Institutes of the Christian Religion Abridged by Edmond Bunnie, Book · Book 4 · Chapter 14
Cap. 14. Of Sacramentes.
FIrſt hee treateth generally of Sacramentes, from the 1. to the 17. Moreouer he commeth to diſtribution, and continueth therein, from the 18. to the 26.
As touching the firſt, he ſetteth down the ſumme of the doctrine, from the 7. to the 17. firſt againſt them which weaken the power of Sacramentes, from the 7. to the 13. Moreouer againſt them which attribute too much to them, from the 14. to the 17.
1 What a Sacrament is, that is, a viſible ſigne of a holy thing, or a viſible fourme of an inuiſible grace.
Ephe. 19.3.2 Of the ſignification of the worde, Myſterion a Myſtery: of olde writers it is tranſlated a Sacrament.
3 The Lord cloſeth vp and ſealeth to vsus his promiſes by Sacraments: yet to ſpeak properly, not ſo much to confirme his holy worde, as to eſtabliſh vsus in the Fayth thereof.
4 Therefore we muſt vnderſtande that this worde, that is, the promiſes of God,Rom. 10.8. Act. 15.9. not to bée an vnpleaſant noiſe, when wée ſay, that the Sacrament conſiſteth of the worde and outwarde ſigne.
5 Sacramentes are ſignes, by whoſe ayde we giuegive credite to thoſe thinges that are witten in the word.Rom. 4.11.
6 To this ende alſo,Gen. 6.18. are they called ſeales of couenants, and are vntounto vsus as pillers and glaſſes.
7 Neither is this fitly for ye purpoſe,When Paule ſpeaketh to th… faythfull, he includeth the communion of Chriſt in the Sacraments. Gal. 3.27. 1. Cor. 12.12.13 But when he ſpeaketh of the wrongful vſe o… Sacraments, he giueth no more to it than a colde & void figure. that they are giuen to the wicked: for they are neuertheleſſe teſtimonies of Gods grace, the reaſons which they are wont to obiect againſt this ſentence, are trifling and weake: the one truely becauſe by this meanes it woulde folowe, that our Fayth ſéeing otherwiſe it is good, may yet bée made better (which they account as abſurde) for they ſay it is no Fayth: but which without ſhaking, ſtedfaſtly & without withdrawing reſteth vponupon the mercy of God, but it had bene better for ſuch to pray with the Apoſtle that the Lorde woulde encreaſe their Fayth, then to pretend ſuch a perfection, which none of the ſonnes of men hauehave obtained: for that Fayth howſoeuer it was begunne, was a good Fayth, and taking away incredulitie might bée made ſtronger.
8 They cōfirme that, becauſe Philip required of the Eunuke,Act. 8.37. yt he ſhould beleeue wt all his hart (then yt which fayth ſay they, none can be greater) before he ſhould be baptized: but he clearly ſheweth howe vaine as well their reaſon is, as the confirmation thereof. This place To beléeue with all the heart, is not perfectly to beléeue Chriſte, but onelyonly from the heart and with ſincere minde to embrace him:Pſal. 119.10. not to be full with him but with feruent affectiō to hunger and thirſt, and ſighe towarde him.
An other obiection, if Fayth bée encreaſed by Sacramentes, the holie Ghoſt is giuen in vaine: whoſe worke is to begin, maintaine, & to make perfect, maketh nothing for them.
9 Neither is this ſo aſſigned to any ſecrete power of the Sacraments, nor by any meanes to the Sacraments, but all the ſame dependeth of the inwarde power of the holy Ghoſt.
10 Theſe being thus eſtabliſhed two other obiections will of them ſelues fall to the grounde: the firſt whereof is, that if we aſcribe to creatures the increaſe or cōfirmation of Fayth, there is wrōg done to the ſpirit of God, whō we ought to acknowledge the author thereof, this he refuteth firſt by cleare declaration of his iudgement, declared by an excellent ſimilitude.
11 Moreouer as concerning increaſe,Mat. 13.4. Luk. 8.15. by an argument taken from the like, that Chriſt him ſelfe, and after him his Apoſtles taught the ſame properly to be in the outward word.
12 As touching the confirmation by an argument borowed from the contrary, that many times when ye Lord meaneth to take away the confidence of the very thinges that are by him promiſed in the Sacraments, he taketh away the Sacraments them ſelues. Laſt of all, if we giuegive them ſuch vertue, the glorie of GOD muſt néedes be deriued to creatures: this alſo he anſwereth, when hée ſpoiled and thruſt away Adam from the gift of immortalitie, he ſaieth,Gen. 3.3. Let him not eate of the fruite of life, leſt he lyue for euer, not that the fruit could reſtore to Adam his vncorruption, from which he was now fallen, but leaſt he ſhoulde enioy a vaine confidence, if he kept ſtill the ſigne of the promiſe, & therfore that was ſhaken away from him, which might bring him ſome hope of immortalitie, in this manner putteth the Epheſians in remembraunce, that they were foreine geſtes of the Teſtaments ſtraungers from the felowſhip of Iſrael, without God, without Chriſt, wherby he ſignifieth by a figure of Tranſnomination, that they were excluded frō the promiſe it ſelf,Ephe. 2.11. which had not receiued the ſigne of the promiſe.
