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1 Cor. xi.

and necessary is not a sacrament. Christ did not command it: he spake no
word of it. Look and read, if you doubt it. Christ's words are written, and may
be seen.
You shall never find that he commanded "confirmation," or that he
ever made any special promise to it. Therefore may you conclude that it is no
sacrament. Otherwise, being rightly used, it is a good ceremony, and well
ordained of our ancient fathers.

The apostles laid their hands on them, and confirmed them which were baptized of John. But that proveth not this confirmation: that was extraordinary, it was a miracle. The Holy Ghost came down upon them, and lightened their hearts by this laying on of the apostles' hands. But it is not so now; the Holy Ghost doth not now descend in visible form upon those which are confirmed: there is no such miracle wrought. There is no need that it should so be. There was no commandment, either to appoint it to the church, or to continue it until the coming of Christ and the end of the world. Therefore it is no sacrament by the institution of Christ. Hitherto of the use; now somewhat of the abuse.

Nothing so good and holy but it may be abused. The word of God hath been abused to heresies, to necromancy, to charms, and sorcery, and witchcraft. The supper of the Lord was abused in the time of St Paul. He telleth the Corinthians: "This is not to eat the Lord's supper." Less marvel, then, if this happen to a ceremony. Time rusteth and consumeth all things, and maketh many a thing to prove naught in the end, which was first devised for good. The brasen serpent at the first was made by Moses, and set it up for good purpose. But afterward it was abused: the children of Israel did burn incense unto it; and therefore Ezechias brake it in pieces.

The first abuse in confirmation was, that it was done in a strange tongue, that no man might understand what was meant: then, that they received to confirmation such children, and so young, as were not able to make profession of their faith; so that the infant promised he knew not what; and the bishop ratified and confirmed where there was nothing to be confirmed: he set to his seal where there was nothing to be sealed. These abuses were far unmeet for the church of God.

Besides these, there was great abuse in the manner of doing. For thus the bishop said: Consigno te... signo crucis; et confirmo te chrismate salutis2: "I sign thee with the sign of the cross, and confirm thee with the oil of salvation." Thus they used to do: these were their words, "with the oil of salvation." They took not this of Christ, nor of his apostles, nor of the holy ancient fathers. It agreeth not with our christian faith to give the power of salvation unto oil. He that seeketh salvation in oil loseth his salvation in Christ, and hath no part in the kingdom of God. Oil for the belly, and for necessary uses of life. It is no fit instrument, without commandment or promise by the word, to work salvation.

More, they said he was no perfect Christian, that was not anointed by the bishop with this holy oil. This was another abuse. For whosoever is baptized receiveth thereby the full name of a perfect Christian, and hath the full and perfect3 covenant and assurance of salvation: he is perfitly buried with Christ, doth perfitly put on Christ, and is perfitly made partaker of his resurrection. Therefore they are deceived, that say no man is a perfit Christian that is not marked with this oil. Else the apostles and holy martyrs were but half Christians, because they lacked this oil. Else what hope and comfort might the poor fathers have? In what state shall he think to find his child, if he die before confirmation, and pass without perfit christendom? Verily they write thus: Sine oleo chrismatis nemo potest sisti ante tribunal Christi5: "Without the oil of chrism no man can appear before the judgment-seat of Christ."

Again, they say confirmation is more honourable than baptism; because any priest may baptize; but confirmation is given only by a bishop or a suffragan. So do they give a greater pre-eminence to confirmation, which is devised by man,

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than to the holy sacrament of baptism, which Christ himself ordained. I need not speak more hereof; the error is so gross, so thick, so sensible and palpable.

Again, when they blessed or hallowed their oil, they used these words: Fiat, Domine, hoc oleum, te benedicente, unctio spiritualis ad purificationem mentis et corporis: "O Lord, let this oil, by thy blessing, be made a spiritual ointment, to purify both soul and body." O Christ Jesu, where was thy cross, where was thy blood, and the price of thy death and passion, when a drop of oil was of power to work remission of sins, to save and defend against all the darts of the wicked spirits, and to refresh both body and soul? Yet so were we taught, so were we led. I feign not these things: the words may be seen. Neither do I speak this to bring you to a misliking or loathing of our late fathers; but only that we may humble our hearts, and give thanks to God, that hath brought us out of that darkness, and given us better knowledge.

Now a word or two of the bringing up of children, and preparing them to confirmation. Wherein I would God the old order were duly observed, that they were instructed perfitly to know religion, and their duty to God; and so might be brought before the congregation, and make an open profession of their faith, with promise that neither tribulation, nor anguish, nor persecution, nor famine, nor nakedness, nor fire, nor sword, nor life, nor death, shall ever make them deny their faith. Hereof might much be spoken; but I will be short.

