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 GEN E R A L> 
 
 In Purfiiance of an 
 
 E XPLIC A T I OISI 
 
 O F T H E 
 
 CATECHISM 
 
 O F T H E 
 
 CHVRCHof.ENGLAND. 
 
 BT 
 
 Gabriel To we r so n, D.D 
 
 and Rector ofiWelrvynne in Hertfordshire. 
 
 LONDON, 
 
 Printed for Wtfatt C$f$elt at the Rofe and Crown in 
 St. Baufs Church-yard. M DC LXXXVL 
 
i 
 
 I 
 
TO THE 
 
 Righc Reverend \&*c>'-to l 
 Father in Go d^I^^V 
 
 F R A N C I s\ 
 
 Lord Bifliop of E L T, 
 
 AND 
 
 LORD ALMONER 
 t o 
 
 His Majefty,, 
 
 My Lord, 
 
 T Hough I am almoft 
 afliamed to make 
 my Addrefs to your 
 Lordftiip with fb fmall a 
 Treatiie as this, yet having 
 no more of it finillied 3 and 
 this little being the Founda- 
 tion of the reft, I hope 
 
 A 3 your 
 
The Epjlle Dedicatory. 
 
 your Lordftiip will accept 
 of it as fome acknowledge- 
 ment of thole great Con- 
 detentions with which your 
 Lordfhip hath been pleas'd 
 to honour fo mean a Per- 
 fon as my lelf. 
 
 I might indeed, if I had 
 conceived it better fo to do, 
 have kept it by me, till it 
 had grown more complete, 
 and lb have made it a more 
 Suitable Prefent to a Per- 
 fon of your Lordfhip's 
 Chara&er in the Church 
 and in the Court : But 
 I confidered that what I 
 now humbly offer to your 
 Lordfhip and the Publick, 
 
 rauft 
 
The Efiftle Dedicatory. 
 
 muft be my Meafure in the 
 following Tracts, and fo 
 may need the advice of o- 
 thers as well as my own 
 thoughts to perfect it, and 
 I may gain this advantage 
 by the feparate Edition of 
 it, to know from fome of 
 my Friends what in it is 
 weak or imperfect ; In 
 which if your Lordfliip 
 will further vouchsafe your 
 admonition, it will make 
 what remains the more ht 
 to be prefented to your 
 Lordfliip, by 
 
 - Your Moft Obliged 
 
 Weiwynne, Moft Obedient, and 
 
 Nov. 24. 
 
 li %i- Moft humble Servant, 
 
 Gabriel Tower/on. 
 
<o '-9, 
 
 The Contents of the Firft Part. 
 
 Of the Signification of the Word 
 Sacrament. 
 
 THE Word Sacrament, in the pri- 
 mitive notion of it > the name 
 of the Military Oath, as well that , 
 which came to be afterwards imposd,, 
 as that which was at prjl voluntarily 
 taken by the Souldiers. Which deno- 
 mination it had both from the [acred,- 
 nefs of an Oath in its own Nature^ 
 and from thofe Sacred Ceremonies y 
 wherewith that, and other Oaths were 
 attended. The Word Sacrament, in 
 the Chriftian fenfe of it , tranfla- 
 ted from thence into the Church , and 
 applied to thofe Jnjlitutions of it , 
 which now go under that name. As is 
 
 made 
 
 ■**> 
 
 y 
 
The Contents. 
 
 made appear from the footing the for- 
 mer fignijication had gotten in the 
 World ; From the Scriptures , and 
 the Ancient Chrijlians reprefenting 
 the Life and Injiitution of a Chrifli* 
 an under the notion of a Military 
 am \ Andy in fine , from the fame 
 Antients making ufe of that Word 
 in the Military fenfe. Evidence of 
 this laft from general applications of 
 it j and an account given thereupon 
 of the particular inflances 7 which they 
 gave of the likenefs of the Chriftian 
 Sacrament to the purely Military 
 one* pag. i. 
 
 77;e Contents of the fecond Tart. 
 Of the Nature of a Sacrame^L 
 
 A Sacrament jhewn to be a Rela- 
 tive things more particularly fuch 
 a Relative thing, as hath the relati- 
 on of ^outward, and vifible fign 
 of that y of which it is a Sacrament. 
 That therefore affignd as the Genus 
 of a Sacrament , and enquiry there- 
 upon made after thofe effential attri- 
 butes , which difference it from other 
 
 outward 
 
The Contents.' 
 
 outward and vifible figns. Which is 
 endeavour d to be evincd from the fe- 
 deral things to which a Sacrament 
 relates, the manner of its relation 
 to each of them , and the foundation 
 of that relation. The things , to 
 which a Sacrament relates, fbewx in 
 the general to he Sacred, or Divine , 
 rnvre particularly, divine Graces, and 
 humane Duties, that New Covenant y 
 which conneBs them together , and 
 that body of men, which is confedera- 
 ted by it. To the firji of which a Sa- 
 crament relates in the nature of a fign, 
 a means of conveyance, and a fledge ', 
 To the fecond in the nature of a fim- 
 pie fign, or declaration , and {by 
 means of that Covenant , which it 
 conciliates ) as an Obligation to them ; 
 To the third in the nature of fuch a 
 fign, as ferves alfo to give being to, 
 or renew it ', And to the fourth >, and 
 lajl in the nature of a Difcrimina- 
 five fign , or badge , and as a means 
 of bringing particular men into it , or 
 continuing them in it. The foun- 
 dation of all thefe relations (hewn to 
 be the Inftitution of Chrijl , as that 
 again, not fo much as delivered by 
 him, as applied to thofe elements, in 
 
 which 
 
The Contents. 
 
 which they are fubjeffed, by a declara- 
 tion of the purport of the Inftitution , 
 and by doing fnch other things to them^ 
 as either the general precepts of Chri- 
 ftianity> or the more particular precepts 
 of the inftitution oblige to the perfor- 
 mance of A brief recollection made of 
 all the forementioned particular s> and 
 the ejfential attributes of a Sacrament 
 deduced from thence ', and exemplified 
 in fever al definitions of it. pag. 25. 
 
 The Contents of the Third Part. 
 
 A farther Explication of the Na- 
 ture of a Sacrament, with a refblu- 
 tion of feveral Queftiorisielonging 
 thereunto, or depending more4m- 
 mediately upon it. 
 
 f^H E Nature of a Sacrament 
 J^ brought again under consideration, 
 and enquiry accordingly made concern- 
 ' ing that inward and Spiritual Grace, 
 tc which it relates, the manner of its 
 relation to it, and the foundation of 
 that relation. Thk lafl more particu- 
 larly inftfted upon , and as it was be- 
 fore rejolvd to be the Inititution of 
 
 Chrift, 
 
The Contents. 
 
 Chrift, fo a more ample acc&mt gi- 
 ven thereupon of that Inflipution of 
 hisy and, of thofe Commands , aha 
 Promifo , whereof it doth confift. 
 Thofe Commands again considered 
 with reference to the facramental E- 
 lements , before they put on that rtU- 
 tion y or after they are invejled with it. 
 The former whereof are (hewn in the 
 general to enjoyn the letting them a- 
 part for that purpofe, or Confeera- 
 ting them , and enquiry thereupon 
 mad* by whom they §ught to be fet 
 apart , and whether their intention , 
 or good difpofition be requifue to 
 give force unto it : The latur the 
 Confecrators difpenfing them as the 
 Infiitutor thereof hath prefer itfd, and 
 the peoples receiving them from them, 
 with the Manner of i\ Vpon occafi- 
 on whereof Enquiry is made y concern- 
 ing the neceffity of Sacraments , and 
 in what fort, or degree they ought to 
 be accounted fuch. A like particular 
 account given of the Promiies of the 
 Jnftitution , which are (hewn in the 
 general to ajfure ChrijFs making what 
 is done both by the Confecrators, and 
 Receivers to be available for thofe 
 ends y for which they were enjoynd ; 
 
 More 
 
The Contents? 
 
 More particularly his converting that 
 into a Sacrament , which is by the for- 
 mer fet apart to be fo ( and which how 
 it is done is y upon that account, enquird 
 into) andy where the Receivers are 
 rightly difposd y acompanying the dif- 
 penfation of the Sacramental Elements 
 with the Difpenfation of the Divine 
 Graces. An amplication of the whole 
 to the bufmefs in hand y and Enquiry 
 accordingly made y how the former 
 Commands , and Promifes contri- 
 bute toward 4 he Founding a Sacra- 
 mental Relation, and how alfo to the 
 efficacy of the element s y after that Re- 
 lation is produced in them. pag. 95. 
 
 The Contents of the fourth Tart. 
 
 Of the Jewijh Sacraments , and 
 the Number of the-Chriftian. 
 
 THE Doctrine of the Sacraments 
 drawn down to particulars, and 
 enquiry firjt made concerning the Jew- 
 ifh Sacrarpents , and then concern- 
 ing the Chriftian ones. As to the 
 former whereof is fbewn firft , that 
 there were indeed fuch Sacraments a- 
 
 mong 
 
The Contents^ 
 
 mongthem^ And evidence made there- 
 of, from their enjoying the fame 
 Saving Graces, which our Sacra- 
 ments pretend to convey , from their 
 being furnished alike withExtemal 
 Symbols to convey them , and thofe 
 Symbols of God j and ChrijFs infii- 
 tution : Secondly, that thofe Sacra- 
 ments of theirs were either the ex- 
 traordinary ones they had in their paf 
 f age from iEgypt to Canaan, as their 
 Baptifin in the Cloud, and in the 
 Sea , and the Eucharift of Manna y 
 and the Water of the Rock, or the 
 ordinary ones of Circumcifion, and 
 the Pafsover ; Thirdly, That, though 
 they were of the fame general nature 
 with the Chriftian, yet they differ d 
 from them , both as to the manner of 
 their refrefenting the Divine Graces, 
 which was not fo clear, and as to the 
 meaflire of conveyance of them, which 
 was not fo full, as in the Chriftian 
 Sacraments* Thofe Chriftian Sacra- 
 ments, in the next place, brought un- 
 der consideration , and evidence made 
 ^Baptifin, and the hordes Suffer 
 being the only true, and proper ones, 
 er 0/general neceffity to Salvation. 
 
 p. iji. 
 
 Errata. 
 
I 
 
 ERRA T A. 
 
 In the Text. 
 
 PAg.23.1.antep.r.tt#^.p.8o.l.2.r.f0 it. p.io^l.p.for 
 under r. on. p.i 56.I.1 1. r.As tpptars. p. 1 57.L1 1. thy 
 antient.p. |58. l.amep.for with r.z* 
 
 In the Margent. 
 Pag. $A3MmiJfr.-p.jA.$.pracedes.$.4Q.lii>*lh $$.i$p 
 l$.cap. 3. p. 155.I.5.2 Tw.i.6. 
 
 «t 
 
 O F 
 

 % 
 
 * Q.. 
 
 ^fe"^ 
 
 OF THE 
 
 S A GRAM E'N'T'S 
 
 IN 
 
 general- 
 
 Part L 
 
 Of the Signification of the Word 
 Sacrament. 
 
 The Contents. 
 
 The Word Sacrament, in the primi- 
 tive notion of it, the name of the 
 Military Oath, as well thkiy which 
 came to he afterwards imposed, as 
 that which was at firfi voluntarily 
 taken by the Souldiers. Which de- 
 nomination it had both from the fa* 
 crednefs of an Oath in its own Na* 
 B ture) 
 
jj Of the Signification 
 
 ture y and from thofe Sacred Cere- 
 monies ^ wherewith- 4h at y -and other 
 Oathnvere attended. The Word 
 Sacrament, in the Chriftian fenfe y 
 of it , t ran/fated from thence into 
 the Churchy and allied to thofe In- 
 stitutions of it y which now go under 
 that name. As is made appear 
 from the footing the former fignifi* 
 cation had gotten in the World ; 
 From the Scriptures , and the 
 Ancient Chriflians reprefenting the 
 Life and Institution of a Chriftian 
 under the notion of a Military one ; 
 And, in fine, from the fame Anti- 
 ents making ufe of that Word in 
 the Military fenfe. Evidence of 
 this laft from general applications 
 of it , and an account given there- 
 upon of the particular inflames , 
 which they gave of the likenefs of 
 the Chriftian Sacrament to the 
 purely Military one. 
 
 Qneftion. Iff F lt ^ a ^ pkale that God, by 
 i^o id ma* • -8 whom I have been carried on 
 np g>acra* thus far, to continue to me the 
 
 Cb^c? fime Health, and Leifure, and 
 
 fcatnca in Affiftances, which I have met with 
 ♦t0C|mrc&? in compofmg the thm foregoing 
 
 parts 
 
of the Word £>actamettf. 5 
 
 parts of this Explication, I will en- Anfwer. 
 
 deavour to inform my felf, and then ^ to0 on **N 
 
 others concerning the Sacraments of fp n/cefto 
 
 our Religion, more particularly con- to ^atoatt* 
 
 cerning thofe two, which ( in the on, t&at is 
 
 opinion of our Church) are the on- &^*" 
 1 r • 1 / \ ,/ turn ana 
 
 ly either proper {a) , or generally £? gmppet 
 
 necejfary (h) ones . Thofe, as they of tfce 
 are the Argument of the fourth and j^y ^ of 
 /*/? Part of our Churches Care- kel. 25/ 
 chifm ; fb being accordingly to be the W9* te £ he 
 matter of this fourth and lajl Part u : upra * 
 of my Explication of it, 
 
 I will begin , for that purpofe, 
 with the fignijication of the word Sa- 
 crament, and which, though it will 
 not clear up to us the full Nature 
 of the things intended by it, yet will 
 ferve to difcover to us a confidera* 
 ble part thereof, and help toward 
 the finding out of the other. Now 
 the word Sacrament, in the Antient 
 intendment of it, fignified an Oath , 
 and particularly that Oath, which 
 Souldiers took to be faithful to their 
 Generals, and to do all thole other 
 things which the duty of their place, 
 or the Difcipline of War required of 
 them: With this only difference in 
 point oftujae ( which is wont either 
 B 2 to 
 
: 4 Of the Signification 
 
 to contra£t, or enlarge the fignifica- 
 tion of words ) that as that Oath 
 was at firft 'voluntarily taken by the 
 Souldiers, lb the word Sacrament was 
 fbme time let to denote fuch volun- 
 tary ones in contradiftin&ion to thole, 
 ^ which were afterwards impsL We 
 have an illuftrious proof of all this 
 in a paffage of Livy *, which there- 
 fore Ifhall hereiubjoyn. 
 * Hift. lib. 22. Minus tmc, Then firjl f even in the 
 
 quod mlnqum atitea fatium trot, p nn fi,1fh j n n f T /Vmiliu r 
 f&ejurando a Tribunis milium ^OniUllHip 01 Is. J&miLlUS 
 
 adatti, juffu Confuium conventu- P aulus,w\aTerentius Var- 
 
 ros, nequeinjuffuahituros Nam ro \ mre t fo Souldiers 
 
 ad earn dim ml prater Sacra- it'iir / • rr* •/ 
 
 mentum fkerat, & ubi ad dmi- oblig d by their J ribunes 
 
 xiatum, aut cmtimatum cotfmif- under an Oath to meet to- 
 
 Cent, fuci volmtate ipft inter fe • i » , r 
 
 equites dicwiatl, cenwiati pedi- get her at the command of 
 us conjarabant, fife fog<e, atque their Confuls, and not to 
 
 Sr*£*ft££9$ d r rt T h r theIrleave - 
 
 fumendh ant petendi, ant hoftis For till that time there 
 jmendi, aut ciyisfewandi cjufa. ^ been nothing but a Sa- 
 
 Id ex voluntano Inter ipjos feeder e f .o . 
 
 ad legitimam jmisjurandi ad- crament,ana when they were 
 Attionem tranflatam. met together by Tens, or 
 
 by Hundreds j the Horfe- 
 men, who met by Tens, and the Foot- 
 men, who met by Hundreds, did, of 
 their own proper motion, take an Oath 
 among themf elves, that they would not 
 depart o 'it of fear, or cowardice, n r 
 quit .tkdr .ranks at any- time r unlefi 
 
 it 
 
of the word £>arcammfc | 
 
 it were to take up their Weapon , to 
 dart at y or firike the Enemy, or tofave 
 a Citizen. But that which proceeded at 
 fir ft from a voluntary Covenant among 
 themfelves, was by the Tribunes alte- 
 red into a prefcribed, and impofed 
 Oath, and the Souldiers forc'd to take 
 it from them. Where we have not 
 only the word Sacrament let to de^ 
 note a Souldiers Oath, but fuch an 
 Oath, as was voluntarily taken by 
 them, and had rather their own free 
 confent , than the Command of 
 their General to give being to it. 
 But as we find by the lame pafTage , 
 that what was at firft but voluntary, 
 came afterwards to be impofed upon 
 the Souldiers ; fb we find alfb that 
 the word Sacrament came afterwards 
 to fignifie thole impofed Oaths, as 
 well as the former voluntary ones. 
 For thus it is plain, Cicero f ufed it t De officiis 
 in the account he gives of Catfs fj'£*°j£ 
 writing to Popiltiusz. General of the umbat provin- 
 
 ci<m, incuy.is 
 txerdtu Catonis filius tiro militabat. Quum autm Popillio videretur 
 mam dimitttre Ugionm, Catonis qnoqne filium, qui in eadem legione mi- 
 iitabat, dmifit. Sed quum amore pgnandi ' in exercitu remanfiffet, 
 Catoad Popilliumfcripfit, ut fi turn patmtur intxtrtitn remanen, fieun- 
 do turn obligarrt Militias Sacramento, quia, prion amijjb, jurepgnzri 
 turn hojlibhs non pttr at . 
 
 B 3 Romans, 
 
£ Of the Signification 
 
 Romans, to lift his Son anew, if 
 he thought good to continue him in 
 his Army ; His words, as Tu/ly re* 
 cites them, being, that // Popillius, 
 who had before diftnifs'd the Legi- 
 on, wherein he ferv'd, thought good 
 to fuffer young Cato to abide in his 
 Army j hefhould oblige ', or bind him 
 by a fecond military Sacrament , be- 
 caufe the former being made void y he 
 could not lawfully fight with the Enemy. 
 Which paffage plainly imports the 
 military Sacrament to be of the Ge- 
 nerals Impofing, yea fb necelTarily, 
 that had not the General,in whom the 
 right of making War was, given it 
 to young Cato j he could not, in the 
 opinion of his Father have ftruck a 
 Broke againft the Enemy. Thus 
 the ufe of the word Sacrament flood in 
 the days immediately preceding our 
 Saviour ; And as the thing intended 
 by it, even the Military Oath, was 
 continued in the fiicceeding Ages, as 
 is manifeft from the frequent menti- 
 £<) Saet. in pn there is in Suetonius (a), and o- 
 Oaud c 9 . m thers of the Souldiers {wearing to 
 &al^fpa£m. their Generals, lb it continued to be 
 reprefented under the title of a Sa^ 
 crament? even to late pofterity. M 
 
 appears, 
 
 
of tk word sacrament; 7 
 
 appears, among other things, from 
 Horaces telling \ hisM>- , ! 
 
 a perfidious Sacrament, be- Vtcmque .yroudts. 
 caufe (as it there follows ^fjT?- * %' I7 ' 
 he was refolvd to follow him , where 
 ever he led, which we know \ to have 
 been a great part of a Soul- \* J, . ; T , . 
 diers Oath : From Jttve- JctJ ? ™ ^ BJ 
 Ws defcribing «£- \ *' .£ £*"' ° ^^ 
 *pfthemfelves under the m ^ n %%&* ^ TfcC7i} _ 
 title of Sacramento, ; As #/£ iuKoyteiv xiWcj t»; 
 in fine from the Ant tents *WWH$[fy °™ ™ T * «•* 
 defcribing Souldiers ei- f?*" 7 . 
 
 ther departing or being + Pr - mm ] nm aha -> at w *» 
 uicr ucpcuung, ui ucui£ (rmlmenta notemus 
 
 freed from their former sacrament mum — Sat. 15. 
 fervice by a departure, ©^SS^i 
 or freedom from their mem foivit, ut defiles, & i gn i- 
 Sacrament. Of which be- jK ^ | Jf\ **s*m*m % 
 fide other proofs (d), we ^ . 
 
 have a Law of Theodoras , 
 and Honor ins, and which as it is under 
 the title de Veteranis,ov fuch as, by rea- 
 fon of their being fuperannuated, were 
 difmift'd from their former lervice, fo> 
 exprefleth the fame Veteranes under 
 the title of thofe who have ceafed* *Cod.H.i2. 
 to be entangled by their former Sacra- mmI.'s mum 
 ments. Other inftances I. doubt not qtismmeih 
 might be produced, if thefewere not % s ^ r ^. 
 B 4 enough, 
 
8 Of the Signification 
 
 enough, to flhew the word Sacrament 
 to have had for its moft ufiial fenfe 
 that of a military Oath. But I fhall 
 only add, that though it were fet to 
 denote alfb a piece of money left by 
 (*} Varro de each of the Litigants (e) in Court \ 
 liagua Lac. Yet as that was in a thing left known, 
 than the Oaths of Souldiers were , 
 and lb the left likely to have any 
 influence upon the framing of that 
 mode of Speech, which was after- 
 wards fb much in ufe among the 
 Chriftians ; fb it had this in common 
 with the Military Sacrament, that it 
 was an Obligation upon the parties , 
 that depofited it, to profecute that 
 fuit which they had commenced. 
 
 But becaufe whatever the ufual 
 fenfe of the word Sacrament might 
 antiently be, yet it is certain that it 
 did not receive that fenfe from the 
 literal notation of it, but rather from 
 fbmething of Sacrednefs, wherewith 
 thofe Oaths were attended : And be- 
 caufe the difcovery of that Sacred- 
 nefs may help yet more to difcover 
 the true nature of thofe Sacraments 
 of ours, to which that name is now 
 applied ; therefore enquire we in the 
 gext place what there was in them of 
 
 Sacred 
 
of the word &mmmu 9 
 
 Sacred to occafion that denominati- 
 on of them. Now as Sacred is no- 
 thing elfe than what tends to the 
 honour of God, whether in its own 
 nature, or by inftitution; fb there 
 were two things of that quality in 
 thofe Oaths, whereof we fpeak, and 
 from whence therefore they may be 
 fuppos'd to have received that deno- 
 mination. Firft their being in them- 
 ftlves an acknowledgment of Gods 
 glorious Attributes,and particularly of 
 his Knowledge, Truth, Juftice, and 
 Power ; He who appeals to God as 
 a Witnefi, and a Judge (as every 
 man, that fweareth dodi ) implying 
 his believing him "to be a competent 
 witnefs, and fb both Knowing, and 
 True, and one too, who both can, 
 and will affert the eaufe of truth in 
 the punifhment of the party (wear- 
 ing, if he {wear any other, than 
 what he intends, or means. And in 
 this fenfe ask was that Cicero* en- *Deoffic.i. 
 titled an Oath a Religious Affirmati- \f£^ 
 on y becaufe an Affirmation under the Ajftmlti7ni\« 
 teftimony of God ; fb 1 no way doubt & f a - &°* 
 it was in a great meafiire, that Oaths ma* q^fi 
 came' to have the name of Sacra- Deo te fc pro-l 
 menu , and particularly ail Mili- ^$ dttm 
 
 tary 
 
IO 
 
 t Falfuserit 
 tefiis, vendet 
 parjuriafumml 
 Exigua, Cere- 
 ris tangens a- 
 ramq-y pedemq; 
 Juv.Sat.14. 
 * Feftns.Lapi* 
 dem Jilicem te- 
 nebantyjuratd- 
 rl per jovem, 
 h<ec verba, di- 
 centes-, Sifciens 
 fallow turn me 
 Diefpiter y fal- 
 vo-urbe, arce- 
 qiiiy bonis eji- 
 ciaty utl ego 
 banc lapidtm; 
 
 Qf\ the Signification 
 
 tary ones. But befldes that Sacrednefs 
 which is intrinfecal to all Oaths, and 
 therefore alfo to thofe, whereof we 
 are now difcourfing ; They had 
 a further facrednefs from thofe reli- 
 gious Rites, wherewith they were 
 attended, and which under the veil 
 of fenfible things, and fuch as were 
 fometime contemptible enough, were 
 intended to infinuate more valuable, 
 and fpiritual ones. Of. this nature 
 among the Romans was their laying 
 their hands ft upon the Altars of their 
 Gods, or, which was yet more fa- 
 cred than that, their taking a Stone * 
 into their hand, and then throwing it 
 from them, withall praying, that if 
 they falfified in the Oath they then 
 took, Jupiter would throw them out 
 of all, as they themfelves did that 
 Stone from them : By the former 
 whereof they defign'd to exprels the 
 reverence they themfelves bare even 
 to things dedicated to them, as well 
 as a belief of their Gods taking care 
 to preferve them from all pollution ; 
 By the latter the quick apprehenfion 
 they had of the power of their Gods 
 over them, and particularly as to the 
 fpoiling them of their fortunes. A nd 
 
 though 
 
of ty word sacrament i i 
 
 though I am not able to fay, what 
 were the particular rites of the Mi- 
 litary Oath, at leaft among the An- 
 tient Romans ; yet as there is reaibn 
 enough to believe, that fb fignal an 
 Oath was not without them, and 
 which was upon the matter the foun- 
 dation of all the Roman greatnefi, fb 
 there is this farther reaibn to believe 
 it, that the Antients (/) made ufe (Qva^at. 
 of the word Sacr amentum to exprefi Lat.hEph, 
 the Greek v.vdwv y and which as we TemiiL £ '• 
 know to have had a peculiar refe- Anima*.'2a 
 rence to thofe Rites, and Ceremo- fjf^ 
 nies, which were in ufe in the fer- 
 vice of the Gods, fb muft confequent- 
 ly imply the like fenfe of that word, 
 which was made ufe of to exprefs 
 it, and the like ceremonioufhefs of 
 thofe Military Oaths, upon which it 
 was imposed. I may not forget to 
 add, though appli'dby feme (V) to C&) lCC *- 
 another fenfe, that Herodian * brings ft^* 
 in the Emperor Maximus reprefent- * tmv ««W 
 ing the Military Oath as the Venera- *(**< ***** 
 tie my Iter ie of the Roman Empire. For pmywi** 
 
 hfnvM 'iywiis m&f S**f « Ifjut^oy^Tiy x) vvv Qv^Aaoovne 
 
 Herod, 1. 8. 
 
 as 
 
ix Of the Signification 
 
 as that is a farther evidence, that 
 that Oath was not without its Sa- 
 cred Rites, becaufe myjleries proper* 
 lv fb called were no other, than 
 fuch ; fb I know nothing to take off 
 the force of it, but a prefiimption 
 of the word's nvweiov admitting a lower 
 fenfe, and accordingly denoting no 
 more than an Arcanum, or Secret of 
 the Roman State, and by which the 
 Founders thereof cunningly raisM it 
 to that greatnefs, to which it after- 
 wards arrived. But how ill that no- 
 tion agrees with the intention of him, 
 who fb entitled the Military Oath, 
 will need no other proof than his 
 prompting the Souldiers in the words 
 before to look upon the Gods, by 
 whom they had fworn, as the Au- 
 thors of their prefent peace. For 
 what was this but to intimate, that 
 it was the religious obfervation of 
 their Oaths, which was thecaufeof 
 their profperity, and confequently , 
 that if thofe Oaths were alfb the 
 foundation, and prop of the Roman 
 greatnefs, it was not fb much by the 
 politick impofition of them, as by the 
 facrednefs thereof , and by the religi- 
 ous obfervation of which the Gods 
 
 were 
 
of the word ^actamcnt. * i 
 
 were induc'd to blefs them with that 
 ample dominion, which they had at- 
 tained? In this fenfe yet more 
 agreeably to the received opinion 
 + of the Romans, be.caute + cicero ■ QaL deHanjfp>Ref 
 
 attributing their lUCCels, —Etenim quisejl tarn vecors, 
 
 not fo much to their own £ m > cmmtmit in c±Um % 
 
 ^ Tr . j -cr i decs eye nonfextiat, &c. Aut, 
 
 1 Wit, and ValOUr as tO cum dees ejfeintellexeritjionintel- 
 
 their religious veneration l k*teorm nomine hoc mum im~ 
 ofthe Gods, aid thofe ?ma^*^^^T&^ 
 
 Gods as having a faVOU- I'.C.ipJiHosamemus, t mm nee 
 
 rahle regard to them he- n , mero Hi ft anos * mc robm Ga *- 
 raDie regaratotnem De loh mc calMiun PxnoSj m 
 
 : CauleOrit./IrtneylOOkd ambus Grxcos necdenique hoc 
 
 upon the Military Sacra- W 'wpnti* ? tin* dme- 
 
 j i_ / u- pco,nativoqaiftnfu Itnlos ipfos* 
 
 merit, and the bouldiers acUHmi, fid pttati, acnii- 
 
 religioUS obfervation of & iont > &c - omnes gentes, nxtio- 
 
 it as contributing more 8*? 0«W*P* 
 efpecially to the advancing of their 
 greatnefe, it is the lefs to be wondred 
 at, becaufe it was more immediate- 
 ly by the Arms of their Souldiers , 
 that the Romans became matters of 
 the World. The reliilt of the pre- 
 mifes is this ', The word Sacrament, 
 in its Original intendment, had the 
 fignification of a Military Oath, it 
 had the fignification of fuch a Mili- 
 tary Oath, as was attended with Sab- 
 ered Rites , and fecft as led men by 
 fenfible refemblances to things of a 
 
 higiier 
 
Of the Signification 
 
 higher nature. But whether or no, 
 and how far it is to be look'd upon as 
 of the like fignification, in the Chri- 
 ftian intendment of it, doth not as 
 yet appear, but will be worth our 
 labour to enquire. 
 
