The institution of Christian religion, vvrytten in Latine by maister Ihon Caluin, and translated into Englysh according to the authors last edition. Seen and allowed according to the order appointed in the Quenes maiesties iniunctions

¶Of Confirmation.

This was the maner in olde tyme, that the children of Christians, [ 4] when they were growen to age of discretion, should be brought before

the Bishop: that they shoulde fulfyll that duetie whiche was required of those that being growen in yeres did offer them selues to Baptisme, For these sate among those that were to bee catechized, till being fully instructed in the mysteries of the faith, they coulde make a confession of their faith before the bishoppe and the people. Therfore they that were baptised being infantes, bicause they hadde not then made confession of their faith before the Chirch, were aboute the ende of their childehod or in the beginning of their yeares of discretion presented againe by their parentes, and were examined of the Bishop accordyng to the forme of the Catechisme, whiche they had then certaine and common. And that this doyng, which otherwise ought worthily to be graue & holy, myght haue the more reuerence and dignitie, there was added also the Cere∣monie of layeng on of handes. So that same childe, his faith beyng al∣lowed, was let goe with solemne blessyng. The old writers do oft make mention of this maner. Leo the Pope writeth: If any returne from heretikes, let hym not be baptised agayn: but (which he wanted among the Heretikes) let the vertue of the Spirite be geuen hym by the Bi∣shops layeng on of his handes.* 1.1 Here our aduersaries will crie out, that it is rightfully called a Sacrament, in which the holy ghost is geuē, but Leo himselfe dothe in an other place declare what he meaneth by those wordes: Whoso (saith he) is baptized among heretikes, let him not be re∣baptized, but with callyng vpon the Holy ghoste,* 1.2 lett him be confirmed with laieng on of hands: because he receiued only the form of Baptisme without sanctifieng. Hierome also maketh mētion of it, writing against the Luciferians. But although I do not denye that Hierome somwhat erreth therin, for that he saith that it is an obseruation of the Apostles: yet he is most far from these mennes follies. And the very same also he qualifieth, when he addeth, that this blessing is geuē to the bishops on∣lye, rather in honor of their presthode than by the necessitie of lawe. Therfore suche laying on of handes, whiche is done simply in stede of blessing, I prayse and woulde that it were at thys daye restored to the pure vse thereof.

[ 5] But the later age, hauyng in a maner blotted out the thyng it selfe, hath set I wot not what fained confirmation for a Sacrament of God. They haue fained that the vertue of Confirmation is, to geue the Ho∣ly ghost to the encrease of Grace, which in Baptisme was geuen to in∣nocentie: to strengthen them to battaile, which in Baptisme wer new begotten to lyfe. This Confirmation is celebrate with annoyntyng, and with this forme of wordes, I signe thee with the signe of the holy crosse, and confirme thee with the chresme of saluation, in the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the Holy ghost. All this is gayely and trimly done. But where is the woorde of God, that maye promise here the presence of the Holy ghost? They can not bring forth one tittle. Wherby then will they certifie vs that their chresme is the vessell of the Holy ghoste? We see oyle, that is, a thicke and fatt liquor and nothyng ells. Let the worde (sayth Augustine) be added to the element, & there shalbe made a Sacrament. Let them (I say) bryng foorth this worde, if they will haue vs in the oyle to loke vpon any thyng but the oyle. If they dyd acknowlege themselues ministers of the Sacramentes, as they ought, we neded to striue no longer. This is the first lawe of a mi∣nister,

y^t he do nothing without cōmaūdemēt. Go to, let them bring forth any cōmaūdemēt of this point ministerie, & I will not speake one word more. If they haue no cōmaūdemēt, they can not excuse their boldnesse full of sacrilege. After this maner the Lord asked the Pharisees,* 1.3 whe∣ther the Baptisme of Iohn were from heauen or from men: if they had answered, from men, thē he had made them confesse that it was trifling and vayne: if from heauen, then were they compelled to acknowlege the doctrine of Iohn. Therfore least they shoulde to much sclander Iohn, thei durst not confesse that it was from men. If therfore Confirmation be from men, it is proued to be vaine and trifling: if they will persuade vs that it is from heauen, let them proue it.

