Thirdly the peculiar actions and externall rites of eating and drinking do not agree to babes sucklings Thus likewise in the olde Testament circumcision was ordained for infants but the Passeouer for such as were of that age that they might enquire of their parents touching the substance and signification thereof Exod. 12 26. Exod. 12 26. Thirdly they obiect f Mar. 16 16. Mat. 28 19. that it is said Teach and baptize Obiect 3 and againe He that shall beleeue and be baptized shall be saued whereupon they conclude that such as beleeue not are not to be baptized inasmuch as Christ before baptisme commandeth teaching and afterward ioyneth baptizing with beleeuing But infants are not capable of doctrine neither do they actually beleeue therefore they are not to be baptized Againe g Act. 2 38. if repentance bee necessarily ioyned as Act. 2. Amend your liues and be baptized then infants must be separated and secluded who cannot repent But repentance is necessarily required therefore infants are to be barred from the Sacrament of baptisme Answere I answere first those sentences are not generall to all but belong only to men of sufficient yeares and discretion to discerne betweene good and euill By this fraud of extending stretching and falsely applying generall sentences of Scripture a man might reare and raise many monstrous conclusions If a man would goe about to proue that children are not to be nourished and fed with corporall food because the Apostle would haue none to eate h 1 Thes 3 10 but such as labour were he not worthy to be spitted at or hissed out of the schooles because he carrieth that indifferently to all ages which is limited and restrained to a certaine age So must we not racke and rent asunder the i Luk. 13 3 5. Rom. 10 17. Mar. 16 16. Heb 11 6. generall sentences of Scripture Except ye repent ye shall all perish faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God hee that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued These belong onely to men of discretion and are not to be applyed to Infants whom they do not concerne Againe Christ in those words instructeth his Apostles what order they should obserue in the coÌ„uersion of the Gentiles first they must instruct theÌ„ in faith then baptize them being instructed and lastly guide them in true obedience being baptized when he addeth k Mat. 28 20. Teaching them to obserue whatsoeuer I haue commanded you Besides if they strictly vrge and stifly stand vpon the words as they litterally lye in order why may wee not first baptize them before we teach them because it is said baptizing them in the name of the Trinity and teaching them to obserue what I command But he intreateth in this place of such as are growne vp which must first haue knowledge in the Gospell faith in Christ and repentance from dead workes before they be baptized but infants are baptized by reason of the promise made to their parents Moreouer we might oppose vnto these the example of circumcision which we know and they are not ignorant was giuen to infants who could not yet beleeue so that such as barre them from baptisme because they are not capable of faith and repentance might in like manner exclude the infants of the Israelites from circumcision Baptisme is the Sacrament of repentance and faith though neither of these be in infancy yet they are baptized to the repentance and faith to come which albeit they be not actually formed in them yet by the fruites afterward they shall appeare to be in them Lastly if baptisme should be giuen onely to those that truely beleeue it should likewise be denied to such as are of vnderstanding for wee are not able to pronounce of these that they do truely beleeue and certainly apprehend the promises of the Gospell Wherefore if infants are not to be baptized because they haue not faith and want repentance neither are they of sufficient age to be baptized of whom it cannot be directly and vndoubtedly saide they do beleeue S mon the sorcerer mentioned l Act. 8 13 20. in the Acts of the Apostles was baptized and yet remained an hipocrite If they say profession of faith is sufficient to make members of â—he visible Church I answere our Sauiour speaketh not of a bare profession of faith when hee saith He that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued for then all that professe faith should receiue m 1 Pet. 1 9. The reward of their faith which is the saluation of their soules Againe profession of faith is for such as are capable of it which agreeth not to the age of infants as they cannot deny the faith before men which they haue not acknowledged no more can they confesse the truth of doctrine which they neuer learned Now to be borne in the Church and in the couenant is to infants in place and stead of an actuall confession and reall profession Such as are growne vp must beleeue with the heart n Rom. 10 10 and confesse with the mouth the Gospel of saluation it is sufficient for others to be the children of such as haue confessed the faith Fourthly they obiect in this manner Obiection 4 baptisme is giuen for remission of sinnes but infants haue not sinned they therefore cannot be baptized I answere Answere infants commit not actuall sin yet are guilty of originall sin they want inherent righteousnes they haue a pronenesse to al euil their whole nature is corrupted being in the seed of Adam Albeit therfore infants haue not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression in their owne persons yet they haue sinned in him and in his loynes in whom all are dead This the holy man o Iob. 14 4. teacheth Iob. 14. Who can bring a cleane thing out of filthinesse There is not one Likewise the Prophet p Psal 51 5. Rom. 5 14 19 Dauid confesseth this truth Psal 51. Behold I was borne in iniquity and in sinne my mother conceiued me So the apostle Paul Rom. 5. Death raigned from Adam to Moyses euen ouer them also that sinned not after the manner of the transgression of Adam which was the figure of him that was to come for as by one mans disobedâ—ence many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Wherefore such as hold infants without all guilt of sin neuer knew the greatnesse of Adams fall of Gods iustice of mans misery and of Christs endlesse mercy Lastly Obiection 5 they obiect that Christ himselfe was not baptized vntill 30. yeares of age I answere Answere no more did he preach before he was thirty yet hence it followeth not that none ought to enter that calling before that age True it is he that desireth that worthy office must bee no new plant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no younger Scholler none lately come to the profession gathered immediately from heathenish religion to the fellowship of
