Liturgy of the Reformed Churches of the Netherlands
Form for the Administration of the Lord's Supper
Beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ, attend to the words of the
institution of the Holy Supper of our Lord Jesus Christ, as
they are delivered by the holy Apostle Paul. 1 Cor. 11:23-30.
"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. And 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; for as oft as ye eat this bread, and
drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come.
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. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat
of that bread, and drink of that cup; for he that eateth and
drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself,
not discerning the Lord's body.
That we may now celebrate the Supper of the Lord to our
comfort, it is above all things necessary,
First. Rightly to examine ourselves.
Secondly. To direct it to that end for which Christ has
ordained and instituted the same, namely, to his remembrance.
The true examination of ourselves consists of these three
parts:
First. That every one consider by himself, his sins and the
curse due to him for them, to the end that he may abhor and
humble himself before God: considering that the wrath of God
against sin is so great, that (rather than it should go
unpunished) he has punished the same in his beloved Son Jesus
Christ, with the bitter and shameful death of the cross.
Secondly. That every one examine his own heart, whether he does
believe this faithful promise of God, that all his sins are
forgiven him only for the sake of the passion and death of
Jesus Christ, and that the perfect righteousness of Christ is
imputed and freely given him as his own, yea, so perfectly, as
if he had satisfied in his own person for all his sins, and
fulfilled all righteousness.
Thirdly. That every one examine his own conscience, whether he
purposes henceforth to show true thankfulness to God in his
whole life, and to walk uprightly before him; as also, whether
he has laid aside unfeignedly all enmity, hatred, and envy, and
does firmly resolve hence forward to walk in true love and
peace with his neighbour.
All those, then, who are thus disposed, God will certainly
receive in mercy, and count them worthy partakers of the table
of his Son Jesus Christ. On the contrary, those who do not feel
this testimony in their hearts, eat and drink judgment to
themselves.
Therefore, we also, according to the command of Christ and
the Apostle Paul, admonish all those who are defiled with the
following sins, to keep themselves from the table of the Lord,
and declare to them that they have no part in the kingdom of
Christ; such as all idolaters, all those who invoke deceased
saints, angels or other creatures; all those who worship
images; all enchanters, diviners, charmers, and those who
confide in such enchantments; all despisers of God, and of his
Word, and of the holy sacraments: all blasphemers; all those
who are given to raise discord, sects and mutiny in Church or
State; all perjured persons; all those who are disobedient to
their parents and superiors; all murderers, contentious
persons, and those who live in hatred and envy against their
neighbours; all adulterers, whoremongers, drunkards, thieves,
usurers, robbers, gamesters, covetous, and all who lead
offensive lives.
All these, while they continue in such sins, shall abstain
from this meat (which Christ has ordained only for the
faithful), lest their judgment and condemnation be made the
heavier.
But this is not designed (dearly beloved brethren and sisters
in the Lord), to deject the contrite hearts of the faithful, as
if none might come to the supper of the Lord, but those who are
without sin; for we do not come to this supper, to testify
thereby that we are perfect and righteous in ourselves; but on
the contrary, considering that we seek our life out of
ourselves in Jesus Christ, we acknowledge that we lie in the
midst of death; therefore, notwithstanding we feel many
infirmities and miseries in ourselves, as namely, that we have
not perfect faith, and that we do not give ourselves to serve
God with that zeal as we are bound, but have daily to strive
with the weakness of our faith, and the evil lusts of our
flesh; yet, since we are (by the grace of the Holy Spirit)
sorry for these weaknesses, and earnestly desirous to fight
against our unbelief, and to live according to all the
commandments of God: therefore we rest assured that no sin or
infirmity, which still remains against our will, in us, can
hinder us from being received of God in mercy, and from being
made worthy partakers of this heavenly meat and drink.
