Abridgment of Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 4 · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIIII. Of the Sacraments.
1 BEſide the preaching of the word there is an other help for our faith in the ſacramēts, which is of like ſort. And a Sacrament is an outward ſigne, whereby the Lord doth ſeale vp in our conſciences the promiſes of his good will,What a ſacrament is. to ſupport the weakneſſe of our faith: and we on the other ſide teſtifie our godlineſſe as well before him and the Angels, as before men. Auguſtine calleth it a viſible ſigne of an holie thing.
2 The men of old vſed this word in that ſence. For ſo often as the olde interpreter would tranſlate into Latine the Greeke worde foreign, eſpeciallie where mention was made of holy thinges,Eph. 1.9. &. 3.2. Col. 1.26. he tranſlated it Sacramentum.
3 By this definition we vnderſtand that a Sacrament is neuer without a promiſe going before it, but that it is rather annexed thereto as an appurtenance, to this end that it may confirme the promiſe it ſelfe, and may eſtabliſh and make ſure the ſame to vsus. Of which meane God foreſeeth that our ignorance and ſlowneſſe firſt, and ſecondly our weakeneſſe ſtand in neede.A medicine for our infirmitie and ignorance. A ſimilitude. For the weakneſſe of our faith is ſo great, that vnleſſe it be vnderpropped on eueryevery ſide, it is ſtraight way ſhaken and doeth forthwith faint.
4 This is that which they ſay commonly, that Sacrament conſiſteth in the word preached & vnderſtood, and the externall ſigne.
Obiect. It is enough if the prieſt do onelyonly recite the forme of conſecration euen in Latine, before men vnlearned.
Homil. in. Ioh. 13.An. Auguſtine ſaith otherwiſe that the word being added vntounto the element doth make a Sacramēt, not becauſe it is ſpoken, but becauſe it is beleeued. This is the word of God which we preach,Rom. 10.8. A popiſh dilemma. ſayeth Paule*.
5 Obiect. Either we know that the word of God which goeth before the Sacrament is the true will of God, or elſe we knowe it not. If we knowe it, we learne no newe thing out of the Sacrament. If we knowe it not, the Sacrament ſhall not teach vsus that, whoſe force conſiſteth in the word.
An. Seales which are hung vponupon publike actes,Seales confirme writinges. A ſimilitude. being receaued alone are nothing worth, being hung vponupon parchment they confirme that which is written. So the Sacramentes hauehave this peculiar thing aboue the word, that they are more fit to ſtay vp our faith, ſeing they do liuely repreſent vntounto vsus the promiſes, depainted as it were in tables.
6 Obiect. That which is earthly and bodilie can not confirme that which is heauenly and ſpirituall.Whether a bodilie thinge can confirme that which is ſpirituall.
An. Earthly Sacraments do not confirme the ſpirituall truth, but vsus which are carnall.
7 Obiect. They be not teſtimonies of the grace of God, becauſe they are giuen to the wicked alſo,The Sacramēts doe not giuegive grace to the wicked. who notwithſtanding do neuer a whit more feele thereby that God is fauourable to them.
An. Grace is offered, but they refuſe it by their want of faith.
Obiect. If faith be good, it can not be made better. For there is no faith but that which doth firmly leane vponupon the word of God.
An. None of the ſonnes of men ſhal euer attaine to ſuch perfection of faith, but that he ought rather to pray with the Apoſtles, to hauehave his faith increaſed*, and to hauehave his want of faith holpen*.Luk. 17.5. Mar. 9.14. Act. 8.37.
8 Obiect. Philip anſwered the Eunuch*, that he might be baptized, if he did beleeue with all his whole hart. Therfore he would hauehave his faith to be perfect.
An. To beleeue with the whole hart is not to beleeue perfectly, but hartily & with a ſincere mind to embrace Chriſt? ſo Dauid, with my whole heart hauehave I ſought thee*, I will confeſſe to thee with mine whole hart*.Pſal. 119.10 Pſal. 12.3.
Obiect. If faith be increaſed by the Sacraments, the holy Ghoſt is giuen in vaine, whoſe worke it is to begin, maintaine, and finiſh faith.
