the Minister the outward signes are giuen by the hands of the Minister whether he be good or euill but the truth and substance of the Sacraments is giuen by God the Father Whosoeuer confoundeth these parts and workes robbeth God of his glory depriueth himselfe of the grace of Christ offered and maketh flesh his arme Wherefore as the workes of God and of the Minister are distinct so must these parts remaine distinguished howsoeuer to the faithfull they are not separated and sundred as in the publishing and preaching of the Gospel the Minister speaketh vnto the outward man and the sound therof entreth into the eare g Act. 16 14. but it is God that openeth the heart and speaketh to the conscience of the faithfull hearer Secondly it serueth to strengthen our faith and helpe Vse 2 our weakenesse when we come to the Sacrament So often as we see the Ministers of God appointed by him deliuering the signes and setting them apart to their ends for which they were ordained we must behold with the eie of faith God the Father offering his Sonne to those that can receiue him For if we come aright we may assure our owne hearts that what the Minister doth outwardly the same the Father performeth inwardly then which there cannot be a greater comfort Let vs therefore behold with our eyes the Sacramentall rites let vs heare the promises that God maketh vnto vs God the Father will verifie them who hath h Iohn 6 32. sealed vp his Sonne vnto vs. My Father giueth you that bread from Heauen Hee will as surely giue Christ as the Minister deliuereth the bread wine Albeit the Sacraments should be ministred by some hypocrite and wicked man yet they haue as much force and as great efficacy as if they were ministred by faithful and godly men The vertue of the Sacraments hangeth vpon the Minister no more then the goodnesse of seede dependeth vpon the sower which if it light in good ground wil bring forth plentifull fruit albeit it be sowne of an vngodly and vnskilfull man Thirdly consider heere the difference betweene a Sacrament and a Sacrifice For wee learne from Vse 3 hence that God the Father in the Sacraments doth giue his owne Sonne to the true receiuers True it is a Sacrament and a Sacrifice haue some affinity and agreement the one with the other They haue this in common that both were instituted of God and haue him for the author of them In both of them there are outward actions which haue inward significations for the killing of beasts shewed plainely what our condition is both that we are guilty of death and could not be deliuered but by an offering for sinne and that Christ Iesus is the true oblation to be offered to God vpon the Altar of the Crosse for our sinnes Neuerthelesse they differ also in diuers respects as first in the end The end of a Sacrament is not to offer it vp to God but that it bee offered to vs and receiued of vs. The Minister offereth the signe God the Father offereth the thing signified wee receiue the outward element at the hand of the Minister wee receiue the inward grace at the hand of God But the nature of a Sacrifice is that we giue it or offer it vp to God according to his owne ordinance whereupon also it is called an offering or oblation True it is also that some of the Sacraments of the old Testament vnder the law were after a sorte externall Sacrifices as the Paschall Lambe howbeit it is not so in the Sacraments of the Church of Christ because the perfect Sacrifice of Christ once onely offered hath abolished and abrogated all outward Sacrifices Againe they differ the one from the other in the outward forme and manner of doing Leuit. 16 5. For the Sacrifices were burned in part or in whole with fire to note out the purity of Christs Sacrifice and the eternall Spirite Heb. 9 14. by which he was offered to God whereas they were properly called by name of Sacraments which were eaten or applyed to the bodye and therefore altar was appointed for the Sacrifices but a Table for the Sacraments that were eaten CHAP. X. Of the second inward part of a Sacrament HItherto of the first inward part a The second part of a Sacrament is the holy Spirite the second inward part of a Sacrament is the holy Spirite as Math. 3. Hee shall baptize you b Mat. 3 11. with the Holy-Ghost and fire So in Christs Baptisme when he was baptized prayed the c Luke 3 22. Holy-Ghost descended in a visible shape like a Doue vpon him And Paul saith d 1 Cor. 12.13 By one Spirite we are all baptized into one body whether we be Iews or Graecians whether we be bond or free and haue been all made to drinke into one Spirite And the Apostle layeth downe the circumcision of the heart by the Spirite Rom. 2 29. Hee is a Iew which is one within and the circumcision is of the heart in the Spirite So the same Apostle Titus 3 5 6. According to the mercy of God he saued vs by the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy-Ghost which he shed on vs abundantly through Iesus Christ our Sauiour Nothing can bee fruitefull and profitable without his gracious worke in vs he worketh and setleth the worde of promise in our hearts and therefore we must necessarily hold the blessed Spirit to be an inward part of the Sacrament making it and all other ordinances of God auaileable Vse 1 Now let vs proceed to the vses of this point being the second inward part And first of all is the Spirite of God the sealer vp of the promises after that we beleeue according to the doctrine of the Apostle After that ye beleeued f Ephes 1 13. ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise Then as often as we heare the promise vttered by the Minister it confirmeth vs that the Father by his Spirit worketh the same in our hearts The water in baptisme cannot by any force and vertue inherent in it wash our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God as it hath power to wash away the filth and corruption of our bodies The bread and wine in the Lords Supper haue no inherent strength to nourish the soule to eternal life as they haue to strengthen the body they are instruments of the Holy Ghost who worketh by them to the great comfort of the faithfull Grace is not contained and shut vp in them as water in a vessell or as a medicine in a boxe the Spirite helpeth our infirmities sealing vp to our consciences the fruite of the word that is heard and of the Sacramentall signes that are seene But because this doctrine is contradicted by the defenders of the Popish faith it shall not be amisse briefly to propound their chiefest obiections whereby they would proue that the outward signes in
the forgiuenesse of sinnes and of our adoption in Christ Doth not the ſ Rom. 8 15 16. Holy Ghost testifie vnto vs particularly the adoption of children the remission of sinnes and saluation of our soules As Rom. 8. Wee haue not receiued the Spirite of bondage to feare but the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father the Spirite beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the children of God In these words Gods sanctifying Spirit our sanctified spirit are made the two witnesses of our adoption This we must certainely beleeue by faith And this made the Apostle t Rom. 8 38.39 most confident in the end of the same Chapter saying I am perswaded that neyther death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. If any obiect we may hope well for forgiuenes of sins but we cannot beleeue the same I answere Faith and hope cannot be separated they doe alwayes as louing friends accompany each other they are neuer sundered and diuided so that if we may be assured of our saluation by hope it followeth we may be certainely perswaded True hope followeth true faith as the effect doth the cause and no man can truely hope that is not truely assured Besides this is the property of hope u Rom. 5 4 5. it neuer maketh any ashamed they shall not be confounded and disappointed they shall attaine vnto the thing hoped for according to the doctrine of the Apostle Experience bringeth foorth hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is giuen vnto vs. Hitherto of the first end of a Sacrament CHAP. XIIII Of the second vse of a Sacrament THe second end of a Sacrament is this a The second vse of a Sacrament is to be a seale of the Couenant It serueth to bee a seale of the Couenant betweene God and vs that hee will bee our God and we will be his people as Gen. 17 I am God b Gē 17 1 11 all-sufficient walke before me and be vpright The Sacraments are assured testimonies and confirmations of the fauour and good will of God who is well pleased toward vs in Christ his Sonne By them as by certaine pledges giuen and receiued God of his great mercy doth as it were binde himselfe to vs wee binde our selues to him to remaine his people and to walke in obedience before him for they bee as strong chaines to compasse vs as sure cords to hold vs and as fast knots to keepe vs that we do not depart from him and cast off the feare of his name Circumcision was a seale of Gods promise to Abraham and a seale of Abrahams faith and obedience toward God But let vs see what c What the couenant is betweene God man this couenant is what are the Articles of agreement betweene God and vs and what things each part interchangeably couenanteth and contracteth each toward other The couenant of God in respect of himselfe hath three parts He promiseth d Rom 11 26 Ier. 33 8. Esay 43 25. first of all forgiuenesse of our sinnes for The deliuerer shall come out of Sion and shall turne away the vngodlinesse from Iacob and this is my couenant to them when I shall take away their sinnes Secondly the adoption e Ier. 31 31.32 33. 2 Cor. 6 16.18 Zach. 8 8. of sonnes and acceptation of vs to be his children ioyned with the promise of his cōtinuall fauour loue grace and protection as Iere. 31. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will make a new couenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Iudah not according to the couenant that I made with their fathers when I tooke them by the hand to bring them out of the Land of Egypt the which my couenant they brake although I was an husband vnto them saith the Lord but this shall be the couenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people Behold the indenture of couenants written by the finger of God wherein for better assurance he hath bound himselfe to forgiue our sins promised to be our mercifull God And to the end there might be a paire of these indentures interchangeably giuen each to other party the Lord by the hand of the Apostle writing to the Hebrewes hath drawn as it were the counterpane of the former word for word expressed as it is in the Prophet f Heb. 8 10 11 so that we haue a paire of indentures of couenants to shew the stablenes of his counsell The 3. part of the couenant in respect of God is g Reuel 21 4.7 the promise of the full possessiō of the heauenly inheritance and of eternall glory after this life as Reuel 21. God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow neither crying neither shall there be any more paine for the first things are passed he that ouercometh shal inherit all things Also cha 2. To him that ouercommeth will I giue to eate of the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradice of God he shall not be hurt of the second death he shal haue power giuen him ouer the Nations and rule them with a rod of iron he shal be cloathed with white array and I wil not put his name out of the booke of life hee shall be a pillar in the Temple of God shal go no more out I will grant to him to fit with me in my throne euen as I ouercame fit with my Father in his throne Thus we see how God on his part by writings and euidences promiseth to giue to his people remission of sins adoption of sons possession of heauen he hath couenanted by word by oth to performe these things neither is he as man that he should lie nor as the son of man that he shold deceiue These are great grants of great blessings by our great God to the great good cōfort of his childrē For what greater blessings can there be then being miserable sinners to be graciously pardoned being vtter enemies to bee freely accepted as sonnes beeing bondslaues and prisoners of hell to be made heires of heauen and saluation Againe the couenant on our part requireth three conditions for when men intend to couenant and contract one with another they set downe articles as well on the one side as on the other First faith to God to beleeue his promises as Iohn 3.16 God so loued the world that hee hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him
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
of Trent e Concil Trid. sess 7. can 1. 2. If any man shall say that the Sacraments of the new law were not all instituted by Iesus Christ let him be accursed Againe the place of the Apostle Iames maketh nothing for this forged Sacrament for there is a great difference and contrariety betweene the annointing that Iames speaketh of and the popish anealing Their Priests haue not the miraculous guift of healing whereof this annointing was an outward signe in the primitiue Church which custome afterward ceased when the guift of healing ceased being for a time granted to the Church for the credite of the Gospell As then the guift was temporall and for a season so must the signe be of the same standing and continuance and the guift being taken from the Church if the signe should remaine in vse and practise it should be but a lying signe For by the same reason f Iohn 5 4 9 6 7. the brooke of Siloam the poole Bethesda the clay and spittle which were sometimes vsed in healing the diseased the washing of feet might be accounted Sacraments as well as this being all signes of healing for a certaine season as also annointing with oyle was for the first times of the Church while it was in planting Thirdly the Apostle would haue all sicke persons annointed these do annoint with their greazy oyle onely such bodyes as are in a manner halfe dead euen while they lye in extremity and the life is striuing to come forth The Apostle would haue all the Elders called but one Masse-Priest only with them bringeth the box and annointeth the sicke man The Apostle assureth health to all that are thus annointed g Iam. 5 14 15. Mark 6 13. The prayer of faith shall saue him that is sicke and the Lord shall raise him vp So also Mar. 6. They cast out many diuels and they annointed many that were sicke with oyle and healed them whereby we see that restoring and recouering of health was certainely promised to follow the annointing But not one among many receiueth health after their popish annealing The Apostle speaketh of bodily health of the guift of miracles and of common oyle they prattle of forgiuenes of sins of a common and continuall guift of charmed and consecrate oyle and balme whereof notwithstanding can none be found of bowing their knees and saluting it saying Haile holy oyle haile holy oyntment haile holy balme nay which is more blasphemous their oyle they call The oyle of saluation wihch is to renounce saluation by Christ and to deny the holy Spirit to sanctifie the people of God Furthermore euery Sacrament must haue a word of institution but the words which they vse in annealing are a strange salutation of a dumbe and deafe creature not warranted nor found in Scripture as the words of consecration in the true Sacraments are and therefore wee cannot receiue it for a Sacrament but must account it an apish imitation and a popish tradition Moreouer wee haue prooued before chap. 8. that the element is consecrated when the Sacrament is ministred by praying thanksgiuing eating and drinking deliuering and receiuing breaking and pouring out blessing and reciting the institution therefore the oyle hallowed long before by the Bishop heated with breathing vpon it charmed with much murmuring saluted with bowing of the knee and other like trumperies that hallowing I say is fond superfluous and superstitious Lastly the effect and vertue of a Sacrament is spirituall grace in Christ but extreme vnction hath no spiritual grace in Christ sealed vp for the Apostle ascribeth h Iam 5 16. not the forgiuenes of sinnes to the annointing with oyle but to the prayer of faith Acknowledge saith he your faults one to another and pray one for another that yee may be healed for the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent and againe The prayer of faâ—th shall saue the sicke and the Lord shall raise him vp and if hee haue committed sins they shall be forgiuen him Where we see that the effect of pardon is ascribed to the force of prayer therefore extreme vnction is no Sacrament and so this greazing houseling and annointing is to be abandoned of the people of God What then will some say do you leaue the sicke without all comfort and consolation No i How the sick are to be annoinâ—ed we visite the sicke among vs and although wee doe not housle and annoint them with materiall oyle we annoint them with the precious oyle of the mercy of God we instruct them how to prepare themselues to leaue the world to depart this mortall life and to strengthen themselues in the assured hope of euerlasting life We say deare brother God sendeth his messenger Death to summon and arrest you to come into his presence k Gen. 3 19. Iob. 14 1 2. All the children of Adam are dust and to dust they must returne Man that is borne of a woman is of short continuance and full of trouble he shooteth foorth like a Flower and is cut downe he vanisheth also as a shaddow and continueth not Death is common l Psal 89 48. Heb. 9 27. to all flesh it is appointed to all men once to die It is the gate through which we must enter into heauen If we would liue for euer we must dye for the way to liue eternally is heere to dye Though the time be vncertaine where when or how we shall die yet nothing so certaine as that we must dye wee know not how soone This must not seeme strange vnto you for the whole life of a Christian should be nothing but a meditation of death being the end of all flesh wee should make account of euery day of our life as if it were the instant day of our death You must consider that nothing befalleth vs by chance or fortune al things are ruled and guided by the soueraigne prouideÌ„ce of almighty God all the haires of our head are numbred not one Sparrow falleth to the ground without the wil of your heauenly Father humble your selfe therefore vnder his mighty hand m Heb. 12 5 6 he correcteth euery childe whom hee loueth as Heb. 12. My sonne despise not the chastening of the Lord neither faint when thou art rebuked of him for whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth and he scourgeth euery son whom he receiueth Heereby then God tryeth and proueth your obedience patience and faith n Iam. 5 11. Iob. 13 15. as we see in the example of Iob who praised the name of God in all his miseries and if the Lord would kill him he would not cease to put his trust in him We exhort them to set their houses in order before they dye thereby to cut off hatred and contention and to stay quarrels and suites after their departure wherby oftentimes more is spent then was left then to forget the world and the things of the world and wholy to giue themselues to the
vouchsafeth to entertaine vs to receiue vs and to acknowledge vs for his children therefore wee must in euery estate depend vpon him honour him as our God serue him as our Maister obey him as our Lorde and looke for saluation from him as from our redeemer Againe as we haue beene baptized not in the name of one person alone not in the name of the Father alone or of the Sonne alone or of the holie Ghost alone but in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost so we must all beleeue and confesse as an article of our faith that the Trinitie in vnity and vnity in Trinitie is to bee worshipped For albeit there are three reckoned vp as speaking of many yet heere is also mentioned their name as speaking onely of one not of their names baptize them in the name of the three persons So many as deny the doctrine of the Trinity are iustly to be condemned of falshood and heresie Such is the Religion of the Iewes Greekes Turks Persians and in some sort the Papistes albeit in wordes these last acknowledge one God in three persons The Greeke Church at this day denieth in effect the God-head of the holy Ghost inasmuch as it holdeth him to proceede from the Father onely The Turks and Iewes do vtterly deny the deity both of the Sonne and of the Holy-Ghost the present Church of Rome more glorious in shew but not much more sound in faith hath defiled the whole Trinity with their Imagerie and set vp a false Christ partly denying him to bee GOD of himselfe and partly repealing all his offices so that howsoeuer they professe him in words and leaue him the name of a Sauiour yet they mâ—ke a mocke of his sacrifice and haue turned Christian religion into Anti-christian superstition Wherefore as we are baptized into the most worthy name of the blessed Trinity let vs hold fast the true profession thereof and renounce al errors and heresies oppugning our holy faith and depriuing vs of the sweet comfort we haue therein Vse 3 Thirdly are these words of institution baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost the outward forme of baptisme Then we hold that manner of baptizing must be retained this ought not to be changed no other ought to be vsed then this prescribed by Christ our Sauiour We must not therefore let passe or leaue out any of the three persons in Trinity as some hereticks haue done though we shal vnderstand the other by naming and speaking of one Obiection If any say that the Apostles baptized in the name of Christ as Act. 2.38 and chap. 10 48. Answere and 19 5. To this obiection I answere the Apostles do not set downe in those places the forme of baptisme or the words of institution but the substance and end which is to assure remission of sinnes in the name of Christ They shew not the forme but the fruite not how it should bee ministred but what spirituall grace is signified thereby For why should the disciples change the ordinance of their maister who deliuered nothing to the Churches but what d 1 Cor. 11 23 they receiued of the Lord Againe it cannot be denyed but that the Apostles e Act. 10 47. and 15 2. baptized in this forme in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy-Ghost as Acts 10 ver 47. Can any forbid water that these should not be baptized which haue receiued the holy-Ghost as wel as we As if he should say these haue receiued the guifts of the Holy-Ghost therfore they may be baptized in the name of the Holy-Ghost And more plainely Act. 19. when the Disciples had answered Paul that they knew not whether there were an Holy-Ghost he saith Vnto what were yee then baptized Whereby he sheweth it was the manner and custome to baptize in the name of the Holy-Ghost and consequently of the whole Trinity The Euangelists also teach that at the baptisme of Iohn the Father Sonne and Holy-Ghost were present And as he baptized with the same matter why should we imagine hee obserued not the same forme that Christ commanded expresly to his Apostles Nay seeing in the baptisme of Iohn we haue proued there was the same promise the same grace the same vertue the same signe the same signification which was in the baptisme of the Apostles as we haue proued before why shold we only doubt of the words of institution Or why should we imagine that the forme should be altered and changed Wherefore we conclude that the Apostles would not alter any thing of the direct and expresse words of their Lord Maister f Mat. 28.19 prescribed Math. 28. where he chargeth them both what to preach and how to baptize For as he enioyneth them to teach the Nations to obserue whatsoeuer he commanded them so he willeth them to baptize in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy-Ghost And as they altered nothing in the matter of teaching no more did they in the maner of baptizing considering that as the doctrine they preached was the doctrine of God so the Sacraments they deliuered were the SacrameÌ„ts of God and they had no more leaue in the one then liberty in the other If then any should baptize otherwise then in the name of the Trinity or should name the Sonne to be vnequall to the Father or should deny the proceeding of the Holy-Ghost or should baptize in the name of the Virgin Mary and the Saints this cannot be the Sacrament of Baptisme instituted by Christ but a ceremony made void and frustrate by our owne inuentions CHAP. V. Of the third outward part of Baptisme THe third outward part of Baptisme a Water another outward part of Baptisme is the element of water which is the matter whereof baptisme consisteth This truth is taught in diuers places of the new b Mat. 3 â— Iohn 1 31 33. Testament as Math. 3 9. Indeede I baptize with water And Ioh. 1 Because he should be declared to Israel therefore am I come baptizing with water I knew him not but he that sent mee to baptize with water he saide vnto me vpon whom thou shalt see the spirit come downe and tarry still on him that is hee which baptizeth with the holy Ghost So Acts 8 36. As they went on their way they came vnto a certaine water and the Eunuch sayde See heere is water what doth let me to be baptized Then hee commanded the Chariot to stand stâ—ll and they went downe both vnto the water both Phillip and the Eunuch and hee baptized him And Chap. 10. Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized which haue receyued the holy Ghost as well as wee Nothing is so apt to set forth the bloode of Christ and his merits as water which is fit to clense and wash and leaueth no filth behinde vpon the body by which
