The New Covenant, Book 1 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Of the fourth outward part of a Sacrament.
THe laſt outward pa…t of a Sacrament is theaThe receiuer is an outward part of the Sacrament. receiuer, which is as needfull as the outward ſigne. We vnderſtand and take heere a receiuer in generall, for eueryevery one that commeth to the Sacrament, whether good or euill, godly or vngodly, faithfull or vnfaithfull. Such a receiuer is likewiſe a neceſſary part of the Sacrament. For no ſigne hath the ſubſtance and eſſence of a Sacrament, vnleſſe it be receiued. Though there bee a Miniſter to adminiſter it, a word to warrant it, a ſigne to repreſent it, yet vnleſſe there be a fit perſon to receiue it, ther can be no Sacrament. If the Miniſter ſhould ſprinkle water, and alleadge the words of inſtitution where there is no party to be baptized, this were a prophaning, not a ſolemnizing of Baptiſme: or if hee ſhould take bread and wine with prayer and thankſgiuing, where none are preſent to communicate and receiue, this were to commit ſacriledge, not to deliuer a Sacrament. Wherefore, vnleſſe there be a body to be waſhed, and except there bee Communicants to partake the Supper, there can bee no Sacrament. This appeareth by the words of God vntounto Abraham bGen. 17, 12.giuing vntounto him circumciſion, ſaying, EueryEvery male childe of eight daies old ſhall bee circumciſed. This alſo appeareth in thecMat. 28.19. words of Chriſt ſpeaking of baptiſme, and charging the Apoſtles to baptize the nations in the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the Holy-Ghoſt. Where he teacheth, that it is not ſufficient to take water, but there muſt be a waſhing. So when he ſpeaketh of his SupperdMat. 26, 26, 27. he ſaith, Take yee, eate ye, drinke ye: ſo that there muſt not onelyonly be bread, but giuing, taking, and eating: there muſt not onelyonly be wine, but giuing, taking, and drinking thereof.
This truth being euidently deliuered, let vsus ſee how it may be profitably applied. Firſt of all, muſt the Sacraments Vſe 1 neceſſarily be receiued? Then it teacheth that the Sacraments without their lawfull vſe are no Sacraments at all: they are no ſignes of grace, if they bee not vſed. This condemneth the keeping, reſeruing, holding vp, and carrying about with pompe & oſtentation the Lords Supper, offering vp, kneeling downe vntounto, and adoring a piece of bread: all which are horrible prophanations of that comfortable Sacramēt, wherby the people is robbed and depriued of a precious part of their peace in Chriſt. The bread feedeth not the body, reuiueth not the ſpirits, ſtrengtheneth not the heart, by looking and gazing vponupon it, by touching and handling it, but by eating, digeſting, and feeding vponupon it: ſo doth the Sacrament ſtrengthen faith, not by reſeruing and keeping it, but by vſing and receiuing of it. For Sacraments are actions, not dumbe ſhewes. Chriſt ſaide not, Heare ye, ſee ye, gaze ye on, but Baptize ye, eate yee, drinke ye, doe yee this in remembrance of me.
Vſe 2 Secondly, are the receiuers an outward part of the Sacrament? Then the perſons that are to receiue muſt know, that diuers duties are to be done and performed of them. The perſons then that are to receiue, muſt ioyne with the Miniſter in prayer, in quickning their faith in the couenant and promiſes of God; beholding the former workes of the Miniſter, bleſsing, breaking, pouring out, and diſtributing, ratifying them in their hearts, and laſtly by receiuing and applying to themſelues the viſible ſignes. For as we hauehave ſhewed, if the words of baptiſme ſhould be rehearſed ouer the water, and no perſon be preſent to be baptized, it is no baptiſme: ſo if the words of inſtitution in the Supper ſhould bee ſpoken and repeated without eating, without drinking, without receiuing, it were no Sacrament. Wherefore, we muſt all learne to deteſt theeBellar deſacram. Euchar. lib. 4. cap. 2. abſurd opinion of Bellarmine, and other procters of the Romiſh religion, which teach that the bread & wine being once conſecrate, whether they bee receiued or reſerued, whether they be diſtributed to be eaten & drunk, or whether they be kept in boxes & veſſels of the church, for daies, moneths, and long times, and carried ſolemnly in proceſsion: are notwithſtanding ſtil the Sacrament of the body and blood of Chriſt. Againſt which dotage we ſpake in the former vſe, and ſhall ſpeakefBook. 3. c. 6. more in the third booke following.
Vſe 3 Laſtly, if the receiuing be an outward part, then wee are not to reſt in the outward participation, for ſo farre went Iudas in the Paſſeouer: ſo farre went Simon that ſorcerer in baptiſme: and ſo farre wentgCor. 10.1, 2.3, 5. the Iſraelites, as the Apoſtle ſheweth. They were all baptized vntounto Moſes in the cloud and in the ſea: they did all eate the ſame ſpirituall meate, and did all drinke the ſame ſpirituall drinke, &c. yet with many of them was not God pleaſed, but they were ouerthrowne in the Wilderneſſe. And therefore Iohn Baptiſt ſaid to the Phariſes and Saduces, when he ſaw them come to his baptiſme,hMat. 3, 7, 8. O generation of vipers, who hath forewarnd you to flee from the anger to come? bring foorth therefore fruite worthy amendment of life. Now our righteouſneſſe muſt exceede the righteouſneſſe of the Scribes and Phariſies, if we would enter into the kingdome of heauen. Let vsus all therefore hauehave this profitable meditation, ſo often as wee deale with the Sacraments and come vntounto them: we muſt looke further thē to the outward ſight, we muſt conſider more then the externall ſigne, otherwiſe as we approach without preparation, ſo we depart without edification. And thus much of the foure outward parts of a Sacrament, to wit, the Miniſter, the word, the ſigne, and the receiuer.