Meditations on the holy sacrament of the Lords last Supper Written many yeares since by Edvvard Reynolds then fellow of Merton College in Oxford.
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Title
Meditations on the holy sacrament of the Lords last Supper Written many yeares since by Edvvard Reynolds then fellow of Merton College in Oxford.
Author
Reynolds, Edward, 1599-1676.
Publication
London :: Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for Robert Bostock, and are to be sould at his shop in S. Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Kings Head,
1638.
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Subject terms
Lord's Supper -- Meditations -- Early works to 1800.
Cite this Item
"Meditations on the holy sacrament of the Lords last Supper Written many yeares since by Edvvard Reynolds then fellow of Merton College in Oxford." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/a10652.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 4, 2024.
Pages
CHAP. VII.
Of the matter of the Lords Supper, Bread and
Wine, with their Analogie unto Christ.
WEE have considered the Author or
efficient of this Sacrament and those
circumstances which were annexed
unto its Institution: we may now
a little consider the essentiall parts of it, and
first the elements, or matter of which it con∣consisteth
descriptionPage 33
consecrated bread & wine: it neither
stood with the outwad poverrty of Christ,
nor with the benefit of the Church to insti∣tute
sucha sumptuous and gaudy elements as
might possesse too much the sense of the be∣holder,
and too little resemble the quality of
the Saviour. And therefore he choose his Sa∣craments
rather for the fitnesse, than the beau∣ty
of them, as respecting more the end, than
the splendor or riches of his Table, and in∣tended
rather to manifest his divine power in
altering poore elements unto a pretious use,
than to exhibit any carnall pompe in such de∣licious
fare as did not agree with the spiritu∣alnesse
of his Kingdome. Though he be con∣tented
out of tendernesse toward our weak∣nesse
to stoop unto our senses, yet he will not
cocker them; as in his reall and naturall bo∣dy
b, so in his representative, the Sacrament, a
sensuall or carnall eye sees not either forme
or beauty, for which it may bee desired. Pi∣ctures
ought to resemble their originalls, and
the Sacrament wee know is the picture or
type of him who was ac man of sorrow, and
this picture was drawne when the dayd of
Gods fierce wrath was upon him, and can we
then expect from it any satisfaction or plea∣sure
to the senses: this body was naked on
the Crosse, it were incongruous to have the
Sacrament of it pompous on the Table. As it
was the will of the Father, which Christ both
descriptionPage 34
glorifies and admires, to reveale unto babes
what hee hath hidden from the wise; so is it
here his wisedome to communicate by the
meanest Instruments, what he hath denied un∣to
the choisest delicates: to feed his Daniels
rather with po••lse than with all the dainties
on the Kings table. And if we observe it, di∣vine
miracles take ever the poorest & meanest
subjects to manifest themselves on. If he want
an army to protect his Church, fliesd, & frogse,
and catterpillers, and lampsf, and pitchers &c.
shall be the strongest souldiersg and weapons
he useth; the lameh, and the blindi, the dumbk,
and the deadl, waterm, & clayn▪ these are ma∣terialls
for his power: even where thou seest
the instruments of God weakest, there ex∣pect
and admire the more abundant manifesta∣tion
of his greatnesse, & wisedome; underva∣lue
not then the Bread and Wine in this holy
Sacrament which doe better resemble the
benefits of Christ crucified than any other the
choisest delicate••. Bread and Wine, the ele∣ment
is double to encrease the comfort
of the faithfull, that byo two things wher∣in
it is impossible for God to deceive, wee
might have strong consolation who have
laid hold upon him. Thep dreame is doubled
said Ios••ph to Pharoah, because the thing is cer∣taine:
and surely here the element is doubled
too that the grace may be the more certaine.