The whole standeth in knowledge, and in the fear of God; that they may know God, and walk before him in reverence and in fear, and serve him in holiness and righteousness all the days of their life. The Jews are a miserable people, that 10 live in error, they die in their own blood: yet have they so much understanding that they bring up their children in the knowledge of God, and that knowledge they teach out of the word of God. They remember what charge God gave them: "Thou shalt teach them thy sons and thy sons' sons."

Deut. iv.

Therefore a father must teach his child what God is; that he is our Father, that he hath made us, and doth feed us, and giveth us all things needful both for body and soul; that he is our Lord, and therefore we must serve him and obey him, and do nothing whereby he may be displeased; that he is our Judge, and shall come to judge the quick and the dead, and that all men shall come before him, to receive according as they have done in the flesh. He must put his child in mind of his baptism, and teach him that it is a covenant of God's mercy to us, and of our duty to God; that it is a mystery of our salvation, that our soul is so washed with the blood of Christ, as the water of baptism washeth our body. So must he also teach his child the mystery of the Lord's supper; what and how he receiveth there to his comfort; that, as the bread is broken, and the wine poured out, so the body of Christ was crucified, and his blood shed for the remission of sins; that, if we believe in Christ, we are, through the promise of God, so certainly nourished in our souls to everlasting life by the passion of Christ Jesus our Saviour, as our bodies are truly nourished with the creatures of bread and wine. Thus Paul was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, and instructed according to Acts xxil. the perfect manner of the law of the fathers. Thus Timothy was brought up to 2 Tim. iii. know the holy scriptures of a child. How are we become so superstitious? Why have we been so delighted in darkness? Why is it so hard a matter to remove us from the errors wherein we have lived? Why had we rather fall down before dumb things, and worship them, and continue still in ignorance, rather than hearken unto the word of God? Why have we played the part of the Jews, and cried Crucifige upon our dear friends and kinsmen, upon those whom we could not justly accuse of any crime, who offended us no ways, but in that they did point us to Christ, and called us to seek salvation only in him? Hereof there cannot any better cause be yielded than this, that we were igno

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rantly bred up, without knowledge of God, without understanding of his word. The wise man saith: "Teach a child the trade of his way, and when he is old he shall not depart from it." And again: "Whoso awaketh unto wisdom betimes, shall have no great travail; for he shall find her sitting at her1 doors."

Therefore wicked rulers, as Julianus, Licinius, Maximinus, and such others, have forbidden that children should be brought up in the knowledge of God. They taught them to blaspheme Christ and holy men, and to speak ill of them before they knew them. But let us look upon our children as upon the great blessings of God. They are the Lord's vessels, ordained to honour; let us keep them clean they are Christ's lambs and sheep of his flock; let us lead them forth into wholesome pasture. They are the seed-plot of heaven; let us water them, that God may give the increase: their angels behold the face of God; let us not offend them: they are the temples and tabernacles of the Holy Ghost; let us not suffer the foul spirit to possess them, and dwell within them.

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God saith, Your children are my children. They are the sons of God. They are born anew, and are well shapen in beautiful proportion: make them not monsters. He is a monster, whosoever knoweth not God. By you they are born into the world; be careful also that by your means they may be begotten unto God: you are careful to train them in nurture and comely behaviour of the body; seek also to fashion their minds unto godliness. You have brought them to the fountain of baptism, to receive the mark of Christ; bring them up in knowledge, and watch over them that they be not lost. So shall they be confirmed, and will keep the promise they have made, and will grow unto perfect2 age in Christ.

Of Marriage I shall need say the less; the matter is so known and common. This fellowship was first ordained by God himself in paradise. God himself said: "It is not good that man should be himself alone: I will make him an helper meet for him." God, which fashioned man, and breathed in him the breath of life, and knoweth his very heart and reins, said, "It is not good," it is not fit, "that man should be himself alone." Although man were in paradise, although he were in the perfection of virtue, yet saith God he hath need of a helper. Christ disdained not to be at a marriage; he honoured it both by his presence and by the working of a miracle. St Paul saith: Marriage is honourable in all men, and the bed undefiled." In all men, saith he; in the patriarchs, in the prophets, in the apostles, in martyrs, in bishops.

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That all the apostles, St John only excepted, were married, appeareth by Ignatius, Clemens, and Eusebius. Spiridion was a married bishop, and yet he was thereby nothing hindered, neither to discharge his duty nor to any other godly purpose. Tertullian was a priest, and married, as appeareth by his own book, written to his wife. Gregory, St Basil's brother, was bishop of Nyssa, yet married. Another Gregory was bishop of Nazianzum, yet married, and nevertheless a faithful servant and steward of the mysteries of God. Hilary was bishop of Poitiers, yet married3. All these were holy and godly, and chaste in body and in spirit, and yet were married. Gregory Nazianzene saith: "Marriage is worthy of praise, for the quietness and contentation that is in it." And Clemens Alexandrinus saith: "As well marriage as also chastity have their peculiar offices pertaining to God." And Chrysostom saith: "Marriage is void of fault, and is no hinderance to virtue." Again: "So precious a thing is matrimony, that with the same thou mayest be promoted even to a bishop's chair"." What are they then that call marriage uncleanness, filthiness, a work of the

[ His, 1583, 1609.]

