A Golden Chain, Chapter 32
CHAP. 32. Of the Sacraments.
THus much of the preaching of the word: now follow the appendants to the same: namely, the Sacraments.
A Sacrament is that, whereby Christ and his sauing graces, are by certaine externall rites, signified, exhibited, and sealed to a Christian man. Rom. 4.11. He receiued the signe of circumcision, as the seale of the righteousnesse of the faith which he had, when he was circumcised. Gen. 7.11. Ye shall circumcise the foreskin of your flesh, and it shall bee a signe of the couenant betweene me and you.
God alone is the author of a Sacrament; for the signe cannot confirme any thing at all, but by the consent and promise of him, at whose handes the benefit promised must be receiued. Therefore God it is alone which appointed …ignes of grace, in whose alone power it is to bestowe grace.
And God did make a Sacrament by the sacramentall word, as Augustine witnesseth, saying, Let the word come to the element, and there is made a Sacrament. The sacramentall word, is the word of institution, the which God after a seuerall manner, hath set downe in each Sacrament. Of the worde there are two parts: the commandement, and the promise. The commandement is, by which Christ appointeth the administration of the Sacraments, and the receiuing of the same. As in Baptisme, Goe into the whole world baptizing them in the Name, &c. In the Lords Supper. Take, eate, drinke, doe ye this. The promise is the other part of the institution, whereby God ordained elements that they might be instruments and seales of his grace. As in Baptisme, I baptize thee in the name of the father, of the sonne, and of the holy Ghost. In the Supper, This is my body giuen for you: and, This this is my blood of the new Testament. Therefore this word in the administration of the Sacrament ought to be pronounced distinctly and aloud, yea, and as occasion serueth, explained also: to the ende, that all they to whome the commandement and promise appertaineth, may knowe and vnderstand the same. And hence it is very plaine, that the ministers impietie doth not make a nullitie of the Sacrament, neither doth it any whit hinder a worthy receiuer: no more then the pietie of a good minister can profite an vnworthy receiuer: because all the efficacie and worthines therof dependeth onelyonly vponupon Gods institution, if so be that be obserued.
The parts of a Sacrament are, the Signe, and the Thing of the Sacrament.
The signe, is either the matter sensible, or the Action conuersant about the same.
The matter sensible, is vsually called the signe.
The mutation of the signe, is not naturall, by changing the substance of the thing; but respectiue, that is, onelyonly in regard of the vse. For it is seuered from a common to an holy vse: Therfore there is not any such either force or efficacie of making vsus holy, inherent, or tied vntounto the externall signes, as there is naturally in bathes to purifie corrupt diseases: but all such efficacie is wholly appropriate to the holy Spirit, yet so, as it is an inseperable companion of true faith and repentance, and to such as turne vntounto the Lord, is, together with the signe exhibited. Whence it commeth to passe, that by Gods ordinance, a certaine fignification of grace, and sealing thereof agreeth to the signe.
The thing of the Sacrament, is either Christ & his graces which concerne our saluation, or the action conuersant about Christ.
I say, first Christ, and then his graces, because no man receiueth grace frō Christ, vnlesse he be made truely partaker of his very bodie and blood: euen as no man can by right reape any fruite of the ground, whereof first hee hath no iust title and interest.
The action about Christ is spirituall, and is either the action of God, or of Faith.
The action of God is, either the offering, or the Application of Christ & his graces to the faithfull.
The action of faith is, the consideration, desire, apprehension, and receiuing of Christ in the lawefull vse of the Sacrament.
Thus much of the parts of a Sacrament: nowe followeth the vnion of the parts.
This sacramentall vnion, I. is not naturall according to the place: for there is no mutation of the signe into the thing signed; neither is the thing signed, either included in, or fastened vponupon the signe. But II. it is respectiue, because there is a certaine agreement and proportion of the externall things with the internall, and of the actions of one with the actions of the other: whereby it commeth to passe, that the signes, as it were, certaine visible wordes incurring into the externall senses, doe by a certaine proportionable resemblance drawe a Christian mind to the consideration of the things signified, & to be applied.
This mutuall, and, as I may say, sacramentall relation, is the cause of so many figuratiue speeches, and metonymies, which are vsed: as, when one thing in the Sacrament is put for another. As,
I. The signe is vsed for the thing signified. Exod. 12. 11. Ye shall eate it (namely the Lambe) in hast, for it is the Lords passeouer. Ioh. 6. 52. I am the liuing bread, which came downe from heauen: if any eate of this breade, he shall liue for euer, and the bread which I will giuegive is my flesh, which I will giuegive for the life of the world. 1. Cor. 5.7. Christ our Passeouer is sacrificed for vsus. 1. Cor. 10.17. We that are many, are one bread, and one bodie, because we are all partakers of one bread.
