or think that I can get Christ A. Christ resolveth thee Mark 9.23 If thou canst beleeve all things are possible to him that beleeveth Q. What doth that teach thee A. Three things 1. I must have saving faith that I may get Christ seeing He is freely offered 2. I must take that bread and that wine otherwise I both refuse the means by which Christ is truly given in this Sacrament unto the faithfull and also I refuse Christ who now offereth Himselfe unto me 3. And if I now take not Christ He will take vengeance of me in flaming fire for not observing this part of the Gospell yea which is its greatest part of it 2 Thes 1.7.8 Eate Q. What doth this import A. 1. By faithfull receiving of that bread I get the true life giving bread Christ Joh. 6.47 compared with v. 50. 2. That Christs flesh is meat indeed to all faithfull hungring souls Ioh. 6.55 And whosoever eateth of it shall live for ever v. 58. 3. As with my bodily mouth I must cat that bread which is the signe that my body may live so with my soules mouth faith I must eat the thing signified which is Christ that my soule may live for ever Ioh. 6.51 4. As my body cannot live ordinarily wanting bread which strengthneth our heart Ps 104.15 So nor my soule wanting Christ who is the true bread that came downe from heaven and giveth life unto the world Ioh. 6.33 5. As bread is not food to my body unlesse I cat it So nor Christ is food to my soul unlesse I eat him by faith for no promise profiteth unlesse it be received by faith Heb. 4.2 6. The fearfull condition of such who refuse it Prov. 1.24 c. much more who despise it Heb. 10.28.29 7. The godlessenesse of Papists and Lutherans who eat not their thin wafer but keep it whole in their mouth Q. Did Judas eat that sacrament all bread A. Weigh well Luk. 22.19 ad 24. and its probable that he did eat it Q. Did not our Saviour call Judas a Divell Joh. 6.70 A. Yes yet he ate only the bread of the Lord but not the bread the Lord. Q. What learnest thou hence A. I may not abstaine from this S. Supper though all communicants be not alike holy for their unholinesse can not hurt me if I be not accessary unto it Deut. 24.16 Ier. 31.30 Ezek. 18.20 Gal. 6.5 This is my body Q. Doe not those words prove clearly either transubstantiation as Papists affirme that is that that bread is changed into the body of Christ or consubstantiation that Christs body is in with under that bread as Lutherans say A. There is no necessity that Christ should be bodily present in this Sacrament neither in respect of this Sacrament it selfe nor yet of these words of Christ This is my body which is thus proved 1. Christs bodily presence is not necessary in respect of this Sacrament it selfe for if we be truly faithfull we may and doe attaine unto this Sacraments foure ends although Christs humane body be in heaven 2. This Sacraments first end is to remember Christ as his owne words doe witnesse Doe this in remembrance of me now this Sacrament it selfe puts all faithfull receivers in remembrance of Christ and His very words Do this in remembrance of me doe evidently shew Christs bodily absence for we remember absent not present friends 3. Its second end is to shew Christs death till He come This we can do though His body be absent And Till He come demonstrates His bodily absence 4. Its third end is to unite us unto Christ This union is partly reall and partly relative our reall union with Christ is by faith for Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith Ephes 3.17 And Christ lives in us and we live in Him by faith Gal. 2.20 And this is called our putting on the Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 13. ult to be our wedding garment Mat. 22.11 Our relative union with Christ is like that union between a man and his wife for we are espoused to Christ 2 Cor. 11.2 and married to Him Ier. 3.14 Hos 2.19.20 A wife is flesh of her husbands flesh and bone of his bone Gen. 2.23 although they were ten thousand miles asunder 5. This Sacraments most principall end is to seal the Covenant of Grace for encrease of and strengthning our faith Rom. 4.11 But by Papists Transubstantiation and Lutherans Consubstantiation our faith would be much weakned for which of these two are easiest to be beleeved that we get Christ by faith which all S. Scriptures affirme Ioh. 1 12. 