posterity by their ancestor's act of disobedience in the garden of Eden. St. Paul calls baptism "the washing of regeneration." [Titus iij. 5.] St. Peter speaks of "being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible" [1 Peter j. 23], and of our being "begotten again to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.” [j. 3-5.] St. John says that the children of God are "born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. [John j. 13.] Baptism thus gives to every one who is baptized a new nature by which to serve God, to know God, and to love God; as He could not be known, served, or loved, by those who are not made Christians.

CHAPTER XI.

Holy Communion.

"Question.-Why was the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper ordained?

"Answer. For the continual remembrance of the sacrifice of the death of Christ, and of the benefits which we reecive thereby.

"Question.-What is the outward part or sign of the Lord's

Supper?

Answer.--Bread and Wine, which the Lord hath commanded to be received.

"Question.-What is the inward part, or thing signified? "Answer.-The Body and Blood of Christ, which are verily and indeed taken and received by the faithful in the Lord's Supper.

Question.-What are the benefits whereof we are partakers thereby.

"Answer. The strengthening and refreshing of our souls by the Body and Blood of Christ, as our bodies are by the Bread and Wine.

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Question.-What is required of them who come to the Lord's Supper?

"Answer.-To examine themselves, whether they repent them truly of their former sins, steadfastly purposing to lead a new life; have a lively faith in God's mercy through Christ, with a thankful remembrance of his death; and be in charity with all men.

HOLY Communion is the second of those two great

Sacraments of the Gospel, which are described

in the Catechism as being generally (that is "universally") necessary to salvation.

It is known to us by several titles besides those which it bears in the Prayer Book, "the Lord's Supper" and "the Holy Communion." Thus it was at first called, "the Breaking of the Bread." The earliest Christians being described as "continuing steadfastly in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers," [Acts ij. 42], "continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house." [Acts ij. 46.]

The title of "Holy Communion," which is generally used, occurs in 1 Cor. x. 16, where St. Paul says, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?" That of "The Lord's Supper," is a modern title adopted from the name [Coena Domini] given to Maundy Thursday, the day when Christ instituted this Sacrament. Our Lord then ate the Paschal Supper of the Jews, which was a type and shadow of the Sacrament of His Body and Blood, which He the same night ordained, and the name was probably intended at once to retain the association, and to distinguish between the old and new rites. But in the often quoted passage of St. Paul, "When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's Supper" [1 Cor. xj. 20], allusion is made not to the Holy Communion, but to the love feast with which it was accompanied.

Other titles found in early Christian writers are: The Oblation;1 The (Holy) Eucharist,2 or Feast of 1 Clement of Rome, A.D. 96.

2 Ignatius of Antioch, A.D. 107.

Thanksgiving; The Eucharistic Sacrifice; 3 The Commemoration; The Memorial ; 3 The Mass.4

3

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The Institution of Holy Communion.-The Holy Communion was instituted by our Saviour on the Thursday evening immediately preceding the day of His crucifixion, while He was eating the Paschal Supper with His twelve Apostles in an upper chamber in Jerusalem.

The event is recorded by three of the Evangelists : St. Matthew, St. Mark, and St. Luke, in slightly varying terms, from which we learn that—

"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, which is given for you : this do in remembrance of Me. Likewise also He took

the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it, for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you, and for many, for the remission of sins."

There is no account of the Institution in St. John's Gospel, but its place is more than supplied by a long conversation between our Lord and His disciples and the Jews, on the doctrine of the Holy Communion. [John vj. 30-63.] St. John wrote his Gospel when the account of its Institution had long been familiar in the Liturgy.

St. Paul gives an independent account of it in his first Epistle to the Corinthians, very similar to that of the three first Evangelists. That it is not borrowed from them is indicated by St. Paul himself, who tells us

3 Justin Martyr, A.D. 150; also St. Cyprian, Augustine, Chrysostom.

4 Used by St. Ambrose, A.D. 385.

it was the subject of an express revelation to him from God. He says :

"For I have received of the Lord that which also I

delivered unto you. That the Lord Jesus the same night in which He was betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is My Body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of Me. After the same manner also He took the cup, when He had supped, saying, This cup is the New Testament in My Blood: This do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me." [1 Cor. xj. 23-25.]

The Outward and Inward Parts of the Lord's Supper.

The outward part or sign in the Holy Communion consists of the natural substances of bread and wine which the Lord commanded to be received.5

The inward part or thing signified is "the Body and Blood of Christ."

However difficult this may be to understand, it is the plain teaching of the Bible. After our Lord had blessed the bread, He said of it, “This is My Body which is broken for you." After blessing the cup He declared that what He so gave to His followers to drink was His Blood. On another occasion He said, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever, and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." Upon His saying this, some

5 The wine in accordance with the invariable custom of Eastern Nations, was mixed with water at the Paschal Supper, and it has been in consequence the general practice of the Christian Church to add a little water to the wine used in celebrating the Holy Communion,

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