SACRAMENTAL GRACE.
With regard to sacramental grace, I do not conceive that an episcopally ordained minister has any inherent grace deposited in him, which imparts a greater efficacy, when a sacrament is administered by him, above what may be received by graciously prepared recipients, who may have it administered by others not episcopally ordained. The good imparted is immediately and directly from the Divine Spirit, just as the power of seeing came immediately and directly from Christ, and not through the clay with which the eyes of the blind man were anointed: no inherent or even transferred power with which the clay had become endowed, but a simple transaction between Christ and the believing applicant. The outward and visible signs are of great importance, but most lamentable is it when they are invested with that power which belongs to God alone. The connexion between these views and Romanism is easily apparent. Salvation is no longer of faith, but of works:—use forms, ceremonies, penances, sacraments, prayers, recitations, liturgical services, and all is done: grace is conveyed, and that, too, in proportion to the number and frequency of the performances; and the state of the heart all the while disregarded—the vast surplusage of merit will be obtained, or extreme unction adjust all.
THE SACRAMENTS. [287a]
1. What are the Sacraments? [287b]
“They are outward and visible signs and pledges of inward and spiritual grace.”—Ch. Cat.
2. How many are the Christian Sacraments?
“There are (only) two Sacraments ordained by Christ our Lord in the Gospel: that is to say, Baptism and the Supper of the Lord.”—25th Art. Ch. of England. [287c]
3. What are the design and use of Sacraments?
The principal design is to convey “spiritual grace” to the soul: and their chief use consists in their being suitable “means” for the purpose.
4. What is the nature of the Christian Sacraments?
“Sacraments ordained of Christ be not only badges or tokens of Christian men’s profession, but rather they be certain sure witnesses, and effectual signs of grace, and God’s good will towards us, by the which he doth work invisibly in us, and doth not only quicken, but also strengthen and confirm our faith in Him.”—25th Art. Ch. of England.
5. What do you understand by “spiritual grace,” which you say it is the design of the Sacraments to convey to the soul?
The term grace has many significations in Scripture: but most commonly it either means good-will, or favour (Romans xi. 6; 2 Tim. i. 9; Rom. v. 20); or it signifies the internal operation of the Holy Spirit upon the soul, regenerating, purifying, and sanctifying our nature: and the Sacraments, when duly regarded, are signs and pledges of the one, and effectual means of conveying the other.
6. How, then, are the Sacraments to be regarded?
Simply as means of grace, and not as necessarily conveying any internal benefit to the soul: for no such benefit is, or can be, derived from them, unless the mind be previously prepared to partake of them as God has willed and commanded.
7. What proofs can you adduce that the internal benefits of Sacraments are not absolute, and independent of the previous state of the mind?
First, because we have no warrant either in Scripture, or in the reason of things, to think so; and, secondly, because, if they were so, no one could eat and drink in the Lord’s Supper to their own condemnation, which St. Paul affirms is the case with those who eat and drink unworthily. (1. Cor. xi. 29. Acts viii. 13, 20–23.)
8. But though this is the case in the Lord’s Supper, are not the benefits of Baptism absolute and unconditional?
No: repentance and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ are indispensably necessary in all cases previously to any saving benefits being derived from the use of this sacrament. Repentance and faith, however, though previously necessary, are in nowise the meritorious and procuring cause of these benefits; they form only a preparatory and necessary meetness for a due reception of them.
9. But are not infants, although incapable of either repentance or faith, invariably regenerated, renewed, and sanctified in and by this sacrament?
All that are baptized are said to be regenerated, because the outward ordinance is a sign or emblem of “spiritual regeneration.” And nothing is more common, both in Scripture and in ancient writings, than the use of a term which only denotes the sign for the thing signified. And in the judgment of Christian charity, in all cases when this sacrament is rightly received, and the after conduct corresponds with the professions therein made, we may conclude that they partake, as of the sign, so also of the thing signified.
10. What do you understand by the sacrament being “rightly received”?
The sacrament is rightly received in infant baptism, when the parents and sponsors have just scriptural views of its nature and design, and present children to be baptized in obedience to the authority of God; simply, humbly, and sincerely depending upon his unmerited grace and favour in Christ Jesus; and are truly desirous that the child so presented by them, may become “the faithful soldier and servant of the Lord Jesus Christ;” and when the sponsors themselves exercise repentance, whereby “they forsake sin, and faith, whereby they stedfastly believe the promises of God made to them in that sacrament.” In all such cases we have “a presumptive certainty” that spiritual regeneration commences in the ordinance; for then it is “rightly received.”
11. What is the best after proof of this?
The best after proof which children can give of this is, the fulfilment of those promises and engagements made for them by their sponsors in their baptism.
12. And what were the promises and engagements?
“That they should renounce the devil and all his works, the pomps and vanity of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh; that they should believe all the articles of the Christian faith; and that they should keep God’s holy will and commandments, and walk in the same all the days of their life.”—Ch. Cat.
13. But how do you show that children in after life are bound to fulfil those engagements made for them by others, at this unconscious period of their infancy?
They are bound to do so by the obligation which they themselves owe to God, inasmuch as their parents or spiritual guardians entered into such engagements only, on their behalf, as each individual is bound to fulfil, whether such engagements had or had not been entered into by others.