2..Booke. Cafes ofCon(cience. ·8r CHAP. X. Ofthe Lordt Supptr. THo.t much concerning the Sacrament ofBapti!ine. Now we come to the Sacra– roent ofthe Lords Supper; concerning the v{e whereof there are two principal! ~eltions mooued. I. QEellion. Horv (arre forih men haue libertie, ·to 'llje or not 'll(e the Lord:r Supper? For rheanfwering hereof, I propoii.d three Rules. The 6rfteueryman ofye21es,liuingin the Church,and being baptlzed,is bound 10 con– fcic.>nce by Gods commandement, ro vfe the Lords Supper. In the inlliturionofthe Sup– P"', the Lord gauca Sacramental! VVord; whereofthere be twoparts: a Commaunde– ment,and a Promife.Thecommandement i• expretfed 10 thefe tearmes: TAk..e, tate,drink!, deeye thw. And it binds all meo in the church that arebaptized, to the ,·fe of the Lords Supper. The Second Rule. Euery manofyeares baptized, is ro receiueit often. 1.Cor.1 J.z6. As oft M yeP,Ait drink! it irt remembrance ofm~. The reafon is,becaufe we haue need continu– ally to feed on Chrill. And herein the Lords Supper differethfrom Baptifme; becaufe by Bapti[me, a man is oncconely grafted into Chrill: butbceing in Chrill, bee hathnecde often and continually to be fed in him, to hfe eternall. And this often nouri01menr of the bdeeuer,is[ealedvntohim, by.rhe often vie ofthiS Sacrament. A Now there threeRules, as they feruedirecr· ly toanfwer theQ.t!ellionin hand, f<> they do plainely di[couerlome errours and fault> in the praC11fe of[uodry per[ons in tbefe daies. Some therebee,that thrnke lt fufficteot tore– cciuo the Communion once by 1hc yeare, n•mcly,at Ealler rime. vVhereas on the con– rrary,it istobe vfed, asoft as may be; conu– dering that it is not~ing, but the lhewing forrhofrhe Lords death till become: which is nor once ortwife in the ycarc,but often.yea continually tobe remembred. Other there ue that rake Jibcrrie ro thcmfclu1!9, ro come to rhi•T abie,and abll•ioe at their pleafure;as 1f it were a thing arbitrarie to themfelueJ; which notwtthllanding the Lord harh emoyB ned bye~prelfc com,nandcmenr, as hath bin [aid. Bnt fomo alleadgc forthis their praCiife, t'laC theyarc at v.uiancc w1rh L,ch an.:f fuch pcr(ons>rhathaue done them wrong>& whom thl'y cannot forgiue;and in this refpeCl, they were better abllatoe, then comevnprouidcd. Towhomc it may befaid; that their vnfitnes in this and otl~r refpeCis,ought robe a llrong motiue to induce them,at leallto v[eall holy indeauour, topreparerhemfelues euery day, wherthen a meanes to keepe them backe. For ifa man flwuld abllamevpon euery oc– cafion ofvariance,di(conrentment, and infir. mitie,he lhould neuer receiue, and fo confe– quenrly haue no benefit by rhis ordinance of ::>' God, Datly preparation therefore is the more necelfarte,rhar when they be called and haue opportunit1e, they may come as "'cl– come guells,vnto that heauenly banquet, I I. Qt!ellion. Horv may a man rightly -vje the Lords Supper , to his comfort and Saluation? i The third Rule. Euery man is to receiue, and vfe the LordsSupper, according rothe laudablecu!lome ofthat Church,whereofhe iu member, vnle!ie there be a tull impedi– ment. Aiull io•pedimenr isthar, which bars ~man from the vfeofrhe Supper, as Sufpon- D llon,Contagious and incurable ficknelfe,Ab– fencevpon aiuG and weighriecaufe ,as when a man is in hisiourney,andfuch like. An/: Three things ~re required thereunto, Ar~gbrJ>reparauon,a right Receiuing, and a right Vfe ofit afterward. Sea, '· ThatPreparation is needefull, the corn• maundemenr of the Apollle plaincly lhewe•, which Js drrcded to all Cornrnumcanrs with– Out exception. J.Cor.tr.2.S. Ltt a man,that is, let cucrym_4n exAminebim(eife. The reafon ofthe Rule is; fir!!, ifany man re(ufe to rcceiue it,whcn he may conuenient– ly:h<luing noiuil.Impediment ;fo doing,hce negletls and conrernncs the ordinance of God. Secondly, for a man to ab(laine, when he is called to recciueit, thoughhaply hee may be cxcu(ed, in regard offomc reafon in– wardl-yknowne to himfclfe;yet·his abUincnce IS abad cxao1plc, and may giue otfenceto o– thers. Th~rdly,the manthat may rcceiuc and Yet will not,doth in ctfect fufpend,anc' with– hold htmfclfe, from the benefire oftbis holy ~amcnt. Now that am•n maybe rightly prepared, hee mull bnng with hun foure.feueral things. Firfl,Knowledge ofthe foundation ofRe– ligion, fpecially ofthe vfeof both the Sacra. menrs.That this ii necclfarie to Preparation, itappeareth by that which Paul requireth in agood CommtJnicant, 1.Cor. 1 r. z6.towit, dJCfhewi•~ fmh o(Chrt{/s death, which is done byconfeffion and rhankfgtuing:and rhefe two cannot be performed without kno••ledge, Thelecond thing required,uFaith.For al SJcra-
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