They do in dede defend themselues with the example of the Apostles, [ 6] whom they think to haue done nothing rashly. That is wel in dede: nei∣ther woulde we blame them, if they shewed themselues folowers of the Apostles.* 1.4 But what did the Apostles? Luke reporteth in the Actes, that the Apostles which were at Hierusalem, when they hearde that Sama∣ria hadde receiued the worde of God, sent thether Peter and Iohn: they prayed for the Samaritans, y^t they might receiue the Holy ghost, which was not yet come into any of them, but they were baptized onely in the name of Iesus: when they had prayed, they laied their hands vpō them: by which layeng on, the Samaritanes receiued the Holy ghost. And of this laieng on of hands he diuerse tymes maketh mentiō. I heare what the Apostles did: that is, they faithfully executed their ministrie. The Lord willed that those visible and wonderfull graces of the Holy ghost, which he then poured out vpon his people, shold be ministred and distri∣buted of his Apostles by the laieng on of handes. But vnder this laieng on of hands I thinke there was not conteined any hier mysterie: but I expound it, that they adioyned such a ceremonie, that by the very oute∣ward doyng they mighte signifie, that they commended and as it were offred to God him vpon whome they laid their handes. If this ministe∣rie which y^e Apostles then executed, were yet stil remaining in y^e Chirch, the layeng on of handes also ought to be kept. But sins that same grace hath cessed to be geuen, whereto serueth the laieng on of handes? True∣lye the Holy ghost is yet present with the people of God, without whom being guider & directer, the Chirch of God can not stande. For we haue the eternal promise and which shal euer stande in force, by which Christ calleth to him self them that thirst,* 1.5 that they may drinke liuing waters. But those miracles of powers, and manifest workinges, which were di∣stributed by the layeng on of handes, haue ceassed, neither behoued it that they should be, but for a time. For it behoued that the preaching of the Gospell while it was new, should be gloriously set fourth and mag∣nified, with vnheard of and vnwonted miracles. From which when the Lord cessed, he did not by and by forsake his Chirch, but taught that the royaltie of his kingdome, and the dignitie of his word was excellentlye enough disclosed. In what point therfore wil these stageplaiers say that they follow the Apostles? They shoulde haue done it with layeng on of handes, that the euident power of the Holy ghost might by and by shew forth it self. Thys they bring not to passe: why therfore do they bost that the laieng on of hādes maketh for them, which we rede in dede that the Apostles vsed, but altogether to an other ende?

This hath like reason as if a man shoulde teache that that breathing [ 7] wherewith the Lord breathed vpō his disciples, is a Sacrament wher∣by the Holy ghost is geuen.* 1.6 But whereas the Lord did this ones, he did not also will that we should do the same. After the same maner also the Apostles layed on their handes, during the time that it pleased the lord that the visible graces of the Holy ghoste shoulde bee distributed at their praiers: not that they which come after, shold only playerlike and with∣out the thing in dede coūterfait an empty & cold signe, as these apes do. But if they proue that in layeng on of handes they folow the Apostles, (wherein they haue no like thing with the Apostles, sauing I wote not what ouerthwart wrongfull counterfaiting) yet whense cometh their oyle which they call y^e oile of saluatiō? Who taught them to seke saluatiō in oyle? Who taught them to geue to it the power of strengthning? Did Paule,* 1.7 which draweth vs far away from y^e elements of this world, whi∣che condemneth nothing more than the sticking to suche pety obseruati∣ons? But this I boldly pronounce, not of my selfe, but from the Lorde. Whoso call oyle the oyle of saluation, they forsweare the saluation whi∣che is in Christ, they denye Christ they haue no part in the kingdome of God. For oyle is for the belly, and the belly for oyle: the Lorde shall de∣stroy bothe. For all these weake elementes, whiche decay with very vse, belong nothing to the kyngdome of God, which is spiritual and shal ne∣uer decay. What then? wil some men say: do you measure with the same measure, the water wherewith we be baptyzed, and the bread and wine vnder which the Supper of the Lord is geuen? I answere that in Sa∣cramentes geuen of God, twoo thinges are to bee loked vnto: the sub∣stāce of the bodily thing which is set before vs, and the forme that is by the worde of God printed in it, wherin lyeth the whole strength. In re∣spect therfore that the bread, wine, and water that are in the Sacramē∣tes offred to our sight, do kepe their owne substance, this saieng of Paul alway hath place▪* 1.8 Meate for belly, and the bellye for meates: God shall destroy them both. For they passe and vanish away with the fashiō of this world. But in respect that they be sanctified by the word of God, that they may be Sacramentes, they do not hold vs in the flesh, but doo truely and spiritually teache vs.

