necessary to salvation, but superfluous, or that men may obtain the grace of justification by faith only, without these sacraments; (although it is granted that all are not necessary to every individual;) let him be accursed."
2. This obviously contradicts Scripture. Our Saviour saith, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned," Mark xvi, 16. He does not say, he that is not baptized, but, he that believeth not. Therefore faith is more necessary than baptism. Besides, St. Paul teaches plainly that "a man is justified by faith only, without works of law," Rom. iii, 28.
3. Such a necessity as Roman Catholics attach to the administration and reception of their sacraments tends much toward the weakening or confounding of faith, as well as to the perversion of morals. The confidence of man, by the undue stress placed on mere sacraments, is fixed on the creature more than on God. And the evil is increased when some of these sacraments, as sacraments, and parts of others, are not only without foundation in Scripture, but contrary thereto.
IV. The matter and form of the sacraments.
1. Every sacrament consists, say they, of matter and form, which are the essential parts of which a sacrament is composed, and without which there is no sacrament. The matter consists of things; as water in baptism, chrism in confirmation, oil in extreme unction. The form consists of the words of consecration or administration.
2. Their sacraments are not consecrated by all the words of institution, but by a certain form of speech to be used over the elements. For instance; these words are said over the bread, This my body; and the like over the wine, This cup is the new testament; and in baptism these, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. These are the forms of the sacrament, and the very words of consecration, spoken in a strange tongue, without farther invocation of the name of God, or giving of thanks, as necessary to the essence of a sacrament. We Protestants readily allow that the word to bless (1 Cor. xi, 15) signifies to sanctify or consecrate; but that is not done by a magical muttering of words over the sacrament, but by the whole action, according to Christ's institution, in distributing, receiving, and giving of thanks. This appears from the words which follow those referred to above: the bread which we break, the cup which we drink, &c. We rehearse not the words of institution as a magical charm said over the bread and wine to convert their substance, but to declare what they are to us by Christ's institution, the symbols of his body and blood. It is not the muttering of a few words in a strange tongue, after the manner of enchanters, that has the power to consecrate; but the understanding, hearing, and believing the institution of Christ, with calling upon the name of God and thanksgiving before him.
3. They allow that the words of institution may be altered substantially by altering the sense, and then the sacrament is imperfect or destroyed; or the change may be accidental, when the syllables or words are changed, but the sense remaineth the same, yet the sacrament is not destroyed: though he sinneth who doth alter. That no substantial change ought to be made, either by an individual or the church, must be granted by all. But that a verbal change may be made and exist we have unequivocal testimony from the words of institution of
