Q. 10. To whom is the sacrament of the Lord's Supper to be administered?

A. Not to the grossly ignorant, the idiot, the openly ungodly, or the impenitent; but to all such as have, in the view of charity, experienced religion, having publicly covenanted with God and His people. This ordinance is designed only for visible Christians, females as well as males, in regular church standing, and is, therefore, to be viewed not as a converting ordinance, though in some individual cases it may prove to be such, but as an ordinance instituted for the edification of Christians. (ƒ)

Q. 11. What evidence ought a person to possess which will warrant him in his own view to profess religion, and to come to the table of the Lord?

A. Preponderating evidence that he is a Christian-more evidence for, than against himself, that he has been renewed by the Spirit of God. Assurance

heaven.-Luke xxii. 19. This do in remembrance of me.--Acts xx. 7. And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow.

(f) Ex. xii. 48. And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee; and will keep the passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land; for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.-Is. xliv. 5. One shall say, I am the Lord's; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel.-Matt. x. 32, 33. Whosoever, therefore, shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father, which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father, which is in heaven.-2 Cor. vi. 14, 15, 16. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.-Ps. 1. 16. But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldst take my covenant in thy mouth ?-Prov. xv. 8. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord; but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

of hope is not to be waited for. The degrees of evidence vary much in different Christians.

Q. 12. In what manner should the Lord's Supper be received?

A. With penitence, faith, humility, gratitude, hope, Joy, and brotherly love.

Q. 13. What is required of communicants, that they may worthily partake of the Lord's Supper?

A. That they examine themselves, and endeavor to have their Christian graces in lively exercise. It is proper, that there should be suitable meditations not only before partaking of the Supper, but at and after the time of partaking of it. (g)

Q. 14. Have the Churches, generally, adopted any method for the purpose of assisting Christians in the discharge of the important duty of commemorating the sufferings and death of Christ?

A. They have. A lecture preparatory to partaking of the Sacrament is established. This appointment is wise, judicious, and according to the spirit of the Scriptures. And it ought, if possible, to be attended always by Church members. To neglect it, ordinarily, argues a disrelish for this important duty, and is an evidence against one's piety.

Q. 15. What is meant by eating and drinking unworthily?

A. It means either the not possessing at the Lord's table right views of the person, character and offices of Christ, or of the nature and design of the Lord's

(g) 1 Cor. x. 21. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils; ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.-1 Cor. v. 7, 8. Purge out, therefore, the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.-1 Cor. xi. 28. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup.-2 Cor. xiii. 5. Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates ?-Matt. v. 16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father, which

is in heaven.

Supper; or else the not possessing, at the time, right feelings respecting sin, the Saviour, or this Christian duty and privilege

Q. 16. What will be the consequence of eating and drinking the Lord's Supper unworthily?

A. The disapprobation of Christ, the great Master of the feast, and exposure to the judgments of Heaven. The sin, however, is not unpardonable, if repented of, though of great magnitude. The phrase in Scripture, he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself,' means, he that eateth and drinketh in an irreverent, profane, and unworthy manner, exposes himself to the judgments of God. He incurs those temporal judgments, with which God chastises His offending people, and he will, if he remain impenitent, subject himself to final condemnation. The Greek word, rendered in this passage of Scripture damnation, might with propriety have been rendered judgment. (h)

Q. 17.

Who are proper persons to administer the sacrament of the Supper?

A. The regularly constituted Ministers of the gospel; and, in performing this service, they act in the name of Christ, and in their official capacity.

Q. 18. What are the religious services to be observed in the administration of the Lord's Supper, as warranted by the Scripture?

A. 1. Consecrating the bread by prayer, and breaking and distributing it to all the communicants; 2. Consecrating the wine by prayer, and pouring it out, and giving it to all the communicants;* and, 3. Sing

(h) 1 Cor. vi. 27. 29, 30. 34. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home, that ye come not together unto condemnation.

* Denying the cup to the laity or the common people, and giving it to the clergy only, as do the Papists, is wholly contrary to Scrip ture, and a great sin.

ing a hymn. It seems proper for the administrator of the ordinance to pronounce a benediction at the close of the service, though there is no special direction respecting it in the Scriptures. (i)

Q. 19. In what posture is the Lord's Supper to be received?

A. The posture is of itself indifferent. Sitting is the most convenient attitude. The Roman Catholics kneel in adoration of the element; Protestant Christians who use this posture of course associate with it no such idolatry.

Q. 20. At what time in the day should the Lord's Supper be celebrated?

A. The time is not material. The Scriptures lay no stress on this point. Convenience may determine. To say it must be administered in the evening, or towards sunsetting, because it was at that time first administered, is to argue that the Sacrament must also be always administered in an upper room, and to twelve persons only, for this was really the fact when the Sacrament was first observed. There is as much reason for observing the latter circumstance, as the former circumstance. No evidence that the evening is the time for observing the Sacrament, is to be derived from its being called Supper. The ancients had but two meals in a day, and supper was their principal meal, as dinner is ours. The Lord's Supper may, therefore, be lawfully administered at noon, in the evening, or at any other time.

Q. 21. istered?

How often is the Sacrament to be admin

A. The Scriptures are not particular and definite on this subject. It seems to be left to the discretion

(i) Matt. xxvi. 26-30. And as they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives

of the Churches. The Sacrament appears to have been administered weekly by the Apostles. This probably arose from the fact that they were just introducing Christianity, establishing churches, and journeying from place to place. Perhaps, in the present day, in Christian countries, the celebration of the Lord's Supper should not be oftener than once a month, or once in two months. (j)

CHAPTER XXXI.

Church Government and Discipline.

Q. 1. What is meant by Church government and discipline?

A. The form and order in which the Church manages its spiritual concerns.

Q. 2. Where are these prescribed?

A. In a general view they are prescribed in the Sacred Scriptures. Ecclesiastical polity is not of human, but of Divine origin. Civil and political laws are not at all to be regarded in ecclesiastical affairs. The exact form of ecclesiastical government and discipline, in all particulars, is to be determined by Christians from the general rules and principles established in the word of God, and from considerations of expedience. (a)

Q. 3. What are the proper officers of a Church? A. A Pastor and Deacons. These may be called the ordinary officers of the Church, as Prophets and Apostles were called extraordinary. The latter officers ended with the primitive age of the Christian

(j) Acts xx. 7. And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them. (a) Ezek. xliii. 11. And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, show them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out therecf, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof; and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them.-Matt. xvi. 19. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.