Selected quad for the lemma: grace_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
grace_n	covenant_n	sacrament_n	seal_n	5,151	5	9.5245	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80635	Some treasure fetched out of rubbish: or, Three short but seasonable treatises (found in an heap of scattered papers), which Providence hath reserved for their service who desire to be instructed, from the Word of God, concerning the imposition and use of significant ceremonies in the worship of God. viz. I. A discourse upon 1 Cor. 14.40. Let all things be done decently and in order. Tending to search out the truth in this question, viz. Whether it be lawful for church-governours to command indifferent decent things in the administration of God's worship? II. An enquiry, whether the church may not, in the celebration of the Sacrament, use other rites significative than those expressed in the Scripture, or add to them of her own authority? III. Three arguments, syllogistically propounded and prosecuted against the surplice: the Cross in Baptism: and kneeling in the act of receiving the Lord's Supper.	Cotton, John, 1584-1652.; Nichols, Robert, Mr.	1660 (1660)	Wing C6459; Thomason E1046_2; ESTC R208022	73,042	79

24. q. 4. Arg. 2. Divinum et integrum non esset misterium si quicquam ex te adderes Chrys homl 7. in 1 Corrinth Bell. de Sacr. l. 1. c. 9.14 de Script l. 4. c. 5. Christus in Ecclesia solus potest Sacramenta constituere Mald. in Matth. 26.11 Zepper de sacra lib. 1. The Sacraments were ordained to move lead and instruct our dull and heavy hearts by sensible Creatures that so our negligence in not hearing or marking the Word of God might be amended Jewel's Treatise of the Sacraments That the Sacraments are expresly commanded of God in holy Scripture and that in the Institution of a Sacrament there must be express mention of the material parts thereof as it was in the Institution of Baptism and the Lord's Supper yea the Papists themselves acknowledge that Ceremonies Sacramental must be Instituted by Authority divine not humane though they refuse to be judged in this by the Scripture and fly to unwritten Traditions which blasphemously they make to be one part of the word of God in authority equal to the holy Scripture But signs appointed to signify by analogy or proportion annexed to the solemn Worship of God are Sacramental The antients define a Sacrament to be A visible sign or form of an invisible Grace A sign not naturall but voluntary not indicant but analogicall teaching or shadowing by representation So they call a Sacrament a visible Word as in Scripture they are termed Signs or Memorials In modern Writers the name Sacrament is given to the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil to the Altars Sacrifices Cherubins Lights and all Ceremonies ordained for signification in time of the Law as well as to the Rainbow Manna the Rock the Red-Sea Circumcision and the Paschal-Lamb Some of which were instituted to teach Man his Duty as others to seal and confirm the Promise of God or if all of them were seals of some spirituall Promises they were all Signs of some spiritual Duty and Sacramentall in both respects Whence we may conclude That the common nature of a Sacrament doth agree to signs determined by representation to teach any duty that man oweth to God his absolute Soveraign and mercifull Father in Christ Jesus whether Supernaturall or Morall The Precepts contained in the Book of Life are and do set forth the mind of God unto us no lesse than the Promises made therein nor can any reason be given why the representation of some spirituall Duty for all Duties that man is to perform unto God in Christ are spirituall Duties by a mystical Rite should not as properly pertain to the nature of a Sacrament as the shadowing or sealing of some spirituall Promise Quanquam ne professi● quidem fidei Nam attendendum non tantum quid velit qui profitetu● sed ●tiam quid ●●●ptum sit ei apud quem opertet professio●●●●s ●●● Ch. de Sacr. lib. 1. cap. 8. ursin tom 2. pag. 1630. What the Word doth bring to the ear that the Sacrament doth exhibit to the other senses The whole Scripture doth testifie That from the beginning of the World the Lord did intend this in Instituting Ceremonies that they should represent those things to the Eyes of men which his heavenly Word doth offer to their Ears But commandments are part of the Word as well as Promises The Will of God manifesting what he will do for us is a mystery so is it prescribing what Service he will have from us and a visible corporal material element determined to teach either of them or both is a sign Sacramentall and mysticall expressing some sacred mystery to the Eye plac = marg Signa cum adres divinas adhibentur Sacramenta vocantur Aug. de Doctr. Chr. lib. 3. cap. 6. ad Max. Ep. 5. as the Word doth to the sense