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Chapter 4: Of the Sacraments

1. Why are Christians to be instructed about the Sacramentes?

BEcause the knowledge and vse of the Sacramentes doth bring to passe; that Christians, hauing by the merits of IESVS Christ receiued grace; which is giuen by the1 Sacraments; may be rightly exercised, and preserued, and set forward in diuine worshipe.

2. What, and of how many sortes is this diuine worshipe?

THat is called diuine worshipe, which a Christian oweth and yeldeth as the highest2 and chiefest seruice to God his creatour and Sauiour.

For there is no doubt, but that for this cause3 espeacially was man at the first made, and afterwarde redeemed, and vnto this wholly designed & appointed: that he might purely and perfitly serue and worship Almightie God.

Now diuine worshipe is of two sortes: interiour & exteriour. The interiour, by which we are in vnderstanding & in will4 ioined vnto God; is accomplished by faith, hope, and charitie, as hath bene saide before. The exteriour; is a certaine profession of the interiour; which we declare by certaine5 outwatd & visible signes & ceremonies. For God, that hath no6 neede of any good of ours, as beeing of himselfe blessed & wholly perfite: yet as his pleasure was that the wholle man shoulde consist both of a body and a soule: so doth he require the same againe7 wholly: to wit, according to all and euery parte of him; that he may by him be worshipped studiously & sincerely: first in soule, according to the interiour worship as we haue declared: and in8 body, according to the exteriour ioined with the interiour: which is done many waies; but principally, and most profitablie by the vse of Sacramentes.

For so it hath seemed good to the wisdome of God, to coapte it selfe to the imbecillitye of mortall men, and to exercise his might and power by certaine externall things9 and signes, that may be perceiued by the senses. For our minde and soule immortall, being inclosed in this obscure, and brickle body as in a prison; doth very much vse the seruice of the senses, and without the10 helpe of them, she doth not commonly mount to the conceipt of heauenly thinges. Therfore both in the olde and new lawe, Sacramentes, and many other things appertaining vnto exteriour worship, haue bene by God ordained, and alwaies by the people of God obserued.

3. What is a Sacrament?

IT is an externall and visible signe of11 diuine and inuisible grace, instituted by Christ, that by it euery man may receiue the grace of God and sanctification.

And therfore they are not euery manner of signes that are called the Sacramentes of the Church: but they are most certaine holy, and effectual signes commended vnto Christians, by Gods owne institution & promise.

Signes12 they are; in that, that by a certaine externall forme and similitude they doe represent & declare vnto vs that, which God by them worketh in vs inuisiblie and spiritually.

Certaine13 they are, & most holy & effectuall signes: because that looke what grace they signifie; they doe also infallibly containe & cause the same to our sanctification. For the Sacraments for their owne partes (as S. CYPRIAN14 speaketh) can not be voide of that force and vertue that is proper vnto them; nether doth the maiestie of God by any meanes absent it selfe from the mysteries, though they15 bee ministred euen by wicked and vnworthy persons.

As, for example, in the Sacramente of Baptisme, the exteriour washing, that clenseth the filthes of the body; is an effectuall signe and token of the interiour16 washing: as giuing an infallible testimonie, that the soule is spiritually purified and clensed. So also other visible & externall thinges, as oyle, and the formes of breade and wine, the vse wherof is necessary in the Sacramentes: are fitly appointed vnto vs, both to signifie and also to yelde vnto man the grace of God and the health of his soule; so that he come not17 vnworthely therunto.

For by Baptisme18 we are regenerated & renued: by confirmation, we are encreased & strengthned: by the holy Eucharist we are nourished & refreshed: by penance we are restored and healed in the spirituall life: in which we are by the rest of the Sacramentes in like manner according to the nature & quality of each of them, holpen and abettered, as we wil shew heerafter in their due places.

4. Of what partes doth euery Sacrament consist?

OF the Worde19 and the Element. By the Worde in this place vnderstand some certaine determinate wordes, wherin the very forme, as they call it, of the Sacrament doth consist. And by the Elemente, conceyue suche externall things, as are the very matter of the Sacramentes, as water, oyle, bread, wine, and the like.

Now, to these partes exactly taken are the rest of those thinges annexed which do belong to the fitte ministring & worthy receiuing of euery Sacrament: to wit the institution of God: a conuenient20 minister: a right intention in the minister: faith in the receiuer: and whatsoeuer els of like sorte.

