A TREATISE OF THE SACRAMENTS According to the Doctrin of the Church of England touching that Argument Collected out of the Articles of Religion the Publique Catechism the Liturgie and the Book of Homilies With a Sermon preached in the publique Lecture appointed for Saint Pauls Crosse on the feast of Saint Iohn Baptist Iune 24. 1638. By T. B. Pr. Pl. LONDON Printed by Richard Bishop for Abel Roper and are to bee sold at his shop at the black spred-Eagle in Fleetstreet over against S. Dunstans Church 1638. REVERENDISSIMO IN CHRISTO PATRI ac Domino suo Colendissimo D no IOSEPHO Divinâ providentiâ Episcopo Exoniensi Diocesano suo viro verè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cui pro eximiâ suâ singular benevolentiâ favore plurimum se debere fatentur quotquot pacis Ecclesiae Filii Tractatulum hunc De Sacramentis unà cum Apprecatione salutis foelicitatis in Testimonium Gratitudinis Observantiae Humillimè Dedicavi T. B. Ad Amicum Symmistam suum charissimum Tho. Bedford S. Theol. Bacch divini verbi apud Plimouthienses Concionatorem Orthodoxum DVm sensu veteri sacra-pandis ad Ostiâ— Plimmi Deque Sacramentis quae mage sana doces Dogmata nil mirum tua displicuisse popello Et tibi conflictus conciliâsse graves Scilicet hic caecus furor haec insania vulgi Affectu minimè vi rationis agi Cumque sibi vitulum semel instituêre colendum Efflictim Idolum deperüsse suum Tu tamen ut duris detonsa bipennibus ilex Crescit ex ipso vulnere ducit opes Macte tuâ virtute contrà audentior ito Elicitámque tuis vim tibi sume malis Intumeant fluctus spinasque ad Littora volvant Et repleant rauco murmure quaeque suo Tu pertende viam quò te Cyâ—osura vocabit Nec metuas tumidi vimque minasque maris Scilicet in coelis sedem compescere fluctus Et rabiem populiqui bene novit habet Adde Sacramentis quos tu pius addis honores In nomen recident tandem aliquando tuum Aaron Wilson Arch. Exon. Vic. de Plymouth TO THE COVRTEOVS Christian Reader whosoever whether of the Clergy or of the Laity More especially To my loving and beloved Auditors of the Town of Plymmouth Grace Mercy and Peace I Have now at length sent abroad into the world what I intended many days ago but could not compass till this present time Many the most of these Notions touching the Sacraments have I preached now and then in the course of my Lecture as the Text in hand presented an occasion to me In the delivery of which because I could not be so happy as to give that cleer that full satisfaction which I desired at least not to all my Hearers I set pen to paper and out of those severall Notes disperst here and there but especially out of some explications upon the Church Catechism have I concinnate and fitted up this Treatise which I now present to your view The last yeer after that by the advice of some judicious Friends to whom I imparted the sight therof I had altered and amended what was thought needfull I presented a Copy therof to our Reverend Diocesan with this intention that to his Censure it should stand or fall if he thought fitting it should pass abroad if not I should commit it to the Dust and Moths the just destiny of unhappy scriblings To whom should I give an account of my studyes rather than to Him by whose favour and permission I enjoy my Licence the liberty of my Lecture and Ministeriall labours It pleased his Lordship after the perusall of my papers to redeliver the Copy to me with that Approbation of which I confess my selfe to be still ambitious viz. That hee conceived the substance of my Book to be â—ound and orthodoxall agreeable to the Truth of God and consonant to the doctrin of our present Church Nor did his Lordship spare to advise me and put me upon the Publication of it alledging that tho the same things are already published yet to see them laid together as here they bee and brought into a frame and uniform discourse would quit the cost and be worth acceptance A willing mind is soon perswaded to say the truth I was easily induced to send it forth into the World In generall for the publique benefit of the Church of God as conceiving the Argument to bee no less needfull than usefull to advance that respect and honour which is due to this sacred Ordinance In speciall to plead my Cause to give satisfaction to some of my Hearers whose Ey perhaps may now resolv them in that wherin their Ear hath hitherto tho unjustly detain'd them doubtfull I blame not not any who doth not presently receiv what is suggested by the New-come Preacher I commend the inquisitiv Bereans who will examin the Doctrin of S. Paul himself before thy will adhere unto it Only I would pray the Hearer I would intreat the Reader not therfore to neglect the truth of God nor less regard the Doctrin of our Church because the person that now presents it to the publique view is not of greater place of better parts of more ability Even Goats hair was usefull and Badgers skins accepted towards the erecting of the Lords Tabernacle And this poor Treatise of mine may