The worthy communicant, or, A discourse of the nature, effects, and blessings consequent to the worthy receiving of the Lords Supper and of all the duties required in order to a worthy preparation : together with the cases of conscience occurring in the duty of him that ministers, and of him that communicates : to which are added, devotions fitted to every part of the ministration / by Jeremy Taylor ...

SECT. I. Of the several apprehensions of men con∣cerning it.

WHen our Blessed Lord was to nail the hand writing of Ordinances to his Cross, he was pleased to retain two Ceremonies, Baptism and the Ho∣ly Supper; that Christians may first wash, add then eat; first be made clean, and then eat of the Supper of the Lamb: and it cannot be imagined but that this so signal and pe∣culiar retention of two Ceremonies is of great pur∣pose and remarkable vertues. The matter is evi∣dent in the instance of Baptism; and as the Myste∣ry is of the foundation of Religion, so the vertue of it is inserted into our Creed, and we all believe

one Baptism for the remission of our sins;* 1.1 and yet the action is external, the very Mystery is by a Ce∣remony, the allusion is bodily, the Element is water, the minister a sinful man, and the effect is produced out of the Sacrament in many persons and in many instances, as well as in it; and yet that it is effected also by it and with it,* 1.2 in the con∣junction with due dispositions of him that is to be baptized, we are plainly taught by Christs Apostles and the symbols of the Church.

But concerning the other Sacrament there are more divisions and thoughts of heart; for it is ne∣ver expressly joyned with a word of promise, and where mention is made of it in the Gospels, it is named only as a duty and a Commandment, and not as a grace, or treasure of holy blessings; we are bid∣den to do it, but promised nothing for a reward, it is commanded to us, but we are not invited to obe∣dience by consideration of any consequent blessing: and when we do it, so many holy things are re∣quired of us, which as they are fit to be done; even when we do not receive the Blessed Sacra∣ment; so they effect salvation to us by vertue of their proper and proportioned promises in the ver∣tue of Christs death however apprehended and understood.

Upon this account some say that we receive no∣thing in the B. Eucharist; but we commemorate many blessed things which we have received; that it is affirmed in no Scripture that in this mystery we are to call to minde the death of Christ, but be∣cause we already have it in our minde, we must al∣so have it in our hearts, and publish it in our con∣fessions and Sacramental representment, and there∣fore

it is not the memory, but the commemoration of Christs death; that as the anniversary sacrifices in the law were * 1.3 a commemoration of sins every year; not a calling them to minde; but a confession of their guilt and of our deserved punishment; so this Sacrament is a representation of Christs death by such symbolical actions as himself graciously hath appointed: but then, excepting that to do so is an act of obedience, it exercises no other vertue, it is an act of no other grace, it is the instrument of no other good; it is neither vertue nor gain, grace nor profit. And whereas it is said to confirm our faith, this also is said to be unreasonable; for this being our own work, cannot be the means of a Divine grace; not naturally; because it is not of the same kind, and faith is no more the natural effect of this obedience; than chastity can be the product of Christian fortitude; not by Divine ap∣pointment; because we find no such order; no pro∣mise, no intimation of any such event; and al∣though the thing it self indeed shall have what re∣ward God please to apportion to it as it is obedi∣ence; yet of it self it hath no other worthiness; it is not so much as an argument of persuasion; for the pouring forth of wine can no more prove or make faith that Christs blood was poured forth for us, than the drinking the wine can effect this persuasion in us that we naturally, though under a vail, drink the natural blood of Christ; which the Angels gathered as it ran into golden phials, and Christ multiplied to a miracle like the loaves and fishes in the Gospel. But because nothing that naturally remains the same in all things as it was be∣fore, can do any thing that it could not do before; the Bread and wine which have no natural change, can effect none; and therefore we are not to look

for an egge where there is nothing but order; and a blessing where there is nothing but an action; and a real effect where there is nothing but an ana∣logy, a Sacrament, a mystical representment, and something fit to signify, and many things past, but nothing that is to come. This is the sense and dis∣course of some persons that call for an express word, or a manifest reason to the contrary, or else resolve that their belief shall be as unactive as the Scriptures are silent in the effects of this mystery. Only these men will allow the Sacraments to be, marks of Christianity, symbols of mutual Charity, testi∣monies of a thankful mind to God, allegorical admoni∣tions of Christian mortification, and spiritual alimony, symbols of grace conferred before the Sacrament, and rites instituted to stir up faith by way of object and re∣presentation; that is, occasionally and morally, but neither by any Divine or physical, by natural or supernatural power, by the work done, or by the Divine institution. This indeed is something but very much too little.

