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WE haue sayde before, that the Sa∣cramentes* 1.1 bee the other meanes and instrumentes wherewyth the ho∣lye Ghoste doeth appropriate and ioyne to vs, that which is necessary to our sal∣uation.
But for as muche as by thys worde Sacrament is sometymes vnder∣stande all those signes by the whyche some sacred and spirituall thing is signi∣fied to vs, we must first restraine the sig∣nification accordyng as our nature may* 1.2 beare it. And is to bee vnderstande that our God mosse mercifullye vsynge our poore and misserable nature as a meane to declare hys goodnesse and pacyence the better to vs, is not onely contente to declare to vs simply the meanes by the which it pleaseth hym to saue vs, and to vse an incomprehensible sweetnesse and mercye, in teaching vs his wyl by mor∣tall men lyke to our selues, a 1.3 and as it were dallying with vs as nurses▪ doe with lytle chyldren: b 1.4 but principallye for to heape in vs a number of his infy∣nite mercyes and goodnesse, would ioyne to the preachyng of hys worde certayne thynges to doe▪ whyche shoulde come to moue and styre vp the moste rude and grossest myndes of the worlde, to beleue more and more, that God doeth not
mocke them, in declaring to them eter∣nall lyfe by so merueylous a meane, whiche is the death of hys owne sonne So that by suche signes▪ and meanes of doyng all theyr vnderstandynge is mo∣ued to geue consent to y• euangelicall do∣ctrine, as though they were all readye in possession and fully enioying that salua∣tion which is promised them. As wee sée (if it be lawfull to make comparison of y• affaires of the worlde with such incōpre∣hensible goodnesse of God) nowe is an o∣pen court of iustice, when the possession or property of a thyng is iudged to one▪ they vse certayne ceremonies and mea∣nes in doing the acte of taking possessiō. Or in execution of processe likewise. For to assure vs▪ and also to witnesse to o∣thers that suche or suche thynge▪ apper∣tayneth to vs, namely in our cynyll and wordly affayres. Or when a Notarys doeth signifie a testimoniall, and put to the names of the Witnesses, beside▪ all that, hee putteth to the Seale of the Of∣fice or Cittie, where the instrumente is
made and passed, to make the Instru∣ment appeare to bee of greater credyte and authoritye. c 1.5 So lykewyse from the beginning of our Lorde God, not beyng onelye contented to shewe vnto Adam the grace and goodnes whyche he would doe to his Churche by Iesus Christe, but did ioyne to it the sacrifices, as the lyue∣ly figures of the sacrifice to come of Ie∣sus Christe, for the better assuraunce of the fayth in the chyldren of God, accor∣dyng to their hope. d 1.6 And afterwarde in renuing this couenaunt of grace & mer∣cye to Abraham, hee ioyned to it the Sa∣crament of Circumcision e 1.7. And also in the tyme of Moyses hee ioyned to it the sacrament of the Pascal f 1.8 Lambe, with other ceremonies almost infinit, whiche were also Sacramentes representyng vnto them those thynges whyche Iesus Christ should fulfyll in hys tyme, that is to wytte, all the mysterie of our salua∣tion, as the Apostle declareth playnelye in the Epistle to the Hebrues. But when the tyme ordayned was come▪
then Iesus Christe by his comming en∣ded all those thinges which figured and were shaddowes of his comming. Yet neuerthelesse, although hee hath ended the shadowes and auncient sacraments, and hath brought into the worlde ano∣ther more greater light to worship God from hence foorthe, with seruice more pure and spirituall, and more agreeable to the nature of God which is a spirite g 1.9: Yet neuerthelesse hauing respecte to our grosse and rude nature, woulde ioyne certayne Sacramentes and exteryour signes to his woorde, the better to en∣crease and entertaine our fayth. For although Iesus Christ hath already got∣ten vs the kingdome of heauen: yet we possesse it not but by hope, h 1.10 so long as we be here vpon earth, wherein it is necessa∣rie that we doo encrease and perseuer vn∣to the ende i 1.11.
August. 2 booke de doctr▪ christia.
S. Chriso hom••l. 83▪ vpō saint Mathew.
Deut. 18, philip. •• ••, Cori. 5
••. Thes. ••
Rom. 4,
••••b••. 11.
Gene. 1••
Exod. 12
Iohn. 4
Roman. 8 1. Corin. 1••
Ephe. ••▪