that is vnlike Lastly these words cannot enforce any thing to proue that there is any inherent force in the outward element seeing the Spirite is ioyned with it which addeth power and giueth efficacy to the water as it doth also to the worde in all the sauing hearers of it for as the word is a bare sound without the Spirite so baptisme cannot saue without the Spirite Obiection 4 The last testimony and witnesse is produced out of the Acts of the Apostles Chap. 2.38 where Peter exhorteth the Iewes that were at his preaching pricked in their hearts to beleeue in Christ Iesus whom they had betrayed and crucified saying Repent and be baptized euery one of you in the name of Christ for the remission of sinnes and chap. 22 16. where Ananias perswadeth Paul to bee baptized and to wash away his sinnes calling on the name of the Lord. In both which places forgiuenesse of sinnes is ascribed to baptisme and therefore it giueth and conferreth grace I answere Answere It is the beleeuing in the name of Christ that washeth away sinnes and purgeth our consciences from dead workes forasmuch as he maketh the outward worke auaileable by the inward grace of the spirite Againe hee ioyneth inuocation of the name of God with the outward signe which hath the promise of saluation annexed vnto it as the Apostle testifieth Rom. 10 13. Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall bee saued Thus we haue seene the principall pillars of the Romish error beaten and battered in pieces euery reason that caryeth any colour laid euen with the ground so that we are wholy to ascribe to the Spirite of God the lauer of regeneration and the answere of a good conscieÌ„ce toward God Againe is the Spirite of God an inward part of the Sacraments Then wee must learne and remember that we can neuer heare the word or receiue the Sacraments with fruite and comfort without the speciall assistance and inward operation of the Spirite of God Therefore the Prophet ioyneth the Spirite and word together Esay 59. I will make this my couenant with thee saith the Lord g Esay 59.21 my Spirite that is vpon thee and my words which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of the seed of thy seed from henceforth and for euer A man indeede hath power to heare the word and to receiue the Sacraments his will is free in these outwarde workes but hee hath no power or strength to doe them with profite and comfort except it be giuen him from aboue Though we heare neuer so much though wee communicate neuer so often the Spirit must open our hearts as he opened the heart of Lydia So 1 Iohn 2. That annointing h 1 Ioh. 2 27. which ye receiued of him dwelleth in you and ye neede not that any man teach you but as that same annointing teacheth you of all things and it is true and is not lying Likewise Acts 10. Peter preached the Gospell to Cornelius and his houshold and while he yet spake to them The i Acts 10 44. Holy-Ghost fell on them all which heard the worde So also the Apostles being sent out with their commission and commanded to preach the Gospell to euery k Mar. 16 20. creature it is noted that they went forth and preached euery where and the Lorde wrought with them and confirmed the worde with signes that followed And Iohn 14. The l Iohn 14 26. Comforter which is the Holy-Ghost whom the Father will send in my name hee shall teach you al things bring al things to your remembrance which I haue told you Pharaoh often heard Moses Aaron but he harkened not but hardned his heart because there was no inward touching or teaching of the Spirite The Israelites had heard seene the wonderful things of God yet they profited not in faith in repentance in regeneration and the reason is rendred Deuter. 29. Yee haue seene all m Deut. 29 2.3 4. that the Lord did before your eyes in the Lande of Egypt vnto Pharaoh and vnto all his seruants and vnto all his Land the great tentations which thine eyes haue seene those great myracles and wonders yâ—â— the Lord hath not giuen you an heart to perceiue and eyes to see and care to heare vnto this day When wee come to heare the word which is a word of power of life and of saluation when wee come to receiue the Sacraments which are signes of Gods graces and seales of his promises we see many returne as ignorant peruerse corrupt froward rebellious hard-harted and disobedient as they came to these ordinances of God and whence commeth this how falleth it out and what may bee the reason heereof Surely it is not in him that n Luke 13 24. Rom. 9 16. willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy who giueth eyes to see eares to heare heart to vnderstand to whom hee thinketh good in his heauenly pleasure Wherefore our dutye is seeing the natural man perceiueth not the things that are of the Spirite of God to pray vnto him to giue vs wisedome to see our corruptions blindnesse ignorance and hardnesse of heart Vse 3 Thirdly doth the Spirit worke in vs by the word Are the word and Spirite ioyned together and doth he teach vs by meanes of the word and Sacraments then we must not separate the Spirite from the worde and Sacraments as the Anabaptists do o Against anabaptists depending on reuelations which depend vpon reuelations and inward inspirations vpon priuate motions and diuine illuminations without the word They will not be taught by the word they wil not be strengthened by the Sacraments but take away the vse of both following their owne foolish fansies and diuelish dreames They boast of the Spirite of God and are led by the spirit of the Diuell We must for our direction and practise learne that as to rest vpon the Spirite without the worde is phantasticall and heriticall and the mother of al errors so the worde and Sacraments without the Spirite are no better then a dead carkasse without life an empty sound without substance a naked shew without truth an empty casket without the treasure and therefore we must knit them together and assure our selues that the Spirite speaketh euidently in the Scriptures the Spirite worketh effectually by the Sacraments and the Spirite helpeth our infirmities to profite by them both CHAP. XI Of the third inward part of a Sacrament THus much wee haue spoken touching the holy Spirite being the second inward part the third inward part a Christ is the 3. inward part of a Sacrament is Iesus Christ crucified the very subiect and substance of all Sacraments He was represented by circumcision and the Paschal Lambe by Manna and the water that flowed out of the Rocke and hee is represented in baptisme and in
the forgiuenesse of sinnes and of our adoption in Christ Doth not the ſ Rom. 8 15 16. Holy Ghost testifie vnto vs particularly the adoption of children the remission of sinnes and saluation of our soules As Rom. 8. Wee haue not receiued the Spirite of bondage to feare but the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father the Spirite beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the children of God In these words Gods sanctifying Spirit our sanctified spirit are made the two witnesses of our adoption This we must certainely beleeue by faith And this made the Apostle t Rom. 8 38.39 most confident in the end of the same Chapter saying I am perswaded that neyther death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. If any obiect we may hope well for forgiuenes of sins but we cannot beleeue the same I answere Faith and hope cannot be separated they doe alwayes as louing friends accompany each other they are neuer sundered and diuided so that if we may be assured of our saluation by hope it followeth we may be certainely perswaded True hope followeth true faith as the effect doth the cause and no man can truely hope that is not truely assured Besides this is the property of hope u Rom. 5 4 5. it neuer maketh any ashamed they shall not be confounded and disappointed they shall attaine vnto the thing hoped for according to the doctrine of the Apostle Experience bringeth foorth hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is giuen vnto vs. Hitherto of the first end of a Sacrament CHAP. XIIII Of the second vse of a Sacrament THe second end of a Sacrament is this a The second vse of a Sacrament is to be a seale of the Couenant It serueth to bee a seale of the Couenant betweene God and vs that hee will bee our God and we will be his people as Gen. 17 I am God b Gē 17 1 11 all-sufficient walke before me and be vpright The Sacraments are assured testimonies and confirmations of the fauour and good will of God who is well pleased toward vs in Christ his Sonne By them as by certaine pledges giuen and receiued God of his great mercy doth as it were binde himselfe to vs wee binde our selues to him to remaine his people and to walke in obedience before him for they bee as strong chaines to compasse vs as sure cords to hold vs and as fast knots to keepe vs that we do not depart from him and cast off the feare of his name Circumcision was a seale of Gods promise to Abraham and a seale of Abrahams faith and obedience toward God But let vs see what c What the couenant is betweene God man this couenant is what are the Articles of agreement betweene God and vs and what things each part interchangeably couenanteth and contracteth each toward other The couenant of God in respect of himselfe hath three parts He promiseth d Rom 11 26 Ier. 33 8. Esay 43 25. first of all forgiuenesse of our sinnes for The deliuerer shall come out of Sion and shall turne away the vngodlinesse from Iacob and this is my couenant to them when I shall take away their sinnes Secondly the adoption e Ier. 31 31.32 33. 2 Cor. 6 16.18 Zach. 8 8. of sonnes and acceptation of vs to be his children ioyned with the promise of his cōtinuall fauour loue grace and protection as Iere. 31. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will make a new couenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Iudah not according to the couenant that I made with their fathers when I tooke them by the hand to bring them out of the Land of Egypt the which my couenant they brake although I was an husband vnto them saith the Lord but this shall be the couenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people Behold the indenture of couenants written by the finger of God wherein for better assurance he hath bound himselfe to forgiue our sins promised to be our mercifull God And to the end there might be a paire of these indentures interchangeably giuen each to other party the Lord by the hand of the Apostle writing to the Hebrewes hath drawn as it were the counterpane of the former word for word expressed as it is in the Prophet f Heb. 8 10 11 so that we haue a paire of indentures of couenants to shew the stablenes of his counsell The 3. part of the couenant in respect of God is g Reuel 21 4.7 the promise of the full possessiō of the heauenly inheritance and of eternall glory after this life as Reuel 21. God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow neither crying neither shall there be any more paine for the first things are passed he that ouercometh shal inherit all things Also cha 2. To him that ouercommeth will I giue to eate of the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradice of God he shall not be hurt of the second death he shal haue power giuen him ouer the Nations and rule them with a rod of iron he shal be cloathed with white array and I wil not put his name out of the booke of life hee shall be a pillar in the Temple of God shal go no more out I will grant to him to fit with me in my throne euen as I ouercame fit with my Father in his throne Thus we see how God on his part by writings and euidences promiseth to giue to his people remission of sins adoption of sons possession of heauen he hath couenanted by word by oth to performe these things neither is he as man that he should lie nor as the son of man that he shold deceiue These are great grants of great blessings by our great God to the great good cōfort of his childrē For what greater blessings can there be then being miserable sinners to be graciously pardoned being vtter enemies to bee freely accepted as sonnes beeing bondslaues and prisoners of hell to be made heires of heauen and saluation Againe the couenant on our part requireth three conditions for when men intend to couenant and contract one with another they set downe articles as well on the one side as on the other First faith to God to beleeue his promises as Iohn 3.16 God so loued the world that hee hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him
it to performe his promise and make good his word So hath God left with vs his Sacraments as an earnest penny to assure vs of his word and the vnchangeable faithfulnesse of his promise shall we then make no account of them or esteeme them at our owne pleasure We make our selues guilty of the blood of Christ and as much as lyeth in vs say to the almighty Depart from vs we will none of the knowledge of thy waies we will walke after the stubbornnes of our harts Lastly are the Sacraments as a band with a condition that leaueth vs not at liberty to doe what wee list but Vse 4 bindeth vs to performe the condition Then wee must learne from hence that howsoeuer God haue dealt in mercy toward vs offering vs the pardon of our sinnes promising to receiue vs as sonnes and assuring vs to bestow vpon vs eternall life yet if we be not faithfull and obedient vnto him but reiect these benefits from vs walke not worthy of them they shall be taken from vs giuen to a people that will make more account of them The couenant that God hath made is a mutuall promise and agreement betweene God and man whereby God giueth men assurance that he will be gracious fauourable vnto them remitting their sinnes bestowing vpon thē righteousnes bringing thē to saluation reseruing them to his heauenly kingdome through Christ his Son and our redeemer And on the other side men binde themselues to faith repentance and obedience and to be thankful vnto him for so great and gracious benefits This mutuall compact and couenant that it might bee made firme and authenticall is sealed by the outward badges and tokens of baptisme and the Lords Supper which are sacred signes testifying Gods good will toward vs and confirming our duty toward him This is no small mercy shewed vnto vs but the most sacred and soueraigne guift of God that can be bestowed vpon any people in this life as Psal 111.9 The Prophet remembreth in the last place that he sent redemption vnto his people he hath commanded his couenant for euer So the Apostle maketh it as a wonderfull priuiledge that God gaue to the Iewes in that they had the signe of circumcision and the Oracles of God committed vnto them Rom. 3 1 2. According to the saying of the Prophet Psal 14.19.20 Hee shewed his word to Iacob his statutes and ordinances vnto Israel he hath not dealt so with euery Nation neither haue they knowne his iudgements This ought to teach diligence and worke conscience in al sorts of men least we depriue our selues of the guifts of God lent vnto vs and bestowed vpon vs. Thus we see first of all that mankinde generally neyther was neither is within the couenant but onely such as by faith imbrace and lay holde on the couenant The Apostle saith Gal. 3.22 The Scripture hath concluded all vnder sin that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them that beleeue Without faith it is vnpossible to please God and therefore there is no promise of reconciliation made without faith The couenant betweene God and man touching righteousnes and eternall life was deliuered and reuealed from the beginning to our first parents immediately after their fall before they were driuen out of the Garden of Eden Gen. 3 15. The seede of the Woman shall bruise the Serpents head And in the tenour of this couenant God did put a difference betweene the seede of the woman and the seede of the Serpent By the seed of the woman he meaneth the head and his members Christ and the faithfull that beleeue in him as also by the seed of the Serpent all the reprobate that liue and dye in their sinnes forasmuch as he that committeth sinne is of the Diuell 1 Iohn 3 8. and he is their father Iohn 8 44. Hence we see how foule and fearefull a thing it is to be without faith all such are without life without Christ without the couenant euen strangers from the couenants of promise without hope and without God in the world Againe al such as contemne grace offered vnto them in the Mediator Christ Iesus who is the foundation and ground-worke of this couenant in whom all the promises of God are yea and amen All such as follow sinne with greedines and drinke iniquity as water such as are both bare and barren in good things for euer but plentifull in bringing forth the workes of darknesse and the fruites of disobedience are all out of the couenant and haue no promise made vnto them of grace of righteousnesse of reconciliation of protection and of saluation It is required of vs to repent and beleeue the Gospell Mar. 1 15. But if we begin to breake with God shall we thinke to hold him close to his couenant and to challenge him with his word Will we tye him to conditions and imagine to goe free our selues Will we vrge him hard with his promise and as it were lay heauy burdens vpon him and not touch them our selues with our little finger Hee promiseth nothing vnto vs except we keepe couenant with him And what reason is it that we should looke to receiue blessings at his hands when we will yeelde no duty of obedience vnto him For as God promiseth to bee with vs and bestow all good things vpon vs so we binde our selues vnto him to become his children and his seruants to feare him to loue him and to walke in vprightnesse before him God neuer beginneth to breake with vs neither falsifyeth his truth He neuer forsaketh vs vntill we forsake him and therefore the Prophet said to Asa king of Iuda 2. Chron. 