, are equaJly partakers thereof: but if, on the other hand, Christ is only received in a spiritual manner by means of faith, the wicked, who have no true faith, do not receive him.

2. What is the error against which the Article is directed ?

Romanists are not only compelled to admit that the wicked are partakers of Christ’s body, but they assert,-^ and they are only consistent in so doing, — that Sacramental gpi-ace follows the act of receiving ex opere operato, without respect to the character of the recipient. It is against this fearful position that this Article seems to have been directed.

3. Whence does it appear that the wicked do not partake of Christ in receiving the Lord’s Supper ?

As Sacraments are federal rites, those who receive them without carinfc to perform the covenanted conditions, are in no wise partakers qf Christ, by reason of their joining in the external ceremony. The outward act without the in- ward devotion of the heart is mere hypocrisy, and a pro- fanation of the institution ; so that instead of partaking of the benefits of the death of Christ, *he that eateth and *drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to ‘himself, not considering the Lord’s body * (1 Cor. xi. 29.). To this effect also writes St. John : — * If we say that we ’ have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, * and do not the truth : but if we walk in the light, we have ‘fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ ’ his Son cleanseth us from all sin’ (1 John i. 6, 7.).

4. Will scruples as to receiving the Sacrament unworthily justify a person in abstaining from it altogether ?

The fear of receiving unworthily is no excuse for not receiving at all. Indeed the very fact of not communicating is a most grievous sin. It is a wilful disobedience to the dying command of the Redeemer, and a refusal to ratify our Christian covenant as he has appointed. Those who are fearful of receiving unwortiiily, must ‘repent and < amend/ and so come to the Lord’s Table. There are other wavs of working out our own condemnation, besides ’ eating and diinking’ it.

5. How do you understand the caution given by St. Paul against eating and drinking unwor^ily ?

See Questions on the Idturgy, sect. ix. qu. 38.

6. Give at length the passage from Augustine dted in this Article; with a reference to the treatise in which it occurs.

The passaj^e occurs in the 26th Tract on St. John (0..I8.), and is to the lollowing effect : — * In order to dwell in Christ,

’ and that he may dwell in tte, we muet eat that food, and * drink that dnnk: and he who by tJns means does not

’ dwell in Christ, and Christ in htm, neither spirituaUff

• eats hisjlesh nor drinks his blood, though he oarnallv press ‘with his teeth the Sacrament of the body and blood of ‘Christ. Rather to his own condemnation he eats and ’ drinks the Sacrament of so great a thing, beeause he has ‘presumed to come impure to the Sacraments qf Christ,

• which none receive worthUy, but they who are pure in

• heart (Matt. v. 8.).’

7. Adduce the testimonies of Origen and Jerome to the same effect.

Origen, in his Comment on Matt, zv., speaks thus :— Christ is the true food: whosoever eats him, shall live for ever ; and of him no wicked person can eat : for if it were possible that any^ who continue in sin, shoida eat the Word that was made flesh, it had never been written. Whoso eats this bread shall live for ever. Thus also Jerome (Comment, in Esal. Ixvi.) : — l%e good eat the livina bread which came down from heaven : but the wicked eat aead bread, which is death. And again: — They that are not holy in body and spirit, do neither eat the flesh qf Christ, nor drink his Mood ; qf which he said. He that eats my fleda and drinks my blood, hath eternal life.