But others go as far on the other hand and affirm that in the Blessed Sacrament we receive the body and blood of Christ; we chew his flesh, we drink his blood; for his flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drink indeed, and this is the Manna which came down from heaven; our bodies are nourished, our souls united to Christ; and the Sacrament is the infal∣lible instrument of pardon to all persons that do not maliciously hinder it; and it produces all its effects by vertue of the Sacrament it self so ap∣pointed; and that the dispositions of the Commu∣nicants are only for removing obstacles and impe∣diments, but effect nothing; the sumption of the Mysteries does all in a capable subject; as in infants

who do nothing, in penitents who take away what can hinder; for it is nothing but Christ himself; the body that dyed upon the crosse is broken in the hand of him that ministers, and by the teeth of him that communicates; and when God gives us his Son in this Divine and glorious manner, with heaps of miracles to verify heaps of blessings, how shall not he with him give us all things else? They who teach this doctrine call the holy Sacrament; The host, the unbloody sacrifice; the flesh of God, the body of Christ, God himself, the Mass, the Sacra∣ment of the Altar. I cannot say that this is too much; but that these things are not true; and al∣though all that is here said, that is of any material benefit and reall blessing is true; yet the blessing is not so conferred, it is not so produced.

A third sort of Christians speak indefinitely and gloriously of this Divine mystery; they speak enough, but they cannot tell what; they publish great and glorious effects; but such which they ga∣ther by similitude and analogy, such which they desire, but cannot prove; which indeed they feel, but know not whence they do derive them: they are blessings which come in company of the Sacra∣ments, but are not alwayes to be imputed to them; they confound spiritual senses with mystical expres∣sions, and expound mysteries to natural significa∣tions: that is, they mean well but do not alwayes understand that part of Christian Philosophy which explicates the secret nature of this Divine Sacra∣ment, and the effect of it is this; that they some∣times put too great confidence in the mystery; and look for impresses which they find not, and are sometimes troubled that their experience does not answer to their Sermons; and meet with scruples

instead of comforts, and doubts instead of rest. and anxiety of mind in the place of a serene and peaceful conscience. But these men both in their right and in their wrong enumerate many glo∣ries of the holy Sacrament which they usually signifie in these excellent appellatives, calling it, the Supper of the Lord; the bread of elect souls, and the wine of Angels, the Lords body, the New Testa∣ment and the calice of benediction, spiritual food, the great Supper, the Divinest and Archisymbolical feast; the banquet of the Church, the celestial dinner, the spiritual, the sacred, the mystical, the formidable, the rational Table, the supersubstantial bread, the bread of God, the bread of life, the Lords mystery, the great mystery of salvation, the Lords Sacrament,* 1.4 the Sacrament of piety, the sign of unity, the contesse∣ration of the Christian communion, the Divine grace, the Divine ma∣king grace, the holy thing, the desi∣rable, the comunication of Good, the perf••ction and consummation of a Christian, the holy particles, the gracious symbols, the holy gifts, the Sacrifice of commemoration, the intellectual and mystical good, the hereditary donative of the New Testament, the Sa∣crament of the Lords body, the Sacrament of the Ca∣lice, the Paschal Oblation, the Christian pasport, the mystery of perfection, the great Oblation, the Worship of God, the life of Souls, the Sacrament of our price and our Redemption; and some few others much to the same purposes, all which are of great and useful signification; and if the explications and conse∣quent propositions were as justifiable as the title•• themselves are sober and useful, they would be apt

only for edification, and to minister to the spirit of devotion. That therefore is to be the design of the present Meditations, to represent the true and proper and mysterious nature of this divine nutri∣ment of our souls; to account what are the bles∣sings God reacheth forth to us in the Mysteries, and what returns of duty he expects from all to whom he gives his most holy Son.

I shall only here add the names and appellatives which the Scripture gives to these Mysteries, and place it as a part of the foundation of the follow∣ing doctrines;* 1.5 It is by the Spirit of God called, The bread that is broken, and the cup of blessing, the break∣ing of bread; the body and blood of the Lord; the communication of his body, and the communication of his blood; the feast of charity or love; the Lords Table, and the Supper of the Lord. Whatsoever is consequent to these titles we can safely own, and our faith may dwell securely, and our devotion like a pure flame, with these may feed, as with the spi∣ces and gums upon the Altar of Incense.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Heb. 6.1.2.
• * 1.2

  Act. 2.38.
• * 1.3

  Heb. 10.3.

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.4

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Desi∣derata. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, h••stia hostiarum, mysterium mysteriorum 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Dominicum.
• * 1.5

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 2 Pet. 2.13.

  1 Cor. 11.20.8.29. 1 Cor. 10.16.

  Jude v. 12 Acts 16.2