[Sidenote: The use of Sacraments.]
[Sidenote: Baptisme.]
[Sidenote: The Lordis Supper, perfythe and plainly described.]
As the Fatheris under the Law, besydis the veritie of the sacrifices,
had two cheaf Sacramentis, to witt, Circumcisioun and the Passover,
the despysaris and contemnaris whairof war not reputed for Godis
people; so [do] we acknawledge and confesse that we now, in the tyme
of the Evangell, have two[248] Sacramentis onlie, institutit be the Lord
Jesus, and commanded to be used of all those that will be reputed
members of his body, to witt, Baptisme and the Supper, or Table of the
Lord Jesus, called The Communioun of his body and bloode. And these
sacramentis (alsweill of the Auld as of the New Testament) war
institut[248] of God, not onlie to maik ane visible difference betwixt
his people, and those that war without his league; but also to
exercise the faith of his children; and by participatioun of the same
sacramentis, to seall in thair heartis the assurance of his promeis,
and of that most blessed conjunctioun, unioun, and societie, whiche
the Elect have with thair head, Christ Jesus. And thus we utterlie
dampne the vanitie of those that affirme Sacramentis to be nothing
else but naked and bair signes. No, we assuredlie beleve, that by
Baptisme we ar ingrafted in Christ Jesus to be maid partakaris of his
justice, by the whiche our synes are covered and remitted; and also,
that in the Supper, rychtlie used, Christ Jesus is so joyned with us,
that he becumis the verray nurishement and foode of our saullis. Not
that we ymagine any transsubstantiatioun of bread into Christis
naturall body, and of wyne in his naturall bloode, (as the Papistis
have perniciouslie taught and dampnablie beleved;) but this union and
communioun whiche we have with the body and bloode of Christ Jesus in
the rycht use of the sacraments, is wrocht by operatioun of the Holy
Ghost, who by trew faith caryes us above all thingis that ar visible,
carnall, and earthlie, and maikis us to feid upoun the body and bloode
of Christ Jesus, whiche was ones brokin and schedd for us, whiche now
is in the heavin, and appeareth in the presence of his Father for us.
And yit, notwithstanding the far distance of place, whiche is betwix
his bodye now glorifeid in the heavin, and us now mortall in this
earth, yit we most assuredlie beleve, that the bread which we break is
the communioun of Christis body, and the cupp which we bliss, is the
communion of his bloode. So that we confesse, and undowttedlye beleve,
that the faithfull, in the rycht use of the Lordis Table, so do eatt
the body, and drynk the bloode of the Lord Jesus, that he remaneth in
thame and thai in him: yea, that thai ar so maid flesche of his
flesche, and bone of his bones, that as the Eternall Godheid hath
gevin to the flesche of Christ Jesus (whiche of the awin conditioun
and nature was mortall and corruptible) lyfe and immortalitie, so
doeth Christ Jesus his flesche and bloode eatten and drunken by us,
give to us the same prerogatives: Whiche albeit we confesse, are
neather gevin unto us at that onlie tyme, neather yit by the propir
power and vertew of the Sacramentis onlie; yit we affirme, that the
faithfull in the rycht use of the Lordis Table hes sick conjunctioun
with Christ Jesus, as the naturall man can not comprehend: yea, and
farther we affirme, that albeit the faithfull oppressed be negligence,
and manlie infirmitie, doeth not proffeitt so mekill as thei wold att
the verray instant actioun of the Supper, yit shall it after bring
furth frute, as livelie seid sawin in good ground; for the Holy
Spreit, whiche can never be devided frome the rycht institutioun of
the Lord Jesus, will not frustrat the faythfull of the frute of that
misticall actioun. But all this, we say, cumis by trew fayth, whiche
apprehendeth Christ Jesus, who onlie maikis his Sacramentis effectuall
unto us; and, thairfoir, whosoever sclandereth us, as that we affirmed
or beleved Sacramentis to be onlie naiked and bair signes, do injurie
unto us, and speak against a manifest treuth. But this liberallie and
francklie we most confess, that we maik ane distinctioun betwix Christ
Jesus, in his naturall substance,[249] and betwix the elementis in the
Sacramentall signes; so that we will neather wirschip the signes in
place of that which is signifeid by thame; neather yit do we dispyse
and interprete thame as unprofitable and vane; but do use thame with
all reverence, examyning our selfis diligentlie befoir that so we do,
becaus we ar assured by the mouth of the Apostle, "That sick as eat of
that bread, and drynk of that cupp, unworthelie, ar guyltie of the
body and bloode[250] of the Lord Jesus."
[248] In the old printed copies, "two chief;" and "now instituted."
[249] In the old printed copies, "in his eternall substance."
[250] In the editions 1561, "and of the blood of Christ Jesus."