Dearly beloved, on------day next I purpose, through God's
assistance, to administer to all such as shall be religiously
and devoutly disposed the most comfortable Sacrament of the Body
and Blood of Christ; to be by them received in remembrance of his
meritorious cross and passion; whereby alone we obtain remission
of our sins, and are made partakers of the kingdom of heaven.
Wherefore it is our duty to render most humble and hearty thanks
to Almighty God our heavenly Father, for that he hath given his
Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, not only to die for us, but also to
be our spiritual food and sustenance in that holy Sacrament. Which
being so divine and comfortable a thing to them who receive it
worthily, and so dangerous to them that will presume to receive it
unworthily; my duty is to exhort you in the mean season to consider
the dignity of that holy mystery, and the great peril of the
unworthy receiving thereof; and so to search and examine your own
consciences, (and that not lightly, and after the manner of
dissemblers with God; but so) that ye may come holy and clean
to such a heavenly Feast, in the marriage-garment required by
God in holy Scripture, and be received as worthy partakers of
that holy Table.
The way and means thereto is; First, to examine your lives and
conversations by the rule of God's commandments; and whereinsoever
ye shall perceive yourselves to have offended, either by will,
word, or deed, there to bewail your own sinfulness, and to
confess yourselves to Almighty God, with full purpose of amendment of
life. And if ye shall perceive your offences to be such as are not
only against God, but also against your neighbours; then ye shall
reconcile yourselves unto them; being ready to make restitution
and satisfaction, according to the uttermost of your powers, for
all injuries and wrongs done by you to any other; and being likewise
ready to forgive others that have offended you, as ye would have
forgiveness of your offences at God's hand; for otherwise the
receiving of the holy Communion doth nothing else but increase your
guilt. Therefore if any of you be a blasphemer of God, an hinderer
or slanderer of his Word, an adulterer, or be in malice, or envy,
or in any other grievous crime, repent you of your sins, or else
come not to that holy Table; lest, after the taking of that holy
Sacrament, the devil enter into you, as he entered into Judas, and
fill you full of all iniquities, and bring you to destruction both
of body and soul.
And because it is requisite, that no man should come to the holy
Communion, but with a full trust in God's mercy, and with a quiet
conscience; therefore if there be any of you, who by this means
cannot quiet his own conscience herein, but requireth further
comfort or counsel, let him come to me, or to some other discreet
and learned Minister of God's Word, and open his grief; that by
the ministry of God's holy Word he may receive the benefit of
absolution, together with ghostly counsel and advice, to the
quieting of his conscience, and avoiding of all scruple and
doubtfulness.
_The following may be said, instead of the former, in case the
Presbyter shall see the people negligent to come to the Holy
Communion_.
Dearly beloved brethren, on------I intend, by God's grace, to
celebrate the Lord's Supper: unto which, in God's behalf, I bid
you all that are here present; and beseech you, for the Lord Jesus
Christ's sake, that ye will not refuse to come thereto, being so
lovingly called and bidden by God himself. Ye know how grievous
and unkind a thing it is, when a man hath prepared a rich feast,
decked his table with all kind of provision, so that there lacketh
nothing but the guests to sit down; and yet they who are called
(without any cause) most unthankfully refuse to come. Which of
you in such a case would not be moved? Who would not think a great
injury and wrong done unto him? Wherefore, most dearly beloved in
Christ, take ye good heed, lest ye, withdrawing yourselves from
this holy supper, provoke God's indignation against you. It is an
easy matter for a man to say, I will not communicate, because I am
otherwise hindered with worldly business. But such excuses are not
so easily accepted and allowed before God. If any man say, I am a
grievous sinner, and therefore am afraid to come: wherefore then
do ye not repent and amend? When God calleth you, are ye not
ashamed to say ye will not come? When ye should return to God,
will ye excuse yourselves, and say ye are not ready? Consider
earnestly with yourselves how little such feigned excuses will
avail before God. They that refused the feast in the Gospel,
because they had bought a farm, or would try their yokes of oxen,
or because they were married, were not so excused, but counted
unworthy of the heavenly feast. I, for my part, shall be ready;
and according to mine Office, I bid you in the Name of God, I
call you in Christ's behalf, I exhort you, as ye love your own
salvation, that ye will be partakers of this holy Communion. And
as the Son of God did vouchsafe to yield up his soul by death upon
the Cross for your salvation; so it is your duty to receive the
Communion in remembrance of the sacrifice of his death, as he
himself hath commanded: which if ye shall neglect to do, consider
with yourselves how great injury ye do unto God, and how sore
punishment hangeth over your heads for the same; when ye wilfully
abstain from the Lord's Table, and separate from your brethren,
who come to feed on the banquet of that most heavenly food. These
things if ye earnestly consider, ye will by God's grace return to
a better mind: for the obtaining whereof we shall not cease to
make our humble petitions unto Almighty God our heavenly Father.