through Gods blessing bee profitable I hope to some and do some good in the Church of God Howsoever I have done what I could The rest I leave to God How needfull the Argument is you shall find observed and breefly touched in the preface which when you have read the rest of the discourse is subdivided into three generall parts In the first of which I have endevoured to shew what a Sacrament is The end and issue whereof is to determin the Number of true-born Sacraments Particularly Cap. 1. The definition of a Sacrament The Essentiall parts and Originall therof A sign A visibl sign The Element The Authour of the Sacrament Christ His Word of precept of promise The word of Consecration Cap. 2. The Essentials and Originall of Baptism viz. the Element Water the Ceremony Washing the form of administration Where is shewed what therin is Essentiall and what therein is Accidentall Cap. 3. The Essentialls and Originall of the Lords Supper sc. the elements Bread and Wine the Originall Christs Institution The Cup unjustly taken from the Laity by the present Church of Rome The mixture of water Cap. 4. The inward grace signified by the Elements sc. The Body and Blood of Christ. Both Sacraments have Relation to the passion of Christ. Cap. 5. A Corollary If either of the parts be wanting there is no Sacrament Hence an Argument against Transubstantiation Hence Arguments to prove that those five sc. Matrimony Ordination Absolution Confirmation and Vnction are not legitimate Sacraments The right use of those Ceremonies touched In the second generall part I shew the end why Sacraments were ordained the Issue wherof is
full nature of a Sacrament which serveth not only to represent but instrumentally to convey Christ and all his benefits So that well may the Church determine that verely and indeed Christ is present and consequently verely and indeed taken yet after an heavenly manner and received of the faithfull in the Sacrament Verily tho not carnally Really tho not corporally but spiritually in in the Sacrament that is in the exercise of that sacred action not otherwise Provided also that we understand this efficacy of the Sacraments to have place in them only qui sibi non ponunt obicem as the School speaketh which do not barr themselvs or to speak more plainly in the phrase of the Church only in the faithfull But of this herafter viz. cap. 11. CHAP. VII The speciall End of either Sacrament THE speciall end of Baptism is to communicate unto us the blood of Christ for washing the soul from the guilt of sinn and consequently our Admission into the Covenant of Grace The speciall end of the Lords Supper to communicate the body and blood of Christ for feeding and nourishing the soul unto eternall life and consequently our Confirmation in grace and holiness Hence we have the ground of that choice of Elements which our blessed Saviour made viz. not meerly the analogy which is betwixt the sign and the signified but also the excellency and exquisitness of that analogy and proportion In Baptism water is used and none other liquor because none other so proper for washing none other doth wash so clean as doth water and therfore none other so fit to signifie the blood of Christ which cleanseth the soul from all sinn In the Lords Supper bread and wine is used to represent the body and blood of Christ and see I pray you the excellent proportion that is betwixt them specially in the effects bread and wine nourish the body nothing better the body and blood of Christ nourish the soul nothing better yea nothing else So also in the manner of their preparation The bread is made a food for the body of many grains of corn bruised and baked the wine of Grapes trodden and pressed So the Body and blood of Christ became our spirituall food by being bruised and broken upon the Crosse Add this bread and wine do no good nay much harm except the stomack be prepared to digest them nor doth this spirituall food profit the soul nay it doth much hurt to the soul except the soul be worthily prepared BAPTISM is the Sacrament of our Admission nor is there any other ceremony or rite of admitting any into the Covenant of grace but only by Baptism The Church of Israel was admitted by Circumcision But since the time of Christ which we call the time of the new Testament all that will be admitted must be baptised hence that of our Saviour to Nicodemus Except a man be born of water and the spirit c. that is except by submitting himself to Baptism he do receiv the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of heaven for which cause when he sent forth his Apostles he gave them charge to joyn Baptism with their teaching Goe teach and baptise Matt. 28. The Persons that have right of admission are as of old Beleevers and their children The Ceremony of Admission is altered but still as the Covenant is the same so the parties are the same beleevers and their children this is plain Act. 2.39 You and your children By beleevers we understand such as are