The Sacraments Generally and of Baptism and the Supper, Part 1
Of the Sacraments in generall.
The nature of a Sacramēt.A Sacrament is a ſenſible ſigne to the eye, inſtituted of God to be continued in his Church, for the further aſſurance and increaſe of ſpirituall graces in the faithful. Of which ſort is Baptiſme and the Supper,Auguſt. epiſt. 118. and onelyonly theſe two, euen as they are ioyntly ſpecified by the Apoſtle to the Corinthians.1. Cor. 10.
In the generall may bee obſerued theſe foure notes chiefely. The inſtitution to bee of God. The ſigne viſible in ſenſe and reſemblance conuenient. The graces ſecret and myſtical, but ſingular benefites to the faithfull man. The continuance is the Churches duetie, rightly to vſe and to enioy his ordinaunces as beſeemeth the Church of God.
The inſtitution.1 Concerning the inſtitution, as God onelyonly is to be hearkened vntounto in his ſayings, ſo muſt hee alone he followed in his wayes whereſoever he goeth before vsus, and leadeth vsus after him with the leaſt thread. Reaſon not directed by faith, is a diſputing and a buſie miſtreſſe in the forge of mans braine, and ſhe will be leader in all things. Zeale likewiſe without knowledge, is a raſhe fire that licketh vp eueryevery fonde deuiſe, feedeth and glutteth her ſelfe on ſuperſtitious fancies, whereupon ambition in the man of pride,The Papacie. taking her aduantage of the former two, hath ſtollen away the peoples heartes from their God vnderunder pretence of deuocion, but in deede ſuperſtition, enthroniſed her ſelfe in the conſciences of men, and exerciſeth a proude dominion ouer the Lordes inheritance in his holy Temple. Notwithſtanding of the Apoſtle we hauehave learned a contrary leſſon,Iam. 4.12. that the onelyonly Lawgiuer in Iſrael is the Lorde, becauſe he alone ſeeth the heart, whereunto the Lawe is principally propoſed, ſearcheth the reines, and beholdeth the inwarde parts, may commaunde, and will rewarde the good conſcience, will and is able to diſcerne right, and iudge uprightly, and hath denounced to take vengeance of the very ſoules of ſinners, wherein they cloſely, but chiefly offende. Neither may mortall men adde to, take from, or alter at pleaſure his wordes: and what are his Sacraments, but his wordes made viſible, and inueſted with ſignes of his owne ordayning?Auguſt. 80. tract. in Ioh. The examination of Iohns Baptiſme was on this maner: Whence is it?Matt. 11.15. from aboue, or from beneath? of God, or of mā? Yf from heauen, it was to be receiued: if from the earth, they might reiect it. For what is earth to heauen? man to God? our dreames to his worde? our dregges to his wine? Is there any taſte in ye white of an egge? What is chaffe to wheate, or glaſſe to a diamonde?1. Sam. 15.22. Verily obedience is better then the ſacrifice of good ententes, as they be termed. For will we honour him with the fatteſt cattell out of the ſtall, or worſhippe him in the calfe of pureſt golde? the one is but a beaſt that eateth hay, the other the workmanſhippe of the engrauers hands. By obeying, we offer vp our bodyes & ſoules a reaſonable ſacrifice, wherein he is well pleaſed. Thereby we reuerence his maieſty, adore his wiſedome, ſubiect our willes to his will, reſt in his worde, making no reckoning at all of any inſtitutions that merely touche the conſcience, but of his. Wherupon with the bleſſed virgin we ſaye,Iohn 2.5. What euer he commandeth, doe, and alſo what he hath not commaunded, we feare not to tranſgreſſe & breake aſunder, as Samſon did thoſe greene withes and newe cordes.Iudg. 16 9. Wee knowe all ſuch witchecraftes the Lorde doeth vtterly abhorre. As for his Sacraments, they are his owne inſtitutions, hee marketh his ſheepe with his owne markes, writeth all with his own ſinger, ſealeth his writing with his owne ſignet. Neither ſhoulde any preſume ſo much as to ſet to theſe his ſeales, but one ly ſuch as are called to ſo hye a calling, to be as it were the keepers of them to that ende appointed: much leſſe may men make newe ſeales of their owne deuiſing.
