no other pretence, then because they are hard and obscure, and dangerous ro be read of the simple. Secondly, you doe not well in comparing the word and the sacraments together: for they cannot be diuorsed or separated: for the word giueth life to the sacraments, the sacraments againe giue liuely testimony and witnes to the truth of the word. But let this be the question, not whether the writing by it selfe, and the seale by it selfe are of greatest force: but whe∣ther an instrument with a seale be not of greater euidence and strength, then without it: So the word of God, which doth but beate vpon the sence of hea∣ring, must of necessitie, not in it self, but in respect of vs, worke more effectually, being sealed by the sacraments, where we receiue instruction by two other sen∣ces of ours, the sight, and the taste.
The Protestants.
THat the Sacraments are ordeined of God, to be pledges and seales of his promises made vnto vs in Christ, that as verily as the externall elements are applied to the outward man, so our soules spiritually are refreshed with an assu∣red hope of the remission of our sinnes in Christ, and so the sacraments to be seales onely of the righteousnes of faith, and not giuers or workers of grace in vs: it is euident out of the Scripture.
Argum. 1. Abraham receiued the signe of circumcision, as the seale of the righteousnes of faith, Rom. 4.1. Circumcision then was to Abraham a seale of the righteousnes of faith, that is, that he was iustified by faith. Ergo so are all o∣ther sacraments.
Rhemist. Indeede circumcision was a seale to Abraham, for he was iust be∣fore, and receiued this sacrament, as a seale thereof afterward. But it foloweth not, that it was so in all: for in Isaac his sonne, and so consequently in the rest, the Sacrament went before and iustice followed. annot. Rom. 4. sect. 8.
Ans. 1. The Apostle setteth forth the example of Abraham, to shew how all men are iustified before God, and what is the vse of the sacraments in all men: and therefore it is no extraordinary or exempt case, but the common case of all the faithfull, that righteousnes (saith the Apostle) might be imputed to them also, Rom. 4.11. Secondly, although Isaac with many other, were first circumcised, and after iustified: yet this is perpetuall, they were no more iustifi∣ed by circumcision, then Abraham, who was iustified before he was circumci∣sed, but by faith onely: and therefore the Sacraments are seales of the iustice of faith, whether the iustice of faith goe before, or follow after.
Argum. 2. Augustine saith, In Isaac, qui octauo die circumcisus fuit, praeces∣sit signaculū iustitiae fidei, et quoniam patris fidem imitatus est, secuta est in cres∣cente ipsa iustitia, cuius signaculum in infante praecesserat. In Isaac, who was cir∣cumcised the eight day, the seale of the righteousnes of faith went before: and because he did follow his fathers faith, as he grew, iustice it selfe followed, the seale whereof went before in his infancy. Ergo circumcision was a seale as well