Welcome to a reading of the decades of Henry Bullinger. This Reformation MP3 audio resource is a production of Stillwater's Revival Books. Many free Reformation resources, as well as our complete online catalogue containing classic and contemporary Puritan and Reformed books, the Puritan hard drive, digital downloads, MP3s, DVDs and much more at great discounts, are on the web at www.puritandownloads.com. Also please consider, pray and act upon the important truths found in the following quotation by Charles Spurgeon. As the Apostle says to Timothy, so also he says to everyone, give yourself to reading. He who will not use the thoughts of other men's brains proves that he has no brains of his own. You need to read. Renounce as much as you will all like literature, but study as much as possible sound theological works, especially the Puritanic writers and expositions of the Bible. The best way for you to spend your leisure is to be either reading or praying. And now to SWRB's reading of the decades of Henry Bullinger, which we hope you find to be a great blessing, and which we pray draws you nearer to the Lord Jesus Christ, for He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and no man cometh unto the Father but by Him. John 14 verse 6. I'm reading from page 293, that we must reason reverently of sacraments, that they do not give grace, neither have grace included in them. Again, what the virtue and lawful end and use of sacraments is, that they profit not without faith, that they are not superfluous to the faithful, and that they do not depend upon the worthiness or unworthiness of the minister. The Seventh Sermon Yesterday, dearly beloved, I told you what a sacrament was, who was the author of them, and for what cause sacraments were instituted, of what things they consist, that is to say, of the sign and the thing signified. I told you also what a sign is, and what the thing signified, and by what names they are termed, how they are consecrated, that the sign is not mingled with the thing signified, but that both of them remain in their own nature and property of nature, that the sign is not taken away or miraculously turned, neither that the thing signified is so joined with the same, that whosoever is partaker of the one is partaker also of the other. To be short, I declared how and after what manner the sign and the thing signified are coupled together to make a full, perfect and lawful where also I entreated of sacramental speeches. Now therefore it remaineth I also consequently speak of the nature, virtue, and efficacy of sacraments, and of those things which are joined, and of affinity with them, for so the order which I used in my division requireth. Touching the virtue and nature of sacraments, that is to say, what they work in man, writers have disputed diversely and plentifully. It seemeth unto me that reverence must be used in this disputation. and that heed must be taken, that I do not incline either to the right hand or to the left, that is, that I do not attribute too much unto them, to the derogating of the doctrine of the evangelists and apostles, neither that I should diminish or take from them, to mine own damnation, that which the scripture, the word of God, doth attribute unto them. But we shall plentifully give great praise and glory to the ordinance of God, if we shall say that of them which the Spirit of God hath set down in the Holy Scriptures, to be willing to attribute more unto them, is not only an errant man, but a great fault which bringeth death and horrible destruction. This is declared unto us in the Holy Scripture by examples most worthy of remembrance. The Ark of the Covenant, given by Moses to the people of Israel, was a witness of God's presence among the people, and of the league and friendship between God and man. For in these words God made a league with the people. I will make my dwelling place among them, and dwell among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Of the ordinance and agreement the ark itself was called, the Lord God of hosts, sitting between the cherubims, as we may see 2 Samuel 6. and in the Book of the Chronicles. It was also called the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. For when the prophets of God did attribute these things to the sacrament of God, they both thought and spake plentifully and reverently enough of the sacrament of God. But when the ignorant and malicious priests and the people corrupted by them did attribute far greater things to the ark or sacrament of God what I pray you came to pass. Give ear first what they attributed to the ark. The elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the Lord cast us down this day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Siloam to us, that when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hands of our enemies. you have heard what they attributed to the ark. Now give ear what they did.' So the people sent unto Silo, and brought from thence the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, which sitteth between the cherubims. And it came to pass, that when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the host, all Israel shouted