The Christians Alphabet, Part 2 · Section 18
S Of Sacraments in generall.
Q. Rehearse the Letter S?
A. SAcraments are outward visible signes of the couenant and promise of God in Christ, ordained by Christ himselfe; to signifie, and to seale or confirme, and (as instruments or meanes) to conuay sauing grace to eueryevery true beleeuer, and to bee as badges or tokens of our Christian profession. And they are in number onelyonly two, namely, Baptisme and the Lords Supper.
For such helpes our weake faith doth require: and these only hath Christ ordained, and no more: being answerable to the two Sacraments vnderunder the Law, that is, Circumcision and the Passouer: and are alone in that kinde sufficient both for the beginning and continuing of sauing grace.
Q. Proue that Sacraments are signes of the couenant?
Sacraments are signes of the couenant.A. That Sacraments are signes of the couenant & promise of God, is manifest in Circumcision, which is called the Couenant, because it was the signe of the couenant; conferre Gen. 17.10. with verse 11. This is my couenant, Gen. 17 7.which ye shall keepe betweene mee and you, and thy seede after thee. Againe, see Act. 2.38. where the Apostle Peter exhorting them to be baptized in the Name of Iesus Christ, alledgeth this reason, for, saith he, the promise is made to you and to your children, &c. Thereby intimating, that to whomsoeuer the couenant doth belong, to them belongeth the signe and seale of the couenant, which is baptisme.
Q. Proue that the Sacraments are ordained by Christ?
A. The Lord God is the sole and onelyonly author of all Sacraments▪ God is the only author of Sacraments.for as it is only in his power, to make the couenant, and to conferre grace: so he only hath authority to ordaine and appoint the signes and seales of the couenan… of grace. Thus did hee both enter the couenant with Abraham and his seed for euer, Gen. 17.7. and also appoint the signe of Circumcision, verse 10.11. The like hee did concerning the Passeouer. Exod. 12. and 13. In the same manner, our Sauiour Christ being eternall God with his Father, did institute Baptisme, Matth. 28 19. Goe teach all nations, baptizing them, &c. And the Lords Supper, Luk. 22.19. Doe this in remembrance of mee. Whereupon Saint Paul saith, 1 Cor. 11.23. I hauehave receiued of the Lord, that which I also hauehave deliuered vntounto you.
Q. To what end or vse were the Sacraments ordained?
A. The end or vse of Sacraments is diuers:The end or vse of Sacraments. First, Sacraments are ordained to signifie, shew and represent vntounto vsus the grace offered in the couenant,1To signifie. In which respect they are called signes, because they are as it were tokens and resemblances of Gods grace and fauour towards vsus. So circumcision is called the signe of circumcision, Ro. 4.11. & the signe of the couenant, Gen. 17.11. Baptisme is said to be the figure, that now saueth vsus. Againe of the celebration of the Passeouer, the Lord saith, Exod. 12.14. This day shall bee to you a remembrance. And of the Lords Supper, Christ saith, Doe this in remembrance, Luk. 22.19. And the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.26. Yee shew the Lords death till hee come.
Q. What is the second end or vse of Sacrame…ts?
A. Secondly,2To s…a…e or confirme. Sacraments are appointed of God to seale or confirme the in…a…ible certainty of his couenant of grace in Christ made with his Church, that thereby the faythfull may more firmely belieue, and rest vponupon it by faith: as ciuill contracts are ratified, and made authenticke by their seales annexed. Therefore it is, that the signe of circumcision is by the Ap…stle, Rom. 4.11. c…ll…d, The seale of the righteousnesse of faith.
Q. What is the third end or vse of Sacraments?
A. Thirdly,3To conuay grace. Sacraments are ordained to bee as instruments or meanes to conuay grace to eueryevery true beleeuer, which is euident for Baptisme, in that Christ is said, Eph. 5.26. to sanctifie and cleanse his Church, with the washing of water, by the word. And Tit. 3.5. God is said to saue vsus by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the holy Ghost And for the Lords Supper, see 1 Cor. 10.16. where the Apostle calleth the cup of blessing, the communion of the blood of Christ, and the bread, the communion of the body of Christ, because in the right vse of these outward elements, the faith full doe communicate with Christ himselfe, and all his benefits.
Q. Proue that grace is conuayed, not to all receiuers, but onelyonly to eueryevery true beleeuer?
But to the faithfull only.A. That grace is not conuayed to eueryevery one that is partaker of the outward elements, but only to the faithfull, is manifest in that our Sauiour Christ, Mark. 16.16. doth not say simply, Hee that is baptized, but Hee that beleeueth and is baptized, shall bee saued. And Saint Peter, Acts 8.21.23. said of Simon Magus (notwithstanding that he was baptized) That his heart was not right in the sight of God, but that he was in the gall of bitternesse, and in the bond of iniquity. And the Apostle saith, 1 Cor. 11.29. That the vnworthy receiuer, eateth and drinketh his owne damnation.
