The New Covenant, Book 1 · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI. Of the number of Sacraments.
HItherto we hauehave ſpoken of the chiefe vſes of the Sacraments: now we are come to ſpeakeaThe number of Sacraments. of the number of Sacraments, according as we take the name and hauehave declared the nature of them. Let vsus ſee then how many ſuch viſible ſignes and ſeales of ſpiritual grace in the new Teſtament, were inſtituted of God to ſet forth the benefits of Chriſt, for the continuall vſe of the Church. Many liue in the boſome of the Church, heare the word, come to publike prayer, take themſelues to be goodly Chriſtians, offer themſelues to the Lords-table, & are made partakers of the Sacramēts, who yet are ignorant how many Sacraments there are, and what they are. None almoſt ſo ſimple but he can number his ſheepe and cattell: he knoweth their markes, he knoweth their differences: but aske him how many commandements of the law, how many Articles of faith, how many petitions of the Lords prayer, or how many Sacraments of the new Teſtament, hee can anſwere nothing. They know no difference betweene commandement & commandment, betweene the firſt Table and the ſecond, betweene article and article, and betweene one petition and another. Such hauehave their wits wholy exerciſed on the world, and on worldly things, which iuſtle out religion and the knowledge of heauenly things. If we hauehave eares to heare, let vsus heare what is the faith of the Church in this point, grounded vponupon the infallible rule and rocke of the word of God. The Sacraments of the Church ordained by Chriſt, to aſſure our communion with him are onelyonly two:bChriſt inſtituted onelyonly two Sacraments. Baptiſme whereby wee are receiued into the couenant of God, in ſtead of circumciſion: and the Lords Supper, whereby we are nouriſhed, maintained, and retained therein, in ſtead of the Paſſeouer. For albeit the couenant be but one, yet the ſcales thereof are two, to aſſure vsus that by vnion with Chriſt, we are regenerated and ſhall bee nouriſhed to eternall life. Hee hath deliuered vsus a few Sacraments in ſtead of many, he could hauehave inſtituted moe if hee had thought it good for the benefit of the Church. Theſe are as it were the two eyes whereby we ſee and behold the promiſes of God. Theſe are as the two hands, wherby we after a ſort do handle Chriſt crucified & lay holde on the graces of ſaluation. Chriſt hath appointed no moe Sacraments, he hath laide on vsus an eaſie yoke and a light burden.
That theſe two are the onelyonly Sacraments of the new Teſtament, may appeare by theſe reaſ…nscReaſons why there are only two Sacraments. following. Firſt, Chriſt taught no more to his Apoſtles, the Apoſtles deliuered no moe to the Churches, the Churches imbraced no moe for many yeares. When th… Lord Ieſus liued on the earth,Luke 1, 76. and 33. he inſtituted baptiſme, by the miniſtry of Iohn Baptiſt, who as hee was ſent to prepare the hearts of the people, ſo he preached the baptiſme of repentance: Afterward the Lord Ieſus eſtabliſh it with his owne mouth, in the commiſsion giuen to his Diſciples: So he appointed and himſelfe firſt adminiſtred his laſt Supper in remembrance of his death, vntill his ſecond comming againe with power & great glory. Theſe two true Sacraments of the Church, to wit, baptiſme & the Lords Supper were inſtituted and warranted by the mouth of Chriſt himſelfe, and none other beſide theſe. Theſe we receiue becauſe Chriſt ordained them: other we receiue not, becauſe he ordained them not.
Secondly, the Apoſtle Paul admoniſheth the Corinthians to beware of Idolatry, not to flatter themſelues, or to thinke themſelues the members of Chriſt, & therefore ſhould eſcape the iudgement of God, becauſe they had the Sacraments: for the Church of the Iſraelites had as great priuiledges as they, they had the ſame Sacramentse1 Cor. 10.1.2, 3, 4. the ſame Baptiſme, the ſame Supper in ſubſtance and effect, yet God was not pleaſed with them, but ouerthrew them in the wilderneſſe. If then the Corinthians had any moe then theſe two, they might hauehave iuſtly replied, We grant indeed, in reſpect of theſe they are equall with vsus, but we hauehave other which they had not, wherein they are inferior to vsus, and we ſuperior to them, and therefore are preferred before them. If then the Apoſtles reaſon conclude ſtrongly, we may hence gather directly, that there are onelyonly two and no other Sacraments, becauſe the Apoſtle mentioneth no moe, where he purpoſeth to ſet forth the priuiledges of the Iewes, & to make them equall with the Gentiles. Wherefore wee muſt receiue two Sacraments onelyonly, or elſe the Apoſtle hath reaſoned weakely.
