Parliament's Rules and Directions Concerning Sacramental Knowledge
Terms of Admission to the Lord's Supper
In April 1645, the Westminster divines informed the British Parliament that they had resolved the conditions for participating in the Lord's Supper. These conditions were presented to Parliament on both April 1 and April 17. In 1647, Robert Austin published the propositions in a pamphlet originally titled THE PARLIAMENTS RULES AND DIRECTIONS concerning Sacramentall knowledge: Contained in an Ordinance of the Lords and Commons of the 20th of October 1645. Drawn into Questions and Answers: (which Answers in the bigger Character are the Ordinance it self in the words of it.) With an Addition of Scripture-proofs: and some brief Directions for self-EXAMINATION. BY ROBERT AUSTIN, D.D. For the use of the place where he himself is Pastour; and the benefit of such other people, as stand in need of the like help.
Rules and Directions concerning Suspension from the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper in cases of Ignorance.
1. Of one God in three persons.
All such persons who shall be admitted to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper ought to know that there is a God, that there is but one ever-living and true God, maker of Heaven and Earth, and Governor of all things; That this only true God is the God whom we worship; That this God is but one, yet three distinct Persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, all equally God.
2. Of man's creation and fall.
That God created man after His own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness; That by one man sin entered into the World, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned; That thereby they are all dead in trespasses and sins and are by nature the children of wrath, and so liable to eternal death, the wages of every sin.
3. Of Christ.
That there is but one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who is also overall, God blessed forever, neither is there salvation in any other; That He was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary; That He died upon the Cross to save His people from their sins; That He rose again the third day from the dead, ascended into Heaven, sits at the right hand of God, and makes continual intercession for us, of whose fullness we receive all grace necessary to salvation.
4. Of Faith, Repentance, and holy Life.
That Christ and His benefits are applied only by Faith; That faith is the gift of God, and that we have it not of ourselves, but it is wrought in us by the Word and Spirit of God.
That faith is that grace whereby we believe and trust in Christ for remission of sins & life everlasting, according to the promise of the Gospel, that whosoever believes not on the Son of God shall not see life but shall perish eternally.
That they who truly repent of their sins do see them, sorrow for them, and turn from them to the Lord, and unless men repent, they shall surely perish.
That a godly life is conscientiously ordered according to the Word of God, in holiness and righteousness, without which no man shall see God.
5. Of the Sacraments.
That the Sacraments are seals of the Covenant of Grace in the blood of Christ; That the Sacraments of the New Testament are Baptism and the Lord's Supper; that the outward Elements in the Lord's Supper are Bread and Wine and do signify the Body and Blood of Christ Crucified, which the worthy Receiver by Faith does partake of in this Sacrament, which Christ has likewise Ordained for the remembrance of his death, that whosoever eats and drinks unworthily is guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord, and therefore that every one is to examine himself, lest he eat and drink judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's Body.
6. Of the souls and bodies of men after death.
That the Souls of the faithful after death do immediately live with Christ in Blessedness, and that the Souls of the wicked do immediately go into Hell torments. That there shall be a Resurrection of the bodies both of the just and unjust at the last Day, at which time all shall appear before the judgment Seat of Christ, to receive according to what they have done in the body, whether it be good or evil; And that the righteous shall go into life eternal, and the wicked into everlasting punishment.
And it is further Ordained by the Lords and Commons, That those who have a competent measure of understanding concerning the matters contained in these Articles shall not be kept back from the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper for Ignorance; And that the Examination and Judgment of such Persons as shall, for their ignorance of the aforementioned points of Religion, not be admitted to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, is to be in the power of the Eldership of every Congregation.
The Parliament's Rules and Directions concerning Sacramental knowledge, drawn into questions and answers, with an addition of Scripture-proofs and some brief Directions for self-examination.
I. Of one God in three persons.
Q. Whether do you believe that there is a God?
A. Yes, and I know there is, ACT. 17.28. ROM. 1.19, 20, 21.
Q. How many Gods do you believe there are?
A. Only one ever-living and true God, 1 COR. 8.4. 2 TIM. 6.17. JER. 10.10.
Q. Is not the Father God, the Son God, the Holy Ghost God?
A. Yes.
Q. How then do you say that there is but one God?
A. There is but one God in respect of divine essence; yet there are three distinct persons all equally God; MAT. 28.19. 1 JOHN 5.7.
Q. Who is this one everliving true God?
A. The maker of heaven and earth; and governor of all things whom I alone do worship, JONAH 1.9.
II. Of Man's Creation and fall.
Q Did this God create man holy or sinful?