15 2. The Lord is with you while ye he with him and if ye seeke him hee will be found of you but if ye forsake him hee will forsake you In all couenants the condition must euer more be marked considered and obserued It is vnpossible that God should lye he cannot faile vs or deceiue vs. The like fidelity toward him is required of vs. It is not enough for vs to know what God hath promised but it is requisite for vs to learne vpon what conditions he hath promised to be gracious vnto vs. He neuer promised to be mercifull vnto any but vnder the expresse condition of sincere obedience If we will beleeue and obey we shall prosper but if we become rebellious and stubborne he will also walke stubbornely against vs and bring vpon vs all the curses theatned in his word CHAP. XV. Of the third vse of a Sacrament THus much of the second vse the third vse of the Sacraments a The third vse of a Sacrament is to be a marke badge of our profession is to bee badges and markes of our Christian profession that thereby one of vs should acknowledge an other to be of one houshold and of one family of one society and as it were birds of one feather For heereby we doe manifest whose
we are fed to eternall life Secondly this teacheth that all rebaptizing is vnlawfull as we see by the examples of the apostles q Act. 2 42 and 19 1 5. who baptized not the beleeuers and members of the Church the second time For Acts 2. it is noted that such as beleeued the Gospell continued in the apostles doctrine in fellowship in breaking of bread prayer but not in baptizing againe or being baptized againe and chap 19 4.5 the disciples which were baptized and had not receiued the gifts of the Holy-Ghost Paul instructed further in the doctrine of Christ and doth not rebaptise them but layeth his hands vpon them and they receiue the visible gifts of the Holy-Ghost The reason is plaine against rebaptization because it signifieth and sealeth vp our once beeing borne againe our once setting and setling into the body of Christ r Ezek. 16 8. Hos 2 19 20. and our spirituall marriage once with him who is the spirituall husband of his Church Whereby we see that such as haue been baptized Å¿ Such as haue beene baptized by heretickes are not to be rebaptised by heretickes or other wicked Ministers are not to be rebaptized It came in place of circumcision but none were twice circumcised therefore none to be twice baptized Againe it is a Sacrament that representeth our spirituall incorporation into the Church but it is sufficient once to be ingrafted and consequently sufficient to haue it once administred This error of rebaptizing arose vpon a corrupt vnderstanding and interpretation of the place Acts 19. When they heard it t Acts 19 5. they were baptized in the name of the Lord Iesus The difficulty of this place is taken away if wee consider they be the words of Paul continuing his speech of Iohns baptisme not of Luke declaring what Paul did But of this place we shall haue better and fitter occasion to speake further in the chapter following where it is at large expouÌ„ded Furthermore if baptisme be administred once for euer it sheweth that he which commeth to Christ once truely and indeed shall neuer be cast away u Iohn 13 1. Rom. 11 29. whom Christ Iesus loueth once he loueth for euer because his graces and guifes are without repentance What shall separate vs from Christ when we are by his working adioyned vnto him Wherfore this outward washing being not often repeated but once onely vsed doth effectually feale vp our once ioyning vnto God who hath made an euerlasting couenant with vs he shall neuer turne away from vs to do vs good we shall be his people and he will be our God for euer Indeed if we could cleane fall away from the grace of God wee should haue another regeneration and another baptizing to bee the seale therof but because we are built vpon the brazen pillar of Gods election the gates of hell shall not preuaile against vs for this foundation remaineth sure a 2. Tim. 2 19.20 and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his This b Psal 51 10.11 appeareth in Dauid Psal 51. He desireth to haue a cleane heart he prayeth that the holy Spirit be not taken from him thereby declaring that the Spirit was within him and that he had a sensible feeling thereof howsoeuer the flesh for a season had gotten the vpper-hand Heere then is a great comfort sealed to all Christians in all tentations against al the terrors and feares of conscience wherewith they are ready to be swallowed vp and ouerwhelmed This must strengthen and stay vs vp that although we may fall greeuously yet we shall not fall finally from the estate of grace He that is once a sound and liuely member of Christ can neuer be wholy cut off True it is sinne may lessen our coniunction and weaken our communion with Christ but if we be truely in him the band shall neuer be dissolued c 1 Ioh. 2 19. we shall neuer be wholy seuered and fall from him as 1. Ioh. 2. They went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they should haue continued with vs but this commeth to passe that it might appeare that they are not all of vs. Now if any man by falling into sinne were totally separated from Christ for a time surely in his recouery and rising from sinne hee were to be baptized the second time for baptisme is the Sacrament of initiation and ingrafting into Christ and an vniuersall falling would require a new ingrafting But it were most absurd to say wee should be as often baptized as we fal into sinne and therefore howsoeuer Sathan may buffet molest tempt and wound vs greeuously yet hee can neuer ouer-maister vs wholy and ouercome vs finally d 1 Ioh. 3 9. as the Apostle declareth 1 Ioh. 3. Whosoeuer is borne of God committeth not sinne for his seed remaineth in hâ—m neither can he sinne because hee is borne of God This assurance of our standing for euer in the couenant is the roote of all courage and comfort in trials and tentations it helpeth vs to fight manfully against sinne it preserueth vs from security it nourisheth vs in good workes it increaseth in vs a care to please God and lastly it confuteth the popish fancy of the forged Sacrament of Penance whereby they say a Christian being cleane fallen from grace is restored finding no comfort in his baptisme whereas the true beleeuer neuer falleth finally from faith neither needeth an outward seale to assure his pertaining to Gods fauour and loue Indeed euery Christian that is fallen through infirmitie must rise vp repent vnfainedly and shew forth the fruites thereof yet the force and strength of his baptisme is not lost the fruite and comfort thereof remaineth for euer and is extended as wel to the time to come as to the time that is past So many therefore as affirme that the faithfull in their fals haue remedy in Penance but no comfort by their baptisme do set vp themselues magnifying their owne dreames deuises aboue the holy ordinances of God The 4. part of the former description of baptisme is the forme of baptizing into the name of the Father of the Son of the Holy-Ghost e The vse of the fourth part of the description of Baptisme This teacheth that whosoeuer is baptized hath made a solemn promise to confesse professe the christian religion to be the seruant of Christ to fight his battels vnder his baÌ„ner against all the enemies of his faith saluation against sin against Satan against the world he hath vowed to renounce the workes of the flesh to serue the true God So often then as we are present at the administration thereof wee must consider the couenant into which we are entred which we made in the presence of men and Angels which we are bound to keep for euer Wherefore let vs learne daily to dye vnto sin follow a new life by the grace of sanctification
where to lay his head not the kingdomes and gouernments of this world for his kingdome is not of b Ioh. 18 36. this world but the forgiuenes of sins and euerlasting life obtained by the body of Christ giuen and his blood shed for vs and our redemption Wherefore if God haue so loued vs if Christ haue not spared his owne life to giue vs life and saluation how bitter ought our sins to be vnto vs and how ought we to striue against them If we will hate enemies heere are enemies for vs to hate if we will seeke reuenge against enemies let vs fight against them that seeke our ouerthrow and the destruction of our soule and body There is no reconciliation and attonement to be made with these enemies if thou kill not them they wil kill and condemne thee for euer Hitherto of the names giuen to this Sacrament CHAP. II. What the Lords Supper is AS we haue in the former chapter considered the names and titles attributed to this Sacrament so now we wil see what the Lords Supper is For we shall neuer vnderstand the nature thereof except we be able to define or describe it Therefore a What the Lords Supper is the Lords Supper is the second Sacrament wherein by visible receiuing of bread and wine our spirituall communion with the bodye and blood of Christ is represented This description is plainely proued by the b Mat. 26 26.27 1 Cor. 10 16.17 1 Cor. 11 24.25 institution of Christ by the first celebration of it and by other apparent testimonies of holy Scripture First I say it is the second Sacrament because such as haue interest in the Lord Supper must be first partakers of the other Sacrament for Christ and his apostles ministred it to those that were before baptized And how should they be continually nourished and fed at his table who are not knowne to be of his house nor admâ—tted members of his family We must be receiued into his protection and iurisdiction before we sit downe at his table for our refection They then that are in the house must be fed and fostered in the house the seuerall parts of the family haue the priuiledges of the family it is not lawfull to take the childrens bread and giue it vnto strangers Now baptisme is the true bath of our soules to clense our sores and an honourable badge whereby we are dedicated to the seruice of Christ and haue interest in the priuiledges of the Church sealed vp being partakers hereof we come with comfort to the Lords Supper Vnder the law none vncircumcised c Exod 12 4â— were admitted to the Passeouer as appeareth Exodus 12. If a stranger will obserue the passeouer let him circumcise all the maleâ— that belong vnto him If then the vncircumcised had bin admitted the Passeouer had beene prophaned Wherefore it is not enough for vs once to bee baptized and admitted into the number of the people of God we must also be partakers of Christs Supper When as by baptisme we are brought into the Church of God wee are afterward nourished by this heauenly banket to eternall life Againe I say in the former description that by the bread and wine the bodye and blood of Christ are represented Heerein consisteth the substance of this Sacrament he was truely giuen for vs and his blood was shed for the remission of sinnes least our faith should wander least our hope should wauer Therefore he saith to his Disciples d Lâ—ke 22 19.20 Mar. 14 24. This is my body which was giuen for you this is the cup of the new testament which was shed for you and for many for the remission of sinnes Vse 1 Now that the description of the Lords Supper is prooued let the vses thereof in the next place be declared Hereby we learne first that God doth not lye nor dally with vs when we come to his heauenly table but doth truely offer those benefits in Christ which are represented to all that are admitted thereunto and therefore the apostle said e 1 Cor. 10.3 4. they did all eate the same spirituall meate and did all drinke the same spirituall drinke Indeed many of them did receiue onely the outward signes and did refuse or neglect the spirituall grace so liuely represented and truely offered vnto them but the greater was their sinne who laboured for the meate that perisheth f 1 Ioh. 6 27. but reiected the meat that endureth to euerlasting life Likewise Christ in the administration of his Supper saith g Mat. 26 26. take eate this is my body When he biddeth vs take doth he not giue When he chargeth vs to eat and drinke doth he not offer When he commandeth vs to doe this doth he not apply the thing signified If then we come to this Supper and depart away without Christ and without comfort the cause is in our selues he is come neere vnto vs he standeth as it were at the doore knocking being ready to enter he mercifully offereth himselfe vnto vs but we refuse him we will none of him we bid him depart from vs and shut the entrance of our hearts against him Vse 2 Againe we see heere the excellent price and preheminence of the Lords Supper howsoeuer to those whose faith it doth not nourish whose assurance it doth not confirme and whose saluation it doth not further it is turned into most hurtfull and deadly poyson yet it is an holy banket for the Lords guests an instrument of grace a medicine for the sicke a pledge of saluation a comfort for the sinner an assurance of Gods promises a seale of our faith an helpe for the weake meate for the hungry drinke for the thirsty and a refuge for the distressed in time of tentation Is not this a worthy dignity Is not this a great priuiledge and an high prerogatiue So that we must highly regard and reuerently esteeme this mystery of our religion and badge of our profession to the glory of God and our owne comfort He that is not moued heereby to a reuerent regard thereof hath no sparke of Gods Spirit in him but lyeth in darknesse and discomfit Let vs then make good vse of it all the dayes of our lifes and not abuse it to our destruction It is not enough to seeme religious and pretend reformation of our euil waies what time we do receiue it and to hang downe our heads like a bulrush for a day and immediately after to runne into all excesse of riot We see how many abuse themselues and the Sacrament giuing themselues to feasting and banketting and surfetting and haue soone forgotten where they haue bin what they haue done whom they haue serued and how they haue appeared before the presence of the eternall God We see also in others how contentions and brawlings breake out which seemed smothered and suppressed for a time like lightning and thunder out of a Cloud or like fire couered vnder the ashes whose flame kindleth afterward