Furthermore, the ſame Apoſtle 1. Corinthians 12.3. purpoſing to ſhew that many members of the Church are one body in Chriſt coupled by him as by ioynts, prooueth this point by a full enumeration ot the Sacraments, being pledges of our ſetting into the body of Chriſt and continuall nouriſhment in the ſame, when he ſaith, As by one Spirite we are all baptized nto one body, whether Iewes or Gentiles, ſo we hauehave all beene made to dri ke into one Spirite, Where the Apoſtle ſheweth, that all the faithfull by the effectuall working of the Holy-Ghoſt are made one body in Chriſt, which hee confirmeth by the two ſacraments of Baptiſme and the Lords Supper, without mention of any moe.
Moreouer, another reaſon may be framed, by comparing the Church of the Iewes with the Churches of the Chriſtians in regard of their ordinary Sacraments. There are no moe Sacraments deliuered in the Goſpell, then were prefigured vnderunder the lawe: for their Sacraments were types anſwering to our Sacraments, as 1 Pet. 3, 21. Our baptiſme anſwereth the figure of the waters, refreſenting the ſame that our Baptiſme doth. True it is, the Sacraments of the old Teſtament were notgIewiſh Sacraments not figures of Chriſtian Sa…ments. figures of the Sacraments of the new Teſtament, for then their Sacraments ſhould be the ſigne, and ours ſhould be the thing ſignified: and ſo there ſhould be Sacraments of Sacraments, which were fooliſh and abſurd. Againe, the Iewiſh Sacramēts ſhould be ſignes of things altogether vnknown vntounto them & not giuen them of God, for they were vtterly ignorant of Baptiſme & the Lords Supper. Beſides, that auncient people ſhould be ſaued by beleeuing baptiſme & the Lords Supper to come: for doubtleſſe they were ſaued by beleeuing that which their Sacraments did ſignifie: but they were not ſaued by beleeuing Baptiſme and the Lords Supper, but by beleeuing in Chriſt to come. Laſtly, the old Sacraments ſhould hauehave one ſignification, and the new another; for the old ſhould ſignifie the new, and the new ſhould ſignifie Chriſt and all his benefits.foreign. Notwithſtanding, the Sacraments of the new teſtament ſucceed in the roome of thoſe of the old, and ſignifie the ſame things that they doe; baptiſmekCol. 2, 11.12. came in place of circumciſion, and the Lords Supper is come in place of the Paſchall Lambe, as appeareth in that it was adminiſtred preſently after it,Luke 22, 14.15. to declare the abrogating of the one and eſtabliſhing of the other. As then there was the ſame faith and the ſame way of ſaluation by Chriſt,mReuel. 13.8. who was the Lambe ſlaine from the beginning of the world, nHeb. 13, 8.hee was yeſterday and to day, and the ſame for euer: ſo had the Iewiſh rites reſpect too1 Cor. 10, 3, 4. Chriſt, and al of them are reduced to our two Sacraments. Wherfore, as the Iewes had only 2. ordinary Sacraments, Circumciſion & the Paſſeouer, as appeareth:pExod. 12, 48 If a ſtr…nger dwell with thee, and will obſerue the Paſſeouer of the Lord, let him circumciſe all the males the belong vntounto him: So the ordinary Sacraments of Chriſts Church are Baptiſme and the Lords Supper agreeing to the ſame. Now the 5. other Sacraments newly inuented, were not prefigured in the law, they ſucceed not in the place of their ceremonies, they are not anſwerable to any types of Iewiſh rudiments, therefore they are no Sacraments.