A. God treated man holy; after his own image in righteousness and true holiness, ECCLE. 7.31. COL. 3.10.
Q. How came all men then to be sinful?
A. By one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin, in whom all have sinned, as being all in his loins, ROM. 5.12.
Q. What follows from hence?
A. That by means of Adam's sin and the corruption we draw from him, all men are dead in trespasses and sins, and are by nature the children of wrath, and so liable to eternal death, ROM. 5.15. EPH. 2.1.
III. Of Christ.
Q. How then do you hope to be saved?
A. By the only mediation of Jesus Christ, ACT. 15.11.
Q. Are there no more Mediators then one?
A. No, but one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus, who's over all God blessed forever; neither is there salvation in any other, 1 TIM. 2.5. ROM. 9.5. ACT. 4.12.
Q. What is Christ?
A. He is both the eternal (a) Son of God, and the Son of man (b) and as man he was conceived of the holy ghost, (c) born of the Virgin Mary (d) who also died upon the cross, to save his people from their sins; and rose again (e) the third day from the dead, (f) ascended up into heaven, and now sits at the right hand of God, and makes intercession for us (g) of whose fullness we receive all grace necessary to Salvation.
Q. Shall all men be saved by Christ?
A. No, only they who are true and living members of his body, for Christ is the Savior only of his own body, Eph. 5.23.
IIII. Of Faith, Repentance, holy life.
Q. How do men come to be living members of Christ's body?
A. Only by faith, whereby we become ingrafted into him, GAL. 2.20. JOH. 15.5.
Q. Have we faith of ourselves?
A. No, it is the (a) gift of God and wrought in us (b) by his Word and Spirit.
Q. What is faith?
A. It is that grace whereby we believe, and trust in Christ for remission of sins, and life everlasting, according to the promise of the gospel, JOH. 3.16. ACT. 16.31.
Q. Shall none then be saved, but those that thus believe in Christ.
A. No, whosoever believes not in the Son of God, shall not see life, but shall perish everlastingly, JOH. 3.18.36.
Q. How may we know whether we have this true faith?
A. By our repentance and godly life, ACT. 3.19. GAL. 5.6.
Q. What is Repentance?
A. It is a seeing of our sins, and sorrowing for them, and turning from them to God, ACT. 3.19.
Q. Is this repentance necessary to salvation?
A. Yes, for except men repent they shall surely perish, Luke 13.3.
Q. What is a godly life?
A. A life conscionably ordered according to the Word of God, in holiness and righteousness, PSAL. 119.9. LUKE 1.75.
Q. Is a godly life also necessary to Salvation?
A. Yes, for without holiness and righteousness no man shall see God, HEB. 12.14.
V. Of the Sacraments.
Q. You said a little before that faith is wrought in us by God's Word and Spirit. To what end then serve the Sacraments?
A. The Sacraments are seals of the Covenant of grace made in the blood of Christ; namely, that in him and by him we should be blessed, ROM. 4.11. GEN. 22.17, 18.
Q. How many Sacraments are there in the New Testament?
A. Two, Baptism and the Supper of the Lord.
Q. What is the outward Element in Baptism?
A. Water, wherein the party Baptized is dipped or sprinkled in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, MAT. 28:19.
Q. What does the washing of the water signify?
A. The washing away of our sins in the blood of Christ, ACT. 22:16.
Q. What are the outward Elements in the Lord's Supper?
A. Bread and wine.
Q. What do these signify?
A. The body and blood of Christ crucified, which the worthy receiver by faith does partake of in this Sacrament, 1 COR. 11:24, 25.
Q. Why did Christ Ordain this Sacrament?
A. One main end was for the remembrance of his death (1 COR. 11:24, 25.) that is, that we might remember what he has done for us, and we again owe to him by way of thankfulness, even all love and obedience unto death, 2 COR. 5:15. A second was, that by feeding on Christ's body and blood, we might thereby be enabled to die to sin and live to God, ROM. 6:11.
Q. What is the danger of unworthy receiving?
A. 1. They are guilty of a heinous sin, namely, of profaning the body and blood of Christ. 2. They eat and drink judgment to themselves, that is to say, the cause of many judgments, as not discerning the Lord's body, 1 COR. 11:27. and 29.
Q. What is the way to come worthily?
A. To examine ourselves before we come, 1 COR. 11:28.
VI. Of the Souls and bodies of men after death.
Q. What becomes of the souls of men after death?
A. The (a) souls of the faithful immediately live with Christ in blessedness, and the (b) souls of the wicked immediately go into hell torments:
Q. Whether shall men's bodies rise again?
A. Yes, both of just and unjust at the day of judgment (a) at which time all shall appear before the judgment seat of Christ, to receive according to what they have done in the body, whether it be good or evil (b) and the righteous shall go into life eternal, and the wicked into everlasting punishment.
