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The eight. The publike baptisme, that also is full of childysh and superstitious toyes. First in their prayer they saye, that God by the baptisme of his sonne Iesus Christ, did sanctifie the floud Iordane, and all other waters, to the mysticall washing awaye of sinne, attributing that to the signe which is (i 1.1) proper to the worke of God in the bloud of Christe, as though vertue were in water to washe awaye synnes.
By the first you saye, that wee attribute to the signe that whiche is proper to the worke of God in the bloud of Christe, as though vertue were in water to washe awaye synne.
You knowe very well that we teache farre otherwyse, and that it is a certayne and true doctrine of all suche as professe the Gospell, that the outward signes of the Sacrament, doe not conteine in them* 1.2 grace, neither yet that the grace of God is of necessitie tied vnto them, but onely that they be seales of Gods promyses, notes of Christiani∣tie, testimonies and effectuall signes of the grace of God, and of our redemption in Christe Iesus, by the whiche the spirite of God dothe inuisiblye worke in vs, not onely the increase of faythe, but confirma∣tion also.
You vnderstande likewyse, that this difference there is betwixt these externall elementes, being selected to be sacramentall signes,* 1.3 (that is, betwixt water in baptisme, & common water: bread & wine in the Eucharist, & vsual bread & wine) that these now be sacraments sanctified to an other vse, to a spiritual vse, to the norishing of fayth, and feeding of the soule, to be instruments of the holy Ghost, by the which as by instruments we be fed to eternal life. Furthermore, you can not be ignorāt, that whosoeuer cōtemneth these external signes, and refuseth them, can not be a member of Christe, neither yet saued.
Last of all you haue learned, that there is suche a similitude be∣twixt* 1.4 the signes, and the thing signified, that they are not onely in Scripture vsually called by the names of those things where of they be Sacramentes (as bread the body of Christe, and water regenera∣tion) but also that the contumelie or contempte done to the one, doth redounde to the other, that is, the contempte of the signes, is the con∣tempt of the things signified, and therefore S. Paule saith. 1. Cor. 11. He that eateth and drinketh vnvvorthily, eateth and drinketh his ovvne damnation, Non dijudicans corpus domini. And Christ, Iohn. 3. Excepte a man be borne of vvater and the spirite, hee can not enter into the kingdome of heauen.
These things being cōsidered, it is no superstitious toy, but a godly and true saying, that Christe hathe sanctified all waters (vsed in Baptysyng) to the mysticall washyng awaye of synne: not ascry∣bing, or attributyng washyng awaye of synne to the externall ele∣mente, anye otherwyse, than instrumentallye, or in anye other respecte than for the similitude that Sacramentes haue with the thynges whereof they bee Sacramentes: for wee knowe that wycked men maye receyue these externall signes, and yet remaine the members of Sathan.