3.16.18 6.29.40.47 11.25.26 Or that a bit of bread and a cup of wine are transubstantiated into the body and bloud of Christ or consubstantiated with His body and bloud which both want all warrant in S. Scripture yea which flatly contradicteth S. Scripture Act. 3.21 Heb. 8.4 In respect then of this Sacrament Christs bodily presence is not necessary Neither is Christs bodily presence necessary in this Sacrament in respect of Christs words This is my body 1. Because it is frequent in al Sacraments both of the Old and New Testament to call the signe by the name of the thing signified As Circumcision is called Gods Covenant Gen. 17.10 yet v. 11. it is but the signe of the Covenant The Lamb is called the Lords Passeover Ex. 12.11 yet it was only the sacrifice of the Lords Passeover v. 27. and a signe Ex. 13.9 Baptisme is called the washing of regeration Tit. 3.5 Yet it is but the signe of it for Christs bloud only can wash us from our sins 1 Ioh. 1.7 Baptisme is also said to save us 1 Pet. 3.21 Yet it is but a signe of Christs bloud which saveth us Act. 4.12 So in this Sacrament our Lord calleth that bread His body and that cup His bloud Yet they are but the signes of His body and bloud There is then no necessity of Christs bodily presence in this Sacrament in respect of Christs words This is my body 2. A second reason against Transubstantiation Consubstantiation is this This change is impossible for it is against Christs glory for he never appeared on earth but in glory Exod. 19.16.18 1 King 19.11.12 Mat. 17.2 Object Christ came in the forme of a servant Philip. 2.17 A. It is true yet the Apostles behold His glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace truth Joh. 1.14 3. This change would derogate from Gods honour for although Christs power can make such a change yet Christ did never shew his power but for advancing of Gods glory and honour what honour can it bring unto the Lord to change a bit of bread into Christs body Christ can doe all things but these which dishonour God Christ cannot lie Tit. 1.2 nor deny himselfe 2 Tim. 2.13 4. This change were against Gods wisdome for the Lord neither did nor doth any thing but for some good end but in this change there can
be no good end seeing all the faithfull wanting this change can and doe get Christ by faith as hath been proved before Ioh. 1.12 3.16 c. 5. This change were against all our senses we heare Christ calling it bread Mat. 26.26 Mar. 14.22 Luk. 22.19 The H. Ghost calleth it bread 1 Cor. 10.16.17 1 Cor. 11.23 Now in objects of sense our senses are competent judges according to Christs own argument Luk. ult 39. we see we touch we taste we smell bread 6. This change were against not only S. Scripture Ioh. 16 7.28 17.11 Act. 3.21 Heb. 8.4 But also this change were against naturall yea heavenly reason that Christs humane body should be at one and the selfe same time in heaven and on earth also it would contradict Mat. ult 6. Mark ult 6. and Luk. ult 6. Ob. D. Luther affirmeth that there is no contradiction in this affirmation Christs humane body is at one and the same time not on earth as Joh. 17.11 Christ saith I am no more in the world then it is understood of a sightly moveable and comprehensible manner of being But when it is said that Christs humane body is in the world as in the bread and wine Then it is understood of the unsightly immoveable and incomprehensible manner of beeing A. The H. Ghost taught no such divinity in S. Scripture That Christs humane body hath a manner of being belonging unto it of invisibility immoveability and incomprehensibility Besides its visible moveable and comprehensible manner of being Surely Christ even after His resurrection demonstrates the realty of His humane body by its visibility and palpability Luk ult 39. 