A Reformed Catholic, Doctrine 19
The nineteenth point, Of the efficacie of the sacraments.
Our consent.
Conclus. I. We teach and beleeue that the sacraments are signes to represent Christ with his benefits vntounto vsus.
Conclus. II. We teach further, that the sacraments are indeede instruments, whereby God offereth and giueth the foresaid benefits vntounto vsus. Thus farre we consent with the Romane Church.
The difference.
The difference betweene vsus standes in sundrie points. First of all, the best learned among them teach, that sacraments are phisicall instruments, that is, true and proper instrumentallBellarmin. … Sacr. l. 2▪ 6▪ causes, hauing force and efficacie in them to produce and giuegive grace. They vse to expresse their meaning by these comparisons. When the scriuener takes the pen into his hande and writes, the action of writing comes from the penne, mooued by the hand of the writer: and in cutting of wood or stone, the diuision comes from the sawe, mooued by the hand of the workman: euen so the grace (say they) that is giuen by God, is conferred by the sacrament it selfe. Nowe we for our parts holde, that Sacraments are not physicall but meere voluntarie instruments. Voluntarie, because it is the will and appointment of God, to vse them as certen outward meanes of grace. Instruments: because when we vse them aright according to the institution, God then answerably conferres grace from himselfe. In this respect only take we them for instruments and no otherwise.
The second difference is this: They teach that the very action of the Minister dispensing the sacrament, as it is a worke done giues grace immediatly, if the partie be prepared: as the very washing or sp…inkling of water in baptisme, and the giuing of bread in the Lords supper: euen as the orderly moouing of the penne vponupon the paper by the hand of the writer causeth writing. We hold the contrarie: namely that no action in the dispensation of a Sacrament conferreth grace as it is a worke done, that is, by the efficacie and force of the very sacramentall action it selfe, though ordained of God: but for two other waies. First by the signification therof. For God testifies vntounto vsus his will and good pleasure partly by the word of promise, and partly by the sacrament: the signes representing to the eyes that which the word doth to the eares: beeing also types and certen images of the very same things, that are promised in the worde and no other. Yea the elements are not generall and confused, but particular signes to the seuerall communicants, and by the vertues of the Institution: for when the faithfull receiue the signes from God by the handes of the Minister, it is as much as if God himselfe with his owne mouth should speake vntounto them seuerally, and by name promise to them remission of sinnes. And things said to men particularly, doe more affect, and more take away doubting, then if they were generally spoken to an whole companie. Therefore signes of graces are as it were an applying and binding of the promise of saluation to eueryevery particular beleeuer: and by this meanes, the oftener they are receiued, the more they help our infirmitie, and confirme our assurance of merciemercy.
Againe the sacrament conferres grace in that the signe thereof confirmes faith as a pledge, by reason it hath a promise annexed to it. For when God commaundes vsus to receiue the signes in faith, and withall promiseth to the receiuers to giuegive the thing signified, he bindes himselfe, as it were in bonde vntounto vsus, to stand to his owne word; euen as men binde themselues in obligations putting to their handes and seales, so as they cannot go backe. And when the signes are thus vsed as pledges, & that often: they greatly increase the grace of God: as a token sent from one friend to another, renews and confirmes the perswasion of louelove.
These are the two principall waies wherby the sacraments are said to conferre grace namely in respect of their signification, and as they are pledges of Gods fauour vntounto vsus. And the very point here to be considered is, in what order and manner they confirme. And the manner is this. The signes and visible elements affect the senses outward and inward: the senses conuay their obiect to the minde: the minde directed by the holy Ghost reasoneth on this manner, out of the promise annexed to the sacramen…. He that vseth the elements aright, shall receiue grace thereby: but I vse the elements aright in faith and repentance, saith the minde of the beleeuer: therefore shall I receiue from God increase of grace. Thus then, faith is confirmed not by the worke done, but by a kind of reasoning caused in the minde, the argument or proofe whereof is borrowed from the elements, beeing signes and pledges of Gods mercy.
The third difference. The Papists teach, that in the sacrament by the worke done, the very grace of iustification is conferred. We say no: because a man of yeares must first beleeue and be iustified, before he can be a meete partaker of any sacrament. And the grace that is conferred, is onelyonly the increase of our faith, hope, sanctification, &c.
Our reasons.
