The Badges of Christianity, Book 1 · Chapter 16
Chap 16. Of the number of Sacraments.
HItherto we hauehave spoken of the chiefe vses of the sacraments: now we are come to speake aThe 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 howe manie such visible signes and seales of spirituall grace in the new testament, were iustituted of God to set forth the benefits of christ, for the continuall vse of the church. Many liue in the bosom of the church, hear the word, come to publick praier, take themselus to be goodly christians, offer themselues to the lordes table, and are made partakers of the Sacrament, who yet are ignorant how many sacraments ther are, & what they are. None almost so simple but can number his sheep and cattel: he knoweth their marks. he knoweth their differences: but aske him how many commaundements of the law, how many Articles of faith, how many petitions of the Lords prayer, or how many Sacraments of the New Testament, he can answere nothing. Such hauehave their wits wholly exercised on the world, and on wordly things which iustle out religion & the knoledge of heauenly things. If we hauehave eares to heare let vsus heare what is the faith os 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 Sacramentes.baptisme, whereby we are receiued into the couenant of God in steed of circumcision: and the Lordes supper, whereby we are nourished, maintained, and retained therein, insteed of the Passeouer. For albeit the couenant be but one, yet the seales there of are two, to assure vsus that by vnion with Christ, we are regenerated and shall be nourished to eternall life. He hath deliuered vsus a few sacraments insteade of many, he coulde hauehave instituted moe if he had thought it good for the benefit of the Church These are as it were the two eies wherby we see and behold the promises of God. These are as the two hands, whereby we after a sort do handle Christ crucified and lay hold on the graces of saluation. Christ hath appointed no mo 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 appear by these few reasons cReasons why ther are only two sament.following. First christ taught no more to his Apostles, the Apostles deliuered no mo to the churches, the churches embraced no moe for many yeares. When the Lord Iesus liued on the earth, dLuke. 1, 76. and 3. 3.he instituted baptisme by the ministery of Iohn baptist, who as he was sent to prepare the harts of the people, so he preached the baptisme of repentance: Afterward the Lord Iesus established it with his owne mouth, in the commission giuen to his disciples, he appointed and himself first administred his last supper in remembrance of his deth, vntil his 2. comming againe with power and great glory. These two true sacraments of the church, to wit, baptisme and 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 Paule admonisheth the Corinthians to beware of idolatry, not to slatter themselues, or to think themselues the members of christ, and therefore should escape the iudgment of God, because they had the sacraments: for the church of the Israelites had as great priuiledges as they, they had the same sacramentes, … e1. cor. 10, 1. 2. 3, 4.the same baptisme, the same supper in substaunce and effect, yet God was not pleased with them, but ouerthrew them in the wildernes. 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 inferiour to vsus, and we superiour 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 hee purposeth to set forth the priuiledges of the Iewes, and to make them equall with the Gentiles. Wherefore we must receyue two Sacraments onelyonly, or else the Apostle hath reasoned weakely.
Furthermore, the same Apostle, 1, Corinthians 12. purposinge to shewe that manie members of the church are one bodie in CHRIST coupled by him as by ioyntes, prooueth this pointe by a full enumeration of the sacramentes, being pledges of our settinge into the body of CHRIST and continuall nourishment in the same, when he saieth, f1. cor. 12. 3,As by one spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether Iewes or Gentiles, so we hauehave al … made to drink into one spirit. Where the Apostle sheweth, that al the faithfull by the effectuall woorking of the Holy-ghoast 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 mo sacraments deliuered in the Gospel, then were prefigured vnderunder the law: for their sacraments were g… …. 3 21.types answering to our sacramenst, as 1. Pet. 3. Our baptisme answereth the figure of the waters, representing the same that our baptisme doth. True it is, the sacramentes of the olde Testament were not hIewish sacraments not figures of christian sacraments.figures of the sacraments of the new Testament, for then their sacraments should be the sign, and ours shuld be the thing signified: and so there should be sacraments of Sacraments, which were foolish and absurd. Againe, the Iewish Sacramentes should be signes of things altogither vnknowne vntounto them and not giuen them of God, for they were vtterly ignorant of Baptisme and the Lordes Supper. Besides, that auncient people should be saued by beleeuing baptisme and 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 sacramentes should hauehave one signification, and the new another; for the old should signifie the new, and the new shold signifie christ and his benefits. Notwithstanding, the sacraments of the new testament succeede in the room of those of the old, and signifie the same thinges that they doe, baptisme kcol. 2. 11. 12came in place of circumcision, and the Lords supper is come in place of the Paschall lamb, as appeareth in that it was administred presently after it, lLuk. 22. 14. 15.to declare the abrogating of the one and establishing of the other. As then ther was the same faith and the same way of saluation by christ, mReuel. 13. 8.who was the lambe slame from the beginning of the worlde, nHeb. 13. 8.he was yesterday and to day, and the same for euer: so had the Iewish rites respect to o1. Cor. 10. 3 4Christ, and all of them are reduced to our two Sacraments. Wherefore, as the Iewes had onelyonly two ordinary pExod. 12. 48Sacramentes, circumcision and the Passeouer, as appeareth. If a straunger dwell with thee, and will obseiue the Passeouer of the Lord, let him circumcise all the males that belong vntounto him: so the ordinary sacramentes of Christes 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 an swerable to any types of Iewish rudiments, therefore they are no sacraments.