owne hearts so often as we see it administred let vs not rest in it as in a worke done to another and nothing concerning our selues but euermore helpe our inward affection by the outward action and alwayes as the eye of the body beholdeth the Minister let the eye of our faith be fastened â—iâ—mely vpon the Father who maketh the Sacramentall rites auaileable which are openly done before vs for our edification Vse 2 Againe it teacheth that we must not rest in the outward washing not in the externall actions of the Minister but euer consider what is offered to our considerations therin and when the Father offereth to vs his Sonne let vs not refuse him For he that satisfieth himselfe with the outward worke is as he that catcheth after the shaddow and regardeth not the substance or as one that maketh much of the garmeÌ„ts but respecteth little the body it selfe which ought to be had in greatest price and estimation The Minister taketh the water and washeth the bodye which is a pledge of a farther thing for then doth the Father apply the promise of remission of sinnes and life euerlasting to the person baptized as if he should speake with a loud voice and call the party by his name while the outward signe is powred on the body I freely wash away thy sinnes and giue vnto thee the pardon of them and bestow vpon thee eternall life so that thou turne vnto me and beleeue in Christ thy Sauiour Let vs then as true beleeuers by a speâ—iall faith reâ—eiue and apprehend his mercifull promises and rest in them Let this cause vs to turne vnto him by vnfained repentance and to walke with all obedience in his waies Seeing therefore he doth so graâ—iously assure vs of his great mercies with his owne hand seale woe vnto vs if we be not muâ—h moued and affected with it Vse 3 Lastly is God the Father an inward part of baptisme Then we must take heed wee giue not that to the Minister which is proper to God the Father whereby he iâ—â—obbed of the honour and glory due to his great name The Minister may wash the body and cleanse the flesh but can goe no further he medleth not with sanctification of the conscience from dead workes which is not in the power of mortall man to do so that God giueth the thing and men giue the signe yea while the Minister ofâ—â—eth the one God the Father giueth the other CHAP. IX Of the second inward part of Baptisme THe second inward part of baptisme a The second inward part of baptisme iâ— the holy Spirite is the Spirite of God hauing relation to the word and promise of God Thiâ— b Mat. 3 11.10 appeareth Mat. 3 11. He baptiâ—eth with the Holy Ghost and with fire And verse 10. When Christ waâ— baptized the heauenâ— were opened vnto him and he saw the Spirit descending like a Doue and lighting vpon him So the apostle 1 Cor. 6. saith Ye are washed ye are sanâ—tified ye are iustâ—fied in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our God And chap. 12. of the same Epistle By one Spirite wee are all baptiâ—ed into one body whether we be Iewes or Grâ—eâ—ianâ— whether we be bond or free and haue beene all made to drinke into one Spirite And Tit. 3. According to his mercy he saued vs by the washing of the new both and the renewing of the Holy-Ghost which he shed on vs aboundantly through Iesus Christ our Sauiour All these testimonie teach vs that the holy Spirite of God iâ— a necessary inward part of this Sacrament and that the baptisme of the Spirite ioyned to the word giueth force vnto it who worketh in our souleâ— that which water doth in our bodies so that without the Spirite it is nothing From hence we learne that it is not the dipping of vs Vse 1 into or the sprinkling of vs with water by the Minister that maketh vs partakers of Christ but it commeth from the vertue of the Spirite who in time performeth what is represented by outward signes and promised by the word Againe we learne heereby that the Spirite is true God Vse 2 equall with the Father and the Sonne For who is able to make the word and Sacraments auaileable but onely God Seeing then this is the proper worke of the Holy-Ghost to open the heart to teach the conscience to seale vp to the day of redemption and to helpe our infirmities in hearing in praying and receiuing the Sacraments hee must needs be acknowledged to be true God the c 1 Cor. 12 4.5 8 9 10 11. Reuel 1 4. giuer of these graces So we see that in the forme of the administration of this Sacrament the blessed Spirite is named and rehearsed d Mat. 28 19. and hath his order together with the Father and the Sonne This therefore is a principle of our faith to be learned confessed and beleeued Vse 3 Thirdly we are heereby to take heede and beware that we giue not to the word that which is proper to the Spirit he ingrafteth vs into Christ he keepeth vs that we fall not from Christ he maketh the word and promise of the institution profitable vnto vs without whom it should be vnto vs as sounding brasse or a tinckeling Cymball Wherefore as GOD the Father in mercy maketh the promise so his Spirite must assure it to the Consciences of all the faithfull Vse 4 Lastly let vs learne whensoeuer we come to the word or Sacraments to craue the gracious assistance of the blessed Spirit to guide direct and regenerate vs to eternall life to sanctifie vs e 1 Ioh. 5 7. and to assure vs of Gods endlesse fauour in Christ Iesus as 1. Ioh. 5. There be three which beare witnesse in heauen the Father the Word and the holy Sp rit and these three are one The Holy-Ghost by his grace and vertue worketh in vs stedfastly to beleeue the truth of Gods word and the gracious promises of saluation as he is the author beginner and begetter of faith in vs so he increaseth it maketh vs fit to receiue Christ and to apply him with all his guifts vnto our soules and sendeth vs into the full fruition and possession of Christ He is our comforter to certifie vs of our reconciliation to God and to make vs reioyce vnder the Crosse knowing that f RoÌ„ 5 3 4 5. tribulation bringeth foorth patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is shedde abroad in our hearts by the Holy-Ghost which is giuen vnto vs. He is the earnest and seale of our inheritance by whom wee are sealed vp to euerlasting life Thus we see that howsoeuer the increase and strength of faith is assigned to the Sacraments yet this grace proceedeth from the Holy-Gkost who is vnto our faith as marow vnto the bones as moysture vnto the tree and as a coÌ„fortable raine vnto the fruites of the
Father the word of institution is made effectuall by the holy Spirit the bread and wine are signes and seales representing the body and blood of Christ the outward actions of euery receiuer do note out the inward actions and spirituall workes of the faithfull Thus then the agreement answereth aptly and the proportion falleth fully betweene the parts c The agreemēt between the outward and inward parts As the Minister by the words of institution offereth vnto the Communicants the bread and wine to feed thereupon corporally and bodily so God the Father by the Spirit offereth and giueth the body and blood of Christ to the faithfull receiuers to feed vpon them spiritually Hence it is that the outward actions of the Ministers and the outward actions of the receiuers are said to be signes of the second kinde and therefore may fitly bee called parts of the Supper Now then let vs remember the sensible and externall actions of the Minister that thereby we may consider the spirituall and inward actions of God the Father And first of all the taking of the bread and wine into his hands and the consecrating or blessing of them by repeating the promise by prayers and thanksgiuings doth seale vp these holy actions of God the Father by which he from all eternity euen before the foundation of the world did separate elect ordaine chuse and call his Sonne to performe the office of a Mediator betweene God and man and when the fulnesse of time came did send him into the world to performe that office whereunto he was appointed This wee see proued vnto vs in many places as Iohn 6. Labour not for the meate which perisheth but for the meate that endureth vnto euerlasting life which the Sonne of man shall giue vnto you for him d Ioh. 6 27. hath God the Father sealed that is hath installed him into his office to reconcile men vnto God and to bring them to euerlasting life And Gal. 1. Iesus gaue himselfe that he might deliuer vs from this present euill world e Gal. 1 4. according to the will of God euen our Father So that whatsoeuer Christ did he did it by the will and appointment of his Father According to the testimony of the Apostle Heb. 5. Christ tooke not to himselfe this honor to be made the High Priest f Heb. 5 5. but he that said vnto him Thou art my Sonne this day I begat thee gaue it him And as the Father ordained him to that office so in time he sent him as the Euangelist witnesseth g Luke 4 18. The Spirit of the Lord is vpon me because he hath annointed me that I should preach the Gospell to the poore binde vp the broken hearted preach liberty to the captiues c. So likewise 1 Ioh. 4. Heerein is that loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs and h Ioh. 4 10. sent his Sonne to bee a reconciliation for our sins And Gal. 4. When the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his Sonne made of a woman and made vnder the law that he might redeeme them that are vnder the law Thus we see the inward actions of God the Father answering to the outward actions of the Ministers who being rightly called of God do worke with him and are the dispensers of his secrets Vse 1 Now let vs come to the vses of this part First of all this sealing and sending of his Sonne serueth to confirme and assure vs of our saluation in Christ For seeing God hath annointed and appointed him into this office our faith cannot faile our confidence cannot fal our hope cannot make ashamed i Rom. 5 5. seeing the loue of God is thus shed abroad in our harts through the Holy-Ghost k Rom. 8 16. who beareth witnes with our spirit that we are the children of God by whom wee l Eph. 4 30. are sealed vnto the day of redemption Vse 2 Againe let vs seeke saluation no where else then in him alone whom God the Father hath sealed and set apart to that end For euen as the body is nourished by no other meats and drinkes then by such as m Deut. 8 3. Mat. 14 4. God hath appointed to this purpose n Ezek. 14 13 Leuit. 25 26 as a staffe to sustaine vs so is the soule fed by no other meanes then God hath before ordained The cause of our saluation is in the loue of God toward vs which is notably represented by the taking and blessing of the outward elements He might haue left vs to our selues to worke out our owne destruction but his mercy is greater then his iustice Thirdly by these outward actions of the Minister we Vse 3 must seeke confirmation strength of our faith being assured that God the Father tooke his Sonne and appointed him to these ends We must not wander and gaze about and thinke we haue nothing to do but when we take and receiue the bread and the cuppe into our hands we must in euery sacramentall rite consider the things signified and ponder in our hearts the fitnesse and agreement betweene them both So then as we behold with our bodily eyes the Minister representing the person of the Father taking blessing and separating the bread and wine to that bodily vse so surely and certainely wee must learne that God the Father hath ordained and sent his onely begotten Son o Mat. 17 5. and 3 17. in whom he is well pleased to be the Mediator for the pardon of our sins Hence we see the infinite loue of God toward vs and let vs labour to comprehend p Eph. 3 18.19 the length bredth height and depth thereof that spared not his own Sonne q Rom. 32. but gaue him for vs all vnto the death hence we see that exceeding compassion of the Son that loued his enemies more then himselfe and accounted not his owne life precious to himselfe hence we see the gracious and glorious worke of our redemption wherein the mercy and iustice of God r Psal 85 10. meete together and kisse each other teaching vs to take sweet delight and comfort in the meditation thereof day and night with all thanksgiuing hence wee haue assurance of saluation and consolation in all troubles and tentations hence we see the greatnes of our owne sinnes that could not be pardoned but by the death of the Son of god and therefore we must hate them with an vnfained hatred as our greatest most dangerous and deadly enemies and lastly hence we see that if God the Father thus loued vs we ought earnestly to loue him againe and to serue him in all duties of holinesse and true righteousnesse neither ought we to loue him onely but for him all our brethren as the Apostle reasoneth 1 Ioh. 4 11. Brethren if God so loued vs wee ought to loue one another Thus we haue shewed how the taking of the bread by the Minister signifieth the
Fathers appointing of his Son the Ministers blessing the Fathers separating and setting apart his Sonne to his office the Ministers deliuering of the bread the Fathers giuing of his Sonne If then wee draw neere to the Lords table with faith reuerence and repentance nothing can be more sure and certaine to vs then the taking and receiuing of Christ for when we receiue the bread from the Minister wee withall receiue the body of Christ offered by the hand of God the Father so that as we are assured of the one we need not doubt of the other Vse 4 Lastly the breaking of the bread pouring out of the wine and deliuering of them both into the hands of the Communicants seale vp these actions of God his chastising of his Sonne and breaking him with sorrowes vpon the Crosse for our redemption offering him vnto all euen vnto hypocrites and giuing him truely to the faithfull with all the benefits of his passion Indeed the Minister giueth the outward signes to all receiuers but God giueth and applyeth onely to the faithfull the shedding of Christs blood for the daily increase of their faith and repentance But heere it may be obiected Obiection that not a bone of him was broken t Exod. 12 45 as it was figured by the Passeouer and performed at his passion the verifying and accomplishment whereof we reade Iohn 19 36. I answere Answere there is a double breaking of Christ one corporall whereof the places before doe speake the other figuratiue whereby is vnderstood u Esa 53 4.5 hee was tormented and euen torne with paines as Esa 53. He was wounded for our transgressions and broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes we are healed Lo what is meant by the breaking of the bread his soule was tormented his spirit was crushed his hands and feet were pierced he sweat drops of Water and blood and cryed out aloud vpon the Crosse My Maâ— 27 46. God my God why hast thou forsaken me Wherefore let these rites be rightly marked and obserued of vs for our comfort and consolation Let vs when wee see the bread broken and wine poured out meditate on the passion of Christ how he was wounded and torne for our transgressions Although not a bone of his body was broken in pieces yet hee was broken with afflictions bruised with sorrowes and tormented with bitter anguish of his soule by whose stripes we are healed by whose condemnation we are iustified by whose agonies we are comforted by whose death we are quickened Whosoeuer resteth in the outward workes done before his eyes neuer attaineth to the substance of the Sacrament Thus much of the first inward part CHAP. IX Of the second inward part of the Lords Supper THe second inward part is the a The second inward part of the Lords Supper is the holy Spirit holy Spirit who assureth vs of the truth of Gods promise As we haue in the word of truth the forgiuenes of sins increase of faith groweth in sanctification a great measure of dying to sin and a greater care to liue in newnes of life promised vnto vs so doth the Spirit worke these things b Rom. 8 15. Gal. 3 2 5. in the hearts of all the faithfull This appeareth in many places Rom. 8. Ye haue receiued the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father the same Spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God To one is giuen by the Spirit the word of wisedome to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit to another is giuen faith by the same Spirit all these things worketh one and the selfe same Spirit distributing to euery man seuerally as he will So then as we are weake in faith and slow to beleeue so wee haue the Spirit giuen vnto vs to helpe our infirmities and to open our hearts to receiue the promises For the Lord Iesus raigning continually in his Church and performing the office of a Prophet doth make the words of his Ministers liuely by his Spirit in our hearts and causeth them to be of perpetuall force and efficacy assuring vs of his promises made vnto vs and vniting the signe with the thing signified This truth being cleared the vses offer themselues Vse 1 to be câ—nsidered And first of all inasmuch as the Spirite worketh these things in the hearts of all the faithfulll from hence we gather that such as neuer finde any change or renewing of the minde or reformation of life after the receiuing of the Sacraments may iustly suspect themselues whether euer they had faith or not and whether euer they repented or not and therefore ought to vse the meanes to come by faith and repentance For the worke of the Spirite accompanieth the outward worke in the elect of God as also we see in the hearing of faith preached he must open the heart that is closed vp before wee can receiue with meekenesse c Iam. 1 21. the word of that is grafted in vs which is able to saue our soules Indeed euery person present may heare the words of institution may see the wine poured out may eat of that bread and drinke of that cup as they may also heare the sound of the voice that commeth vnto them but the whole force effect and power resteth onely in the Spirit of God sealing vp the truth and substance of those things in the hearts of all the Children of God Vse 2 Againe seeing these things are done and performed by the working of the Spirit they are confuted and conuinced that thinke they cannot be made partakers of the body and blood of Christ and be vnited to his flesh vnlesse his body be shut vp vnder the accidents of bread and shewes of wine and so his flesh be giuen vnto vs carnally that we may eate him with our mouths and conuey him into our stomackes But we see heere the Holy-Ghost is the bond of this vnion he worketh in vs faith which pierceth the heauens and layeth hold on Christ It is said of Abraham the Father of the faithfull that d Ioh. 8 56. he reioyced to see the day of Christ he saw it and was glad For as we cannot see him with our bodily eyes nor heare him with our bodily eares nor touch him with our bodily hands no more can wee taste or eate him with our bodily mouths By the hand of faith we reach and apply him by the mouth of faith we receiue and eate him Let vs beleeue in Christ and we e Aug. tract in Iohn 26. 27. haue eaten Christ let vs not prepare our teeth and our belly but a liuely faith working by loue Wherefore albeit the humane nature of Christ goe not out of the highest heauens yet we that liue vpon the earth are partakers of his bodye contained in the heauens and his flesh and blood are communicated to vs as truely and effectually as if he were there
