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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68467	A treatise of the sacraments according to the doctrin of the Church of England touching that argument Collected out of the articles of religion, the publique catechism, the liturgie, and the book of homilies. With a sermon preached in the publique lecture, appointed for Saint Pauls Crosse, on the feast of Saint Iohn Baptist, Iune 24. 1638. / By T.B. Pr. Pl.	Bedford, Thomas, d. 1653.	1638 (1638)	STC 1789; ESTC S113179	66,854	266

full nature of a Sacrament which serveth not only to represent but instrumentally to convey Christ and all his benefits So that well may the Church determine that verely and indeed Christ is present and consequently verely and indeed taken yet after an heavenly manner and received of the faithfull in the Sacrament Verily tho not carnally Really tho not corporally but spiritually in in the Sacrament that is in the exercise of that sacred action not otherwise Provided also that we understand this efficacy of the Sacraments to have place in them only qui sibi non ponunt obicem as the School speaketh which do not barr themselvs or to speak more plainly in the phrase of the Church only in the faithfull But of this herafter viz. cap. 11. CHAP. VII The speciall End of either Sacrament THE speciall end of Baptism is to communicate unto us the blood of Christ for washing the soul from the guilt of sinn and consequently our Admission into the Covenant of Grace The speciall end of the Lords Supper to communicate the body and blood of Christ for feeding and nourishing the soul unto eternall life and consequently our Confirmation in grace and holiness Hence we have the ground of that choice of Elements which our blessed Saviour made viz. not meerly the analogy which is betwixt the sign and the signified but also the excellency and exquisitness of that analogy and proportion In Baptism water is used and none other liquor because none other so proper for washing none other doth wash so clean as doth water and therfore none other so fit to signifie the blood of Christ which cleanseth the soul from all sinn In the Lords Supper bread and wine is used to represent the body and blood of Christ and see I pray you the excellent proportion that is betwixt them specially in the effects bread and wine nourish the body nothing better the body and blood of Christ nourish the soul nothing better yea nothing else So also in the manner of their preparation The bread is made a food for the body of many grains of corn bruised and baked the wine of Grapes trodden and pressed So the Body and blood of Christ became our spirituall food by being bruised and broken upon the Crosse Add this bread and wine do no good nay much harm except the stomack be prepared to digest them nor doth this spirituall food profit the soul nay it doth much hurt to the soul except the soul be worthily prepared BAPTISM is the Sacrament of our Admission nor is there any other ceremony or rite of admitting any into the Covenant of grace but only by Baptism The Church of Israel was admitted by Circumcision But since the time of Christ which we call the time of the new Testament all that will be admitted must be baptised hence that of our Saviour to Nicodemus Except a man be born of water and the spirit c. that is except by submitting himself to Baptism he do receiv the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of heaven for which cause when he sent forth his Apostles he gave them charge to joyn Baptism with their teaching Goe teach and baptise Matt. 28. The Persons that have right of admission are as of old Beleevers and their children The Ceremony of Admission is altered but still as the Covenant is the same so the parties are the same beleevers and their children this is plain Act. 2.39 You and your children By beleevers we understand such as are converted to the faith Converts and Proselites these have right of Admission because faith is the condition of the new Covenant Mar. 16.16 and Iohn 3.16 You will happily say to me that if they beleev they are already in the Covenant partakers of it by faith and therfore need no further admission yes they are not compleatly within the Covenant till baptised Faith giveth them title and interest but the Sacrament admission Add this that it is one part of their faith to beleev the necessity of the Sacrament as a means to give them full possession of Christ And this doth cause them to seek for it in the Sacrament Children of Beleevers also have a right of Admission becaus they are part of their Parents and heirs of the promise due to their Fathers The faith of the parent intitleth the child unto the Covenant so much the more unjustly do the Anabaptists deal with beleevers and their children in shutting Infants out from Baptism thus questioning that ancient and long approved custome of the Church in all ages ever since Christ and his Apostles Traditions Apostolicall are authenticall and not to be refused because not written if found to be Apostolicall Apostolicall customs mentioned in the Scripture have a more unquestioned certainty than traditions but not greater authority Neither is this to set up Tradition as do the Papists to the prejudice of the Scripture because we admit none as Apostolicall which either are contrarie to the customes mentioned in the Scripture or which may not be confirmed as reasonable