compact which the eternall God hath in great mercy and compassion made with mortall and miserable men accepting them into grace and fauour promising to them remission of their sins and saluation of their soules The summe and effect of this Booke These things the iudicious Reader shall finde largely discussed in this Treatise which I haue therefore called The New Couenant because it layeth open the doctrine of the Sacraments which serue to confirme and strengthen vs in that Couenant and compact which the eternall God hath in great mercy and compassion made with mortall and miserable men accepting them into grace and fauour promising to them remission of their sins and saluation of their soules These my rude though renewed labours I willingly submit to the wise censure of my learned Brethren remembring that the spirits of the Prophets are subiect vnto the Prophets If I haue any where erred through humane infirmity 1 Cor. 14 32 or mistaken the matter any way which I go about to prooue or perswade I desire them heartily by some meanes to giue mee friendly notice thereof which I shall receiue as precious balme or as an excellent oyle that shall not breake my head Psal 141 5 The Lord God almighty from whom euery good giuing and euery perfect giuing proceedeth establish vs in the New Couenant and make vs carefull to keepe the conditions thereof to the increase of our knowledge to the growth of our faith to the furtherance of our obedience to the comfort of our soules and to the glory of his great name Amen Amen Thy Brother in Christ our Sauiour William Attersoll THE FIRST BOOKE OF THE Sacraments in generall Of the agreement and difference betweene the Word and Sacraments CHAP. 1. GOD euen from the beginning added vnto the preaching of the word a God alway gaue his sacraments to his Church his Sacramentes in the Church as the Scripture teacheth outwardly repesenting and visibly offering to our sight those things that inwardly hee performeth to vs as b Gen 2 9. the tree of life the tree of knowledge of good euil in the Garden After mans fall when a new necessity was added in regard of mans want and weakenesse he testified his loue and ratified his Coueant by sacrifices Ceremonies to our first Parents Hee gaue the c Gen. 6 14. Arke to Noah and his sonnes to confirme them in the promise which he made to them that they should not be drowned with the rest of the world Hee added to Abraham d Gen. 17 11. the signe of circumcision as a seale e Rom 4 11. of the righteousnesse of faith and to the Israelites hee gaue the Passeouer Manna oblations purifications the brazen Serpent the Rocke and such like spirituall tipes whereby he assured them of the promise that God for the onely sacrifice of Christ wrought vpon the Crosse would giue to all that beleeue forgiuenes of sinnes and euerlasting life Now the word of God may fitly bee resembled to writings and euidences and the f The agreemeÌ„t between the Word Sacraments Sacraments to seales which the Lord alone setteth to his owne letters They are as a visible Sermon preaching vnto vs most liuely the promises of God that as the worde wee heare doth edifie and instruct the minde by the outward eares so do the Sacraments by the eyes and other senses First then that wee may vnderstand the doctrine nature of the Sacraments wee are to consider what the word and Sacraments haue in common and how they agree one with another then what they haue peculiar and proper each to other and how they differ one from another The argument betweene them standeth in these points First both are of God and instruments which the Holye Ghost vseth to this ende to make vs more and more one with Christ and partakers of saluation not that God needeth them or that he is tyed vnto them for as he can nourish without meate and drinke so he can saue without word or Sacraments but because wee neede them hee vseth them when hee will and as often as it pleaseth him The same which is published and promised by the worde of God is signified and sealed by the Sacraments For they are not a deliuering of new promises and articles of faith but seale vp such as are offered in the word Secondly although God vse them as instruments of his grace yet the especiall working and forcible power of them is not in them but dependeth on God alone so that wee must not thinke that whosoeuer partaketh them is partaker of grace saluation forgiuenesse of sinnes and euerlasting glory but the vertue of them floweth from him onely as from a fountaine A man may heare the word and receiue the Sacraments all the dayes of his life and be neuer the better except God change the minde open the heart enlighten the vnderstanding cleanse the conscience and sanctifie the affections to his glory Thirdly as the preaching of the word profiteth nothing vnlesse it be vnderstood applied and receiued but g Heb. 4 1. tendeth to iudgement so the Sacraments except wee bring the hand of faith with vs cannot giue vs faith nor grace but tend to our condemnation Yet as the Gospell is alwaies the sauour of life vnto life of it owne nature and the h Heb. 4 12. word liuely and of comfortable operation howsoeuer the vnfaithfull turne it to be the sauour of death vnto death So the Sacraments cease not in themselues to bee true Sacraments although they bee administred by vnworthy Ministers and receiued by vnfaithfull people For mans wickednesse cannot peruert much lesse euert the nature of Gods ordinance Lastly as the best seede springeth not vp and bringeth not fruit so soone as it is sowne but lyeth a time couered in the earth to take rooting so the fruite reaped by the word and benefit receiued by the Sacraments presently appeareth not but groweth and increaseth at the time appointed of God who will blesse them in his elect at what season himselfe hath ordained Thus wee see what the word and Sacraments haue in common both are instruments of the same grace both haue their benefit blessing and force depending on God both require faith to bee mingled with them without which they are vnprofitable and lastly they profite not by and by at the same moment they are published administred heard or receiued but God afterward worketh oftentimes by them in his children to their great comfort when all fruite to come by them seemed to be buried The Disciples at the first vnderstood no more of Christs resurrection then the vnbeleeuing Iewes did when hee saide i Iohn 2 19. Destroy this Temple and I wâ—ll builde it againe in three dayes But they lay it vp in their hearts and long afterward remember the words he spake vnto them So wheÌ„ they saw Christ riding to Ierusalem the multitude spreading their garments in the way and cutting
is Christ Iesus offered by God the Father in the Vse 2 right vse of the Sacraments then God doth not deceiue or delude those that come vnto them If any that come to the Sacraments depart without grace without Christ without fruite the cause is in themselues the fault is not in God for l Christ is offered to all but receiued onely of the faithfull he offereth Christ to all euen to the vnfaithfull but they haue not hands to receiue him If a Prince should offer a rich present and he to whome it is offered haue no hand to receiue it he goeth away empty When the Sunne giueth light vpon the earth if men shut their eyes and bee wilfully blinde they receiue no profite by it When God offereth himselfe and his graces to vs by his word and Gospell if we stop our eares and harden our hearts it turneth to be the fauour of death to death so is it in the Sacraments when wee come to them God doth not feede our eyes with naked vaine and idle shewes but ioyneth the truth with the outward token and giueth the grace signified with the signe If we bring the hand of faith with vs which openeth the gate of the kingdome of heauen for vs Christ is both offered and giuen to vs. But howsoeuer the signe be alwayes inseparably ioyned with the grace that is signified in respect of God yet hence it followeth not that both of them are of all receiued For the outward signe is offered to the hand to the senses and instruments of the bodye which because all bring with them all are partakers of the outward parts But Christ who is signified by the signe is offered to the soule and faith of the receiuer m 2. Thes 3 which because many want they loose the fruite of their worke and the benefite of their labour Thirdly if the right receiuers receiue Christ and with Vse 3 him all sauing graces needfull to eternall life then the presence of vngodly men that come to the same Sacraments with vs and meete vs at the same Table cannot hinder and hurt vs in our worthy receiuing The vnbeleeuers and vnrepentant persons come indeed into the assembly of the faithfull to heare the worde of God read preached and expounded and as they come without faith so they depart without fruite yet their company defileth not the sauing hearer So is it in the Sacraments I confesse it were to bee wished that the Church were pure without spot and perfect without corruption faire without blemish and they euen n Gal. 5 12. out off that trouble the same yet sometimes it o Reuel 2 14.20 wanteth that good censure and godlye seuerity which is required to separate such as may infect with the leauen of their life and doctrine Againe as the faith of the wise and worthy receiuer cannot sanctifie the conscience of the hypocrite and offensiue liuer so the infidelity or iniquity of another shall not barre the faithfull soule from fruitfull receiuing to his saluation according to that p Ezek. 18 20 saying The righteousnesse of the righteous shall be vpon him and the wickednesse of the wicked shall be vpon himselfe Euery one is to prooue and examine himselfe not to enter into the consciences and conuersations of other men wee shall giue an account of our owne wayes and workes not of the deformities of others which we cannot reforme and redresse Furthermore as in an Army euery man hath his standing so in the Church euery man hath his calling it is not in the q Priuat men are not to meddle with the censures of the church power of priuate persons but of the Gouernors of the Church to draw out the censures of the Church against notorious offendors and therefore in their slacking and negligence the people must tollerate that which they cannot amend and not make a separation or rent in the Church as the manner of some is disturbing the peace quietnes thereof Vse 4 Fourthly if Christ be offered giuen and sealed vp to vs in the Sacraments then the Sacraments must be holden of vs in great price and estimation for their profites sake not lightly to be regarded but reuerently to be esteemed They that respect Christ in whom the tresures of al graces are laide vp must regard the Sacramentes of Christ and such as reiect them reiect Christ with all his benefites Vse 5 which who so doth sinneth against his owne soule Lastly if they be signes and seales of grace offered then the Sacraments make not a Christian no more then the seale giueth the purchase or possession The faithfull and the children of the faithfull are true Christians differing from Pagans and Heathen before they be baptized The Sacraments are signes not causes of grace And whosoeuer is not a Christian before he receiue baptizme baptizme can make him none which is onely the seale of the graces of God and his priuiledges before receiued The worde of God and the Sacraments of God are both of one nature but the word is not able to conferre grace but onely to declare and publish what God will confer inasmuch as to some it is the sauour r 2 Cor. 2 16. of death to death therfore also the Sacraments of themselues do not confer and bestow grace hauing it tyed vnto them or shut vp in thē For if the Sacramentes did actually and effectually giue grace by inherent power and vertue in themselues it would follow from hence that euery person baptized is certainely saued and hath his sinnes remitted or else that his sins remitted may returne and remaine and bee againe imputed But when God graciously pardoneth sinne ſ Ezek. 18 22. he remembreth it no more Besides that which is proper to God ought not to be ascribed to the creature Againe we see Abraham was not iustified by his circumcision hee was iustified by his faith for t Gen. 15 6. Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse and afterwarde hee receiued u Rom. 4 10 11. circumcision to bee the signe and seale of his iustification Notwithstanding the Sacraments may bee saide to conferre the grace of regeneration and remission of sinnes as they are instruments vsed of God and as they are pledges tokens to vs. They are meanes to offer and exhibit to the beleeuer Christ with all his benefits wherby the conscience is assured of comfort saluation as the Princes letters are saide to saue the life of a malefactor whereas they only signifie to him and others that it is the Princes pleasure to fauor him Again they may not vnfitly be said to giue vs grace because the signe exhibiteth the thing signified the out-ward washing of the bodye is a pledge and token of the grace of God so that whosoeuer vseth the signe aright shall receiue forgiuenesse and life euerlasting CHAP. III. That the parts of a Sacrament are partly outward and partly inward WE haue seene what
a Sacrament is now we are to consider in it two thinges first his parts then his vses for in handling these two points wee shall see what is the nature of a Sacrament The parts of a Sacrament are of two sortes some outward open sensible earthly visible and signifying some are inward hidden spirituall heauenly inuisible and signified For the nature of a Sacrament is partly earthly and partly heauenly If wee had beene wholy a spirite without body hee would giue vs his guifts spiritually without a bodye but seeing wee are soule and bodye he giueth vs his Sacraments that so wee may apprehend spirituall guifts by sensible thinges The outward part is one thing and the inward part is another thing the outward is applyed to the bodye the inward is applyed to the soule and conscience This diuision and distinction of parts a Rom. 2 28.29 appeareth plainely in sundry places of holy Scripture as Rom. 2. Hee is not a Iew which is one outward neâ—ther is that circumcâ—sion which is outward in the flesh but he is a Iew which is one within and the circumcision is of the heart in the Spirite not in the letter where wee see hee maketh circumcision to stand of two parts part in the flesh and part in the heart partly in the spirite and partly in the letter Heereunto commeth b Col. 2 11. that saying Ye are circumcised with circumcision made without hands so that there is a circumcision without and there is another within by the vertue of Christ The same we may say of Baptisme there is a baptizing of the body and there is a baptizing of the soule the body is washed with water the soule is clensed by the precious bloud of our sauiour Christ which is the hidden and mysticall part of the Sacrament This appeareth by many examples recorded in Scripture Simon the sorcerer though he were baptized with water yet his heart was not right in the sight of God he remained c Acts 8 13 21 23. in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity so that albeit hee were baptized yet he was not regenerated The Israelites were partakers of the d 1. Cor. 10 1 2 3 4 5. outward signes not of the inuisible grace They were all baptized vnto Moyses in that cloud and in that sea they did all eate the same spirituall meate they all dranke the same spirituall drinke yet with many of them God was not pleased The like may be saide of Iudas one of the twelue he did eate the Pascall lambe as wel as the rest of the Apostles but he did not eate Christ who is the lambe vndefiled and without spot as the other did This is that also which Iohn the e Mat. 3 11. Baptist teacheth Indeed I baptize you with water to amendment of life but hee that commeth after mee is mightier then I whose shooes I am not worthy to beare hee shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire where as the Baptist maketh two baptizers himselfe and Christ so hee distinguisheth their actions his owne to wash with water and the action of Christ to wash with the Holye Ghost Neither neede wee to seeke farre for reason to perswade any to beleeue this truth that the nature of a sacrament is neither wholy outward or wholy inward but taketh part of both seeing nothing can bee a signe of it selfe but a signe is a signe of another thing and seeing they are mysteries they haue an hidden meaning and spirituall vnderstanding If the water in Baptisme had not grace annexed vnto it it could not be a mystery We see the signe we see not the grace which is inuisible Now let vs come to the vses