The New Covenant, Book 1 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Of the third outward part of a Sacrament.
THe third outward part of a Sacrament is theaThe ſigne is an outward part of the Sacrament. element or outward ſigne. For whereſoeuer there is a Sacrament, there muſt of neceſsity be a ſigne, ſuch as water is in baptiſme, and bread and wine in the Lords ſupper, not of their owne nature, but by the ordinance of God, which are ſanctified by the eſpeciall word and prayer. Therefore, Iohn the Baptiſt baptized with water: & Chriſt when he inſtituted his laſt Supper, tooke bread and brake it, and gaue it to his Diſciples: Likewiſe hee tooke the cup, wherein was the fruite of the Vine, as appeareth when hebMar. 14, 25. ſaide, I will drinke no more of the fruite of the Vine, vntill that day that I drinke it new in the kingdome of God.
Seeing then it is cleare, there muſt in eueryevery Sacrament be a viſible ſigne that may be ſeene and handled, let vsus ſee how we may profitably apply this to our inſtruction. Firſt, ſeeing the ſignes and Sacramental rites are outward parts: we muſt take heede wee aſcribe not too much to the outward ſigne, and ſo commit idolatry to the creature. For the Water in Baptiſme hath not power in it ſelfe & force to waſh away ſin, but by the ordinance of God it is made a ſigne and ſeale of regeneration. Euen as the water of Iordan where Iohn baptized, was no better then the waters of others places and Countries, neyther had any ſtrength and vertue to cleanſe the Leapars that waſhed in it: yet by the bleſsing of God, Naaman the Syrian c2 King 5, 12 14.waſhing himſelfe ſeauen times therein, according to the direction of the Prophet, was cleanſed and healed of his leaproſie: So the water vſed in the Sacrament of baptiſme, is in nature and ſubſtance the ſame with ordinary and common water, neither hath it vigor and vertue to cleanſe the ſoule, yet by the inſtitution of God it is appointed to ſeale vp the aſſurance of remiſsion of ſinnes.
Notwithſtanding, this confidence in the outward ſigne, which in it ſelfe is as nothing, hath ſince the fall of man reſted and remained in his corrupt nature, flattering himſelfe and deceiuing his owne ſoule. This fond and falſe opinion was in Adam immediately after his tranſgreſsiō; he did attribute too much to the tree of life (which had in it ſelfe no more life then the reſt of the trees in the garden) and therefore God would thruſt him out of the garden,eGen. 3, 22. leaſt he ſhould beguile himſelfe with that conceite and imagination.
Thus did the Iſraelites truſt too much in the Arke, a ſigne of Gods comfortable preſence and protection, attributing ſaluation thereunto, ſaying,f1 Sam. 4, 3. It may ſaue vsus out of the hands of our enemies, therefore God ouerthrew them, and gaue them into the hands of the Philiſtims. The like we might ſay of their circumciſion, they gloried much of it, and reſted altogether in it, and thought themſelues wholy diſcharged by it, howſoeuer they liued, and whatſoeuer they practiſed. This is the common error of the ignorant people, they imagine they hauehave done God good ſeruice, and ſufficiently diſcharged their duty, when they hauehave beene at the Communion, albeit they know not what they hauehave receiued, nor how it is to bee receiued, albeit they know not nor vnderſtand the meaning of the inſtitution, nor to what end it was ordained. If they can ſay, Lord, wee hauehave eate and drunke in thy preſence, wee hauehave beene at thine owne Table, wee hauehave ſit downe with thee as thy gueſts, we hauehave beene partakers of thy Supper; they bleſſe themſelues in their owne ignorance, and thinke thēſelues as ſound Chriſtians as any that liue in the Church. Thus do theſe ſilly ſoules deceiue themſelues, and inſtead of the comfort of the Spirite, they heape vponupon themſelues further damnation: if they ſee any wilfully abſtaine and and ſent themſelues from communicating & comming to the Sacraments, they are ready to condemne them and cry out againſt them, and pronounce ſentence vponupon them: howbeit they neuer conſider their owne wayes, that it were better neuer to receiue the Sacrament of the Supper of the Lord, then to receiue ignorantly, brutiſhly, and vnworthily, foraſmuch as they are guilty of the bodye and blood of Chriſt. Not that any ſhould bee nouriſhed or encouraged in their wilful recuſancy, but that al perſons ſhould learne to know what they do, and whereabout they goe, and wherefore they do receiue, and ſo walke in the light as children of the light, and thereby finde comfort & reſt in their owne hearts.
