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A49334 Catechetical questions, very necessary for the understanding of the principles of religion conformed to the doctrine of the Church of England / by Simon Lowth ... Lowth, Simon, 1630?-1720. 1673 (1673) Wing L3324; ESTC R14549 47,430 154

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and effectual receiving of the other two and therefore is not excluded but implyed in the necessity of those Q. Are not Orders and Matrimony necessary also A. Orders indeed are necessary for the Publick Ministry and Government of the whole Church yet are not necessary to be entred into or received generally by all Christians but only by those who are willing to dedicate themselves to tthat holy service and find themselves inwardly called thereunto And Matrimony is necessary also for the conservation of Mankind and so for the continuance of the Church by legitimate procreation and Religious Education of Children in the fear and nurture of the Lord and to the praise of God Yet it is not necessary to be entred into or taken in hand of any but at the liberty of every mans choice and discretion only by such as have not the guift of Continency and judge the same to serve and help them better unto Godliness Q. What think you of the other two Sacraments to wit Confirmation and Extreme Vnction A. Confirmation commonly called Bishoping because it is to be Administred only by the Bishop is of great use 1. Here the Persons Baptised being at years of discretion are tyed with their own mouth and their own consent to ratifie and confirm the promise made for them by their Godfathers and Godmothers in their Baptism and so to take the charge upon themselves and to discharge their Sureties 2. They have the benefit of the Prayers of the Church applyed particularly by imposition of hands for their increase of grace and for their strength defence against all temptations of the Flesh and all assaults of the World and the Devil very seasonably at that time when they begin to be in danger to yeild unto the same and to fall into sundry kinds of sins Anoynting with Oyl at or before the hour of death which they call Extreme Unction might have in the Apostles time a Physical use and virtue But that it had a Mysterious signification and was applyed by St. James or any other Apostle after a Sacramental manner it doth not appear clearly in holy Scripture And if it be admitted into the number of these five supernumeraries which are commonly called Sacraments but have not like nature of Sacraments with Baptism and the Lords Supper yet we may say the same both of this and Confirmation viz. that they are not of any absolute necessity unto Salvation as to the simple being of a Christian because if they that are baptised die without Confirmation and they that are sick be visited and die without Extreme Unction yet both may be saved Q. Are Baptism and the Lords Supper absolutely necessary unto Salvation A. Not so absolutely necessary neither as though God cannot save some particulars without them but generally necessary as being the ordinary way and means for all men to be saved by They are means that God tyeth us unto though he tye not himself Q. May we not dispence without receiving of the Sacraments A. Yes But only in the case of absolute necessity or otherwise the willful neglect and contempt of them is dangerous It is in effect to tread under foot the Son of God and to count the bloud of the Covenant wherewith we are sanctifyed an unholy thing Q. What is a Sacrament A. An outward visible thing or Element Ordained by Christ Himself to be a sign of grace given unto us and a means to convey the same grace unto us and a Seal and Pledge to confirm the same and to assure us thereof Q. Who is the Author of the Sacraments A. Jesus Christ our Lord. He appointed the outward visible sign and He ordained it to be such a means Seal and Pledge and He gives the inward spiritual grace Q. How many parts be there in a Sacrament A. Two The outward visible Sign and the inward Spiritual Grace Q. Do the Sacraments then bring Grace with them A. Yes Being duly Administred and rightly Received For Grace is an essential and the chiefest part of the Sacrament Q. How come some then to receive the Sacrament to their own Damnation A. Because they bar themselves of the Grace in that they receive the Sacrament unworthily Q. You do not say then that the receiving of the outward Element bringeth Grace A. No. But it is the Receiving the Sacrament that bringeth Grace of which the Element is but one part that is given by the Priest in the Church and Grace is the other part that is reached down by God himself from Heaven And now to receive all the Sacrament consisting of these parts is to receive Grace Q. What is the difference between Baptism and the Lords Supper A. Baptism is as it were our Initiation or entrance into the Church which is the house of the Living God in and by which we being by nature born in sin and children of wrath are made the children of Grace members of Christ heirs and inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven But the