Institutions of Christian religion framed out of Gods word, and the writings of the best diuines, methodically handled by questions and answers, fit for all such as desire to know, or practise the will of God. Written in Latin by William Bucanus Professor of Diuinitie in the Vniuersitie of Lausanna. And published in English by Robert Hill, Bachelor in Diuinitie, and Fellow of Saint Iohns Colledge in Cambridge, for the benefit of our English nation, to which is added in the end the practise of papists against Protestant princes.

What is the forme common to all Sacraments?

If wee consider the verie essence of a Sacrament, his forme, or at least the speciall part of the essence, and the rule whereof it doth depend, and hath his beeing, is the ordinance or instituti∣on of God, conteined in the word. For Sacraments are that which God doth testifie, by the word of his institution and promise that hee would haue them to bee: so that that verie worde must bee as it were the verie life of the Sacrament, or the cause where∣by a Sacrament is that which it is.

But by the word vnderstand not, that it which is conceiued in a certain number of syllables vttered without vnderstanding and faith, hath any force to consecrate or transforme the element, & to giue any vertue to it.

For as the forme of the letters can doe nothing: so neither the pronouncing or sound of the words: but that which beeing vt∣tered by God, is preached and published by the Minister, with a cleare voice, doth cause vs to vnderstand and beleeue what the visible signe meaneth. Whereupon Augustine saith, not because it is spoken, but because it is beleeued.

Furthermore, the goodly Analogie, or proportion of the signe

with the thing signified, and the mutuall reference or relation, affection, & habit of the one to the other, because the essence of a Sacrament is nothing else but to haue relation to the thing sig∣nified, and Sacramented, that is to say, the thing signified.

Now the Analogie or proportion, which is the agreement, or conueniencie, of one thing hauing relation to another, is in the proportion or likenesse of the actions or effects, as for example, as water washeth away filth: euen so the bloud of Christ wa∣sheth away sins.

The relation is in the institution vnto the thing signified, or in the mutual respect of the one vnto the other, as when together with the signe exhibited to the senses, the thing signified is represented to the vnderstanding.

To conclude, if wee respect the vse, the forme of a Sacrament, is an action, wherein an earthly thing is lawfully and rightly ad∣ministred and vsed for that end, whereunto it is appointed of God: or the manner of performing & celebrating the Sacrament: for the forme of the Action, is the manner wherein it is done.