These parts though distinguished really one from another Vse 1 that the outward parts cannot bee the inward the earthly cannot be the heauenly the seale can not bee the thing sealed the token cannot bee the thing betokened nor contrariwise for this were to alter nature and mingle heauen and earth together yot in respect of the proportion betweene the signe and the thing signified and of the coniunction of them to the faithfull which receiue both the one and the other one part is affirmed of the other For wee must vnderstand that the Scripture in regard of this vnion speaketh of the Sacraments two waies to wit properly and figuratiuely Properly when that which belongeth to the signe is giuen to the signe and when the thing signified is giuen and applyed to the thing it selfe and thus each part hath his owne as Circumcision is called i Gen. 17 11. the signe of the Couenant And the blood of the Lambe is called k Exod. 12 13 a signe these are plaine and proper speeches and without figure Againe when it saith l Lu. 21 19 20. My body which is giuen for you my bloud m 1 Cor. 5 7. which is shedde for many for remission of sinnes we must vnderstand the wordes literally as they lye Figuratiuely when the signe is giuen to the thing signified and called by the name of it as Christ is called n 1 Cor. 5 7. the Passeouer the o Ioh. 1 29. Lambe of God his flesh is also saide to bee meate indeede and his blood drinke indeede the holy Spirite is called p Eze. 36 25. water or else the name of the thing signified is giuen to the signe as bread is called the q Mat. 26 28. body of Christ the cup is called the new Testament These speaches must bee taken figuratiuely and vnderstood by a change of name according to the intention and meaning of the Holy-Ghost so that we must beware that we doe not take or mistake the signe for the thing nor the thing for the signe seeing the parts are distinguished in nature though ioyned in the person Againe albeit by Gods ordinance these parts bee so vnited that by taking of the signe the faithfull are made partakers of the thing signified no lesse truely then the outward signes are receiued of our bodily senses yet wee must conceiue and consider that these outward inward parts remaine distinct and vnconfounded and therefore we must take heed we take not one for another we must not ascribe too much to the outward parts and so take them for the inward which hath beene the occasion of sundry errors from time to time Some attribute too little to the out-ward signe and some ascribe too much both waies the Sacrament is abused and the parts are misapplyed Hence sprang as a ranke weede in the Lords corne the doctrine of transubstantiation or carnall turning of the substance of bread into the bodye whereby the signe is swallowed vp the outward substance with them quite abolished for their fained Christ hath consumed the outward signe as the rich deuoureth and eateth the poore Thus the signe is consumed and too little regarded Others on the other side cleaue too much to the outward signe and rest
g TransubstaÌ„tiation ouerthrowne whatsoeuer ouerthroweth the nature and vse of a Sacrament is not to be admitted but omitted neyther to bee receiued but reiected But transubstantiation ouerthroweth and ouerturneth both the nature and vse of a Sacrament and therefore not to be admitted and receiued into the Church For touching the nature of a Sacrament it is confessed h Iren. lib. 4. contr haer cap. 34. that it consisteth of two parts the one earthly and the other heauenly but if after the words of consecration the bread and wine are transubstantiated into the body and blood of Christ then the signe is taken away the element is ouerthrowne the materiall part is abolished and consequently the nature of a Sacrament is ouerturned And touching the vse of a Sacrament there must be an analogy and proportion betweene the signe the thing signified As in Baptisme the element of water washeth and purgeth the bodye so the Holy-Ghost through the blood of Christ cleanseth and sanctifieth the soule Likewise in the Lords Supper as the Substance of bread and wine receiued strengtheneth and comforteth the body so Christ i Ioh. 6 33. receiued by faith nourisheth feedeth the soule The very true principall vse of this Sacrament is to confirme our faith that as surely as those earthly creatures taken and applyed feed our bodies to a bodily life so the body and blood of Christ receiued and applyed by faith feed our soules to eternall life And do not all the faithfull feele a sweete comfort so often as they come to the Lords table by this similitude agreement to consider and know assuredly that as the substance of bread serueth to nourish and doth feede our bodyes so Christ doth feede our soules But if wee must beleeue that the substance of bread and wine is changed cleane gone that nothing remaineth but accidents where is this comfort and consolation How can wee bee assured and strengthened that as our bodies are nourished with the materiall elements so in like manner our soules by feeding on Christ Wherefore while they take away the substance of bread which should nourish the body the nature and vse of the Sacrament is destroyed and wee are spoyled of the comfort of our hearts and strengthning of our faith which wee should haue by this notable comparison and resemblance of the parts So then if wee would receiue comfort in comming to this Communion wee must retaine the substance of the signe as a staffe to stay vp our faith that it do not faile Lastly seeing God giueth vnto vs outward signes of his grace it serueth to teach vs that wheresoeuer and among whomsoeuer God continueth his signes he purposeth to bestow vpon them the things signified by the signes on the other side where God denyeth the meanes he also denyeth the thing wheÌ„ he taketh away the sign he taketh away the grace also This we see in the Turkes and Sarazins because he denyeth vnto them saluation hee taketh from them the seales and assurances of saluation and because he refuseth them to be his Church hee vouchsafeth not vnto them the prerogatiues and priuiledges of his Church Thus it falleth out in the preaching of the word vpon those whom God determineth to saue and to bestow vpon them the guift of faith whereby they are entred into the kingdome of heauen hee sendeth vpon them his word and causeth it to be preached vnto them but when he will not shew mercy but leaue a people in their miserable estate and condition he withdraweth the Ministry from them as we see in the Acts of the Apostles Chap. 16. When they were gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia They were forbidden of the holye Ghost to preach the word in Asia and after they were come to Mysia they assaied to go into Bithinia but the Spirite suffered them not Euen as when God will bring a famine vpon a land he with-holdeth the early and latter raine making the heauen to be as brasse and the earth as iron but when he will send plenty and open the windowes of heauen he sendeth a gracious raine and showers vpon the earth so when he will send a famine not of bread nor a thirst of water but of hearing the word of God hee taketh away his word and the meanes of saluation that they shall wander from sea to sea and runne to and fro to seeke the word of the Lord and shall not finde it but faint for thirst If any aske the question wherfore the Lord forbad Paul to preach the word in Asia and to come into Bythinia we cannot assigne this to be the cause that they were vnworthy to haue the doctrine of saluation offered vnto them forasmuch as they were as worthy as the Macedonians to whoÌ„ the Gospell was preached no more vnworthy then the other Gentiles Neither can we say this was the cause that God foresaw how euery one would receiue or entertaine the Gospel that as he saw them ready and inclined to accept of the word or to reiect it so he vouchsafed or not vouchsafed the same vnto them for hee pronounceth openly that he appeared to them of whom hee was not sought and spake vnto them that neuer asked after him Besides this were to ground the cause of saluation vpon our selues which is out of our selues and to ascribe it to our owne merite which is due onely to his mercy We are all by nature the children of wrath and destitute of the guift of faith if there be any willingnesse in vs to obey it proceedeth from the Spirite of God who as he electeth freely so he calleth freely Now that which is spoken of the preaching of the word may also be applied to the vse of the Sacraments When he purposeth to strengthen the faith which hee hath giuen vnto vs hee vouchsafeth the outward signes and seals of his promises that thereby wee should be assured he meaneth to bestow vpon vs the inward grace represented by them He dealeth iustly and vprightly with vs hee hath no purpose to beguile vs and deceiue vs. For they are no bare or naked much lesse false and lying signes but effectual instruments of the Spirite to conuey the mercies of God in Iesus Christ into our hearts and therefore we must bee carefull to vse them conscionably as certaine pawnes and pledges which God hath commended and committed vnto vs that they might be as witnesses of his loue and fauour towards vs. And thus much of the third outward part to wit the signe CHAP. VII Of the fourth outward part of a Sacrament THe last outward paâ—t of a Sacrament is the a The receiuer is an outward part of the Sacrament receiuer which is as needfull as the outward signe We vnderstand and take heere a receiuer in generall for euery one that commeth to the Sacrament whether good or euill godly or vngodly faithfull or vnfaithfull Such a receiuer is likewise a necessary part of the
and mercy by how much the accomplishment is more then the promise and the fulfilling greater then the foretelling Lastly they differ in respect of the people to whom they were giuen and for whom they were ordained ours belong to all people dispersed ouer the face of the whole earth that are ingrafted into the Church wheras theirs were tyed to one Nation to one people to one place to the posterity of Abraham Notwithstanding these differences which are in signes and circumstances touching the chiefe thing euen the matter and substance of the Sacraments they are equall m Wherin the Sacraments of the old and new Testamâ—nt agree hauing the same end and the same signification and being of one efficacy as also the word of the Prophets and Apostles is One and the same God is author of them One and the same Mediator betweene God and man euen the man Iesus Christ is represented in both the Lamb slaine from the foundation of the world They signifie and shew foorth the same Communion of Christ by which all the elect are saued and seale vp saluation and remission of sinnes to all that do receiue them by faith For they were giuen to be signes and seales of grace and of the promises of God to distinguish the faithfull from all other sects and religions in the world and that they should be receiued with profite onely of the faithfull In these and such like things the Sacraments of the Iewish and Christian Church are not vnequal although in the outward signs and circumstances they be diuers yet in the substance in the thing signified there is no difference Vse 3 Thirdly we are bound to beleeue his promises and to haue strong consolation seeing he bath giuen vs two signes If we had onely had one signe as a seale of the mercies of God in Christ it had beene a great sinne not to haue beleeued the promise and not to haue rested therein as in a thing vnchangeable For he is not as man that he should lye or deceiue n 2 Cor. 1.20 his onely promise is assured paiment yea all the promises of God in him are yea and are in him Amen vnto the glory of God But seeing the goodnesse of God hath abounded in granting vnto vs two Sacraments that where doubting aboundeth there faith might abound much more our sinne is the greater if now wee wauer like o Iam. 1 6. a waue of the sea tossed of the wind and carried away One tree of life serue Adam to assure him life one raine-bowe sufficed Noah one returne of the Sunne backward was enough to Hezekiah and they beleeued If then wee seeke a signe we haue two giuen vnto vs that hauing two vnchangeale Sacraments as it were two witnesses of his word and assurances of his promise wee might haue strong consolation The vnbeleeuing Iewes said to Christ p Mat. 12.38 and 16 1. Shew vs a signe and we will beleeue thee Behold the Lord sheweth vs two visible signes of his spirituall and inuisible graces and shall not we beleeue being stedfast in faith and grounded in hope Wee desire forgiuenesse of sinnes assurance thereof by these two the Lord promiseth couenanteth and indenteth to giue the same vnto vs setting the seales to his owne writing Lastly this diuision and numbring vp of the Sacraments Vse 4 serueth to teach that there are not seauen Sacraments of the Church and so do condemne the fiue supposed and falsly named Sacraments Concil Trid. sess 7. de sacra in gen can 18. 11. 13. maintained of the Church of Rome to wit Confirmation Penance Matrimony Orders and extreme Vnction Baptisme we imbrace the Lords Supper we acknowledge of these two we moue no question we make no controuersie the other fiue whose father is vnknowne we refuse as bastards and cannot admit them into the number of Sacraments the reasons whereof we will render in the Chapters following CHAP. XVII That Confirmation is not a Sacrament THe Apostles as the Maister-builders of the Churches planted the Gospell where the name of Christ had not beene heard Now because many seducers arose that troubled the peace of the Church and the faith of many beleeuers began to wauer the Apostles agreed together to go againe to the Churches where they had laid a 1 Cor. 3.12 a golden foundation howsoeuer other had builded hay and stubble thereon to see how they b Acts 11 22.23 and 15 36. increased or decreased as Acts 11. And they confirmed their hearts and established them in the faith which they had taught And Chap. 15. Paul said vnto Barnabas Let vs returne and visite our brethren in euery Citty where wee haue preached the word of the Lord and see how they do And we doubt not but when the Gospell was reuealed the Apostles by laying on hands gaue the guists of the Holy-Ghost to the beleeuers in Christ This practise of the Apostles we finde this we confesse this we approue and allow But of any Sacrament of confirmation we reade not and therefore allow not Againe it was a lawdable custome in the primitiue Church of Christian parents to bring their Children to the Bishop who examined them in the principles and fundamentall points of religion c Heb. 6 1. he asked theÌ„ reason of their faith he instructed them further in the mysteries of godlinesse and that this action might haue the more reuerence and dignity he laid his hands vpon them and prayed vnto God for them that hee would increase and continue the good things that he had begun in them d Confirmation is no Sacrament This imposition of hands with prayer to be strengthned in the Holy-Ghost and to haue increase of grace corrupted with annointings depraued with crossings and defiled with sundry superstitions is no Sacrament First euery Sacrament should haue warrant and appointment from Christ and a promise annexed vnto it but this hath none 2. it hath no word of institution in the Scripture nor commandement to continue the vse of it vntill the coming of Christ and end of the world therfore no Sacrament For the word must be added to the element and so it is made a Sacrament True it is they vse a forged and counterfeit forme in their confirmation I signe thee with the signe of the holy Crosse and I confirme thee with the oyle of saluation in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy-Ghost These indeed are words but no word of God they shew an intollerable presumption not to be excused But indeed a counterfet word is fit enough for a counterfet Sacrament there is a good agreement when both writing and seale are sutable that is both forged Thirdly it wanteth an outward signe instituted by Christ We read oftentimes that the Apostles vsed laying on of hands we reade of no oyle or Chrisme Besides we know they gaue thereby the miraculous guifts of the Holy-Ghost which now are ceased as Acts 8.