those from the number of Sacraments which want the warrant of the word The third outward part of a Sacrament is p Marke 1 5. the signe for wheresoeuer there is a Sacrament there must of necessity be an outward element so that neyther must wee make an Idoll of the Signe by aduancing it too high nor cleane abolish it as the Church of Rome dooth by their doctrine of Transubstantiation The last outward part is the q Gene. 17 12 Receiuer so that the Sacraments without their lawfull vse are no Sacraments at all so long as the signes are reserued and not applyed The inward partes also are Å¿ 1 Cor. 3.7 foure First God the Father offering and applying Christ Iesus as surely as the Minister doth the outwarde signe which is a great comfort to such as come to the Sacraments The second inward part of a Sacrament is t Titus 3.56 the holy Spirit working by the worde so that wee can neuer heare the word or receiue the Sacraments aright without the speciall direction and inspiration of the spirit of God neither must we hang vpon extraordinary reuelations which openeth a wide doore vnto all disorders inasmuch as the Spirite is not separated from the word The third inward part is Iesus u 1 Cor. 10 3 Christ who is the truth the life of all Sacraments nowe if God the Father haue giuen him vnto vs a Rom 8 32. how shal he not with him giue vs al things else Let vs therefore lay hold vpon him especially in all difcomfits and troubles when our faith is assaulted by the enemies of our saluation The last inward part is the faithfull Receiuer for except we b Ro 14 23 send out faith to bring Christ home to dwell with vs in our hearts we shall in vaine looke to receiue profite by the Sacraments so that the Reprobate who are vessels of wrath and the children of perdition cannot receiue Christ albeit they partake the signes of Christ As for the elect who are the Lords fealed vp to the day of redemption before their conuersion and gathering into the sheepefold of Christ they also onely receiue the outwarde signe without Christ inasmuch as they are without faith but after they are called with an holie calling effectually and haue receiued to beleeue vnfaignedly they are partakers both of the signe and of the thing signified These are the outward and inward parts Now there c Actes 8 36 is a fit proportion and agreement betweene these partes each verie aptly answering the other For euen as the minister by the word of Institution offereth and applyeth visibly the outward element to the bodie of the Receiuer so the father by the spirit offereth and applieth Iesus Christ inuisibly to the faithfull receiuer Wee shewed before that in a Sacrament wee are to obserue two points his parts and his vses Hitherto we haue spoken of all the parts both such as are outward and such as are inward Now it remaineth to handle his vses The vses of a Sacrament d 3. cheefe vses of a Sacrament are chiefelie three first e Rom. 4 11. to strengthen secondly f Ge. 17 1 11. to seale vp the couenant betweene God and vs thirdlie g Ephes 2 11 to be a Badge of our profession and as a banner displayed to witnesse our warefare vnder our chiefe Captaine Christ Iesus If these be the true vses and ends of the Sacraments then we learne to take notice of h Mark 9 23 our owne failinges and infirmities of Faith that GOD refuseth none for weakenesse and wauering of Faith i Rom. 4 11 that there is an assurance of Fayth to be attained vnto in this life that as God euermore keepeth his promise with his people k Num 23 15. who is not as man that hee should lie l 1 Iohn 3 13 nor as the sonne of man that hee should deceiue so must we be carefull to keepe the Articles of agreement betweene God and vs namely to beleeue his word to loue our bretheren to obey his will that the Sacraments belong not to the vnfaithfull and can do them no good at all forasmuch as they be effectual vnto vs by faith Lastly as our priuiledges are great to beare the badges of Christ our Lord so it teacheth that we are not our owne m 1 Cor. 6 19 20. but are bought at a great price not with n 1 Pet. 1 18.19 coruptible things as siluer and gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lambe vnspotted and vndefiled Hitherto of the nature of the Sacraments now of the number of them as we vnderstand the word for such as are seales of our communion with Christ The Sacraments o The Sacraments of the new testameÌ„t are onely two of the new testament are two baptisme and the Lords Supper neither are there any moe left vnto the Church For Christ taught no moe p 1 Cor. 10 1.2 Act. 20 27. Sacraments to the Apostles the Apostles deliuered no moe to the Churches who yet were faithfull witnesses and reuealed the whole counsell of God without concealing and keeping backe of any doctrine which themselues had receiued Besides these two Sacraments are altogether perfect and sufficient both to enter a Christian into the Church and to retaine him continually in the same From this number of two Sacraments we learne first to acknowledge the great loue of God toward vs who hath eased vs of the r Act. 15 10. heauy burthen of infinite ceremonies prescribed in the law and deliuered vs Å¿ Aâ—g de dâ—â—â— Câ—â—â— â— 3. c. 9 a few Sacraments in stead of many Secondly we see heereby the difference betweene the old Testament and the new and betweene the Sacraments of the old Testament and the new they had sundry significant signes and ceremonies whose interpretation was not easily knowne vnto them Thirdly seeing God hath giuen vnto vs two signes and added two seales to his word and writings we ought to haue the stronger faith in his mercifull promises For wherefore hath he doubled the signes but that we should increase in faith as it were double our assurance of his graces Lastly this number of two ouerthroweth the number of seaueÌ„ Sacraments maintained in the Church of Rome which iust number was t 〈…〉 first broched by Peter Lumbard afterward ratified in the Counsell of Florence and lastly established in the Counsell of Trent and is now become the common doctrine of that counterfeit Church For besides baptisme and the Lords Supper which wee receiue they u The number of seauen Sacraments is faâ—se and forged haue installed into the number of SacrameÌ„ts Confirmation Penance Matrimony Orders and extreme Vnction contrary to the doctrine of the Scriptures contrary to the nature of Sacraments contrary to the euidence of sundry reasons And first of all a Confirmation no Sacrament Confirmation be lifted vp into the seate
compact which the eternall God hath in great mercy and compassion made with mortall and miserable men accepting them into grace and fauour promising to them remission of their sins and saluation of their soules The summe and effect of this Booke These things the iudicious Reader shall finde largely discussed in this Treatise which I haue therefore called The New Couenant because it layeth open the doctrine of the Sacraments which serue to confirme and strengthen vs in that Couenant and compact which the eternall God hath in great mercy and compassion made with mortall and miserable men accepting them into grace and fauour promising to them remission of their sins and saluation of their soules These my rude though renewed labours I willingly submit to the wise censure of my learned Brethren remembring that the spirits of the Prophets are subiect vnto the Prophets If I haue any where erred through humane infirmity 1 Cor. 14 32 or mistaken the matter any way which I go about to prooue or perswade I desire them heartily by some meanes to giue mee friendly notice thereof which I shall receiue as precious balme or as an excellent oyle that shall not breake my head Psal 141 5 The Lord God almighty from whom euery good giuing and euery perfect giuing proceedeth establish vs in the New Couenant and make vs carefull to keepe the conditions thereof to the increase of our knowledge to the growth of our faith to the furtherance of our obedience to the comfort of our soules and to the glory of his great name Amen Amen Thy Brother in Christ our Sauiour William Attersoll THE FIRST BOOKE OF THE Sacraments in generall Of the agreement and difference betweene the Word and Sacraments CHAP. 1. GOD euen from the beginning added vnto the preaching of the word a God alway gaue his sacraments to his Church his Sacramentes in the Church as the Scripture teacheth outwardly repesenting and visibly offering to our sight those things that inwardly hee performeth to vs as b Gen 2 9. the tree of life the tree of knowledge of good euil in the Garden After mans fall when a new necessity was added in regard of mans want and weakenesse he testified his loue and ratified his Coueant by sacrifices Ceremonies to our first Parents Hee gaue the c Gen. 6 14. Arke to Noah and his sonnes to confirme them in the promise which he made to them that they should not be drowned with the rest of the world Hee added to Abraham d Gen. 17 11. the signe of circumcision as a seale e Rom 4 11. of the righteousnesse of faith and to the Israelites hee gaue the Passeouer Manna oblations purifications the brazen Serpent the Rocke and such like spirituall tipes whereby he assured them of the promise that God for the onely sacrifice of Christ wrought vpon the Crosse would giue to all that beleeue forgiuenes of sinnes and euerlasting life Now the word of God may fitly bee resembled to writings and euidences and the f The agreemeÌ„t between the Word Sacraments Sacraments to seales which the Lord alone setteth to his owne letters They are as a visible Sermon preaching vnto vs most liuely the promises of God that as the worde wee heare doth edifie and instruct the minde by the outward eares so do the Sacraments by the eyes and other senses First then that wee may vnderstand the doctrine nature of the Sacraments wee are to consider what the word and Sacraments haue in common and how they agree one with another then what they haue peculiar and proper each to other and how they differ one from another The argument betweene them standeth in these points First both are of God and instruments which the Holye Ghost vseth to this ende to make vs more and more one with Christ and partakers of saluation not that God needeth them or that he is tyed vnto them for as he can nourish without meate and drinke so he can saue without word or Sacraments but because wee neede them hee vseth them when hee will and as often as it pleaseth him The same which is published and promised by the worde of God is signified and sealed by the Sacraments For they are not a deliuering of new promises and articles of faith but seale vp such as are offered in the word Secondly although God vse them as instruments of his grace yet the especiall working and forcible power of them is not in them but dependeth on God alone so that wee must not thinke that whosoeuer partaketh them is partaker of grace saluation forgiuenesse of sinnes and euerlasting glory but the vertue of them floweth from him onely as from a fountaine A man may heare the word and receiue the Sacraments all the dayes of his life and be neuer the better except God change the minde open the heart enlighten the vnderstanding cleanse the conscience and sanctifie the affections to his glory Thirdly as the preaching of the word profiteth nothing vnlesse it be vnderstood applied and receiued but g Heb. 4 1. tendeth to iudgement so the Sacraments except wee bring the hand of faith with vs cannot giue vs faith nor grace but tend to our condemnation Yet as the Gospell is alwaies the sauour of life vnto life of it owne nature and the h Heb. 4 12. word liuely and of comfortable operation howsoeuer the vnfaithfull turne it to be the sauour of death vnto death So the Sacraments cease not in themselues to bee true Sacraments although they bee administred by vnworthy Ministers and receiued by vnfaithfull people For mans wickednesse cannot peruert much lesse euert the nature of Gods ordinance Lastly as the best seede springeth not vp and bringeth not fruit so soone as it is sowne but lyeth a time couered in the earth to take rooting so the fruite reaped by the word and benefit receiued by the Sacraments presently appeareth not but groweth and increaseth at the time appointed of God who will blesse them in his elect at what season himselfe hath ordained Thus wee see what the word and Sacraments haue in common both are instruments of the same grace both haue their benefit blessing and force depending on God both require faith to bee mingled with them without which they are vnprofitable and lastly they profite not by and by at the same moment they are published administred heard or receiued but God afterward worketh oftentimes by them in his children to their great comfort when all fruite to come by them seemed to be buried The Disciples at the first vnderstood no more of Christs resurrection then the vnbeleeuing Iewes did when hee saide i Iohn 2 19. Destroy this Temple and I wâ—ll builde it againe in three dayes But they lay it vp in their hearts and long afterward remember the words he spake vnto them So wheÌ„ they saw Christ riding to Ierusalem the multitude spreading their garments in the way and cutting
downe branches k Mat. 21 8. from the trees the Citty moued and Children crying in the Temple Hosanna to the Sonne of Dauid they l Iohn 12 16. vnderstood none of those things at the first But when Iesus was glorified then remembred they that these things were written of him and that they had done such things vnto him If then at the present time of our hearing or receiuing we finde not nor feele the fruite and comfort we desire let vs not doubt and despaire but waite on God who in his owne apointed times will make his owne ordinances auaileable to all his seruants Thus much of the things that are common to the word and Sacraments In the next place let vs see m Difference betweene the word and sacraments what they haue proper peculiar and so differ one from another First forasmuch as the Sacraments are appurtenances and dependances to the word and are applied to this end to seale vp our communion with Christ our fellowship one with another it appeareth that in men of riper yeares the teaching and hearing of the word preached and the open confession and profession of faith did go before participation of the Sacraments as Math. 28. n Mat. 28 19. Goe teach all Nations that is make them Disciples of Christ gaine them to the faith as the word signifieth and then baptize them Thus Philip taught the Eunuch before hee baptized him Acts 8. to whom when the Eunuch said What letteth mee to be baptized Philip answered If thou beleeuest with all thine heart thou maiest and he said I beleeue that Iesus Christ is the Son of God And Acts 10. Can any forbid water that these should not be baptized which haue receiued the Holy-Ghost as well as we Indeede touching childrens baptisme there is another especiall respect to be had of which we shall speake afterward But touching others this is the 1. difference betweene them that whereas the word was offered euen to such as were out of the Church not hauing heard of the name of Christ and none excluded or debarred from the hearing of it whether beleeuers or vnbeleeuers holy or prophane Iew or Gentile Barbarian or Schythian 1 C. 14 No person being an vnbeleeuer or Infidell was euer admitted to the Sacraments although he should offer himselfe for that had beene to giue t Mat. 7 6. that which is holy to Dogges and to cast pearles before Swine but such only as were instructed in the faith and had made publike confession thereof as members of the Church Another difference is in the necessity end and vse aswell of the one as of the other The preaching of the word is the ordinary meanes and instrument of the Holy-Ghost to beget and begin faith in vs except God doe deale extraordinarily which of vs is not to be looked for and none hath entrance to Christ but by faith so that men if they will be saued must heare it But the Sacraments are of another nature they cannot ingender faith in vs we must bring faith with vs least we partake them vnworthily so that hee which beleeueth and could not come to the Sacraments is yet partaker of saluation Wherefore the necessity of them is not simply and absolutely so great that without exception a man cannot bee saued without them for it is the contempt not the want of them that bringeth danger and damnation Thirdly it may sometimes fall out that in a visible Church the word preached may be found as an essentiall note of the Church without the Sacraments and yet be a true Church of God so that the word may be without the Sacraments but the Sacraments cannot be without the word as a writing may bee without a seale but not the seale without the writing set a seale to a blanke and it is vaine voyde and vnprofitable Last of all the preaching of the word rouseth and affecteth onelye one of the senses to wit the eares wee see it not wee touch it not wee handle it not only wee heare the sound thereof but the Sacraments are offered to the eyes as well as to the eares so that wee doe euē behold Iesus Christ as it were crucified before vs nay they moue and stirre vp the rest of the senses whereby wee may vnderstand what they bring to what ende they serue and how they doe auaile vnto our faith making vs after a sorte to handle Christ with our hands and to see him with our eyes to taste him and touch him with our whole body Wherefore they do u How the sacraments are more effectuall then the word more seale vp then the word not that God is more true of his promise when he worketh by signes then when he speaketh by his word but in respect of the manner of teaching and receiuing because by his Sacraments hee representeth his promises as it were painted in a Table a Horat. lib. de arte pocti Segnius irritant animos demissa per aures quam quae sunt oculis subiecta fidelibus c. and setteth them foorth liuely as in a picture before our eyes that we may not only heare but see handle touch taste and euen digest them Againe the promise of the Gospel is more effectually declared and sealed vp by the Sacraments then by the bare word not for the substance and matter it selfe but for the manner of working which is heere full perfect and more effectuall so as that which wee perceiue and receiue by many senses as hearing and seeing is more sure and certaine then that which is discerned by hearing onely Hitherto of the agreements and differences betweene word and Sacraments and we haue shewed that so soone as God gaue his word immediately he seconded the same with his Sacraments The vses which wee are to make Vse 1 heereof are these First seeing God contenteth not himselfe with the word onely but addeth the Sacraments in all ages and times of the Church which proceedeth partly through his owne goodnesse and partly through mans weakenesse we ought to bee so farre from despising the Sacraments that contrary-wise we must confesse the benefite vse and worthinesse of them can neuer be sufficiently magnified and commended nor they with sufficient reuerence be receiued Wee are dull to conceiue his promises slow to remember them we are full of doubtting vnbeleefe we are like to Thomas b Iohn 20 25. one of the Disciples we will not beleeue them vntill in some sort we see them in some measure feele them in our hearts Wherefore God hath ordained these mysteries and holy actions to keepe in continuall memory his great benefits bestowed vpon man to seale vp his promises and as it were to offer vnto our sight those things which inwardly hee performeth to vs and thereby strengtheneth and increaseth our faith through the working of his Spirit in our soules An house the more props and postes it hath to sustaine support it the more weake and
ruinous it is whereas if it were strong enough it needed nothing to beare it vp euen so seeing God contenteth not himselfe with bestowing vpon vs and blessing of vs with his word but giueth vnto vs together with his word his holy Sacraments also so that our faith is not onely vnderset with the one but vnderpropped with the other it serueth to lay before our eyes our weakenesse our distrust and our vnbeleefe For if we had fulnesse and perfection of faith we should haue no neede eyther of the worde or Sacraments and therefore when this world shall haue an end the ministry of the word shall cease and the administration of the SacrameÌ„ts shall be abolished Seeing then the word is not sufficient but the Sacraments were added for further assurance wee must in this behalfe consider the great goodnesse of God towards vs who doth not onely giue vs faith by his word as by his sauing instrument but hath also added to his word Sacraments or seales of his promise and grace that by the lawfull vse of them he might vphold and strengthen our faith through his blessed Spirit For in asmuch as the Lorde not onely sent the blessed seede for the redemption of mankinde for the remission of our sinnes and for the brusing of the Serpents head but ordained for vs Sacraments to bee pledges of his promises testimonies of his faithfulnesse and remedies of our distrustfulnesse we must freely confesse and thankfullye acknowledge the bottomlesse depth of Gods endlesse mercy towards vs who vouchsafeth to be our God to be reconciled to vs being vile and miserable sinners to make a league couenant with dust and ashes and deliuer his onely Sonne to suffer the shamefull death of the Crosse for vs. And withall wee must â—abor more and more to feele our owne blindnesse distrust infidelity and peruerse nature wee would easily forget this mercy of God vnlesse it had beene continually represented before our eyes Againe seeing nothing is offered and giuen in the Sacraments Vse 2 which is not published in the Gospell seeing they cannot bee where there is no word and seeing the same Christ with all his benefits is propounded in both it meeteth with a common corruption and lamentable practise among many professors that desire and craue especially in sicknesse and extremity often to come to the Lords Table but esteeme little of the preaching of the word and that seeme to languish with a longing after the Sacrament but neuer mourne and lament for want of the word which is as great an error and madnesse as if one should euer looke vpon the seale of his writings but neuer regard the conueiance of his estate Is there not one God the author of both Is there not one Spirite that sealeth vp his promises by both Is Christ deuided that speaketh euidently vnto vs in both How is it then that many desire the Sacrament of the Lords supper seeme to pine away through want thereof who neuer wish or regard the preaching of the Gospell which is the foode of the soule the key of the Kingdome the immortall seede of regeneration and the high ordinance of God to saue those c Ro. 1 16 and 10 14. that beleeue And whence proceedeth it but from palpable ignorance in the matters of God and their owne saluation to be much troubled that the Sacrament is not brought vnto them and yet neuer couet to haue a worde of comforte spoken to them in due season Let all such persons vnderstand that as the Minister d Acts 15 21 and 19 4 and 2 42 40. is charged from God to teach euery Sabboath day and to preach the word in season and out of season to deale the bread to the hungry and to giue vnto euery one in the family his portion so is it required of all the people to desire the sincere milk of the word of God that they may grow thereby which howsoeuer it bee to them that perish foolishnesse yet to such as are called e 1 Cor. 1 24. it is the wisedome of God and the power of God Thus Origen a man excellently learned among the Ancients one of the most ancient saith When yee receiue the Lords supper with al heed reuerence ye take heed that no smal peece fal froÌ„ it by negligence to the ground how theÌ„ do you think it is a matter of lesse heinous offence to neglect his word then his body Wherby we see in the iudgement of this Father and Doctour of the Church the losse of the word is as great a want as the losse of the Sacrament and the neglect of the word is as high an offence as the neglect of the SacrameÌ„t for asmuch as one God is the author of them both and the worker by them both Wherefore we are deceiued if wee make account that there is lesse danger in neglecting the word of God then in neglecting the Sacrament of his last supper but wee must take heede that while wee willingly desire the one wee doe not wilfully despise the other For wee must carefully consider that as the Sacrament is a visible word so the worde is a speaking Sacrament and as God lifteth vp his voice vnto vs in the one so hee reacheth out his hand vnto vs in the other Wee must as well heare when hee calleth as receiue when hee offereth Now by his word preached hee calleth by his Sacraments administred hee offereth his graces vnto vs and as wee must haue hands stretched out for the one so wee must haue eares opened for the other Lastly seeing the Sacraments are so neerely linked together Vse 3 and ioyne as friends hand in hand one with another it checketh all such as are content to come ordinarily and vsually to heare the word and will scarce misse one Sermon howbeit when the Sacrament of the supper is administred they are so sencelesse and secure that except it bee at Easter when they come to it of custome rather then of conscience for feare rather then of faith they make small reckoning of it neither thinke it their duty to resort vnto it Woe vnto all them that vnioyne and put asunder those things which God hath coupled together woe vnto such as doe the worke of the Lord negligently or deceitfully This is to serue him 〈◊〉 halfes and to worship him after our owne inuentions For as it is a counterfeit repentance to leaue one sinne and cleaue to another so it is a fained holinesse to follow one ordinance of God and to omit or forsake another True repentance standeth in denying of all sinne and true religion consisteth in practising of all good things of God Among many that are often hearers of the worde you shall not finde many that are often receiuers of the Supper of the Lord. These are like vnto Ahaz mentioned in the Prophet Esay when God offered vnto him a signe and bad him aske it eyther in the depth Esay 7 11. or in the height
