The Ancient Faith of the Romans and the Romish Religion, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
BVt now concerning the Sacramentes, there is not much as I can gather eyther in that Epiſtle written by S. Paule to the Romans, excepting that onelyonly that is in the fourth Chapter that Abraham receiued the ſigne of circumciſion,Rom. 4. 11. the ſeale of righteouſnes of faith: eyther in S. Peter his firſt Epiſtle but that in the third chapter,1. Pet. 3. 21. when he ſaith, Whereto the baptiſme that now is anſwering that figure (not the putting away the filth of the fleſh, but the confident demaunding which a good conſcience maketh to GOD,) ſaueth vsus alſo by the reſurrection of Ieſus Chriſt. In the former of which two places,The vſe of the Sacramēts the Apoſtle doth plainely teſtify that Abraham being iuſtified before by faith, did afterwardes receiue the ſigne of circumciſion, to ſeale vp in and vntounto him, this righteouſnes by faith. Which ſaith becauſe it hath reſpect vntounto the promiſes, we ſee therefore that this was the vſe and office of circumciſion vntounto Abraham, to confirme vntounto him the promiſes of God. And that other place out of S. Peter, doth partly confirme vntounto vsus the ſelfeſame vſe of baptiſme. For when Noah and his company ſawe that the ſame water that drowned others, and ſwallowed them vp into the depth, did ſaue them, in carying the Arke wherein they were aboue the waters, this muſt néeds aſſure them, not onelyonly of Gods power, but of his goodnes alſo and readines to performe his promiſe, in ſauing them from periſhing by water. And in like ſorte, the water in baptiſme, aſſureth that little flocke, that is truely belonging to Chriſt his holy catholicke Church figured by the Arke; of the forgiuenes of their ſins. And, as not the water that caried the Arke, was the efficient cauſe of their ſauing which Maſter Belarmine abſurdly imagineth (for the water was as apt to hauehave drowned them as the other) no neyther yet the Arke it ſelfe,Li. 1. de effect. although it might more properly be ſo eſtéemed (becauſe in it they were caried aboue the water but God ſaued them by the Arke vponupon the water:Sacr. cap. 17. & li. 2. cap. 3. So is it in baptiſme, as S. Peter teacheth vsus in that he ſaith that it ſaueth by the reſurrection of Ieſus Chriſt, I ſay not by it ſelfe, but by the reſurrection of Ieſus Chriſt. From whom onelyonly it hath the vertue and efficacy, by whome onelyonly it turneth to our good. And as al periſhed in the ſame water, which by carying vp the Arke ſaued them that were therein, all I ſay that by faith beléeuing the promiſes were got into the Arke: euen ſo the water in baptiſme though it outwardly put away, from all that are waſhed therein, the filth of the fleſh: yet is it not in deed profitable to any, but to ſuch as hauehave that righteouſnes and holines of Chriſt Ieſus, ſealed vp thereby vntounto their owne conſciences. Whereby it appeareth moſt plainly, that the ſacraments doe not giuegive grace, or worke righteouſnes in vsus,Rom. 2. 25. or of themſelues, becauſe they are receiued of vsus, do make vsus holy. But as the Apoſtle S. Paul ſaith of circumciſion, Circumciſion verily profiteth nothing, except you keepe the Law; ſo may we truely ſay of our Sacramentes, that not the receiuing of our Sacramentes, but the holy obedience ſpringing from our faith, that is ſealed vp vntounto the godly in the Sacramentes is the thing that is acceptable to God, commended before men, and comfortable to our owne conſciences. For as in that place alledged, hee reckoneth them onelyonly truely circumciſed, that keepe and fulfill the Lawe, and hauehave that true circumciſion of the heart, and that the godleſſe, howe ſo euer they hauehave receiued in their fleſhe the outwarde marke or ſigne, yet are in deed vncircumciſed: euen ſo howe ſolemnly ſo euer the faithleſſe and fruiteleſſe flocke, hauehave receiued the Sacramentes of our ſanctification and redemption which is in Chriſt, yet if they bring not forth ſuch fruites of the ſpirite, as doe teſtifie and ſhew that inwarde waſhing away of the filth of ſinne, they hauehave Baptiſmum fluminis the waſhing of the water, non flaminis, not of the holy Ghoſt: they hauehave the ſigne of Gods grace, but not the ſubſtance thereof, the viſible token, but not the inuiſible grace. But the Sacramentes are vntounto ſuch as ſeales ſet to a blanke, wherein becauſe dothing is contayned, therefore by theſe ſeales, there is nothing aſſured. Nowe out of this which hitherto I hauehave ſaide, we ſee that the Sacramentes hauehave theſe two vſes, to aſſure vsus of the performance of the promiſe of grace, and to preach to vsus repentaunce for our ſinnes paſt, and holines in the reſt of our life that is to come.
