6th. This doctrine blasphemously ties down the grace of the ever living and sovereign God, and puts its entire disposal into the hands of fallible and often wicked men.
7th. This doctrine is an essential element of that ritualistic and priestly system which prevailed among the Pharisees, and against which the whole Xew Testament is a protest.
8th. The uniform effect of this system has been to exalt the power of the priests, and to confound all knowledge as to the nature of true religion. As the baptized, as a matter of fact, do not always or generally bear the fruits of the Spirit, all ritualists agree in regarding these fruits as not essential to salvation. Where this system prevails vital godliness expires.
13. What efficacy is attributed to the sacraments by the Re- formed churches ?
That they signify, seal, and actually confer the blessings of Christ's redemption, but that this efficacy is not in the sacra- ments themselves, nor in any virtue derived from the piety or intention of him by whom they are administered, but only by the working of the Holy Ghost and the blessing of Christ, by whom they were instituted, and that this efficacy is confined to those who are within the covenant of grace, and in case of adults, to the worthy recipients. — Conf. Faith, Chaps. XXVII. and XXVIII. ; L. Cat, question 162 ; S. Cat,, question 92.
14. How may the correctness of the Protestant doctrine be proved ?
1st. As far as this doctrine stands opposed to the Eomish heresy, it is established by the arguments presented above, under question 12.
2d. As far as this doctrine stands opposed to the meager Zu- inglian or rationalistic view, as stated above, question 7, it may be established as follows. (1.) That the sacraments are not only signs of the grace of Christ, but also seals of the gospel covenant
476 SACKAMENTS.
offering us that grace upon the condition of faith, "is evident from the fact that Paul says that circumcision is the seal of the right- eousness of faith, Kom. iv., 11. And that the apostle regarded baptism in the same light is evident from Col. ii., 11. In refer- ence to the Lord's supper, the Saviour said, c this cup is the new covenant in my blood/ i. e.} the new covenant was ratified by his blood. Of that blood the cup is the appointed memorial, and it is therefore both the memorial and the confirmation of the cove- nant itself. .... The gospel is represented under the form of a covenant. The sacraments are the seals of that covenant. God, in their appointment, binds himself to the fulfillment of his promises ; his people, by receiving them, bind themselves to trust and serve him. This idea is included in the representation given (Kom. vi., 3, 4), in the formula of baptism, and in all those pas- sages in which a participation of Christian ordinances is said to include a profession of the gospel." (2.) As seals attached to the covenant, it follows that they actually convey the grace signified, as a legal form of investiture, to those to whom, according to the terms of the covenant, it belongs. Thus a deed, when signed and sealed, is said to convey the property it represents, because it is the legal form by which the intention of the original possessor is publicly expressed, and his act ratified. It is on this ground that in Scripture, as in common language, the names and attributes of the graces sealed are ascribed to the sacraments by which they are sealed and conveyed to their rightful possessors. — Conf. Faith, Chap. XXVII., section 2. They are said to wash away sin, to unite to Christ, to save, etc., Acts ii., 38 ; xxii., 16 ; Kom. vi., 2, 6 ; 1 Cor. x., 16 ; xii., 13 ; Gal. iii., 27 ; Titus iii., 5.— Way of Life.
15. What is the Romish doctrine of " intention" as connected toith this subject ?
Dens (Vol V., p. 127) says, " To the valid performance of the sacrament is required the intention upon the part of the officiating minister of doing that which the church does. The necessary intention in the minister consists in an act of his will, by which he wills the external action with the intention of doing what the church does ;" that is, of performing a valid sacrament. Otherwise, although every external action may be regularly per- formed, the whole is void. See Coun. Trent, Sess. 7, canon 11.
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This leaves the recipient entirely at the mercy of the minister, since the validity of the whole service depends npon his secret intention, and is evidently one of the devices of that antichrjs- tian church to make the people dependent upon the priesthood.
16. What is the sense in which Protestants admit c' intention" to be necessary ?
They admit that in order to render the outward service a valid sacrament, it must be performed with the ostensible professed design of complying thereby with the command of Christ, and of doing what he requires to be done by those who accept the gospel covenant.