The Badges of Christianity, Book 1 · Chapter 8
Chap. 8. Of consecration.
BEfore we proceede to the inward parts of a Sacrament, answerable to the outward by a fit proportition: it shall not be amisse in this place to speake somewhat of the Consecration of a sacrament. First wee must consider what it is: for the truth being knowne, it will cast downe errour, as the light scattereth the darknesse. To consecrate then aWhat Consecration is.is to take a thing from the ordinary and common vse, and to appoint it to some holy vse. This therefore is Consecration, sanctification, and dedication of the outward signes, to apply them to an holy purpose. This is done, partly by the minister, partly by the people, and partly by them both. The minister taketh the water in Baptisme, which signifieth the blood of Christ, and he poureth it on the person of the baptized: he taketh the bread in the Lords supper, and breaketh it, he taketh the wine and poureth it out, he deliuereth them both: the people take and receiue, they eate and drinke in remembrance of Christ: and both minister and people ioynein praier and thanksgiuing vntounto God the father for the mistery of our redemption accomplished by Christ our sauiour, so that the sacrament is consecrated by the whole action of the minister and people together. This maketh the difference betweene common water and the water in Baptisme: this maketh the difference betweene duplicate page duplicate page that bread and wine of the Supper, and the bread and wine which is vsed for ordinary meate and drinke. True it is, in nature, in essence, in substance there is none: but in the ende and vse. Common water we vse for the washing of our bodies: but the water in Baptisme is sanctified by prayer to an other vse, to be a signe of the clonsing of the soule. Bread and wine at mens tables in their houses are set before them for the nourishment of their bodies: but at the Lords l'able they are ordained of God to an higher and holier vse, euen to be signes of the bodye and blood of Christ. This is noted by the Euangelistes and by the Apostle Paule, that bMath. 26. 26. Mar. 14. 22. Luc. 22. 19. 1 cor. 11. 24.the Lord Iesus before he brake the bread and gaue it, he blessed and gaue thankes to his father, that he had appointed him to be the redeemer of the world, and giuen him authority to institute this Sacrament in remembrance of his death and passion. For wheras the Euangelist Mathew saith, he blessed: the other by way of exposition say Hegaue thanks: so that the blessing heere spoken of, is Giuing of thanks, cLuc. 9, 16,which also appeareth compared dIoh, 6, 11.with Ioh. 6, 11. And the Apostle saith. e1, Tim. 4,EueryEvery creature of God is good, if it be receiued with thank sgiuing, for it is sanctified by the worde of God and prayer. We see then that Consecration is, when a thing is separated from a common and ciuil vse to a more special vse, which is done by fiustin. in apoll. 2,the authority of the worde, and by the vertue of prayer, whereby it hath his full force, power, and vertue.
The knowledge of this point, serueth to cleere our Vse. 1.doctrine, and to ouerthrow sundry errors of the church of Rome. First, it sheweth that we hold & teach a consecration, that is, a sanctifieng of the water in Baptisme, and of the bread and wine in the Lords supper, by the word, by prayer, and by thanksgiuing. The bread & wine are changed, not in nature, but in quality: not in substance, but in vse: not in essence but in the end: not by force of certaine words, but by Christs institution. We acknowledge and confesse a consecration, not a conuersion: a sanctification of the signes, not a transubstantiation of the substance into the body and blood of Christ. He blessed and praised his father as mediatour of the Church, for the mistery of the redemption of mankind: and hee g1 cor. 10, 16,blessed the creatures, that they might be effectual signes, and serue for the confirmation and increase of our faith.
Secondly, we are taught, that consecration is not a magical Vse. 2.charme and incantation by force of certaine wordes, as though these word, This is my body, being murmured and spoken ouer the bread, and This cup is the new testament in my bloud whispered ouer the wine, did fully finish a consecration, and made the elements to be immediatly changed into the body and blood of Christ, without any other obseruing of the institution. And hence it is, that the forme of Christs giuing of thanks is not set down by any Euangelist, because our corrupution and superstition is so great, that if we had the words, we would ascribe power & force to the words, sillables, and letters, and therefore the manner of his thanksgiuing is pretermitted. This inclination of the hart is apparently seene in the Romish church, who ascribe efficacy & operation to the pronouncing of certain words, which is a part of sorcery and a part of witch craft. Wheras we auouch, that the whole action of taking, breaking, pouring out, distributing, eating, drinking, praysing & rehearsing the institution of Christ, are the consecration, that is, the separation of these creatures to this vse.
