Another cause is, to move, instruct, and teach our dull and heavy hearts by sensible creatures; that so our negligence in not heeding or marking the word of God spoken unto us might be amended. For, if any man have the outward seal, and have not the faith thereof sealed within his heart, it availeth him not he is but an hypocrite and dissembler. So the circumcision of the foreskin of the flesh taught them to mortify their fleshly affections, and to cut off the thoughts and devices of their wicked hearts. Therefore said Stephen to the Jews: "Ye stiff-necked and of uncircumcised hearts and ears, you have Acts vii. always resisted the Holy Ghost." So, when in baptism our bodies are washed with water, we are taught that our souls are washed in the blood of Christ. The outward washing or sprinkling doth represent the sprinkling and washing which is wrought within us: the water doth signify the blood of Christ. If we were nothing else but soul, he would give us his grace barely and alone, without joining it to any creature, as he doth to his angels: but, seeing our spirit is drowned in our body, and our flesh doth make our understanding dull, therefore we receive his grace by sensible things. Chrysostom saith: Aliter ego, et aliter incredulus disponitur. Ille cum, &c. 10: Hom. 7. in "I am otherwise affected than is he which believeth not.... When he heareth 1 Cor. of the water of baptism, he thinketh it is nothing else but water; but I see" not the creature only, which mine eyes do see, but also "the cleansing of my soul by the Holy Ghost. He thinketh that my body only is washed: I believe that my soul is thereby made pure and holy; and withal I consider Christ's burial, his resurrection, our sanctification, righteousness, redemption, adoption, our inheritance, the kingdom of heaven, and the fulness of the Spirit. For I judge not of the things I see by my bodily eyes, but by the eyes of my mind." When one that is unlearned, and cannot read, looketh upon a book, be the book never so true, never so well written, yet, because he knoweth not the letters, and cannot read, he looketh upon it in vain. He may turn over all the leaves, and look upon all, and see nothing; but another that can read, and hath judgment to understand, considereth the whole story, the doughty deeds, grave counsels, discreet answers, examples, promises, threatenings, the very drift and meaning of him that wrote it. So do the faithful receive the fruit and comfort by the sacraments, which the wicked and ungodly neither consider nor receive. Thus do the sacraments lead us and instruct us to behold the secret and unknown mercies of God, and to carry ourselves to the obedience of his will. And this is the other cause why sacraments were ordained. Thirdly, they are seals and confirmations of God's promise. St Paul saith: "Abraham received the sign of circumcision, as the seal of the righteousness of Rom. iv. the faith, which he had when he was uncircumcised." By these we stop the mouth of heretics. For, if they deny that our Lord Jesus Christ was delivered to death for our sins, and is risen again for our justification; we shew them our sacraments, that they were ordained to put us in remembrance of Christ, and that by the use of them we shew the Lord's death till he come. We tell them these are proofs and signs that Christ suffered death for us on the cross. Chrysostom saith: "Laying out these mysteries, we stop their mouths 11." What? Are they nothing else but bare and naked signs? God forbid. They 83. are the seals of God, heavenly tokens, and signs of the grace, and righteousness, and mercy given and imputed to us. Circumcision was not a bare sign. As Chrysost. in Matt. Hom. "That Rom. ii. is not circumcision which is outward in the flesh,” saith Paul,...“but the circumcision of the heart." And again: "In Christ ye are circumcised with circum- col. ii. cision made without hands, by putting off the sinful body of the flesh, through the circumcision of Christ." Even so is not baptism any bare sign. Baptisma Ad Hebr. ejus, saith Chrysostom, etiam passio ejus est 12: "Christ's baptism is Christ's passion." They are not bare signs: it were blasphemy so to say. The grace of God doth always work with his sacraments; but we are taught not to seek that grace [10 Chrysost. Op. In Epist. 1. ad Cor. Hom. vii. Tom. X. p. 51. See before, page 466, note 2, and page 515.] [1] ... μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν μυστηρίων avтous EπIOтоμíloμev.