the Name of a Sacrament: but thofe, and no other,which are

4. Not only Signs of Grace, but Means, also, whereby we receive the fume. None but our bleffed Lord could appoint fuch Means and which of his Ordinances Thould be fuch, and which not, none but Himself could determine. From his Word therefore we are to learn it and then, as we hope to attain the End, we must use the Means. But when it is faid, that the Sacraments are Means of Grace: we are not to understand, either that the Performance of the mere outward Action doth, by its own Virtue, produce a fpiritual Effect in us; or that God hath annexed any fuch Effect to that alone: but that He will accompany the Action with his Bleffing, provided it be done as it ought; with those Qualifications which He requires. And therefore, unlefs we fulfil the Condition, we mult not expect the Benefit.

Further; calling the Sacraments, Means of Grace, doth not fignify them to be Means by which we merit Grace; for Nothing but the Sufferings of our bleffed Saviour can do that for us; but Means, by which what He hath merited is conveyed to us.

4

Nor yet are they the only Means of conveying Grace: for reading, and hearing, and meditating upon the Word of God, are Part of the Things which He hath appointed for this End: and Prayer is another Part, accompanied with an exprefs Promife, that, if we ask, we fhall receive". But thefe, not being fuch Actions as figure out and reprefent the Benefits which they derive to us, though they are Means of Grace, are not Signs. of it; and therefore do not come under the Notion of Sacraments. But,

5. A Sacrament is not only a Sign or Reprefentation of fome heavenly Favour, and a Means whereby we receive it, but also a Pledge to affure us thereof. Not that any Thing can give us a greater Affurance, in Point of

John xvi. 24.

Reason,

Reason, of any Bleffing from God, than his bare Promife can do: but that fuch Obfervances, appointed in Token of his Promises, affect our Imaginations with a ftronger Sense of them; and make a deeper and more lafting, and therefore more useful, Impreffion on our Minds. For this Caufe, in all Nations of the World, Representations by Actions have ever been used, as well as Words, upon folemn Occafions: efpecially upon entering into and renewing Treaties and Covenants with each other. And therefore, in Condefcenfion to a Practice, which, being fo univerfal among Men, appears to be founded in the Nature of Man: God hath graciously added to his Covenant alfo, the Solemnity of certain outward inftructive Performances; by which he declares to us, that as furely as our Bodies are wathed by Water, and nourished by Bread broken and Wine poured forth and received; fo furely are our Souls purified from Sin by the Baptifm of Repentance; and ftrengthened in all Goodnels, by partaking of that Mercy, which the wounding of the Body of Chrift, and the fhedding of his Blood, hath obtained for us. And thus thefe religious Actions, fo far as they are performed by God's Minifter, in purfuance of his Appointment, are an Earneft or Pledge on his Part, which (as I observed to you) was one ancient Signification of the Word Sacra. ment and fo far as we join in them, they are an Obligation, binding like an Oath, on our Part, as fhall be hereafter fhewn you which was the other primitive Meaning of the Word,

Having thus explained to you the Defcription of a Sacrament, given in the Catechifm; let us now confider, what Things we have in our Religion that anfwer to it. For the Papifts reckon no lefs than feven Sacraments. And though this Number was not named for above 1000 Years after Chrift; nor fixed by the Authority of even their own Church, till 200 Years ago, that is, fince the Reformation; yet now they accufe Us, for not agreeing with them in it, but acknowledging only two.

The firft of their five is Confirmation. And if this

be

be a Sacrament, we adminifter it as well as they, indeed. much more agreeably to the original Practice; and are therefore intitled, at leaft, to the fame Benefit from it. But though Chrift did indeed put his Hands on Children, and blejs them; yet we do not read, that He appointed this particular Ceremony for a Means of conveying Grace. And though the Apoftles did ufe it after Him,. as others had done before Him; yet there is no Foundation to afcribe any feparate Efficacy to the laying on of Hands, as diftinct from the Prayers that accompany it or to look upon the whole of Confirmation as any Thing elfe, than a folemn Manner of Perfons taking upon themfelves their baptifmal Vow, followed by the folemn Addreffes of the Bishop and the Congregation, that they may ever keep it; in which Addreffes, laying on of Hands is ufed, partly as a Mark of Good-Will to the Perfon for whom the Prayers are offered up; and partly alfo as a Sign, that the fatherly Hand of God is over all who undertake to ferve Him: yet without any Claim of conveying his Grace particularly by it: but only with Intention of praying for his Grace along with it: which Prayers however we have fo juft Ground to hope he will hear, that they who neglect this Ordinance, though not a Sacrament, are greatly wanting both to their Intereft and their Duty.