Let us now also consider, to what end the Lord has instituted
his Supper, namely, that we do it in remembrance of him. Now
after this manner are we to remember him by it:
First. That we are confidently persuaded in our hearts, that
our Lord Jesus Christ (according to the promises made to our
forefathers in the Old Testament) was sent of the Father into
the world; that he assumed our flesh and blood; that he bore
for us the wrath of God (under which we should have perished
everlastingly) from the beginning of his incarnation, to the
end of his life upon earth; and that he has fulfilled, for us,
all obedience to the divine law, and righteousness; especially,
when the weight of our sins and the wrath of God pressed out of
him the bloody sweat in the garden, where he was bound that we
might be freed from our sins; that he afterwards suffered
innumerable reproaches that we might never be confounded; that
he was innocently condemned to death, that we might be
acquitted at the judgment-seat of God; yea, that he suffered
his blessed body to be nailed on the cross - that he might fix
thereon the handwriting of our sins; and has also taken upon
himself the curse due to us, that he might fill us with his
blessings: and has humbled himself unto the deepest reproach
and pains of hell, both in body and soul, on the tree of the
cross, when he cried out with a loud voice, "My God, my God!
why hast thou forsaken me?" that we might be accepted of God
and never be forsaken of him: and finally confirmed with his
death and shedding of his blood, the new and eternal testament,
that covenant of grace and reconciliation when he said: "It is
finished."
Secondly. And that we might firmly believe that we belong to
this covenant of grace, the Lord Jesus Christ, in his last
Supper, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he brake it,
and gave it to his disciples and said, "Take, eat, this is my
body which is broken for you, this do in remembrance of me; in
like manner also after supper he took the cup, gave thanks and
said, Drink ye all of it; this cup is the new testament in my
blood, which is shed for you and for many, for the remission of
sins, this do ye as often as ye drink it in remembrance of me":
that is, as often as ye eat of this bread and drink of this
cup, you shall thereby as by a sure remembrance and pledge, be
admonished and assured of this my hearty love and faithfulness
towards you; that, whereas you should otherwise have suffered
eternal death, I have given my body to the death of the cross,
and shed my blood for you and as certainly feed and nourish
your hungry and thirsty souls with my crucified body, and shed
blood, to ever lasting life, as this bread is broken before
your eyes, and this cup is given to you, and you eat and drink
the same with your mouth, in remembrance of me.
From this institution of the Holy Supper of our Lord Jesus
Christ, we see that he directs our faith and trust to his
perfect sacrifice (once offered on the cross) as to the only
ground and foundation of our salvation, wherein he is become to
our hungry and thirsty souls, the true meat and drink of life
eternal. For by his death he has taken away the cause of our
eternal death and misery, namely, sin, and obtained for us the
quickening Spirit, that we by the same (who dwells in Christ as
in the head, and in us as his members), might have true
communion with him, and be made partakers of all his blessings,
of life eternal, righteousness and glory.
Besides, that we by this same Spirit may also be united as
members of one body in true brotherly love, as the holy Apostle
says, "For we, being many, are one bread and one body; for we
are all partakers of that one bread." For as out of many grains
one meal is ground, and one bread baked, and out of many
berries being pressed together, one wine flows, and mixes
itself together, so shall we all, who by a true faith are in
grafted into Christ, be altogether one body, through brotherly
love, for Christ's sake, our beloved Saviour, who has so
exceedingly loved us, and not only show this in word, but also
in very deed towards one another.
Hereto assist us, the Almighty God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ through his Holy Spirit. AMEN.
That we may obtain all this, let us humble ourselves before
God, and with true faith implore his grace.
Prayer
O most merciful God and Father, we beseech thee, that Thou wilt
be pleased in this Supper (in which we celebrate the glorious
remembrance of the bitter death of thy beloved Son Jesus
Christ) to work in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, that we
may daily more and more with true confidence, give ourselves up
unto thy Son Jesus Christ, that our afflicted and contrite
hearts, through the power of the Holy Ghost, may be fed and
comforted with his true body and blood; yea, with him, true God
and man, that only heavenly bread; and that we may no longer
live in our sins, but he in us, and we in him, and thus truly
be made partakers of the new and everlasting covenant of grace.