Fiftly, these two sacraments, baptisme and the Lords supper, are altogither perfect and sufficient, not onelyonly to enter and plant a Christian into the church, but also to retaine him in it: and therefore all other are friuolous, vaine, and superstitious, as superfluous braunches to be pared away. Now, that they are sufficient to these purposes, appeareth by the effects and vses of them. What other grace can we hauehave, then to be borne againe in Christ, to hauehave iustification, forgiuenes of sinnes, and all priuiledges of eternall life; and then afterward to be norished and kept continually in him. Al these are fullie represented and sealed vp to vsus in these two: wherup on it followeth, that christ, who ordained the fewest and best sacramentes vnderunder the gospell, appointed these and no moe. Thus then we 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 counterfait sacraments, they seale not vppe christ, qAugust, in Psal. 40.they neuer flowed out of his side, rIoh. 19. 34.from whence yssued onelyonly water and bloud.
Lastly, this number of 2. sacraments appeareth, not only by the testimony of ancient fathers, but by the confession of the aduersaries. For howsoeuer in many other controuersies, their wordes are many, and their argumentes probable and very specious: yet for the auouching of 7. Sacramentes, they are dumbe and silent, and are not able to produce the reuerent witnesses of the elder time. Bellarmine proueth the word sBellar. de effect, sacr. lib. 2 cap, 24.Sacrament, sometimes to be giuen to al the …: but this is when the word is taken in a large and generall signification, for any misticall signe and token, t…. coloni dial. 7, pag, 248which 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 … 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 the uAug, de sim, lib. 3, cap, 9.mistery of the Trinity a Sacrament; and fire a Sacrament, because by the heat, light, and shining brightnesse thereof, the Trinity may be shadowed out. Besids, a…, Encount. 1, …, 13.the late Warnword, Pag. 91. handling this controuersie of the number of Sacraments, doth not proue the number of 7. Sacraments out of the Scripture, neither goeth about it, neither is able to deriue it further then the counsell of Florence holden in the yeare 1440. and from Peter Lumbard, bsentent, lib, 4, dict, 2.who was indeede the father and first finder and founder of this number ofseuen. Augustine, when he speaketh of Sacraments in the strict and proper signification, & taketh them for holy signes and seales, not only signifieng, but representing and exhibiting spiritual graces, commaunded by christ, succeeding in the roome of the Iewish two ordinary Sacraments, and offering Christ to all faithful receiuers, reckneth them as we do, caugust. de simb, ad catechu.Haec sunt Ecclesiae gemina sacramenta. 1. These be two sacraments of the church. And in one other place, daugust, de doctr. christ. lib 3. cap. 9.Christ and his Apostles hauehave deleuered vntounto vsus a few sacraments in stead of many, as Baptisme and the Lords supper. So S. Ambrose intreating purposely eambros, lib. 1 de sacram, cap. 1,of the Sacraments, speaketh but of two, as the reformed churches hold at this day. Innocentius the third speaking also 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 doctour of the papistes holdeth heerein the truth, gIn lib. 4. sent dist. 28 qu, 4teaching that the forme of Bapt. and of the Lords supper is found in the Scripture, but not of the other pretended sacraments, and namely of extreame vnction. To conclude, hBessar, de sacra., …cardinall Bessarion confesseth this, Haec duo sola sacramenta in Euangelijs manifestè tradita legimus, that is, we read that these two onelyonly sacraments were deliuered vsus manifestly and plainly in the Gospell.
