ments did not bestow this conscience and faith itself upon them: even as Circumcision, and the sacrifices of the Old Testament, did not give a lively and justifying faith, without the which faith those things availed nothing to eternal salvation or justification.

And so doth St. Paul speak of all these things in his Epistle to the Romans, and bringeth in the example of Abraham, and doth witness that he had faith and righteousness, which is available with God, before that he was circumcised. Rom. iv. 10, 11. In like sort he writeth of the people of Israel, "that they also were baptized, and that they all did eat one and the same spiritual meat, and did all drink one and the same spiritual drink: but with many of them God was not pleased." 1 Cor. x. 3—5. And therefore, even in the abundance of all these things, they were thought unworthy to be received, and were rejected of God. For if a dead man, or one that is unworthy, do come to the Sacraments, certainly they do not give him life and worthiness: but he that is such an one, doth load himself with a far greater burthen of fault and sin, seeing that he is unworthy. The which thing the Apostle doth expressly declare in the doctrine touching the Supper of the Lord, where he saith, "Whosoever doth eat of this bread, or drink of this cup of the Lord, unworthily, he is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord: also he doth eat and drink judgment to himself." 1 Cor. xi. 27; 29.

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Lastly, this also must be known; that the verity of the Sacraments doth never fail them, so that they should become not effectual at any time but, in the institution of Christ, they do always exercise their virtue and efficacy,* in witnessing, sealing, confirming, unto the worthy receivers, present grace and salvation; but unto the unworthy, their fault and condemnation, whether they be administered by a good and honest Priest, or by a close sinner. For so long as the overthwartness of such wicked hypocrites is not

This must warily be understood. For properly the Sacraments do witness, seal, or confirm no other things, but grace and salvation. The condemnation of such as use them unworthily, doth not flow from any virtue or power of the Sacraments, which doth avail only to salvation; but wholly from the fault of the unworthy themselves, whereby it cometh to pass (and that by an accident) that whilst they receive the signs alone, and that unworthily, they deprive themselves of the Sacraments: and yet for all that, they cease not, on God's behalf, to be perfect Sacraments, whether they be given to the worthy, or to the unworthy. Touching which point, look after, in the Fourteenth Section, the first and second observations upon the Confession of Augsburg.

as yet publicly known, neither the punishment, more gentle or severe, of Ecclesiastical Discipline, nor even excommunication, hath been put in force against those which have behaved themselves more stubbornly; those Sacraments which they do administer, may be received of them, if so be that they do administer them according to the will, mind, and institution of Christ: the which thing also the Constitutions of the ancient Church do confirm. For the virtue and efficacy of the Sacraments doth neither consist in him, nor depend on him, who doth either administer them, whosoever he be, or doth receive them; but it consisteth in the institution, and in the commandment that was most absolute and mighty in authority, and in the word of the author of the Sacraments, to wit, of our Lord Jesus Christ on which one thing they do rely, and have from thence whatsoever they are able to do. Nevertheless, the Ministers must thoroughly look to it, and take good heed, lest, whilst by their labour they be serviceable to others, "they themselves become reprobates, or worthy to be rejected:" 1 Cor. ix. 27. and also, lest "they give holy things to dogs, or cast pearls before swine." Matt. vii. 6. Also the people must endeavour by all means to take heed, that they do not in any case receive the Sacraments with the scandal or offence of the Church, and the proper danger of the salvation of their souls; that is, to their own fault and judgment: whereof we made mention before.

V. FROM THE CONFESSION OF FRANCE.

Art. 34. We believe that there be Sacraments adjoined to the word, for the more ample confirmation thereof; to wit, that they may be pledges and tokens of the grace of God, whereby our weak and rude faith may be helped. For we confess that these outward signs be such, that God, by the power of his Holy Spirit, doth work by them, that nothing may be there represented to us in vain. Yet we think that the whole substance and truth of them is in Christ Jesus; from whom if they be separated, they be nothing else but vain shadows and smoke.

Also, Art. 35. We acknowledge that there be only two Sacraments, common to the whole Church, &c. (That which followeth, pertaineth to the Thirteenth Section.)

Art. 10.

VI. FROM THE CONFESSION OF ENGLAND.

Moreover we allow the Sacraments of the Church, that is to say, certain holy signs and ceremonies, which Christ would we

should use; that by them he might set before our eyes the mysteries of our salvation, and might more strongly confirm the faith which we have in his blood, and might seal his grace in our hearts. And these Sacraments, we, together with Tertullian, Origen, Ambrose, Augustine, Jerome, Chrysostom, Basil, Dionysius, and other Catholic Fathers, do call Figures, Signs, Types, Badges, Copies, Forms, Seals, Signets, Similitudes, Patterns, Representations, Remembrances, and Memories; nor do we make doubt, together with the same Doctors, to say that these be certain Visible Words, Seals of Righteousness, and Tokens of Grace. And we do expressly pronounce, that in the Lord's Supper there is truly given unto the believing, the body and blood of the Lord, the flesh of the Son of God which quickeneth our souls, the meat that cometh from above, the food of immortality, of grace, truth, and life; and that the same Supper is the communion of the body and blood of Christ, by the partaking whereof we be revived, strengthened, and fed unto immortality; and whereby we are joined, united, and incorporated into Christ, that we may abide in Him and He in us.