Lords Supper is as it were our Education our Food Maintenance or means of Subsistance by which we are preserved and kept in the same House unto the purchased Inheritance And therefore Baptism as our Admission is to be Administred but once but the Lords Supper as our Food and maintenance is to be often Administred unto us Q. What is the outward Sign in Baptism A. Water wherein the Person is Baptised in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Q. Why is Water used for the outward Sign in Baptism A. Because it is instituted by Christ Himself St. Mat. 28.19 in these words Baptising them in the Name c. Q. Why did our Saviour Christ Ordain the Sacrament of Baptism to be done by Water A. Because He is Lord of all Act. 10.36 And whatsoever the Lord pleased that did He in Heaven and Earth Psal 135.6 Q. But is there no reason why our Lord appointed this Action in the Sacrament to be done by this Element A. One reason may be to imitate the Ceremony of washing then used among the Jews 2. In this was fulfilled the Type of Noah's Flood which was a Figure of Baptism wherein Souls are saved by Water 1 St. Pet. 3.20 3. To shew the resemblance between Dipping or Washing in Water and the Spiritual Grace which is the thing that He would have to be signified in the Sacrament Q. What is the Grace or Spiritual thing that is signified in the Sacrament of Baptism A. A death unto sin and a new birth unto righteousness Q. What do you mean by a death unto sin A. I mean the getting out of the power of sin by Gods gracious pardon and forgiveness and by His acceptance of my imperfect righteousness As to live unto sin is to be the slave of sin to be subject both to the tasks and blows to do the works of sin and to suffer the punishment of the same So to die to sin is to be free and
Loaf and Wine is made of many Grapes pressed together into one Vessel So again the Members of Christ as they have a Mystical they ought to have also an affectionate Communion one with another And Lastly He used Bread and Wine apart to shew that His Body and Blood were parted His Blood being let out of His Body by a Spear upon the Cross when He died for our sins Q. VVhat do the Bread and VVine signifie in the Sacrament A. They signifie Christs Body and Blood two things in number as they themselves also are but one in use namely Whole Christ Q. In what State or Condition of Christ do these signs represent His Body and Blood A. Dying upon the Cross as His Body was Crucified and His Blood Shed for our sins Q. But then hath this Sacrament of the Lords Supper respect only to Christs death A. By consequence we cannot but consider all the passages of His Incarnation even to the very last act of His coming to Judgment when we receive this Sacrament but directly and immediately it is Christs Death only that we must remember here then our Redemption was finished when He made Himself a Sacrifice for our sins And therefore it is called the Commemorative Sacrifice because it representeth both unto God and us the real Sacrifice of the Death of Christ we our selves being kept in remembrance of the same by this service and in the very action of this Sacrament offering and presenting unto God by way of Commemoration the Sacrificed Body and Blood of His own Son as the only Propitiation and Satisfaction for our sins Q. But might not this Death of Christ be otherwise well enough remembred without the use of this Sacrament A. If it might yet we must think this Sacrament to be neither useless nor superfluous since it is our Masters and only Saviours Care of us thus to help our infirmities by instituting and ordaining these holy Mysteries as pledges of His Love and continual remembrances of His Death that we should never forget but always remember the exceeding great Love of our Master and only Saviour Jesus Christ thus dying for us and the innumerable benefits which by His precious blood-shedding He hath obtained to us But that is not all for whereas the whole confidence of our Salvation consists in this that the satisfaction which Christ gave to the Justice of His Father is as verily ours as if it had been made and done by us our selves It is necessary that we have Christ in our own possession and that we present Him to His Father as a real satisfaction for all our offences otherwise He communicates or imparts not Himself to us but as He is made ours and we have Him in readiness to be offered unto God So it is not enough for us to remember His death only unless also we receive Him dying into our hearts and can assure our souls that He is accepted for our Redemption and that the efficacy power and fruit of His death comes home unto our selves Q. And may not Christ be received by Faith in the VVord and be presented to God in prayer and supplication without the Sacrament A. I grant that too yet not so effectually as in the Sacrament Q. Do the outward signs then do any more in the Sacrament but signifie the Body and Blood of Christ by way of remembrance and representation A. Yes Or else we should have nothing there to offer unto God the Father as the price of our Redemption But they are such signs as