Page:Medicine and the church; being a series of studies on the relationship between the practice of medicine and the church's ministry to the sick (IA medicinechurchbe00rhodiala).pdf/268

 this end it will be best to set before our minds a clear statement of the aims and objects of the highest of all Christian services.

Briefly, we may say that the Eucharist is designed to fulfil a threefold purpose for us. In the first place, it is a. Sacraments are 'not only badges or tokens of Christian men's profession' (Art. xxv.); but this they most certainly are. Again and again our Lord laid stress upon the duty and necessity of an open acknowledgment of discipleship. From the earliest times the Sacrament of His Body and Blood has been regarded as the oath and pledge of a Christian's loyalty. We may be sure that Christ meant it to be this. Perhaps it is not altogether without significance that while the ancient allegory of the Old Testament had made the test of obedience, 'Thou shalt not eat'; in the sacred symbolism of the New Covenant it became, 'Do this,' 'Take eat.' Through the Eucharist we declare our readiness to be known as members of the Christian fellowship, and our determination to be the true followers of Christ. That is its first and simplest and most obvious signification.

Then further the Eucharist is. It has a Godward aspect, as well