from the Scripture And such is the custome of baptising Infants which thus we confirm against the fore-mentioned Sectaries The infants of Christians are as capable of present Incorporation into Christ and Admission into the Covenant of grace as were the Infants of the Jews and if so which we prov out of Cor. 7.14 who shall barr them whom God hath not barred If not then hath not grace abounded in the new Testament but is rather shortned in comparison of the old as being restrained only to the Parent wheras before Infants also were comprehended and admitted The strength of this argument will appear more fully by taking away the cavills which they make against it Object 1. That text of Cor. 7.14 sheweth indeed that children are holy but how As the wife not otherwise viz. as she is sanctified to the use of her husband so the children to the use of their Parents Thus they but they falsifie the text for the text saith not of the children as it doth of the wife 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sanctified but they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy which is more emphaticall neither doth the text speaking of the wife say she is sanctified to the husband but in or by the husband Nor is the text to be understood of the legitimation but of the sanctification of the bedd namely of federall sanctification or the holiness of the Covenant for it appeareth that the pretence of them that repudiated their wives was a fear lest the infidelity of the wife should deprive the husband of the covenant of grace which he had imbraced Saint Paul denyeth this and sheweth that rather the faith of the Beleevers should so farr prevail as to draw the other after a sort within the Covenant his reason is because the children of such are holy that is heirs of the Covenant Now I pray you mark well

new they had two so had we one for admission the other for preservation so have we circumcision was for infants so is Baptism the Pass-over and Lords Supper for men grown circumcision once administred the Pass-over often and so Baptism once and the Lords Supper often add to this that the same reason holds in the Sacraments of either Testament for the frequencie of administration for why Circumcision but once and the Pass-over often but because one birth-day is enough not one day of feeding so here once baptised because it sufficeth to be once admitted into the Covenant of grace but often do we receiv the Lords Supper becaus we do often merit expulsion and so need a frequent confirmation Baptism doth seal to us the remission of originall guilt which is but once contracted and so once remitted The Lords Supper doth seal to us the remission of actuall transgressions which being often committed must be repented and so often remitted Baptism is the Sacrament of our Regeneration when the seed of grace is conferred upon our souls this needeth to be done but once The Lords Supper is the Sacrament of our confirmation whence those seeds of grace are to receiv increas of growth by the dews of heaven and this is necessary to be done more than once often therfore do we come to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Now if any demand how often we ought to approach to the Lords Table it must be answered the Church hath power to stint the smallest number but only mans conscience can direct him in the multiplication of that number Fewer times than thrice a year may no good Christian in the Church of England receiv the Lords Supper because it is so ordained by the Church but how oftner is left to the direction of his own conscience and the advice of his spirituall Physitian So much the more to blame are they that neither by the Law of the Church nor by the necessity of their own souls are perswaded to frequent the Table of the Lord but rest themselvs within the customary compasse of once a year It may be objected that once a year was as much as Israel did eat the Pass-over nor would God doubtless have neglected to command expressly the more frequent receiving of it were it necessary But for answer herunto what authority have we to inquire or to assign a reason why God did not command this or that His Laws and Ordinances are to us a light of direction not his Omissions God appointed to the Church of Israel no Sacrament for the spirituall incorporation of femals no more publike and generall fasting dayes but one in the year no Ember-weeks at all that is no time of solemn fasting and prayer before the Ordination of their Priests doth it therfore follow that we must have none or shall we say that such things are not needfull ought not we in the new Testament having received greater grace than they super-abound and goe beyond them in the practise of Piety Apply it thus to the objection passing by the reasons of policie which might be assigned why the Pass-over was celebrated but once a year let us say that inasmuch as it is plain that the Sacrament is the Ordinance of God for the preservation of us in the state of grace and the way to strengthen and refresh our souls wherof we have continuall and daily need therfore it is a point of Christian wisdome to be as frequent in the receiving as possibly we can the oftner the better As on the other side since Baptism is administred but once in the life time a point so firmly beleeved and acknowledged by all that even the Anabaptists whom we tax for re-baptising those whom our Church hath baptised since