out a mighty shout, so that the earth rang again. And when the Philistines heard the noise of a shout, they said, What meaneth the sound of this mighty shout? And they understood that the ark of the Lord was come into the host. And the Philistines cried, Woe be unto us! God is come into the host! Who shall deliver us out of the hands of these mighty gods that smoke the Egyptians? But hearken now what happened. and how God did declare that the ark was not God, as it was called and counted, of the unskillful in holy things, and how he punished the sins of the people, because they attributed too much to the sacrament. It followeth, therefore, and the Philistine's port. And Israel was smitten down, and fled every man into his tent. And there was an exceeding great slaughter, for there were overthrown of Israel thirty thousand footmen. Beside that, also, the Ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli were slain. All these things are read in the first book of Samuel, chapter 4. Again, when the sacrament of God was unreverently handled of the swinish Philistines, they were smitten with a loathsome and deadly plague. They did boast that their gods and the religion of the Philistines had overcome the god of the religion of the Israelites, but the gods of the Philistines fell down and are broken in pieces, and their heinous religion is confounded. What, and did not the Israelites perish with a more grievous plague than before, when they lightly handled, and contrary to the law of God, Numbers 4, looked into the sacrament brought back by the Philistines into Bathshemesh, for the Lord smote 50,000 threescore and ten men, 1 Samuel 6. When Moses did negligently defer the circumcising of his children, he fell into great danger. The Sycamites, for receiving circumcision rashly, were destroyed. And Simeon and Levi, for profaning the sacrament, are cursed of their father. Genesis 49 To this that agreeeth which the apostles saith of them which celebrate the supper unworthily. For this cause many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. Hitherto also belongeth the example of Uzar, a man not altogether evil, which touched this same sacrament. that was not lawful for him to do. Wherefore the Lord stroke him with a sudden death, and that not privately in the tabernacle, but in the sight of all the people. Of which deed of God, David also speaking in the congregation and church of the Israelites, saith to the Levites, The Lord hath chosen the Levites to bear the ark of the Lord, and not that kind shall draw it in a new cart. Therefore see that ye be holy, that ye may bring in the ark of the Lord God of Israel unto the place which I have prepared for it. For because ye did not this at the first, our Lord God hath made a rent among us, for that we sought him not as a fashion ought to be. And it followeth immediately. The priests and Levites sanctify themselves to fetch the ark of the Lord God of Israel. And the children, and he writes, bear the ark of God upon their shoulders with staves, as Moses commanded, according to the word of the Lord. All those things are to be seen in the first of the Chronicles, chapter 15, whereby we gather that the Lord will none of our good meanings or intents and pompous celebrations in celebrating the sacraments, but he only requireth that we should so judge and speak of the sacraments as he judgeth and speaketh by his word, and that we should so use and celebrate them as he himself has instituted and celebrated them. Therefore he sufficiently seeth forth the dignity of sacraments, who attributeth that unto them which God himself in the Holy Scriptures boutsaith to give them. Let us therefore first of all search out what dignity sacraments have been for the most part in our time, that thereby we may the better understand what it is to be attributed and what is not to be attributed unto them. The common sort of priests and monks have taught that the sacraments and the new law are not only signs of grace but together also causes of grace, that is, which have power to give grace. For they say that they are, as instruments, pipes, and certain conduits of Christ's by which the grace of Christ is conveyed and poured into us, but that the signs of the Old Testament, given to the fathers, were signs only, and not causes of grace also, which have force to signify, but not to give grace. They seem truly to have sucked that error out of St Augustine's words wrongfully understood. For he writeth upon the seventy-third psalm thus, The sacraments of a new law are more wholesome and happy than they of the old law, because they promise these gifts. But St. Gostin meant to say no other thing than that which is another place he speaketh after this manner. The sacraments of the old law did foreshow that Christ should come, but ours do show that he is come. For also against Faustus, lib. 19, cap. 14, he calleth the sacraments of the old law promises of things to be performed, but our sacraments token of things that are already performed. Wherefore, upon the seventy-third psalm, he saith, the sacraments of the old law are given to signify the very thing, but ours do witness that it is given, and signify