The New Covenant, Book 1 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Of the ſecond inward part of a Sacrament
HItherto of the firſt inward part:aThe ſecond part of a Sacrament is the holy Spirite. the ſecond inward part of a Sacrament is the holy Spirite, as Math. 3. Hee ſhall baptize you bMat. 3, 11.with the Holy-Ghoſt and fire. So in Chriſts Baptiſme, when he was baptized & prayed, thecLuke 3, 22. Holy-Ghoſt deſcended in a viſible ſhape like a Doue vponupon him. And Paul ſaith,d1 Cor. 12.13 By one Spirite we are all baptized into one body, whether we be Iews or Graecians, whether we be bond or free, and hauehave been all made to drinke into one Spirite. And the Apoſtle layeth downe the circumciſion of the heart by the Spirite:Rom. 2, 29. Hee is a Iew which is one within, and the circumciſion is of the heart in the Spirite. So the ſame Apoſtle, Titus 3, 5, 6. According to the mercy of God he ſaued vsus by the waſhing of the new birth, and the renewing of the Holy-Ghoſt which he ſhed on vsus abundantly through Ieſus Chriſt our Sauiour. Nothing can bee fruitefull and profitable without his gracious worke in vsus, he worketh and ſetleth the worde of promiſe in our hearts, and therefore we muſt neceſſarily hold the bleſſed Spirit to be an inward part of the Sacrament, making it and all other ordinances of God auaileable.
Vſe 1 Now let vsus proceed to the vſes of this point, being the ſecond inward part. And firſt of all, is the Spirite of God the ſealer vp of the promiſes after that we beleeue according to the doctrine of the Apoſtle, After that ye beleeued, fEpheſ. 1, 13.ye were ſealed with the holy Spirit of promiſe? Then as often as we heare the promiſe vttered by the Miniſter, it confirmeth vsus that the Father by his Spirit worketh the ſame in our hearts. The water in baptiſme, cannot by any force and vertue inherent in it, waſh our conſciences from dead workes to ſerue the liuing God, as it hath power to waſh away the filth and corruption of our bodies. The bread and wine in the Lords Supper hauehave no inherent ſtrength to nouriſh the ſoule to eternal life, as they hauehave to ſtrengthen the body: they are inſtruments of the Holy Ghoſt, who worketh by them to the great comfort of the faithfull. Grace is not contained and ſhut vp in them, as water in a veſſell, or as a medicine in a boxe: the Spirite helpeth our infirmities, ſealing vp to our conſciences the fruite of the word that is heard, and of the Sacramentall ſignes that are ſeene.
But becauſe this doctrine is contradicted by the defenders of the Popiſh faith, it ſhall not be amiſſe briefly to propound their chiefeſt obiections whereby they would proue that the outward ſignes in the Sacraments hauehave force and power to ſaue and iuſtify ſinners (howſoeuer the perſons be diſpoſed that partake them) & then to frame ſhort anſweres to eueryevery one of them. For what needed this inward part of the Sacraments, to wit, the working of the holy Ghoſt, if the outward waſhing were effectuall to ſaue and to ſanctifie the ſoules of all them that are baptized?Grace is not tied to the Sacraments. And if theſe graces were ſo tyed to the Sacraments that al which vſe them ſhould be iuſtified by them, we make thē more effectuall then the word of God it ſelfe is; foraſmuch as all that heare the worde are not ſaued by it, nor transformed into the obedience of it, nor receiue life from it, nor are regenerated by it. Iohn the Baptiſt, who was the firſt Miniſter of that Sacrament, confeſſeth that hee could doe no more then waſh the body, it lay not in his power to giuegive grace and to baptize with the Holy Ghoſt. Beſides, wee ſee all in our daies are brought to be baptiſed, but all theſe are not by it regenerated:Acts 8, 13. as in the Apoſtles times Simon himſelfe was baptiſed, yet he remained an hypocrite, and was deſtitute of true faith that ioyneth vsus to Chriſt. But becauſe we hauehave handled this point before, let vsus come to ſuch obiections as the aduerſaries hauehave made and muſtered together,Bellar. de Sacra. lib. 2, cap. 4. which are taken partly from types and figures, and partly from places of Scripture wreſted from their true and naturall meaning. Touching the types borrowed, ſome from the olde and ſome from the new Teſtament, albeit it were ſufficient to make this generall anſwere, that ſimilitudes, parables, and compariſons do not proue; yet leaſt we ſhould ſeeme thereby to turne our backs and yeeld to the enemy, I will not ſticke to propound them in particular, and vouchſafe to yeeld vntounto them a particular ſolution.