as Christ sometimes did to that slothfull person c Luk. 19 12. Thou euill seruant out of thine owne mouth will I iudge thee These make three sorts of baptisme of water of blood of the Spirit whereby they confesse that the want of baptizing with water is not damnable in al seeing that want may be supplyed either with shedding of their blood for testimony of the truth or by spiritual regeneration ingrafting into the body of Christ To conclude do we desire the custome and practise of the Church It is well knowne that in Thessalia d Socra lib. 5. cap. 22. Bellar. de sacra bap cap. 26. the Sacrament of baptisme was celebrated but once in the yeare namely at Easter In other places thrice in the yeare and sometimes not vntill the houre of their death when they were going the way of all flesh Constantine the great was the first christian Emperor that reformed the Church yet he was not baptized till e Tripart hist lib. 3 câ—p 12. the time of his death And Valentinianus a christian Emperor died without baptisme yet doth Ambrose giue him his due commendation f Orat. de obit Valentâ—n and doubted nothing of his saluation Shal we do these good men these worthy Emperors these godly Christians this wrong as to thinke they were damned who were the chiefe pillars and protectors of the true Christian and Catholike religion Or if the Churches aboue mentioned had holden this hard opinion that the want of baptisme was a signe of reprobation would they haue deferred it in the houre of death whereby sometimes they were preuented or administred it at certaine times onely of the yeare True it is that custome is not to be followed neither the negligeÌ„ce of those Bishops to be allowed but it teacheth thus much that in deferring baptisme they differed in iudgement from the now-Church of Rome and concurred in opinion with the reformed Churches for which causes their practise is alledged The reasons vsed to maintain the absolute necessity of this Sacrament to saluation are weak not worth the answering First they obiect g Gen. 17 14. Obiection Answere the threatning annexed to circumcision The vncircumcised male shal be cut off froÌ„ his people To this I answere first God commandeth infants to be circumcised the eight day before which time they were forbidden to circumcise Wherfore infants that dy before the 8. day were not bound and obliged by this law And seeing there h Rom. 5 13. can be no transgression where there is no law they are not damnd because they are vncircumcised seeing God called many out of this life before they were capable of this Sacrament Againe the commination and threatning is not to bee vnderstood generally of all but of such as are growne vp not of children but of men as appeareth by the reason For he hath broke my couenant This cannot be applyed to infants i Caietan in cap. 7. Genes who albeit they haue not actuall faith yet cannot be said to contemne grace to refuse the couenant to reiect the promises or to lye in infidelity and hardnesse of heart Wherefore it belongeth vnto those onely that being growne vp and come to yeares shall approue the negligence of their parents and will not suffer themselues to be circumcised Therefore the childe of Moses whose circumcision was through negligence deferred was not punished but the fault was imputed vnto Moseâ— himselfe Exod. 4 24. Now as to Peter saying Thou shalt k â—â—hn 13 8. neuer wash my feet Christ answered If I wash thee not thou hast no part in me so to the Israelite that should haue saide I will neuer be circumcised this threatning might fitly be applyed If thou wilt not be circumcised thou hast no part in God no portion in his blessing no assurance of his promises in this life or of his kingdome in the life to come Lastly to be cut off from the people doth not signifie to be condemned for euen the negligence and contempt of the Sacrament is pardonable where repentance followeth as we see of such as came vnreuerently and vnworthily to the Lords Supper among the Corinthians l 1 Cor. 11 30 31. who were punished with diseases and death it selfe yet the soule no doubt was saued in the day of the Lord. Sometime therefore that phrase of speaking signifieth temporall iudgements of God on men their families m Psal 55 24. for their wickednes Sometimes it signifieth the Magistrates iustice inflicted on malefactors n Deut. 13 59 who beareth not the sword in vaine which is expounded afterward Thou shalt surely kill him Sometimes it signifieth to be cut off from the bosome of the Church o Exod. 12 15 19. which is done by the high and dreadfull censure of excommunication Whosoeuer eateth leauened bread from the first day vntill the seauenth day that person shall be cut off from Israell the interpretation of which words is added verse 19. That person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israell So the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 5. Hee which hath done this thing should be p 1 Cor. 5 2.13 put from among you that is from your company fellowship as verse 13. Put away from among your selues that wicked man Thus wee are to vnderstand the threatning in this place that such as contemne circumcision eyther themselues or allow the same contempt and negligence of others shall no longer bee reckoned and reputed among the people of God but be separated from them and to be as an heathen and a publican Againe q Ioh. 3 5. they obiect Iohn 3. Obiection 2 Vnlesse a man be borne of water and the Spirite hee cannot enter into the kingdome of God therefore say they it is necessary to saluation to be baptized This is the reason of r Bellar. lib 1 de bapt ca. 4. Bellarmine and Å¿ Hosij confess cap. 35. Answere of others I answere first it is not necessary in this place by water to vnderstand materiall water but the grace of Christ purging and cleansing as water doth which interpretation may be gathered by conference of a like place Math. 3.11 He shall baptise t Ioh 3 11. with the Holy-Ghost and with fire that is by the Spirite of God which is as it were fire lightening our hearts with the knowledge of God inflaming them with his loue and purging them from euill affections So when wee are saide to be borne againe by water and the Spirite he meaneth by the Spirite shewing forth in vs the force power and property of water as if he should say we are borne of water which is the Spirite u Ioh. 7 38 39 4.21 as Ioh. 7 38 39. Againe if it were ment of water in baptisme it must be vnderstood according to a like a Ioh. 6 53. sentence Ioh. 6. Vnlesse you eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud yee shall not
inuert the reason and make it serue to euert and ouerthrow the sacrifice of their Masse seeing it is certaine there were no Altars Lastly we must obserue that it is not barely called a table but the Table of the LORD to teach vs to drawe Vse 3 neare vnto it with all reuerence and regard If we measure and marke our affection in earthly things we see what care curiosity is often times vsed when men come to the table and presence of Noble men how much greater care and conscience should be vsed of euery one of vs when wee come to this table where the King of Kings and the Lord of heauen and earth is present When Dauid would reward and recompence the kindnes of Barzillai he charged Salomon his sonne that the sonnes of Barzillai should sit and eate bread at his table how great then is the honour that God vouchsafeth to vs permitting and appointing vs to sit at the Table of his owne Son of whom we say truely a greater then Salomon is there Wherefore to stirre vs vp to this duty deuotion let euery one consider and meditate thus with himselfe I am this day to be the Lords guest I am inuited to his Table I am to eate of his bread and to drink of his cup I haue not in this busines to do with man whose breath is in his Nostrils but to deale with God in whose presence I do abide who is both a beholder and Iudge of all my actions to whom I shall eyther stand or fall If I come in hypocrisie he will finde me out o Heb. 4 13. before whom all things are naked and open If I come fitted by faith and sanctified by repentance I shall receiue Christ and all his merits to my endlesse comfort Thus much sufficeth to be considered touching this title of the Lords Table The last title of this Sacrament remaineth to be handled being called the new Testament or will of Christ p The vses of calling this Sacrament the testament or will of Christ from whence we may gather diuers vses as good conclusions froÌ„ this doctrine For first it teacheth that there is a double Testament and couenant of God made to his people one of workes the other of grace one of the law the other of the Vse 1 Gospell as Iohn 1 17. The law was giuen by Moyses but grace and truth by Iesus Christ And Ier. 31 31 32. I will make a new couenant with the house of Israell and the house of Iudah not accordâ—ng to the couenant that I made with their Fathers when I tooke them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egipt the which my couenant they brake although I was an husband vnto them But this shall bee the couenant that I will make with the house of Israell after those dayes saith the Lord I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people The couenant of the law is a couenant wherein God hath promised to his people all blessings corporall and spiritual temporall and eternall q Leuit. 18 5. Mat. 19 17. Gal. 3 12. Deut. 27 20. vnder the condition of perfect obedience and hath threatned all curses and death 〈◊〉 to all that continue not in all parts and points of the 〈◊〉 do them The couenant of grace ratified by the death anâ— blood of Christ is a couenant wherein God promiseth his loue and fauor for euer to come vpon all that beleeue in his Sonne r Ioh. 3.16 assuring them of remission of sins and eternall life requiring of them onely faith in him as Iohn 3. God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that such as beleeue in him should not perish but liue for euer Againe if this Sacrament sealing vp the new couenant Vse 2 betweene God and man haue the name and nature of a will or testament then it serueth to condemne the Church of Rome that adde alter mingle and mangle this Sacrament at their owne pleasure For the Apostle teacheth Gal. 3. Though it be but a mans Å¿ Gal. 3 11. couenant yet when it is confirmed no man doth abrogate it or addeth any thing thereto And Heb. 9 14. He is the mediator of the new Testament that through his death they which are called might receiue the promise of eternall inheritance for where a testament is there must be the death of the testator for the testament is confirmed when men are dead for it is yet of no force as long as he that made it is aliue If then the testament of man may not be abrogated or altered much lesse the Testament of God confirmed by the death of the Mediator Notwithstanding such is the sacriledge and presumption of that Antichristian Church that the idolatrous Masse as a bottomlesse gulfe hath ouerturned and swallowed vp the Lords Supper turning the Sacrament into a sacrifice administring it in a strange tongue taking away the cuppe from the people of God making prayers for the dead bringing in their carnall presence imagininng a monstrous transubstantiation setting vp a new Priest-hood a new sacrifice a new Altar and lastly feigning vses and ends therof which Christ neuer appointed the Apostles neuer acknowledged the Churches succeeding neuer confessed or practised Now masses t Concil cabilon can 33. are mumbled in memory of the Saints they are held auaileable not only for the liuing but for the dead they are iudged profitable against stormes and tempests they are thought a soueraigne remedy against 〈◊〉 â—ore and sicknes of the body healthfull and helpefull â—â—r such as are going to warre to couer their heads in the day of battell as a shield of brasse and to preserue them from the sword of the enemy good against enchantments and sorceries and fit to be applyed to make tryall proofe whether a man be guilty of the crime and accusation laid to his charge But what are all these strange vses but strange abuses yea strong fancies and delusions of the man of sin burying in perpetuall forgetfulnes the true ends for the which Christ Iesus ordained his last Supper All these being pestilent corruptions of the Sacrament of the Supper and fraudulent additions to the last will and testament of Christ do lay open to the full the wretched abhominations of the Church of Rome the mother of fornications Vse 3 Lastly the name of Christs last will and testament giuen to this Sacrament serueth for the great comfort of Gods children For heerein we shall finde all things belongâ—ng to a full and perfect testament For Christ Iesus is the testator all faithfull Christians u Rom. 8 17. 1 Pet. 1 12. and 5 1. are appointed heires the angels are as the ouerseers the Apostles are the witnesses the legacies bequeathed are not lands and possessions or great summes a Mat. 8 20 26. of mony for the sonne of man had not
the other so as i Mat. 19 6. the things which God in his goodnesse hath ioyned together man without sinne cannot separate Secondly when Christ instituted this Sacrament he said k Mat. 26 27. Mar. 14 23. 1 Cor. 12 13. Drinke ye all of this and by all he vnderstood al the Communicants And the Euangelist Marke addeth They al drank of it to wit all that were present at his last Supper who had before eaten of the bread of the Lord. This also appeareth by the Apostle 1 Cor. 12. They haue beene all made to drinke into one Spirit This commandement of Christ being generall imposeth a necessity vpon the people when hee saith Take ye eate ye drinke ye doe ye this These commandements are perpetuall vnchangeable and alwayes in force not arbitrary not temporall not repealed but binde the conscience to the end of the world against which no limitation or dispensation can be allowed being the commandemēts l 1 Cor. 14 37 of God not of man Thirdly the cup is a part of Christs will and testament Now touching the nature of a testament or will the saying of the Apostle is knowne m Gal. 3 15. Heb. 9 16 17. If it be but a mans testament when it is confirmed no man doth abrogate it or addeth any thing thereto where he sheweth that the dead mans will may not be changed nothing can be put too nothing taken out without forgery and falshood This is the law of nature and Nations But the Lords Supper is a Sacrament proper to the new Testament as Christ saith n Luk 22 20. This cuppe is the new Testament in my blood which is shed for you This testament the Lord Iesus made the night before he was betrayed he sealed it by shedding his most precious blood hee hath giuen legacies not of earthly and temporall but of heauenly and eternall goods And seeing he hath appointed the cup of this his testament to be deliuered and drunke of al those for whom his blood was shed it is intollerable boldnes and presumption to take away the vse thereof from the greater part of the Church and an infallible token of an vnshamefast and shamelesse harlot to alter her husbands wil to defraud and defeat his children of that worthy portion which their father allotted them and so to keepe backe part of their inheritance and possession Fourthly the blood of Christ shed vpō the Crosse belongeth not only to the Pastors and teachers but to al the faithfull that come to the table of the Lord as appeareth by the words of Christ o Mat. 26 28. Luk. 22 20. This is my blood which is shed for you and for many why then should the blood of Christ be denyed or the cup of the Lord be barred from thē If then the blood of Christ were shed for the people as well as for the Ministers surely the cup belongeth to one as well as to the other If the people haue the greater who shal keep thē from the lesse If they haue their part in the thing signified who shall deny them of the outward signe For as the fruite and effect of the blood of Christ is common to the people with the Pastor so should the cup also which is the communion of his blood shed for the redemption of the peoples sins be diuided indifferently betweene the Pastor and the people Fiftly the p 1 Cor. 11 23 Apostle deliuered that to the church which he had receiued from the Lords Iesus Now the church ought diligently to obserue the written traditions and verities of the Apostles which are committed to posterity to be kept inuiolably But he hath deliuered how the Lord after taking blessing