The Marrow of Sacred Divinity - William Ames (1642)

1. AFter the nature of the New Testament, the Sacraments of the same doe follow, for they are for number few, to be obtained, and observed easy, and in their signification must perspicuous.

2. They were sanctified and instituted by Christ himselfe: for although the one Sacrament was first used by John Baptist, yet in that very thing he was the forerunner of Christ, that he might shew, what Christ himselfe afterward would allow and institute, neither had it the respect of an ordinary institution by the Ministery of John, but by the institution of Christ himselfe.

3. These Sacraments are Baptisme, and the Supper of the Lord, for neither were there either other Sacraments or Sacramentall signes delivered to the Church by Christ or his Apostles: neither can there other be appointed by men in the Church.

4. In respect of Gods Institution, there lieth greatest necessity upon the faithfull to use these Sacraments, diligently, and religiously, yet they are not so absolutely necessary to salvation, that the absence, or meere privation of them doth bring a privation of this institution: neither ought they in that respect, to be celebrated either of those that are not lawfull Ministers, or out of a Church assembly.¹⁴⁷

5. Baptisme is the Sacrament of Initiation or Regeneration.

6. For although it doth seale the whole covenant of grace together to the faithfull, yet by a speciall approbation it doth represent, and confirme our very ingrafting into Christ. Rom. 6. 3. We are baptised into Christ Jesus, and Verse 5. Being planted¹⁴⁸ together with him. And 1 Cor. 12. 13. We are baptised into one body.

7. But because upon our first ingrafting into Christ by Faith, there doth immediatly follow a relation of our Iustification and Adoption: therefore Baptisme as the Sacrament of the ingrafting itselfe, is unto remission of sins. Marc. 1. 3. And it is also a representation of adoption, whilst that by it wee are confecrated to the Father Sonne, and holy Spirit, and their names are called upon the baptised.

8. Because also holinesse is alwayes derived from Christ into whom we are ingrafred, unto all the faithfull, therefore Baptisme also is the seale of our sanctification. Tit. 3. 5. He hath saved us by the laver of regeneration, and the renuing of the holy Spirit. Rom. 6. 4. 5, 6.

9. And because Glorification cannot be separated from true holinesse, therefore it is withall the seal also of eternall glory. Tit. 3. 7. That we might be made heires, according to the hope of eternall life. Romans 6. 8. If we be dead with Christ, wee believe that wee shall also live together with him.

10. But because those benefits are sealed according to the measure of initiation in Baptisme, hence, First, Baptisme is but once to be administred, because there is but one beginning of spirituall life by regeneration, as there is but one beginning of naturall life by generation.

11. Hence also, Secondly, Baptisme ought to be administred to all those to whom the covenant of grace pertaines, because it is the first sealing of the covenant it selfe now first begun.

12. But that the infants of the faithfull are not to be forbidden this Sacrament, it appeareth. 1. Because if they be partakers of any grace, it is by vertue of the covenant of grace, and so both the covenant, and the first seale of the covenant also doth pertaine to them. 2. In that the covenant in which the faithfull are now contained, is the same with that covenant which was made with Abraham. Rom. 4. 11. Gal. 3. 7, 8, 9. But that did expressely extend unto Infants. 3. This covenant which is now administred to the faithfull, doth bring more large and full consolation to them, then of old it could before the comming of Christ. But if it should pertaine onely to them, and not to their Infants, then the grace of God and their consolation should be more narrow, and contracted after Christ is exhibited then before it was. 4. Because baptisme succeeded in the place of circumcision. Col. 2. 11. 12. And so doth pertaine as well to the children of believers as circumcision itselfe. 5. Because in the very beginning of regeneration, whereof baptisme is a seale, man is meerely passive; whence also there is no outward action required of a man either to be circumcised or baptised, as in other Sacraments, but only a passive receiving: therefore Infants, are as capable of this Sacrament in respect of the chiefe use of it, as these of age are.

13. Faith and repentance doe no more make the covenant of God now then in the time of Abraham (who was the Father of the faithfull) therefore the want of those acts ought no more to hinder baptisme from Infants now, then it did forbid circumcision then.