[2 Perfite, 1583, 1609.]

[3 See before, pages 727, 8.]

[4 ...τοῦ δὲ ταπεινοτέρου τε καὶ ἀσφαλεστέρου ...ποιήσασα γάμον ἐπαινετὸν διὰ τῆς ἐν γάμῳ εὐαρεστήσεως, καὶ τῆς καλῆς ἐντεῦθεν καρποφορίας. Gregor. Naz. Op. Par. 1778-1840. Orat. viii. 2. Tom. I. p. 222.]

[ ...ἔχει γὰρ ὥσπερ ἡ εὐνουχία, οὕτω καὶ ὁ γάμος, ἰδίας λειτουργείας καὶ διακονίας, τῷ Κυρίῳ

diapepovaas.-Clement. Alex. Op. Oxon. 1715. Stromat. Lib. III. 12. Tom. I. p. 546.]

[ ...εἰ δέ τινες ἐνεποδίσθησαν ὑπὸ γάμου, ἰδέα τωσαν ὅτι οὐχ ὁ γάμος ἐμπόδιον, ἀλλ ̓ ἡ προαίρεσις ἡ κακῶς χρησαμένη τῷ γάμῳ. Chrysost. Op. Par. 1718-38. In Epist. ad Hebr. cap. iv. Hom. vii. Tom. XII. p. 80. Conf. ibid. cap. xiii. Hom. xxxiii. p. 305. Also In Epist. ad Tit. cap. i. Hom. ii. Tom. XI. p. 738. See before, page 728, notes 3, 4.]

Serm. 66. in

Mor Manich.

xviii.

flesh? that say it defileth a man; and therefore God's ministers may not be married? How can they thus speak that have any knowledge of that which God hath spoken? May we not worthily say unto such despisers of lawful matrimony that which St Bernard in like case said? Fingunt se amore casti- Bernard. tatis ista dicere, cum ea magis causa turpitudinis fovendæ et multiplicandæ adinvene- Cant. rint: "They bear us in hand that they speak these things for love of chastity; whereas indeed they have devised the same to the end to nourish and to increase their filthiness." Or, as Augustine sometime said to the Manichees: Non...con- August. de cubitum, sed, ut ab apostolo longe ante dictum est, vere nuptias prohibetis: "Ye Lib. it. cap. forbid not copulation; but, as it was long ago forespoken by the apostle, indeed ye forbid very marriage." If you mark these few words which I delivered, it will easily appear how reverend an account is to be made of that state of life. For, if you regard the necessity thereof, God found it good to give man a wife; if the antiquity, it was ordained in the beginning of the world; if the place, in paradise; if the time, in the innocency of man. If you regard any thing the rather because of him that ordained it, God was the author of marriage; even God which made heaven and earth, and which is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. If you seek the allowance, Christ approved it by his birth in marriage, and by his presence at marriage; if the dignity, it is honourable; if among whom, in all men of all estates, of all callings, in prince, in subject, in minister, in priest, and in people. It is honourable in prophets, honourable in apostles, in martyrs, in bishops.

"Marriage is honourable in all men;...but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." Their portion shall be with the infidels; they shall be cast into utter darkness, their worm shall never die, their fire shall never be quenched; they shall go down headlong into the fire that is prepared for the devil and his angels. "Be not deceived," saith St Paul: "neither fornicators, nor adulterers, 1 Cor. nor wantons, shall inherit the kingdom of God."

Now are we to speak in the next place of the ministry of the church, which some have called Holy Orders. Shall we account it a sacrament? there is no reason so to do. It is a heavenly office, a holy ministry or service. By such as have this office God lighteneth our darkness, he declareth his mind to us, he gathereth together his scattered sheep, and publisheth unto the world the glad tidings of salvation. The patriarchs did bear this office. This was the office of the prophets. God saith: "I have sent unto you all my servants the prophets, Jer. vii. rising up every day, and sending them." Again he saith: "I have put my words Isai. li. in thy mouth." Therefore, when they taught the people of God, the prophets signed their speech thus: "The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it:" "the Lord hath said:" "the voice and the word of the Lord:" "hear the word of the Lord." But, when the fulness of the time came, God sent his Son, and hath spoken unto us by him. He became our prophet, to shew us the will of his Father. saith: "I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me John xii. a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak." Hereof St John saith: "No man hath seen God at any time:" he is invisible, he is incomprehen- John i. sible: no mind can conceive him: no eye can see him: but "the only-begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." Of him the Father said: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear him.” Matt. iii. Hearken unto him, receive his word, credit him, believe him. No doubt the ministry of the gospel is highly to be esteemed, seeing our Saviour was not ashamed to publish the will of his Father in his own person; yet it appeareth not where ever he did ordain it to be a sacrament.

