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Chapter 55GenevaCat.1.55

IV. Des sacrements — Le 54e dimanche

Self-Examination and the Supper

The believer is called to examine their faith and charity before participating in the Lord's Supper.

357. M: What should its use be? Student: As Saint Paul says, a person must examine himself before approaching it (1 Corinthians 11:28). 358. M: In what should he examine himself? C: Namely, whether he is a true member of Jesus Christ.1 Evidence that one is a member of Christ. M: By what signs can he know this? E: If he has true faith and repentance, and if he loves his neighbors in true charity and isn't stained with hatred, grudges, or division.

Grace for the Imperfect

The Supper is a remedy for our weakness, not a reward for those who are already perfect.

360. M: But are perfect faith and charity required? E: Both must indeed be whole and unfeigned. But that kind of perfection, where nothing can be faulted, won't be found among human beings.2 So the Supper would have been instituted in vain if no one could receive it unless they were completely perfect. 361. M: So then, doesn't our imperfection keep us from approaching it? E: On the contrary—it wouldn't do us any good at all if we weren't imperfect.3 For it is a help and a relief for our weakness.

Sacraments as Public Confession

Sacraments serve as public marks of our Christian profession and belonging to God's people.

362. Minister: Don't these two sacraments serve any other purpose? Elder: Yes, they do, because they serve as signs and marks of our profession.4 In other words, through them we declare that we belong to God's people and confess our Christian faith.5 363. M: So what should we conclude about a man who refused to make use of them? C: He should not be regarded as a Christian.6 For by doing this he refuses to confess that he is one, and almost silently he disowns Jesus Christ.

The Frequency of the Sacraments

Baptism is a singular act of entry, while the Supper is a repeated act of ongoing spiritual nourishment.

364. M: But is it enough to receive each of them only once? E: Baptism is ordained only once, and it is not lawful to repeat it. But it's not that way with the Lord's Supper.7 Why baptism is received only once, and the Lord's Supper many times. Why baptism is received only once and the Lord's Supper many times. Minister: What is the reason? Student: Because through baptism God brings us in and receives us into his Church. After he has received us, he shows us by the Lord's Supper that he wants to keep nourishing us continually.

Read the original Latin

357. M : Quel en doit être l'usage? E : Tel que dit saint Paul, c'est que l'homme s'éprouve soi-même devant qu'en approcher (1 Corinthiens 11:28).

358. M : En quoi se doit-il éprouver? E : A savoir, s'il est vrai membre de Jésus-Christ.

Signe si on est membre de Christ 359. M : Par quels signes le pourra-t-il connaître? E : S'il a vraie foi et repentance, et s'il aime ses prochains en vraie charité et n'est point entaché de haine, ni rancune, ni division.

360. M : Mais est-il requis d'avoir foi et charité parfaite? E : Il faut bien que l'une et l'autre soit entière et non feinte. Mais d'avoir une telle perfection, à laquelle il n'y ait que redire, cela ne se trouvera pas entre les hommes. Aussi la cène serait instituée en vain si nul n'était capable de la recevoir, sinon qu'il fût du tout parfait.

361. M : L'imperfection donc ne nous empêche point d'en approcher? E : Mais au contraire, elle ne nous servirait de rien si nous n'étions imparfaits. Car c'est une aide et soulagement de notre infirmité.

362. M : Ces deux sacrements ne servent-ils point à autre fin? E : Si font, d'autant que ce sont signes et marques de notre profession. C'est-à- dire que par iceux nous protestons que nous sommes du peuple de Dieu et faisons confession de notre chrétienté.

363. M : Que faudrait-il donc juger d'un homme qui n'en voudrait point user? E : 11 ne le faudrait tenir pour chrétien. Car en ce faisant, il ne se veut point confesser être tel, et quasi tacitement, il désavoue Jésus-Christ.

364. M : Mais suffit-il de recevoir une fois l'un et l'autre? E : Le baptême n'est ordonné que pour une seule fois, et n'est pas licite de le réitérer. Mais il n'est pas ainsi de la cène. Pourquoi on reçoit une seule fois le baptême et la cène plusieurs fois

Pourquoi on reçoit une seule fois le baptême et la cène plusieurs fois 365. M : La raison? E : Parce que par le baptême, Dieu nous introduit et reçoit en son Église. Après nous avoir reçus, il nous signifie par la cène qu'il nous veut continuellement nourrir.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩French dialogue label E (Enfant/élève) rendered as C (Child/Catechumen) for English readability; M kept as Minister.
  2. 2 ↩French 'à laquelle il n'y ait que redire' is slightly opaque next to the usual idiom 'rien à redire'; rendered as faultless perfection, which matches the following sentence on not requiring total perfection for the Supper.
  3. 3 ↩elle refers to the Lord's Supper (la cène) from the preceding exchange: imperfect believers are precisely those for whom the Supper is given.
  4. 4 ↩Si font is archaic affirmative French ('yes, they do'). Profession here means public profession of faith, not a vocation.
  5. 5 ↩iceux is archaic for 'those/them' (the two sacraments). protestons means declare/avow, not modern 'protest'. chrétienté rendered as 'Christian faith' rather than 'Christendom'.
  6. 6 ↩Source reads «11 ne le faudrait tenir pour chrétien»; almost certainly an OCR error for «Il ne le faudrait tenir pour chrétien» (Il).
  7. 7 ↩French cène rendered as Lord's Supper (Reformed catechetical usage); Communion is an alternative durable term for the same sacrament.

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