saluation annexed vnto the vsing of them are voide and nothing worth hereby the imagined and deuised Sacraments of the Church of Rome are condemned which deliuereth that it hath not receiued of the Lord and imposeth that to bee beleeued which it neuer learned in the word Hereby the last annoyling or extreame vnction is excluded wanting the word to warrant the continuall practise of it Also their confirmation hath neyther worde to institute the practise nor element ro assure any grace nor promise to approue any vse True it is they haue words to administer it but they are words of men not of God vnwritten not written of tradition not of Scripture The like might bee saide of mariage though we confesse and acknowledge it to bee an holy ordinance and m Heb. 13 4. honourable institution of God yet was it made no Sacrament hauing no word of institution no promise of sanctification and saluation annexed vnto all the faishfull vsers thereof neyther is it an instrument whereby God applyeth Christ and his sauing benefits to the comfort and consolation of his children Wherefore to conclude this point wee affirme that neyther the sonnes of Romulus at Rome nor of Remus at Rhemes shall euer be able to shew and proue that they are to be acknowledged receiued as Sacraments of the church which haue no warrant of the worde to command them nor promise annexed to assure the sauing graces of Christ to the worthy receiuers of them But such are their fiue pretended Sacraments of confirmation penance orders matrimony and extreame vnction wanting eyther the word or promise or both and therefore wee cannot receiue we cannot acknowledge we cannot beleeue them Thus much of the second outward part namely the word of institution CHAP. VI. Of the third outward part of a Sacrament THe third outward part of a Sacrament is the a The signe is an outward part of the Sacrament element or outward signe For wheresoeuer there is a Sacrament there must of necessity be a signe such as water is in baptisme and bread and wine in the Lords supper not of their owne nature but by the ordinance of God which are sanctified by the especiall word and prayer Therefore Iohn the Baptist baptized with water Christ when he instituted his last Supper tooke bread and brake it and gaue it to his Disciples Likewise hee tooke the cup wherein was the fruite of the Vine as appeareth when he b Mar. 14 25. saide I will drinke no more of the fruite of the Vine vntill that day that I drinke it new in the kingdome of God Seeing then it is cleare there must in euery Sacrament be a visible signe that may be seene and handled let vs see how we may profitably apply this to our instruction First seeing the signes and Sacramental rites are outward parts we must take heede wee ascribe not too much to the outward signe and so commit idolatry to the creature For the Water in Baptisme hath not power in it selfe force to wash away sin but by the ordinance of God it is made a signe and seale of regeneration Euen as the water of Iordan where Iohn baptized was no better then the waters of others places and Countries neyther had any strength and vertue to cleanse the Leapars that washed in it yet by the blessing of God Naaman the Syrian c 2 King 5 12 14. washing himselfe seauen times therein according to the direction of the Prophet was cleansed and healed of his leaprosie So the water vsed in the Sacrament of baptisme is in nature and substance the same with ordinary and common water neither hath it vigor and vertue to cleanse the soule yet by the institution of God it is appointed to seale vp the assurance of remission of sinnes Notwithstanding this confidence in the outward signe which in it selfe is as nothing hath since the fall of man rested and remained in his corrupt nature flattering himselfe and deceiuing his owne soule This fond and false opinion was in Adam immediately after his transgressiō he did attribute too much to the tree of life which had in it selfe no more life then the rest of the trees in the garden and therefore God would thrust him out of the garden e Gen. 3 22. least he should beguile himselfe with that conceite and imagination Thus did the Israelites trust too much in the Arke a signe of Gods comfortable presence and protection attributing saluation thereunto saying f 1 Sam. 4 3. It may saue vs out of the hands of our enemies therefore God ouerthrew them and gaue them into the hands of the Philistims The like we might say of their circumcision they gloried much of it and rested altogether in it and thought themselues wholy discharged by it howsoeuer they liued and whatsoeuer they practised This is the common error of the ignorant people they imagine they haue done God good seruice and sufficiently discharged their duty when they haue beene at the Communion albeit they know not what they haue receiued nor how it is to bee receiued albeit they know not nor vnderstand the meaning of the institution nor to what end it was ordained If they can say Lord wee haue eate and drunke in thy presence wee haue beene at thine owne Table wee haue sit downe with thee as thy guests we haue beene partakers of thy Supper they blesse themselues in their owne ignorance and thinke thēselues as sound Christians as any that liue in the Church Thus do these silly soules deceiue themselues and instead of the comfort of the Spirite they heape vpon themselues further damnation if they see any wilfully abstaine and and sent themselues from communicating comming to the Sacraments they are ready to condemne them and cry out against them and pronounce sentence vpon them howbeit they neuer consider their owne wayes that it were better neuer to receiue the Sacrament of the Supper of the Lord then to receiue ignorantly brutishly and vnworthily forasmuch as they are guilty of the bodye and blood of Christ Not that any should bee nourished or encouraged in their wilful recusancy but that al persons should learne to know what they do and whereabout they goe and wherefore they do receiue and so walke in the light as children of the light and thereby finde comfort rest in their owne hearts Againe we are taught hereby that they are no Sacraments Vse 2 that haue no signe no seale no element to signify to strengthen and to seale vp the promises of saluation For as we shewed before that euery Sacrament must haue Gods word to warrant it so must it haue an outward signe to approue the receiuing of it and to signifie the spiritual grace offered by it Heereby we learne what to hold of transubstantiation a doctrine teaching that the bread wine is turned into the very bodye and blood of Christ namely that it is a very fable to mocke fooles withall For