aboue to strengthen his faith and assure him of the promise of God hee neglected and contemned the same through prophanenesse of heart albeit he answered in words hee would not tempt the Lorde This man is worthily branded in the Scripture with the note of a wicked man Verse 12. 2 Chron. 28 22. and hath it set vpon him as a mark whereby he may be knowne for asmuch as in refusing to receiue a signe beside all his other sinnes he breaketh out into many sinnes and sheweth his contempt vnthankfulnesse hatred pride infidelity and hypocrisie So it is with such as liue among vs What sinnes they commit that neglect the vse of the Sacraments and loue not to come to the Table of the Lord. First they are disobedient to God refuse to doe that which hee commandeth them to doe They contemne the ministry of those whome God hath sent to offer vnto vs the seales of his loue the assurances of his promises and the pledges of our saluation To rebel against God is no small sinne and to deny openly without feare and without shame to obey his will Secondly such as absent themselues from the Sacraments are most vnthankefull vnto God who spareth our weakenesse and offereth vnto vs wholesome stayes as it were firme and strong pillars to vphold our faith Such as haue the greatest and strongest faith and haue attained to the highest measure of assurance doe yet in this life stand as much in neede of the Sacraments as a ruinous building doth of shores and supporters or a weake body doth of meat and nourishment Thirdly they are guilty of the greeuous sinne and horrible crime of hatred against God because like to Ahaz as much as lyeth in them they would haue the glory of God darkened that it might not shine and the truth of God buried that it might not appeare in the performance of his promises If these men were perswaded in their hearts that the neglect of the Sacraments is a secret hatred against God and an vniust detaining from him the praise and honour that is due to his great name they wold make more conscience of this sinne then commonly they doe Fourthly such as come not vnto them with feare and reuerence are possessed with spiritual pride and presumption which is a dangerous disease and so much the more dangerous by how much it is the lesse espied For these men do imagine they haue strength of faith greater then indeed they haue and in that high and haughty conceit of their owne guifts doe contemne the vse of the Sacraments as neede-lesse and superfluous things These are they that say they are rich and haue need of nothing and yet know not that they are wretched and miserable and poore and blinde and naked these are heart-sicke and yet feele it not and are neere without speedy repentance vnto condemnation For as the sicke man that refuseth wholesome medicines soueraigne preseruatiues increaseth his disease and draweth death willingly and wilfully vpon himselfe so such persons as regard not the Sacraments which god as the spiritual Physition of our soules offereth vnto vs as meanes to restore vs and recouer vs from the venemous poison of vnbeleefe which wee haue drunke from our first parents doe by little and little harden themselues and iustly perish in the euill way Fiftly they bewray their infidelity and an euill perswasion of the truth power of God as Ahaz did when he refused the signe which of his grace and goodnes was offered vnto him He saide he would not aske a signe neyther tempt God but because he asked not a signe therefore he tempted God So doe all they that refuse to helpe the weakenesse of their faith by the vse of the Sacraments they tempt God and make tryall whether hee will saue them or can saue them without those ordinary meanes that he hath ordained This is a true and certaine rule that all they which haue faith will bee carefull to strengthen their faith such as haue no faith at all regard not any meanes whereby they may obtaine faith as they that haue life in them seeke to sustaine it but the dead stirre not hand or foote Lastly such persons as care not to be present at the Sacraments haue their hearts possessed with hypocrisie and deepe dissimulation and do indeed and in truth no better then mocke God and godlinesse They professe themselues to be desirous to know God and to serue him with a perfect heart and with a willing minde in asmuch as they are partakers of the worde howbeit because they regard not to resort to his Table and to sit downe with him as his guests they are farre from that truth and inward sincerity that ought to be in all the seruants of God Thus then we see how many sinnes do concurre and meet together in all such as doe not constantly and conscionably frequent the Sacraments which must be duely considered of vs least by heaping vp all these sins in the necke one of another wee also bring downe from heauen vpon our heads many punishments and plagues according to our iust deseruings For inasmuch as the Lord not onely sent the blessed Seede for the redemption of mankinde for the remission of sinnes and for the brusing of the Serpents head but ordained for vs Sacraments to bee pledges of his promises testimonies of his faithfulnesse and remedies of our distrust we must confesse and thankfully acknowledge the bottomelesse depth of his mercy towards vs who vouchsafeth to bee our God to bee reconciled vnto vs being vile miserable sinners to make a league and couenant with dust and ashes and to deliuer his onely sonne to suffer the bitter death of the shamefull Crosse And withall wee must confesse and labour more and more to feele our owne blindnes and infidelity which mercy we would easily forget vnlesse it had beene continually represented before our eyes CHAP. 2. What a Sacrament is IN euery treatise and discourse it is necessary first to know a Arist poster lib. 2. cap. 1. whether a thing be before we consider what it is We haue heard before that there are Sacraments euer haue beene in the Church of God Now then let vs consider what they are that first the matter handled may be defined For in vaine we shall reason and speake of the Sacraments vnlesse we vnderstand what a Sacrament is But before wee set downe any description of it it shall not bee amisse to speake somewhat of the word The name in so many letters and sillables is not indeed in the Scripture no more then the worde Trinity catholike Consubstantiall and such like which being now generally receiued is not to be reiected seeing the doctrine contained vnder it agreeth with the Scripture and nothing thereby is added to the Scripture Now as the fathers of the Greeke Church called these holy rites by name of Mysteries because the substance of them was onely knowne to the members of the
Church and hidden from others so the ancient teachers of the Latine Church called them Sacraments in respect of the affinity and neerenesse betweene them and a Sacrament For a Sacrament properly is that solemne oath in warre by which Souldiers bound themselues to their chief Captaine Such a regard had the olde Romanes in the discipline of their warres that it was d Cicero de offic Lib. 1. not lawfull for any to kill an enemy or enter into the battell to fight vnlesse he were sworne a Souldier So when wee are partakers of these holye signes which God hath appointed in his Church by which he bestoweth vpon vs spirituall guifts e A SacrameÌ„t properly is the Souldiers oath metaphorically the Churches band binding them to God we do bind our selues to him we professe openly his true religion we vow to fight vnder his banner against our enâ—mies so that they are testimonies and tokens of the couenant betweene God and vs that he is our God and we binde our selues to bee his people to serue him and no other God So circumcision was a seale of Gods promise to Abraham and a seale of Abrahams faith and obedience toward God By them man is bound to God and God vouchsafeth to binde himselfe to man Wherefore the word Sacrament being translated from the campe to the Church from a Souldier to a Christian from a ciuill vse to an holy let vs see in this sence and signification what it is Now the word beeing borrowed from warres is f A Sacrament considered 2. wayes taken two waies first in a generall signification and may comprehend all manner of signes whether naturall or miraculous or voluntary which God commanded men to vse to assure them of the vndoubted truth of his promise as when hee gaue to Adam in the Garden the tree of life to bee a pledge of his immortality the Raine-bow to Noah and his posterity sometimes hee gaue them miraculous signes as light in a smoaking Furnace to Abraham the fleece wet the earth beeing drye and the earth wet the fleece beeing drye to Gedeon to promise and performe victory to Gedeon In this large acceptation of the worde we doe not intreate of the Sacraments wee speake properly of those which God hath left to be ordinary in his Church to bee seales of our communion with Christ and of the righteousnesse which is by faith A Sacrament g What a Sacrament is thus considered is a visible signe and seale ordained of God wherby Christ and all his sauing graces by certaine outward rites are signified exhibited and sealed vp vnto vs. In this description wee are to consider these 3. things First the whole kinde or generall secondly the cause or author thereof and lastly the vse of this doctrine deliuered Touching the first whereas it is saide that a sacrament is a visible signe and seale this is prooued and confirmed in sundry places of the scripture as Gen. 17. speaking of circuÌ„cision he saith h Gen. 17 11. It shall be a signe of the couenant betweene me and thee And Ro. 4. speaking of Abraham he saith i Rom. 4 11 He receiued the signe of circumcision as a seale of the righteousnesse of faith Indeede a signe and a seale differ one from another as the generall from the especiall for euery seale is a signe but euery signe is not a seale A seale certifieth assureth and confirmeth a thing a signe onely sheweth it but a Sacrament doth both It is a signe to signifie and represent a seale to ratifie and assure an instrument to conferre and conueigh Christ with all his benefits to them that truely beleeue in him a pledge vnto vs of Gods promises a visible word and as a notable glasse wherin we may behold k August de doct Christ lib. 2. Cap. 1. assured testimonies of Gods eternall fauour and of the abundant riches of his grace which hee bestoweth vpon vs. This teacheth vs to acknowledge there is more in the Sacraments then is seene with the eyes or felt with the hands and therefore we must not conceiue vnreuerently of them nor come negligently vnto them making them meere carnall and outward things but wee must thinke reuerently speake soberly receiue humbly and penitently these holy mysteries Againe hereby we are brought to beleeue the promises of God for if the Sacraments be not onely signes of his fauour but seales of our faith can wee doubt of his mercy and good meaning toward vs hauing left such pawnes and pledges thereof with vs that wee might haue assured comfort and comfortable assurance of saluation and eternall life Is it not among men matter of assurance and a note of true dealing to haue a pledge left with vs But behold God hath left vnto vs two pawnes of his promises as it were an earnest-penny that our faith should not wauer If then his alone worde bee al-sufficient hauing a noble addition of the Sacraments as of his seales let vs beleeue his promises and in all tentations rest vpon them with all confidence and consolation Secondly it is saide l Sacraments were instituted oâ— God alone a Sacrament is a diuine ordinance Not any Angell or Arch-angell not any Prince or Potentate but onely God himselfe is the author and ordainer of all holye signes and Sacraments This appeareth by many witnesses out of the worde of God I haue set my bow in the cloud and it shall bee for a signe of the couenant betweene mee and the earth and when I shall couer the earth with a cloud and the bow shall be seene in the cloud then will I remember my couenant which is betweene me and you Where wee see that when God determined to bee mercifull vnto the world and neuer to drowne the same with water againe as he had drowned it he gaue them a signe of his promise to wit His bow in the clouds When God would witnesse and stablish to Abraham and his seede after him the promise of his mercy hee ordained a Sacrament to confirme the same Gen. 17. This is my couenant which ye shall keepe betweene me and you let euery man child among you be circumcised And the Apostle saith I haue receiued of the Lord that which I haue deliuered vnto you And Christ himselfe instituted Baptisme and sent forth his Disciples to preach the Gospell All these testimonies as a cloud of witnesses doe confirme vs in this truth that none hath power authority in the Church to institute a Sacrament but only God And the reasons are apparant First the Sacraments belong to the seruice and worship of God now it resteth not in man to appoint and prescribe a seruice of God but to retaine and imbrace that which is taught by him For in vaine they worship him teaching for doctrines mens precepts Againe the Sacramentall signes haue Gods promises annexed vnto them confirming vs in the same which they could not doe but by the blessing and benefit of him that promiseth
commanding the continuall vse thereof vntil the second comming of Christ The promise is This is my body which is giuen for you this is my bloud of the new Testament shed for you and for many for remission of sinnes Whatsoeuer signes of holye things God gaue to strengthen the faith of his children we may see discerne that God alwaies added the word to the seale the voice to the signe and doctrine to the sight so that when the signe was seene the worde was heard When one of the Seraphins bearing an hot coale in his hand which he had taken from the alter e Esa 6 6 7. touched the mouth of the Prophet hee said Loe this hath touched thy lips and thine iniquity shall be taken away and thy sins shall be purged Now wee know a coale hath not power and force to take away sinne but the word vttered by the Angell did assure him that he should be purged by the Holy-Ghost which was signified by the fire So when Ieremy saw the rod of an Almond tree the Lord saide vnto him Thou hast well seene for I will hasten my word to performe it He ioyneth the signe with the word for a more ample cōfirmation signifying by the rod of almond which first buddeth the hastye comming of the Babylonians against the Iewes Againe when Christ gaue to his Disciples the Holy-Ghost hee breathed on them and said f Iohn 20 22. Receiue the Holy-Ghost The corporall blast and breathing was not the Holy-Ghost but he added his word and promise with the outward signe to assure them that with the breathing hee bestowed a blessing Thus we see that the Sacraments haue the worde alwayes ioyned with them and without the worde whereby their institution and vse is declared they are as a dead bodye without life as a dumbe shew without voice as an empty cloud without water and as a barren tree without fruite Let vs apply this doctrine to our selues First it teacheth that they partake not the Sacraments aright that haue not the knowledge of the word that are ignorant both of the ordinance and institution of God and of the promise annexed to the institution of God of which sort there are many in the world that neuer labour to know what he hath appointed and commanded them to do If they do as others of the Church do therein they rest and seeke no further to be able to warrant their owne worke If they heare the word spoken if they see the body washed the bread broken and the wine poured out and receiue the outward signes they regard no more they go no higher they imagine that they haue done enough g Vnderstanding of the institution required of all they neuer desire to vnderstand the meaning of the words which are necessary to bee knowne comfortable to bee vnderstood and profitable to be marked If a man haue goods befallen or legacies bequeathed vnto him by any will or Testament will he not resort to his learned counsell to be carefull to vnderstand the Testament and know the meaning of the Testator Christ Iesus before his death made his will he hath made his children heires of his promise hee promiseth to them forgiuenesse of sinnes in this life and eternall life in the world to come Doth it not now behooue euery faithfull Christian to search into it and know what is promised and bequeathed vnto him Men of this world for the most part make their eldest and first borne heire of all and leaue little to the other but euery childe of God is as the eldest and as the h Exod. 4 22. first borne most deare to him he shall receiue his double portion the second shall haue no lesse then the first nor the third lesse then the second nor the younger then the elder the first shall be as the last and the last as the first for hee may doe with his owne what he list Againe if a man doe leaue all his sonnes heyres and rich inheritors for the most part lesse is bestowed on the daughters but all the children of God both his sonnes and daughters i Rom. 8 17. Gal. 4 7. shal be heyres euen the Heires of God and heyres annexed with Christ Iesus their share shal be as great as the portion of Sonnes Moreouer when a man hath passed all the dayes of his life in carke care what can he giue to his posterity but earthly riches and a transitory possession a fading inheritance leauing thē inheritors as well of his sorrow as of his substance It is not so with the children of God Christ by his last will and Testament hath promised to make his people sound in faith rich in hope blessed in the pardon of their sinnes heires of the kingdome which hee hath promised to them that loue him This is a great and vnspeakeable comfort to all Gods children whether high or low whether rich or poore So then we ought to bee much more carefull earnest to know throughly vnderstand perfectly the will of Christ then any naturall child is to search the meaning of the wil of his natural father And if men were not wholy carnall they would be thus far spiritually minded Againe is the word an outward part of the Sacrament Vse 2 Then the Sacraments must neuer be separated set apart from the worde They are not dumbe shewes and idle signes but haue alwaies the doctrine of God adioyning vnto them to shew the end vse and profite of them and the purpose of God in them This appeareth in all places where God gaue signes to confirme assure the truth of his promises When he gaue in mercy to Noah and al his posterity the k Gen. 9 11. Raine-bow immediately after the flood as a signe of his couenant hee addeth his word vnto the signe My couenant will I establish with you that from henceforth all flesh shall not be rooted out by the waters of the flood neither shall there be a flood to destroy the earth any more This is it the Apostle meaneth 1. Cor. 11. Ye shew the Lords death till he come Where hee teacheth that the Lords Supper cannot be truely deliuered and rightly administred vnles there be a declaration and shewing foorth of the death of Christ Wherefore it is no Sacrament except the worde and doctrine be ioyned vnto it by way of explication exposition of the outward signe Lastly those Sacraments are proued heereby to be no Vse 3 Sacraments which are foisted and brought in without the warrant of the word For take away the word and what is the outward Element but a bare signe What is the water in baptisme but common water What is the bread in the Lords Supper but common bread What is the wine but common wine such as men vse and all men may take at their ordinary tables Seeing therefore such signes and Sacraments as haue not Gods commandement for their institution nor promise of grace and
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