 Now that the word Sacrament, in 
 the Chriftian intendment of it, is to 
 be look'd upon as of like fignifica- 
 tion to what it had before acquired, 
 will appear if we confider/Fr/?, what 
 footing the former fignification had 
 gotten in the minds of men, before 
 there was any appearance of the lat- 
 ter. For as confidering the footing 
 the former fignification had gotten, 
 Ve cannot but think that it would 
 Be apt to fuggeft it felf, as oft as the 
 word Sacrament was made ufe of; (6 
 neither therefore but that it would 
 form a like conceit of the Chriftian 
 Sacraments, and confequently , if 
 that were fuch, an erroneous one. 
 Which it being not to be thought, that 
 they would give occafion to, who 
 firft appli'd the word to the Chrifti- 
 an Sacraments ; efpecially when they 
 might have had other words to ex- 
 prefs their conception of them : It 
 is but realbnable to think that they 
 
 nude 
 
of the Word sacrament i% 
 
 made ufe of it upon occafion of fbme 
 likeneis between the one and the 
 other Sacraments, and conlequently 
 that they intended it a like fignifi- 
 cation with the other. I deny not 
 indeed f which is the anfwer Mr. Cal- 
 vin (h) makes to this Argument in (hyhjtit.u. 
 another inftance) I deny not, I lay, st8*il? 
 but that religion may, and doth 
 very often ftrangely alter words from 
 their priftin fignification ; I deny not 
 farther (which is the inftance he at 
 figns) that the word jides, in the 
 Chriftian ufe of it, is both a very 
 apt, and pregnant proof of flich a 
 change. But as it doth not appear 
 to me, that Religion did ever 
 ( unlels in a long trad of time J fb 
 alter the known fignification of words, 
 as not to make them bear ibme ana- 
 logy to the former fignification of 
 them; fb the IVord, in which that 
 Learned man inftanceth, is not lb 
 transformed by Chriftiaaity, but that 
 we may as yet lee upon it the im- 
 prels of its old fignification, and be 
 thereby therefore induced to believe, 
 that they, who firft uled it in a 
 Chriftian fenfe, took their meafures 
 from the former one. For, as the afore- 
 
 faid 
 
i6 Of the Signification 
 
 laid perfbns name-lake (even John 
 
 Calvin the Lawyer ) hath obferv'd (/) j 
 
 * *,- - rr r a the word fides i iamong 
 
 (V\Lex,Jundic,%nVerbonat^ * T *A r -c j. / 
 
 * Virgil. #ndd. fc* v. 12. the Latins, figmfied fa 
 
 Credo equidem, nee vana fides, Uef* y as Well as veracity, 
 
 £ms iv?m m k. 1. or fidelity and fo was not 
 
 mo feme, Komuio regnante , at all removed from one 
 
 domi, militLe que gejia : quorum p. reaf fenfe of if in ChrL 
 
 nil abfonnmfideidhin* criginis, § reat . lenieOI-lt Ml L,nri- 
 
 di-dniutxfqm pop mortem ere- ltianity : And tnOUgtl It 
 
 dit*fmt,i.e.qM credituseft was more ufually fet tO 
 
 natus imffe ex Marte. « , , ^*c 
 
 idem Liv.pauio port. [ denote the other, yet if we 
 
 Mir urn quantum illi viro nuncU m ay judge OUght by the 
 m b*c fides fueriu ^ ^ . ^ J^ 
 
 which are at leaft of the lame linage 
 
 with it, the word fides came to fig- 
 
 nifie veracity, and fidelity, not fo 
 
 much from any other reafbn, asbe«* 
 
 caufe thofe vermes are the juiiobjeft 
 
 of mens trujl, which is another, and 
 
 no lefs ufual fignification of it in 
 
 Chriftianity. Which notion I am 
 
 the more confirmed in, becaufe 
 
 fDe officii, though Ttilly do in one place f re- 
 
 X^tmZ P re f ent ic as having its name from 
 
 bocvidebitur -fit qiiod dicittW) yet as he doth even 
 
 ^Ziifff 1 t * iere intiraate ^ to be a harlli etymo- 
 men audems logy y and rather a piece of Stoical 
 
 imitari Stoicos, 
 
 qui jiudiofe inqulrunt wide verba fmt dufta *, credamufque quia, fiat quod, 
 
 diclum eft, appzllatam fidem. 
 
 confidence 
 
of the Word sacrament* t ? - 
 
 confidence, than a well grounded con- 
 
 je&ure : S3 he himfelf 
 
 elfewhere f ufeth the f Fides autemuthabeat^duu 
 
 , .»-,.. > t n bus rebus effici poteft, fi exiftit 
 
 WOrd Fides tor thattrult mabimur adepti conjuntiam cnm 
 
 we repofe in another up- i*#'« p^dentim. m-n & 
 
 ^.i r u- /«■ tow bibtmus. auos nus lit* 
 
 On the account Ot his ^^ qttmmariitra^ 
 wiHom, atldjuilice. For pfiisautem.&fidishominib^ 
 
 ougnt tnereror^tnataotn tu ^ ut Mlla ^ in his f raudis% 
 as yet appear, there is injmtquefifpid?. De dtfc $. 
 not any reafbn to believe, 
 but that Chriftianity had a re- 
 fpe£t, in it's words to the Antient 
 fignification of them ; And confe- 
 quently but that it had lb in the ufe 
 of the word Sacrament* and intend- 
 ed it a like fignification with that , 
 which it before had,and was now very 
 prevalent in the world. But befide 
 the footing that fignification of it had 
 gotten, and by which therefore we 
 may reafbnabiy imagine, that the 
 firft Christians guided themfelves ia 
 the ufe of the fame word in Chrifti- 
 anity, it is as certain that the fame 
 perfbns, led thereto by the language 
 of the Scripture, did both conceive of, 
 and reprefent the life* and inftitutioa 
 of a Chriftian under the notion of 
 a Military one. For if fo, it is yet 
 more reafbnable to think, that they 
 C made 
 
i 8 Of the Signification 
 
 made ufe of their Sacrament to ex- 
 prefs fbme of their own Xnftitutions, 
 by. Now that thefirft Chriftians, 
 led. thereto by the language of the 
 Scripture, did both conceive of, and 
 reprefent the Chriftian ftate as a 
 Military one, will fbon appear if we 
 look either into thofe Scriptures, or 
 the Antient Writers. Witnefs for 
 the former, St. PauPs fpeaking in 
 CO * Cor -P- one CO place of his fighting as one 7 
 26, that did not beat the air y and in an- 
 
 (0 2 Tim, 4 . other (/) of his having fought a good 
 '■ fight ; his calling upon Timothy in a 
 
 CO 1 Tim. 5. third (m) to fight the good fight of 
 I2 - Faith, as, in fine, upon the generali- 
 
 (»)Eph.tf., ty of Chriftians (V) to prepare them- 
 11, &c ielves for that fight, by putting on 
 the whole Armour of God, which 
 therefore he doth there reckon 
 up, and prompts them to buckle on. 
 For thefe, and other expreffions of 
 the like nature, fhow plainly enough, 
 that even the Penmen of the New Te- 
 ftament had that opinion of a Chri- 
 ftian ftate, and that accordingly they 
 reprefented it under the notion of a 
 military one. The like evidence 
 there is of their opinion of it, who 
 took upon them to hand down that 
 
 doftrine, 
 
of the Word sacrament 19 
 
 do£h*ine, which they received from 
 the other: Witnefs Tertu/lians re- 
 prefenting the Chritians in general 
 as the Militia of God. (o)> and af- (o)^ out. 
 firming th r e Stations, that were in c ' I4# 
 ufe among them, to have had their 
 original from the Military ones ; 
 His reprefenting that Souldier, who 
 refilled to put on his Crown, as 
 more the Souldier of God Cp) , than (p) Be com! 
 of the Emperor ; His afterwards de- c ' 1 ' 
 fcribing the fame perfbn (q) as one (q) ML 
 clad all in red with the hope of his 
 own bloody flood with the preparation 
 of the Gofpel^girt with the f jar per Word 
 of God) armed Cap-a-pe out of the 
 Apoftlc, and in a fhort time to he 
 crowned with the Crown of Martyr- 
 domj and to receive the donative of 
 Chrijl in prifon* For what are thefe 
 but' pregnant proofs of the likenefs 
 they conceived between a Chriftian, 
 and a Military ftate, and confequent- 
 ly that, in agreement thereto they 
 f pake of their own Sacraments in the 
 fame Military ftrain ? Though if' 
 neither that will fuffice, we have their 
 own exprefs applications of the word 
 to warrant us, and accordingly ei- 
 ther making the Sacraments a badge 
 
 C 2 Of 
 
ro Of the SigniftcaUm 
 
 of their military ftate, or arguing 
 
 from mens taking upon them the 
 
 Sacraments of Chrijfs warfare, the 
 
 unlawfiilnefs of obliging themfelves 
 
 by a humane one. For, agreeably to 
 
 the former of thefe, we find the fore- 
 
 j. rr >r Quoted Tertullian affirming; *K that 
 
 tdmilitiam we were called even then to the Mp- 
 
 Dei vizi, jam fafe j Qod> when tve anfwered to the 
 
 slo-mtnti words of the Sacrament , meaning that 
 
 ■verba refpondi- of Baptifm ; As Arnobius yet more 
 
 tyn c!t Mar " P^ a i n ^y *>where he reprefents one, who 
 
 * Adv.Gentes denies the Faith, as one who depojits the 
 li. 2. Oiiodab [Sacraments of the favin? Militia of 
 
 domims fe fervi „ . ^ J J . P . r J 
 
 cruciatibus aj- bod. tor what was this but to lay, 
 fid, quite* that , in refped to that warfare , 
 imtl}lhicot which Chriftianity commands us to 
 pigesMatri- take up, thev caird the principal 
 TnTtZ inftitutions of 'it by the name of Sa- 
 tifas idem, craments , and conlequently that 
 
 Vumf^cw t ' ie ^ ma( ^ e u ^ °f th e word in a fenfe 
 
 (tiartam, & analogous to that, in which it had 
 
 h/ftatis mi- b een formerly taken ? On the ether 
 
 mmdepontre. ^ c j when the forementioned Ter- 
 
 * De c orona. tullian *, where he goes about to 
 
 c. u. tttni-m, 
 
 Utjpfam r,:nf;m orona militaris aggrediar, puto prius conquirendum, an 
 in tot urn Chiflianis militia convtmat. Quite eft alioqrin de accidenti- 
 fas reiraBtre, am <s pr*cedintibus culpa Jit ? Credimujm humanum Sa- 
 tramtttum dhino fnpcrihdnci lictn, & in alium Dominion rffpondcre pofi 
 
 prove 
 
of the Word sacrament* 2 1 
 
 prove the unlawfulnefs of a Chriftians 
 taking upon him a Military life, de- 
 mands whether any man can think it 
 lawful to fufer induce a humane ', or 
 Military Sacrament upon a divine one, 
 and to anfwer to another Majler after 
 Chrifi ; What other can he bethought 
 to mean, than that the divine^ and 
 humane Sacraments were of one, and 
 the fame general nature, that the di- 
 vine Sacraments had therefore the 
 name of the humane ones impos'd 
 upon them, and fb the word Sacra- 
 ment of like fignification in them 
 both. The only thing to be farther 
 enquired into is how far this likenefs 
 of fignification may be fuppofed to 
 prevail in the divine or Chriftian in- 
 tendment of it. 
 
 And here in the fir ft place it is 
 eafie to obferve, that the word Sa- 
 crament , in the Chriftian intendment 
 of it, did equally imply the thing, 
 to which it was attributed to lay an 
 Obligation upon him, that took it, 
 to intend thofe things, to which it 
 related. For befides that otherwife 
 it could have had little affinity with 
 the Military Sacrament, the principal 
 defign whereof was to lay an Obli- 
 C 3 gation 
 
%% Of the Signification 
 
 gation upon thofe, that took if, 
 The firft time we find any mention 
 made of a Chriftian Sacrament, we 
 Xuio t f^%. &&& mention alio made \ of the 
 Chriftians obliging themfelves by it, 
 to the doing of thofe things, that are 
 there remembred. It is no lefs eafie 
 to fee, iecondly, by the account we 
 ^efore gave of the Symbolizing of 
 bur Sacraments with the Military 
 one, and particularly by a paffage 
 before remembred out of Tertullian, 
 that the fame word, in the Chrifti- 
 an lenfe of it, did equally imply 
 the things, to which it was attri- 
 buted, to lay an Obligation upon 
 thofe, that took them, to intend 
 that warfare, to which Chriftianity 
 called them. I add thirdly, as no 
 left evident from the premifes, the 
 lame w T ords implying the things , 
 to which it was attributed, to ob- 
 lige the party, that took them, to 
 be faithful to their General Chrift, 
 and who was the Captain, as well 
 as the Author of our Spiritual war- 
 fare. As is evident, among other 
 things, from Terttdlianh. making the 
 diving Sacrament to be accompanied 
 Y»:ith a" profeillon of Q#r obedience 
 
 unto 
 
of the word &mmmi t i 
 
 unto Chriftmr Majler, and accord- 
 ingly arguing from thence the un- 
 lawfitlnefs of taking upon us the Mili- 
 tary one, and fb anfn 'eying to Another 
 Mafier after him. I lay Fourthly, 
 that as the Military Sacrament did, 
 ameng other things, oblige the party, 
 that took it, to the avoiding of fe- 
 veral things, which were inconfiftent 
 with the orderly management of an 
 Army, and particularly to the avoid- 
 ing of t hefty and other fuchlike in- 
 jujlicesj as appears by the form of it 
 mGellius O), fo the word Sacra- ^°f; 5 
 menty in the Chriftian intendment c , 4 ," 
 of it, did equally imply that, to 
 which it was attributed, to oblige 
 the perfbns , that took 
 it, not to commit Theft , * PJm.Ep.li. io.ep. ,97 .Ad, 
 
 ■n n • -x. Ail firmabant autem banc paffe Cum- 
 
 or Robberies *, or Adul- mm z . ei cui ^ ^ la \n*»s, 
 teries, not to falfifie their ^d effentfilitl fiato die ante 
 
 a 1 if lucem convertire, &c. feque Sa- 
 
 trufis, or, when they were crmmo nm in fcdl J l aliq;tM 
 
 called Upon tO reftore, to obfiringere, fed ne fnrta y ne la- 
 A*™*. ™. Itii*** +L*+ ™*r trocinia, neadulterU commute- 
 deny any thing that was w> g ; fdm faUirm, ne dip*, 
 committed to their cujfo- fount appUlatmgamt. 
 dy* I obferve laftly, that 
 a!s the Military Sacrament was at- 
 tend with religious rites, yea re- 
 ceived both its denomination, and a 
 great deal of its force from them \ 
 
 C 4 fo 
 
i4 G/ the Signification, &ci 
 
 fb the word Sacrament, intheChri- 
 ftian intendment of it, was meant 
 to denote the like Religious Rites, 
 and the Obligation of thole , that 
 took the Sacrament, by them. Which 
 is fb true, that in Ten nil an firft, and 
 afterwards in other Chriftian Writers, 
 the word Sacra?nent came efpecially 
 to be applied to the ritual part there- 
 of, yea to fuch things, as had little 
 of a Sacrament properly fb called be- 
 fide the ceremonies thereof: 
 
 Of what ufe thefe Obfervations 
 may be, will then more clearly ap- 
 pear, when I proceed ( as I mean 
 to do in the following Difcourfe ) 
 from the fignification of the word 
 Sacrament to the unfolding of the 
 nature of the things intended by it. 
 The only ufe I fhall make of them 
 at prefent, is, that if wc will con- 
 fider the nature of a Sacrament in 
 its full latitude, we ought to con- 
 fider it as well with refpect to our 
 felv.es, and thofe Obligations it lays 
 upon us, as with relation to God, and 
 Chrijl, and thofe Graces, which it was 
 intended, on their part, to fignifie, or 
 sovvey to the worthy receiver of it. 
 
 Part 
 
M 
 
 PART II. 
 
 Of the Nature of a 
 Sacrament. 
 
 The Contents. 
 
 A Sacrament (hewn to be a Relative 
 thing, more particularly fuch a Re- 
 lative thing y as hath the relation 
 of an outward, and vifible figaof 
 that j of which it is a Sacrament. 
 That therefore afjignd as the Genus 
 of a Sacrament^ and enquiry there- 
 upon made after thofe eifential at- 
 tributes,^/^ difference it from other 
 outward and vifible figns. Which 
 is endeavour d to be evinced from 
 the fever al things to which a Sacra- 
 ment relate S) the manner of its rela- 
 tion to each of them, and the founda- 
 tion 
 
%6 Of the Nature 
 
 tion of that relation. The things, 
 to which a Sacrament relates, {hewn 
 in the general to be Sacred, or Divine, 
 more particularly , divine Graces, and* 
 humane Duties, that New Cove- 
 nant y which connects them together 7 
 and that body of men, which is con- 
 federated by it. To the firfl of which 
 a Sacrament relates in the nature of 
 a fign, a means of conveyance, and 
 a fledge ; To thefecond in the na- 
 ture of a fimple fign, or declaration, 
 and ( by means of that Covenant , 
 which it conciliates ) as an Obliga- 
 tion to them , To the third in the 
 nature of fuch a fign, as ferves al- 
 fo to give being to, or renew it ; 
 And to the fourth, and LJt in the 
 nature of a Dif criminative fign, or 
 badge , and as a means of bring- 
 ing particular mtn into it, or con- 
 tinuing them in it. The founda- 
 tion of all thefe relations (hewn to 
 &//tf Inftitution of Chrifi, as that 
 again, not fo much as delivered by 
 him, as applied to thofe elements , 
 in which they are fubjetfed, by a de- 
 claration of the purport of the Insti- 
 tution, and by doing fuch other things 
 to them, as either the general 
 
 precepts 
 
of a &mmmk 
 
 precepts of Chriflianity^ or the more 
 particular precepts of the inftitution 
 cblige to the performance of* A 
 brkf recollection made of all the 
 forementioned particulars, and the 
 ejfential attributes of a Sacrament 
 deduced from thence, and exemplifi- 
 ed in fever al definitions of it. 
 
 I Have hitherto entreated of the 
 fignification of the word Sacra- 
 ment, I have fhewn what they 
 meant by it, who Jirft made uie 
 of it, and what they alfb intended, 
 who iirft applied it to thofe Christi- 
 an Injlitutions, which are now com- 
 monly known by that name. But 
 becaufe no names are fb expreflive 
 of the nature of things, as to bring 
 men to a clear, and perfe£t under- 
 Handing of them : And becaufe , 
 though fbme names fhould be thought 
 to be fo expreflive, yet we cannot 
 well conceive fb of this by any thing 
 that hath hitherto appeared concern- 
 ing the fignification of it ; Therefore 
 to fatisfie our felves yet more fully 
 concerning the nature of the thing in- 
 tended by it, we muft take another 
 courfe 5 and particularly by finding 
 
 out 
 
 ^7 
 
 Qneftioa 
 UMUwt 
 momcS 
 
 toa:D Sacra- 
 ment? 
 An fwe r. 
 
 31 mean an 
 outtoarD, 
 ana inline 
 frgu efan 
 tutoart^anU 
 ftuttttial 
 
 gfofti ttnta 
 m, ojDatn^ 
 
 frimfclfaga 
 means, 
 ttitoebpfoe 
 recetfce tlje 
 fame, ana 
 a ple&ge to 
 allure us 
 tljeredu 
 
k 
 
 28 Of the Nature 
 
 out under what head of things it ought 
 to be placed, and what are the ef- 
 fential attributes thereof: Whereof 
 the former among the Learned hath 
 the name of its Genus, the latter of 
 the fpecifcal difference thereof. 
 It is the observation of the Judi- 
 kjEccLPot &o\jts Hooker {a), where he entreats 
 5.fea.5 7 . of the nature, and neceffity of the 
 Sacraments, that as no one fart of 
 religion hath been more diver fly inter- 
 fretedy or difputed of, fo that diversity 
 hath efpecially arifen from the mixed- 
 nefs of their natures, and from that 
 variety of properties, which flow 
 from it. Which therefore whilft 
 they, who handled this Argument, 
 have but imperfeftiy confidered , 
 they have not only taken up diffe- 
 rent notions of a Sacrament, but 
 thought themfelves obliged to com- 
 bat thofe, who have afligned it other 
 properties , than what they them- 
 felves had taken notice of. I find 
 no reafbn to queftion the truth of 
 that Obfervation of his, either as to 
 the variety of mens conceits concern- 
 ing a Sacrament, or that mixt nature 
 of a Sacrament, to which he entitles 
 the variety of the other. But neither 
 
 the 
 
of a £>actarmnt 19 
 
 the one, nor the other will hinder 
 us from difcovering, under what 
 head of things to place it, which is 
 that we are firft.of all to intend. For 
 whether we confider a Sacrament, as 
 to Chrifij or to our f elves, as a means 
 in his hands to profit us, or in ours 
 to declare our piety toward him ; 
 Whether again we confider it, in 
 the hands of Chrift, as a means 
 whereby he fignifies , and feals his 
 own graces, or as a means where- 
 by he conveys, as well as either fig- 
 nifies •, or feds them ; Yet ftill it will 
 be found to be in the number of re- 
 lative things, or liich, whole very 
 being confifts in the relpeQ: they 
 bear unto another : Becaufe, what- 
 ever it may be in it felf, yet it is not 
 confidered as liich, but with reipeft 
 to that Grace of Chrift, which it fb 
 fignifies, or ieals, or exhibits, or with 
 refpe£t to that piety, which it is 
 intended on our part to declare. But 
 fo the Scriptures themfelves will ob- 
 lige us to confider a Sacrament, as 
 is evident from what they teach 
 concerning Baptifm, and the Lord's 
 Supper, which are, if not the only, 
 yet themoft undoubted Sacraments 
 
 of 
 
go Of the Nature 
 
 of our Religion. For, agreeably 
 thereto, they prompt us to confider 
 (0 i Pet. 3. ^e water ofBaptifm (£), not as put- 
 ting away the filth of the Flefh (which 
 
 is the proper confideration of wa- 
 f Aft. 22. ter? 22 fafa ^ k ut as wa foi n g us from ( c ) 
 
 our finsy znA purifying thole confci- 
 (<0 1 Pet. 3. ^ w ^j^ wherein they are ; As, on 
 
 the other fide, the Bread, and Wine 
 
 of the Lord's Supper, not as intend- 
 
 CO 1 Cor. 1 1. G d to f att sfie (e) our hunger, but as (f) 
 
 (f ) Matt.2^. the body, and blood of Chrifl, or ra- 
 
 if. 1 ° r,I °' well may we look upon thofe things 
 as relative ones, which we are not 
 only forbidden to confider in their 
 natural properties, but prompted to 
 attribute to them the properties of 
 others, yea to confider in the lame 
 notion with them. I lay lecondly, 
 that as a Sacrament is a relative 
 thing, and that therefore to be re- 
 puted as the remote Genus of it, {0 
 it is of the number of thoje relative 
 ones, which are figns , or reprefen- 
 tat ions of what they fo relate unto. 
 As is evident in part from what we 
 were before taught concerning the 
 water of, Baptifin, and will be yet 
 more, \Vhen I come to fhew the 
 
 Analogy 
 
of a Mffatmnt. 3 1 
 
 Analogy there is between the ele- 
 ments of each Sacrament, and that, 
 to which they do relate. For if the 
 water of Baptifm, ( though not to 
 be confidered as to any proper. purifi- 
 cation, yet J is to be confidered under (b) Tit. 3. 5, 
 the notion of d.Laver (£), andaccor- /--^ Aa ^ 
 dingly^as rvafbwg (1) thofe who are 15. 
 Iprinkled with it, from their fins, 
 then ought it to be lookM upon under 
 the notion of zjign of that, to which 
 it doth fo relate. Becaufe whatever 
 force the Baptifmal water may have 
 toward the doing away our fins, yet 
 it cannot be fuppofed, becaufe fin is 
 no corporal fpot, to wafh us from 
 them ; And that term of rvajhmg 
 therefore attributed to it upon the 
 account of the Analogy there is be- 
 tween the property of water confi- 
 dered in its own nature, and that of 
 the lame water as confecrated into 
 a Sacrament. Which will confe- 
 quently make the water of Bap- 
 tifin, f and, by proportion thereto, 
 the elements of other Sacraments ) 
 not only to have a relation to lome- 
 thing of another nature, but alio to 
 be a fign, or representation of it. I . 
 fay nothing at prefent of a Sacrament's 
 
 being 
 
1% Of the Nature 
 
 being a means of conveying fomething 
 to us, as well as a fign of it, and a 
 pledge to ajfure us of it j as well as ei- 
 ther ; Partly, becaufe that, which 
 hath the nature of a fign y may alfo 
 be made ufe of as a means of con- 
 veyance, and a pledge ; And partly 
 becaufe the firft intention of a Sa- 
 crament is to fignifie that, of which 
 it is lb, and that therefore by which 
 it comes to do fb, more commodi- 
 oufly affigned as the Genus of it. 
 And I fhall only add, that foralmuch 
 as a fign is nothing elfe, than that, 
 which offers it J elf to the fenfes y and 
 that, of which it is a fign, to the 
 underftanding ; Forafinuch therefore 
 as it muft be fiibje&ed in fbme fen- 
 fible being, and ( if it be alfb a for- 
 mal fign, or that which reprefents 
 the thing, of which it is fb ) in fiich 
 a being, as is apparent to the eyes ; 
 Forafinuch laftly as Baptifm, and the 
 Lords Supper (which are, at leaft, 
 the moft confiderable Sacraments of 
 our Religion ) are fubjefted in fuch 
 fenfible, yea vifibie beings ; It can- 
 not but be deemed reafonable, for 
 the more clear declaring of the na- 
 ture 
 
of a ^acratMttt jf 
 
 Hire of a Sacrament, , to reprefent it 
 ( as our Catechifm doth ) as an out* 
 ward, and vifible one. 
 
 That therefore being to be look- 
 ed upon as the Genus of a Sacra- 
 ment, or that general head of things, 
 under which t we are to conceive of 
 it ; Enquire we in the next place 
 after the effential attributes thereof^ 
 and by which it will not only be more 
 perfe&ly known what it is, but al- 
 io be more clearly difcriminated 
 from thole things, which are of the 
 lame general nature. Now as the 
 effence of a relative thing confifts in 
 the relation it bears to another, 
 and that relative thing therefore ,_ 
 whereof we (peak, in the relation 
 which it bears to that, of which it 
 is a fign ; So the eifential attributes 
 of a Sacrament cannot therefore be 
 better learned, than by the know- 
 ledge of thofe things j to which it 
 doth relate, the manner of its re- 
 lation to them , and the foundation 
 of it. 
 
 L In the General I obferve^ that 
 that, to which a Sacrament relates^ 
 miift be ibmething Sacred? or Di- 
 vine, as both the term of Sacrament, 
 D and 
 
34 Of the Nature 
 
 and the known nature of Bap if m^ 
 and the Lord's Supper periwade. 
 Which is the rather to be remarked, 
 to diftinguifh it from fiich figns^ as 
 relate to civil' matters, and particu- 
 larly from- the purely military Sacra- 
 ment. For though even that had a 
 relation to God, as whole name it 
 did invoke, and to whofe truth, 
 and juftice it did appeal ; yet it re- 
 ferred to God rather as a witnefs of 
 what it affirmed, than as to the ob- 
 ject o£ it. For theobjett of a Milita- 
 ry Sacrament was no other than the 
 being faithful to thofe Generals, un- 
 der which the Souldiers, that took 
 that Sacrament, were. 
 
 I obferve more particularly, that 
 as that may be termed Sacred , 
 or Divine, which hath God either 
 for its principle, or objeft, and ac- 
 cordingly flows from htm to us, or 
 pajfeth from us to him ; fo a Sacra- 
 ment relates both to the one, and 
 the other, and ought to be looked 
 upon as filch, That a Sacrament 
 relates to that, which flows from 
 God to us j is a thing neither denyed, 
 nor forgotten by any, and is evident 
 from what the Scriptures teach con- 
 cerning 
 
6/ a ^acranteni $j 
 
 eerning Baptifm, and the Lord's Sup- 
 per. Witnefs, for the former, their 
 reprefenting Baptifm as the Liter (k) ftjSfe 3- 1 
 of Regeneration, which is a thing we 
 mull .have from God (/), and as a (0 J oh ° 3- 5- 
 thing, by which we muft obtain 
 forgivenefs of fins (w), wliich is as $*)£*&•$ 
 undoubtedly (V) another. For the the Lords p?. 
 latter, the fame Scriptures requiring jft£*w*j,&<£ 
 us to look upon the elements there- 
 of, as that body of Chrijt, which was 
 (o) given for us, and that blood which CO Luk.22. 
 was fhed for many (//), for the for- q^ Matt. 25, 
 givenefs of fins. For as thefe, and 2? * 
 the former benefits are fuch as mani- 
 feftly come from God, fo they are 
 alike manifeftly reprefented as the 
 confequents of the former Sacraments, 
 and a Sacrament therefore, as fiich , 
 to be looked upon as having a rela- 
 tion to that, which flows from God 
 to us. The only difficulty, in my 
 opinion, is to fhew a Sacrament to 
 relate equally to that, which pajjcth 
 from us to God, and imports our du- 
 ty, and fervice. But befides that the' 
 Antieius apprehended no fiich 'diffi- 
 culty in it, becaufe giving it the ti- 
 tle of a Sacrament , in refpefl: of that 
 Obligation *, which it lays upon the p^Dife. 
 D 2 Recei- 
 
3 6 Of the Nature 
 
 Receivers of it ; The Scriptures4iave 
 laid enough concerning Baptifm, and 
 the Lords Supper, to confirm us in 
 the belief of this relation of them. On- 
 ly becaufe I would not too much anti- 
 cipate my Difcourfe concerning thole 
 Sacraments, and, befide that, may have 
 another occafion to fpeak more largely 
 to this Argument, I will content my 
 felf at prefent with what St.Peter hath 
 (?) i ret. ?. obferv d of Baptifm (q), and which 
 **• I have elfewhere (rj given a more 
 
 of tSd particular account of. For if, as that 
 Qucfi. and^ Apoftle infinuates, and hath accor- 
 dingly been more largely confirmed, 
 the fitful at ion or anfiwer of a goo A con- 
 fidence toward Cod be a considerable 
 part of Baptifm; If it be fb confide- 
 rable a part of it, as to give it much 
 of that fiavingnefs which it hath ; 
 Then muft that Sacrament be thought 
 ( becaufe the ftipulation of a good 
 Conference is of that nature) to re- 
 late to ibmething, that muft come 
 from us, as well as to thofe things, 
 which flow from God to us. It is 
 true indeed that our Church, where 
 it fets it felf to define a Sacrament, 
 takes no notice of this objeft of it ; 
 Whether it were through a Ampler 
 
 inad- 
 
 Anlwers, &c. 
 
of a §>mmmt i? 
 
 inadvertency, and from which our 
 Church doth no where pretend it felf 
 to be free, or ( which I rather think) 
 that it might give fb much the more 
 particular an account of that other , 
 and more confiderable objeft of it , 
 even that inward, and Spiritual Grace, 
 which it was intended to fignifie, 
 and exhibit, and allure. For that 
 our Church did not wholly forget this 
 fecond objeft of a Sacrament ( even 
 that duty, and fervice of ours, which 
 it doth equally fignifie, and prompt 
 us to declare) is evident from its 
 before minding the Catechumen of 
 his Baptifmal vow (/), and from q-) Prelim, 
 the declaration it elfewhere (V)makes, ^ u 5 ft - ant j 
 that they who are to be baptized on** 
 muft 2i\\ofor their parts promife the CO office of 
 renouncing of the Devil,, and his Fub1, B " pc * 
 works, and both Faith and Piety 
 toward God : That, as it fliewsher 
 to have looked upon Baptifm as a 
 federal rite, or ceremony, lb that 
 ilie equally believed it to relate to 
 our duty, and fervice, as well as to 
 thofe divine benefits , we receive 
 from the Author of it. Let it re- 
 main therefore for an undoubted 
 truth, and the acknowledged Do- 
 D j chine 
 
X % Of the Nature 
 
 Qxine of our Church, that a Sacra- 
 ment relates as well to what is to 
 fafs from us to God, as to what is to 
 "come from God to us, and that ac- 
 cordingly it may be fb far forth de- 
 fined, fuch an outward, and vifible 
 fign, whereby we make a declarati- 
 on of our piety toward God, as Mr. 
 
 (u) inft't. \u Calvin Qu) hath very well obferved. 
 