converted to the faith Converts and Proselites these have right of Admission because faith is the condition of the new Covenant Mar. 16.16 and Iohn 3.16 You will happily say to me that if they beleev they are already in the Covenant partakers of it by faith and therfore need no further admission yes they are not compleatly within the Covenant till baptised Faith giveth them title and interest but the Sacrament admission Add this that it is one part of their faith to beleev the necessity of the Sacrament as a means to give them full possession of Christ And this doth cause them to seek for it in the Sacrament Children of Beleevers also have a right of Admission becaus they are part of their Parents and heirs of the promise due to their Fathers The faith of the parent intitleth the child unto the Covenant so much the more unjustly do the Anabaptists deal with beleevers and their children in shutting Infants out from Baptism thus questioning that ancient and long approved custome of the Church in all ages ever since Christ and his Apostles Traditions Apostolicall are authenticall and not to be refused because not written if found to be Apostolicall Apostolicall customs mentioned in the Scripture have a more unquestioned certainty than traditions but not greater authority Neither is this to set up Tradition as do the Papists to the prejudice of the Scripture because we admit none as Apostolicall which either are contrarie to the customes mentioned in the Scripture or which may not be confirmed as reasonable from the Scripture And such is the custome of baptising Infants which thus we confirm against the fore-mentioned Sectaries The infants of Christians are as capable of present Incorporation into Christ and Admission into the Covenant of grace as were the Infants of the Jews and if so which we prov out of Cor. 7.14 who shall barr them whom God hath not barred If not then hath not grace abounded in the new Testament but is rather shortned in comparison of the old as being restrained only to the Parent wheras before Infants also were comprehended and admitted The strength of this argument will appear more fully by taking away the cavills which they make against it Object 1. That text of Cor. 7.14 sheweth indeed that children are holy but how As the wife not otherwise viz. as she is sanctified to the use of her husband so the children to the use of their Parents Thus they but they falsifie the text for the text saith not of the children as it doth of the wife 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sanctified but they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy which is more emphaticall neither doth the text speaking of the wife say she is sanctified to the husband but in or by the husband Nor is the text to be understood of the legitimation but of the sanctification of the bedd namely of federall sanctification or the holiness of the Covenant for it appeareth that the pretence of them that repudiated their wives was a fear lest the infidelity of the wife should deprive the husband of the covenant of grace which he had imbraced Saint Paul denyeth this and sheweth that rather the faith of the Beleevers should so farr prevail as to draw the other after a sort within the Covenant his reason is because the children of such are holy that is heirs of the Covenant Now I pray you mark well
this form of Administration together with the proper element of Baptism by which even the Priests of the worst times baptised Infants into the true faith of Christ and like a leprous and infectious mother is the present Church of Rome she beareth and bringeth forth sound children but presently hazardeth the infection of them with her milk as it were with deadly poyson That this Element together with the Ceremony and the form of words used in the Administration were all of them ordeined by Christ is so plain by that text Mat. 28. that it cannot be denied thus have we manifested both the Essence and Originall of Baptism CHAP. III. The manifestation of the Essence and Originall of the Lords Supper TOuching this our Church saith that the Element or outward part in the Lords Supper is Bread and Wine which the Lord hath commanded to be received thereby teaching us both the number and names of the Elements and also the Originall of this sign or which is all one the ground of our receiving For the NVMBER of Elements there are two yet not two Sacraments no both make but one Sacrament for which they are joyned together in this sacred action to teach us the full sufficiencie of spirituall nourishment which is in Christ. Corporal nourishment must consist of something moist and something dry and he that partaketh not of both hath not sufficient so here we have both in Christ and therefore need not seek elsewhere The NAMES of these two Elements are Bread and Wine not Flesh and Blood which happly would have carried a greater resemblance of that which is thereby signified lest it might have been impiously