Q. What is the fourth end or vse of Sacraments?
A. Fourthly,4To be a… badges of our profession. Sacraments are appointed to be as badges or tokens of our profession, that thereby the true worshippers of God, and their religion, might be discerned from the false and counterfeit. Thus Circumcision and the Passeouer did distinguish the Iewes from all other nations. Hereupon it is, that those that were not of the Iewes religion, who were then the only true Church and people of God, were termed in disgrace,So to the Iewes. the vncircumcised, see 1 Sam. 17.26.36. This vncircumcised Philistine. And Isa. 52.1. The vncircumcised and vncleane. And of the Passeouer it is said, Exod. 12.48. No vncircumcised person shall …at thereof. As being also peculiar to the Church.
Q. Proue that our Sacraments are badg…s to vsus Christians.
So to vsus ChristiansA. It is manifest, in that whosoeuer will become a Christian, is exhorted, Acts 2.38. to be baptiz…d in the name of Iesus Christ: as the …dge and token of his entrance …o his Christian profession. And therefore the Eurac… becoming a Christian, and knowing the Sacrament of baptisme to be the badge of Christian religion, desired to be partaker of it. Acts 8.36. See, here is water, saith he, what doth let mee to be baptized? And as baptisme is the badge of our entrance, so is the Lords Supper of our continuance. Therefore both together are made effectuall signes of our coniunction with Christ in one body, 1 Cor. 12.13. and 10.17. Hereupon the Sacraments in their right vse, doe not only distinguish Christians from Heathen, but also the true Christian from the counterfeit.
Q. Proue that there are only two Sacraments?
A. That the Sacraments of the new Testament are only two,There are only two Sacraments. properly so called, that is to say, Baptisme, and the Lords Supper, may plainely appeare,1By the institution and practise of Christ. not only by the institution, there being no mention made of any more but these two, Matth. 28.19. and Luk. 22.19. but also in that our Sauiour Christ, whom it behooued to fulfill all righteousnesse in performing eueryevery good duty, both legall and Euangelicall, did only communicate in these two, as Sacraments of the couenant of grace, see Mat. 3.13.14.15. and 26.26.
Q. How else may it appeare that there are only two?
2By the water and blood out of his side.A. It is mystically shewed by the water and blood which issued out of the side of Christ at his death, Ioh. 19.34. Whereunto Saint Iohn alluding, saith, 1 Io. 5.6. This is that Iesus Christ that came by water and blood, not by water only, but by water and blood. 3By Saint Pauls allusion.Againe, the Apostle noting how the Fathers before the comming of Christ were vnited vntounto him, as well as wee Christians since his comming, alludeth to these two Sacraments, as the only symboles or signes of that vnion. 1 Cor. 10.2.3.4. They were all, saith he, baptized vntounto Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and did all eat the same spirituall meat, and did all drinke the same spirituall drinke.
Our weaknesse requireth Sacraments.Q. Proue that our weake faith doth require such helps?
A. If we were altogether spirituall, and in a state of perfection, we should need no such helpes, as these outward elements: but the soule being compassed about with this flesh of ours and seeing nothing, but as it were out of a prison, in an obscure manner; wee are constrained to vse these supports of our weakenesse, as old and weake sights vse spectacles. Thus much the Apostle intimateth, 1 Cor. 13.9.12. That because we doe but know in part, wee now see therefore through a glasse darkely.
Q. Is not the word of God sufficient without these outward signes?
A. We reade,The Word is not sufficient to vsus. Heb. 6.17. That God, willing more abundantly to shew vntounto the heires of promise the stablenesse of his counsell, bound himselfe by an oath, that by two immutable things, wherein it is impossible that God should lie, wee might hauehave strong consolation. In which wo…ds we may plainely see, that the word and promise of God, (specially being confirmed by oath) is in it selfe most sufficient; yet seeing it hath pleased God, to adde the Sacraments to the word, it is an euident argument, that our infirmitie doth stand in need of such helpes, beside the word.