 4.0.14.^1. j ^y not f or g et to a dd, for the 
 
 farther clearing of this head, that as 
 a Sacrament relates" firit, and chiefly 
 to that, which pajfeth from God to us ; 
 fb we are to conceive of that , to 
 
 . which it fb relates, under the notion 
 of a Grace given unto us, yea of an in- 
 ward, and ffiritual one. That we 
 ought to conceive of it under the no- 
 tion of a grace given unto us, is evi- 
 
 • dent from thole Texts, which I but 
 now macle uie of to ftew, that a 
 Sacrament relates to that which 
 fajfetb from God to us. For inftan- 
 cirig in fuch things, as have the na- 
 ture of benefits , 'and, fb far forth 
 therefore, are to be looked upon as 
 Graces, or Favours, inftancing more- 
 Over iii fuch benefits, as are manifeft- 
 }y the ijfues. of the Divine Qoodnefs , 
 yea which the Scripture exprefly af- 
 *<•'■■-■ ■' * firms 
 
of a £>acranmtfc ?<? 
 
 firms to be given to us by him (for 
 *fb it doth as to that O) Body of OJLak. 22. 
 Chrijl, which is the foundation of l9 * 
 them allj they muft confequently 
 oblke us to conceive of that, to 
 which a Sacrament relates, as a 
 Grace given unto us. But neither 
 will there be lefs evidence from thence, 
 if thole Texts be well confidered , 
 that that Grace, to which a Sacra- 
 ment relates, is an inward and Spiri- 
 tual one. Fdr as our Church means 
 no other by an inward and Spiritual 
 Grace, than that which conduceth in 
 an efpecial manner to the welfare 
 of our inward man, or Spirit, ( as 
 is evident from its making the Bo- 
 dy and Blood of Chrijl the inward y 
 and Spiritual Grace of the Lords 
 Supper, and which it cannot be in 
 any other fenfe, than that it hath 
 fiich an effeft upon us ) fb the Texts 
 before alledged attribute fuch Graces 
 to the Sacraments, as are, in that 
 fenfe at leaf!:, inward and Spiritual 
 ones: Witnefs their attributing to 
 them the Graces of regeneration, and 
 forgjvenefs , which are as it were the 
 formal caufes of our welfare, and the 
 grace of Chrijls Body, and Blood y 
 D 4 which 
 
40 Of the Nature 
 
 which is the meritorious caufethere« 
 of, and under God, and by his accep- 
 tation, in the place of an Efficient alio* 
 I obferve farther, that as a Sa- 
 crament relates to fiich things, as 
 have the nature of divine Graces, or 
 humane duties ; 1q thofp graces, and 
 duties being parts of the New Cove- 
 nanted receiving all their force from 
 it, a Sacrament muft confequently* 
 relate to that New Covenant, to 
 which they do belong, and from 
 which they receive all their force. 
 Of which yet if fhere remain any 
 doubt, it will not be difficult to clear 
 it from what the Scripture alfures 
 us concerning Baptifm , and the 
 (*) i Pet. 3. Lords Supper; St. Peter (*) repre- 
 V\ l k fen ting the former under the notion 
 U. U ' 2? * of z Stipulation, or Contract, as our 
 lvfctt.26.28. Saviour the Cup of the other (y) as 
 the New Covenant in his Blood for 
 the remiflion of thofe fins, for which 
 it was Ibed. For that that is in truth 
 the meaning of the words -mvh «&*-' 
 stfiw, and not (as we uflially render 
 it ) the New T eft anient in it, is not 
 only evident from the word J>*s*W 
 being alway fb ufed by the Greek 
 Tranjlatours of the Old Teftament,: 
 
 and 
 
of a &mmmt. %* 
 
 and whom the Writers of the New 
 Teftament generally follow, but 
 from the oppofition, which the Scri- 
 ptures of both Teftaments ( z> ) COJer.3,31. 
 make between the wvh cOaSte, and ^£.8.8 &c. 
 the what* even where * there is the *Heb.'p!i$~ 
 greateft appearance of its* being to l8 - 
 be tranflated a Teftameftt. For the 
 wtActi« J)cl&kh being certainly a Cove- 
 nxnt, . and accordingly expreffed by 
 the Hebrews, by the word n*n;j , which 
 is never ufed in any other fenfe, it 
 is but reafbnable to believe, that 
 that K#'vt, J)clMkii, which is oppofed 
 to it, is. of the fame nature: Be- 
 caufe as it hath the fame word to 
 exprefs it, and is therefore in reafbn 
 to be looked upon as fb far the 
 fame ; fb it would otherwife be dif- 
 ferent from the Old as to its general 
 nature, as well as particular quality, 
 which the fble mention of its new- 
 nefs forbids us to believe ; Oppofiti- 
 ons Yhke exceptions from a general 
 rule ) fuppofing an identity there , 
 where no opposition is taken notice of. 
 And indeed,, though the word '/*&- 
 6wx may feem in one place co re- 
 qui e a different rendering, even 
 there f, where mention is made of f Hcb.9.17. 
 
 * its 
 
O) — IO. 
 20 
 
 *5- 
 
 42 Of the Nature 
 
 its being 0/ no force till Ztf, ^ whom 
 it was made, was dead ; Yet as even 
 that did not hinder our Tranflatours 
 from rendering it a Covenant both 
 *—**9, &e. in the foregoing *, and following 
 {a) Chapters, fo that place will not 
 only admit of the notion of a Cove- 
 nant, but be found ( all things con- 
 fidered) to require it of us. For 
 with what fenle firft of all can our 
 Saviour be laid to be the Mediatour 
 -9- of the New (b) Tejtament y upon the 
 fenfe of which expreffion the follow- 
 ing periods do depend. And for this 
 caufe he is the Mediator of the New 
 Tejtamenty that y by means of death 
 for the redemption of the Tranfgreffions, 
 that were under the firjl Tefiament , 
 they, which are called, might receive 
 the promife of an eternal inherit ance.T? ' or 
 fhall we fay that Chrift may be fti- 
 led the Mediator of the New Tejta- 
 menty becaule interpofing himfelf be- 
 tween two perfbns, that concurr to 
 the making of it ? But as a Tefta- 
 ment is the Aft of one, and not of 
 more, and therefore admitteth riot 
 of any fuch mediation ; fb the New 
 Teftament is fuppofed to be the 
 Aft of Chrift, and he therefore ra- 
 ther 
 
of a aactament 4 3 
 
 ther the Maker, than the Mediatour 
 of it. Shall we then fay, that Chrift 
 is the Mediator of the New Tefta- 
 ment, becaufe interpofing between 
 the maker of that Teftament, and 
 thole who are the Legatees in it ? 
 But by this means God the Father 
 fhall become the Teftator, which, if 
 death be required to make him fuch, 
 he can by no means be. Shall we 
 fay laftly, that Chrift may be looked 
 upon as a Mediator of the New Te- 
 ftament, becaufe by means of that 
 Teftament of his taking up the dif- 
 ference between God, and Man? 
 But that is rather to make him a 
 Mediator by a Teftament, than of 
 one, which Chrift is here affirmed 
 to be. So difficult will it be found 
 to make any tolerable fenfe of thofe 
 words, if we underftand them fas 
 our Tranflators prompt us ) of the 
 Mediator of a Teftament : Whereas, 
 if we underftand them of the Me- 
 diator of a Covenant -, the fenfe will 
 be clear, and plain ; Becaufe as there 
 are two parties required to the ma- 
 king of a Covenant, and fuch who do, 
 for the moft part, need a Mediator 
 to bring them to it, fo God, and 
 
 Man 
 
44 Of rf ?e Nature 
 
 Man are manifeftly the Parties of 
 the New Covenant, and brought 
 to enter into it by the mediation of 
 Chrift. If it be alio faid, as it is, 
 that the Mediator of the New Co- 
 * ' venant brings the Parties concerned 
 to it by his death, it is no more than 
 will be found to be agreeable to the 
 Eaftern mode of making Covenants, 
 and particularly to the manner of 
 making that Covenant, which was 
 of old between God, and the Ifrae- 
 lites. For as that Covenant ( and 
 indeed all the kindnefs that palled 
 between them ) was brought about 
 (V) Exo. 24. by the mediation of Sacrifices (c) y and 
 5 * the blood of thofe Sacrifices therefore 
 
 C<0- — 8. ftiled the blood of the Covenant (d) y 
 CO C0U.19. fo Chrift, by the blood (e) of his Crofs 
 brought about this New Covenant 
 between God, and us, and lb, as 
 the Author to the Hebrews fpeaks , 
 became the Mediator of it. If it be 
 faid yet farther,that Chrift became the, 
 Mediator of the New Covenant, that 
 they j who were called might receive the 
 fromife of an eternal inheritance ; 
 That alfb will be found to be as a- 
 greeable to the notion of a Covenant, 
 as it is to that of a Teftament 2 Be- 
 
 caufe, 
 
of a ^actatmnt 
 
 45 
 
 /> 
 
 8, 18. 
 
 caufe, as an inheritance may pals 
 by other means befide that of a 
 Teftament, io the Children of If 
 rael came to the inheritance of the 
 Land of Canaan by a Covenant (/) (/) Goui 5 
 between God, and their Progenitor 
 Abraham, yea by fuch a Covenant , 
 as was conciliated by the mediation 
 (g) of a Sacrifice. That therefore 
 being the fenfe of thole words of 
 the Apoftle,and fb, as I think, evin- 
 ced to be by no contemptible proofs , 
 it will be but reafbnableto give a like 
 fenle to the following ones (h), be- 
 caule but a proof of the former, if it 
 may be made appear, that they are ca- 
 pable of it. Which that they are , 
 will appear from the Tranfation I 
 fhall now fubjoyn, and which , if it 
 be duly confidered , will be found 
 to be no forced one. For * where a 
 Covenant is, there mufl of necejjity [e- 
 ven by that neceffity which arofe 
 from the Antient mode of making .[^^21^ 
 Covenants] be the death of that Me- ^j^^ul- 
 diator, that made it. For a Cove- v* % A/aJ&rf- 
 nant becomes firm after thofe Media- *» $ &* 
 
 @aia, y imt fMhmn }%ifu on {« o cT/a^/^rQ- * efry if « Trp- 
 
 (^3 Gen, i$, 
 
 9- 
 
 i5, 17, 18. 
 
 vasnv ti- 
 
 ters* 
 
4 6 Of the Nature 
 
 tors, that made it, are dead, for it is 
 never of force, whilflhe, who fo makes 
 it 7 lives. Whereupon neither the firjl 
 Covenant was dedicated without blood, 
 For when Mofes had f poke n every pre* 
 cept to all the people according to the 
 Law, he took- the blood of Calves, and 
 of Goats with water, and fear let Wool, 
 and Hyjfop , and fpr inkle d both the 
 Book, and all the people, faying, This 
 (OExo.24. is the blood of the Covenant (i) , 
 which God hath enjoyned unto you* 
 That I render the words $*v<vn>v f& 
 ftciZitjLiVH) the death of the Mediator , 
 that makes the Covenant, is be- 
 caufe the Apoftle fpeaks in theverle 
 before of him, who makes the Co- 
 venant, not as a Party, but as a 
 Mediator, and what is here faid 
 therefore of the Maker of a Cove- 
 nant to be underftood of fuch a Maker 
 of it. That I render thofe words 
 AiaZnix.n $ <&7 nkfMt faCeti*, for a Cove- 
 nant becomes firm, after thofe Media- 
 • tors, who made it, are dead, is be- 
 cauie thofe words are intended as a 
 confirmation of the former-ones, and 
 fb in reafbn to be underftood of the 
 dearfi of the lame Mediators. In 
 fine, that I render the words \ml 
 
 £<4|7TO?1 
 
of a sacrament 47 
 
 twimi '*%}}**, ° T * C? ° eT/cfc64/x€^©-, for it is 
 never of force j whilft he, who fo makes 
 it j lives, is becauie thofe words, as 
 the former, are a continuation, and 
 confirmation of the foregoing Argu- 
 ment, and fbltill to be underftood 
 with reference to the fame Media- 
 tor. All which things I have laid to- 
 gether, not fb much out of a defire of 
 being thought the Author of a new 
 Interpretation ( from which no man 
 is more averfe, where there is not 
 lome kind of neceffity for it ) but to 
 clear up an acknowledged, and im- 
 portant truth, and which the Text, I 
 have fb long infifted upon, hath 
 helped, more than any thing, to ob- 
 fcure. For as there is nothing more 
 certain from the Scripture, nor more 
 attefted to by our own Tranflators, 
 than that the difpenfation of the 
 Gofpel ought to be looked upon under 
 the notion of a Covenant ; As there 
 is nothing, in like manner, of more 
 importance to us to know, and con- 
 fider, becaufe it will prompt us to 
 the doing of our part in the Cove- 
 nant, if we mean that God fhould 
 do has ; fb, fetting afide this Text 
 of the Hebrews, there is not one , 
 
 where 
 
48 Of the Nature 
 
 where this <T/*Sifaw is mentioned, which 
 will not as commodioufly, or more 
 be interpreted of a Covenant, than 
 it can be thought to be of a Te (la- 
 ment. Only, if lome men fwayed 
 by their former prejudices, or by the 
 Latins giving the Codex of the Old, 
 and New Law the title 
 
 tTertull.dejejun c ii.A- f th q U ^1 New Te- 
 
 eundum utnufque Tefiamenn Para- . > , . t , 
 
 mho*, ftament f ( though they 
 
 alfb give them the more 
 * Idem Apol. c. 19. Vnmm general title of Inftm- 
 fmma Antiquitas vhdicat. Jb. mentA *. ) HUt It lome 
 
 c 21. s^ mow** edidimus men, I fay, fwayed by the 
 
 mmkUmifmtfftMtJtm. one > or the other, think 
 Adv. Marc. li. i. c. i 5 . auin- fit to continue to the for- 
 
 tasautem foveas iniftavel max- mpr T pyf ~ n A f omp n- 
 imt efiflola [ad Romanes ncm- ™ er 1 | eXt J a . nQ 10 r me ° 
 
 pe] ^r«o» fecerit aufenndo thers the notion or a i ^» 
 
 ^™^ ft "&%&*¥* /lament ; As I {hall not 
 
 » «nr * />*« *. contend with them about 
 
 it, for the reverence I my lelf bear 
 to the judgment of the Antients, fb 
 I fhall ask, as is but realbn, their 
 acknowledging in like manner that the 
 words &ir£ cT/ctditi&tf do equally import 
 a new Covenant, and particularly , 
 where mention is made of the Cup 
 of the Lords Supper being the blood 
 of that Si«Mk» 9 or a<&t$™» ink. Part- 
 ly,becaule that old //*&'*», to which it 
 
 was 
 
of a sacrament 4? 
 
 was oppofed,had the nature of a Cove- 
 nant, and could not, unlefs very im- 
 properly, be ftiled zTeflament ; And 
 partly , becaule it was not only feal- 
 ed with bloody but that blood alfb 
 ftiled the blood of (k) the Covenant. CO&to.s* 
 For that is enough to perfwade *'■ 
 ( elpecially * when we otherwife 
 know, that the difpenfation of the 
 Gofpel is undoubtedly a Covenant^ 
 that our Saviour, when he repre- 
 fented the Cup of his Laft Supper 
 as the blood of the wfl //aSu'xw, meant 
 the blood of the New Covenant, and 
 confequently that that Sacrament, and 
 the other have a relation to it, 
 
 I will conclude what I have to fay 
 concerning thofe things, to which a 
 Sacrament relates, when I have ta- 
 ken notice of its relating to that fo- 
 dy of men, with whom this New 
 Covenant is made, as well as to the 
 Covenant it felf. For that it doth 
 lb, we have the former inftances of 
 Baptifm, and the Lords Supper to 
 affure us, or rather what we learn 
 from the Scriptures concerning them i 
 St. Paul giving us to underftand i 
 that it is into that body, that we are 
 E baptized 
 
jo Of the Nature 
 
 (/)rCor.i2. baptized (l) y as, in like manner, that 
 (m)— 10. fj. though we be many, yet we become one 
 bread, and that one body (m) by- 
 partaking of the bread of the other 
 Sacrament. 
 
 II. It appearing from the premi- 
 fes, what thofe things are, to which 
 a Sacrament relates, and the way 
 therefore fb far plained toward the 
 difcovery of the properties thereof, 
 enquire we in the next place into 
 the nature of that relation, which I 
 have affirmed it to bear unto the 
 other. For my more advantageous 
 difcovery whereof I will refume each 
 of thole things, to which it doth re- 
 late, and fhew what kind of relation 
 it beareth to them. 
 
 Now as the firft of thofe things is 
 an inward and Spiritual Grace, that 
 is to fay, fuch a one as conduceth 
 in an elpecial manner to the wel- 
 fare of our inward man, or fpirit ; 
 fo we fhall find a Sacrament, as to 
 it, to have the nature of a fign> or 
 vifible reprefentation of it. A thing 
 ib acknowledged by all, by whom 
 the Sacraments are acknowledged in 
 any meafiire, that it will hardly be 
 
 worth 
 
of ci Sacrament ft 
 
 Worth our while to infift lipori it. 
 It may fuffice here to fay, that as a, 
 fign is fb much of the EfTence of 
 a Sacrament, that it is the very Ge- 
 nus of it, and muft therefore be fup- 
 pofed to be f uch> as to all thole things 
 to which it relates ; lb ^ye fhail find 
 the Sacraments of Bap dim, arid the 
 Lord's Sapper to reprefent even to 
 our eyes thofe inward and fpiritual 
 graces, which are attributed to them. 
 For thus the water of Baptifm dotll 
 by that cleaning quality, which is 
 natural to it, and which, as fuch , 
 is a reprefentation of that fpiritual 
 Grace, which purgeth (rij the Con- (n)n&. 9 .ii, 
 ftiencc from dead works, which are, as 
 it were, the filth (o), and pollution (o^Ox.^.^ 
 of it. And thus too the Elements of 
 the Lord's Supper do, as by other 
 ways, and means, fo by that which 
 is done unto them ; The breaking of 
 the one fervingto let forth the break- 
 ing of Chrijls body upon the Crofs, 
 as the pouring out of the other dotli 
 the (bedding of his blood at thole 
 pafTa^es, which were made for it by 
 the Nails,and Spear, that pierced him. 
 But befide that a Sacratrient hatft 
 E 2 thtf 
 
5 : £ Of the Nature 
 
 the relation of a fign to that inward, 
 and fpiritual Grace, which belongeth 
 to it, it hath alio the relation of 
 fuch a fign, as is moreover an apt 
 inftrument to convey that grace, 
 which is fignified by it. I inftance, 
 for the proof hereof, in the Scriptures 
 attributing fiich effe&s to BaptiCn 
 and the Lord's Supper, as are the 
 immediate iflttes of thofe graces , 
 which are fignified by them. For 
 if it attribute fuch effefts to them, 
 it mull confequently intimate them 
 to be the conveyers of thole Graces, 
 from whence they refult, as which 
 otherwife they could not be in a 
 condition to produce. Now that the 
 Scriptures attribute fuch effe&s to 
 the Sacraments before remembred , 
 as are the immediate iffues of thofe 
 graces, which are fignified by them, 
 will appear, as to Baptifm, by their 
 attributing to it a power of wajb- 
 (p)Afc22, i n g away (pj the fins of men. For 
 whether we underftand thereby the 
 wafhing away their guilty or wafh- 
 ing away the pollution of them, we 
 fhall ftill find it to be the immediate 
 iifue of an inward, and fpiritual 
 
 Grace 1 ; 
 
of a&m&mtnt. 5? 
 
 Grace ; It being the blood of Jefus 
 Chrift ( as the Scriptures (q) every (^Expiic.of 
 where declare,) that wafheth us from ^wok?"* 
 fin in the former fenfe , and the S£)ea&, 
 fanftifying Graces of God's fpirit (r), fthe 
 
 which purifie us from it in the other, creed, in 
 If therefore the Sacrament of Bap- * e words, 
 tifm may be faid fb to waft, and pur i fie, ffymoip W 
 it mud be as it is an Inftrument , 0i;oU f 
 whereby it conveys to us thofe graces, 
 to vPhich that purification doth be- 
 long. But lb the lame Scriptures do 
 yet more exprefly declare, as to that 
 other Sacrament of our Religion , 
 even the Supper of the Lord ; St. Paul 
 telling us(/ ) of the bread of it,that it is . . 
 the Communion, or Communication J$. l 
 of Chrift 1 s body, as of the Cup that 
 goes along with it, that it is the Com- 
 munion of his blood. For what other 
 can we well underftand by that e x- 
 preffion of his, than that they are an 
 inftrument, whereby God conveys, 
 and we accordingly come to partake 
 of that body, and blood of Chrift, 
 which is fignified by them ? This on- 
 ly would be added, for the clearer 
 Explication of it, that when we repre- 
 sent the Sacrament as an inftrument, 
 E 3 where- 
 
j 4 Of the Nature 
 
 ^hereby God conveys to us that 
 grace, which is fignified by it, we 
 do not mean thereby that it is a na- 
 tural one, or fiich as contains that 
 grace in it, as a Veffel doth liquor, or 
 a caijfe its effed, but rather ( as the 
 (OEcci.Po!. Judicious Hooker (t) foeaksj as a 
 V$.fe£.57.! moral inftrument thereof; That is to 
 jfay, as fuch a one, to the ufe where- 
 of God hath made a proaiife of his 
 grace, and which accordingly he will 
 accompany with the exhibition of the 
 Qther, 
 
 I deny not indeed but there are, 
 who qxe otherwife perfwaded, and 
 who accordingly either attribute a 
 greater efficacy to a Sacrament, or 
 deny even that, which we have at- 
 tributed to it. Of thQ former fort 
 are they, who not contented to af- 
 firm that a Sacrament is an inftru- 
 ment, whereby God conveys grace 
 to the worthy receiver of it, do more- 
 over reprefent it under the notion 
 of a Physical one, yea o$fuch a Phy-? 
 fical onq, as contains grace in it, as 
 a^aufe doth itseffeft, and according- 
 ly contributes by its own internal 
 force tp tli© producing of it, as well 
 
 a§ 
 
 I 3 
 
cfa&attmmti |$ 
 
 as to the pofTeffing us thereof. E- 
 ven as a Chezil ffor lb they ( u ) (#)Hift. f 
 -explain themfelves ) contributes to £°" n< jj of 
 the formation of a Statue, or as a 
 Hatchet to that Bed, (w) which is ( w ) Aqm. 
 ihaped by it. But as it appears by f m - Firt - v 
 
 a • ^ s. 1 • i i J Qji, 62. Art.u 
 
 Aquinas (jc), who was it may De the ^ ^ # 
 firft framer of it, that that conceit 
 had its original from the fear of ma- 
 Idng a Sacrament to be nothing but 
 a bare fign of grace, contrary to the 
 opinion of the Holy Fathers ; lb no- 
 thing more therefore can be neceffa- 
 ry toward the overthrowing of it, 
 than to fhew the groundlefhefs of that 
 fear, which the doQxine before de* 
 liver'd will fiifficiently evince. For 
 if it be but a moral infirument, where* 
 by God conveys his own graces, it 
 is certainly more than a fign, yea it 
 may, in {bme fenfe, be laid to be 9. 
 caufe, as well as the inftrument 
 thereof. For as they, who attribute 
 to a Sacrament the efficacy of a caufe y 
 make it to be no farther a cauie of 
 grace, than that it produceth in the 
 Soul a difpofition (y) to receive it MHift. of 
 ( by which means it is not fb much ^°™^ °^ 
 fhe caufe of grace, as of our recei- 
 E 4 ving 
 
j 6 Of the Nature 
 
 ving it) lb fuch a kind of caufality 
 will be found to belong to it, though 
 we make a Sacrament to be no o- 
 ther than a means whereby we at- 
 tain it : Becaufe it is lb far forth 
 by the force of a Sacrament , that 
 grace comes to bain us, that with- 
 out that we cannot ordinarily hope 
 to attain it, nor fear to fail of it, 
 where the other is duly received. 
 The only difference as to this parti- 
 cular between the one, and the other 
 opinion, is, that whereas the former 
 makes a Sacrament to difpofe us to 
 the reception of Grace, as well as to 
 convey it \ The latter fiippoieth that 
 difpofition already produc'd, and con- 
 sequently leaves no place for the for- 
 mer operation, In that reipeft yet 
 more agreeably to the Doftrine of the 
 Scriptures, becaufe not only pre-re- 
 quiring certain qualifications {£) of 
 $£. * thofe, that are to receive it,but affuring 
 i cor. 11.20. them, that if they come fo qualifi'd, 
 
 *J**k.id. they ftall nQt faiI * Qf that grace ^ 
 
 A<i 2. 38. which the Sacrament was intended 
 to convey ; Theft and the like affer- 
 tions, as they fiippofe the Soul to be 
 before difpos'd, fo leaving no place 
 
 * for 
 
of a Mttmmt 57 
 
 for any other caufality in a Sacrament, 
 than its ferving to us as a means 
 of conveying that grace, which we 
 are fb difpofed to receive. And in- 
 deed as it doth not appear by any thing 
 that Schoolman hath alledg'd, that 
 the Antients ever attributed any o- 
 ther caufality to a Sacrament (for 
 though St. Augufiine, as he is quoted 
 by him, affirms the power of God 
 to work by a Sacrament, yet he 
 deth not affirm it to do fb as by a 
 Phyfical inftrument ) As it appears 
 farther, even from that Schoolman, 
 that St. Bernard was of opinion , 
 that Grace is no othervoife conveyed 
 by a Sacrament^ than a Canonry in his 
 time was by a Book, or a Bifhofrick 
 by* Ring ; fo there is no defea: in the 
 Inftances of that Father, fiippofing a 
 Book or a Ring to have been as much 
 a means of conveying of thofe pre- 
 ferments, as we affirm a Sacrament 
 to be of the divine Grace, For in 
 that cafe the delivery of a Ring , 
 or a Book, would not only have 
 been a ftgn, whereby the delivery of 
 thofe preferments was declared, as 
 djwnas argues in the place before , 
 
 but 
 
5 8 Of the Nature 
 
 but a ceremony by which they were 
 a&ually made over , and without 
 which they could not havcbeenCa* 
 nonically invefted in them. I con?- 
 elude therefore, that if a Sacrament 
 be an inftrument of Grace, it is a 
 moral one, and fuch as contributes 
 no farther toward our partaking of 
 it, than as it is a means to which 
 God hath annexed the promife of it, 
 and which accordingly he will not 
 fail ( where the receiver is rightly 
 dilposM) to accompany with the ex- 
 hibition of the other. 
 
 But becaufe there are fbme, who 
 are fb far from owning a Sacrament 
 to be a phyficd inftrument of grace, 
 that they will not fb much as allow 
 it to be a moral one ; And becamfe 
 liich a conceit may tend as much to 
 the depredating of a Sacrament, as 
 the other feems to tend to the over- 
 valuing of it ; Therefore confider 
 we in the next place the pretenfions 
 of thole, that entertain it, and the 
 ftrength, or rather weaknefs of thofe 
 pretenfions. There are who have 
 thought (and' it were to be wifh'd 
 that many more did not , \yho do 
 
 not 
 
4 * ^actanwne. £> 
 
 not perhaps fpeak it out) that a 
 Sacrament, as to this particular is a 
 bare fign of the Divine Grace, and 
 accordingly intended by God, only 
 to awaken mens mincis to conceive 
 it, and their hearts to the embracing 
 of it. What induced them fb to o- 
 pine, I am not able to (ay, unlets it 
 were, on the one hand an Univer- 
 fal acknowledgment of. its being a 
 fign ; and a fear, on the other, left 
 if they made it any thing more, they 
 fhould approach too near to thole 
 exceffes, into which the former had 
 caft themfelves. But as it is a very 
 ill way of choofing opinions in Re- 
 ligion by the diftance, which they 
 bear to the exceffes of other men ; fo 
 the fondnefs of this cannot better 
 be made appear, than by thofe glo- 
 rious efFe&s, which are attributed to 
 a Sacrament, and which, in ftri&nefs 
 of fpeech, are the proper, and imme- 
 diate iffues of that which is fignified by 
 it. For that which is only a fign being 
 no way capable of producing fiich 
 effe&s, nor therefore with any rea- j 
 fon of having fuch effefts attributed J ' 
 to it, we are in reafbn, where the 
 
 thing 
 
66 Of the Nature 
 
 thing will bear it, to conceive it un- 
 der fuch a notion, as will make thofe 
 effe&s yet more proper to it. Which 
 we fhall then, and then only do, 
 when we make it fuch a fign, where- 
 by (as was before laid) God con- 
 veys to us that Grace , by which 
 thole effe&s are produced. Only as 
 there are, who think all this may 
 be falv'd, by making a Sacrament a 
 fealj as well as a fign of Grace, or 
 rather a leal of that New Covenant , 
 by which we are intituled to it; fb 
 it may not therefore be amifs to ex- 
 amine that pretenfion alio, and en- 
 quire into the validity thereof. What 
 relation a Sacrament bears to the New 
 Covenant, and how far die notion 
 of a ftal is competible to it, fhall be 
 examined in another place, and I 
 will not therefore at prefent engage 
 my felf in that difpute. But I Ihall 
 not llick to affirm, that how legiti- 
 mate foever that notion of a Sacra- 
 ment may be, yet it is no adequate 
 one ; As will appear in part from 
 the infufficiency of thofe grounds up- 
 on which it is built, and in part al- 
 fo from the nature of that Covenant, 
 
 whereof 
 
of a Mccatnent fo 
 
 whereof they fpeak, and of which 
 they reprefent it as a feal. For the 
 evidencing the former whereof we 
 are to know, that as the ground 
 upon which it is built is a paflage of 
 St. Paul (a), where he reprefents the (^Rom^u. 
 Circumcifion of Abraham as a feal of 
 that right eoufnefs of faith, which he 
 had yet being uncircumcis*d\ fb that 
 Text, if it be well examin'd, will 
 not be found to be a fufficient proof 
 of that, for which it is alledg'd . For 
 not to require thofe that ttrge that 
 Text ( which yet they feldom do ) 
 to make it appear that the Chrifiian 
 Sacraments are of the lame nature 
 with Circumcifion, and confequently 
 that what is laid concerning Circum- 
 cifion ought to be alike underftood 
 of the other ; Neither is what is there 
 affirm'd concerning Circumcifion 
 affirm'd concerning Circumcifion in 
 the general, but only of die Circum- 
 cifion of Abraham, neither is it affir- 
 med concerning his, that it was a feal 
 of that Covenant, to which it did 
 more immediately relate, but of that 
 righteoufhefs, which he had before 
 he enter'd into it. Things, which 
 
 if 
 
6z Of the Nature 
 
 if duly confider'd, will render tha£ 
 teftimony perfe&Iy ineflfe&ual, as to 
 what it is defigned to eftablifh. For 
 as if Abrahams cafe were different 
 from that of other Circumcifed per- 
 Ions, what may have been to him a 
 feal of the righteoufhefs of Faith , 
 may not yet have been fuch to them ; 
 lb that Abrahams cafe was fb far 
 different from that of the generality 
 of Circumcifed perfbns, may appear 
 from his having before had that 
 righteoufnefs of Faith, which the o^ 
 ther, becaufe Infants, could not be 
 luppofed to have had, or, at leaft , 
 not till they had it by the fign ot 
 Circumcifion. And indeed, whofb- 
 ever fliall confider what the Apoftles 
 defign in that place is, even to fhew 
 that the righteoufhefs of Faith is not 
 annexed to Circumcifion, becaufe A- 
 braham had it before he was Circum- 
 cifed, muft confequently believe that 
 when he afterwards makes that Cir- 
 cumcifion of his a feal of that righte- 
 oufnefs in him, his meaning was on- 
 ly to fay, that it was a teftimony 
 from God to him, and others, that 
 he allowed of the former righteouf* 
 
 nefs, 
 
of a Aauvatntnt 6$ 
 
 nefs, as which if he had not done, 
 he would not thus have entred with 
 him into that other Covenant, of 
 which Circumcifion was a fign. By 
 which way of arguing, what is here 
 faid concerning Circumcifions being 
 zfeal, muft not be underftood of 
 it, as it was in it felf, and ib in a 
 notion common to all that received it, 
 but with reiped to that righteouf- 
 nefs of Abraham's, which it followed 
 after in time, and which it could not 
 but be look'd upon as ibme Confir- 
 mation from God of, becaufe afign 
 of that New Covenant which God 
 then enterM into with him. As for that 
 New Covenant, or any righteoufhefs 
 of Faith accruing to Abraham by it ; 
 This St. Paul is fb far from affirming 
 his Circumcifion to have been a leal 
 of, that he may feem rather to in- 
 timate, that it had no fiich relation 
 to it : Becaufe affirming it to have 
 been a leal of that righteoufhefs , 
 which he had before it, and which 
 therefore he derived not from the 
 Covenant of Circumcifion, or was 
 under any neceffity of having it feaPd 
 to him by the fign of it. I con- 
 clude 
 
6\ Of the Nature 
 
 elude therefore, that how true fbever 
 it may be, that a Chriftian Sacra- 
 ment is a leal of the New Covenant ; 
 Yet the Text before mentioned con- 
 ferrs not at all to the proving of it, 
 and much leis toward the fhewing , 
 that it hath no other relation than 
 that of 2. fed either to that Cove- 
 nant, or the graces of it. But be- 
 fide that the fingle notion of a feal, 
 how plaufible fbever it may appear, 
 hath no countenance from that Text, 
 which is ufiially produced for it ; It 
 will be found to have as little from 
 the nature of that Covenant, of which 
 it is reprefented as afeal. For that 
 Covenant importing as well the con- 
 ferring of prefent benefits, as a pro- 
 mife of future ones, it muft confe- 
 quentlyif it be tranlafted by any vi- 
 fible ceremony, make ufe of that 
 ceremony to convey thofe prefent be- 
 nefits, as well as to aibertain the ex- 
 hibition of future ones ; The for* 
 mer whereof a leal being no way 
 proper for, or at leaft not in the ufo* 
 al notion of it, we are in realbn to 
 give the relpe&ive Sacraments of 
 that Covenant another, and a more 
 
 eife- 
 
of a ^acramertfc ^ 
 
 effectual notion, even that of a meam$ 
 whereby Chrift, who is the Author 
 of them, conveys his graces to man- 
 kind. 
 