II. The name of the thing signified is giuen to the signe: as, The bread is Christs bodie, the cuppe is Christs blood. 1. Cor. 11.24. Math. 26.28.
III. The effect of the thing signified is giuen to the signe, as Circumcision is a couenant, Gen. 17. 10. Act. 7.8. The cup is the new Testament in Christs blood. Luk. 22.16. Baptisme is the washing of the new birth. Tit. 3.5.
IV. That which properly belōgeth to the signe, is attributed to the thing signified. Deut. 10.16. Circumcise the foreskin of your hearts. Ioh. 6.53. Vnlesse ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man, and drinke his blood, ye shall hauehave no life in you.
The end why a Sacrament was ordained, is I. for the better confirmation of our faith: for by it as by certaine pledges giuen, God of his great merciemercy, doth as it were binde himselfe vntounto vsus. Now a Sacrament doth confirme our faith, not by any inherēt or proper power it hath in it selfe, as hath a soueraigne medecine receiued by a patient, the which whether a man sleepe or wake it confirmeth his strength: but rather by reasoning, and vsing the signes, when the holy Ghost shall frame in our hearts such a conclusion, as this:
All such as are conuerted, rightly vsing the Sacraments, shall receiue Christ and his graces:
But I am conuerted, and either now doe, or before hauehave rightly vsed the Sacraments:
Therefore I shall receiue Christ and his graces.
II. That it might be a badge and note of that profession by which the true Church of God is distinguished from other congregations. III. That it might be a meane to preserue, and spread abroad the doctrine of the Gospel. IV. It serueth to binde the faithfull that they doe continue both loyall, and gratefull to their Lord God. V. It is the bond of mutuall amitie betwixt the faithfull.
How a Sacrament is necessarie to saluation. The couenant of Grace is absolutely necessarie to saluation: for it comprehending Christ Iesus the very substance of the Couenant, man must necessarily either receiue it, or perish eternally: but a Sacrament is not absolutely necessarie, but onelyonly as it is a prop and stay for faith to leane vponupon. For it cannot entitle vsus into the inheritance of the sonnes of God, as the couenant doth, but onelyonly by reason of faith going before, it doth seale that which before was bestowed vponupon vsus. As we see in humane contracts the bond ariseth from the mutuall consent of the parties: but the instrument or bill, and the setting to of the seale, they doe not make, but rather confirme the bond mutually before made: the which mutuall consent remaining firme, the contract standeth still in force, though the instrument or seale be wanting.
Therefore the want of a Sacrament doth not condemne, but the contempt is that which will condemne a man. The want of a Sacrament is, when we are iustly hindred from the receiuing of the same; as, when one is preuented by death, or liueth in such a place where he cannot receiue the Sacrament. And as for the neglect of a Sacrament, albeit it be a very grieuous sinne, yet is it such an one, as for which he that is heartily penitent for the same, may well hope for pardon.
The holy vse of a Sacrament is, when such as are truly conuerted, doe vse those rites which God hath prescribed vntounto their true ends, in the receiuing of a Sacrament. Therefore I. the reprobate, though God offer the whole Sacrament vntounto them, yet they receiue the signes alone without the things signified by the signes: because the signe without the right vse thereof, is not a Sacrament to the receiuer of it. So Paul saith, Rom. 2. 25. Circumcision verely is profitable if thou keepe the Law: but if thou be a transgressour of the Law, thy circumcision is made vncircumcision. And Augustine hath this saying, If thou receiue it carnally, yet ceaseth it not to be spirituall, though to thee it be not so. II. The Elect as yet not conuerted to the Lord, doe receiue in like manner the bare signes without the thing signified; yet so, as that, that Sacrament shall in them afterward hauehave his good effect. For the Sacrament receiued before a mans conuersion, is afterward to the penitent both ratified, and becommeth profitable: and that vse of the Sacrament which before was vtterly vnlawfull, doth then become very lawfull. III. The Elect alreadie conuerted, doe to their saluation receiue both the signe and the thing signified together; yet so, as that for their vnworthie receiuing thereof, the which commeth to passe by reason of their manifold infirmities, and relapses into sinne, they are subiect vntounto temporall punishments.
The difference betwixt a Sacrament and a Sacrifice, is, in a Sacrament God bestoweth his graces vponupon vsus: but in a sacrifice, we returne vntounto God faith and obedience.
There are many differences betwixt the Sacraments of the Old testament, and these of the New. I. They were many, these but few. II. They pointed at Christ to come; these shew that he is come. III. They were appropriate vntounto the posteritie of Abraham; but these are common to the whole Church culled out of the Iewes and Gentiles.