Truth and Falsehood, Book · Chapter 10
CHAP. 10.
Before I beginne to ſet downe the difference in doctrine betweene the church of Rome and vsus, concerning thoſe Sacraments which we acknowledge to be inſtituted for Sacraments by God, which is indeede my eſpeciall purpoſe, that in few wordes the Reader may take a view, both of the one and the other, I hauehave thought good, very briefly, to note vntounto you two or three points, wherein in the generall doctrine of the Sacraments, we iuſtly diſſent from them, becauſe they do diſſent from the word of truth. Wherein, my purpoſe is not to enter into the darke and daungerous ſubtilties of the Schoolemen, who herein agree not among themſelues: but onelyonly to point vntounto the plaine trueth, and the falſhoode contrary to the ſame.
VVhat a Sacrament is, what is the effect of it, or what it worketh, how many Sacraments there are.
THE PROTESTANTS
What a ſacrament isA Sacrament is an externall ſigne inſtituted & appointed of God, to bee vſed in his Church, by the receiuing whereof euerie faithfull man and woman, is aſſured of eternall graces. I knowe that this word Sacrament may be taken more largely, and is ſometimes, eſpecially by ſaint Auguſtine, and after his time, but this is the true definition of a Sacrament in that ſence that we vſe it, for the two Sacraments vſed by vsus in our churches. And though we call it a ſigne, yet wee ſay withall, that it is a very effectual, and (as I may ſo call it) a powerful ſigne,A powerful ſigne to increaſe or ſtrengthen faith. to ſtrengthen and increaſe our faith, & make vsus take more ſure hold of the promiſes, the perfourmance whereof the Sacraments do (as it were) ſeale vp in our hearts: neither doeth the ſacrament worke this, or hath this effect, in reſpect of any vertue that is included in theſe viſible ſignes, but becauſe God hath appointed them to be the ſeales of his promiſes, as the Apoſtle witneſſeth of circumciſion, & Tertull. De Poeniten. Rom. 4.11of Baptiſme. For as the ſeale beeing ſet to the writing, doth aſſure him to whom the writing is made, of the perfourmance of ſuch couenants as therein are contained, and yet not becauſe of the print in the waxe, but becauſe it is known to be his ſeale who hath made the couenants with him: euen ſo the Sacraments do ſerue to confirme and increaſe faith in the faithfull, not becauſe there is any ſuch power in thoſe viſible creatures, which are the externall thing in the ſame, but becauſe we are aſſuredly perſwaded, that God hath appointed them to that end. And as the Sacraments doe thus ſerue to ſtrengthen and increaſe our faith,Profeſſion of our faith. ſo thereby alſo doe we make profeſsion of this our faith, and in token that we hauehave this perſwaſion ſetled in our heart, wee come to receiue ſuch Sacraments, as God hath appointed to teſtifie betweene him and vsus, of his graces towardes vsus. And for this cauſe, when the Eunuch deſired to bee baptized, Phillip anſwered,Act. 8.36, 37 If thou beleeue with all thy heart, thou mayest. Nay, the Sacraments are but vnprofitable to them, which without faith doe receiue the ſame,Mar. 16.16. but hee that beleeueth and is baptized, ſhalbe ſaued. We therfore do not teach the Sacramentes to be but bare ſignes (as ſome would make the ſimple to beleeue, but that they are ſuch ſignes as God hath made to worke effectually by the power of his Spirite, in the hearts of the faythfull, to aſſure them of Gods good graces. Nowe of ſuch Sacraments as in the beginning I hauehave defined, wee hauehave but two,How many Sacraments there be. that is to ſay, Baptiſme, wherein we are entred into Chriſts family, and the Supper of the Lorde, wherein we are nouriſhed in the ſame. For although the people of Iſrael had many repreſentations of Gods fauour towardes them, to aſſure the faithful of ſanctification and iuſtification, yet Circumciſion was commaunded without exception,Gen. 17.10 to all the males (in whō alſo the women were conſecrated to the Lord) and the eating of the paſchall Lamb, belonged to al the congregation of the children of Iſrael,Exod. 12.47. whereas their other ceremonies were for the moſt, performed by the Prieſt. And in like maner although wee may hauehave ſundrie viſible ſignes of inuiſible grace, yet ſuch ſacraments as the ſacrament of Baptiſme, & the Supper of the Lorde, neither the ſcriptures, nor the fathers for 400. yeares after Chriſt did acknowlege any other than thoſe two. For as for Saint Auguſtine, he taketh the word Sacrament ſo largely that hee accounteth for Sacraments many thinges that are not by the Papiſts themſelues accounted Sacraments.
