Communion wafers are inappropriate for the Lord’s Supper, rather, ordinary bread is the proper element for the sacrament. Herman Witsius wrote, “we can by no means approve of the small round things, made of meal, commonly called hosts or wafers, such as now the Romish church is pleased to make use of.” Similarly, John Willison… Read More Why Wafers are Inappropriate for Communion
The parts of a Sacrament are of two sorts, some outward, open, sensible, earthly, visible, and signifying—some are inward, hidden, spiritual, heavenly, invisible, and signified. The outward is applied to the body, the inward is applied to the soul and conscience. This division and distinction of parts appeareth plainly, “He is not a Jew which is one outward, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew which is one within, and the circumcision is of the heart, in the spirit, not in the letter” (Rom. 2:28-29).… Read More The Nature of a Sacrament: Partly Outward and Partly Inward.
A Sacrament is a visible sign and seal ordained of God, whereby Christ and all his saving graces by certain outward rites are signified, exhibited, and sealed up unto us. There is more in the Sacraments than is seen with the eyes, or felt with the hands: and therefore we must not conceive unreverently of them, nor come negligently unto them, making them mere carnal and outward things: but we must think reverently, speak soberly, receive humbly and penitently these holy mysteries.… Read More What Is A Sacrament?
The Word of God may fitly be resembled to writings and evidences: and the Sacraments to seals, which the Lord alone sets to his own letters. They are as a visible sermon preaching unto us most lively the promises of God: that as the Word we hear doth edify and instruct the mind by the outward ears, so doth the Sacraments by the eyes and other senses… The Word may be without the Sacraments, but the Sacraments cannot be without the Word, as a writing may be without a seal, but not the seal without the writing. Set a seal to a blank, and is it not vain, void, and unprofitable?… Read More Word and Sacrament: Agreements & Differences
There is one party holding opinions on the subject admitting of various modifications, but agreeing in this, that they ascribe a high spiritual efficacy to the Sacraments apart from the faith or spiritual act of the receiver. By this party, the views of the Sacraments already stated are regarded as defective in the way of ascribing to Sacraments a less virtue than really belongs to them.… Read More Defective Views of the Sacraments: Inherent & Independent Virtue
There is one party who deny the grand and characteristic distinction between sacramental and other ordinances already enunciated, and hold that the Sacraments have no virtue except as badges of a Christian profession, and signs of spiritual truth. By this party, the views of the Sacraments already stated by me are held to be erroneous in the way of attributing to them a greater virtue than actually belongs to them.… Read More Defective Views of the Sacraments: Bare Memorialism
“Though the sacraments are connected with the thing signified nevertheless both are not received by all men: the ungodly indeed receives the sacrament to his condemnation but he does not receive the truth of the sacrament. As Judas, and Simon the sorcerer, both indeed received the sacrament, but not Christ, who was signified by it,… Read More Sacraments: The Savor of Death to Ungodly Partakers
‘For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sin.’ (Hebrews 10:4) These were called “sin offerings,” because they were types of Christ’s sacrifice, which did indeed take away sin, but they themselves could not, and that by reason of the disproportion betwixt the means of cleansing on the one side, and the thing cleansed, together with the filth cleansed away on the other side. The means were merely external, earthly and carnal, namely, the blood of beasts. The thing to be cleansed, was the soul of man, which is a spiritual substance.… Read More The Impotency of External Rites in Spiritual Matters
On every point Transubstantiation is a false, shocking, & novel doctrine. With Transubstantiation falls the sacrifice of the Mass. Upon Transubstantiation, everything important and decisive in the church of Rome may be said in a degree to hang. Yet, Protestant sacramentology truly captures the simple and beautiful institution of Jesus Christ.… Read More Transubstantiation: Unbiblical, Ahistorical, and Unreasonable
In the New Testament there is both new priest and sacrifice, yet not any popish priest but only Christ Himself both God and man.… Read More Is the Lord’s Supper a Sacrifice?
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