Truth and Falsehood, Book · Chapter 12
Of Confirmation. CHAP. 12.
THE PROTESTANTS
BVt as for Cōfirmation, as it was vſed in the Romiſh church, although we hauehave iuſt cauſe to reiect it, and much leſſe can we account it a Sacramēt, which hath neither commandement in the worde, nor promiſe of ſpirituall graces: yet wee doe not deny but that the people of God, in reſpect of their manifold wāts, hauehave great neede continually to hauehave their ignorance inſtructed, their dulneſſe refourmed, their weakneſſe ſtrengthned, their godly indeuors bettered, and their knowledge increaſed. And for this cauſe is it very needefull, that the childrē, which becauſe they are infantes when they are baptized, can not at their baptiſme yeelde account of their faith, ſhoulde bee taught when they are older, the principles of religion, and make before the Biſhop and other preſent, profeſsion of their faith, and that by godly exhortation they ſhould be moued openly to continue conſtantly in that holy profeſsion, & God ſhould be prayed vntounto, to continue and encreaſe his good graces in them. And this holie Confirmation, I doubt not, would doe much good in the Church, if it were often vſed.
THE PAPISTS
BƲT in ſteede hereof the church of Rome commendeth vntounto vsus a kinde of Confirmation that conſiſteth of a number of fooliſh and vnprofitable ceremonies. And to make it more readily and reuerētly to be receiued, they would perſwade the ignorant, that it is a Sacrament. And not content therewith, this deuiſe of theirs they doe highly commend,Bellarm. de ſa. li. 2. ca. 28 as that It is more excellent than Baptiſme it ſelfe, in reſpect of the effect of grace, bicauſe therein is giuen the fulnes of the ſpirit: (marke their blaſphemy, for the fulneſſe thereof is giuen to Chriſt only, to al vsus by meaſure.Coloſſ. 1.19 Ioh. 3.34 Rom. 12.3.) And that it doth conſummate and perfect Baptiſme,Bellarm. li. 2. de Confir. cap. 11. and giueth greater grace than Baptiſme doth. What copper, or counterfeit coine dare not theſe men commend vntounto vsus for good gold, who dare ſo confidently to preferre the greaſie deuiſe of man, before the holy inſtitution of Chriſt himſelf? And make more account of that which themſelues doe confeſſe to hauehave no warrant in Gods worde, than of Chriſtes holy Sacrament.
De Sacram. confir. li. 2. cap. 2.But let vsus conſider how Bellarmine defendeth this, who for his learning is much accounted of, and that worthily, amongſt the papiſts, ſo that his want of proofe doth plainely ſhew the weakeneſſe of his cauſe. Whereas there are but three things neceſſarily required in a Sacrament, as hee truely confeſſeth, viſible ſigne, promiſe of grace, and Gods commaundement, (which much weakeneth that which hee ſaide of the working power of the Sacraments, as appeareth in the tenth chapter) he wil prooue, that confirmation hath all theſe three. Hee prooueth firſt, that this Sacrament (as hee termeth it) hath promiſe of grace: and why? Becauſe the holy Spirite is promiſed.
Is not this clarkely handled, and ſtrongly proued? God promiſeth the holy Ghoſt: therefore confirmation hath the promiſe of grace. Secondly, the viſible ſigne is (ſaieth hee) the laying on of the hands vponupon the head. But the popiſh confirmation hath not laying on of hands, neither is it neceſſarie now a dayes, by their owne confeſſion.Belarm. de confir. li. 2. cap. 13 For theſe are the ceremonies that doe belong to that their Sacrament. Firſt, the Oyle muſt be conſecrated by prayer, ſecondly, by croſsing: for without a croſſe (ſaith Bellarmine) nothing can be conſecrated. Wherein Bellarmine giueth Saint Paule the lie, becauſe hee neuer ſpake of the croſſe, when he ſaid,1. Tim. 4, 4, 5 Euerie creature of God is ſanctified by the worde of God, and praier: and Bellarmine ſaith, nothing is ſanctified without the croſſe. But perchaunce he will ſay that oile is none of gods creatures, as indeed, in reſpect of the vſe, or rather abuſe of it, it is not. Thirdly, the Biſhop muſt breathe vponupon the cruet or cup of oyle. Fourthly, he muſt ſay to the oyle, All haile holy oyle. O fooliſh blaſphemie. Then are there other ceremonies, but not eſſentiall in this Sacrament the Godfather, Certaine praiers, thirdly the Pax, then a blow vponupon the cheeke, fiftly, A ragge tied about the forehead, ſixtly, He muſt not waſh his forehead, for ſeuen dayes. Thinke you this ſlouenly Sacrament hath any ſuch grace as they woulde hauehave vsus to beleeue that it hath, when as they feare that waſhing where the oyle was, may hinder the vertue of it? ſeuenthly, it