But let vs yet more nerely loke into it, how many monsters this fat [ 8] liquor fostreth and fedeth. These anoynters saye, that the Holy ghost is geuen in Baptisme, to innocence: in Confirmatiō, to encrease of grace, y^t in Baptisme, we are new begotten into life: in confirmation, we ar pre∣pared to battell. And they are so paste shame, that they deny that Bap∣tisme can well bee doone without confirmation. O wickednesse. Are we not therfore in Baptisme buried together wyth Christ, being made partakers of hys death, that we maye bee also parteners of hys resur∣rection. But thys felowship wyth the death and life of Christ Paule ex∣poundeth to be the mortifieng of our flesh,* 1.9 and quickning of our spirite: for that our olde man is crucified, that we may walk in newnesse of life. What is to be armed to battel if this be not? If they comp••ed it a matter of nothing, to trede vnder feete the word of God: why did they not yet at least reuerēce the Chirch, to whom they wil in euery point seme so obe∣dient. But what can be brought forth more strōg against their doctrine, thā that decree of the Mileuitane councel? Whoso sayeth that Baptisme

is geuen onely for forgeuenesse of sinnes, and not for a helpe of grace to come,* 1.10 accursed be he. But whereas Luke, in the place which we haue alleged, sayth that they were baptised in the name of Iesus Christe, which had not receiued the Holy ghost: he dothe not simply denie that they wer endued with any gift of y^e Holy ghost, which beleued in Christ with hart, and confessed him with mouth: but meaneth of that receiuing of the Holy ghost, wherby the open powers and visible graces were re∣ceiued.* 1.11 So is it sayd that the Apostles receiued the Spirite on the day of Pentecost, wheras it had ben long before sayd vnto them of Christ, It is not you that speake, but the Spirit of my Father which speaketh in you. Beholde all ye that are of God, the malicious and poysonous deceite of Satan. That thyng which was truely geuen in Baptisme, he lyengly saith to be geuen in his confirmation, that he may by stealth leade you vnware from Baptisme. Who now can doute that this is the doctrine of Satan, which cuttyng away from Baptisme the promises proprely belongyng to Baptisme, doth conuey away and remoue them to an other thyng? It is founde (I say) vpon what maner of fundati∣on this godly annoyntyng standeth. The worde of God is, that al they whiche are baptised in Christ,* 1.12 haue put on Christe with his giftes. The worde of the anoynters is, that they receiued in Baptisme no promise, by which they may be armed in batails. That is the voice of the truth, therfore this must be the voice of lying. Therfore I can more truly de∣fine this Cōfirmation than they haue hetherto defined it: namely, that it is a notable sclander of Baptisme, whiche darkeneth, yea abolysheth the vse therof: that it is a false promise of the deuell, which draweth vs away from the truthe of God. Or, if you will, it is oyle defiled with the lyeng of the deuill, whiche as it were by ouerspreadyng of darkenesse, deceiueth the eies of the simple.

They adde furthermore, that al the faithfull ought after Baptisme to [ 9] receiue the Holy ghost by layeng on of handes, that they may be founde full Christians:* 1.13 because he shall neuer be a Christian, that is not chres∣med with the Bishopps Confirmation. These be their owne sayinges worde for worde. But I had thought that whatsoeuer thyngs pertei∣ned to Christianitie, were all set forth in writyng and comprehended in Scriptures. Nowe, as I perceyue, the trewe forme of religi∣on is to be soughte and learned from ells where than oute of the the Scriptures. Therfore the whole wisedome of God, the heauenly truthe, the whole doctrine of Christ, doth but beginne Christians, and oyle maketh them perfect. By this sentence ar damned al the Apostles, and so many Martyrs, whome it is moste certaine to haue neuer ben ••hresmed: forasmuche as the oyle was not yet made, which beyng pou∣red vpon them, they myght fulfill all the partes of christianitie, or ra∣ther myght be made christians whiche yet were none. But, thoughe I holde my peace, they doo largely confute themselues. For, howe many of the numbre of their owne people doo they annoynt after Baptisme? why therfore do they suffer suche halfe christians in their flocke, whoes imperfection might easily be holpen? Why do they with so carelesse neg∣ligence suffer them to omitte that whiche was not lawfull to be omitted without greuous offense? Why do they not more seuerely cal vpō the ke∣ping of a thing so necessarie, and without which saluation cā not be ob∣teined,

vnlesse peraduenture some be preuented by death? Uerily when they so freely suffer it to bee despised, they secretly confesse that it is not of so greate value as they boste it.