that it is present. I confess that he saith more than once that our sacraments are more comfortable and effectual. But he said that by no other reason than that the Messiahs, being already revealed and given unto us in the New Testament, our sacraments are more perfect, more loathsome, and more beautiful. For Christ hath brought all signs to an end wherefore ours have a more full signification, and after a sort are the more lively. But if Augustine had been altogether of that opinion which these men do favour and follow, would not godliness itself persuade us to forsake the authority of men, and cleave to the word of truth? Let us see, therefore, what may be gathered out of the word of truth, that is, out of the canonical scriptures, touching the likeness and difference of the sacraments of the Old and New Testament. This we hold for a certainty out of the Scriptures that there is but one everlasting and unchangeable God and Lord of either church, that there is but one faith in Him through Christ of either church, that there is but one way laid down in either church to attain to the promises of salvation, to be short, that there is but one Church of the only living God, gathered together out of either people, both of the Jews and Gentiles. I think there needed no large confirmation of these things out of the Scripture, because in the eighth decade and third sermon I have handled them at the full. Now that I have fortified and confirmed these things before by the writings of the apostles, thus I conclude not of mine own brain, but by the authority of God, they which always have one everlasting and unchangeable God, one way of salvation set forth for all in Christ from the beginning, one faith, one church, one baptism, the same spiritual meat and drink, they cannot choose but have the self-same sacraments as touching their substance. But the Jews and Christians have one one faith, one way of salvation, which is by Christ, to be short, one church. Therefore have they also the selfsame sacraments, saving that ours are given under other signs, and for that through the revelation of the Son of Righteousness, I mean Christ, are made more lightsome and manifest. I say further that the Scripture witnesses that the sacraments of the Old Testament and ours are of the same force. insomuch that Paul calleth them circumcised which are baptised, and them baptised which are circumcised. And he also teacheth that our fathers did eat that spiritual meat which we eat, and drank that spiritual drink that is the rock. But anon he addeth, and that rock was Christ. The words of the apostle are well known, and are read in 1 Corinthians 10. The same apostle In the second chapter to the Colossians, Seth, in Christ ye are complete, or made perfect, in whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, subject to sin, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with him in baptism, etc. Well, I pray you can be spoken more plainly. Circumcision made without hands. is the circumcision of Christians, which is baptism. But in the former place of Paul to the Corinthians, we must mark, as elsewhere I put you in mind, that to be baptised into Moses is not the same that it is to be baptised into Christ. For to be baptised into Moses is all one, as if he had said, to be baptised by Moses or through the ministry of Moses. For it is manifest that Moses brought the people to God, which were only committed to his charge. In many places in Oral, Auguste, ye shall read the like. Howsoever our adversaries do farther upon Gaugustine this difference between the sacraments of the old law and ours, of their own bringing in. For he lived too, cont litteras petil cap 27 Seth. The sacraments of the Jews were in outward tokens diverse from ours, but in the things signified they were equal and all one. Also tracked in Joanne 26 upon this place. Here is the bread which came down from heaven. He saith, Manna did signify this bread. The altar of God signified this bread. Those were sacraments. In signs they are diverse. but in the thing signified equal. The like words thou mayest read, Lib. 19, Contra, Forstem, Maticaeum, Cap. 13, 16, 17, and again tracked in Joann. 45, before the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, when he came basely in the flesh, there were just and righteous men, who did so believe in him then that was to come, As we do believe in him, now that is come. The times are changed, but so was not faith. And so forth. And anon, in divers signs, is all one faith. So in divers signs, as in divers words. Because words change their sound by times, and truly words are nothing but signs. For in that they signify they are words. Take away the signification from the word, and it is a vain noise. Therefore all words are significations. Did not these that ministered those signs in the old law believe those things which we now believe were prophesied before and by them? Know that they did believe them. But they believed they should come, and we that they are come. Also upon the seventy-seventh psalm, the same meat and drink, saith he, had they in the sacraments which we have in ours, but in signification the same, not in likeness. For