Loaf tho made of many Grains of Wheat And this Communion of Fellowship we Christians have one with another in the Lord's Supper Where we all drink of the same Cup and eat of the same Bread 21. But 't is no more lawful to Joyn in the Religious Feasts of Christians and in the Idolatrous Feasts of Pagans than 't is to Worship the True God and False Gods The Wine drank in the Lord's Supper is the Cup of the Lord the Wine drank in the Idolatrous Feasts is the Cup of Devils or False Gods The Table at which we celebrate the Lord's Supper may be call'd the Lord's Table the Table at which they celebrate the Idol-Feasts may be call'd the Table of Devils But as we must not worship Devils and God so neither may we drink the Cup of the Lord and the Cup of Devils We may not be partakers of the Table of the Lord and the Table of Devils Therefore Christians must not Paganize must not be partakers in the Idolatrous Feasts of Pagans the Lord's Supper being the Christians Religious Feast and we must not Worship the True God and False Gods V. 1 Cor. 11.17 34. IN this Chapter the Apostle reproves the Corinthians for their Misrepresentation and Prophanation of the Lord's Supper which were introduced to the great Scandal and Danger of Christianity by the vicious Disorders they were guilty of at those Entertainments which were made before the Celebration of the Lord's Supper among them as the Paschal Entertainment was before the Celebration of it by Christ and his Apostles 17. AS to what I hear is done by you at the Celebration of the Lord's Supper saith St. Paul I cannot either Justify or Excuse it because by your disorderly Behaviour 〈◊〉 so Solemn an Occasion you are Guilty of intolerable Wickedness and Prophaneness and are not upon the whole the better for the Religious Duty but the worse for your gross Immoralities 18. I am informed and have too much Reason to believe the Information that in your Assemblies there are unfriendly and scandalous Animosities among You. The Judaizing Christians entertain those who are of their own Perswasion with an unchristian Partiality neglecting those who being Gentile Converts differ from them Acts 15. and Acts 18 1 11. and not only Violate Charity at their Feasts of Charity but also Indulge Themselves to an Excess which is Inexcusable at all Times and Intolerable at this 19. Diversity of Opinions in Matters of Religion there will be among the Professors of it But by their Good and Religious Behaviour on such Occasions those who are Truly Religious will be distinguished from Others 20. Those who are not Truly Religious will by their unchristian and vicious Behaviour expose Themselves and their Religion And when They in that Vicious Manner partake of the Lord's Supper they Provoke God's Wrath against them for Prophaning his Institution 21. At the previous Entertainment They allow in Themselves malicious Animosity and shameful Excess This is inexcusably Prophane and Irreligious 22. That eating and drinking which is for the Use and Necessity of Nature should be in your Private Houses and according to the Measures of Sobriety But not to have so much distinguishing Regard for the Lord's Supper as not to Abstain from gross Immoralities when you are about to Celebrate the Lord's Supper This is a very high Contempt of Religion and of the Son of God our Saviour 23. THAT which I have Taught you concerning the Celebration of the Lord's Supper I was Taught by Jesus Christ himself the Author of our Religion and of our Salvation And that is this The Lord Jesus Christ in the Eve of that Day on which he Dy'd Celebrated the Jewish Passover with his Disciples and closed that Solemnity eating Bread and drinking Wine with Thanksgiving unto God for the deliverance Commemorated thereby according to the custom and usage of the Jews Luke 22.15 18. 24. After this he took Bread again and holding it in his Hand he gave Thanks unto God in a form of words suitable to the Nature of this Institution and the Design of his Death at which the new State of Religion under the Messiah called the Kingdom of God and the New Testament or Covenant was set up By which the great Propitiation for Sin was made and the Salvation of Men was effected and having broken the Bread he gave it to his Disciples and said Take and eat this This Action is the Memorial of my Death which I Suffer for you and for mankind Do this therefore in Remembrance of Me. 25. Also after the Passover was ended he took a Cup of Wine and holding it in his Hand he gave Thanks again unto God in a form of words suitable to the Nature of the Institution and the Design of his Death And gave the Cup to his Disciples saying This Action is the Memorial of my Death at which the Blood of the New Testament or Covenant Ex. 24.8 is shed and the State of Religion under the Messiah is set up And the great Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World is made Drink this therefore in Remembrance of Me. 26. THUS says the Apostle as often as Christians eat this Bread and drink this Wine of the Lord's