14. The signe in this Sacrament is water, not simply, but as it purgeth the uncleane, either by dipping or sprinkling.

15. But therefore water was chosen, because there is nothing in use that doth more fitly represent that spiritual washing, which is performed by the blood or dead of Christ, neither is the sprinkling or application of the blood of Christ, so fitly expressed by any thing, seeing that now since the death of Christ, there ought to be no use of naturall blood in holy things.

16. The supper of the Lord is the Sacrament of the nourishing and growth of the faithfull in Christ.

17. Hence it ought oftentimes to be administred to the same persone.

18. Hence also the supper is onely to be administred to those, who are visibly capable of norishment and growth in the Church: and so not to Infants, but onely to those of age.

19. But because most full and perfect nourishment is sealed in Christ, therefore here is used not some one and simple signe of nourishing, but of a double kind, as the nourishment of the body doth require, namely Bread and Wine.

20. They therefore who take away one of these signes from the faithfull in the administration of the supper, doe detract from the wisdome of God, make lame the institution of Christ, and grievously lessen or take away the consolation of the faithfull.

21. But bread and wine are therefore used, because except the eating of flesh (which hath no place in holy things now the sacrifice of Christ is finished) and the drinking of blood, from which not only religion, but mans nature adhors: there is nothing doth more conveniently expresse that neerest union which by degrees wee enjoy with Christ, which is founded in the sacrificing of his body and shedding of his blood.

22. To faigne any transubstantiation, or consubstantiation¹⁴⁹ in this Sacrament more, then in baptisme, is a certaine blind and stupid superstition.

23. For it is not required to spirituall nourishment in this Sacrament, that the bread and wine be changed into the body and blood of Christ, nor that Christ be corporally present with them, but only that they be changed relatively in respect of application and use, and that Christ be spiritually present with them who receive in Faith.

24. This transubstantiation, and consubstantiation is against the nature of a Sacrament in generall, against the analogy of our other Sacrament, or baptisme, against the most usuall phrases in the Old Testament against the humane nature of Christ against his state of Glorification, and against the revealed will of God, which saith that Christ shall remaine in Heaven untill the day of judgement.

25. As touching the words of Institution, This is my body, they are necessarily to be understood, as other sacramentall phrases, which every where we meete with in the holy Scriptures, of which we have God himselfe a cleere interpreter, Gen. 17. 10, 11. This is Covenant. That it may be a signe of the Covenant betweene me and you.

26. As touching the manner of opening the words of this phrase according to art, learned men doe differ among themselves. Most of our interpreters would have a trope in the words,¹⁵⁰ that is, a metaphor or a metonymy.¹⁵¹

27. The Lutherans contend that here is no trope to be found, but only an unusuall predication.¹⁵²

28. There are not a few, and those new Interpreters, who deny, that there is either any proper trope, or unusuall predication, but they make it an improper and mysticall predication.

29. But no sufficient reason is brought why we may deny that there is a trope in the words: which may be thus demonstrated. If it be an improper or unusuall predication as they would have it, this unusuall or improper way ought to be shewed in some word: which if it be done, then of necessity it is that that word be some way translated from his naturall signification and use: if that be so, the word takes the nature and definition of a trope.

30. But the trope is neither in the Article going before, nor in the proper Copula,¹⁵³ as in the word is; but in that which followes, that is, in the word body, for body is put for a signe of the body, not that a true and proper body is excluded out of that sentence, but rather included, by a relation, which the signe hath to the thing signified.

31. But there is not onely one trope, but threefold in this word, the first is a metaphor, whereby one thing like is put for another unto which a metonymie of the adjunct adheres and is mingled. For the bread is not onely like the body of Christ, but also by Gods institution it is made an adjunct of it: the second is a Synechdoche of the part for the whole, whereby the body of Christ is put for whole Christ; the third is a metonymy of the subject for the adjuncts, in that Christ is put for all those benefits also which are derived from Christ to us. In the other part of the Wine, there are other tropes sufficiently manifested.