which receiveth the Voyce We know no more what Service God will have a Christian perform unto his Highnesse then we do what good he would have men to expect from him by a lively Faith and it seems altogether as lawfull for man to devise signs for the confirmation of his Faith as to admonish and teach his Duty What difference can be made betwixt an addition to the means of instruction appointed of God and to the means of our assurance prescribed by him The commandments and the Promises are so knit together that it cannot be conceived how a sign should be appointed to teach man his Duty and not to assure him of some good from God in the use thereof For 〈◊〉 Will is made known by Covenant wherein he freely bin●●●●●elf to bless us upon condition of sincere and faithfull Obedie●●●●●s he obligeth us to be obedient to his Commandments that we may be blessed and the signs added to the Word do teach both as in the Word it self both parts are published Again it is one proper end of the Sacraments by striking the senses by outward representative Elements to teach the understanding help the memory stirr up the affections and excite devotion But for this end also are significant Rites devised unless we shall confesse them to be vain idle fruitless absurd and sensless And thus agreeing with Sacraments in their nature and end of necessity they must be confessed to be Ceremonies Sacramental The Scripture doth not so distinguish betwixt Signs Seals or signs significative obsignant as to make the one Sacramental not the other rather under the name sign it expresseth the nature of a Sacrament which consisteth in the analogy proportion which is betwixt a sign determined to signify and the thing signified The signs which it hath pleased God to add to his Covenant are not bare naked empty shadows but lively Seals of divine Grace Promised effectual Teachers of man's duty signs of man's duty Signs and Seals both of God's speciall favour and mercy in Christ Jesus ursia Catech. q. 65. explic 1. Gen. 9.12 By the Sacrament man is bound to God and by the same God vouchsafeth to bind himself to man Jewel's Treatise of the Sacrament See 1 Cor. 9.2 2 Tim. 2.19 Apo. 7.2 9 4 Matth 27.66 Vis Ursie tom 4. pag. 1614. 1668. Ursin pag. 1673. and in both respects Sacraments Some signs are ordained meerly to assure and confirm unto us the Promises which God hath been pleased to make Some both to teach visibly what the Lord requireth and commandeth in his holy Truth and to confirm our Faith in what he hath promised in his holy Word but all are Sacraments in each respect and what is a Seal but a visible sign annexed to a Promise to testify or assure it And how can a sign be added to it but it must testify or confirm Even from hence that it is set to the Promise by him who hath Authority to make it and Power to make it good it is a Seal So that the Word Seal doth rather note the speciall nature and end of some Signs as they are referred to

pertinentium Thirdly we find the Name Sacrament given to those Signs pertaining to the Levitical Worship which of all others if in truth that Title may be given unto any might most properly be called Moral by signification of Man's spiritual Duty and Obedience The Shew-Bread Exod. 25.30 39.36 1 Chron. 9.32 23.29 called in Hebrew Bread of faces or of presence because the Loavs or Cakes were to be set before the Face or in the Presence of God continually and the Bread of ordering and disposition because they were disposed in certain order and time In Greek Mat. 12.4 Mar. 2.26 Heb. 9.2 the Bread of Proposition and in a contrary order The proposition of Bread or Cakes Did it not signify the Office of the godly that they should stand continually before God receive his Commandments and sanctify themselves to his Obedience As the Ark signified the presence of God in his Church so his Table with the twelve Cakes signified the Multitude of the faithful presented unto God in his Church continually serving him It may be this placing of the Shew-bread before the Ark might signify that the Lord hath his Church continually in his sight and doth take care thereof But the principal thing taught thereby was the sincerity and purity of them that walk in the Light and present themselves before God What duty soever Man oweth to God it is to be performed by vertue of the Coveuant that he hath made with Man and so the Signs of God's Promise do imply Man's Duty and the Signs of Man's Duty do imply God's Promise though some do signify the one some the other And from this we learn Sacramentasunt v●sibilia signa qu●bus doctrina illa declaratur obsignatur Mart. de Sacr. l. 1. c. 2. q. 8. what is a Sacrament in general viz. A Sign Analogical of God's Will and Pleasure whether teaching what he requires or representing and fealing what he promiseth True Sacraments are Signs and Seals instituted