Obiection. 1 The firſt type is drawne from the hiſtory of the creation, Gen. 1. The Spirite moued vponupon the waters to make them fruitefull. As then the water receiued a certaine liuely force from the Spirit to bring forth the creatures, ſo doth baptiſme to make vsus new men receiue ſtrength from the Spirite. Thus doth Bellarmine reaſon. I anſwere, Anſwere. this maketh directly againſt himſelfe, and therefore he layeth about him like a blinde man, who inſtead of his enemy ſtriketh himſelfe. For heereby it appeareth, that the Sacraments do not giuegive grace, ex opere operato, that is, by the force and vertue of the worke done, and that words vttered hauehave no power but by the Holy Ghoſt. For as the Spirit gaue force to the waters wherby the creatures were foſtered and formed, which were not of themſelues auailable to giuegive life, being as it were dead, and without any vigor: euen ſo the Spirit maketh the water in baptiſme ſerue to ſignifie and ſeale vp our regeneration, and not the bare and outward element. The bodye of man without the ſoule is dead and without life: ſo the water without the Spirite cannot conferre grace. It is the Spirite that quickneth, without it the water is as common water.
Obiection. 2 Another obiection is from the hiſtory of the flood, Geneſis 7, 17. and the drowning of the Egyptians in the redde ſea, Exodus 14. and the paſsing of the Iſraelites through the Riuer Iordan to the land of promiſe, Ioſhua 4. where it appeareth, that the waters themſelues ſaued his people. I anſwere, Anſwere. If the waters in the flood had a proper power to ſaue and preſerue, why did they not ſaue all the world aliue? Why were any of the creatures at all drowned? Againe, this robbeth God of his honour and glory, to whom onelyonly it is due, and giueth it to the element to which it is not due. For if Noah had beleeued that the waters could of themſelues hauehave ſaued him, he ſhould hauehave ſet vp an altar as a monument to the waters, and not builded one to God the Lorde, Geneſis eight, verſe 20. But the Scripture aſcribeth all to the mercy and clemency of God toward that remnant and remainder of mankinde, becauſe hee had ſeene Noah righteous and religious in that generation before him, Geneſis 7, verſe 1. Therefore it is ſaid hee found grace in the ſight of the Lord, Geneſis 6, verſe 18. That the Lorde ſtabliſhed his couenant with him, Geneſis 6, verſe 18. That the Lorde had him enter with all his houſhold into the Arke, Geneſis 7. verſe 1. That the Lorde ſhut him in the Arke when he was entred, Geneſis 7, verſe 16. That the Lord remembred him while he was in the Arke, Geneſis 8. verſe 1. And after the ceaſing and decreaſing of the waters, brought him out of the Arke, Geneſis 8, verſe 16. So that whereas the waters had of their owne nature ouerwhelmed them, euen the proud waters had gone ouer their ſoule to hauehave drowned them, God in mercy ſaued them, that they might aſcribe the praiſe of their preſeruation to the Lord of Hoaſts, not to the power of the waters And if the Iſraelites had beene deliuered at the red ſea, and in paſsing ouer Iordan by the ſtrength of the waters, they would hauehave erected a trophee to them, & not hauehave ſung a ſong vntounto God.
Another type is taken from Circumciſion, Geneſis 17. Obiection. 3 whereof Paul ſpeaketh, Coloſians 2. Yee are circumciſed with circumciſion made without hands, in putting off the body of the ſinnes of the fleſh, by the circumciſion of Chriſt, buried with him in baptiſme; and Baptiſme then is like vntounto circumciſion: but circumciſion that is outward did truely and effectually cut off the fleſh, and was not onelyonly a teſtimony of cutting it away.
