Aphorisms of Christian Religion, Chapter 23
CHAP. XXIII. Of the Sacraments.
I. APHORISME.
SAcraments are aExo. 12.26ceremonies ordained bDeut. 12.32 1. Cor. 11.23of God to illuſtrate and to ſeale vntounto his cGen. 17.10.people the dGen. 17.11. Rom. 4.11.promiſe of grace, contained in Gods holy eGene. 17.7. Ier. 31.33.34couenant.
II.
Sacraments do aHeb. 9.15.illuſtrate the promiſe of grace, as liuely bGal. 3.1.pictures, in that they repreſent and typically ſet before the beleeuers, the ſacrifice of Chriſt and the efficacie thereof.
III.
But they ſeale, in that they be diuine aPſal. 81.6. Rom. 4.1.teſtimonies ordained to teſtifie the ſame thing, which the promiſe it ſelfe doth teſtifie, to wit, that Chriſt by his bMat. 26.28.ſacrifice hath purchaſed for the beleeuers forgiueneſſe of ſins, the grace of the holy ſpirite, and life euerlaſting.
IIII.
Againe, the holy Ghoſt by the Sacraments illuſtrating the promiſe of grace doth inſtruct the faithfull in the myſterie of ſaluation, and by ſealing it perſwades the truth of the promiſe and ſo confirmes faith.
V.
Yet they do performe neither of both themſelues by any vertue in them, but in that the holy aEphe. 1.13 14. & chap. 4. v. 30.ſpirit worketh by them, and his working is free, bIohn. 3.8.ſo that he worketh where he will, when he will, and in what meaſure it pleaſeth him.
VI.
The Sacramentes, ſome are of the old Teſtament, ſome of the new.
VII.
The Sacraments of the old Teſtament were aGene. 17. Leuit. 12.Circumciſion, bLeuit. 14.purifications, and cLeu. 1.3.4.6. &c.ſacrifices, & of theſe the dExod. 12. 2. Paral. 35.paſſeouer was a ſpeciall Sacrament.
VIII.
Circūciſiō did illuſtrate the promiſe of grace vnderunder the type of cutting off, of the foreskin of the fleſh: for by the circumciſing of the foreskin was ſignified, that the ſins of the faithful were done away by forgiuenes of ſins, or free aRom. 4.11.iuſtification. Circumciſion did alſo ſeale the promiſe of grace, by applying the ſame to eueryevery perſon, ſo that the couenant of God was as it were ſealed in eueryevery mans cGen. 17.13.fleſh.
IX.
The purifications did illuſtrate the promiſe of grace, vnderunder the type of waſhing, for by them was ſignified that the ſinnes of the faithfull, were purged by the bloud aLeu. 14.7.8of Chriſt and dayly are waſhed away by the holy Ghoſt.
X.
The ſacrifices did illuſtrate the promiſe of grace, as being types of ouraLeuit. 1.4. & 4.20. & 16.27.30. expiatorie ſacrifice, for by them was ſignified that Chriſt ſhould bHeb. 9.26. & 28. &c. 10.11.12.14.be ſlaine for an expiatorie ſacrifice, that is, to ſatisfie for all the ſinnes, of all the elect.
XII.
The paſcall lambe be not onelyonly ſhadowed this as a ſacrifice generally, but alſo foreſhewed ſome peculiar thing of Chriſtes ſacrifice, to wit, that hisaIohn. 19.36 bones ſhould not be broken, and it ſignified that the ſoules of the faithfull did banquet and feed b1. Cor. 5.7. and 8.vpō Chriſt, as it were ſpiritually, in a ſacrifice, that is, they receiued hereby ſome feeling of Gods grace & louelove, purchaſed for them, by the ſacrifice of Chriſt. Againe, it repreſented the holineſſe, of Chriſtes ſacrifice, for it was commanded to be an cExod. 12.5.vnſpotted lambe.
XII.
But beſides this ſhadowing of Chriſtes ſacrifice, in reſpect whereof that ceremonie of eating the lambe was a Sacrament, it was alſo ordained to aExo. 12.27.prayſe God, for deliuerance out of the bondage of Egipt.
XIII.
And thus much of the Sacraments of the old Teſtament. The Sacramentes of the new are two, Baptiſme and the Lords Supper.
XIIII.
