Fifty Sermons Containing the Chief Points of the Christian Religion, Sermons 4 · Decade 5 · Sermon 7

Fifty Sermons Containing the Chief Points of the Christian Religion · Sermons 4 · Decade 5 · Sermon 7

p. 995¶ That wee muſt reaſon reuerently of Sacraments, that they doe not giuegive grace, neither hauehave grace included in them. Againe, what the vertue and lawefull ende and vſe of Sacramentes is. That they profite not without faith, that they are not ſuperfluous to the faithful, & that they do not depend vppon the worthines or vnworthines of the miniſter.

¶ The ſeuenth Sermon.

YEſterday (déerely beloued) I tould A briefe reherſall of ſuch poinctes as he intreated vppon in his former ſermon.you what a ſacrament was, whoe was the authour of them, and for what cauſes ſacramentes were inſtituted, of what thinges they conſiſte, that is to ſay, of the ſigne, and the thinge ſignified. I tould you alſo what a ſigne is, & what the thinge ſignified, and by what names they are termed, howe they are conſecrated, that the ſigne is not mingled with the thing ſignified, but that both of them remaine in their owne nature and propertie of nature: that the ſigne is not taken away or myraculouſly turned, neither that the thing ſignified is ſo ioyned with the ſigne, y^t whoſoeuer is partaker of the one, is partaker alſo of the other. To be ſhort I declared howe and after what manner the ſigne and the thing ſignified, are coupled together to make a full perfect and lawfull ſacrament, where alſo I intreated of ſacramentall ſpéeches. Now therfore it remaineth that I alſo cōſequently ſpeake of y^e nature, vertue, and efficacie of ſacramentes, & of thoſe thinges which are ioyned and of affinitie with them: for ſo the order which I vſed in my diuiſiō requireth. Touching y^e vertue and nature of ſacramēts, that is to ſay, what they worke in man, writers hauehave diſputed diuerſly & plentifully. It ſéemeth vntounto me that reuerēce muſt be vſed in this diſputation, and that héede muſt be taken that I do not incline either to the We muſt… vſe reuerence in diſputing of ſacramentes.right hand or to the left, that is, that I do not attribute to much vntounto them to the derogating from the doctrine of y^e Euangeliſtes & Apoſtles, neither that p. 996I ſhould diminiſhe or take from them to mine owne damnation that whiche the ſcripture, the word of God, doth attribute vntounto them. But we ſhal plentifully giuegive great praiſe and glorie to the ordinances of God, if we ſhall ſay that of them which the ſpirite of God hath ſet downe in the holy ſcriptures: to bée willing to attribute more vntounto them, is not onelyonly an errour in man, but a great fault, whiche bringeth death and horrible deſtruction. This is declared vntounto vsus in the holy ſcripture The arke of the co…nant.by examples moſt worthie of remembrance. The arcke of y^e couenant giuen by Moſes to y^e people of Iſrael, was a wittneſſe of Gods preſence amonge the people, and of the league & friendſhipp betwene God & man. For in theſe words God made a league w^e the people, I will make my dwelling place amonge them, & walke among them, and I will be their God & they ſhalbe my people. Of that ordinance & agréement, the arke it ſelfe was called, The Lord God of hoſtes ſittinge betweene the Cherubims, as we may ſée 2. Sam. 6. and in y^e booke of the Chronicles. It was alſo called, The arke of the couenant of the Lord. For when y^e prophets of God did attribute theſe thinges to the ſacrament of God, they both thought and ſpake plentifully & reuerently enoughe of the ſacrament of God: but when the ignorant & malicious prieſts and the people corrupted by them did attribute far greater thinges to the arke or Sacrament of God, what (I pray you) came to paſſe? GiueGive eare firſt what they attributed to the arke, The elders of Iſrael ſaid, To attribute too …uch to ſa…aments.wherfore hath the Lord caſt vsus down this day before the Philiſtines? Let vsus fetch the arke of the couenant of the Lord out of Silo vntounto vsus, that when it commeth amonge vsus, it maye ſaue vsus out of the hands of our enimies. You hauehave heard what they attributed to y^e ark. Now giuegive eare what they did. So the people ſent into Silo, & brought It is a greate ſin not to attribute ſo much vntounto the ſacraments as the ſcripture doth attribute.from thence the arke of the couenant of the Lord of hoaſtes whiche ſitteth betweene the Cherubims. And it came to paſſe, that when the arke of the couenant of the Lord came into the hoaſt, all Iſrael ſhowted out a mightie ſhowt, ſo that the earth rang againe. And when the Philiſtines hard the noiſe of the ſhout, they ſaid, what meaneth the ſoūd of this mightie ſhowt? And they vnderſtood that the arke of the Lord was come into the hoaſt. And the Philiſtines cried, woe be vntounto vsus, God is come into the hoaſt. Who ſhal deliuer vsus out of the handes of thoſe mightie Gods that ſmote the Aegyptians? But hearken now what happened, & howe God did declare that y^e arke was not God, as it was called & counted of y^e vnſkilful in holy things, & how he puniſhed the ſinnes of his people, becauſe they attributed too much to the ſacrament. It followeth therefore: And the Philiſtines fought, and Iſrael was ſmitten downe, and fledd euerie man into his tent, and there was an exceding great ſlaughter, for there were ouerthrown of Iſrael thirtie thouſand footemen. Beſide that alſo, the arke of God was taken, & the two ſonns of Helie were ſlaine. All theſe thinges are read in the 1. booke of Sam. 4. ca. Againe, when the ſacrament of God was vnreuerētly handled of the ſwiniſh Philiſtines, they were ſmitten with a lothſome & deadly plague. They did boaſt y^t their Gods, and the religion of the Philiſtines had ouercome the God and the religion of the Iſraelits, but the gods of y^e Philiſtines fel downe & are broken in péeces, & their heatheniſh religion is confounded. p. 997What, and did not the Iſraelites periſh with a more gréeuous plague, thā before, when they lightly handled, and contrarie to the Lawe of God, Num. 4. looked into the Sacrament brought backe by the Philiſtines into Bethſames? For the Lord ſmote fiftie thouſand threeſcore & tenne men. 1. Sam. 6. When Moſes did negligently deferre the circumciſing of his children, he fell into great daunger. The Sichimites for receiuing circumciſion raſhly are deſtroyed. And Simeon and Leui, For prophaning the ſacrament are curſed of their father. Geneſis 49. To this that agréeth which the Apoſtle ſayth of them which celebrate the ſupper vnworthilie. For this cauſe many are weake & ſicke amonge you & many ſleepe. Hetherto alſo belongeth the example of Oza, a man not altogether euill, whiche touched this ſame ſacrament that was not lawfull for him to doe. Wherefore the Lord ſtroke him with a ſoudaine death, and that not priuately in the tabernacle, but in the fight of all the people. Of the whiche déede of God, Dauid alſo ſpeaking in the cōgregation & church of the Iſraelites, ſaith to the Leuits: The Lord hath choſen the Leuites to beare the Arcke of the Lord (and not that kyne ſhall draw it in a new cart) therefore ſee that ye be holie that yee maye bring in the Arcke of the Lord God of Iſrael vntounto the place which I hauehave prepared for it. For beecauſe ye did not this at the firſt, our lord God hath made a rent amonge vsus, for that wee ſought, him not as the faſhion ought to be.

And it followeth immediatly, The prieſtes and Leuites ſanctified themſelues to fetche the Arcke of the Lord God of Iſrael. And the children of the Num. 4.Num 4Leuites bare the Arcke of God vponupon their ſhoulders with ſtaues as Moſes commaunded according to the word of the Lord. All theſe thinges are to be ſéene in the firſt of the Chronicles, Cap. 15. Whereby we gather that the Lord will none of our good meanings or intentes, & pompous celebrations in celebrating the Sacramentes: but that hee onelyonly requireth that wee ſhould ſo iudge and ſpeake of the Sacraments, as he iudgeth and ſpeaketh by his word, and that we ſhould ſo vſe and celebrate them, as hee himſelfe hath inſtituted and celebrated them. Therefore he ſufficiently ſetteth forth the dignitie of ſacraments, who attributeth that vntounto them, which GOD himſelfe in y^e holy Scriptures vouchſafeth to giuegive them.

Let vsus therefore firſt of all ſearche out, of what dignitie Sacramentes hauehave béene for the moſt part in oure time, that thereby we may the better vnderſtand what is to be attributed, and what is not to bée attributed vntounto them. The common ſort of prieſtes It is taughte that ſacramentes giuegive graceand monkes hauehave taught, that the ſacramentes of the newe lawe are not only ſignes of Grace, but together alſo cauſes of grace, that is, which hauehave power to giuegive grace. For they ſay that they are as inſtruments, pipes, & certeine conduits of Chriſtes paſſion, by whiche the grace of Chriſte is conueyed and powred into vsus: but that the ſignes of the old teſtament giuen to the fathers were ſignes onelyonly, and not cauſes of grace alſo whiche hauehave force to ſignifie, but not to giuegive grace. They ſéeme truelye to hauehave ſuckte Auguſtin… taught not that ſ… cramentes giuegive gracethat errour out of Sainct Auguſtines words wrongfully vnderſtoode: for he writeth vppon the 73. Pſalme thus: The ſacraments of the new lawe are more wholeſome & happie, than they of the old lawe, becauſe they promiſe, p. 998theſe giuegive. But S. Auguſtinement to ſay no other thing, than that whiche in another place he ſpeaketh after this manner: The ſacrament of the old lawe did foreſhew that Chriſt ſhould come, but ours doe ſhewe that hee is come. For alſo againſt Fauſtus, Lib. 19. cap. 14. he calleth the Sacraments of the old lawe, Promiſes of things to bee perfourmed, but our ſacramentes tokens of thinges that are alreadie perfourmed. Wherfore vponupon the 73. Pſalme he ſayeth: The ſacramentes of the old lawe are giuen to ſignifie the verie thing, but ours do witneſſe that it is giuen, and ſignifie that it is preſent. I confeſſe that he ſaith more than once, that our ſacramentes are more comfortable and effectuall: but hee ſaid that by no other reaſon, than for that the Meſſias being alreadie reuealed and giuen vntounto vsus in the new teſtament, our ſacramentes are more perfecte, more lightſome, and more beautifull: for Chriſt hath brought all ſignes to an end, wherfore ours hauehave a more full ſignification, and after a ſort are the more liuelie. But if Auguſtine had béene altogether of that opinion which theſe men do fauour and followe, would not godlines it ſelfe perſuade vsus to forſake the authoritie of men, and cleane to the word of trueth?

Let vsus ſée therefore what may bée gathered out of the word of trueth, Of the likenes & difference of the ſacramentes of the old and newe Teſtamentthat is, out of the canonical ſcriptures, touching the likenes and difference of the ſacraments of the old and new teſtament. This we hould for a certeintie out of the ſcriptures, that there is but one euerlaſting and vnchaungeable God and Lord of either Churche, that there is but one faith in him thorough Chriſte of either Churche, that there is but one waye layd downe in either Church to atteine to the promiſes of ſaluation: to be ſhort, that there is but one Churche of the onelyonly liuing God, gathered together out of either people both of the Iewes & Gentiles. I thincke there needeth no large confirmation of theſe thinges out of the ſcripture: béecauſe in the 8. Decade and third Sermon, I hauehave handled them at the full.

Now that I hauehave fortified and cō firmed theſe thinges before, by the writinges of the Apoſtles, thus I conclude, not of mine owne braine, but by the authoritie of God: They which alwayes hauehave one euerlaſting, and vnchaungeable God: one waye of ſaluation ſet forth for all in Chriſt from the beginning: one faith: one church: one baptiſme: the ſame ſpirituall meate and drincke: they cannot chooſe but hauehave the ſelfe ſame ſacraments as touching their ſubſtance. But the Iewes and Chriſtians hauehave one God, one faith, one way of ſaluation (which is) by Chriſte, to be ſhort one church: therefore hauehave they alſo the ſelfe ſame ſacraments, ſauing that ours are giuen vnderunder other ſignes, and for that throughe the reuelation ot the Sunne of righteouſnes (I meane) Chriſt, are made more lightſome and manifeſt. I ſaye further that the ſcripture witneſſeth, that the ſacraments of the old teſtament and ours, are of the ſame force, in ſo muche that Paule calleth them circumciſed which are baptiſed, and them baptiſed which are circumciſed. And he alſo teacheth, That oure fathers did eate that ſpirituall meate which wee eate, & dranke of that ſpirituall drincke, that is, the rocke. But anon he addeth, And that rocke was Chriſt. The words of the Apoſtle are well knowen, and are read in the 1. Cor. 10. The ſame Apoſtle in the ſeſecond p. 999chapiter to the Coloſſ. ſaith, In Chriſt ye are complete (or made perfecte) in whome alſo ye are circumciſed with circumciſion made without hands, by putting off the bodie of the fleſh, ſubiecte to ſinne by the circumciſion of Chriſte, buried with him in baptiſme, &c.

What, I praye you, can bée ſpoken more plainely? Circumciſion made without handes, is the circumciſion of Chriſtians, which is baptiſme. But in y^e former place of Paul to the Corinthians we muſt mark (as elſewhere I put you in minde) that to be baptiſed into Moſes, is not y^e ſame, that it is to be baptiſed into Chriſte. For to be baptiſed into Moſes is all one, as if he had ſaid, to be baptiſed by Moſes or thoroughe the miniſterie of Moſes. For it is manifeſt that Moſes broughte the people to GOD whiche were onelyonly committed to his charge.

In many places in Aurel. Auguſt. ye ſhall read the like, howſoeuer oure Auguſtine teac…eth that the Sacramēts of the Iewes and ours are al one.aduerſaries doe father vppon Auguſtine, this difference betwene the ſacraments of the old lawe and ours, of their owne bringing in. For he Lib. 2. cont. literas Petil. cap. 27. ſayeth, The ſacraments of the Iewes were in out ward tokens diuers from ours, but in the thinges ſignified they were equall and all one. Alſo Tract. in Ioan. 26. vponupon this place, He is the bread which came downe frō heauē, he ſaith, Manna did fignifie this bread: the altar of God ſignified this bread. Thoſe were ſacramēts. In ſignes they are diuers, but in the thinge ſignified equall. The like woordes thou mayeſt read Lib. 19. contra Fauſtum Manichęum, cap. 13. 16. 17. And againe, Tract. in Ioan 45. Before the comming of oure Lord Ieſus Chriſt, whē he came baſely in the fleſhe, there were iuſt and righteous men, who did ſo beléeue in him then that was to come, as we doe beléeue in him nowe that is come. The times were chaunged, but ſo was not faith. And ſo forth.

And anon, In diuers ſignes is all one faith: ſo in diuers ſignes as in diuers words, becauſe woords chaunge their ſoundes by times, and truely words are nothing bu… ſignes. For in that they ſignifie they are wordes, take a waye the ſignification from the word, and it is a vaine noyſe. Therefore all woordes are ſignifications. Did not theſe that miniſtred thoſe ſignes in the old lawe, beléeue thoſe thinges which we no we beléeue were prophecied before hand by them? No doubt they did beléeue them: but they beléeued they ſhould come: and wee, that they are come.

Alſo vppon the 77. Pſalme. The ſame meate and drincke, (ſayeth hee) had they in their Sacraments which wée hauehave in oures, but in ſignification the ſame, not in likeneſſe. For the ſelfe ſame Chriſt was figured to them in the rocke, but manifeſted to vsus in the fleſh. But with them all God was not well pleaſed. All verilie did eate one ſpirituall meate, and dranke one ſpirituall drinke, that is, which ſignified ſome ſpirituall thing: but in all of them God had no delight. And whereas the ſacramentes were common to all, yet grace was not common to all, which is the pithe of the ſacramentes. As euen now at this daye faith is reuealed, which then was hid, the founteine of regeneration is common to all whiche are baptiſed in the name of the father, and of the ſonne, and of the holy Ghoſte, but the inward grace p. 1000whereof they are ſacramentes, wherby the members of Chriſte with their head are borne a new, is not common to all. Thus farr Auguſtine, who teacheth that their ſignes or ſacraments are not vnequall or bulike, whiche hauehave the ſame faith and religion, but that all the difference that is, reſteth in the diuerſitie of the time, otherwiſe they differ not.

