The meaninge of y• Lords sup per. / The bread / The wyne
The Master's Question
The Master asks what the Supper declares and signifies, which we use in remembrance of the Lord.
Master. What does the Supper declare and signify to us, which we solemnly use in remembrance of the Lord?
The Scholar's Answer
The Scholar explains that the Supper is a thankful remembrance of Christ's death, with bread and wine representing his body and blood, and that through faith the soul is nourished by Christ to eternal life.
Scholar. The Supper (as I showed a little earlier) is a certain thankful remembrance of the death of Christ: for the bread represents his body, betrayed to be crucified for us; the wine stands in the place of his blood, poured out abundantly for us.1 And just as our natural bodies are sustained and nourished by bread and wine, so the soul is fed through faith by the body—that is, the flesh and blood of Christ—and made alive to the heavenly and godly life.2
Read the original English
Master. What declareth & betokeneth the supper vnto vs: whych we solemnly vse in the remembraunce of the Lorde▪
Scho. The Supper (as I haue shewed a lytle before) is a certayne thankfull remembraunce, of the deathe of Christe: for asmuch as the bread representeth his bodi, betrayed to be crucifyed for vs: The wyne standeth in steade & place of his bloude, plentuouslye shed for vs. And euen as by breade and wyne, oure natural bodies, are susteined and nourished: so by the body, that is y• flesh & bloude of Christ, the soule is fedde through fayth, and quickened to the heauenlye and godly lyfe.
Notes
- 1 ↩Source 'representeth' / 'standeth in steade & place of' is retained as representational language (represents / stands in the place of), which matches Ponet's Reformed catechetical wording rather than a stronger presence claim.
- 2 ↩Source 'quickened' rendered as 'made alive' (sense: given living force), avoiding archaic diction while preserving the spiritual vivification claimed for faith's feeding on Christ.
John Ponet's Short Catechisme (1553) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit