THE NEVV COVENANT OR A Treatise of the Sacraments Whereby the last Testament of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ through the shedding of his Pure and Precious Blood is ratified and applyed vnto the Conscience of euery true Beleeuer Diuided into three Bookes 1. Of the Sacraments in Generall 2. Of Baptisme 3. Of the Lords Supper Verie Necessarie and Profitable for these Times wherein we may behold THE Truth it selfe plainly prooued Doctrine of the Reformed Churches clearely maintained Errors of the Church of Rome soundly conuinced Right maner of the Receiuing of thē comfortably declared And sundry doubts and difficult Questions decided By William Attersoll Minister of Gods word at Isfield in Sussex For by one Spirit we are all Baptized into one Body whether wee be Iewes or Grecians whether we be Bond or Free and haue beene all made to Drinke into one Spirit 1 Cor. 12 13. The second Edition Newly Corrected and Enlarged Printed at London by W. Iaggard and are to be solde by Nicholas Bourne at his Shop at the entrance of the Royall Exchange 1614. TO THE RIGHT worshipful Sir IOHN SHVRLEY Knight all health and happinesse from Christ Iesus our Sauiour Right Worshipfull THE former Edition of this Treatise touching the Sacraments some eight yeares since published was not onely by your selfe louingly receiued but by diuers godly Christians beyond my expectation fauourably and friendly accepted And being at length content to yeeld to a new Impression it hath fared with mee in perusing this worke as with him that goeth about to repaire an old house For albeit he purpose with himselfe to pull downe a little or to make a slender addition and alteration in the building yet when once he beginneth to stirre and meddle with the old frame one piece draweth downe another and the augmenting of one part I know not how in a pleasing manner procureth the adding and annexing of another In like manner when I determined to review and peruse this booke mine intent was no more then heere and there to insert a little as time reading conference and better iudgement haue giuen occasion to see farther but beeing entred into the matter and one change causing another the worke is risen to this volume like a flood that swelleth by the accesse and comming in of other waters that it may rather seeme to be the making of a new then the amending of an olde I haue endeuoured heere to set before the eyes of all that wil vouchsafe to reade these lines the nature and vse of the Sacraments which were instituted of almighty God to admonish vs by their mysticall signification both of his goodnes and of our weaknesse being as signes and seales to assure vs of Christ and of his righteousnesse and all his merits There are diuers sorts of signes mentioned in the holy Scriptures which may be fitly sorted into foure ranks Some are naturall Mat. 16 2 3 as the clouds be a signe of raine the rednes of the sky in the euening of faire weather the lowring of the sky in the morning of foule weather Some are ciuill as a sword carried before a Magistrate is a signe of his authority Rom. 13 4. as the Consuls of Rome had their roddes and axe born by their officers Some are miraculous as we see in Gedeons fleece Iudg. 6 36. Mat. 24 29 which was wet when the earth was dry and dry when the earth was wet such shall be in the Sunne and Moone and in the starres in the end of the world as the Lord declareth Other are religious signes which appertaine to piety and godlinesse and an heauenly life of which some are tokens of things past Exod. 16 33 Heb 9 4. Leuit. 8 7 as the reseruing of Manna some of things present as the garments of the Priests and Leuites and their often clensings and purifications Some be signes of things to come as the sacrifices and oblations But the Sacraments of the new Couenant and last Testament of CHRIST sealed by his precious blood which wee haue heere described serue as monuments and memorials of all these euen to note out vnto vs blessings past and present and to come For they signifie the death and passion of Christ which is already past likewise the promise of grace and forgiuenesse which are present to the mindes of all right receiuers Lastly holinesse of life mortification of sinne repentance from dead workes and the fruites of faith heereafter more and more to be perfected and performed as also the resurrection of the body and eternall life which are to bee accomplished in the world to come Especially I haue beene carefull a The corruptions of the Romane Church vnmasked to vnmaske the corruptions of the Church of Rome if I may call that vnmasking which is in it selfe so palpable and apparent that whosoeuer hath the sight of the eye may quickly espy them or the vse of reason may easily discouer them wherein wee haue the full consent of the former and purer Churches If we wil a little consider the truth of this point and compare the doctrine of the reformed Churches with the pollutions and prophanations of the Romish Synogogue we shal plainely perceiue that light and darknes are not more different and repugnant then these are the one to the other Indeed they oftentimes appeale to the sentence of the Fathers as if their faith were the ancient faith and their doctrine had the approbation of elder times howbeit all this foppery serueth but for a flourish to varnish their rotten postes with deceitfull colours forasmuch as they are content the Fathers shall be expositers of the Scriptures but it is with this caueat and condition that themselues will bee Interpreters of the Fathers Wherefore I will b 3 points discussed propound as it were in a Table 3. points to be handled First their contrarieties and oppositions standing against the truth Secondly their contentions and contradictions remaining among themselues Lastly I will answere their obiection that thinke the matter is not so cleere on our side as we pretend who contemne Transubstantiation and the reall presence and maintaine the spirituall eating against the carnall and Capernaiticall First touching their corruptions c Comparisō between the Lords supper the Masse and contrarieties they are so notable and notorious to all the world that they can no longer hide them and conceale them as we may gather by comparing the institution of Christ with the traditions and abhominations of Antichrist Christ deliuered his last Supper as he sate at the Table with his Disciples where they did all eate as at a banket but Antichrist hath turned and transformed this Supper into the abhominable Idoll of the Masse which hath no shew or appearance of any feast at all where the Priest plaieth this Pageant alone hee sitteth not at the Table but standeth at the Altar turneth away his face from the people beeing belike ashamed that they should see his fraud and
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
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
Church and hidden from others so the ancient teachers of the Latine Church called them Sacraments in respect of the affinity and neerenesse betweene them and a Sacrament For a Sacrament properly is that solemne oath in warre by which Souldiers bound themselues to their chief Captaine Such a regard had the olde Romanes in the discipline of their warres that it was d Cicero de offic Lib. 1. not lawfull for any to kill an enemy or enter into the battell to fight vnlesse he were sworne a Souldier So when wee are partakers of these holye signes which God hath appointed in his Church by which he bestoweth vpon vs spirituall guifts e A SacrameÌ„t properly is the Souldiers oath metaphorically the Churches band binding them to God we do bind our selues to him we professe openly his true religion we vow to fight vnder his banner against our enâ—mies so that they are testimonies and tokens of the couenant betweene God and vs that he is our God and we binde our selues to bee his people to serue him and no other God So circumcision was a seale of Gods promise to Abraham and a seale of Abrahams faith and obedience toward God By them man is bound to God and God vouchsafeth to binde himselfe to man Wherefore the word Sacrament being translated from the campe to the Church from a Souldier to a Christian from a ciuill vse to an holy let vs see in this sence and signification what it is Now the word beeing borrowed from warres is f A Sacrament considered 2. wayes taken two waies first in a generall signification and may comprehend all manner of signes whether naturall or miraculous or voluntary which God commanded men to vse to assure them of the vndoubted truth of his promise as when hee gaue to Adam in the Garden the tree of life to bee a pledge of his immortality the Raine-bow to Noah and his posterity sometimes hee gaue them miraculous signes as light in a smoaking Furnace to Abraham the fleece wet the earth beeing drye and the earth wet the fleece beeing drye to Gedeon to promise and performe victory to Gedeon In this large acceptation of the worde we doe not intreate of the Sacraments wee speake properly of those which God hath left to be ordinary in his Church to bee seales of our communion with Christ and of the righteousnesse which is by faith A Sacrament g What a Sacrament is thus considered is a visible signe and seale ordained of God wherby Christ and all his sauing graces by certaine outward rites are signified exhibited and sealed vp vnto vs. In this description wee are to consider these 3. things First the whole kinde or generall secondly the cause or author thereof and lastly the vse of this doctrine deliuered Touching the first whereas it is saide that a sacrament is a visible signe and seale this is prooued and confirmed in sundry places of the scripture as Gen. 17. speaking of circuÌ„cision he saith h Gen. 17 11. It shall be a signe of the couenant betweene me and thee And Ro. 4. speaking of Abraham he saith i Rom. 4 11 He receiued the signe of circumcision as a seale of the righteousnesse of faith Indeede a signe and a seale differ one from another as the generall from the especiall for euery seale is a signe but euery signe is not a seale A seale certifieth assureth and confirmeth a thing a signe onely sheweth it but a Sacrament doth both It is a signe to signifie and represent a seale to ratifie and assure an instrument to conferre and conueigh Christ with all his benefits to them that truely beleeue in him a pledge vnto vs of Gods promises a visible word and as a notable glasse wherin we may behold k August de doct Christ lib. 2. Cap. 1. assured testimonies of Gods eternall fauour and of the abundant riches of his grace which hee bestoweth vpon vs. This teacheth vs to acknowledge there is more in the Sacraments then is seene with the eyes or felt with the hands and therefore we must not conceiue vnreuerently of them nor come negligently vnto them making them meere carnall and outward things but wee must thinke reuerently speake soberly receiue humbly and penitently these holy mysteries Againe hereby we are brought to beleeue the promises of God for if the Sacraments be not onely signes of his fauour but seales of our faith can wee doubt of his mercy and good meaning toward vs hauing left such pawnes and pledges thereof with vs that wee might haue assured comfort and comfortable assurance of saluation and eternall life Is it not among men matter of assurance and a note of true dealing to haue a pledge left with vs But behold God hath left vnto vs two pawnes of his promises as it were an earnest-penny that our faith should not wauer If then his alone worde bee al-sufficient hauing a noble addition of the Sacraments as of his seales let vs beleeue his promises and in all tentations rest vpon them with all confidence and consolation Secondly it is saide l Sacraments were instituted oâ— God alone a Sacrament is a diuine ordinance Not any Angell or Arch-angell not any Prince or Potentate but onely God himselfe is the author and ordainer of all holye signes and Sacraments This appeareth by many witnesses out of the worde of God I haue set my bow in the cloud and it shall bee for a signe of the couenant betweene mee and the earth and when I shall couer the earth with a cloud and the bow shall be seene in the cloud then will I remember my couenant which is betweene me and you Where wee see that when God determined to bee mercifull vnto the world and neuer to drowne the same with water againe as he had drowned it he gaue them a signe of his promise to wit His bow in the clouds When God would witnesse and stablish to Abraham and his seede after him the promise of his mercy hee ordained a Sacrament to confirme the same Gen. 17. This is my couenant which ye shall keepe betweene me and you let euery man child among you be circumcised And the Apostle saith I haue receiued of the Lord that which I haue deliuered vnto you And Christ himselfe instituted Baptisme and sent forth his Disciples to preach the Gospell All these testimonies as a cloud of witnesses doe confirme vs in this truth that none hath power authority in the Church to institute a Sacrament but only God And the reasons are apparant First the Sacraments belong to the seruice and worship of God now it resteth not in man to appoint and prescribe a seruice of God but to retaine and imbrace that which is taught by him For in vaine they worship him teaching for doctrines mens precepts Againe the Sacramentall signes haue Gods promises annexed vnto them confirming vs in the same which they could not doe but by the blessing and benefit of him that promiseth
so that God onely is able to bestow grace and he alone can appoint true signes of grace For as he onely hath authority to seale the charter pardon in whose iurisdiction it is to grant it so likewise God giueth the pledges and tokens of his grace which sheadeth the graces of the Spirite into our hearts Wherefore the reuerent Sacraments of the Church none can institute by his authority but onely God and hence it is that the signes haue the names of the thinges signified None but Christ himselfe could say of the bread This is my body none but hee could say of the cup This cup is the new Testament in my bloud none but hee breathing on his Apostles could say Receiue the Holy Ghost none but hee could make the water in Baptisme to be the lauer of regeneration Let vs see what good and profitable vses arise from this Vse 1 doctrine First if the Sacraments bee the ordinances of God then they depend not on the worthinesse or vnworthinesse fitnesse or vnfitnesse vices or vertues of the Minister but all their efficacy and force hangeth on the holy institution of Christ Iesus The Ministers impiety wickednesse maketh not a nullity of the Sacrament neyther hindereth the fruite of the worthy receiuer no more then the piety and godlinesse of a faithfull Minister can profite an vnworthy receiuer Indeede the Church must indeuour that they bee cleane which beare the Vessels of the Lord Esay 52 11. and that the Ministers thereof may bee holye and vnblameable according to the Apostles r 1 Tim. 3 2. rule but we must not measure the profit of the receiuer by the person of the Minister If a theefe do steale a sack of corne we see if he sow it it groweth vp and bringeth foorth increase because the fault resteth not in the seede which is good but in the sower which is euill so doth the Sacrament profite the faithfull howsoeuer hee bee vnfaithfull that doth administer it Wee see if the seede-man haue foule filthy and vncleane hands that soweth yet if the seede be cleane sweete and faire it prospereth so the holy things of God ſ Euill Mininisters may deliuer the good things of God cannot be defiled by the corrupt and sinfull life of the Minister while he deliuereth nothing of his owne but dispenseth the ordinances of God Thus we see that whether the Minister be good or euill godly or vngodly an heretick or a Catholike holy or prophane the effect is all one the worthines of the Sacrament dependeth not on man but proceedeth from God and therfore all such as contemne the Sacraments of God for the sacriledge of man shal beare their condemnation whosoeuer they are The two sons of Ely Hophni and Phinehas were t 1 Sam. 1 22.23 exceeding sinners against the Lord yet because the people of Israel abhorred the sacrifices of God and trode his worship vnder their feete the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the whole land and hee denounced u 1 Sam. 6 11. sore iudgements against thē So then the offence of the Priests was no defence of the people but as the Priests gaue the offence the people tooke it so God boūd thē together in the same iudgement So we must know God will not beare the contempt of his ordinances vnder any pretence whatsoeuer of the Ministers wickednes vnworthines if his hand be corrupt let thy heart be vncorrupt though his sins be his own yet the Sacram. be Gods he may minister cōfort to thee tho he bring none to himselfe as the workmē that builded the Arke prepared a means to saue other but were drowned thēselues or as the bels tho they moue not themselues yet serue to bring others to the exercises of religion or as the Scribes that pointed the way to the wise-men but themselues vouchsafed not to step out of doores to enquire after Christ The eares of corne do carry the corne with the chaffe to be purged and cleansed in the barne though the chaffe be vnprofitable yet it profiteth the corne as the Lanthorne holdeth the candle to giue light vnto others that are the passengers As gold is gold of whomsoeuer it is giuen and receiued so the Sacrament is truely a Sacrament whether it bee giuen of a good or euil Minister so is it with the word of God This appeareth by the words of Christ our sauiour Math. 23. The Scribes and Pharisies sit in Moses seate a Mat. 23 2 3 all therefore whatsoeuer they bid you obserue that obserue and doe but after their workes do not for they say and do not Albeit then the Scripture condemneth such as giue offences yet such as take offence are not thereby iustified let vs magnifie the ordinances of God and then we may expect a blessing at his hands This is that which the b 1 Cor. 3 6 7 Apostle teacheth I haue planted Apollos watered but God gaue the increase So then neyther is he that planteth any thing neither he that watreth but God that giueth the increase Wherefore the people of God notwithstanding the wickednesse and vnworthines of the Ministers may safely and with a good conscience vse their ministry both hearing the word frō their mouths and receiuing the Sacraments at their hands and both of them are effectuall and auaileable vnto saluation neither do they defile themselues by their corruption The Donatists in former times the Anabaptists in our daies teach that such scandalous Ministers as giue offence can profite vs nothing at al nor further our saluation nor doe vs any good that being defiled themselues by their sins they defile also the Sacraments Heereunto they bring the saying in the law of Moses Whatsoeuer the vncleane person toucheth shall be vncleane the soule that toucheth it shal be vncleane vntill euen Likewise they alleadge the wordes of Haggai the Prophet If a man beare holy flesh in the skirt of his garmant with his skirt do touch bread or pottage or wine or oyle or any meat shall it be holy The Priests answered and said No. Then said Haggai If one that is vncleane by a dead body touch any of these shall it be vncleane The Priests answered It shall be vncleane So is this people and so is this Nation before me saith the Lord and so is euery worke of their hands and that which they offer there is vncleane Therefore whensoeuer the Ministers are polluted with vices they do pollute prophane whatsoeuer they handle I answere these words are corrupted depraued by these heretikes The Prophet saith not by way of application so doe you pollute the Sacram. and sacrifices of the people but the drift of the place is to shew vnto vs that our works are polluted and abhominable in the sight of almighty God and vtterly reiected of him except they proceed from the fountaine of a pure heart faith vnfained so that albeit they be in their nature neuer so good
yet if wee bee vncleane and vnpure we make them all vnpure to our selues I say to our selues but not to others For why should they bear the blame of our impurity or why should they bee punished for our iniquity The Apostle speaking of the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11. saith He that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drinketh iudgement to himselfe not discerning the Lords body hee cannot eate and drinke iudgement to other men but hee may to himselfe Likewise the same Apostle writing to Titus saith Chap. 1.15 Vnto the pure all things are pure but vnto them that are defiled and vnbeleeuing is nothing pure but euen their minde and conscience is defiled No man can defile the Sacraments to others but onely to himselfe forasmuch as they take their nature and borrow their force from God not from men and therefore are not to bee esteemed by the vice or vertue of the Minister but by the power and vertue of God If a Prince should send vs a pardon by his letters pattens and deliuer them into the hand of a wicked man as God sent Iudas the son of perdition to the Children of Israel to preach vnto theÌ„ that the kingdome of God was at hand would we refuse the pardon because of the wickednesse of the messenger Or may wee thinke it to bee lesse forcible and auaileable because hee is an vngodly person Woe then vnto those that bring in againe the damnable doctrine and practise of the Donatists long since buried and shaken in peeces who make a schisme in the Church depart out of the church for the faults offences of the Ministers because wee are not baptized into the names of the Ministers neyther are made partakers of the supper of the Ministers but we are baptized in the name of God and we are made partakers of the Supper of the Lord. They are therefore their owne enemies that looke too much vpon the messenger and too Vse 2 little vpon him that sendeth him vnto vs. Secondly is God the true and onely author and appointer of Sacraments Then none must adde vnto or take from the Sacraments instituted by him in the church no more then vnto the c Deut. 4. worde it selfe Deutronomy 4. Yee shall put nothing to the word which I command you neyther shall ye take ought there from that ye may keepe the commandements of the Lord your God which I command you And Reuel 22 18 19. If any man shall d Reuel 22 18 19. adde vnto these things God shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this booke and if any man shall diminish of the words of the booke of this prophesie God shall take away his part out of the booke of life If the Sacraments were the inuentions of men they might also fitly receiue the additions and subtractions the changes and the alterations of men but seeing they are the ordinances of God we must be content to haue them ordered by God All Ceremonies therefore and rites deuised by men as parts of Gods worship are so many abhominations and innouations of his seruice As God onely can gratiously promise so hee can onely effectually performe what he hath promised Wherefore we must condemne those as guilty of rebellion against God that bouldly breake out eyther to deuise new Sacramentes or to adde and detract from them that God hath ordained We are commanded to rest in those that he hath appointed to the Church in his worde for as well wee may deuise a new word as deliuer a new Sacrament aswell wee may coyne a new Article of faith as bring in a new confirmation of of faith Thirdly wee learne heereby that they which condemne Vse 3 the Sacraments and will not suffer them to bee of any force with themselues and making small account of them doe esteeme them as trifles or otherwise abuse them contrary to the institution will and commandement of Christ all these do greeuously sinne not against man but against the author of them that is God who hath ordained them and greatly indanger their owne saluation as 1. Cor. 11. He that eateth drinketh vnworthily e 1 Cor. 11 29 eateth drinketh his owne iudgement because hee discerneth not the Lords body If a man contemne or any way contumeliously abuse the seale of a Prince he is punished and therefore such as scorne and make a mocke of the Sacraments which are the seales of God cannot goe scot-free but shall bee indighted of high treason and rebellion against his Maiesty The last point to bee considered in the description of a Sacrament is the end of them where it is added Whereby Christ and al his sauing graces by certaine outward rites are signified exhibited and sealed vp to vs. This is proued directly by the Apostle 1. Cor. 10 16. The f 1 Cor. 10 16 cup of blessâ—ng which we blesse is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we breake is it not the Communion of the bodye of Christ So Peter speaketh Acts 2. of the other Sacrament g Acts 2 38. Amend your liues and be baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and ye shall receiue the guifts of the Holy-Ghost And Paul saith in another place All ye h Gal. 3 27. that are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ Our soules are washed in the bloud of Christ his buriall his resurrection his sanctification his wisedome his righteousnesse his redemption is made ours all his benefits are ours as Christ is ours Vse 1 Let vs make vse of this point and apply it to our selues First is Christ the summe and substance of all Sacraments Then the Church of Rome is heere condemned that say we make the Sacraments bare and naked signes God forbid that we should say so or make them to be so they are the sure seales of Gods promises heauenly tokens spiritual signes and authentike pledges of the grace and righteousnesse of Christ giuen and imputed vnto vs. The Sacraments and sacrifices of the olde Testament were not bare signes Circumcision was not i Rom. 2 28.29 a bare signe as Rom. 2. This is not circumcision which is outward in the flesh but the circumcision of the heart And In Christ k Col. 2 11 12. yee are circumcised with circumcision made without hands by putting off the sinfull body of the flesh through the circumcision of Christ Euen so Baptisme is no bare signe it were great blasphemy so to speake it were very great iniquity so to thinke The grace of God doth worke with his Sacraments and therfore the signes are neuer receiued in vaine of the faithfull and worthy receiuer The water washeth not from sinne the bread and wine feede not to eternall life but it is the precious blood of Christ that doth cleanse vs from al sin and purchaseth for vs all grace which is the life and the truth of the outward signes Againe
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
the Minister the outward signes are giuen by the hands of the Minister whether he be good or euill but the truth and substance of the Sacraments is giuen by God the Father Whosoeuer confoundeth these parts and workes robbeth God of his glory depriueth himselfe of the grace of Christ offered and maketh flesh his arme Wherefore as the workes of God and of the Minister are distinct so must these parts remaine distinguished howsoeuer to the faithfull they are not separated and sundred as in the publishing and preaching of the Gospel the Minister speaketh vnto the outward man and the sound therof entreth into the eare g Act. 16 14. but it is God that openeth the heart and speaketh to the conscience of the faithfull hearer Secondly it serueth to strengthen our faith and helpe Vse 2 our weakenesse when we come to the Sacrament So often as we see the Ministers of God appointed by him deliuering the signes and setting them apart to their ends for which they were ordained we must behold with the eie of faith God the Father offering his Sonne to those that can receiue him For if we come aright we may assure our owne hearts that what the Minister doth outwardly the same the Father performeth inwardly then which there cannot be a greater comfort Let vs therefore behold with our eyes the Sacramentall rites let vs heare the promises that God maketh vnto vs God the Father will verifie them who hath h Iohn 6 32. sealed vp his Sonne vnto vs. My Father giueth you that bread from Heauen Hee will as surely giue Christ as the Minister deliuereth the bread wine Albeit the Sacraments should be ministred by some hypocrite and wicked man yet they haue as much force and as great efficacy as if they were ministred by faithful and godly men The vertue of the Sacraments hangeth vpon the Minister no more then the goodnesse of seede dependeth vpon the sower which if it light in good ground wil bring forth plentifull fruit albeit it be sowne of an vngodly and vnskilfull man Thirdly consider heere the difference betweene a Sacrament and a Sacrifice For wee learne from Vse 3 hence that God the Father in the Sacraments doth giue his owne Sonne to the true receiuers True it is a Sacrament and a Sacrifice haue some affinity and agreement the one with the other They haue this in common that both were instituted of God and haue him for the author of them In both of them there are outward actions which haue inward significations for the killing of beasts shewed plainely what our condition is both that we are guilty of death and could not be deliuered but by an offering for sinne and that Christ Iesus is the true oblation to be offered to God vpon the Altar of the Crosse for our sinnes Neuerthelesse they differ also in diuers respects as first in the end The end of a Sacrament is not to offer it vp to God but that it bee offered to vs and receiued of vs. The Minister offereth the signe God the Father offereth the thing signified wee receiue the outward element at the hand of the Minister wee receiue the inward grace at the hand of God But the nature of a Sacrifice is that we giue it or offer it vp to God according to his owne ordinance whereupon also it is called an offering or oblation True it is also that some of the Sacraments of the old Testament vnder the law were after a sorte externall Sacrifices as the Paschall Lambe howbeit it is not so in the Sacraments of the Church of Christ because the perfect Sacrifice of Christ once onely offered hath abolished and abrogated all outward Sacrifices Againe they differ the one from the other in the outward forme and manner of doing Leuit. 16 5. For the Sacrifices were burned in part or in whole with fire to note out the purity of Christs Sacrifice and the eternall Spirite Heb. 9 14. by which he was offered to God whereas they were properly called by name of Sacraments which were eaten or applyed to the bodye and therefore altar was appointed for the Sacrifices but a Table for the Sacraments that were eaten CHAP. X. Of the second inward part of a Sacrament HItherto of the first inward part a The second part of a Sacrament is the holy Spirite the second inward part of a Sacrament is the holy Spirite as Math. 3. Hee shall baptize you b Mat. 3 11. with the Holy-Ghost and fire So in Christs Baptisme when he was baptized prayed the c Luke 3 22. Holy-Ghost descended in a visible shape like a Doue vpon him And Paul saith d 1 Cor. 12.13 By one Spirite we are all baptized into one body whether we be Iews or Graecians whether we be bond or free and haue been all made to drinke into one Spirite And the Apostle layeth downe the circumcision of the heart by the Spirite Rom. 2 29. Hee is a Iew which is one within and the circumcision is of the heart in the Spirite So the same Apostle Titus 3 5 6. According to the mercy of God he saued vs by the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy-Ghost which he shed on vs abundantly through Iesus Christ our Sauiour Nothing can bee fruitefull and profitable without his gracious worke in vs he worketh and setleth the worde of promise in our hearts and therefore we must necessarily hold the blessed Spirit to be an inward part of the Sacrament making it and all other ordinances of God auaileable Vse 1 Now let vs proceed to the vses of this point being the second inward part And first of all is the Spirite of God the sealer vp of the promises after that we beleeue according to the doctrine of the Apostle After that ye beleeued f Ephes 1 13. ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise Then as often as we heare the promise vttered by the Minister it confirmeth vs that the Father by his Spirit worketh the same in our hearts The water in baptisme cannot by any force and vertue inherent in it wash our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God as it hath power to wash away the filth and corruption of our bodies The bread and wine in the Lords Supper haue no inherent strength to nourish the soule to eternal life as they haue to strengthen the body they are instruments of the Holy Ghost who worketh by them to the great comfort of the faithfull Grace is not contained and shut vp in them as water in a vessell or as a medicine in a boxe the Spirite helpeth our infirmities sealing vp to our consciences the fruite of the word that is heard and of the Sacramentall signes that are seene But because this doctrine is contradicted by the defenders of the Popish faith it shall not be amisse briefly to propound their chiefest obiections whereby they would proue that the outward signes in
the Lords Supper When we receiue the outward signes God the Father offereth his Sonne all his graces with him to confirme our faith therby The signe is but a figure and token Christ is the truth substance This we shewed before Chap. 2. in the description of a Sacrament that therein Christ and all his sauing graces are truely offered sealed vp and giuen to the faithfull that beleeue in his name Heereunto commeth the doctrine of the Apostle where he teacheth that the Iewish Sacraments being in the truth of them the same with ours did signifie b 1 Cor. 10 1 2 3 4 5. Christ for They dranke of the spirituall Rocke that followed them and that Rocke was Christ So he doth teach elsewher that by baptisme we c Gal. 3 27. put on Christ we are buried into his death and are planted d Rom. 6 4 5. Col. 2.11.12 into the similitude of his resurrection Wherefore this is the vse and end of the Sacraments to leade our faith to the onely Sacrifice of Christ once offered vpon the Crosse as to the onely ground-worke and foundation of our saluation as touching the other Sacrament the same Apostle sheweth that the breaking of the bread sealeth vp the e 1 Cor. 10.16 communion of his body and the pouring out the wine the communion of his blood So then this is an euident plaine and manifest truth confirmed by testimony of the Scripture that Christ is the matter and substance of a Sacrament Vse 1 Heereby we gather great strength of faith If Christ be offered with all his merites then let vs lay hold vpon him and not let him goe let vs stretch forth the hand of faith and receiue him into our hearts Wherefore when Sathan assaulteth vs touching our faith in Christ and affiance in his promises perswading vs we are not elected iustified and indued with faith and thereby seeketh to cut off our hand from applying or to blinde our eye from looking vpon the brazen Serpent that is Christ sitting at the right hand of his Father let vs runne vnto him let vs hunger and thirst after his righteousnesse let vs acknowledge him to bee our wisedome our righteousnesse our sanctification and redemption and let vs looke for our saluation from him and in him What though our faith be fraile and weake What though it be as a graine of a Mustard-seede which is very little and small What if it bee but as the growth and strength of a Childe which is ready to fall except he be stayed vp yet this weake this small this little this fraile this feeble faith is able and sufficient to ingraft vs into Christ A childe taking a staffe in his hand is able to hold it as truely though not as strongly as a man so if wee lay holde vpon Christ by faith though we doe it with many wants much weaknesse yet it shall serue and suffice vs to saluation For God looketh not so much to the perfectiō as to the truth of faith neither so much to the measure as to the manner of our beleeuing Euen as f Mar. 8 24. the blinde man in the Gospel when he began to perceiue the mouing of men and saw them walking as trees when yet hee could not discerne their bodies did as truely and certainly see them as other did though not so cleerely plainely and distinctly So when we haue the least sparke of faith it will as truely assure vs of our saluation as a stronger The poore prisoner that lyeth in a deepe and dark dungeon may as wel discerne the light of the Sunne at a little hole and creuice as he that walketh in the open ayre so albeit we be compassed about with ignorance doubtings weakenesse and manifold fraileties of the fles◠yet by a dimme light and sight of faith we may certainly apply vnto vs the mercies of GOD and the merites of Christ as well as if we had a strong and perfect perswasion of our election and saluation before the foundations of the world Thus we see howsoeuer the faithfull may be afflicted yet g 2 Cor. 4 8 9 they are not distressed thogh tempted yet not ouerwhelmed though cast downe yet they perish not For h 1 Iohn 5 4. this is their victory that hath ouercome this world euen their faith whereby they apprehend Iesus Christ who is offered of God the Father in the Sacraments to all the faithfull Secondly if Christ be giuen vs how should not the Vse 2 Father with him giue vs all things else as the i Rom. 8 32.22 23. Apostle concludeth If God spared not his owne Sonne but gaue him for vs all to death how shall he not with him giue vs al things also When we enioy him we enioy al things if we want him it is nothing though wee abound in all things else Wherefore when the Father gaue him for vs it is more then if he had giuen to vs heauen and earth For hauing right interest in him we haue possession of all things his righteousnes his sanctificatiō his obediēce his innocency whatsoeuer he hath is made ours He that hath Christ who is the Lord of al cānot doubt but he is made partaker of that which is his He that hath Christ who is heire k Heb. 1 2. of al things may assure himself to be made fellow heire with him This is it the Apostle saith l 1 Cor. 3 21. Let no man reioyce in men for all things are yours whether it bee Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death whether they be things present or things to come euē al are yours ye Christs Christ Gods Whē a parcel of ground is purchased and made ours thereby the profit and commodity thereof is made ours also so whē Christ by the free donatiō o◠God the father is giuē vnto vs his righteousnes obedience becommeth wholy ours together with him Hee then that hath Christ hath al things he that hath not Christ hath nothing howsoeuer he thinke himselfe to be somthing If we haue him giuen vnto vs let vs take no thought for any other thing whatsoeuer He is the maine and greatest guift the rest are but appurtenances vnto it or dependants vpon it Let vs therefore watch ouer our hearts that they be not set vpon other guifts more then vpon him and reioyce more in that the Father hath giuen vs his owne Sonne then if wee had receiued a great possession and an earthly kingdome Vse 3 Thirdly is Christ the substance and inward part of a Sacrament the signe being as it were the body and the thing signified as the soule Then there hath been from the beginning the same truth of religion the same faith and the same meanes of faith Wee haue had the same Sacraments for substance throughout all generations There was a difference in the manner and outward dispensation according vnto the seuerall ages growth of the Church
Although many among them no doubt were elected and all of them professed the Gospell of the kingdome yet God visited their want of preparation and reuerence with diuers diseases and great mortality n Leuit. 26 14 25 21. Deut. 28 15 16 20 21. according to the threatning annexed to the lawe If ye will not obey me nor do all these commandements if yee shall despise mine ordinances or your soule abhorre my lawes then will I do this vnto you I will appoint ouer you fearefulnes a consumption and the burning ague to consume the eyes and to make the heart heauy And if ye walke stubbornely against me and will not obey mee I will then bring seauen times mee plagues vpon you according to your sinnes Wherefore whē we haue receiued grace to beleeue and haue tasted the first fruites of the Spirit to the comfort of our soules we must not be puffed vp in our knowledge we must not grow secure but stir vp the guifts of God in vs when they begin to waxe faint Let vs seeke to preuent his iudgements before they come which wee may do by iudging our selues by making inquiry into our owne waies and by searching the reines of our hearts with purpose to condemne all ignorance error security and vngodlinesse and as it were to take punishment of our selues then this would follow thereupon wee should not be iudged and punished of the Lord. This then is the remedy to auoide the sinne of vnworthy receiuing A man thus visited with sicknesse weaknesse and diuers kinds of diseases and smitten with the stroke of Gods owne hand cannot possibly be restored by any creature in heauen or earth and yet behold the Lord hath not left vs without meanes to remooue them and take them away to wit by taking away the cause that wee may remoue the effects The cause of these puninshments is taken away by iudging our selues Now a man in iudging of himselfe o What we are to do in iudging our selues must performe foure things First he must examine himselfe of his sinnes Secondly hee must confesse them himselfe to be guilty as the poore prisoner that standeth at the barre No denying of the fact no defending of the fault no hiding of the offence no iustifying of our person can procure our pardon the way to haue forgiuenesse is to acknowledge our owne wickednesse Thirdly he must condemne himselfe and giue sentence against himself without partiality Fourthly he must pleade pardon for the remission of his sinnes and neuer rest vntill he giue him peace of conscience restore him to the ioy of his saluation CHAP. XIII Of the first vse of a Sacrament HItherto of the parts of a Sacrament both outward and inward now we come to the vses thereof For vnlesse we know the vse vnderstand the end why they were ordained it shall not profite vs to know the parts Euery thing must be referred to his right vses and proper ends so must the Sacraments be The ends are especially a Three chief vses of the sacraments these three First to strengthen faith Secondly to seale the couenant betweene God and vs. Thirdly to be a badge of our profession Touching the first ende the Sacraments serue for the better confirmation of our faith as appeareth 1. Pet. 3. where the Apostle hauing set downe the drowning of the world and the preseruing of Noah by the Arke he saith our baptisme b 1 Pet. 3 21. directly answereth that type which is a taking to witnesse of a good conscience and sauing vs by the resurrection of Christ So then by faith confirmed in Baptisme we haue an infallible assurance in the death of Christ of our saluation Many indeede come to the Sacraments are present at baptisme are partakers of the Lords Supper that feele no strength of faith no increase of Gods graces no spirituall growth in the body of Christ so that they worke not saluation in them but further their condemnation For the Sacraments as we haue shewed giue not grace but more firmely surely and comfortably confirme faith they apply and seale vp Christ crucified The Sacraments cannot giue faith to the faithlesse neyther were they instituted to the end men should beleeue but because they doe beleeue as meat was not giuen that men should learne to eate but that they eating might be nourished Faith indeed receiueth them c August de ciuit dei lib. 25. cap. 25. and then they serue to nourish it And they confirme not faith by any inherent power included in them but the holye Spirite applyeth Christ to vs and frameth this comfortable conclusion in our hearts All such as are conuerted and doe rightly vse the Sacraments shall receiue Christ all his sauing graces But I am conuerted and doe rightly vse the Sacraments Therefore I shall receiue Christ and his graces Thus doth the Comforter comfort all those that come rightly and religiously to the Lords Table Now if wee would enquire and search after the reasons of this first end we should finde that one cause why they confirme faith is because God is true in his promises he confirmeth and maketh good that which is gone out of his mouth All the d 2 Cor. 1 20. promises of God in Christ Iesus are yea and are in him Amen vnto the glory of God through vs. For as Princes seales confirme their charters assure their grants and make certaine their pardons so do Gods Sacraments witnesse to our hearts and consciences that his words and promises are true and are established to continue for euer For as he declareth his mercies by his word so hee sealeth and assureth them by his Sacraments Againe this appeareth by the example of Abraham who first beleeued the promise and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse being yet vncircumcised and afterward receiued the signe of circumcision as the seale of the righteousnes of faith as the Apostle e Rom. 4 9 10 11. teacheth We say that faith was imputed vnto Abraham for righteousnesse How was it then imputed when he was circumcised or vncircumcised Not when hee was circumcised but when he was vncircumcised c. Where he sheweth that Abraham was iustified in vncircumcision but yet was afterward circumcised that the guift of righteousnes might be confirmed in him The f Acts 8 36. Eunuch likewise beleeued before he receiued baptisme therfore it sealed vp the increase of his faith of Gods graces And Acts 2. They that gladly receiued the words of Peter g Acts 2.41 10 44 47 48. and 22 16. were baptized And as Peter preached to Cornelius and others of the Gentiles The Holy Ghost fell on them all which heard the word and he said Can any forbid water that these should not be baptized which haue receiued the Holy Ghost as well as we So he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Wherefore when the Minister washeth with water it representeth our burial with
we receiue not because he ordained them not Secondly the Apostle Paul admonisheth the Corinthians to beware of Idolatry not to flatter themselues or to thinke themselues the members of Christ therefore should escape the iudgement of God because they had the Sacraments for the Church of the Israelites had as great priuiledges as they they had the same Sacraments e 1 Cor. 10.1.2 3 4. the same Baptisme the same Supper in substance and effect yet God was not pleased with them but ouerthrew them in the wildernesse If then the Corinthians had any moe then these two they might haue iustly replied We grant indeed in respect of these they are equall with vs but we haue other which they had not wherein they are inferior to vs and we superior to them and therefore are preferred before them If then the Apostles reason conclude strongly we may hence gather directly that there are onely two and no other Sacraments because the Apostle mentioneth no moe where he purposeth to set forth the priuiledges of the Iewes to make them equall with the Gentiles Wherefore wee must receiue two Sacraments onely or else the Apostle hath reasoned weakely Furthermore the same Apostle 1. Corinthians 12.3 purposing to shew that many members of the Church are one body in Christ coupled by him as by ioynts prooueth this point by a full enumeration ot the Sacraments being pledges of our setting into the body of Christ and continuall nourishment in the same when he saith As by one Spirite we are all baptized nto one body whether Iewes or Gentiles so we haue all beene made to dri ke into one Spirite Where the Apostle sheweth that all the faithfull by the effectuall working of the Holy-Ghost are made one body in Christ which hee confirmeth by the two sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper without mention of any moe Moreouer another reason may be framed by comparing the Church of the Iewes with the Churches of the Christians in regard of their ordinary Sacraments There are no moe Sacraments deliuered in the Gospell then were prefigured vnder the lawe for their Sacraments were types answering to our Sacraments as 1 Pet. 3 21. Our baptisme answereth the figure of the waters refresenting the same that our Baptisme doth True it is the Sacraments of the old Testament were not g Iewish Sacraments not figures of Christian Saâ—â—ments figures of the Sacraments of the new Testament for then their Sacraments should be the signe and ours should be the thing signified and so there should be Sacraments of Sacraments which were foolish and absurd Againe the Iewish SacrameÌ„ts should be signes of things altogether vnknown vnto them not giuen them of God for they were vtterly ignorant of Baptisme the Lords Supper Besides that auncient people should be saued by beleeuing baptisme the Lords Supper to come for doubtlesse they were saued by beleeuing that which their Sacraments did signifie but they were not saued by beleeuing Baptisme and the Lords Supper but by beleeuing in Christ to come Lastly the old Sacraments should haue one signification and the new another for the old should signifie the new and the new should signifie Christ and all his benefits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Notwithstanding the Sacraments of the new testament succeed in the roome of those of the old and signifie the same things that they doe baptisme k Col. 2 11.12 came in place of circumcision and the Lords Supper is come in place of the Paschall Lambe as appeareth in that it was administred presently after it Luke 22 14.15 to declare the abrogating of the one and establishing of the other As then there was the same faith and the same way of saluation by Christ m Reuel 13.8 who was the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world n Heb. 13 8. hee was yesterday and to day and the same for euer so had the Iewish rites respect to o 1 Cor. 10 3 4. Christ and al of them are reduced to our two Sacraments Wherfore as the Iewes had only 2. ordinary Sacraments Circumcision the Passeouer as appeareth p Exod. 12 48 If a strâ—nger dwell with thee and will obserue the Passeouer of the Lord let him circumcise all the males the belong vnto him So the ordinary Sacraments of Christs Church are Baptisme and the Lords Supper agreeing to the same Now the 5. other Sacraments newly inuented were not prefigured in the law they succeed not in the place of their ceremonies they are not answerable to any types of Iewish rudiments therefore they are no Sacraments Fiftly these two Sacraments Baptisme and the Lords Supper are altogether perfect and sufficient not onely to enter and plant a Christian into the Church but also to retaine him in it and therfore all other are friuolous vaine and superstitious as superfluous branches to bee pared away Now that they are sufficient to these purposes appeareth by the effects vses of them What other grace can we haue then to be borne againe in Christ to haue iustification forgiuenes of sins and all priuiledges of eternall life and then afterward to be nourished and kept continually in him All these are fully represented and sealed vp to vs in these two whereupon it followeth that Christ who ordained the fewest and best Sacraments vnder the Gospell appointed these and no moe Thus then wee may gather that by the institution of Christ by the argument of the Apostle by comparison of the Iewish ceremonies and by the sufficiency of the two Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper that these are the onely two Sacraments the rest are forged and counterfeit Sacraments they seale not vp Christ q August in Psal 40. they neuer flowed out of his side r Iohn 19 34. from whence issued onely water and blood Lastly this number of 2. Sacraments appeareth not onely by the testimony of ancient Fathers but by the confession of the aduersaries For howsoeuer in many other controuersies their words are many and their arguments probable and very specious yet for the auouching of 7. Sacraments they are dumbe and silent and are not able to produce the reuerent witnesses of the elder time Bellarmine prooueth the word Å¿ Bellar. de esâ—â—ct sacr lib. 2. cap. 24. Sacrament sometimes to be giuen to al the seauen but this is when the word is taken in a large and generall signification for any mysticall signe and token t Câ—nsur Colon dâ—al 7. pag 248 which may signifie some other thing and may more properly be called a signe then a Sacrament as the couering of the head in the woman was a signe of subiection laying on of hands in ordination of the ministry is a signe of their separation to that worke and of Gods presence to assist them with his grace and blessing the Saboth day was a signe of the heauenly rest In this sense Augustine calleth the u Aug. de sim lib.
of Trent e Concil Trid. sess 7. can 1. 2. If any man shall say that the Sacraments of the new law were not all instituted by Iesus Christ let him be accursed Againe the place of the Apostle Iames maketh nothing for this forged Sacrament for there is a great difference and contrariety betweene the annointing that Iames speaketh of and the popish anealing Their Priests haue not the miraculous guift of healing whereof this annointing was an outward signe in the primitiue Church which custome afterward ceased when the guift of healing ceased being for a time granted to the Church for the credite of the Gospell As then the guift was temporall and for a season so must the signe be of the same standing and continuance and the guift being taken from the Church if the signe should remaine in vse and practise it should be but a lying signe For by the same reason f Iohn 5 4 9 6 7. the brooke of Siloam the poole Bethesda the clay and spittle which were sometimes vsed in healing the diseased the washing of feet might be accounted Sacraments as well as this being all signes of healing for a certaine season as also annointing with oyle was for the first times of the Church while it was in planting Thirdly the Apostle would haue all sicke persons annointed these do annoint with their greazy oyle onely such bodyes as are in a manner halfe dead euen while they lye in extremity and the life is striuing to come forth The Apostle would haue all the Elders called but one Masse-Priest only with them bringeth the box and annointeth the sicke man The Apostle assureth health to all that are thus annointed g Iam. 5 14 15. Mark 6 13. The prayer of faith shall saue him that is sicke and the Lord shall raise him vp So also Mar. 6. They cast out many diuels and they annointed many that were sicke with oyle and healed them whereby we see that restoring and recouering of health was certainely promised to follow the annointing But not one among many receiueth health after their popish annealing The Apostle speaketh of bodily health of the guift of miracles and of common oyle they prattle of forgiuenes of sins of a common and continuall guift of charmed and consecrate oyle and balme whereof notwithstanding can none be found of bowing their knees and saluting it saying Haile holy oyle haile holy oyntment haile holy balme nay which is more blasphemous their oyle they call The oyle of saluation wihch is to renounce saluation by Christ and to deny the holy Spirit to sanctifie the people of God Furthermore euery Sacrament must haue a word of institution but the words which they vse in annealing are a strange salutation of a dumbe and deafe creature not warranted nor found in Scripture as the words of consecration in the true Sacraments are and therefore wee cannot receiue it for a Sacrament but must account it an apish imitation and a popish tradition Moreouer wee haue prooued before chap. 8. that the element is consecrated when the Sacrament is ministred by praying thanksgiuing eating and drinking deliuering and receiuing breaking and pouring out blessing and reciting the institution therefore the oyle hallowed long before by the Bishop heated with breathing vpon it charmed with much murmuring saluted with bowing of the knee and other like trumperies that hallowing I say is fond superfluous and superstitious Lastly the effect and vertue of a Sacrament is spirituall grace in Christ but extreme vnction hath no spiritual grace in Christ sealed vp for the Apostle ascribeth h Iam 5 16. not the forgiuenes of sinnes to the annointing with oyle but to the prayer of faith Acknowledge saith he your faults one to another and pray one for another that yee may be healed for the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent and againe The prayer of faâ—th shall saue the sicke and the Lord shall raise him vp and if hee haue committed sins they shall be forgiuen him Where we see that the effect of pardon is ascribed to the force of prayer therefore extreme vnction is no Sacrament and so this greazing houseling and annointing is to be abandoned of the people of God What then will some say do you leaue the sicke without all comfort and consolation No i How the sick are to be annoinâ—ed we visite the sicke among vs and although wee doe not housle and annoint them with materiall oyle we annoint them with the precious oyle of the mercy of God we instruct them how to prepare themselues to leaue the world to depart this mortall life and to strengthen themselues in the assured hope of euerlasting life We say deare brother God sendeth his messenger Death to summon and arrest you to come into his presence k Gen. 3 19. Iob. 14 1 2. All the children of Adam are dust and to dust they must returne Man that is borne of a woman is of short continuance and full of trouble he shooteth foorth like a Flower and is cut downe he vanisheth also as a shaddow and continueth not Death is common l Psal 89 48. Heb. 9 27. to all flesh it is appointed to all men once to die It is the gate through which we must enter into heauen If we would liue for euer we must dye for the way to liue eternally is heere to dye Though the time be vncertaine where when or how we shall die yet nothing so certaine as that we must dye wee know not how soone This must not seeme strange vnto you for the whole life of a Christian should be nothing but a meditation of death being the end of all flesh wee should make account of euery day of our life as if it were the instant day of our death You must consider that nothing befalleth vs by chance or fortune al things are ruled and guided by the soueraigne prouideÌ„ce of almighty God all the haires of our head are numbred not one Sparrow falleth to the ground without the wil of your heauenly Father humble your selfe therefore vnder his mighty hand m Heb. 12 5 6 he correcteth euery childe whom hee loueth as Heb. 12. My sonne despise not the chastening of the Lord neither faint when thou art rebuked of him for whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth and he scourgeth euery son whom he receiueth Heereby then God tryeth and proueth your obedience patience and faith n Iam. 5 11. Iob. 13 15. as we see in the example of Iob who praised the name of God in all his miseries and if the Lord would kill him he would not cease to put his trust in him We exhort them to set their houses in order before they dye thereby to cut off hatred and contention and to stay quarrels and suites after their departure wherby oftentimes more is spent then was left then to forget the world and the things of the world and wholy to giue themselues to the
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
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
no life in you If Christ be present to vs life and all things accompanying saluation are present to vs. If Christ bee absent from vs death is present wrath lyeth at the doore life and saluation are absent so that wee are neuer partakers of his graces except wee be as neerely coupled to his humanity as meate and drinke are coupled with our body which of all other is a most neere vnion and inward coniunction Thus we see we are seuered from the world to haue fellowship with Christ and are set once in him for euer l 1 Ioh. 2 19. Rom 8 33 34 35 37 38 39. because he that commeth to Christ once he casteth him not away he shall neuer hunger he shall neuer thirst hee shall not be lost but liue for euer as the Apostle saith 1. Iohn 2. If they had beene of vs doubtles they had continued with vs. And Paul to this purpose saith Rom. 8. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen It is God that iustifieth who shall condemne Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword In all these wee are more then Conquerours through him that loued vs for I am perswaded that neither 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 bee able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. If once we be ioyned to him in spirituall mariage notwithstanding the difference and disparagement betweene him and vs nothing shall be able to worke our diuorcement from him True it is God findeth vs wallowing m Ezek. 16 4.5 6. in our owne filthinesse polluted in our owne blood defiled by our owne vncleannes he hath made an eternall couenant with vs he hath spoken peace vnto our soules saying Thou shalt liue euen when we were sunke downe in sinne to death he said vnto vs Thou shalt liue so that he will neuer turne from vs to do vs good but we shall be his people and he will bee our God he will giue vs one heart and one way that wee may feare him for euer and that it may be well with vs and with our children This made the Apostle to write Eph. 5 30 32. We are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones this is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and concerning the church Where he seemeth to allude to the n Gen. 2 21. first creation of the woman made of one of the ribs of the man shaddowing and shewing our knitting and coniunction with Christ which we haue by faith not by nature by vertue of the Spirit not of the flesh Now as we haue shewed that this coniunction is made by Gods Spirit and by our faith which he hath giuen vs so the meanes and instruments to worke it are the word and Sacraments This is a dignity peculiar and proper to the elect to haue perpetuall fellowship with Christ and to grow vp into one body with him as he teacheth Ioh. 17 20 21. I pray for all them which shall beleeue in me through their word that they all may be one as thou O Father art in me and I in thee euen that they may be one with vs that the world may beleeue that thou hast sent me If then there be not an vnion betweene Christ and vs we haue no accesse to God the Father being quite cut off from all hope of life and saluation As then all the substance and nourishment of the tree commeth frō the roote and all the vitall powers of a true naturall body come from the head so it is betweene the Son of God and vs we haue not so much as one drop of the heauenly life in vs of our selues o Ioh. 14 6. Christ is the way the truth and the life no man commeth vnto the Father but by him To conclude this first vse seeing such as come to this sacrament p Mar. 16 16. must be Christians before it appeareth to bee a very corrupt custome of the people when they require baptisme of the Pastor for their children to say God hath giuen me a Pagan I desire you to make him a Christian For Baptisme cannot make a Christian but signifie the Sacraments cannot make that which is not but assure that which is already made as seales do not giue the right but confirm it Thus much of the first vse of Baptisme the second followeth CHAP. XIII Of the second vse of Baptisme BEing made one with Christ wee are partakerss of the benefits of his death to wit a The second vse of baptism is to assure forgiuenes of sinnes of forgiuenes of sinnes and of regeneration or new birth So then the second vse of Baptisme is to assure vs of the remission and pardon of our sins that we may bee vnblameable and acceptable to God This is signified by the outward ceremony of washing and sprinkling to wit the sprinkling of our soules with the blood of Christ for the forgiuenes of all sins b Acts 2 38 22 16. as appeareth Acts 2. Then Peter said vnto them Amend your liues and be baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for remission of sins And Act. 22. Ananias said vnto Paul immediately after his conuersion Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins in calling on the name of the Lord. So the Euangelist witnesseth Marke 1 4. that Iohn did baptize in the wildernesse and preach the baptisme of amendment of life for the remission of sins And the apostle maketh this vse Col. 2 12. Ye are buried with him through baptisme in whom yee are also raised vp together through the faith of the operation of God which raised him vp frō the dead and you which are dead in sins and in the vncircumcision of your flesh hath he quickened together with him forgiuing you all your trespasses The meaning of these places is not that baptism c Baptisme doth not of it selfe conferre grace bestoweth or giueth forgiuenes but only signeth sealeth and assureth our pardon euen as remission of sins and the righteousnes of faith were not in the old Testamēt by circumcision conferred but confirmed vnto the faithful The grace of pardon and forgiuenes of sins is not attained but by faith in Christ so that the worke of baptisme will not effect it Moreouer we haue proued that it is not lawfull to baptize such as are in yeares vnlesse they make open profession of their faith in Christ and repentance from the works of the old man wherefore they obtaine them not by the outward washing with water in baptisme So then we are no lesse assuredly washed by the blood of Christ frō the spots of our soules then outwardly we are washed with water from the filth of the body For the force of his
a The third vsâ— oâ— baâ—tiâ—â—â—â—â—to tâ—â— vs our dâ—â—â—g to sin and â—â—siâ—â— to â—â—wn iâ—e of life our naturall corruption by the power of Christs death and buriall and to raise vs againe to sanctification of our nature and newnes of life by his resurrection Hence it is that sin hath his deaths wound and is stâ—icken to the heart so that it cannot liue and raigne in the children of God Hence it is that baptisme is often b Luk. 3 3. called the Sacrament of repentance as Luke 3. Iohn came into all the parts and coasts about Iordan preaching the Baptisme of repentance for the rem ssâ—on of sinnes So likewise Marke 1 4. Iohn did baptize in the Wildernes and preach the baptisme of amendment of life And the apostle affirmeth as much Col. 2 12 13. declaring that one end of baptisme is the death and buriall of the old man by the almighty power of God This also was taught in those c 1 Pet. 3 20.21 liuely types answering our baptisme to wit the flood that drownd the old world while Noah and his family were preserued in the Arke Also the red sea in which Pharaoh and his hoast perished but the people of God were deliuered For as God destroyed in the waters and as it were buried in the flood the old world but saued a remnant of grace so doth God through Christ mortifie the old man raise againe the new man and seale them both in our baptisme Likewise as God deliuered his people out of the hands of Pharaoh and opened them a way through the red sea and drowned their enemies that they saw them no more aliue so by baptisme hee assureth our deliuerance from the thraldome and bondage of sinne which bringeth greater slauery captiuity then any slaue is in vnder his earthly maister and the destruction of the flesh that it shall not hurt or condemne vs. Wee are all d Psal 51 7. Rom. 5 12. borne in sinnes and trespasses wee haue need of repentance and regeneration We see then what vse we are to make of our baptisme euen labour to attaine to the efficacy and fruite of it that it may not be a bare and barren signe Moses and the Prophets earnestly exhort the people of Israel to shew foorth the force and effect of their circumcision e Deut. 10 16. and 30 6. to cut away the fore-skin of their hearts and harden their necks no more as we see Deut. 10 16. The Lord did set his delight in thy fathers to loue them and did chuse their seed after them euen you aboue all people Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your hearts and harden your necks no more and in another place The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the hâ—art of thy seed that thou maiest loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soule that thou maiest liue So the Prophet f Ier. 4 4. Ieremy saith Breake vp your fallow ground and sowe not among thornes be circumcised to the Lord and take away the fore-skins of your hearts ye men of Iudah and inhab tants of Ierusalem least my wrath come foorth like fire and burne but none can quench it because of the wickednes of your inuentâ—ons Circumcision was the thing wherein they boasted aboue all things it was their glory whereof they bragged to be a crcumcised people peculiar to God Now the Prophets recall and reclaime them from trusting in outward signes and lying words g Ier. 7 8. that shall not profit and stirre them vp to consider the power and effect thereof not to rest in cutting off a thin peece of skin but to cut off quite and cleane their lusts and corruptions which rebell against the Spirit This the Apostle teacheth h Rom. 2 28.29 euidently Rom. 2. Hee is not a Iew which is one outward neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh but he is a Iew which is one within and the câ—rcumcision is of the heart in the Spirit not in the Letter whose praise is not of men but of God The outward Letter is of no moment with God it must be the circumcision of the hart otherwise the circumcising of the flesh is nothing So if we would haue God to take vs for his people and heritage i We must aâ—â— be baptized in heart we must be all baptized in our hearts and our soules What will some say baptized in soule and in heart What is that Or how can this bee Can the water wash the soule Surely the water cast vpon our bodies is nothiâ—g if we haue not the truth of it As then the apostle Paul maketh a difference betweene inward circumcision of the spirit and outward circumcision of the letter insomuch that if they would haue the true circumcision indeed they must haue that which is within so is there a great difference between the baptisme of the spirit and of the letter betweene that of the soule and the other of the body betweene that which is outward and that which is inward Whosoeuer would haue the true baptisme indeed he must be clensed within repent of his wickednesse mortifie his imaginations deny himselfe renounce his affections and offer vp his soule and body in sacrifice to God that he may renew and regenerate vs otherwise it is a certaine thing we were neuer indeed and in truth baptized For as the Iewes were charged to bee vncircumcised though the fore-skin of the flesh were cut off and so they were circumcised in body so wee may in like manner bee charged to be vnbaptized albeit we haue bin outwardly washed with water The Iewes chosen aboue all Nations to be the people of God were oftentimes condemned of forgery and falshood for breaking the couenant of God not answering to the truth thereof k Esay 2 4. and 57 3. and were vpbraided with the vncircumcisednesse of their hearts that they were worse then the heathen themselues a bastard brood witches children and vnworthy to be accounted Abrahams seed to the end they should bragge no more of their circumcision as Act. 7. Acts 7 51. Stephen a faithfull witnesse of God obiecteth against them Ye stiffe-necked and of vncircumcised hearts and eares yee haue alwayes reâ—â—sted the Holy-Ghost as your fathers did so do you they slew the Prophets which shewed before of the comming of that iust of whom ye are now the betrayers murtherers where we see he discouereth their hypocrisie setteth their sins before their faces telling theÌ„ that as their fathers rebelled against God so the children followed their fathers footsteps Do not thâ—se things concerne vs Though we haue not circumcision in action and practise belong they not to vs now a dayes Yes euen to vs. For we shall be condemned for our vnclensed and vnsanctified hearts not answering to the truth of our baptisme For so much we profit by baptisme as we profite in mortification If then we be once
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
ioyne the word vnto them and thus they are made to vs a Sacrament Nay if to offer vp to God our selues our soules our bodies our almes for the poore our prayers and thanksgiuings vnto God the Father for our redemption be an oblation and a sacrifice we haue both a Sacrament and a sacrifice in our Churches though we offer not vp Christs body to be a propitiatory sacrifice for the redemption both of the quicke and dead vnto his Father We offer vp as much as Å¿ We offer vp as much as Christ commanded vs. Christ commanded vs to offer but that sacrifice was once offered vp vpon the Crosse he was the Priest he was the Altar he was the sacrifice there is no other sacrifice left to be offered for sinne and he which presumeth to offer him againe is an enemy to the Crosse of Christ treadeth the Son of God vnder his foot counteth the blood of the new Testament vnholy and hath renounced saluation by Iesus Christ Now if we cleauing precisely to the institution of Christ doe not consecrate what may be thought of the popish Priests who whisper their words closely that no man heareth vse a strange tongue that no man vnderstandeth bring in priuate Masses whereat none communicate deliuer dry Communions wherein no man drinketh exhort no man speake to no man and if they do consecrate they consecrate onely for themselues not for others Wherefore we detest the opprobrious and blasphemous speeches of the prophane Papists who in t 2 Sam 16 7. 2 King 18 â—5 the spirit of Shemei and of Rabshaketh raile falsly vilely and slanderously against our Communions affirming that they are no other then common bread and wine without grace without vertue without sanctification bare signes of Christ absent no better then our common breakfasts dinners and suppers Thus they speake basely proudly and scornefully of our communions but all the world knoweth they speake vntruely We hold an effectual consecration in both the Sacraments though we deny a reall conuersion into the body blood of Christ the water in baptisme is no more common water u Gal. 3.27 it is not void of a spirituall effect it is not without grace and sanctification So the bread and wine are changed not from one substance into another but from one vse to another not in themselues but to vs not in their owne nature but in their end and thus they are not the same they were before Vse 2 Againe are these signes sanctified and consecrated that are deliuered and receiued then heereby we learne what is to be thought of the remnants and leauings remaining after the Lords Supper For who seeth not heereby that the bread and wine out of the holy vse and lawfull participation appointed are not a Sacrament They differ nothing from common bread and wine sold in other places and taken in our houses Therefore a Hosich in Leuit lib. 2 ca 8 among diuers the remainder was accustomably vsed to be burned b Euagri lib. 4. cap. 8. Niceph. lib. 17. cap 25. among some it was giueÌ„ to little childreÌ„ that were in the schooles among others they did eate it in the c Hieron com in 1 Cor. 11. common assembly at their feasts of loue so that out of the sacred vse of the Sacrament they did eate it as common bread they did drinke it as common wine We see in baptisme the water remaining and not vsed is no part of the Sacrament but may be applyed to common vses So it is in the Lords Supper for the Sacraments of the new testament are alike and of the same worthinesse no more is consecrated then is receiued and applied This also is euident by d Num. 10 10 the rocke in the wildernesse where the waters flowing from thence represented the blood of Christ to the Israelites that drank therof not to the beasts and cattell that were watered by it So much was consecrated water as they receiued not all the rest So when Iohn e Mat. 3 6. baptized in Iordan not all the Riuer but all that which was applyed was sanctified So when he baptized in f Ioh 3 23. Fnon because there was much water there not the whole streame was hallowed but so much as he vsed Wherefore whatsoeuer remaineth after the celebration of the Sacraments may be applyed lawfully to coÌ„mon and ordinary vses and therefore all superstition touching any of them is to be auoyded Moreouer if the sanctification of euery creature whether Vse 3 in the Sacraments or out of the Sacraments be by the word and prayer as appeareth by the Apostle it teacheth a profitable instruction namely that no creature of God is to be receiued no guift to be vsed no blessing to be enioyed tending to the health of the body or comfort of the soule without this duty of prayer and thanksgiuing to the Lord. Indeed euery creature of God in it selfe is good and euery guift is holy yet if we partake them without praising the name of the giuer and creator to vs they become vnholy vncleane and vnpure Now if this be needful in vsing the common creatures and guifts of God much more is it necessary in receiuing these pledges and seales of feeding our soules to eternall life Behold heere the cause that moued Christ when he had taken the bread to giue thanks to his Father wherein hee sheweth what belongeth to the duty of the Minister and of the communicants to wit that we ought to lift vp our hearts to God to praise him for giuing his onely begotten Sonne to be our redeemer humbly to pray vnto him that our vnworthinesse hinder not the effectuall working of his Sacraments but that through his goodnes and mercy they may haue their full force in our hearts for the pardoning of our sinnes for the increase of his graces for the confirming of our faith for the quickning of our obedience and for the preseruing of body and soule to eternall life Thus we blesse God when we praise him and giue him the honour due vnto his name Wee blesse the meates we eate the drinkes we drinke the things we receiue as Paul saith g 1 Cor. 10 16 The cup of blessing which we blesse h How the signes in the Sacrament are blessed when prayer is made to God that they may be healthfull to vs and we thankeful for them vnto him that is the giuer of them Lastly if in the Sacrament there bee a consecration Vse 4 and separation of the outward elements to so holy an end it warneth vs to be carefull to vse and receiue i We ought often to receiue the Lords supper oftentimes this Sacrament of the Lords Supper For heere are not bare signes bare tokens bare figures without fruite and without grace they are consecrated signes and hallowed elements effectually sealing vp remission of sinnes And what is more plaine then that which the Apostle teacheth 1 Cor. 11. k 1 Cor.