He

He appointed that the comfort thereof should be carried into all nations, and gave that charge unto his apostles: "Go teach all nations." Again: "What I Matt. xxviii. tell you in darkness, that speak you in light; and, what you hear in the ear, that

[7...fingentes se amore id dicere castitatis, quod magis &c. adinvenerunt.-Bernard. Op. Par. 1690. In Cant. Serm. lxvi. 3. Vol. I. Tom. IV. col. 1495.]

[JEWEL, II.]

[ August. Op. Par. 1679-1700. De Mor. Manich. Lib. 11. cap. xviii. 65. Tom. I. col. 739; where ut longe ante ab.]

[ Two words are omitted.]

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Matt. x.

Matt. ix.
Matt. iv.

John xx.

Matt. x.

Dan. xii.

Isai. vi.
Jer. i.

1 Cor. iii.

Rom. i. Jer. xxiii.

1 Thess. ii.

Prov. xx.

Matt. x.

Luke i.

Luke xxi.

Jer. xxiii.
Luke xi.

Matt. xxiii.

preach you on the houses." He saw the people, and had compassion on them; he saw they were dispersed and scattered abroad like sheep without a shepherd, and that they perished because they had no knowledge of the will of God. Therefore he saith: Pray the Lord of the harvest, that he would send labourers into the harvest." Therefore he ordaineth them to this ministry: “I will make you fishers of men;" and sendeth them forth: "As my Father sent me, so send I you." And, "Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." He willed them to call the people to repentance, and to preach the kingdom of God.

By this ministry God hath gathered to himself an acceptable people, and hath brought them to the obedience of the gospel of Christ, and hath turned the hearts of the fathers unto their children, and so made it to be the foundation of religion. They that exercise this ministry are the eyes of Christ, the pillars of the church, the interpreters of God's will, the watchmen of the Lord's tower, the leaders of Christ's sheep, the salt of the earth, the light of the world. Daniel saith: "They that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars for ever and ever." Not that there is any so great wisdom or eloquence in men: they are but weak, they are unfit to do this service. Esay saith of himself: "I am a man of polluted lips." And Jeremy saith: "O Lord God! behold, I cannot speak; for I am a child." So saith St Paul: "I have planted, Apollo' watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase." So said St John, that he was not Christ, nor that prophet, but the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, and not worthy to unloose the latchet of his shoe that should come after him.

The power whereby they did conquer the world was not in them, but in the word which they preached. "It is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth." "It is like a fire, and like a hammer that breaketh a stone." "When ye received of us the word of the preaching of God," saith St Paul to the Thessalonians, "ye received it not as the word of men, but, as it is indeed, the word of God; which also worketh in you that believe." The power of an earthly prince is great. The wise man saith: "The fear of a king is like the roaring of a lion." Yet is a prince but mortal; and the law of a prince is but mortal: it hath no power to force the conscience. But the word of God doth break into the heart, it forceth a way into the conscience: it is "sharper than any twoedged sword: it entereth through, even to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit," because it is the word of God.

For it is no3 man, but God that speaketh; as Christ telleth the apostles: "It is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you." saith the prophet Zachary: "He spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began." The prophets and apostles and holy men of God were but instruments. It was God which gave his holy Spirit, which gave them tongues to speak, and words to utter. Therefore said Christ: "I will give you a mouth, and wisdom, where-against all your adversaries shall not be able to speak nor resist." Though men be but simple, yet the word they deliver is mighty though they be mortal, the word of the Lord endureth for ever.

Where this word is received, it is fire, and burneth: it is a hammer, and breaketh the hardness of the heart: it is mighty in operation: it cleanseth the inner man it openeth the conscience: it is a savour of life unto life: it is the means of salvation. He that receiveth this word, and believeth, shall be saved. This is the word of reconciliation. God hath committed it unto us.

If any hide this word, he slayeth the people: he is a dumb dog. Of such God saith: "Behold, I will come against the prophets, that steal my word every one from his neighbour." They are thieves and robbers. "Wo be unto you, interpreters of the law! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge," saith Christ : 'ye entered not in yourselves, and them that came in ye forbade." And again: "Wo be unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye shut up the kingdom of heaven before men; for ye yourselves go not in, neither suffer ye them that would enter to come in." Of these, and against them, God speaketh

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