When it pleaſed GOD to ſeale his promiſe made to Abraham with the ſacrament of circumciſion,Gene. 17. he calleth it his own couenant, and ſaide, It is I the Lorde, the author thereof. A particular rule generally to bee obſerued in eueryevery Sacrament of either Teſtamēt: It is I the Lord.
The ſignes.2 In the ſecond place we are to take viewe of theſe ſeales, for they are viſible to the eye, as his voyce is audible to the eare.
The drane water flie gazeth on eueryevery faire flower, but gathereth no honye as doth the Bee. The wandring ſight cōſidereth litle of the excellencie of the ſeales. Before it was true to ſay, No inſtitution, no Sacrament: here we may as truely auouch, No ſigne, no Sacrament. For ye whole is made of all his partes, and eueryevery Sacrament hath euer theſe two members, the outwarde ſigne, and the inwarde grace, and without the ſigne is no grace ſacramentally ſignified at any time, neyther is the ſhew of a ſigne ſufficient, it muſt be material and able in a conuenient proportion, to demōſtrate and declare to mans frayle capacitie, the grace implied and ſignified, as ſhall better appeare in the ſpecials afterwarde.
The ſignes barely looked vpō in thēſelues, they are baſe matters, earthly elements, common & ordinarie: but put once ye princes ſtampe to ye mettall, the ſeale to the waxe, the waxe and ſeale to the Lordes promiſe, the caſe is altered. For earthly, common and vſual elementes,Iren. lib. 4. cap. 34. that a litle before were, doe put nowe vponupon them, and are endued with diuine conſiderations: yet ſtil in ſubſtāce remaining ye ſame, but in efficacy, vertue, ſeruice, ends, ſignification and repreſentation of graces, baſe thinges become beautifull and marueilous, being thus ſequeſtred by God himſelfe to ſo high and holy purpoſes, and therefore are vſualy termed by the very names that the graces themſelues are called by. And this is alſo a common rule amongſt ye Fathers. See it ſo in examples out of the Scriptures. Circumciſion is the couenant, the Lambe the Paſſeouer, the Arke the Lorde, Baptiſme our buriall, Chriſt the rocke, the Bread his bodye, the Cup his blood, becauſe the analogie of theſe thinges is liuely, the proportion plaine, the ſignes ſignificantly ordeyned of God: and being thus vttered, they more affect our fayth, and touch our affections.
The inuiſible grace.3 Thirdly, the graces, (that is, (the inward parte of the Sacraments) are, though ſingular in conſolation, yet ſecret in the myſterye of their operation. God worketh howe he liſteth, and on whom he pleaſeth. The Iay feedeth belowe, the carnall eye ſeeth nothing but the barke and ryne of theſe things, bare water and bakers bread. Fayth flyeth higher, as the Eagle ſoareth vpwarde, and mounteth to heauē it ſelfe, where Chriſt ſitteth at the right hande of the father, the onelyonly grounde worke, life and ſoule of all the Sacraments that euer were, or are in vſe. The ſong of Salomon is called the ſong of ſonges for his excellencie,Nazianz. de Sacro. Bapt. and God the God of gods for his puiſſāce. In like maner, the graces we reape & receiue by Chriſt in ye ſacraments, (ſo great & gracious are they) they may be termed graces of graces: as namely, remiſſion of ſinnes, imputation of righteouſneſſe, ſanctification of life, & a ſpeciall application of our ſauiour Ieſus. Neither yet for all this (which is diligently to be noted) doe we tye or binde his goodnes ſo hereby that he muſt needes worke with, or can not worke without theſe meanes by his ſpirit, the ſaluation of them whom he had choſen and deſtinated to eternal life before all worldes. Many Iſraelites that died in the deſert when they could not trauaile if they had bene ſore and cut, were ſaued without circūciſion. The thiefe that from the croſſe went ſtraight to heauen, was neuer otherwiſe baptized then in his owne confeſſion, faith, and petition to Chriſt. Saluation is neither kneaded into ye dough, nor mingled we water, no more then with the word, which is as Hierom ſayeth more truely Chriſt,Hierom. in Pſal. 147.3. cap. eccle. but proceedeth from God, and is conueyed by ordinary meanes of eyther word or outward ſignes, where they are not contemned, but may conueniently he had, & are reuerētly vſed as they ought.