 One only relation there H beficiesy 
 which a Sacrament bears to the 
 Divine Grace, even that of a fledge 
 to ajfure us thereof ( as our Catechijm 
 expreiTeth it) or (as the 25/^ Arti- 
 cle of our Church hath it ) a certain 
 jure witncjs of it. A relation, which 
 Hands fufficiently confirmed by the 
 imferceftiblenefs of the Divine Grace 
 in it (elf, and the aptnefs of a Sacra- 
 ment to manifeft its approaches to us ; . 
 For as the imperceptiblenefs of the 
 Divine Grace in it lelf makes it but 
 neceffary , for the comfort of man- 
 kind, to have its approaches mani- 
 felled to them by fome other ways , 
 and means ; fb a Sacrament as before 
 defcrib'd, is an apt means to notifie it 
 to us, yea affure us of the approaches 
 of it : Partly, becaufe a means to which 
 God hath annexed the exhibition of 
 his grace,' and partly becaufe fuch 
 a means, as is apparent to fnens' 
 fenfes, 'and which therefore whilft 
 they are ib allured of ? they can as' 
 F little 
 
66 Of the Nature 
 
 little doubt of that Grace, which 
 by the Decree of God is annexed 
 to it. 
 
 Of the relation a Sacrament bears 
 to the Divine Grace I have fpoken 
 hitherto, and fhewn what kind, or 
 kinds of relation it beareth to it ; I 
 come now, according to the method 
 before laid down, to entreat of its 
 relation to our f elves ', and of that/>/- 
 ety, and fervice, which we owe to 
 the giver of it. For the underftand- 
 ing whereof we are to know, that 
 as a Sacrament is undoubtedly a figa 
 of that, of which it is fuch, fb if it 
 hath a relation to our piety (as I 
 have before flhewn it to have, and as 
 the very title of a Sacrament , in the 
 Original notion of it, obligeth us to 
 conceive ) it muft be lookM upon as 
 fuch a fign, whereby we may make 
 a declaration of that piety of ours y as 
 was before obferv'd out of >Mr. Cal- 
 vin. But fb we do in Baptifm , 
 as by other ways, and means , fb 
 efpecially by our receipt of it, as 
 a, mark of our prefent acknow- 
 ledgment of thofe Divine Perfbns,, 
 into whofe names we are baptized, 
 
 and 
 
and a relblution for ever after' td 
 keep a good Cdnfcience to them: 
 In the Eucharift, by the grateful 
 commemoration we there make of the 
 death of Chrift, by a declaration of - 
 our intimate union with tbofe^ who 
 partake with us thereof, and a re* 
 fblvednefs to maintain it by all the* 
 offices of love, and kindnefs. Which 
 things I do now only mention,- be-* 
 caufe T muft infift upon- them more 
 largely elfewhere, and whither it 
 will be more proper to deferr the par- 
 ticular explication of them- Only 
 as a Sacrament appears to have received 
 its Name from the obligation it layes 
 upon us to the performance of re- 
 ligious duties ; fb I cannot forbear to 
 add, that as it is a declaration of 
 that piety we owe to God, fb it is 
 alfb an obligation to the continuance 
 of it 3 Becaufe ( as I fhall afterwards 
 fhew ) it ferves to conciliate, or re* 1 
 new that New Covenant, by which 
 we are obliged to them. 
 
 From that /f^W-thing, to whicli 
 a Sacrament relates , pa& we to the 
 third, even that New Covenant, in 
 which both the former are founded, 
 
 F 2 and 
 
 ; 
 
6* 
 
 (10 Ndi. 
 
 Of the Natit-e 
 
 and to which I fhall not ftick to 
 affirm : Firft, that a Sacrament hitth 
 the relation of a Jign, becaufe at once 
 reprefenting the concernpents of 
 each party, what Godobligeth him- 
 ^^rlelf to conferr, and what we make 2 
 .profeffion of performing. But nei- 
 ther fhall I ftick to affirm, that it 
 hath moreover the relation of fuch a 
 fign, whereby the parties concerned 
 declare their confent to it, and fb 
 make that, which was before but in 
 a difpolition, to become a Covenant , 
 or, at moft, but in a weak, and totter- 
 ing condition, to become actually , 
 and firmly fuch. Which if any man 
 ■fhall give the title of a Seal unto, I 
 for my part fhall not be at all dijP- 
 pleas a, becaufe feds were fbmetime 
 (b) made ufe of, for the declaration 
 of fuch a confent. But I have my 
 ielf avoided to make ufe of the ex- 
 preffion, becaufe there may be fbme 
 Ambiguity in it ; And becaufe they, 
 who have lately employed it, feem to 
 look upon it as a thing, which ra- 
 ther adds ftrength to mens faith con- 
 cerning it, than to the Covenant it 
 felf, and much lefs doth either give be- 
 ing 
 
of * £actamentt h 
 
 iag to it, or renew it. Whereas 
 Baptifm , in my opinion , . is that , 
 which firft ftrikes the Covenant be-^ . 
 tween God, and man, and the Eu- 
 charift, that which continues, or re- 
 news it after it hath been fhatter'd.^ 
 by our mifcarriages ', As is evident , 
 as to the former , by its being the 
 means of (c) making -Dif rifles, and CO Matt. -3. 
 the Uver of our (d) new birth, and, }?• 
 as to the latter , by our Saviour's * ' 3 ' $ ' 
 entitling it the New Covenant (e) m ( e ) Luk. 22. 
 his blood, and remitting men to it for **• 
 that remiffion of(f)(in, which had been ^ Matc# 25t 
 made over to them by the other, 28. 
 This I take to be the true relation 
 of a Sacrament to the New Covenant, 
 and lb I {hall continue to do , till 
 I come to be better enlightned in it. 
 For which caute I {hall only add, 
 that as the content, we now {peak 
 of, is in a Sacrament declared by both 
 parties ; {0 he, who adminifters k, 
 is in that cate in the place of God, 
 and declares his content to the Cor 
 venant ; Becaute doing what he doth 
 bv vertue of that Commiflion (g ), 
 which empowered the Apoftles, and g™ 2 * 
 their Succeffors to Baftize all, thap 
 F 3 ihould 
 
f§ Of the Nature 
 
 (feould offer thsmfelves unto it, and 
 made them the difpenfers of that, 
 
 (h) i Cor. 4* and the other (/;) myfteri?s of our 
 
 *' Religion., 
 
 The fourth and loft thing, to which 
 I affirmed a Sa'crament to relate, is 
 the body of Chriji , even that myftiy 
 cal one, which .is made up by thofe, 
 that believe in him, and adore him. 
 Now to this Body it elates, in the 
 general, as a difcrirttinative fign of 
 the profeflion of it, and by which 
 the feveral members tfreteof may both 
 know,, and be kfiown by one ano- 
 ther, aftd accordingly : jbyn in fiich 
 'acfs , as God gxafts of thtir body, 
 For becairfe- God , who made men 
 fbciabje Crea&'&es, was willing they 
 fhould worfhip him in fbciety alfaf" 
 as for other reafbns, fb to make him 
 
 mExpi. of ^ n a P t return (') ofpraife for that 
 ihe fourth bleffing, which they received by God's 
 Com. Pare i. ^ofing t fem to a fociable life ; And 
 (£)Auz.contr. becaufe (as St. Augufiine (k) fpeaks) 
 Fault. Man- n cmnot be affociated znto any Re- 
 ii. ! ligious pody, nor indeed into any o- 
 
 ther, but by a community of vifiblefignsf~ 
 and Sacraments ( of which , befide 
 £he thus confederating of men of ail 
 
 Rcli- 
 
of a &mm\tnt. 71 
 
 Religions, we have a proof in men's ge- 
 neral inability to judge of the prof ef 
 fion of their AfTociates by any other 
 way, than by fuch outward notes, 
 or characters ) therefore, I lay, God,, 
 and Chrift, when they meant to ereft 
 a Chriftian body, gave it fuch figns > 
 and notes alfb ; Partly, to give be- 
 ginning to it, and the feveral mem- 
 bers of it, and partly to continue 
 them in thofe joynt Offices, and fer- 
 vices, which they required the per- 
 formance of. The former whereof 
 is done by the Sacrament of Bap- 
 tifin, the latter by the Sacrament of 
 the Eucharift. And how much thefe 
 two Sacraments conferr toward the 
 keeping up the profeflion of Chri- 
 stianity, will appear, on the one 
 hand, from thofe miferable Chrift H- 
 ans, who live under the Turks, and, 
 on the other, from thofe much more 
 miferable perfbns tht^Quakers, who 
 live among our felves. For as the 
 poor Greeks, by reafbn of the igno- 
 rance of their Priejls, and the unintel- 
 ligible nefs, as well as the hudling up 
 of their Liturgies, have little other 
 means befide thofe Sacraments, and 
 F 4 other 
 
f % Of the Nature 
 
 other fuch fymbolical rites to keep up 
 the profeflion of Chriftianity among 
 them ( which yet, it may be, they 
 are more tenacious of, than thofe who 
 are better inftru&ed among us, would 
 be under the like circumftances ) 
 ib thofe much more miferable perfbns 
 the Quakers, having thrown off the 
 vifible figns of Chriftianity, have 
 upon the matter come to throw off 
 Chriftianity it felf, and whatfbever 
 it obligeth us either to believe, or do 
 in order to our obtaining the falvati- 
 on promifed by it. If they have made 
 a fhift to rear, or keep up To much 
 as their own Profejfion, it was owing 
 in the beginning to that Quaking, 
 which gave denomination to them, 
 .and, fince that, to their affected looks, 
 and habits, and behaviolzr, which 
 are, if I may fb (peak, the vifible 
 figns, or Sacraments thereof. And, 
 if once they fall off from thefe, as we 
 fee they begin to do, we (hall fbon 
 find their profeflion to fail together 
 with it , and to be buried in the 
 fame grave.' But to return to that 
 more /acred body, of which I but now 
 entreated, and to which as I affirmed 
 
of a &mmmu 7\ 
 
 a Sacrament to have the relation of 
 a general badge, or difcriminative 
 fign of the profeflion of it, fb I 
 muft alfb to be a means of bringing 
 particular men into it, or continuing 
 them in the communion of it : It be- 
 ing into this body ( as was before ob- 
 ferv'doutof St. Paul) that all Chri- 
 ftians are baptizd, and fb therefore 
 firft entred by that Sacrament ; And 
 in that body too that they continue 
 by the receipt of the other Sacrament y 
 becaufeit is, by their partaking of the 
 bread of it, that the fame St. Paul 
 affirms, that they become that one 
 Bread, and Body. For being mem- 
 bers of that body by the former Sacra- 
 ment, they cannot otherwife be laid 
 to make i% up -by the partaking of 
 the latter, than as that may ferve 
 to keep them within the communion 
 of it. 
 
 III. An account being thus given 
 of the things y to which a Sacrament 
 relates, together with the nature of 
 that relation it beareth to them ; It 
 remains that I enquire what the 
 foundation of that relation is, which 
 is the only thing farther to be known 
 
 toward 
 
74 Of the Nature 
 
 toward the difcovery of the proper- 
 ties of a Sacrament. For the un- 
 derstanding whereof we are to know, 
 that as the relation , whereof we 
 fpeak, is of different forts, to wit the 
 relation of a fign^ of a means of con- 
 veyance, and of a fledge (forfuch I 
 have fhewn a Sacrament to be, as 
 to that grace of God, to which it 
 principally referrs) fo it may have 
 different foundations, agreeably to 
 that diverfity, which I have laid to 
 be in the nature of the relation. For, 
 as a fwn , it is founded in part in 
 the rejemblance, which it bears to the 
 things fignified by it (for fo all figns 
 of representation are ) and in part al- 
 io in the Infiitution of him, whole 
 the Sacrament is : Becaufe as the for- 
 mer refemblance is not fb apparent , 
 as by its own force to have fugge- 
 fted to us the things fignified by it, 
 fb it could not without his institu- 
 tion, whole the Sacrament is, have 
 laid any obligation upon us to confi- 
 der it in that relation of it. I (ay 
 not the fame concerning that relati- 
 on of a Sacrament, whereby it be- 
 comes a means of conveying to us the 
 
 Divine 
 
of a sacrament 75 
 
 Divine grace, or a fledge to ajfuri us 
 thereof : Becaufe each of thefe rela- 
 tions is founded firnply, and only in 
 the Inftitution of him, whole the Sa- 
 crament is. for a Sacrament ha- 
 ving no natural aptitude either to con- 
 vey the Divine Grace to us, or to a£ 
 fore us, that if we receive that Sa- 
 crament, we fhall receive the other 
 alfb ; It muft confequently (if it be- 
 come fitch a means j or fledge) be- 
 come fb by the Inftitution of him , 
 by whom it is fuggefted to us. But 
 becaufe I have faid nothing hitherto, 
 whqfe that Inftitution is, by vertue of 
 which a Sacrament puts on the fore- 
 mentioned relations ; And becaufe it 
 is alike certain, that whofbever's that 
 Inftitution is, yet it produceth not 
 thofe effects by its own immediate 
 force, but by the intervention of 
 fbme Aft, or A&s of thofe, whom 
 he hath intruded with the difpenfa- 
 tion of them ; Therefore, to fatisfie 
 our felves yet farther concerning the 
 foundation- of thofe relations, enquire 
 we in the next place whofe that In- 
 ftitution is , upon which they are 
 founded, and how that Inftitution 
 
 ought 
 
7 6 Of the Katun 
 
 ought to be applfd to enable it to pro- 
 duce them. 
 
 As concerning the Per fox, whole 
 that Inltiturion is, little needs to be 
 laid, confidering what the Scripture 
 hath laid concerning Baptifm, and 
 the Lord's Supper, which are the 
 only clear Sacraments of our Reli- 
 gion. For BaptiCn, and the Lord's 
 -Supper being apparently ChrtjVs own 
 Institutions , and fb declared to be 
 by thofe Scriptures, which give an 
 account of them ; Whatsoever hath 
 the relation of a Sacrament , mull 
 have, him for its Author, or ( as 
 our Church hath expreiTed it) be 
 oriaincJ. by him. Beiides, a Sacra- 
 ment, as fuch, being both a con- 
 veyer, and a pledge of Grace, the 
 diipeu whereof is entrufted un- 
 
 pjEph.4, 7. to thrift (/), either that, which pre- 
 — ■s**** tends to be a Sacrament, muir have 
 him for its Author, or it mufr not 
 be look'd upon under that relation. 
 And thus fer we rind even thofe cf 
 Rome to go, becauie not only re- 
 prefenting all the Sacraments of the 
 NevLax as injlitMted by JefusCfsr/jl 
 our Lord, hut pronouncing an A- 
 
 oathema 
 
of a ^actament 77 
 
 nathema alio (m) upon thole, that M ?*- 
 lhalldenyit. 2*X" 
 
 It being therefore not at all to be Sacr. 
 doubted, rvbofe that Institution is, 
 upon which the relations of a Sa- 
 crament are founded ; enquire we in 
 the next place how that institution 
 ought to be appli'd, to ena&le it to 
 produce thofe relations. Which muft 
 be firil by a declaration of the purport 
 thereof, and fecondly by doing thofe 
 things to the elements, which either 
 the general tenour of the Chri(tian Re- 
 ligion, or the particular precepts of 
 the Inftitution prompt us to the ^r- 
 formance of. That I reprefent the 
 fir ft of thefe as one of thofe things , 
 which makes the Inftitution of Chrift 
 to become effectual toward the pro- 
 ducing of the former relations, or 
 ( as it is more commonly expreffed) 
 toward the eonfecration of thofe Ele- 
 ments, which are to put them on, is 
 partly upon the account of the ne- 
 ceffity of fuch a declaration, and partly 
 upon the account of the Commands 
 of him, by whom the Sacraments 
 were inftituted. For a Sacrament 
 being not fo clear a reprefentation of 
 
 that, 
 
78 Of the Nature 
 
 that, of which it is {b, as by its own 
 force to fuggeft it to the minds of 
 thole, for whom it was intended ; 
 Being much lefi fb clear a repre- 
 fentation of it, as to invite thofe to 
 reflect upon it, who are either flow 
 of underftanding, or otherwife indit 
 pofed to contemplate it, fuch as are 
 the generality of men ; It cannot but 
 be thought neceffary, even upon that 
 account, to call in the affiftance of 
 liich words, as may declare to thofe, 
 that are concern'd, for what ends, 
 and purpofes it was appointed. O- 
 therwife men may either look upon 
 the whole as a purely civil a&ion, 
 or ( if the Perlbn that adminifters it, 
 and other fuch like circumftances 
 prompt them to conceive of it, as a 
 religious one) yet fancy to them- 
 felves fuch ends, and purpofes , as 
 are either different from, or contra- 
 ry to the true intendment of it. A- 
 greeable hereto is the command of 
 the Author of our refpeftive Sacral 
 ments, as is evident from what 
 he enjoyns concerning Baptifm and 
 the Lord's Supper ; His own exprefs 
 injun&ion concerning the former be- 
 
of a sacrament 79 
 
 ing, that his Difciples fhould baptize 
 men in the name of the Father, and 
 of the Son, and of the Holy Ghofi , 
 which could not be done without 
 a rehear fal of thole names at leaft ; 
 As concerning the latter, that they 
 fliould do what they had feen, and 
 heard him do, as oft as that Sacra- 
 ment was adminiftred, and therefore 
 alfb make a verbal declaration con- 
 cerning it. For though that be not 
 fo clear frorn thole words of our Sa- 
 viour, Do this in remembrance of me , 
 I mean as they lie in St. Luke (n) ; 00 Luk - 22. 
 yet will it be found to be fb, if we * 9 ' 
 take in the Comment of St. Paul (o ) y y£ 2^°& c . 
 where he gives a like account of the 
 Inftitution of it. For reprefenting 
 what was then laid, and done as a 
 prefcription for future (^) Sacra- 00 — 2 3» 
 ments, as well as for that of Chrift's 25> 26% 
 own immediate eonfecration \ Repre- 
 fenting it moreover as fuch upon the 
 account of what Chrifl: then enjoyn'd 
 concerning their doing the lame things 
 in remembrance of him, he rauft 
 conlequently (becaule he brings in 
 our Saviour making a verbal declara- 
 tion concerning the purport of that 
 
 Sacra- 
 
8o Of the Nature 
 
 Sacrament, and fubjoyns the former 
 injun&ion of it ) be thought to re- 
 prefent it as our Saviour's mind, that 
 they, who confecrated that Sacra- 
 ment, fhould ufe the fame declarati- 
 ons concerning it. But befide a de- 
 claration of the purport of the Injlitu* 
 tion^ and which the Church hath ge- 
 nerally kept ib clofe to, as to make 
 (q) Conrtit. t hat declaration by the very words (q) 
 12 , ' * C ' of the Injiitution, it is no doubt a- 
 like neceifary, if not more toward 
 the producing of the former relati- 
 ons, to do thofe things to the Ele- 
 ments, which either the general te- 
 nour of Chriftianity, or the particu- 
 lar precepts of the Inftitution prompt 
 us to the performance of. For if 
 Prayer be Ib generally neceifary to- 
 ward the procuring of any favour , 
 that it becomes fuch as to the ob- 
 taining of common,and ordinary ones ; 
 If it be fo far neceifary toward them, 
 as to become fuch even to the blef 
 (0 1. Tim. 4. fing of our ordinary repaft (r), though 
 *• 5# that be not without a natural apti- 
 
 tude to nourifh , and fuftain us - 7 
 How much more may we think it 
 to be neceifary, as to the making, of 
 
 thole 
 
of a sacrament 81 
 
 thofe elements, which are in no di£ 
 pofition to it, to become the con- 
 veyers t>f the Divine Grace to thofe, 
 who are to partake of them. But 
 fb the perpetual practice of the 
 Church will oblige us to believe, 
 and aft, as to the one , and other Sa- 
 crament, of our Religion. For though 
 there be not any particular injuncti- 
 on concerning confecrating the wa- 
 ter of Baptifm, and 1 iuppofe be- 
 caufe the neceflity thereof was fuf- 
 ficiently known by what the Scri- 
 pture hath (aid concerning the gene- 
 ral neceflity thereof ; Yet as we find 
 Ananias admonifhing St. Paul ( f ) C/) Aft. 22.; 
 to rvafb away his fins by Baptifin cal- 
 ling upon the name of the Lord, and 
 which, no doubt, becaufe he Baptized 
 him, the fame Ananias went before 
 him in ; As we find farther by Jujlin 
 Martyr (t), that they, who were to (0 A P°kg-« 
 be baptized, were admonifhedto/^/?, 
 and pray, the Brethren praying, and 
 fafiingfor y and with them (forthefe 
 are fumcient proofs, that fbme fort 
 of Prayers did alway precede it) fb 
 we find by thofe , who have given 
 a more particular account of the Of- 
 G fices 
 
8x Of the Nature 
 
 Jps of the Church, that the Prieft 
 MConftit. 4^ pray particularly (V), that God 
 
 Apoft.llb.7. C. f A / F r r J rr j 
 
 45. would look down from Heaven , and 
 
 Dionyf. A- fanttijie that water, wherein they were 
 Bknc.*." ^ fo Baptized by him. The Cafe is 
 yet more plain as to the Sacrament 
 of the Eucharift, as fhall be made 
 appear, when I come to entreat pur- 
 pofely concerning it. And therefore 
 I fhall only add, that as the Inftitu- 
 tion of our refpeftive Sacraments can- 
 not obtain its effett, without doing 
 thofe things to the Elements thereof, 
 which the general tenour of Chrifti- 
 anity obligeth us to perform, fb much 
 lefs without the doing of thofe things, 
 which the particular precepts of the 
 Inftitution oblige to the pra£tice of. 
 For the force of a Sacrament depend- 
 ing more immediately upon the In- 
 ftitution of him, whole the Sacra- 
 ment is, it muft confequently, as to 
 the application of that Inftitution , 
 depend more upon the doing of thofe 
 things, which the particular precepts 
 of the Inftitution oblige to the pra- 
 ctice of, than upon thofe, which the 
 more general, and therefore remoter 
 piecepts of Chriftianity oblige unto. 
 
 The 
 
 ~;r .• 
 
of a sacrament 
 
 The eonfequence whereof, as to th$ 
 Eucharift , will be, among other 
 things , a neceffity of giving God 
 thanks for thofe gracious boons , 
 which that Sacrament was intended 
 both to convey, and allure. The 
 refiilt of the premifes is this ; A Sa- 
 crament, as fuch, is a relative tiling, 
 it is fb in an efpecial manner as to 
 the Divine Grace, as which it Agni- 
 zes, and convenes, and afjjyires. But 
 as thofe relations thereofare found- 
 ed f rather in the inftitution of the 
 Author of it, than in the vertue of 
 thofe elements , in which they are 
 fubje&ed ; fb in that again, not fb 
 much as delivered by our Saviour, as 
 applied to the elements by a de- 
 claration of the purport of it, and 
 by iiich other A&s as, the general 
 tenour of Chriftianity, or the parti- 
 cular precepts of the Inftitution ob- 
 lige thofe, who are the difpenfersof 
 a Sacrament, to do to the elements 
 thereof. 
 
 I do not at all found the relations 
 
 of a Sacrament in fuch A£t, or Afts, 
 
 as are required of thofe, that partake 
 
 of it ; Yea though without fuch Aft,- 
 
 G 2 or 
 
24 Of the Nature 
 
 or A£ts, they cannot partake of the 
 Graces of it : Partly, becaufe a Sa- 
 crament being aninftitution of Chrift, 
 it muft rather depend upon his ap- 
 pointment, and the fafts of thofe , 
 who aft in his behalf, than upon the 
 difpofition of fuch as are to partake 
 of it ; And partly, becaufe a Sacra- 
 ment, though not conveying, orafc 
 faring the Divine Grace to any, but 
 the worthy Receivers of it, yet is as 
 really and truly a Sacrament to thole, 
 who are otherwife dilpos'd, as it is 
 to the moft worthy ones. As is e- 
 vident among other things from 
 St. PauPs affirming the unworthy 
 receiver of the Eucharift to be guil- 
 
 C*0iCor.n. ty of the Body (w), and Blood of 
 Chrijt, and again to eat, and drink 
 Damnation to himfelf, for not difcer- 
 
 (*;— — 2?. n j n g (x) tfj e Lord's Body. For how 
 come they to be guilty of the Body, and 
 Blood of Chrift by the meer recepti- 
 on of the elements , if thole elements 
 be not even to them a Sacrament of 
 his Body, and Blood ? Or how faul- 
 ty for not difcerning in them the 
 [Lord's Body, and Blood, if thole e- 
 lements, which they receive, have not 
 
 the 
 
of a&w&mmtl H 
 
 the relation of a Sacrament to them ? 
 Neither will it avail to fay, that 
 fiich perfbns may become guilty of 
 ChriJPs Body j and Blood, becaufe re- 
 ceiving not as they ought , thofe e- 
 lements, which are xhtfigns of them. 
 For as it will follow from thence , 
 that thofe elements, which they re- 
 ceive, are fb far, at leaft, a Sacra- 
 ment of ChrifFs Body, and Blood, 
 I mean as that is a fign of them ; 
 fb there is reafbn enough to believe 
 from the way the Apoftk takes to 
 prove the foremention'd charge, that 
 thole elements were as really a Sa- 
 crament to them in all other refpe&s, 
 as they were in the notion of a 
 fign : Becaufe he founds that charge 
 of his upon ChrifFs making thofe 
 elements the Sacrament of his Body, 
 and Blood (^), and which therefore (^ ay- 
 he muft fuppofe them to be as much 
 to them, as they are to any perfbn 
 whatfbever. That which I conceive 
 hath occafion'd men to beotherwife 
 opinionated, was their conceiving 
 of a Sacrament, not as a means fitted 
 by ChriJltQ convey, or aflure the Di- 
 vine Grace, and which accordingly, 
 G 3 where 
 
%6 Of the Nature 
 
 where it is duly received, actually 
 doth fb ; but as a thing, which 
 is not only in a difpofition to it, 
 but, where it is really a Sacrament, 
 infallibly doth fb to all, that partake 
 of it. Which conceit, it may be, 
 they were the more eafily betray'd 
 into by the Scriptures reprefenting it 
 rather as a thing, which aftually/i/z- 
 clifiesj and faves, than as a thing , 
 which is only fitted for it. But as 
 there might be ground enough for 
 fiich expreffions , as thofe, whether 
 upon the account of the perfbns , 
 whom it is fb laid to fan Bijie, and f aye, 
 or upon the account of there being 
 enough in a Sacrament to do it, where 
 the parties, that partake of it, are 
 duly qualified for it ; fb the Scripture 
 hath fbmetimes fo qualified its own 
 • affertions by making the due diipofi- 
 tion of the party receiving it to be 
 neceffary to procure the other, that we 
 cannot but look upon a Sacrament, 
 rather as a thing fitted to produce fuch 
 effe&s, than as a&ually, and infalli- 
 bly producing them. And indeed, as 
 there is therefore but reafbn to con- 
 ceive fb of a Sacrament, even as a 
 
 mea?*s 
 
ofa&mmtnK M 
 
 means fitted by God, and Chrift to 
 produce thole effedts, which are attri- 
 buted to it \ {by by thus ftating it, 
 a way is opened to diftinguifh be- 
 tween the Efficacy of a Sacrament , 
 and of the Receiver s faith, and ac- 
 cordingly to aflign each its proper 
 intereft in the procuring of thofe 
 Graces , which are attributed to it. 
 For by this means we {hall make a: 
 Sacrament, with that bleffing of God, . 
 which attends it, to be thefblecon- 
 ferrer, and afTurer of thole Graces,- 
 which is but agreeable to it as an 
 -^■infirnment in the hand of God ; And 
 the faith of the party receiving on- 
 ly the receiver, and applier of the 
 other, which is as agreeable to that 
 hand of man. For as, if a Sacrament 
 be a means fitted by God for the 
 forementioned purpofes, the confer-, 
 ring, and alluring of thofe Graces 
 will belong to it, and that bleffing of 
 God, which doth accompany it ; lb 
 nothing therefore will remain to the 
 faith of the party receiving, but to 
 receive, and apply what the other 
 doth fo conferr, and affure. I lay, 
 fecondly, that as by this means a due 
 G 4 diftin- 
 
8$ Of the Nature 
 
 diftin&ion will b$ made between the 
 efficacy of a Sacrament, and that of 
 the receiver's faith ; fo a way will be 
 opened in like manner (without de- 
 trafting, in the leaft, from the effica- 
 cy of a Sacrament ) to return an an- 
 fwer to what is advanced, on the one 
 hand, for the opus operation of all Sa- 
 craments , and, on the- other , for 
 making the elements of the . Eucha- 
 rift to be that very Body, and Blood 
 of Chrift, which it was intended to 
 (?) v * d - chem - convey .For whereas it is pretended (V), 
 *conc.°Trid. in the behalf of the former, and accor* 
 Pan. 2. in '■ dingly alledged as a proof of it,that the 
 feS. 8 ' d£ efficacy of a Sacrament depends up- 
 on the inftitution of God, and not 
 upon the dignity of him, that admi-* 
 pifters it, or the faith of the receiver ; 
 I aafwer, that that is indeed true , 
 and agreeable enough to our ftating 
 the nature of a Sacrament, but of no 
 force at all to fhew that opus opera-? 
 turn, whereof they fpeak. For as , 
 if a Sacrament be a means fitted by 
 Chrift for the conferring of his Graces, 
 the conferring of thofe Graces will 
 belong wholly to it, and that blefling 
 of God, which goes along with it ; 
 
of a g>&tt&mnu 
 
 fb if it be a means rather fitted for 
 the conferring of them , than that i 
 which actually , and infallibly doth, 
 any otherwife than as it is received, and 
 appli'd, as Chriftianity admonifheth, 
 there will be a like neceffity of the 
 opus operantM) even of that faith, and 
 repentance , which are required in 
 order to the reception of them. And 
 it may not unfitly be illuftrated by 
 the natural quality of thofe elements, 
 which are by Chrift made ufe of for 
 the Sacrament of his own Body, and 
 Blood.For as of what force fbever thofe 
 elements may be either to fuftain, 
 or refrefh us, yet they cannot be ex- 
 pected to do either, unlefs they be re- 
 ceived, and well digefted; fb how 
 well fitted fbever by the Inflitution 
 of God the fame elements may be 
 to conferr to higher purpofes, yet 
 there is as little reafbn to expe&they 
 fhould, unlefs they be applied by us, 
 as he, who fb inftituted them, hath 
 admonifh'd. Iuiike manner, where- 
 as it is pretended * from unworthy *E(ih.com. 
 receivers of the Eucharift being gutl* w km* 
 ty of the Body and Blood of Chrift , 
 that therefore thofe elements, which 
 
 they 
 
Of the Nature 
 
 they do fb receive, are really that Bo- 
 dy, and Blood, and accordingly are 
 aftually partook of ; That, alfb is ta- 
 ken away by what we have before 
 laid concerning the Eucbarifts being 
 a means fitted by Chrift for the con- 
 veying of them : Becaufe, if it be on- 
 ly fiich, there will be place for that 
 guilt, yea though that Body, and 
 Blood of Chrift be not in it, nor re- 
 ceived by thofe, who are partakers 
 of the other ; In as much as he offers 
 a Efficient affront to them, who re- 
 ceives thofe elements unworthily, 
 , which were by God, and Chrift in- 
 tended, and fitted for the conveying 
 of them. I may not omit to add , 
 if it were only for that hint, which 
 the former obfervation affords us, 
 that we fhall, by thus ftating the 
 nature of a Sacrament, imprint alfb 
 in the minds of men a juft apprehen- 
 fion of that guilt, which arifethfrom 
 an unworthy reception of it For as, 
 if it be fitted by Chrift to convey, or 
 affurethe Divine Grace, itmuftmake 
 thofe,that partake unworthily thereof, 
 guilty of an equal affront to that Grace, 
 which it is fb fitted to convey, or at 
 
 fare; 
 
of a 5>actftmcnt $£ 
 
 furc; fb if it be not fb fitted, the 
 crime will ftill be the lefs, by how 
 much the lefs relation it hath to that 
 Grace, which is pretended to be 
 violated by the unworthy recep- 
 tion of it. In fine , by ftating the 
 nature of a Sacrament, as is before 
 defcrib'd, we fhall make our account 
 thereof agree lb much the more ex- 
 a£Uy with that, which our own Ca- 
 techifm prefents us withall ; That, 
 though it reprefent a Sacrament as a 
 means of Grace, and a pledge of it, 
 yet reprefenting it not as actually, and 
 infallibly liich, but only as ordained 
 by God to be fb, and which accor- 
 dingly, in the event, may prove fiich, 
 or not, as it fhall be found to be re- 
 eeiv'd, and appli'd. 
 