name And 1 Cor. 10. The cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we breake is it not the Communion of the bodye of Christ Wherefore when we do faithfully and worthily take the bread and the cup into our hands we must consider that withall we take and receiue Iesus Christ himselfe offered vnto vs. When we eate the bread and drinke of the cup and so apply them to our bodily vses we must consider that we apply Christ Iesus to our selues euen to our soules particularly that he is meate indeed and that he is drink indeed vnto vs if we bring with vs the hand of faith For faith is like c Faith is like the mouth of a vessell the mouth of a vessell if you poure liquor vpon it all the day long vnlesse the mouth of the vessell be open to receiue it the water is spilt on the ground and the vessell remaineth empty so may a man come to the Lords Table euery month receiuing the bread and wine that represent whole Christ yet except he bring with him faith which is the mouth of the soule he receiueth not Christ vnto a spirituall life to be his righteousnesse and sanctification And this is the reason why we receiue a little portion and a smal quantity as well of bread as wine d Concil Nicen. ex Biblie vatican because the end of our eating and drinking serueth for the sanctification of the Spirit not for the filling of the body Now let vs see what vses are offered to our consideration Vse 1 in the meditation of this truth First seeing onely the faithfull are partakers of the things signified in this Sacrament we see all do not receiue alike there is a difference to bee made among receiuers But as they which snatch after the leaues of the tree and let go the fruite want the profite of their labours so is it among many men in this world who take the signe of Christ but let go Christ Now as Moses intreating of things e Leuit. 11 4. cleane and vncleane noteth out foure sorts of beasts some onely chew the cud and some onely diuide the hoofe some neither chew the cud nor diuide the hoofe some both chew the cud and diuide the hoofe or as in the dayes of the Gospell some were circumcised in heart not in flesh as f Gal 2 â— Titus some were circumcised in the flesh not in the heart as Esau Iudas and many others some were circumcised neither in flesh nor in the Spirit g Eph 2 â—â— as the Gentiles and some were circumcised both in the flesh and in the Spirit h Act. 16 â— as Timothy so there is a difference among receiuers i Foure 〈◊〉 oâ— receiuers some receiue Christ only spiritually not sacrameÌ„tally some onely sacramentally not spiritually some neyther receiue him spiritually nor sacramentally and some receiue him both spiritually and sacramentally Of these we wil speake briefly and in order as they haue beene propounded The spirituall eating is by faith whereby we are made one with Christ and partakers of his benefits without the Sacraments k Ioh. 6 5â— whereof Christ speaketh Hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him Thus to eate him is to beleeue in him and therefore hee vseth these words l Ioh. 6 2â— â—3 35. as being of one force to beleeue in him and to eate him to drinke him and to come vnto him This is the worke of God that ye beleeue in him whom be hath sent I am that bread of life he that commeth to me shall not hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst Againe m Ioh. 6 â—â— 40. Christ attributeth the same fruite effect to them that beleeue in him that he doth to them which eate his body and drinke his blood therefore by eating and drinking he meaneth nothing but beleeuing He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternall life And in the 40. verse of the same Chapter hee saith This is the will of my Father that euery one that beleeueth in the Sonne should haue eternall life and I will raise him vp at the last day Heereby we may see that Christ attributeth the same to beleeuing which in the other place he did to eating and drinking so that the meaning of Christ is that to beleeue in him is to eate him And thus many receiue Christ eating and drinking his body and blood that neuer came to the Sacraments Heere peraduenture some will obiect Obiection If this doctrine be true then are the Sacraments needlesse For if we may eate Christ by saith spiritually without any vse or comming to the Lords Supper to what end serueth the Supper Answere It seemeth by this to bee made void and superfluous God forbid for the Sacraments are the holy ordinances of Christ by his blessing appointed for our helpe and benefit so that the most perfect Christians of the strongest faith haue need to seeke the strength of faith against weakenesse and wauering in the promises of God Notwithstanding we must confesse to the glory of God and the great comfort of many persons that the faithfull soule may and doth often feed vpon Christ to saluation beside the vse of the Sacrament For the spirituall grace is not of necessity tyed to the outward signes as if without them God cannot or doth not sometimes bestow the same We see in the Acts of the Apostles n Act. 10 2 44 Cornelius and his company was sealed with the Spirit of God before the receiuing of the outward Sacrament Abraham beleeued the promise being strong in faith o Rom. 4 18.10 18. vnder hope beleeued aboue hope before circumcision was giuen vnto him Thus also the beleeuing theefe vpon the Crosse though he did neuer receiue the Sacrament of Christ yet he did eat the body and drinke the blood of Christ to eternall life so that he beleeued in him p Luk. 23 10 and was the same day with him in Paradise He was not crucified for the professioÌ„ of Christ but was condemned for the merit of his transgression neither did he suffer because he beleeued q Lamb sâ—nt lib. â— dist ca. 1. but hee beleeued while he suffered He was not baptized he receiued not the Lords Supper yet his r Rom. 10 â—0 faith saued him spiritually eating the true food of euerlasting life as Rom. 10. With the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth man confesseth vnto saluation for the Scripture saith whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not be ashamed According to that in the Prophet The iust shall liue Å¿ Hab. 2 4. by faith And Ioh. 11. I am the resurrection and the life he that beleeueth in me though he were dead yet he shall liue and whosoeuer liueth and beleeueth in me t Ioh 11 25 26. shall neuer dye This ministreth great
for nourishment food fellowship protection and gouernment from him so being made one with Christ we are indued with his heauenly guifts and blessings This must be our comfort in all dangers and tentations in all tryals and assaults to consider that we are one with Christ we are not onely deare vnto him but neerely ioyned with him as members to the head as the wife to the husband and as the branches to the vine and therefore can neuer be separated from him in life or death We haue in him a communion of goods so that as he hath taken vpon him our sinnes and the punishments of them so he hath againe communicated to vs his righteousnesse and life and we may through his free guift challenge as our owne whatsoeuer is his We see in the corporall marriage so long as one is rich the other cannot be poore The Lord is our shepheard Psal 23 1. what then can we want Christ Iesus is rich to all that cal vpon him he is become all things vnto vs the light by which we see the life by which we liue the way wherein we must walke the doore by which we must enter the garment which we must put on the food whereby we must be nourished and strengthened Of our selues we are void of all good things We liue in darknes and in the shaddow of death we are borne dead in sinnes and trespasses we wander wide out of the way we haue no entrance into Gods kingdome the shame of our nakednesse appeareth to the loathing of our persons But through CHRIST IESVS both these defects are taken away and all the merits of his passion are made ours through this vnion which we haue in him sealed vp vnto vs in this Sacrament Vse 2 Secondly this straight vniting of the faithfull to Christ sheweth plainly that the vngodly haue no part nor fellowship in him and with his graces though they be ioyned to a communion of the same nature and haue many common guifts of knowledge and vnderstanding yet Christ neuer dwelleth in them with his sauing graces and with his spirit of sanctification he possesseth not their hearts he worketh not in them a particular perswasion of their reconciliation to God neither an hungring desire aboue all things to be at vnity and peace with him neither a distast and dislike of sinne neither the comfortable Spirit of grace and prayer all which are in some measure in all the faithfull Wherefore although they may be clothed with the flesh of Christ they cannot be said to be couered with the grace of Christ although they be like vnto him in regard of this naturall body yet they are not indued with his heauenly Spirit they haue many priuiledges through him but they want such as accompany saluation and seale vp our redemption Vse 3 Lastly haue we a communion with Christ then wee may be assured by this holy Supper that there is also betweene him and vs a communion in all estates and he is touched with a compassion of all our infirmites In all our troubles he is troubled in our afflictions he is afflicted in our persecutions he is persecuted and he that toucheth vs toucheth the apple of his eye In the naturall body if at any time the foot be trodden vpon the head complaineth Why hurt you me and in the mysticall body if Saul make hauock of the Church at Damascus the head in heauen cryeth out by and by Acts 9 4. Saul Saul why persecutest thou me This putteth vs in minde of two things one concerning Christ the other concerning our selues First is there such an vnion betweene vs Are we so neerely knit together as the husband and the wife Similites expressing the vnâ—oÌ„ between Christ and vs. as the head and the members as the foundation of the house the rest of the building as the Vine and the branches as the nourishment the thing nourished Let vs learne heereby how Christ is affected toward vs he suffereth with vs when we suffer 1 Cor. 12.16 and accounteth our chastisements as his owne euen as when one member suffereth all the members suffer with it This is a notable comfort vnto vs in all sorrowes to consider that hee is very compassionate and pittifull toward vs he hath a feeling of our miseries and his soule is after a sort greeued for them Secondly as this sheweth how he is affected toward vs so it teacheth how we should be affected toward him If we be feeling members of his body there is nothing done against him or committed to the preiudice of his glory but we should bee greeued more then if it were done vnto our selues Psal 139 21. The Prophet did hate them that hated the Lord and was greeued with those that rose vp against him Riuers of waters did runne downe his eyes Psal 119 136. because men kept not his law But alasse where is this feeling to be found on our parts When the Lord is spitefully abused and wounded euen as it were vnto the heart who is wounded with him or accounteth himselfe euilly intreated We are as sencelesse men and haue not a teare to shed on his behalfe which argueth against vs and prooueth to our faces that the spirituall life is very weake in vs if there be any life at all CHAP. XIIII Of the third vse of the Lords Supper THe third vse of the Lords Supper is a spirituall communion and growth with our a The 〈◊〉 Supper is the band of charity brethren to be one body with them flowing from the Communion which we haue with Christ For as the vnion betweene brethren and sisters of the same blood and of the same flesh springeth from the neere coniunction they haue from father and mother as from a fountaine and as the vnity and concord among seruants of the same society ariseth by meâ—nes of the same Maister so the faithfull that haue communion with Christ haue likewise communion one with another This Paul testifieth euidently writing to the Corinthians b â—oâ— 1â— â—7 We that are many are one bread and one body because we all are partakers of one bread This is to be vnderstood of that communion and fellowship which the members haue one with another who receiue food and nourishment from the same Table thereby professing themselues to be of the selfe same family houshold Besides by the vniting together of many graines is made one bread of many clusters of grapes one wine is pressed out so out of many members groweth vp one body of the Church which is the body of Christ This maketh much to the reconciling renuing and maintaining of friendship that we are all partakers of one bread made of many cornes and drinke of the same cup of wine made of many clusters c 1 Cor. 12 13 as the Apostle setteth downe 1 Cor. 12 We are all made to drinke into one Spirit Wherefore we are not onely to looke to our vnion with Christ but
