The New Covenant, Book 1 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Of the ſecond outward part of a Sacrament.
THe ſecond outward part of a SacramentaThe word of inſtitution, a neceſſary part of the Sacrament. is the word, neceſſarily required to the ſubſtance of a Sacrament: forbAuguſt in Ioh. 13. Tract. 18. the word is added and ioyned to the element, and there is made a Sacrament. This ſacramental word, is the word of inſtitution, which God in each Sacrament hath after a ſpeciall manner ſet downe; conſiſting partly of a commandement by which Chriſt appointeth the adminiſtration of Sacraments, and partly of a promiſe annexed, wherby God ordaineth that the outward elements ſhalbe inſtruments and ſeales of his graces; as for example, when Chriſt ſaith,cMat. 28, 19. Goe teach all Nations and baptize them, there is a commandement to warrant the vſe & practiſe of Baptiſme: the promiſe likewiſe is in the next words, Into the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the Holy Ghoſt. So touching the other Sacrament of his ſupper, when he ſaith,dMat. 26, 26.27. Take ye, eate ye, drinke ye, do this in remembrance of me, loe, there is the commandement, commanding the continuall vſe thereof vntil the ſecond comming of Chriſt. The promiſe is, This is my body which is giuen for you, this is my bloud of the new Teſtament ſhed for you and for many for remiſsion of ſinnes. Whatſoeuer ſignes of holye things God gaue to ſtrengthen the faith of his children, we may ſee & diſcerne that God alwaies added the word to the ſeale, the voice to the ſigne, and doctrine to the ſight, ſo that when the ſigne was ſeene, the worde was heard. When one of the Seraphins, bearing an hot coale in his hand which he had taken from the alter,eEſa. 6, 6, 7. touched the mouth of the Prophet, hee ſaid, Loe, this hath touched thy lips, and thine iniquity ſhall be taken away, and thy ſins ſhall be purged. Now, wee know a coale hath not power and force to take away ſinne, but the word vttered by the Angell did aſſure him that he ſhould be purged by the Holy-Ghoſt, which was ſignified by the fire. So when Ieremy ſaw the rod of an Almond tree, the Lord ſaide vntounto him, Thou haſt well ſeene, for I will haſten my word to performe it. He ioyneth the ſigne with the word for a more ample cō firmation, ſignifying by the rod of almond (which firſt buddeth) the haſtye comming of the Babylonians againſt the Iewes.
Againe, when Chriſt gaue to his Diſciples the Holy-Ghoſt, hee breathed on them and ſaid,fIohn 20, 22. Receiue the Holy-Ghoſt. The corporall blaſt and breathing was not the Holy-Ghoſt, but he added his word and promiſe with the outward ſigne, to aſſure them that with the breathing hee beſtowed a bleſsing. Thus we ſee, that the Sacraments hauehave the worde alwayes ioyned with them: and without the worde, whereby their inſtitution and vſe is declared, they are as a dead bodye without life, as a dumbe ſhew without voice, as an empty cloud without water, and as a barren tree without fruite.
Let vsus apply this doctrine to our ſelues. Firſt it teacheth, that they partake not the Sacraments aright, that hauehave not the knowledge of the word, that are ignorant both of the ordinance and inſtitution of God, and of the promiſe annexed to the inſtitution of God: of which ſort there are many in the world, that neuer labour to know what he hath appointed and commanded them to do. If they do as others of the Church do, therein they reſt and ſeeke no further to be able to warrant their owne worke. If they heare the word ſpoken, if they ſee the body waſhed, the bread broken and the wine poured out, and receiue the outward ſignes, they regard no more, they go no higher, they imagine that they hauehave done enough,gVnderſtanding of the inſtitution, required of all. they neuer deſire to vnderſtand the meaning of the words which are neceſſary to bee knowne, comfortable to bee vnderſtood, and profitable to be marked. If a man hauehave goods befallen, or legacies bequeathed vntounto him by any will or Teſtament, will he not reſort to his learned counſell, to be carefull to vnderſtand the Teſtament, and know the meaning of the Teſtator? Chriſt Ieſus before his death made his will, he hath made his children heires of his promiſe, hee promiſeth to them forgiueneſſe of ſinnes in this life, and eternall life in the world to come. Doth it not now behooue eueryevery faithfull Chriſtian to ſearch into it, and know what is promiſed and bequeathed vntounto him? Men of this world for the moſt part make their eldeſt and firſt borne heire of all, and leaue little to the other: but eueryevery childe of God is as the eldeſt and as thehExod. 4, 22. firſt borne moſt deare to him, he ſhall receiue his double portion, the ſecond ſhall hauehave no leſſe then the firſt, nor the third leſſe then the ſecond, nor the younger then the elder, the firſt ſhall be as the laſt, and the laſt as the firſt, for hee may doe with his owne what he liſt. Againe, if a man doe leaue all his ſonnes heyres and rich inheritors, for the moſt part leſſe is beſtowed on the daughters: but all the children of God, both his ſonnes and daughtersiRom. 8, 17. Gal. 4, 7. ſhalbe heyres, euen the Heires of God, and heyres annexed with Chriſt Ieſus, their ſhare ſhalbe as great as the portion of Sonnes. Moreouer when a man hath paſſed all the dayes of his life in carke & care, what can he giuegive to his poſterity but earthly riches, and a tranſitory poſſeſsion, a fading inheritance, leauing thē inheritors as well of his ſorrow as of his ſubſtance? It is not ſo with the children of God. Chriſt by his laſt will and Teſtament hath promiſed to make his people ſound in faith, rich in hope, bleſſed in the pardon of their ſinnes, & heires of the kingdome which hee hath promiſed to them that louelove him. This is a great and vnſpeakeable comfort to all Gods children, whether high or low, whether rich or poore. So then we ought to bee much more carefull & earneſt to know throughly & vnderſtand perfectly the will of Chriſt, then any naturall child is to ſearch the meaning of the wil of his natural father. And if men were not wholy carnall, they would be thus far ſpiritually minded.
