Chapter 9: The Sacraments

In the Western Church, however, it ceased to be used for physical healing, and reappeared in the twelfth century as a sacramental rite used only for spiritual healing of persons at the point of death (Latin in extremis, hence the name Extreme Unction). But there is no evidence that our Lord instituted it, or that oil was intended to be ‘an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace’.

The Article concludes by emphasizing the right use of the Sacrament of Holy Communion.^[1] It condemns Corpus Christi processions and the like.^[2] ‘The Sacraments were not ordained of Christ to be gazed upon or to be carried about: but that we should duly use them.’ In accord with the teaching of other Articles, it also stresses the need for human co‑operation with the grace of God.^[3] Hence, ‘in such only as worthily receive the same they have a wholesome effect or operation: but they that receive them unworthily purchase to themselves damnation, as St. Paul saith.’ The allusion is to 1 Cor. 11:29 which reads (R.V.): ‘He that eateth and drinketh, eateth and drinketh judgement unto himself, if he discern not the Lord’s Body.’ The Greek text shows that ‘judgement’ (Gk. krima) here means temporal punishment sent by God to recall the careless to a sense of sin; it does not mean ‘eternal punishment’.^[4]

^[1]The plural ‘Sacraments were not . . .’ must refer to the two Elements in Holy Communion. Obviously the entire paragraph refers only to the one Sacrament, for Holy Baptism is never ‘carried about’, and the reference to unworthy reception linked with 1 Cor. 11:29 also refers only to Holy Communion. (Cp. ‘The holy Sacraments of His blessed Body and Blood’, – Second Exhortation in Communion Service, 1552 Prayer Book).

^[2]Cf. Article XXVIII. The Festival of Corpus Christi originated in the thirteenth century in honour of the transubstantiation of the Elements.

^[3]Cf. pp. 56, 74, above, etc.

^[4]J. K. Mozley expounds the text as meaning ‘A man should examine himself to see if his attitude towards the Supper justifies his coming to it. For it is not a common meal; it is one in which the Lord’s body is present to be discerned, that is, distinguished form ordinary food. If he does not so distinguish, then his eating and drinking involves the calling down of judgement upon himself . . . the judgements are disciplinary . . . they make for salvation, not for that condemnation to which the world, as alien from the Gospel, must at last be subjected.’ (A New Commentary on Holy Scripture, S.P.C.K., p. 504.) Hence, ‘unworthily’ really refers to the worth of the Sacrament, as much as to the worthiness of the individual; to eat and drink ‘unworthily’ is to eat and drink without discerning the worth of the Lord’s body. Such participation is ‘loss’ (damnation).


	The Sacraments
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Title Contents Preface Introduction Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Site Search: powered by FreeFind Copyright & Credit	In the Western Church, however, it ceased to be used for physical healing, and reappeared in the twelfth century as a sacramental rite used only for spiritual healing of persons at the point of death (Latin in extremis, hence the name Extreme Unction). But there is no evidence that our Lord instituted it, or that oil was intended to be ‘an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace’. The Article concludes by emphasizing the right use of the Sacrament of Holy Communion.^[1] It condemns Corpus Christi processions and the like.^[2] ‘The Sacraments were not ordained of Christ to be gazed upon or to be carried about: but that we should duly use them.’ In accord with the teaching of other Articles, it also stresses the need for human co‑operation with the grace of God.^[3] Hence, ‘in such only as worthily receive the same they have a wholesome effect or operation: but they that receive them unworthily purchase to themselves damnation, as St. Paul saith.’ The allusion is to 1 Cor. 11:29 which reads (R.V.): ‘He that eateth and drinketh, eateth and drinketh judgement unto himself, if he discern not the Lord’s Body.’ The Greek text shows that ‘judgement’ (Gk. krima) here means temporal punishment sent by God to recall the careless to a sense of sin; it does not mean ‘eternal punishment’.^[4] ^[1]The plural ‘Sacraments were not . . .’ must refer to the two Elements in Holy Communion. Obviously the entire paragraph refers only to the one Sacrament, for Holy Baptism is never ‘carried about’, and the reference to unworthy reception linked with 1 Cor. 11:29 also refers only to Holy Communion. (Cp. ‘The holy Sacraments of His blessed Body and Blood’, – Second Exhortation in Communion Service, 1552 Prayer Book). ^[2]Cf. Article XXVIII. The Festival of Corpus Christi originated in the thirteenth century in honour of the transubstantiation of the Elements. ^[3]Cf. pp. 56, 74, above, etc. ^[4]J. K. Mozley expounds the text as meaning ‘A man should examine himself to see if his attitude towards the Supper justifies his coming to it. For it is not a common meal; it is one in which the Lord’s body is present to be discerned, that is, distinguished form ordinary food. If he does not so distinguish, then his eating and drinking involves the calling down of judgement upon himself . . . the judgements are disciplinary . . . they make for salvation, not for that condemnation to which the world, as alien from the Gospel, must at last be subjected.’ (A New Commentary on Holy Scripture, S.P.C.K., p. 504.) Hence, ‘unworthily’ really refers to the worth of the Sacrament, as much as to the worthiness of the individual; to eat and drink ‘unworthily’ is to eat and drink without discerning the worth of the Lord’s body. Such participation is ‘loss’ (damnation).
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