-Id. in Matt. Hom. lxxxii. [12 Id. in Epist. ad Hebr. cap. ix. Hom. xvi. Tom. Hom. 16. Serm. de Hom. 35. in Ambros. de Sacram. Lib. i. cap. v. Cyril. in Johan. Lib. ii. cap. xlii. in the sign, but to assure ourselves, by receiving the sign, that it is given us by the thing signified. We are not washed from our sins by the water, we are not fed to eternal life by the bread and wine, but by the precious blood of our Saviour Christ, that lieth hid in these sacraments. Bernard saith: Datur annulus ad investiendum, &c.1: "The fashion is to deliver a ring when seisin and possession of inheritance is given: the ring is a sign of the possession; so that he which hath taken it may say, The ring is nothing: I care not for it: it is the inheritance which I sought for. In like manner, when Christ our Lord drew nigh to his passion, he thought good to give seisin and possession of his grace to his disciples, and that they might receive his invisible grace by some visible sign." Chrysostom saith: In nobis non simplex aqua operatur; sed, cum accepit gratiam Spiritus, abluit omnia peccata2: "Plain or bare water worketh not in us, but when it hath received the grace of the Holy Ghost, it washeth away all our sins." So saith Ambrose also: Spiritus sanctus descendit, et consecrat aquam: 66 The Holy Ghost cometh down, and halloweth the water." And: Præsentia Trinitatis adest3: "There is the presence of the Trinity." So saith Cyril: Quemadmodum viribus ignis aqua, &c.1: “As water thoroughly heat with fire burneth as well as the fire; so the waters which wash the body of him that is baptized are changed into divine power by the working of the Holy Ghost." So said Leo, sometimes Leon. Serm. a bishop of Rome: Dedit aquæ, quod dedit matri. Virtus enim Altissimi et obumbratio Spiritus sancti, quæ fecit ut Maria pareret Salvatorem, eadem fecit ut regeneret unda credentem5: "Christ hath given like pre-eminence to the water of baptism as he gave to his mother. For that power of the Highest, and that overshadowing of the Holy Ghost, which brought to pass that Mary should bring forth the Saviour of the world, hath also brought to pass that the water should bear anew or regenerate him that believeth." 5. de Nativ. Dom. Such opinion had the ancient learned fathers, and such reverend words they used, when they entreated of the sacraments. For it is not man, but God, which worketh by them; yet is it not the creature of bread or water, but the soul of man that receiveth the grace of God. These corruptible creatures need it not: we have need of God's grace. But this is a phrase of speaking. For the power of God, the grace of God, the presence of the Trinity, the Holy Ghost, the gift of God, are not in the water, but in us. And we were not made because of the sacraments; but the sacraments were ordained for our sake. Now for the number of sacraments, how many there be; it may seem somewhat hard to say, and that it cannot be spoken without offence. For men's judgments herein have swerved very much : some have said there are two; others three; others four; and others that there are seven sacraments. This difference of opinions standeth rather in terms than in the matter. For a sacrament, in the manner of speaking which the church useth, and in the writings of the holy scripture and of ancient fathers, sometimes signifieth properly every such sacrament which Christ hath ordained in the new testament, for which he hath chosen some certain element, and spoken special words to make it a sacrament, and hath annexed thereto the promise of grace: sometimes it is used in a general kind of taking, and so every mystery set down to teach the people, and many things, that indeed and by special property be no sacraments, may nevertheless pass under the general name of a sacrament. [1...datur ad investiendum de hæreditate aliqua, et signum est, ita ut jam dicere possit qui accipit : Annulus non valet quicquam, sed hæreditas est quam quærebam. In hunc itaque modum appropinquans passioni Dominus de gratia sua investire curavit suos, ut invisibilis gratia signo aliquo visibili præstaretur.-Bernard. Op. Par. 1690. In Cœn. Dom. Serm. 2. Vol. I. Tom. III. col. 890.] [ Chrysost. Op. Par. 1718-38. In Joan. Hom. xxxvi. Tom. VIII. p. 207.] [3 Non sanat aqua, nisi Spiritus descenderit, et aquam illam consecraverit &c.-Ambros. Op. Par. 1686-90. De Sacram. Lib. II. cap. v. 15, 8. Tom. II. col. 352, 3. See before page 466, note 10.] [4 ...