Againe, is the word an outward part of the Sacrament? Vſe 2 Then the Sacraments muſt neuer be ſeparated & ſet apart from the worde. They are not dumbe ſhewes and idle ſignes, but hauehave alwaies the doctrine of God adioyning vntounto them, to ſhew the end, vſe, and profite of them, and the purpoſe of God in them. This appeareth in all places, where God gaue ſignes to confirme & aſſure the truth of his promiſes. When he gaue in mercy to Noah and al his poſterity thekGen. 9, 11. Raine-bow immediately after the flood as a ſigne of his couenant, hee addeth his word vntounto the ſigne, My couenant will I eſtabliſh with you, that from henceforth all fleſh ſhall not be rooted out by the waters of the flood, neither ſhall there be a flood to deſtroy the earth any more. This is it the Apoſtle meaneth, 1. Cor. 11. Ye ſhew the Lords death till he come. Where hee teacheth, that the Lords Supper cannot be truely deliuered and rightly adminiſtred, vnles there be a declaration and ſhewing foorth of the death of Chriſt. Wherefore it is no Sacrament except the worde and doctrine be ioyned vntounto it, by way of explication & expoſition of the outward ſigne.
Laſtly, thoſe Sacraments are proued heereby to be no Vſe 3 Sacraments, which are foiſted and brought in without the warrant of the word. For take away the word, and what is the outward Element but a bare ſigne? What is the water in baptiſme but common water? What is the bread in the Lords Supper but common bread? What is the wine but common wine, ſuch as men vſe, and all men may take at their ordinary tables? Seeing therefore ſuch ſignes and Sacraments as hauehave not Gods commandement for their inſtitution: nor promiſe of grace and ſaluation annexed vntounto the vſing of them, are voide and nothing worth: hereby the imagined and deuiſed Sacraments of the Church of Rome are condemned, which deliuereth that it hath not receiued of the Lord, and impoſeth that to bee beleeued which it neuer learned in the word. Hereby the laſt annoyling or extreame vnction is excluded, wanting the word to warrant the continuall practiſe of it. Alſo their confirmation hath neyther worde to inſtitute the practiſe, nor element ro aſſure any grace, nor promiſe to approue any vſe. True it is, they hauehave words to adminiſter it, but they are words of men, not of God; vnwritten, not written: of tradition, not of Scripture. The like might bee ſaide of mariage, though we confeſſe and acknowledge it to bee an holy ordinance andmHeb. 13, 4. honourable inſtitution of God, yet was it made no Sacrament, hauing no word of inſtitution, no promiſe of ſanctification and ſaluation annexed vntounto all the faishfull vſers thereof: neyther is it an inſtrument, whereby God applyeth Chriſt and his ſauing benefits to the comfort and conſolation of his children. Wherefore to conclude this point wee affirme, that neyther the ſonnes of Romulus at Rome, nor of Remus at Rhemes ſhall euer be able to ſhew and proue, that they are to be acknowledged & receiued as Sacraments of the church which hauehave no warrant of the worde to command them, nor promiſe annexed to aſſure the ſauing graces of Chriſt to the worthy receiuers of them. But ſuch are their fiue pretended Sacraments of confirmation, penance, orders, matrimony, and extreame vnction, wanting eyther the word, or promiſe, or both: and therefore wee cannot receiue, we cannot acknowledge, we cannot beleeue them. Thus much of the ſecond outward part, namely, the word of inſtitution.