that learned Beza and others after him have wrung from them that Text of Act. 19.4.6 will rather deny our Baptism to be a Sacrament than grant a necessity of rebaptising Since I say Baptism is done but once how much doth it concern them who are imployed in that sacred service to see that all things be done according to the rules of the holy Spirits direction Lest what is not then done peradventure hereafter be never done at all and so the guilt of this carelesness press the soul down to hell What is required of the Receiver is handled in the next chapter In the Minister honesty is commended but authority is required Some question there is touching his intention that is whether the action be not Sacramentall except the Minister intend it so to be Doubtlesse in this as in Prayer and Preaching his roving thoughts and distempered passions may defile them to himself and not make them ineffectuall to others A second Corollary deducible from the former premisses is the Necessity of the Sacraments concerning which the Doctrin of the Church is that the two legitimate and true born Sacraments are generally necessary to salvation This is plain out of the first question answered touching the number of the Sacraments How many Sacraments hath Christ ordained in his Church Two only as generally necessary to salvation which words as they do intimate at least do seem to intimate a superduality of Sacraments in some certain sence see this explained at full in the Book of Homilies so do they fully deliver the Doctrin of the Church touching the necessity of the Sacraments viz. that as I said they are generally necessary to salvation this all grant but all agree not in the manner of their necessity explicate it thus First they are necessary ex praecepto as being appointed and commanded by God the author of them Secondly because this is not enough we say that they are necessary ex naturâ rei even in respect of that nature which God hath put upon them being appointed as means and instruments to transferre and convey that grace without which no salvation and indeed this kind of necessity is the ground of the other for therfore are they commanded to be used because they are ordained to be as means wherby we receiv grace Thirdly add this also that they are necessary as means without which that grace is not ordinarily conferred Thus understand those texts of Scripture which are alleadged for this purpose viz. Except a man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God And except yee eat the flesh of the Sonn of man and drink his blood you have no life in you Thus may we understand that phrase of the Catechism generally necessary that is commonly and in ordinary So that if the Spirit who being an Omnipotent Agent is not tyed to any means being a spirituall Agent is not tyed to externall means if he I say do convey grace to any without the use of the Sacraments this is to be accounted extraordinary Hitherto referr the cases of un-avoidable extremity in which doubtless the spirit worketh without these means But generally and in ordinary

suppose that one of the Corinthians should have been so wilfull as to deny this medium this argument of Saint Paul what is there to confirm the argument and to convince the gainsayer but only the practice of Infants-baptism this must of necessity be here presupposed else doth the Argument fall to the ground and overthrow it self 2. Object Circumcision was but a seal of the old Covenant even the law which was made to Abraham and to his children after the flesh this fleshie covenant had a seal in the flesh viz. Circumsion but what is this to the covenant of Grace touching life and salvation which is made only with beleevers thus the Anabaptist to the end he may elude the argument drawn from the Circumcision of Infants and wheras the text of Saint Paul doth directly cross this his base esteem of circumcision honouring it with that worthy title A seal of the righteousness of faith The Anabaptist expoundeth it thus A seal of his faith not in the Messiah but in that promise That he should be the father of the faithfull Wherin he bewrayeth a twofold ignorance First in disjoyning these two viz. his faith in the Messiah and his faith in the promise which are subordinate For in Gen. 12.1.4 divers promises are made to Abraham to wit of the land of Canaan of a numerous off-spring of the Messiah in whom all nations should be blessed these doth Saint Paul in Rom. 4.13 joyn in one and calleth it the promise that he should be the heir of the world Of these three the first and second only are mentioned Gen. 15. but questionless the third included and ratified by a formall Covenant to Abraham who beleeved and was thereupon justified Afterward in Gen. 17. the second alone mentioned but questionless the other included and all ratified by the Sacrament of Circumcision which was to him the seal of the righteousness of faith which Abraham had before he was circumcised That all are included in both places tho not all mentioned may yet further appear by this that in Gen. 22. when God would lastly manifest how his covenants and seals had built up Abraham in faith by that sore triall they are again all three repeated his faith accepted and commended This did not or would not the Anabaptist receiv but disjoyneth those which should be conjoyned as being all apprehended by the same faith Another part of his ignorance is the misinterpretation of