Fiftly, theſe two Sacraments, Baptiſme and the Lords Supper, are altogether perfect and ſufficient, not onelyonly to enter and plant a Chriſtian into the Church, but alſo to retaine him in it: and therfore all other are friuolous, vaine, and ſuperſtitious, as ſuperfluous branches to bee pared away. Now that they are ſufficient to theſe purpoſes, appeareth by the effects & vſes of them, What other grace can we hauehave then to be borne againe in Chriſt, to hauehave iuſtification, forgiuenes of ſins, and all priuiledges of eternall life, and then afterward to be nouriſhed and kept continually in him? All theſe are fully repreſented and ſealed vp to vsus in theſe two: whereupon it followeth, that Chriſt who ordained the feweſt and beſt Sacraments vnderunder the Goſpell, appointed theſe and no moe. Thus then wee may gather, that by the inſtitution of Chriſt, by the argument of the Apoſtle, by compariſon of the Iewiſh ceremonies, and by the ſufficiency of the two Sacraments of Baptiſme and the Lords Supper, that theſe are the onelyonly two Sacraments; the reſt are forged and counterfeit Sacraments, they ſeale not vp Chriſt,qAuguſt. in Pſal. 40. they neuer flowed out of his ſide,rIohn 19, 34. from whence iſſued onelyonly water and blood.
Laſtly, this number of 2. Sacraments appeareth not onelyonly by the teſtimony of ancient Fathers, but by the confeſsion of the aduerſaries. For howſoeuer in many other controuerſies, their words are many, and their arguments probable and very ſpecious: yet for the auouching of 7. Sacraments, they are dumbe and ſilent, and are not able to produce the reuerent witneſſes of the elder time. Bellarmine prooueth the wordſBellar. de eſ…ct, ſacr. lib. 2. cap. 24. Sacrament, ſometimes to be giuen to al the ſeauen: but this is when the word is taken in a large and generall ſignification, for any myſticall ſigne and token,tC…nſur. Colon d…al. 7. pag 248 which may ſignifie ſome other thing, and may more properly be called a ſigne then a Sacrament, as the couering of the head in the woman was a ſigne of ſubiection: laying on of hands in ordination of the miniſtry, is a ſigne of their ſeparation to that worke, and of Gods preſence to aſsiſt them with his grace and bleſsing: the Saboth day was a ſigne of the heauenly reſt. In this ſenſe Auguſtine calleth theuAug. de ſim. lib. 3, cap. 9. myſtery of the Trinity a Sacrament; and fire a Sacrament, becauſe by the heat, light, and ſhining brightnes thereof, the Trinity may after a ſort be ſhaddowed out. Beſides,aWarnw. Enc…unt. 1. c. 13. the late Warneword, Page 91. handling this controuerſie of the number of Sacraments, doth not prooue the number of ſeauen Sacraments out of the Scripture, neyther goeth about it, neither is able to deriue it further then the counſell of Florence holden in the yeare 1440. and from Peter Lumbard, bS…nent. lib. 4 d ſt. 2.who was indeed the Father and firſt finder and founder of this number of ſeauen. Auguſtine, whē ſpeaketh of Sacraments in the ſtrict and proper ſignification, and taketh them for holy ſignes and ſeales, not onelyonly ſignifying, repreſenting and exhibiting ſpirituall graces, commanded by Chriſt, ſucceeding in the roome of the Iewiſh two ordinary Sacraments, and offering Chriſt to all faithfull receiuers, the vſe whereof is perpetuall and vniuerſall, reckoneth them as we do,cAuguſt de ſimb. ad cate…hu. Haec ſunt Eccleſiae gemina ſacramenta. i. Theſe be two Sacraments of the Church. And in one other place,dAuguſt. de doctr. Chriſt. l…b. 3. cap. 9. Chriſt and his Apoſtles hauehave deliuered vntounto vsus a few Sacrament inſtead of many, as Baptiſme and Lords Supper Cyprian, that liued before him,Cyprian lib. 2. Epiſt. 1. is of the ſame iudgment who ſaith plainely, Tunc demum planè ſanctificari, &c. that is may be throughly ſatisfied and become the children of God,Vtroque. Sacramento. Paſchaſ. de coena dom. if they be new borne by both the Sacraments. And likewiſe Paſchaſ. 9. ſpeaketh to the ſame purpoſe, ſunt Sacramenta, &c. that is, The Sacraments of Chriſt in the Catholike Church are, baptiſme, and the body and blood of our Lord. So S. Ambroſe intreating purpoſelyeAmbroſe lib. 1. de Sacra. cap. 1. of the Sacraments, ſpeaketh but of two, as the reformed Churches hold at this day. Innocentius the third, ſpeaking of them,fC. Firmiter. onelyonly maketh mention of thoſe two which we receiue, not of the reſt which we refuſe. Yea Thomas of Aquine the Chiefe Doctor of the Papiſts holdeth heerein the truth,gIn lib. 4. ſent. diſt. 28. qu. 4. teaching that the forme of Baptiſme and of the Lords Supper is found in the Scripture, but not of the other pretended Sacraments and namely of extreme