g TransubstaÌ„tiation ouerthrowne whatsoeuer ouerthroweth the nature and vse of a Sacrament is not to be admitted but omitted neyther to bee receiued but reiected But transubstantiation ouerthroweth and ouerturneth both the nature and vse of a Sacrament and therefore not to be admitted and receiued into the Church For touching the nature of a Sacrament it is confessed h Iren. lib. 4. contr haer cap. 34. that it consisteth of two parts the one earthly and the other heauenly but if after the words of consecration the bread and wine are transubstantiated into the body and blood of Christ then the signe is taken away the element is ouerthrowne the materiall part is abolished and consequently the nature of a Sacrament is ouerturned And touching the vse of a Sacrament there must be an analogy and proportion betweene the signe the thing signified As in Baptisme the element of water washeth and purgeth the bodye so the Holy-Ghost through the blood of Christ cleanseth and sanctifieth the soule Likewise in the Lords Supper as the Substance of bread and wine receiued strengtheneth and comforteth the body so Christ i Ioh. 6 33. receiued by faith nourisheth feedeth the soule The very true principall vse of this Sacrament is to confirme our faith that as surely as those earthly creatures taken and applyed feed our bodies to a bodily life so the body and blood of Christ receiued and applyed by faith feed our soules to eternall life And do not all the faithfull feele a sweete comfort so often as they come to the Lords table by this similitude agreement to consider and know assuredly that as the substance of bread serueth to nourish and doth feede our bodyes so Christ doth feede our soules But if wee must beleeue that the substance of bread and wine is changed cleane gone that nothing remaineth but accidents where is this comfort and consolation How can wee bee assured and strengthened that as our bodies are nourished with the materiall elements so in like manner our soules by feeding on Christ Wherefore while they take away the substance of bread which should nourish the body the nature and vse of the Sacrament is destroyed and wee are spoyled of the comfort of our hearts and strengthning of our faith which wee should haue by this notable comparison and resemblance of the parts So then if wee would receiue comfort in comming to this Communion wee must retaine the substance of the signe as a staffe to stay vp our faith that it do not faile Lastly seeing God giueth vnto vs outward signes of his grace it serueth to teach vs that wheresoeuer and among whomsoeuer God continueth his signes he purposeth to bestow vpon them the things signified by the signes on the other side where God denyeth the meanes he also denyeth the thing wheÌ„ he taketh away the sign he taketh away the grace also This we see in the Turkes and Sarazins because he denyeth vnto them saluation hee taketh from them the seales and assurances of saluation and because he refuseth them to be his Church hee vouchsafeth not vnto them the prerogatiues and priuiledges of his Church Thus it falleth out in the preaching of the word vpon those whom God determineth to saue and to bestow vpon them the guift of faith whereby they are entred into the kingdome of heauen hee sendeth vpon them his word and causeth it to be preached vnto them but when he will not shew mercy but leaue a people in their miserable estate and condition he withdraweth the Ministry from them as we see in the Acts of the Apostles Chap. 16. When they were gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia They were forbidden of the holye Ghost to preach the word in Asia and after they were come to Mysia they assaied to go into Bithinia but the Spirite suffered them not Euen as when God will bring a famine vpon a land he with-holdeth the early and latter raine making the heauen to be as brasse and the earth as iron but when he will send plenty and open the windowes of heauen he sendeth a gracious raine and showers vpon the earth so when he will send a famine not of bread nor a thirst of water but of hearing the word of God hee taketh away his word and the meanes of saluation that they shall wander from sea to sea and runne to and fro to seeke the word of the Lord and shall not finde it but faint for thirst If any aske the question wherfore the Lord forbad Paul to preach the word in Asia and to come into Bythinia we cannot assigne this to be the cause that they were vnworthy to haue the doctrine of saluation offered vnto them forasmuch as they were as worthy as the Macedonians to whoÌ„ the Gospell was preached no more vnworthy then the other Gentiles Neither can we say this was the cause that God foresaw how euery one would receiue or entertaine the Gospel that as he saw them ready and inclined to accept of the word or to reiect it so he vouchsafed or not vouchsafed the same vnto them for hee pronounceth openly that he appeared to them of whom hee was not sought and spake vnto them that neuer asked after him Besides this were to ground the cause of saluation vpon our selues which is out of our selues and to ascribe it to our owne merite which is due onely to his mercy We are all by nature the children of wrath and destitute of the guift of faith if there be any willingnesse in vs to obey it proceedeth from the Spirite of God who as he electeth freely so he calleth freely Now that which is spoken of the preaching of the word may also be applied to the vse of the Sacraments When he purposeth to strengthen the faith which hee hath giuen vnto vs hee vouchsafeth the outward signes and seals of his promises that thereby wee should be assured he meaneth to bestow vpon vs the inward grace represented by them He dealeth iustly and vprightly with vs hee hath no purpose to beguile vs and deceiue vs. For they are no bare or naked much lesse false and lying signes but effectual instruments of the Spirite to conuey the mercies of God in Iesus Christ into our hearts and therefore we must bee carefull to vse them conscionably as certaine pawnes and pledges which God hath commended and committed vnto vs that they might be as witnesses of his loue and fauour towards vs. And thus much of the third outward part to wit the signe CHAP. VII Of the fourth outward part of a Sacrament THe last outward paâ—t of a Sacrament is the a The receiuer is an outward part of the Sacrament receiuer which is as needfull as the outward signe We vnderstand and take heere a receiuer in generall for euery one that commeth to the Sacrament whether good or euill godly or vngodly faithfull or vnfaithfull Such a receiuer is likewise a necessary part of the
that is vnlike Lastly these words cannot enforce any thing to proue that there is any inherent force in the outward element seeing the Spirite is ioyned with it which addeth power and giueth efficacy to the water as it doth also to the worde in all the sauing hearers of it for as the word is a bare sound without the Spirite so baptisme cannot saue without the Spirite Obiection 4 The last testimony and witnesse is produced out of the Acts of the Apostles Chap. 2.38 where Peter exhorteth the Iewes that were at his preaching pricked in their hearts to beleeue in Christ Iesus whom they had betrayed and crucified saying Repent and be baptized euery one of you in the name of Christ for the remission of sinnes and chap. 22 16. where Ananias perswadeth Paul to bee baptized and to wash away his sinnes calling on the name of the Lord. In both which places forgiuenesse of sinnes is ascribed to baptisme and therefore it giueth and conferreth grace I answere Answere It is the beleeuing in the name of Christ that washeth away sinnes and purgeth our consciences from dead workes forasmuch as he maketh the outward worke auaileable by the inward grace of the spirite Againe hee ioyneth inuocation of the name of God with the outward signe which hath the promise of saluation annexed vnto it as the Apostle testifieth Rom. 10 13. Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall bee saued Thus we haue seene the principall pillars of the Romish error beaten and battered in pieces euery reason that caryeth any colour laid euen with the ground so that we are wholy to ascribe to the Spirite of God the lauer of regeneration and the answere of a good conscieÌ„ce toward God Againe is the Spirite of God an inward part of the Sacraments Then wee must learne and remember that we can neuer heare the word or receiue the Sacraments with fruite and comfort without the speciall assistance and inward operation of the Spirite of God Therefore the Prophet ioyneth the Spirite and word together Esay 59. I will make this my couenant with thee saith the Lord g Esay 59.21 my Spirite that is vpon thee and my words which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of the seed of thy seed from henceforth and for euer A man indeede hath power to heare the word and to receiue the Sacraments his will is free in these outwarde workes but hee hath no power or strength to doe them with profite and comfort except it be giuen him from aboue Though we heare neuer so much though wee communicate neuer so often the Spirit must open our hearts as he opened the heart of Lydia So 1 Iohn 2. That annointing h 1 Ioh. 2 27. which ye receiued of him dwelleth in you and ye neede not that any man teach you but as that same annointing teacheth you of all things and it is true and is not lying Likewise Acts 10. Peter preached the Gospell to Cornelius and his houshold and while he yet spake to them The i Acts 10 44. Holy-Ghost fell on them all which heard the worde So also the Apostles being sent out with their commission and commanded to preach the Gospell to euery k Mar. 16 20. creature it is noted that they went forth and preached euery where and the Lorde wrought with them and confirmed the worde with signes that followed And Iohn 14. The l Iohn 14 26. Comforter which is the Holy-Ghost whom the Father will send in my name hee shall teach you al things bring al things to your remembrance which I haue told you Pharaoh often heard Moses Aaron but he harkened not but hardned his heart because there was no inward touching or teaching of the Spirite The Israelites had heard seene the wonderful things of God yet they profited not in faith in repentance in regeneration and the reason is rendred Deuter. 29. Yee haue seene all m Deut. 29 2.3 4. that the Lord did before your eyes in the Lande of Egypt vnto Pharaoh and vnto all his seruants and vnto all his Land the great tentations which thine eyes haue seene those great myracles and wonders yâ—â— the Lord hath not giuen you an heart to perceiue and eyes to see and care to heare vnto this day When wee come to heare the word which is a word of power of life and of saluation when wee come to receiue the Sacraments which are signes of Gods graces and seales of his promises we see many returne as ignorant peruerse corrupt froward rebellious hard-harted and disobedient as they came to these ordinances of God and whence commeth this how falleth it out and what may bee the reason heereof Surely it is not in him that n Luke 13 24. Rom. 9 16. willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy who giueth eyes to see eares to heare heart to vnderstand to whom hee thinketh good in his heauenly pleasure Wherefore our dutye is seeing the natural man perceiueth not the things that are of the Spirite of God to pray vnto him to giue vs wisedome to see our corruptions blindnesse ignorance and hardnesse of heart Vse 3 Thirdly doth the Spirit worke in vs by the word Are the word and Spirite ioyned together and doth he teach vs by meanes of the word and Sacraments then we must not separate the Spirite from the worde and Sacraments as the Anabaptists do o Against anabaptists depending on reuelations which depend vpon reuelations and inward inspirations vpon priuate motions and diuine illuminations without the word They will not be taught by the word they wil not be strengthened by the Sacraments but take away the vse of both following their owne foolish fansies and diuelish dreames They boast of the Spirite of God and are led by the spirit of the Diuell We must for our direction and practise learne that as to rest vpon the Spirite without the worde is phantasticall and heriticall and the mother of al errors so the worde and Sacraments without the Spirite are no better then a dead carkasse without life an empty sound without substance a naked shew without truth an empty casket without the treasure and therefore we must knit them together and assure our selues that the Spirite speaketh euidently in the Scriptures the Spirite worketh effectually by the Sacraments and the Spirite helpeth our infirmities to profite by them both CHAP. XI Of the third inward part of a Sacrament THus much wee haue spoken touching the holy Spirite being the second inward part the third inward part a Christ is the 3. inward part of a Sacrament is Iesus Christ crucified the very subiect and substance of all Sacraments He was represented by circumcision and the Paschal Lambe by Manna and the water that flowed out of the Rocke and hee is represented in baptisme and in
Although many among them no doubt were elected and all of them professed the Gospell of the kingdome yet God visited their want of preparation and reuerence with diuers diseases and great mortality n Leuit. 26 14 25 21. Deut. 28 15 16 20 21. according to the threatning annexed to the lawe If ye will not obey me nor do all these commandements if yee shall despise mine ordinances or your soule abhorre my lawes then will I do this vnto you I will appoint ouer you fearefulnes a consumption and the burning ague to consume the eyes and to make the heart heauy And if ye walke stubbornely against me and will not obey mee I will then bring seauen times mee plagues vpon you according to your sinnes Wherefore whē we haue receiued grace to beleeue and haue tasted the first fruites of the Spirit to the comfort of our soules we must not be puffed vp in our knowledge we must not grow secure but stir vp the guifts of God in vs when they begin to waxe faint Let vs seeke to preuent his iudgements before they come which wee may do by iudging our selues by making inquiry into our owne waies and by searching the reines of our hearts with purpose to condemne all ignorance error security and vngodlinesse and as it were to take punishment of our selues then this would follow thereupon wee should not be iudged and punished of the Lord. This then is the remedy to auoide the sinne of vnworthy receiuing A man thus visited with sicknesse weaknesse and diuers kinds of diseases and smitten with the stroke of Gods owne hand cannot possibly be restored by any creature in heauen or earth and yet behold the Lord hath not left vs without meanes to remooue them and take them away to wit by taking away the cause that wee may remoue the effects The cause of these puninshments is taken away by iudging our selues Now a man in iudging of himselfe o What we are to do in iudging our selues must performe foure things First he must examine himselfe of his sinnes Secondly hee must confesse them himselfe to be guilty as the poore prisoner that standeth at the barre No denying of the fact no defending of the fault no hiding of the offence no iustifying of our person can procure our pardon the way to haue forgiuenesse is to acknowledge our owne wickednesse Thirdly he must condemne himselfe and giue sentence against himself without partiality Fourthly he must pleade pardon for the remission of his sinnes and neuer rest vntill he giue him peace of conscience restore him to the ioy of his saluation CHAP. XIII Of the first vse of a Sacrament HItherto of the parts of a Sacrament both outward and inward now we come to the vses thereof For vnlesse we know the vse vnderstand the end why they were ordained it shall not profite vs to know the parts Euery thing must be referred to his right vses and proper ends so must the Sacraments be The ends are especially a Three chief vses of the sacraments these three First to strengthen faith Secondly to seale the couenant betweene God and vs. Thirdly to be a badge of our profession Touching the first ende the Sacraments serue for the better confirmation of our faith as appeareth 1. Pet. 3. where the Apostle hauing set downe the drowning of the world and the preseruing of Noah by the Arke he saith our baptisme b 1 Pet. 3 21. directly answereth that type which is a taking to witnesse of a good conscience and sauing vs by the resurrection of Christ So then by faith confirmed in Baptisme we haue an infallible assurance in the death of Christ of our saluation Many indeede come to the Sacraments are present at baptisme are partakers of the Lords Supper that feele no strength of faith no increase of Gods graces no spirituall growth in the body of Christ so that they worke not saluation in them but further their condemnation For the Sacraments as we haue shewed giue not grace but more firmely surely and comfortably confirme faith they apply and seale vp Christ crucified The Sacraments cannot giue faith to the faithlesse neyther were they instituted to the end men should beleeue but because they doe beleeue as meat was not giuen that men should learne to eate but that they eating might be nourished Faith indeed receiueth them c August de ciuit dei lib. 25. cap. 25. and then they serue to nourish it And they confirme not faith by any inherent power included in them but the holye Spirite applyeth Christ to vs and frameth this comfortable conclusion in our hearts All such as are conuerted and doe rightly vse the Sacraments shall receiue Christ all his sauing graces But I am conuerted and doe rightly vse the Sacraments Therefore I shall receiue Christ and his graces Thus doth the Comforter comfort all those that come rightly and religiously to the Lords Table Now if wee would enquire and search after the reasons of this first end we should finde that one cause why they confirme faith is because God is true in his promises he confirmeth and maketh good that which is gone out of his mouth All the d 2 Cor. 1 20. promises of God in Christ Iesus are yea and are in him Amen vnto the glory of God through vs. For as Princes seales confirme their charters assure their grants and make certaine their pardons so do Gods Sacraments witnesse to our hearts and consciences that his words and promises are true and are established to continue for euer For as he declareth his mercies by his word so hee sealeth and assureth them by his Sacraments Againe this appeareth by the example of Abraham who first beleeued the promise and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse being yet vncircumcised and afterward receiued the signe of circumcision as the seale of the righteousnes of faith as the Apostle e Rom. 4 9 10 11. teacheth We say that faith was imputed vnto Abraham for righteousnesse How was it then imputed when he was circumcised or vncircumcised Not when hee was circumcised but when he was vncircumcised c. Where he sheweth that Abraham was iustified in vncircumcision but yet was afterward circumcised that the guift of righteousnes might be confirmed in him The f Acts 8 36. Eunuch likewise beleeued before he receiued baptisme therfore it sealed vp the increase of his faith of Gods graces And Acts 2. They that gladly receiued the words of Peter g Acts 2.41 10 44 47 48. and 22 16. were baptized And as Peter preached to Cornelius and others of the Gentiles The Holy Ghost fell on them all which heard the word and he said Can any forbid water that these should not be baptized which haue receiued the Holy Ghost as well as we So he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Wherefore when the Minister washeth with water it representeth our burial with
and mercy by how much the accomplishment is more then the promise and the fulfilling greater then the foretelling Lastly they differ in respect of the people to whom they were giuen and for whom they were ordained ours belong to all people dispersed ouer the face of the whole earth that are ingrafted into the Church wheras theirs were tyed to one Nation to one people to one place to the posterity of Abraham Notwithstanding these differences which are in signes and circumstances touching the chiefe thing euen the matter and substance of the Sacraments they are equall m Wherin the Sacraments of the old and new Testamâ—nt agree hauing the same end and the same signification and being of one efficacy as also the word of the Prophets and Apostles is One and the same God is author of them One and the same Mediator betweene God and man euen the man Iesus Christ is represented in both the Lamb slaine from the foundation of the world They signifie and shew foorth the same Communion of Christ by which all the elect are saued and seale vp saluation and remission of sinnes to all that do receiue them by faith For they were giuen to be signes and seales of grace and of the promises of God to distinguish the faithfull from all other sects and religions in the world and that they should be receiued with profite onely of the faithfull In these and such like things the Sacraments of the Iewish and Christian Church are not vnequal although in the outward signs and circumstances they be diuers yet in the substance in the thing signified there is no difference Vse 3 Thirdly we are bound to beleeue his promises and to haue strong consolation seeing he bath giuen vs two signes If we had onely had one signe as a seale of the mercies of God in Christ it had beene a great sinne not to haue beleeued the promise and not to haue rested therein as in a thing vnchangeable For he is not as man that he should lye or deceiue n 2 Cor. 1.20 his onely promise is assured paiment yea all the promises of God in him are yea and are in him Amen vnto the glory of God But seeing the goodnesse of God hath abounded in granting vnto vs two Sacraments that where doubting aboundeth there faith might abound much more our sinne is the greater if now wee wauer like o Iam. 1 6. a waue of the sea tossed of the wind and carried away One tree of life serue Adam to assure him life one raine-bowe sufficed Noah one returne of the Sunne backward was enough to Hezekiah and they beleeued If then wee seeke a signe we haue two giuen vnto vs that hauing two vnchangeale Sacraments as it were two witnesses of his word and assurances of his promise wee might haue strong consolation The vnbeleeuing Iewes said to Christ p Mat. 12.38 and 16 1. Shew vs a signe and we will beleeue thee Behold the Lord sheweth vs two visible signes of his spirituall and inuisible graces and shall not we beleeue being stedfast in faith and grounded in hope Wee desire forgiuenesse of sinnes assurance thereof by these two the Lord promiseth couenanteth and indenteth to giue the same vnto vs setting the seales to his owne writing Lastly this diuision and numbring vp of the Sacraments Vse 4 serueth to teach that there are not seauen Sacraments of the Church and so do condemne the fiue supposed and falsly named Sacraments Concil Trid. sess 7. de sacra in gen can 18. 11. 13. maintained of the Church of Rome to wit Confirmation Penance Matrimony Orders and extreme Vnction Baptisme we imbrace the Lords Supper we acknowledge of these two we moue no question we make no controuersie the other fiue whose father is vnknowne we refuse as bastards and cannot admit them into the number of Sacraments the reasons whereof we will render in the Chapters following CHAP. XVII That Confirmation is not a Sacrament THe Apostles as the Maister-builders of the Churches planted the Gospell where the name of Christ had not beene heard Now because many seducers arose that troubled the peace of the Church and the faith of many beleeuers began to wauer the Apostles agreed together to go againe to the Churches where they had laid a 1 Cor. 3.12 a golden foundation howsoeuer other had builded hay and stubble thereon to see how they b Acts 11 22.23 and 15 36. increased or decreased as Acts 11. And they confirmed their hearts and established them in the faith which they had taught And Chap. 15. Paul said vnto Barnabas Let vs returne and visite our brethren in euery Citty where wee haue preached the word of the Lord and see how they do And we doubt not but when the Gospell was reuealed the Apostles by laying on hands gaue the guists of the Holy-Ghost to the beleeuers in Christ This practise of the Apostles we finde this we confesse this we approue and allow But of any Sacrament of confirmation we reade not and therefore allow not Againe it was a lawdable custome in the primitiue Church of Christian parents to bring their Children to the Bishop who examined them in the principles and fundamentall points of religion c Heb. 6 1. he asked theÌ„ reason of their faith he instructed them further in the mysteries of godlinesse and that this action might haue the more reuerence and dignity he laid his hands vpon them and prayed vnto God for them that hee would increase and continue the good things that he had begun in them d Confirmation is no Sacrament This imposition of hands with prayer to be strengthned in the Holy-Ghost and to haue increase of grace corrupted with annointings depraued with crossings and defiled with sundry superstitions is no Sacrament First euery Sacrament should haue warrant and appointment from Christ and a promise annexed vnto it but this hath none 2. it hath no word of institution in the Scripture nor commandement to continue the vse of it vntill the coming of Christ and end of the world therfore no Sacrament For the word must be added to the element and so it is made a Sacrament True it is they vse a forged and counterfeit forme in their confirmation I signe thee with the signe of the holy Crosse and I confirme thee with the oyle of saluation in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy-Ghost These indeed are words but no word of God they shew an intollerable presumption not to be excused But indeed a counterfet word is fit enough for a counterfet Sacrament there is a good agreement when both writing and seale are sutable that is both forged Thirdly it wanteth an outward signe instituted by Christ We read oftentimes that the Apostles vsed laying on of hands we reade of no oyle or Chrisme Besides we know they gaue thereby the miraculous guifts of the Holy-Ghost which now are ceased as Acts 8.
