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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B08365	A dialogue between a pastor and parishioner, touching the Lord's Supper. Wherein the most material doubts and scruples about receiving that holy sacrament, are removed, and the way thereto discovered to be both plain and pleasant. Very usefull for private christians in these scrupulous times. With some short prayers fitted for that occasion, and a morning and evening prayer for the use of private families / by Michael Altham, Vicar of Latton in Essex.	Altham, Michael, 1633-1705.	1687 (1687)	Wing A2933AB; ESTC R172247	65,705	236

the way You have furnished me with a better notion of Sacraments than I had before and thereby given me so great satisfaction that you shall not need to bespeak my attention hereafter I beseech you therefore since you have well dispatched the notion of Sacraments in general that you would now proceed to that of the Lord's Supper in particular Pastor I shall very willingly comply with your desire and in so doing I shall endeavour to do these two things I. To show you plainly what notion you ought to have of the Lord's Supper II. That the Celebration thereof is a duty incumbent upon us by vertue of a divine Command I. We must look upon this Supper as a Sacrament properly so called I have already shown you what conditions are requisite to constitute such a Sacrament and if I make it appear that all those conditions are to be found in this then may it be justly reckoned as one of that number The Conditions I told you were these four 1. A Divine Institution Now that this holy Supper was instituted and ordained by Christ that it owes its Original to none other but only the Son of God and our Saviour will plainly appear from the concurrent testimonies of St. Matthew St. Mark and St. Luke St. Matthew gives us this account of it As they were eating Jesus took Bread Matth. 26. v. 26 27 28 29 30. and blessed it and brake it and gave it to the Disciples and said Take Eat This is my Body And he took the Cup and when he had given thanks he gave it to them saying Drink ye all of it For this is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins But I say unto you I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the Vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom And when they had sung an Hymn they went out into the Mount of Olives Much to the same purpose is that account which St. Mark gives of it And as they did eat Jesus took bread Mark 14. v. 22 23 24 25 26. and when he had given thanks he brake it and gave it to them and said Take Eat this is my Body Also he took the Cup and when he had given thanks he gave it to them and they all drank of it And he said unto them This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many Verily I say unto you I will drink no more of the fruit of the Vine until that day that I drink it new in the Kingdom of God. And when they had sung an Hymn they went out into the Mount of Olives St. Luke also with little variation gives the same account And he took bread Luke 22. v. 19 20. and when he had given thanks he brake it and gave it to them saying This is my body which is given for you this do in remembrance of me Likewise also after Supper he took the Cup saying This Cup is the New Testament in my blood which is shed for you And if we call in St. Paul to give his suffrage with these three Evangelists we shall find him according with them all in the History of the Sacrament and the Institution of it but most expresly with St. Luke 1 Cor. 11.23 24 25 26. I have received of the Lord that which I also have delivered unto you That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread and when he had given thanks he brake it and said Take Eat This is my body which is broken for you this do ye in remembrance of me After the same manner he took the Cup when he had supped saying This Cup is the new Testament in my blood this do as oft as you drink it in remembrance of me For as often as you eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew or shew ye forth the Lord's Death till he come Thus have I shown you all those Scriptures which give any account of the History of this Sacrament and the institution of it and you see plainly they do all agree that it was ordained and instituted by Christ that it owes its Original to none other but only the Son of God the Lord 's Christ and our Jesus and if so then the first thing requisite for the constitution of a Sacrament properly so called viz. A Divine Institution doth evidently appear in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper 2. The second thing requisite for the constitution of a Sacrament properly so called is a visible sign And that there are such things in the Lord's Supper is visible and apparent for by the words of Institution Bread and Wine which are substantial and visible things are appointed to be the Elements thereof And though these in their own essence and nature do nothing differ from common Bread and Wine yet in regard of their designation and use they do very much differ therefrom For in this holy Supper they are designed for and used as outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace and in respect of that secret thing which is hidden under them and represented by them they become Sacramental 3. The third thing requisite for the constitution of a Sacrament properly so called is a divine promise added to the sign which importing spiritual grace here and eternal life hereafter may firmly unite the sign and thing signified and that this is to be found in the Lord's Supper is plain from the words of institution where the Bread blessed and broken is called the Body of Christ and the Cup the New Testament in his blood which is shed for many for the remission of sins And our Saviour expresly saith John 6.35 I am the bread of life he that cometh unto me shall not hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst And again v. 54 55 56. Whosoever eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day For my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him Which plainly declareth an Union of the sign and thing signified by vertue of a divine word and promise in which Union consists the nature of a Sacrament properly so called 4. The fourth thing requisite for the constitution of a Sacrament properly so called is That it be given to the whole Church as a perpetual sign to continue so long as the external form of divine Worship instituted by God doth remain in that Church Now that this was given to the whole Church appears plainly from the institution of it for the Disciples to whom it was first given were the Representatives of the whole Church And that it was given for perpetuity seemeth plain from those words of our blessed Saviour Matth. 26.29 I say unto you that I will not drink henceforth of this fruit