vnction. To conclude,hBeſſar. de ſacra. Euchariſt. Cardinall Beſſarion confeſſeth this, Haec duo ſola Sacramenta in Euangelijs manifeſte tradita legimus, that is, we reade that theſe two onelyonly Sacraments were deliuered vsus manifeſtly and plainely in the Goſpell. Thus we ſee that others before vsus do ioyne with vsus, and ſpeak directly of both the Sacraments, of two Sacraments, and of onelyonly two Sacraments: and therefore the bringing in of ſeauen is as ſtrange and monſtrous, as if a man ſhold ſay we wanted ſeauen feete to walke, or ſeauen eyes to ſee, or ſeauen hands to handle, or ſeauen eares to heare, whereas two of each ſort are ſufficient, and the other fiue are needleſſe and ſuperfluous in the body
Now let vsus come to the vſes of this diuiſion. In Vſe 1 that Chriſt hath appointed ſo few Sacraments in number: heereby appeareth the great louelove of God toward vsus: he hath not laid a burden vponupon vsus which neither we nor our Fathers were able to beare, but charged vsus with two Sacraments onelyonly: whereas he might hauehave deliuered other moe vntounto vsus. The Ceremoniall law was a very heauy burthen preſsing downe the Father of the old Teſtament, and keeping themiAct. 15, 10. in great bondage: now the yoke is broken and we are deliuered. As we ſee the like mercy of God, in teaching a ſhort forme of praier, as a perpetuall direction to the Church, and in deliuering the ten Commandements diuided into two tables: ſo he hath not troubled vsus with many Sacramēts: wherby alſo our nature prone to idolatry is reſpected, and the grace of the new Teſtament is wonderfully amplyfied. We ſee how ſuperſtition and groſſe Idolatry hauehave preuailed in the Church of Rome, & infected with deadly poyſon one of the Sacraments: how much greater danger were it if moe Sacraments had beene commanded and commended vntounto vsus?
Againe, heereby we may perceiue and conceiue the Vſe 2 difference betweene the olde and new Teſtament, betweene the Sacraments vnderunder the lawe and theſe vnderunder the Goſpell,kDifference betweene the Sacraments of the old Teſtament & the new. betweene thoſe giuen to the Iewes and theſe retained among Chriſtians. For ours are few in number, theirs are many in number; the Arke, Circumciſion, the Paſſeouer, Manna, the Cloud, the Sea, the Rock, many purifications & oblations which are not eaſy to be numbred. But the Goſpell acknowledgeth onelyonly two, as two twins begotten of the ſame father, & brought forth of the ſame mother. Hereunto we may adde not vnprofitably, other materiall differences to bee acknowledged. They differ in time: ours ſhew forth our communiō with Chriſt already come, and ſo are more firme and durable, as thoſel1 Cor. 11, 26 which are not to be changed to the ende of the world, 1 Cor. 11. Yee ſhew the Lords death till hee come. Their Sacraments were ordained onelyonly vntill the comming of Chriſt, becauſe they ſhewed and pointed out Chriſt to come, ſo that the worke of grace was more obſcure vntounto them. Againe, they differ much in variety of Sacramentall ſignes and rites, as the cutting of the fore-skinne, the Lambe of the Paſſeouer, iournying through the Sea, ſauing by the Arke, drinking of the rocke, lifting vp the brazen Serpent, raining downe of Manna, waſhing of their body; they had calues, ſheep, goates, doues, bread, wine, oyle, and ſuch like: we hauehave onelyonly water in Baptiſme, & bread and wine in the Lords Supper. Thus the ſignes do greatly vary. Fourthly, they differ in eaſineſſe. For the ceremonies committed to the people of the Iewes were hard, cumberſome, painful to the fleſh, and ſome of them were adminiſtred with effuſion and ſhedding of blood, partly of man & partly of beaſts. Of man, as in circumciſion: of beaſts, as in the Paſchall Lambe and in the ſacrifices. But our Sacraments, though Sacraments of Chriſts blood ſhed for vsus, yet of themſelues be voide of blood. Fiftly, they differ in meaſure of ſignification, For our Sacraments hauehave a more plentifull and full repreſentation of grace offered, and ſtirre vp a greater meaſure of faith then the Sacraments of the old Teſtament (which were more darke & obſcure) the Lord reſeruing a fuller meaſure of knowledge vntounto the bleſſed times of the Goſpell. For as the exhibiting of Chriſt Ieſus in the fleſh in fulneſſe of time, and as it were in the olde age of the world, is of more efficacy to moue vsus then the expectation of him to come, ſo wee hauehave better helpes and an holye aduantage to raiſe and rouſe vp our faith vntounto a greater aſſurance of grace and mercy, by how much the accompliſhment is more then the promiſe, and the fulfilling greater then the foretelling.