the selfsame Christ was figured to them in the rock, but manifested to us in the flesh. But with them all God was not well pleased. All verily did eat one's spiritual meat, and drank one's spiritual drink, that is, which signified some spiritual thing. but in all of them God had no delight. And whereas the sacraments were common to all, yet grace was not common to all, which is the pith of the sacraments. As even now at this day, faith is revealed which then was hid. The fountain of regeneration is common to all, which are baptised in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. But the inward grace, whereof they are sacraments, whereby the members of Christ with their head are born anew, is not common to all. Thus far Augustine, who teacheth that their signs or sacraments are not unequal or unlike, which have the same faith in religion, but that all the difference which it resteth in the diversity of the time, otherwise they differ not. Now that I have made an end of the similitude and difference of the sacraments of the Old and New Testament, and that by occasion of the received opinion that the sacraments of the New Law do confer or give grace of themselves, let us also consider what manner of thing the same is. And first, touching the word grace, I will give you these few things to note. Grace is the favour and goodwill of God. Wherewith God the Father embraces us for Christ's sake, purifieth, justifieth, and endueth us with his good gifts, and saveth us. For the writings of the apostles do plainly call that grace, whereby we are saved and justified, and made righteous by faith in Jesus Christ. Of this grace it is written, I make not the grace of God in no effect, For if righteousness came by the law, then Christ died in vain. Of this grace it is written, Christ unto us is become unprofitable, as many as are justified by the law are fallen from grace. Of this grace it is written, if it come of grace, then it is not of works, for else grace now is no more grace. What is not the Son of God himself called the grace and gift of God, John 4, and Titus 2. Now to confer grace, what is it else than to give, or frankly and freely to bestow, something on a man which he had not before? Therefore if the sacraments do give grace to the receivers of them, then truly they give those things which they signify to them which had them not, I mean Christ with all his gifts, that is to say, they make them pleasant and acceptable unto God. They justify and save, yea, and that of themselves, inasmuch as they are said to have received virtue to sanctify from the passion of Christ, and not to signify only, or to help, to commend, or to further. Yea, and they also attribute the receiving of grace to our work whereby we receive the sacrament. But how contrary this doctrine is to the truth of his holy prophets and apostles, I will now declare. It was an old error among the Jews that sacraments did justify. Hereof cometh it that the holy prophets of God, reasoning and rebuking the people of God, committed to their charge yet savouring of false opinions, cried that their labour which they bestowed upon their ceremonies and sacrifices was in vain, and that God is delighted with faithful obedience, with faith, I say charity, inner city, and also with true godliness. Among whom Jeremy saith, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Heap up your burnt offerings with your sacrifices, and eat the flesh. For when I brought your fathers out of Egypt, I spake no word unto them of burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this I commanded them, saying, Hearken and obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people, so that ye walk in all the ways which I have commanded you, that ye may prosper. The like place is in Isaiah, the first chapter. The Lord hath not despised neither have his holy prophets condemned all sacrifices in general, since he himself instituted them by Moses. But they sought to suppress and beat down that false opinion and vain confidence which they had in sacrifices. It is a vain confidence and a false opinion to believe and think that sacrifices of themselves and for our work's sake do make us acceptable unto God. for faith maketh us acceptable unto God by the Messiahs. And the Lord did not institute sacraments or sacrifices, that being offered they might give grace or justify us, but to be witnesses of the grace of God, and that by them his people might be kept and drawn into order from idols and heathenous worshipings, and led to Christ the high priest, and only sacrifice or ablation for the whole world. For they were certain schoolings or exercises, as Paul proveth, saying the law was our schoolmaster unto Christ, that we might be justified through faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster, Therefore the sacrifices of the old law did not give grace to them that sacrificed, neither wrought they their justification, but were tokens and testimonies that God, to sanctify and justify, by and through the sacrifice, appointed before all worlds the messiahs, I mean, to faith in whom they did, as it were, a certain schoolmaster by guiding us, bring us. And truly, When the