of this priviledge we are made partakers of the Body and Blood of Christ and all the benefits thereof We are strengthned and refreshed in all grace and goodness and the remission of sins is not only offered but conveyed to every worthy Communicant The consideration whereof as it ought to beget in us a grateful sense of all God's favours and of this in particular so ought it to be an Obligation or Bond of Union between all Christian People For If God so loved us we ought also to love one another 1 John 4. v. 11. Thus have I performed the former part of my promise by shewing you what notion you ought to have of the Lord's Supper That it is a Sacrament properly so called having all the conditions that are or can be thought necessary to constitute such a thing That it is not only a Feast but a Feast upon a Sacrifice and which is more a Feast upon a Sacrifice for Sin. And under such a character as this I hope it will not appear to you with such a frightful visage as you tell me it hath been represented to you heretofore Parishioner No indeed Sir Instead of a dangerous and dreadful Precipice I have a plain path now before me instead of terrible and frightful objects I have a pleasant and delightful prospect instead of affrighting it doth now allure and invite me to it it seemeth to offer me such advantages as I once thought I could never reasonably hope for from it I confess Sir You have mightily relieved my mind by removing that pressure which prejudice and prepossession had put upon it I heartily thank you for the pains you have taken in it and am so well pleased and satisfied therewith that if it be not too great a trouble to you I would humbly beg the performance of the other part of your promise also Pastor No Neighbour Parishioner it will be no trouble to me I am better pleased with doing my duty than to think it so and therefore if you can but be contented to continue your Patience I shall not I hope grow weary of so good a work II. The other part of my promise was To make it evident to you That the Celebration of this holy Feast is a duty incumbent upon all Christians by vertue of a Divine Command And to do this I shall need only to have recourse to the words of institution as they stand recorded by St. Luke and repeated by St. Paul. In the Evangelist the words run thus He took Bread and when he had given thanks he brake it and gave to them saying This is my Body which is given for you This do in remembrance of me Likewise also after Supper he took the Cup saying This Cup is the New Testament in my blood which is shed for you Luk. 22.19 20. The Apostle is somewhat more large taking in the account which the other Evangelists also give of it for he tells the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 11.23 24 25 26. That he had received from the Lord that which he delivered unto them viz. That the Lord Jesus in the same night in which he was betrayed took Bread and when he had given thanks he brake it and said Take Eat This is my Body which is broken for you This do ye in remembrance of me After the same manner also he took the Cup when he had supped saying This Cup is the New Testament in my blood This do as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me For as often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye shew or shew ye forth the Lord's Death until he come These words as they are recorded by St. Luke are indeed directed to the twelve Apostles but then we are to consider that the Apostles in that holy action were the Representatives of the whole Church and therefore to be considered under a double capacity viz. either as Governours and Ministers intrusted by Christ with the power of dispensing and administring the Sacrament or as ordinary and Lay Communicants If we look upon them in the former capacity as Governours of the Church and Stewards of the sacred mysteries then the duty to which they are obliged by the express command of Christ is to take the Bread into their hands to bless and consecrate it to that mysterious and divine use to which he designed it to break it to give it to the Communicants as he gave it to them And so in like manner to take the Cup to bless it and give it to the people Whence it is plain That there is an unavoidable necessity upon them and their Successors to administer this holy Sacrament And if they stand obliged to give it then certainly there must be some who are obliged to receive it And if we look upon them in the other capacity as private men and Lay Communicants we have a plain evidence hereof For it is evident that in that capacity their duty in obedience to the Command of Christ was to take and receive the consecrated Elements of Bread and Wine to Eat and Drink and to do all this in commemoration of his wonderful love in giving his Body to be broken and his Blood to be shed for the sins of the World. But if we will suffer St. Paul who well knew it to explain the mind of his Master the matter will be yet more plain and evident For though he give the same account of the History of the Sacrament and the institution of it as the Evangelists do yet doth he not therein address himself to his Fellow-Apostles or their Successors but to the people of the Church of Corinth thereby plainly showing that the Command of our Blessed Saviour This do doth equally oblige both the one and the other That as the Priest is bound to prepare and give it so the people are bound to prepare and receive it and both by vertue of a divine Command For that these words Do ye this were not spoken by way of Counsel but Command will plainly appear if we consider that whatsoever may be thought requisite to render any expression preceptive and obligatory are to be found in this For 1. There was sufficient power and authority in the person commanding viz. Jesus Christ the Eternal Son of God and our Saviour 2. The Terms in which he is pleased to signify his divine will and pleasure are imperative Do this 3. The obedience which he expects thereunto is to be perpetual till his coming again 1 Cor. 11.26 4. St. Pauls interpretation and application of this command to the Lay Communicants in the Church of Corinth doth plainly speak the design of our blessed Saviour which was to oblige them and all Christians to do this in remembrance of him i. e. to express their thankful acknowledgments of what he did and suffered for them by their dutiful obedience to this Command Thus have I performed the other part of my promise to you and I hope made it sufficiently

