A17599:839
Aphorisms of Christian religionAphorismes of Christian religion
Aphorisms of Christian religion: or, a very compendious abridgement of M. I. Calvins Institutions set forth in short sentences methodically by M. I. Piscator: and now Englished according to the authors third and last edition, by H. Holland.Aphorismes of Christian religion: or, a verie compendious abridgement of M. I. Calvins Institutions set forth in short sentences methodically by M. I. Piscator: and now Englished according to the authors third and last edition, by H. Holland.
London: printed by Richard Field and Robert Dexter, 1596
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
XXII.
The holy Spirit usually retaineth this manner of speaking in all Sacraments for two causes principally: first to help us against our ignorance, dullness, and the blindness of our hearts: for if the Lord spake not on this manner, we would but only fasten our eyes and our hearts upon the bare signs and ceremonies, and content our selves (as have hypocrites in all ages) with bare and empty shadows, without faith,1 fear, repentance, obedience, or any reverence of the holy covenant. Therefore I say, the Lord first speaks on this wise, to lift up our hearts and souls by faith to ⟨p. 161⟩behold, consider, and to feed upon the things signified. The second cause of the use of this phrase in the Sacraments is, for that the very truth is so, there is a real presence of the sign and the thing signified to the believer, for as he doth bodily and really participate of the sign,2 so doth he spiritually, & as really receive and feed upon the thing signified.
The holy Spirit vsually retaineth this maner of speaking in all Sacraments for two causes principally: first to helpe vs against our ignorance, dulnesse, and the blindnesse of our hearts: for if the Lord spake not on this maner, we would but only fasten our eyes and our hearts vpon the bare signes and ceremonies, and content our selues (as haue hypocrites in all ages) with bare and emptie shadowes, without faith,1 feare, repentance, obedience, or any reuerence of the holy couenant. Therfore I say, the Lord first speakes on this wise, to lift vp our hearts and soules by faith to