THE PAPISTS
BVT the Papistes doe define a Sacrament to bee,Concil. Trid. Catechiſ. A thing ſubiect to the ſenſes, which by Gods inſtitution, hath power both to ſignifie, and to woorke, Holineſſe and Righteouſneſſe. So that by this it is eaſie to vnderſtād what vertue and efficacie they will giuegive to the Sacraments. Yea, it is by Bellarmine plainely confeſſed, that they teach a Sacrament to hauehave that ſtrength of it ſelfe,De Sacram. lib. 1. cap. 11 that it can ſanctifie and iuſtifie. And that wee may the better vnderſtand what they meane hereby,De Sacram. lib. 2. cap. … with one conſent they teach, and Bellarmine by name, that the Sacraments doe woorke theſe things without either faith, or any inward motion. So that their meaning is, that the very worke it ſelfe of receiuing the Sacrament, euen by vertue of that ſacramentall action,Bellarm. de Sacram. lib. 2. cap. 2. doth giuegive to the receiuer grace. How blaſphemous this doctrine is, may appeare, firſt, becauſe they doe manifest wrong to the ſpirit of ſanctification, in aſcribing vntounto theſe viſible and externall creatures, whereof the Sacraments doe conſiſt, that which only gods ſpirit can worke in vsus, by putting into our hearts,Ierem. 32.4… the feare of God,Ierem. 31.33 Ezec. 36.25 Rom. 15.9 and vniting his lawe in the ſame, and purifying our hearts by faith. And therefore is this ſpirit called Holy, or the ſpirite of ſanctification, becauſe it onelyonly can make holy. Secondly, to giuegive vntounto the Sacraments power by the vertue thereof to iustifie, is iniurious vntounto the bloud of Chriſt, which precious ranſome is able onelyonly to take away ſinnes, and to make vsus appeare iuſt and righteous before God. Then alſo this doctrine is abſurd, as may be prooued in a word or two. If it be true that the Papiſts teach, then did not our Sauiour Christ teach vsus the true vſe of the Sacrament, when he ſaid, Doe this in remembrance of me, for hee ſhoulde rather hauehave ſaid, Doe this to ſanctifie and ſaue your ſelues. But to thinke that Chriſt taught vsus not the true benefite of the Sacrament, is too groſſe wickedneſſe: Therefore is it verie abſurde, to aſcribe that vertue to the Sacrament or outward ſigne. Secondly, if the Sacrament doe giuegive grace (as they ſay) or, if it do ſanctifie or iustifie of it ſelfe: then the infantes that die before they can ſinne actually, becauſe they are baptized, must needs be ſaued, although they bee not of that number which God hath choſen vntounto himſelfe before the foundations of the worlde were laide. Which to affirme is nothing elſe, but to tie our ſaluation,Epheſ. 1. not to Gods grace in electing in Chriſt whome hee would, but to ſuch externall meanes, as hauehave alwayes beene accounted but helpers to our faith, as the Apoſtle teacheth by the example of Circumciſion in Abraham, Ro. 4.10, 11.but no workers of ſaluation. And to be ſhort, how agreeth this that they ſay, that the Sacrament hath ſtrength or force to worke Holineſſe or Righteouſneſſe, with that which they alſo ſay, That infants when they are baptized, De Sacram. Bapt. lib. 1. cap. 11.hauehave not any new motions or inclinations like vntounto the actions of faith and louelove. If the Sacraments worke not in them ſuch effectes, who hauehave not anie actual ſinne to let or hinder, how ſhal we think they work in others that are ſtrōgly aſſaulted with the luſts of ſin? Therefore let vsus not aſcribe ſuch working vntounto them, but vntounto Chriſt, who is made vntounto vsus righteouſneſſe and holineſſe. 1. Cor. 1.30As for the number of ſeuen Sacraments, two of them wee acknowledge, with the Fathers of the Primitiue church, Baptiſme and the Lordes Supper. As for the other fiue, either they hauehave no commaundement in the word, or no viſibl ſignes, or, to be ſhort, no warrant in the word, or Primitiue church, to bee ſuch Sacraments as the other two are. Although wee deny not but the things hauehave had, and many of them yet hauehave their godly vſe in Gods Church.