that phrase The righteousness of faith A phrase twice used in that fourth chapter equivalent to and therfore to be expounded by that phrase The righteousness which is by faith and that also the righteousness of God Rom. 10.3 Both which are joyned in one Rom. 3.22 The righteousness of God which is by faith which betokeneth not the Essentiall righteousness of God but the benefit of justification or imputed righteousness which he bestoweth on beleevers for their justification This benefit God having bestowed upon Abraham did seal it up to him afterward by circumcision which is therfore called not the seal of his faith as the Anabaptist speaketh full ignorantly but the seal of the righteousness that is of justification which commeth by faith and not by works We conclude therfore that infants of beleevers may be lawfully baptised that by Baptism they may be admitted into the covenant of grace Nay inasmuch as Baptism is the Sacrament of admission and no time fitter to incorporate the buds of Christians into Christ than while they are buds that so betimes grace may prevent the growth of naturall corruption Infancy is the fittest time for Baptism nay the only time in the successive ages of the Church So far is God from barring infants from Baptism that he may rather seem to have allotted them to it and it to them We conclude also touching Baptism that it doth not only admit the baptised into the roll of Christians this indeed is done in Baptism wherupon there is a necessity of witnesses and a conveniencie of publike administration but this is not all it is also an admission into the Covenant of grace here is the ground of Assurance that they are indeed within the Covenant and to be dealt withall by the ministerie as men in covenant with God The LORDS SUPPER is the Sacrament of our preservation and confirmation in the covenant of grace Not enough that men be born living and lively except a care be had of their preservation so in the case of spirituall life not enough that we be admitted into the covenant of grace except we be confirmed in grace we may lose our former hopes of future glorie to begin in the spirit doth not profit them who end in the flesh For which cause as the Scripture is full of exhortations to constancy and perseverance to make our calling and election sure So hath God ordained also a Sacrament for our preservation and certain confirmation in grace and holiness This is to us the tree of life and immortality here is provided for us that bread of life of which who so eateth shall live for ever here is that true Nectar and Ambrosia which doth continually renew the youth and the strength of the spirit of grace within us But of this more when we come to the benefits Now let this only be added That this Sacrament being ordained for this end it will hence follow that all those are to be barred from this Sacrament which without breach of charity may be thought as yet not admitted into the covenant of grace Such I count all persons unbaptized these must be sent first to the Laver of Regeneration before they be admitted to this Sacrament of confirmation In vain is food sought where there is no life This also must be thought upon by them that address themselves to this Sacrament This Sacrament was ordained to this end Do I propound the same end to my self in my partaking if not what good can I expect thence Should I propound to my self another end than that which God hath propounded Is then mine end to gain my confirmation in the state of Grace Doth not preservation presuppose admission and initiation How doth it appear to me further than by Register that I have been incorporated into Christ What fruits of my Baptism do I find and feel in my self Were I unbaptised in the flesh the Church would barr me shall I not barr my self till I find and feel my soul baptised with the blood of Christ Such meditations as these would help to dispose the soul and fit it for the Sacrament and for the benefits This is the next thing that we are to speak of CHAP. VIII The Benefits of Baptism THe Church in the book of Articles doth thus explain her self touching this particular That by Baptism as by an instrument the promises of Remission and of our Adoption to be the sonns of God by the holy Ghost are visibly sealed faith is confirmed and grace increased In the second

Baptism as it were by an ante-dated pardon is dangerous no no we may not say so what is past before Baptism is pardoned and mortified viz. originall sin in children actuall in men-grown not sins to come and uncommitted these are not pardoned we speak not of the intention of God to pardon but of actuall Remission not actually remitted till by repentance the soul of man be as it were re-baptised in the blood of Christ Briefly then to the question propounded I would give this Answer that Baptism doth profit us in respect of sinns committed afterwards not becaus they are pre-remitted or that in Baptism there is an ante-dated pardon granted but becaus in Baptism the blood of Christ is communicated to be a remedy at hand ready for application which application must daily be made by the hand of faith if we desire dayly pardon hence we are taught in the fift petition to pray for our daily pardon wherin doubtless we pray for what we want and not for what we have already yet because this remedy is not de Novo given every day but once for all in Baptism therefore we say That the Efficacy of Baptismall