towell to the Altar to poure out water to wash their hands These are their higher Offices aboue the rest as the higher trees among the lower shrubs The lesser orders are foure in number First of doore-keepers these receiue the keyes of the Church doore to open the same Secondly of readers to reade the Bible to the people Thirdly of Exorcistes to call vpon the name of the Lord ouer such as haue vncleane spirites adiuring and coniuring them to come out in the name of God which power of commanding euill spirits is ceased in the Church Lastly Acolythes to prepare and carry torches and tapers when the Gospell is read to the people or the sacrifice is to be offered These seauen popish orders or rather plaine disorders and confusions we cannot receiue d Reasons rendred why orders are no Sacraments into the number of Sacraments of the Church For first orders are so fruitefull that this Bird hath hatched seauen young ones This Sacrament is so rich so ranke so riotous that it hath ingendered and brought forth seauen petty and pretty Sacraments and therfore these being numbred and patched vp to the former we should haue 13. Sacraments A goodly brood of a gallant egge For if euery one of these orders of doore-keepers readers exorcistes Acolythes subdeacons deacons and Priests be Sacraments we should multiply the number of Sacraments according to the number of these orders and so indeed of seauen wee should haue 13. Sacraments which were a very disorderly order or if you list to call it an orderly disorder And so Peter Lumbard maister of the Sentences e Sent lib. 4. dist 24 cap. 1. calleth not orders a Sacrament as speaking of one but Sacraments as speaking of many saying Orders are called Sacraments because in receiuing of them grace is conferred which is represented by those things that are there performed Neyther can they say they all make but one Sacrament seeing they are distinct offices one from another diuers in offices in institution in calling in ordination in ceremonies and in forme of consecration so that they may by as good right and as great reason make baptisme and the Lordes Supper one Sacrament as all these orders so diuers and distinct the one from the other Secondly Sacraments haue their institution from Christ Orders haue not their institution from Christ to bee Sacraments of the Church therefore Orders are no Sacrament Nay as they are retained and vsed in the Church of Rome they are no ordinance or institution of Christ at all For touching the offices of Priest-hood to offer vp the body of Christ for the quicke and dead of deacons to serue these Baals Priests at their Idolatrous altars of subdeacons of readers and of the rest they are not found in Scripture neyther were ordained by the Apostles neither were they receiued into the Church for many yeares after Christ and his Apostles The new Testament as it doth acknowledge no other sacrificer and sacrifice but Christ so it admitteth no Priests no Priest-hood but spirituall Priests and a spirituall Priest-hood to offer vp spirituall sacrifices of praise thanksgiuing vnto God as appeareth f Reuel 1 6. 1 Pet. 2 5.9 Christ hath washed vs from our sinnes in his blood and made vs Kings and Priests vnto God euen his Father And the Apostle Peter in his first Epistle Chap. 2. saith Ye also as liuely stones be made a spirituall house an holy Priest-hood to offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ And againe afterward Ye are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy Nation a people set at liberty that yee should shew foorth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darkenesse into his maruailous light Whosoeuer bringeth in another Priest-hood then this and maketh new Priests abolisheth as much as in him lyeth the Priest-hood of Christ Againe what will they say of offices and dignities in the Church greater then these the office of Pope of Cardinal of Patriarch and the rest of that vnholy hierarchy Will they discharge and cut off these from beeing Sacraments and aduance the baser orders of hedge-Priests and dumbe Deacons to so high a dignity What Do they abase and disgrace those greater places and thinke their Popes and Cardinals not worthy of that honour and authority Or do they thinke this Sacrament too vile and base to agree to those Prince-like dignities of the Church Or dare they preferre their Priest-hood their Readers their Deacons their doore-keepers their dog-keepers and the rest of that rabble before the Popedome the Cardinalship the Patriarchship Is not this high treason against their holy father and petty treason against the Cardinals and other of that generation Lastly Sacraments must haue an outward element and word of institution as hath beene often declared and prooued but their orders haue neither outward element nor word of institution therefore Orders are no Sacraments Seeing therefore they can shew no material signe added to the promise nor gracious promise added to the signe there can be no Sacrament of orders to seale vp and assure any mercy of God granted vnto vs. To omit that reason which we might presse vpon them namely that Orders are peculiar and proper to the Ministry and are no sanctified instrument to apply any generall and common grace of the Church Wherefore inasmuch as Orders haue neither outward signe nor promise of grace nor institution from Christ but disgrace the higher dignities of their Church and ouerthrow their owne chosen number of seauen Sacraments we conclude necessarily from these premises that orders are no Sacrament CHAP. XXI That extreme vnction is no Sacrament THe last fained Sacrament is the last annointing as they call it performed by the Priest in extremity whereby they teach that a Bellar. lib. 1. de extr vnct cap. 2. God assureth forgiuenesse of sinnes and promiseth ease of bodily disease if it bee so expedient if not the saluation of the soule in the life to come They vse this forme of words By this holy annointing and his most holy mercy God doth forgiue thee whatsoeuer that hast offended by seeing hearing smelling tasting and touching This vnction cannot be a Sacrament for b Extreame vnction can be no Sacrament sundry causes First themselues confesse that it hath not his institution from Christ For the Rhemists in their hereticall c Rhem testam Annotations vpon Mar. 6. confesse that there is onely a preparation vnto it And Peter Lumbard saith d Senten lib. 4. dist 23. cap. 2. It was instituted by the Apostle Iames. By this doctrine Christ should onely be a preparer of Sacraments not an appointer a beginner not a finisher of them So that they deale in this Sacrament as they do in other matters of our saluation for they make Christ a beginner of saluation but our selues the finishers of it therby shaking the foundation of our Christian faith Now these men are all accursed by the Conuenticle
which are the members of Christ haue one and the same baptisme with our head Sixtly if the baptisme of Iohn were not one with the baptisme of Christ hereby the error of the Anabaptists should be confirmed for such as were baptized of Iohn should be rebaptized Seauenthly the Apostles themselues should not be truely baptized for they no doubt were baptized of Iohn some of them being first his Disciples otherwise they should be vnbaptized For Christ with his owne hands baptized none p Ioh 4 1 2. as appeareth Ioh. 4 1 2. and it is not likely that one of them baptized another yea they should baptize other into another baptisme then themselues had receiued Last of all Christ himselfe testifieth q Mat. 3 15. Luk. 7 29. that the baptisme ministred by Iohn pertained to the fulfilling of righteousnesse Mat. 3 15. and Luke testifieth that the Publicans and people being baptized of him iustified God but the Pharisies despised the counsell of God against themselues and were not baptized Wherefore seeing Iohn baptized with water in the name of the Trinity to remission of sins and that the blessed Trinity was present thereat wee conclude his baptisme was the same with ours r Difference betweene Iohns baptisme and Christs wherein onely heerein lyeth the difference in the circumstance of time Iohn baptized in Christ that shold suffer death and rise againe wee baptise in the name of Christ already dead and risen againe to life Against this euident Å¿ Obiections answered truth directly confirmed Bellarmine the Iesuite taketh diuers exceptâ—ons and maketh many obiections al which stumbling blocks lying in the way wherat many may stumble are to be remooued before wee conclude this Chapter For he reasoneth thus t Bel. lib. 1. de Bapt. cap 20. The baptisme of Iohn was instituted by Iohn himselfe not by Christ he was not the minister onely but the author thereof therefore it was no Sacrament at all especially of the new Testament and consequently not the same with the Baptisme of Christ I answer wee must consider in this reason the base and vile account that the Iesuites make of Iohns baptisme they make it an idle and vaine Ceremony without fruite or force and no Sacrament or seale of heauenly grace Againe if Iohns Baptisme were no Sacrament then Christ which receiued no other outward Baptisme receiued no Sacrament we should be baptised with another baptisme then Christ was Furthermore shall we hear with patience and hold our peace when these Iesuites or rather Iebusites ancient enimies of the people of god belch out their blasphemies and blot Iohns baptisme out of the number of Sacraments and admit their fiue false and forged Sacraments of Confirmation Pennance Orders Matrimony and extreame Vnction Lastly what intollerable boldnesse or blindnesse is there in these Bayards that make Iohn and not God to bee the appointer author and ordainer of his Baptisme contrary to expresse euidence of holy Scripture For seeing no man u Hebru 5 4. taketh this honour vpon him but he that is called of God as Aaron was shall we thinke he would vsurpe this office without Gods word and warrant and doth not Christ himselfe prâ—pound the question to the chiefe Priests Elders of the people touching Iohns Baptisme a Mat. 21 25. teach that he baptized and preached by the authority commandement of God Besides do not the Euangelists say b Iohn 1 6. he was sent of God and that the worde of God came to Iohn in the wildernesse and he came into al the coasts about Iordan preaching and baptizing Luke 3 2 3. yea Iohn himselfe testifieth that he was sent to baptize Ioh. 1 33. I knew him not but he that sent me to baptize with water said vnto me vpon whom thou shalt see that Spirite come downe and tarry still vpon him that is hee which baptizeth with the holy Ghost Whereby appeareth that Iohns Baptisme was instituted of God not of Iohn and Iohn was not the author but onely the minister thereof Hence it is that Gaudentius saith Resp ad Paul diacon That Christ came to Iohns Baptisme as a sinner to wash away our sinnes in his body which could not be if Iohns baptisme did not wash away sinnes at all Againe c Math 3 11. he obiecteth and alledgeth Mat. 3 11. where Iohn himselfe saith I baptize with water but Christ shall baptize with the holy Ghost Whence he d Bel. lib. 1. de Bapt. cap. 21. gathereth that Christs baptisme gaue the holy Ghost Iohns Baptisme gaue not the holy Ghost therefore their Baptismes are not all one I answer these words were spoken to informe e Luk 3 15 16 the people that he was not that Christ so that they make a difference not betweene the Baptisme of Christ and of Iohn but between the persons of Christ and of Iohn betweene the minister of the Sacrament and the Instituter thereof For this is true of all the Ministers of Baptisme to the ende of the world that baptize in the name of the holy Trinity they poure on the water they can do no more they can goe no further Christ must giue the grace of regeneration and sanctification Moreouer f Bel. lib. 1. de Bapt. cap. 22. another obiection hee taketh out of Act. 19 4 5. where Luke speaketh of certaine Disciples at Ephesus to whom Paul saide Haue yee receiued the holy Ghost since ye beleeued And they sayde vnto him we haue not so much as heard whether there bee an holye Ghost g Act. 19 2 3 4 5 6 7. And he saâ—de vnto them vnto what were yee then baptized And they saide vnto Iohns Baptisme Then Paul saide Iohn verily baptized with the Baptisme of repentance saying to the people that they should beleeue in him which shal come after him that is in Christ Iesus And when they heard â—t they were baptized in the name of the Lord Iesus So Paul laâ—d his hands on them and the holy Ghost came on them and they spake the Tongues and Prophesied and all the men were about twelue In these wordes it should seeme at the first sight that Paule Baptized the Disciples of Ephesus vvith the baptisme of Christ which had before receiued the baptisme of Iohn If then he baptized them againe in the name of Christ whom Iohn baptized it followeth necessarily that the baptisme of Iohn was one and the baptisme of Christ another otherwise it should bee a needlesse and fruiteles repetition Besides this the place seemeth to fauour rebaptization is alleadged by dangerous hereticks to that purpose Wherefore the place being difficult the doubts diuers and the errors many that are gathered and sucked from hence as poyson froÌ„ wholesome hearbs let vs assay by the assistance of God to open the true and naturall meaning thereof If we shall weigh and consider the words aright according to the true interpretation thereof h August de doct Christ agreeable
to the drift of the place to the circumstances of the text to the propriety of the words to other testimonies of Scriptures and to the proportion of faith we shall see they fauour and further neither rebaptization maintained by the Anabaptists neither reall difference betweene Iohns baptisme and Christs defended by the Papists True it is there is in this Scripture a double History and narration inserted intermingled and infolded the one within the other which causeth some doubt obscurity but may easily be cleered and expounded For first of all the words ver 5. And they which heard it were baptized are are not the wordes of Luke the writer but of Paul the speaker continuing his speech of Iohns Disciples hearers and are not to bee vnderstood of the twelue Disciples as appeareth by the two i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greeke coniunctions which are vsed by the maisters of that tongue to ioyne and to disioyne hauing relation one to the other and knitting together the parts of the sentence answering fitly each to other k Mat. 3 11. Mat. 1 8 9. Act 1 5 6. as may bee seene in many places wherefore Luke speaketh not heere of Pauls baptisme but Paul speaketh of Iohns baptisme He setteth downe the office of Iohn verse 3. then he prosecuteth both the parts of it mentioning his preaching verse 4. and his baptizing verse 5. Againe these twelue abiding at Ephesus dwelling farre from the land of Iudea where Iohn preached baptized and liuing about 30. or 40. yeares after the death of Iohn could not heare his doctrin from his owne mouth or receiue baptisme at his hands Now whereas they are said to be baptized to Iohns Baptisme the meaning is l Act. 18 25. Mat. 21 25. Mar. 1 4. they imbraced and professed the same doctrine which Iohn preached by word and sealed with his baptisme Thirdly we haue a like example touching the Samaritans baptized by Phillip m Act. 8.14.15.16.17 The Holy-Ghost was yet come downe vpon none of them but they were onely baptized in the name of the Lord Iesus then laide they their hands on them and they receiued the Holy-Ghost Heere we are to obserue this order Phillip preached the people beleeued and were baptized afterward the Apostles hands were imposed and so the Holy-Ghost is receiued They gaue the gifts of the Holy Ghost by laying on of hands without baptisme Act. 8.17 Neither do we reade that laying on of hands was vsed in baptisme neither were these baptized againe but onely confirmed and strengthened by imposition of the Apostles hands So in this place the twelue Ephesian Disciples had embraced and receiued the doctrine that Iohn preached and were baptized in the name of Christ then the Apostle layeth his hands vpon them and they receiue the Holy-Ghost they are no more rebaptized then were the Disciples at Samaria Fourthly if the 4. and 5. verses were to be sundred and dismembred contrary to the vse of the Greeke particles which serue to conioyne the whole and to disioyne the parts of the sentence as though the one were spoken of Paul the other of Luke why doth Luke afterward ver 6. repeate and assume the name of Paul What need was there to make mention of him againe Doth not this shew that in the whole speech before hee had spoken of Iohn and his hearers that heard him preaching in the wildernesse Furthermore the Apostle neither accuseth nor condemneth the Baptisme of these Ephesians neither enquireth whether they were Baptized or no seeing they were in the number of the Professors of the faith and beleeuers of the Gospell for they are called Disciples but whether they had receiued the giftes of the holy Ghost Sixtly if such as haue beene once baptized were to be rebaptized because they are somtimes grossely ignorant and know not some necessary fundamentall point of religion concerning the Trinity concerning the offices or person of Christ and such like holy Principles the apostles themselues should haue beene baptized againe who conuersing with Christ hearing his Doctrine seeing his Miracles and knowing his behauiour had yet tasted little of his spirituall heauenly kingdome n Actes 1 6. Math. 20 21. Luke 22 24. but dreamed that the Messiah should haue a temporall and earthly kingdome The Samaritanes also should be baptized anew because being baptized they did not immediately receiue the holy Ghost Likewise Apollos shoulde bee baptized againe who was weake in knowledge vnderstanding onely the baptisme of Iohn yet hee was not re-baptized but Aquila and Priscilla tooke him and instructed him farther in the Fayth of Christ and in the wayes of God and if baptisme were so often to be repeated as God of his mercie sheweth vs the errours of our minde and faultes of our life howe often should we bee baptized Should not the faithfull manie times not onely in a yeare but sometimes in a day require Baptisme Besides wee must consider that these twelue Disciples were not ignorant of the holye Ghost the third person in Trinity but of the extraordinary and myraculous gifts of the holy Ghost which appeared in clouen Tongues on the apostles o Act. 8 17 18 19 10 44 45 47 19 6 as the words are taken For it were vnreasonable and absurd to imagine that such as are sayd to be Disciples schollers of Christ Professours of the Fayth and Members of the Church could bee ignorant whollie of the holie Ghost which Iohn saw come downe p Ioh. 1 32 33 vppon Christ in a very visible shape without the knowledge of which Spirite none can be â—aid to be a beleeuer and to be faithfull such are so farre from being admitted into the Church that they deserue not to sit in the Porch Neither may we thinke without intollerable iniury done vnto Iohn who was filled with the holye Ghost from his Mothers Wombe that he would euer haue receiued to his baptisme such rude and grosse Disciples as had neuer heard whether there were an holy â—host Last of all if Paul had baptized these twelue Disciples of Ephesus why are they passed ouer in silence and not rehearsed where of set purpose he q 1 Cor. 1 13.14 15. reckoneth vppe such as were baptized by him He declareth how he baptized Crispus Gaius and the houshold of Stephanas he maketh no mention at all of this History Nay if he baptized these might not the Corinthians haue taken exception against him accused him of falshood or forgetfulnes and albeit he speak properly and particularly of the Corâ—nthians yet afterward he extendeth his doctrine farther concludeth generally that hee knew not whether he had baptised any other which he wold neuer haue spoke if he had baptised the xii togither especially seeing he addeth Christ sent me not to baptize but to preach the gospell And seeing thâ— former Epistle was written after this history as some suppose from Ephesus where these disciples dwelt r 1 Cor. 16 8.