breaking and distributing of the bread likewise tooke the cup blessed and distributed it among them so saith the Apostle must the churches do If then he receiued this from the Lord to deluer both kinds to the people let the Church of Rome consider with her selfe frō whence she hath receiued the contrary to with-hold one of the kinds from the people for both cānot proceed from one the same spirit of truth which is neuer contrary to it selfe Sixtly if all the faithfull that come to the Lords Table must shew forth the Lords death vntill he come and this be done by them as wel by drinking of the cup as by eating of the bread then all the communicants must receiue the Sacrament vnder both kinds q 1 Cor. 11 26 vntill the second comming of Christ But the faithful must shew forth the Lords death by eating of that bread drinking of that cup as the Apostle teacheth As often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke of this cup ye shew the Lords death vntill he come Therefore all communicants must partake the Sacrament vnder both kinds Seuenthly the Apostle giueth an expresse commandement to the whole church which all must obey that come worthily to this holy table Let a man examine himselfe r 1 Cor. 11 2◠and so let him eate of this bread drinke of this cup. Where he giueth a double commandement first to prepare reuerently then to receiue worthily Now al that must proue and try themselues are commanded not only to eate bread but to drinke of the cup but al must try and examine themselues therefore all are commanded both to eate drinke at the Lords table If this be a commandement to examine then the words following of eating and drinking are likewise commandements There is no haulting in these let them admit both or let them deny both Eightly if the faithfull take not the cup in the Supper of the Lord the condition of Christians vnder the Gospell shall be worse then of the Israelites vnder the law For the people of Israel in the wildernesse hauing the same Sacrament in effect with vs ſ 1 Cor. 10 4. Did all drink of the spiritual rocke that followed them and that rocke was Christ as the Apostle affirmeth But our condition is not worser weaker thē theirs therfore al the faithful are to drinke of the cup of the Lord. Bellarmine the Souldan of the Romish Synagogue t Bellar. lib. 4. de Eucha ca. 27 answereth thus They drunke not water out of the rocke when they did eat of the spirituall meat but in another place at another time But this is an answerelesse answere which cannot satisfie For albeit the Sacramēts of the Israelites as figures types did represent the same graces that our Sacraments do yet it is not necessary they should in all points answere each other and in all respects agree together Besides the church of Rome at no time alloweth the people to drinke of the Wine a seale of the blood of Christ they keepe them from the cup of the Lord both when they giue them the bread and at all other times and thereby make their estate worser then the estate of the Iewes Indeed if they did at any time permit
despaire on the other side but to beleeue which is seated in the middest is supernaturall To haue a dead faith commeth of our selues but to haue a liuely faith proceedeth from God to whome we ascribe all glory and praise Now the proper office and function of this iustifying faith standeth in apprehending receiuing and laying hold vppon Christ and all his benefites Euen as the hand stretched foorth layeth hold vpon a thing and pulleth the same vnto it so dooth faith apply the sauing promises of the Gospell to the soule as the Apostle teacheth Gal. 3. That the blessing of Abraham might come vnto the Gentiles through Iesus Christ i Gal 3 14 that we might receiue the promise of the Spirit through Faith Where he teacheth that we embrace and receiue the precious promises of saluation and forgiuenesse of our sinnes by faith beleeuing the same to belong vnto our selues The Scripture calleth Christ a redeemer indefinitely Iob calleth him his redeemer particularly Iob 19 25. I know that my Redeemer liueth The Scripture setteth out the Lord as the God of his Church Thomas vpon a speciall feeling of Christes sauour toward him l Ioh 22.28 acknowledgeth him to be his Lorde and God Iohn 20. Thou art my Lord and my God The Scripture propoundeth Christ as the Sauiour of his people the blessed virgin taketh this as spoken vnto her selfe m Luke 1 â—â— and accounteth him her Sauiour My spirit reioyceth in God my Sauiour The Scripture maketh Christ the Lord Protector of his church Elizabeth maketh a speciall Luk. 11 43. application thereof calling him her Lord. Luk. 1 Whence commeth this to me that the mother of my Lord should come vnto mee It is an Article of our holy and Christian faith to beleeue the forgiuenes of sins this must euery one beleeue this must euery one hold this must euery one apply o Math. 5 2. as Christ did to the sick man of the Palsey Mathew 9. Sonne be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiuen thee It is the hardest thing in the world thus to beleeue whether we respect Christ or our selues An hardthing to beleeue It is an easie matter for a man when he neither knoweth nor feeleth the burden of sin to say he hath faith and beleeueth in Gods mercie but when Sathan shall sist him when his owne heart shall accuse him when sinne shall lye heauie vpon his soule when the vnsupportable and vnsufferable anger of God shall presse his conscience to the nethermost hell and the flame thereof consume his bones and turne his moysture p Psalm 32 4. into the drought of Summer if then he can stand vpright and build himselfe q Math 7 24. vpon the rocke when the floods come when the winds blow and beat vpon his house and when the ground shaketh vnder his seete this man with boldnesse and confidence may truely say and seale it vppe for an euerlasting truth My sinnes are forgiuen mee For if then he can comfort himselfe in his God and apply his gracious mercies to his owne faint heart and cry out r Iob. 13 15. Though the Lorde woulde kill me yet still will I trust in him this is the propertie of a sound faith against which the strongest gates of hell shall not preuaile This appeareth euidently vnto vs in the example of Abraham Å¿ Ro. 4 17 c who beleeued that of his olde weake withered and as it were deade body should spring children t Genes 1â— 5 like to the sande on the Sea shore and like the Starres of Heauen for multitude and that hee should haue a seede in whome himselfe and all the nations of the world should bee blessed If hee had consulted with flesh and bloode what Discourses might a naturall man alleadge to hinder the crediting of this promise yet he doubted not he disputeth not the matter but beleeued that the weake should bee made strong that the barren should be made fruitfull and a ioyfull mother of children that the dead should be made a liue to dwell with a family springing out of his owne body which was to reason as vnlikely and vnpossible as for a dry and dead tree pulled vp by the rootes to bud beare and bring foorth plentifull fruit So what can be more difficult and hard then for vs to beleeue and be perswaded that by the death of Christ we shall haue euerlasting life By his shame and dishonour we shall haue glory and praise That by his wounds and reproches we shal haue the curing and healing of our sores That by his agonies and bloody sweate we shall haue peace and rest By his condemnation we shall haue saluation Is not this after a sort in hel to see heauen In cursing to see blessing In humiliation to see exaltation In death to see life In condemnation to lay hold of saluation In feeling of sinne to beleeue the pardon of sinnes Lastly in our vnrighteousnesse and misery to be both righteous and accepted to eternall life and in the breach of the law to beleeue the fulfilling of the law This is indeed to haue the sauing faith u Tit. 1 1. of Gods elect And to say that this is an easie matter or a small thing is plainely to betray and discouer that we neuer knew what true faith meaneth For this faith let euery one of vs labour that we may a Gal. 2 20. specially and particularly apprehend the promises as the Apostle declareth Galathians 2. I am crucified w th Christ but I liue yet not I any more but Chrict liueth in me and in that that I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith in the Sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me And againe b 2 Tim 4 â— I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith hence forth is laâ—d vp for me a Crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue vnto me at that day Where we see a speciall application to himselfe of the benefits of CHRIST and therefore it is not sufficient to beleeue that Christ came into the world that he was crucified died was buried rose againe from the dead and ascended into heauen for this is a generall faith this is the faith of the reprobates yea the Deuils know it and haue as great a part and portion therein as wee yet they tremble at the remembrance of their iudgement to come as Iames sheweth c Iames 2 19 Thou beleeuest there it one God thou doest well the deuils also beleeue and tremble There is more required of vs then to beleeue the histories and doctrine of the Scriptures to bee true and to make an outward profession of it to vnderstand and assent vnto the couenant of grace made by Christ that it is certain and shal be verified in the members of the church we must besides this generall and confused faith applie and appropriate vnto
manner how it is to be performed If we come furnished with these things with sauing knowledge with iustifying faith with vnfained repentance with a louing and longing reconciliation toward our brethren among whom we liue hauing as much n Rom. 12 15. as is possible Peace with all men yea euen our enemies let vs not abstaine from the Lords table by reason of some fraileties and infirmities in vs for God couereth them o and wil not bring them into remembrance as we see 2 Chro. 30. A multitude of people had not clensed themselues yet did eate the Passeouer but not as it was written wherefore Hezekiah prayed for them saying The good God be mercifull toward him that prepareth his whole heart to seeke the Lord God the God of his Fathers though hee bee not clensed according to the purification of the Sanctuary and the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people Where we see that because their heart was vpright sincere their wants and imperfections were not imputed vnto them For God respecteth the truth of the inward parts and pardoneth their sinnes that thus prepare their hearts to seeke him So then p The sacrament is not honoured by abstayning from it they were greatly deceiued that thought they honoured the Sacrament by abstaining from it it is not honoured but dishonoured not hallowed but prophaned not regarded reuerently but reproched greeuously by our wilfull abstinence q 1 cor 11 28 as the Apostle teacheth 1 Cor. 11. Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. He doth not say let him proue himselfe and so let him abstaine For the Sacrament is abused as well by forbearing hauing examined our selues as by not examining our selues and receiuing vnworthily And thus much of Examination and the manner to be obserued therein CHAP. 20. The conclusion containing an abridgement of the whole Treatise together with a confirmation of some parts and passages of it THe effect of that which hath beene deliuered hitherto in these Bookes may thus be gathered into a short sum and abridgement We haue a The sum of the first Book declared that God in al times and ages of the Church from the first being of our first parents hath to his word and promises annexed Sacraments as conduites of grace and seales of assurance b Gen. 2 9 c for the confirmation of them thereby magnifying his owne mercie toward his people shewing our weaknesse and vnworthynesse and condemning such as oftentimes desire to come to the Lords Table but esteeme little of the preaching of the word and such as are diligent in hearing of the worde but carelesse in comming to the Sacraments and manifesting Gods goodnesse to vs in giuing vs such helpes as if a man should put a staffe in his hand that is weake and readie to fall whereas the word and Sacraments haue one and the same Author they are instruments of the same grace their whole force effect dependeth on God they require faith c Hebru 4 2. to be mingled with them and they profit not alway at the verie moment of hearing and receiuing Notwithstanding some differences we finde betweene them as namely in the greater necessitie of the word then of the Sacraments Infidels were neuer barred from hearing the worde when they would become d 1 Cor. 14 24 hearers thereof and whereas the word affecteth one onely of the sences to wit the hearing the Sacraments are offered to the eies as well as to the eares and fo in some sort become more effectuall then the word Touching the word Sacrament it is drawne from martiall Discipline and properly signifieth the Souldiers Oathe whereby he bindeth himselfe to his Captaine which word being vsed by the old Latine Interpreter is now beecome ordinary and common in the Church which is not mentioned in so many Sillables in the Scriptures And howsoeuer the word be often taken in a large and generall signification yet as we take it in these Bookes e What a Sacrament is a Sacrament is a visible signe and seale ordained of God whereby Christ and al his sauing graces by certaine outward rites are signified exhibited and sealed vp vnto vs. This description being receiued teacheth vs these points first that the force of the Sacraments dependeth not on the worthinesse or vnworthinesse of the Minister but vpon the ordinance of God f Mat. 23 2 3. so that an euill Minister may deliuer the good things of God And this was the cause that g Iohn 4 2. Christ Iesus baptized none but his Disciples baptized that wee might learne not to esteeme of the effect of the Sacraments by the fitnesse or vnfitnesse of the Ministers Besides wee are admonished heereby of the weakenesse of our Faith which needeth to be strengthened and this is the reason why so long as we liue in this world wee must vse the Sacraments because our Faith is alwaies weak and vnperfect and needeth helpes to further it meanes to encrease it and proppes to stay it And therefore the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 11 36. As often as ye eate this bread drinke this vp ye do shew the Lords death till he come Furthermore we learn that there is no vse of the Sacraments in the kingdome of heauen where all things are come to perfection Now when that which is perfect is come 1 Cor 13 10. then that which is in part shall be done away Againe h Deutro 4 2 none must adde vnto them none must take ought from them none must any way abuse them contrary to the institution and ordinance of God Lastly we learn from hence that the Sacraments are not bare and naked signes of Christ absent i 1 Cor. 10 16 but sure and certain seales of Gods promises and of the righteousnesse of Christ who is offered vnto all but receyued onely of the faithfull so that the presence of vngodly men meeting vs at the same Table cannot any way hurt vs in our worthy receiuing In a k In a Sacrament consider his Parts and his Vses Sacrament we are to consider two thinges his Parts and his Vses The parts of a Sacrament are l The partes are outwarde and inward partly outward and partly inward The outward parts are m The outward parts of a Sacrament are foure the Minister the Worde the Signe the Receyuer these foure First the Minister lawfully called is necessarily required If then the Minister will not administer them or if priuate persons will administer them n Math. 28 19 they sinne against God the one for not performing the duties of his calling the other because hee runneth beyond the bounds of his calling The second outward part o Esay 6 6 7 is the word of institution consisting of a Commandement and a promise so that it is required of vs to vnderstand the words of institution to ioyne the worde with the Sacraments and to discharge