Nowe that I hauehave made an ende of the ſimilitude and difference of the Sacramentes of the old and newe teſtament, and that by occaſion of a receiued opinion, that the ſacraments of the newe lawe doe conferre or giuegive grace of themſelues: let vsus alſo conſider what manner of thinge the ſame is.

And firſt touching the word Grace, I will giuegive you theſe fewe thinges to note. Grace is the fauour and good Grace …hat it is.will of GOD, wherewith God the father imbraceth vsus for Chriſtes ſake, purifyeth, iuſtifieth, and endueth vsus with his good giftes, and ſaueth vsus. For the writinges of the Apoſtles doe plainely call that (Grace) whereby wée are ſaued, and iuſtified, or made righteous by faith in Ieſus Chriſt. Of this Grace it is written, I make not the Grace of God of no effecte. For if righteouſnes come by the Lawe, then Chriſt died in vaine.

Of this Grace it is written, Chriſt vntounto vsus is beecome vnprofitable, as many as are iuſtified by the lawe are fallen from Grace. Of this Grace it is written, If it come of grace, then is it not of woorkes, for elſe grace now is no more grace. What, is not the ſonne of GOD himſelfe called The Grace and gift of GOD? Iohn 4. Titus 2. Cap.

Nowe to conferre Grace, what is it elſe, than to giuegive, or franckely and fréelye to beſtowe ſome thinge on a man which he had not before. Therefore, if the Sacramentes doe giuegive Grace to the receyuers of them, then truely they giuegive thoſe thinges whiche they ſignifie, to them whiche had them not, I meane Chriſte with all his giftes, that is to ſaye, they make them pleaſaunt and acceptable vntounto GOD, they iuſtifie and ſaue, yea, and that of them-ſelues, inſomuche as they are ſaid to hauehave receiued vertue to ſanctifie from the paſſion of Chriſte, and not to ſignifie onelyonly or to helpe, to commende or to further. Yea, and they alſo attribute the receyuing of Grace to our worke, wherby Sacramēts do not cō ferre or giuegive gracewe receiue the Sacrament. But howe contrarie this doctrine is to the trueth of the holye Prophetes and Apoſtles, I will now declare.

It was an old errour amonge the Iewes, that Sacramentes did iuſtifie. Hereof commeth it that the holy Prophetes of GOD reaſoning and rebuking the people of God committed to their charge, yet ſauouring of falſe opinions, cryed, That their labour whiche they beſtowed vppon their Ceremonies and ſacrifices was in vaine: And that GOD is delighted with faithfull obedience, with fayth I ſay, charitie, innocencie, and alſo with true godlines.

Amonge whome Ieremie ſayeth, Ieremie. 7Jer 7Thus ſayeth the Lord of hoaſtes, the GOD of Iſrael, Heape vpp your burnte offeringes with your ſacrifices, and eate the fleſhe: For when I brought your fathers out of Aegypt, I ſpake no word vntounto them of burnt offeringes and ſacrifices: but this I commaunded them, ſaying: Hearken and obeye my voyce, and I will bee your GOD, and yee ſhall bee my people, ſo that yee walke in p. 1001all the wayes whiche I hauehave cōmaunded you, that ye may proſper. The like place is in Eſaie the firſt Chapiter. The Lord hath not deſpiſed, neither Eſai. 1.Isa 1hauehave his holy Prophets contemned all ſacrifices in generall, ſince hée him ſelfe inſtituted them by Moſes: but they ſought to ſuppreſſe & beate downe that falſe opinion, and vaine confidence whiche they had in ſacrifices. It is a vaine confidence and a falſe opinion, (to beléeue and thincke) that ſacrifices of themſelues and for our workes ſake, doe make vsus acceptable vntounto God. For faith maketh vsus acceptable vntounto God by the Meſſias. And the Lord did not inſtitute ſacramentes or ſacrifices, that beeing offered they might giuegive grace, or iuſtifie vsus, but to be witneſſes of the grace of God, & that by them his people might be kept & drawne in due order, from idols, and heatheniſh worſhippings, and ledd to Chriſt the highe prieſt and onelyonly ſacrifice (or oblation) for the whole world. For they were certeine ſcholinges or exerciſes, as Paule proueth, ſaying: The law was our ſcholemaiſter vntounto Chriſte, that wee ſhould Galath. 3.bee iuſtified throughe faith: but after that faith is come, wee are no longer vnderunder a ſcholemaiſter. Therefore the ſacrifices of the old lawe did not giuegive grace to them that ſacrificed, neither wrought they their iuſtification, but were tokens and teſtimonies that God doth ſanctifie and iuſtifie, by and through the ſacrifice appointed before all worldes, the Meſſias, I mean…, to faith in whome they did, as it were a certeine ſcholemaiſter by guiding vsus, bring vsus.

And truly, when the Apoſtles preached the pure and ſound doctrine of the The error in the Apoſtolique churche.Goſpell, that By the onelyonly grace of God in Chriſt the faithfull are ſaued, this auncient errour of their elders had taken ſuch déep roote in the minds of the Iewes, that euen they whiche had receiued Chriſte, ſtoode neuertheleſſe in cōtention, y^• Chriſt was not able fully to ſanctifie & iuſtifie, without the helpe of the Iewiſhe ſacrifices. Againſt whome the Apoſtles diſputing with great grauitie and inumcible power of y^• ſpirite, did plainely proue, that a Chriſtian without any obſeruations of the ceremoniall lawe, or helpe of any woorkes, euen by the only méere, and frée grace and merciemercy of God in Chriſt, is ſanctified, purified, iuſtified and ſaued. Whiche vndoubtedly is the healme (as commonly is ſaid) and ſtearne of the Euangeliſts and Apoſtles doctrine, whiche who ſo denieth, he hath no part doubtleſſe in the inheritance of Chriſt and his Goſpell. Neither is it obſcure or doubtful whiche euen nowe I hauehave ſet forth in theſe fewe wordes. For who is ignorant of that memorable diſſention betwéene Actes. 15.Acts 15the chiefe Apoſtles of Chriſte Paul and Barnabas, kindled againſt thoſe which taught, Except the Chriſtians were circumciſed after the maner of Moſes, they could in no wiſe be ſaued? Againſt whome Peter maketh this concluſion, That our hearts are purified by faith, & that wee whiche beleeue ſhalbe ſaued by the grace of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt.

True it is that the aduerſaries That grace is giuen freely and receiued by faith.would bring backe againe that which the Apoſtles abrogated and toke away: but in the meane while, this is alſo vndoubtedly true, that the Apoſtles with no other forceable engine more ſtrongly battered (as it were) and beate downe flat to ground, their aduerſaries bulworke, in defence of ſacraments y^• purifie thā w^t this, That we which beleeue, ſhalbe ſaued by the p. 1002grace of our Lorde Ieſus Chriſte.

And whereas in eueryevery place almoſt they adde, Not by the lawe, not by ceremonies, or other rituall obſeruationes, do wee thinke that they will admitte Sacramentes to the partaking of ſuche power and vertue, ſéeing they be cōprehended vnderunder rites and ceremonies, and ſo accounted? Chriſtian faith doeth attribute the grace of GOD, remiſſion of ſinnes, ſanctification, and iuſtification, fully and wholely to the frée merciemercy of God, & to the merite of Chriſts paſſion, yea, in ſuche ſorte doth Chriſtian faith attribute theſe ſpirituall benefites vntounto it, that beſide it nothing at all is admitted to take parte with it.

Therefore whereas Lombard ſaieth, That ſacramentes hauehave receiued power to conferr or giuegive grace by the merite of the paſsion of Chriſte, it is of his owne foarging. For as Chriſt giueth not his glorie to any, either ſaint, or mortall man, muche leſſe to a creature without life: euen ſo he that beléeueth to be fully iuſtified by the death and reſurrection of y^e Lord, ſéeketh no further grace and righteouſneſſe in any other thing, than in Chriſte only, vponupon whom he ſtayeth, whome alſo by faith he féeleth in his hart or minde alreadie to exerciſe his force by the holy Ghoſt. For herevnto perteyne thoſe ſayinges in the Goſpel, Goe in peace thy faithe Luke. 7.Luke 7hath ſaued thee. And alſo, He whiche Iohn. 4.John 4drinketh of this water ſhall thirſt againe, but whoſoeuer ſhall drinke of that water which I ſhal giuegive him ſhall neuer thirſt, &c. To this perteineth the ſaying of Paule alſo, Therefore Rom. 5.Rom 5being iuſtified by faith, we are at peace with God thorough our Lorde Ieſus Chriſt. By whome alſo we had an entraunce by faith vntounto this grace wherein wee ſtande and reioyce in hope of the glorie of God.

I am not ignorant of the craftie Their ſantaſy which faine a generall and ſpeciall taith is here confuted.ſleightes of ſome, who imagine there is a certeine generall & alſo a ſpeciall faithe. The generall faithe they call that whereby we beléeue that we are truely iuſtified by the deathe and reſurrection of Chriſte: but that they call a ſpeciall faith, whereby we béeléeue that by the ſacramentes and by our owne worke the gyfts of GOD are applied particularly to eueryevery one of vsus one by one.

But to what purpoſe was it, béeing in a lande where they might bee fedde with Manna, to looke backe to the potage pottes, and (vnſauourie) léekes of Egypt? What (I pray you) hauehave Chriſtians to doe with the diſtinctiōs of ſubtile ſophiſters? or how will they proue this diſtinction of theirs vntounto vsus? Verily there is but one faith, and the ſame is no other in the vſe of the Sacraments than it is without the vſe of them. Without the vſe of them we beléeue that wee are ſanctified by the death and reſurrection of Chriſt.

In baptiſme and the Lordes ſupper we practiſe no other faithe than wherby we beléeue, that we are purged from our ſinnes by the grace and merciemercy of Chriſte, and that by his body giuen for vsus, and his bloud ſhed for vsus, we are redéemed from deathe, and become heirs of eternal life. Not the Sacramentes, but faithe through the holy Ghoſt applyeth theſe thinges vntounto vsus: whiche thing all the writinges of the Apoſtles doe witneſſe, but ſuche feigned gloſes do obſcure and darken. To be ſhorte, there is one GOD and Sauiour of all, one p. 1003Saluation, one Redemption, and purging, one faith, whereby wee receiue Saluation offered vntounto vsus of GOD in Chriſte through the holie Ghoſte. The ſame is declared, or preached vntounto vsus in the worde by the miniſter, and is repreſented, and ſealed by the Sacramentes.

And now, who knoweth not that Paule the Apoſtle in all his writinges onelyonly laboureth to proue, that thoſe that beléeue are iuſtified by faith, in the Lorde Ieſus, and not by any workes?

Againe, who is ignoraunt that the receiuing, and celebration of ſacramentes, are alſo counted among our workes? Wherevnto I will add this, that Sacramentes giuegive not that whiche they hauehave not themſelues: but they hauehave not grace, and righteouſneſſe, and heauenly gyftes: therfore they doe not giuegive them. But Whether the grace of God be conteined …n the Sacramentes.hence ſpringeth vppe another diſputation for vsus to handle: whether the grace of GOD, and a certeine heauenly power, be put in, or included in the Sacramentes, and as it were conteined in them, ſo that from them it might be conueyed into the receyuers.

The whole rable of Prieſtes and monkes, as well in worde as in déede hauehave bewrayed them ſelues that they thinke, That in the bare ſignes there is heauenly grace included, yea, and that God himſelfe is comprehended in them.

For from no other founteine ſprang their carefull diſputations concerning That the mouſe eateth, when it eateth the Sacrament of the bodie of Chriſte. Pope Innocent Libro quarto, De Sacramento altaris Capite vnde cimo, ſayth, Miraculouſly doth the ſubſtaunce of bread returne againe, not that bread which was turned into fleſh: But it cōmeth to paſſe, that in ſted of it, other bread is miraculouſly created, which bread is eaten, &c. Behold here is a certein wittie & miraculous kinde of diuinitie. I paſſe ouer of purpoſe many other whiche are of this kinde.

And herevnto, that by croſſinges, and certeine ſecret words, geſtures, and breathings, they conſecrate the water of baptiſme, all which things they beautifie with the name of bleſſinge. And among other thinges Theſe are ſoung in the Eaſter holie daies at their cō ſ…cration of baptiſme.they ſing thus: God by the ſecrete mixture of his light make fruitefull this water prepared to regenerate men with-all, that beeing ſanctified, and borne againe of the immaculate wombe of the heauenly founteine, it may come foorth a new creature. Let this holy & innocent creature be free from all the aſſaultes of the aduerſarie. Let him not intrap it in his ſnare. Let it become a liuing founteine, a regenerating water, a purifying riuer, that all that are dipped in this wholeſome lauer, the holy ghoſt working in thē, may atteine to the excellencie of perfect purificatiō. Wherfore ô thou creature of water, I bleſſe (or coniure) thee, by the liuing God, by the true God, by the holy god, by the god which in the beginning feparated thee by his word from the drie lande, &c. Againe breathing thrice on the water he forthwith vttereth theſe wordes. Thou O Lord bleſſe with thy worde theſe waters which make requeſt vntounto thee, that beſide their natural cleannes whiche in waſhing they may giuegive to our bodies, they may alſo be effectual to purifie our ſoules. Then the prieſt taketh a burning waxe candle, and p. 1004putteth it thrice in the water conſecrated to baptiſme, ſaying: Let the power of the holy Ghoſt come down into this plentifull founteine. He addeth, And let it make the whole ſubſtance of this water fruitefull with the fruite of regeneration. And ſo foorthe.

All theſe thinges they vnderſtande and expounde to be ſpoken ſimplie, and without tropes or figures: whiche euidently enough declareth what theſe men attribute to holy or conſecrated water, and howe they thinke that in the ſignes the holy thinges themſelues are conteyned. Aboute this matter Bonauentura hathe woonderfully buſied himſelfe, who in his writing In 4. Magistri Diſtinct. 1. Queſt. 3. among other thinges at the length ſayth, Wee muſt not ſay, by Bonauentura ſayth that grace is not conteined in the Sacra…ents.any meanes, that grace is conteyned ſubſtantially in the Sacramentes, as water in a veſſel, or as a medicine in a boxe: yea, to vnderſtande it ſo, it is erronious. But they are ſaide to contein grace, in that they ſignifie grace, and becauſe, vnleſſe there bee a want on the part of the receiuer, grace is alwayes giuen in them, ſo that ye muſt vnderſtand, that grace is in the ſoule, and not in the viſible ſignes. For this cauſe they are called alſo veſſelles of grace. They may be alſo called veſſels after another maner. Becauſe as that whiche is in a veſſel, is no parte of it, neyther commeth of it, and yet neuertheleſſe is drawen out of it: ſo grace commeth neither of, nor by the Sacramentes, but ſpringeth from the eternall founteine, and is drawne out from thence by the ſoule in the ſacramentes. And as a man when he wold hauehave liquor, goeth ſtreight to the veſſell: ſo he that ſeeketh after the liquor of grace, and hathe it not, muſt hauehave recourſe to the ſacramēts. Thus farre Bonauentura, who rightly referred grace vntounto GOD, the founteine of all good thinges. I would he had alſo more purely and ſimplie ſett downe the reſt.