No marvell then if those men who deny
descriptionPage 35
unto the people the certainty of grace, deny
unto them likewise these double elements: so
fit is it, that they which preached but a halfe
comfort, should administer likewise but a half
Sacrament. Secondly Bread and Wine. In
cthe Passeover there was blood shed, but
there was none drunken: yea that flesh which
was eaten was but once a yeare. Theyd who
had all in types had yet their types as it were
imperfect.e In the fulnesse of time came
Christ, and with or ••in Christ came the ful∣nesse
of grace, and of his fulnesse doe we re∣ceive
in the Gospell, which the Jewes only
expected in the promise, thatg they without us
might not be made perfect: these thingsh have
I spoken saith Christ, that your joy might be
full: the fulnesse of our Sacrament notes also
the fullnesse of our Salvation, and of his sa∣crifice
who is ablei perfectly to save those that
come unto God by him. Thirdly Bread and
Wine: common, vulgar, obvious food, (wine
with water being the only knowne drinke
with them in those hot Countries) amongst
the Jewes a lamb was to bee slaine, a more
chargeable and costly Sacrament, not so easie
for the poore to procure, And therefore in
the Sacrifice of first fruits, thek poore were
dispenc'd with, and for a Lamb offred a pair of
pigeons. Christ nowl hath broken down that
partition wall, that wall of inclosure which
made the Church as am garden with hedges,
descriptionPage 36
and made only the rich, the people of the
Jewes, capable of Gods Covenants and
Sacraments: now that Gods Table hath
crumms as well as flesh,a the Dogs, the Gen∣tiles
eat of it too; the poorest in the world is
admitted to it, even as the poorest that are
do shift for bread, though they are not able to
provide flesh. Then the Church was ab foun∣taine
sealed up, but in Christ there was ac
fountaine opened for transgressions and for
sinnes. Fourthly Bread and Wine, Breadd to
strengthen, and Wine to comfort. All tem∣porall
benefitse are in divine Dialect called
Bread, it being the staffef of life, and the want
of which though in a confluence of all other
blessings causeth famineg in a Land. See here
the abundant sufficiency of Christs passion, It
is the universall food of the whole Church,
which sanctifieth all other blessings, without
which they have no relish nor comfort in
them. Sinne and the corrupt nature of man
hath a venemous quality in it to turne all
other good things into poyson, unlesse corre∣cted
by this antitode, this Breadh of life, that
came downe from heaven. And well may it
be called a bread of life, in as much as in it re∣sides
a power of trans-elementation, that
whereas other nourishments doe themselves
turne into the substance of the receiver, this
quite otherwise transformes and affirmilates
the soule unto the Image of it selfe, whatsoe∣ver
descriptionPage 37
faintnesse we are in, if we hunger after
Christ hee can refresh us; whatsoever feares
oppresse us, if likea men opprest with feare,
we thirst & gaspe after his blood, it will com∣fort
us; whatsoever weaknesse either our
sinnes or suffrings have brought us to, the
staffe of this bread will support us; whatsoe∣ver
sorrowes of mind, or coldnesse of affecti∣on
doe any way surprize us, this wine, or ra∣ther
this bloud (inb which only is true life)
will with great efficacy quicken us. If wee
want power, wee have the powerc of
Christs Crosse; if victory, we have the vi∣ctory
dof his Crosse; if Triumph, we have
the triumphe of his Crosse; if peace, we have
the peacef of his Crosse; if wisdome, we have
the wisdomeg of his Crosse. Thus is Christ
crucified a Treasureh to his Church, full of all
sufficient provision both for necessitie and
delight. Fiftly, Bread and Wine, both of parts
homogeneall, and alike; each part of Bread,
bread; each part of Wine, wine; no crumme
in the one, no drop in the other, differing
from the quality of the whole. O the admi∣rable
nature of Christs blood to reduce the
affections and the whole man to one uniforme
and spirituall nature with it selfe. In so much
that when we shall come to the perfect fruiti∣on
of Christs glorious Body, our very bo∣dyes
likewise shall be spiritualli bodies; spiri∣tuall
in an uniformity of glory, though not of
descriptionPage 38
nature with the soule.a Sinnes commonly are
jarring and contentious; one affection strug∣gles
in the same soule with another for ma∣stery,
ambition fights with malice, and pride
with covetousnesse, the head plots against
the heart, and the heart swells against the
head; reason and appetite, will and passion,
soule & body set the whole frame of nature in
a continuall combustion, like anb unjoynted or
broken arme, one faculty moves contrary to
the government or attraction of another, and
so as in a confluence of contrary streames and
winds, the soule is whirld about in a maze of
intestine contentions. But when once we
becomec conformable unto Christs death, it
presently makes ofd two one, and so worketh
peace, it slayeth that hatred and warre in the
members, and reduceth all unto that primi∣tive
harmony, unto that uniforme spiritual∣nesse,
whichf changeth us all into the same
Image from glory to glory. Sixtly Bread and
Wine: as they are homogeneall, so are they
gunited together, and wrought out of divers
particular graines and grapes into one whole
lump or vessell: and thereforeh Bread and
blood even amongst the Heathen were used
for emblemes of leagues, friendship, and
Mariage the greatest of all unions. See the
wonderfull effi••acy of Christ crucified to sod∣der
as it were, and joynt all his members into
one body by love, as they are united unto
descriptionPage 39
him by faith. They are built up asi living
stones through him who is the chiefe corner
stone elect and pretious unto one Temple;
they are all united by love, by thek bond or
sinewes of peace unto him who is thel head,
and transfuseth through them all the same
vitall nourishment; they are all them flock of
Christ reduc'd unto one fold by that one
chiefen Shepheard of their soules, who came
to gather those that wandred either from
him in life, or from one another in affection.
Lastly Bread and Wine, sever'd and asunder;
that to be eaten, this to be drunken; that in a
loafe, this in a Cup: It is not the bloud of
of Christ running in his veynes, but shed on
his members that doth nourish his Church.
Impious therefore is their practice, who
powre Christs blood as it were into his body
againe, and shut up his wounds, when they
deny the Cup unto the people under pre∣tence
that Christs Body being received, the
blood by way of concomitancy is received
together with it: and so seale up that preti∣ous
Fountaine which he had opened, and
make a monopoly of Christs sacred wounds,
as if his blood had been shed only for the
Priest, and not as well for the people; or as
if the Church had power to withhold that
from the people of Christ which himselfe had
given them.
Notes
a
Non ad elabo∣rata i••pensis & art•• convivia populi invitan∣tur. Cy••ri.