 For the applying of all which to 
 the bufinefs, that is now before us, 
 even the making up of that Definite 
 on , which we have been hitherto 
 making way to, I cannot but admo- 
 nifh, that a Sacrament referring to fb 
 many feveral things, and referring to 
 them alio with fb many different re- 
 lations, it will be hard, or rather 
 impoflible to furnifh out any one de- 
 finition 
 
 
jx Of the Nature 
 
 finition of it, which fhall with any ex- 
 a£baeis anfwer to its feveral proper- 
 ties* For confidering a Sacrament 
 with refpe£t to the Divine Grace , 
 and to which of all others it feems 
 more efpecially to relate ; fo it may, 
 and ought to be defin'd to be fuch an 
 outward, and vifible fign thereof, as 
 is moreover ordained, and fitted by 
 Chrift to be a means of conveying 
 it to us, and a pledge to afTure us 
 thereof. Confidering it again, with 
 relation to our ownpety, and to which 
 no doubt it was alio intended to ad- 
 minifter ; to it will be fuch an outward 
 and vifible fign thereof, as is by 
 Chrift ordained, and fitted for us, to 
 make a declaration of it by, and an 
 obligation to the continuance of it, 
 Confidering it Thirdly, with relation 
 to that New Covenant, by which the 
 Divine Grace, and our piety are ty'd 
 together ; fb it will be fuch an out- 
 ward, and vifible fign as is ordained, 
 and fitted by the fame Chrift, for 
 God, and Man to declare their con- 
 tent unto it by, and either firft enter 
 into that Covenant by it, or to re- 
 new it. Confidering it laftly, with 
 
 refpeft 
 
of a £>actamcnt 95 
 
 refpeft to thofe, who are joyn'd to- 
 gether in the lame Covenant, andfo 
 conne&ed to Chrift, and to one ano- 
 ther ; fb it will be fuch an outward, 
 and vifible fign, as is by Chrift or- 
 dained, and fitted for a general badge 
 of their common profefiion, and a 
 means of bringing particular men in- 
 to their Society, or continuing them 
 in the Communion of it. Only if 
 any man defire a more fimple defi- 
 nition of it, and which though it 
 will not anfwer to all the properties 
 thereof, yet will at leaft anfwer the 
 more efpecial ones ; fb it may not 
 inconveniently be defin'd to be fuch 
 an outward, and vifible fign, as is or- 
 dained and fitted by Chrift to fignf) 
 fie, and convey, and affure the DiO 
 vine Grace to us, and, on our part, 
 to declare the duty we owe to Goc£ 
 and Chrift, and oblige our felves to 
 the continual pra&ice of it. 
 
 P^BT 
 
S>5 
 
 PART III. 
 
 A farther Explication of the 
 
 Nature of a Sacrament, with a 
 refolutionof feveral Queftions 
 belonging thereunto, or de- 
 pending more immediately 
 upon it. 
 
 The Contents. 
 
 The Nature of a Sacrament brought 
 again under confideration > and en- 
 quiry accordingly made concerning 
 that inward and Spiritual Grace, 
 to which it relates , the manner of 
 its relation to it y and the founda- 
 tion of that relation. This UJl 
 more particularly infijled upon, and 
 as it was before refolvd to be the 
 
 Inftitution 
 
$6 A farther Explication of the 
 
 Inftitution of Chrift, fo a more 
 ample account given thereupon of 
 that Inftitution of his, and ofthofe 
 Commands, and Promifes, whereof 
 it doth confift. Thofe Commands 
 again confidered with reference to 
 the facramental Elements, before 
 they put on that relation^ or after 
 .they are inveftedwith it. The for- 
 mer whereof are /hewn in the gene- 
 ral to enjoy n the letting them a part 
 for that purpofe, or Confecrating 
 them 9 and enquiry thereupon made 
 by whom they ought to be fet a- 
 party and whether their intention, 
 or good dilpofition be requifite to 
 give force unto it : The latter the 
 Confecrators difpenfmg them as the 
 Inftitutor thereof hath prefcriFd, 
 and the peoples receiving them from 
 them, with the Manner of it. Up- 
 on occaflon whereof "Enquiry is made y 
 concerning the neceffity of Sacrament s y 
 and in what forty or degree they 
 ought to be accounted fuch. A like 
 particular account given of the Pro- 
 miles of the Inftitutiony which are 
 (hewn in the general to affure Chrijfs 
 making what is done both by the 
 
 Confe* 
 
Nature of a sacrament 9/, 
 
 Confecrators, and Receivers to be a* 
 vailable for thofe ends, for which 
 they were enjoy rid; More particular- 
 ly his converting that into a Sacra-* 
 mentj which is by the former fet a-* 
 fart to be fo {and which how it is 
 done is j upon that account, enquird 
 into) and j where- the receivers are 
 rightly difposd, acompanying the dif 
 fenfation of the Sacramental Ele- 
 ments with the Dif fenfation of the 
 Divine Graces. An application of 
 the whole to the buflnefs in hand , 
 and Enquiry accordingly made, how 
 the former Commands, and Promi- 
 fes contribute toward the Founding 
 a Sacramental Relation, and how 
 alfo to the efficacy of the elements, 
 after that Relation is produced in 
 them* 
 
 NOW though from what hathbeen Q^ftion. 
 faid it be competently evident, |g*f ? 
 what the Nature of a Sacrament is, tijece in a 
 and we thereby at liberty to go on Sacrament? 
 to other confiderations concerning it; J^ \' t f 
 Yet becaufe there are ibme things in ou-i»ai*Z3bt^ 
 it, which may require a farther Ex- flb^e frni>- 
 plication, and v others, which depend tntttbcfaj 
 k± more mi ^ } ^ 9 
 
p-flj- A farther Explication of the 
 
 more immediately upon the due un- 
 demanding of it, I purpofe to go 
 over the definition of it again, or, 
 at leaft, over fb much of it, as may 
 require a farther Explication, or Help 
 toward the clearing of the other. 
 
 In the general I obferve, that as 
 it appears by our own Catechifm , 
 and the definition before given, that 
 a Sacrament confifts of an outward , 
 and vifible Sign, and an inward Spi- 
 ritual Grace ; ib that more general 
 notion of it ftands confirm'd to us 
 (%)Adv.hzr. by thefuflfrageof Iremus <V), though 
 ' * c by him delivered under another form : 
 
 He reprefenting the Eucharift, even 
 after the Invocation of God hathpaft 
 upon it, asconfifting of two things, 
 to wit, an Earthly, and a Heavenly 
 one, And I fhall only add, that 
 they feem not to be over mindful of 
 it, who make the Sign, or Earth- 
 ly part of the Eucharift to -vanifh, 
 as foon as the thing fignified by it , 
 or the Heavenly one approacheth : 
 A Sign in the common underftand- 
 ing of it, together with that relati- 
 on whereby it becomes fb, andthofe 
 accidents, wherein it is immediately 
 
 founded, 
 
- Nature of a &M$imtttt. & 
 
 founded , connoting the SubjecT of 
 them both, and therefore not with 
 reafcn to be predicated of that Sa- 
 crament, which hath no fuch Sub* 
 jetf to uphold them. 
 
 But becaufe there is otherwife no 
 great Controverfie concerning the 
 general notion of a Sacrament, nor 
 yet fo far, concerning that particular 
 one I before gave, as to its being an 
 outward, and vifible Sign of that , 
 of which it is a Sacrament \ There- 
 fore pafi we both from the one, and 
 the other, to, that Heavenly thing, 
 to which it relates , the manner of 
 its. relation to it, and the foundation 
 of that relation. 
 
 Now as the firft of thefe hath been 
 before definM to be an inward, and 
 Spiritual Grace, as that again declar'd 
 to be fuch a Grace, or favour of God, 
 as conduceth in an efpeeial manner 
 to the welfare of our inward Man, or \ 
 Spirit ; fo I mull: now add, for the far- 
 ther Explication of it, that it is moreo- 
 ver fiich a Grace, as conduceth immedi- 
 ately to the welfare of it : Whether 
 as purifying the foul from the filth 1 
 of fin, and introducing the contrary.) 
 H % affe&K 
 
Iibo J farther Explication of the 
 
 aife&ions, or as delivering it frodi 
 that guilty which the filth of fin had 
 — -" brought upon it. A notion, which 
 ftands coniirm'd to us , not only by 
 the Doftrine of our own Catechifm y 
 but by the account the Scripture gives 
 us both of Baptifm and the Eucharift, 
 and the confeflions of the Romanifts 
 themfelves. Witnefs for the fir ft y its 
 declaring the inward , and Spiritual 
 Grace of Baptifm to be a death unto 
 fin , and a new birth unto Right eon f 
 nefsy as the inward grace of the Eu- 
 charift to be the Body, and Blood of 
 Chrift , and by which (as it after- 
 ward follows) our Souls are ftreng- 
 thenedj and refrefhed, as our bodies 
 are by the outward elements thereof; 
 Witnefs, for the fecond, its reprefent- 
 ing Baptifm as a thing, which fan- 
 (T)Ephr$. clifies (b)j and fives (c)> and both 
 
 \% i Pet t ^ iat W» anc * ^ ie Eucharift (J) as 
 21. ! ' 3 ' things, which tend to the remiffion 
 f^Aa.2. of Sins; Witnefs, for the thfrd, their 
 fe)Matt. 25. great Schoolman Aquinas (/) repre- 
 28. fenting a Sacrament as a fign of liich 
 
 Vart.qSt. 3 ' a Sacred thing, as procures the fan- 
 &>. Art. 2. ff if cation of us. Which is the rather 
 to be noted, becaufe of the ufe it will 
 
 hereafter 
 
ISlature of a MctatWnt* 1 x o? 
 
 hereafter be of toward the determin- 
 ing the Number of thofe things, which 
 are to be accounted of as Sacraments 
 of our Religion. 
 
 Concerning the relation a Sacra- 
 ment bears to the objeft of it, and 
 particularly to that Grace, to which 
 it efpecially referrs, I have nothing 
 to add, and fhall not therefore bring 
 it again under confideration. I fhall 
 only obferve, from what hath been 
 before faid concerning it, that it is an 
 instrument of Grace , as well as a 7 
 fledge of it, that it is a moral\n&m- 
 ment thereof, and not a phyfical one, 
 that it is fitch a moralinftrument there- 
 of, as is rather aft to convey , or 
 produce it, than that which actually, 
 and infallibly doth ; The a£fcual con- 
 veying of that Grace depending up- 
 on the due dilpofition of the party 
 receiving it, and who ( as St. Paul 
 fpcaks) if he be not rightly qualified 
 for it, will rather reap Damnation 
 by it, than either the Divine Graces, 
 or the rewards of them. Which things 
 I have this fecond time made mention 
 of, not becaufe they were not before 
 fufficiently clear'd 7 but becaufe they 
 H j lay 
 
to i A fa rther Explication of the 
 
 lay difperfedly in my former account 
 of this relation, and fo would have 
 been lefs ufeful toward the forming 
 a diftind conception of it. 
 
 That j which will efpecially re- 
 quire our fecond thoughts , is the 
 foundation of that, and other the re- 
 lations of a Sacrament ; The which 
 as I have affirm'd in the general to 
 be the inftitution of Chrift, fb the 
 farther confideration of that Inftitu- 
 tion will both lead us to a more di- 
 ftin£t knowledge of the nature of a 
 Sacrament, and inform us concern^ 
 ing the necefftty, and efficacy thereof. 
 Now as there are two things, which 
 that Inftitution doth manifeftly im- 
 port, that is to fay a Command, and 
 a Promife ; fb that Command again 
 refpects the elements of a Sacrament, 
 either as being to put on that relati- 
 on, or as actually invefted with it. 
 In the former of thefe regards it com- 
 mands the fetting them apart for that 
 purpoie, but more efpecially ( be- 
 cauie that is the principal defign of a 
 Sacrament ) for their becoming a 
 means of conveying the Divine Graces 
 Jo us. Which;, as was before obfeiVd, 
 
 it 
 
Nature of a &m&WXits> 
 
 it either prefcribes particular rules for, 
 or remits men for them to the gene- 
 ral precepts of Chriftianity, fb far as 
 they are applicable thereto. And I 
 fhall only add (becaufe thofe rules 
 were before declarM ) that, to make 
 the elements put on the relation of a 
 Sacrament, there is a neceflity of ap- 
 plying that part of the Inftitution to 
 them by the execution of thofe Com- 
 mands , which it enjoyns : Becaufe 
 the letting them apart for that pur- 
 pofe is, by the Inftitution it felf, put 
 into thp hands of men. But of what 
 men, and how qualified, I have not 
 as yet declared, and fliall therefore 
 now fet my felf to enquire. 
 
 And here in the firft place it is eafie 
 to fee, by what is delivered in the 
 general concerning the power of re^ 
 mitt ing [ins , or in particular concern- 
 ing the power of Baptifm, that the Se- 
 paration vor Confecration of the ele- 
 ments is the proper work of the Mi- 
 nifters of the Gofpel, and ought ac- 
 cordingly tp be left to them to per- 
 form : Becaufe as both the one, and 
 the other were by Chrift committed 
 to his Apoftles, fb none can there* 
 H 4 fore 
 
i.o5$ A farther Explication of the 
 
 fore pretend to the power of either, 
 but thole who deriv d it from them, 
 which none but the Miniftersof the 
 Golpel have. It is no left eafie to 
 fee lecondly, that as the Separation, 
 or Coniecration of the elements is the 
 proper work of tRe Minifters of the 
 Gofpel, even by the Inftitution of 
 Chrift ; lb it cannot therefore, ordi- 
 narily atleaft, be attempted without 
 fin by others, becaufe a deviation from 
 his Inftitution. And thus far all , 
 who acknowledge a Minifterial Fun- 
 ction, are at an accord in this- parti- 
 cular , and the farther profecution 
 thereof no way neceflary to be in- 
 tended. I lay therefore thirdly, that 
 as the Separation, or Coniecration of 
 the elements cannot, ordinarily at 
 leaft , be attempted without fin by 
 other than the Minifters of the Gof- 
 pel *, fb there is realbn enough to 
 believe, even from thence, that thole 
 elements cannot ordinarily have the 
 relation of a Sacrament by any others 
 Coniecration, than theirs. For be- 
 fide that the Promile of Chrift is not 
 to be fiippos'd to extend any farther^ 
 than thofe Commands^ to which it is 
 ' annexed^ 
 
Nature of "a ^tttXHttt tflfc ' % a J 
 
 annexed, are obferv'd ; Neither can 
 we think he will vouchfafe his bene- 
 di&ion to that A&ion, which with- 
 out any neceffity at all varies from 
 his own Inftitution: This being to 
 encourage men to go againft his own 
 Inftitution, which no wife Inftitu- 
 tour can be fuppos'd to give way to. 
 All therefore , that can be fuppos'd 
 to admit of a difpute in this affair, is, 
 whether in extraordinary Cafes (and 
 where a lawful Minifter cannot be 
 had) other Perfbns may take upon 
 them to Confecrate, and Adminifter 
 it ; And whether , if they do fo , 
 what they do is fb far valid, as to 
 make that, which they pretend to 
 Confecrate, and Adminifter, to have 
 the relation of a Sacrament. But as 
 it would be confiderd whether it 
 Were not equally advifable for fuch 
 Peribns to let alone altogether the 
 Confecration , and Adminiftration 
 thereof ; Becaufe Chrift may as well 
 fupply to men the want of the Sa- 
 craments themfelves, as the defe£ts 
 of thofe, who pretend to Confecrate^ 
 and Adminifter them : As it would 
 he confidered farther, whether it 
 
 were 
 
io 6 J farther Explication of the 
 
 were not much more advifable to do 
 fb, becaufe he, who omits the Con- 
 fecration, or Adminiftration of a Sa- 
 crament, that belongs not properly to 
 him, is certainly guilty of afar lels 
 error, than he who arrogates to him- 
 {elf that, which doth not appear to 
 appertain unto him ; fb if a Sacra- 
 ment fb Confecrated, or Adminiftred, 
 be either lawful, or valid ( as I will 
 not be very forward to deny it, con- 
 0)vid.Tert. fidering the Authorities Qt) it hath 
 deBapt.c 7 . for it) it muft become fb by the ei- 
 tev^HooTe -" t ' ler exprefs , or tacit allowance of 
 rus noffer thofe, to whom the Adminiftration 
 s& y 6 °£ 1 *' of it is regularly committed. For 
 the Inftitutor of a Sacrament, and by 
 whom alone it can become fuch, ha- 
 ving put into their hands the prepa- 
 ration of it, I lee not how any thing 
 can become fuch, which is not ei- 
 ther mediately, or immediately fet 
 apart by their Authority, and Mi- 
 niftry. 
 
 It appearing from the Premifes, to 
 whom the feparation, or Confecrati- 
 on of the elements doth belong, and 
 fb far therefore alfb the producing of 
 a facramental relation in them ; En- 
 quire 
 
nature of a jjMffttttttlt. 107 
 
 quire we in the next place how thofe 
 peribns ought to be farther qualified, 
 to enable them to make that Separa- 
 tion, or Confecration ; Which I lhall 
 not ftick to affirm to be Amply, and 
 only by Tceeping, as to the outward 
 work , to the Inftitution of our Sa- 
 viour. For though much more 
 may be requir'd of them , yea un- 
 doubtedly is , to make that Ad: of 
 theirs available to their own welfare, 
 and acceptance ; Even the intending 
 what they are about, not only with a 
 prefent mind, but with a found, and 
 religious one ; Yet cannot the like be 
 fiippofed to be required, to make that 
 A£t of theirs available toward the 
 Confecrating of thofe elements into a 
 Sacrament : Partly becaufe if fuchan 
 intention were required in thofe, 
 that Confecrate, no man could have 
 any tolerable affurance of his receiving 
 a valid Sacrament, becaufe having 
 no fuch affurance of their intention ; 
 And partly, becaufe that A& of theirs 
 is a Minifterial Aft , and muft not 
 therefore depend for its force, upon 
 the ferfond intentions or qualifications 
 of thofe, that exercife it, but upon 
 
 that 
 
i oi -A farther Explication of the 
 
 that Authority , from which it pro- 
 ceeds , and upon its ferving the ends, 
 and mentions of thole principal A* 
 gents , to which it is appointed to 
 minifter. -Which ends, and intenti- 
 ons if it can ferve in this affair by 
 an outward conformity to the rules 
 of Chrift's Inftitution, nothing more 
 can be fupposM to be required either 
 of it, or thofe , that exercife it, to 
 give it that force, whereof we Ipeak. 
 That therefore would in the next 
 place be enquired into, which ac- 
 cordingly 1 will now let my felf 
 to do. 
 
 For the clearing whereof we are 
 firft to know, that as of 
 *Heb. t. 5. & Philo de ld t h e Priefts under the 
 fpecial.leg b^t« $*«/- Law were Earned * by 
 ™ v i *?& **"' ' %'% T God for men in things per- 
 ^■p^T^y , iva, fid. (Mint 77- ^ > r J , 
 
 9 Ub$\«*on*j> Mi**- -offer up to him, in their 
 *« tobr, s*k <ti n*< x«- names ? Gifts, and Sacrifi- 
 eoa* 5f4^», $x<W?- ces f or foi an d partly to 
 
 convey from God to them 
 
 • graces, and benefits, fb we are, in 
 
 like manner, to conceive of the Priefts 
 
 under the Gofpel, as being not only 
 
 the Minifters of* God, and Chrift, 
 
 but 
 
Nature of a &&C?ft!tttttt* 109 
 
 but appointed too, on the one hand, 
 to difpenfe . their myfteries (k)> and ft) l Cor -4- 
 graces to the Church, and, on the other u 
 hand, to oifer uptheC^r^j-Pr^rx, 
 and Services to them. From whence 
 a£ it will follow, that thofe principal 
 Agents, to which they minifter, are 
 God , and Chrift, on the one hand, 
 and Chrifts Churchy and People un- 
 der the other ; fb that the end of the 
 former is to convey, by their means, 
 their own graces , and bleffimgs, of 
 the. latter to offer up thole Prayers , 
 and other Services, which are due 
 from the Church to them. . Thofe 
 therefore being the Principal AgentSjto 
 which the Evangelical Priefthood mi- 
 nifters, and thofe their refpeftive ends, 
 and intentions \ the next thing to be 
 enquired into is, which of thofe Prin- 
 cipal Agents it is, to which the Evan- 
 gelical Priefthood minifters in thofe 
 a£ts which refpeQ: the Confecration 
 of a Sacrament. Which I fhall not 
 ftick to affirm, from what was before 
 laid concerning thofe A£te, to be the 
 Church , and People of God. For 
 that, which the Minifter doth toward 
 the Confecration of a Sacrament, be- 
 ing 
 
lio A farther Explication of the. 
 
 ing principally, at leaft, the offering 
 up of Prayers and Praifes, he muft 
 confequently (becaufe thofe are the 
 duties of the Church to God , and 
 Chrift) be thought to minifter to the 
 Church in them, and fb have that for his 
 Principal Agent.From whence as it will 
 follow thirdly, that the end to which 
 he is to ferve, is the offering up, in 
 the behalf of the Church, fuch Prayers, 
 and Praifes, as are by the Inftitution 
 of Chrift impos'd upon it (becaufe 
 that is the end of the Church in all 
 fuch Adminiftrations ) ; lb he fhall 
 fufficiently ferve that end, who fhall 
 only rehearfe fuch Prayers and Praifes, 
 whereever, or whatfbever his inten- 
 tion be : Becaufe the Church may 
 as well offer up its Prayers, and Prai- 
 fes by the voice of him, that intends 
 them not, as by the voice of him , 
 that doth. And I have been the more 
 particular in the Explication of this 
 affair, partly to make it farther evi^ 
 dent, that the validity of a Sacrament 
 depends not upon the intention of the 
 Minifter, but much more to fhew 
 from thence, that thofe a£ts, which 
 are done by him toward the Confe- 
 
 cratiou 
 
Nature of a &mOmtot i * i 
 
 cration of the Sacramental elements,do 
 not, by the either ablence , or jper- 
 verfenefs of his intention, ceale to be 
 religious, and fb incapable of indu- 
 cing God to confider of them, or give 
 force unto them : Bscaule as thole 
 Afts are rather the Chufches , than 
 his (the Minifter being in this affair 
 but the Inftrument thereof ) fb his 
 want of Intention, and Devotion, may 
 be abundantly fupply'd by the others, 
 and thole 4-&S thereby become both 
 Religious and valid. 
 : From that Command, whteh re- 
 fpefits the elements, before they pat 
 on the relation of a Sacrament, pals 
 we on to that Command, which con- 
 fidersthemas inverted with it ; Which 
 again we (hall find to have a double 
 reference. For it may either concern 
 thofe y in f fecial^ who have fb let" apart, 
 or Confecrated them , or both them 
 ( if they are alio to be the receivers 
 of them ) and all others, for whole 
 fan&ification they are intended. Up- 
 on the former of thefe it enj'oyns the 
 difpenfing, or beft owing of what 
 they have lb Confecrated,as that too in 
 fuch a manner, and with fuch fblem- 
 
 luties, 
 
ii 2 A farther Explication of the 
 
 nities, as the Inftitutor thereof hath 
 prefcribcL It enjoyns upon them far- 
 ther, for their own fouls health , to 
 difpenfe them with a Citable intenti- 
 on, and devotion of foul ; As with- 
 out which what they do cannot other- 
 wife be profitable to themfelves. But 
 it doth not fo injoyn that intention, 
 and devotion, that what they difpenfe, 
 fhall, for the want thereof, be in like 
 manner unprofitable to others : Be- 
 caufe, as we already fuppofe the e- 
 lements to have put on the relation 
 of a Sacrament, and fo far therefore 
 to be in a capacity to profit thofe, to 
 whom they are difpens'd ; fo it is 
 Chrift, and not the Minifter, who 
 muft difpenfe the Graces of the Sa- 
 crament, and the effe£t of that Sa- 
 crament therefore depend, not upon 
 the Minifter's intention, and purpofe, 
 but upon the intention, andpurpofe 
 of Chrift, whofe Inftrument, and 
 Minifter he is. As will appear yet 
 more clearly, when I come to confi- 
 der the Promifes of the Inftitution , 
 . the fecond thing, whereof I affirmed it 
 to confift. Only, as that Command 
 of it, which I am now entreating of, 
 
 doth 
 
Kature of a &mtimttit 1 1 $ 
 
 doth as well relpefl: thole, for whole 
 lan&ification the Sacraments were in- 
 tended, as thole who are the Confecra- 
 ters, and Difpenfers of them ; fb I 
 muft therefore admonifh firft of all, 
 that as that part of the Inftitution of 
 Chrift enjoyns upon his Minifters the 
 dilpenlation of the Sacraments, lb it 
 muft confequently enjoyn the receipt, 
 or ufe of them by ah that are capa- 
 ble thereof, as without which the for* 
 mer injunction would be vain. I fay, 
 fecondly , that as it enjoyns upon all> 
 that are capable thereof, the receipt, or 
 ufe of the Sacraments \ fb it enjoyns 
 their receipt, or ufe of them under the 
 relation of Sacraments, and particular- 
 ly (becaufe that is the principal relati- 
 on of a Sacrament ) as a means ap- 
 pointed by Chrift for the convey- 
 ing of the Divine Graces. Which 
 is lb true as to thofe Sacraments, which 
 are the only clear, and undoubted 
 ones, and by which, if there be any 
 fuch, the other are tobejudg 7 d, that 
 men are exprefly call'd upon to be 
 Bapizd (k) for the remijjion of fins, and ^ A&2.3& 
 as exprefly admonifh'd by our Saviour 
 to take the elements of the Eucha* & M ™' 26, 
 rift (/), as that Body which was given LuL 22' i> 
 
 I for 
 
f 1 4 A farther fxplicatwn of the 
 
 for them, and ate 1 that Blood, which tv* s 
 /bed for them, and others, for the fame 
 remiflion of fins. From whence as it 
 Will follow , that thofe Sacraments 
 arz of neceffary ufe, as which both the 
 one., and the other in]unt~tion oblige us 
 to .believe ; fb they are alfb/0 necef- 
 fary by vertue of the former , that 
 they cannot be neglected without fin , 
 and by the latter, if not the former, 
 that men cannot hofe for the graces of 
 them) where thofe Sacraments are in 
 like manner neglecled. For befide 
 that every neglect of a Command is, 
 as fuch, a fin againft the impofer of 
 it, and muft confequently not only 
 defpoil us of his favour, but expofe 
 us alfb to his Wrath, and Vengeance ; 
 "Befide that that negleft muft. be yet 
 more finful, and dangerous, which is 
 a negleft of fuch a Command, as is 
 enjoynd for the Subjefts profit ; He, 
 who commands this, or that particu- 
 lar for fuch, or fuch an end , muft 
 tliereby be prefum'd to declare, that 
 he will not give it in any other way, 
 than that, which is prefcribed by him : 
 Becaufe otherwife a gap would be 
 open to the Violation of his Autho- 
 rity , which every wife Lawgiver 
 
 muft 
 
Kature of a ^Utmmtl 3 1 % 
 
 muft be fuppos'd to provide againft. 
 Neither will it avail to fay, that there 
 are other means , befide Sacraments , 
 for the attaining of the Divine Graces, 
 ^and fiich as God hath promis'd to re- 
 ward with the bellowing of them ; 
 Of which nature are our attendance to 
 the wordy and Prayer. For as it doth 
 not appear, that thefe are any where 
 reprefented as fufficent of themfelves 
 for that purpofe, and therefore the? 
 Divine Graces not to be expected/ 
 by them alone ; fb they can however 
 be no farther reprelented as fuch, than 
 as made ufe of by men out of a due 
 regard to his Authority, and wifdom, 
 by whom they are impofed on them: 
 Which cannot be fuppos'd to be there, 
 where • any one prefcribed mean is neg-?* 
 lected, becaufe the fame Authority , 
 and Wifdom will lead to the obfer- 
 vation of it. As little will it avail 
 to fay, that the Divine Graces have 
 been fbmetime beftow'd without them, 
 and the Sacraments therefore not to 
 be accounted as neceffary to the attain- 
 ing of them. For as die queftion is not 
 now,Whether Sacraments are fo necef- 
 fary, that the graces thereof can, in no 
 ■cafe, be hop'd for without them, but 
 1 2 whe- 
 
 t 
 
1 1 6 A farther Explication of the 
 
 whether they can be hoped for, where 
 the Sacraments are negleded ; fb that 
 they are fo far neceffary will need no 
 other proof, than the enjoyning of Bap- 
 tifm to thofe, who may feem, if any, to 
 have attaind the graces thereof with- 
 out it. For lb we find St. Peter to 
 (w) &a. ic have done as to Cornelius (m), and 
 48# his company ; Yea though Cornelius 
 
 had before his Preaching, receiv'd a 
 Divine approbation of his Prayers , 
 and Alms , and, after that, that gift 
 of the Holy Gbojl, for the procuring 
 whereof we find Baptifm to have 
 (Y) A &2. 38. been efpecially (n) ordain d. For 
 well may we look upon that Sacra- 
 ment as fb far neceffary to obtain the 
 Divine Graces, the ufe whereof was 
 commanded even to thofe men, who 
 had in a great meafiire before 
 attaind them. The only thing, 
 that feems to me to admit of any 
 doubt, is whether Sacraments be fo 
 far neceffary, that the Divine Graces 
 cannot be had without them , or at 
 leait cannot with any affurance be ex- 
 pe&ed by us. But as the fingle ex- 
 ample of the Thief upon the Crofs 
 ( to fay nothing now of that of Cor* 
 pelms ) may fuflice to perfwade, that 
 
 no 
 
Nature of a ^tUtmtlti i ! 7 
 
 no Sacrament is fb neceffary, but tliat 
 the Graces thereof may be had with- 
 out it : As the benignity of the Di- 
 vine nature , and thole Graces God 
 hath ibmetime given even to unbap- 
 tized perfbns, may ferve in like man- 
 ner to perfwade men, that if that y 
 or any other Sacrament be wanting 
 without their fault, it fhall be other- 
 wife fupplied to them ; So I cannot 
 forbear to fay, that fiich perfbns have 
 not the fame AlTurance with that , 
 which Baptized perfbns have. Partly, 
 becaufe they have no promife to bottom 
 their alfurance on, and partly, becaufe 
 God, who may annex what conditi- 
 ons he pleafeth to his own favours , 
 hath made thofe Sacraments, where- 
 of we fpeak, the Handing means of 
 obtaining them. I will conclude what 
 I have to fay concerning that part of 
 the Inftitution , which enjoyns the re- 
 ceipt, or ufe of the Sacraments, when 
 I have admonifhed in the third place, 
 that it requires our coming to it with 
 certain -previous qualifications in order 
 to our receiving the benefit thereof. 
 Which is fb notorious as to Baptifm , 
 and the Lord's Supper, and will here- 
 after be fo largely infilled on, that I 
 I j fhall 
 
rr 
 
 1 1 & A fa rther Explication of the 
 
 fhall content my felf with the bare 
 mention of it. All that I at prefent aim 
 at, is to give a general account of what 
 it enjoyns, and which having now in 
 fbmc meafiire done, I fhall proceed to 
 confider of what it promifeth y which is 
 thefecondthing whereof 1 affirmed the 
 Inftitution of a Sacrament to confift. 
 