ὅνπερ γὰρ τρόπον τὸ ἐν τοῖς λέβησιν ἐκχεόμενον ὕδωρ ταῖς τοῦ πυρὸς ὁμιλῆσαν ἀκμαῖς τὴν ἐξ αὐτοῦ δύναμιν ἀναμάττεται, οὕτω διὰ τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐνεργείας τὸ αἰσθητὸν ὕδωρ πρὸς θείαν τινὰ καὶ ἄῤῥητον ἀναστοιχειοῦται δύναμιν.—Cyril. Alex. Op. Lut. 1638. Comm. in Joan. Evang. Lib. 11. cap. i. Tom. IV. p. 147.] [ Leon. Magni Op. Lut. 1623. In Nativ. Serm. v. cap. v. col. 52. See before, page 455.] The sacraments instituted by Christ are only two, the sacrament of baptism, and of our Lord's supper, as the ancient learned fathers have made account of them. St Ambrose, having occasion of purpose to entreat of the sacraments, speaketh but of two. De sacramentis, saith he, quæ accepistis, sermonem adorior: Lib. i. de "I begin to speak of the sacraments which you have received." And yet in his whole treatise, divided into six books, he writeth but of two: his book is extant; if any man doubt this, he may see it. Sacram. cap. Catechum. ix. de Doct. St Augustine reckoneth them to be but two: Hæc sunt ecclesiæ gemina sacra- De Symb. ad menta: "These be the two sacraments of the church." Again he saith: Quæ- Lib. iii. cap. dam pauca pro multis, eademque factu facillima, &c.8: "Our Lord and his apostles Christ. have delivered unto us a few sacraments instead of many; and the same in doing most easy, in signification most excellent, in observation most reverend; as is the sacrament of baptism and the celebration of the body and blood of our Lord." Thus Augustine and Ambrose, unto whom I might also join other ancient fathers, reckon but two sacraments. Let no man then be offended with us for so doing: we do no new thing, but restore the ordinance of Christ, and keep the example of the holy fathers. What then? Do we refuse confirmation, penance, orders, and matrimony? Is there no use of these among us? do we not allow them? Yes. For we do confirm, and teach repentance, and minister holy orders, and account matrimony, and so use it, as an honourable state of life. We visit the sick among us, and anoint them with the precious oil of the mercy of God. But we call not these sacraments, because they have not the like institution. Confirmation was not ordained by Christ: penance hath not any outward element joined to the word: the same may be said of orders. And matrimony was not first instituted by Christ; for God ordained it in paradise long before. But in these two we have both the element and the institution. In baptism the element is water; in the Lord's supper bread and wine. Baptism hath the word of institution: "Teach Matt. xxviii. all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost." The Lord's supper in like manner hath the word of institution: "Do this Luke xxii. in remembrance of me." Therefore these two are properly and truly called the sacraments of the church; because in them the element is joined to the word, and they take their ordinance of Christ, and be visible signs of invisible grace. Now, whatsoever lacketh either of these, it is no sacrament. Therefore are not the other five, which are so reckoned, and make up the number of seven, in due signification and right meaning taken for sacraments. For in such sort as these are called sacraments, that is, because they signify some holy thing, we shall find a great number of things which the godly-learned fathers have called sacraments; and yet, I trow, we must not hold them as sacraments ordained to be kept and continued in the church; for then should there be not seven, but seventeen sacraments. Dom. Resur. Dom. St Bernard calleth the washing of the apostles' feet a sacrament: Ablutio pe- Serm.de Cœn. dum sacramentum est quotidianorum peccatorum: "The washing of feet is the sacrament of daily sins." So Leo calleth the cross of Christ a sacrament: Crux... Christi, quæ salvandis est impensa fidelibus, et sacramentum est, [et] exem- Serm. 2. de plum 10: "The cross of Christ, which was given to save the faithful, is both a sacrament, and also an example." Tertullian calleth the whole state of christian faith religionis christianæ sacramentum11, "the sacrament of christian religion." Lib. iv. contr. St Hilary in divers places saith: Sacramentum orationis, sacramentum esuritionis, [ Ambros. Op. De Sacram. Lib. 1. cap. i. 1. Tom. II. col. 349.] [7...statim manavit sanguis et aqua, quæ sunt ecclesiæ gemina sacramenta. - August. Op. Par. 1679-1700. De Symb. Serm. ad Catechum. cap. vi. 15. Tom. VI. col. 562. The Benedictine editors doubt whether this discourse be really Augustine's.] [8...quædam, &c. et intellectu augustissima, et observatione castissima, ipse Dominus et apostolica tradidit disciplina: sicuti est baptismi sacramentum, et celebratio corporis et sanguinis Domini.