Of how many essentiall parts doth a Sacrament consist?
Of three.
1. The word of the institution or the commaundement, and the ordinance of God, and the promise of grace; I say of grace, not of any of the gifts of God, either corporall or spirituall, but of Iustification, that is to say, of the remission of sinnes, and life e∣ternall: which is repeated in the Church, not for consecration sake, neither that any vertue might bee added to the Element, but that the faithfull might heare and beleeue it.
2. Of an outward signe and visible, which otherwise is called an Element, because in the first Sacrament, that is in Baptisme the signe is the element of watet: by another name, by a visible forme, because it is a bodily thing and sensible, subiect to the sight, and sense: otherwise a Symbole, because of the proportion and re∣semblance vnto the thing signified: and because it is as it were a marke token of Gods promise. Both which Augustine com∣prehendeth in this saying. Let the word, (to wit of the institution and of the promise of grace) be added to the element, and there is a Sacrament.
3. Of the thing signified, which some call the matter of the sa∣crament, others the inuisible grace, or the wholesome gift. As in Circumcision there is the apparant commaundement of the Lord, Thou shalt keepe the couenant. Gen. 17. and the promise is expressed, I will bee thy God, the God of thy seede after thee; the signe, the cutting off of the foreskin: lastly the thing signified, the Circumcision of the heart, or of the old naturea 1.1.