 For the clearing whereof we are firft 
 to know, that though thofe Promifes, 
 whereof we fpeak, are not always lb 
 exprefs, as its Commands muftbe ac- 
 knowledged to have been \ Yet will 
 it not be difficult for lis to evince the 
 being of fuch Promifes,. nor, after 
 that/ to ffrew what things it makes a 
 promife of. For fiippofing, as we now 
 may ( becaufe I have heretofore evin- 
 ced it) that the Inftitution of Chrift 
 enjoyns the Adminiftration, and ufe of 
 the Sacraments for the bringing about 
 thofe gracious purpofes, which they 
 have no qatural aptnefs to produce, and 
 we muft alio fiippofe it to make a 
 promife of ChrifFs making them effe- 
 ctual fot ; thofe purpofe, for which 
 they were fb enjoyned by him. Be- 
 caufe otherwife thofe Commands of 
 his would give hope of fuch things, 
 as were not likely to accrue by the 
 
 obfer- 
 
Nature of a &m&mttlb $*3 
 
 observation of them, and fb ( which 
 is not to be fiippos'd of the Com- 
 mands of Chrift J prove deluibry ones. 
 Only as he , who inftituted thofe Sa- 
 craments for our benefit, cannot well 
 be thought to omit any thing, which 
 may encourage our expectation of it ; 
 fb we find both him, and his Apo- 
 ftles fbmetime to make exprefs pro- 
 mifes of thofe things, which the Sa- 
 craments were intended to convey. 
 For thus after our Saviour had com- 
 manded the Adminiftration of the Sa- 
 crament of Baptilm to all , whom 
 they could difpofe to the reception of 
 it, the more to encourage them to in- 
 tend the doing of it, he makes a pro- 
 mife of being (p) with them in it, w Matt# 2 g #3 
 and confequently that their miniftry, i$>, 20. 
 at leaft, fhould not fail of its intend- 
 ed effeft in the Confecration, and Ad- 
 miniftration of it. In like manner, 
 after St. Peter had call'd upon thofe 
 to be Baptized, whom God had ftir- 
 red up by his precedent Preaching , 
 to enquire after the means of Salva-? 
 tion ' 7 He doth not only infinuate their 
 obtaining remiflion of fins by it, by cal- 
 ling upon them k to be Baptiz'd in or-. 
 I 4 der 
 
)il6 A farther Explication of the 
 
 dertoit, but affure them alio in exprels 
 00 Aft. 2.38. terms (/>), which he could not have 
 done without a promife from Chrift, 
 thajt, if they were fb Baptiz'd , they 
 fhould receive the gift of the Holy Ghofi. 
 It appearing from the Premifes , 
 that the Inftitution of Chrift is not 
 without its promifes, and Rich too , 
 as are fometime delivered in exprefs 
 terms ; Enquire we in the next place 
 what thofe promifes are, or rather 
 what things they make a promife of. 
 Which, in the general , will be found 
 to be, Chrift's making what is done 
 |>oth by Minifter, and People, in o- 
 fcdience to his Commands, to be a- 
 vailableto thofe ends, for which they 
 were enjoyn'd. For neither other- 
 wife could he have faid, that he would 
 be with the former in thofe Afts of 
 theirs, and much lefs could St. Peter 
 have affur'dtothe latter the receiving 
 of thofe Graces, which Baptifm was 
 intended to convey. But from thence 
 it will follow more particularly, that 
 the Inftitution of Chrift makes a pro- 
 mife to the Minifter, that he will con- 
 vert that into a Sacrament, which is 
 by him fet apart to be fb, and where 
 
 the 
 
Nature of a £>&Ctttttl(tlt* *it 
 
 the party , that is to receive it , is 
 duly qualified for it , accompany his 
 Difpenfation of it with the Difpen— f- 
 fation of the Divine Graces ; To fuch 
 of the People again , as receive the 
 Sacrament as they ought ; , that 
 they fhall receive together with it , 
 thofe Graces which it was intended 
 'to convey : Thofe being the ends, for 
 which the former A£fc> were enjoyn'd, 
 and the Promife of Ohrift therefore 
 ftppoied toaffure, that, if thofe A&s 
 be perform'd, they iliall become a- 
 vailable for them. It will follow laft- 
 ly, that, as there is a promife of the 
 things before remembred, anfwerably 
 to the fever al A£ts, which the Com- 
 manding part of the Irrftitution en* 
 joyns ; fo that Promife being the Pro- 
 mife of him, who hath power enough 
 to accomplifh it, and is of too n mch 
 fidelity, and truth not to fulfill, what 
 he may, it is as little to be doub ted f 
 but what he hath fb promised he will 
 not fail to accomplifn , as ofte n as 
 what heenjoyns is perform'd. W hich 
 laft particular I have the rather re- 
 marked, becaufe as the Comman 4s of 
 the Inftitution cannot make way 
 
 ir 
 
$&t J farther Explication of the 
 
 for rile bleflings of a Sacrament, till 
 they come to be fulfilfd by thole, on 
 t whom they are impos'd ; fbnaeither 
 can the promifes thereof help us to 
 them, till they come to be executed , 
 and appli'd by him, whole thole Pro- 
 miles are : A Promile, ( becaufe im- 
 porting only a will to conferr a favour,) 
 requiring the reducing of that will 
 to A'£t, in order to the availablenels 
 thereof 
 
 An account being thus given of 
 that Institution of Chrift, which I 
 have laid to be the foundation of the 
 relation of a Sacrament, it will not 
 be difficult to Ihew firft, how that , 
 and each fart thereof contribute to the 
 founding of it. For as that Inftitu- 
 tion of Chrift may be confider'd un- 
 der a double notion, to wit either as 
 fimply fuch, or as executed, and appli'd; 
 fb the Inftitution of Chrift, in the 
 former notion of it, is the more re- 
 mote foundation of it; in the latter* 
 the more near, and immediate. For 
 it being by vertue of Chrift's Com- 
 mand, as fuch, that the elements come 
 to be let apart by men for the pur- 
 pole of a Sacrament, and by vertue 
 
 of 
 
Nature of a ^CWttMlt Tij 
 
 of his own Promife, that he himfelf 
 gives them the relation of one ; That 
 Inftitution , which is made up of 
 them, muft, as fiich, be thought a 
 remote foundation of it , becaufe the 
 foundation of thofe Acts, which 
 are. done by men, and Chrift toward 
 the producing of it. Again, it being 
 more immediately by what is done by 
 men, that the elements come to be 16 
 let apart , and by what is done, on 
 the other fide by Chrift, that they 
 come to have the relation of a Sacra- 
 ment, the more near, and immediate 
 foundation of it muft be the lame In- 
 ftitution not* confident as fiich, but as 
 executed, and applfd by thofe, to 
 whom it appertains. From whence 
 as it will follow, that the Inftitution 
 of Chrift, and the feveral parts there- 
 of contribute to the founding of this re- 
 lation by that obedience, which is paid 
 to its commands, and by that comple- 
 tion, which is given to its promifes , 
 becaufe it is by thofe means that they 
 are executed, andappli'd; lb nothing 
 more therefore can be requir cl toward 
 the clearing of it , than to Ihew at 
 bnce what thofe Commands and Pro- 
 mifes 
 
124 $ fa^tr Explication of the 
 
 miles import, becaufe that will let us 
 know what obedience is due to the 
 one, and what completion, or fulfil- 
 ling to the other. 
 
 Of the Commands of the Inftitution I 
 have already fufficiently entreated, and 
 ffaall therefore need only briefly to reca- 
 pitulate what I have faid concerning 
 them. Which, fbfar, as concerns our rj^ 
 prefent purpofe, may be done by fay- \ 
 mg, that they enjoyn in the general? 
 the Minifters letting apart the ele- 
 ments in order to their becoming a 
 Sacrament, more particularly by im- 
 ploring the blefling of God, and thrift 
 upon them, or (as the Church hath 
 Us'd to exprefs it J the fanffification 
 of them. Which Commands, as they 
 tend rather to prepare the elements to 
 be a Sacrament, than to produce that 
 relation in them ( for he, who begs 
 of another the doing of this, or that 
 particular , fhews the doing of that 
 thing not to belong unto himfelf ) fb 
 will make the Minifters compliance 
 with> and execution of them to contri- 
 bute no farther to the founding of that 
 relation, than as that is, by the Infti- 
 tution of Chrift , to make way for 
 
 fome 
 
Nature of a &&Ct&tttCttt* Hf 
 
 fbme other A£t, or A&s, whereby 
 that relation is to be produc'cL 
 
 From the Commands of the Infti- 
 tution therefore, and that obedience 
 which is due to them, pais we to the 
 Promifes thereof, and or which alfb I 
 have before given no contemptible ac- 
 count. For which caufe I fhall only 
 obferve here , that there is , among 
 thole Promifes, a Promile from Chrift 
 to the Minifter, that he will be with 
 him in his miniftration, and therefore 
 alfb make what he doth, available for 
 thole ends, for which it was enjoyn'd ; 
 That he will conlequently ( becaule 
 that is the end of his miniftration in 
 the Confecration of a Sacrament,) make 
 thole elements to be a Sacrament, which 
 were by the Minifter let apart to be 
 fo; But by what way, and means, as 
 I have not as yet taken upon me to 
 fhew, ib I know not whether I ought 
 to be over pofitive in defining. I fhall 
 only reprelent as a thing, which leems 
 moft probable to me, That as God 
 fanclijies our ordinary repaft by his 
 own word (q)> even by that word of ^ t rim. 4. 
 command, by which he made the crea- 5- 
 tures to be (r) at firft, and by which (>) Gen. 1. 3 . 
 
 he &'• 
 
il6 J farther Explication of the 
 
 {/)Htfr.i.3. he doth as yet uphold (/) them, To 
 when the elements of a Sacrament are 
 before prepare! by Prayer, and fuch 
 other means as Chrift himfelf hath 
 prefGrib'd, the fame God, or rather 
 Chrijt, by his appointment, paffeth his 
 word of power upon them, and there- 
 by commands them 1 , not to become 
 actually the conveyers of his* Grace 
 f for that requires another word of 
 power, or rather his accompanying the 
 Difpenfation of them with the Difpen- 
 fation of his Grace ) but to be in a 
 readinefs to be fb« By which means 
 ( as was before faid>) they are fitted 
 for that gracious purpofe, and accor- 
 dingly, if they prove not effe&ual for 
 it, it is not, becaufe they were not 
 before ordained and fitted for it, but 
 becaufe the perfons , to whom thofe 
 Sacramental elements are difpens'd , 
 being not duly prepare! for fuch a 
 favour, He, who commanded the Sa- 
 cramental elements to be in a readinefs 
 for it, <loth not make ufeof them for 
 it, nor accompany the Difpenfation of 
 them with the Difpenfation of his 
 Grace. This I take to be that Jet, 
 whereby the Inftitutor of theChrifti* 
 
 an 
 
Nature of a &mMittlt i ^7 
 
 a n Sacraments produceth in the ele- 
 ments -thereof that Sacramental rela- 
 tion, whereof we fpeak ; But as what? * 
 ever the Aft be, by which that rela- 
 tion is produced, moft certain it is that 
 it cannot be any Aft of man, fb it is 
 evident from thence, and from the 
 promifes of the Inftitution, that it . 
 muft be fbme Jft of Chrifi in purfiir 
 ance of them, and which whilft he 
 doth fb fulfill, he gives birth to that 
 Sacramental relation, which the Aft, 
 or Afts of the Minifter did only make 
 way for, as that too by the fole force 
 of Chrift 's Commands. 
 
 The elements being thus inverted 
 •with the relation of a Sacrament, and 
 lb fitted, in particular, to convey the 
 Divine Graces ; It remains that the 
 Minifter difpenfe them to Gods Peo- 
 ple in that way and manner, which 
 he hath prefcribM , and that they ac- 
 cordingly receive them with . thofe 
 qualifications, which are by the fame 
 Chrift required of them. As without 
 the, former whereof there can be no 
 hope of the Minifters approving him- 
 felf unto Chrift , nor can the people, 
 without bothy expeft to reap that benefit 
 
 by 
 
* 2 8 J farther Explication of the " 
 
 by them, which they were fb fitted to 
 -convey. For the validity, and effica- 
 cy of Sacraments depending upon the 
 good will of him, that inftituted them, 
 arid not upon any vertue of their own, 
 or the power of him that confecrates 
 them, neither can men expeQ: any be- 
 nefit thereby, where there is not a due 
 compliance with his Laws, by whom 
 they were fb inftituted, and ordain'd. 
 But as if thofe Laws be compli'd with, 
 there can be no doubt of a happy it 
 file, confidering the Promifes of Chrift 
 to the due Adminiftration, and Re- 
 ception of them ; fbthat is enough to 
 fhew the efficacy thereof, where they 
 are fb admiiliftred, and receiv'd : 
 There being no doubt of the efficacy 
 of thofe things, which have the Pro- 
 mifes of Chrift to aflure them, becaufe 
 no doubt at all of his fulfilling thofe 
 Promifes, and fb giving efficacy to the 
 other. And I fhall only add, that as 
 what is done by the Minifter toward 
 the producing of a Sacramental relati- 
 on, doth rather make way for it, than 
 a&ually produce it; (this being the 
 proper work of the Inftitutor of a Sa- 
 crament in purfuance of his own Pro- 
 mifes;) 
 
Nature of a %>mbMX\k lip 
 
 miles : ) So the like is to be laid, as 
 to the efficacy of the elements, after 
 that relation is produced in them. 
 For though thofe elements become 
 not effeftual for the ends, for which 
 they were appointed, unlefs they be 
 both difpenfed, and received as they 
 ought ; yet doth that difpenfation , 
 and reception rather make way for, 
 than give them their refpe£tive effi- 
 cacy ; It being God (t) , or rather GOTk $ §. 
 Chrift, by his appointment ( and not 
 either the Minifter, or our felves ) 
 which faveth us by the wajhing of re- 
 generation, and the renewing of the Ho- 
 ly Ghqft 9 and the lame Chrift (//) , («j Eph; % 
 who fancfifeth , and cleanfeth his 26t 
 Church, by the waging of water through 
 the word. Which will confequently 
 oblige us to look upon God , and 
 Chrift as the Authors of the efficacy 
 of Sacraments, as well as of the Sa- 
 craments themlelves, and according- 
 ly depend upon them for it, and re- 
 turn them thanks, when we have ob- 
 tained it. 
 
 K Part 
 
•J"' 
 
 PART IV. 
 
 Of the fewijh Sacraments $ 
 
 arid the Number of theChri- 
 ftian. 
 
 The Contents. 
 
 The Doctrine of the Sacraments drawn 
 down to particulars, and enquiry fir ft 
 made concerning the Jewilh Sacra- 
 ments , and then concerning the 
 Chriftian ones. As to the former 
 whereof is {hewn firft, that there were 
 indeed fiich Sacraments among them^ 
 and evidence made thereof <> from 
 their enjoying the fame {aving Gra- 
 ces, which our Sacraments fret end 
 to convey, from their being fur ni- 
 /bed alike with external fymbols to 
 convey them, and thofe fymbols'. 
 K 2 of 
 
fli Of the Jemjb &mMimt&. 
 
 of God, and Chrifis inflitution 
 Secondly, that thofe Sacraments of 
 theirs were either the extraordinary 
 ones they had in their parage from 
 iEgypt to Canaan, as their Bap- 
 tifin in the Cloud , and in the 
 Sea, and the Eucharift of Manna, 
 and the water of the Rock, or the 
 ordinary ones 0/Circumcifion, and 
 the Pafiover ; Thirdly, That, though 
 they were of the fame general na-. 
 ture with the Chriftian , yet they 
 differ d from them , both as to the 
 manner of their reprefenting the 
 Divine Graces, which was not fo 
 clear, and as to the mezfure of con- 
 veyance of them , which was not fo 
 full, as in the Chriftian Sacraments. 
 Thofe Chriftian Sacraments, in the 
 next place, brought under confidera- 
 tion, and evidence made of Baptifiri, 
 and the hordes Supper being the on- 
 ly true, and proper ones, or of ge- 
 neral necefiityft? Salvation, 
 
 ~^H E Nature of a Sacrament 
 being thus explained, and a 
 refolution given of fuch quejlions, as 
 belong to it, or depend more immedi- 
 ately 
 
oftbejewijh sacraments. jF$| 
 
 ately on it ; It will be but time for 
 us to defcend to Particular ones, whe- 
 ther they be fuch , as preceded Chri- 
 JUanity^ and have the name of Jew* 
 ifb, or fiich as were enjoyn'd by it, 
 and may therefore more properly be 
 termed Chrijlian. This only \fould 
 be premis a concerning the former 
 Sacraments, that as we make them to 
 have their birth before Chriftianity, 
 lb we muft therefore fiippofe them 
 not to have had the Author of it 
 for their immediate Infiitutor , or, at 
 leaf!:, not as God-Man, which is the 
 notion , wherein Chriftianity consi- 
 ders him : He, to whom w r e give 
 the title of Chrift, becoming not God- 
 Man, till long after the Institution 
 of thofe Sacraments , and when in- 
 deed they were to be abolifhed. 
 Which will confequently oblige us to 
 confider thofe Sacraments^ ( if there 
 were any fuch ) rather as to thofe 
 purpofes, for which we have affirm'd 
 all Sacraments to have been ordain'd, 
 than as to the immediate ordainer 
 of them ; Or, if alfb as to the imme- 
 diate ordainer of them, yet not in 
 the fame capacity, wherein Chriftn 
 K 3 
 
1 \ 4 of the jewijh sacraments. 
 
 anity confiders him, but only as ap- 
 pointed by God to be lb, when the 
 f ime of his Manifeftation fhould appear. 
 Now there are three things to be 
 enquir'd into , as concerning thofe 
 Sacraments, which are to be the fiib- 
 jeft of our prefent confideration ; 
 Firft , Whether there were any fuch 
 among the Jews, Secondly, What thofe 
 Sacraments were, Thirdly, Wherein 
 they differed from ours. 
 
 I. That there were fuch things , 
 as Sacraments among the Jews, will 
 appear if thefe three things be confi- 
 dent ; Firft , ,that the fame Graces , 
 which Sacraments profefs to convey, 
 prevailed among them , as well as us, 
 Secondly, That they had external 
 figns , or fymbols to convey thofe 
 Graces to them , Thirdly, that thofe 
 external figns, or fymbols were infli- 
 tuted by God, and Chrift. 
 
 Of the firft of thefe I have given 
 * Expi. of an account elfewhere * , and fhall 
 the words' 1 " t " iere f° re re ferr m y Reader thither, 
 HDtic &d]&. f° r & s farther fatisfaftion. All I fhall 
 obferve from thence is, that they par- 
 took of Chrift, as well as we, and muft 
 therefore be fuppos'd to have partaken 
 
 of 
 
Of the Jewijh &&tmM\\t$- 1 3 $ 
 
 of his Graces , which are the Graces all 
 Sacraments were intended to convey. 
 
 But neither will there be left evi- 
 dence concerning their being furnifh'd 
 with certain external figns, to con- 
 vey from God to them the foremen- 
 tiond graces. For St. Paul f, where t * Cor. io. 
 he affirms the Jews to have partaken ** &c ' 
 of Chrifi, and his Graces, affirming 
 in like manner that they did it, &s by 
 a Baftifm on the one hand , fb by 
 eating, and drinking on the other, muft 
 confequently be fuppofed to affirm , 
 that they did it by the means of fitch 
 fymbols , as our Sacraments are, and 
 therefore alio, that they were notun- 
 furnifhed with them. Otherwife 
 there could have been no place for 
 giving the former means the name 
 of Bapifm, and much lefi for expre£ 
 fing "the latter by the terms of eat- 
 ing, and drinking, or that drinking 
 again- by drinking of that Rock, which 
 followed them. For as the foregoing 
 mention of Bapifm, which was one 
 of the Chriftian Sacraments , could 
 not but incline the Corinthians to in- 
 terpret what followed concerning the 
 Jews eating, and drinking, of a Sa* 
 K 4 cramental 
 
I 3 6 Of the Jewifh &&CtMnettt8. 
 
 cramental one, efpecially, when it is 
 alfb affirm'd that they partook of 
 Chfift by it ; fb much more, when they 
 few the Apoftle expreffing that drink- 
 ing by drinking of that Rock, that foU 
 lowed them j or rather oitheWater, that 
 flowed from it. For that being ma- 
 nifeftly an allufion to the Water, that 
 flowed out of that Rock which was 
 
 f Numb. 20. fbmetime fmitten f by Mofes, and 
 by the drinking whereof the Jews 
 were a long time fuftained ; Neither 
 could the Corinthians look upon that 
 Rock, to which he alluded, as other 
 than a figure of Chrift ; Nor therefore 
 f confidering their own Sacraments, as 
 . fuch, which did alfb convey what they 
 were figures of) as other, than fuch 
 a figure of Chrift , as conveyed to 
 the believing Jews Chrift s graces, and 
 benefits, which are the ffiritud waters, 
 that flow from him. Two things on- 
 ly there are, that may feem to pre- 
 judice this notion, and which there- 
 fore it may not be amifs to confi- 
 der ; Firjl, That the former Baptifin 
 
 OOiCor.io. is affirmed by St. Paul himfelf (a) 
 to have been a Rapt if m into Mofes , 
 and not into Chrift, and his Graces ; 
 
 Secondly, 
 
Of thejewi/h jbmNMtit. * "37 
 
 Secondly , That what is affirm'd to 
 have been to the Jews fpiritual meat, 
 and drink , was alio their conftant 
 temporal one, and which therefore if 
 we affirm to have been a Sacrament 
 of Chrifts graces, and benefits, muft 
 have made that Sacrament to have 
 been as ordinary , as their Meals : 
 Which how the Jews fhould be al- 
 ways in a difpofition for, is not eafie 
 to imagine, and therefore as difficult 
 to believe the Inftkution of. As 
 touching the former of thefe, even 
 that Baptifn/s being ftil'd a Baptifm 
 into Mofes , it would not be eafie to 
 give an account , were it not that the 
 Verfes, which follow, perfwade the 
 defign of the Apoftle to have been 
 to fhew the Jews to have enjoyed the 
 fame Chriftian Graces with our 
 felves : Becaufe the Baptizing into 
 Mofes (eems moft naturally to denote 
 the baptizing into his Religion, as 
 that may feem to have been diftin- 
 guiftid from j and opposd to that of 
 Chriji \ For fb We know the Oecc- 
 nomy of Mofes is generally taken by 
 the Scriptures (f)*nd ought there- 0)Joh,i.i 7< 
 fore, if there wereliothing to hinder 
 
1 3 8 of the jewijb £>a«aments. 
 
 it, to be alike interpreted here. But 
 as the fame is not to be (aid, where 
 the defign of the Apoftle is to fhew, 
 that the Jews partook with us of 
 the fame Graces, and Benefits ; So 
 nothing therefore can hinder our af- 
 fixing a like fenfe to the former Bap- 
 tifm, if we can give a tolerable ac- 
 count of its being laid to be a Bap- 
 t if m into Mofes. Which may be done 
 by reprefenting it as a Baptifm into 
 that Oeconomy of our Redemption, 
 which prevailed under Mofes, and of 
 which he was the Minifter of God 
 unto the people, as well as of the 
 Law. For thus the Baptifm, which 
 (c) Matt. 21. John adminiftred, is reprefented as (e) 
 his Baptifm, even when it is intima- 
 ted by our Saviour to have been a 
 Baptifm from Heaven , and fb more 
 the Baptifm of that, than of the Ga- 
 ther. If therefore there lie any juft 
 exception againft the being of thefe 
 Jewifh Sacraments, it mult be upon 
 the account of their fuppofed Eucha- 
 rijfs being alfb their conftant temporal 
 food, and which it is not eafie to ima- 
 gin they fhould be always in a difpo- 
 iicion for, or therefore believe it was 
 
 ever 
 
 85 
 
of the jewifh sacrament $. * 3 9 
 
 ever intended by God as fiich. But 
 as it appears from the Atts of the 
 Apoftles (d), that our Eucharift was (<0 Aft. 2.45. 
 almoft of the fame ordinary ufage at 
 the firft, which may take off in fome 
 meafiire from the force of that Ob- 
 jection ; So nothing hinders us from 
 believing, that that Meat, and Drink 
 of the Jews being defign'd for a tem- 
 poral, as well as a Spiritual refrefh- 
 ment , it might be fometime, yea , 
 for the moft part, appointed only for 
 the former ( to wit, when the fatif- 
 fying of their bodily neceffities call'd- 
 for their regard) but at other times, 
 though lefs frequently , appointed , 
 and ufed for the latter, and accor- 
 dingly accompanied with fuch Pray- 
 ers, and Praifes, as were proper for 
 that confideration of it, and receiv'd 
 with alike religious preparations, and 
 difpofitions. For even the elements 
 of our Eucharift, though appointed 
 by Chrift as the Sacrament of his 
 Body, and Blood, yet are not always 
 us'd as fuch ; But only, when they 
 are by God's Priefts fet apart for that 
 purpofe, and his fpiritual Benediction, 
 and Grace invoked on them. 
 
 I will 
 
i 40 of the jewip? £>actamentg. 
 
 I will conclude what I have to fay 
 concerning the being of the for- 
 mer Sackments, when I have added 
 thereto their being ordained by God, 
 and Qhnft, for the gracious purpoles 
 before remernbred. Of the former 
 whereof as we cannot reafbnably 
 doubt, becaufe nothing lefs than a 
 Divine InfKtution could make them 
 the conveyers of Chrift's Graces ; lb as 
 little of the latter, if weconfider what 
 theCreed,' in h at h b een elfewhere (e) laid concern- 
 the words, ing CbrifP s governing even then, and 
 ®itr2Lo#. t j le Apoftles exhorting the Corinthi- 
 (/) 1 Cor. ans, immediately after (/), not to 
 10 ' 9 ' tempt Chrifi, as the Ifraelites did, and 
 
 xvzrtdejiroyd by Serpents for it. For 
 as it is not to be imagined , how the 
 Ifraelites could tempt Chrifi, unlefs 
 they had been even then under his 
 conduct ', So if Chrifi had the con- 
 du£t of them, there is as little doubt 
 of his being the Inftitutor of their 
 Sacraments, becaule that was a confi- 
 derable part of it. 
 
 II. There being therefore no doubt 
 of the Being of Sacraments among the 
 Jews, which was the firft thing we 
 propofed to confider ; Enquire we in 
 
 the 
 
Of the Jewljb jMofflmatt& 1 4 * 
 
 the next place, what thofe their Sa- 
 craments were, and which we fhall 
 find to be either Extraordinary , 
 or Ordinary. Extraordinary thofe 
 which were juft before recited, even 
 their being baptized in the Cloud, 
 and in the Sea, and their partaking of 
 Manna j and of the Water of the 
 Rock ; Manna being no doubt the 
 fpiritual meat St. Paul fpeaks of , 
 both becaufe their only repaffc, and the 
 bread (g), that came down from He a- (OEx'od. i& 
 *ven y As the water of the Rock their 4 ' 
 fpiritual Drink, and fb yet more plain- 
 ly declared by him. And I have the ra- 
 ther given to them the name of Extra- 
 ordinary Sacraments , becaufe as they 
 had them only , during their paffage 
 through the Wildernefs ; lb they had 
 them too , when their ordinary Sacra- 
 ments ceafed,which is the proper fealbn 
 for extraordinary ones. As will ap- 
 pear if we can (hew (what I fhall by 
 and by endeavour ) that Circiwicifion, 
 and the Pafsover were their ordinary 
 ones ; It being certain from the Book 
 of Jojhua (h), that, from the time of the q^ j ft f $t I 
 Ifraelites going out oS.JZgypt, till their 
 coming to Gtlgal, none of the Ifrae- 
 lites 
 
k*t of thjewijh &mmmt8< 
 
 lites were circumcifed, and as certain 
 
 (i) jo. too from the feme place (i), that 
 
 they had not till then any Pafsover ; 
 That , as it is the firft time wherein 
 the obfervation of it is mention'd af- 
 ter their coming out of Mgyp , fb 
 being the firft time alio , wherein 
 they were in a capacity to oblerve 
 it, becaufe not till then furnifhed> 
 or at leaft not ordinarily , with 
 that earthly Bread, wherewith their 
 Pafsover was required to be ob- 
 ferv'd. 
 