5. How many Sacramentes be there?

SEuen:21 which the Church being the Spouse22 of Christ and Pillar of truth, hauing by the Apostles receiued then from Christ himselfe: hath alwaies hetherto kept & faithfully dispensed. And they are these:23 Baptisme, Confirmation, the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist, Penance, Extreame vnction, Order, and Matrimony. Neither truly forceth it at all, if such names be not all of them extant in the Scriptures, so that the matter it selfe be euident, & the veritie and vertue of the Sacraments be approued by diuine testimony. Albeit such24 things as by the Apostles Tradition the vniuersall Church holdeth, & commendeth to bee kepte & obserued; though they be not to be found in Scripture: yet doe they deserue of vs ful & perfite credit: as hath bin already declared. And touching the institution of euery Sacrament in particuler, we will speak herafter in their proper places.

But the force and vertue of them (as the most faithfull interpretour of the Scripture, Saint AVGVSTINE,25 saith:) is of vnspeakeable value, and therfore the contemnours of it are sacrilegious. For impiously certes is that despised, without the which no pietie can be perfited. And as the same holy Father teacheth in an other26 place: the contemnour of the visible Sacrament can neuer be inuisibly sanctified

6. Why were the Sacramentes instituted?

FIrst, that they may be very present remedies against sinne, which is a pestilent disease of the27 soule, and except it be cured in this life: bringethe euerlastinge damnation. And therfore these doe far28 excel the Sacramentes of the olde lawe, as being in vertue; greater: in commoditie; more profitable: in number; fewer: in the conceiuing of then; more honorable: in obseruation; more easie: in signification; more excellent: which besides their signification, do also sanctifie & giue saluation, as S. AVGVSTINE hath verie well29 gathered out of the Scriptures.

Secondly, that we may haue some certaine & effectuall signes of Gods grace and good will towardes vs, which signes, whilest they represent themselues to the outwarde senses, they do not only stir vp our faith in Christ, & in the mercy30 & goodnes of almighty God: but are moreouerliuely instruments, by which it hath seemed good vnto Almightie God effectually to worke31 our saluation. So that it was notably said of an32 ancient Father, that a Sacrament euen by it selfe alone is of an inestimable value.

Thirdly, that there may be some tokens,33 and as it were externall markes of Christian profession, wherby the Children of God and of the Church may mutually knowe one another: & that they may fruitfully exercise & keepe thenselues in vnity, humility, and obedience, and so remaine lincked amongst themselues, with the necessary bond and league of one Religion. Otherwise without Sacramentes can not any sorte of Religion either stand or be sufficiently discerned.

7. And what is to be thought of the ministers of the Sacramentes?

VVE must so esteeme them, as the 34 ministers of Christ, & the dispensors of the mysteries of God, that doe beare35 the vessels of our Lorde, and serue the Tabernacle, and that by profession haue authoritie in holy thinges, and with a certaine right & title doe minister the same. For not to all36 indifferently, but to Priestes and Bishops doth it belong, and it was by God himselfe enioined, to consecrate, dispense and minister the holy Sacramentes.

And that wee may not thinke that the37 Sacramentes doe any whit depend vpon the life & honesty of those that doe minister them, S. AVGVSTINE38 hath prescribed vs this rule: Sacramentes, (saith he) are not therfore more true and more holy, because they are ministred by a better man: for they of themselues are true and holy, by meanes of the true and holy God whose Sacraments they are. And againe: Remember 39 that the manners of euill men doe nothing hinder the Sacramentes of God, to make them either nothing at all, or euer the lesse holy. To which accordeth that sentence of40 S. AMBROSE: doe thou not regard the merits of the persons, but the offices of the Priestes: I meane in the administration of the Sacramentes. For euen by the 41 vnworthie, God accustometh to woorke, and by the life of the Priest, there can be no preiudice, to the grace of the Sacrament: as witnesseth42 S. CHRYSOSTOME.

8. What conceipte ought we to haue of Ceremonies, those espeacially, that are ordinarily and solempnly vsed in the Sacramentes?

CEremonies approued by the Church, are certaine externall43 rites, religiously and decently instituted: first, that they may be signes, testimonies, and exercises of the interiour worshipe, which44 God principally requireth at our handes.

Then, that there may be some liuely & forcible prouocations vnto Religion, wherby the frailty of man, may be fortified and vnderpropped, & as it were trained with the hand both to receiue and also to retaine holy mysteries.

Lastly, that those thinges which doe appertaine to the aduancement of Gods seruice, and to the preseruation of publike discipline and45 concorde; may be prosecuted in the Church, after an honest comely & decent46 order, as the Apostle willeth.

