ARTICLE THE TWENTY-FIFTH. Of the Sacraments. SACRAMENTS ORDAINED OF CHRIST BE NOT ONLY BADGES OR TOKENS OF CHRISTIAN MENS PROFESSION, BUT RATHER THEY BE CERTAIN SURE WITNESSES AND EFFECTUAL SIGNS OF GRACE, AND GOD'S GOOD-WILL TOWARDS US; BY THE WHICH HE DOTH WORK INVISIBLY IN US, AND DOTH NOT ONLY QUICKEN, BUT ALSO STRENGTHEN AND CONFIRM OUR FAITH IN HIM. THERE ARE TWO SACRAMENTS ORDAINED OF CHRIST OUR LORD IN THE GOSPEL, THAT JS TO SAY, BAPTISM AND THE SUPPER OF THE LORD. THOSE FIVE, COMMONLY CALLED SACRAMENTS, THAT IS TO SAY, CONFIRMATION, PENANCE, ORDERS, MATRIMONY, AND EXTREME UNCTION, ARE NOT TO BE COUNTED FOR SACRAMENTS OF THE GOSPEL; BEING SUCH AS HAVE GROWN PARTLY OF THE CORRUPT FOLLOWING OF THE APOSTLES, PARTLY ARE STATES OF LIFE ALLOWED IN THE SCRIPTURES; BUT YET HAVE NOT LIKE NATURE OF SACRAMENTS WITH BAPTISM AND THE LORD'S SUPPER, FOR THAT THEY HAVE NOT ANY VISIBLE SIGN OR CEREMONY ORDAINED OF GOD. THE THE SACRAMENTS WERE ORDAINED OF CHRIST NOT TO BE GAZED UPON, OR TO BE CARRIED ABOUT, BUT THAT WE SHOULD DULY USE THEM. AND IN SUCH ONLY AS WORTHILY RECEIVE THE SAME, THEY HAVE A WHOLESOME EFFECT OR OPERATION. BUT THEY THAT RECEIVE THEM UNWORTHILY PURCHASE ΤΟ THEMSELVES DAMNATION, AS ST. PAUL SAITH. WE have now before us a series of articles, seven in number, which treat of the Christian doctrine of Sacraments. The first two relate to Sacraments in general, the third to Baptism, and the other four to the Lord's Supper. Under this article we are to consider the meaning of the word Sacrament, and to distinguish the real sacraments of the Gospel from the pretended ones of the church of Rome. There is no word in the Old or New Testament which corresponds to the word Sacrament. It is a Latin word; and agreeably to its derivation it was applied by the early writers of the western church to any ceremony of our holy religion, especially if it were figurative or mystical (a). But a more confined signification of (a) Vide Bingham's Antiquities, b. 12. c. 1. sect. 4. The word used by the Greek Fathers for sacrament is of this word by degrees prevailed, and in that stricter sense it has been always used by the divines of our church. To prevent however any misapprehension or doubt upon the subject, this article very properly begins (b) with a definition or description of what we are to understand by sacraments. SACRAMENTS ORDAINED BY CHRIST BE NOT ONLY BADGES OR TOKENS OF MENS PROFESSION, BUT RATHER CHRISTIAN THEY BE CERTAIN SURE WITNESSES AND EFFECTUAL SIGNS OF GRACE, AND GOD'S GOODWILL TOWARDS US; BY THE WHICH HE DOTH WORK INVISIBLY IN US, AND DOTH NOT ONLY QUICKEN, BUT ALSO STRENGTHEN AND CONFIRM OUR FAITH IN HIM. The meaning of the word "Sacraments" being thus stated, the next thing to be considered is, whether the Divine Author of our religion instituted any such ceremonies or ordinances; and the article asserts that THERE ARE TWO SACRAMENTS ORDAINED OF CHRIST OUR LORD IN THE GOSPEL, THAT IS TO SAY, BAPTISM, AND THE SUPPER OF THE LORD. It is Mucrngior. This word occurs frequently in the New Testament, but never in the sense of an external rite. (b) In the articles of 1552, the definition of the word Sacrament was made the last clause in this article, and nothing was said in it concerning the five Popish sacraments. It is our business therefore to show from the New Testament, under this and the following articles, that Christ did really institute Baptism and the Lord's Supper, and that the account given of them by the inspired writers corresponds with the above explanation of the word Sacrament. That Christ during his ministry directed those who became his disciples to be baptized, is evident from a variety of passages (c) in the Gos pels; and after his resurrection he commanded his Apostles to " go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost;" and he added, alway, even unto the Baptism, therefore, by "Lo, I am with you end of the world (d)." the express direction of Christ himself, is the rite by which we are to be admitted into his holy religion. Our Saviour also promises eternal salvation to faith and baptism: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved (e)." And upon another occasion he makes baptism an essential condition of admission into the kingdom of God: "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (f)." And St. Peter in his (c) John, c. 3. v. 22 & 26. c. 4. v. 1. sermon (e) Mark, c. 16. v. 16. sermon upon the day of Pentecost, says, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost (g)." Though in this and several other passages (h) of the New Testament the name of Christ only is mentioned, we are not to imagine, that baptism was ever performed by the Apostles in the name of Christ only. These expressions mean admission into Christianity by baptism, without any reference to the form, which was always that prescribed by Christ himself. Some persons at Ephesus told St. Paul, that they had not heard of the Holy Ghost; upon which he asked them, "Unto what then were ye baptized (i)?" This question plainly implies, that if they had been baptized as Christians they must have heard of the Holy Ghost; that is, they must have been baptized in his name; and it appears that they had only been baptized “unto John's baptism (k)." And we learn from the antient fathers, that in the primitive church baptism was always performed in the name of all the three persons of the blessed Trinity (1). (g) Acts, c. 2. v. 38. (h) Acts, c. 8. v. 16. c. 10. v. 48. c. 19. v. 5. (i) Acts, c. 19. v. 3. (k) Acts, c. 19. v. 3. As (1) Bas de Spir. Sanc. cap. 12. Recog. lib. 6. cap. 9. lib. 3. cap. 68. Can. Apost. 49. |