Remission doth in some sence extend it self to the sinns of afterward This for Remission REGENERATION is intended in those words of the Church A new birth to Righteousness As sinn is purged away so also the Spirit of grace bestowed in Baptism to be as the habit or rather as the seed whence the future Acts of grace and holiness watered by the word of God and good education may in time spring forth This Spirit is promised to be conveyed by Baptism Act. 2.38 wherupon Saint Paul calleth Baptism the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost This was confirmed visibly in the Baptism of Christ. The holy Ghost descended on him comming up out of the water Matt. 3.16 Nor only then but in the Acts of the Apostles we find the sensible manifestations of the Spirit still mentioned with relation to Baptism which doubtless the providence of God did so order and dispose of that by their sight and sence their faith might be established touching the efficacy of the Sacrament This is that immortall seed wherof Saint Peter speaketh and which Saint Iohn mentioneth as the preservative of the faithfull from the sinn of finall Apostacy the sinn unto death Hereupon our Church remembring that our Saviour joyneth water and the spirit in the work of Regeneration doth in her Liturgy of Baptism pray for the Infants that they may be baptised with water and the holy Ghost that God would please to sanctifie them and wash them with the holy Ghost that they may receiv Remission of sinns by spirituall Regeneration that God would give his holy Spirit to these Infants that they may be born again that not only the old Adam and all carnall affections may dy in them and be buried but also that the new man and all things belonging to the spirit may be raysed up may live and grow in them that so they may have power and strength to prevail against to triumph over the Divell the World and the flesh finally that they which are then baptised in this water may receiv the fulness of his grace hereupon our Church looking upon the gracious promise doth after the act of Administration of Baptism give thanks for this benefit that it hath pleased God to regenerate the Infant with his holy Spirit Thus much for the Benefits of Baptism CHAP. IX The Benefits of the Lords Supper AS by Baptism we are incorporated into and made one with Christ So by the Lords Supper is this Union continued It is the exhortation of our blessed Saviour to his Disciples whom he compareth to branches ingrafted into the Vine saith he Abide in me and I in you using this as a Motive As the branch cannot bear fruit of it self except it abide in the Vine no more can yee except yee abide in me And his prayer for them he concludeth with this That the love wherwith thou O righteous Father hast loved me may be in them and I in them By which places and passages is intimated a mutuall and reciprocall incorporation of Christ in us and of us in Christ. Now if we ask how this is wrought and how discerned heare Saint Iohn hereby saith he we know that he abideth in us by the spirit which he hath given unto us and again more fully hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his spirit It is then the spirit which is the immediate worker of this mutuall union betwixt Christ and his Church But further would we know how and by what ordinance the spirit doth work this union The Apostle Paul helpeth us saying by one Spirit are we all baptised into one body and have been all made to drink into one Spirit Thus plainly manifesting the Sacraments to be the Instruments of the Spirit in working this Union and Communion but of all the rest most full is that text of our blessed Saviour he that ●ateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him that is becometh one with me and I with him This is so much more manifest in this Sacrament if we mark the analogy betwixt the sign and the thing signified bread and wine the food of the body becometh one with the body So is it here Christs body and blood united to us and made one with us by an un-speakable and unseparable conjunction Only here is the difference that bread of Earth is changed into thy body because thou art more excellent than it but this bread which came down from heaven is more excellent and active than thou art and therfore by little and little doth spiritualize and as it were change thee into it By all which it is evident that the primary grace and benefit conferred by the Sacrament is as I said before our incorporation into Christ our union with him The secondary and so the peculiar grace of the Lords Supper is as the Catechism hath well expressed it the strengthning and refreshing of our souls by the body and blood of Christ as our bodys are by the bread and wine Bread doth nourish and strengthen the body Psal. 104.15 Hence that phrase the staff of Bread becaus as a staff doth uphold and strengthen the weak and feeble knees so doth bread strengthen the drooping spirits So doth the body of Christ well and worthily received strengthen the soul in grace and holiness Wine cheareth the heart and quickneth the spirits So doth the blood of Christ revive the drooping soul gladdeth the heavy heart causeth spirituall joy and exultation Thus that naturall quality which God hath placed in the Elements to work upon the body doth most excellently manifest that spirituall efficacy which is in the body and blood of Christ to work upon the soul even to produce