Sacrament no man could be assured that at any time he receiued a Sacrament but must alwaies hang in suspense and doubt of the matter Let no man therfore refuse or abhorre the Lords ordinances for the euil demeanour of the Ministers as no man will reiect the guifte of a Prince albeit a wicked person should drawe the conueyance The third and last question remaineth which is whether the ignorance or vnabilitie of the Minister to preach Touching the bapt of ignorant ministers do disanull the sufficiency and efficacy of the Sacrament to the receiuer that beleeueth It were to bee wished that euery Congregation had his learned Pastor that so the occasion of this Question might be cut off but because wee cannot haue so flourishing a Church we must consider the matter as the case standeth with vs and know that his actions are not nullities For the Apostle requireth that the Minister should be vnreprooueable in life 1 Tim. 3.2 as well as apt to teach 1 Tim. 3. If then his euill life doe not disanull his worke why should his ignorance be a greater bar If then any reason thus Euery Ministery of the New-Testament is a preaching Ministery Therefore Sacraments are voide that are deliuered by no preachers Why may we not reason in like manner and as strongly Euery Ministerie of the New-Testament is an vnblameable ministery Therefore Sacraments are void that are deliuered by them that are not vnreprooueable Indeede euery good ministerie is a preaching ministery but not euerie ministery in generall and therefore it will not follow that the action of him that is no preacher is a nullityâ— But of these Questions wee haue spoken more at large elsewhere Thus farre of the parts â— Baptisme both the outward and the inward parts now wâ— come to the vses therof Å¿ Three vses of Baptisme which are principally three First to shewe the placing and planting into the body of Christ to râ—maine in him for euer This coniunction with Christ is not bodily or naturall but mysticall and maruellous in our eies for we are made one with Christ t 1 Cor. 6 17. by the same Spirit dwelling in Christ and in all the members of Christ So then the Saintes triumphing in heauen and all the beleeuers fighting vpon earth as soldiers in warefare haue one and the same spirite of Christ dwelling in them and therefore are one with him Secondly to assure vs of the remission of our sinnes that we may be able to stand in the presence of God u Gal. 3 17. hauing put on the garments of Christ as Iacob receiud the blessing clad in the garments of his elder brother This ouerthroweth the doctrine or rather doting of the Church of Rome which teacheth that baptisme abolisheth all sinnes going before it and leaueth nothing that hath the name or nature of sinne If this were a trueth of God not a dreame of men it is not onely decent but greatly to be desired to haue baptisme deferred vntill olde age nay vnto the houre of death that fo we may depart hence in peace with greater assurance of Gods fauour in the pardon of our sinnes Thirdly a Marke 1 1. to slay the olde man and to kill our naturall corruption by the power of the death and buriall of Christ besides to raise vs vp againe to holinesse and newnesse of life by his resurrection Hence it is that the Euangelists call it the Sacrament of Repentance admonishing euerie one of vs to expresse the strength power of baptisme as the Prophets oftentimes exhort the Iewes to b Deut 10 15. circumcise the foreskin of their harts and to harden their neckes no more So wee ought not to content our selues to be baptized in bodie but must labour to be baptized in soule by a daily proceeding in regeneration by bringing foorth the fruites of sanctification and applying Christ Iesus to our full iustification Thus much of baptisme the honourable badge of our profession and dedication to Christ that dyed vppon the Crosse what it is what are the parts and vses thereof Now wee come to d The sum of the 3. Booke the Sacrament of the bodie and bloode of Christ which is called by diuers and sundrie names in the New Testament Sometimes it is called the f 1 Cor. 10 16 Communion teaching that wee are one bodye coupled togethet in Christ shewing that it is to bee receyued of manie together and admonishing vs of vnitie and concord among our selues Sometimes it is g 1 Cor. 11 20 called the Lordes Supper hence wee see who is the authour of it no Man no Angell but the Lord Iesus leauing it for a fare-well token of his Loue towards vs. Wee must also come with an earnest desire hungring after Christ that we may be satisfied with his righteousnesse Sometimes it is called the h Actes 2 42. breaking of bread this sheweth that the substance of breade remaineth after the words of consecration that figuratiue speeches are vsed in the Sacrament and that this externall rite of breaking the bread vsed by Christ practised by the Apostles obserued by the pastors of the Church ought not to bee omitted and ouer-passed Sometimes it is called the i 1 Cor 10 21 Table of the Lord this teacheth that Christ and his Apostles at the celebration of it vsed a table not an Altar that it is a Sacrament not a Sacrifice and that we ought to draw nere vnto it with all regard and reuerence Lastlie it is called the New testament or Will of Christ This title teacheth that there is a double Couenant betweene GOD and man the one old the other new the one of the law the other of the Gospell the first of workes the second of grace Againe it serueth to condemne the cursed sacriledge of the Church of Rome which addeth and detracteth altereth and mingleth it with the leauen of her owne inuentions This is a great comfort to all Gods children to consider that all faithfull Christians are the heires of Christ to whoÌ„ he hath promised saluation of their soules and forgiuenes of their sinnes As we haue seene the seuerall names of this Sacrament which shew the nature thereof vnto vs so now we will set downe k What the Lords Supper is what the Lords Supper is The Supper of the Lord is the second Sacrament wherein by visible receiuing of bread and wine is represented our spirituall communion with the body and blood of Christ Heere God is present and sitteth as president at this Table he offereth vnto vs his owne Son for our iustification and therefore this Supper must be reuerently regarded and diligently frequented of vs. In this Sacrament l In the lords Supper consider hiâ— parts and his vses we are in like manner to consider the parts and the vses thereof The parts are partly outward and partly inward For it fareth no otherwise with the Sacrament then it doth with man considered in his
partes A man is a compound creature made of flesh and of a reasonable soule as Athanasius speaketh in his Creede If the question were asked whether man were a mortall creature or immortall earthly or heauenly visible or inuisible No man coulde rightly answere without a distinction to wit that he is earthly touching his body heauenly touching his spirit In like sort we must consider touching the lords supper which is made of an earthly and an heauenly thing and therefore if the question be demaunded whether it be an earthly or an heauenly thing Wee must resolue that in part it is earthly and in part heauenly earthly in the figure and heauenly in the matter that is signified We must acknowledge from hence the diuers natures and partes of it distinguishing the one from the other Then had neuer risen so great contētion confusion in the Church of Christ touching this Supper if this distinction had heene wisely obserued and if what is proper vnto the outward parts and what proper to the inwarde had beene duely marked The ignorance of this point hath bred much debate and kindled a fire that will very hardly bee quenched The outward parts are m The outward parts are foure foure First the Minister who is to take the bread and wine into his handes n 1 Cor. 11 23 after the example of Christ to separate the Bread and Wine so taken from their common vse to an holy to breake the bread to poure out the Wine and deliuer them both into the handes of all the people present for it is not for euerie man to minister in the Church of God and to bestowe and dispose the Mysteries of Christ The Apostles were present at the Supper not as dispensers but as communicants not as Ministers but as ghesse Christ was as the maister and maker of the Feast instituting with his owne hands the Sacrament of his grace So then they are not consecrated to be Priestes of the New testament but preachers of the Gospell and ministers of the Sacraments and therefore priuate persons may not take this Supper to themselues or deliuer it to others The second part is the word of Institution o Luke 22 19 This is my body that is this bread is p Tertul. lib. 4. cont Marcio august conr adimant cap. 12. a signe of my bodie which shortly shall be crucified for you this cup is a true signe of my Bloode presently to be shed to confirme the new Couenant of GOD touching forgiuenesse of sins and eternall life These words are not properly but figuratiuely to be vnderstood beeing Sacramentall speeches Thus the Scripture speaketh of q Gen. 17 10 Circumcision of the Paschall Lambe The third outward part are bread wine fit signes to signify our spirituall nourishment by eating the body and drinking the bloode of Christ In baptisme wee haue one onely signe but in this supper r Mark 14 12 we haue two to note out our full and perfect nourishment by Christ Neither did Christ deliuer the deceiueable shewes of bread and wine or cast a mist before the eies of his Disciples to make them thinke it Bread which was no bread or wine which was no wine but he gaue them true bread and the true fruite of the vine ſ 1 cor 10 16 as the Apostle calleth them after the blessing breaking consecration Heereby falleth to the ground the mystery of transubstantiation the most mishapen monster that euer liued or was deuised It bringeth in a false Christ and turneth him into an Idoll it maketh Sacraments without signes it maketh Christ to haue an infinite body who is like to vs in all things t Heb. 4 15 sinne onely excepted Lastly it confoundeth heauen and earth together Obiection Neither let any obiect that Christ hath now a glorified body sitting at the right hand of his Father and therfore his body hath a great priuiledge aboue ours to bee in diuers places at the same time Answere For first when the holy Supper was instituted the body of Christ was not glorified Againe glorification doth not take away the nature of a true body but taketh away the infirmity and weaknes thereof Take away space of place from a body and it remaineth no longer a true body but the essence of it is abolished u Aug. epist 57. ad Dardan as Austine hath well determined Againe if Christ deliuered both signes the people ought to receiue vnder both kindes so that they may be iustly called Church-robbers who haue takan frō the people the vse of the cup and a Gal. 3 15. wretched deprauers of Christs testament depriuing the right heires of their inheritance ingrossing into their hands the goods of others They make it of the essence of the Sacrament to vse vnleauened bread and to mingle water with wine which Christ neuer ordained or commanded but that which is necessary they esteeme as needles and superfluous thus transgressing the commandement of God by their owne traditions The fourth outward part are the Communicants whose duty it is c Mat. 26 26. to take the bread and wine into their hands to eate the bread and to drinke the wine to the nourishment of their bodies He did not bid them to reserue the outward signes to hold them vp and adore them or cal the Sacrament their Lord and their God he did not command them to offer them vp to God the Father as a propitiatory sacrifice for the quicke and dead as is vsed in their vnbloody or rather most bloody Masse which hath caused so much innocent blood of the blessed martyrs to be shed d Reu. 6 7.10 who being killed for the word of God and the testimony which they maintained their soules vnder the Altar cry day and night with a loud voice vnto the Lord holy and true to iudge and auenge their blood on them that dwell on the earth Lastly heereby are ouerthrowne the priuate Masses of the Church of Rome which now grow to be too commō e 1 Cor. 11 10 and cannot stand with the Communion of Christ who deliuered the signes of bread and wine to all the Disciples that were present they did not stand by and gaze one vpon another but receiued the Supper of the Lord together The outward parts haue bin hitherto handled which being rightly performed f What Consecration is there followeth consecration which is a separation of the outward signes from their ordinary vse to an holy and spirituall vse that whereas before they serued for the body now they are made instruments of grace and seales of the righteousnes by faith The inward parts follow g The inward parts of this Supper are foure which are foure First God the Father who appointed his Son to performe the gracious worke of our redemption and in the fulnesse of time sent him into the world h Rom. 4 2 5 who dyed for our sinnes and rose againe for our
Church remained maintaining those opinions which that present Church holdeth They teach that which was neuer taught for sixe hundred some things which were neuer knowne for a thousand yeares after Christ Answere to those that ask where our Church was before Luther Mark 1 27. The true Church of GOD hath alwayes beene taxed with this imputation and accusation of nouelty as appeareth by the words of the Iewes to Christ the master and of the Philosophers to Paul the Scholler They say to Christ what new doctrine is this Marke 1 27. Wee know that God spake vnto Moses as for this fellow wee know not from whence he is Ioh. 9 29. Ioh. 9 29. So the Epicures Stoikes tooke Paul and brought him to Areopagus the highest Court in Athens saying May wee know what this new doctrine whereof thou speakest is Act. 17 19. Indeed in the hottest times of persecution Reuel 12.6 the woman fled into the wildernesse where she had a place prepared of God that they should finde her there a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes But what an absurd thing and how iniurious dealing is this to persecute vs with fire and faggot and to driue vs as poore banished men from place to place and from corner to corner and then to aske where our Church is and to complaine against it that it is inuisible Neuerthelesse that great Dragon and old Serpent which deceiueth the whole world Ver. 8 9. and all his instruments shall not preuaile because to the woman wer giuen two wings of a great Eagle that she might flye into the wildernesse to her place where she was nourished for a time Ver. 14. and times and halfe a time so that the gates of hell shall not be able to ouercome it and to preuaile against it And albeit the Church be vnknowne to the world and oftentimes to the particular parts themselues as it was in the dayes of Eliah 1 King 19 14 Rom. 11 3. 