H. Zanchius his confession of Christian religion Which novve at length being 70. yeares of age, he caused to bee published in the name of himselfe & his family. Englished in sense agreeable, and in words as answerable to his ovvne latine copie, as in so graue a mans worke is requisite: for the profite of all the vnlearneder sort, of English christians, that desire to know his iudgement in matters of faith.

XV. Betvveene the signes and the matters is a sa∣cramentall vnion, and what it is.

And although we saye, that the matter of the sacraments is not tied to the sacraments, or included in them, namely either physically or locally, or corporally, or also by any knott or bande, as though God had simply promi∣sed the very matters themselues to euery one that should receiue the sacraments, howsoe∣uer they lacked faith: so that he were bound to communicate them vnto vnrepentant and vnbeleeuers: yet we take not away all coniun∣ction and copulation of the thing signified,

with the signes. For we acknowledge & con∣fesse a sacramentall, that is, such an vnion, as is agreeable to a sacrament, with the thinges of the Sacrament. And this sacramentall vnion consisteth in a certaine mistical and holy rela∣tion: namely in as much as the signes do sig∣nifie the things, and offer them to be recei∣ued: & the things are signified by the signes, and are giuen to be receiued: no otherwise thē the vnion is, betweene the word signifying & exhibiting, and betweene the things by the word signified and exhibited. But the con∣iunction, aswell that of the sacraments, as this of the word with the things themselues, han∣geth or dependeth vpon the wil and counsell of God the institutor: who when he instituted the preaching of the gospell, and administra∣tion of the sacraments, did institute them to this ende and purpose (as is declared;) both that we, hearing the word, and seeing and re∣ceiuing the signes, should by & by lift vpp the eyes of our minde to the things signified by them: & beeing offred vnto vs, should receiue them with the hands of faith: and might in∣deed be vnited vnto Christ, whom they preach vnto vs, and shewe as it were with the finger, by their signification. Therefore as the coniun∣ctiō of vs with Christ, is al full of mistery, as the Apostle teacheth in the 5. to the Ephe. So also we thinke this vnion both of the word, & sa∣cramēts, with the things wherof they be signes and sacraments, to be misticall and spirituall.