[ 10] Last of all they determine that this holy annoynting is to be had in greater reuerence than Baptisme:* 1.14 because this anoynting is peculiarly ministred by the handes of the chefe Bishops, but Baptisme is cōmon∣lye distributed by euery prest. What maye a man here say, but that they are vtterly mad, which so flatter their owne inuentions, that in compa∣rison of them they carelesly despise the holy ordināces of God? O mouth that robbest God, darest thou set a fat liquor onely defiled with the stink of thine owne breath, and enchaunted with murmuring sounde of wordes, against the Sacramēt of Christ, and to compare it with water hal∣lowed with the word of God? But thy wickednesse accompted this but a smal matter, vnlesse thou didst also preferre it aboue the same. These be the answers,* 1.15 of the Holy see, these be y^e Oracles of the Apostolike trestle. But some of them, euen in their owne opinion, begonne somewhat to qualifie this vnbridled madnesse. It is (say they) to be worshipped with greater reuerence: peraduenture not for the greater vertue and profitte that it geueth: but bicause it is geuen of the worthier men, and is made in the worthier part of the body, that is, in the forehed: or bicause it brin∣geth a greater encrease of vertues, although Baptisme auaile more to forgeuenesse. But in the first reason do they not bewraye themselues to be Donatistes, whiche measure the force of the Sacramente by the worthinesse of the minister. But I will admitte, that Confirmation bee called y^e worthier by reason of the worthinesse of the Bishops hand. But if a man aske of them, from whense so great prerogatiue hath ben geuē to Bishops, what reason will they bring beside their owne lust? The A∣postles alone vsed that power, which alone distributed the Holye ghost? Are the Bishops alone Apostles? Yea, are they Apostles at all? But lette vs also graunt them that: why do thei not by the same argumēt affirme, that Bishoppes alone ought to touche the Sacrament of the blood in the Supper of the Lorde: which they therfore denye to lay men, because the lord gaue it to the Apostles alone? If to the Apostles alone, why do they not conclude: therfore to the Bishops alone? But in that place they make the Apostles, simple prestes: but now the gyddynesse of their hed carrieth them an other way, sodeinly to create them Bishops. Finallye Ananias was no Apostle,* 1.16 to whom yet Paule was sent, that he shoulde receiue his sight, be baptised, and be filled with the Holy ghoste. I will adde this also to the heape: If by the law of God this was the proper of∣fice of Bishops, why haue they ben so bolde to geue it away to common prestes? as we rede in a certaine epistle of Gregorie.

As for their other reason, howe triflyng, fond, and foolishe is it, to cal [ 11] their Confirmation worthier than the Baptisme of God, because in it the forhead is anoynted with oyle, and in Baptisme the hynder part of the hed, as though Baptisme were done with the oyle and not with the water? I call all the godly to witnesse, whether these loselles do not en∣deuor them selues to this only end, to corrupt y^e purenesse of the Sacra∣ments with their leauen. I haue alredy spoken this in an other place, y^t in the Sacramētes, that which is of God scarcely glimmereth through at holes, among the rout of the inuentions of men. If any man did not

beleue me therein, let him now at least beleue his owne maisters. Loc, passing ouer the water, and making no accompt of it, they hyely esteme the onely oyle in Baptisme. We therfore on the contrarye syde doo saye, that in Baptisme the forehed also is dipped in water. In comparison of this, we esteeme not your oyle worth one piece of dong, whether it be in Baptisme or in confirmation. If any allege y^t it is sold for more: by this adding of price, the goodnesse (if anye were in it) is corrupted: so muche lesse may they commend a most filthy deceite by theft. In the third rea∣son they bewray their owne vngodlynesse, while they prate that in con∣firmation is geuen a greater encrease of vertues than in Baptisme. By the laying on of handes the Apostles distributed the visible graces of y^e Spirit. In what thing do these mens fat liquor shewe it selfe fruiteful? But away with these qualifiers, that couer one sacrilege with many sa∣crileges. It is like the Gordian: whiche it is better to breake in sonder, than to labor so much in vndoing it.