Supper in obedience to the command of our blessed Lord they do a solemn Action in Remembrance of him and his Death until he come again at the last Day Acts 1.11 27. Therefore whosoever shall perform this sacred Action and celebrate the Memorial of Christ and his Death so unworthily as not to distinguish it from the Paschal Supper or even from a sober Feast are liable to the Judgments of God as if in a Sort they were Guilty of the Death of his Son 28. Let every one then Approve himself to Go◠by a truly Religious performance of this solemn Duty 29. For he that performs it so unworthily as by his Immoralities of Malice and Intemperance at the very time to Prophane it will unavoidably bring the Judgments of God upon himself for so doing not distinguishing the Lord's Supper from all other eating and drinking by a religious and devout Celebration of it 30. And indeed 't is for the Prophanation of the Lord's Supper that some of You are Sick and others Dead The sickness and death among you are the Judgments of God upon you for this wickedness 31. But if ye would reform these Miscarriages God would withhold those Judgments 32. For God sends these Judgments upon you in order to your Amendment That you may not at last be eternally damned for your Impenitency 33 34. Wherefore Brethren my Exhortation to you is That at your Entertainments before the Lord's Supper ye receive one another with Charity and Christian Friendship And that every one be sure to eat and drink with exact Temperance And as for other Matters I will give you Advice when I see you FINIS BOOKS Printed for William Rogers at the Sun against St. Dunstan 's Church in Fleetstreet ARchbishop Tillotsons's Sermons of the Stedfastness in Religion of Family-Religion of Education of Children and the Advantage of an early Piety Twelves Price 1 s. 6 d. Persuasive to Frequent Communion in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper Octavo Price Stitched 3 d. Discourse against Transubstantiation Octavo Price 3 d. 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A PLAIN and SHORT DISCOURSE Concerning the NATURE OF THE Lord's Supper AND THE END of Celebrating it To which is added A PARAPHRASE of all those Places in the New Testament wherein the Lord's Supper is mentioned By JOHN JEFFERY D. D. Arch-Deacon of Norwich LONDON Printed for W. Rogers at the Sun against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet 1699. A PLAIN and SHORT DISCOURSE Concerning the Nature of the Lord's Supper IT has with great wisdom been always judged fit That men should be admitted into the Fellowship of that Religion they profess by some solemn Rite of Initiation and that men should be frequently reminded how their Religion obliges them to live by repeated Ceremonies of Commemoration So it was in all the false Religions that were invented by men and so it has been in the true Religions that were established by God Thus men were admitted into the Fellowship of the Jewish Religion by Circumcision and were reminded of the Obligations of their Religion by the three yearly Festivals We Christians are admitted into the Fellowship of our Religion by Baptism and we are reminded of the Obligations of it by the Lord's Supper There is but one Baptism as there is but one Admission We are Baptized but once because we are admitted into the Number of the Disciples of Christ but once To pretend to receive those into the Church of God who are in it already is absurd and therefore we are but once Initiated But as 't is necessary that they who profess the true Religion should live according to it So because men are apt to forget and neglect their Religion therefore it is requisite they should be often put in mind of the Obligations they are under from their Religion and that they be often persuaded to live as they are obliged For this great and wise Purposé the Lord's Supper is appointed viz. For a Solemn Remembrance of the setting up the Religion by the Son of God our Saviour at his Death That by such a sensible Commemoration we may be prevailed with to live as Christians I shall First Manifest this to be the Design of our Blessed Lord in appointing his Supper And Secondly Draw some Instructions from thence concerning the Celebrating of the Lord's Supper First I shall manifest this to be the Design of our Blessed Saviour in appointing his Supper by it to remind his Disciples of the Obligations they are under from his Religion and to persuade them to live according to those Obligations The Design of our Saviour in this Institution will best be understood by the words he used when he first appointed it and the meaning of those words must be gathered from the use of them in the Holy Scripture And what I have to say to this purpose I shall comprehend in the following Particulars 1. The Jewish Religion when it was set up was called the Covenant and since with respect to the Christian Religion the First and Old Covenant The Christian Religion also is called the Covenant and by way of distinction from the Jewish Religion 't