He alſo ſaide truely, that the ſoule of man was the ſeate, and receptacle of grace, and of the gyftes of GOD, and not thinges without The ſeate of the grace of God.ſenſe. For the holie Scripture teacheth eueryevery where, that the minde of man, not any Element, or whatſoeuer is forged by mans deuiſe, is the manſion place of the grace of god, and that it is not to be ſought for, or worſhipped, as included in any inſenſible thing. If the heauen of heauens (ſayth Solomon) be not able to conteine 3. Reg. 8.1 Kgs 8thee, howe ſhoulde then this houſe do it that I hauehave builded? Wherevnto the moſt conſtant martyr of Chriſt Stephan alluding, ſaieth, He that is higheſt of all dwelleth Actes. 7.Acts 7not in Temples made with handes, as ſayeth the prophete: Heauen is my ſeate, and earthe is my footeſtoole. What houſe will ye builde for mee ſayeth the Lorde, or whiche is the place of my reſte? Hathe not my hand made all theſe thinges? Which, that great Apoſtle of Chriſte Paule following, ſayth, God that made the Actes. 17.Acts 17world, and al that are in it, ſeeing that he is Lord of heauen and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands, neither is worſhipped with mennes handes, as thoughe he needed of any thing, ſeeing he himſelfe giueth to all life and breath, and all thinges, &c.

Wherevpon Chriſt him ſelfe in the Goſpell ſpeaketh more expreſſely, The houre commeth, when yee ſhall Iohn. 4.John 4neither in this mounteine, neither at Hieruſalem worſhippe the Father: But the houre commeth and p. 1005now is, whē the true worſhippers ſhal worſhip the father in ſpirit and truth. The faithfull therefore do lifte vpp the eyes of their minde from earthly and viſible thinges vntounto heauenlie, wherevppon our godly forefathers, when they celebrated the Lords ſupper heard y^t ſaying repeated or ſoūg vntounto them moſt agréeable to ſuch holy myſterics, Lifte vpp your hands, all the people anſwearing together, Wee lifte them vpp vntounto the Lorde. Doth not the verie groſſe abſurditie of the thing plainely proue, that grace is not conteyned in the ſignes? For if by grace you vnderſtande the fauour and good will of God, if pardon and forgiueneſſe of ſinne, cleanſing I ſaye and iuſtifying of the beléeuers, if finallie the giftes and graces of the ſpirite, what I pray you can be imagined more abſurde, and ſenſeleſſe, than that ſuche excellent thinges ſhoulde be kepte incloſed in water, bread, and wine? The ſignes truely hauehave no néede of grace, nor aany pardon and forgiueneſſe of ſinnes.

To what purpoſe then ſhould grace be conteined within Sacramentes? What profite, I pray you, will redound vntounto men? Or who knoweth not that all the inſtitutions GOD were ordeyned for the commoditie of man? Or ſhall wee ſay that grace is therefore kepte included within the Sacramentes, that from thence it might be conueyed vntounto vsus by chanels? But the ſcripture ſpeaketh not after that manner. For grace, as hath béene often nowe repeated, is the fauour and good will of GOD: whereby he him ſelfe, not by ſenſible matters, but of his owne accorde, and thoroughe his power and might is brought vntounto vsus. Theſe thinges are ſpirituall, and therefore are brought to paſſe by the gyft and mediation of the holy Ghoſt. GOD is ioyned vntounto vsus by his ſpirite, and we are coupled to him by faith, thorough the gyfte of the holy Ghoſte, whiche thing in the writinges of the Euangeliſtes and Apoſtles is euerie where to be ſéene.

Moreouer the wordes of the Canon of the counſell of Nice, are not to be vnderſtoode after ſuche a groſſe The canon of the Nicene counſell touching baptiſme.and rude manner: Our baptiſme is not to be conſidered with the bodily eyes, but with the eyes of the minde. Thou ſeeſt water, weygh the heauenly force whiche lyeth hidde in the water, &c. For it is a Sacramentall ſpéeche, whiche truely eueryevery bodie at that time vnderſtoode: as alſo at this day to vsus it is no new nor harde kinde of ſpeaking, to ſay, that in the ſeale there is faith and trueth, in a marriage ring the faith and louelove of wedlocke, in a Scepter and crowne the kinges authoritie. For no man is ſo fooliſhe that by reaſon of the kinde of ſpeeches he will affirme that the thinges them ſelues are conteyned and incloſed in the ſignes: euerie man knoweth this kinde and manner of ſpéech.

To this matter alſo apperteineth The A…oſtles b…ptiſed in water not conſecrated.that Iohn the Baptiſt baptiſed in the riuer Iordane, & that the Apoſtles alſo themſelues baptiſed with water neither cōſecrated nor prepared with any inchauntmentes, breathinges, or croſſinges, that it might receiue the grace of God into it, and make them that are baptiſed partakers thereof. The Aethiopian in the Acts of the Apoſtles Actes. 8.Acts 8ſaw a founteine not mingled with Dyle, neither conſecrated with p. 1006any holy charmes, neither moreouer prepared with any breathinges, nor putting in of waxe candles, nor pictures of croſſes, yet neuertheleſſe he ſaid to Philip the Apoſtle, See, here is water, what doth let me to be baptiſed? But Philip required faith of him in the Lord Ieſus, and vponupon his confeſſion, he foorthwith baptiſed him, no conſecration of the founteine firſt prouided for, by the whiche forſoothe he might call downe the grace of the holy Ghoſte, and the power of regeneration into the water, and forthwith might applie it to the purifying of the Aethiopian.

And if ſo be wee procéede to include the grace of GOD within the To include grace in the ſacraments cauſeth idolatrie.Elementes, and the thinges themſelues within the ſignes by the whiche they are repreſented, who ſéeth not with howe great daunger wee ſhall doe the ſame, eſpecially among the ſimple ſorte? For vntounto thoſe we ſhall giuegive occaſion of idolatrie, and to cleaue vntounto the viſible ſignes: of whome alſo they will require and aſke that, whiche ought to be aſked of God the authour of all goodneſſe, with mindes lifted vpp into heauen. For where as it is obiected that by a certeine heauenly couenant it is ſo appointed by GOD, that ſacramentes ſhoulde hauehave grace in themſelues, and ſhould from themſelues as by pypes conuey abroade the water of grace, vntounto thoſe that are thirſtie, that is alledged without warrant of the Scripture, and is repugnaunt vntounto true religion. As by thoſe thinges whiche hauehave hitherto béene handeled and diſputed of, doeth, as wee thinke, ſufficiently appeare, wherevnto alſo we adde this.

The holy and elect people of God are not then firſte of all partakers The god…y are firſt iuſtified & receiued into fauor before the… be made partakers of the ſacraments.of the firſt grace of God, and Heauenly gyftes, when they receiue the Sacramentes. For they enioy the thinges before they be partakers of the ſignes. For it is plainely declared vntounto vsus, that Abraham our father was iuſtified before he was circumciſed. And who gathereth thereby y^t iuſtification was not exhibited and giuen vntounto him by the ſacrament of circumciſion: but rather that that righteouſneſſe whiche he by faith before poſſeſſed, was by the Sacrament ſealed and confirmed vntounto him? And moreouer who wil not thereof gather that we whiche are the ſonnes of Abraham, are after no other manner iuſtified, than it appeareth that our father was iuſtified, and that our ſacramentes worke no further in vsus than they did in him? eſpecially ſince the nature of the ſacramentes of the people of the olde Teſtamente, and ours is all one. Whereof I will ſpeake a little afterwarde more at large, when I expound the place of the Apoſtle in the fourth to the Romanes. The Eunuche of whome I ſpake euen now out of the Actes, as he iournyed and ſawe water, he ſaid to Philip, See, here is water, what letteth Actes. 2.Acts 2me to be baptiſed? Philip ſayde vntounto him: If thou beleeueſt with all thy hart thou maiſt, And he anſwered and ſaide, I beleeue that Ieſus Chriſte is the ſonne of God. Afterward immediately it followeth, And they wēt down both into the water, & he baptiſed him. The Eunuche (ſayeth the Euangeliſt) beléeued with al his hart that is to to ſay, truly, & without diſſimulation. Nowe let vsus ſée what the Scripture ſaith, concerning ſuche a faith. S. Iohn the Apoſtle & Euangeliſt ſaith, Who ſo euer beleeueth 1. Iohn. ….that Ieſus is Chriſt, is borne of God. p. 1007He againe ſaith, Whoſoeuer confeſſeth 1. Iohn. 4.1 John 4that Ieſus is the ſonne of God, in him dwelleth God, and he in GOD, Alſo Paule that elect veſſel and doctour of the Gentiles ſayth, If thou ſhalt knowledge with thy mouth the Rom. 10.Rom 10Lord Ieſus, and ſhalt beleeue in thine hart that God rayſed him from the dead, thou ſhalt bee ſaued. And againe, Saint Iohn ſayth in his Epiſtle, He that beleeueth on the ſonne 1. Iohn. 5.1 John 5of God hath the witneſſe in him ſelf. And this is the record, how that God hath giuen vntounto vsus eternall life, and this life is in his Sonne, He that hathe the Sonne hathe life, and he that hath not the Sonne, hath not life. Briefely of all theſe thinges this wee gather.

The Eunuche beléeued before he receiued baptiſme: therefore before he receiued baptiſme, he was borne of God, in whome he dwelled, and God in him, hee was iuſt and acceptable in the ſight of God, and moreouer he had alſo life in himſelfe, and therefore the baptiſme whiche followed did not giuegive that to y^e Eunuch which he had before: but it became vntounto him a teſtimonie of the trueth, & a ſeale of the righteouſneſſe whiche came by faith, and there withal to aſſure vntounto him the continuance and increaſe of God his gyftes. After the ſame maner we reade of Cornelius the Centurion Actes. 10.Acts 10in the ſame Actes of the Apoſtles, that he beléeuing the preaching of the Apoſtle Peter receiued y^e holie Ghoſt alſo in a viſible ſhape, as the Apoſtles did at Hieruſalem in the day of Pentecoſte. And that Peter when he knewe that thing, ſayde, Can any man forbid water that theſe ſhould not be baptiſed whiche hauehave receiued the holy Ghoſt as wel as we?

For aſmuche therefore as Cornelius with his houſholde receiued the holy Ghoſte before they were baptiſed, it is manifeſt that he did not obteine the holie Ghoſte as giuen firſte by baptiſme, or with baptiſme. Againe, we reade in the Actes of the Actes, 2.Apoſtles, They that gladly receiued the woorde of Peter were baptiſed. Therefore before they were baptiſed of Peter, they had obteined the grace of God through faith. For why I pray you doe we baptiſe our Infantes? Is it becauſe they beléeue with their hart, and confeſſe with their mouthe? I thinke not. Do we not therefore baptiſe them, becauſe God hathe commaunded them to bée brought vntounto him? becauſe he hath promiſed that he will be our GOD, and the GOD of our ſéede after vsus? To be ſhort, becauſe we beléeue that GOD of his méere grace, and merciemercy, in the bloud of Ieſus Chriſt, hathe cleanſed, and adopted them, and appointed them to bee heires of eternall life? We therefore baptiſing Infantes for theſe cauſes, doe aboundantly teſtifie that there is not firſt giuen vntounto thē in baptiſme, but that there is ſealed and confirmed, whiche they had before. Let vsus alſo ioyne vntounto theſe thinges, a teſtimonie of the Supper of the Lord.

The Apoſtle teaching how the Godly ſhoulde prepare them ſelues to come to the Lordes Table, ſayth, Let a man proue him ſelfe, and ſo 1 Cor. 11.1 Cor 11let him eate of this bread, and drinke of this Cuppe.

But to examine or proue ſignifieth to ſearch, as muche as lyeth in man, the harte, or minde, and thoroughe diligent inquiſition to ſifte ones conſcience. And GOD is p. 1008ſayde, …o proue our nartes. And the ſame Apoſtle willeth vsus, To proue what is the good & acceptable wil of God. But this proofe cannot be Rom. 12.Rom 12without knowledge & iudgement: & y^• knowledg & iudgement of Chriſtians is faith: therfore whoſoeuer proueth himſelfe before hee come to the Supper, hath faith. If he hauehave faith, then he wanteth not thoſe thinges y^t are coupled with faithe: and therefore in the Supper, thoſe heauenly benefites are not firſte receiued, but thankes are giuen for thoſe that are receiued. I hauehave hereby ſhewed and proued, I ſuppoſe, that Sacramentes doe not conferre grace. They obiect, I know well enoughe To euacuate the ſacramēts and conuince God of a lye.againſt theſe thinges, (who are perſuaded that ſacraments giuegive grace, and conteine included within them the thinges ſignified) that wee doe euacuate and make of none effect the Sacramentes, and that wee teache that the faithfull receiue in them, or by them nothing, but bare water, and bare bread, and wine: and that by that meanes GOD by vsus is accuſed of falſhode, and lying. Wee briefely anſwere, If they ſet voyde, or emptie thinges (as I may ſo ſay,) againſte full thinges, ſo as they bee voide, or emptie, whiche hauehave not the thinges themſelues included in them: truely I had rather confeſſe them to be voide, than full. But if they call them voide or emptie, and meane prophane, or vnholy thinges, that is to ſay, whiche differ nothing from prophane ſignes: if by bare they vnderſtande thinges of no force, we openly profeſſe that we hauehave ſacramentes whiche are holy, and not prophane: effectuall, and not without force: garniſhed from aboue not naked: & therefore full, not void or emptie.

For they are holy thinges and not prophane, becauſe they are inſtituted of GOD, and for godly men, not for prophane perſons. They are effectual and not without force: for in the Churche with the godly, and faithfull, they worke the ſame effect and ende wherevnto they were ordeined of God. Whereof more hereafter. They are alſo worthily ſaid to be beautified, and adorned by God, and not bare thinges: whiche hauehave the worde GOD it ſelfe, wherewith they are moſte beautifully adorned. And therefore alſo they are full, and not emptie ſacraments, becauſe they hauehave thoſe things whiche make a perfect Sacrament.

We will repeate here the parables, or ſimilitudes, (whiche aboue alſo intreating of conſecration, for Sacramēts are holy and not prophane thinges.the moſte parte we did alledge) to the intente to giuegive more cleare light vntounto this treatiſe. All the while that waxe for confirmation and witneſſe ſake is not hanged on letters patents or other publique inſtrumentes it is common, voide, and bare waxe, that is to ſaye, nothing elſe but waxe, but when it is ſealed and faſtened to thoſe publike inſtruments, it is now neither voide nor bare waxe. For it is called y^e teſtimonie of the truth. The armes of a prince or of any cō mon wealthe, if it be painted in a windowe, or on a wall, it is a bare ſigne: but if the ſame be faſtened to writinges, or ſet to letters, there is greate difference betwéene this and the other. For nowe it declareth and witneſſeth the will of the prince, or common wealthe: therefore it hathe this eſtimation among all men, that p. 1009who …o de…aceth it, or contrarie to the will of the Prince and common weale, doeth ſette it to any other charter is reputed guiltie of counterfetting, & of high treaſon. A ſtone when as yet it is not ſet for a marke, or bound of fieldes, it is a bare and voide, y^t is to ſay a cōmon ſtone, whiche to tread vnderunder foote or to remoue out of his place, is no offence: but being ſet to part the boundes of fieldes, it is no more a voide or bare ſtone, but a witnes of lawful diuiſion and iuſt poſſeſſion, which to moue out of his place is committed an heynous offence.

And therefore water, bread, and wine, without the inſtitution and vſe of the Sacrament, are nothing elſe but water bread and wine: but beeing vſed in the celebration of the ſacrament, they differ verie far from y^t they were before, & are ſacraments ſigned of Chriſt by his word, and ordeined for the ſaluation of the faithfull. Therefore they that are partakers of the ſacraments do not recetue nothing, as theſe ſay, vnleſſe the inſtitution of god be to be eſtéemed as nothing.

