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 shewing forth the sacrifice of Himself in His death,(1)
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 to Him; and to be a bond and pledge of their communion with Him, and with each other.(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;(3)
and a spiritual oblation of all possible praise unto God for the same. (4)
So that the popish sacrifice of the mass, as they call it, is most abominable, injurious
to Christ's own sacrifice the alone propitiation for all the sins of the elect.
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.(5)
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.(6)
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,(7)
albeit, in substance and nature, they still remain truly and only bread and wine, as they
were before.(8)
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,(9)
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.(10)
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.(11)
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;(12)
yea, whosoever shall receive unworthily, are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord,
eating and drinking judgment to themselves.(13)