is called the Second and New Covenant That the Jewish Religion was called the Covenant see Exod. 24.8 and the word which we there translate Covenant is in the Translation of the LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same which is the Title of the Two Volumes of the Scriptures the Jewish and Christian and when used in those Scriptures is translated by Covenant or Testament As the Jewish Religion considered absolutely in it self is called the Covenant Heb. 8.6.9 10. and Heb. 9.16 17. Heb. 8.7 v. 8. so compared unto the Christian Religion is called the First and Old Covenant or Testament and the Christian Religion is called the Second and New Covenant or Testament If the first Covenant had been faultless then should no place have been sought for the second For finding fault he saith Behold the days come saith the Lord when I will make a New Covenant c. and Jerem. 31.31 34. In that he saith a New Covenant he hath made the first old c. Thus as the Jewish Religion is called the First and Old Covenant or Testament so the Christian Religion is called the Second and New Covenant or Testament And this Title is given to the Books in which the Doctrine of the Christian Religion is contained The New Testament or Covenant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to distinguish it from the Jewish Religion and the Books in which the Doctrine of that Religion is contained which is called the Old Testament or Covenant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a Law Vid. Grot. ad Tit. N.T. and a Covenant and a Testament or Last Will. A Law has the nature of a Covenant and a Covenant has the Nature of a Law as Aristotle observes And so we sometimes speak calling the Jewish Religion the Old Law and the Christian Religion the New Law And as a Covenant lays upon men such an Obligation as a Law does so when the Covenant is between Superiors and Inferiors and especially when it is between God and men it comes nearer to the nature of a Law A last Will or Testament has also the nature of a Covenant and a Law for it obliges those who are concerned according to its Tenor and they who would receive any Benefit from such a Will or Testament must perform the Conditions required in it And as both these Religions were established by Blood and the Christian Religion was established by the Death of Christ so the New Covenant has the similitudes of a Will or Testament Heb. 9.16 For where a Testament is there must also of necessity be the death of the Testator whose Will and Testament it is 2. The Jewish Religion or the Old and First Covenant or Testament was set up by Sacrifice and the Blood of the Sacrifice is called the Blood of the Covenant The Christian Religion or New and Second Covenant or Testament was also set up by Sacrifice i. e. the Death of Christ and his Blood is called the Blood of the Covenant and distinctly The Blood of the New Covenant or Testament The Jewish Religion the Old and First Covenant or Testament was set up by Sacrifice therefore God says concerning the Jews Psal 50.5 Gather my Saints together unto me those that have made a Covenant with me by Sacrifice And how that was done we may see Exod. 24.3 Moses the Mediator of that Covenant between God and the Jews came and told the People all the Words of the Lord and all the Judgments and all the People answered with one voice and said Exod. 24.7 All the words which the Lord hath said will we do The words of this Covenant Moses wrote in a Book and offered Sacrifice and took the Book of the Covenant and Read in the Audience of the People v. 6. and they said All that the Lord hath said will we do and be obedient And as Moses
Remembrance of Him As often as we eat this Bread and drink this Wine we do shew forth the Lord's Death by which we are obliged to Repent and live Religiously i. e. Soberly Righteously and Godly and by which the Religious are assured of the Pardon of their Sins and of Eternal Happiness Amen A PARAPHRASE upon all the Places of the New Testament in which the Lord's Supper is mentioned viz. Matth. 26.26 30. And Mark 14.22 26. And Luke 22.19 20. And 1 Cor. 10.15 16 17 21. And 1 Cor. 11.17 f. As for John 6. In that Discourse the Lord's Supper was not 〈…〉 was it till a considerable time after that Discoâ—… 〈◊〉 Institued At the time of that Discourse there was no such thing as the Lord's Supper to be spoken 〈◊〉 If the Agreeableness of the Phrases used in that discourse John 6. with the Phrases used in The Institution of the Lord's Supper prove that discourse John 6. to be a description of the Lord's Supper then may the like agreeableness of Phrases used Isa 25.6 and at the Institution of the Lord's Supper prove that of the Prophet to be a Prediction concerning the Lord's Supper But in truth there is no such agreeableness of the Phrases used John 6. and those used at the Institution of the Lord's Supper At the Institution of the Lord's Supper our Saviour said of the Bread This is my Body and John 6. our Saviour called his Body Bread as in the Lord's Supper