02 - Of the Use of These Three Things

Chapter II Of the use of these three things, and first of the use of the Word, of the Bread and of the Wine.

I believe these three things to be offered and given for those certain and proper uses whereunto among themselves they were ordained. And first I believe the Elements of Bread and Wine together with the Word to be offered and given, that by this Word and those Elements (as it were instruments of God’s Spirit working in the hearts of the Elect) their faith might be more and more stirred up and confirmed. And by that faith we believe that the matter is indeed that as the Word of Christ sounds in our ears and represents the Elements to our eyes and other senses, to wit, that the Heavenly Bread, which is the Body of Christ, has been broken, that is, killed and died for us. And [we also believe] the heavenly Wine, that is, the blood of Christ to have been shed for us and for many more, even all the Elect for the remission of their sins, and so [we believe] the New Testament to have been confirmed in the body of Christ and sealed in his blood, and that this Heavenly Bread Christ with the New Testament and the heavenly Wine with the remission of sins, to be offered unto us by the Earthly bread and by the Earthly Wine; yes, further that we are commanded to receive them in these words: "Take, eat." I believe the Bread and the Wine to be given unto us for this end. For this is the proper and immediate use of all speech and of all signs, especially of those signs which are used for confirmation of our speech, not only simply to signify this or that, but also that by signifying they may make belief, that is, may stir up faith in the hearers and seers, whereby they are persuaded that the thing itself is even so as the words of the speaker signifies unto the ears and as the signs represent unto the eyes. Paul also in the tenth chapter to the Romans speaking of the Word of God and of the preaching of the Gospel, says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Therefore the proper and immediate use of the Word is to beget faith in the hearer. Signs also and Sacraments are visible words. I conclude then that Bread and Wine together with the Word are given for this use and immediate end: that faith may be more and more increased in us, whereby we believe that the thing is so, as the Word signifies and as the Elements represent and in this manner signifying offer and represent unto us. The Second Position: Of the use of Faith being wrought in us by the Word and Sacraments

I believe this faith to be wrought in us of the Holy Ghost by the Word and Sacraments that by this faith we might immediately receive and eat the body of Christ which was delivered up for us, and receive and drink the blood of Christ which was shed for us for remission of sins. And so we might more and more be engrafted and immediately united unto the body of Christ as our Mediator who died for us. For even as the Bread and Wine being Earthly and Material Bodies cannot be incorporated into our Earthly bodies, unless we receive them in at our mouth and eat them and drink them. So we cannot be united and incorporated into the body and blood of Christ, which Irenaeus calls a Heavenly thing, unless by faith we take hold on Christ, eat him and drink him, that is, apply him unto us. The Third Position: Of the use, for which we eat the body of Christ and drink his blood.

I believe that the body of Christ in the Supper is offered and exhibited unto us to be eaten and his blood to be drunk. And [I believe] that faith, being wrought in our hearts by the Word and Sacraments by the help of the Holy Ghost, is eaten of us indeed, to the end that we being more nearly and effectually incorporated into Christ, we may also be more thoroughly confirmed in the New Covenant which, in Christ, is communicated unto us. For as Christ did therefore deliver his body unto death and shed his blood that by his death and blood, our sins being purged, he might confirm and forever establish the covenant being renewed between God the Father and us, even as the words of the Supper concerning the blood teach us and as other books of the Scripture (especially the Epistle to the Hebrews) confirm, even so for this end the body and blood of Christ also is communicated unto us: that by the participation of them we, in like manner being more and more incorporated into Christ, might be more and more confirmed in the New Testament. Therefore, when Christ gave forth the cup, he named it the new Testament in plain words in order that the Apostles might understand to what end the blood of the son of God was not only shed and poured out, but also was exhibited to be drunk of them. Verily, it was to this end that, as by the shedding of his blood, their sins and the sins of all God’s Elect were purged, and being purged, the covenant between them and God was for all eternity confirmed. So also by the drinking of the same both they and all the elect, being more and more incorporated, may know themselves to be confirmed and established in the everlasting Covenant. But yet, because the Covenant and the flesh and blood of Christ are diverse objects and the one is ordinated unto the other, therefore for the sake of doctrine, I distinguish the one from the other and show what is the proper use of either of them. The Fourth Position: Of the benefit or use of the Covenant communicated unto us.

Lastly, I believe that by the bond of the covenant itself, being ratified and confirmed in the body of Christ and by the blood of Christ, we may thereof wholly be united more and more unto God the Father, the Fountain as of the whole Divinity, no matter who we are, so of all the goodness and blessedness by Christ, the Mediator, the spirit working and dwelling in us and that we may be so united that in mind we may daily more clearly acknowledge him, by the Holy Ghost, yes with all the powers of soul and body, we may daily more sincerely honor him and may be made like unto him in Holiness and Justice until at length, sin being utterly destroyed, and death abolished and the perfect Image of God recovered, we may so perfectly be united and coupled after this life unto God the Father through Christ in the Spirit of God, that he may be all in all. Amen. For this is the last end unto which not only the Supper of the Lord, but also Baptism, yes even the whole Word of God, all his benefits, all his corrections and lastly all the words and works of God, lead us unto.