The Badges of Christianity, Book 1 · Chapter 19
Chap. 19. That Matrimony is not a Sacrament.
THe Counsell of Trent vnderunder Pius 4. Sess. 8 decreeth, aConcil. Trid. sess. 8. can. 1.If any shall say, that Matrimony is not truely and properly one of the 7. Sacramentes instituted by Christ, but was brought in by men into the Church, and doth not conferre grace let him be accursed. Heereby, they would seeme to set forth the dignity of marriage aboue vsus, seeing they lift it vp into the number of the Sacraments of the Church. Yet (as a lyar seldome agreeth with himselfe) they complaine that we too highly magnifie the married estate, and themselues cannot abide it in their clergy, because for sooth it is written, Be ye holy for I am holy: they which are in the flesh cannot please God. Marriage therefore is too holy an ordinance for their vnholy cleargy, inasmvch as they teach in this point b1 Tim. 4. 1. 2, 3.the doctrin of deuils, and are led by the spirit of error, that forbid marriage which God hath left free. We confesse touching mariage, somuch as the word of God teacheth vsus, that it is an ordinance of God, instituted before the fall of man while he was without sinne, cGen. 2, 18and blessed of God, who saide, It is not good for man to be alone, let us make him an helper meete for him. This estate Christ did not abrogate and disanull, but repeated and confirmed, dMath. 19, 16, Ioh. 2, 1, 2 Heb. 13. 4.not onelyonly by word, but by his owne presence, and hath left it as a lawfull remedy against fornication and vncleannesse. We account it an honorable estate of life among all, and the bedde vndefiled, but cor. 6, 9, 10.whoremongers and adulterers God will iudge, and cast into vtter darkenesse, where their worme shall neuer dy, and their fire shall not be quenched, as the Apostle teacheth, 1 Cor. 6, Know ye not that the vnrighteous shal not inherit the kingdome of God? Be not deceiued: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor wantons, nor buggerers, nor drunkards, shal inher it the kingdome of God. Notwithstanding, eReasons vvhy mariage is no Sacrament.we cannot cal and account it a Sacrament, for diuerse waighty reasons, & euident causes. First, it was not instituted by Christ, but was from the beginning of the world, and therefore it was before the law and vnderunder the law, how can it be a Sacrament of the new Testament? Againe, matrimony may be among infidels and vnbeleeuers, out of the Church and society of the faithfull. For the matrimony of infidels is lawfull. God did institute it for all mankind. The commaundement is generall, increase and multiply. The Apole teacheth, that if the vnbeleeuing woman will dwell with the beleeuing husband, fGrati. in dec. c. 28. qu. 1. Lumb. lib. 4 dist. 39.he must not put her away for her infidelity: and mariage is honourable amonge all persons. Seing therefore it was before the fall of man, before the giuing of the lawe, vnderunder the gouernement of the lawe, and made honorable among all, it cannot be a Sacrament of the church of Christ and for the members onelyonly of the Church. Thirdly, it is not common and commaunded to all the faithfull, for it is not needfull and necessary that all in the church should be married. g1 Cor. 7, 7 Mat. 19, 11 12EueryEvery one hath his proper gift, some one way some another. And albeit God hauehave not tyed grace to the sacramentes, yet they in some sort hHow the Sacramentes are necessary for the churchare necessary for the Church, and to be partaked of the children of the Church, whether we respect the commaundement of God, who requireth them: or whether we regard our owne weakenesse, who stand in neede of all holy meanes and profitable helpes that tend to the confirmation of our faith. Seeing then matrimony is not commanded to al, neither serueth to confirme faith, it cannot be receiued as a sacrament. Fourthly, the sacramentes are ordinances of god aplying Christ and his merits to al the faithful: but matrymony is not an instrument whereby God applyeth Christ and al his benifits: much lesse is it a common instrument of the common saluation and benefites that all hauehave in Christ Iesus. Furthermore, we hauehave showd how the Roman church is contrary to itselfe in this point: for ou: aduersaries call matrimony a prophanation iGreg. Mart. d: s. Chap. 15.of holy orders. And kPigghius.another saieth, it is more tollerable for a priest to keepe many Concubins, then to marry. If matrimony be an holy sa. how should the sacred order of your Priesthood be prophaned, polluted, and defiled therby? Lastly, it … no promise of saluation ioyned to it (as it ought to hauehave) thogh it be lawfull and vsed lawfully: in eueryevery Sacra. there must be likewise an outward sign or element, as water in baptism, and bred and wine in the Lords supper, togither with a san ctisieng word to warant it: but in this supposed sacra. there is neither matter, nor word, therfore no sacra. The answer that Belarmin maketh to this last reason is as absurd as their doctrin it selfe, namely, that the word of iustitution is, lbellvr. lib. 1. de Matrim. c. 6take thce, which are the words expressing their mutual consent: and that the matter or sign are the parties maried. For, not eueryevery word can consecrate & sanctifie m1. Tim. 4, 