Q. Proue that Christ hath ordained th…se two Sacraments onelyonly, and no more.
Christ ordained onelyonly two Sacraments.A. That Christ neuer ordained any more Sacraments, as signes and seales of the couenant of grace, but onelyonly Baptisme, and the Lords Supper, is most euident, in that concerning these outward elements of water, bread and wine onelyonly, and …one other, hee solemnly pro…ted these words of institution, M…th. 28.1…. Goe, t…ach all Na…ions, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the holy Ghost; And the like of the Lords Supper, Math. 26.26.27. &c. Againe, concerning the administration of these onelyonly, did our Sauiour Christ giuegive order to the Apostles, and in them to all the Ministers of the Gospell, to the end of the world: whereupon the Apostolike and primitiue Church obserued onelyonly these two Sacraments, Act. 2.38.42.
Q. What then are wee to thinke of those other fiue Sacraments, vsed in the Romish Church?
A. Those fiue,The other fiue are no Sacraments. commonly called Sacraments, that is to say, Confirmation, Penance, Orders, Matrimony, and Extreme Vnction, are not to be accounted for Sacraments of the Gospell in asmuch as they want those things that should giuegive them the true nature, life, and being of Sacraments, that is,Why no Sacraments. the institution of Christ; the outward and visible signes, that all Sacraments hauehave, and the end and vse of Sacraments; namely, to signifie, seale, and confirme the couenant of grace, to all the faithfull, vntounto the comming of Christ.
Q. Shew particularly why they are no Sacraments?
Particularly,A. Confirmation is no Sacrament, because it hath no outward visible signe ordained by Christ to any such end,1Confirmation is no Sacrament. as Sacraments are appointed vntounto; onelyonly thus it came in vse among Christians,Act. 8.14.15.17. immediately after the time of the Apostles. The extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost,Hieron. aduers. Luciferia…os cap. 4. An nes…s etiam ecclesiarum …nc esse morem, &c. conferred by the laying on of the hands of the Apostles being ceased: there was in imitation thereof, a custome tak…n vp in the Christian Churches▪ that they that had beene baptized, and had learned the Catechisme, were by the laying on of hands and prayers of the Bishops, commended vntounto God for the confirmation and increase of the ordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost in them.
Q. Why is Penance no Sacrament?
2Penance is no Sacrament.A. Penance is no Sacrament, not only because it hath no visible signe, nor institution of Christ to be such: but for that it is onelyonly a religious exercise of another kinde, as prayer, meditation, examination of the conscience, and the like are:It may be without a Priest or Minister, which a Sacrament cannot be. all which, as well as penance or penitence are to be renewed eueryevery day, and may be, without any presence or ministeriall assistance of a Priest, or Minister: though it be good sometimes to vse the helpe, counsell and ministeriall power of such.
Q. Why is Order no Sacrament?
A. Order is no Sacrament,3Order is no Sacrament. not onelyonly because it hath nothing in it, to giuegive it the nature of a Sacrament: but for this speciall reason, because it doth onelyonly concerne the orders, degrees, and offices Ecclesiasticall; and so is peculiar onelyonly to the Ministerie: whereas Sacraments are common to the whole Church and people of God.
Q. Proue that Matrimony is no Sacrament?4Matrimony is no Sacrament.
A. Matrimony is no Sacrament, because all Christian Sacraments are peculiar onelyonly to the Christian Church, as badges and tokens of it, to distinguish it from all other societies. But Matrimony was instituted of God in Paradise, before the f…ll of man; and that not as a Sacramentall signe, but to serue for the honest and lawfull propagation of mankinde. And was, is, and euer shall be common, both to Iewes and Gentiles, Christians and Heathen of all Nations.
Q. Proue that Extreme Vnction is no Sacraments?
5Extreame Vnction is no Sacrament.A. Extreme Vnction, whi…h is the annoynting of the sicke with oyle, is also no Sacrament, because the places of Scripture alledged for this purpose, doe warrant no such thing: for the annointing spoken of there, is meerely miraculous, and was onelyonly for that time, when miracles were wrought for the confirming of the doctrine of the Gospell, at the first planting of it. And the …nd or vse of that annointing was farre different from this in the Romish Church; for that was for the recouerie of the sicke, this is onelyonly vsed, when they are thought to be past recouerie, see Mark. 6.13. I…m. 5.14.
Q. Shew that our two Saments are answerable to the two Sacraments vnderunder the Law?
A. It is apparant by this,Our Sacraments answerable to the legall. in that as circumcision was the Sacrament of their entrance into couenant with God: so Baptisme is to vsus. And as the Passeouer was the Sacrament of their preseruation: so the Lords Supper is the Sacrament of our confirmation and continuance in the state of grace and saluation.
Q. Proue that these two Sacraments are alone sufficient?
A. That they are alone sufficient for the beginning and continuing of sauing grace,They are alone sufficient. it is manifest, in that there being no other grace but beginning and continuing grace: and Baptisme seruing for the one, and the Lords Supper for the other, that there need no more Sacraments but these.