, to put
away sin by the sacrifice of himself." "Christ was once offered, to
bear the sins of many." "We are sanctified through the offering of
the body of Jesus Christ once for all." "By one offering he has
perfected forever them that are sanctified." Hebrews 9:26, 28;
10:10, 14. These texts, and they might easily be greatly multiplied,
clearly prove that the one sacrifice of Christ, once offered by
himself, is sufficient and perfect; and we are expressly told that
"there remains no more sacrifice for sins." Hebrews 10:26. In the
language of our Confession, therefore, "the Popish sacrifice of the
mass is most abominably injurious to Christ's one only sacrifice—the
alone atoning sacrifice for all the sins of the elect."

III. The right manner of dispensing the sacrament of the supper is
here declared.

1. The minister is to read the word of institution to the people, to
pray, and bless the elements of bread and wine, and thereby to set
them apart from a common to a holy use. In instituting this
sacrament, according to the evangelist Matthew, "Jesus took bread,
and blessed it, and brake it." Matthew 26:26. Some have observed,
that it is not necessary for us to understand this as signifying
that Jesus blessed the bread, for the pronoun it is a supplement;
and as the word rendered blessed sometimes means to give thanks,
thanks, especially as the evangelist Luke employs the phrase, "he
gave thanks," they conclude that the two expressions are in this
case synonymous; and that we are to understand that Jesus blessed,
not the bread, but God, or gave thanks to his Father. We are of
opinion, however, that the pronoun it has been very properly
introduced by our translators after the word blessed, as it is
unquestionably repeated with the utmost propriety after the word
brake; and we conceive that the order of the words requires us to
understand that Jesus blessed the bread. Nor is there any more
difficulty in apprehending how Jesus blessed the bread, than in
apprehending how God blessed the seventh or the Sabbath-day.—Genesis
2:3; Exodus. 20:11. Indeed, the two cases are exactly analogous;—God
blessed the seventh day by setting it apart to a holy use, or
appointing it to be a day of sacred rest; Christ blessed the bread,
by setting, it apart from a common to a holy use, or appointing it
to be the visible symbol of his body. And while it belonged
exclusively to Christ, as the Head of the Church, to appoint bread
and wine to be the symbols of his body and blood, yet we are
persuaded that the servants of Christ, in administering the Lord's
supper, are warranted, according to the institution and example of
Christ, to set apart by solemn prayer so much of the elements as
shall be used from a common to a holy use. That there is a sense in,
which the servants of Christ may be said to bless the elements,
seems plain from 1 Corinthians 10:16, where Paul denominates the
sacramental cup "The cup of blessing which we bless." It is not
pretended that any real change is thereby made upon the elements,
but only relative change, so that they are not to be looked upon an
common bread and wine, but as the sacred symbols of Christ's body
and blood.

2. The minister is also to take and break the bread. The breaking of
the bread is an essential part of the ordinance, and, when it is
wanting, the sacrament is not celebrated according to the original
institution. It is, indeed, so essential, that the Lord's supper is
sometimes designated from it alone, the whole being denominated from
a part. The "breaking of bread" is mentioned among the institutions
of the gospel (Acts 2:42); and in Acts 20:7, we are told that, "upon
the first day of the week, the disciples came together to break
bread:" in both of which passages the celebration of the Lord's
supper is doubtless meant by the "breaking of bread." The rite is
significant, and we are left in no doubt about the meaning of the
action. Our Savior himself explained it when he said, "This is my
body, which is broken for you;" intimating that the broken bread is
a figure of his body as wounded, bruised, and crucified, to make
atonement for our sins. As an unbroken Christ could not profit
sinners, so unbroken bread cannot fully represent to faith the food
of the soul. Wherefore, to divide the bread into small pieces called
wafers, and put a wafer into the mouth of each of the communicants,
as is done in the Church of Rome, is grossly to corrupt this
ordinance, for it takes away the significant action of breaking the
bread.