apostles preached the pure and sound doctrine of the Gospel, that by the only grace of God in Christ the faithful are saved, this ancient error of their elders had taken such deep root in the minds of the Jews that even they which had received Christ stood nevertheless in contention that Christ was not able fully to sanctify and justify without the help of the Jewish sacrifices. against whom the apostles, disputing with great gravity an invincible power of the Spirit, did plainly prove that a Christian, without any observations of the ceremonial law or help of any works, even by the only mere and free grace and mercy of God in Christ, is sanctified, purified, justified and saved. which undoubtedly is the helm, as commonly is said, and stern of the evangelist and apostle's doctrine, which whosoever denieth, he hath no part doubtless in the inheritance of Christ and his gospel. Neither is it obscure or doubtful, which even now I have set forth in these few words. For who is ignorant of that memorial dissension between the chief of apostles of Christ Paul and Barnabas kindled against those which taught, except the Christians were circumcised after the manner of Moses, they could in no wise be saved. Against whom Peter maketh this conclusion, that our hearts are purified by faith, and that we believe shall be saved by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. True it is that the adversaries would bring back again that which the apostles abrogated and took away. But in the meanwhile, this is also undoubtedly true, that the apostles were no other forcible engine more strongly battered, as it were, and beat down flat to the ground their adversaries' bulwark in defence of sacraments that purify, than with this. that we which believe shall be saved by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. And whereas in every place almost they add, not by the law, not by ceremonies or other ritual observations, do we think that they will admit sacraments to the partaking of such power and virtue, seeing they be comprehended under rites and ceremonies and so accounted. Christian faith does attribute the grace of God remission of sins, sanctification and justification, fully and wholly to the free mercy of God, and to the merit of Christ's passion. Yea, in such sort doth Christian faith attribute the spiritual brethren unto it, that beside it nothing at all is admitted to take part with it. Therefore, whereas Lombard Seth that sacraments have received power to confer or give grace by the merit of the Passion of Christ, it is of his own forging. For as Christ giveth not his glory to any, either saint or mortal man, much less to a creature without life, even so he that believeth to be fully justified by the death and resurrection of the Lord seeketh no further grace and righteousness in any other thing than in Christ only. upon whom he stayeth, whom also by faith he feeleth in his heart and mind all ready to exercise his force by the Holy Ghost. For hereunto pertain those things in the gospel. Go in peace. Thy faith hath saved thee, and also he which drinketh of this water shall thirst again. But whosoever shall drink of that water which I shall give him shall never thirst, etc. To this pertaineth the saying of Paul also, therefore being justified by faith, we are at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we had an entrance by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. I am not ignorant of the crafty slates of who imagine there is a certain general and also a special faith. The general faith they call that whereby we believe that we are truly justified by the death and resurrection of Christ. But that they call a special faith whereby we believe that by the sacraments and by our own works the gifts of God are applied particularly to every one of us, one by one. But to what purpose was it? being in a land where they might be fed with manna, to look back to the pottage-pots and unsavoury leeks of Egypt. What, I pray you, have Christians to do with the distinctions of subtle sophisters? Or how will they prove this distinction of theirs unto us? Verily there is but one faith, and the same is no other in the use of the sacraments than it is without the use of them. Without the use of them we believe that we are sanctified by the death and resurrection of Christ. In baptism and the Lord's Supper we practice no other faith than whereby we believe that we are purged from our sins by the grace and mercy of Christ, and that by His Body given for us, and His Blood shed for us, we are redeemed from death and become heirs of eternal life. Not the sacraments, but faith through the Holy applyeth these things unto us, which sing all the writings the apostles do witness, but such faint glosses do obscure and darken. To be short, there is one God and Saviour of all, one salvation, one redemption and purging, one faith whereby we receive salvation offered unto us of God in Christ through the Holy The same is declared or preached unto us in the Word by the minister, and is represented and sealed by the sacraments. And now, who knoweth not that Paul the Apostle, in all his writings, only laboureth to prove that