sprinkling of holy water the building of Churches the erecting of Monasteries the mumbling vp of prayers the lighting of Candles the giuing of almes the putting on of sacke-cloth the chastising of the bodge the saying of Masses the buying of indulgences the going on pilgrimages and such like superstitious vanities and impieties what I say do all these auaile to make satisfactiOn to God for the sinne of our soules And when it shall be said vnto them Who required these things at your hands Esay 1 12. what shall they be able to answere nay when it shall be said I detest and abhorre your deuises and dotages what can they finde out to mutter or vtter in defence of themselues Then they shall be taken speechlesse and haue nothing to answere for themselues Our satisfaction to God is only Christs satisfaction which is perfect and absolute imputed to vs by faith who of God is made vnto vs wisedome and righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1. Cor. 1 30. 1 Cor. 1 30. As for the popish satisfaction it is not to be receiued for these causes first because they affirme that it standeth with the iustice of God to retaine the punishment after the sinne committed is forgiuen Secondly they hold that the temporall punishments of this life due to sinne may be bought out and redeemed by our good workes Thirdly they teach that it is not sufficient to beleeue that Christ hath fully satisfied for vs who notwithstanding was made sinne for vs which knew no sinne 2 Cor. 5 21. that we should bee made the righteousnesse of God in him neither that it is enough to amend our liues but that God must be satisfied by vs for our sins in our owne persons by the punishment and chastisement of our selues as by penance enioyned by the Priest or by praiers fastings almes chastisements and such like shewes of wisedome Col. 2 23. in voluntary religion and humblenesse of mind and in not spring the body which are things of no value sith they pertaine to the filling of the flesh Col. 2.23 Lastly they auouch that satisfaction by this will-worship is not onely profitable to the sufferers themselues but also auaileable for others so that one man may beare the burthen and discharge the debt of another one man may merite and satisfie for another The very naming of these impieties and absurdities is sufficient to ouerthrow them and to make vs to detest them The last point is absolution arising from the former wherein standeth the life of this dead Sacrament For when the penitent hath performed all the former his contrition his confession and his satisfaction he is by the Priest fully absolued of his sins albeit he know nothing of the doctrine of hatred of sinne of amendment of life and of flying to the mercy of God and the merite of Christ his Sonne without which there can bee no true repentance Besides these three supposed and pretented parts of Penance may be found in the reprobate as we see in Iudas who had their contrition for he was sorrowfull their confession for he said Mathew 27 4. Mat. 27 4. I haue sinned in betraying innocent blood and their satisfaction for he brought backe againe the cursed mony that he had taken and cast it downe in the Temple and yet hee was farre from true repentance as appeareth in this that hee went out immediately and hanged himselfe Thus we haue heard at large what the popish Penance is Now the question Penance no Sacrament ariseth betweene the Church of Rome and vs whether this repentance which is a dying to sinne and a walking in newnesse of life and whether reconciliation to the Church and absolution from sinne be a Sacrament of the new Testament instituted by Christ to assure his sauing graces to vs We answere it is not First it was in time of the old Testament from the beginning of mans fall and transgression it was continually preached and published by the Prophets and therefore before Christs comming in the flesh and cannot bee a Sacrament of the new Testament Secondly it wanteth an outward signe such as water in Baptisme such as bread and wine in the Lords Supper now euery Sacrament must haue an outward element and signe to represent the spirituall grace therefore Penance can be no Sacrament Thirdly it hath no word to command it no particular promise of God which is the chiefe stay and staffe of a Sacrament Bellarmine affirmeth that d Bellar. lib. 1. de poenit ca. 10 Christ instituted the Sacrament of Penance when bee breathed upon his Apostles after his resurrection and said vnto them e Ioh. 20.22 Receiue the Holy-Ghost whose sinnes ye rem't they are remitted and whose sins ye retaine they are retained And he saith the words of absolution are the signe and that remission of sinnes is the promise of grace which is signified For answere to this assertion would gladly aske this question whether the Apostles had this ministerial power to forgiue sinnes to repentant sinners when they baptized to remission of sins if this power were heere first instituted and giuen vnto them Do they not by tying the authority of remitting sins to this time make their baptisme of none effect Besides we haue shewed that it is not sufficient to haue a sound of words that may bee heard to make an outward signe there must be a visible signe that may be seene to warrant a Sacrament Now to make a Sacrament without such a signe were to make a Sacrament without a Sacrament Lastly as they take and vnderstand Penance it is neither Sacrament nor sacred it is neither holy signe nor holy thing it is neyther an institution of God nor any way of God For they meane not thereby amendment of life or inward sorrow and griefe of minde for the life past which is sometimes testified by weeping and mourning by sacke-cloth and ashes by fasting and humiliation but they vnderstand by Penance and externall discipline satisfaction for our sins to God by our owne sufferings and that wearing of sacke-cloth sprinkling of ashes chastising of the body whipping of the flesh putting on rough apparell lying on boords and hard places abstaining from flesh and afflicting our selues by such outward exercises are a paying of the paines due to sin part of amends made to Gods iustice and meritorious before him This punishment this Penance these penalties we abhorre as an horrible blasphemy against the blood of Christ which is the onely satisfaction to God for sinne For if wee satisfie for our selues then hath not Christ satisfied for vs nor payed the price due vnto our sins Besides they charge God the Father with iniustice in that hauing laid the guiltinesse of our sins vpon his owne Sonne and punished them in him they make him not satisfied with that punishment but to exact the debt of vs againe for which his Son as our surety hath fully and sufficiently answered f Esa 53 5 7.