thought to have been prepared for Cannibals not for Christians but Bread and Wine which have an excellent proportion and Analogicall Representation of what is here remembred as shall be shewed in the seventh Chapter The ORIGINALL of these Elements and the ground of our receiving is the coÌ„mand of the Lord expressely mentioned by S. Matthew Mark and Luke and out of S. Luke repeated verbatim by S. Paul Whence appeareth the abominable impietie and horrible sacriledge of the present Church of Rome which hath not only appointed new ends and uses of the Sacraments Circumgestation and Adoration which Christ and his Church never did once dream of but also hath deprived the Laity of the Cup altogether And whereas Christ saith drink ye all of this She saith no not all of you but only the Clergie must the rest must be content with their wafer cake for more they get not Object That word Omnes All of you is to be restrained to the Apostles who alone were present Sol And to whom must the other Omnes which tho not expressed is yet understood in the precept of eating to whom I say must that be extended To whom doth Saint Paul direct that Canon Cor. 11.28 Let him eat let him drink Why do they not also take away the Bread from the Laitie as well as the Cup since none but the Apostles were present But to let these bellies passe all that desire the benefit of the Sacraments must know it to be their dutie to eat and drink the Bread and Wine which the Lord hath commanded to be received Ob. But blood was never used for nutrition nay the eating or drinking thereof is directly prohibited Gen. 9.4 and Levit. 7.14 and much more the blood of man why then are these men blamed that forbeare to drink that in its type and figure which manifestly was forbidden to be drunk in its proper substance Sol We are not to depart from the letter of Christs Precept because we cannot untie the knots of humane Curiosity Blood indeed was never lawfully drunk much lesse the blood of man but alwayes shed for expiation and therefore it might to carnall reason seem as incongruous to drink it in its type and figure as it is congruous to eat flesh in its figure which was allowed for the proper food and nourishment of the body yet since Christ hath commanded us to drink that Wine which he himselfe hath called his blood we must do what he biddeth and leav him to stop the mouths of Cavillers when God calls for obedience by the letter of his word we must not stand to ask him the ground and reason of his Commandement Duties belong to us Reasons to God Note that as the Bread accidentally was unlevened that Bread I mean which Christ our Saviour used at the first institution so also the wine in the Cup was not intentionally provided for this new Sacrament our Saviour took such ordinary provision as the custome of the country used in the Passeover happily also the wine that he used was mingled with water it being the custome of the country to dash their wine to prevent Drunkennesse which things are fit to be noted lest we should place any superstition in the imitation or not imitation of those things whih were but accidentall The Catholick Church hath appointed Wine to be used yet indulgence was granted to the Norwegians to use other drinks The reformed Churches some of them put leaven into the bread some of them banish water out of the wine And in these things tho the text of Scripture impose no necessity but leav a liberty yet is it fitting that men should in conscience use their liberty according to the Canons and Constitutions of the Church CHAP. IV. The inward Grace signified by the outward Elements THE Sign in either of these two Sacraments as we have heard is externall and visible now what is signified by these Elements cometh to be enquired this is called a Grace and it is said to be inward and spirituall Particularly the inward part and thing sâ—gnified by the Bread and Wine saith our Church is the body and blood of Christ by the bread is signified the Body and by the wine the Blood both which being found in Christ do set forth the truth of his Humanity but being considered in their separation that is as separated really one from the other they do set forth the truth of Christs death A reall separation of the blood from the body is here in the Sacrament represented and set forth in the locall distance of the two Elements the bread in one vessell by it selfe the wine in another by it selfe for which cause the Elements ought not to be mingled together The Elements are bread and wine Not a sopp because not the blood of Christ while it was running in the veins but when it was shed upon the ground is signified in the Sacrament so much is plain out of the words of our blessed Saviour touching the Cup This is my blood of the new Testament which is shed for many plain also it is out of the speciall end of the Institution of this Sacrament which saith our Church out of Saint Paul is for a continuall remembrance of the death of Christ c. But of this hereafter Now
