only produce historical, but not religious faith. Zwingle in the use of such language, had doubtless more a negative, than an af- firmative object before his mind. He was more intent on denying the Romish doctrine of the inherent power of the sacraments, than of asserting anything of their real efficacy. Nevertheless it is true that Zwingle has ever been regarded as holding the lowest doctrine concerning the sacraments of any of the Re- formers. They were to him no more means of grace than the rainbow or the heaps of stone on the banks of the Jordan. By their significancy and by association they might suggest truth and awaken feeling, but they were not channels of divine communi- cation.
Doctrine of the Reformed Church.
The first point clearly taught on this subject in the Symbols of the Reformed Church is that the sacraments are real means of grace, that is, means appointed and employed by Christ for con- veying the benefits of his redemption to his people. They are not, as Romanists teach, the exclusive channels ; but they are channels. A promise is made to those who rightly receive the sacraments that they shall thereby and therein be made partak- ers of the blessings of which the sacraments are the divinely ap- pointed signs and seals. The word grace, when we speak of the means of grace, includes three things. 1st. An unmerited gift, such as the remission of sin. 2d. The supernatural influence of the Holy Spirit. 3d. The subjective effects of that influence on the soul. Faith, hope, and charity, for example, are graces.
The second point in the Reformed doctrine on the sacraments concerns the source of their power. On this subject it is taught negatively that the virtue is not in them. The word virtue is of course here used in its Latin sense for power or efficiency. What is denied is that the sacraments are the efficient cause of the gracious effects which they produce. The efficiency does not reside in the elements, in the water used in baptism, or in the bread and wine used in the Lord's Supper. It is not in the sacra- mental actions ; either in giving, or in receiving the consecrated elements. Neither does the virtue or efficiency due to sacraments reside in, or flow from the person by whom they are administered. It does not reside in his office. There is no supernatural power in the man, in virtue of his office, to render the sacraments ef- fectual. Nor does their efficiency depend on the character of the administrator in the sight of God ; nor upon his intention ; that is, his purpose to render them effectual. The man who adminis-
500 PART m. Ch. XX. — the means of grace.
ters the sacraments is not a worker of miracles. The Apostles and others at that time in the Church, were endued with super- natural power ; and they had to will to exercise it in order to its producing its legitimate effect. It is not so with the officers of the Church in the administration of the sacraments. The affirma- tive statement on this subject is, that the efficacy of the sacra- ments is due solely to the blessing of Christ and the working of his Spirit. The Spirit, it is to be ever remembered, is a personal agent who works when and how He will. God has promised that his Spirit shall attend his Word ; and He thus renders it an effectual means for the sanctification of his people. So He has promised, through the attending operation of his Spirit, to render the sacraments effectual to the same end.
The third point included in the Reformed doctrine is, that the sacraments are effectual as means of grace only, so far as adults are concerned, to those who by faith receive them. They may have a natural power on other than believers by presenting truth and exciting feeling, but their saving or sanctifying influence is experienced only by believers.
All these points are clearly presented in the standards of our own Church. The sacraments are declared to be means of grace, that is, means for signifying, sealing, and applying the benefits of redemption. It is denied that this virtue is in them, or in him by whom they are administered. It is affirmed that their ef- ficiency in conveying grace, is due solely to the blessing of Christ and the cooperation of his Spirit ; and that such efficiency is ex- perienced only by believers. Thus in the Shorter Catechism, the sacraments are said to be holy ordinances "instituted by Christ ; wherein, by sensible signs, Christ and the benefits of the new covenant are represented, sealed, and applied to believers." * In the Larger Catechism the sacraments are said to be instituted u to signify, seal, and exhibit unto those that are within the cove- nant of grace, the benefits of his [Christ's] mediation." 2 The word " exhibit," as here used, means to confer, or impart, as the Latin word " exhibere " also sometimes means. That such is the sense of the word in our standards, is plain because the exhibition here spoken of is confined to those within the covenant ; and be- cause this word is interchanged and explained by the word " con- fer." Thus in the Confession of Faith8 it is said, "The grace which is exhibited in, or by the sacraments, rightly used, is not conferred by any virtue in them." And again,4 that by the right
1 Ques. 92. 2 Ques. 162. 3 chap, xxvii. 3. « Chap, xxviii. 6.