He inſtituted ſacramentes to be teſtimonies of his grace, and ſeales of the trueth of his promiſes. Which thing I will anon declare more at large. Therefore as God is true, and cannot lye: ſo the ſeales of his promiſes are moſt true. He hath promiſed that he wilbe oures, and that in Chriſt he will communicate himſelfe vntounto vsus with al his giftes: He therefore of a certeintie ſheweth himſelfe ſuche an one, and doeth communicate him ſelfe vntounto vsus: Althoughe hee doe it not nowe firſte of all when wée receiue the Saramentes, as it he ſhoulde powre out of himſelfe into vsus by them as it were by conduite pypes, & were included in them as in veſſels, for immediatlie vponupon the beginning of the world he promiſed his grace vntounto vsus, as ſoone as we firſt beleeued he begā to ſhew him ſelf ſuch an one vntounto vsus, & doth ſhew him ſelfe more and more through the whole courſe of our life: we receiue him, and comprehend him ſpiritually and by fayth. Therefore when we are partakers of the Sacraments, he procedeth to communicate him ſelf vntounto vsus after a ſpeciall manner, that is to ſay, proper vntounto ſacraments, and ſo we, which before were made partakers of Chriſt, do continue and ſtrengthen that communion or fellowſhip ſpiritually and by faith, in the celebration of the Sacramentes, outwardlie ſealing the ſame vntounto our ſelues by the ſignes

Nowe, who will hereafter ſay, that they whiche thinke thus of the Sacramentes, and are by this faithe partakers of them, hauehave nothing but emptie ſhewes, and receiue nothing in them: Albeit we neither include grace in the ſignes, neither deriue it from them? But if any man hauehave any other opinion of God and his ordinaunces, that ſhall no more be falſehode in GOD, or accuſe him of vntrueth, than if any one ſhoulde charge a iuſte man with a lye, becauſe he perfourmeth not that whiche he looked for: when in the meane time, this man promiſed not the thing whiche he looked for: but he throughe his corrupte, and falſe opinion, hathe dreamed that it was promiſed vntounto him.

And thus farr by occaſion I hauehave ſhewed what agréement and difference p. 1010there is betweene the Sacramentes of the olde and new Teſtament, and that our Sacraments doe neither conferre nor conteine grace. Now we returne to that whiche we beganne, I meane to the principall ground of this diſputation, that foraſmuch as we hauehave taught what they doe not worke, ſo now at length wee may ſett downe what they worke in very déede, that is to ſay, expounding what is the power, ende, and lawfull vſe of the Sacramente, where-vntounto they are ordeyned of God. We handled indéede the place of the cauſes, why they were inſtituted in the beginning almoſte of the 6. Sermon. But now I wil ad other things whiche perteine to this purpoſe, and entreate of eche thing by it ſelfe, more fully and at large.

The chiefe end of ſacramentes is this, that they are teſtimonies to confirme Sacramēts are witneſſes of: the trueth.the trueth, by which the Lorde in his Church, euen viſibly doeth teſtifie that the things now vttered by preaching of the Goſpel, & by the promiſes aſſured to the faithful from the beginning of the world, are in eueryevery pointe ſo brought to paſſe, and are ſo certeinly true, as they are declared and promiſed in the worde of trueth.

Euen ſo Baptiſme is the heauenly and publique witneſſe in the Church of Chriſte, whereby the Lorde teſtifieth that it is hee whiche receiueth men fréely into fauour, and whiche cleanſeth from all blemiſhes, and to be ſhorte, maketh vsus partakers and heyres of all his goodneſſe. For after the ſame manner Circumciſion in times paſt, was a publique and heauenly teſtimonie, that it is God that purgeth and adopteth vsus. For therefore Moſes ſaith Deu 30. The Lorde thy God wil circumciſe thine hart, & the hart of thy ſeede, that thou mayeſt louelove the Lord thy GOD with all thy heart &c.

After the ſelfe ſame manner, the Lorde him ſelfe inſtituting the holie ſupper in his Church, by the preſent ſignes doeth openly beare witneſſe, that his bodie was certeinely giuen for vsus, and his bloud truely ſhedd for the remiſſiō of our ſinnes: that he alſo is that liuing food that féedeth vsus to eternall life. Wherefore we read in Chryſoſt. his 83. Homilie vponupon Matthew in theſe wordes. As in the olde lawe, ſo in the ſame manner hath hee heere lefte with vsus a memorie of the myſteries, ſtopping & bridling hereby the mouths of heretiques. For whē they ſay: Whereby appeareth it that Chriſte was offered, and many other myſteries? Then we alleadging theſe things, doe thereby ſtop their mouthes. For if Ieſus be not deade, whoſe repreſentation or ſigne is this ſacrifice. Thus farre he. You perceiue, I ſuppoſe, how this writer doeth bring againſt heretiques the Sacrament of the ſuper for the teſtimonie of truth, that is to ſay, of the lords true death.

Wherefore as the Goſpel is called The goſpell is a witneſſe.a witneſſe, and the Preachers of the Goſpel witneſſes, euen ſo we call ſacramentes witneſſes of the ſame trueth, whiche though they be dumb, yet neuertheleſſe are viſible, after which name S. Auguſt. calleth them Viſible words. For the preaching of the Goſpell, conſiſting of wordes heard with the eares, is a ſpeaking witneſſe: but ſacraments which conſiſt of ſignes, and are ſéene with the eyes, are ſpéechleſſe witneſſes, and as it were remnauntes and remembraunces of the preaching of the goſpel Yea, ſacraments were inſtituted p. 1011by God, to that end that they might Sacramēts do viſibly confirme the good wil of god to vsus ward.viſiblie confirme vntounto vsus the ready good-will of GOD towarde vsus, and alſo the preaching of the Goſpel and all the promiſes of life and ſaluation, and that they ſhould be as it were ſeales, ſett and fixed to the Goſpell and promiſes made by God, whiche might teſtifie and confirme, that faith in Chriſt is true righteouſneſſe.

That whiche I hauehave ſaide, I will confirme by the writinges of the Apoſtles. But I taught a little before that there is allone ground of the ſacraments of the olde Teſtament and of the new, a few things onelyonly excepted, ſo that now by very good right by the comparing of both together, wee may eſtimate and vtter what the force and vſe of our Sacraments is. Paule therefore to the Rom. 4. chap. ſaith, We ſay that faith was imputed Rom. 4.Rom 4to Abraham for righteouſnes, howe was it then imputed? When hee was circumciſed, or when he was vncircumciſed? Not when hee was circumciſed, but when hee was vncircumciſed, after hee receiued the ſigne of circumciſion, as the ſeale of the righteouſnes of the faith which he had when he was vncircumciſed, that he ſhould be the father of all thē that beleeue, not beeing circumciſed, that righteouſnes might de imputed vntounto them alſo, and the father of circumciſion, not vntounto them onelie whiche are of the circumciſed, but vntounto them alſo that walke in the ſteps of the faith of our father Abraham, which he had when he was vncircumciſed. All theſe are Pauls words. Amōg which firſt of all ſome words are méete to be expounded: then we muſt ſéeke after the ſenſe and meaning of the Apoſtles wordes: and laſt of all we muſt apply them to our purpoſe touching the ſacrament.

The Apoſtle héere vſeth two wordes, Sacramēts are ſeales, and where vntounto ſeales do ſerue.that is to ſay, The Signe & The ſeale. Signum the word ſigne is more generall & ſtretcheth very far, but a ſeale is a word y^t properly belongeth vntounto ſacramēts which are ſeales and confirmatiōs. For al ſignes ſeale not. For ſome by fignificatiō onelyonly do accōpliſh their duetie. But foreign properly is to ſeale for aſſurance and confirmation ſake of faith or credite, wherefore foreign is a ſeale whiche is ſet to, to kéepe & confirme our faith and promiſe, and to be without all daunger of deceipte. And héere, as elſe where very often, the Lord doth imitate the manner of men. For we men are wonte by ſetting to our ſeales, to confirme our writings, couenauntes, and faithfull promiſes, which we before had made by word. And that this hath alwayes béene the cauſe of the inſtituting & vſe of ſeales, appeareth plainely by theſe teſtimonies of the Scriptures.

When the children of Iſrael vnderunder Ezra made a couenaunt with the Lord, by and by they ſet downe their couenaunt in writinge, and ſeale the writing to be a teſtimonie of the trueth, as in Nehem. the 9. chap. and Nehe. 9.Hag. the 2. chapter thou mayſt read. I will take thee to my ſeruaunt Zorobabel, Hag 2.Hag 2thou ſonne of Salathiel (ſaieth the Lord) and wil make thee as a ſigne or ſealing ring, for I hauehave choſē thee. As if he had ſaid, All mē ſhal certeinlie learne, that in the ſonne of Salathiel y^• continuaunce of the poſteritie of the Meſſias doeth conſiſte and remaine.…ere. 22.

Thus writeth Ieremie chap. 22. As truely as I liue ſaith the Lorde, if Chonenias the ſonne of Iohoakim king of Iuda weare the ſignet or ſeale p. 1012on my righte hande, yet will I pluck thee thence, whiche is as much as if he had ſaide, Though thou were hee in whome I wil kéepe my promiſſes, yet ſhalt thou bee ledd captiue into Babylon. To this agréeth that of Matth written of the Iewes. So they went and made the Sepulchre ſure, and ſealed the ſtone, without doubt, Matth. 27.Matt 27againſt deceiptfull practiſes they appointed a watch. It appeareth therefore by theſe teſtimonyes, where to the vſe of ſeales ſerueth.

Theſe thinges béeing thus declared, let vsus nowe diligently ſearche The place of Paule Rom. 4. is expounded, and he receiued a ſigne of the circumciſion. &c.Rom 4out the counſell and meaning of the Apoſtles wordes. Paule ſheweth that iuſtification happeneth vntounto men, by the power and vertue of no woorkes, of no ceremonies or ſacramentes, but by the onelyonly merite of Chriſte through faith. To proue this he bringeth the example of Abraham of whome the Scripture hath pronounced, Abraham beleeued God, & it was imputed vntounto him for righteouſneſſe. Thence he gathereth that Abraham was iuſtified by faith: yea, that that was imputed vntounto him for righteouſneſſe. Where bothe by the worde or force of imputation, and by the whole ſentence of Moſes he doeth moſte ſtrongly reaſon, ſhewing that through grace, righteouſneſſe is imputed by faithe. Where-vntounto hee ioyneth alſo a teſtimonie out of Dauid touching righteouſneſſe by imputatiō. I handled that place in the firſt Sermon of the fourth Decade.

Then hee returneth againe to the example of Abraham, and applyeth to his purpoſe that place alleadged out of Geneſis, waying the circumſtaunces of the manner and time of his iuſtification, and ſayeth, How was it thē imputed? Whē he was circūciſed, or when he was vncircumciſed? Not when hee was circumciſed, but when hee was vncircumciſed. Whiche thinges verilie are playner than that they require any expoſition. But becauſe the Iewe might obiect, Why then the inſtitution and vſe of circumciſion was of no force, but voide, vnprofitable, and vaine: For if Abraham were iuſtifyed before he was circumciſed, what could circumciſion profit him further? And if it brought nothing, ſurely it was ſuperfluous and vnprofitable.

Paule preuenting that obiection, maketh aunſwere, And he receiued (ſaith he) the ſigne of circumciſion as the ſeale of the righteouſnes of faith. &c. Circumciſion (ſaith hee) was neither voide nor vnprofitable. For albeit it iuſtifie not, neither cleanſe, nor apply the giftes of GOD, yet it followeth not therefore that there is no further vſe of it. For it hath an other end. For he receiued the ſigne of circumciſion for a certeine ſeale of the righteouſneſſe of faith, that is to ſay, God inſtituted circumciſion that it ſhould be a ſeale to ratifie and confirme, yea and alſo viſibly to teſtifie, that faith is righteouſneſſe, and that men are iuſtified through faith, I ſay in ſuch ſorte, as faith is alſo imputed vntounto them for righteouſneſſe, as it was imputed vntounto Abraham. For it followeth: That hee might be the Father of all that beleeue, though they be not circumciſed, that righteouſneſſe might be imputed vntounto them alſo. And ſo foorth.

And although theſe things be more, cleare than the day-light, yet I wil endeuour further to open the ſame by a parable. For ſuppoſe that a Kinge The matter is made …laine by 1 Parable.of his fauour and méere liberalitie, would entertaine ſome ſeruant into p. 1013his courte, yea and make him partaker of all his goodes, and moreouer would extende this benefite vntounto the Children and poſteritie alſo of him whome hee had adopted, and woulde immediatlie cōmaund that that couenaunte, priueledge, and fauoure graunted by liuely words, ſhould alſo be put in writing, which he might confirme by ſetting to his ſeale: to the end that might be to his poſteritie a ſure teſtimonie againſt all gainſayers, that the ſame fauour and adoption doeth perteine to them alſo, and that the Prince would continue his good and fauourable kindenes vntounto the poſteritie of him whome hee had adopted, if they alſo continue faithfull vntounto their Prince. For euen after the ſame manner almightie God, the king of Kings, and moſt bountifull of all Princes, fréely and not by any merite of ours going before, chooſeth Abraham vponupon whome he beſtoweth innumerable benefits, and vntounto whome he offereth a couenaunte and participation of all goodneſſe, and not vntounto him onlie, but to all his poſteritie alſo, ſaying, I the almightie God wil be thy God, and the GOD of thy ſeede after thee, I will bleſſe thee and thy ſeede, and in thy ſeede ſhall all the nations of the earth be bleſſed. He ſanctified alſo this priuiledge, confirming it with an oath, and by and by commaundeth to deliuer the ſame vntounto their children, as it were from hand to hand in ſtede of writing, and afterward willeth his ſeruants the prophets to ſet it downe in writing, and laſt of all he him ſelfe (by inſtituting Circumciſion) now as it were ſetting to his ſeale to the letters patents or Charter, woulde hauehave it confirmed & ratified to them that ſhould come after, to the ende they might certainly know, that that alſo perteined vntounto them.

Where notwithſtandinge it ſéemeth Sacramēts hauehave a more effectual force than any ſealed chancers.this muſt not be diſſembled of vsus, that Sacraments hauehave a greater and more effectuall force than any ſealed Charters can hauehave. For priuiledges which princes giuegive, are written in parchmente, and their ſeales are ſet to parchement written: but God imprinteth his ſeale into y^e very bodies of thoſe that are his. For he cauſed Circumciſion to be on the priuie member of man, wherebye iſſue is raiſed, increaſed, and continued, that as a marke printed in the very bodyes, it might more than ſeale and witneſſe, that the bleſſing and partaking of all good things perteyneth to the circumciſed, if they abide faithful to the Lord God entred into league with men. And therfore very ſignificantly is Circumciſion called of Paule, not, The ſeale of righteouſnes, but, The ſeale of righteouſnes of faith, that is, a ratifying and aſſurance that faith is righteouſnes, that it is faith whereby wee are iuſtified, that righteouſneſſe is due to them that beléeue, that God aſſuredly will bleſſe the faithfull, and impute faithe vntounto them for righteouſneſſe, as hee alſo imputed vntounto Abraham.

Now ſince Sacraments hauehave the like reaſon, we may apply theſe thinges How bap…iſme ſealeth.to our Sacramentes. Chriſte therefore the annoynted of the Lord, after he had by his guiltleſſe and vndeſerued death redéemed the worlde from the power of Sathan, and béeing now ready to aſcend into heauen to the father, hee called his Diſciples aboute him, and ſaide, Goe into the Mark. 16.Mark 16whole worlde, and preach the Goſpel to all creatures, hee that ſhall beleue and be baptiſed, &c.

p. 1014The preaching of the Goſpel doeth lay open and abrode, the greate, the precious, the healthful, the liuely, the bountiful, the royall, and diuine priuiledge, that of the children of the diuel, we are made the childrē of God, the heyres (I ſaye) of GOD, and ioynte-heires with Chriſte, who by the ſheding of his blond hath purchaſed for vsus this ineſtimable ſaluation.

