Two very learned sermons of M. Beza, together with a short sum of the…Two very lerned sermons of M. Beza, togither with a short sum of the…

But that we may at the length come to the purpose,¹ let that rite or order of the Lords supper be a sign given us from GOD, whereby he will have testified and sealed up unto us, the communication or partaking of the body and blood of Christ. But because every thing that is used, in, and about this holy banquet, is not of one sort, manner, order, and respect, we are therefore to mark, that even this word, sacrament,² and that in this more narrow signification, is of the old Latin divines taken three manner of ways. For sometimes they understand by sacraments, the very whole action, in which respect both baptism and the Lords supper it self also, are called sacraments, that is to say, mystical actions or outward ⟨p. 54⟩rites, which do represent to our understanding some other certain thing. Sometimes again not the whole action it self, but that which is used in that action, is so §2termed, as in baptism the water it self, & the sprinkling or laying it on the party baptized: and in the Lords supper, bread & wine, with the rites and orders that christ §3himself ordained. And this again, by a double manner of speech, for sometimes under this word, there are meant only the outward signs, as when Augustine affirmeth,³ that the wicked do eat Christ, as in respect of the sacrament. And sometimes it is used for the signs, joined with the very thing it self signified, as when Irenaeus saith,⁴ that the sacrament consisteth of two things, one heavenly, and the other earthly: for he calleth the heavenly thing the body and blood of christ, and the earthly, the bread and the wine: and all that together he nameth, the sacrament. And this much concerning the word it self, or the name sacrament. Let us now at the length come to the matter.

But that we may at the length come to the purpose,