or function in the Church For the apostles had Euangelists Pastors that did accompany them whither soeuer they went as appeareth in sundry places of the Acts. And if as yet there were no Pastors and Teachers appointed in the Church nor ordinary Ministers erected it pertaineth not to the question in hand because when wee enquire what persons are permitted to minister the Sacraments wee vnderstande it of the ordinary and setled gouernment of the church whereas that may not be suffered in a Church planted which is allowed in the beginning while it is planting and the foundation is in laying before an ordinary ministery be erected Againe those that did baptize at the appointment of Peter did it not of their own head but by the warrant of the Apostle who may be sayd to baptize by their hand because he that dooth a thing by other may bee sayde to doe it himselfe as it is sayde sometimes that Christ baptized Iohn 3 22. Iohn 3.22 Iesus came and his Disciples into the Lande of Iudea and there hee tarried vvith them and Baptized Sometimes it is sayde that hee baptized not at all as Iohn 4 verse 1 2. When the Lorde knevv that the Pharisies had heard Iohn 4 1 2 2. that Iesus made and Baptized moe Disciples then Iohn though Iesus himselfe baptized not but his Disciples These things may seeme contrary the one vnto the other Iesus baptized Iesus baptized not yet the latter place openeth and expoundeth the former and sheweth that if wee speake touching his practise in his owne person hee baptized not but if wee speake what hee did by the hand and by the Ministery of his Disciples hee baptized because when hee had preached hee sealed his Doctrine by Baptisme which the Apostles ministred Lastly there is nothing which I knowe to hinder why these wordes thus written Peter commaunded them to bee baptized may not bee thus interpreted He commaunded Water to bee brought where-with they should bee baptized as such as attend and serue the Pastour in carrying about the Breade or reaching the Cup should bee said to minister the Lords Supper For the assistant may beare the name of doing the chiefe principall worke But howsoeuer it was they are greatly I will not say grossely deceiued that imagine the Apostle would not vouchsafe to do it so long as other wer present that might do it For this should sauour of Antichristian pride which was farre from the Apostles who bare themselues with all Christian humility as they had learned of their Lord and Maister besides the ministry of the holy Sacraments is of the same nature with the preaching of the word and therefore is of greater worth and excellencie then any mortall man liuing vpon the face of the earth is woorthy to handle Thirdly it may be saide what shall we do when a lawfull Obiection 3 Minister is wanting and cannot be had May we not then vse the helpe and hand of priuate persons Answere I answere no necessity can compell vs to violate the ordinance of God and to breake the orders that he hath established in his Church For as in the first institution and administration of baptisme Iohn baptized that preached the Gospel so is this course to be continued and holden euen vnto the end The commandement to preach is the commandement to baptize the forbidding to preach is a restrayning to baptize and therefore Paul ioyneth the washing of the Water with the word of the Gospell Ephe. 5. As for these that haue not the preaching of the word committed to them Christ neuer said to them Go and Baptize If it cannot be had for our children according to this rule they must be commended to God who will baptize them with the holye Ghost and saue them by his grace albeit they be not partakers of the outward part of the Sacrament and washed with the element of water Neyther let any heere obiect the opinion of S. Augustine Lib. 2. contr Epist Pâ—â—men ca. 13. who writeth That if a Lay-man baptize in case of necessity either it is no sinne at all or a veniall sinne for first this place concludeth nothing inasmuch as he speaketh doubtfully whether it bee lawfull or vnlawfull He therefore that will ground any thing vpon this authority and practise such Lay-baptisme from this place must do it with a doubtfull conscience which in him that doth it is sinne albeit it were in it selfe lawfull Again if this godly Father stand in doubt whether baptisme ministred by a lay-man be auaileable or no and consequent-whether such persons so baptized ought to be rebaptized it is manifest that hee alloweth not that a lay-man should take vpon him to baptize for if he had holden such ministration to bee lawfull there had beene no cause or reason why he shold doubt whether that baptisme were good or not Let not any therefore ground vpon his authoritie more then euer he taught them but rather let vs stom hence inferre that seeing hee was not resolued whether baptisme by a lay-man be auailable doubtlesse he was out of doubt that being administred through the presumptuous intrusion of a woman it is voide and of no effect who is doubly barred from publicke charges of the Church more then a priuate man Furthermore wee answere that the iudgement of this learned and reuerend Father is in this cause lesse to be waighed and esteemed and indeede not at al to be allowed and followed because he ascribeth too much to baptisme and the outward washing with water as thogh all they that departed hence without it were damned for euer And this is that which made him rush vpon the former rocke ready to suffer shipwracke for rather then hee would haue the infant perish hee would haue any meanes vsed that were possible to saue the soule of the child but we know that God is not so hard to them who hath promised to be their God nor the sentence of his word so heauy forasmuch as the children of the faithfull are within the Couenant and called holye by the Apostle of which wee shall speak at large afterward Victor Vticensis in his second booke of the persecution of the Vandals telleth vs of a miserable lamentation of the people Lib. 2 de persecut Vandal when their Ministers were banished by the Arrian heretikes saying Alas vvho shall baptize these Infants And this the Rhemistes confesse in their annotations vpon Iohn 20 23. Whereas this complaint should not haue needed if priuate persons or Midwiues in case of necessity in time of persecution and in the want of Ministers might haue baptized as well as the ministers and the people withall be assured to receiue a Sacrament at their hands as well as at the hands of the Ministers And hence it is that Augustine also saith that in time of necessity August Tom. 2. Epist 183. the women hasted to carry their Children vnto the Church that they may be baptised Epist 180 Do we not consider
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
baptized and washed with water we shall pay dearely for our defiling that sacred water which God hath appointed to so holy an vse True it is the water of it selfe is as nothing no other in substaunce and nature then that wherewith wee wash our hands but when once it is ioyned to the word and applyed to an holy end it is as it were an authentical seale which God hath engrauen in it Now he that counterfeiteth the seale of a Prince shall he not be punished Behold baptisme is the seale of God which serueth not to seale conueyances of earthly possessions as house and lands but to assure vs that we are called to the heauenly life and bringeth good assurance and warrant with it that we be washed from our sinnes by the blood of our Lord Iesus Christ and borne againe by his holy Spirit Shall we breake all and escape vnpunished Let vs not then boast of our baptisme and Christianity to say oh we are baptized we are christened we weare the badge of God these things these things I say will cost vs deare if we make not our baptisme auaileable to our selues and our owne soules by killing our corruptions for thereby l Eccl. 5 3. wee shew our selues like vnto the foole that maketh a vow and immediately after breaketh it For what a misery is this that scarce one of an hundred knoweth the right end of his baptisme and whereunto it auaileth So that albeit they boast of the outward signe yet they are no more sound Christians indeed then Turks and Pagans Infidels and miscreants inasmuch as they are no way mortified or renewed by repentance no way changed in the inward man but lye rotting in their sinnes and remaine in the condemnation of Adam These shall one day finde by wofull experience what a costly thing it is to take so deare a pawne of saluation at the hands of God in vaine Indeed we beare the name of Christ and we professe the Gospell yet you shall find a great number that know not this vse of baptisme nor to what end it was ordained They doe call it indeede their Christendome but are altogether ignorant of the nature thereof and are vnacquainted with the effect of it yea they bring their children to no other purpose to be baptized then because it is the vsual manner and common custome so to do being led thereunto not by the commandement of Christ but by the example of others forasmuch as they can giue no reason at all of that they do This will cost them deerely for abusing such a pledge-token at Gods hands seeing it is a meanes wherby we are vnited to our Lord Iesus Christ and ingrafted into his death and resurrection Wherefore whereas many haue receiued baptisme in their infancy and haue liued forty or fifty yeares in the world without knowing to what end they were baptized it had beene better for them that they had beene borne dead or perished in their mothers womb as an vntimely fruit then to haue vnhallowed so holy and precious a thing Thus much of the third and last vse of baptisme as also of the parts thereof and generally touching this whole Sacrament The end of the second Booke THE THIRD BOOKE of the Lords Supper being Christs farewel-token to his Church and a sweete pledge of his wonderfull kindnesse toward mankinde wherein the truth of this Sacrament is manifested the parts are deliuered the vses are shewed the Doctrine of the reformed Churches is cleared the errors of the Church of Rome are euidently conuinced and the meanes set downe how euery one is to be prepared to the worthy receiuing thereof with fruite and comfort CHAP. I. Of the names and titles of this Sacrament together with the reasons and vses thereof IN the former Booke wee haue spoken of baptisme the first SacrameÌ„t of the church together with the parts and vses thereof Now we are to set downe the doctrine of the Lords Supper which is the second Sacrament For after that God hath brought vs into his Church by baptisme and made vs as it were of his houshold seruants then as a good father of the family he feedeth vs spiritually with the flesh of his Sonne applying vnto vs the merit of his death and passion This a The Sacrament of the body and blood oâ— christ called by diuers names Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ is declared in the Scripture by diuers names to deliuer the nature thereof vnto vs. Sometimes it is called the communion as 1 Cor. 10. The cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the b 1 Cor 10.16 communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ Sometimes it is called the Lords Supper as 1 Cor. 11 20. When yee come together into one place this is not to eate c 1 Cor. 11 20 the Lords Supper Thirdly sometimes it is called the breaking of bread as Acts 2. They continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship d Act. 2 42. and 20 7. and breaking of bread and prayers and cha 20. The first day of the weeke the Dâ—sciples being come together to breake bread Paul preached vnto them ready to depart on the morrow Fourthly sometimes it is called the table of the Lord as we see 1 cor 10. Ye cannot drinke the cup of the Lord and the cup of Diuels ye cannot be partakers of the Lords e 1 Cor. 10 21 table and of the table of diuels Moreouer we shall nothing offend if we call it the testament or will of Christ This cup is the f 1 Cor. 11 â—5 Mat. 26 2â— new Testament in my blood this do as oft as ye drinke it in remembrance of me and our Sauiour thus speaketh Mat. 26. This is my blood of the new testament that is shed for many for the remission of sins These are the chiefe and principal names giuen to this Sacrament in the Scriptures I am not ignorant that the ancient fathers and times succeeding haue giuen vnto it other names and not vnfitly but my purpose being not so much to alledge the counsels or Doctours of the Church as to instruct the simple and vnlearned I will content my selfe with expounding such termes and titles as are penned in the worde of God and pointed out by the Spirit of God Now then let vs render g Reasons rendred of the former names the reasons of such names as this Sacrament is entituled withall It is called the communion because wee haue a communion and fellowship with Christ and h 1 Cor. 10.17 he with vs both which are sealed vp in this Sacrament It is called the Lords Supper both because it was instituted by the Lord Iesus at his last Supper which circumstance of time the Church hath changed because therin is offered to vs a spiritual banket in which the faithfull are spiritually fed and nourished It is called the breaking of
it came Hence it is that Caluine teacheth infiit â—ib 4 cap. 17 35.36 that the Apostles are not read to haue prostrated themselues and lye along to worship the Sacrament it is the practise of Rome to prostrate themselues before the bread to adore it There hath bin much written against kneeling at the Communion but the weakenesse of the reasons serueth to discouer the imperfections of their writings For first their opinion looketh one way their proofes another they go about to tye vs to the example of Christ to proue sitting euermore they conclude standing so that we may say with the Poet Amphora coepit Institut Horat. de art Peeâ— currente rota cur vrceus exit Secondly they tell vs that some haue wished this gesture of kneeling to be abolished but who haue pronounced and determined that it is vnlawfull Thirdly do they bring vs any examples either of Churches in generall or priuate persons in particular that did sit at the communion which deepe silence of those that speake of the Sacrament argueth that the particular gesture was not thought necessary no more then eating the Passeouer standing which was afterward altered Fourthly they wrest many authors out of ioynt they bring them in to serue their purpose and then make them to depose what they list Thus they serue Caluine in many places making him to speake against kneeling at the Communion whereas he onely writeth against the popish adoration Thus also they often cite many sundry worthy defendors of our faith against the enemies of the grace of God D. Fulke D. Sutâ—â—sse D. Willet and albeit by their great labours they deserue great praise in the Church yet they marshall them among other writers as if either they disliked the order of our Church or else were some simple fellowes that regarded not what they wrote or as if their opinions and their practises their bookes and their liues their writings and their doings were dissonant and differing the one from the other or as if they did set downe certain principles which themselues do not remember when they come to particulars Fiftly they teach that kneeling in the act of receiuing the bread and wine is imposed and obserued as a part of Gods worship and that it is by all men confessed to bee a chiefe part of religious adoration De Actorat p. 22. 3. whereas Aretius a learned Diuine maketh it onely an accidentall part of religious worship and it is a cleere case it is no chiefe part of it both because religious adoration may be and is vsually without it and it is also vsually without adoration For kneeling is not alwayes ioyned with diuine worshipping as appeareth in the example of Abraham before the people of Heth of Iacob to his brother Esau of the debter before his creditor Gen. 23 7. 33 7. Mat. 18.29 Gen. 48 12. 1 Kin. 1 33. and of the subiects before their Princes al these bow the knee of the body and yet do not worship in a diuine manner Lastly the authors which they bring do speake against them in the particular point for which they bring theÌ„ such persons then as stand vpon the opinion of others let them heare with patience the iudgement of as excellent Diuines as this age hath brought forth Art 1 sect 8. B. Iewel writing against Harding saith thus I deny not certaine circumstances as fasting sitting stand ng kneeling and other like ceremonies obserued in celebrating the holy mysteries are to be moderated and appointed at the iudgement of the Church If these circumstances of fasting sitting standing and kneeling may bee appointed by the Church then the word of God hath determined and defined nothing concerning the vse of them for the Church hath not authority to establish any thing against the Scriptures But because his iudgement may be thought partiall let vs heare what others testifie It is the order of the Church of Geneua to receiue standing as we noted before and as Beza himselfe witnesseth And he hath a notable Epistle written to a friend resoluing him what the faithfull ought to do that liue where the bread in the Supper is not broken neâ—ther deliuered into the hands but put into the mouths of the Communicants things of greater waight and importance then is kneeling at the Sacrament Beza epist 2. things that are not in themselues indifferent things that are no better then plaine corruptions of the institution of Christ yet he aduiseth and counselleth that we should not trouble our conscience with these matters not giue offence to our brethren by refusing to communicate in such places and among such persons as if we were in danger to loose the life and heart of all Christianity I appeale now vnto themselues that cannot abide our kneeling and make them Iudges in this controuersie whether hee that perswadeth the people to suffer the bread vnbroken to bee put into their mouths rather then altogether to abstaine would not also aduise to receiue kneeling according to the order of the Church where it is required and commanded rather then to breake the peace of the Church To this purpose he saith That which is not in it selfe necessary we ought not to vrge farther then is meet And afterward The taking of the Supper is precisely enioyned vnto vs but not the manner how we shall take it Epist 12. et 8 And in another epistle when he was asked his opinion touching the bowing of the knee in the act of receiuing hee thinketh of it as of receiuing with vnleauened bread yet to auoid superstition though it be not euill in it selfe he wisheth it were abolished howbeit it is not of him simply condemned With him accordeth the church of France of the low Countries who dare not pronounce the ceremony of kneeling in receiuing of the Elements to be vtterly vnlawfull but for the vtter rooting of bread-worship out of the hearts of men Obâ—eruat vpon the Harmo of Câ—nfest Instit lib. 4. cap. 17. they hold it much better in most places to haue it vtterly abol shed Caluine speaking of this gesture applyeth it wholy against the Church of Rome that worship this Sacrament not against the true Churches of God that receiue kneeling at the Sacrament but abhorre and condemne the adoring of the Sacrament Peter Martyr sheweth that this outward reuerence vsed in kneeling is not in it selfe and it owne nature euill Loc. commu class 4 cap. 10. sect 50. so that we stay not in the Elements but worship in spirit and truth Christ Iesus sitting in the heauens True it is to conceale nothing of his opinion he taketh this prostrating bending of the knee not to be so fit vnlesse often preaching be ioyned by way of iustruction so that if the people bee taught that they are not to worship the outward elements then there is no such feare of Idolatry but this gesture may be vsed and retained and this is our case
haue carried the burden of the building and those labourers that haue borne the heat of the day who albeit they haue written much of the Sacraments and themselues liued where they receiued eyther standing or sitting yet neuer wrote against kneeling nor condemned those Churches that practised it knowing very well that we are no more bound to follow them then they are to follow vs. Indeed they haue all of them abhorred kneeling to the bread but none of them haue abhorred kneeling at the receiuing of the bread and therefore let them that haue beene so earnest heeretofore for sitting at the Communion and to reason for the practise aâ—â— in the maintenance of it lay their hand vpon their mou and not so eagerly pursue that cause but be content to submit themselues to the order of the Church and let them learne to giue thanks to God the Father that we haue the Supper of the Lord so sincerely administred among vs and that they may so reuerently receiue it which in so pure and holy a manner is not either deliuered or taken in some other Churches where notwithstanding they ought to Communicate that liue in them So long as wee may take the bread and drinke of the cuppe of the Lord with hearing the word preached with prayers and praises offered to God let vs not striue and contend in indifferent things as we haue proued this to be which are to be ordered by the higher powers but yeeld obedience to the truth and be content to ioyne with our brethren as in the action of the Supper so in the gesture of the body that so with ioy of heart and comfort of Spirit with one minde with one mouth we may glorify our Father which is in heauen And if the best reformed Churches bee onely the competent Iudges in this case Pag. 50. to whose iudgement we are to conforme our selues as themselues confesse the question will soone be at an end forasmuch as there is no Church vnder heauen that we know nor learned writer before our times that I can vnderstand by the relation and obseruation of others to haue simply condeÌ„ned the gesture of kneeling at the Sacrament as vnlawfull I deny not but some haue held this ceremony needlesse vnprofitable in expedient and fit to be abolished but not impious vnlawfull Idolatrous in it selfe It is well said of Beza Beza epist 2. in his second Epistle that albeit the Sacraments be instituted by Christ and that by mans authority nothing ought to bee added to them or detracted from them yet not euery declining from the institution is to be accounted a corruption so that the intent and purpose of the Author of them be obserued When the Lord Iesus did ordaine his last supper it is most likely that the disciples receiued the bread and the cup not at the hands of Christ but one of another forasmuch as he tooke the cup and gaue thanks and said Take this and diuide it among your selues Luke 22 17. and that all of them did drinke of one and the same cup what then Shall wee say that those Churches offended or that the commandement of Christ is transgressed or that the institution is violated where one doth not deliuer the Sacrament to another but all receiue it at the hand of the Minister where they drinke also not of one but of diuers cups No in no wise because the taking of the Elements is necessarily required but the manner is not precisely appointed and prescribed And heereby also we see farther that we are not seruilely bound to cleaue to the example of Christ in the administration and participation of the Supper albeit on the other side we haue no purpose to oppose our selues any way against him but inasmuch as he hath left it free we haue made choice of that we thinke fit Thus I haue finished the point which I intended to bring backe our deceiued brethren and sisters to a willing submission to the orders of our Church in this behalfe I haue of purpose abstained from speaking of many other points which I might haue touched and peraduenture had beene fit to be obserued least I should exasperate any way those that are contrary minded and thereby driue them farther from that whereunto I goe about to perswade them and so wound those whom I desire to win For I am so farre from going about to kindle the coales of contention and mouing them any way to anger or bringing them to trouble whom I minde to gaine to the truth that if I haue let fall any thing from my pen that they which are contrary to me in opinion and to our Church in practise might take to be spoken to their disgrace or vttered in contempt of their persons I do heere freely condemne it my selfe before it come into other mens hands to be read of them I seeke for verity I striue not for victory In the matters of God we should be farre from bitternesse and especially in things of this nature we ought to be patient toward al men In all controuersies I account it an heauenly direction worthy to bee followed set downe by the Apostle Eph. 4. Eph. 4 31 32. Let all bitternesse and wrath and anger and clamour and euill speaking be put away from you and be ye kinde one to another tender hearted forgiuing one another euen as God for Christs sake hath forgiuen you And to conclude I say with the same Apostle in another place Gal. 6. Gal 6 16. As many as walke according to this rule peace be on them and mercy and vpon the Israel of God Thus much of the duties and rites to be practised of the Communicants as likewise touching the rest of the outward parts of the Lords Supper CHAP. VII Of the words of Consecration in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper ALthough we haue spoken before sufficiently of consecration a Booke 1. ca. 8. what it is and how it is wrought to satisfie all such as are sober minded and simple louers of the truth yet because special points are heere to be obserued and that the aduersaries turne the true consecration into a certaine magical incantation to worke a miraculous or rather a monstrous transubstantiation it shall not be amisse to assume handle this point againe that therby the truth of God may be cleered the ignorant instructed the aduersaries satisfied and consequently their mouths stopped Consecration is a change or conuerting of the outward elements into another vse by obseruing the whole institution of Christ which giueth it his effect We confesse a turning and changing not of one substance into another not by abolishing of natures not by close pronouncing of certaine words but in the vse and in respect of vs c The vse of the elements is câ—anged the substance is not changed and in regard of the promise of God The water which flowed out of the rocke in the wildernesse signified the same to the Fathers