That we may not doubt but Thou wilt forever be our gracious
Father, nevermore imputing our sins unto us, and providing us
with all things necessary, as well for the body as the soul, as
thy beloved children and heirs; grant us also thy grace, that
we may take up our cross cheerfully, deny ourselves, confess
our Saviour, and in all tribulations, with uplifted heads
expect our Lord Jesus Christ from heaven, where he will make
our mortal bodies like unto his most glorious body, and take us
unto him in eternity.
Our Father which is in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy
kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as
we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power
and the glory, for ever.
Strengthen us also by this Holy Supper in the catholic
undoubted christian faith, whereof we make confession with our
mouths and hearts, saying:
I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and
earth; and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was
conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered
under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried, he
descended into hell: the third day he rose again from the dead,
he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the
Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick
and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; I believe a holy catholic
church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the
resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.
That we may be now fed with the true heavenly bread, Christ
Jesus, let us not cleave with our hearts unto the external
bread and wine, but lift them up on high in heaven, where
Christ Jesus is our Advocate, at the right hand of his heavenly
Father, whither all the articles of our faith lead us; not
doubting, but we shall as certainly be fed and refreshed in our
souls through the working of the Holy Ghost, with his body and
blood, as we receive the holy bread and wine in remembrance of
him.
In breaking and distributing the bread, the Minister shall say:
The bread which we break, is the communion of the body of
Christ.
And when he gives the cup:
The cup of blessing, which we bless, is the communion of the
blood of Christ.
(During the communion, there shall or may be devoutly sung, a
psalm, or some chapter read, in remembrance of the death of
Christ, as the 53rd chapter of Isaiah, the 13th, 14th, 15th,
16th, 17th, and 18th chapters of John, or the like.)
After the Communion the Minister shall say:
Beloved in the Lord, since the Lord has now fed our souls at
this table, let us therefore jointly praise his holy name with
thanksgiving, and every one say in his heart, thus:
Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless
his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.
Who forgives all thine iniquities; who heals all thy
diseases.
Who redeems thy life from destruction, who crowns thee with
loving kindness and tinder mercies.
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and
plenteous in mercy.
He has not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us
according to our iniquities.
For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his
mercy towards them that fear him.
As far as the East is from the West, so far has he removed
our transgressions from us.
Like as a father pities his children, so the Lord pities them
that fear him.
Who has not spared his own Son, but delivered him up for us
all, and given us all things with him. Therefore God commends
therewith his love towards us, in that while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us; much more then, being now
justified in his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through
him: for, if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God
by the death of his Son; much more being reconciled, we shall
be saved by his life. Therefore shall my mouth and heart show
forth the praise of the Lord from this time forth forever more.
AMEN.
Let every one say with an attentive heart:
Thanksgiving
O! Almighty, merciful God and Father, we render thee most
humble and hearty thanks, that Thou hast of thy infinite mercy,
given us thine only begotten Son, for a Mediator and a
sacrifice for our sins, and to be our meat and drink unto life
eternal, and that Thou give us lively faith, whereby we are
made partakers of such great benefits. Thou hast also been
pleased, that thy beloved Son Jesus Christ should institute and
ordain his Holy Supper for the confirmation of the same. Grant,
we beseech thee, O faithful God and Father, that through the
operation of thy Holy Spirit, the commemoration of the death of
our Lord Jesus Christ may tend to the daily increase of our
faith, and saving fellowship with him, through Jesus Christ thy
Son, in whose name we conclude our prayers, saying:
Our Father which is in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy
kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as
we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power
and the glory, for ever. Amen.
The vast majority of Catholics would think this old protestant
service is essentially the same as the Lil' Licit Liturgy they
regularly attend - even though this protestant service is more
reverent.
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