Laſtly, they differ in reſpect of the people to whom they were giuen, and for whom they were ordained: ours belong to all people diſperſed ouer the face of the whole earth (that are ingrafted into the Church) wheras theirs were tyed to one Nation, to one people, to one place, to the poſterity of Abraham. Notwithſtanding theſe differences which are in ſignes and circumſtances: touching the chiefe thing euen the matter and ſubſtance of the Sacraments they are equall,mWherin the Sacraments of the old and new Teſtam…nt agree. hauing the ſame end and the ſame ſignification, and being of one efficacy; as alſo the word of the Prophets and Apoſtles is. One and the ſame God is author of them. One and the ſame Mediator betweene God and man, euen the man Ieſus Chriſt is repreſented in both the Lamb ſlaine from the foundation of the world. They ſignifie and ſhew foorth the ſame Communion of Chriſt, by which all the elect are ſaued, and ſeale vp ſaluation and remiſsion of ſinnes to all that do receiue them by faith. For they were giuen to be ſignes and ſeales of grace and of the promiſes of God, to diſtinguiſh the faithfull from all other ſects and religions in the world, and that they ſhould be receiued with profite onelyonly of the faithfull. In theſe and ſuch like things, the Sacraments of the Iewiſh and Chriſtian Church are not vnequal: although in the outward ſigns and circumſtances they be diuers, yet in the ſubſtance & in the thing ſignified there is no difference.
Vſe 3 Thirdly, we are bound to beleeue his promiſes, and to hauehave ſtrong conſolation, ſeeing he bath giuen vsus two ſignes. If we had onelyonly had one ſigne as a ſeale of the mercies of God in Chriſt, it had beene a great ſinne not to hauehave beleeued the promiſe, and not to hauehave reſted therein as in a thing vnchangeable. For he is not as man that he ſhould lye, or deceiue:n2 Cor. 1.20. his onelyonly promiſe is aſſured paiment: yea all the promiſes of God in him are yea, and are in him Amen, vntounto the glory of God. But ſeeing the goodneſſe of God hath abounded in granting vntounto vsus two, Sacraments that where doubting aboundeth, there faith might abound much more: our ſinne is the greater, if now wee wauer likeoIam. 1, 6. a waue of the ſea toſſed of the wind and carried away. One tree of life ſerue Adam to aſſure him life: one raine-bowe ſufficed Noah: one returne of the Sunne backward was enough to Hezekiah, and they beleeued. If then wee ſeeke a ſigne we hauehave two giuen vntounto vsus, that hauing two vnchangeale Sacraments as it were two witneſſes of his word, and aſſurances of his promiſe, wee might hauehave ſtrong conſolation. The vnbeleeuing Iewes ſaid to Chriſt,pMat. 12.38. and 16, 1. Shew vsus a ſigne, and we will beleeue thee. Behold the Lord ſheweth vsus two viſible ſignes of his ſpirituall and inuiſible graces, and ſhall not we beleeue, being ſtedfaſt in faith and grounded in hope? Wee deſire forgiueneſſe of ſinnes & aſſurance thereof: by theſe two the Lord promiſeth, couenanteth, and indenteth to giuegive the ſame vntounto vsus, ſetting the ſeales to his owne writing.
Laſtly, this diuiſion and numbring vp of the Sacraments Vſe 4 ſerueth to teach, that there are not ſeauen Sacraments of the Church, and ſo do condemne the fiue ſuppoſed and falſly named Sacraments,Concil. Trid. ſeſſ. 7. de ſacra. in gen. can. 18. 11. & 13. maintained of the Church of Rome, to wit, Confirmation, Penance, Matrimony, Orders, and extreme Vnction. Baptiſme we imbrace: the Lords Supper we acknowledge: of theſe two we moue no queſtion, we make no controuerſie: the other fiue, whoſe father is vnknowne, we refuſe as baſtards, and cannot admit them into the number of Sacraments, the reaſons whereof we will render in the Chapters following.