and nailed vpon the Crosse is offended at him accounting it a foolish and weake meanes to saue mankinde that life should spring out of death glory come out of shame power proceed out of weakenesse and triumphant victory arise out of his contemptible sufferings but the faithfull soule acknowledgeth in this mystery of godlines the high hand and vnsearchable wisedome of God It may seeme ridiculous vnto some men i Gen. 17 10. that God should require circumcision of Abraham and of his houshold young olde bond and free maister and seruants to vncouer all their shames and to open the hidden parts of nature yet Abraham submitted himselfe to the ordinance of God Naaman the Syrian thought it a toyish precept and prescript when he was bidden to wash himselfe seauen times in Iordan hauing many Riuers in his owne country as good as that yet by k 2 Kings 5 11 12 14. obeying the Prophet he was cleansed of his leprosie The inhabitants of Iericho scorned Ioshua and the men of Israell when they saw them compasse their Citty strong walled l Iosh 6.20 and to blow with their Rammes hornes yet by this weake meanes the wall fell downe the enemies were destroyed the Citty was sacked and the people of GOD preuailed Christ seeing a blinde man and willing to heale him he spat on the ground m Ioh. 9 6. and made clay of spittle and annointed the eyes of the blinde with the clay and said vnto him Go wash in the poole of Siloam he obeyed he went he washed he returned seeing Thus doth God by simple base and weak things oftentimes confound the mighty strong and wise of the world that no flesh should reioyce in his presence and crosseth all the high conceits and proud imaginations of mans wil and wit Wherefore we must not follow our owne vnderstanding nor measure the matters of God by the crooked rule of our carnall reason Whosoeuer will yeeld obedience to God must deny himselfe and renounce his owne wisedom n 1 Cor. 3 18.19 and become a foole that he may be wise in God as 1. cor 3. Let no man deceiue himselfe if any man among you seeme to be wise in this world let him be a foole that he may be wise for the wisedome of this world is foolishnesse with God Thus we see that in the Sacraments we must vnderstand more then we see and beleeue more then we can behold Such as are without knowledge and faith comprehend no more of baptisme then the bodily eye directeth them vnto but the faithful conceiue the blood of Christ to be offered to purge the soule and conscience from all sinne o Gen. 2 10. as the riuer watered the garden of Eden CHAP. XI Of the fourth inward part of baptisme THe last inward part of baptisme is the soule a The soule clensed is the last inward part of baptisme cleansed most liuely represented by the bodye that is washed For as the outward receiuer giueth his body to be washed so the faithfull receiuer doth consecrate himselfe to God with ioy and forsake the flesh the world and the Diuell and feeleth the inward washing of the Spirit as Titus 3 5. According to his b Tit. 3 5. Eph. 2 26 27 mercy he saued vs by the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy-Ghost And the same apostle Eph. 5. Christ gaue himselfe for the Church that hee might sanctifie it and cleanse it by washing of water through the word that he might make it vnto himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinkle Wherefore this outward washing of the body commanded by Christ signifieth vnto me that I am no lesse assuredly cleansed in his blood by the working of his Spirit from the spots of my soule that is from all my sins then I am outwardly washed by water whereby the staines of the body vse to be washed away and it bindeth vs that we ought euer afterward by our workes and deeds to declare newnes of life and fruites of repentance Vse 1 Let vs now come to the vses of this last part of baptisme Doth the washing of the body represent the clensing of the soule And doth the soking vp of the filthines of the flesh signifie the remouing of the remnants of rebellion Then we are all by nature vnwise vncleane vnrighteous vnregenerate vnholy disobedient disordered deceiuing and being deceiued we are the vessels of wrath the children of death the bond-slaues of Sathan the heires of damnation we haue our part and portion in the offence of Adam c Rom. 5 10. 7 23 24. as Rom. 5. By one man sin entred into the world and ch 7. I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind and leading me captiue vnto the law of sin which is in my mēbers O wretched man that I am who shal deliuer me from the body of this death Hereunto also commeth that which the d Ioh 3 5 6 7. Euangelist setteth downe in the conference betweene Christ and Nicodemus Ioh. 3. That which is born of flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the Spirit is Spirit maruell not that I said vnto thee ye must be borne againe For this cause are infants baptized because they are conceiued in sin borne in iniquity and cannot become spiritual but by a new birth wrought by the Spirit which is sealed vp by the water in baptisme Vse 2 Againe this serueth to strengthen our faith whē we behold the outward washing pouring out of the water and baptizing of the body it assureth the inward clensing of the soule by the blood of Christ offered to all and receiued of those that are elected to eternall saluation This then is the right and holy vse of baptisme Doest thou feele inwardly in thine heart that through the corruption of thy nature strength of concupiscence thou art moued tempted and prouoked to commit sin And doost thou feele thy selfe ready to yeeld to Sathan and so to fall from God into euill Begin to haue some holy meditation of that solemne vow which thou madest to God in baptisme when thou diddest consecrate and giue vp thy selfe wholy to his seruice and didst renounce obedience to the suggestions of Sathan to the allurements of the world and to the corruptions of the flesh For baptisme is the e Baptisme is a Christian mans ensigne to fight vnder it the battels of the Lord. Christian mans ensigne giuen of God to vs that we should fight as it were vnder it against al the enemies of our saluation ouercome It is the badge and banner of our Captaine that we shrouding our selues vnder his colours should not cowardly turne our backe in the skirmish but couragiously looke the enemy in the face nay tread him vnder our feete for euer For we must learne that when we are once baptized whereby wee put on the profession of Iesus Christ and receiue his cognizance we