 From thofe their Extraordinary Sa- 
 craments therefore pals we to their 
 Ordinary ones, and which as I have 
 already intimated to be Circumcifon * 
 and thQ Pafsover j lb I muft now ma- 
 nifeft to be fo, but it muft be by other 
 Arguments, than are commonly al- 
 ledged for it. For as for what isal- 
 ledged from St. Pads reprefenting 
 CO Rom. 4. the Circumcifion of Abraham (k) as a 
 ll ' Seal of that right eoufnefs , which* he 
 
 had being yet uncircumcifed, it feems 
 to me to make nothing at all for it ; 
 (/) Supm Becaufe (as was before (I) fhewn ) 
 Part 11. rather intended to denote God's ap- 
 probation of his particular Righteout 
 
 nefs, 
 
nefs, than any declaration of the na- 
 ture of the thing it felf. But as there- 
 fore I cannot fee, what can be argu- 
 ed from thence toward proving Cir- 
 cumcifion to have been a Sacrament ; 
 So I fhall chufe rather to evince it 
 from the Inftitution of it, as where, 
 if any w 7 here , the defign thereof is 
 moft clearly fet down. Now the firfl: 
 thing obfervable from thence is, that 
 Circumcifion was a Sign, as our Sa- 
 craments are, and fo far therefore 
 of the nature of them. For this (faith 
 God ) /ball feafign, or token (m) of (*) Gen. 17. 
 the Covenant between me and yon ) IO * 
 
 That is to -fay, as was before \n) ex- (*) 7 . 
 
 prefs'd, between God on. the one hand, 
 and Abraham*, and his Seed on the 0- 
 ther. It is alike obfervable, fecond- 
 ly, that as Circumcifion was a fign , ' 
 yea a fign of that Covenant, which 
 God then propos'd between himfelf, 
 and the forementionM perfbns ; So it 
 was fiich a fign too, as was alio of 
 the Elfence of it, and till the paffing 
 whereof it was not to be look'd upon as 
 ftruck. Which I gather not only from 
 its being ftiPd a Covenant (0), as 0; Gen. 17. 
 well as a fign of it, yea more often i°« 
 
 a 
 
'i 44 Of the lewijl, $>mm,VM%. 
 
 a Covenant , than the other, but from 
 Gods affirming it to be that Cove- 
 
 O) ibid. nant? which ought to be kept f/) be- 
 tween him , and them, and accor- 
 dingly reprefenting the negle&ers of 
 
 * — 14. it ? as thole which had broken % hu 
 Covenant. From whence as it will 
 follow , that it had a more intimate 
 relation to the Covenant, than that 
 of a bare fign, or token ; So it muft 
 be either that, which was to ilrike 
 the Covenant between them, and fo 
 make it a&ually fuch as to thole per- 
 lons that received it, or one of thole 
 things, which were to be obferv'd 
 after the Covenant was ftruck be- 
 tween them , and for which it was 
 enter'd into. But as it appears from 
 thofe words of God, which ulher 
 in the mention of this Covenant , 
 that the thing fo agreed upon was 
 a matter of much more weight, even 
 their walking before God , and being 
 -perfect ; So we are therefore in rea- 
 lon to relblve Circumcifion to be that, 
 which was to ftrike the Covenant 
 between God, and them, and make 
 it a&ually fuch, as to thofe perfons 
 that received it. From whence as it 
 
 will 
 
Of the Jewijh *ttH)ttimtft H5 
 
 will follow farther , becaufe ftriking 
 the Covenant between God, and them, 
 that it enfur'd to thofe, that receiv'd 
 it, the future Bleffings of it, and fo 
 might not unreafbnably be reprefent- 
 ed as a Seal or a Pledge of them ; So 
 that it put them into adual poffeffion 
 of fuch Bleffings, as were prefently 
 to be beftow'd , if there were really 
 any fuch , and accordingly was no lefs 
 a means of conveying them. Which 
 will confequently leave nothing more 
 to enquire, than whether that Co- 
 venant affur'd the fame Bleffings with 
 the Chriftian , and whether any of 
 thofe Bleffings were to be immediate- 
 ly beftow'd by vertue of it. For if 
 that Covenant affur'd the lame JBlef 
 fings with the Chriftian , then had the 
 fign thereof relation to the fame in- 
 ward Graces with ours , and fo far 
 forth therefore agreed with them; 
 And if any of thofe Bleffings were to 
 be immediately beftow'd , it was alfb 
 a conveyer of them , and fb yet more 
 perfe£tly the fame. Now that that 
 Covenant, of which Circumcifion was 
 a fign , aifur'd the fame Bleffings with 
 the Chriftian feems to me to be fuffi- ' 
 L « ciently 
 
i 1 46 0/ 1 he jewijh sacraments?. 
 
 ciently evident from it's being affirm- 
 [q) — 7 . e d (#) to import, that God would be 
 a God to Abraham , and to his Seed 
 after him. For that implying at leaft, 
 that he would be as gracious to him, 
 as he was before, and confequently 
 (becaufe God dealt with him fb be- 
 fore ) that he would count his faith to 
 him for Right eoufnefs , it muft alio be 
 thought to import his alluring the 
 fame Bleffings with the Chriftian Co- 
 venant, becaufe that is the fiimm, and 
 fubftance of them all. All therefore, 
 that we have farther to fhew, is, That 
 fbme at leaft of thofe Bleffings were, 
 by vertue of the Covenant it felf , to 
 be immediately beftow'd on thole, 
 who entred into it , which will be no 
 hard matter to evince. For thus much 
 at leaft it muft be thought to import, 
 that if the party to be Circumcifed 
 received his Circumcifion with that 
 Faith , which God required of him, 
 that Faith of his fhould from that ve- 
 ry inftant be accounted to him for 
 R ighteoufhefs : Becaufe , the Cove- 
 nant being lb far performed on his part, 
 there muft enfue a like completion on 
 the part of God, as which otherwiie 
 
 he 
 
Of the Jeunjh frmMltXlt *47 
 
 he could not have been faid to be 
 pun&ual to , nor approved liimfelf a 
 God to the party in Covenant with 
 him. And tho' we cannot make the 
 like Inference upon the part of Chil- 
 dren , becaufe there was nothing of 
 Faith in them to procure them fuch 
 an Imputation ; Yet in as much as 
 they were admitted into the fame Co- 
 venant with their believing Parents, 
 and, as they could bring nothing more 
 toward the procuring the Bleffings of 
 it , than their external Circumcifion, 
 fo they had nothing more required of 
 them , It is but reaionable to believe, 
 that they received the fame Benefits 
 by it, and had their Circumcifion im- 
 puted to them for it. Such Evidence 
 there is for Circumcifion's being a Sa- 
 crament, yea of the fame general na- 
 ture with the Chriftian ones ; And I 
 no way doubt we ought to think the 
 fame of the Feait of the Pajfover i if 
 not.alfb of many of their other Sacri- 
 fices : Not, it may be , for am* parti- 
 cular evidence there is from the In- 
 ftitution of it , or them, but from the 
 relation they bore to Chrift's Sacrifice 
 upon the Cro'is, and the care it appears 
 L 2 ' God 
 
1 4 » °f tk Jwjh &mmmt$. 
 
 God took to convey the Benefits of 
 Chrift's Sacrifice by thofe extraordi- 
 nary Sacraments, which he gave them 
 in the Wildernefs. For the Sacrifices 
 before mentioned being equally figns 
 of that of Chrift , yea intended by 
 (psceExpi. God to remit men (+) to him; It is 
 ?n the word,' ^ ut rea fonable to believe, that God 
 3>ea&, made the fame ufe of them , and con- 
 veyed Chrifl:, and his Benefits by them. 
 Otherwife their condition in the 
 Land of Canaan would have been 
 worfe, than in the Wildernefs, becaufe 
 as loon as they entred that , their ex- 
 traordinary Sacraments ceafed. 
 
 III. Only as it is not to be thought, 
 that thofe Sacraments, tho' the fame 
 in fubftance with ours , did yet agree 
 with them in all other particulars, 
 becaufe belonging to a Difpenfation, 
 wliich was manifeftly inferiour to the 
 Chriftian ; So there are two things, 
 wherein they differed from ours , and 
 by which they will appear to have 
 fallen flhortof them : Firlt, That they 
 did not fo clearly reprefent the things 
 they were intended to fignifie, Se- 
 condly, That they did not convey, 
 what they fo figniiied, in fb ample a 
 •> • manner, 
 
of the jewijh <§>acramentg. ^ 
 
 manner. For befide that thofe figni- 
 fications of theirs were rather hinted, 
 than plainly exprefled , and much lefs 
 fb plainly exprefs'd , as the defigns of 
 the Chriftian Sacraments ; Thole fig- 
 nifications were not a little obfciir'd 
 •by the concomitancy of others , and 
 which they were equally obliged to 
 intend. For thus Circumcifion , be- 
 caufe a fign of that Covenant , by 
 which God did equally oblige him* 
 felf to pofTefs Abraham , and his na- 
 tural Seed of the Land o£ Canaan, was 
 a fign of God's giving them that pro- 
 mifed Land, as well as the righte- 
 oufhefs of Faith , and that Heavenly 
 Canaan , which belonged to it. And 
 thus too the Paflbver was a fign of 
 that People's ^Egyptian Servitude, and 
 Cods delivering them from it, as 
 well as Chrift's delivering them from 
 the flavery of Sin , and Satan, by the 
 fhedding of his Blood. By which 
 means it is eafie to fee , that thefe lat- 
 ter , and more noble fignifications of 
 them muft have been yet more obfcu- 
 red to them, and fb adminifter lefs 
 Spiritual Confblation to them. This 
 I take %o be one fignal difference be- 
 L 3 tween 
 
•150 Of the Number of 
 
 tween the Jewifh Sacraments , and 
 ours, and wherein therefore they muft 
 be thought to fall far fhort of what 
 we now enjoy. But that it is not the 
 only material difference between them, 
 will appear if we confider the prefe- 
 rence the Scripture gives to that Difc 
 penfation, under which we are, a- 
 bovethat of Mofes, or Abraham \ Apd 
 that exuberance of Grace, which was 
 poured out upon the embracers of 
 the Chriftian Difpenfation , and of 
 which we find no footfteps under the 
 other. For that is enough to fhew, that 
 though the Jewifh Sacraments con- 
 vey ? d the lame Spiritual Benefits; yet 
 they did not do it in that proportion, 
 wherein the Chriftian did , and fb fell 
 yet Ihorterof^hem. Which will not 
 only oblige us to let lb much the great- 
 er value upon our own Sacraments, but 
 be the more curious in enquiring, 
 what ought to be look'd upon as fitch, 
 which is that I am in the next place 
 to intend. 
 
 For the resolution w T hereof we are 
 to know ( what we seed go no far- 
 ccm°ft^'' ^her than our own Homilies (x) for 
 aiirr.im." the understanding ) that the word Sa- 
 crament 
 
the Chrijlian ^tHUmttit^ 'i 5 1 
 
 crament may be taken either in a more 
 lax and general , or in a more ftritt 
 and p articular acceptation. If we take 
 it: in the former of thefe, fb the num- 
 ber of the Chriftian Sacraments will be 
 found to be much greater \ than even 
 the Romanifts themfelves have made 
 it : Becaufe ( as our Homily obferves ) 
 in a general deception the name of a 
 Sacrament may , and hath been attri- 
 buted to any thing , whereby an holy 
 thing is fignifid. Whence it is ( as 
 the lame Homily goes on) that An- 
 cient Writers have given that Name, 
 not only to thofe Five , which have 
 been added by the Papifts , but alfo to 
 divers , and fundry Ceremonies , as to 
 Oyl, washing of Feet ., and fuch like. 
 But as the Queftion between us , and 
 the Papifts, even in their own (f) way (f)cmc* Trid. 
 Qf ftating it, is not what may in a $'& 7- can - *• 
 more lax , and general fenfe be look cl 
 upon a$ Sacraments, but what are 
 flriftly , and properly fuch , fo that 
 Queftion cannot better be voided, than 
 by examining thofe things, which pre- 
 tend to that dignity by the account 
 we have before given of the Nature of 
 ^ Sacrament. 
 
 L 4 Of 
 
I j 2 Of the Number of 
 
 Of Bafti/m , and the Lorfs Suf- 
 fer I fhall fay nothing at prefent, 
 . partly becaufe there is no Controver- 
 fie at all concerning their being truly, 
 and properly Sacraments,and partly be- 
 caufe we have no otheif certain means 
 of judging of the Nature of Sacra- 
 ments , but by that , which is" obfer- 
 vable concerning them. Our bufinefs 
 rnuft therefore be to examin the other 
 Five by them , and by what we have 
 before ebferv'd , concerning the Na- 
 ture of a Sacrament, from them. 
 
 To begin with Confirmation , be- 
 caufe the fifft Religious Rite after 
 ' Baptifm , and becaufe of all the Five 
 beft deferving the name of a Sa- 
 crament, A Rite, which as our 
 Church receives, and enjoyns, fo the 
 more fbber fort of Proteftapts allow 
 to have been an Inftitution of the 
 Apoftles , and fiich as is of fignal ufe 
 to thofe y who were baptized in their 
 Infancy , by that examination, which 
 is to precede it ? and thofe' fblemn 
 Prayers , that do attend it. But as 
 the thing it fell" doth not appear to 
 me to have been inftituted by "Chrift, 
 which ," even by the Doctrine of 
 
 the 
 
the Chriftian &&ttmtnt2- i J 3 
 
 the Trent Council (?) is made a CO M& 
 Chara&er of a Sacrament, fb there is 
 yet lefs appearance of its having any- 
 outward fign, to which the bleffings 
 thereof may be fuppofed to have been 
 annex'd, which is of the very Eflence 
 of a Sacrament : That, which was at 
 firft adminiftred by a bare Impofition 
 of hands, and afterwards by the additi- 
 on of the Chrifm, coming at length 
 to be perform' d by the fole ceremo- 
 ny of Unftion, as the praftice of the 
 Greek , and Latine Church declares. 
 Of which variation what account can 
 be given, but that the Church it felf 
 did at firft look upon the Rites of 
 Confirmation as arbitrary, and con- 
 fequently not of the feme nature 
 with the figns of Baptifm , and the 
 Lord's Supper. For whatever ad- . ^ 
 
 ditions, or tariations came afterwards 
 to be made in thefe, the Water of 
 the one , and the Bread, and Wine 
 in the other were ever preferved in 
 them. 
 
 The next fuppofed Sacrament is 
 that of Penance, or rather (becaufe 
 the form thereof is by them- 
 . felves Qi) made to confift in Ego ab- ($coDc.tt\d. 
 
 folvo Sdf' r 4* c « '3' 
 
1 54 Of the Numher of 
 
 fofoo te^ &c ) the Sacrament of Ab- 
 
 fblution. An Inftitution, which we 
 
 willingly acknowledge to be an In- 
 
 mtion of Chrift, and which our 
 
 (w)Hom. of Church moreover confeffeth (w) to 
 
 wd$xx y% - ~^ c P rom ^ °f ^e forgivenefs 
 
 fins. - But differs from a Sacra- 
 ment in this , that it hath not that 
 promife annexed, and tyed to the ufu- 
 al vifible .fign thereof, even Impofi- 
 tion of hands. For for the ufeof any 
 1l ifible fign in it we find no 
 Command, and much lefs any decla- 
 ration from Chrift , that it fhould 
 not be available, unlefs it were con- 
 veyed by it, or made to depend upon 
 the ufage of it. 
 
 But it may be much more may be 
 laid for that, which they call the Sa- 
 crament of Extreme Vnffion, becaufe 
 (y)Se{£ 14. affirmed by the Council of Trent (jc) 
 cm * 1, to have been inftituted by our ''Lord, 
 
 and publifhed to the World by 
 St. James. And I noway doubt, that 
 when our Saviour lent forth his Difc 
 00 Mark £. ciples by two, and two (7), he gave 
 7' &c ' them power to anoint fick perfons, as 
 
 well as to caft out unclean Spirits , 
 and, it may be too, commanded them, 
 
 fcr 
 
the chrijiwi ^actaments. i 5i 
 
 for that time, to make ufe of that parti- 
 cular ceremony toward the healing 
 of them. I as little doubt, for the men- 
 tion that is made of it in St. James (z), CO James 5 . 
 that the fame ceremony of Unftion I4 ' 
 was continued in the Church , and 
 perhaps prefcrib'd by other Apoftles, 
 #s well as by him, to the Gover- 
 nors of the Church. But it doth 
 not appear to me to have been in- 
 tended by Chrift for perpetual ,ufe , 
 and much lefs for thofe purpofes , 
 for which it is alledged. For if k 
 were intended by Chrift for perpe- 
 tual yfe, hov/ came the fame Chrift 
 to promife to thofe that believe, that 
 if they only laid hands * on the fick *Markitf. 
 they fhould recover ? How came he l8, 
 to give his Apoftles power to cure 
 difeafes by the ufe of that only cere- 
 mony , as in .the cafe of Publius ']; by t Ad. 28.8. 
 taking infirm people by the hand *, * 3- *• 
 
 yea by their bare .(*) word ? This be- 00 — 9- 34« 
 ing xq give encouragement to the 
 negfeft of his own Commands, if the 
 ceremony of Unftion were to be 
 look'd upon as fuch. Though grant- 
 ing that Ceremony to have been in- 
 tended for perpetual ufe, what ap- 
 pearance 
 
*5 
 
 (fc)Mark5. 
 
 (c) Confulc. 
 |e Artie Rel. 
 &c. ubide 
 Unftione in- 
 firm, aeit. 
 
 Of the Number of 
 
 pearance is there of its having been 
 intended for the purpofes of a Sacra- 
 ment, yea to procure, in an efpecial 
 mariner, the forgivenefs of fins f For 
 all that St. Mark fays concerning the 
 Apoftles anointing with Oyl is , that 
 they thereby healed (f) thofe they 
 did fb anoint ; Yea it is, if not the 
 only, yet the principal thing St. James 
 affures to thofe, whom he enjoynM 
 the ufe of it. As it appears by his 
 ufhering it in as an application to be 
 made to fiek peribns, his promifing 
 that that Prayer, which went along 
 with it , fhould fave the fick , and 
 procure God's raifing of them , in 
 fine by his exhorting men to confefs 
 their faults one to another, that they 
 might : be healed. For thefe things 
 fhew plainly, that if the healing of 
 fick perions was not the only thing 
 intended, yet it was at leaft the prin- 
 cipal one. But lb the Church it felf 
 appears to have underftood this cere^ 
 mony , as is evident , among other 
 things, from that Prayer, which did 
 accompany it : That, as Cajfander (J) 
 informs us, being, I anoint thee with 
 the holy Oyl in the name of the Father >, 
 
 §on, 
 
the Chrijlian $mmtnt$. %ff 
 
 SGHy and Holy Ghojl, imploring the 
 mercy of that one Lord, and our God, 
 that all the griefs and incommodities of 
 thy body being driven away 7 there may 
 be recovered in thee vert tie [or flrength] 
 and health, that fo being cured by the 
 operation of this myflerie, and this Vn* 
 Bion of the Sacred Oyl, and our prayer, 
 . through the vertue of the Sacred Tri- 
 nity y thou mayejl deferve to receive 
 this antient , yea more robufi health 
 through our Lord. Which though it 
 do not fb dire£tly oppofe the tvx^*tov 
 of the Greeks, becaufe defignM againft 
 Corporal (d), as well as Spiritual evils, (d)SeRicaut 
 yet doth perfe&ly overthrow the Ex- S|"ok ° f 
 treme V nit ion of the Papifts, as which church c 12. 
 is fb far from defigning the recovery 
 of the fickperlbn, that it is not allow'd 
 to be.adminiftred to any, who feem not 
 perfectly defperate. One only pat 
 fage there is in St. James , which 
 may feem to give this Ceremony of 
 anointing a higher, and a far better 
 defign ; even his affirming, that that 
 prayer , which did accompany it , 
 fhould procure for the fick perfbn al- 
 fb, that if he had committed fins (€), (0 James 5. 
 they fhould be forgiven him. But be- l5# 
 
 fide 
 
158 Of the Number of 
 
 fide that St. James doth not attribute 
 that forgivenefs to the ceremony of 
 Un£Hon, but to the prayer that at- 
 tended, or followed it ; The defign of 
 the Elders vifitation of the Sick be- 
 ing no doubt to procure as well their 
 Spiritual , as Corporal health , it is 
 not unreafbnable to think, that that 
 very Prayer, which they made over 
 them, did not only aim at God's 
 accompanying the former ceremo- 
 ny with the bleffing, for which 
 it was intended , but extend far- 
 ther to the imploring for them all 
 thofe fpiritual bleflings, which they 
 wanted, and particularly perfefl: re- 
 miffion, and forgivenefs. Which if 
 it did, as is but reafbnable to believe, 
 that Oyl cannot be thought to have 
 had any intereft in it, and much lefs 
 to have been efpecially intended as 
 the Sacrament thereof. And indeed, 
 as there are no footfteps in that An- 
 tiquity, which is truly primitive, of 
 any fuch Un£tion of fick perfbns in 
 order to their fpiritual welfare ■; As 
 there is mention moreover in it of 
 another kind of treatment, and parti- 
 cularly of the Elders • of the Church 
 
 giving 
 
the Chrijlian g>&tta\\\mt& * 59 
 
 giving untothofe, that were under ^^ ud 
 penance the Sacrament of Chrift's Bo- EufcL e!*i. 
 dy, and Blood, as their laft, and Hifth.6.c. 
 neceflary Viaticum ; So I fee not £ onc/Nic. 
 what neceffity there is of any fiich can. 13. 
 Sacrament as Extreme Vnclion to con- 
 fer upon fick perfbns the remiffion of 
 fins , or other fiich like graces , as 
 they may ftand in need of ; There 
 being place, even in them, for the 
 Abiblution of the Church, and the 
 Sacrament of Chrift's Body and Blood. 
 In fine, lb far is that Vnciion, of 
 which St. James (peaks, from being 
 any ftanding Sacrament of our Reli- 
 gion, that it may feem to have been 
 only an Appendage of that extraordi- 
 nary gift of healing (^), which was feJ lCor - 
 fbmetime depofited in the Church , 12 ' 9 ' 
 and which therefore was to ceafe , 
 when that, and other fiich like ope- 
 rations vanished. As appears in part 
 from its being joyned in St. Mark (h) W Mark*, 
 with the cafting out of Devils, but more 3 * 
 from our Saviours ranking the laying 
 on of hands upon the fick ( which 
 was but another way of adminiftring 
 it ) with (/) the fame cafting out ^ Mark l$% 
 of Devils, ffeaking new tongues, and 17? *8. 
 
 the 
 
i6o Of the Number of 
 
 the taking up of Serpents. For ifthefe 
 be to be look'd upon as extraordina- 
 ry gifts, there is equal reafonto be- 
 lieve , the anointing, or laying on of 
 hands upon the fick to have been of 
 the lame order. Sure 1 am TertuU 
 (£) Tert.ad li an (k) doth not only rank the gift 
 Scapuiam f healing, even in his time, with 
 cap ' 4 * the cafting out of Devils y but makes 
 
 mention of one 'Proculm a Chriftian 
 adminiftring this fuppofed Sacrament 
 to Severus the Emperor, yea curing 
 him by the Oyl of it. 
 
 From Extreme Vnffion therefore 
 pafs we to that, which they call the 
 Sacrament of Orders, and which is 
 not only affirm'd by the Trent Coun- 
 (/)Seiri 5 . cil to be a true (/), and proper Sa- 
 S'/t crament, but as certainly to confer (m) 
 
 grace, as the moil undoubted Sa- 
 craments do. It is not my purpofe, 
 nor was it ever the purpofe of the 
 Church of England to detract in the 
 leaft from the force of that, which 
 they entitle the Sacrament of Orders. 
 But that it hath not the nature of a 
 true, and proper Sacrament, will ap- 
 pear in the firft place from its dbt ha- 
 ving by the Inftitution of Chrift any 
 
 external 
 
the CbriflUn &mm\ttlt8 4 1 6 1 
 
 external fign , to which the grace 
 thereof imay befiippofed to be annex- 
 ed. For if it had, it muft have been 
 ifhe external fign , or ceremony of 
 breathing 0/zthe perfbns to be ordained ; 
 This being the only one, which our 
 Saviour (;;) made ufe of, when he WJok 20, 
 conferred the power of Order upon 22# 
 his Apoftles. But fb far were the 
 Apoftles, or the fucceeding Church 
 from making ufe of that, that we 
 find them, on the contrary, to have 
 "made ufe of Impofition of Hands, 
 yea to have entitled the grace of Or- 
 ders (0) in a more efpecial manner W itim.4, 
 to it. Whether it were, that they 2 4 Tim. 1. ft 
 took their pattern therein from the 
 known ufage of the Jews, and which 
 we jind our Saviour himfelf to have 
 followed in other inftances, or ( which 
 I rather think ) that they were di- 
 rected to it by that fpirit of God, which. 
 guided them in all their affions, and 
 to whofe guidance, and inftruQrion 
 our Saviour had left them after his 
 being taken from them. Sure I am 
 there are no footfteps of that exter- 
 nal fign in the firfi: Inftitution of it 
 fas there was, in .the Inftitution of 
 
f i6i OftkKumher of 
 
 Baptifm , and the Lord's Stopper, of 
 their proper ones) nor any appearance 
 from Scripture of any after command 
 of Chrift concerning it. But becaufe 
 the external fign of Ordination, though 
 none of our Saviours Inftitution, yet 
 is confefled by our felves to have had 
 a legitimate one ; Therefore enquire 
 we in the fecond place, whether, af- 
 ter the manner of other Sacraments, it 
 be a means of Grace, or (as the Ro» 
 mani(t s love to Ipeak) have the pow- 
 e r of conferring it. A thing, which 
 leems to them fufficiently evident , 
 00 Joh. 20. not only from that form of words (/>), 
 »2. wherewith by the prefcript of Chrift 
 
 it hath been always attended , even 
 receive ye the Holy Ghofij but from 
 St. PauPs willing Timothy in one 
 (q) i Tim. 4. place (q) not to neglect that gifi , or 
 J 4« grace, which was given with it, and 
 
 CO 2 Tim. 1. in another (rj to ftir up that gift y or 
 * 9 Grace of God , which was in him hy 
 
 the laying on of his hands. And thus 
 much I willingly yield to the force 
 of tli£ foremention'd Texts, that the 
 Holy Ghojl ever was, and ftill is con- 
 ferred upon thofe men, who are right- 
 ly ordain'd by the Governours of the 
 
 Church 
 
the chriftian £>acramettf& i6\ 
 
 Church. But. in what meafure, and 
 to what purpofes is the thing in que- 
 {Hon between us, and particularly 
 whether it is conferred, as to its/^/z- 
 ftifying, and favsng Graces, which I 
 have fhewn elfewhere (/) to be the (0 Supra* 
 proper graces of a Sacrametit. Now Part * 
 what is there in any, or all the fore- 
 tnentionM Texts , to evince that , 
 which they, call the Sacf ament of Or- 
 ders to confer fiich graces upon the 
 perlbn Ordain'd ? If we enquire, as 
 to the firft of them (t ), even that CO J°k M 
 Text which makes Orders to exhibit 22t * 
 the Holy Ghojt, the utmoft that can 
 be inferred from thence is fuch aft 
 exhibition of it, as may be requifite 
 for the party ordain'd to remit, <k re- 
 tain fins , as for which (#), and which („) g$ 
 
 alone it is profefTed to be beftow'd. 
 But fb fure the perfbn ordainM may 
 be qualified to do, without the fanfti- 
 fying graces of God's Spirit, even in 
 the opinion of the Trident ine Fathers 
 themfelves : It being their opinion (wj 9 0*0 Se & 1* 
 as well as ours (jc;, that the perfbnal f^^lof 
 qualifications of the Minifter do nel- m. z<$'. 
 ther add to, nor detraft from the 
 force of the Sacraments they difpenfe. 
 M 2 But 
 
1 64 Of the Number of 
 
 JBut as therefore no fuch fancfcifying 
 graces can be fuppos'd to be defign'd, 
 though we make the Text to import 
 fuch an exhibition of the Holy Ghoft, 
 as is requifite for the remitting, or re- 
 taining of fins ; Co much lefs, if nothing 
 more were meant by Receive ye the Ho- 
 ly Ghqftythm receive ye Authority from 
 him fo to do. Which that there was 
 not is at leaft probable from his re- 
 O) Aft. 1.4. ferring them to another time ( y) for 
 #*• the other powers of the Holy Ghoft , 
 
 yea bidding them not to exped them, 
 C$J6kLi6.7. /3j a ft er h^ s afcerifion (z,) Into Hea- 
 ven. For that fuppoleth them to 
 have been as yet without thole pow- 
 ers of the Holy Ghoft, and confe- 
 quehtly that Chrift meant no more 
 by Receive ye the Holy ^hoft, than 
 receive ye of his Authority , to whom 
 the power of the Church is commit- 
 ted under me, as yefhall in due time 
 of fuch abilities, and gifts, as may 
 fit you for the exercife thereof. And 
 if that were the lenle, yea only'fenfc 
 of thole words of Chrift, which con- 
 tain both the Exemplar, and Inftitu- 
 tion of Ordination, I know not why 
 we fhould fuppofe that, wliich they 
 
 call 
 
the Cbrlfiian &U%mtXit$. i 6f 
 
 call the Sacrament of Orders, to have 
 a farther defi^n in it felf , than to 
 communicate a Ghoftly "Authority to 
 thofe, on whom it is beftbw'd. But 
 let us fuppofe, that fbmething more 
 was meant by thefe words , than 
 Receive ye a Ghoftly Authority ', or, 
 at leaft, that it was the intention of 
 our Saviour (becaufe of what we 
 read * concerning Timothy) thac lome- * * Tim - 4« 
 thing more fliould be afterwards in- 2 4 Tini. 1. 1( $< 
 tended by them , when no Apofto- 
 Heal Pentecojl was to enfue, even the 
 communicating of gifts and graces , 
 as well as a Ghoftly Authority. Yet 
 even lb it will not follow, that an 
 exhibition of Sanffifying r and Saving 
 Graces was intended, or that even 
 Timothy receiv'd any fuch graces by it. 
 For who knows not that there are 
 Gratia gratis data, as well as Grrtum 
 facientesfjfza. that the word f x^t**, is t Rom. 13. 6. 
 as often^ if not more often the title of lCor - !•* 
 the former ? Who knows not,that thofe —-4" 
 Gratia gratis data are more proper for — 2g * 
 the Minifterial pun&ion, than the 3 °' 
 
 other can be fuppos'd to be, yea that 
 they may atoiil for thofe Ipiritual pur- 
 poles, for which' th^t Fun£tion was 
 M J intended? 
 
