The New Covenant, Book 1 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. Of the firſt inward part of a Sacrament.
THe outward parts of a Sacrament hauehave hitherto beene declared, by a diligent performance whereof Conſecration is performed: now the inward parts follow to be conſidered, and handled of vsus, in which the very ſoule and life of the Sacraments conſiſteth. For the outward parts profite nothing without theſe, as the word profiteth nothing, except the inward and true husbandman giuegive the increaſe; according to the Apoſtles words,a1 Cor. 3, 7. Hee that planteth and he that watereth is nothing; but God that giueth the increaſe: ſo the force of the Sacraments is to be looked for, frō the Creator that did inſtitute them. Peter ſaith,1 Pet. 3, 21. Baptiſme doth ſaue vsus, but hee addeth, not Whereby the filth of the fleſh is waſhed away, but in that a good conſcience maketh requeſt to God. As the Apoſtle Paul teacheth, that1 Tim. 4.8. Bodily exerciſe profiteth little, but godlineſſe is profitable to all things: ſo the outward ſigne profiteth little, but the inward parts being applyed and receiued, are profitable to all things.
Behold the creatures which God vſeth, as inſtruments of his mercy toward vsus, the Sunne, the Moone, the Stars, fire, water, hearbes, and ſuch like: wee ought not to put any confidence in them, nor admire them as firſt and chiefe cauſes of any benefits. So our truſt ought not to be in the outward ſigns though ordained of God as holy helps vntounto vsus (which were to conuey his glorye to them) but our faith muſt bee lifted vp to God beeing the author of the Sacraments, and the creator of all things. The inward partes of a Sacrament are ſuch inuiſible and heauenly things as are ſignified vnderunder the earthly & outward parts. Wee heard before, the outward parts of a Sacrament to be theſe, the Miniſter, the word, the ſigne, and the receiuer: ſo the inward aredWhat are the inward & inuiſible parts of a Sacramēt foure in number, anſwerable to the outward, to wit, 1. God the Father: Secondly, the Spirite. 3. Chriſt. 4. the faithfull. Now there is a notable proportion and worthy agreement between the outward and the inward parts,eThe proportion betweene the parts. theſe reſembling each other, as one face anſwereth another in the waters. For euen as the Miniſter by the word, offereth and applyeth viſibly the outward element and ſigne to the body of the receiuer: So GOD the Father, by the Spirite, offereth and applyeth IESVS CHRIST inuiſibly to the faithfull receiuer. This is the reſemblance …nd likeneſſe betweene the external and internall parts: whereby wee ſee, that God the Father is repreſented by the Miniſter: the Spirite, by the word: Chriſt, by the outward element: and the faithfull receiuer by the outward receiuing. This conueniency betweene the ſigne and thing ſignified, doth S. Augustine notably deliuer in his 23. Epiſtle, when he ſaith, If the Sacraments ſhould not hauehave ſome ſimilitude of thoſe things whereof they are Sacraments, they ſhould bee no Sacraments at all: for of that reſemblance, many times they take the names of thoſe things whereof they are ſignes. Thus was it in the Paſchall Lambe, repreſēting Ieſus Chriſt vntounto vsus in a liuely figure,Ouid de Faſt. lib. 1. Quid placidae Commeru…ſtis oues? not onelyonly by reaſon of the innocency of this creature, but eſpecially in that it was ſlaine by the Prieſt, and eaten by the faithfull, to ſignifie and ſeale vp the death of Chriſt, the vnſpotted Lambe, the onelyonly nouriſhment of our ſoules.
The firſt inward part is God thefThe firſt inward part of a Sacrament is God the Father, Father, offering and applying Chriſt and his ſauing graces to the faithful. The Miniſter offereth and deliuereth the outward ſignes to the receiuers, and can go no further: heerein hee repreſenteth God the Father, who offereth Chriſt to all, albeit the reprobate receiue him not. He doth not dally and deale falſly with vsus, but truely offereth in the Sacraments Chriſt with all his guifts and benefits, if we hauehave hands to receiue him, he is giuen to vsus.