those that believe are justified by faith in the Lord Jesus, and not by any works? Again, who is ignorant that the receiving and celebration of sacraments are also counted among our works. Whereunto I will add this, that sacraments give not that which they have not themselves, but they have not grace and righteousness and heavenly gifts, therefore they do not give them. But hence springeth up another disputation for us to handle, whether the grace of God and a certain heavenly power be put in or included in the sacraments, and as it were contained in them, so that from them it might be conveyed into the receivers. The whole rabble of priests and monks, as well in word as in deed, have betrayed themselves, that they think that in the bare signs there is heavenly grace included, yea, and that God himself is comprehended in them. From no other fountains sprang their careful disputations concerning the mouse eateth, which it eateth the sacrament of the body of Christ. Pope Illicent, Libro Quarto, De Sacramento, Alteris, Capitae undissimo, saith, Miraculously doth the substance of bread return again, not the bread which was turned into flesh, but it cometh to pass that instead of it other bread is miraculously created, which bread is eaten, etc. Behold, here is certain witty and miraculous kind of divinity. I pass over a purpose, many other which are of this kind. And hereunto, that by crossings and certain secret words, gestures and breathings, they consecrate the water at baptism, or which things they beautify with the name of blessing. And among other things they sing thus, God, by the secret mixture of His light, make fruitful this water, prepared to regenerate men withal, that, being sanctified and born again of the immaculate womb of the heavenly fountain, it may come forth a new creature. Let this holy and innocent creature be free from all the assaults of the adversary. Let him not entrap it in his snare. Let it become a living fountain, a regenerating water, a purifying river, that all that are dipped in this wholesome lava, the Holy Ghost working in them, may attain to the excellency of perfect purification. Wherefore, O thou creature of water, I bless or conjure thee by the Living God, by the True God, by the Holy God, by the God which in the beginning separated thee by His Word from the dry land, etc. Again, breathing thrice on the water, he forthwith uttereth these words. Thou, O Lord, bless with thy word these waters, which make request unto thee, that beside their natural cleanness, which in washing they may give to our bodies, they may also be effectual to purify our souls. then the priest taketh a burning wax candle, and putteth it thrice in the water consecrated to baptism, saying, Let the power of the Holy Ghost come down into this plentiful fountain, he addeth, and let it make the whole substance of this water fruitful with the fruit of regeneration, and so forth. All these things they understand and expound to be spoken simply and without troops or which evidently enough declareth what these men attribute to holy or consecrated water, and how they think that in the signs the holy things themselves are contained. About this matter Bonifentura hath wonderfully busied himself, who in his writing in IV MAGISTRI DISTINCT QUEST III among other things, at the length saith. We must not say by any means that grace is contained substantially in the sacraments, as water in their vessel, or as a medicine in a box, yea, to understand it so is erroneous. But they are said to contain grace, in that they signify grace, and because, unless there be want on the part of the receiver, grace is always given in them, so that ye must understand that grace is in the soul, and not in the visible signs. For this cause they are called also vessels of grace. They may be also called vessels after another manner, because after that which is in a vessel is no part of it, neither cometh of it, and yet nevertheless is drawn out of it. So grace cometh neither of, nor by the sacraments, but by springeth from the eternal fountain, and is drawn from thence by the soul in the sacraments. And as a man, when he would have liquor, goes straight to the vessel, so he that seeketh after the liquor of grace, and hath it not, must have recourse to the sacraments. Thus far Bonaventura, who rightly referred grace unto God, the fountain of all good things. I would he had also purely and simply set down the rest. He also truly that the soul of man was a seat and receptacle of grace, and of the gifts of God, and not things without sense. For the Holy Scripture teaches everywhere that the mind of man, not any element or whatsoever is forged by man's device, is the mansion-place of the grace of God, and that it is not to be sought for or worshipped as included in any insensible thing. If the heaven of heavens, says Solomon, is not able to contain thee, how should then this house do it, that I have built it? Whereunto the most constant martyr of Christ, Stephen, alluding saith, He that is highest of all dwelleth not in temples made with hands, as saith the prophet, Heaven is my seat, and the earth is my footstool. What house will ye build for me, saith the Lord, of which is a place in my rest? Hath not my hand made all these things, which that great Apostle of Christ pour, following self, God that made the world, and all that are in it? Seeing that the Lord is of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands, neither is worship with men's hands, as though he needed of anything, seeing he himself giveth to all life, and breath, and all things, etc. Whereupon Christ himself in the Gospel speaketh more expressly. The hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, neither at Jerusalem, worship the Father. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth. The faithful, therefore, do lift up the eyes of their mind from earthly and visible things unto heavenly. Whereupon our godly forefathers, when they celebrated the Lord's supper, heard that saying repeated or sung unto them, most agreeably to such holy mysteries, Lift up your hearts, all the people answered together, we lift them up unto the Lord. Doth not the very gross absurdity of the thing plainly that grace is not contained in the signs? Or if by grace you understand the favour and goodwill of God, if pardon and forgiveness of sin, cleansing, I say, and justifying of the believers, if finally the gifts and graces of the Spirit? What, I pray you, can be imagined more absurd and senseless and that such excellent things should be kept enclosed in water, bread, and wine. The signs truly have no need of grace, nor any pardon and forgiveness of sins. To what purpose, then, should grace be contained within sacraments? What profit, I pray you, were redounded to men? Or who knoweth that all the institutions of God were ordained for the commodity of man? Or shall we say that grace is therefore kept included within the sacraments, that from thence it might be conveyed unto us by channels? But the Scriptures speaketh not after that manner. For grace, as hath been often now repeated, is the favour and goodwill of God. where by He Himself, not by sensible matters, but of His own accord and through His power and might, is brought unto us. These things are spiritual, and therefore are brought to pass by the gift and mediation of the Holy Ghost. God is joined unto us by His Spirit, and we are coupled to Him by faith, through the gift of the Holy Ghost, which thing in the writings of the evangelists and apostles is everywhere to be seen. Moreover, the words of the Canon of the Council of Nice are not to be understood after such a gross and rude manner. Our baptism is not to be considered with the bodily eyes, but the eyes of the mind. Thou seest water, weigh the heavenly force which lieth hid in the water, etc. For it is a sacramental speech, which truly everybody at that time understood, as also at this day It is no new nor hard kind of speaking to say that in the seal there is faith and truth, in a marriage ring the faith and love of wedlock, in a sceptre and crown the king's authority. For no man is so foolish that by reason of the kind of speeches he will affirm that the things themselves are contained and enclosed in the signs, every man knoweth this kind and manner of speech. To this matter also appertaineth that John the Baptist baptized in the river Jordan, and that the apostles also themselves baptized with water, neither consecrated nor prepared with any enchantments, breathings, or crossings, that it might receive the grace of God into it, and make them that are baptized partakers thereof. The Ethiopian, in the act of the apostles, saw a fountain, not mingled with oil, neither consecrated with any holy charms, neither moreover prepared with any breathings, or putting in of wax candles, nor pictures of crosses. Yet nevertheless he said to Philip the apostle, See, here is water. What doth let me to be baptised? But Philip required faith of him in the Lord Jesus, and upon his confession he forthwith baptised him. no consecration of the fountain first provided for, but that which, pursuant, he might call down the grace of the Holy Ghost and the power of regeneration into the water, and forthwith might apply it to the purifying of the Ethiopian. And if so be we proceed to include the grace of God within the elements, and the things themselves within the signs, by which they are represented. Who see if not, with how great danger, we shall do the same, especially among the simple sort? For unto those we shall give occasion of idolatry, and cleave unto the visible signs, of whom also they will require and ask that which ought to be asked of God, the author of all goodness, with minds lifted up into heaven. For whereas it is objected that by a certain heavenly covenant it is so appointed by God that sacraments should have grace in themselves, and should from themselves, as by pipes, convey abroad the water of grace unto those that are thirsty, that is alleged without warrant of the Scripture, and is repugnant unto true religion. But as by those things which have hitherto been handled and disputed of doth, as we think, sufficiently appear, whereunto also we add this The holy and elect people of God are not then first of all partakers of the first grace of God and heavenly gifts, when they receive the