of God to signify his Will and confirm his ' Promises But divine Institution is to be removed from the definition of a Sacrament in general as that which doth distinguish true from false and not explicate the common nature of the thing The distinction that some make of Signs moral signifying the spiritual Obedience which Man oweth unto God and mystical or sacramental representing and confirming the Promises of God is not to be received For Signs teaching to the Eye by representation what the Word bringeth to the Ear are Sacraments signifying the same thing that the Word doth as hath been shewed before But Signs analogical must be distinguished from negative Precepts forbidding the use of this or that in it self indifferent Jewishabstinence from diverse Mears legally unclean to shew that they were separated from other Nations to be a peculiar People unto the Lord cannot properly be called a Sign signifying by resemblance For God in that Law seemeth not so much to respect the Nature of those living Creatures prohibited to be eaten Act. 1.15 16 17 28. Juni Annot. in Lev. 11. but by this external Sign he would have his People to be discerned and separated from all other People And if this figurative commanded Abstinence should be deemed sacramental what errour is therein committed As by such Abstinence the Israelites professed themselvs to be the peculiar People of God separated from all idolatrous Nations round about them so did the Lord by this Commandment signify and assute that he had taken them to Covenant and made choice of them to be his peculiar Treasure The reason whereby this commanded Abstinence is urged doth confirm thus much Lev. 11.44 I am the Lord your God ye shall therefore sanctify your selvs and ye shall be holy for I am holy neither shall ye defile your selves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the Earth For I am the Lord that brought you up out of the Land of Aegypt to be your God These figurative Ordinances then were Signs of the Covenant teaching what duty man owed to God and assuring back again what favour they had with God And when the Apostle speaking of Levitical Service Heb. 8.9 10. which stood onely in Meats and Drinks and diverse washings and carnal Ordinances imposed on them until the time of Reformation Beza in Heb. 9.10 calleth them figures for the time then present doth he not in effect say they were Sacraments The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evill is called a Sacrament or a Sacramental Precept K●cherm Theol lib 2. c 2. Polan Synt. lib. 6. cap. 44. Chaimer panstrat tom 4. lib. 1. cap. 7. Si neque propter se neque ex suanatura certe propter aliud ex Inslitutione by many excellent and worthy Divines as it did signify to Man that he should have experience of good so long as he continued in Obedience and of evil or misery if he did disobey and as it was a Sign whereby he was admonished of his mutability and tried in his Obedience But if forbearance of the Tree of Knowledge was an Act Sacramental much more Abstinence from such Me●ts as by the Law were forbidden unto the Israelites Nor shall we need to fear the force of the Jesuite insulting over Protestants by this Objection viz. If Sacraments be onely Signs then the Crucisix is a better Sign to signify the death of Christ than the Sacraments For we acknowledge our Sacraments not bare Signs of God's Promise or significations of Man's Duty but holy Seals of what he promiseth to us and we by stipulation promise back again unto him And this the Jesuite himself doth and cannot but acknowledge howsoever impudently against Conscience he imputes unto us his own device for our Doctrine But we may further tell this Romish Proctor that a Crucifix made to teach by proportion or resemblance that Christ dyed for our sins or that God gave his Son to suffer death for our Redemption is a Sacrament or a sacramental Sign signifying by special Representation though false and erroneous because it is devised by man not ordained by God The greatest Defenders of mystical Signs distinguish them into moral and sacramental which differ say they from the former both as the Sacramental are significant by special Representation and as they are obsignant by ratifying and applying of God's Covenant of Grace unto us And from this we may gather that Spiritual sigus which signify by representation the promise of God as the Crucifix doth are Sacramental else is the distinction it self faulty and the difference which is made betwixt signs Moral and Sacramental And yet we make not Signification the principal part of those special Sacraments of the Old or New Testament which it pleased God to add to his gratious and free Covenant but Spiritual signification is so proper to the Sacraments that whatsoever sign is ordained to signify and represent any such promise it is thereby made a