for the Sacrament of Baptism that which is signified by the water to speak exactly is the blood of Christ not the blood in the living bodie but the blood that was spilt and shed upon the ground prefigured in the Law by the blood of the sacrifices which was sprinkled upon the unclean for the purifying of the flesh The blood of Bulls and Goats were shaddows of prefiguration but the body is Christ whose blood doth wash and cleans the soul from sinne and is signified by the water in Baptism Q. How can this be may some say when as the blood of Christ is signified by the Wine in the Lords Supper For answer hereunto we shall do well to remember what Saint Iohn hath related in his Gospell viz. That upon the peiâ—cing and goring of Christs side there came forth blood and water what water was this not any miraculous humour much lesse the corruption of blood in Pleuritick bodies but that watery substance which Anatomists do find in the Pericardium placed there by nature as it may seem for the refrigeration of the heart Now for the full manifestation of the death of Christ it pleased the providence of God to make use of the malice of the Souldier to peirce the Pericardium and gore the heart which being done it is impossible for any one to live And this watery substance is that which the water of Purification and the water of Baptism doth properly signifie the which tâ—o in propriety of nature it differ from the blood of the vitall vessels viz. the heart and the liver running in the veins and arteries yet in common phrase it is called the blood of Christ which blood of Christ is represented in both the Sacraments Hence there is a different respect of the blood of Christ shed for expiation and a two-fold use of it after the effusion viz. partly for Nutrition in the Supper partly for ablution and purgation as in the Sacrament of Baptism hence are those phrases of washing and cleansing so frequent in the new Testament this is that fountain which is set open for sinne and for uncleannesse thus in the new Testament as well as in the old all things are purged by blood Hebrews 9.22 Thus both Sacraments have speciall Relation to the death of Christ which the phrase of Scripture doth manifest for of Baptism it is said that by it we are baptised into his death and buried with Christ Rom. 6.4 Col. 2.12 and the Supper is the remembrance and commemoration of the death of Christ 1 Cor. 11 26. and this doth fully manifest unto us what that grace is which is signified in the Sacrament and how the word Grace used in the definition of a Sacrament is to be understood Doubtlesse hereby is meant not a quality infused but a gracious gift bestowed upon us Now of Gods gracious gifts some are corporall and reach no further than the body Others are spirituall touching the state and welfare of the soule and such is that Grace or gracious gift presented in the Sacraments Again whereas there be divers sorts of these spirituall graces that Grace which is the ground-work of the Sacraments is not any among the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit but the gracious Gift of the Father who gave his own Sonne for us indeed Christ himselfe is that gracious gift of God which is presented to us in the Sacrament Christus quâ passus the body and blood of Christ given for mankind in the work of redemption are by the Sacrament given to mankind for the application of that redemption Bellarmin is deceived while in the heat of his scholasticall discourse he will needs have the Grace of Justification or as we do better stile it sanctification to be the thing which is principally signified in the Sacrament That is an effect and consequent but Christ crucified is the speciall signification of the Sacrament Reason giveth it for it is against the nature of the cause especially of the instrumentall cause to represent the effect which it self produceth Adde this the nature of a sacramentall sign consisteth in analogicall proportion now this is most apt betwixt these Elements and the body and blood of Christ so also of the operation of the one upon the body and of the other upon the soul but no similitude at all betwixt these Elements and the grace of Justification To conclude this both the doctrine of the Schoolmen and that common saying of the ancients received from Saint Augustine doth shew that Christus passus Christ on the Crosse is that grace which is primarily and principally signified in either Sacrament CHAP. V. A Corollary drawn from this part of the Definition NOvv from this first part of the Definition wherein we have heard the Essence and Originall of the Sacrament we may justly collect this Corollary viz. That if either part be wanting that is if either there want a visible sign or an invisible grace there can be no Sacrament And thus doth the Church teach her children that the parts of every Sacrament are and must be two the outward visible sign and the inward spirituall grace How can this be might some curious