3. The minister is further to take the cup, and give both the
elements to the communicants. The cup, as well as the bread, is an
essential element in this ordinance—the one representing the blood,
and the other representing the body of Christ. To give both the
elements to all the communicants, was the universal practice of the
Church of God for about 1400 years; but the Church of Rome then
departed from the primitive institution, and the practice of the
ancient Church, by withholding the cup from the laity. The Council
of Constance decreed, "that though Christ did administer this
venerable sacrament to his disciples under both the kinds of bread
and wine, yet notwithstanding this, the custom of communicating
under one kind only is now to be taken for a law." And, "Though, in
the primitive Church, this sacrament was received by the faithful
under both kinds, yet, notwithstanding this, the custom that is
introduced of communicating under one kind only for the laity is now
to be taken for a law." The Council of Trent also declared, "That
the laity, and the clergy not officiating, are not bound by any
divine precept, to receive the sacrament of the Eucharist under both
kinds." "And further declares, that although our Redeemer in the
last supper instituted this sacrament in two kinds, and so delivered
it to the apostles, yet under one kind only, whole, and entire
Christ and the true sacrament are taken; and that, therefore, those
who receive only one kind are deprived of no grace necessary to
salvation." The Church of Rome, it will be remarked, acknowledges
both kinds, the bread and the wine, to have been instituted by
Christ, and the ordinance to have been thus celebrated in primitive
times; she is, therefore, guilty of an avowed opposition to the
authority of Christ, has sacrilegiously mutilated this holy
sacrament, and infringed the privileges of the Christian people. The
command of Christ to drink the wine is as express as the command to
eat the bread; nay, as foreseeing how, in after ages, this ordinance
would be dismembered by the prohibition of the cup to the laity, he
is even more explicit in his injunction concerning the cup than the
bread. Of the bread, be simply said, "Take, eat;" but when he gave
the cup, he said, "Drink you all of it." Matthew 26:26, 27.
According to the divine institution, therefore, both the elements
are to be given to all the communicants. And as really as the bread
and wine are given to the communicants, so Christ gives himself,
with all his benefits, to the worthy receivers; and in taking these
elements—in eating the bread and drinking the wine they profess to
receive Christ by faith, and to rest their hope of pardon and
salvation solely upon his death.

SECTION 7. Worthy receivers, outwardly partaking of the visible
elements in this sacrament, do then also inwardly, by faith, really
and indeed, yet not carnally and corporally, but spiritually,
receive and feed upon Christ crucified, and all benefits of his
death: the body and blood of Christ being then not corporally or
carnally in, with, or under the bread and wine; yet as really, but
spiritually, present to the faith of believers in that ordinance, as
the elements themselves are to their outward senses.

SECTION 8. Although ignorant and wicked men receive the outward
elements in this sacrament, yet they receive not the thing signified
thereby; but by their unworthy coming thereunto are guilty of the
body and blood of the Lord, to their own damnation. Wherefore all
ignorant and ungodly persons, as they are unfit to enjoy communion
with him, so are they unworthy of the Lord's table, and cannot,
without great sin against Christ, while they remain such, partake of
these holy mysteries, or be admitted thereunto.

Exposition of 29.7–29.8

In the preceding sections we have a strong condemnation of the
Popish doctrine respecting the sacrament of the Lord's supper, and
here we have an explicit condemnation of the Lutheran doctrine. The
Lutherans hold, that although the bread and wine are not changed
into the body and blood of Christ, yet that his real body and blood
are received by the communicants along with the symbols. This is
called consubstantiation, to signify that the substance of the body
and blood of Christ is present in, with, or under the substance of
the elements. "This opinion, although free from some of the
absurdities of transubstantiation, appears to us to labor under so
many palpable difficulties, that we are disposed to wonder at its
being held by men of a philosophical mind. It is fair, however, to
mention, that the doctrine of the real presence is, in the Lutheran
Church, merely a speculative opinion, having no influence upon the
practice of those by whom it is adopted. It appears to them that
this opinion furnishes the best method of explaining a Scripture
expression; but they do not consider the presence of the body and
blood of Christ with the bread and wine as imparting to the
sacrament any physical virtue, by which the benefit derived from it
is independent of the disposition of him by whom it is received; or
as giving it the nature of a sacrifice; or as rendering the bread
and wine an object of adoration to Christians. And their doctrine
being thus separated from the three great practical errors of the
Church of Rome, receives, even from those who account it false and
irrational, a kind of indulgence very different from that which is
shown to the doctrine of transubstantiation."