death hath that effectuall working in cleansing our soules from the corruption and filthinesse of sinne which naturall water hath in washing our bodies By the merit of his death we haue full forgiuenes of all our sinnes not onely originall but actuall not onely past but present and to come whose blood is neuer drawne dry but is euer fresh and ful of efficacy Therfore the words deliuered by the minister in baptisme at the commandement of Christ namely e Mat. 28 19. I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy-Ghost should be alwayes in our eares euen vntill the last gaspe and by them we ought to bee assured of the full forgiuenes of our offences against God For the blood of christ by which we are once washed can neuer bee drawne dry but is euer fresh full of force and strength to the continual clensing of our filthines and iniquities so that they neuer come into the sight of God neither are imputed vnto vs. Wherefore it is like vnto a sealed charter wherby is confirmed that all our sins are blotted out We are all taught by our baptism that none of the enemies of our saluation shal be able to lay any sin to our charge Art thou tempted to thinke that Christs blood was not shed for thee That thy transgressions are not pardoned That thou shalt bee brought to iudgement for them Doth Sathan tempt thy tender conscience with theÌ„ Thou maist as well doubt that thou wast not baptized and washed with water as doubt thy sinnes are not blotted out thou maist as well surmize thou perishedst in the water as suppose thou shalt perish in thy wickednes the floods wherof howsoeuer they go ouer thy head yet shall not be able to preuaile against thee fully and ouercome thee finally This serueth to conuince diuers hereticks that are altogether ignorant of the right vse of Baptisme The Messalâ—ans beleeued that baptisme was onely auaileable to take away former sinnes De diuin decre ca. de bapt But Theodoret teacheth that baptisme is the earnest of future graces not as a razor to cut away onely the sins that went before The Papists suppose no sinne forgiuen by baptisme in infants but one sin only which is originall In those that are baptized being of age whereof there is small or rare vse in these daies they inlarge and extend it thus farre as that it taketh away both originall and actuall sinnes before baptisme onely wherein although they would seeme to open the Lords hand very wide toward vs yet they are indeed notable Church-robbers who to maintaine their bellies their lusts do vtterly spoile vs not of a piece but of our whole saluation in Iesus Christ whilest they send vs to our owne satisfactions by prayers fastings whippings and such like Note therefore that our Sauiour saith He that beleeueth and is baptized Mar. 16 16. Tit. 3 5. 1 Pet. 3 21. shall be saued Saint Paul saith Tit. 3 5 that baptisme hath saued vs and Peter affirmeth that it doth saue vs 1 Pet. 3 21. Where the saluation that we haue through faith in baptisme being applied to the time past present and to come that is to all times it is euident that baptisme doth as well seale vp vnto vs the remission of the sinnes that wee commit at the last houre of death as the in-borne sinne wherein we were first conceiued in our mothers wombe This Saint Austine saw and therefore teacheth Aust de nuptijs concup lib. 1. cap. 33. that by the lauer of regeneration and word of sanctification all the euils of regenerate men are cleansed not onely sinnes past but such as are committed afterward by ignorance or infirmity so that great is the pardon of baptisme This then ouerthroweth the false d Concil Trid. sess 5. doctrine of the false Church of Rome the Mother of abhominations which teacheth that by the grace of Christ receiued in baptisme all our sinnes going before it are razed and blotted out and leaueth nothing in the party baptized e Bellar. lib. 1. de bapt cap. 13. that hath the name and nature of sin But albeit our sinnes be freely and fully forgiuen for Christs sake pardoned and not imputed couered and remembred no more yet the staine blot and remnants of sinne remaine though not raigne in our flesh so long as we liue in this world which in the end of our dayes together with the mortality and corruption of our bodies shall be taken away and abolished Indeed the Scripture teacheth that Christs blood cleanseth washeth g Iob. 1.29 Psal 32.1 and taketh away sin Ioh. 1. Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sin of the world but this is not by an actual purging of vs from all corruption but in freely acquiting and truely discharging vs from the guilt offence and punishment before God as Psal 32 Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sins are lightened blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sin Therefore though they be forgiuen yet they remaine g 1 Ioh. 1 8. as appeareth Iohn 1 29. If we say we haue no sin we deceiue our selues and there is no truth in vs. And Salomon in his worthy prayer saith If any sin against thee 1 Kings 8 46. Rom 7 23. Eph. 4 23. Col. 3 3. Esay 64 6. for there is no man that sinneth not So the Apostle teacheth and toucheth this truth by his owne experience Rom. 7. I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind and leading me captiue vnto the law of sin which is in my members We are all as a filthy cloth the flesh rebelleth against the Spirit and in nothing we can do the things we would so that if God enter into iudgement with vs wee cannot stand in his sight And if originall sinne were extinguished and vtterly abolished in baptisme then they which are baptized should sin no more but we see they sin againe after their baptisme To conclude baptisme is auaileable not onely for sins before but it is a seale for confirmation of faith touching the remission of those sins that are committed after baptisme as well as done before as our blessed Sauiour teacheth Marke 16 16. Hee that shall beleeue and bee baptized shall be saued but he that will not beleeue shall be damned Faith then beleeueth the forgiuenes of all sinnes past and to come inasmuch as the blood of Christ cleanseth froÌ„ all sins And the apostle accordeth heereunto Titus 3 5 7. According to his mercy hee saued vs by the washing of the newe birth and the renewing of the Holy-Ghost that we being iustified by his grace should be made heires according to the hope of euerlasting life Where we see that the promise of iustification is generall against all sinnes Thus much of the second vse CHAP. XIIII Of the third vse of Baptisme THe third vse of baptisme is to kill and bury