From this grace of God none is excluded: but he which through diſobedience, by his owne corruption and fault, doth exclude himſelfe. For touching the children and infants of the beléeuers, the Lord in the goſpel pronounceth, ſaying, Suffer the yonge Marke. 10Mark 10children to come vntounto mee, and forbid them not, for of ſuch is the kingdome of God. And againe, Verilie, Matth. 18.Matt 18I ſay vntounto you, except yee turne and become as little children, ye ſhall not enter into the kingdome of Heauen. Who ſo ſhall receiue ſuch a litle child in my name, receiueth me. Take heed that ye deſpiſe not one of theſe little ones for I ſay vntounto you that in Heauen, their angels doe alwayes beholde the face of my Father whiche is in Heauen. &c.

Neither is it likely, now Chriſt is come, that God is more vnmercifull then he was before hee came into the worlde. But then he ſaid, I will bee thy God and the GOD of thy ſeede after thee. That therefore is nowe of more force, ſince the Lorde is come to ſéeke and ſaue that whiche was loſt: and to be ſhort, to powre fóorthe moſte liberallye his grace and good giftes vppon all fleſhe. Wherefore that royall, ample, and diuine priuiledge, is firſt by the very preaching of our Lorde Chriſte, and then by the doctrine of his Apoſtles reuealed vntounto the worlde, and afterwarde, the Lorde ſo commaundinge, the ſame priuiledge was ſetdowne of the Apoſtles and Euangeliſts in writing. Now the Lorde him ſelfe added this ſacrament as a ſigne and ſeale vntounto his preaching, and to the Scripture, ordayning Baptiſme in the place of Circumciſion, the whiche, becauſe it was a bloudie thing, and to conclude, a ſigne of the bleſſed ſéede, which was to come, which then was reuealed, ought to be abrogated. And Baptiſme it ſelfe alſo ſuccéeding circumciſion, is alſo a ſeale of the righteouſneſſe of faith, an euidence and ſealed charter, that God doeth aſſuredlie cleanſe vsus, and make vsus heyres of eternall life, and that the whole grace of Baptiſme perteyneth to them that are baptiſed, if they ſtand ſtedfaſt in true faith.

But (thou wilte ſay) the Infantes of Chriſtians whiche are to be baptiſed beléeue not. I graunte. No Infantes which beleue not …re baptiſed.more did the Infants of the Iewes beléeue, whiche neuertheleſſe were circumciſed, and were in league with God, and made partakers of all good giftes: ſo that true godlineſſe biddeth vsus attribute the ſame to our Infantes. When the ofſpringe of the Iewes waxed in age, and did wickedlie tranſgreſſe: they fell from the couenaunt of God. So likewiſe the infantes of the Chriſtians, when they come to age, and commit wickedneſſe, doe fall from the grace of the Goſpell: yet are they receiued againe by faithfull repentaunce into the ſame grace from whence they fel.

But to our purpoſe. Baptiſme the ſeale of the righteouſneſſe of faithe, is not ſett to parchmente, or to the writing of the Goſpell: but it is applyed to the very bodyes of the Children p. 1015of God, and is as it were marked, and imprinted in them. For wée are who…e dipped with our bodies, or wholie ſprinckled with the water of Baptiſme, which truely is a viſible ſealing, confirming that the true God is our God which ſanctifieth and purifieth, and that purification, and eueryevery good gifte of God, is due vntounto vsus as the heyres of God. And to the ſetting foorth of this matter pertayneth that euidente place of Paule, which in the Epiſtle to the Galathians is thus read. For yee are all the children of God by faith in Chriſt Ieſus. For all ye that are baptiſed hauehave put on Chriſte. And ſo foorth.

The ſupper of the Lorde hath the Howe the lords ſupper is a ſeale of the righteouſ…es of fayth.like reaſon, whiche alſo is a ſeale of the righteouſneſſe of faith. For the ſonne of God dyed, hee by his death redéemed the beléeuers, alſo his body and bloud is our meat and drinck vntounto eternall life. And truely this ſingular and excellent priuiledge giuen vntounto the faithfull, is declared and ſett downe in writing by the Apoſtles▪ but it is conſecrated and ſealed of the Lorde him ſelfe by the Sacramente of his bodye and bloude, whereby he ſealeth vsus an aſſuraunce that we are iuſtified by faith in the death of Chriſt, and that all the good giftes of Chriſte are communicated vntounto vsus, and that wee are fedd and ſtrengthened by Chriſte.

Moreouer, that the ſealing might be the more liuely, he ſetteth not the ſeale to written parchmente, but it is brought and alſo giuen to be eaten of our bodyes, that we might hauehave a witneſſe within our ſelues, that Chriſte with all his giftes is wholy ours, if wee perſeuere in faith. For the Lorde him ſelfe in the Goſpell, ſaith, He that eateth me ſhall liue, by Ioh. 6.John 6the meanes of mee. But hee eateth whiche beléeueth. For in the ſame place the Lord ſaithe, I am the bread of life, He that commeth to mee ſhall not hunger, and hee that beleeueth in me ſhall neuer thirſt. Héereby we gather the ſumme of the whole matter, that the Sacramentes doe ſeale vpp the promiſes of God and the goſpel, and that therefore ſo often mention is made in the Churche of euidences or letters patents, or charters, and ſeales of the preaching of the goſpell, and the promiſes of God, & that the whole myſterie of our ſaluation is renued and continued as oft as thoſe actions inſtituted of God (I meane Sacramentes) are celebrated in the Church. Hetherto I think doeth that belong, whiche the faithfull miniſter of Chriſte Zuinglius vppon the Sacramēts hath deliuered in theſe wordes. Zuinglius of the Sacramentes which certifie and beare witneſſe.Sacramentes beare witneſſe of a thing that hath bene done. For al lawes, cuſtomes, and ordinaunces, doe ſhew their authours and beginnings. Therefore Baptiſme ſince it ſetteth foorth in ſignification the death and reſurrection of Chriſte, it muſt needs bee that thoſe thinges were done indeede. Theſe wordes are to be found In Expoſitione ſidei ad regem Chriſtianū. The ſame Zuinglius, Ad principes Germaniae contra Eggium, ſaith, When that noble man taking his iourney in to a farre countrie, diſtributing bread and wine, did farre more liuelie and peculiarly giuegive him ſelfe vntounto vsus, when he ſaide, This is my body, than if he had ſaid, This is a token or ſigne of my bodide, although hee tooke away his naturall bodie and carried it into Heauen: Yet neuertheleſſe by theſe wordes, in that apperteyneth to p. 1016faith and grace, hee giueth him ſelfe wholy, as if hee had ſaide: Now I goe to dye for you, and after a while will wholie departe from hence. But I wil not hauehave you doubt of my louelove and care to you warde. How much ſoeuer I am, I am altogether yours. In witneſſe whereof I commend vntounto you a ſigne of this my betraying and teſtament, to the intente you might maintaine the memorie of me, and of my benefites: that when ye ſee this bread and this cupp miniſtred vntounto you, in the ſupper of my remembraunce, ye may be no otherwiſe mindfull of me, that is, that I deliuered vp my ſelf, for you, than if you ſhould ſee mee with your eyes face to face, as ye now ſe me bothe to eate with you, and by and by ſhall ſee me to be led from you to dye for you. Hetherto I hauehave recited Zuinglius his words, and anon I wil rehearſe other wordes of his againe, not that I ſtay my ſelfe vppon them, or vppon any teſtimonyes of man, but that it may be made manifeſt that this man did not (as ſome hauehave falſely thought) contemne the ſacramentes

In the meane while we acknowledge theſe teſtimonies of the holie The holy ghoſt doth properly ſ…ale.Scripture. And God it is which ſtabliſheth vsus with you in chriſt, & hath annointed vsus: whiche hath alſo ſealed vsus, and hath giuen the earneſt of the ſpirite in our harts. 2. Cor. 1. And alſo, After ye beleeued ye were ſealed with the holie ſpirite of promiſe, whiche is the earneſt of our inheritaunce, vntounto the redemption of the purchaſed poſſeſſion vntounto the praiſe of his glorie. Epheſi. 1. verſe. 13. And againe, Greeue not the holie ſpirit of GOD, by whome ye are ſealed vntounto the day of redemption. Ephe. 4.

Wee acknowledge the trueth of God to be ſufficiently ſound, true, and certeine of it ſelfe, neither can wee from elſe-where hauehave a better confirmation than out of it. For if our minde be not confirmed, one euerye ſide it wauereth. God therefore frameth him ſelf according to our weakneſſe, and by his Sacraments, as muche as may bee, doeth as it were vpholde vsus, yet ſo, that we referre all the benefite of our confirmation to the ſpirite it ſelfe, and to his operation, rather than to y^e element. Wherfore, as we attribute Confirmation to doctrine and to teachers, euen ſo doe wee Sealing to the Sacramentes.

We read in the Actes of the Apoſtles, Chapter 14, and 18. The Apoſtles returned and ſtrengthened the Diſciples ſoules againe, and exhorted them to continue in the faithe. Againe in the firſte to the Theſ…a. 3. Wee hauehave ſent (ſaith Paule) Timotheus our Brother and miniſter of GOD, to confirme or ſtabliſh you, and to comforte you concerninge your faithe. Neuertheleſſe, vnleſſe the inwarde force of the ſpirite doe drawe and quicken the hartes of the hearers, the outwarde perſuaſion of the teacher, though it bee neuer ſo forceable & vehēment ſhall nothing auayle: but if the holie ſpirit do ſhew foorth his might, and worke with the worde of the Preacher, the ſoules of the hearers are moſte mightilie ſtrengthened. And ſo it ſtandeth with the myſterie of the Sacramente. For if the inwarde anuoynting and fealing of the holy Ghoſt be wanting, the outwarde action will be counted but a toy to the vnbeléeuers, neither worketh the ſealing of the Sacramentes any thing at all: p. 1017but when faith, the gifte of the holie Ghoſt, goeth before, the ſealing of the Sacramentes is very ſtrong and ſure. Some alſo hauehave ſaide very wel, I four mindes be deſtitute of the holie Ghoſte, the Sacramentes doe no more profite vsus, then it doth a blinde man to looke vppon the bright beames of the Sunne. But if our eyes be opened through the illumination of the ſpirit, they are wonderfully delighted with the heauenly ſight of the Sacramentes. And Zwinglius in Libello ad principes Germanil ſayth, It doeth not offende vsus, though all thoſe things which the holie Ghoſte worketh, be referred to the externall Sacrament, as long as wee vnderſtand them to be ſpoken figuratiuely, as the fathers ſpake. Thus ſaith he.

And although Sacraments ſeale The ſacraments ſeal nothing to the vnbeleeuers.not the promiſes to the vnbeléeuers becauſe they miſtruſt thē; yet neuertheleſſe y^e Sacraments were inſtituted of God, that they might ſeale. The wicked and vngodly perſon receiueth not the doctrine of the Goſpel, yet no man therefore doeth gather that this doctrine was not inſtituted of God to teache. Some one there is that wil not giuegive credit to a ſealed Charter, yet doeth it not therfore followe, that the ſealed charter ſerueth not to aſſure or confirme ones faithe. Therefore ſince the doctrine of the Goſpel worketh nothing in him y^t is obſtinate and rebellious, ſince the ſacramentes doe nothing moue him that is prophane and vnholie, neither profite the wicked by any manner meanes, that commeth not to paſſe through him that did inſtitute them, or through the worde and ſacraments, but through the default of the vnbeléeuer. In the meane time of them ſelues they are inſtituted to profit and to ſeale, and to hauehave their holie vſe & end in the holie. And thus much hauehave I ſaid of y^t principall vertue of ſacraments, y^t they be teſtimonies of gods truth, and of his good wil towarde vsus, and are ſeales of all y^t promiſes of the goſpel, ſealing and aſſuring vsus y^t faith is righteouſneſſe, and that all the good giftes of Chriſte perteine to them that beléeue. There Sacramēts repreſente… thinges.is alſo another end and vſe of ſacramentall ſignes, y^t is to ſay, that they ſignifie, & in ſignifying do repreſent, which were ſuperfluous to proue by many teſtimonies, ſince it is moſte manifeſt to all men, at leaſt by that which we ſpake before. Now to ſignifie, is to ſhew, and by ſignes and tokens to declare and pointe out any thing. But to repreſent, doth not ſignifie (as ſome dreame) to bring, to giuegive, or make that now again corporally preſent, which ſomtime was taken away, but to reſemble it in likenes, and by a certeine imitation, and to call it back againe to minde, and to ſet it as it were before our eyes. For we ſay that a ſonne doth repreſent or reſemble his father, when after a ſort he expreſſeth his father in fauour and likenes of manners, ſo that he which ſéeth him may verily think that he ſeeth his father as it were preſent.

And after this manner doe ſacraments Sacramēts doe ſtirre vppe and healpe faith.ſtir vp & help our faith, while wee ſée outwardely before our eyes, that whiche ſtirreth vpp the minde, worketh in vsus, and warneth vsus of our dutie: yea, that very thing which we a while before comprehended in our minde, is nowe after a ſorte viſibly offered to our ſenſes, in a ſimilitude, parable, type or figure, to be viewed and weighed in our minde, that mutuallie they might helpe one another.

p. 1018The ſimilitude therefore or Analogie of the ſigne to the thinge ſignified, is héere by the way to be conſidered.

I told you before that Analogia is an aptnes, proportion and a certeine Of the analogie in baptiſme.conuenience of the ſigne to the thinge ſignified, ſo that this maye be ſéene in that as in a loking-glaſſe. The matter ſhall be made manifeſt by examples. The bountifull and gratious Lord of his méere merciemercy receiueth mankinde into the partaking of all his good gifts and graces, and adopteth the faithfull that nowe they bee not onelyonly ioyned in league with God, but alſo the children of God, whiche thing by the holy action of baptiſme, béeing in ſtéede of the ſigne, or the verie ſigne it ſelfe, is moſt euidētly by repreſentation laid before the eyes of al men. For the miniſter of GOD ſtandeth at the holie fonte to whome the infant is offered to be baptiſed, whom he receiueth and baptiſeth into the name, or in the name of the father, and of the ſonne, and of the holie Ghoſte. For we maye finde both Into the name, and In the name. So that to be baptiſed Into the name of the Lord, is to be ſealed into his vertue and power (for the name of the Lord ſignifieth power) into the fauour, merciemercy, and protection of God, yea to be graffed, and as it were to be faſtned, to be dedicated, and to be incorporated into God. To be baptiſed In the name of the Lord is by y^e commaundement or authoritie of God to be baptiſed, I meane by the commiſſion or appointment of God y^e father, the ſonne, and the holie Ghoſt, to be receiued into the companie of the children of God, & to be counted of Gods houſehold, that they whiche are baptiſed, are, & be called Chriſtians, and be named w^c the name of God, béeing called the children of God the father, &c. His ſpéech therfore doth ſomewhat reſemble that which we read elſe-where that The name of God was called vppon, ouer ſome one, which is in a maner as if we ſhould ſay, that one is called by the name of God, that is, to be called The ſeruaunt & ſonne of God. They therefore which before by grace inuiſibly are receiued of God into the ſocietie of God: thoſe ſelfe ſame are viſibly now by baptiſme admitted into the ſelfe ſame houſehold of God by the miniſter of God, and therefore at that time alſo receiue their name, y^t To giuegive and take names in baptiſme.they may alwayes remember, that in baptiſme they gaue vpp their names to Chriſt, and in like manner alſo receiued a name. After this manner by a moſt apt Analogie, the verie ſigne reſembleth the thing ſignified. To be ſhort, baptiſme is done by water. And water in mens matters hath a double vſe. For it clenſeth filthe, & as it were renueth man: alſo it quencheth thirſt and cooleth him that is in a heate. So alſo it repreſenteth the grace of God, when it cleanſeth his faithfull ones from their ſinnes, regenerateth, and refreſheth vsus with his ſpirite. Beſide this the miniſter of Chriſt ſprinckleth or rather powreth in water, or being dipped taketh them out of the water: whereby is ſignified that God verie bountifully beſtoweth his gifts vponupon his faithful ones: it ſignifieth alſo that wee are buried with Chriſte into his death, and are raiſed againe with him into newneſſe of life. Pharao was drowned in the gulfe of the redd ſea, but the people of God paſſed throughe it ſafe. For our old Adam muſt be drowned and extinguiſhed: but oure new Adam day by day muſt be quickned and riſe vp againe (out of the water.) Therefore is the mortification, and viuification of Chriſtians, verie p. 1019excellently repreſented by baptiſme. Now in the Lords ſupper, bread and wine repreſent the verie bodie and Of the analogie in the ſupper.bloud of Chriſt. The reaſon hereof is this. As bread nouriſheth and ſtrengtheneth man, and giueth him abilitie to labour: ſo the bodie of Chriſt eaten by faith, féedeth and ſatiſfieth the ſoule of man, and furniſheth the whole man to all dueties of Godlines. As wine is drincke to the thirſtie, and maketh merrie the heartes of men: ſo the bloud of our Lord Ieſus droncken by faith, doeth quenche the thirſt of the burning conſcience, and filleth the heartes of the faithful with vnſpeakeable ioy. But in the action of the ſupper the bread of the Lord is broken: the wine is powred out. For the body of oure Sauiour was broken, that is, by all meanes afflicted, and his bloud guſhed and flowed plentifully out of his gaping woundes. And wée oure ſelues truely do breake w^t our owne handes the bread of the Lord. For we oure ſelues are in fault, that hée was torne & tormented. Our ſinnes woū ded him & we our ſelues crucified him: that is to ſay, hée was crucified for vsus, that by his death hée might deliuer vsus from death.

