On the Lord's Supper

First we confess that it is a holy action, ordained of God, in the which the Lord Jesus, by earthly and visible things set before us, lifts us up to heavenly and invisible things. And that when he had prepared his spiritual banquet, he witnessed that he himself was the living bread, with which our souls are fed to everlasting life.

And therefore in setting forth bread and wine to eat and drink, he confirms and seals up to us his promise and communion (that is, that we shall be partakers with him in his kingdom) and represents to us, and makes plain to our senses his heavenly gifts, and also gives to us himself, to be received with faith and not with mouth, nor yet by transfusion of substance: but so through the virtue of the holy Ghost that we, being fed with his flesh, and refreshed with his blood may be renewed, both to true godliness and to immortality.

And also that here with the Lord Jesus gathers us into one visible body (so that we be members one of another, and make altogether one body, of which Jesus Christ is head). And finally that by the same Sacrament, the Lord calls us to remembrance of his death and passion, to stir up our hearts to praise his most holy name. Furthermore we acknowledge that this Sacrament ought to be come to reverently, considering there is exhibited and given a token of the wonderful society and knitting together of the Lord Jesus and of the receivers, and also that there is included and contained in this sacrament, that he will preserve his church: for herein we are commanded to show the Lord's death until he come.

Also we believe that it is a confession, wherein we show what kind of doctrine we profess, and what congregation we join ourselves to. And likewise that it is a bond of mutual love among us. And finally we believe that all the comers to this holy supper must bring with them their conversion to the Lord, by unfeigned repentance in faith and in this Sacrament, receive seals and confirmation of their faith, and yet must in no wise think, that for this work's sake, their sins are forgiven. And as concerning these words, Hoc est corpus meum, this is my body, on which the papists depend so much, saying: that we must needs believe that the bread and wine are transubstantiated into Christ's body and blood: we acknowledge that it is no article of our faith, which can save us, nor which we are bound to believe upon pain of eternal damnation. For if we should believe that his very natural body, both flesh and blood, were naturally in the bread and wine, that should not save us, seeing many believe that, and yet receive it to their damnation. For it is not his presence in the bread, that can save us: but his presence in our hearts through faith in his blood, which has washed out our sins, and pacified the Father's wrath towards us. And again if we do not believe his bodily presence in the bread and wine, that shall not damn us: but the absence out of our heart through unbelief. Now if they would here object, that though it be truth that the absence out of the bread could not damn us, yet are we bound to believe it, because of God's word, saying: this is my body, which who believes not, as much as in him lies, makes God a liar, and therefore of an obstinate mind not to believe his word, may be our damnation. To this we answer that we believe God's word, and confess that it is true, but not so to be understood as the papists grossly affirm: for in the Sacrament we receive Christ spiritually, as did the fathers of the old testament, according to Saint Paul's saying. And if men would well weigh, how that Christ, ordaining this holy sacrament of his body and blood, spoke these words sacramentally, doubtless they would never so grossly and foolishly understand them, contrary to all the scriptures, and to the exposition of Saint Augustine, Saint Jerome, Fulgentius, [illegible], Origen, and many other godly writers.