of this Sacrament agree not with the institution of CHRIST nor with the former vses set downe which now wee come to handle and to prooue out of the doctrine of the Apostles themselues Touching the first and principall end that is the remembrance meditation and shewing forth the death of Chrst with all thanksgiuing this he commanded to vs at his last departing from vs which ought much to stick in our minds because the last words of a deare friend ready to part from vs do oftentimes leaue behind both deepe impressions and deuout affections in vs. Indeed when we reade of the passioÌ„ and death of Christ it doth much moue vs to heare it opened expounded it moueth in a farther degree but more then these to haue before our eyes a visible representation of the crucifying of Christ in his last Supper doth mooue vs most of all The institution of this Sacrament he did in wisedome reserue till the approching of his death that we might not forget him when he is gone from vs. So God the Father after the vniuersal flood drowning the whol world for a remembrance of his mercy in deliuering Noah and his family from the waters and of his promise made f Gen. 9 14. neuer to destroy it so againe left to them and all posterity the Rainbow When he had iustly smitten the first borne of the Egiptians and gratiously saued the first borne of Israel he commanded Moses g Exo 13 1 2 to sanctifie to him all the first borne that first openeth the wombe to remember the day in which they came out of the land of Egipt When he had miraculously sed the Israelites with Manna from heauen that men did eate Angels food h Exod. 16 32 he would haue a golden pot ful of it to be reserued in the Arke of remembrance for the better remembrance of so great a worke So likewise being deliuered by the precious blood of Christ from the floods of sin that haue gone ouer our heads and eased of the heauy burthen that pressed downe our hearts wee haue receiued baptisme to keepe vs in remembrance thereof that we are cleansed from the filthinesse of sin Againe being nourished with Christs body crucifyed and his blood shed for vs we are commanded to vse this mystery to continue an holy remembrance of his death and passion to our endlesse comfort This end to wit to be to vs a remembrance of Christs sacrifice on the Crosse is taught by the Apostle So often as ye shall eate of this bread and drinke of this cup i Luk. 22 19 ye shew the Lords death till he come In like manner the Euangelist Luke of the bread saith Do this in remembrance of me and of the cuppe Do this as oft as ye shall drinke it in remembrance of me by declaring his death And we declare the Lords death when we publikely confesse with our mouth and beleeue with the heart that our whole hope and affiance for life and saluation is surely set in the Lords death that we may glorifie him by our confession and exhort others by our example to glorifie him because his death is our life his passion is our saluation his suffering is our reioycing We our selues are the principall and proper causes that he was torne and tormented our sins wounded him we our selues crucified him we euen we are the causes for he was chastised for vs that by death he might deliuer vs from death and from Heb. 2 14. him that had the power of death Our euill motions our vile thoughts our corrupt words and our sinfull works did set on worke Pontius Pilate Herod Annas Caiphas Iudaâ— the Gentiles and the Iewes who were but instruments as the Crosse nailes the hammer and speare these were as our seruants and workemen in the euill action of his crucifying We are all of vs ready to accuse and condemne these men wee complaine against them and pronounce sentence vpon them because they offered so great iniuries to our sweet Sauiour We lay all the blame vpon others we sticke not to call Pilat a corrupt Iudge Herod a time-seruer and a man-pleaser Annas and Caiphas brethren in euil Iudas the sonne of perdition the Iewes and Gentiles notorious offendors but all this while we haue forgotten our selues Wherefore to speake the truth not Sathan the tempter not Iudas the traytor not Caiphas the high-Priest not Pilat the chiefe Iudge not the Iewes that conspired against him not the false witnesses that accused him not the band of men that scorned him not the passengers that nodded their heads at him not the souldior that pierced him not the executioners that railed at him and nailed him on the crosse are so much to be accused and reproued for his sufferings as we we I say our selues and our owne sinnes Not that we can excuse those cursed instruments that crucified the Lord of glory who shall receiue according to their works l Zâ—ch 12 10. Iob. 19 37. when they shall see him whom they haue pierced but to teach vs chiefly to accuse and condemne our selues We bound him with cords we beate him with rods we buffetted him with fistes we crowned him with thornes we reuiled him with our mouths we railed at him with reproches wee nodded at him with our heads we thrust him through with speares we betraied him with a kisse we pierced his hands feet with nailes we crucified him between two theeues we condemned him through false witnesses we poured shame and contempt vpon his person we iudged him as plagued and smitten of God For inasmuch as our faults and offences procured these things to bee done vnto him we were the dooers by them and the dealers in them and the causes of them And surely then we are profitably grounded in the doctrine of the m Who they are that profit aright by Christs passioÌ„ passion of Christ when our hearts cease to sinne and we are pricked with an inward griefe of those great and grieuous transgressions n 1 Ioh. 3 6. Esay 53 5 6. whereby as with speares we pierced the side and wounded the very soule of the immaculate lambe of God as Ioh. 3. Who so sinneth neither hath seene him nor knowne him And the Prophet Esay teacheth cha 53. He was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes we are healed the Lord hath laide vpon him the iniquity of vs all Seeing then Christ was slaine for our sins let vs kill sin in our selues seeing he died for vs let vs labour that sin may be dead in vs seeing he was crucified for vs and our saluation let vs crucifie our own lusts that they raigne not in our mortal bodies seeing his heart was pierced with a speare let vs haue our hearts thrust through pierced and pricked with vnfaigned sorrow for all our iniquities This is the right vse this is the true end this