I anſwere, Anſwere. the Apoſtle reproueth ſuch as would ioyne the ceremonies of the lawe with the Goſpell of Chriſt, whereas now we hauehave no need of them at all, hauing the truth with vsus of thoſe ſhaddowes. And touching circumciſion, there is no need to hauehave it brought in vſe into the Church, foraſmuch as we are inwardly circumciſed by the power of Chriſt: So that there was a twofold circumciſion, as there is alſo a two-fold Baptiſme, the one outward in the body, the other inward in the heart: the one adminiſtred by the hand of the Miniſter, the other finiſhed by the grace of the Spirite. Beſides, if the outward cutting off the foreskinne of the fleſh were alwaies effectual to cut away the corruption of the ſoul, how is it that they teach that the Sacraments and Sacrifices of the olde Teſtament were ſo farre from giuing grace,Rhem. on Heb. 10. remiſsion, and iuſtification, that they were but ſhaddowes, obſcurely repreſenting the graces of the new Teſtament? How can they reconcile themſelues, when they make this difference betweene the old & new Sacraments, that the old did onelyonly ſignifie, the new containe and conferre grace and ſanctification? Thirdly, if the outward cutting off the fleſh, did by the worke done giuegive grace, and that the ſigne were not to be ſeparated from the thing ſignified, how commeth it to paſſe that Iſmael being circumciſed as well as Iſaack, and Eſau circumciſed as well as Iacob, yet one beeing borne after the fleſh, perſecuted him that was borne after the Spirite, Geneſis 21. Galathians 4.29. the other was not beloued of God, neyther had grace giuen vntounto him, as the Scripture ſaith, Rom, 9, 13. Iacob hauehave I loued, but Eſau hauehave I hated? Laſtly, the outward circumciſion that is in the fleſh, may bee out of the Church and receiued of them that are no members of the Church; as it was of the Idumeans, Iſmaelites, Samaritans, and ſuch as were ſtrangers from the couenant, as alſo the Turkes and Sarazins receiue it in our daies. So is it with baptiſme, it doth not bring vsus iuſtification by the outward worke done, but ſometimes it may go before the ſigne, and ſometimes follow after. The like might be ſaid touching Manna giuen vntounto the Iſraelites, Exod. 16. and the water of ſeparation, Num. 19. We may ioyne all theſe together, becauſe the force of them is alike, and therefore the anſwere to the one is an anſwere to the other.
The next type is touching the cleanſing of Naaman the Obiection. 4 Syrian, by waſhing ſeauen times in Iordan, 2. Kings 5. as then thoſe waters did truely heale him, ſo the water in baptiſme doth heale the ſoule and iuſtifie the ſinner. I anſwere, Anſwere. this is to draw from a wrong ſuppoſition, a falſe concluſion: foraſmuch as euen thoſe waters had no ſuch inherent power or ſecret vertue, but onelyonly for the preſent by a miraculous diſpenſation of God, they cleanſed him of his leproſie: neyther had they of themſelues any other hidden vertue included in them then the Riuers that wer in Damaſcus. 2 Kings 5, 12.And therefore Naaman being cleanſed did not magnifie the ſtrength of that water aboue all other Riuers in other regions, but the great mercy of God toward him, and promiſed he would worſhip no other God but the God of Iſrael.
The next type is from the poole of Betheſda Iohn 5. Obiection. 5 which healed all manner of diſeaſes at the mouing of the waters: and the waters in Siloam, wherewith the blinde man is commanded to waſh, Iohn 9. I anſwere, Anſwere. the Scripture is plaine that an Angell went downe at a certain ſeaſon into the poole & troubled the water, without which moouing and ſtirring of it no cure was wrought at any time.
Againe, if this power had beene naturall and inſeparably tyed vntounto it, then the water would hauehave cured and healed all the whole multitude of impotent perſons, of blinde, of h…lt, and of withered that ſhould ſtep into it, contrary to the expreſſe words of the text, Whoſoeuer did firſt after the troubling of the water ſtep into it, Iohn 5, 4.was made whole of whatſoeuer diſeaſe he had: So that the poore impotent man which had an infirmity 38. yeares needed not to hauehave complained, that no man (when the water was troubled) would put him into the poole, but while hee was comming, another ſtepped downe before him. And touching the blinde man he was not healed and helped, eyther by the ſpittle, or the clay, or the waters, or by the force of all them together, which had of thēſelues ſerued and ſufficed rather to hauehave hindred the ſight, then to hauehave opened the eyes: it was the miraculous worke of Chriſts own hand, who worketh ſometimes aboue means and ſometimes contrary to meanes. Thus much touching the obiections ariſing from ſundry types and alluſions, which hee hath heaped vp and hudled out of the olde and new Teſtament.
Now touching the obiections drawne from expreſſe Obiection. 1 places, we will briefly runne them ouer, foraſmuch as many of them conclude not for them, but againſt them. Firſt of all, Iohn Baptiſt ſaith, I baptize you with water, but hee that commeth after mee ſhall baptize with the Holy-Ghoſt, Math. 3. I anſwere, Anſwere. Iohn ſheweth in theſe words that he was onelyonly the Miniſter of the outward ſigne, and could worke nothing in the hearts of men: whereas Chriſt whō he pointed out and of whom he ſpake, would beſtow the Spirite vponupon them, and thoſe things which belong vntounto their ſaluation. Euen as the Apoſtle ſpeaking of his miniſtry, doth notably in other words expound this ſaying of Iohn, 1 Cor. 3. I hauehave planted, Apollos hath watered, but God giueth the increaſe: ſo that neither he that planteth nor he that watereth is any thing, but God that giueth the increaſe. That which Paul vttereth touching the preaching of the word, and Iohn of the Sacrament of Baptiſme, we may fitly transferre and aptly apply to the Supper of tho Lorde, wherein the Miniſter doth diſtribute the bread and deliuer the cup of the Lord, but the Lord himſelfe doth feed thoſe that beleeue in him with his body & blood, which is meate indeed and drinke indeed.