are also seals and pledges to assure us of nay they are means to convey unto us the things which they signifie The Sacramental Bread and Wine are not bare signifying signs but such as wherewith our Lord doth indeed exhibit and give to every worthy Receiver not only His Divine virtue and efficacy but also His very Body and Blood as verily as He gave to His Disciples the Holy Ghost by the sign of His Sacred Breath or health to the diseased by the word of His mouth or by the touch of His hand or garment For Christ who is the Truth doth not give us promises without performance nor shew us signs without substance therefore the Body and Blood of Christ are verily and indeed taken and received of the faithful in the Lords Supper and so the Sacrament is called the Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 and this Communion is not of things absent but present and therefore it is called the Lords Supper because our Lord is there To conclude there is a Communion as in the other Sacrament so in this between the outward visible signs and the inward spiritual grace and without both it is no Sacrament And here if you look to the things United the Union is Essential if to the truth of this Union it is real if to the manner how it is wrought it is Spiritual That Christs Body and Blood are there it is a Truth but how they are there it is a Mystery Q. VVhat are the Benefits that come to us by this Sacrament A. 1. Here is Justification in remission of sins and imputation of Righteousness For the Sacrament is a Communion between Christ and us whereby all our sins are charged upon Him He suffereth and satisfieth for them and all His Justice is imputed unto us and we are Crowned for that 2. Here is Sanctification in that we are all made hereby to drink into one Spirit 1 Cor. 12.13 there flowing from Christs Nature into our Nature united unto Him by the Communion of this Sacrament the lively spirit and breath of grace which reneweth us to a Spiritual life and so sanctifieth our minds wills and affections that we daily grow more and more conformable to the image of Christ 3. Here is assured hope of Glorification because this Sacrament is the Pledg of our Salvation the Seal of our Adoption by which we are made the Sons of God in Communion with Christ and if Sons then Heirs Co-heirs with Him of an Eternal Inheritance of the future fruition whereof by this we have assureance not only to our souls but to our bodies also which being made instruments of Righteousness Rom. 6.13 Temples of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6.19 Members of Christ in this Holy Communion shall be raised again at the last day and have Eternal life St. John 6.54 in which we shall live for ever v. 58. Now the consideration of this is a greater comforting and refreshing of our souls by the Body and Blood of Christ the cause of all than our bodies can receive from Bread and Wine or any outward thing whatsoever Q. What is required of them that come to our Lords Supper A. Five things Q. What is the first A. To examin themselves whether they truly repent them of their former sins Q. How shall a man know whether he truly repent him of his sins or no A. By trying himself truly whether he perform all the parts of Repentance Q. Which be the parts of Repentance A. 1. Contrition sorrow of heart for sin 2. Confession 3. Satisfaction Q. VVhat is the second thing required of a Receiver A. Stedfast purpose and resolution to sin no more but to lead a new life Q. VVhat is the third A. Not to despair for sins past nor if through frailty you commit sins again but to have a lively faith in Gods mercy through Christ Q. VVhat is the fourth A. A thankful remembrance as of all others of Gods Mercies so especially of Christs Death and consequently of His Incarnation Nativity Circumcision Baptism Fasting Temptation Agony Bloody Sweat Cross c. as foregoing His Death and of His Resurrection Ascention Sending of the Holy Ghost Session at the right hand of God and coming again to judge the quick and the dead as following His Death Q. VVhat is the fifth thing required in a Communicant A. To be in Charity with all men If you have offended any man you must be sorry for your fault confess your self guilty and resolve and endeavour to make him satisfaction and if any man hath offended you let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice and be kind one to another tender hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Eph. 4.31 32. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without End Amen FINIS ERRATA PAge 6. line 22. them are read them that are p. 8. l. 18. mine since r. my sense p. 28. l. 3. Defends as r. Defend us as p. 30. l. 1. external r eternal p. 33. l. 18. Roman r. A Roman p. 35. l. ●● him Him r. Him p. 38. l. 20. deaths r. death p. 43. l●●5 therefore 2. there p. 45. l. 11. Man r. Him p. ●6 l. ●2 these three 2. these there p. 48. l. 7 pure a. r. a pure 〈…〉 l. 5. as received r. was received p. 72. 〈…〉 〈◊〉 as r. as necessary to l. 22. discent r. 〈◊〉 p. ●0 l. 5. thing thing r. thing p. 104. l. 13. without r. with p. 118. l. 7. the Sacrament r. this Sacrament