7. This change would altogether overthrow the very beeing of this Sacrament for in every Sacrament there must be both a signe and the thing signified that the elect may receive both 8. If such a change be it must either bee naturall or miraculous by nature it cannot be that a little bread should be made Christs body nor is it done by a miracle for all miracles were visible but this we see not yea all our senses witnesse the contrary 9. What Christ once rejected as unnecessary unto salvation He will not afterward admit of it as necessary unto salvation for he cannot lie Tit. 1.2 nor deny himselfe 2 Tim. 2.13 but Christ hath rejected the carnall eating of his flesh which Transubstantiation and Consubstantiation do maintain as unnecessary to salvation Joh. 6 63. He will not then admit it now as necessary Ob. Christ affirmeth that unlesse we eat His flesh and drinke His bloud we have no life i.e. everlasting in us Joh. 6.53 A. 1. To beleeve in Christ and to eat his flesh and drinke his bloud are one and the same Joh. 6.29.35.40.47 compared with 1.51.53,54,55 2. These words litterally taken would contradict Christs affirmation unto Mary Magdalen who never tasted this Supper Luk. 7.48 and his assurance given to the theefe on the crosse Luk. 23.43 who never tasted this Sacrament Q. What learnest thou hence A. That that Sacramentall bread and wine are not changed in their nature even after the Consecration but in their use and end only Which is broken for you Q. Why was Christs body broken for the elect A. For two maine causes 1. That although Christ be the fountaine of life Ps 36.9 Ioh. 6.58 as in Himself Ioh. 10.18 So also unto us Act. 17.25.28 Col. 3.4 And although His flesh be meat indeed and His bloud drink indeed Ioh. 6.55 Yet unlesse His body had been broken for the elect He had neither been our life nor our soules food not our life untill by death he had destroyed him who had the power of death that is the divell Heb. 2.14 Nor could Christ be our soules food untill His body was broken Heb. 9.13,14,15,16 2. Unlesse Christs body had been broken He could not have procured remission of sin unto the elect for without shedding of bloud there is no remission of sin Heb. 9.22 Nor could he have answered Gods truth Gen. 2.17 because that nature that sinned behoved to dye But now His body being broken He is a fountaine opened for sin and for uncleannesse Zach. 13.1 Q. What doth this teach thee A. 1. To know the love of Christ which passeth all knowledge Eph. 3.19 that I may love him above all things counting my life and all things but dung in comparison of Christ Philip. 3.8 2. To bewaile my sins confesse them and forsake them Prov. 28.13 because they occasioned the breaking of Christs body Esa 53.5 and crucifie him afresh Heb. 6.6 3. Papists and Lutherans sinfull folly who keep their sacramentall bread whole unbroken in their mouth Ob. But they offer an unbloudy sacrifice as they say A. They are meer deluders of their owne soules for without shedding of bloud there is no remission of sins Heb. 9.22 4. Seeing the Father spared not his own Son but gave him freely for us all Rom. 8.32 And that Christ spared not himselfe but laid downe His life willingly for all the elect Ioh. 10.18 If I can get Christ in this Sacrament by faith I get all whatsoever is good for me Rom. 8 32. Doe this in remembrance of me Q. What doth the Holy Ghost aime at in those words A. 1. This is the first end of this Sacrament in which I am commanded to remember continually all that Christ hath done and suffered for me which all is summarily signified in this Supper of the Lord. 2. That whatsoever was at first done and said in this Sacrament by our Lord and his Apostles must be imitated in discretion ever afterwards Q. What doth this teach thee A. 1. Never to forget my Lords love lest I be turned into hell Ps 9.17 2. In receiving this Sacrament to imitate the institution according to my calling be I Minister or hearer 3. The terrible condition of such who refuse or contemne this Sacrament for they refuse the means of their salvation and remember not Christ V. 25. This cup is the New Testament in my bloud Q. Why did Christ take wine to represent Hâ—… bloud in this Sacrament A. 1. Because wine resembles Chrisâ— bloud both in colour being red and in namâ—… for its called the bloud of the grape Gen. â—… 11 2. As it is not wine untill it be pressed oâ—… of the grape So nor Christs bloud did saâ—… as actually untillit was shed out of His body Mat. 26.28 Heb. 9.14 3. As wine is to be given to the sorrowfull and heavy hearted for comforting them Prov. 31.6 So Christs bloud is the only salve which can comfort a sin-sick soule which is sensible of its sin and misery Act. 2.38,39 1 Joh. 17. 4. As wine maketh mans heart glad Ps 104.15 So doth Christs bloud glad our souls when by faith we are sure that it was shed for us 1 Pet. 1.18,19 Q. What doth the Holy Ghost shew in these words This cup is the New Testament in my bloud A. 1. As the Gospel consists of two main