Winter Evenings Communication with Novices in Religion, Part 16 – Part 17
Sacraments.
ARe not Baptiſme and the Lords Supper worthy meanes alſo to uphold our weake faith, and to further our zeale towards God, and charity one towards another?
A. Yes; For theſe Sacraments are ſeales of the righteouſneſſe of faith, Rom. 4. 11.
Q. They are indeed ſeales for confirmation of our moſt holy faith, which even our father Abraham himſelfe had need of: But are they not in like manner ſeales for confirmation of Chriſtian unity and amity?
A. Yes; By one Spirit we are all baptiſed into one body, and have been all made to drinke into one ſpirit, 1. Cor. 12. 13.
Q. This is a marvellous myſtery, by one ſpirit to be all incorporate in our Baptiſme, into me myſticall body of Chriſt, which is his holy Catholick Church; and to be all made to drinke in the Lords Supper into one Spirit, by partaking the myſticall Cup, or quickning blood of Chriſt Ieſus, truely exhibited to all the faithfull therein. What doth this bleſſed Ʋnion and Communion with our Head Chriſt, and with his holy Body the Church, neceſſarily binde us unto?
A. To an endeavour of keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, Epheſ. 4. 3.
Q. When is that bond of peace kept undefiled?
A. When there be no diſſentions among us, but we be knit together in one minde, and in one judgement, 1. Cor. 1. 10.
Q. What is Baptiſme?
A. The waſhing of the new birth, Tit. 3. 5.
Q. Wherein conſiſteth this waſhing of the new birth?
A. Not in putting away the filth of the fleſh; but in the renewing of the holy Ghoſt 1. Pet. 3. 21. Tit. 3. 5.
Q. What is the manner and meanes of this renewing of us, who are ſo wholly polluted and uncleane by nature?
A. We are waſhed, we are ſanctified, we are juſtified, in the Name of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and by the Spirit of God, 1. Cor. 6. 11.
Q. We are waſhed in Baptiſme, in token that we are ſanctified and juſtified by the merit of Chriſt, in whoſe Name we are baptiſed, and by the efficacie of Gods Spirit given unto us therein: But why are we baptiſed in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghoſt?
A. In token of the Covenant betwixt God the Father, Sonne, and holy Ghoſt, and us, Gen. 17. 11.
Q. As Circumciſion was, ſo Baptiſme is a ſigne of the Covenant between God and his people: What is that Covenant on Gods part?
A. That he will be our God, and the God of our ſeed, Gen. 17. 11.
Q. What on our part?
A. We paſſe into the Covenant of God, to be his people, and ſo to obſerve all things, whatſoever Chriſt hath commanded us; Deut. 29. 12. Mat. 28. 20.
Q. Is not this to make three Gods?
A. No; Theſe three, the Father, the Word, and the holy Ghoſt are one, 1. Ioh. 5. 7.
Q. They are one in ſubſtance and conſent, yet three Perſons, or diſtinct manners of being in the Godhead: What is proper to the perſon of the Father?
A. To be called one God, and the onelyonly true God, of whom are all things, 1. Cor. 8. 6. Ioh. 17. 3.
Q. The Godhead is commonly aſcribed to the Father, becauſe in him is the beginning of it: who hath not onelyonly his eſſence as God, but his perſonall being as Father of himſelfe: he is alſo called the onelyonly true God, not to exclude the Sonne, and the holy Ghoſt (who are of the ſame ſubſtance and glory with him) but all idols and creatures onelyonly: What is proper to the perſon of the Sonne?
A. He is the onelyonly begotten of the Father, the power of God, and the wiſdome of God, by whom are all things, Ioh. 1. 14. 1. Cor. 1. 24. and 8. 6.
Q. What is proper to the perſon of the holy Ghoſt?
A. He proceedeth and is ſent of the Father, and the Sonne, from whom he worketh all, in all things, Ioh. 14. 26. and 15. 26. 1. Cor. 12. 11.
Q. Set downe ſome few texts of holy Scriptures, prooving this moſt high and incomprehenſible myſterie, the Trinity in Vnity, and the Vnity in Trinity.
A. Matth. 3. 16. 17. and 28. 19. 1. Cor. 13. 13. Epheſ. 2. 18. 1. Ioh. 5. 7. Revel. 1. 4. 5. Let him that readeth underſtand, &c.