he called Bread his Body John 6.5 14. Our Saviour fed the People with a miraculous multiplication of Loaves and v. 26. he complained that they followed him v. 22 25. not for Instruction but for the Loaves And as his custom was John 4.7 10 13 14 and v. 8 31 32 33 34. taking a Similitude from the occasion v. 27. calls his Doctrine Bread and exhorts them to mind that Doctrine His Hearers not regarding his manner of Speech gave a further occasion to him to enlarge upon it and to explain it When they spake of that Manna the Bread from Heaven which their Forefathers eat v. 31. Our Saviour therefore calls himself the Bread that came down from Heaven v. 32 33. and their Conference proceeds in that form of speech v. 34 35 41 42 47 52. though eating that Bread was nothing but believing that Doctrine v. 28 29 36 40. And because the People said v. 52. How can this man give us his flesh to eat he adds v. 53 58. under the same similitude the necessity of believing in him as their Saviour And because they objected that it was impossible to do what he said was necessary viz. using still the first similitude of eating his flesh he cells them v. 〈…〉 That they mistook him for he meant only 〈◊〉 spiritual sense viz. To receive him as the promiseâ— Messiah In Matth. 26. he calls Bread 〈◊〉 Body and John 6. he calls his Body Bread If the Bread is his Body because he called it so then with as good reason his Body was Bread because he called it Bread Is the Bread in the Lord's Supper Chrsst's Body And when we eat That Bread Do we eat his Body Then is Christ's Body Bread 〈◊〉 And 't was Bread which lived in Judea and taught out Religion and wrought Miracles 'T was Bread that Died and Rose again and Ascended into Heaven as it came down from thence Joh. 〈◊〉 31. But both are absurd Suppositions and both are only Forms of Speech In Joh. 6. there is not one Word concerning the Lord's Supper And the other Places of the New Testament are all in which the Lord's Supper is spoken of I. Matth. 26.26 30. V. 26. AS Christ was born in the Jewish Nation so he lived according to the Jewish Religion and with his Disciples who were also Jews kept their Passover The Institution whereof you may read Ex. 12. And it was at the time of the Passover that Christ dy'd As Christ and his Disciples were eating the Passover together Jesus took Bread according to their Custom He being the Chief of the Company and brake it in pieces and gave it to the Disciples using these words as he delivered it Take and Eat And to distinguish this Bread which he gave his Disciples at the Passover-Supper from that Morsel of Bread which was usually eaten by the 〈◊〉 at the Passover with a particular Thanksgiving Christ added This is my Body i. e. This Bread which I now give you is not any Part of the Passovers as the 〈◊〉 being Jews might be apt to imagineâ— says Christ This is an Appointment of my own v. 27. Also he took a Cup full of Wine aâ— it was Customary for the Jews to do at the Passover giving Thanks unto God at the drinking of it and Christ gave Thanks unto God and gave the Cup to his Disciples and bid them every one drink of it And v. 28. To distinguish this his Cup of Blessing from that which was used by the Jews at their Passover and which they also call'd the Cup of Blessing or Thanksgiving Christ added This is my Blood of the New Testament i. e. Whereas the Blood of that Sacrifice which was offered when the Old Testáment or Covenant i. e. the Jewish Religion was set up Ex. 24.8 was called by Moses the Blood of that Covenant or Testament Christ called his Blood the Blood of the New Testament or Covenant and this Blood was to be shed at his Death when the Christian Religion was to be set up And this Wine which was intended as a Memorial of his Death is called his Blood as the Sign bears the Name of the Thing signified Christ adds that this Blood of his was to be shed not for Jews only as the Blood of the Old Covenant or Testament was but for the Gentiles also for all Nations and therefore for many All Men under this Dispensation were to be received into the Number of the People of God being obliged to repentance and amendment of Life and upon those terms assured of Remission of Sins and eternal Happiness v. 30. And when they had sung an Hymn according to the Custom of the Passover they departed II. Mark 14. 〈◊〉 26. v. 22. AS Christ and his Disciples were eating the Passover v. 12 28. He took Bread and gave Thanks to God or Blessed him and brake the Bread and gave it to his Disciples â—…sing these Words at the giving of it this is my Body i. e. The Bread which I give you to eat is not any Part of the Passover but is an Appointment of mine v. 23. Christ also took a Cup of Wine and after he had given Thanks unto God he gave the Cup to his Disciples and they all drank of it 24. But when he delivered the Cup to them he told them what he meant by it saying unto them This is my Blood of the New Testament i. e. The Old Testament or Covenant was established or the Jewish Religion was set up by the Blood of the