3. As the word sacrament is taken less properly, defectively, _secundum quid_, for the same covenant of grace or christianity renewed by any arbitrary sign of our own, without a solemn ceremony of divine institution, so there are divers sacraments of christianity or the covenant of grace, that is, divers solemn renewals of our covenant with God. As, 1. At our solemn transition from the state of infant membership unto that of the adult, when we solemnly own our baptismal covenant, which Calvin and many protestants (and the English rubric) call confirmation. 2. The solemn owning the christian faith and covenant, in our constant church assemblies, when we stand up at the creed or profession of our faith, and all renew our covenant with God, and dedication to him. 3. At solemn days of fasting or humiliation, and of thanksgiving when this should be solemnly done. Especially upon some public defection. 4. Upon the public repentance of a particular sinner before his absolution. 5. When a man is going out of the world, and recommending his soul to God by Christ; all these are solemn renewings of our covenant with God, in which we may use any lawful, natural, or arbitrary signs or expressions, to signify our own minds by, as speaking, subscribing, standing up, lifting up the hand, laying it upon a book, kissing the book, &c. These sacraments are improperly so called; and are divine as to the covenant renewed, but human as to the expressing signs.
4. Ordination is not improperly or unfitly called a sacrament, because it is the solemnizing of a mutual covenant between God and man, for our dedication to his special service, and his reception of us and blessing on us, though imposition of hands be not so solemn a ceremony by mere institution, as baptism and the Lord's supper. But then it must be noted, that this is not _sacramentum christianitatis_, a sacrament of the christian covenant; but _sacramentum ordinis vel officii particularis_, a sacrament of orders, or a particular office; but of divine institution.
5. The solemn celebration of marriage, is an economical sacrament; that is, a solemn obligation of man and woman by vow to one another, and of both to God in that relation, which may be arbitrarily expressed by lawful signs or ceremonies.
6. The solemn covenant of a master with his servant, is on the same account an economical sacrament.
7. The inauguration of a king, in which he is sworn to his subjects, and dedicated to God in that office, and his subjects sworn or consent to him, is a civil sacrament, whether unction be added or not. And so is a judge's entrance on his office, when it is done so solemnly by an obliging vow or covenant.
8. Confirmation in the papists' sense, as conferred by chrism on infants for giving them the Holy Ghost, is but an unwarrantable imitation of the old miraculous operation by the apostles, and neither a christian sacrament, nor a warrantable practice, but a presumption.
9. The same may be said of their sacrament of extreme unction.
10. Their sacrament of marriage is no otherwise a sacrament, than the inauguration of a king is; which is approved by God as well as marriage, and signifieth also an honourable collation of power from the universal King.
11. Their sacrament of penance is no otherwise a sacrament than many other forementioned renewings of our covenant are.
12. Therefore the papists' seven sacraments, or septenary distribution, is confused, partly redundant, partly defective, and unworthy to be made a part of their faith or religion, or the matter of their peevish and ignorant contendings. And they that peremptorily say, without distinguishing, that there are but two sacraments in all, do but harden them by the unwarrantable narrowing of the word.
[341] Of which see Martinius fully in "Onom. de Sacram." Bellarmin himself reckoneth five.
Quest. C. _How far is it lawful, needful, or unlawful for a man to afflict himself by external penances for sin?_
_Answ._ 1. Not to the destroying of his body, life, or health, or the disabling or unfitting body or mind, for the service of God.
2. Not to be the expression of any sinful, inordinate dejection, despondency, sorrow, or despair.
3. Not so as may be an outward appearance of such inordinate passions, or as may be a scandal to others, and deter them from religion as a melancholy, hurtful thing.
4. Nor as if God would accept the mere external self-afflicting for itself, or as if he loved our hurt, or as if we merited of him by our unprofitable, voluntary troubles.
But, 1. It is a duty to express true godly sorrow by its proper exercise and signs, so far as either the acting of it, or the increase or continuance by the means of those expressions is profitable to ourselves.
2. And also so far as is needful to the profiting of others, by showing them the evil of sin, and drawing them to repentance.[342]