Directions for the Examination of ourselves before we come to the Lord's Supper, added by the Author.
Q. You said even now that we must examine ourselves before we come to God's table; tell me, how must we examine ourselves.
A. The word "examine" in the Original signifies to prove and try as the goldsmith does his gold, which he does we know two ways. 1. By his touchstone, whether it be true or counterfeit. 2. By the balance whether it be weight, or how much too light. So must we try ourselves by the touchstone and balance of God's Word. 1. Whether we be Christians(a) only in name,(b) or in deed, and in truth. 2. If in truth, then how we come short of what we should be.
More plainly we must examine ourselves, 1. concerning our graces, and 2. concerning our sins.
Q. Of what graces must we examine ourselves.
A. More especially of those which more immediately concern our coming to God's Table, as,
Of our knowledge, which is the eye of the soul to discern what we eat.
Of our faith, which is as the hand of the soul to receive Christ and all his merits as the chief nourishment of our souls.
Of our repentance which is as a salad of sour herbs to provoke our dull appetite to these heavenly dainties.
Of our love which is as the heat of the stomach to digest Christ and to convey him into all his members.
Of our reverence and godly fear of that divine majesty before whom we come and of the heavenly instructions we come about.
Of our thankfulness to the matter of the feast, who has made us thus a feast of the flesh and blood of his own and only son.
Q. Wherein consists this examination of ourselves concerning these?
A. According to the scripture's manner of speaking (which under words of knowledge comprehends affections and practice suitable) it consists in three things.
In an impartial search whether we have these graces of which is made up our wedding garment; which is a vesture of gold wrought about with divers colors, PSAL. 45:10. that is to say the garment of faith interwoven with divers other graces, 1 PET. 1:7. COL. 1:3.12, 13, 14.
If we find we have those graces, then the second thing is to prepare ourselves; that is to say, to stir them up, and put them on as the bride her ornaments against our coming; for it is not the bare having, but the having on our wedding garment that makes us welcome guests, MAT. 22:12. it is not the bare having of grace, but the present exercise thereof that makes us worthy receivers. The Corinthians had all graces, 1 COR. 1:4, 5, 7. but(a) because they came not in the exercise of them (as of their love and godly fear) they were judged of God as unworthy receivers, as not discerning the Lord's body, we must therefore quicken and revive our graces, before we come and so put on our wedding garment.
If we fear we have not these graces, then the third and last thing is to bewail our wants and to fly unto God and to beg them of him by hearty prayers, JAMES 1:5.
And finding ourselves thus groaning under the sense of our wants, and hungering and thirsting after God's grace, we may boldly come; for Christ(c) calls all such to come, and promises(d) they shall be filled.
Q. You said we must also examine ourselves concerning our sins; of what sins especially must we examine ourselves?
Of scandalous sins whereby we have not only offended God, and wounded our own souls, but also scandalized our brother; that is to say, grieved the stronger, and occasioned the weaker to sin by our example.
Of our willful defects and decays in grace; arising either from our neglect of the means, or not using them so frequently and conscientiously as we ought, or not approving the occasions of grace and our former experience attained unto.
Q. Wherein consists this examination of our sins?
A. According to the former use of the Word it consists
In a careful and faithful searching out our sins with all their aggravations, as with how high a hand we have offended; against what light we have sinned; what offence to God and man we have incurred; and what wounds have followed on our own souls thereby.
In a diligent inquiry, how we stand affected to our sins? As,
1. Whether we judge ourselves for them and grieve especially that we have offended God, grieved his good spirit, scandalized our brethren, and wounded our own souls.
2. Whether we earnestly desire to be freed, not only from the punishment, but also from the power of sin, and to be reconciled unto God.
3. Whether to this end, we fly unto Christ, that he may thus save us from our sins, and make our peace with God.
4. Whether we resolve fully with ourselves to leave, by God's grace, our sins for the time to come, and to lead new lives; and to this end, to use all means appointed by God, and to use them frequently, and conscientiously as we ought, and to improve all holy opportunities.
And they again who find it thus with them they may come with comfort; but as for those who are neither troubled with the want of God's grace, nor with the burden of their sins, and coming to God's Table, have no sense of what they come about; nor prepare their hearts to seek the Lord (2 CHRON. 30:18, 19.) such cannot be but unworthy receivers: and so eat judgment to themselves as not discerning the Lord's body.