But those ceremonies speacially which are vsed in the administration of the Sacramentes, and which we haue receiued47 of the Fathers,48 deliuered and commended vnto vs as it were by hande: oughte with great diligence to be kept and obserued. For besids that they bring a decency vnto the Sacramentes, & ingender a certaine reuerence: they are also venerable vnto vs by a singular commendation of49 antiquitie.

Then besides theire institution most auncient & Apostolicall, they haue plentie of mysteries full of grauitie and dignitie: as most holy and learned50 Fathers, haue noted. Finally, concerning these things and others of the like tenour, it is an excellent saying of51 DAMASCEN: Those things which Christian Religion, most free from all errour, doth admit and embrace, and for so many ages together keepe vntouched: are not vaine, but profitable, pleasing to God, & much auailable to our saluation.

True it is, that the Sectaries laugh at the ceremonies vsed in the Sacramentes: but themselues are indeed more to be laughed at, or rather bewailed, in that, trusting vnto their blinde iudgement and mortall hatred, two pernitious Counsailours: they doe wage battaile, against the most cleare and euident truth. Surely of the ceremonies of Baptisme, euen the most auncient Diuines do witnesse vnto vs:52 S. DENIS, S. CLEMENT,53 TERTVLLIAN,54 ORIGEN,55 S. CIPRIAN,56 S. BASIL,57 Saint. CHRYSOSTOME,58 S. CYRILL59.

Let the wicked scoffe & blaspheme neuer so much: those Fathers certainely with one consent doe commend Abrenuntiation, Exorcismes, holy Water, holy Chrisme, and the signe of the Crosse. Almost twelve hundred yeeres agone, wrote Saint BASILL60 in this manner: We do consecrate the water of Baptisme, and the oyle of vnction, and him also that receiueth Baptisme.

But to giue particular admonition of the ceremonies that are annexed vnto all the Sacramentes, as it woulde be very long: so is it also very difficulte, and to this our purpose not needefull.

Yea, ORIGEN doth plainly con fesse: that in such ecclesiasticall61 obseruances, there are many things which of necessitye all must doe: but the reason of then, why they are so done, is not yet sufficiently known.

Footnotes

  1. Tit. 3, 5. Io. 3, 5. et 6, 51.55. et 20, 23. ↩

  2. Aug. l. 10 de ciu. c. 1. ↩

  3. Pro. 16, 4. Gen. 1, 26. 2. Cor. 5, 15. 1. Thess. 5, 9 1. Pet. 3, 9. ↩

  4. Aug. in Ench. c. 2. & 3. ↩

  5. Mat. 5, 17. Ro. 12, 17. 2. Cor 8, 21.1. Cor. 14, 40. ↩

  6. Ps. 15, 2. 1. Tim. 6, 15 Mat. 5, 48. Gen. 2, 7. ↩

  7. Pro. 16, 14. Luc. 10 27. Mat. 22 37. Deut. 6, 5. ↩

    1. Cor. 6, 19. Ps. 83, 3.
    ↩

  9. Aug. in Ps. 73. et l. 19 cont. Faust. c. 11. et l. 3. de doctri. Christ. c. 9. q. 84. in Leuit. et 33. super Num. Tert. de resur. carnis c. 8. Greg. in primum regum. l. 6. c. 3. ↩

  10. Chrysost. ho. 60. ad Pop. Ant. et 83. in Mat. ↩

  11. Bern. ser. de caen. domini. Aug. l. 10. ciu. c. 5. & l. 3. doct. Chr. c. 9. Amb. l. 4. de Sacram. c. 4. Concil. Flor. & Trident. Sess. 7. ↩