13 Laſt of all, becauſe ſome bring an argument out of the very name of a ſacrament, and woulde hauehave the Sacraments to be nothing but certain naked ſignes, he ſheweth alſo how weak it is.
14 As hitherto hée hath diſputed againſt them which weaken the power of Sacraments, and vtterly ſubuert the vſe thereof: ſo now he cōmeth to others which of the contrary part attribute too much to them, & againſt the ſchoolemē, hee ſheweth yt it is falſe which they affirme, that ſacraments of the new lawe do iuſtifie and giuegive grace, ſo that we doe not lay a ſtop of deadly ſinne.
15 The better to ouerthrow this, hée diſtinguiſheth betwéene the ſacrament, and the thing of the Sacrament, yt wée may vnderſtād that how much we profit by the ſacraments in the communiō of Chriſt, ſo much profit we take therby
16 This he declareth more plainely, that is to ſay, Sacraments are not cauſes but partes of our righteouſnes & ſaluation, & although the matter of the ſacrament be not receiued of the vnworthie, yet the matter or thing of the Sacramēt is alwayes preſent with the ſacrament, ſo oft as it is rightly offered.
17 This laſt hee declareth by a moſt apt ſimilitude, and generally admoniſheth not ſo to vnderſtand thoſe things which hauehave bin written by old writers ſomewhat too gloriouſly, to amplifie the dignitie of ſacraments, that we ſhoulde thinke that there is ſome ſecrete power knit and faſtened to the Sacramentes, which is ſeparated from Chriſt, or the worke of the holy Ghoſt.
18 Comming to the ſecond parte of the Chapter, that he may treat ſpecially of Sacramentes: firſt hée proueth that the name of Sacrament doeth ſo plainly lye open, that it generally containeth all ſignes which GOD at anye tyme commaunded to man, to make them more aſſured and ſafe of the trueth of his promiſes,Gen. 2.17. whether he hath exhibited the ſame in naturall thinges, or in miracles: and he ſetteth downe examples of both.
19 Moreouer cōming to thoſe things which the Lord would hauehave to be ordinary in his Church, to nouriſh his worſhippers into one Fayth, firſt he ſheweth how neceſſary thoſe ſignes are, partly to confirme our Fayth, partly to witneſſe our religion with men.
20 Moreouer theſe thinges whereof he nowe ſpeaketh,Gen. 17.10. he deuideth into two kindes, that is to ſay, of the old and new Teſtament, but both tend to this end, to leade vsus as it were by the hande to Chriſt.
21 Firſt he ſheweth the ſame in the Sacraments of the old Teſtamēt, Circumciſion was to the Iewes,Gen. 22.2. Gal. 3.16. Rom. 5.19. whereby they were put in minde that what ſo euer commeth of the ſéede of man is corrupt, and hath néede of pruning: and a remembrance to confirme them ſelues of the bleſſing promiſed to Abraham.
22 Moreouer by the Sacraments of the newe Teſtament, where is ſignified our waſhing and ſatiſfaction.
23 Therefore that ſchoole doctrine is vtterly to be reiected, whereby there is noted ſo great a difference betwene the Sacraments of the old Law, & the new Lawe, as though thoſe did nothing but ſhadow out the grace of God, and thoſe doe preſently giuegive it, but the Apoſtle ſpeaketh no leſſe honorable of thoſe then of theſe,1. Cor. 10.3 what power our Sacramentes hauehave, the ſame had theirs, they were ſeales of Gods good will towards them into hope of eternall ſaluation.Heb. 10.10
24 Hée expoundeth certaine places, whereby they woulde defende their opinion: firſt,1. Cor. 10.5 thoſe which ſéeme to extenuate or diminiſhe Circumciſion. Paul ſheweth that God regardeth not the outwarde waſhing, whereby wée enter into profeſſion of religion vnleſſe the minde within be both cleanſed and continue in cleanneſſe to the end. Nothing is abated in theſe places of ye dignitie of Circumciſiō. Paul diſputeth either againſt them which required it as neceſſary when it was nowe abrogate: therfore he warneth the faithful, that leauing the olde ſhadowes, they would ſtand faſt to the trueth, theſe maiſters cal vponupon you that your bodies may bee circumciſed, but yée are ſpiritually circumciſed according to ye ſoule and body, yée hauehave the deliuerance of the thing in déede, which is better then the ſhadowe: and leaſt it bee obiected that the figure nowe of Circumciſion is not to bée deſpiſed, therefore becauſe they had ye thing in déed, foraſmuch as yt putting away of the olde man, which hee there ſpake of, was alſo among the fathers: the Apoſtle ſaith, We are buried with Chriſt by Baptiſme: that is, Baptiſme is the ſame to Chriſtians, that Circumciſion was to the olde people.
25 Moreouer thoſe which ſéeme to condemne the whole Lawe, with al the Ceremonies & Sacrifices, which they falſly gather out of ye Hebrewes, wher Paul diſputing againſt falſe Prophets ſheweth what value Ceremonies are of themſelues:Iohn. 6.27 ſo did Chriſt alſo, appliyng his ſpeache to the groſſe opinion of the people.
26 Laſt of all, thoſe whereby the olde Fathers did immoderately exalt our Sacramentes, ſo oft as they compared ours with the Iſraelites. But ſuche their Sentences are both hyperbolicall: and alſo to bée vnderſtoode, not of the power; but of the maner of ſignifiyng.