-Id. De Marcion. Bessar. de Rom. v. 14. Psal. li. Rom. vii. John iii. Gen. xvii. Rom. xi. 1 Cor. vii. sacramentum sitis, sacramentum fletus, sacramentum scripturarum1; "The sacrament of prayer, the sacrament of fasting, the sacrament of thirst, the sacrament of weeping, the sacrament of the scriptures." Thus much for the number, that by the institution of Christ there are but two sacraments; as cardinal Bessarion confesseth: Hæc duo sola sacramenta in evangeliis manifeste tradita legimus: "We read that these two only sacraments were delivered us plainly in the gospel." I will now speak briefly of the sacraments in several, and leave all idle and vain questions, and only lay open so much as is needful and profitable for you to know. Baptism, therefore, is our regeneration or new birth, whereby we are born anew in Christ, and are made the sons of God and heirs of the kingdom of heaven it is the3 sacrament of the remission of sins, and of that washing which we have in the blood of Christ. We are all born the children of wrath, and have our part in the offence of Adam. St Paul saith: "By one man sin entered into the world." Augustine saith: Non dixit, veniet super eum, sed, manet super eum. Respexit originem, &c.4: "Christ said not, it shall come upon him; but, it abideth on him :' he had regard to our offspring when he saith, 'The wrath of God abideth on him.' Upon which when the apostle also looked, he said, 'And we ourselves also were sometimes the children of wrath.' That which in Adam was imputed to his offence, and not to be of nature, is now in us, which are come of Adam, become natural." Therefore saith the prophet: "Behold, I was born in iniquity; and in sin hath my mother conceived me." So that we all have cause to cry out and moan with St Paul: "I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind, and leading me captive unto the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Hereof speaketh our Saviour: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." And for this cause, saith he, "except a man be born of the water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." For this cause are infants baptized, because they are born in sin, and cannot become spiritual, but by this new birth of the water and the Spirit. They are the heirs of the promise: the covenant of God's favour is made unto them. God said to Abraham: "I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God unto thee and to thy seed after thee." Therefore saith the apostle: "If the root be holy, so are the branches." And again: "The unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife; and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy." When the disciples rebuked those that brought little children to Christ that he might touch them, he said: "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the Matt. xviii. kingdom of God." And again: "Their angels always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven." Mark x. Gen. xxi. Gal. iii. The kingdom of heaven is of such, saith Christ; not only then of those, but of other like infants which shall be in all times. As God took the seed of Abraham to be partakers of the covenant which he gave to Abraham; so he appointed that every man-child of eight days old should be circumcised. And "Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him." May we think that the promise of God hath an end, so that it reacheth not to our children? Or might the children of the Jews receive the sign of the covenant; and may not the children of the Christians? Whatsoever was promised to Abraham, the same is also performed unto us. We enjoy the same blessings and free privilege of God's favour. St Paul to the Galatians saith: "Know ye that they which are of faith are the children [ Hilar. Op. Par. 1693. Comm. in Matt. capp. v. 1; xii. 2; xiii. 6; De Trin. Lib. x. 24. cols. 630, 68, 76, 1052. See before, page 225, note 7. See also Comm. in Matt. cap. xxiii. 4. col. 722.] [2 Bessar. De Sacram. Euchar. in Biblioth. Patr. per M. De la Bigne, Par. 1624. Tom. VI. col. 481.] 