ally, give whatsoever he doth there sacramentally represent: and accordingly with the signs we join the true possession and fruition of that thing, which is there offered unto us. Therefore we affirm, that they which do bring pure faith, as it were a certain vessel, unto the holy Supper of the Lord, do indeed receive that which there the signs do witness; namely, that the body and blood of Jesus Christ are no less the meat and drink of the soul, than bread and wine are the meat of the body.

Also, out of Article 38. A little after the beginning :

And also that that bread and wine, which is given us in the Supper, is indeed made unto us spiritual nourishment; inasmuch as they do offer unto our eyes to behold, that the flesh of Christ is our meat, and that his blood is our drink. Therefore we reject all those fantastical folk, which do refuse these signs and tokens, seeing that Christ our Lord hath said, "This is my body:" and, "This cup is my blood."

VI.-FROM THE CONFESSION OF ENGLAND.

Art. 12. Near the beginning. We say that the Eucharist (that is to say, the Supper of the Lord) is a Sacrament; that is, an evident representation of the body and blood of Christ; wherein is set, as it were, before our eyes, the death of Christ, and his resurrection, and whatsoever he did, whilst he was in his mortal body: to the end we may give him thanks for his death, and for our deliverance, and that, by the often receiving of this Sacrament, we may daily renew the remembrance thereof; and to the intent that we, being fed with the body and blood of Christ, may be brought into the hope of the resurrection, and of everlasting life, and may most assuredly believe, that, as our bodies be fed with bread and wine, so our souls be fed with the body and blood of Christ. To this banquet we think the people of God ought to be earnestly bidden, that they may all communicate among themselves, and openly declare and testify both the godly society which is among them, and also the hope which they have in Christ Jesus. Chrysost. ad Ephes. Serm. 3. Cap. 1. For this cause, if there had been any which would be but a looker-on, and abstain from the holy Communion, him did the old Fathers, and Bishops of Rome in the Primitive Church, before private Mass came up, excommunicate, as a wicked person, and as a Pagan. Neither was there any Christian at that time which did communicate alone, whiles other looked on.

For so did Calixtus in times past decree, 'That after the consecration was finished, all should communicate, except they had rather stand without the Church-doors. For thus (saith he) did the Apostles appoint, and the same the holy Church of Rome keepeth still,' De Consecr. Dist. 1. Cap. Omnes. Dist. 2. Cap. Seculares. Dist. 2. Cap. Peracta. Moreover, when the people cometh to the holy Communion, the Sacraments ought to be given them in both kinds; for so both Christ hath commanded, and the Apostles in every place have ordained, and all the ancient Fathers and Catholic Bishops have followed the same. And whoso doth contrary to this, he (as Gelasius saith, De Consecr. Dist. 2. Cap. Comperimus.) com. mitteth sacrilege. And therefore we say, that our adversaries at this day, who, having violently thrust out and quite forbidden the holy Communion, do, without the word of God, without the authority of any ancient Council, without any Catholic Father, without any example of the Primitive Church, yea, and without reason also defend and maintain their private Masses, and the mangling of the Sacraments; and do this, not only against the express commandment of Christ, but also against all antiquity; do wickedly therein, and are very Church-robbers.

We affirm, that the bread and wine are the holy and heavenly mysteries of the body and blood of Christ; and that by them Christ himself, being the true bread of eternal life, is so presently given unto us, as that by faith we verily receive his body and blood. Yet say we not this so, as though we thought that the nature and substance of the bread and wine is clearly changed, and goeth to nothing; as many have dreamed in these latter times, and yet could never agree among themselves upon their own dreams. For that was not Christ's meaning, that the wheaten bread should lay apart its own nature, and receive a certain new divinity: but that it might rather change us, and (to use Theophylact's words, In Joan. Cap. 6.) might transform us into his body. For what can be said more plainly, than that which Ambrose saith; De Sacram. Lib. 4. Cap. 4. 'The bread and wine remain still the same they were before, and yet are changed into another thing? Or that which Gelasius saith; In Dialogis 1 et 2. The substance of the bread, or the nature of the wine, ceaseth not to be?' Or that which Theodoret saith, In Sermone ad Infantes; After the consecration, the mystical signs do not cast off their own proper nature: for they remain still in their former substance, form, or kind?' Or that which Augustine saith, De Consecr. Dist. 2. Cap. Qui manducasti; 'That which ye see, is the

bread, and cup, and so our eyes do tell us: but that which your faith requireth to be taught, is this; The bread is the body of Christ, and the cup is his blood? Or that which Origen saith; In Matth. xv. 17. The bread which is sanctified by the word of God, as touching the material substance thereof, goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?' Or that which Christ himself said, not only after the blessing of the cup, but also after he had ministered the Communion; "I will drink no more of this fruit of the vine?" Luke xxii. 18. It is well known that the fruit of the vine is wine, and not blood. And in speaking thus, we mean not to abase the Lord's Supper, or to teach that it is but a cold ceremony only, and nothing to be wrought therein; as many falsely slander us, that we teach. For we affirm, that Christ doth truly and presently give himself wholly in his Sacraments: in Baptism, that we may put him on; and in his Supper, that we may eat him by faith, and the Spirit, and may have everlasting life by his cross and blood. And we say not this is done slightly or coldly, but effectually and truly. For although we do not touch the body of Christ with teeth and mouth, yet we hold him fast, and eat him by faith, by understanding, and by the Spirit. And it is no vain faith, that com. prehendeth Christ: neither is that received with cold devotion, which is received with understanding, faith, and the Spirit. For Christ himself altogether is so offered and given to us in these mysteries, that we may certainly know that "we be flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bones;" Ephes. v. 30. and that "Christ continueth in us, and we in him." 1 John ii. 24.