Critick say is the Genus and and common nature of a Sacrament the sign of grace and is grace now become part of the Sacrament Is not this all one as if the man should be called a part of the picture which is the representation of the man in very deed to speak properly grace is no part of the sign but Subjectum or Substratum praesuppositum the ground-work thereof but when we speak in the vulgar phrase we call those things parts which are any way Essentiall and so grace is a part of the sign that is essentiall to it for except it be a sign of grace it is not a Sacrament adde this also that howsover the School saith that the sign is properly as indeed properly it is the Sacrament and doth relatively oppose it to the grace signified yet the Church speaking to the capacity of the simple calleth the whole sacred action of Baptism and of the Supper by the name of the Sacrament which taken in this larger signification is as it were compounded of two things one earthly the other heavenly and these vulgarly are called the parts of the Sacrament as being both of them essentiall to the constitution of a Sacrament Hence is an argument fetcht to overthrow Transubstantiation which by changing the bread into the very body of Christ hath taken away the sign and so spoyled the Sacrament for as the soul departed and the body separated is not the man so neither the sign without the grace nor the grace without the sign but being both together considered relatively do make a Sacrament there may be therfore no change of the one into the other Hence also fetch arguments to convince those five obtruded by the Roman Church to be no true born Sacraments properly so called
it self Hence also is the translation of phrases that what is peculiar to the sign is translated to the signified and what is proper to the signified grace is applyed also to the externall sign Thus Baptism is said to wash the soul from sinn and the Lords Supper to feed the soul with grace because it is united and conveigheth that grace to the soul which indeed can work upon the soul and the blood of Christ is said to wash the body and blood are said to feed because they are united to and conveyed by these Elementall signs whose proper operation is to wash and feed Qu. Doth not this then prov the Reall Presence of the body and blood of Christ in the Sacrament Ans. A Reall presence the Church of England holdeth if we rightly understand the phrase and against the Sacramentarians we maintain that the body and blood of Christ are verely and indeed taken and received of the faithfull in the Lords Supper Nor do we fear to say that as in Baptism water washeth the body and as in the Lords Supper the bread feedeth the body so also doth the blood of Christ wash the soul and the body of Christ feed it to eternall life Nor do we understand this to be a truth only thus that as the one washeth and feedeth the body so certainly doth the other wash and feed the soul nor thus only that at the same time when the one doth wash and feed the body the other doth wash and feed the soul both these are truths but neither of them enough to expresse the whole truth The first noteth no relation at all betwixt the sign and the grace the other only a relation of time not of causality more or less But thus we understand it That in that the body is washed with this water and nourished with this bread the soul is also cleansed by the blood of Christ and nourished with his body Thus I say and in this sence we grant a reall presence according to the Scriptures our Saviour saith of the bread this is my body and Saint Paul doth well explain the meaning of it in that Quaere of his The bread which we break is it not the Communion of the body of Christ as who should say it is so indeed the same may be said of the water in Baptism that it is the Communion of the blood of Christ that is more than a bare sign of representation even a mean of receiving that grace which to the faithfull is really present and of them verily received in the Sacrament This is confessed of all both Romish and Reformed and had not the Curiosity of mens brains proceeded further to determin preremptorily of the speciall manner of this Reall Presence we might in this have held Communion But as in other matters of Religion and mysteries of Godlinesse so also in this mans restless head and curious brain ready enough to pry into things reserved and rash too much to determine of them and to defend his determinations hath put the Church to much toyl and labour and to continuall vexation And here by the way it may be worth the noting that the most of those hereticall pravities which have alwayes vexed the Church have been not of the truth of the thing but of the manner of explication The Articles of the Trinity of Christs Incarnation Descensâ—on Ascension personall Union Sacramentall presence The article of the Procession of the holy Ghost of Justification by faith of the concord and co-operation of Gods grace and mans