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
Contents of this Booke ABsence from the Communion Page 296. 304. 515. 306. Absolution of the Papists what p. 128. Abstinence from the Supper See AbseÌ„ce Accidents without subiects p. 348. Adoration of the Sacraments p 386. 387. Aduersaries confesse two Sacraments pa. 115. Agreement betweene the word and Sacraments p. 2 betweene Sacraments of the old Testament and New p. 117. Betweene Circumcision and Baptisme p. 226. Altars not vsed in the Supper p. 288. Anabaptists reuelations p. 74. they deny Childrens Baptisme p. 232. Aquarij old Heretikes p 385. Articles of faith ouerturned by Transubstantiation p. 362. Assemblies must continue till Baptisme be administred p. 163. reasons of it Ibid. Assurance of saluation p. 95. 118. 146. Attention required to the signes p 447. Auricular confessioÌ„ reproued p. 127 517. diuers sortes of confession pa. 519. what the Popish shrift is Ibid. B Baptisme taken many wayes p. 150 what it is pa 151. the parts of it pa. 158. 174. who haue interest in it p. 210. Baptisme of heretikes how far good pag. 155. administred by eu ll ministers it is good p. 566. and by ignorant ministers pa. 567 Baptisme ought not to bee delayed page 160. not tyed to a certaine day p. 161. â—27 in what sort necessary page 108. it must be handled by the ministers onely p. 175. the reasons of it p. 176. Baptisme of Christ and Iohn all one pag. 166. 167. Baptisme vsed by the Church of Rome lawfull pa. 186. whether we may bring our children to be baptised of Popish Priestes p. 187. Baptisme no humane tradition pa 229. 230. 239. it is the Châ—istian badge pa 259. not to bee handled in sport pa. 261. 263. it belongeth to all present pa. 262. it engrafteth vs into Christ page 266. it can make none Christians p. 269. it cannot conferre grace pa. 270. it sealeth vp forgiuenesse of all dnne p. 270. 272. what vses it hath page 266. it is auailable without a sermon page 561. Baptised in heart pa. 275. it is the trueth of baptisme p. 277. Baptising in the name of the Trinity how to be vnderstood pa. 194 corruptions of it in the Church of Rome p. 199. belles baptised p. 213 it belongeth not to Angels nor to the dead p. 215. we may not Baptise one for another Ib nor infidels p. 217 Bastards may be baptised p. 220 saued Ibid. Blind custome p. 318. Body of Christ truely receiued p. 296. Bread may not bee chaÌ„ged in the supper page 350 why it was chosen before other things p. 437. Bread and wine remaine in their proper nature p. 354. Breaking of bread what vse it hath p. 287 448 it is not to be omitted Ib. it expresseth Christs passion p. 288 how it is necessary p. 331. C Calling euery one must haue page 179. Carnal presence See Real Change of the bread wherein p. 53. Chastisements of the body p. 124. Children dying before baptisme See Infants Children are within the couenant p. 211. of such as coÌ„e of vnbeleeuing pareÌ„ts p 212 Children of Turks and Pagans how they may be baptised p. 218 of impenitent persons p. 119 of such as are born in adultery p 220 of Papists p. 121 and of excommunicate persons Ibid. Children not to bee admitted to the supper p. 514. Circumcision the same with baptisme p. 226 it is double 275 vsed now of the turks Moores p 228. Christ is offered to all p. 2â— hee is receiued by faith p. 76. he is the substance of all Sacraments p. 75 of baptisme p. 253 of the supper p. 454. he was a Lambe slaine from the beginning p. 79 he is our foode pa. 84. he receiued a true body pa. 458 hee suffereth with vs p. 502. Christ how present p 456. Comfort for the lowest in the Church p. 162 for parents pa. 241 for children touching their baptisme pag 264 and for the whole Church Ibid. Communion between Christ the faithful p. 267 281 499. it is wonderfull neere p 500 expressed by mariage p. 455. Communion with our brethren pag 503. we must imploy our gifts to their good pa. 50â— loue one another p 505. Communion vnder one kind p. 369. CoÌ„municants a part of the Supper p 385 Comparison betweene bodily spiritual eating p 460. Confession no part of repentance pag. 125 the kinds of it p. 126. Confirmation no Sacrament pa. 119 the reasons p. 120. the ceremonies vsed in it p. 121 it is preferred before baptisme p. 122. Concomitantia p. 380. Consecration what p. 51 435 wherein it consisteth p 52 not a charme pag 53 436 the meanes thereof pag. 436. we haue it in our Churches p. â—â—8 Coniunction See Communion Contempt of the Sacraments damnable p. 5 100 160. Contrition no part of repentance p. 125. Contradictions touching transubstantiation p. 366. Contradictions not in God p. 471 Corruptions in baptisme p. 200. Couenant between God man what p. 96. who are within the couenant pa. 102 who are without it pa. 103 it hath 2. seales p. 110. D Death not to be feared p. 146. Declaring the Lords death what p. 496. Departing out of the Church before baptisme vnlawfull p. 163. Despaire remedied See Remedies Difference between word SacrameÌ„ts p. 4 between Sacrifice Sacrament p. 63. between the Sacraments of the old Testament the New pag. 116 between Iohns baptisme Christs pa. 167 betweene circumcision baptisme p. 226 between baptisme the Lords Supper p 239 347 513 Difference between the childeren of the saithful infidels p. 240 between the Papists vs touching christs presence p. 456. Dipping not necessary in baptisme p. 152 Diuision of hell p 81. Dry communions forbidden p. 375. Duties of them that are baptised p. 195. E. Eating of Bread how vnderstood p 378. spirituall what p. 460. Eleuation of the Sacrament p. 386. Endes of a Sacrament p. 89 of Baptisme p. 266 of the Lords Supper page 493 false ends deuised by Papists Ibid. Euil ministers may deliuer sacrameÌ„ts p. 17 Eucharist see Supper ExaminatioÌ„ necessary p. 507 reasons vrging it p. 509 wherein it consisteth p. â—25 the want of it bringeth iudgement p. 543. ExaminatioÌ„ of others how reproued p. 522 Excellency of the faithfull p. 105. Excommunicate persons p. 319. F. Faith what it is p. 530 what are the haÌ„ds of it p. Ib. it standeth in applying p 531 it is the hardest thing to beleeue page 532 though weake yet auaileable pa. 535 two degrees of it Ibid. Faith like the mouth of a vessell p 480 it must be brought with vs to the Supper p. 486 530 it goeth not alwaies with feeling p. 305 it is assaulted with doubting pa. 93 none reiected for the weaknes of it p 94. Faâ—se Sacram. of the Roman Church p. 42 False ends of the Supper see Ends. Falling from grace p 1â—6 Fasting not necessary before the Supper p. 402. Fathers dying went to heauen p. 80. Fellowship with Christ p. 268 the means that worke it p. 269. Forgiuenesse of sinnes p. 395 Forme of
p. 50 they must not rest in outward receiuing p. 51. Rebaptziation vnlawful p 154. whence it arose p 155. Reconciliation pa. 283. 284. See Loue. Remedies against despaire p. 147. Remnants left after the Supper pa. 440 Repentance required of all communicants p 108 109 what it is p 123 538 not to be delayed p. 313. Reprobates receiue the signes alone p 87 Reseruation of the Supper p 386. Reuolters from babtisme p 2â—0 Rites Looke Sacramentall S Sacraments profit not alwayes by by p 3 they cannot beget faith p 5 a list and in need of them pa. 10 how more effectuaâ—l men the word p 11 the parts of them pag. 26 32. Sacrament what it signifieth p 14 not to be adored p 388 Sacraments instituted of God p 16 their force depends not on the minister pag 17 they cannot confer grace pag 25 they depend not on the intent of the minister pag 55 56 57 they seale the couenaÌ„t betweene God vs pag â—6 they are badges of our profession p 104. Sacraments why called mysteries pa 138. they profit not without the spirit p 253. Sacramental rites strengthen faith p 454. Sacramentall eating what p 483 Sacrifice how the Supper is p 397 Satisfaction no part of repentance p 127 reasons against it p 128 Seale signe how they differ p 15. Sermon not necessary before baptisme p 560. Sicke how to be comforted pa 142 how they may put away the paines of sicknes p 146 how they should behaue themselueâ— toward their families page 148 how they should comfort themselues wanting the Supper p. 328. Sinnes committed by such as come not to the Supper p. 10. Sitting at the Supper not necessary p. 407 408. Sitting of Christ not the same with ours p. 413 how the institution may be broken sitting p 417. Soule clensed an inwarde part of baptisme p 257. Spirit makes the Sacramenâ—s profitable p. 64 72 251 449 he is true God pa. 252 wee must craue his assistance comming to the word and Sacraments Ibid he ioyneth vs to Christ page 451. Spirituall eating what page 481. Spirituall sluggards page 312 313. Supper called by many names pag. 280 why called a Supper pa. 285 it is no sacrifice page 289 what it is p. 293. Supper how abused prophanely pa. 295 it must be often receiued p. 297 it is rightly a costly banket p. 303 it was instituted for the weake p. 310 how it is physicke p. 311 sixe sorts baried from it p. 514. Sufferings of Christ p 479 causes thereof in our selues p. 496 who profite aright by them p. 497. T. Testament of Christ p. 250. Tongue vnknowne see prayer Transubstantiation ouer throwne p. 45 354 it is full of contradictions p. 366 it is the life of popery p. 369. Types of baptisme p. 274. V. Victor poisoned in the Chalice p. 358. Vnderstanding of the instituion necessary p. 140. Vnction no Sacrament p. 139 the reasons thereof pa. 140 Vngodly not partakers of Christ pa. 502 thâ—y haue no benefit by the Sacraments p. 552. Vnion betweene Christ and the faithful p. 267. Vnleauened bread not necessary p. 382. Vnlawfull to stand by and not receiue page 298 299. Vses of the Sacraments p. 90 of baptism p 266 of the Supper p. 493. Vse of spirituall things breeds not contempt p. 307. W. Water an outward part of baptisme page 158 it cannot clenâ—e away si p 253 254. Weake faith applieth Christ p. 76 72 94 Weake haue interest in the Supper pag. 310. Weaknesse no cause to abstaine from the Supper p. 525. Wicked receiue onely the signes pa. 29 they are to bee separated from the Sacraments p. 485 they do not receiue Christ p. 400 Will see Testament Wine why chosen to bee the signe in the Supper p. 347 it may not be changed pag. 350 it is not to be mingled with water pa. 384. Word and Sacraments must go together pag 10 it is required to the essence of a Sacrament p. 38 no word no Sacrament p. 41 word of institution p. 337 it is expounded p. 338 it is a meanes of Consecration pa. 437. Woemen may not baptize pa. 177 178. no assurance to receiue the truth of a Sacrament from them p. 178. Woemen after asâ—râ— circumcised p. 226. Worthinesse of the Sacrament dâ—pends not on man p. 18. Y. Youth must remember God p. 248. FINIS
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