And, in the beginning of Art. 11. Sect. 1. Besides this, we acknowledge, that there be two Sacraments, which, we judge, properly ought to be called by this name: that is to say, Baptism, and the Eucharist. For thus many we see were delivered and sanctified by Christ, and well allowed of the old Fathers, Ambrose, Augustine, and such others.

VII. FROM THE CONFESSION OF SCOTLAND.

Article 21. Of the Sacraments.

As the fathers under the law, besides the verity of the sacrifices, had two chief Sacraments, to wit, Circumcision, and the Passover; (the despisers and contemners whereof were not reputed for God's people; Gen. xvii. 14. Numb. ix. 13.) so we acknowledge and confess, that we, now in the time of the Gospel, have two chief Sacraments only, instituted by the Lord Jesus, and commanded to be used of all those that will be reputed members of his body; to wit, Baptism, and the Supper, or Table, of the Lord Jesus, called the Communion of his body and his blood. And these Sacraments, as well of the Old, as of the New Testament, now instituted of God, not only do make a visible difference betwixt his people and those that were without his league, but also do exercise the faith of his children, and, by participation of the same Sacraments, do seal in their hearts the assurance of his promise, and of that most blessed

conjunction, union, and society, which the elect have with their head Christ Jesus. And thus we utterly condemn the vanity of those, that affirm Sacraments to be nothing else but naked and bare signs. No; we assuredly believe, that by Baptism we are ingrafted into Christ Jesus, to be made partakers of his justice, by which our sins are covered, and remitted: and also that in the Supper, rightly used, Christ Jesus is so joined with us, that he becometh the very nourishment and food of our souls. And, a little further on:- But all this we say cometh of true faith, which apprehendeth Christ Jesus, who only maketh his Sacraments effectual unto us. And therefore whosoever slandereth us, as that we affirm or believe Sacraments to be only naked and bare signs, doth injury unto us, and speaketh against the manifest truth. But this liberally and frankly we confess, that we make distinction betwixt Christ Jesus in his eternal substance, and betwixt the elements in the sacramental signs. So that we will neither worship the signs, in place of that which is signified by them, neither yet do we despise, and interpret them as unprofitable and vain; but do use them with all reverence, examining ourselves diligently before that so we do: because we are assured by the mouth of the Apostle, that " such as eat of that bread, and drink of that cup unworthily, are guilty of the body and blood of Christ Jesus." 1 Cor. xi. 28, 29.

Article 22. Of the right Administration of the Sacraments. That Sacraments be rightly ministered, we judge two things requisite the one, that they be ministered by lawful Ministers, whom we affirm to be only they, that are appointed to the preaching of the word, into whose mouths God hath put some Sermon of exhortation, they being men lawfully chosen thereto by some Church : the other, that they be ministered in such elements, and in such sort, as God hath appointed: else we affirm that they cease to be right Sacraments of Christ Jesus. And therefore it is that we fly the society of the Papistical Church, in participation of their Sacraments; first, because their Ministers are no Ministers of Christ Jesus, (yea, this is more horrible, they suffer women, whom the Holy Ghost will not suffer to teach in the Congregation, to baptize ;) and secondly, because they have so adulterated both the one Sacrament and the other with their own inventions, that no part of Christ's action abideth in the original purity. For oil, salt, and spittle, and such like in Baptism, are but men's inventions; adoration, veneration, bearing through streets and towns, and keeping of

bread in boxes or boists, are profanation of Christ's Sacraments, and no use of the same. For Christ Jesus said, "Take eat, &c. Do ye this in remembrance of me." Matt. xxvi. 26. By which words and charge, he sanctified bread and wine to be the Sacrament of his holy body and blood, to the end that the one should be eaten, and that all should drink of the other, and not that they should be kept, to be worshipped and honoured as God, as the Papists have done heretofore who also have committed sacrilege, stealing from the people the one part of the Sacrament, to wit, the blessed cup.

Moreover, that the Sacraments be rightly used, it is required that the end and cause for which Sacraments were instituted, be understanded and observed, as well of the Minister, as by the receivers. For if the opinion be changed in the receiver, the right use ceaseth ; which is most evident, by the rejection of the sacrifices: as also, if the teacher plainly teach false doctrine, which were odious and abominable before God, (albeit they were his own ordinances,) because that wicked men use them to another end than God hath ordained. The same we affirm of the Sacraments in the Papistical Church; in which we affirm the whole action of the Lord Jesus to be adulterated, as well in the external form, as in the end and opinion. What Christ Jesus did, and commanded to be done, is evident, by the Evangelists and by St. Paul: what the Priest doth at his altar, we need not to rehearse. The end and cause of Christ's institution, and why the self-same should be used, is expressed in these words: "Do ye this in remembrance of me; as oft as ye shall eat of this bread, and drink of this cup, ye shall shew forth," that is, extol, preach, magnify, and praise, "the Lord's death, till he come." 1 Cor. xi. 25, 26. But to what end, and in what opinion, the Priests say their Mass, let the words of the same, their own doctors and writings, witness to wit, that they, as Mediators betwixt Christ and his Church, do offer unto God the Father a sacrifice propitiatory for the sins of the quick and the dead: which doctrines, blasphemous to Christ Jesus, and making derogation to the sufficiency of his only sacrifice, once offered for purgation of all those that shall be sanctified, Heb. x. 14. we utterly abhor, detest, and renounce.

Article 23. To whom Sacraments appertain.

We confess and acknowledge, that Baptism appertaineth as well to the infants of the faithful, as unto them that be of age and discretion. And so we condemn the error of the Anabaptists, who