Furthermore, we take the bread into our hands, we likewiſe take the cupp into our hands: becauſe he ſayd, Take ye, eate ye, take ye and diuide it amonge you: neither doe we lay them aſide, or hide them, neither do we giuegive them forthwith to others: but when we hauehave receiued them, we eate and drinke them, ſwallowing them down into oure bodies: then afterward wée do communicate and offer them to other. For they whiche lawefully celebrate the Lords Supper, doe not onelyonly beléeue that Chriſt ſuffered, or that he ſuffered for other, and not for them: but they beléeue that Chriſte ſuffered for themſelues, they beléeue y^t Chriſte doeth, and as it were hath alreadie communicated all his giftes moſt liberally vntounto them. Therefore as the ſuſtenance of bread and wine paſſing into the bowels, is chaunged into the ſubſtaunce of mans bodie: euen ſo Chriſte béeing eaten of the godly by faith, is vnited vntounto thē by his ſpirite: ſo that they are one with Chriſte, and he one with them. And as meate plentifully prepared, deintily dreſſed, and onelyonly ſéene vppon the table, doeth not aſſwage hūger: ſo if thou heare Chriſt reuerently preached vntounto thée, and doeſt not beléeue that Chriſt with all his good gifts is thine, neither y^e word thoughe reuerently preached, nor yet the board though abundantly ſtoared, doe profite thée any thing.

And it maketh much to the reconciling, renuing, and mainteyning of friendſhip, that wée are all partakers of one bread, that wee offer bread to our brethren, and that wee drinke of the cupp which we receiue at our brethrens hand. For vponupon no other cauſe the auncient fathers ſeeme to call the Supper Synaxis, A commmunion. But of that we wil ſpeake ſomewhat Synaxis a communion.elſe-where. And thus muche hauehave I brought for example ſake touching y^e Analogie of the ſigne and thing ſignified, and would ſaye more, but that I truſt to them that bee diligent this is ſufficient. For I hauehave miniſtered occaſion to thinke vponupon, and to finde out more and greater thinges.

By this ſhort treatiſe touching the How the Sacramēts do ſtirre vp faith.Analogie, I thincke it is plaine, that ſacramentes ſtirre vpp and helpe the faith of the Godly. For whiles oure mind comprehendeth and conſidereth the benefites of God, Chriſte his bleſſing, oure redemption, and other his p. 1020good giftes, while it enioyeth them with great pleaſure of the ſpirite, whiles in them it is glad & reioyceth, Sacraments are nowe alſo outwardly giuen, whiche doe viſibly repreſent thoſe thinges to oure eyes, and as it were make them to enter into all our ſenſes, whiche the minde inwardlye comprehendeth, conſidereth, and meditateth vponupon. For becauſe the whole action which conſiſteth of the words, & the rite or ceremonie, is counted with the ſigne, oure eyes ſée the ſignes, and all thinges which are done in y^e whole action of the ſignes, all which do as it were ſpeake. Our eares heare the words and inſtitutions of Chriſt. Yea our very touching and taſting, they alſo doe féele and perceiue how ſwéete and good the Lord is: ſo that now the whole man, as it were both body and ſoule caught vp into heauen, doth féele and perceiue, that his faith is ſtirred vp and holpen, and to be ſhort that the fruite of faith in Chriſte, is paſſing ſwéete & comfortable. All theſe things hauehave place in them that beléeue. In them that beléeue not, the ſignes remaine as they are without life: therefore theſe things are brought to paſſe by the vertue or power of faith, and of the ſpirite working in the lawfull vſe of the ſacraments: without faith & the holy Ghoſt they are not felt or perceiued. There is not vnlike efficacie or The efficacie or force in the preaching of Gods worde.force alſo in the preaching of y^e word of God. For when this word by parables, by exāples & by deſcriptiō is ſet forth to the hearers, if the ſpirite and faith ſhine in their mind, by theſe they ſéeme not only to heare things expoū ded, but to ſée them with their eyes. In conſideration whereof I thinke Paul ſaid, O fooliſh Galathians, who hath bewitched you, that ye ſhuld not beleeue the truth, to whom Ieſus Chriſt was deſcribed before your eyes, & among you crucified? for it is certeine y^• Chriſte was no where either deſcribed or crucified among the Galathiās: he ſpeaketh therefore of his plainneſſe of preaching the word, wherby things in déede are ſhewed, but yet with ſuch force and efficacie, as if they were in a maner layed before their eyes. There is the ſame reaſon alſo in ſacraments, which for y^t cauſe were called of them of old, viſible words.

Of theſe thinges in this manner, intreateth Zuinglius in his booke Ad principes Germaniae contra Eggium, ſaying: Zuinglius of the Sacraments vpholding fayth.Doeth not a faithful man deſire, when hee feeleth his faith like to fall, to bee vpholden and reſtoared to his place? and where in the whole world ſhall he hope to finde that more conueniently, thā in the verie actions of the Sacraments, ſo much as belongeth to all ſenſible thinges? For let it bee that all creatures allure & prouoke vsus to the contemplation or beholding of Gods maieſtie, yet all that their allurement or prouoking is dum: but in the Sacramentes there is a liuelye prouoking & ſpeaking allurement. For the Lord ſpeaketh, and the elements alſo ſpeake, and they ſpeake & perſuade that to our ſenſes, which the word & ſpirit ſpeaketh to our minde. Howebeit, hitherto all theſe viſible things are nothing, vnleſſe the ſanctification of the ſpirit go before. Theſe things he handleth more at large, firſt in his annotations vppon the 27. cap. of Ieremie, and afterward In Expoſitione Fidei ad regem Chriſtianum.

Furthermore, we read that Sainct Auguſtine diſputinge againſte the Maniches, Lib. 19. contra. Fauſtum cap. 11. ſaid: Men cannot bee gathered together into any name of Religion, either true or falſe, vnleſſe they p. 1021be knitt together in ſome fellowſhip of viſible ſignes or Sacraments, &c. Wée acknowledging this opinion of S. Auguſtine fetchte from the Scriptures, doe teach touching the Sacraments, that we by them are gathered and knitt together into the vnitie of y^e bodie of Chriſte, & are ſeparated from all other religions, fellowſhips, & aſſemblies: & more too, we are bound by them as by an othe, to the true worſhip of one God, and vntounto one ſincere religion, to the which wée openly profeſſe that we agrée and giuegive our conſent with all them that are partakers of the ſacraments. Where this chiefly is to be marked, that the gathering or knitting together into the vnitie of the body of Chriſte, hath a double reſpecte: A coniunction with Chriſt and with the Church.for either wée are ioyned with Chriſte, that hée is in vsus, and wée liue in him: or elſe wée are coupled with all the members of Chriſte, to witt, with Chriſtes faithfull ſeruauntes, I meane with the Catholique Church it ſelfe. Furthermore we are knit together with Chriſt in ſpirite and faith. But we are ioyned to the Church or to the members of Chriſt by the vnitie of faith and of the ſpirite, and by the bonde of charitie. All which verily are the inward giftes of the ſpirite, whiche fréely are beſtowed on vsus by the Lord onelyonly, not by any creatures, not by any elementes. Sacraments therefore do viſiblie graffe vsus into the fellowſhip of Chriſt, & his ſaincts, who were inuiſibly graffed by his grace before we were partakers of the Sacramentes: but by receyuing of the ſacramentes, we doe nowe open and make manifeſt, of whoſe body wée would bée, and are members, the Lord with his ſignes or markes by his miniſter alſo viſiblie marking vsus for his owne houſehold, and for his owne people. Whiche thing by the Scriptures, wée will more fully open By ſacraments we are viſibly gathered together into one religion, and diſtinguiſhed from others.and make manifeſt. They who in time paſt, by the force of the couenaunt, by the grace, merciemercy, and promiſe of God were the people of God, were by Circūciſion viſibly gathered together into one Churche, & knit together into one bodie. For the Apoſtle S. Paule ſayeth vntounto the Epheſians, Wherefore remember that ye beeing in time paſſed Gentiles in the fleſhe, Ephe. 2.Eph 2called vncircumciſiō of them which are called circumciſion in the fleſhe made with handes: that at that time (I ſay) ye were without Chriſte, and were aliantes from the cōmon wealth of Iſrael, and ſtraungers from the couenaunt of promiſe, &c.

Whereby it is alſo eaſilye vnderſtood, how the Iewes by circumciſion were diſtinguiſhed from other religions and fellowſhips, and that circumciſion in another place, for this cauſe, is put for them that are circumciſed, and why the name of vncircumciſed was reprochfull. For thoſe that were vncircumciſed were counted for vngodly and vncleane perſons, that had no fellowſhippe, nor parte or inheritaunce with God and his Sainctes. Of baptiſme whiche was ordeined in the ſtéede of circumciſion, ſome thing Phil. 3. Rom. 15.Phil 3Rom 15is ſpoken in my former Sermons. And alſo the apoſtle ſetteth it out moſt plainely: As the bodie (ſayeth hée) is one and hath many members, and all 1. Cor. 12.1 Cor 12the members of the bodie, whiche is one, thoughe they bee many, yet are but one bodie: euen ſo is Chriſt. For by one ſpirite are wee all baptiſed into one bodie, whether wee be Iewes or Gentiles, whether wee be bond or free, and hauehave been all made to drinke into one ſpirite. Wee are therefore knitt together by the Sacramente p. 1022of baptiſme into the vnitie of the bodie of Chriſte, ſo that to hauehave broken this bond, and to yeld our ſelues into another fellowſhipp of religion and brotherhoode, may worthilie be called ſacrilege and treaſon.

Herevnto the Apoſtle ſéemed to hauehave reſpect when he aſked the Corinthians: Are ye not baptiſed into the name of Chriſte? declaring thereby that they whiche are baptiſed into the name of Chriſt, hauehave openly ſworne, and bound their faith before y^e church of Chriſte, ſo that nowe they neither can nor ought to reioyce in any other name than in the name of Chriſt, into whoſe houſehold they are receiued by baptiſme. So, I ſay, wée are ſeparated by baptiſme from all other religions, and are onelye conſecrated to Chriſtian religion. Hée hath the like The place of Paul. 1. Cor 18. The bread which we breake &c is expounded.place in all pointes touching the ſupper of the Lord, 1. Corinth. cap. 10. For when the Apoſtle would declare to the Corinthians, that it is a thinge farre from all godlines, vnſéemely, yea and ſacrilegious, that Chriſtians ſhould eate in the idols temples, thinges offered to idols, and be partakers of the Gentiles ſacrifices, reaſoning from the manner and nature of the Sacrament of the Lords ſupper, he ſayeth: Flie from idolatrie, I ſpeake as vntounto them that hauehave vnderſtanding, iudge ye what I ſaye: The cupp of bleſſing whiche wee bleſſe, is it not the communion of the bloud of Chriſt? The bread whiche we breake, is it not the communion of the bodie of Chriſte? For wee that are many are one bread and one bodie, becauſe we all are partakers of one bread? Behold Iſrael whiche is after the fleſh: are not they whiche eate of the ſacrifices partakers of the altar? What ſay I then? that the idol is any thinge? or that that whiche is ſacrificed vntounto idols is any thing? Nay but rather this I ſay, that thoſe thinges whiche the Gentiles ſacrifice, they ſacrifice to diuels & not to GOD. And I would not that yee ſhould hauehave fellowſhip with the diuels. Ye cannot drincke the cupp of the Lord, and the cupp of the diuels. Ye cannot bee partakers of the Lords table, and of the table of diuels, &c. For all this is Paules ſaying, whiche ſince it ſerueth notably to oure purpoſe, and is verie plaine, I will but briefly runne ouer it.

Firſt he layeth downe the ſtate and ſcope of y^e matter, whervnto he immediatly directeth his whole diſcourſe. Flie (ſaith he) idolatrie. And he meaneth by the word Idolatrie, whatſoeuer perteyneth to idolatrie, eſpecially the eating of meate offered to idols. But if you know not what Idolothytū is, (which word he there vſeth) vnderſtand that it is a Gréeke word whiche Paule vſeth in this caſe, and it ſignifieth a thinge ſacrificed to an idol, or a thing publiquely in ſacrifice conſecrated to an idol. And it was the manner of the Corinthians to ſacrifice at the altars of their Gods in idol-houſes, y^t is to ſay, in their idol temples, and to call Chriſtians vntounto thoſe their ſacrifices: and they when they came, ſate and eate of that whiche was offered vntounto idols, eating without difference with y^e idolaters, thincking they might hauehave done that without any fault at all: béecauſe by the bright ſhining of the Goſpel it appeared, that neither y^e idol, neither that God whome the idol repreſented, and therefore alſo the thinges themſelues that were offered to idols were nothing elſe, but vaine names, and thinges of no price or eſtimation. But Paul diſputing againſt theſe from the 8. Cap. vntounto the 11. teacheth p. 1023that it is farre wide from Chriſtianitie, to be partakers of the Gentiles ſacrifices, and ſaith: I wil ſpeake vntounto you as vntounto them that hauehave diſcretiō, that after I hauehave ſhadowed out vntounto you which way to walke, you by the ſharpenes of your witt, maye vnderſtand what is true, & what is falſe and to be ſhort which waye you muſt incline.

And then hee ſcattereth certeine groundes of argumentes, which they afterward diſcuſſing, might by their diligence poliſhe and make perfecte. They (ſayeth he) that are partakers of the ſupper of the Lord (in which the bread of the Lord is broken, and the cup of the Lord is dronken) are of the ſame communion, fellowſhip, or body with the Lord. For foreign, whiche word Paul vſeth héere, and which interpreters hauehave tranſlated Communion or partaking (though fellowſhip is better than partaking: as in the Dutch tranſlation Gmeind is better than Gmeind chaffe) is not taken actiuely (as I may ſo ſay) for the diſtributing, giuing or reaching out Chriſtes bodie by the miniſter: but paſſiuely, for the fellowſhip and ſocietie, for the bodie, I ſay, of the Churche: as when the churche is called a communion, that is, an aſſemblie a gathering together and ſocietie of ſaincts or godly Chriſtians.