The next teſtimony is taken out of Marke 16, 16. Hee Obiection. 2 that beleeueth and is baptized ſhall be ſaued. Heere the force of ſauing is aſcribed to baptiſme, not to faith: now it cannot ſaue, but by iuſtifying and waſhing away the filthineſſe of our ſinnes. I anſwere, Anſwere. in the Apoſtles dayes, men of yeares and not infants onelyonly were baptized, in regard whereof, profeſsion of faith, and confeſsion of ſins did go before, Math. 3, 6. They were baptized, confeſsing their ſinnes. Againe, Chriſt our Sauiour teacheth, that ſaluation dependeth on faith, Iohn 5, 24. He that beleeueth is paſſed from death to life: he neuer ſaid, Whoſoeuer receiueth the outward baptiſme is paſſed from death to life. It is faith that ioyneth vsus to God, and not the waſhing of the body with water.
Laſtly, if grace were tyed to the outward ſigne, hee would hauehave ſaid, He that is not baptized ſhalbe damned; whereas Chriſt ſaith onelyonly, Hee that beleeueth not ſhall bee damned. Neuertheleſſe, faith and baptiſme are both ioyned together, that eueryevery one ſhould ſubmit himſelfe to the ordinance of God, and know that to the guift of faith he muſt annexe the vſe of the Sacraments.
The third teſtimony is borrowed from the conference Obiection. 3 of Chriſt with Nicodemus, Iohn 3. Except a man bee borne againe of water and the Holy Ghoſt, hee cannot enter into the kingdome of God. I anſwere, Anſwere. It is not neceſſary to vnderſtand this place litterally of the water in baptiſme, but of the grace of Chriſt which cleanſeth the ſoule as water doth the body, which in other places is called The water of life, Iohn 4, 11. and 7.38. where ſpeaking of the water of life, the Euangeliſt addeth, This hee ſpake of the Spirite, which they that beleeued in him ſhould receiue. Againe, water is ioyned with the Spirit in this place, as fire is ioyned with the Spirite in another place, Math. 3, 11. He ſhal baptize with the Holy Ghoſt and with fire: but there is no neceſſity, nor ſo much as probability there to vnderſtand fire properly, why then ſhould we take water properly in this place? and wherefore in places that are like, ſhould wee ſeeke a meaning that is vnlike? Laſtly, theſe words cannot enforce any thing to proue that there is any inherent force in the outward element, ſeeing the Spirite is ioyned with it, which addeth power and giueth efficacy to the water, as it doth alſo to the worde in all the ſauing hearers of it: for as the word is a bare ſound without the Spirite, ſo baptiſme cannot ſaue without the Spirite.
Obiection. 4 The laſt teſtimony and witneſſe is produced out of the Acts of the Apoſtles, Chap. 2.38. where Peter exhorteth the Iewes, that were at his preaching pricked in their hearts, to beleeue in Chriſt Ieſus whom they had betrayed and crucified, ſaying, Repent and be baptized eueryevery one of you in the name of Chriſt for the remiſsion of ſinnes: and chap. 22, 16. where Ananias perſwadeth Paul to bee baptized, and to waſh away his ſinnes, calling on the name of the Lord. In both which places, forgiueneſſe of ſinnes is aſcribed to baptiſme, and therefore it giueth and conferreth grace. I anſwere, Anſwere. It is the beleeuing in the name of Chriſt that waſheth away ſinnes, and purgeth our conſciences from dead workes: foraſmuch as he maketh the outward worke auaileable by the inward grace of the ſpirite. Againe, hee ioyneth inuocation of the name of God with the outward ſigne, which hath the promiſe of ſaluation annexed vntounto it, as the Apoſtle teſtifieth, Rom. 10, 13. Whoſoeuer ſhall call vponupon the name of the Lord ſhall bee ſaued. Thus we hauehave ſeene the principall pillars of the Romiſh error beaten and battered in pieces, & eueryevery reaſon that caryeth any colour laid euen with the ground, ſo that we are wholy to aſcribe to the Spirite of God the lauer of regeneration, and the anſwere of a good conſciēce toward God.
