78. Do, then, the bread and the wine become the real body and blood of Christ?

No, but as the water in Baptism is not changed into the blood of Christ, nor becomes the washing away of sins itself, being only the divine token and assurance thereof, 1) so also in the Lord's Supper the sacred bread 2) does not become the body of Christ itself though agreeably to the nature and usage of sacraments it is called the body of Christ.3)

1) But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. Matt. 26:29.

2) For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup ye do shew 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. I Cor. 11:26-28.

3) And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped. Ex. 12:26,27.

And the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the Passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof ... And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. Ex. 12:43,48.

Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea and did all eat the same spiritual meat: and did all drink the same spiritual drink: For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. I Cor. 10:1-4.

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