will these and others of the same nature have not been so much denied or questioned of their truth as of the manner of truth And had not Curiosity been seconded by pertinacy we might happily have filled the Schools with questions not the Church with Heresies How much better had it been to have followed the modestie of our Church in this question which setteth down what is received from Scripture but wadeth no further Certainly as touching these modalities better it is Christianly to beleev than curiously to inquire And the use which we ought to make of all mysteries of Godliness when we meet with them and their inexplicable difficulties is 1. To admire the infinite and incomprehensible wisdome of God whose wayes are past finding out so Saint Paul Rom. 11.33.2 To be humbled in the sight and sence of our own Ignorance thus Agur Prov. 30.2.3 To sigh and long for the time of Revelation saying Oh when shall I come thither where I shall see and know as I am known 4. To cleav fast to the truth that is revealed blessing God for it and striving to gain the benefit therof Would men take this course when they meet with intricate positions they should provide much better for the practice of Piety Quest. What then must we sit down and rest with a generall and implicite faith Resp. Certainly an implicite Faith were it joyned with an explicite Obedience would be more beneficiall to many to whom it would be much more profitable if lesse time were spent in seeking knowledg and more in practising what they know But further I add that the Church and Ministery may yea ought to examine the curiosities of them that will determine and to censure them accordingly Thus because the Papist will peremptorily determine his Reall presence to be by the way of Transubstantiation The Lutheran his by the way of Consubstantiation we stand bound to examine what truth or falshood is in either of them This the Reformed Churches have done particularly the Church of England hath done and findeth that Transubstantiation or the change of the substance of the bread and wine in the Supper of the Lord that this I say cannot be proved by holy writ but it is repugnant to the plain words of the Scripture overthroweth the nature of a Sacrament and hath given occasion to many superstitions The same may be said of Consubstantiation yea the Church findeth that this kind of reall presence doth overthrow the grounds of Reason and Religion 1. Of Reason and Philosophy Quoniam naturae humanae veritas c. Seeing that the verity of humane nature requireth that the body of one and the same man cannot be present in many places altogether but must needs remain in some definite and certain place therefore the body of Christ cannot be present in many and divers places at one and the same time 2. Of Religion and Divinity Quoniam ut tradunt c. Because according to the Doctrine of the sacred Scriptures Christ was taken up into heaven there to abide till the end of the world therfore no faithfull Christian ought either to beleev or profess any as they call it corporall presence of Christs flesh and blood in either Sacrament upon these grounds the corporall presence of Christ in the Sacrament is refused yet is not therfore the Sacramentarians naked signification admitted because it commeth farr short of the
duty of Prayer humiliation and every particular occasion wherin our faith ought to have a speciall relation to the promise Mans duty is to look to that promise which in speciall respecteth that duty and by faith to lay hold upon it else doth he deserv to lose the benefit of the Promise The promise made to us in Baptism comprehendeth the exhibition of grace Act. 2.38 the remission of sins Act. 22.16 consequently the salvation of the soul Mar. 16.16 The promise made to us in the Supper is intimated in those words This is my body this is my blood which is shed for you which Saint Paul explicateth thus The communion of the body and blood of Christ i.e. as we have heard an effectuall means to convey the body and blood of Christ even Christ and all his benefits to the worthy Receiver Hence give answer to that question viz. How it commeth to pass that the faithfull do receiv the body and blood of Christ in the Sacrament the Church saith they are verily and indeed taken and received of the faithfull but how commeth it to pass Answ. That it is done by virtue of Christs promise and the Receivers faith meeting together The promise of Christ is that the elements thus blessed and received shall be to the Reeciver the body and blood of Christ the Receiver therfore doth look upon the signs as instruments of conveyance means of receiving Now these two viz. the promise of Christ and the faith of the Receiver meeting together do make a kind of omnipotency Christ can perform whatsoever he promiseth and faith can beleev whatsoever he revealeth so to the beleever this yea and all things else are possible Object Possible therfore is Transubstantiation since Christ can do what