Furthermore, the Churche is called foreign, or a communion of the bodie and bloud of Chriſte, beecauſe it is redéemed by the bodie and bloud of Chriſt, & being partaker of Chriſt, liueth by him. For he liueth in the godly Chriſtians, communicating vntounto them all his good gifts of life. And that the partakers of the ſupper of y^t Lord are the bodie or communion of Chriſt, he declareth by a reaſon which followeth ſaying, Becauſe we that are many, are one bread and one bodie. Wherevnto by & by hee addeth another more euident reaſon, for interpretations ſake, ſaying, For we are all partakers of one bread. In that we are partakers of one bread, ſayth he, we doe openly teſtifie that we are partakers of the ſame bodie with Chriſte and all his Sainctes. In which wordes hée hath a notable reſpecte to the Analogie. For as by vniting together of many graines, (as Cyprian ſaith) is made one breade or one loafe: as of many cluſters of grapes one wine is preſſed out: ſo out of many members groweth vpp and is made the bodie of the Church, which is the bodie of Chriſt. Nowe in the woordes of Paule theſe thinges offer themſelues vntounto vsus to be marked.

Firſt, for that nowe hée calleth that a multitude or manye, by a woorde expreſſing his minde better, whiche before he named a communion. A communion therfore is nothing elſe, but a multitude or congregation. For he ſaid, The bread is the partaking of the bodie of Chriſte: but now he ſaith, We being many are one bread, one body. We being many, ſayeth he, y^t is, all wée which are a multitude and a congregation or Churche, redéemed by the bodie of Chriſt (which was) giuen, and by his bloud (whiche was) ſhedd for vsus. Afterwards hée ſaith, We being many are one bodie, hee doeth not ſay, are made one bodie. For wee are not firſt graffed into the bodie of Chriſte (as wée hauehave often repeated alreadie) by partaking of the ſacramentes: but wée whiche were before ingraffed by grace inuiſiblye, are nowe alſo viſibly conſecrated. Againe, by the like reaſon of Sacraments, or by an example of the ſcripture p. 1024taken from the Sacramentes of the people of the old Teſtament, hee ſheweth that the partakers of the ſacramentes are one bodie, both with him to whome they offer, and with them with whome they offer, or with whome they eate of thinges offered to idols. Behold (ſaith hee) the Iſraelites whiche offer ſacrifices after the fleſh. Are not they that eate the ſacrifices, foreign, that is to ſay, communicants, fellowes or partakers of the thinges of the temple, or of the altar. For vnderunder the word of the things of the temple or of the altar, (foreign is his word) he comprehendeth whatſoeuer doth belong to the worſhipp and religion of the God of the Iewes: ſo that the ſenſe or meaning may be this. Are not all they one bodie, one communion, one people, both with the God of Iſrael and with his people, which eate of the ſacrifices offered to the God of Iſrael, by the Iſraelitiſh people? As if hee had ſaid: There is none that is ignoraunt of it, or that can denie it, ſince it is confeſſed and manifeſt amonge all men.

By theſe thinges hée leaueth to the Corinthians, of their owne accord, thus much to be gathered: Therefore they that are partakers of the ſacramentes of the Gentiles are one bodie and one fellowſhip with the Gods of the Gentiles, and the Gentiles which do ſacrifice. Nowe by the figure Occupatio (which is when in aunſwearing we preuent an obiectiō that may bee made) hée placeth theſe woordes betwéene: What ſaye I then? That the idol is any thinge? Or, that that whiche is offered in ſacrifice to idols is any thing? Wherevnto by and by he addeth, But this I ſaye, that the They are the members of the diuell that are partakers of vnlawful Sacraments.thinges whiche the Gentiles offer in ſacrifice, they offer to diuels and not to God. Herevpon he might lawfully hauehave inferred, Therefore if you continue to bée partakers of thinges offered to idols, ye ſhall verilie be one bodie and one fellowſhippe, both with the diuell him ſelfe and all his members. But béecauſe this might hauehave béene taken of many, to hauehave béene bitterly ſpoken, hée addeth another ſayinge ſome-what more milde and gentle, and ſayeth: And I would not that yee ſhould bee foreign, that is, communicants, or partakers, & hauehave fellowſhip with diuels.

After which woords by comparing the contrarie partes, hée bringeth in the ſumme of the whole matter, to whiche he directed all his reaſons and ſayeth, Yee cannot drincke the cupp of the Lord, and the cupp of diuels: ye cannot bee partakers of the Lords table, and of the table of diuels. And ſo forth.

The Sacramentes therefore doe ſeparate vsus from all other worſhippinges and religions, and doe binde and conſecrate, yea, and alſo as it were make vsus of the ſame body with one true GOD, and ſincere Chriſtian Religion: béecauſe wée béeing partakers of them, doe openly profeſſe, that wée be the members of Ieſus Chriſte, whiche no man that is well in his wittes, will take, and make them the members of fornication, and of idols.Zuinglius of binding Sacramēts &c.

That which Zuinglius (that learned man) hath, In expoſitione fidei Chriſtianę ad regem Chriſtianum, is not impertinent to this purpoſe. Sacramentes (ſayeth hée) are in ſteede of an oathe. For Sacramentum with the Latines is vſed alſo for an oathe. For, they that vſe one and the ſelfeſame Sacramentes, are one peculiar nation, & an holy ſworne cōgregation, p. 1025they are knitt together into one body and into one people: whome, whoſo betrayeth, ſhall periſhe. Therefore the people of Chriſte, ſince by eating his bodye ſacramentally, they are knit into one bodie: Now he that is faithleſſe, and yet dare be ſo bould as to make himſelfe one of this ſocietie or fellowſhip, betrayeth the body of Chriſte, as well in the head as in the members, &c. Thus farre he.

By this it is eaſie to vnderſtand y^t ſacramentes put vsus in minde of oure Sacramēts …ut the faithful in minde of their duetie.duetie: eſpecially if wée marke in the writings of the Apoſtle, how, conſidering the maner of ſacraments the Apoſtles frame their exhortations. Where againe the Analogie beeinge conſidered it hath very much light and force in it. Trées are pruned, and all that which is drie, barren, and ſuperfluous in them is cutt away. And ſo by circumciſion they that were circū ciſed were put in minde to cutt away with the knife of the ſpirite, whatſoeuer grewe vpp in the fleſh againſt the lawe of God. Herevnto had Moſes reſpecte when he ſaid in Dent: Circumciſe therfore the foreſkin of your Deut. 10.Deut 10heart: and bee no more ſtiffenecked. Whome Ieremie following in the 4. Cap. ſayeth, Be ye circumciſed in the Iere. 4.Jer 4Lord, and cut away the foreskinne of your hearts, &c. Thoſe thinges which the Apoſtle hath taught touching the celebration of y^• Paſſeouer, are more plaine than that they néede héere to be rehearſed. And I hauehave alreadie intreated of them at large in the ſixte Sermon of my third Decade.

The verie ſame Apoſtle in his Epiſtle to the Romanes, ſaith, Knowe Rom. 6.Rom 6ye not, that all wee which hauehave beene baptiſed into Ieſus Chriſt, hauehave beene baptiſed into his death. Weare buried then with him by baptiſme into his death, that likewiſe as Chriſt was raiſed vp from the dead, by the glorie of the father: euen ſo wee ſhould walke in newneſſe of life, &c.

So wee are put in minde by y^t myſterie of baptiſme to renounce & forſake Sathan and the world, to mortifie and ſubdue the fleſhe, and to burie the old Adam, that the new man may riſe vp againe in vsus thorough Chriſt. Furthermore, the ſupper of the Lord doth admoniſhe vsus of brotherly louelove & charitie, & of the vnitie that wee hauehave with all the members of Chriſte: it warneth vsus alſo of puritie and ſinceritie in faith: that becauſe wee hauehave openly profeſſed that wée are vnited to Chriſte, and to all his members, wée ſhould hauehave a ſpecial care and regard, that we be not found faithles and vntrue to our lord Chriſt and his church, that wee ſhould not defile oure ſelues with forreigne and ſtrange ſacrifices. Wée are alſo admoniſhed of thanckefulneſſe, to magnifie the grace of God, who hath redéemed vsus, according to that ſaying, As often as ye ſhal cate of this bread, and drinke of this cupp, ye 1. Cor. 11.1 Cor 11ſhal ſhewe forth the Lords death vntill he come.

Thus farre hauehave I intreated of the force, the ende, and the effecte of ſacramentes, vntounto y^e which I hauehave (as I thincke) attributed no more nor no leſſe than I ought, that is, as much as may be proued out of the ſcripture to be due vntounto them. They are the inſtitutions of Chriſt, therefore they care not for counterfeite and ſtrange praiſes. They hauehave praiſe ſufficient, if they hauehave thoſe praiſes, whiche hee that inſtituted them, namely GOD and Chriſt Ieſus the high prieſt of the Catholique Church, vouchſafed to attribute vntounto them.

Nowe, becauſe there is mention p. 1026made verie ofte of faythe, in this That the ſacraments profite nothing without faith.whole booke, I will further ſhewe alſo that without faith ſacraments profite nothing, and againe, that to thoſe which receiue them by fayth, they are not ſuperfluous or vaine.

For this ſéemeth as yet to belong to the …ull expoſition and cōſideration of Sacraments. That Sacramentes without fayth profite not, it is eaſily proued. For it is ſayde that Sacramēts are ſeales of y^e preaching of the Goſpell, and things apperteyning to the ſame. For if the preaching of the Goſpell be hearde without fayth, it doth not onelyonly profite nothing vntounto life, but it turneth rather vntounto iudgement, (to him that heareth:) the lord him ſelfe bearing witneſſe, and ſaying: If any man heare my wordes & Iohn. 12.John 12beleeue not, I iudge him not; for I came not to iudge the worlde but to ſaue the world: the worde that I hauehave ſpoken, the ſame ſhall iudge him in the laſt day. To that ſaying of the Lorde agréeth this of the Apoſtle. For vntounto vsus was the Goſpell preached Hebr. 4.Heb 4as well as vntounto the fathers: but the worde which they hearde did not profit thē, bicauſe it was not coupled with fayth to them that heard. Who now is ſuch a dorhead which can not gather that ſacramēts without faith are vnprofitable, eſpecially ſince the ſame Apoſtle ſayth: Whoſoeuer ſhal eate this breade, & drinke this cup of the Lord vnworthily, ſhall be guiltie of the body and bloude of the Lord? But all our worthineſſe before God doth conſiſt in fayth, the ſame Apoſtle yet againe witneſſing out of the prophete, 1. Cor. 11.1 Cor 11The iuſt ſhall liue by fayth, Rom. 1.Rom 1And, By faith the elders (or fathers) obteined a good report. Wherevnto Hebr. 11.Heb 11alſo belongeth that whiche is read in the Goſpell, They which were biddē Matt 22.Matt 22were not worthy: Whervpon it followeth, that worthineſſe conſiſteth in faithfull obedience. Herevnto alſo may be referred (I thinke) tho…e examples whereof mention hath béene made more than once already before: Al our fathers were baptiſed, and did 1. Cor. 10.1 Cor 10all eate of one ſpirituall meate: but in many of them God had no delight. And Paule againe ſaythe, Without faith it is impoſsible to pleaſe God: Heb. 11.Heb 11therefore without faith Sacraments profite nothing. The examples of Simon Magus and Iudas the traytor are verie well knowne, of which one was baptiſed, the other admitted to the Supper, and yet had no fruite of the Sacramentes, bicauſe they wanted true faith.

To theſe pithy and diuine teſtimonies of God, we will nowe adde Auguſtine doth teache that ſacrament… receiued without faith are vnprofitable to the receiuers.ſome places of S. Auguſtine out of his ninetenth booke againſt Fauſtus, and twelfth chap. Peter ſayth, Baptiſme ſaueth vsus: and leaſt they ſhuld thinke the viſible Sacrament were ſufficiēt, by which they had the forme of godlineſſe, and through their euill manners, by liuing lewdly and deſperately ſhuld denie the power therof, by & by he addeth, Not the putting away of y^e ſilth of y^e fleſh, but in that a good cōſcience maketh requeſt to god. Againe, Lib. 2. contra literas Petiliani, cap. 7. he ſaith. They are not therfore to be thought to be in the bodie of Chriſt which is the Church or congreagation, bicauſe they are corporally partakers of his Sacraments. For they in ſuch are alſo holy, but to them that vſe and receiue them vnworthily, they ſhal be forceable to their greater iudgement. For they are not in that ſocietie of Chriſtes Church, whiche in the members of Chriſte by being knit together, and touching one p. 1027an other, doe growe into the fulneſſe of God. For that Church is builded on a rocke as ſayth the Lorde, VponUpon this rocke will I builde my Church, but they builde on the ſande: as the Lord alſo ſayth, Hee that heareth my wordes and doth them not, I will liken him to a fooliſh man. And again in his treatiſe vponupon Iohn 13. The ſyllables of Chriſtes name and his Sacraments profite nothing, where the faith of Chriſte is reſiſted. For fayth in Chriſte and his Sacraments is to beléeue in him which iuſtifieth the vngodly, to beléeue in the mediatour, without whoſe interceſſion we are not reconciled vntounto God. Thus farre Auguſtine.

An obiection is made, If Sacramentes doe nothing profite without Sacramēts depende not on our worthines or vnworthineſſe.our fayth, then they depend on oure worthineſſe or vnworthineſſe, ſo that they are not perfect. I anſwere, That among the wicked and vnbeléeuers, ſacraments verily of them ſelues are ſufficiently ratified and confirmed by the inſtitution of God, neither dependeth their perfectneſſe vponupon the condition and ſtate of the partakers, that they are eyther better among y^e good, or worſſe among the bad. For that remaineth perfect and ſound, which the Lord hath inſtituted, and reteyneth his inſtitution alwayes good: howſoeuer men varie and are faithles. For the Apoſtle ſayth, Shall their vnbeliefe make the faith of God without Rom. 3.Rom 3effect? God forbid. Yea, let GOD be true, and euerie man a lyar. But I hauehave touched this matter alſo ſomewhat before. Yet, bycauſe it is one thing to offer, and an other thing to receiue, GOD verily offereth of his goodneſſe his bountifull giftes vntounto mē to this end to profite & to ſaue thē, and to make them whole, as y^e phyſician doth by miniſtring phyſicke to his patient: but bicauſe that fooliſh & madd man doth not acknowledge the benefite, as y^e ſick patient which refuſeth phyſicke being miniſtred, y^e benefite which is offred doth no more profite y^e one, than phyſicke not receiued doth good to y^e other, not through y^e default of him y^e offereth the benefite, or of him which miniſtreth phyſicke, but through y^• follie of him which refuſeth & wil none of it. After this maner diſputed ſ. Aug. alſo of this matter. For Li. 3. de Baptiſmo cont. Donat, ca. 14. he ſayth. It ſkilleth not, when the perfectneſſe & holineſſe of y^e ſacramente is in handling, what he beléeueth, & what maner of faith he hath y^• receiueth the ſacrament. Verily it auaileth very much to y^• way of ſaluation, but for the queſtion of the ſacrament it maketh no matter. Alſo contra literas Petiliani lib. 2. cap. 47. he ſaith, Remember that the lewd life & corrupt maners of euill men do nothing hinder the ſacraments of God, to make them not holy at all, or leſſe holy: but that to the vngodly they are a teſtimonie of their damnatiō, & not a furtheraunce of their ſaluation. He alſo Tract. in Ioan. 26. ſaith, If y^u receiue the ſacramēt carnally, it ceaſeth not to be ſpirituall, but to thée it is not ſo. As eaſily is that obiection Of baptiſme of infantes.confuted, that baptiſme profiteth not infants, if we ſtill ſay that ſacramēts without faith profite not: for infantes hauehave no faith: thus they babble. We anſwere firſt that the baptiſme of infants is grounded vponupon the frée mercy and grace of God, who ſaith, I will be thy God, and the God of thy ſeed. And againe, Suffer children to come vntounto me, for of ſuch is the kingdome of God, &c. Infantes therefore are nūbered and counted of the Lord him p. 1028ſelfe among the faythfull, ſo that baptiſme is due vntounto them as farre forth as it is due vntounto the faithfull. For by the imputation of God infantes are faythfull: wherevnto perteyneth this ſaying of our Sauiour: He that ſhall offende one of theſe little ones that beleeue in me, &c. For he manifeſtly calleth Little ones beleeuing: for imputations ſake doubtleſſe, not for confeſſion, whiche by no meanes as yet is in little ones. To this alſo may be added, y^t the father of y^e infant doth therfore deſire to hauehave his childe ſigned with the marke of the people of God, to witte, baptiſme, bycauſe he beléeueth the promiſes of God, that is, that his infante is of the houſholde of God: therefore there is faith in the baptiſme of infantes. But the father doth not beléeue: Be it ſo: Yet that is no hinderaunce to the infante. For in the fayth of the Churche he is brought to be baptiſed. The Churche verilye beléeueth that infantes oughte to be brought to the Lorde: the Churche beléeueth that they are of the houſholde and people of God: therefore ſhe commaundeth them to be partakers of the myſteries: ſo that againe in the baptiſme of infantes a man may finde fayth.