which the wine representeth to vs in the Supper Notwithstanding it was a common watering to the beasts of the field and to the people of God the cattell dranke therof as wel as the people therfore there could be made no change therein but in respect of men d Num 20 10. to whom God gaue his gracious promise which teacheth vs to account of the outward signes otherwise then of common meats common drinkes The Tabernacle and the Arke and all the instruments thereof were made of common matter before they were sanctified of God to that purpose The stones hammered in the quarrey the timber hewed in the Forrest the gold tryed in the furnace were common stuffe before they were laid in the building of the Temple e Mat 23 16. and so made holy and sanctified to God and man The sayings sentences f Act. 17.28 Tit. 1 12. 1 Cor. 15 33. of the heathenish Poets were prophane before they had passed through the Pen of God and were taken vp by the Holy-Ghost So we teach of the bread and wine before the institution of Christ is vsed and obserued they are common but afterward they are holy We confesse and deny not but say plainely there is a change in the Sacraments the elements which before were ordinary meates now become spirituall in respect of the vse before they serued onely to feed the belly now they serue to seale vp the nourishment of our soules The discussing of this question g Two means of consecration to wit the word and p ayer together with the foundation of this consecration and sanctification of the creatures is taken out of 1 Tim. 4 4. Euery creature of God is good nothing ought to be refused if it be receiued with thanksgiuing for it is sanctified h 1 Tim. 4 â— 5 by the word of God prayer These are the two meanes the word and prayer whereby the Elements are changed though not transubstantiated yet they haue a dignity and preheminence which they had not before they are no i Iust in Apol. 2 more common bread common wine common meate but a Sacrament of Christs body a warrant of Gods promises an holy mystery and seale of the couenant betweene God and vs. The first meanes of this consecration and setting apart of the creatures to our vse is by the word of God If we haue the euident and expresse word to warrant our vse of the creatures of God we may vse them for our necessity and comfort if we haue no word to beare out the practise they are not sanctified vnto vs. The tree of knowledge of good and euill was not sanctified vnto Adam though it were good in it selfe as all k Gen. 1.31 creatures are because he had a word of commandement not to eate of it l Gen. 2 17. Of the tree of the knowledge of good and euill thou shalt not eate of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death After the fall and after the flood all creatures were not sanctified some were accounted m Gen. 7 2. vncleane all might not be eaten all might not be offered as vnder the law n Leuit. 11 3. among the beasts onely they were cleane that did chew the cud and diuide the hoofe and among the fishes of the Sea onely such as had skales and sinnes were called cleane the rest were vncleane vnto them because the word did not allow but restraine the vse of them So likewise for this Sacrament of the Lords Supper not euery creature is sanctified not a lambe not any flesh not any fish not oyle but onely bread and wine These two are consecrated all the rest are cancelled by the word For albeit flesh be more like vnto flesh then bread is yet would he not make choice of any of that kinde because he respected not the colour and outward forme but the force of nourishment strengthening of the body which is greater in bread then in the flesh of any creature The second meanes whereby the creatures are sanctified is by prayer For albeit that God by the coÌ„ming of his Son into the world hath sanctified all meates and drinkes that nothing of it selfe is vncleane o Rom. 14.15 but to him that counteth it vncleane yet something must necessarily bee done on our parts otherwise that which is holy we may prophane and that which is good we may turne into euill therefore the Apostle addeth prayer which is both a thanksgiuing to the Lord that he hath sanctified and prepared them for vs and likewise a petition that they may be healthfull for vs and we thankefull for them whereby our food our apparell and all the succours of this life are sanctified to his glory and our comfort These be the two meanes of consecration if these or any of them be wanting there can be no true consecration If then in the time of the law they should haue eaten swines flesh which indeed p Leuit. 11 7. part the hoofe but chew not the cud they should haue sinned because it was not sanctified and therefore albeit they had prayed for a blessing all the day long and giuen thankes neuer so much yet could it not make their pâ—actise lawfull which the word of God hath made vnlawfull Or if they had offered a cleane and holy sacrifice and not made humble and earnest prayers to God to accept them and their oblations it could not haue due effect but the word of God had beene hindred by their vnworthinesse So in the administration of the Lords sacred Supper we vse the word of God which warranteth vs to take the bread and wine out of this word we alledge the promises of God to the true beleeuer and heereunto we ioyne prayers and thanksgiuing that God would accept vs and blesse vs in the participation of his owne ordinance Thus albeit we haue no forged transubstantiation we haue a true consecration if the word of God and prayer of the Church can worke it which are the meanes left vnto vs for this purpose if we be q Ierom 20 7. any way deceiued it is the Scripture which hath deceiued vs. Vse 1 It remaineth now to marke the vses of this point for our farther instruction If by vsing the whole institution of Christ according to his commandement wee confesse a change and conuersion wrought in the vse of the signes then we are falsely charged and slandered to haue no consecration We pronounce the same words of consecration that Christ pronounced we obserue the same things that Christ obserued and charged vs to do we shew forth plainly the death of Christ as if r Gal 3 1. he were described in our sight among vs crucified we speake openly in a knowne tongue and the people vnderstand vs wee pray vnto God to accept vs and render him thankes for the worke of our redemption Lastly wee take the outward elements and
comfort in trials and tribulations to consider that howsoeuer by sicknesse by persecution by imprisonment wee may be separated from the Supper of Christ u Rom. 8 35. yet we cannot be separated from Christ though we may be hindred from eating him sacramentally yet wee cannot bee hindred from eating him spiritually though we may be kept from eating the bread and drinking of the cup of the Lord yet we cannot by the malice of Sathan or violence of his instruments be kept from feeding vpon Christ by faith to saluatioÌ„ And in this case God will accept the will for the deed if there be in vs a desire to be partakers thereof for as the word of God is not bound so his grace is not tyed vp Againe other receiue Christ onely sacramentally and not spiritually who are partakers of the outward Elements of bread and wine and so receiue the bare signes of the body and blood of Christ For as they are said to eate the true body of Christ spiritually which receiue Christ with the mouth of the soule that is by a true faith and are truely ioyned to him so they eate him sacramentally that handle eate and drinke the signes and seales of his true body but because they want faith they want the meanes to receiue Christ himselfe Thus many haue bin baptized that were neuer regenerated and inwardly purged a Act. 8 23. appeareth in Symon the sorcerer whose heart was not vptight so that albeit he were partaker of the Sacrament of regeneration and repentance yet he remained in the gall of bitternes and in the bond of iniquity So many haue resorted to the Lords Supper that neuer drew nourishment or strength of faith from him to life and saluation and thus many thousands in the world come to the Sacraments but because they come vnworthily they depart away vnprofitably Let no man therefore slatter himselfe in the worke done but labour to come aright that so he may finde comfort to his soule Moreouer some neither receiue Christ spiritually nor sacramentally and such are they that neuer come to Christ nor receiue the sacraments of Christ such are they that liue cut of the bosome of the Church as it were out of the Arke of Noah as Infidels Iewes Turkes Sarizens Persians and such like these must needs perish in the deepe floods of Gods endlesse iudgements For as Christ is the fountaine of life and the well-spring of all b Câ—â— 1 19 â— â— heauenly treasures that accompany saluation and the Sacraments his instruments whereby these graces are conueyed vnto vs the Church the parties to whom both these belong so such as are without Christ without the Sacraments without grace without the Church and consequently without the priuiledges that pertaine to the heires of his eternall kingdome lye in darkenesse and in the shaddowe of death c Mat â—5 26. and are as Dogges to whome the childrens bread doth not belong Lastly other receiue Christ both spiritually by faith sacramentally with the mouth who are partakers both of the signes and of the things signified who â—â—g Tract â—5 â—4 Iohan eate of the bread of the Lord and the bread which is the Lords And thus the Apostles that sate at the table with Christ at his last Supper did receiue him applying the outward part to their bodies and the inward part to their soules Also thus all the faithfull that come to the table of Christ to the end of the world doe receiue him spiritually and sacramentally to the great comfort of their owne soules and thus must euery one of vs seeke to come to Christ whensoeuer wee come to the Sacrament of Christ Wherefore we see what difference distinction is to be made betweene those that receiue Christ that we be not deceiued in the manner of the receiuing of him Againe seeing onely the faithfull are the inward part of Vse 2 this Sacrament it is not to be administred to such as shew themselues vnfaithful and vnrepentant so farre as they may be knowne so to be Such as are without faith without repentance without sanctification haue no right and interest in this blessed communion For if euery one should without difference be admitted and receiued the Church of God which is a blessed fellowship of Saints should be turned into a stye of vnclean swine a stable of vncleane beasts a cage of vncleane birds and as Christ speaketh the e Ioh. 2 16. Luk 19 46. house of God should be made a denne of theeues God did shut out of his f Ezek. 44 9. sanctuary euery stranger vncircumcised in heart and in the flesh he commanded also the Priests to put a difference betweene the holy and prophane betweene the cleane and vncleane Hitherto belongeth that saying of Christ Mathew 7. Giue ye not that which is holy to dogges neither cast ye your pearles before swine least they tread you vnder their feet and turning againe all to rent you If therefore such as remaine in grosse and open sinnes of blasphemy swearing contempt of Gods word adultery fornication vncleannes wantonnesse drunkennesse maliciousnesse and such like offer themselues at any time with the rest of the members of the Church to partake this Supper and as it were infectious leapers come into the Lords host g Leuit. 13 â— 45 46. Num. 5 â— 3. to bee admitted to the sacrifices it is the Pastors duty to vse the power of the keyes and barre them from this Sacrament vntill there appeare in them the testimonies of repentance and the confession of their offences Should not the shepheard seuer the rotten and infected sheepe from the rest of the fold Doth not h 1 Cor. 5 6. a little leauen sower the whole lump Will an housholdder admit into his house euery one that vanteth himselfe to be of the houshold The Idolaters by the light of nature i Hesiod liber oper dier Eustath in Iliad lib. 1. Virg. Aeneid lib. 2. 6. would not suffer all to approach to their sacrifices their heathenish sacrifices but cryed out that prophane persons should be packing and get them thence and not i presume to offer with vnwashen hands Such as haue a very cleere fountaine and spring of waters committed vnto them if they see filthy swine come toward it k Chrys hom 83 in Mat cap 37. must not suffer them to trouble the spring and annoy the water Shall they then that haue the sacred and hallowed spring not of common water but of the precious blood of Christ springing vp to eternall life committed vnto them l Zeph. 3 4. suffer such as are notoriously defiled with sin to prophane the blood of Christ and make a mocke of him to their owne destruction Wherefore such as are open wicked persons are not without opeÌ„ repeÌ„tance to be admitted to the Sacram. of the Supper but to be separated from the Church as dead members from the body as withered branches from the tree and
to this Sacrament to know the grounds of religion and vnderstand the doctrine of the Sacraments Secondly to beleeue in Christ and to looke for salâ—ation in him alone inasmuch as there is no other name vnder heauen by which we must be saued So then we must come with faith which is the hand to apprehend Christ Thirdly to abhorre and detest our sins to hate them with an vnfained hatred as our deadly and most dangerous enemies and to haue godly sorrow for them which may cause repentance not to be repented of Lastly to loue our brethren truely and sincerely yea euen our enemies If we finde not these things in our selues we must carefully vse all holy meanes appointed for this purpose to begin them in vs otherwise our estate will prooue to be fearefull and dangerous We must with all sincerity conscience and zeale vse prayer the word read and preached conferrence meditation and such like helpes as may further them in vs. If we do finde them in vs though feeble and in great want and weaknesse we are not to abstaine from the Sacrament but to come therunto to seek strength of faith and increase of obedience Wherefore b Mat. 11 28 our Sauiour calleth such vnto him Come to me all ye that are weary and sore laden and I will ease you take my yoke on you and yee shall finde rest vpon your soules for my yoake is easie and my burden it light And chap. 12. A bruised c Mat. 12 26 reeds shall he not breake and smoaking flax shal he not quench till he bring forth iudgment vnto victory Touching the first we are to obserue d The 1. part of examination is knowledg of Gods word that such as will come aright to the lords supper must haue the knowledge of Gods word which is the foundation and ground-worke of faith Wee must know what to beleeue and must learne the doctrine of saluation out of the Scripture Our Sauiour Christ in that heauenly prayer which hee made a little before his passion vseth these words to his Father e Iohn 17 3. This is eternal life to know thee to be the onely very God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ We must know how miserable all men are of themselues that we are separated from god the children of wrath by nature as wel as others and the verie fire-brands of hell They that want this knoledge cannot iudge aright of the parts and vses of this Sacrament nor desire this heauenly meate which nourisheth to eternall life So then knowledge must necessarily go before faith for it is the nature of faith to beleeue that which it knoweth and therefore where there is small knowledge there can bee but little faith and where there is no knowledge there can be no faith acording f Rom. 10 17. to the doctrine of the Apostle Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God The knowledge required of vs when we approach to this Sacrament standeth in these two g What particular pointes â—re necessâ—tie to be knowne oâ— al that com to the Communion pointes first in the knowledge of God secondly in the knowledge of our selues In these two branches standeth the first part of examination And these two points are so neerely ioyned and knit together that no man can thoroughly know God vnlesse he know himselfe and no man can haue the perfect knowledge of himselfe except he know God in whom h Acts 17 28 he liueth mooueth and hath his being Vnder these two heads many particular points are containd necessary to be known of those that offer themselues to bee partakers of this Sacrament First that there is onely one God that hath made himselfe knowne in three persons Iohn 5 7. the Father the Sonne and the Holy-ghost Secondly that God made man and all other creatures good and gouerneth all things well Thirdly man did fall through the enticement of the Deuill and his own wilfull disobedience in breaking the commandements of God Fourthly there are ten commaundements diuided into two tables whereof the foure first commaundements concerne our duties to God the sixe last our duties toward our neighbour Fiftly we cannot keepe these commandements nor anie one of them but wee breake them daily in motion in thoght in word and in deed the breach wherof deserueth k Deut 27 25 the curse of God that is all miseries in this life death in thâ— end of this life and hell fire after this life Sixtly there is no meanes or remedy in our selues or in any creature but onely in Iesus Christ the eternall Son of God l Luke 1 35 who is God and Man God that he might ouercom death and Man that he might die for our sinnes Hee hath pacified Gods wrath fulfilled the righteousnesse of the Law sanctified our nature adopted vs to be the children of God and maketh our duties though weake acceptable vnto his Father Seuenâ—hly all haue not deliuerance by him but onely such as beleeue in Chrâ—st m 1 Cor. 1 30. whose obedience and righteousnesse is made ours by a liuely faith whereby we are perswaded that through him our sinnes are forgiuen and we made the children of God Eightly faith is a gift of God applying Christ and all his merits particularly to our selues and teaching that he is a Sauiour vnto vs. Ninthly beeing saued by Christ through faith n Luke 1 74 we may not liue as we lift this vnspeakable mercie teacheth vs to deny all vngodlinesse and all worldly and sinnefull lusts to liue soberly righteouslie and godly in this present euill world and to walke in newnesse of life o Ephesia 6 5 because no vnrighteous person shal enter into the kingdome of heauen Tenthly this Faith which bringeth foorth a reformed life is wrought within our heartes by the Holie-ghost p Rom 10 14. through the preaching of the word being truely expounded and profitably applyed with doctrine consutation exhortation correction reformation and consolation and it is encreased besides by reading praying and receyuing of the Sacraments Eleuenthly touching prayer wee haue a perfect platforme left vs by q Mat 6 9. Christ in the Gospell which containeth 6. petitions the three first concerning the glory of God and the three last concerning the necessities of our owne bodies and soules Twelfely the Sacraments are another helpe to strengthen and increase faith which are outward signes and seales ordained of God to assure vs that Christ all his sauing graces are giuen vnto vs. These are two in number Baptisme the Sacrament of our regeneration and new birth assureth vs by the washing of water that our sins are forgiuen by the blood of Christ we borne anew to God The Lords Supper assureth vs that by bread and wine giuen and receiued according to Gods ordinance Christ is giuen vs to be our spirituall nourishment to euerlasting life These grounds of religion must be knowne and vnderstood that we may
signified how commeth it to passe that Ismael being circumcised as well as Isaack and Esau circumcised as well as Iacob yet one beeing borne after the flesh persecuted him that was borne after the Spirite Genesis 21. Galathians 4.29 the other was not beloued of God neyther had grace giuen vnto him as the Scripture saith Rom 9 13. Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated Lastly the outward circumcision that is in the flesh may bee out of the Church and receiued of them that are no members of the Church as it was of the Idumeans Ismaelites Samaritans and such as were strangers from the couenant as also the Turkes and Sarazins receiue it in our daies So is it with baptisme it doth not bring vs iustification by the outward worke done but sometimes it may go before the signe and sometimes follow after The like might be said touching Manna giuen vnto the Israelites Exod. 16. and the water of separation Num. 19. We may ioyne all these together because the force of them is alike and therefore the answere to the one is an answere to the other The next type is touching the cleansing of Naaman the Obiection 4 Syrian by washing seauen times in Iordan 2. Kings 5. as then those waters did truely heale him so the water in baptisme doth heale the soule and iustifie the sinner I answere Answere this is to draw from a wrong supposition a false conclusion forasmuch as euen those waters had no such inherent power or secret vertue but onely for the present by a miraculous dispensation of God they cleansed him of his leprosie neyther had they of themselues any other hidden vertue included in them then the Riuers that wer in Damascus 2 Kings 5 12. And therefore Naaman being cleansed did not magnifie the strength of that water aboue all other Riuers in other regions but the great mercy of God toward him and promised he would worship no other God but the God of Israel The next type is from the poole of Bethesda Iohn 5. Obiection 5 which healed all manner of diseases at the mouing of the waters and the waters in Siloam wherewith the blinde man is commanded to wash Iohn 9. I answere Answere the Scripture is plaine that an Angell went downe at a certain season into the poole troubled the water without which moouing and stirring of it no cure was wrought at any time Againe if this power had beene naturall and inseparably tyed vnto it then the water would haue cured and healed all the whole multitude of impotent persons of blinde of hâ—lt and of withered that should step into it contrary to the expresse words of the text Whosoeuer did first after the troubling of the water step into it Iohn 5 4. was made whole of whatsoeuer disease he had So that the poore impotent man which had an infirmity 38. yeares needed not to haue complained that no man when the water was troubled would put him into the poole but while hee was comming another stepped downe before him And touching the blinde man he was not healed and helped eyther by the spittle or the clay or the waters or by the force of all them together which had of theÌ„selues serued and sufficed rather to haue hindred the sight then to haue opened the eyes it was the miraculous worke of Christs own hand who worketh sometimes aboue means and sometimes contrary to meanes Thus much touching the obiections arising from sundry types and allusions which hee hath heaped vp and hudled out of the olde and new Testament Now touching the obiections drawne from expresse Obiection 1 places we will briefly runne them ouer forasmuch as many of them conclude not for them but against them First of all Iohn Baptist saith I baptize you with water but hee that commeth after mee shall baptize with the Holy-Ghost Math. 3. I answere Answere Iohn sheweth in these words that he was onely the Minister of the outward signe and could worke nothing in the hearts of men whereas Christ whoÌ„ he pointed out and of whom he spake would bestow the Spirite vpon them and those things which belong vnto their saluation Euen as the Apostle speaking of his ministry doth notably in other words expound this saying of Iohn 1 Cor. 3. I haue planted Apollos hath watered but God giueth the increase so that neither he that planteth nor he that watereth is any thing but God that giueth the increase That which Paul vttereth touching the preaching of the word and Iohn of the Sacrament of Baptisme we may fitly transferre and aptly apply to the Supper of tho Lorde wherein the Minister doth distribute the bread and deliuer the cup of the Lord but the Lord himselfe doth feed those that beleeue in him with his body blood which is meate indeed and drinke indeed The next testimony is taken out of Marke 16 16. Hee Obiection 2 that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued Heere the force of sauing is ascribed to baptisme not to faith now it cannot saue but by iustifying and washing away the filthinesse of our sinnes I answere Answere in the Apostles dayes men of yeares and not infants onely were baptized in regard whereof profession of faith and confession of sins did go before Math. 3 6. They were baptized confessing their sinnes Againe Christ our Sauiour teacheth that saluation dependeth on faith Iohn 5 24. He that beleeueth is passed from death to life he neuer said Whosoeuer receiueth the outward baptisme is passed from death to life It is faith that ioyneth vs to God and not the washing of the body with water Lastly if grace were tyed to the outward signe hee would haue said He that is not baptized shal be damned whereas Christ saith onely Hee that beleeueth not shall bee damned Neuerthelesse faith and baptisme are both ioyned together that euery one should submit himselfe to the ordinance of God and know that to the guift of faith he must annexe the vse of the Sacraments The third testimony is borrowed from the conference Obiection 3 of Christ with Nicodemus Iohn 3. Except a man bee borne againe of water and the Holy Ghost hee cannot enter into the kingdome of God I answere Answere It is not necessary to vnderstand this place litterally of the water in baptisme but of the grace of Christ which cleanseth the soule as water doth the body which in other places is called The water of life Iohn 4 11. and 7.38 where speaking of the water of life the Euangelist addeth This hee spake of the Spirite which they that beleeued in him should receiue Againe water is ioyned with the Spirit in this place as fire is ioyned with the Spirite in another place Math. 3 11. He shal baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire but there is no necessity nor so much as probability there to vnderstand fire properly why then should we take water properly in this place and wherefore in places that are like should wee seeke a meaning