But our now Romiſh Catholickes, who are neuer content, that eyther themſelues or other ſhould eate within the teacher of the word of God, doe wander farre out of theſe liſtes: teaching that our Sacramentes hauehave in them that grace which they ſignifie,Concil. Trident. Seſſ. 7. can. 6. 7. 8 and doe giuegive the ſame grace, to all men, at all times if men be not a let vntounto themſelues, euen Ex opere operate, that is in reſpect of the worke it ſelfe, becauſe the Sacraments are receiued of them. Wherby they doe ſuch iniurie vntounto Chriſt, as we that profeſſe the name of chriſtian men and women, ſhould be aſhamed of.Math. 1. 21. For that ſauing from ſinne,Iohn. 1. 16. which God by the miniſtery of the Angel proclaimed ſhould be by his ſonne, whom for that cauſe he called Ieſus our Sauiour, becauſe he ſhoulde ſaue his people from their ſins, they aſcribe vntounto the Sacraments. And that grace which we can finde onelyonly in Chriſt, of whoſe fulnes we hauehave all receiued grace for grace,Cyprian de baptiſ. Christi. they would hauehave vsus to ſeek for in ſuch viſible things, as are in truth but pledges of the ſame. Whether (ſaith Cyprian) it be Iudas or Paule that baptiſeth, it is Chriſt that waſheth,In 2. Cor. 3. pardoneth, and putteth away ſinne. And S. Ambroſe making a difference between the watering that is by baptiſme, and the forgiueneſſe of ſinnes, ſaith, that to forgiue ſinnes (in baptiſme) and to giuegive the holy Ghoſt, it belongeth to God only: for the ſpirit hath bin giuen without laying on of hands, and the remiſſion of faults without baptiſme, if we will credit that learned Father.Contra Creſcon. grammat. li. 2. cap. 21. Both the good and the bad (ſaith S. Auguſtine) can dip in the water, but none but he that is alwayes good can waſh the conſcience. Thus do theſe agree with the old Romiſh Faith, teaching the outward ſigne, not to giuegive but to aſſure vsus of the inuiſible grace. And yet they are not aſhamed, ſtill to brag that the faith of the Romans was commended by thapoſtle: Although themſelues that boaſt ſo much thereof, as it is eaſie to ſee, if we compare this auncient Faith, with their new deuiſes, do ſet themſelues as ſworne enemies to the ſame, to fight againſt that faith. And this I ſuppoſe is the effect of that which can be gathered out of theſe firſt eight Chapters of this Epiſtle to the Romans, of ſuch things as are in controuerſy between vsus and the Papiſts. Wherin if they teach, that which theſe Apoſtles and faithful ſeruants of God did teach, let their doctrine be beleeued. But if they hauehave chaunged that auncient Religion, ſwarued from that old Faith, corrupted that worſhip of God, and mingled that pure wine, either with the water of their own inuentions, or the dregs of Iewiſh and Heathniſh ſuperſtitions, why do we not deteſt theſe deceiuing Doctors, as enemies to all truth, and hinderers of our eternall ſaluation?