The vſe & cōtinuance.4 And this is the fourth and laſt point, the right vſe and continuance of the Sacraments. Phiſicke is not prepared, but to be receiued. As in the Reuelation, no man receiueth the white ſtone,Reuel. 2.17. but to whome it is giuen: ſo no man readeth the writing, but who receiueth it. The authour of the Sacraments, is God, the ſignes holy, the grace moſt holy. This Manna would be kept in a golden pot, and theſe iewels ſet in ye pureſt golde. The gifte that is beſtowed, is moſt ſyncere, the ſtone white that is deliuered. And ought not then the hande to be a cleane hande, or rather the heart a pure heart, that receiueth ſuch pearles? GOD couenanteth to bee our God, ſhoulde we not accept the offer, & reioyce in his couenant? Achaz in hypocriſie pretended he woulde beleeue God without a ſigne.Eſai. 7.12. Certainely ſo muſt we doe in deede many times. Balaam,Nom. 23.19. that ſaw leſſe thē his aſſe, ſaw ſo much, ye Gods worde is ynough. Shall he ſpeake, and not doe? Yet when he offereth ſignes withal, to helpe forth our infirmities in faith according to his worde, eyther naturall as the rainebow, or artificiall as the braſen ſerpent, or miraculous, or Sacramental, or whateuer, if we then refuſe them, in ſteade of ſhunning the fault of tempting him, we runne vponupon the contempt of his heauenly wiſedome. Goe preach, baptize all nations. Mat. 28.19.This is a generall commaundement, duplicate page duplicate page and muſt be obſerued.1. Cor. 10.24 As often as ye eate this bread, and drinke this cuppe, ye ſhewe the Lordes death vntill his comming againe. As often, therefore often and vſually: vntill his comming againe, therefore perperually muſt this Sacrament be continued in a godly remembrance of ye Lordes death.Gen. 29.17. Deut. 34.7. The olde ceremonies were weake ſighted like Leah, and therefore could not laſt euer. Moſes eyes were not dimme, vntill his dying day: ſo the force of Chriſtian Sacraments remaine in their full vſe vntill the ende of the worlde.
Their ſacraments, ſome were ſpeciall for place and perſon. In Paradiſe the tree of life was for the place,Gen. 2.9. Iudg. 6.37. Eſa. 28.8. the wette & dryed fleece, the going backe of the dial, were perſonally to Gedeon and Ezechias. And their chiefeſt Sacraments, either extraordinary, as Manna and the rocke, ceaſed in the wilderneſſe: or ordinary, as circumciſion and the Paſſeouer, theſe alſo hauehave had their ende in the fulneſſe of time, when their wombe (as Cirill ſpeaketh) was deliuered of Chriſt, as a woman of her childe into the worlde. For Chriſt is come, and their ceremonies were of Chriſt to come, and when he came, they as ſhadowes yeelded place at the preſence of the body. The difference of their Sacraments and ours conſiſteth in cleerenes of knowledge, and continuance of tynte. They caryed the former parte of the ſtaffe, & we the hinder ende. Chriſt is borne betwixt vsus both, but we that come after, hauehave the fuller viewe, and ſee directly before our face, they reſpectiuely and looking backe to that which they caryed and came after: and therefore more obſcurely then we. And nowe becauſe Chriſt is borne no more, liueth no more, dieth no more, & becauſe all theſe thinges are plainely to the eye painted, & poynted to with ye finger in our Sacraments, ours are not henceforth to be changed any more, but are conſtant and perpetuall, and continually in all duety to be vſed and enioyed till his comming again to iudge the quicke and the dead in the laſt day.