muſt be at Eaſter and Whitſuntide vſed; laſtly, they that receiue this Sacrament, muſt be faſting. But of the laying on of hands there is no mention, vnleſſe you will ſay, that he that giueth him a blow vponupon the eare, layeth his hands vponupon his head. And as for that it is reckoned among the ceremonies that are not of the ſubſtance of this ſacrament. But Bellarmine in another place ſaith,De effec. Sacram. lib. 2 cap. 24. that then is that ceremony of laying on of the hands performed, when the Biſhop maketh the croſſe in the forehead. But that is not ſo: for the laying on of hands was done vponupon the head, and was borowed from the olde lawe, of that which they did vntounto the ſacrifices when they brought them to bee offered, they did by that ceremonie of laying their hands vponupon the head of the ſacrifice, conſecrate (as it were) the ſame to the Lord.Num. 27, 24 And when God commaunded Moſes to conſecrate Ioſue to ſucceed him, and to comfort and incourage him to the worke that he had to doe, he doth lay his handes vponupon his head.Mat. 19, 16 Acts 6.6 1. Tim. 4.14 2. Tim. 1.6 According to which example Chriſt laid his hands vponupon the children, & the Apoſtles vponupon the deacons, and others, Acts 8.17. and the Elders, and Paule vponupon Timothie. Now marke howe it is prooued that Popiſh Confirmation hath the outwarde ſigne of a Sacrament. The Biſhop doth croſſe the partie to be confirmed, in the forehead, therefore he layeth hands vponupon his head. Well then, this their ſacrament hath no promiſe (as I hauehave ſhewed) neither hath it any viſible ſigne that was vſed and appointed by Chriſt and the Apoſtles. Nowe what commaundement hath it, which is the thirde thing that is ſet downe by Bellarmine, De effect. ſacram. lib. 2. cap. 24. Lib. 2. cap. 2 de ſacram. confirm.without which a Sacrament cannot be? Bellarmine flatly confeſſeth that it hath no expreſſe commaundement in the ſcripture, but in ſtead of a commaundement, he deliuereth vsus the execution or practiſe of it, for ſo himſelfe ſaieth. Why then I may thus reaſon: A ſacrament muſt hauehave a promiſe of grace, a viſible or ſenſible ſigne, and a commaundement from God, or elſe it cannot be a ſacrament, as Bellarmine confeſſeth: but confirmation hath neither promiſe of grace, nor viſible ſigne, nor commaundement from God: therefore it is no ſacrament. Their arguments out of the fathers make a greater ſhew. It is well yet that they cannot preſſe vsus but with the authoritie of men. Notwithſtanding, this may be briefly ſaid for their authorities from the fathers, that either they are ſuch as hauehave no writings extant, but onelyonly ſuch ſcraps as they for their owne purpoſe hauehave gathered togither, and therefore are witneſſes of vsus worthily ſuſpected: or, ſuch as hauehave no ſound credite of any indifferent man: or laſtly, ſuch as make nothing for them or againſt vsus in this queſtiō. For the Papiſts will hauehave their Confirmation to bee a ſacrament, the matter whereof muſt bee Oyle and Balme: but neither doe the moſt learned fathers make mention of the Balme, neither are the Schoole-men agreed amongeſt themſelues, that it is needful for this ſacrament,Lib. 2. de ſacram. Confirm. cap. 9 as Bellarmine confeſſeth. Yea, they thinke it abſurde, that a ſacrament ſhould be appointed by our ſauiour Chriſt, the matter whereof ſhould bee ſo rare to finde, ſo vncertaine whether we hauehave the true thing or not, and ſo coſtly, as hardly it can bee gotten, and it is doubted of ſome whether there be nowe any true Baulme or not. And this their ſacrament is built vponupon ſo vncertaine foundations, that Alexander Alenſis, and Bonauenture, two olde pillars of Poperie, cannot find that it was inſtituted before the counſell at Melda. Out of all which it is eaſie to vnderſtande, that as this Confirmation hath not in Gods worde any ſhew of warrant to make it a ſacrament: ſo neither out of the fathers can anie certaine argument be gathered for the ſame. But ſuch are all heretikes, Iren. lib. 5and ſuch as imagine they can find out ſomwhat beſide the truth, following thoſe things that are ſpoken diuerſly and in ſundrie ſorts, and walking weakly, not being alwayes of one minde, are led about like blind men, by blinde guides, they ſhall and that worthily, fall into the hidden pit of ignorance, euer ſeeking the truth, but neuer finding it. Which iudgement of God here mentioned againſt the heretikes, we ſee to be fallen vponupon the Papiſts, who had rather wander in ſuch vncertaine and blinde wayes, than be ruled by the infallible word of God.