Thirdly, if after the Sacramentall actions, if after thanksgiuing Vse. 3.to god, if after prayer, that we may vse the creatures to the confirmation of our faith, there do follow consecration, sanctification, and change of the elements to another vse: then the power, effect, and working of the Sacrament dependeth not vponupon the intention of the minister, & therfore the hconcil. Trident. sess, 7, can. 11.popish opinion is to be refused and reprooued, that holdeth it to be no Sacrament, if the minister hauehave not an i… faciendi quod facit Ecclesia, Bellar, de sacra lib. 1, cap, 27.intent and purpose in the ministration thereof, at least to do that which the church doth, that is, to consecrate the elements and to make a Sacrament. If his mind be not on his matters, & his hart on his busines in hand, they hold it can be no Sacrament. For otherwise saith Bellarmine. If a priest should read the Gospell at the table of prelates and religious men, and in reading should pronounce these words, This is my body, this is my blood, then all the bread and wine vponupon the the table should be consecrate and changed into Christs body and blood: which is not so, because his intent is wanting. Againe, if a father should lead his sonne to the bath, and there dip him in the water, And say I wash thee in the name of the father, and though he thinke nothing of Baptizing him, yet it should bee baptisme, if an intent of baptizing were not required. But I would gladly hauehave him answere this question: what if a father should intend Baptisme by dipping his child in the bath, whether that were baptisme or not? Or suppose the priest we spake off, reading at the prelates table, should hauehave a mind and meaning to consecrate all the bread and wine vponupon the table must … of necessity be a Sacrament, and reall change of all? Or admit the former priest being in the saide prelats wine seller, supposing himselfe to be in the Church and to stand at the alter, should pronounce there words of consecration with a purpose and intent to make a sacrament, should all the wine in that … be turned into the blood of Christ? Or if he being in a bakers shoppe should there solemnely say, This is my body with the foresaide resolution, should all that bread be changed into the body of Christ? Let them speake plainely, let them tel vsus directly what they hold. I thinke they will not say so: I am sure it is not so. For other things are wanting, that are needefull in this matter. We hauehave shewed, that a Sacrament is not made by bare pronouncing of certaine wordes, ascribing force to them after the manner of enchanters, but the whole institution of Christ must be obserued, kThe Sacrament dependeth not vponupon the intention of the minister.there must be distributing and receiuing, there must be praier and thankesgiuing, and from the vse of these followeth Consecration: all which are wanting in the former examples & suppositions, there is no taking, no breaking, no distributing, no pouring out, no receiuing, no praying, no thanksgiuing. We see touching the word of God, with what intent and vnderunder what pretence soeuer lPhil 1. 18. Math 23. 2. 3.it be preached, if the minister teach Christ crucified, howsoeuer he be affected, it may hauehave his effect in the heart, and worke saith in … hearer: so is it in the Sacramentes, they hauehave their efficacy and operation howsoeuer the hart of the minister be disposed. And as Isaac intended not to blesse Iacob but Esau, mGen. 27. 1. 4. 33.yet it hindered not the purpose and determination of God: so the corrupt intent, the wandering imagination, and rouing conceite of the minister, cannot hinder the blessing of god in the sacramēts, being his own ordinaces. For the force of the Sacrament dependeth no more vponupon the intention of the giuer, then it doth vponupon the intention of the receiuer. Againe, if the right receiuing of the Sacrament depend vponupon the intent of the minister: what assurance can any man hauehave, that hee hath euer receiued or shall euer receiue a Sacrament? What perswasion can we hauehave in our hearts that we euer were baptized? What knowledge that we were euer partakers of the body and blood of Christ in the supper of the Lord? Doth not this leaue vsus vncertaine and vnsetled, without comfort, without fruite, without benefit by comming to the sacraments, and setteth the poore distressed consciences of men vponupon the rack? Alas, we cannot kno n1 cor. 2. 11.the hart and vnderstand the intentes thereof, For what man knoweth the thinges of a man, saue the spirit of man which is within him? Furthermor, were not this harde dealing and extream cruelty in God, to hang the saluation of men vponupon the pleasure of the minister, whereby our faith and saluation shall alwaies be doubtfull? and should it not be vniust in God, to make the euill of the minister to hurt the receiuer? To draw to an end of this question, oBellar. lib. 1. de sacra. c. 28.the aduersaries themselues confesse, that the church cannot iudge of thinges that are inward: whereupon we fiame this reason, If the church cannot iudge of things inward, then it cannot iudge of the intent of the minister: but they confesse it cannot iudge of inward things, therefore not of the intent of the minister, and consequently although they be present at the action, they remained doubtful of consecration. Wherefore, Bellarmine foreseeing the inconuenience and absurdity of this vnreasonable and vncomfortable assertion, confesseth that if one of their masse-priests in his ministration, pBellar, lib. 1, de sacra, c. 27,intend to do as the church of Geneua doth, it suffic eth to make a Sacrament effectuall and of sorce. This is the confession of a knowne and sworne enemy: Whereby we see, that howsoeuer they say we hauehave no ministers, no ordination, no consecration, no church, that our sacraments are no better then the feasts of Ceres and Bacchus, and lay many false accusations to our charge, that the Supper of the Lord with vsus is no Sacrament, but a bare signe without grace, without effect, without vertue: yet they are constrained to confesse and yeald thus farre, that if a Masse-munger purpose to do as the reformed churches do, his doing is effectuall, and the Sacrament is good. The effect of this point is this, that if we desire to be comforted and assured of Gods fauour when we come to his supper, wee must not hang the profit of his ordinances vponupon the weake and vnstable foundation of Popish intentions. Thus qSee more Book. 3. c. 7.much of consecration.