he saith Sol. We question not what Christ can do but whether he doth so indeed as the Romish Church saith their assertion of Transubstantiation we dare not receiv lest we should forfeit our eyes and other senses which God hath given us to inform our understanding in their severall objects Object But blessed is he that beleeves tho he see not Sol. True and therin we trust to have our part because we firmly beleev that in the Sacrament we do indeed receiv the body and blood of Christ tho we see it not yet dare we not receiv Transubstantiation becaus we see the contrarie neither do we find any miraculous Transubstantiation in all the Scripture but what was sensible yea subject to the eye Moses rod turned into a serpent the water changed into wine at the marriage were visible and sensible transformations so would this in the Sacrament if there were any at all CHAP. XIV A speciall note touching both these branches of Sacramentall qualification WHen we teach the necessity of these two graces in the way of qualification to the receiving of the Sacrament we understand it not in respect of the act of the Church administring the element but of God bestowing the benefit and so are we to understand the words of the Catechism which saith that these two graces are required of them that come to be baptised speak we of the administration of the Sacrament there must be a profession of these speak we of the benefit there must be a reall performance of them else nothing done Except men profess them the Church may not admit them except men perform them God wil not make them partakers of the benefits the Church may refuse none that professeth God will refuse none that indeed performeth Quest. What if the profession be fained and counterfet shall that suffice Answ. It is not in man to search the heart The profession of Simon Magus gave him admission to Baptism nay our Saviour tho he knew the fals heart of Iudas yet forbade not his presence at the Pass-over but tho man admit him to the Element yet upon his want of Faith God will barr him from the benefit of the Sacrament Object If then Simon Magus had afterwards repented of his false profession yet it should seem that he had remained extra Christum without Christ except he be rebaptised in as much as at first his want of faith did bar him from the benefit of Baptism Sol. This is a case which we may with reason beleev that the providence of God doth watch to prevent but suppose it possible yet neither is there any need of rebaptization nor shall he remain disunited from Christ. Sacraments are means of union in ordinary but God is not tied to them Besides tho Baptism be the first Sacrament of incorporation and union yet not the only one Add this that as Repentance can after a sort undo what hath been done in the way of sinn so may it in such a case supply the defect of former times and cause that to be now done without any ceremony which at the ordinary time was not done Lastly in such cases we may distinguish between the benefit of Union and Incorporation and the benefit of Remission and Regeneration these later may be suspended for the present tho not the former but by extraordinary dispensation the man who hereafter shall perform what is required in the way of qualification tho for the present he do it not yet may be incorporated and united unto Christ because in such a man Repentance and Faith are in actu signato radicali tho not in actu exercito secretly lodgging in the heart and seen to God tho not sensible to the man himself And mark that I say the Incorporation of such a one is by extraordinary dispensation for in this we may conceiv a difference betwixt Gods dealing with men in Baptism and in the Lords Supper the Lords Supper being often received except there be a reall performance of repentance and faith answerable to the verball profession in actu exercito God may suspend all benefit of that Sacrament without irreparable harm the next time may repair what the former did not but Baptism being but once administred because it may seem that who so is not then incorporated must remain for ever disunited therfore tho there be not in present a reall performance of Repentance answerable to the profession yet will not God suspend all benefit of Baptism but notwithstanding their carelesness granteth to them who belong to the Election of grace present union with Christ and implantation but not Remission and Regeneration till afterwards Neither is it absurd to conceiv an union with Christ without any present fructification for if the plant ingrafted into the stock doth not presently draw sap from the root which yet is a naturall Agent and cannot suspend its operation how much more may Christ who is a voluntary Agent suspend his influence for a time tho the party be truly united to him According to this may we explain that position of the Schools Sacramenta conferunt gratiam non-ponenti obicem i.e. that if man be not a hindrance to himself the Sacraments are not