Againe, we are taught hereby, that they are no Sacraments Vſe 2 that hauehave no ſigne, no ſeale, no element to ſignify, to ſtrengthen, and to ſeale vp the promiſes of ſaluation. For as we ſhewed before, that eueryevery Sacrament muſt hauehave Gods word to warrant it: ſo muſt it hauehave an outward ſigne to approue the receiuing of it, and to ſignifie the ſpiritual grace offered by it. Heereby we learne what to hold of tranſubſtantiation, a doctrine teaching that the bread & wine is turned into the very bodye and blood of Chriſt, namely that it is a very fable to mocke fooles withall. ForgTranſubſtā tiation ouerthrowne. whatſoeuer ouerthroweth the nature and vſe of a Sacrament, is not to be admitted but omitted, neyther to bee receiued but reiected. But tranſubſtantiation ouerthroweth and ouerturneth both the nature and vſe of a Sacrament: and therefore not to be admitted and receiued into the Church. For touching the nature of a Sacrament it is confeſſed,hIren. lib. 4. contr. haer. cap. 34. that it conſiſteth of two parts, the one earthly and the other heauenly: but if after the words of conſecration, the bread and wine are tranſubſtantiated into the body and blood of Chriſt, then the ſigne is taken away, the element is ouerthrowne, the materiall part is aboliſhed; and conſequently the nature of a Sacrament is ouerturned. And touching the vſe of a Sacrament, there muſt be an analogy and proportion betweene the ſigne & the thing ſignified. As in Baptiſme the element of water waſheth and purgeth the bodye, ſo the Holy-Ghoſt through the blood of Chriſt cleanſeth and ſanctifieth the ſoule. Likewiſe in the Lords Supper, as the Subſtance of bread and wine receiued, ſtrengtheneth and comforteth the body: ſo ChriſtiIoh. 6, 33. receiued by faith nouriſheth & feedeth the ſoule. The very true principall vſe of this Sacrament is to confirme our faith, that as ſurely as thoſe earthly creatures taken and applyed, feed our bodies to a bodily life: ſo the body and blood of Chriſt receiued and applyed by faith, feed our ſoules to eternall life. And do not all the faithfull feele a ſweete comfort, ſo often as they come to the Lords table by this ſimilitude & agreement, to conſider and know aſſuredly, that as the ſubſtance of bread ſerueth to nouriſh and doth feede our bodyes, ſo Chriſt doth feede our ſoules? But if wee muſt beleeue, that the ſubſtance of bread and wine is changed & cleane gone, that nothing remaineth but accidents: where is this comfort and conſolation? How can wee bee aſſured and ſtrengthened, that as our bodies are nouriſhed with the materiall elements, ſo in like manner our ſoules by feeding on Chriſt? Wherefore, while they take away the ſubſtance of bread which ſhould nouriſh the body, the nature and vſe of the Sacrament is deſtroyed, and wee are ſpoyled of the comfort of our hearts and ſtrengthning of our faith, which wee ſhould hauehave by this notable compariſon and reſemblance of the parts. So then, if wee would receiue comfort in comming to this Communion, wee muſt retaine the ſubſtance of the ſigne, as a ſtaffe to ſtay vp our faith that it do not faile.
Laſtly, ſeeing God giueth vntounto vsus outward ſignes of his grace, it ſerueth to teach vsus, that whereſoeuer and among whomſoeuer God continueth his ſignes, he purpoſeth to beſtow vponupon them the things ſignified by the ſignes: & on the other ſide, where God denyeth the meanes, he alſo denyeth the thing, & whē he taketh away the ſign, he taketh away the grace alſo. This we ſee in the Turkes and Sarazins, becauſe he denyeth vntounto them ſaluation, hee taketh from them the ſeales and aſſurances of ſaluation: and becauſe he refuſeth them to be his Church, hee vouchſafeth not vntounto them the prerogatiues and priuiledges of his Church. Thus it falleth out in the preaching of the word: vponupon thoſe whom God determineth to ſaue, and to beſtow vponupon them the guift of faith, whereby they are entred into the kingdome of heauen, hee ſendeth vponupon them his word and cauſeth it to be preached vntounto them: but when he will not ſhew mercy, but leaue a people in their miſerable eſtate and condition, he withdraweth the Miniſtry from them, as we ſee in the Acts of the Apoſtles, Chap. 16. When they were gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, They were forbidden of the holye Ghoſt to preach the word in Aſia: and after they were come to Myſia they aſſaied to go into Bithinia, but the Spirite ſuffered them not. Euen as when God will bring a famine vponupon a land, he with-holdeth the early and latter raine, making the heauen to be as braſſe, and the earth as iron: but when he will ſend plenty and open the windowes of heauen, he ſendeth a gracious raine and ſhowers vponupon the earth: ſo when he will ſend a famine, not of bread, nor a thirſt of water, but of hearing the word of God; hee taketh away his word and the meanes of ſaluation, that they ſhall wander from ſea to ſea, and runne to and fro to ſeeke the word of the Lord, and ſhall not finde it, but faint for thirſt. If any aske the queſtion wherfore the Lord forbad Paul to preach the word in Aſia, and to come into Bythinia; we cannot aſsigne this to be the cauſe that they were vnworthy to hauehave the doctrine of ſaluation offered vntounto them, foraſmuch as they were as worthy as the Macedonians to whō the Goſpell was preached, & no more vnworthy then the other Gentiles. Neither can we ſay this was the cauſe, that God foreſaw how eueryevery one would receiue or entertaine the Goſpel, & that as he ſaw them ready and inclined to accept of the word or to reiect it, ſo he vouchſafed or not vouchſafed the ſame vntounto them: for hee pronounceth openly, that he appeared to them of whom hee was not ſought, and ſpake vntounto them that neuer asked after him. Beſides, this were to ground the cauſe of ſaluation vponupon our ſelues, which is out of our ſelues, and to aſcribe it to our owne merite, which is due onelyonly to his mercy. We are all by nature the children of wrath, and deſtitute of the guift of faith: if there be any willingneſſe in vsus to obey, it proceedeth from the Spirite of God, who as he electeth freely, ſo he calleth freely. Now that which is ſpoken of the preaching of the word, may alſo be applied to the vſe of the Sacraments. When he purpoſeth to ſtrengthen the faith which hee hath giuen vntounto vsus, hee vouchſafeth the outward ſignes and ſeals of his promiſes, that thereby wee ſhould be aſſured he meaneth to beſtow vponupon vsus the inward grace repreſented by them. He dealeth iuſtly and vprightly with vsus, hee hath no purpoſe to beguile vsus and deceiue vsus. For they are no bare or naked much leſſe falſe and lying ſignes, but effectual inſtruments of the Spirite to conuey the mercies of God in Ieſus Chriſt into our hearts, and therefore we muſt bee carefull to vſe them conſcionably, as certaine pawnes and pledges which God hath commended and committed vntounto vsus, that they might be as witneſſes of his louelove and fauour towards vsus. And thus much of the third outward part, to wit, the ſigne.