Chapter 32

Of the Lord's Supper

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 showing forth the sacrifice of Himself in
His death,

I Corinthians For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the
11:23 Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
I Corinthians And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body,
11:24 which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
I Corinthians After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This
11:25 cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in
remembrance of me.
I Corinthians For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death
11:26 till he come.

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 unto Him; and to be a bond and pledge of their communion with Him, and
with each other.

I Corinthians The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of
10:16 Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
I Corinthians For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that
10:17 one bread.

I Corinthians Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be
10:21 partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.

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;
Hebrews For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures
9:24 of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
Hebrews Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy
9:25 place every year with blood of others;
Hebrews For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once
9:26 in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Hebrews And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
9:27
Hebrews So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him
9:28 shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

and a spiritual oblation of all possible praise unto God for the same.

I Corinthians For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the
11:23 Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
I Corinthians And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body,
11:24 which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

Matthew And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to
26:26 the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
Matthew And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
26:27
Matthew For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission
26:28 of sins.

So that the popish sacrifice of the mass, as they call it, is most abominable, injurious
to Christ's own only sacrifice the alone propitiation for all the sins of the elect.

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.

I Corinthians For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the
11:23 Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
I Corinthians And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body,
11:24 which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
I Corinthians After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This
11:25 cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in
remembrance of me.
I Corinthians For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death
11:26 till he come.

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.

Matthew And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to
26:26 the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
Matthew And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
26:27
Matthew For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission
26:28 of sins.

Matthew 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Exodus Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in
20:4 heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
Exodus Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a
20:5 jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and
fourth generation of them that hate me;
Exodus And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
20:6

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,

I Corinthians For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death
11:26 till he come.
I Corinthians Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord,
11:27 unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
I Corinthians But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that
11:28 cup.

albeit in substance and nature, they still remain truly and only bread and wine, as
they were before.

I Corinthians For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death
11:26 till he come.
I Corinthians Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord,
11:27 unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
I Corinthians But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that
11:28 cup.

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,

Acts Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times
3:19 of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Acts And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
3:20
Acts Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath
3:21 spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

Luke He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in
24:6 Galilee,
Luke Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified,
24:7 and the third day rise again.

Luke Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath
24:39 not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
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.

I Corinthians For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the
11:23 Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
I Corinthians And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body,
11:24 which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
I Corinthians After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This
11:25 cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in
remembrance of me.

7. Worthy receivers outwardly partaking of the visible elements in this

ordinance, do them 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.

I Corinthians The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of
10:16 Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

I Corinthians For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the
11:23 Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
I Corinthians And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body,
11:24 which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
I Corinthians After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This
11:25 cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in
remembrance of me.
I Corinthians For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death
11:26 till he come.

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:
II Corinthians Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath
6:14 righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with
darkness?
II Corinthians And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth
6:15 with an infidel?

yea, whosoever shall receive unworthily, are guilty of the body and blood of the
Lord, eating and drinking judgment to themselves.

I Corinthians For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to
11:29 himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

Matthew Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest
7:6 they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.