An. For one benefit which theſe men ſet forth, we conſider three. Firſt the Lord teacheth vsus by his word: Secondly he confirmeth vsus by the Sacramēts: Laſt of all he enlighteneth our minds by the light of his holy Spirit, and he ſetteth open an entrie into our hearts for the worde and Sacraments:The confirmation of faith. which ſhould otherwiſe onelyonly ſound in our eares, and be preſent before our eyes, but not moue our inwarde parts.
9 Therfore the miniſterie of the confirmation, and increaſe of faith, is ſo aſſigned to the Sacraments,The inward Maiſter doth make the Sacraments effectuall. A ſimilitude. that in the meane ſeaſon all this proceedeth from the holy Ghoſt. If that inwarde maiſter be wanting, the Sacramentes can do no more in our mindes, then if either the brightneſſe of the Sunne ſhould ſhine to the blind eyes, or if a voyce did ſoūd in deaffe eares.
10 For leſt the worde ſhould ſound in our eares in vaine: and leſt the Sacramentes ſhould be preſent before our eyes in vaine, the Spirite ſheweth that it is God, which ſpeaketh to vsus there, he mollifieth the hardeneſſe of our harts, and frameth it vntounto that obedience, which is due to the word of Cod.
11 For like as ſeede, if it ſhould fall in a barren plot of the field,A ſimilitude. doeth but die: but if it be ſowen in arable lande well tilled, and manured, it will bringe foorth fruite with gayne: So the worde of God, if it ſhall hit vponupon an hard necke, it waxeth barren, as being ſowen in ſand*:Mat. 13.4. Ier. 8.15. if it get a ſoule mā nured with the hand of the heauenly Spirit, it wil be moſt frutefull.
12 Yet the Sacramentes are ſo ſaid truly to confirme our faith, that manie times when the Lord will take away the confidence of the thinges promiſed, he taketh away the Sacramentes themſelues, which we may ſee in Adam*, and the Epheſians*Eph. 2.12..Gen. 3 22.
Obiect. The glorie of God is ſo farre diminiſhed as it is deriued vntounto creatures, to the which ſo great power is giuen.
An. God vſeth the inſtrumentes which he ſeeth to be expedient, that all things may obey his glorie: but we place no power in creatures.
13 Obiect. Sacraments are only ſignes whereby we are diſtinguiſhed from profane men.
An. Sacraments are indeede ſure teſtimonies of our faith before men, but this is the chiefeſt thing that they ſerue for our faith before God.
14 In the meane ſeaſon let vsus beware that we weaken not the force of the Sacraments, and quite ouerthrow the vſe therof: Secondly that we do not imagine certaine hidden powers to be in the Sacramentes,We muſt take heed of three ſteepe downes. The Sacramēts doe not geue grace. which we can no where reade to be geuen them of God.
Obiect. The Sacraments do iuſtifie & giuegive grace, ſo we put not in the barre of mortall ſinne.
An. Such doctrine is deuilliſh, when as it promiſeth righteouſneſſe without faith: Secondly, becauſe the minds of men do reſt rather in this ſpectacle of a bodily thing, then in God him ſelfe.
15 Alſo we muſt beware that we traſlate not that to the one, which is proper to the other. The truth is contayned indeede in the Sacraments, but they are not ſo linked together but that they may be ſeparate.The Sacramēts worke that which they figure onlie in the Elect. Therfore the thing muſt alwayes be diſtinguiſhed from the ſigne. For the Sacraments worke that which they figure only in the elect: For Chriſt is receaued by faith alone.
16 Queſt. Do then the wicked bring that to paſſe by their vnthankfulnes, that the ordinance of God is voyd, and doth come to nothing?
An. Auguſtine aunſwereth: if thou receaue it carnallie, it ceaſeth not to be ſpirituall, but not to thee*.Hom. in. Ioan. 26
17 For there is none other office of the Sacraments, then of the word of God, which is to offer to vsus Chriſt, and in him the treaſures of the heauenlie grace: but they profit vsus nothing vnleſſe they be receaued by faith: which is to vsus as the mouth of a veſſell, to receaue liquours, and graces of the holie Ghoſt.Faith is lyke the mouthe of a veſſell. Sacraments put for all manner ſignes
18 Furthermore the word Sacrament doth generally comprehend all ſignes, which God did euer command men to vſe, that he might aſſure them of the truth of his promiſes. Thoſe he would hauehave to be extant ſometimes in naturall things, as when he gaue Adam the tree of life to be a pledge of immortalitie*:Gen. 2.17. & 3.3. and the rainebowe to Noe and his poſteritie*. Sometimes he gaue them in miracles: as when he ſhewed Abraham light in a ſmoking ouē *Gen. 9.13.: when he wet the fleece with dewe,Gen. 15.17. Iud. 6.37. all the grounde being drie, to promiſe victorie to Gedeon*.