Q. What is the Lords Supper?
A. The Communion of the Body and Blood of Chriſt, 1. Cor. 10. 16.
Q. What is the bread which is ſolemnely bleſſed and broken?
A. The body of Chriſt broken for us, 1. Cor. 11. 24.
Q. And what is the Cup of bleſſing which we bleſſe?
A. The blood of Chriſt, or the New Teſtament in his blood, Matth. 26. 28. 1. Cor. 11. 25.
Q. Doth not this make for Popiſh tranſubſtantiation?
A. Nothing at all: It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the fleſh profiteh nothing, Ioh. 6. 63.
Q. It is moſt true, that the ſpirit, or ſpirituall receiving of the fleſh and blood of Chriſt crucified for us, by faith in him, giveth life to the receiver: the fleſh, or bodily receiving without that, profiteth nothing: But why are we to eate this Bread, and drinke this Cup?
A. Doe this in remembrance of me, ſaith our bleſſed Saviour twice over, 1. Cor. 11. 24. 25.
Q. To what end are we ſo ſolemnely to be put in remembrance of him in this holy action?
A. That ſo often as we eate this bread and drink this cup, we may ſhew the Lords death till he come, 1. Cor. 11. 26.
Q. His moſt bitter and meritorious death, with the ſweet fruits of it, are upon this occaſion to be declared at all hands, both publickly, and privately, with the greateſt alacrity, joy, thankefulneſſe, and zeal, that poſſibly can be: But how are we to prepare and addreſſe our ſelves to this holy banquet?
A. Let every man examine himſelfe, and ſo let him eat of this bread, and drinke of this cup, 1. Cor 11. 28.
Q. What is the danger of the neglect hereof?
A. To be guilty of the body and blood of Chriſt, 1. Cor. 11. 27.
Q. No marvell, ſince abuſe offered to the Sacrament, which is an holy inſtrument, ſeale, and image of the King of Kings, even by divine inſtitution, muſt needs redound to the Lord himſelfe: They muſt needs therefore eat and drinke their owne damnation, that doe ſo requite the Lord for this ineſtimable mercy: But whereof muſt we chiefly examine our ſelves?
A. Whether we … in the faith; whether Chriſt be in us or …. 2. Cor. 13. ….
Q Whereby will it appeare that we be of ſound religion, and have ſaving faith?
A. Saving faith purifieth the heart, Act. 15. 9.
Q. How elſe?
A. It worketh alſo by charity, Gal. 5. 6.
Q. How elſe?
A. It maketh us as new borne babes, deſire the ſincere milke of the Word, that we may grow thereby, 1. Pet. 2. 2.
Q. Whereby ſhall we know that Chriſt is in us?
A. Hereby we know that Chriſt abideth in us, even by the Spirit that he hath given unto us, 1. Ioh. 3. 24
Q. And how may the Spirit of God be diſcerned in us?
A. By his fruits; Love, joy, peace, long-ſuffering, gentleneſſe, goodneſſe, faith, meekneſſe, temperance. Gal. 5. 22, 23.
Q. How may we be aſſured, that the fruits of the Spirit are in us in truth?
A. If we live in the Spirit, let us walke in the Spirit, Gal. 5. 25.
Q When, by living and walking in the Spirit, that is, by the habite or cuſtomary practiſe of his fruits, with a holy delight therein, we have found that Chriſt abideth in us: What remaineth further to be examined?
A. How we grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Ieſus Chriſt, 2. Pet. …. 18.
Q. A very neceſſary point to be examined of us all; …o…,: Chriſt … not to grow, is to goe downe the …: But when is this our ſolemne and ſerious examination of our ſelves throughly performed?
A. When having conſidered our waies, we turne our feet unto Gods teſtimonies, Pſal. 119. 59.
Queſtion. VVHat is conſtantly to be done of him that deſireth a quiet life, and to ſee good daies in this world?
A. Keep thy tongue from evill, and thy lips from ſpeaking guile: Depart from evill and doe good, ſeek peace and purſue it, Pſal. 34. 13. 14.
Q. And what is to be done to eſcape the moſt deſperate dangers that can befall men here, or hereafter?
A. Watch you, ſaith Chriſt, and pray continually, that you may be accounted worthy to eſcape all theſe things, that ſhall come to paſſe, and to ſtand before the Sonne of man, Luk. 21. 36.
ACTS 24.
15. I have hope towards God, that there ſhall be a reſurrection of the dead, both of the juſt, and unjuſt.
16. And herein I exerciſe my ſelfe, to have alwaies a conſcience void of offence, toward God, and toward men.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Carter, Winter Evenings Communication with Novices in Religion (1628)