5but the word of God. Again, the maried persons are receiuers of this pretended and supposed Sa. so that they cannot be the matter or signe: For the signe and the receiuer are two distinct outward parts of a Sa, so that they cannot be consounded or mingled together, as besore we declared, Chap 3. The matter cannot be the receiuer: the receiuer cannot be the matter. The thing receiued, cannot be the receiuer: the receiuer canot be the thing receiued. If then the persons matied be the receiuers, they cannot be the signe receiued. If any farther obiect and say, Marriage is the signe of an holy thing, to wit, of the spirituall coniunction between Christ and his church: I answer, it was not instituted to confirm our faith in that point, but for other ends which we named before. Besides, if we should call al signs of holy things sacraments: we should treble the number of 7. for so many comparisons as we find in scripture, we should hauehave sacraments, & then the stars, a grain of mustard seed, leauen, a draw-net, a shepherd a Vine, a dore, nay a theese, a murtherer, and infinite other, things should be Sacramentes; which sometimes are made signes of holy things. This were not so much to increase the number of Sacraments, as to multiply absurdities. Lastly, the Sabbaoth was ordayned to the Iewes to be a signe between God and his people in their generations, nHob. 4. 8and signified the spirituall rest in Christ, yet was it no ordinary sacrament, albeit it were blessed and sanctified of God. Wherefore al mysticall and signifieng signes are not Sacraments.
But the greatest reason wher of they are most confident is, where the vulgar translation and the Rhemish interpretation oEph. 5. 3 …readeth, This is a great Sacrament. I answer, first the worde signisieth a mystery or secret: but not eueryevery mystery or secret is a sacrament: neyther will they admitte a sacrament, wheresoeuer a mystery is named. Secondly the Apost speaketh not of Matrimony, but of the spiritual coniunction betweene Christ and his church, as the wordes following doe declare, This is a great mystery: but I speake of Christ and of the Church.
Where the Appostle preuenteth this verie obiection, and sheweth in what respect he spake of a mystery. For wher one might happilie obiect and say, Doest thou call marriage this mystery? he answereth, I speake not this of Marriage, I speake it in respect of Christ and of his church. This appeareth likewise in that he calleth it a great Mystery; that is, A great secret. But the coniunction of man and wife is sensible, not secret, much lesse a great secret. Nowe the Sacramentes are called mysteries, pWhy Sacraments are called ….in respect of the sacramentall vnion between the signe and the thing signified, between the representation and the thing represented, so that at the same instant that one is present to the eyes, the handes, the mouth, and eueryevery part and member of the bodie, the other by the power and working of Gods spirit is as present in a wonderfull, mystical, and secret manner to the faith, beeing the eyes and hands of the soule. Wherefore Cardinall Caietan not so grosse as many among them, q… in … cap. 5.confesseth that these wordes proue not matrimony to be a Sacra. Further, it is euident to al that consider the circumstance of the text, that the Apostle not forth marriage in this place as a similitude to represent the neere coniunction between christ and his church, rEph. 5 23, 25 28, 29, 32but … he bringeth forth the exceeding and eminent louelove of christ as a … to declare and enforce what should be the louelove of the husband toward the wife. For the mayne point of exhortation is set downe, verse 25. Husbands louelove your wiues This is argued and enforced by the example of Christ, As Christ loued the church and gaue himselfe for it. Againe, The man is the head of the woman, as Christ is the head of the church. And afterward, He that loueth his wife, loueth himselfe, for no man euer yet hated his owne flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, euen as the Lord doth the church. By all these things it is plaine and manifest, that if they wil needes in this place dreame of a sacrament, consisting of a signe and thing signisied: Christ and the church must be the signe, representation, and consecrated mistery to represent man and his wife, and their mutuall louelove each to other, and not marriage a consecrated sign of him. Last of al, I would know of them, whether so often as the old translator vseth the word sacrament, they wil hauehave it taken strictly, properly, and particularly for the Sacraments of their church? I thinke if they be sober minded and well aduised, they dare not say so: for s1 Tim. 3, 16 Eph. 1, 9, and ch. 3, 9then godlines shal be a sacrament, Gods wil shall be a sacrament, The calling of the Gentiles shal be a Sacrament, Yea iniquity shal be a Sacrament. For in al these places the word Sacrament is vsed, as wel as in this place to the Ephesians Reuel. 17, 7by the old Interpretor, & sometimes in the good part, and sometimes in the euil: tconc. Trid. ses. 4. decret. 2 Melch. canus. lib. 2. cap. 13. Andrad. lib. 4 defens. Trid.to whom notwithstanding they cleaue, and must cleaue vnderunder paine of the censur and curse of the councell of Trent.