Selected quad for the lemma: master_n
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A69672
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Baptism and the Lord's Supper substantially asserted being an apology in behalf of the people called Quakers, concerning those two heads / by Robert Barclay.
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Barclay, Robert, 1648-1690.
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1696
(1696)
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Wing B742A; ESTC R20190
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64,146
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145
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it to his own Damnation So also such as observe this Ceremony of Bread and Wine it is to them the Bread of the Lord and the Cup of the Lord because they Use it as a Religious Act And forasmuch as their End therein is To shew forth the Lord's Death and to Remember his Body that was Crucified for them and his Blood that was shed for them If notwithstanding they believe it is their Duty to do it and make it a matter of Conscience to forbear if they do it without that due Preparation and Examination which every Religious Act ought to be performed in then instead of truly Remembring the Lord's Death and his Body and his Blood they render themselves Guilty of it as being in one Spirit with those that Crucified him and shed his Blood though pretending with Thanksgiving and Joy to Remember it Thus the Scribes and Pharisees of Old though in Memory of the Prophets they garnished their Sepulchres yet are said by Christ to be Guilty of their Blood And that no more can be hence inferred appears from another saying of the same Apostle Rom. 14. 23. He that doubteth is damned if he eat c. where he speaking of those that judged it unlawful to Eat flesh c. saith If they eat doubting they eat their own Damnation Now it is manifest for all this that either the doing or forbearing of this was to another that placed no Conscience in it of no moment so I say he that Eateth that which in his Conscience he is perswaded is not lawful for him to Eat doth Eat his own Damnation So he also that placeth Conscience in Eating bread and wine as a Religious Act if he do it Unprepared and without that due respect wherein such Acts should be gone about he Eateth and Drinketh his own Damnation not discerning the Lord's Body i. e. not minding what he doth to wit with a special Respect to the Lord and by way of a special Commemoration of the Death of Christ. § VI. I having now sufficiently shewn what the True Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ is how it is partaken of and how it has no necessary Relation to that Ceremony of bread and Wine used by Christ with his Disciples it is sit now to consider the Nature and Constitution of that Ceremony for as to the proper Use of it we have had occasion to speak before Whether it be a standing Ordinance in the Church of Christ obligatory upon all or indeed whether it be any necessary part of the Worship of the New Covenant-Dispensation or hath any better or more binding Foundation than several other Ceremonies appointed and practised about the same time which the most of our Opposers acknowledge to be ceased and now no ways binding upon Christians We find this Ceremony only mentioned in Scripture in four places to wit Matthew Mark and Luke and by Paul to the Corinthians If any would infer any thing from the frequency of the mentioning of it that will add nothing for it being a matter of Fact is therefore mentioned by the Evangelists And there are other things less Memorable as often yea oftner mentioned Matthew and Mark give only an Account of the Matter of Fact without any Precept to do so afterwards simply declaring that Jesus at that time did desire them to Eat of the Bread and Drink of the Cup To which Luke adds these Words This do in Remembrance of me If we consider this Action of Christ with his Apostles there will appear nothing singular in it for a Foundation to such a strange Superstructure as many in their Airy Imaginations have fought to build upon it for both Matthew and Mark press it as an Act done by him as he was Eating Matthew saith And as they were Eating and Mark And as they did Eat Jesus took bread c. Now this Act was no singular thing neither any solemn Institution of a Gospel Ordinance because it was a Constant Custom among the Jews as Paulus Riccius observes at length in his Celestial Agriculture That when they did Eat the Passover the Master of the Family did take Bread and bless it and breaking gave of it to the rest and likewise taking Wine did the same So that there can nothing further appear in this than that Jesus Christ who fulfilled all Righteousness and also observed the Jewish Feasts and Customs used this also among his Disciples only that as in most other things he laboured to draw their Minds to a further thing so in the use of this he takes occasion to put them in mind of his Death and Sufferings which were shortly to be Which he did the oftner Inculcate unto them for that they were Averse from believing it And as for that Expression of Luke Do this in Remembrance of me it will amount to no more than being the last time that Christ did Eat with his Disciples he desired them that in their Eating and Drinking they might have regard to him and by the Remembring of that opportunity be the more stirred up to follow him diligently through Sufferings and Death c. But what man of Reason laying aside the Prejudice of Education and the Influence of Tradition will say that this Account of the Matter of Fact given by Matthew and Mark or this Expression of Luke to do that in Remembrance of him will amount to these Consequences which the generality of Christians have sought to draw from it as calling it Augustissimum Eucharistiae Sacramentum Venerabile Altaris Sacramentum The Principal Seal of the Covenant of Grace by which all the Benefits of Christ's Death are sealed to Believers and such like things But to give a further Evidence how these Consequences have not any bottom from the Practice of that Ceremony nor from the words following Do this c. let us consider another of the like Nature as it is at length expressed by John c. 13. v. 3 4 8 13 14 15. Jesus riseth from Supper and laid aside his Garments and took a Towel and girded himself After that he poured Water into a Bason and began to Wash the Disciples Feet and to wipe them with the Towel wherewith he was girded Peter saith unto him Thou shalt never Wash my Feet Jesus answered him If I Wash thee not thou hast no part with me So after he had Washed their Feet he said Know ye what I have done to you If I then your Lord and Master have Washed your Feet ye also ought to Wash one anothers Feet For I have given you an Example that ye should do as I have done to you As to which let it be observed that John relates this Passage to have been done at the same time with the other of breaking Bread both being done the Night of the Pass-over after Supper If we regard the Narration of this and the Circumstances attending it it was done with far more Solemnity and prescribed far
