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The Westminster Confession of Faith and Larger Catechism
1. The night Jesus was betrayed he instituted the sacrament of his body and blood, called the Lord's supper, to be observed in his church until the end of the world as a perpetual remembrance of his sacrifice in death and as the seal of all the benefits of that sacrifice for true believers. It also signifies the spiritual nourishment and growth of believers in Jesus and their additional commitment to perform all the duties they owe him. Finally it is a bond and pledge of believers' communion with Jesus and with each other as members of his mystical body.[1]
[1] 1 Cor 11:23-26, 10:16-17, 21, 12:13, Mt 26:26-27, Lk 22:19-20.
2. In this sacrament Christ is not offered up to his Father, nor is any actual sacrifice made for the remission of sins of the living or the dead.[2] Rather, this sacrament commemorates Christ's offering up of himself, by himself, on the cross once for all, and it spiritually offers up to God every possible praise for that sacrifice.[3] Consequently the so-called sacrifice of the Roman Catholic mass does detestable injustice to Christ's one sacrifice, which is the only propitiation for all the sins of the elect.[4]
[3] 1 Cor 11:24-26, Mt 26:26-27, Lk 22:19-20.
[4] Heb 7:23-24, 27, 10:11-12, 14, 18:
3. In the administration of the Lord's supper Jesus has directed his ministers to declare to the congregation his words instituting this sacrament, to pray, and to bless the bread and wine, which are thus set apart from their ordinary use and put to holy use. His ministers are to take and break the bread, to take the cup, and (communicating themselves, too) to give both to the communicants–but not to anyone else not present at that time in the congregation.[5]
[5] Mt 26:26-28, Mk 14:22-24, Lk 22:19-20, 1 Cor 11:23-27; see citations under Sections 1 and 2, Acts 20:7, 1 Cor 11:20.
4. Practices contrary to the nature of this sacrament and to the institution of it by Christ are private masses or receiving the sacrament alone from a priest or anyone else;[6] denying the cup to the congregation;[7] and worshiping the bread and wine themselves by lifting them up or carrying them around for adoration or reserving them for any counterfeit religious use.[8]
[8] Mt 15:9; there is not the least appearance of a warrant for any of these things, either in precept or example, in any part of the word of God; see all the places in which the ordinance is mentioned.
5. The bread and wine in this sacrament, properly set apart to the uses ordained by Christ, so relate to him crucified that truly and yet only sacramentally they are sometimes called by the name of what they represent, that is, the body and blood of Christ.[9] Even so, they still remain in substance and nature only bread and wine, as they were before their sacramental use.[10]
[10] 1 Cor 11:26-28, Mt 26:29.
6. The teaching that the substance of the bread and wine is changed into the substance of Christ's body and blood (usually called transubstantiation) by the consecration of a priest or any other means is objectionable not only to Scripture but even to common sense and reason. Such teaching overturns the nature of the sacrament and has been and is the cause of much superstition and indeed flagrant idolatry.[11]
[11] Acts 3:21, 1 Cor 11:24-26, Lk 24:6, 39; these statements are inferences from the doctrine of the sacraments and do not require specific Scripture proofs.
7. Worthy receivers, physically partaking of the visible substances of this sacrament, do then also by faith actually and in fact, but not physically or bodily, spiritually receive and feed on Christ crucified and on all the benefits of his death. The body and blood of Christ are not then bodily or physically in, with, or under the bread and wine; but they are actually spiritually present to the faith of believers in the administration of this sacrament, just as the bread and wine are physically present.[12]
[12] 1 Cor 11:28, 5:7-8, 10:16,3-4, Jn 6:53,58; see note under Section 6 above.
8. Although ignorant or wicked men may partake of the physical substances in this sacrament, they do not receive what is signified by them. However, by their unworthy coming to the Lord's table they are guilty of his body and blood and bring judgment upon themselves. Therefore, just as the ignorant and ungodly are not fit to enjoy communion with Christ, neither are they worthy to come to the Lord's table, and, as long as they remain ignorant and ungodly, they cannot and must not be allowed to partake of the holy mystery of communion without committing a great sin against Christ.[13]
[13] 1 Cor 11:27-29, 2 Cor 6:14-16, 1 Cor 10:21, 5:6-7,13, 2 Thes 3:6,14-15, Mt 7:6.
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