Now let vsus come to the vses of this diuision. In that Vse. 1.Christ hath appointed so few sacraments in number: hereby 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 sacramentes onelyonly: whereas he might hauehave deliuered other moe vntounto vsus. The Ceremoniall law was a very heauy burden pressing downe the fathers of the olde Testament, and keeping them iact. 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 for me of prayer, as a perpetuall direction to the church, and in deliuering the ten commaundements diuided into two tables: so he hath not troubled vsus with many sacraments: whereby also our nature prone to Idolatry is respected, and the grace of the new testament is wonderfully amplyfied. We see how superstition & grosse Idolatry hauehave preuailed in the church of Rome, and infected with deadly poison one of the Sacramentes: how much greater danger were it, if moe sacraments had beene commaunded and commended vntounto vsus.
Againe, heereby we may perceiue and conceiue the difference betweene the old and new testament, between Vse. 2.the Sacramentes vnderunder the law 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 were many in number, the Arke, circumcision, the Passeouer, Manna, the cloud, the sea, the rock, many purifications & oblations which are not easie to be numbred. But the Gospell acknowledgeth onelyonly two, as two twins of the same father. Hee reunto wee may adde not vnprofitably, other material differences to be acknowledged. They … in time: ours shew forth our communion with Christ already come and so are more firme and durable as those l1 cor. 11, 26.which are not to be chāged, to the end of the world, Ye shew the Lords death til he 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 to them. Again, they differ in variety of Sacramentall signes and rites, as the cutting of the foreskin, the lambe of the Passeouer, iournying through the sea, sauing by the Arke, drinking of the rock, lifting vp the brasent Serpent, raining downe of Manna, washing of their body, they had calues, sheep, Gotes, doues, bread, wine, Oyle, and such like: we hauehave onelyonly water in Baptisme, and 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, combersome, painefull to the slesh, and some of them were administred with effusion & sheding of blood, partly of man and partly of beastes. Of man, as in circumcision: of beasts, as in the paschall lam be and in the sacrifices. But our Sacramentes, though Sacramentes of Christs blood shed for vsus, yet of themselues be voide of blood. Fiftly, they differ in measure of signification. For our Sacramentes hauehave a more plentifull and full representation of grace offered, and stir vp a greater measure of saith then the Sacramentes of the old Testament (which were more darke and obscure) the Lord reseruing a fuller measure of knowledge vntounto the blessed times of the Gospe'l. For as the exhibiting of Christ Iesus in the flesh and fulnesse of time, and as it were in the old age of the world, is of more efficacy to moue vsus then the expectation of him to come: so we hauehave better helpes and an holy aduantage to raise and rouse vp our faith to 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 wer tied 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 Sacramentes they are equall, mWherein the Sacraments of the old and new Testament agree.hauing the same end and the same signification, and being of one esficacy, 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, being the lambe slaine from the foundation of the worlde. They signifie and shew forth the same communion of Christ, by which all the clect are saued, and seale vp saluation and remission of sinnes to all that do receiue them by faith. For they were giuen to bee signes and seales of grace and of the promises of God, to distinguish the faithfull from all other sectes and religions in the world, and that they should be receiued with profit onelyonly of the faithfull. In these and such like things, the Sacramentes of the Iewish and Christian church are not vnequall: although in the outward signes and circumstances they be diuers, yet in the substance and in the thing signified there is no difference.
Thirdly, we are bound to beleeue his promises, and to hauehave strong consolation, seeing he hath giuen vsus 2. signes. Vse. 3.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 vnchangable. For he is not as man that he should ly, or deceiue: n2 cor. 1, 10his 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 we wauer like oI am. 1. 6.a waue of the sea tossed of the wind and carried away. One tree of life serued Adam to assure him life: one raine-bowe sufficed Noah: One returne of the fun back ward was inough to Hezekiah, and they beleeued. If then we seeke a signe, behold we hauehave two giuen vntounto vsus, that hauing two vnchangeable sacraments as it were two witnesses of his worde, wee might hauehave strong consolation. The vnbeleeuing Iewes said to christ, pMath, 12. 38. and, 16. 1.shew vsus a signe and we will beleeue thee. Beholde the Lord sheweth vsus two visible signes, of his spirituall and inuisible graces, and shal not we beleeue, being stedfast in faith? We desire forgiuenesse of sins and assurance therof: by these two, the Lorde 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 sacramentes Vse. 4.serueth to teach, that there are not seuen sacraments of the church, and so do condemne the fiue supposed and falsely named sacraments qConcil. Trid. sess. 7. de sacra in gen can. 18 11, and 13.maintained of the church of Rome, to wit, confirmation, pennance, Matrimony, orders, and extreame vnction. Baptisme we embrace: the Lordes supper we acknowledge: of these two we moue no question, we make no controuersie: the other fiue, whole 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.