19 But we intreate properly of the Sacramentes which God wold hauehave to be ordinarie in his church, to nouriſh his children in one faith and the confeſſion of one faith. For Auguſtine ſaith*, men can be congeled together into no name of religion, either true or falſe, vnleſſe they be knit together by ſome fellowſhip of viſible Sacraments.
20 And theſe alſo hauehave bene diuerſe according to the diuerſe reſpect of time. For Circumciſion was graunted to Abraham*, whereto purifications and ſacrifices were afterward added*.Lib 9 contra Fauſt. manich cap. 11. Gen. 19.20. Diuerſitie of ſacraments. Leuit. 1.2. Chriſt gaue to the Church Baptiſme*, and the Supper*. I ſpeake not of laying on of handes: becauſe it is not ordinarie, neither doth it agree to all.
21 Circumciſion was graunted to Abraham for a ſeale of the righteouſneſſe of faith*Mat. 28.19. Mar. 26.26. Rom. 4.11. Heb. 9.1.14. Heb. 4.14. Purifyinges were teſtimonies of their waſhing in Chriſt*. Sacrifices did promiſe the ſatisfaction of the Mediatour.
22 Baptiſme doth witneſſe to vsus that we be waſhed by the bloud of Chriſt, the Supper that we are redeemed: theſe two are found in Chriſt, who came in water and bloud*, that is,1 Ioh. 5.6. that he might purge & redeeme.
23 But the Fathers did eat the ſame meat which we eate, & drunke the ſame drinke which we drinke namely Chriſt*.1 Cor. 10.3.
Obiect. The Sacraments of the old Law did ſhadow grace: thoſe of the newe do geue it being preſent.
An. Who dare make voyde that ſigne, which gaue to the Iewes the true communion & partaking of Chriſt?
24 Obiect. The outwarde Circumciſion is nothinge with God, neither doeth it geue anie thing*.Rom. 2.25.
An. So it is, if the truth it ſelfe be wantinge. Which might alſo be ſayde concerning Baptiſme, by good right. For God regardeth not the outward waſhing*, vnleſſe the mind be inwardly purged.1 Cor. 10.5.
1 Pet. 3.21 Col. 2.17.Obiect. Paule doth vtterly contemne Circumciſion made with handes, when he compareth it with the Circumciſion of Chriſt*.
An. Paule diſputeth in that place againſt thoſe which required Circumciſion as neceſſarie, wheras it was abrogat. Therfore he admoniſheth the faithfull that omitting the old ſhadowes, they ſtay in the truth. And he proueth that Baptiſme is the ſame to Chriſtians, which Circumciſion was to the men of old time.
25 Obiect. All the Iewiſh ceremonies were ſhadowes of things to come. The bodie is in Chriſt*.
Heb. 7.8.9.10. What the Iewiſh ceremonies did profit the Iewes.An. Paule did not therefore make the ceremonies ſhadowiſh, becauſe they had in them no ſound thing, but becauſe the fulfilling therof did after a ſort hang in ſuſpence vntil the giuing of Chriſt. And alſo though they ſhadowed Chriſt being abſent, yet he vttered inwardly to the faithfull the preſence of his power.
Obiect. Chriſt diſtinguiſheth the Supper from Manna euen in reſpect of the efficacie.
An. He hath to deale with thoſe which thought that Manna was nothing elſe but the meate of the bellie:The compariſon betwene Manna and the Supper. he ſaith that he giueth better meate, which feedeth the ſoules vntounto the hope of immortalitie.
26 Furthermore the Sacraments of both Lawes being diuerſe indeede in ſignes, but equall and like in verie deede and efficacie, do teſtifie that the fatherly good will of God, and the grace of the holie Ghoſt are offered to vsus in Chriſt, but our Sacraments do this more plentifullie and plainly: there is in both the ſame giuing of Chriſt.