While our Confession rejects the doctrine of the Papists and of the
Lutherans, respecting the Lord's supper, it teaches that "the body
and blood of Christ are as really, but spiritually, present to the
faith of believers in that ordinance, as the elements themselves are
to their outward senses." Christ is not present in body at his
table; and, therefore, we cannot see him there after the flesh; but
he is present spiritually, and may be discerned by faith. From this
it follows that the participation of Christ's body and blood, in the
holy supper, is spiritual. There is an external representation and
confirmation of it, in participating of the sacred and instituted
elements, which symbolize the broken body and shed blood of Christ.
And while the worthy receivers outwardly partake of the visible
elements in this sacrament, they inwardly, by faith, receive and
feed upon Christ crucified, and the benefits of his death.

From the nature and ends of this sacrament, it is manifest that the
ignorant and ungodly are unfit for partaking of it. They may receive
the outward elements; but they receive not the thing signified
thereby. As they are unfit for communion with Christ, so they are
unworthy of occupying a seat at his table. They cannot venture to
approach to it without contracting a great sin, and exposing
themselves to the judgments of God. The Scripture declares, that
"whoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord
unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord;" and
that such "eat and drink damnation to themselves." 1 Corinthians
11:27, 29. Not that all unworthy communicants must necessarily
perish eternally. The word in our version unhappily rendered
"damnation," properly signifies judgment; and the judgment intended
must be determined by the context. That the judgments inflicted on
the Corinthians were chiefly of a temporal nature is evident from
the words that are immediately added: "For this cause many are weak
and sickly among you, and many sleep." Temporal judgments may be
still inflicted for the profanation of this ordinance, but those of
a spiritual nature are chiefly to be dreaded; and this sin, if
unrepented, must, like other sins, expose to eternal punishment.
This being the case, it must be the duty of the office-bearers of
the Church to be careful in excluding the ignorant and ungodly from
this ordinance. All were not permitted to eat of the Passover;
neither ought there to be a promiscuous admission of all to the
Lord's table. To admit the immoral and scandalous, is to profane the
ordinance, and to corrupt the communion of the Church. But those who
have a right to this ordinance in the judgment of the office-bearers
of the Church, who can only judge of their knowledge and external
conduct, may have no right to it in the sight of God. Every one,
therefore, ought impartially and faithfully to examine himself as to
his state before God, and his consequent right to partake of that
feast which he has prepared for his children. The injunction of the
apostle is express, and he enjoins self-examination as a means of
preventing the sin of unworthy communicating: "But let a man examine
himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup." 1
Corinthians 11:28.



32. Of the State of Men after Death, and of the Resurrection of the
Dead

SECTION 1. The bodies of men after death return to dust, and see
corruption; but their souls, (which neither die nor sleep,) having
an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God who gave them.
The souls of the righteous, being then made perfect in holiness, are
received into the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God
in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies;
and the souls of the wicked are cast into Hell, where they remain in
torments and utter darkness, reserved to the judgment of the great
day. Besides these two places for souls separated from their bodies,
the Scripture acknowledges none.

Exposition of 32.1

I. It is here supposed that death is an event common to all men. "It
is appointed unto men once to die." Hebrews 9:27. This is the
immutable appointment of Heaven, which cannot be reversed, and which
none can frustrate. When meditating upon this subject, the royal
Psalmist exclaimed: "What man is he who lives, and shall not see
death? Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave?"—Psalm
89:48. Job speaks of death as an event which certainly awaited him,
and of the grave as the common receptacle of all mankind: "I know
that you will bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all
living." Job 30:23. Our own observation abundantly confirms the
declaration of Scripture. Nor are we at a loss to account for the
introduction of death into our world, and its universal prevalence
over the human race: "As by one man sin entered into the world, and
death by sin; so death passed upon all men, for that all have
sinned." Romans 5:12.

There is, indeed, a vast difference between the death of the
righteous and that of the wicked. To the latter, death is the effect
of the law-curse, and the harbinger of everlasting destruction; but
to the former, death is not th