Chapter 32
Of the Lord's Supper
- The supper of the Lord Jesus, was
instituted by Him, the same night wherein
He was betrayed, to be observed in His
churches unto the end of the world, for
the perpetual remembrance, and showing
forth the sacrifice of Himself in His
death,1 confirmation
of the faith of believers in all the
benefits thereof, their spiritual
nourishment and growth in Him, their
further engagement in and to all duties
which they owe unto Him; and to be a bond
and pledge of their communion with Him,
and with each other.2
- In this ordinance, Christ is not
offered up to His Father, nor any real
sacrifice made at all for remission of
sin, of the quick or dead, but only a
memorial of that one offering up of
Himself by Himself, upon the cross, once
for all;3 and a
spiritual oblation of all possible praise
unto God for the same.4 So that the popish sacrifice
of the mass, as they call it, is most
abominable, injurious to Christ's own
only sacrifice the alone propitiation for
all the sins of the elect.
- The Lord Jesus hath in this
ordinance, appointed His ministers to
pray, and bless the elements of bread and
wine, and thereby to set them apart from
a common to a holy use, and to take and
break the bread; to take the cup, and
they communicating also themselves, to
give both to the communicants.5
- The denial of the cup to the people,
worshipping the elements, the lifting
them up or carrying them about for
adoration, and reserving them for any
pretended religious use, are all contrary
to the nature of this ordinance, and to
the institution of Christ.
6
- The outward elements in this
ordinance, duly set apart to the use
ordained by Christ, have such relation to
Him crucified, as that truly, although in
terms used figuratively, they are
sometimes called by the names of the
things they represent, to wit, the body
and blood of Christ,7
albeit in substance and nature, they
still remain truly and only bread and
wine, as they were before.
8
- That doctrine which maintains a
change of the substance of bread and
wine, into the substance of Christ's body
and blood, commonly called
transubstantiation, by consecration of a
priest, or by any other way, is repugnant
not to Scripture alone,9 but even to common sense and
reason, overthroweth the nature of the
ordinance, and hath been, and is the
cause of manifold superstitions, yea, of
gross idolatries.10
- Worthy receivers outwardly partaking
of the visible elements in this
ordinance, do them also inwardly by
faith, really and indeed, yet not
carnally and corporally, but spiritually
receive, and feed upon Christ crucified
and all the benefits of His death: the
body and blood of Christ being then not
corporally, or carnally, but spiritually
present to the faith of believers in that
ordinance, as the elements themselves are
to their outward senses.
11
- All ignorant and ungodly persons, as
they are unfit to enjoy communion with
Christ, so are they unworthy of the
Lord's table, and cannot, without great
sin against Him, while they remain such,
partake of these holy mysteries, or be
admitted thereunto:12
yea, whosoever shall receive unworthily,
are guilty of the body and blood of the
Lord, eating and drinking judgment to
themselves.13
Footnotes:
1. 1Co
11:23-26.
2. 1Co
10:16-17,21.
3. Heb
9:25-26,28.
4. 1Co
11:24; Mt 26:26-27.
5. 1Co
11:23-26.
6. Mt
26:26-28; 15:9; Ex 20:4-5.
7. 1Co
11:27.
8. 1Co
11:26-28.
9. Ac
3:21; Lk 24:6,39.
10.
1Co 11:24-25.
11.
1Co 10:16; 11:23-26.
12.
2Co 6:14-15.
13.
1Co 11:29; Mt 7:6.
©1998 Limerick Free
Baptist Church
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Free
Baptist Church of Limerick