plain that the Celebration of this Feast is a duty incumbent upon all Christians by vertue of a Divine Command And if so then how those who pretend to Christianity will at the great and general day of Judgment answer their neglect and refusal of it I wish they would seriously consider But my Friend can you and I reflect upon this as the Command and last Command of our dying Saviour Can we remember that he gave his Body to be broken and his blood to be shed for our sins Can we think of his being made subject to the wrath of God the hatred of Hell and the malice of Man and all this for our sakes and that for all this he requireth no more of us but only to keep a Feast wherein we may solemnly commemorate and perpetuate the memory of what he hath done and suffered for us Can we I say remember all this and yet at the same time be so unkind so ungrateful and so undutiful as to neglect opportunities when offered of paying the tribute of our acknowledgment to our great Saviour and mighty Redeemer To close up this Argument let me only read unto you one place of Scripture and desire you seriously to consider it John 6. v. 54 55 56. Except ye eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my Blood hath Eternal Life and I will raise him up at the last day For my flesh is meat indeed and my Blood is Drink indeed He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my Blood dwelleth in me and I in him The inference from which words as they relate to this holy Feast is plain and easy viz. That as it is highly necessary for all who would be saved to be made partakers of the merits of Christ's Sacrifice and the efficacy of his Death and Sufferings so will it as highly concern them who have an opportunity to do it to partake of the Lord's Supper in order thereunto For those who refuse when they may to receive the tokens and signs of his Body broken and Blood shed for their sins and persist in that refusal and neglect can never hope to be owned and rewarded by him as his Friends Parishioner I must needs own Sir that you have very well acquitted your self in the performance of what you promised I am better instructed in the nature and notion of this holy Sacrament than I was before and am now very well satisfied that the Celebration of it is a duty upon me and all Christians by vertue of a Divine Command But Sir I have still some scruples upon me which if I did not fear I had too much tired you already I would have propounded in order to your resolution of them Pastor Let not any such fear trouble you I neither am nor can be weary of well doing If therefore you have any thing to offer be free in it and assure your self of my utmost endeavour to give you satisfaction Parishioner Sir You oblige me very much and seeing you are pleased to give me that freedom I will presume to make use of it Obj. 1. And the first thing I shall propound and desire to be resolved in is this Whether this duty be so strictly enjoined and so indispensibly required of all Christians that none of them are left at liberty either to Communicate or not as they shall think fit Pastor This Query seems to answer it self for 1. It supposeth the thing in question to be a Duty and if so then it ought to be out of question for every Duty implieth an obligation and every obligation layeth a restraint upon liberty and taketh away the indifferency of the thing it obligeth to To be at liberty therefore either to do or not do a thing must suppose the thing not only to be indifferent in its nature but also to be free from any command or obligation and so consequently to be no duty at all but only a prudential Act which a man may either do or leave undone as he in his discretion shall see cause 2. It supposeth the thing in question to be a Duty enjoined which implyeth a superiour power endued with full and just authority to impose the thing and by that imposition to make it necessary Now that power I have told you is God and that authority Divine which maketh the thing required to be a duty upon us by vertue of a Divine Command So that unless you can assign any power superiour to that of God which can and doth dispense with his Commands you can never fancy to your self any such liberty as you seem here to enquire after These two considerations might suffice to overthrow this pretence of liberty and show the necessity of the thing required but because I would willingly quiet your mind and give you all the satisfaction that I can I shall offer a few things more to your consideration and desire you to spend some serious thoughts upon them 1. Consider the extent of the Command and the unlimited obligation thereof The word of Command Do this is general and indeterminate it reacheth all Christians in all times and in all places and when all are included none are exempted And the obligation of duty and obedience thereunto is as general as the Command For unless we will call in question the power and authority of God and Christ we must needs acknowledge that to whomsoever it is said Do this they stand obliged both in duty and conscience to yield obedience thereunto If therefore the command reach all then the thing commanded must needs be a duty incumbent upon all And indeed I know no other limitation that this divine Command admits of save only one of these two viz. Either want of opportunity as when men are in a Journey in such a place and under such circumstances that though they do earnestly desire it yet can they not for want of an opportunity do the thing they desire Or some just impediment as when one is under a Church-censure or some indisposition which at present he cannot conquer In the former of these Cases men must in the latter they may forbear the doing of the thing required These Cases may limit but they do not lessen the Duty They may suffice as excuses for the present but they will not serve always For so soon as an opportunity can be had and the impediments be removed the obligation will return upon us and in obedience to this Command we ought to apply our selves to the performance of the duty required therein 2. Consider That to disobey the command of God when we have an opportunity and no just impediment to hinder us from yielding obedience thereunto is not only a sin but a sin of a deep die tinctured with so much pride and obstinacy and attended with such aggravations as maketh it not only highly displeasing unto God but if not timely repented of will render it