But

Another Sacrament of the Church of Rome is Penance; which they make to confift of particular Confeffion to the Prieft of every deadly Sin, particular Abfolu-, tion from him, and fuch Acts of Devotion, Mortification, or Charity, as he fhall think fit to enjoin. no one Part of this being required in Scripture, much lefs any outward Sign of it appointed, or any inward Grace annexed to it; there is Nothing in the Whole that hath any Appearance of a Sacrament; but too much Sufpicion of a Contrivance to gain an undue Influence and Power.

A third Sacrament of theirs is, extreme Unction.

8 Mark x. 16.

But

But their Plea or it is no more than this. St. James, at a Time when miraculous Gifts were common, directed the Elders of the Church, who ufually had those Gifts, to anoint the Sick with Oil?; as we read the Disciples did, whilft our Saviour was on Earth'; in order to obtain by the Prayer of Faith, (that Faith which could remove Mountains 2) the Recovery, if God faw fit, of their bodily Health: and the Forgiveness of thofe Sins for which their Disease was inflicted, if they had committed any fuch. And upon this, the Church of Rome, now all fuch miraculous Gifts are ceased, continues notwithflanding to anoint the Sick, for a quite different Pur pofe: not at all for the Recovery of their Health; for they do not use it till they think them very nearly, if not quite, paft Recovery; nor indeed for the Pardon of their Sins; for thefe, they fay, are pardoned upon Confeffion, which commonly is made before it; but chiefly, as themfelves own, to procure Compofedness and Courage in the Hour of Death: a Purpofe not only unmentioned by St. James, but inconfiflent with the Purpofe of Recovery, which he doth mention, and very often impoffible to be attained. For they frequently anoint Perfons after they are become intirely fenfelefs. And yet, in fpite of all thefe Things, they will needs have this Practice owned for a Sacrament: which indeed is now, as they manage it, a mere Piece of Superftition.

Another Thing, which they esteem a Chriftian Sacrament, is Matrimony: though it was ordained, not by Chrift, but long before his Appearance on Earth, in the Time of Man's Innocency; and hath no outward. Sign appointed in it, as a Means and Pledge of inward Grace. But the whole Matter is, that they have happened moft ridiculou fly to miflake their own Latin Tranflation of the New Teflament: where St. Paul, having compared the Union between the first married Pair, Adam and Eve, to that between Chrift, the fecond

9 Jam. v. 14, 15. Mark xi. 23.

• Mark vi. 33.

a Matth. xvii. 20. xxi. 21.

Adam,

Adam, and his Spoufe the Church; and having said that this is a great Mystery 3; a Figure, or Comparifon, not fully and commonly understood: the old Interpreter, whofe Verfion they ufe, for Mystery hath put Sacrament: which in his Days, as I faid before, fignified any Thing in Religion that carried a hidden Meaning: and they have underflood him of what we now call a Sacrament. Whereas if every Thing, that once had that Name in the larger Senfe of the Word, were at prefent to have it in the ftricter Senfe; there would be an hundred Sacraments, inftead of the feven, which they pretend there are.

The fifth and laft Thing, which they wrongly infift on our honouring with this Title, is holy Orders. But as there are three Orders in the Church, Bishops, Priests, and Deacons; here would be three Sacraments, if there were any, but indeed there is none. For the laying on of Hands in Ordination is neither appointed, nor used, to convey or fignify any fpiritual Grace; but only to confer a Right of executing fuch an Office in the Church of Chrift. And though Prayers, for God's Grace and Blef fing on the Perfon ordained, are indeed very juftly and ufefully added; and will certainly be heard, unless the Perfon be unworthy; yet thefe Prayers, on this Occa- ́ fion, no more make what is done a Sacrament, than any other Prayers for God's Grace, on any other Occafion.

However, as I have already faid of Confirmation, fo I fay now of Orders and Marriage, if they were Sacraments, they would be as much fo to us, as to the Romanifts, whether we called them Sacraments or not. And if we used the Name ever fo erroneously, indeed if we never used it at all; as the Scripture hath never ufed it that could do us no Harm; provided, under any Name, we believe but the Things which Chrift hath taught; and do but the Things which he hath commanded for on this, and this alone, depends our Acceptance, and eternal Salvation.