Againe, is the Spirite of God an inward part of the Sacraments? Then wee muſt learne and remember, that we can neuer heare the word or receiue the Sacraments with fruite and comfort, without the ſpeciall aſsiſtance and inward operation of the Spirite of God. Therefore the Prophet ioyneth the Spirite and word together, Eſay 59. I will make this my couenant with thee (ſaith the Lord) gEſay 59.21.my Spirite that is vponupon thee, and my words which I hauehave put in thy mouth, ſhall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy ſeed, nor out of the mouth of the ſeed of thy ſeed from henceforth and for euer.
A man indeede hath power to heare the word and to receiue the Sacraments, his will is free in theſe outwarde workes: but hee hath no power or ſtrength to doe them with profite and comfort, except it be giuen him from aboue. Though we heare neuer ſo much, though wee communicate neuer ſo often, the Spirit muſt open our hearts, as he opened the heart of Lydia. So 1 Iohn 2. That annointing h1 Ioh. 2, 27.which ye receiued of him dwelleth in you, and ye neede not that any man teach you, but as that ſame annointing teacheth you of all things, and it is true, and is not lying. Likewiſe Acts 10. Peter preached the Goſpell to Cornelius and his houſhold, and while he yet ſpake to them, The iActs 10, 44.Holy-Ghoſt fell on them all which heard the worde. So alſo the Apoſtles being ſent out with their commiſsion, and commanded to preach the Goſpell to eueryeverykMar. 16, 20. creature, it is noted that they went forth, and preached eueryevery where, and the Lorde wrought with them, and confirmed the worde with ſignes that followed. And Iohn 14. The lIohn 14, 26.Comforter, which is the Holy-Ghoſt, whom the Father will ſend in my name, hee ſhall teach you al things & bring al things to your remembrance which I hauehave told you. Pharaoh often heard Moſes & Aaron, but he harkened not, but hardned his heart, becauſe there was no inward touching or teaching of the Spirite.
The Iſraelites had heard & ſeene the wonderful things of God, yet they profited not in faith, in repentance, in regeneration: and the reaſon is rendred, Deuter. 29. Yee hauehave ſeene all mDeut. 29, 2.3, 4.that the Lord did before your eyes in the Lande of Egypt vntounto Pharaoh and vntounto all his ſeruants, and vntounto all his Land, the great tentations which thine eyes hauehave ſeene, thoſe great myracles and wonders: y… the Lord hath not giuen you an heart to perceiue, and eyes to ſee, and care to heare vntounto this day. When wee come to heare the word, which is a word of power, of life, and of ſaluation, when wee come to receiue the Sacraments, which are ſignes of Gods graces, and ſeales of his promiſes, we ſee many returne as ignorant, peruerſe, corrupt, froward, rebellious, hard-harted, and diſobedient as they came to theſe ordinances of God: and whence commeth this? how falleth it out? and what may bee the reaſon heereof? Surely it is not in him thatnLuke 13, 24. Rom. 9, 16. willeth; nor in him that runneth, but in God that ſheweth mercy, who giueth eyes to ſee, eares to heare, & heart to vnderſtand, to whom hee thinketh good in his heauenly pleaſure. Wherefore our dutye is, ſeeing the natural man perceiueth not the things that are of the Spirite of God, to pray vntounto him to giuegive vsus wiſedome to ſee our corruptions, blindneſſe, ignorance, and hardneſſe of heart. Vſe 3 Thirdly, doth the Spirit worke in vsus by the word? Are the word and Spirite ioyned together? and doth he teach vsus by meanes of the word and Sacraments? then we muſt not ſeparate the Spirite from the worde and Sacraments, as the Anabaptiſts do,oAgainſt anabaptiſts depending on reuelations. which depend vponupon reuelations, and inward inſpirations, vponupon priuate motions and diuine illuminations without the word. They will not be taught by the word; they wil not be ſtrengthened by the Sacraments: but take away the vſe of both, following their owne fooliſh fanſies and diueliſh dreames. They boaſt of the Spirite of God, and are led by the ſpirit of the Diuell. We muſt for our direction and practiſe learne, that as to reſt vponupon the Spirite without the worde is phantaſticall and heriticall, and the mother of al errors: ſo the worde and Sacraments without the Spirite are no better then a dead carkaſſe without life, an empty ſound without ſubſtance, a naked ſhew without truth, an empty casket without the treaſure: and therefore we muſt knit them together, and aſſure our ſelues that the Spirite ſpeaketh euidently in the Scriptures, the Spirite worketh effectually by the Sacraments, and the Spirite helpeth our infirmities to profite by them both.