sacraments, for they enjoy the things before they be partakers of the signs. For it is plainly declared unto us, that Abram our father was justified before he was circumcised? And who gathereth thereby that justification was not exhibited and given unto him by the sacrament of circumcision, but rather that that righteousness, which he by faith before possessed, was by the sacrament sealed and confirmed unto him? And moreover, who will not thereof gather that we, which are the sons of Abraham, are after no other manner justified than it appeareth that our Father was justified, and that our sacraments work no further in us than they did in Him, especially since the nature of the sacraments and the people of the Old Testament and ours is all one, whereof I will speak a little afterward, more at large, when I expound the place of the Apostle in the fourth to the Romans. The eunuch of whom I spoke even now are out of the axe, as he journeyed and saw water, he said to Philip, See, here is water. What letteth me to be baptised? Philip said unto him, If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Afterward immediately it followeth, and they went down both into the water, and he baptized The eunuch, saith the evangelist, believed with all his heart, that is to say, truly and without dissimulation. Now let us see what the scripture saith concerning such a faith. Saint John the Apostle, an evangelist, saith, Whosoever believeth that Jesus is Christ is born of God. He again saith, Whosoever confesseth that Jesus is the Son of God, in him dwelleth God, and he in God. Also Paul, that elect vessel and doctor of the Gentiles, saith, If thou shalt knowledge with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. And again St John saith in his epistle, He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself. And this is the record, how that God hath given unto us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life. Briefly, of all these things this we gather. The eunuch believed, before he received baptism. Therefore, before he received baptism, he was born of God, in whom he dwelt, and God in him. He was just and acceptable in the sight of God, and moreover he had also life in himself. And therefore the baptism which followed did not give that to the eunuch which he had before, but it became unto him a testimony of the truth, and a seal of the righteousness which came by faith, and therewithal to assure unto him the continuance and increase of God his gifts. After the same manner we read of Cornelius, then Centurion, in the same Acts of the Apostles, that he, believing the preaching of the Apostle Peter, received the Holy Ghost also in a visible shape, as the Apostles did at Jerusalem in the day of Pentecost, and that Peter, when he knew that thing said, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? For as much, therefore, as Cornelius, with his household, received the Holy Ghost before they were baptised, it is manifest that he did not obtain the Holy Ghost as given first by baptism or with baptism. Again we read in the Acts of the Apostles, they that gladly received the word of Peter were baptised. Therefore, before they were baptised to Peter, they had obtained the grace of God through For why, I pray you, do we baptise our infants? It is because they believe with their heart and confess with their mouth? I think not. Do we not therefore baptise them, because God hath commanded them to be brought unto him, because he hath promised that he will be our God, and the God of our seed after us? To be short, because we believe that God of His mere grace and mercy in the blood of Jesus Christ have cleansed and adopted them and appointed them to be heirs of eternal life. We therefore, baptising infants for these causes, do abundantly testify that there is not first given unto them in baptism, but that there is sealed and confirmed which they had before. Let us also join unto these things the testimony of the supper of the Lord. The apostle, teaching how the godly should prepare themselves to come to the Lord's table, said, Let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of this bread and drink of this cup. But to examine or prove signifieth to search, as much as lieth in man, the heart or mind, and through diligent inquisition to sift one's conscience. And God is said to prove our hearts. And the same apostle willeth us to prove what is the good and acceptable will of God. But this proof cannot be without knowledge and judgment. And the knowledge and judgment of Christians is faith. Therefore, whosoever proveth himself before he come to the supper, have faith. If he have faith, then he wanteth not those things that are coupled with faith. And therefore in the supper those heavenly benefits are not first but thanks are given for those that are received. I have hereby showed and proved, I suppose, that sacraments do not confer grace. Stillwater's Revival Books is now located at PuritanDownloads.com. It's your worldwide online Reformation home for the very best in free and discounted classic and contemporary Puritan and Reformed books, MP3s and videos. 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