1 6& Of the Number of 
 
 intended ? In fine, who knows not,that 
 God hath appointed other Sacraments 
 for the conveying of his fan&ifying 
 Graces , and by the participation of 
 V^hich therefore they might be more 
 reasonably expefted ? For thefe things 
 being fuppos a, there will not only be 
 no neceffity of underftanding St, Paul 
 of the fan&ifying Graces of God's 
 Spirit, but not fo much as any pro- 
 bable reafbn for it. Though gran- 
 ting thirdly, that there were alio 
 fome fanciifying Graces attending it ; 
 Yet as we cannot for the reafons be- 
 fore flientiond underftand any other 
 ian&ifying Gr^ces 3 than what may ferve 
 more immediately for the difcharge 
 of the Minifterial Function, fiich as 
 i$ zholy Zgal for the welfare ofthpfe 
 Souls, which are committed to thole 
 that are of it , fb we can much lefs 
 fas our Homily * inftnjfts us) ex- 
 pert remijfion of fins by it, which is 
 the undoubted fruit of Baptifm, and 
 the Lord's Supper. From all which 
 put together it is evident, that if judg- 
 ment be to be made of Sacraments 
 by Baptifm, and the Lord's Supper^ 
 Orders will hardly pals for one or 
 
 them ; 
 
the Cbrijiian &m*mnt£. %6% 
 
 them ; As which varies fb much from 
 them both in the External Sign, 
 and in the Graces, which are fignified 
 by it. 
 
 One only Inftitution remains of ^ v 
 
 thofe, which have the name of Sa- 
 craments, and which if they, who fb 
 entitled it, would underftand only in 
 a general fenfe, they would not find 
 our Church diffenting from them, be- 
 caufe affirming (a) God to have con- (V) The form 
 fecrated the State ^Matrimony into of Solemn, of 
 fuch an excellent myjlery y that in it u Matrim » 
 fignifedy and represented the Spiritual 
 Marriage j and Unity 7 that is betwixt 
 Chrift and his Church. But to make it a 
 true, and f roper Sacrament of the E- 
 vangelical Law , as the Council of 
 Trent (£) doth, is extremely unrea- WSefi*^; 
 fbnable, and neither hinted by St. Paul cuuu 
 in that place (c), from whence they (V) Eph.$. 
 pretend to infer it, nor, any farther 2 5- 6* 
 than a fimple reprefentation reacheth, 
 agreeable with thofe things, which 
 have the name of Sacraments either 
 with us, or among themfelves. For 
 neither was that, which th^y call a 
 Sacrament of the Evangelical Law, 
 inftitutedbyChrift, but by God, nay 
 M 4 ' St. 
 
i6% OftkKumherof 
 
 St. Paul in the pkcc before quoted 
 founds all the SacramentaHty thereof 
 
 22, 24°' 2 ted by Mofes(e) y as declaring the Iden- 
 tity of Man, and Wife, and the ne- 
 ceffity that arifeth thereupon of their 
 adhering to one another , even to 
 the abandoning of all other relations 
 for it. It hath no certain external 
 iign, as otlier Sacraments have , to 
 confer that grace, which is fuppofed 
 to belong to it ; It loath no other, 
 promife of Grace belonging to it , 
 than may be fuppofed to belong to 
 any ftate of life, which a Man iliall 
 let himfelf to, with a due refpeQ: to 
 the Commands of God, and ufewith 
 that care, and fobriety, that becomes 
 him. It hath much kfs any promife 
 of the fordvenels of fins, and an Uni- 
 verfal Holinefs 9 as Baptifm, and the 
 Lord's Supper undoubtedly have. 
 And if it hath not, nothing can ob- 
 lige us to look upon it as a true , 
 and proper Sacrament , or indeed 
 but in the fame degree , where- 
 with their other Sacraments are. For 
 they, though net perfectly fuch , 
 have yet fbme -more near refemblance 
 > to 
 
the Chriftian &mmt1Xt$. I 6 9 
 
 to thofe , which they pretend to 
 
 But becaufe it may be demanded, 
 how, if there be but two ftriQ:, and 
 .proper Sacraments , feveral other 
 things fliould.come to have the fame 
 name, and, honoyr, and particularly 
 how the Church .of Rome fhould at 
 length advance them to the number 
 of Seven (this feeming to be ibme 
 prejudice ag&infl: our afferting only 
 two) I aniwer firft by reaibn of their 
 general cognation with them , and 
 which we know, in other things, to 
 procure the lame name to tilings, 
 that are of a very different nature. 
 Whence it is, that ( as was before ob- 
 ferv'd out of one of our own ( f) ,r<\ Hom of 
 Homilies ) not only thole five, which Com. Pray, 
 we but now mention d, haveobtain'd andSacram « 
 the name of Sacraments, but what- 
 foever, in a manner, hath been made 
 ufe of to fignifie a holy thing. Which 
 is fb true, that TertMian in one 
 place (g) gives the name of Sacra- C^ 1 ^ Ani- 
 ment to Dreams ', 2sAVifions, and in acap ' 9 ' 
 others (h) to F 'arables, and Allegories. ^\l^ ]c ' 
 For if even Dreams, and "Parables Martion. IL5. 
 come to have the name of Sacraments c -4- 
 
 by 
 
\yo Of the Numher of 
 
 by reafbn of their reprefenting things 
 or a higher nature ; How much 
 more flich Religious Inftitutions, as 
 were tranfa&ed by the fame vifi- 
 ble fblemnities as Baptifm , and the 
 Lord's Supper, as to be fore the In- 
 ftitutions before remembred were? 
 For though, it may be, they had not 
 the ceremonies now in ufe, or at 
 leaft had not that number of them, 
 wherewith they are now encumber'd, 
 yet wanted they not fbme, or other, 
 which was of the fame fymbolical 
 nature, and particularly Impofition of 
 hands. For that, as we learn from 
 the Scripture , they made ufe of in 
 (OA&8.17. Confrmation (i), in the gift of heal- 
 
 A)— .28. 3. ing (k), Orders .(1), and Abfolntion(m) \ 
 CO 1 Tim. 4. ^ nc j £1^ t00> as we i earn f r0m 
 
 5.22. Grotius (n) y they made ufe of toward 
 
 ."jAnnotin t hofe , who entered into Marriage, 
 fanlVdArtl and ftill do in the Eaftern parts. 
 9' But befide that general, and external 
 
 cognation, which is between Sacra- 
 ments, and facramentals ( for fb I fhail 
 for the future entitle thofe things , 
 which are not ftrift, and proper ones) 
 there is alfb, as to fbme of the latter, 
 a more particular, and intimate cog- 
 
 nation, 
 
the omfim ^ctaments. 17? 
 
 nation , but efpecially as to thole , 
 which are before remembred, and 
 are by the Papifts ad vane d into true, 
 and proper Sacraments. For letting 
 afide that, which they call the Sacra- 
 ment of Marriage, and which hath , 
 even among them, rather the name, 
 than nature of one ; There is none 
 of the other four, -which tend not to 
 the conferring of fome Divine Grace, 
 Or Benefit, as well as to the fignili^ 
 cation of it. For thus Confirmation 
 tends to procure a farther addition of 
 God's fan&ifying Graces, and lb to 
 ftrengthen , and perfect the perfon , 
 that offers himfelf unto it ; And thus 
 the Oyl of Vnttion, as us'd of Old, 
 toward the procuring of the Grace 
 of health, and the removal of the fick 
 perfbns guilt fb far, as was neceffary 
 for the procuring of the other. Thus 
 Abfolution tends to the procuring of 
 the forgivenels of the Penitent, and 
 Ordination , for the perlbn ordain'd , 
 of a fpiritual, and ghoftly Authority, 
 if not alfb of fuch fpiritual gifts, as 
 are neceffary for the exercife thereof. 
 By which means as they approach yet 
 nearer to the nature of true, and pro- 
 per 
 
■ 
 
 pe* Sacraments, fo it is the lefs to be 
 wonderM at, that they ihould obtain 
 the name of Sacraments, yea have the 
 reputation of fii.ch in a more eminent 
 manner, than other Sacramentals had : 
 Efpecially if we confider thirdly, 
 that thofe five fuppofed Sacraments 
 are upon the matter the only noted 
 Afts, that are adminiftred by the 
 Church, or, at leaft, that are attended 
 with fuch Fates, and Ceremonies. 
 For fo it is yet lefs difficult to believe, 
 that they might not only come by 
 degrees to be ranked with Baptifm, 
 and the Lord s Supper, but together 
 with them to be accounted, if not 
 the only , yet at leaft the primary 
 00 Sentent. ones * Which Peter Lombard (0) 
 li.4.Diftink taking notice of, made the Number 
 «• of Christian Sacraments to be neither 
 
 more, nor lefs than feven , and the 
 Church of Rome, fwayd by him, did 
 afterward Authoritatively confirm. 
 This I take to have been the true Ori- 
 ginal of that number, to which the Sa- 
 craments are now advanc'd, and not 
 either any cogent arguments for the 
 being of fo many, or indeed any firm 
 belief , even in that Church it fdf 9 
 
 that 
 
the Chriftiari&mMitMS- &?} 
 
 that they ought all to be look'd upon as 
 true, and proper ones. And I ~$A 
 yet more confirm'd in that belief by 
 the filence there was (f) before Peter Q,)confuic. 
 Lombard of any certain, alnddetermi- caflkndriad 
 oate number, and by the Authority of Arc# ** 
 two of the greateft Fathers of the Latin 
 Church : St. Jmhrofe in his tra£t de 
 Sacrdmentts , and in another de iis 
 qui myfieriis initiantur , mentioning 
 only mptifin, and the Lord's Sup- 
 per, and St. Auguftirie not only re- 
 folding (q) the Sacraments to be nu- (?)Epift.n3, 
 mero fauciffima y and mentioning none ad J anuar - 
 butthofe, but affirming elfew here (r), (rjpeDofa. 
 that our Lord, and the Apoftolical ^ rif ** ]i - 3» 
 difcipline had ddivetedfomefew ; fuch ' 9 ' 
 ds is the Sacrament of Baptifm y and 
 the celebration of Chrifl's Body, and 
 Blood. For that is enough to fhew , 
 that though the Fathers might fbme- 
 time mention the other Inftitutions 
 under the notion of Sacraments, yet 
 they looked upon Baptifm, and the 
 Lord's Supper as the only true , and 
 proper ones, or, at leaft, were not 
 over confident of the being fb of the 
 other. If the Church of Rome hath 
 fince arriv'd at a greater confidence , 
 
 it 
 
^74 'Of tfa Number of 
 
 it will concern her, rather than us to 
 give an account of it ) But however 
 not fb far concern us, as to remove 
 us from an opinion , which feems 
 to us to be built upon fblid, and 
 fubftantial grounds. For either flie 
 hath arriv'd at that confidence by 
 the means before declared, and then 
 her Authority will be very' incompe- 
 tent \ Or fhe hath arriv'd at it by fome 
 other means, which we are not ac- 
 quainted with, and which therefore we 
 cannot be fuppos'd to be influenced by 
 till fhe {hall be pleafed to declare them. 
 I have infifted thus long upon the 
 Number of the Christian Sacraments, 
 not becaule I was obliged to it by 
 my more immediate task ( for our 
 Catethifm contents it felf to declare , 
 that there are two only as generally ne- 
 cejfary to Salvation) but becaufe our 
 Arc. of Church affirms elfewhere ( f) y that 
 
 Homiiyof d t ^ iere are ^ ut tw0 R Ti &> an ^ proper 
 com! Fr. and ones, and becaule the joyning of others 
 Sacram. w i t h t i iem j n t he fame rank ? and or- 
 der of Sacraments may help in time 
 to bring them into lefs repute ; It be- 
 ing natural for men, where there are 
 feveral means tending to the fame 
 
 end, 
 
the chrijiian &mtimmt8. I? J 
 
 end, either to adhere to fbmeofthem 
 to the utter reje&ing of the other , 
 or to ufe thole others with left pre- 
 paration, and refpeQ:. And whether 
 this be not the cafe of the Eucharift , 
 where that, which they call the Sa- 
 crament of Penance is fo much in 
 vogue, may be judg'd of by the little 
 care they take to fit themfelves for 
 the one, where they have obtain'd , 
 as they eafily may, the ablblution of 
 the other. And I fhall only add, that 
 if our Church did not diftinguifh in 
 the prefent Catechifin between pro- 
 per, and improper Sacraments, it was 
 not, as I conceive, becaufe fhe had 
 departed from her own Articles , and 
 Homilies , but becaufe , being to 
 inftruft thofe , who were na pro- 
 per Auditors of higher matters, fhe 
 contented her felf to let them know, 
 what was fufficient for their pur- 
 pofe , that there were but two , 
 that were generally necejfary to Salvati- 
 on, even Baptifin and the Supper of 
 the Lord. 
 
 Now that there are no more than 
 thefe, that are generally necejfaryto Sal- 
 vation, ( which is all, that remains 
 
 for 
 
i? 6 Of the Number of 
 
 for me to demonftrate ) will appear if 
 we reflect upon thole, which have 
 been added to them by the Papifts , 
 and ranted in the fame order with 
 them. For who can think Marriage 
 to be filch* -who believe, asthePapifts 
 do, that it is unlawful to the whole 
 Order of Priefthood, yea who know 
 that there are not a few, who live 
 not long enough to define, or need it, 
 or are otherwife fiifficiently fortified by 
 God againft any neceffity of efpou- 
 fing it ? Who can believe Orders to 
 be fuch, when there ever was, and 
 ever will be a greater number of thofe, 
 who are to be inftru&ed, than there 
 was, or ever will be of thofe, who 
 are to inftruft them ? In fine, who 
 can believe the Vnftion of the fick to 
 be fuch, when it appears by the for- 
 mer difcourfe to have had no other 
 defign , than the recovery of them 
 from their infirmities ? For well may 
 that be look'd upon, as not general- 
 ly neceffary to Salvation, which appears 
 not to have been intended to mini- 
 fter at all unto it. If therefore there 
 be any of the five of that neceffity , 
 it mull: be Confirmation , and Abjolu- 
 
 tion* 
 
the a?rijlnm &mmtM$< iff 
 
 Hon , but which how ufcful fbever 
 they may be, and are fb efteemedby 
 our felves , yet will not be found to 
 be any more than fuch. I alledge 
 as to the former of thefe the no pre- 
 cept there appears concerning it, which 
 is one of thofe things, which induce 
 a neceffity to Salvation \ And I al- 
 ledge too ( which is another ) the no 
 appearance there is of any tendency in 
 it to procure fbme bleffings, for which 
 no other means are appointed. For 
 the Eucharifi having for its end the 
 confirming and ftrengthning of our 
 Graces, which is all that Confirmati- 
 on, as now in ufe, profelTeth to in- 
 teqd ; neither can there be any necefc 
 •fity of the means to oblige us to the 
 ufe of the latter, or endanger our 
 Salvation by the omiflion of it. In 
 iine* I alledge, what is with me of 
 no fmali moment, the no mention 
 there is in Jujlin Martyr * of it, Apo], z. 
 even where he takes notice of their ^7* <a n ^ 
 bringing the New Baptized perfbn to 7*'™«7w* 
 
 N the 
 
it 8 Of the Kumher of 
 
 the Affemhly of the Faithful, and 
 to a Communion with them in their 
 Prayers, and Eucharift. For though 
 that Father doth not obfcurely inti- 
 mate , that they had a particular re- 
 gard in their .-Prayers to the welfare 
 of the new Baptized per Ion, as well 
 as to the more general welfare of 
 the other ; Yet he takes no notice at 
 all of any Impofition of hands upon 
 him , or any other ceremony, that 
 may be fuppofed to be analogous to 
 it. Which in all probability he would 
 have done, ( efpecially when he men- 
 tioned the Kifs of Peace, as well as 
 both the other Sacraments ) if either 
 the Church had then us'd the Sacra- 
 ment of Confirmation, or he look'd 
 upon it as a Sacrament of the fame 
 general neceffity with the other. Which 
 things I have laid, not in the leaf!: to 
 detra& from the ufe of Confirmation 
 ( for I think this very paflage of Juflm 
 Martyr doth fufficiently warrant the 
 more material part of it, even prayer 
 over the new Baptized perlbn ) but to 
 fhew that the Church did not then 
 look upon it as a Sacrament, or, at 
 leaft, not as fuch a one, as was 
 
 generally 
 
the Cbrijiwi £>acr&ment& * 79 
 
 generally neceffary for. Salvation , as 
 our Catechifin hath taught us to 
 fpeak. 
 
 But it may be much more may be 
 faid for Abfolution^ than Confirmation) 
 and fo no doubt there may, if we 
 confider Abfblution as comprehend- 
 ing within the compafs of it the 
 whole power of the Prieft in remitting 
 fins. For comprehending within it> in 
 that fenfe, the Adminiftration of Bap* 
 tiftn, and the Lord's Supper, becaufe 
 the mod effe&ual means the Church 
 hath for abfblving offenders from 
 their guilfe, lb far as thofe Sacraments, 
 or the Priefts Adminiftration of them 
 is neceffary to Salvation ( which np 
 doubt they generally, are ) fbfaralfb 
 his Abfblution muff be look'd upon 
 as fuch r But fb to confider Abfolu* 
 tion is to make it the fame with Bap- 
 tifin, and the Lord's Supper, and not 
 (as it is here proposed) a diftiaSfc 
 Sacrament from tl^em. If therefore 
 .we will fpeak pertinently either. to 
 our own Catechifm^ or the preftnt 
 Controveriie, \ve muft confider Ab- 
 folution as abftra&ing from thofe Sa- 
 crament^ which if we do^ we ffiall 
 
t8o Of the Number of 
 
 find it to confift either in declaring 
 the rtvrd of reconciliation to Offender s y 
 or fraying to God for their Pardon , 
 or pronouncing them abfohed from 
 their guilt y or leafing them from the 
 Cenfures of the Church. 
 
 If we confider Abfolution in the firft 
 of tfrefe fenles, to wit as importing 
 the declaration of the word of reconci- 
 liation to Offenders ; fb we fliall not 
 flick to affirm, that it is generally 
 neceffary to Salvation , but then we 
 ttmft fay withall, that it is no Sacra- 
 ment , nor efteemed by the Papifts 
 themfelves to be ib. 
 
 If we confider it in the ftcond fenfe, 
 to wit, as denoting the Prieft's fray- 
 ing for the Pardon of Offenders ( and 
 (0 Anfw. to ^ which form, as Bifhop Vjher (t) 
 thejefuks obferves , Abfolution was antiently 
 chaii^. 125. wontto be made ) fo it will be found 
 to have a refpefl: to that Communi- 
 ty, over which he prefides, or to par- 
 ticular perfons in it. In the former 
 cf thefe regards it is no doubt as ne- 
 ceflary to Salvation, as it is- for the 
 Prieft to celebrate , or the people 
 to joyn with him in the publick 
 l worfhip of God, 6f which fuch 
 
 prayers 
 
the Cbrijiian $8attmeit& 1 8 1 
 
 prayers as thofe are a neceffary part. 
 But as there is no preemption of 
 that Offices being a Sacrament, fo it 
 is not the Abfblution our Adversaries 
 intend ; That , which, they profefs 
 to advance, being the Abfblution of 
 particular perfbns , after a confeffion 
 made by them of their particular OiTen- 
 ces. And yet even here too they make 
 a diftinftion , becaufe profemng to 
 reftrain that Confeilion , and Ab~ 
 fblution to fuch fins only, as are 
 mortal. But who taught them to 
 diftinguiih in this affair between Mor<* 
 td, mdfomal? Or what is therein 
 thofe words of Chrift, which convey 
 the power of remitting fins , which 
 can be thought to reftrain-it to the 
 former? What have they to ground 
 the general neceffity of fiich a Coq- 
 feffion upon, but especially as to that 
 form of Abfblution , whereof we 
 fpeak ? For in praying for the par- 
 don of Oifenders the Prieft is not t<? 
 be confidered as a Judge, but as a 
 perfbn appointed to mediate betweea 
 God, and his People, and whom that 
 charity, which belongs to him as fuch, 
 will oblige him to look upon as pe- 
 N 5 nitentcj 
 
i8i Of the Number of 
 
 nitent , if he knows them not to be 
 otherwife, efpecially if they beg bis 
 prayers for their own particular par- 
 don. And indeed neither is this the 
 Abiblution the Fapifts contend for, 
 &) c ° nc - nay they declare (u) thole very 
 cap? 3/ H ' Prayers, which go along with their 
 own, not to be of the Effence of it. 
 Which will oblige us to pais on to 
 
 A third fort of Abfolution, even 
 ■pronouncing offending perfons to be /oof 
 ed from their offences. A thing, which 
 though of fignal ufe, and comfort to 
 men <of affii&ed minds , and which 
 no doubt fuch perfons ought to leek, 
 when they cannot otherwife latisfie 
 themielves, yet cannot be look'd up- 
 on as generally neceiTary to Salvati- 
 on; Partly^ becaule none butdelpon- 
 ding perfons can be fuppofed to ftand 
 in need of it, and pattly becaule fuch 
 an Abfolution, as that, fuppoleth 
 men to be already loofed from their 
 offences, and confequently not to 
 want any thing, but the fenle there- 
 of. W Wch though it may be an in- 
 felicity, yet is no fin in it feJf , nor 
 can prove fo to him, m whom it is, 
 unlets it do otherwife take him off 
 
 from, 
 
the Cbrifiian $>mmtte$- I 8 3 
 
 from the due performance of his du- 
 ty. Though, even in that cafe, fuch 
 an Abfblution will be neceffary, ra- 
 ther to prevent future offences, than 
 to procure the forgivenefs of former 
 ones. And I fhali only add, that I 
 conceive that form of Abfblution to 
 be fuch, which occurrs in our Flo- 
 tation of the Sick ; Partly, becaufe it 
 is ordered by our Church to be ap- 
 plied to men of troubled minds, and 
 partly becaufe it prompts the Prieft 
 to beg of God the forgivenefs of the 
 fick perfbns offences, before it allows 
 him to fay / abfolve thee from all thy 
 fins ; That fuppofing the forgivenefi 
 of God to precede in this affair, and 
 confequently that the Prieft rather 
 declares the perfbn already abfolved, 
 than abfblves him himfeff from the 
 band of his offences. 
 
 The fourth fort of Abfblution is 
 that, which loofah men from the 
 cenfires of the Churchy and which I 
 fhall not ftick to affirm to be gene- 
 rally neceffary to theloofing ofthofe* 
 who have b^en before bound ,. even 
 from the band of their olfences be- 
 fore God : Partly, becaufe God hath 
 N 4. promfe x 4 
 
184 Of the Number of 
 
 promis'd to bind that in Heaven ,. 
 which the Governours of the Church 
 fhall rightfully bind on Earth ; And 
 partly, becaufe the Cenfiires of the 
 Church confifting efpecially m re- 
 {training men from its faving Offices, 
 and particularly from the Sacrament 
 of the Eucharift , till men ate looted 
 from 'thole Cenfiires, they muft be 
 depriv'd of the ordinary means, where- 
 by God hath appointed to tranlmit 
 the pardon of offences. Rut as the 
 queftion is not, Whether Abfbluti-* 
 on may be necelTary in a particular 
 cafe, or to particular perfons, but 
 whether it be generally fb ; So we 
 cannot look upon this Abfblution 
 as generally neceflary to Salvation, 
 unlefs it were fuch to fall under thofe 
 Cenfiires, from which this Abfbluti- 
 tion frees. The refiilt of the Premi- 
 ses is this; The Church of God is 
 indeed inverted with a power of Ab- 
 solution, and fuch, as exerts it felf in 
 feverai A£ts, anfwerably to the needs of 
 thole, with whom it hath to do : But as 
 it is not in veiled with any fuch power of 
 Absolution, as doth a&ually free the 
 Offender from his euilt. the doing of 
 
 thaj 
 
the Cbriftian ^tWnttXt & * 8 5 
 
 that pertaining only unto God ; As it is 
 not therefore inverted with any other 
 power of Abfblution} than what may 
 ferve to declare the pardon of God, 
 or help toward the procuring of it ; 
 So what it doth toward either of 
 thefe (unlefs it be in Baptifm, or 
 the Lords Supper ) is either no Sa- 
 crament at all, and fb falls not un- 
 der this enquiry, or is no generally 
 neceffary one. And indeed, however 
 the Church of Rome may leem to 
 advance another Abfblution , even 
 that which a&ually loofeth the finner 
 from his guilt \ Though fhe more- 
 over reprefent that Abiblution of her's, 
 as generally neceffary to the Salvation 
 of thofe who are under any mortal 
 fin ' 7 yet is there no appearance of 
 any fiich Abfblution, nor indeed of 
 the neceffity of any, but what is be- 
 fore defcrib'd. As is evident , as to 
 the former of thefe, from that very 
 Text, on which it is founded, even 
 a promife of looking that in Heaven , 
 which (hall be loofed on Earth. For if 
 there muft be a loofing in Heaven , 
 after that on Earth, that on Earth 
 cannot be look'd upon as adually free- 
 ing 
 
i 86 Of the Number of 
 
 ing the Sinner from his guilt, but on- 
 ly as preparatory to it ; With this on- 
 ly advantage ( which might very well 
 occafion the fo entitling it ) that that 
 loofing fhall certainly be follow- 
 ed by a more effe&ual, and heaven- 
 ly one. So little reafbn is there to 
 believe , that there is any Abfblution 
 among men, but what is purely pre- 
 paratory to the Abfblution of God ; 
 And we fhall find there is as as lit- 
 tle reafbn to feek out any other modes 
 of it, than thole, which were before 
 defcrib'd : As will appear if we con- 
 fider, who they are, that are to be 
 loofed, and who as they are either 
 fuch, as are .within the Communion 
 of .the Church, or fiich as are exclu- 
 ded from it, lb, if they be of the. for- 
 mer fort, have either done nothing to 
 deferve an exclufion, or have commit- 
 ted fuch offences, as are worthy of 
 it. If the perfbns we fpeak of be 
 fuch Members of the Church , as 
 have not done any thing to deferve 
 an exclufion from it ; So there can- 
 not lye any engagement upon them 
 to confefs their fins to a Prieft, or 
 feek any other Abfolution, than, by 
 
 the 
 
the Cbriftian &mmtnt&. 1 87 
 
 the Sacrament of the Eucharift, or 
 other the like ordinary methods of the 
 Church : The Communion, in which 
 they are, and which they have not 
 done any thing to deprive themfelves 
 of, giving them a title to that Sa- 
 crament , or any other priviledge of 
 their Religion. But then if they be fuch, 
 as do really deferve to be excluded , 
 till they have given fuificient tefti- 
 monies of their repentance ; Either 
 they ought to be excluded, and af- 
 terwards loofed as Excommunicate 
 perfbns, or, if they be thought fit to 
 be continued in the Church, be look'd 
 upon as Members of it, and allowed the 
 common Abiblutions of it : It being a 
 kind of contradiction in adject o to con- 
 tinue men in the Communion of the 
 Church, and yet deny them the com- 
 mon piHviledges thereof. All there- 
 fore, that remains to be accounted 
 for, is the Absolution of thofe, who 
 have been fhut out of the Church ; 
 But concerning which as there is no 
 great difference between us, and the 
 Church of Rome,, fb we deny not but 
 that it may require a peculiar form 
 vf words , ajid fuch as may fignineto 
 
 the 
 
1 88 Of the Number of 
 
 the perfbns concern'd, and the Mem- 
 bers of the Church the aft of the 
 Officers thereof in it. But that the 
 Eflence of Abfblution confifteth in it, 
 doth not appear to us, nor can in- 
 deed be reafonably affirm'd ; Partly, 
 becaufe the very reftoring Excom- 
 municated perfbns to the Communion 
 of the Church will as effe&ually vacate 
 its former Cenfures, as any exprefs de- 
 claration can do \ And partly, becaufe 
 Excommunication confifting in a de- 
 privation from thofe methods of Sal- 
 vation, which God hath depofited in 
 the Chucch, the only effectual releafe 
 of it muft lye in a re-admiffion to 
 them, and particularly to the Sacra- 
 ment of the Eucharift. But fb thq 
 Antient Church appears to have un- 
 derftood it, as is evident both from 
 her language, and pra&ice ; She not 
 (?) s 9 e ^- only expreffingthis Abfolution* by (w) 
 
 r/sAntvvcr to , . J . r ° , A . J 
 
 thcjeiuiccs bringing men to the Lommumon^ re- 
 
 challenge. candling them to it, or refioring it to 
 
 IfjiXionyC them, but taking care above all things, 
 
 Aicx.apud that no Excommunicated perfbn ge- 
 
 m h ii*t neraI1 y {hould s° out of the World w 
 
 44. 'item* without partaking of the Eucharift. 
 cone Nic. p or w hat other account can be given 
 
 can. 13. & ^ 
 
tk Cbrijlian&mmmt& 189 
 
 of that both language, and pra&ice of 
 hers, than that fhe conceiv d the Ab- 
 folution of Excommunicated perlbns 
 to lye in a re-admiflion to the com- 
 mon methods of Salvation, and con- 
 fequently that they were rather loos'd 
 by the ufe of thole methods, than by 
 any judicial lentence ? This however 
 is certain ( which is enough for our 
 prefent purpofe J that Abfolution 
 in this fenfe cannot be look'd upon as 
 generally neceflary, becaufe the pecu- 
 liar refuge of foch, as have been fhut 
 out of the Church. And if that be 
 the cafe of Abfolution, as well as of the 
 other fuppofed Sacraments ; Baftifm 
 and the Lords Suffer will continue to 
 be the only ones , that are of that ne* 
 cejpty to Salvation. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
Booh lately Printed for Richard Ghifwell. 
 
 FOLIO. 
 
 DR. Spencer dt Ltgib'M Htbrxorim Ritnalibm & (arum Ra- 
 tionibus. 
 Sir James Turner's Pallas Armata, or Military feflaysr of the 
 
 Ancient Grecian, Romin, and Modern Art of War, 
 Dr. John Lightfoot's Works in English, in 2 Volumes, with 
 
 his Life, and with large and ufefui Tables. 
 Mr* Selden's Janus An?lorumEn%\\{hed, with Notes: To which 
 
 is addled his Epinom/s, concerning the ancient Government 
 
 and Laws of this Kingdom, never before extant. 
 "Dr. Me (trees Sermons. 
 Dr. Towerfon's Explication of the Greed, Lords Prayer, and 
 
 Ten Commandments in 3 Parts. 
 Dr. Cave's Lives of the Primitive Fathers in two Volumes. 
 Sir Too. Browns Vulgar Errors, with all the reft of his 
 
 Works. 
 
 £ V A R t 0. 
 
 PMris Simonli Difquifitiones Critic* de Varik per diverfa Loci 
 ' & Tempora Bibliorum Editionibus. Accedunt Caftigat. Opufc. 
 
 If. Vofjii de SibyliinisOraculi*. 
 Dr. Father's Two Treatifes of Reproaching and Cenfure: 
 
 with His Anfwer to Serjeant's Surefooting, alfo feveral oc» 
 
 cafional Sermons. 
 The Cafe of Lay-Communion with the Church of England 
 
 confidered. 
 A Difcourfe concerning the Celebration of Divine Service in 
 
 an Unknown Tongue. 
 A Difcourfe of theNecefiity of Reformation, with fefpecl; to 
 
 the Errors and Corruptions of the Church of Rome. 
 
 OCTAVO. 
 
 jT\R.Williatti Cave's Difleftation concerning the Government 
 JL/ of the Ancient Church by Bifhops, Metropolitans anal 
 
 Patriarchs. 
 Two Letters betwixt Mr. R. Smith and Dr.TM Hammond a= 
 
 bout Chrifts Defcent into Hell. 
 X)cm Stratford's diflvvafive from Revenge, 
 TfeeLifeof Bifhop Bedel. 
 

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