And therefore, in celebrating these mysteries, the people are to good purpose exhorted, before they come to receive the Holy Communion, to lift up their hearts, and to direct their minds to heavenwards: because He is there, by whom we must be fed, and live. Cyril saith, When we come to receive these mysteries, all gross imaginations must quite be banished.' De Consecr. Dist. 1. Cap. Quando. The council of Nice, as it is alleged by some in Greek, plainly forbiddeth us to be basely affectioned toward the bread and wine, which are set before us. And, as Chrysostom very aptly writeth, we say, That the body of Christ is the dead carcase, and we ourselves must be the eagles:' (meaning thereby, that we must fly on high, if we will come to the body of Christ :) 'for this Table, is a Table of eagles, and not of jays.' Cyprian also; This bread,' saith he, is the food of the soul, and not the meat of the belly.' De Cand Domini. And St. Augustine saith, How shall I

hold him, being absent? How shall I reach my hand up to heaven, to lay hold upon him, sitting there? He answereth, Reach thither thy faith, and then thou hast laid hold on him.' In Joan. Tract. 50.

Art. 13. Neither can we away in our Churches with these shews, and sales, and markets of Masses, nor with the carrying about and worshipping of the bread, nor with such other idolatrous and blasphemous fondness: which none of them can prove that Christ or his Apostles ever ordained or left unto us. And we justly blame the Bishops of Rome, who, without the word of God, without the authority of the holy Fathers, without any example of antiquity, after a new guise, do not only set before the people the sacramental bread to be worshipped as God, but do also carry the same about upon an ambling palfrey, whithersoever themselves journey, in such sort as, in old times, the Persian Fire, and the relics of the Goddess Isis were solemnly carried about in procession: and have brought the Sacraments of Christ to be used now as a stage-play, and a solemn sight: to the end that men's eyes should be fed with nothing else, but with mad gazings, and foolish gaudies, in the self-same matter, wherein the death of Christ ought diligently to be beaten into our hearts, and wherein also the mysteries of our redemption ought with all holiness and reverence to be performed. Besides, where they say, and sometime do persuade fools, that they are able by their Masses to distribute and apply unto men's commodity, all the merits of Christ's death, (yea, although many times the parties think nothing of the matter, and understand full little what is done,) this is a mockery, a heathenish fancy, and a very toy. For it is our faith that applieth the death and cross our benefit, and not the act of the massing Priest. the Sacraments (saith Augustine, Ad Rom. Cap. 3. justify, and not the Sacraments.' And Origen saith: Christ is the Priest, the Propitiation, and Sacrifice: which propitiation cometh to every one by mean of faith.' And so, by this reckoning, we say, that the Sacraments of Christ, without faith, do not once profit those that be alive: a great deal less do they profit those that be dead.

of Christ to

Faith had in Lib. 3.) doth

VII. FROM THE CONFESSION OF SCOTLAND.

Article 21; towards the middle. Of the Sacraments. Not that we imagine any transubstantiation of bread into Christ's natural body, and of wine into his natural blood, as the Papists have perniciously taught, and damnably believed: but this union and conjunction, which we have with the body and blood

of Christ Jesus in the right use of the Sacrament, is wrought by the operation of the Holy Ghost, who, by true faith, carrieth us above all things that are visible, carnal, and earthly, and maketh us to feed upon the body and blood of Christ Jesus, which was once broken and shed for us, which now is in heaven, and appeareth in the presence of his Father for us. And notwithstanding the far distance of place, which is betwixt his body now glorified in heaven, and us now mortal on this earth; yet we must assuredly believe, that the bread which we break is the communion of Christ's body, and the cup which we bless is the communion of his blood. 1 Cor. x. 16. So that we confess, and undoubtedly believe, that the faithful, in the right use of the Lord's Table, do so eat the body and drink the blood of the Lord Jesus, that he remaineth in them, and they in him. Yea, they are so made flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bones, Eph. v. 30. that, as the Eternal Godhead giveth to the flesh of Christ Jesus (which of its own condition and nature was mortal and corruptible) life and immortality; so doth Christ Jesus his flesh and blood, eaten and drunken by us, give unto us the same prerogatives. Which albeit we confess are neither given unto us at this time only, neither yet by the proper power and virtue of the Sacrament only; yet we affirm, that the faithful, in the right use of the Lord's Table, have such conjunction with Christ Jesus, as the natural man cannot apprehend: yea, and further we affirm, that albeit the faithful, oppressed by negligence and manly infirmity, do not profit so much as they would, in the very instant action of the Supper; yet shall it after bring fruit forth, as lively seed sown in good ground: for the Holy Spirit, which can never be divided from the right institution of the Lord Jesus, will not frustrate the faithful of the fruit of that mystical action.

VIII.-FROM THE CONFESSION OF BELGIA.

Art. 35. We believe and confess, that Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, hath instituted the holy Sacrament of his Supper, that in it he might nourish and sustain those, whom he hath regenerated and engrafted into his family, which is the Church. But those which are regenerate, have in them a double life: the one, carnal and temporal, which they brought with them from their first nativity, the which is common unto all; the other, spiritual and heavenly, bestowed upon them in their second nativity, which is wrought in them by the word of the Gospel, in the union of the body of Christ, the which is peculiar to the elect alone. And