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Chapter 30: Of the Lord's Supper
1. 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 shewing
forth the sacrifice of himself in his death, 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
to him; and to be a bond and pledge of their communion with him, and with
each other.
( 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; 1 Corinthians 10:16, 17,21 )
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; and a
spiritual oblation of all possible praise unto God for the same. So that the
popish sacrifice of the mass, as they call it, is most abominable, injurious
to Christ's own sacrifice the alone propitiation for all the sins of the
elect.
( Hebrews 9:25, 26, 28; 1 Corinthians 11:24; Matthew
26:26, 27 )
3. 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.
( 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, etc. )
4. 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.
( Matthew 26:26-28; Matthew 15:9; Exodus 20:4, 5 )
5. 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,
albeit, in substance and nature, they still remain truly and only bread and
wine, as they were before.
( 1 Corinthians 11:27; 1 Corinthians 11:26-28 )
6. 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, 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.
( Acts 3:21; Luke 14:6, 39; 1 Corinthians 11:24, 25 )
7. Worthy receivers, outwardly partaking of the visible
elements in this ordinance, do then 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.
( 1 Corinthians 10:16; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 )
8. 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; yea, whosoever shall receive
unworthily, are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, eating and drinking
judgment to themselves.
( 2 Corinthians 6:14, 15; 1 Corinthians 11:29; Matthew 7:6
)
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Chapter 30
The Lord's Supper
1. The supper of the Lord Jesus was instituted by him the
same night he was betrayed. It is to
be observed in his churches to the end of the age as a perpetual remembrance and
display of his sacrifice in his death.1 It is given for the confirmation of
the faith of believers in all the benefits of Christ’s death, their spiritual
nourishment and growth in him, and their further engagement in and to all the
duties they owe him. The supper is to
be a bond and pledge of their communion with Christ and each other.2
11 Corinthians 11:23-26. 21
Corinthians 10:16, 17, 21.
2. In this ordinance Christ is not offered up to his
Father, nor is any real sacrifice made at all for remission of sin of the living
or the dead. It is only a memorial of
the one offering Christ made of himself on the cross once for all.3 It is also a spiritual offering of the
highest possible praise to God for that sacrifice.4 Thus, the Roman
Catholic sacrifice of the mass (as they call it) is utterly detestable and
detracts from Christ's own sacrifice, which is the only propitiation for all
the sins of the elect.5
3Hebrews 9:25, 26, 28. 41 Corinthians
11:24; Matthew 26:26, 27.
3. In this ordinance the Lord Jesus has appointed his
ministers to pray and to bless the elements of bread and wine and in this way
to set them apart from a common to a holy use. They are to take and break the bread, take
the cup, and give both to the communicants while also participating
themselves.5
51 Corinthians 11:23-26, etc.
4. Denying the cup to the people, worshipping the
elements, lifting them up or carrying them around for adoration, or reserving
them for some pretended religious use are all contrary to the nature of this
ordinance and to the institution of Christ.6
6Matthew 26:26-28; 15:9; Exodus 20:4, 5.
5. The outward elements in this ordinance, properly set
apart for the use ordained by Christ, have such a relationship to Christ
crucified that they are sometimes called—truly though figuratively—by the
names of the things they represent, that is, the body and blood of Christ.7
However, in substance and nature they
still remain truly and only bread and wine, as they were before.8
71 Corinthians 11:27. 81 Corinthians
11:26-28.
6. The doctrine commonly called transubstantiation teaches
that the substance of bread and wine is changed into the substance of
Christ's body and blood by the consecration of a priest or some other way. This doctrine is hostile not only to
Scripture9 but also to common sense and reason. It destroys the
nature of the ordinance and has been and is the cause of many kinds of
superstitions and of gross idolatries.10
9Acts 3:21; Luke 14:6, 39. 101
Corinthians 11:24, 25.
7. Worthy recipients who outwardly partake of the visible
elements in this ordinance also inwardly by faith—really and truly, yet not physically
and bodily but spiritually—receive and feed on Christ crucified and all the
benefits of his death. The body and
blood of Christ are not present bodily or physically in the ordinance but
spiritually to the faith of believers, just as the elements themselves are present
to their outward senses.11
111 Corinthians 10:16; 11:23-26.
8. All ignorant and ungodly people are unfit to enjoy
communion with Christ and are thus unworthy of the Lord's table. As long as they remain in this condition, they
cannot partake of these holy mysteries or be admitted to the Lord’s table without
committing a great sin against Christ.12 All those who receive the
supper unworthily are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, eating and drinking
judgment on themselves.13
122 Corinthians 6:14, 15. 131
Corinthians 11:29; Matthew 7:6.
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