The Badges of Christianity, Book 1 · Chapter 7
Chap. 7. Of the outward part of a sacrament.
THe last outward part of a sacrament is the aThe receiuer is an outward part of the sacrament.receiuer, which is as needfull as the outward sign. We vnderstand and take heere a receiuer in generall, for eueryevery one that commeth to the Sacrament, whether good or eu…ll, 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 ther be a minister to administer it, a word to warrant it, a signe to represent it, yet vnlosse there be a fit person to receiue it ther can be no Sacrament. If the minister should sprinkle water, and alledge the words of institution wher ther is no party to be baptized, this were a prophaning, not a solemnizing of Baptisme: or if he 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, & except there be communicants to partake the Supper, there can be no Sacrament. This appeareth by the words of God to Abraham bGen. 17. 12.giuing vntounto him circumcision, saying, EueryEvery male-child of eight daies old shall be circumcised. This also appeareth in the cMath. 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 son, & 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 supper dMath. 26. 26. 27.he saith, Take ye, eate ye, drinke ye: so that there must not only be bread, but giuing, taking, and eating: there must not onelyonly bee wine, but giuing, taking, and drinking thereof.
This truth being euidently deliuered, let vsus see how it Vse. 1.may be profitably applied. First of all, must the Sacraments 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 be not vsed. This condemneth the keeping, reseruing, holding vp, and carying about with pompe and ostentation the Lords supper, offering vp, kneeling downe vntounto, and adoring a piece of bread: all which are horrible prophanations of that comfortable Sacrament, whereby the people isrobbed and depriued of a precious part of their peace in Christ. The bread feedeth not the body, reuiueth not the spirits, strengthneth 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 sacramentes are actions not dumbe shewes. Christ saide not, Heare ye, see ye, gaze re on, but baptize ye, eate ye, drinke ye, doe ye this in remembrance of me.
Secondly, are the receiuers an outward part of the Sacrament? Vse. 2.Then the persons that are to receiue must know, that diuers duties are to bee 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 ofGod, beholding the former works of the Minister, blessing, breaking, pouring out, and distributing, ratifieng them in their harts, 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 to be present to be baptized, it is no baptisme: so if the words of institution in the supper should be spoken and repeated without eating, without drinking, without receiuing, it were no Sacrament. Wherefore, we must all learne to detest the eBellar. de sacram. Euchar. lib. 4. cap. 2.absurd opinion of Bellarmine and other procters of the Romish religion, which teache that the breade and Wine being once consecrate, whither they be receiued or reserued, whither they bee distributed to be eaten and drunke, or whether they be kept in boxes and vessels of the Church, for daies, moneths, and long times, and carried solemnly in procession: are notwithstanding still the Sacrament of the body and bloode of Christ. Against which dotage wee spake in the former vse, and shall speake fBook. 3. ch. 6 Vse. 3.more in the third booke following.
Lastly, if the receiuing be an outward part then we 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 went g1 Cor. 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 eat the same spirituall meat, and did al drink 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 Pharisees and Saduces, when he saw them come to his baptisme, hMath. 3. 7. 8.O generation of vipers, who hath forewarned you to flee from the anger to come, bring foorthe therefore fruit worthy amendment of life.
Now our righteousnes must exceede the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharisees, if wee woulde enter into the kingdome of heauen. Let vsus all therefore hauehave this profitable meditatiō, so often as we deale with the Sacraments and come vntounto them: we must looke further then to the outward sight, we must consider more then the externall signe, otherwise as we approch 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.