2 Tim 2 19. Galath 1.9 who complaineth that he was left alone yet it is not hidde from God who knoweth who are his and described fully in the Scriptures which cannot deceiue vs. If wee or an Angell from heauen should teach otherwise let him bee accursed It was our Church that shined with glorious myracles confirming the faith which we professe that was dyed with the blood of so many Martyrs confessing the truth which we imbrace It was our Church which conuinced the Arrians Macedonians Nestorians PelagiaÌ„s Manichees such like hereticks The general Councels celebrated in former times at Nice Popish opâ—nions not heard of for 600. yeares after Châ—ist at Constantinople at Ephesus and at Chalcedon stand on our side But where was the Popish Conuenticle which nowe boasteth it selfe to be the only Church for six hundred yeares after Christ which were the purest times Had they any Church any where that worshipped images that decked them and then ducked downe vnto them that held that the old vulgar Translation of the Bible is authenticall that no interpretation of Scripture is to be allowed against that sence which the Church of Rome holdeth that the Virgine Mary was exempted from originall sinne that the Scriptures are vnperfect and no sufficient rule of faith that the holy Scriptures and the traditions of the Church are to be reuerenced with equall affection that the Bishop of Rome is iudge of all controuersies of Religion Had they any Church vpon the face of the earth that beleeued that the Pope was euer called a God and the spouse of the Church that held that veniall sinnes are cleansed and done away with holy water that the Pope is aboue a generall Councell that the Pope may dispense by his omnipotency wâ—thin the degrees of affinity and consanguinity forbidden in the Law that by dispensing the merites of Saints by indulgences hee is able to deliuer Soules at his pleasure from the paines of Purgatory that the Pope defining out of his Chaire cannot erre Were all these or any of thâ—se preached or professed in the true Church of God which are now broached and beleeued in the Church of Rome But to passe ouer these as impertinent to this present Treatise New doctrins of Popery touching the Supper and to speeke onely to the matter in question concerning the Sacraments what Church did beleeue the reall presence or Transubstantiation or priuate Masses or receiued in one kinde or held that there are seauen Sacramenss neyther more nor lesse or beleeued accidents without their subiect or called the Sacrament his Lord and God or administred it in a strange tongue or lifted it vp ouer his head or worshipped it as his Maker and Creator All these are now made articles of faith and principles of religion such as without them a man cannot be saued yet which of them were imbraced for sixe hundred yeares I might adde more after Christ These were neuer heard off neuer dreamed off which are now the chiefest dreams of the Romish Prelates And no maruell For seeing they haue in a manner banished and buried the remembrance of CHRIST it may not seeme strange that they haue abolished his Supper instituted in memory of his death and passion Christ our Sauiour sitteth in heauen at the right hand of his Father and maketh continuall intercession for vs Sadeel de spiri manduc cap. 1 and wee must feed vpon him spiritually which is not a faigned or forged presence bred in our owne idle fansie and consisting of our priuate opinion neither doth it signifie and import that which is onely inuisible and not offered to the obiect of the eye or that we go about to turne and transforme the body and blood of Christ into a spirit but we call it spirituall eating and feeding vpon him spiritually The reasons why we are said to eate Christ spiritually for three causes First because the eating of Christs flesh and drinking of his blood is brought to passe by the worke of the holy Spirit for it may well be saide to be receiued in that manner seeing it is effected by that meanes Secondly because this mystery is wrought by the instrument of faith which we send vp to the Throne of God as the Eagle which mounteth vp to heauen inasmuch as it is opposed to the fleshly eating of him wherein the Papists are like to the Capernaites Ioh. 6. that dreamed of a carnall and corporall eating and drinking Ioh. 6 63. which profiteth nothing and helpeth no man and bringeth no good Thirdly because this most excellent and precious food belongeth to our spirituall and eternall life seeing wee receiue the signes not to nourish our bodies but to feed our soules The summe and effect of this Booke These things the iudicious Reader shall finde largely discussed in this Treatise which I haue therefore called The New Couenant because it layeth open the doctrine of the Sacraments which serue to confirme and strengthen vs in that Couenant and
that the Lord is so gracious and mercifull that he will shew mercy to a thousand generations and therefore why should we shrinke in the sinewes of it and penne it vp in a narrow roome as if the couenant did not belong to such infants nor the seale of it Or by what law are they to beare part of the punishment that are no way guilty of the crime It is the rule that God hath left in his word that the soule which sinneth shall dye They then are greatly deceiued that hold opinion that when once the parents are cut off from the Church their children haue right to no benefit or priuiledge of the Church Beza handling this question in his 10. Epistle declareth at large that all such as are not called and accounted the members of the Church must not be held in the same ranke Beza epist 10. nor haue equal iudgement giuen of them Of such persons there are foure kindes farre differing the one from the other The first is of those who neither according to election neyther in themselues are any way members of Christ who are no better then reprobates and vessels of wrath ordained of old to condemnation Iud 4. albeit through outward shew and profession and through a temporary faith wherby they deceiue both themselues and others they are reputed to be among the members of the Church Such was Esau whom God determined to hate Rom. 9. Rom. 9 13. Ioh. 17 12. 1 Ioh. 2 19. and such was Iudas the sonne of perdition Ioh. 17. and of such speaketh the apostle Iohn If they had beene of vs doubtlesse they would haue continued with vs. The second sort is of those who according to eternall election are elected in Christ and consequently are the members of Christ albeit they be not yet called or conuerted These are not members actually but in the eternall counsell of God In this sense Paul saith that God had separated him from his mothers wombe Gal. 1 15. and called him by his grace Gal. 1. Whereas a long time hee was after a sort a member of Sathan persecuting the Church And in another place he saith Grace was giuen vs in Christ Iesus before the world began 2 Tim. 1. 2 Tim. 1 9. Likewise he speaketh in his owne person and in the person of the beleeuers that when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son Rom. 5 10. Rom. 5 10. The third sort is of such as both according to election and their present condition are really and actually the Sonnes of God vnited to Christ by faith beeing iustâ—fied and sanctified by his Spirit and expressing the power of it Rom. 8.14 as the Apostle saith Rom. 8. As many as are led by the Spirite of God they are the Sonnes of God The fourth and last soâ—te is of such as doe most properly belong to the matter wee haue in hand who being elect of God and ingrafted into Christ yet falling through infirmity and giuing offence vnto others are deliuered vnto Sathan that godly sorrow may worke in them repentance Such cannot bee cut off from Christ forasmuch as the seed of faith remaineth in them albeit the sense of faith be lost vntil they renew their repentance Our Sauiour saith All that the Father giueth me shall come to me and him that commeth to me I will in no wise cast out Ioh. 6 37. Heereunto commeth the saying of Iohn 1 Ioh. 1 19. If they had been of vs they would no doubt haue continued with vs. And Paul saith The foundation of God remaineth sure 2 Tim. 2 1â— and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his 2. Tim. 2. The application of all this we heard before that we must be ruled by the law of charity to hope well and to iudge the best euen of such as are holden captiues in the snare of the diuell and therefore farre bee it from vs to conclude that because the parents are excommunicated the children pertaine not to the kingdome of God Vse 3 Thirdly we may see the great loue of God to all beleeuers seeing he vouchsafeth not onely to be their God but the God of their seede after them as God himselfe t Gen. 17 1.2.7 promiseth to Abraham Gen. 17 I will make my couenant betweene me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations I will be their God walke before me and be thou vpright And ought we not to walke in the vprightnesse of our heart before this mercifull and all-sufficient God Who thus aboundeth in kindnesse toward vs and the fruite of our body Let vs returne vnto him loue for his loue who loued vs first Vse 4 Lastly this teacheth that infants are to be baptized and haue as great right and interest in this Sacrament as they which be in yeares able to make confession of their faith Of which we will intreat in the chapter following where we will proue this truth by testimonies of the Scriptures and maintain it against the Anabaptists and other hereticks that condemne the same CHAP. VII That Infants are to be baptized ALthough it cannot appeare vnto vs that infants and new borne babes brought to be baptized haue actual faith but rather is like they want the habite of faith which hue a Deut. 1 39. Luk. 1 15 44. not the vse of vnderstanding vnlesse God extraordinarily worke it which lyeth not in vs to iudge of yet wee baptize them and admit them to this Sacrament which we do vpon very good grounds and sufficient reasons First therefore we will proue by euident demonstration out of the Scriptures the doctrine of childrens baptisme to be conformable to the Iewes circumcision agreeable to the practise of the Apostles allowable by the words of Christ answerable to the custome of the primitiue Church reasonable in it selfe profitable to the infants auaileable by the ordinance of God and very comfortable to all Christian parents Secondly we will maintaine this assertion against the obiections and arguments of the Anabaptists and other aduersaries that haue crossed and contradicted this truth Lastly we will shew what euident and necessary vses may be gathered from hence for the strength of faith and the increase of our obedience Touching the first that the baptizing of infants is warranted by the word b Reasons warranting the baptizing of children of God I wil make it appeare by sundry reasons Wee see in the olde Testament that all males by expresse commandement were willed to bee circumcised the c Gen. 17 12. Phil. 3 5. eight day If God made infants partakers of circumcision why should we not hold the same of baptisme being instituted for vs in stead of circumcision d Col. 2 11. there being the same promises in both and there being the same ends of both If then the couenant made with Abraham remaine stable and stedfast it doth no lesse belong to the children of Christians at this day then
it did appertaine to the children of the Iewes vnder the old Testament vnlesse peraduenture we will say that our Sauiour Christ by his comming hath restrained or diminished the grace and loue of his Father which were detestable blasphemy against the Father and an horrible reproch against the Sonne of God From hence then we reason thus If the infants of the Iewes were circumcised then the children of Christians are to be baptized but the infants of the Iews were circumcised therefore also the children of Christians are to be baptized Against this reason sundry exceptions are taken by the aduersaries of this doctrine Obiection which are not vnworthy the consideration They say circumcision was a signe of mortification it was tyed to be administred the eight day and that women ought not to be baptized if baptisme were like to circumcisioÌ„ inasmuch as they were not circumcised I answere Answere these obiections wil easily appeare to be very cauils and meere dreames of idle and addle braines if we diligently obserue both wherein circumcision and baptisme agree and in what points they differ They e Wherin circumcision baptisme agree agree first in one author of them both that is God himselfe who first appointed the Minister of circumcision which was Abraham and Iohn the Minister of baptisme whereof hee was called the Baptist Secondly in the chiefe and principall ends for which they were instituted namely to seale vp the promises of grace by Christ Thirdly by both of them is wrought our visible receiuing into the Church the Iewes were receiued by circumcision the Christians are entred by baptisme Lastly by both of them our mortification regeneration newnesse of life and iustification are signified So then they fully agree in the ends which they respect and in the things which they signifie to wit in the substance and nature of the things themselues The same Christ is promised in circumcision and giuen in baptisme Againe circumcision and baptisme differ f Wherin circumcision baptisme differ onely in certaine circumstances first in the forme and manner of dooing as circumcision was administred by cutting away of the foreskin effusion of blood but baptisme by washing and sprinkling with water Secondly in the outward signe which is indifferent in both Thirdly in the circumstance of time for circumcision promised from God grace and mercy in the Messias to come baptisme in the Messias already exhibited Fourthly in the subiects or persons that are partakers of them circumcision belongeth onely to the male children but baptisme is common to male and female Notwithstanding g How womeÌ„ were after a sort circumcised howsoeuer the bodies of the men children alone were imprinted yet through them the women were after a sort made partakers and companions of circumcision so that albeit God commanded onely the males to haue this signe in their flesh yet the females were not excluded from being members of the Church nor accounted strangers from the Couenants of promise For as the man is the h 1 Cor. 11 8. head of the woman so they were accounted as circumcised in the man yea they were reckoned and numbred with the men namely the vnmarried with their father and the married with their husbands Now that their circumcision was thus comprehended in the men so that it was vnto theÌ„ in stead of circumcision to be borne of the circumcised may be gathered by many places as Luk. 13. Where the woman which Christ healed of a spirit of infirmity bound together is called i Luk. 13 11. the daughter of Abraham to signifie that the priuiledge of his posterity belonged no lesse to her and all women that were faithfull then to the males and that she was as well his daughter as they his sonnes Likewise Gen. 34. the sonnes of Iacob communing with Hamor after their sister was humbled and abused said vnto them k Gen. 34 14.15 16. We cannot do this thing to giue our sister to an vncircumcised man for that were a reproofe vnto vs but in this we will consent vnto you if ye will be as we are that euery man-châ—ld among you be circumcised then we will giue our daughters to you c. where these two are set as contrary one to another our sister and the vncircumcised which teacheth that they were accounted as circumcised in the males so that it was enough to them to be born of parents that were circumcised Fiftly they differ in the setled time which is limited for circumcision being precisely and necessarily tied to the 8. day but in baptisme it is not so there is greater liberty left to the church yet the Sabboth following would not without vrgent cause be omitted Sixtly circumcision was instituted for the Israelites that were the seed of Abraham but Baptisme was instituted for all Nations that are willing to ioyne themselues to the fellowshippe of the Churches of Christ that professe his name of whatsoeuer Land and language they be Lastly circumcision was to endure onely till the comming of the Messias but the body being come the figure must cease whereas baptisme is to continue vnto the end of the world l Mat. 28 20. as our Sauiour teacheth Mat. 28. Teach and baptize and loe I am with you vntill the end of the world Wherefore the circumcision of the Turkes and Tartars which liue in infidelity and of the Moores which professe christianity vsed at this day is nothing worth albeit they retaine the outward signe and ceremony because the institution of it was only to endure vntill the blessed times of the Gospell Thus we see that notwithstanding the differences betweene circumcision and baptisme in circumstances of time manner of doing yet being in substance and effect the same the argument standeth strong and inuincible as a brazen wall prouing the baptizing of infants in the time of the Gospell from the commandement of circumcising infants in the time of the Law Againe m The practise of the Apostles let vs consider the practise of the Apostles and ages succeeding in this point For albeit it be not expressed that any infant was baptized by the hands of the Apostles yet we finde in diuers places that whole families and housholds haue beene baptized in which no doubt were many infants sucklings n Act. 16 13.33 1 Cor. 1 14 16. Acts 18 8. and 2.37 38.39 as Act. 16 15. Lidia being conuerted to the faith was baptized and all her houshold And againe verse 33 of the same Chapter the Iaylor was baptized and all that were with him So was Crispus the chiefe Ruler of the Synagogue and his houshold baptized and the houshold of Stephanus Furthermore when Peter commanded the Iewes newly conuerted to the faith of Christ and hungring after saluation in him whom before they had crucified to bee baptized he addeth this as a reason For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all that are a farre off euen as many