overshadowing of the Holy Ghost, which brought to pass that Mary should bring forth the Saviour of the world, hath also brought to pass that the water should bear anew or regenerate him that believeth."

Such opinion had the ancient learned Fathers, and such reverend words they used, when they treated of the Sacraments. For it is not man, but God Who worketh by them: yet is it not the creature of bread or water, but the soul of man that receiveth the grace of God. These corruptible creatures need it not; we have need of God's grace. this is a phrase of speaking. of God, the grace of God, the presence of the Trinity, the Holy Ghost, the gift of God, are not in the water, but in us. And we were not made, because of the Sacraments; but the Sacraments were ordained for our sake.

But

For the power

Now for the number of Sacraments, how many there be: it may seem somewhat hard to say, and that it cannot be spoken

* Dedit aquæ, quod dedit matri. Virtus enim altissimi, et obumbratio Spiritus Sancti, quæ fecit ut Maria pareret salvatorem, eadem fecit, ut regeneret unda credentem. Leo, Serm. v. de Nat. Dom.

without offence. For men's judgments herein have swerved very much. Some have said, there are two; others three; others four; and others, that there are seven Sacraments. This difference of opinions standeth rather in terms than in the matter. For a Sacrament in the manner of speaking which the Church useth, and in the writings of the holy Scriptures, and of ancient Fathers, sometimes signifieth properly, every such Sacrament which Christ hath ordained in the New Testament, for which He hath chosen some certain element, and spoken special words to make it a Sacrament, and hath annexed thereto the promise of grace. Sometimes it is used in a general kind of taking, and so every mystery set down to teach the people, and many things that indeed, and by special property, be no Sacraments, may nevertheless pass under the general name of a Sacrament.

The Sacraments instituted by Christ are only two: the Sacrament of Baptism, and of our Lord's Supper; as the ancient learned Fathers have made account of them. St. Ambrose, having occasion of purpose to treat of the Sacraments, speaketh but of two.

He

saith, "I begin to speak of the Sacraments which you have receivedy." And yet in his whole treatise divided into six books he writHis book is extant; if any

eth but of two.

man doubt this, he may see it.

St. Augustine reckoneth them to be but two; "These be the two Sacraments of the Church'." Again he saith, "Our Lord and His Apostles have delivered unto us a few Sacraments instead of many; and the same in doing most easy, in signification most excellent, in observation most reverend, as is the Sacrament of Baptism, and the celebration of the Body and Blood of our Lord." Thus St. Augustine and St. Ambrose, unto whom I might also join other ancient Fathers, reckon but two Sacraments. Let no man then be offended with us for so doing; we do no new thing, but restore the ordinance of Christ, and keep the example of the holy Fathers.

What then? Do we refuse Confirmation, Penance, Orders, and Matrimony? Is there

y De Sacramentis quæ accepistis, sermonem adorior. Ambros. Lib. I. de Sac. cap. 1.

z Hæc sunt Ecclesiæ gemina Sacramenta.-Quædam pauca pro multis, eademque factu facillima, &c. De Symb. ad Catechumen. lib. iii. cap. 9. de Doctr. Christ.

no use of these among us? do we not allow them? Yes. For we do Confirm and teach repentance, and minister holy Orders, and account Matrimony, and so use it, as an honourable state of life. We visit the sick among us, and anoint them with the precious oil of the mercy of God. But we call not these Sacraments, because they have not the like institution. Confirmation was not ordained by Christ: Penance hath not any outward element joined to the word: the same may be said of Orders: and Matrimony was not first instituted by Christ; for God ordained it in Paradise long before. But in these two, we have both the element and the institution. In Baptism, the element is water; in the Lord's Supper, bread and wine. Baptism hath the word of institution. "Teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost"." The Lord's Supper in like manner hath the word of institution, "Do this in remembrance of Me." Therefore these two are properly and truly called the Sacraments of the Church, because in them the element is joined to the

a S. Matt. xxviii. 19. b S. Luke xxii. 19.

word, and they take their ordinance of Christ, and are visible signs of invisible grace.

Now whatsoever lacketh either of these, it is no Sacrament; therefore are not the other five, which are so reckoned, and make up the number of seven, in due signification and right meaning taken for Sacraments. For in such sort as these are called Sacraments, that is, because they signify some holy thing, we shall find a great number of things, which the godly and learned Fathers have called Sacraments; and yet, I trow, we must not hold them as Sacraments, ordained to be kept and continued in the Church: for then should there be not seven, but seventeen Sacraments.

St. Bernard calleth the washing of the Apostles' feet a Sacrament; "The washing of feet is the Sacrament of daily sins." So Leo calleth the Cross of Christ a Sacrament. "The Cross of Christ, which was given to save the faithful, is both a Sacrament, and also an example"" Tertullian calleth the

• Ablutio pedum Sacramentum est quotidianorum peccatorum. Sermo de cœna Dom.

d Crux Christi quæ salvandis est impensa fidelibus, et Sacramentum est, et exemplum. Serm. 2. de Resur. D.

M