more punctually and particularly than the former It is said only As he was Eating he took Bread so that this would seem to be but an Occasional business But here he rose up he laid by his Garments he girded himself he poured out the Water he Washed their Feet he wiped them with the Towel He did this to all of them Which are Circumstances surely far more observable than those noted in the other The former was a Practice common among the Jews used by all Masters of Families upon that occasion but this as to the Manner and Person acting it to wit for the Master to rise up and Wash the Feet of his Servants and Disciples was more singular and observable In the breaking of Bread and giving of Wine it is not pleaded by our Adversaries nor yet mentioned in the Text that he particularly put them into the hands of all but breaking it and blessing it gave it the nearest and so they from hand to hand But here it is mentioned that he Washed not the Feet of one or two but of many He saith not in the former that if they do not eat of that Bread and drink of that Wine they shall be prejudiced by it but here he saith expresly to Peter that if he Wash not him he hath no part with him Which being spoken upon Peter's Refusing to let him Wash his Feet would seem to Import no less than not the Continuance only but even the Necessity of this Ceremony In the former he saith as it were passingly Do this in Remembrance of me but here he sitteth down Again he desires them to consider what he hath done tells them positively that as he hath done to them so ought they to do to one another And yet again he redoubles that Precept by telling them he has given them an Example that they should do so likewise If we respect the Nature of the thing it hath as much in it as either Baptism or the breaking of Bread seeing it is an outward Element of a cleansing Nature applied to the outward Man by the Command and the Example of Christ to signifie an inward purifying I would willingly propose this seriously to Men that will be pleased to make use of that Reason and Understanding that God hath given them and not be imposed upon nor abused by the Custom or Tradition of others Whether this Ceremony if we respect either the Time that it was Appointed in or the Circumstances wherewith it was performed or the Command enjoining the use of it hath not as much to recommend it for a standing Ordinance of the Gospel as either Water-Baptism or Bread and Wine or any other of that kind I wonder then what Reason the Papists can give why they have not numbred it among their Sacraments except meerly Voluntas Ecclesiae Traditio Patrum Object But if they say That it is used among them in that the Pope and some other Persons among them use to do it Once a year to some poor People Answ. I would willingly know what Reason they have why This should not be extended to All as well as that of the Eucharist as they term it or whence it appears from the Text that Do this in remembrance of me should be interpreted that the Bread and Wine were every day to be taken by all Priests or the Bread every day or every week by the People and that that other Command of Christ Ye ought to do as I have done to you c. is only to be understood of the Pope or some other Persons to be done only to a few and that once a year Surely there can be no other Reason for this difference assigned from the Text. And as to Protestants who use not this Ceremony at all if they will but open their eyes they may see how that by Custom and Tradition they are abused in this matter as were their Fathers in divers Popish Traditions For if we look into the plain Scripture what can be thence inferred to urge the One which may not be likewise pleaded for the Other Or for laying aside the One which may not be likewise said against the Continuance of the Other If they say That the former of Washing the Feet was only a Ceremony What have they whence they can shew that this breaking of bread is more If they say That the former was only a Sign of Humility and Purifying What have they to prove that this was more If they say The one was only for a Time and was no Evangelical Ordinance What hath this to make it such that the other wanted Surely there is no way of Reason to evite this neither can any thing be alledged that the one should Cease and not the other or the one Continue and not the other but the meer Opinion of the Affirmers which by Custom Education and Tradition hath begotten in the hearts of People a greater Reverence for and Esteem of the one than the other Which if it had fall'n out to be as much recommended to us by Tradition would no doubt have been as tenaciously pleaded for as having no less Foundation in the Scripture But since the former to wit the Washing of one anothers Feet is justly laid aside as not binding upon Christians so ought also the other for the same Reason § VII But I strange that those that are so Clamorous for this Ceremony and stick so much to it take liberty to dispense with the Manner or Method that Christ did it in since none that ever I could hear of who now do it use it in the same way that he did it Christ did it at Supper while they were eating but they do it in the Morning only by it self What Rule walk they by in this Change Object If it be said These are but Circumstances and not the Matter and if the Matter be kept to the alteration of Circumstances is but of small moment Answ. What if it should be said the Whole is but a Circumstance which fell out at that time when Christ did Eat the Passover For if we have regard to that which alone can be pleaded for an Institution viz. these Words Do this in remembrance of me it doth as properly relate to the Manner as Matter For how may or can they evince in Reason that these Words Do this only signifie Eat Bread and drink Wine but it is no matter when ye eat nor how ye eat it and not as ye have seen me eat at Supper with you who take Bread and break it and give it you and take the Cup and bless it and give it you so do ye likewise And seeing Christ makes no distinction in those Words Do this it cannot be judged in Reason but to relate to the whole Which if it do all those that at present use this Ceremony among Christians have not yet obeyed this Precept nor fulfilled this Institution notwithstanding all their Clamours concerning it Object If