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 ...

The effects of these Considerations are these.

1. That by [Faith] in our dispositions and pre∣parations to the holy Communion, is not under∣stood only the act of faith, but the body of faith; not only believing the articles, but the dedication of our persons; not only a yielding up of our un∣derstanding, but the engaging of our services; not the hallowing of one faculty, but the sanctification of the whole man. That faith which is necessary to the worthy receiving this divine Sacrament, is all that which is necessary to the susception of Ba∣ptism, and all that which is produced by hearing the word of God, and all that which is exercised in every single grace; all that by which we live the life of grace, and all that which works by charity, and makes a new creature, and justifies a sinner, and is a keeping the Commandments of God.

2. If the manducation of Christs flesh and drink∣ing his blood be spiritual, and done by faith, and is effected by the spirit, and that this faith signifies an intire dedition of our selves to Christ, and sanctification of the whole man to the service of Christ, then it follows,* 1.1 that the wicked do not Communicate with Christ, they eat not his flesh, and they drink not his blood: They eat and drink indeed; but it is gravel in their teeth, and death in their belly; they eat and drink damnation to them∣selves. For unlesse a man be a member of Christ, unlesse Christ dwells in him by a living faith, he does not eat the bread that came down from hea∣ven. They lick the rock, saith St. Cyprian, but drink not the waters of its emanation: They receive the skin of the Sacrament, and the bran of the flesh,

saith St. Bernard. But it is in this divine nutri∣ment as it is in some fruits; the skin is bitterness, and the inward juice is salutary and pleasant: the out∣ward Symbols never bring life, but they can bring death;* 1.2 and they of whom it can be said (according to the expression of St. Austin) they eat no spiritual meat, but they eat the sign of Christ, must also re∣member what old Simeon said in his prophecy of Christ, He is a sign set for the fall of many; but his flesh and blood spiritually eaten, is resurrection from the dead.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Panis qui de coelo descend it non nisi ab eo accipi∣tur qui Domi∣num ha∣bet & Christi mem∣brum est. S. Hilar. de. Trinit. l. 8.
• * 1.2

  Non man∣ducant spirituali∣ter, sed premunt dentibus signum corporis & sangui∣nis.