The vſe of this doctrine is, firſt of al to diſtinguiſh betweene Vſe 1 God and the Miniſter: the outward ſignes are giuen by the hands of the Miniſter, whether he be good or euill, but the truth and ſubſtance of the Sacraments is giuen by God the Father. Whoſoeuer confoundeth theſe parts and workes, robbeth God of his glory, depriueth himſelfe of the grace of Chriſt offered, and maketh fleſh his arme. Wherefore, as the workes of God and of the Miniſter are diſtinct, ſo muſt theſe parts remaine diſtinguiſhed, howſoeuer to the faithfull they are not ſeparated and ſundred, as in the publiſhing and preaching of the Goſpel, the Miniſter ſpeaketh vntounto the outward man, and the ſound therof entreth into the eare,gAct. 16, 14. but it is God that openeth the heart, and ſpeaketh to the conſcience of the faithfull hearer.
Secondly, it ſerueth to ſtrengthen our faith and helpe Vſe 2 our weakeneſſe when we come to the Sacrament. So often as we ſee the Miniſters of God appointed by him, deliuering the ſignes and ſetting them apart to their ends for which they were ordained: we muſt behold with the eie of faith, God the Father offering his Sonne to thoſe that can receiue him. For if we come aright, we may aſſure our owne hearts, that what the Miniſter doth outwardly, the ſame the Father performeth inwardly, then which there cannot be a greater comfort. Let vsus therefore behold with our eyes, the Sacramentall rites: let vsus heare the promiſes that God maketh vntounto vsus: God the Father will verifie them, who hathhIohn 6, 32. ſealed vp his Sonne vntounto vsus. My Father giueth you that bread from Heauen. Hee will as ſurely giuegive Chriſt, as the Miniſter deliuereth the bread & wine. Albeit the Sacraments ſhould be miniſtred by ſome hypocrite and wicked man: yet they hauehave as much force and as great efficacy, as if they were miniſtred by faithful and godly men. The vertue of the Sacraments hangeth vponupon the Miniſter no more, then the goodneſſe of ſeede dependeth vponupon the ſower: which if it light in good ground, wil bring forth plentifull fruit, albeit it be ſowne of an vngodly and vnskilfull man.
Thirdly, conſider heere the difference betweene a Sacrament and a Sacrifice. For wee learne from Vſe 3 hence, that God the Father in the Sacraments doth giuegive his owne Sonne to the true receiuers. True it is, a Sacrament and a Sacrifice hauehave ſome affinity and agreement the one with the other. They hauehave this in common, that both were inſtituted of God, and hauehave him for the author of them. In both of them there are outward actions which hauehave inward ſignifications: for the killing of beaſts ſhewed plainely what our condition is, both that we are guilty of death, and could not be deliuered but by an offering for ſinne, and that Chriſt Ieſus is the true oblation to be offered to God vponupon the Altar of the Croſſe for our ſinnes. Neuertheleſſe, they differ alſo in diuers reſpects; as firſt in the end. The end of a Sacrament is not to offer it vp to God, but that it bee offered to vsus and receiued of vsus. The Miniſter offereth the ſigne, God the Father offereth the thing ſignified: wee receiue the outward element at the hand of the Miniſter, wee receiue the inward grace at the hand of God. But the nature of a Sacrifice, is, that we giuegive it, or offer it vp to God, according to his owne ordinance, whereupon alſo it is called an offering or oblation. True it is alſo, that ſome of the Sacraments of the old Teſtament vnderunder the law were after a ſorte externall Sacrifices, as the Paſchall Lambe: howbeit it is not ſo in the Sacraments of the Church of Chriſt, becauſe the perfect Sacrifice of Chriſt once onelyonly offered hath aboliſhed and abrogated all outward Sacrifices. Againe, they differ the one from the other in the outward forme and manner of doing.Leuit. 16, 5. For the Sacrifices were burned in part or in whole with fire, to note out the purity of Chriſts Sacrifice, and the eternall Spirite, Heb. 9, 14.by which he was offered to God: whereas they were properly called by name of Sacraments, which were eaten or applyed to the bodye; and therefore altar was appointed for the Sacrifices, but a Table for the Sacraments that were eaten.