Baptiſme, that aCol. 2.11.12.ſucceeded in place of Circumciſion, doth illuſtrate the promiſe of grace, vnderunder the type ofbAct. 22.16. waſhing, for as by water the c1. Pet. 3.21.filthineſſe of the body is done away; ſo by the bloud d1. Iohn. 1.7of Chriſt ſhed on the Croſſe, and by faith ſprinckled on our harts, our ſoules are purged from ſinne. But Baptiſme ſealeth vntounto vsus the promiſe of grace, in that eueryevery one is waſhed in that water, which is the Sacramēt of the bloud of Chriſt ſhed on the croſſe.
XV.
The Supper of the Lord, which came aLuk. 22.15. &c.in place of the paſſeouer, doth illuſtrate the promiſe of grace, partly by repreſenting the paſſion bLuk. 22.19. 1. Cor. 11.24.of Chriſt, by the breaking of the bread, & by pouring forth the wine, the cLuk. 22.20.ſhedding of his bloud: and partly by declaring the efficacie of Chriſtes death, by this ioyfull d1. Cor. 5.8.bāquet, for that the ſoules of the faithfull ſweetely banquet, & be cō forted in taſting of Gods fauour & grace purchaſed by the death of Chriſt. But it ſealeth vntounto vsus the promiſe of grace, in that the bread which is giuen to eueryevery one of vsus to be eaten, is the Sacrament of Chriſtes body crucified for vsus, and in that eueryevery one of vsus, doth drinke of the cup, which is the Sacrament of the bloud of Chriſt ſhed vponupon the croſſe for vsus.
XVI.
And the Supper of the Lord, hath the nature not onelyonly of a Sacrament, but alſo of a ſacrifice, to wit, of thankes-giuing, as alſo the lambe, which had this place before it. For as that lambe was appointed to prayſe God for their deliuerie from the bōdage of Pharao, ſo the holy Supper was ordained to a1. Cor. 11.26.prayſe the Lord for our redemption from the power of the deuill by the death of Chriſt.
XVII.
But as the Sacramentes in reſpect of God, are ſignes of grace towards his people; ſo in reſpect of vsus they be aMat. 23.15 Act. 2.41. & chap. 8.36.37.38.markes of our profeſſion, whereby we openly profeſſe that we deſire to be counted among the people of God, and will worſhip onelyonly the true God, who hath manifeſted him ſelf to his people, as by the moſt ſure word and doctrine of the Prophetes and Apoſtles, ſo alſo by theſe Sacraments.
XVIII.
Of all theſe Sacraments, the Scripture vſually ſpeaketh aGen. 17.10 and 11. Exod. 12.11. and 27. Act. 22.16. Mat. 26.26. and 28. Mar. 14.22. and 24. Luke. 22.19. and 20. 1. Cor. 10.4.16. 1. Cor. 11.24. and 25.metonymically, that is, attributing the names or properties of the things ſignified to the ſignes themſelues, which thing is done, partly to teach vsus, the relation which is betweene thoſe ſignes, and things ſignified, & partly to ſignifie the truth & certaintie of the working of thoſe holy Sacramentes, that the beleeuers ſhould not doubt, but that the things ſignified, ſet before vsus, are as truly by the working of the holy ſpirit cō municated vntounto them, as they certainly feele, that theſe diuine ſignes and ſeales (which are named Sacraments) are by the Miniſter of the Church giuen them.
XIX.
The difference of the old and new Sacramēts, is not in the things ſignified, for they, in both are a1. Cor. 10.2.3 4.the ſame, but partly in the manner of ſignification, and partly in the euidence of demonſtration, for the old ſignified and figured Chriſt to come, but the new ſignifie and ſhew that he is come. Again, the new are more manifeſt thē the old, becauſe they repreſent a thing done, and clearely preached by the Goſpell.
XX.
They erre that any way bind the things ſignified to the ſignes,
XXI.
As alſo they that attribute to the ſignes power to conferre grace, which they onelyonly ſeale and teſtifie.
XXII.
But the Papiſtes erre moſt ſhamefully, in that they transforme the Lords Supper into the Maſſe, teaching that by conſecration, that is, by the muttering of the fiue wordes, Hoc enim eſt corpus meum, for this is my body ouer the bread, the ſame is tranſubſtantiated into, or turned into the ſubſtance of the body of Chriſt, as they ſay: and by the offring vp of Chriſt thus created by the Prieſt, all their ſins, for whom the Maſſe is celebrated, are purged, whether they be as yet aliue, or euē long ſince dead, and in Purgatorie.
XXIII.
Laſtly they ſinne alſo grieuouſly whiles they adore that fained Chriſt, as lying hid vnderunder the forme of bread.