But for the Controversy, you must consider it a little more distinctly before you are like to understand it rightly. It is in vain to enquire, whether the Sacraments do seal absolutely or conditionally, till you first know well what it is that they seal. ⟨p. 256⟩Let us first therefore resolve that Question, what they seal? and then enquire how they seal? You know a Christian doth gather the assurance of his Justification and Salvation by way of Argumentation, thus: He that believeth is justified, and shall be saved: But, I believe; therefore I am justified and shall be saved. Now the Question is which of the parts of this Argument the Sacrament doth seal to? Whether to the Major, the Minor, or the Conclusion? To which I answer: 1. That it sealeth to the Truth of Gods promise (which is the Major proposition,) is unquestionable. But whether to this alone, is all the doubt? 2. That it sealeth not to the truth of the Minor Proposition, (that is, to the truth of our Believing) I take also for to be beyond dispute, For, first it should else seal to that which is now here written: For no Scripture saith, that I do believe. 2. And then it should be used to strengthen my Faith, in that which is no object of Faith: For, [that I do believe] is not matter of Faith, or to be believed, but matter of internal sense, or to be known by the reflex act of the understanding. 3. Also God should else set his seal, to my part or condition of the Covenant, as well as his own, and seal to the truth of my word, as well as to the truth of his own; for a justifying and saving us, is Gods condition, which he undertaketh ⟨p. 257⟩to perform; so believing or accepting Christ is our condition, which we there profess to perform. So that it is doubtless, that a Sacrament as it is Gods engaging sign or seal, doth not seal to the truth of my faith, or sincerity of my heart in Covenanting: It were a most gross conceit to imagine this.
But for the Controversy, you must consider it a little more distinctly before you are like to understand it rightly. It is in vain to enquire, whether the Sacraments do seal absolutely or conditionally, till you first know well what it is that they seal. ⟨p. 256⟩Let us first therefore resolve that Question, what they seal? and then enquire how they seal? You know a Christian doth gather the assurance of his Justification and Salvation by way of Argumentation, thus: He that believeth is iustified, and shall be saved: But, I believe; therefore I am justified and shall be saved. Now the Question is which of the parts of this Argument the Sacrament doth seal to? Whether to the Major, the Minor, or the Conclusion? To which I answer: 1. That it sealeth to the Truth of Gods promise (which is the Major proposition,) is unquestionable. But whether to this alone, is all the doubt? 2. That it sealeth not to the truth of the Minor Proposition, (that is, to the truth of our Believing) I take also for to be beyond dispute, For, first it should else seal to that which is now here written: For no Scripture saith, that I do believe. 2. And then it should be used to strengthen my Faith, in that which is no object of Faith: For, [that I do believe] is not matter of Faith, or to be believed, but matter of internall sense, or to be known by the reflex act of the understanding. 3. Also God should else set his seal, to my part or condition of the Covenant, as well as his own, and seal to the truth of my word, as well as to the truth of his own; for a justifying and saving us, is Gods condition, which he undertaketh ⟨p. 257⟩to perform; so believing or accepting Christ is our condition, which we there professe to perform. So that it is doubtlesse, that a Sacrament as it is Gods engaging sign or seal, doth not seal to the truth of my faith, or sincerity of my heart in Covenanting: It were a most grosse conceit to imagine this.