our selues the promises of saluation Wee must not onely see them a farre off but feele them in our hearts Wee must beleeue not onely that Christ is a Sauiour but that he is our Sauiour and Redeemer Thus wee must euerie one of vs for his owne part make propâ—r to himselfe all the riches and graces that are in Christ Iesuâ— because in giuing himselfe to vs hee giueth all his benefiâ—s in that he is God he maketh vs after a sort d 2 Peter 1 4â— partakers of the diuine nature being heire of all things in heauen and earth e 1 Cor 3 22. and Lord of the world hee maketh all thinges ours whether life or death whether things present or thinges to com recouering in him the possession of those things which we lost â—n Adam being the beloued sonne of the father hee maketh vs acceptable and well-pleasing vnto him leading captiuity captiue and giuing giftes f Eph. 4 8. to men hauing Dominion ouer the diuell sinne hell the world the flesh and all our enemies he protecteth vs that they cannot ouerthrowe vs and hath g Reuelat. 1 6 made vs Kings and Priests to God euen his father in that he is happie and immortall he maketh vs partakers of his blessednesse and immortality When we shall seuerally and particularly apply all the actions and benefits of Christ our Lorde vnto our selues wee may boldly come to the Lords Table where we shall finde Christ and enioy him to our endlesse comfort knowing that we liue alwaies by faith but not alwaies by feeling Neither are we to abstaine and hang back from comming to the Supper nor to dispaire of our selues nor to bee too much cast downe when we feele sundry defectes and wants in our faith For h There are 2. degrees of true faith there is a weake and feeble saith which is yet a true faith as well as the strong faith There are two degrees of faith profitable to be knowne and comfortable to be considered The weake faith i what a weak Faith is is an earnest and vnsaigned desire to bee reconciled vnto God in Christ which willing desire in vs God accepteth as the deede it selfe he accounteth the desire of faith as faith it selfe the desire of reconciliation and forgiuenesse of sinnes by the death of Christ shall be auaileable to worke out our attonement and redemption The strong faith is a full perswasion assurance k What a strong faith is of the mercies of God when the faithfull can truly say with the Apostle Rom. 8 38 l Roma 8 38. 39. I am perswaded that neither life nor death nor things present nor things to come neither Angels nor principalities nor powers neither hetâ—hth nor depth nor any other creature shall separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lorde To this assurance we labour to come and in this assurance we endeuour to grow and to go on from saith to faith and from strength to strength vntill we learne to stand fast as it were vpon the battlements of heauen and to set the world at defiance and to treade the earth vnder our feete saying with the Apostle Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Or who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ This is the greatest measure and highest degree of faith this is the top strength and full ripenesse of faith heere vnto wee are to striue and endeuour and neuer to giue rest vnto our soules vntill we be resolued and setled in our consciences that all our sinnes are assurredly pardoned and we accepted to euerlasting life This greatnesse of faith was in Abraham m Rom. 4 20 who was not weake but strengthened in faith being fully perswaded Hee that had promised was able also to do it All that liue in the bosome of the Church doe not attaine to this full measure of a perfect faith but euen as it is in the estate of the body we are Babes before wee come to be men of ripe yeares first we be weake before we be strong n 1 cor 3 1 â— first we are fedde with milke before wee can digest strong meate We see o Mar. 4 2â— Corne first in the grasse then in the blade before it come to the stalke and haue ripe corne in the eare There must bee in all things a beginning before there can be a proceeding to perfection The tree sendeth foorth his tender branches and putteth foorth his leaues before his fruite commeth So is it with euery Christian man and woman first they are babes in Christ and haue certaine seeds and beginnings of faith springing in them to eternall life afterward they grow from strength to strength from grace to grace from degree to degree p Roma 1 17. and from faith to fayth vntill they come to a full perswasion and assurance vvithout wauering q Psalme 23 6 which ariseth after many experiences of Gods manifolde mercies and fauours in the course of our liues as we see Psal 23. Doubtlesse kindnesse and mercie shall follow me all the daies of my life and I shall remaine a long season in the house of the Lord. Wherefore let vs not be dismayed discouraged when our faith is feeble for a feeble faith wil apply Christ as well as a strong faith it will drawe Christ home to dwell in our hearts r Ephes 3 17. through whom we shall not perish but haue euerlasting life He that had but a weak eie and a dim sight to behold the brazen Serpent in the wildernesse Å¿ Numb â— 1 â— was healed from the deadly stinging of the fiery serpents as well as he that saw clearly and perfectly afarre off He that hath but a leprous and sickly hand is able to holde that which is offered vnto it as well as a sound and strong hand So he that hath a little faith in the son of God shall neuer haue his saluation denied nor forgiuenesse of his sins kept from him if with an humble heart hee pray to God to haue them pardoned The Apostles beleeued that Christ was the Sauior of the world t Luke 24 â—5 yet they were ignorant of his death and resurrection which are the chiefe meanes of saluation and they are saide to be men of little faith So our Sauiour when the u Luke 17 5 6 Disciples had asked encrease of their faith declareth that if our faith be in quantity but as a graine of Mustard-seed it should be powerfull and effectuall seeing hee will not a Marke 2 23 quench the smoaking flaxe nor breake the bruised Reede but cherish the lost sparke and measure of grace giuen vnto vs from aboue This likewise was the faith of that Father whose childe was possessed with a dumbe and deafe spirit when Christ said to him b Math. 7 7 8 If thou canst beleeue all things are possible to him that beleeueth straight way he cried with tears