Herevnto doth S. Aug. adde this ſaying, Lib. 1. de peccatorū meritis & remiſsione, cap. 19. Wherfore infants are rightly called faythfull, bycauſe they after a ſorte doe confeſſe their faythe by the woordes of them that beare them. Hee reaſoneth more touching this matter in his Epiſtle to Boniface, which is in order the thrée and twentith, where, he that deſireth may finde more.

But all theſe thinges (ſay they) proue not that infantes hauehave fayth of their owne. For the fayth of their parentes, of their bearers, or the faythe of the Churche is an others fayth, and not theirs. Be it ſo. Yet moſt certeine is that ſaying, that the Lorde counteth infantes among his, that is, among the faythfull: ſo that nowe they are not onelyonly baptiſed in an others fayth, but in their owne, that is to ſay, whiche it pleaſeth the Lorde to impute vntounto them. Furthermore, that is not an others, which is common to the ſelfe ſame body: But infantes are in the verie ſame bodye of the Churche, whereby that whiche is the Churches, is their owne and not an others.

Neyther can any man eaſily tell, what motions of the holy ſpirite infants hauehave beſide, &c. For in ſo much as they are of God, they hauehave the ſpirite of God, And who ſo hauehave not, they are not of God. Rom. 8.Rom. 8.Rom 8

As they decline too muche to the That Sacramēts or not ſuperfluous or voide to them that hauehave faith.left hande, whiche are perſuaded that Sacramentes, yea, without fayth doe profite the receyuers: ſo they goe too farre wyde on the right hande, who thinke that the Sacramentes are ſuperfluous to them that hauehave faythe. Faith (ſay they) doth fully acquite vsus, ſo that after we hauehave faythe, Sacramentes can increaſe nothing in vsus, therefore it muſt néedes be that they are vnprofitable.

Suche in times paſt are the Heretiques Meſſaliani read to hauehave bene, who were bothe called Euchitae and foreign, that is, Diuine men, forſooth, and inſpired of GOD. For they did contende that the faythfull, after they hadde receyued the holie Ghoſte, had néede of no Sacraments. But theſe mē are very iniurious euē to God him ſelfe, who inſtituted not his ſacraments for the faythful without great cauſe, neither vnprofitably. p. 1029And, Verily Abraham beleued God and it was reckoned vntounto him for righteouſneſſe, and he was counted the friende of God, iuſt and holie, not being voyde doubtleſſe of the holie Ghoſt: but he alſo Receiued circumciſion the ſeale of the righteouſneſſe of faith which was before he was circumciſed. It is ſayde to the ſame Abraham, Gen. 17.Gen 17EueryEvery manchild whoſe foreskinne ſhall not be circumciſed, ſhall bee cut off from my people, bycauſe he hath broken my couenaunt. Truly the angel of y^e Lord is ready to kill Moſes, bicauſe he delaid circumciſion Exod. 4.Exod 4in his childrē longer thā was lawful, eyther by his own negligēce, or through the fault of his Madianitiſh wife. What, ſhall there be found any more righteous and holie than the ſonne of God, as he which hauing receiued the fulneſſe of the ſpirite, poureth plentifully of the ſame into his members? he him ſelfe being the heade, yet he came to Iohn Baptiſt and requireth to be baptiſed of him in Iordan. And when he refuſed and ſaid, I hauehave need to bee baptiſed of thee, and comeſt Matt. 3.Matt 3thou to me? he heareth, Suffer it to be ſo nowe: For thus it becommeth vsus to fulfill all righteouſneſſe. Certeinely righteouſneſſe giueth to euerie man that which is his own. Faith therefore which is the righteouſneſſe of Chriſtians, giueth glory to God, and beléeueth that he being wonderfull wiſe doth wil well vntounto men, and therefore that he hath inſtituted nothing vnprofitably, but all things for the ſaluation of his faithfull ones: a faythfull man therefore vſeth all the inſtitutions of God without any reaſoning or gaineſaying.

Neither is there any here, I think, that will ſay that this dode of Chriſt parteyneth nothing to him, whereby vndoubtedly he layd before vsus an example to followe. Yea that which he him ſelfe did, he willed other alſo to doe, when he ſent his diſciples forth and ſayde: Goe into the whole world and preach the Goſpell to all creatures, baptiſing them in the name of the father, &c. He which ſhall beléeue and be baptiſed ſhall be ſaued, where truly he ioyneth together both fayth and baptiſme, whiche to abide vponupon he would not hauehave done, if Sacramentes were ſuperfluous there where fayth is. Whereby it manifeſtly appeareth, that they are wrong as farre as heauen is wyde, whiche thinke that Sacramentes are indifferent, Sacraments are indifferentthat is to ſay, a thing put to our owne will and choyce, eyther to vſe or not to vſe. For as we hauehave heard already a flat commandement concerning baptiſme: ſo the Lord inſtituting and celebrating the ſupper ſayth: Doe this in the remembrance of me. He therfore that deſpiſeth theſe commaundements of God, I ſée not howe he can hauehave fayth, whereby he ſhould be inuiſibly ſanctified. Hitherto belongeth nowe, that whiche the faithfull prince of Acthiopia confeſſeth that he beleeued with all his hart in the Lorde Ieſus, yet neuertheleſſe as ſoone as he ſawe water, he ſayde, Beholde, heere is water, what letteth me to be baptiſed? He doth not ſaye, I beléeue with all my hart, & I féele y^t I am inſtified and cleanſed, why then ſhoulde I be waſhed with water, hauing no filth remayning? Therefore whereſoeuer true fayth is, there Sacramentes are not contenined or refuſed, but more deſired. For Cornelius, the Centurion alſo, after he had receyued the holie Ghoſte, doth not gaineſay Peter, who ſayde: Can any man forbid water that theſe ſhuld p. 1030not be baptiſed which hauehave receiued the holy Ghoſt as well as we? Peter was a faithfull preacher of the Goſpell, a ſkilfull teacher of the trueth, therefore he dereiueth no man, and he teacheth vsus by his owne déede, that fayth doth then ſpecially prouoke vsus to be partakers of the Sacraments, when it is true in the faithfull. To whome Paule his fellowe-miniſter agréeth ſaying: Let euerie one proue himſelfe, and then let him eate of this breade, and drinke of this cup: but that prouing is made by faith: therefore not faith, but vnthankfulneſſe doth contemptuouſly reiect the Sacraments.

Truely I am not ignoraunt that Many are ſanctified without viſible ſacraments.verie many withoute the vſe of visible Sacraments hauehave beene ſanctified, and at this day alſo are ſanctified: but none of thoſe deſpiſed or contemned them. They were not partakers of the Sacraments being therevnto driuen by neceſſitie, as there be at this day ſome, that are helde captiues vnderunder the tyrannie of Antichriſt and the Turk, and for the time beléeue with their whole heart in the Lord Ieſus. Therefore the examples of theſe or ſuche like, are no defence for them, which may receiue the Sacraments, if they regarded the ordinaunces of God, and ſet ſo muche by them as of duetie they ſhould doe. I will note here for the ſingular benefite of the readers, S. Auguſtines diſpufation, bycauſe it maketh notably for our purpoſe. He, Quaeſt. lib. in Leuit. 3. cap. 84. ſayth, It is demaunded not without cauſe, whether inuiſible ſanctitication do profite nothing without viſible Sacraments, wherewith a man is viſibly ſanctified? whiche withoute doubt is abſurde. For more tollerably it may be ſayde, that this ſanctification …s not without them, than that it dothe not profite, if it be without them, ſince in ſanctification all their profite conū teeth. But we muſt alſo weigh this how it is rightly ſaide, that without y^• Sacramentes ſanctification can not be. For viſible baptiſme did nothing profite Simon Mag…s, to whome inuiſible ſanctification was wanting: but by cauſe this inuiſible ſanctification profited them that had it, in like manner, they whiche were baptiſed receyued alſo the viſible ſacraments. And yet neither is it ſhewed where Moſes himſelf was ſanctified with viſible ſacrifices or oyle, who notwithſtanding did viſibly ſanctifie the prieſtes: but who dare denie that he was inuiſibly ſanctified, whoſe grace was ſo great, ſurpaſſing, and excellent?

This alſo may be ſayd of Iohn Baptiſte. For he was firſt a baptiſer, before he was ſéen to be baptiſed, whervpon we can deny by no means that he was ſanctified, yet we do not find that that was viſibly wrought in him before he came to the miniſterie of baptiſing. This alſo may be verified of the théefe crucified with Chriſte, to whome the Lorde ſayde as he hong with him on the croſſe, To day ſhalt thou be with me in Paradiſe. For he coulde not hauehave béene partaker of ſo great felicitie, vnleſſe he had béene inuiſibly ſanctified. Whereby wegather, that inuiſible ſanctification hath bene preſent with ſome, and profited them without the viſible ſacraments: and that viſible ſanctification whiche is wrought by viſible Sacramentes, may be preſent without this inuiſible ſanctification, but yet maye not profite vsus. Yet neuertheleſſe the viſible Sacrament is not therefore to be contemned. For the contemner therof p. 1031…an by no means be inuiſibly ſanctified. Hereof it is that Cornelius and they that were with him, whon they did now appeare to be inuiſibly ſanctified by the holy Ghoſte poured into them, yet notwithſtanding they are baptiſed: neyther is viſible ſanctification which had inuiſible ſanctification going before it, counted ſuperfluous. Thus farre he.

With this diſputation an other Cyptians error touching the Sacrament of baptiſme.queſtion alſo hath ſome affinitie or likeneſſe, which is, Whether Sacraments depend vponupon the worthineſſe of the miniſters, and whether they be hindred in their force by y^e vnworthineſſe of the miniſters? Cyprian more than in one place doth contend, That they can not baptiſe which want the holy Ghoſte: which errour ſpringeth herevppon, for that he attributeth too muche to the miniſterie of baptiſme. He doth thinke that men are purified or cleanſed by baptiſme: ſo that therby he dothe gather, that an vncleane perſon can not purifie or cleanſe, and therefore not baptiſe, and that the baptiſme of an vncleane perſon is not baptiſme: from whence he deriueth Anabaptiſme, or rebaptiſing. But if that holie man had rightly and religiouſly diſtinguiſhed betwéen power and miniſterie, betwéene the ſigne and the thing ſignified, betwéene the outwarde and inwarde ſanctification, he had vndoubtedly vnderſtoode that we are inuiſibly ſanctified by the méere grace of God, and that this inward ſanctification is outwardly by the miniſterie repreſented and ſealed: there he might hauehave vnderſtoode that ſealed euidences may be publiſhed as well by an euill miniſter as by a good. Gods ſacraments are to be referred to God the authour of them, who is faithfull and true in all his ordinaunces, howe falſe and faithleſſe ſo euer men be. Although Iudas were a théefe, yet he preached and, baptiſed, whoſe doctrine and baptiſme, was as well the doctrine and baptiſme of Chriſte, as was Peters and Andrewes, Iames and Iohns. And touching the perfectneſſe & pureneſſe bothe of the doctrine and baptiſme done by the miniſterie of Iudas, no man euer doubted, as though they were neuer taught or baptiſed whome he taught and baptiſed, who in the meane while is called of the Lorde him ſelfe, not a diueliſhe man, Iohn. 6.John 6but a verie diuell. For he baptiſed not in his owne name, but in the name of Chriſte: he preached not his owne, but the doctrine of Chriſt. To conclude, the Lorde of his goodneſſe for his truthes ſake, and not for Iudas ſake, wrought in the faythfull: whiche working of his an others vngratiouſneſſe & maliciouſneſſe coulde not hinder, as at this daye verily it hindereth not a whit. Truely we muſte doe what we can to hauehave holy and vnblameable miniſters, ſo farre foorthe as by oure care and diligence we are able to procure and bring to paſſe: yea, let vsus depriue and diſgrade them, whom we ſhall finde to behaue them ſelues vnworthy of their function: but in the meane time, let vsus not doubt at all of the pureneſſe of the Sacramentes, whiche they while they were in their office miniſtred vntounto vsus, that is to ſay, after the ſame manner and fourme as the Lorde inſtituted. And verily as the faythful doe not faſten their myndes on the elements: ſo neyther doe they on the miniſters. They in althings looke only vp to God the authour of all goodneſſe, and to the ende of thoſe thinges which the Lord ordeyned.

p. 1032Saint Auguſtine hath handled this matter verie diligently, excellently well applying to theſe thinges verie effectuall arguments, whoſe wordes I wil ſet down, Lib. 3. contra Donatiſt. de baptiſmo 3. cap. 10. The water is not vnholy (ſayth he) or defiled, ouer which the name of the Lorde is called on, though it bee called on of vnholy and vncleane perſons: bycauſe neyther the creature it ſelf, nor yet the name is vncleane. And the baptiſme of Chriſte conſecrated with the wordes of the Goſpell, is holy both by them that are vncleane, and in them that are vncleane, thoughe they bee defiled and vncleane: bycauſe his holineſſe can not bee polluted, and in his ſacramēts a diuine power is preſent, eyther to the ſaluation of them that vſe them well, or to the condemnation of them that vſe them yll. Dothe the lighte of the Sunne or of a candle when it ſhineth through a filthy ſinke, gather no vncleanneſſe from thence: and can the baptiſme of Chriſt be polluted with any mans wickedneſſe? For if wee apply our myndes vntounto the verie viſible things vnderunder which ſacraments are deliuered, who knoweth not that they are corruptible? But if wee aſcend vntounto that whiche is figured by them, who ſeeth not that they be incorruptible? though men by whom it is miniſtred according to their deſeruinges are eyther rewarded or puniſhed. And ſo foorth. I could alledge many examples of this kynde, if I thought them neceſſarie. For I think that by them it is largely and plainly enough declared, that the perfectneſſe and pureneſſe of the Sacramentes are not to be eſtéemed by the worthineſſe or vnworthineſſe of the miniſters, but by the truth of God who did inſtitute them. To him be glory, power, & dominion, for euer & euer. Amen.