VI

Instances of somewhat different kinds of Eucharistic teaching may be given from three devotional books of the early part of the eighteenth century. In The Reasonable Communicant, the third edition of which was published in 1708, an explanation is given of the statement in the Catechism that “the body and blood of Christ” “are verily and indeed taken and received by the faithful in the Lord’s Supper” which appears to define the body and blood of Christ as the power and grace of Christ.

“The real presence maintained by the Church of England is not the presence of Christ’s natural body, but of His spiritual and mystical one, that is, the real presence of Christ’s invisible power and grace so in and with the creatures of bread and wine as to convey spiritual and real effects to the souls of such as duly receive them.”

In The Orthodox Communicant, published by the famous engraver John Sturt in 1721, the gift in Communion is thus described:—

“The banquet thou art now about to feed on is no less than the pure and immaculate body and precious blood of Thy Saviour, which He instituted to support and comfort thee until His coming again. It is not a feast of earthly dainties, which give but an imperfect momentary pleasure, but it is a divine and spiritual banquet, which, if thou comest duly prepared, and with true faith feedest on it, will for ever satiate thy hunger and allay thy thirst.… With most profound gratitude and humility adore the divine goodness, which offers thee this cup of reconciliation, this healing draught, which will cure thy infirmities and reconcile thee to thy offended God. With steadfast faith believe and be assured (for thy Saviour hath said it) ‘This is His blood of the New Testament, which was shed for thee and for many for the remission of sins’. This is the heavenly draught, which alone can cleanse thee from all impurity and make thee white as snow. Drink this in pious memory of thy Blessed Saviour, that thou mayest obtain the grand benefit which He hath purchased for thee at the expense of His most precious blood. Implore the Father of mercies to impart such a share of grace to thee that thou mayest immediately feel the happy effects of it in a perfect and complete reformation of life; and beg of God such a continual supply of it that thou mayest enjoy the blessed presence of thy Saviour till the next opportunity of renewing this covenant with Him.”

In The Communicant Instructed how to Examine Himself in some Necessary Interrogatives for Worthy Receiving of the Lord’s Supper, by Thomas Trott, the Rector of Barkston in Lincolnshire, which was published at Dublin in 1723, one of the questions in preparation for Communion was:—

“Do I know the Lord’s Supper as part of God’s instituted worship? As a token, pledge, or seal of the covenant of grace, as representing Jesus Christ, and Him crucified, as having two parts, namely, the outward signs, bread and wine, with the actions there-unto belonging; the inward mysteries signified by those signs and sacramental actions, the nourishing, cleansing, enriching of my soul by the death of Christ?”