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,a 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.b
(a 1
Corinthians 11:23-26; b 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;c and a spiritual oblation of all possible
praise unto God for the same.d 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.
(c Hebrews
9:25,26,28; d 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.e
(e 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.f
(f 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,g albeit, in substance and nature, they
still remain truly and only bread and wine, as they were
before.h
(g 1
Corinthians 11:27; h 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,i 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.j
(i Acts
3:21, Luke
14:6,39; j 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.k
(k 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;l yea, whosoever shall receive
unworthily, are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, eating
and drinking judgment to themselves.m
(l 2
Corinthians 6:14,15; m 1 Corinthians 11:29, Matthew
7:6)