He is punished for our transgressions he is bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace is laid vpon him and by his strâ—pes wee are healed the Lord maketh the punishment of vs all to light vpon him Likewise g 1 Ioh. 1 7. Reuâ—l 1 5. the Apostle Iohn saith The blood of Iesus Christ doth purge vs from all sin And in the Reuelation he addeth Christ hath washed vs from our sins in his blood Whereby we see we are taught to beleeue that wee are pardoned and reconciled to God not through our owne satisfaction not for our owne workes not by our owne sufferings but onely through the death and blood-shedding of Christ Wherefore their Penance is to be acknowledged to bee sacriledge and not accepted as a Sacrament to be iniurious to Christs death not meritorious for our life CHAP. XIX That Matrimony is not a Sacrament THe Councell of Trent vnder Pius 4. sess 8. decreeth a Concil Trid. sess 8. can 1. If any shall say that Matrimony is not truely and properly one of the 7. Sacraments instituted by Christ but was brought in by men into the Church and doth not confer grace let him be accursed Heereby they would seeme to set forth the dignity of marriage aboue vs seeing they lift it vp into the number of the Sacraments of the Church Yet as a lyar seldome agreeth with himselfe they complaine that we too highly magnifie the married estate and themselues cannot abide it in their Clergy because forsooth it is written Be ye holy for I am holy and Rom. 8. They which are in the flesh cannot please God Marriage therefore is too holy an ordinance for their vnholy Clergy inasmuch as they teach in this point b 1 Tim. 4.1.2 3. the doctrine of diuels and are led by the spirite of error that forbid marriage which God hath left free We confesse touching marriage so much as the word of God teacheth vs that it is an ordinance of God instituted before the fall of man while hee was without sinne c Gen. 2.18 and blessed of God who said It is not good for man to be alone let vs make him an helper meete for him This estate Christ did not abrogate and disanull but repeated and confirmed d Mat. 19 16. Iohn 2 1 2. Heb. 13 4. 1 Cor. 6.9.10 not onely by word but by his owne presence and hath left it as a lawfull remedy against fornication and vncleannes We account it an honourable estate of life among all and the bed vndefiled but whoremongers and adulterers God wil iudge and cast into vtter darkenesse where their worme shall neuer dye and their fire shall not be quenched as the Apostle teacheth 1 Cor. 6. Know ye not that the vnrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God Be not deceiued neither fornicators nor Idolaters nor adulterers nor wantons nor buggerers nor drunkards shall inherite the kingdome of God Notwithstanding e Reasons why marriage is no Sacrament we cannot cal and account it a Sacrament for diuers weighty reasons and euident causes First seeing it was not instituted by Christ but was from the beginning of the world and therefore it was before the law and vnder the law how can it bee a Sacrament of the new Testament Againe matrimony may be among Infidels vnbeleeuers out of the Church and society of the faithfull For the matrimony of Infidels is lawfull God did institute it for all mankinde The commandement is generall Increase and multiply The Apostle teacheth that if the vnbeleeuing woman will dwell with the beleeuing husband f Grati. in dec c. 28. qu 1. Lumb lib 4. dist 39. he must not put her away for her infidelity and marriage is honourable among all persons Seeing therfore it was before the fall of man before the giuing of the law vnder the gouernment of the law and made honourable among all it cannot bee a Sacrament of the Church of Christ and for the members only of the Church Thirdly it is not common and commanded to all the faithfull for it is not needfull and necessary that all in the Church should be married g 1 Cor. 7.7 Mat. 19 11 12. Euery one hath his proper gift some one way some another And albeit God haue not tyed grace to the Sacraments yet they in some sort h Hâ—w the Sacrâ—ments are necessary for the Church are necessary for the Church and to be partaked of the children of the Church whether wee respect the commandement of God who requireth them or whether we regard our own weakenesse who stand in need of all holy meanes and profitable helpes that tend to the confirmation of our faith Seeing then matrimony is not commanded to all neither serueth to confirme faith it cannot be receiued as a Sacrament Fourthly the Sacraments are ordinances of God applying Christ and his merites to all the faithfull but matrimony is not an instrument whereby God applyeth Christ and all his benefites much lesse is it a common instrument of the common saluation and benefits that all haue in Christ Iesus Furthermore we haue shewed how the Romane Church is contrary to it selfe in this point for our aduersaries cal matrimony a prophanation i Greg. Mart. dis Chap. 15. of holy orders And k Pigghius another saith it is more tollerable for a Priest to keepe many Concubines then to marry If matrimony be an holy Sacrament how should the sacred order of your Priest-hood be prophaned polluted and defiled thereby Lastly it hath no promise of saluation ioyned to it as it ought to haue though it bee lawfull and vsed lawfully in euery Sacrament there must bee likewise an outward signe or element as water in Baptisme and bread and wine in the Lords Supper together with a sanctifying word to warrant it but in this supposed Sacrament there is neither matter nor word therefore no Sacrament Hence it is that Durandus one of their owne Doctours saith that Matrimony in a strict proper kinde of speech is no Sacrament at all The answere that Bellarmine maketh to this last reason is as absurd as their doctrine it selfe namely that the word of institution in mariage is l Bellar. lib. 1. de Matrim c. 6. I take thee which are the words expressing their mutuall consent and that the matter or signe are the parties married For not euery word can consecrate and sanctifie m 1 Tim. 4 5. but the word of God Againe the married persons are receiuers of this pretended and supposed Sacrament so that they cannot be the matter or signe For the signe and the receiuer are two distinct outward parts of a Sacrament so that they cannot be confounded or mingled together as before we declared Chap. 3. The matter cannot be the receiuer the receiuer cannot be the matter The thing receiued cannot be the receiuer the receiuer cannot bee the thing receiued If then the persons married be the receiuers they cannot be the