But now when they see themselues destitute of the word of God and [ 12] probable reason, they pretend as they are wont, that it is a most aunci∣ent obseruation and stablished by consent of many ages. Although that were true, yet they wynne nothing thereby. A Sacrament is not from the earthe, but from heauen: not from men, but from God alone. They must proue God to be the authour of their confirmation if they wil haue it taken for a Sacrament. But why do they obiect antiquitie, whereas the olde writers, when they mynde to speake properly, doo no where recken moe Sacramentes than twoo? If a fortresse of our faith were to be sought from men, we haue an inuincible tower, that the old Fathers neuer acknowleged those for Sacramentes which these men do lyeng∣ly faine to be Sacramentes. The olde writers speake of the laying on of handes:* 1.17 but do they cal it a Sacrament? Augustine plainly affirmeth that it is no other thing than praier. Neither let them here bark against me with their stinking distinctions, that Augustine meante that not of the layeng on of handes vsed to confirmation, but whiche was vsed to healing or reconciliation. The boke remaineth and is abrode in the hā∣des of mē. If I wrest it to any other sense than Augustine himself wrot it, I giue them leaue after their ordinarie maner to oppresse me not on∣lye with rayling, but also with spitting at me. For he speaketh of thē that returned from Schisme to the vnitie of the Chirch. He denieth that thei neded to be newlye baptized: for he sayth, that the layeng on of handes sufficeth, that by the bonde of peace the Lord maye geue them the Holye ghost. But for asmuche as it might seeme an absurditie, that the layeng on of handes should be done of new rather than Baptisme: he sheweth a difference. For (sayth he) what other thing is the layeng of handes, than prayer vpon a mā? And that this is his meaning, appeareth by an other place, where he sayeth: Hande is layed vpon heretikes amended, for the coupling of Charitie,* 1.18 which is the greatest gifte of the Holy ghost, with∣oute whiche whatsoeuer holye thynges are in mann they a uayle not to saluation.

But I would to God we did kepe still y^e maner whiche I haue said to [ 13] haue been in the old tyme, before that this vntimely deliuered image of a Sacramēt was borne: not that it should be such a confirmatiō as they faine, which can not ones be named without iniurie to Baptisme: but a

catechizyng, whereby children or they that were nere to the age of dis∣cretion didde declare an accompt of their faith before the Chirch. But it should bee the beste manner of Catechizing, if a forme were written to that vse, conteinyng and familiarly setting oute a summe in a maner of al the articles of our religion, in which the whole Chirch of the faithful ought without controuersie to agree: that a chylde beyng ten yeres olde shoulde offer himselfe to the Chirch to declare a confession of his faithe, should be examined of euery article, and answer to euery one: if he were ignorant of any thing, or did not vnderstande it he might be taught. So shoulde he, before the Chirche witnessing and beholding it, professe the onely, true, and pure faithe, wherewith the people of the faithfull dothe with one minde worship the one God. If this discipline were at this day in force, truly y^e slouthfulnesse of some parentes would be whetted, who do carelesly neglect instruction of their children as a thing nothing belonging to them, whiche then withoute open shame they could not o∣mitte: there should be among christian people a greater consent of faith, and not so great ignorance and rudenesse of many: some should not bee so rashly carried away with new and strāge doctrines: finally all should haue as it were a certayne orderly instruction of christian learning.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Epist. 39.
• * 1.2

  Episto. lxxvii.
• * 1.3

  Mat. xii xxv.
• * 1.4

  Act. viii.xv.
• * 1.5

  Ioh. vii.xxxvii.
• * 1.6

  Iohn. xx.xxii.
• * 1.7

  Ga. iiii.ix Colo. ii.xx.
• * 1.8

  i. Cor. vi.xiii.
• * 1.9

  Ro. vi.iiii
• * 1.10

  Acts. viii.xvi.
• * 1.11

  Act. ii.iiii
• * 1.12

  Gala. iii.xvii. De cons•• dist. v. cap. Sp.
• * 1.13

  Verba cap i. de Consecr. dis. v cō. aurel. ca. vt Ieiuni••
• * 1.14

  Cap. De his vero, Dist. ea∣dem.
• * 1.15

  Trestle, Apollo among y^e Heathen gaue an∣sweres & Prophe∣cies at a threefoo∣ted boord or trestle Lib. iiii. Senten. Dist. vii cap. ii.
• * 1.16

  Actes. ix.xvii. Dist. ix. cap. Per∣uenit.
• * 1.17

  Lib. iii. de bap. contra. Donat. Cap. xv••.
• * 1.18

  Lib v Cap. xxiii