13 A, 1583, 1609.] of Abraham." Again: "If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs by promise." Now is the sign of the covenant also changed, and baptism is instead of circumcision; as St Paul declareth, and calleth them circumcised which are baptized. "In whom," meaning Christ, "also ye are circumcised with circumcision made Col. ii. without hands, by putting off the sinful body of the flesh, through the circumcision of Christ, in that you are buried with him through baptism." Our Saviour giveth charge to his apostles to "baptize all nations in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." The apostles baptized not only such as professed their belief, but whole households. "The keeper of the prison was Acts xvi. baptized, with all that belonged unto him." So was Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and his household, and the household of Stephanas. Infants are a part of the church of God: they are the sheep of Christ, and belong to his flock: why should they not bear the mark of Christ? They have the promise of salvation: why should they not receive the seal whereby it is confirmed unto them? They are of the fellowship of the faithful: Augustine saith: Ubi ponis parvulos De Verb. non baptizatos? profecto in numero credentium5: "Where place you young children Serm. 1. which are not yet baptized? Verily in the number of them that believe." Why then should not they be partakers of the sacrament together with the faithful? Apost. And, as the children of the faithful by right ought to be baptized, so such others also as were born of unbelieving parents, and were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and were strangers from the covenant of promise, and had no hope, if they acknowledge the error in which they lived, and seek the forgiveness of their former sins, may well receive this sacrament of their regeneration. So, when they which heard Peter "were pricked in their hearts, and said to Peter Acts ii. and the other apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Peter said unto them, Amend your lives, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins." They were buried with Christ by baptism into his death, and made partakers of his blood, and continued in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship. Christ, saith the apostle, "loved the church, and gave himself for it, that he Eph. v. might sanctify it and cleanse it by the washing of water through the word." Again: "According to his mercy he saved us by the washing of the new birth, Tit. iii. and the renewing of the Holy Ghost." For this cause is baptism called salvation, life, regeneration, the forgiveness of sins, the power of God to resurrection, the image and pledge of resurrection, and the weed of immortality7. And yet are not these things wrought by the water; for then what need had we of Christ? what good did his passion? what doth the Holy Ghost work in our hearts? what power or force is left to the word of God? ... in Johan. Augustine saith: Quare non ait, Mundi estis propter baptismum quo loti estis, Tractat. 80. nisi quia etiam in aqua verbum mundat? Detrahe verbum, et quid est aqua nisi aqua? "Why doth not Christ say, Now ye are clean, because of the baptism wherewith ye are washed; saving that because in the water it is the word that maketh clean? take away the word; and what is water more than water ?" It is the covenant, and promise, and mercy of God, which clotheth us with immortality, assureth our resurrection, by which we receive regeneration, forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. His word declareth his love towards us; and that word is sealed and made good by baptism. Our faith, which are baptized, and our continuance in the profession which we have made, establisheth in us this grace which we receive. As it is said: Verus baptismus constat non tam, &c.9: "True baptism De Consecr. standeth not so much in washing of the body, as in the faith of the heart: as the doctrine of the apostles hath taught us, saying, 'By faith purifying their hearts;' Acts xv. [5 Id. ibid. col. 1189; where non is omitted.] [ Aliants, 1583.] [7 For the various names given to baptism, see Bingham, Orig. Eccles. Book XI. chap. i.] [8 August. Op. In Johan. Evang. cap. xv. Tractat. lxxx. 3. Tom. III. Pars II. col. 703; where et for etiam.] [ Verus, &c. ablutione corporis, quam fide cor dis: quemadmodum apostolica doctrina tradidit, Dist. 4. Verus |