Reason I. The word preached and the sacramēts differ in the māner of giuing Christ and his benefits vntounto vsus: because in the word the spirit of God teacheth vsus by a voice convaied to the minde by the bodily cares; but in the sacraments annexed to the word, by certen sensible and bodily signed viewed by the eye. dAug. lib. 19. contra Faust. cap. 16.Sacraments are nothing but visible words and promises. Otherwise for the giuing it selfe they differ not. Christ himselfe saith, that in the very word, is eaten his owne flesh, which he vvas to giuegive for the life of the vvorld: and what can be saide more of the Lords supper. Augustine saith, that beleeuers Serm. ad infant. ad al…ar. de Sacr.are partakers of the bodie & blood of Christ in baptisme: and Hierome to Edibia, that in baptisme vve eate and drinke the bodie and blood of Christ. If thus much may be saide of baptisme, why may it not also be saide of the word preached. Againe Hierome vponupon Ecclesiastes saith, It is profitable to be filled with cap. 3.the bodie of Christ and drinke his bloode, not onelyonly in mysterie but in knovvledge of holy Scripture. Now vponupon this it followes, that seeing the worke done in the word preached conferres not grace, neither doth the work don in the sacramēt confer any grace.
Reason II. Math. 3. II. I baptize you with water to repentance: but he that commeth after me is stronger then I,—he shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire. Hence it is manifest, that grace in the sacrament proceedes not from any action in the sacrament: for Iohn, though he doe not disioyne himselfe and his action from Christ, and the action of his spirit: yet doth he distinguish them plainely in number, persons, and effect. To this purpose Paul, who had saide of the Galatians, that he traueled of them & beget them by the Gospel, saith of himselfe that he is not 1. Cor. 7. 3.any thing, not onelyonly as he was a man, but as he was a faithfull Apostle: thereby excluding the whole Euangelicall ministerie whereof the sacrament is a part, from the least part of diuine operation, or, efficacie in conferring of grace.
Reason III. The blessed Angels, nay the very flesh of the sonne of God hath not any quickning vertue from it selfe: but all this efficacie or vertue is in and from the godhead of the sonne: who, by meanes of the flesh apprehended by faith, deriueth heauenly and spirituall life from himselfe to the members. Nowe if there be no efficacie in the flesh of Christ, but by reason of the hypotasticall vnion: howe shall bodily actions about bodily elements conferre grace immediatly.
Reason IV. Paul, Rom. 4. standes much vponupon this, to proue that iustification by saith is not conferred by the sacraments. And from the circumstance of time he gathereth that Abraham was first iustified, and then afterward receiue circumcision, the signe and seale of this righteousnes. Now we knowe that the generall condition of all sacraments is one and the same, and that baptisme succeeded circumcision. And what can be more plaine then the example of Cornelius, Act. 10. who before Peter came vntounto him, had the commendation of the feare of God, and was indued with the spirite of prayer: and afterward when Peter by preaching opened more fully the way of the Lord, he & the rest receiued the holy Ghost. And after all this they were baptized. Now if they receiued the holy Ghost before baptisme, then they receiued remission of sinnes, and were iustified before baptisme.
V. Reason. The iudgement of the church. Basil. If there be any grace in the water, it is Lib. de Sp. sanct. c. 15.not from the nature of the vvater, but from THE PRESENCE OF THE SRIRITE. Hierome saith, Man giues vvater but God giues the in Esa. 14.holy Ghost. Augustine saide, Water toucheth the bodie and washeth the heart: but he shews his meaning elsewhere. There is one vvater (saith he) of the Sacrament, an other of the Tract. 6. in epist. Ioh.Spirit: the water of the sacrament is visible, the water of the Spirit invisible. That vvasheth the body AND SIGNIFIETH what is done in the soule. By this the soule is purged and sealed.
Obiect. Remission of sinnes, regeneration, and saluation is ascribed to the sacrament of baptisme, Act. 22. 21. Eph. 5. Gal. 3. 27. Tit. 2. Ans. Saluation and remission of sinnes is ascribed to baptisme and the Lords supper, as to the word; which is the power of God to saluation to all that beleeue: and that, as they are instruments of the holy Ghost to signifie, seale, and exhibit to the beleeuing minde the foresaid benefits: but indeede the proper instrument whereby saluation is apprehē ded is faith, and sacraments are but proppes of faith furthering saluation two waies: first because by their signification they helpe to nourish and preserue faith: secondly because they seale grace and saluation to vsus: yea God giues grace and saluation when we vse them wel: so be it, we beleeue the word of promise made to the sacrament, whereof also they are seales. And thus we keepe the middle way, neither giuing too much nor too little to the sacraments.