  12. Aug. ep. 23. et de catech. rud. c. 26. ↩

  13. Aug. in Psa. 73. et 77 & l. 19. cont. Faust. c. 11. 13. & 16. ↩

  14. ser. de caena. dom. ↩

  15. Aug. l. 3. cont. Dona. c. 10. et l. 5. c. 20. ↩

  16. Tit. 3, 5. Ro. 6, 3.7. 1. Cor. 6, 11. Tertul. in l. de resur. c. 8. ↩

  17. Prosp. senten. ex Aug. in Ps. 142. ↩

  18. Conc. Flor. Io. 3, 5 Tit. 3, 5. Act. 8, 17. et 1, 8. Luc. 2, 49. Io. 6, 51.55.58. et 20, 23. ↩

  19. Conc. Flor. Aug. Tract. 80. in Ioan. ↩

  20. Trid. Ses. 7. can. 10. & 11. de Sacramentis in genere item Florentin. ↩

  21. Conc. Flor. & Con stant. sess. 15. & Trid. sess. 7. can. 1. ↩

  22. Cant. 4, 9 1. Tim. 3, 15 ↩

  23. Mat. 28, 19. Act. 8, 17 Mat. 26, 26. Io. 20, 23. Iac. 5, 14. 1. Tim. 4, 14 Eph. 5, 32. ↩

  24. Aug. l. 4. con. Donat. c. 24. et l. 2. c. 7. et l. 5. c. 23. et ep. 118. c. 1. Chryso. in 2. ad Thes hom. 4. ↩

  25. l. 19. cont. Faust. c. 11. et 16. et trac. 80. in Ioan. ↩

  26. Super Leuit. q. 84. et l. 32. cont. Faust. c. 14. ↩

  27. Sap. 16, 14. Eccli. 21 2. Ro. 6, 23 ↩

  28. Florent. Conc. Trid. Sess. 7. can. 2. et 4. de Sacr. in genere ↩

  29. l. 19. cont. Faust. c. 13. l. 3. de doct. Christ. c. 19. ep. 118. c. 1. ↩

  30. Ro. 9, 23. ↩

  31. Tit 3, 5. Io. 6, 58. et 20, 23. ↩

  32. Aug. l. 4. cont. Dona. c. 24. ↩

  33. Aug. l. 19 con. Faust. c. 11. et c. 17. de vera reli. Bas. ho. 13. in exhort. ad Bapt. ↩

    1. Cor. 4, 1.
    ↩

  35. Esa. 52, 11. Num. 1, 50.51. 3. Reg. 8, 4. ↩

  36. Numb. 16, 39. 2. Reg. 6, 6. 2. par. 26, 16. Conc. Nic. cann. 14. Trid. Sess. 7. de Sacr. in genere. can. 10. ↩

    1. Cor. 1, 13. et 3, 4. Conc. Trid. Sess. 7. can. 12. Nazian. orat. 40. in Sanct. Bap.
    ↩

  38. Cont. Cresco. l. 4. c. 20. et l. 4. con. Donat. c. 4. ↩

  39. Con. lit. Petill. l. 2. c. 47. et tract. 5 in Euang. Ioan. ↩

  40. de iis qui mysteriis initiantur. c. 5. ↩

  41. Io. 11, 50 Mat. 23, 2. ↩

  42. ho. 8. in 1. Corinth. ↩

  43. Io. 9, 6. et 11, 33.43. & 20, 22. Luc. vlt. 50. Mar. 7, 33. et 8, 23. et 10, 16. Mat. 8, 3. et 14, 19. ↩

  44. Io. 4, 23. Mat. 15, 8. Esa. 1, 14. ↩

  45. Leo. ep. 81. ad Dios. Innoc. ad Decent. ep. 1. Conc. 4. Tol. can. 2. ↩

    1. Cor. 14 40. Phil. 4, 5.8.
    ↩

  47. Hier. 6, 16. Pro. 22, 28. ↩

  48. Bas. de Spir. Sanct. c 27. Triden. Conc. can. 13. de Sacr. ↩

  49. Tert. de Cor. mil. c. 3 Dionis. de Eccle. hierar. per totum. ↩

  50. Amb. de initiand. myst. August. & alii passim. vide Isid de off. Eccle. ↩

  51. in ser. de defunctis. ↩

  52. Dion. c. 2 Eccle. hier. ↩

  53. Clemen. ep. 3. ↩

  54. Tert. de cor. mil. c. 3. ↩

  55. Origen. ho. 12. in Num. ↩

  56. Cyprian. ep. 70. ↩

  57. Basil. de spir. Sanct. c. 27. ↩

  58. Chrysos. ho. de Adam. et Eua. ↩

  59. Cyril. Hiero. Catech. myst. 1. 2. 3. 4. ↩

  60. Bas. ibid. vid. Rabanun de inst. cler. li. 1. c. 27, 28. et Isid. l. 2. de off. cap. 20. Amb. l. 1. 2. 3. de Sa ra. & de iis qui mysti initiantur. Aug. l. 1. de nupt. c. 20. & l. 2. c. 18. & 29. & l. 4 de symb. ad catech. c. 1 ↩

  61. Hom. 5. in Num. Dion. c. 1. et vlt. de hier. Eccle. Aug. lib de doct. Christ. ca. 9. ↩

Chapter 10 of 36