Certain disputations of right to sacraments, and the true nature of visible Christianity defending…

And for the first, I shall first show you what Profession is in general, and the formal nature of the thing, and the requisites thereto. Secondly, I shall show you what this Profession must be in specie, as it is specified from the subject matter of it.

And for the first, I shall first shew you what Profession is in general, and the formal nature of the thing, and the requisites thereto. Secondly, I shall shew you what this Profession must be in specie, as it is specified from the subject matter of it.

And first Profiteor, is but palam fateor, in the common acception of the word. In civil cases, prositeri est publice & apud acta aliquid ultro denunciate, ut Calv. More especially, professio is sometimes, ad interrogata responsio, and sometimes sponsio; and in military affairs, it is nomen dare. Ours in question hath something of all these conjunct. It is a solemn voluntary declaration (expression or confession) of our faith in God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; (in answer, usually, to the Interrogation of the Minister) with a giving up our name to God, by solemn sponsion, and renouncing the Flesh, the World, and the Devil (or in general, all inconsistent ways) Profession is a relative action, and hath in it somewhat Material, viz. the Action; and somewhat Formal, viz. the Relation, which must be distinctly considered of. For Profession is a signification of a mans mind concerning the thing professed. The Action, which is the Matter of the sign, is not necessarily one and the same thing in all and at all times. The common action is by word of mouth: Where that cannot be had, (as from the dumb) it sufficeth that they express by writing: where that cannot be had, the lifting up of the hand, or motion of other part of the body, or any thing that is apt to signify what is in the mind, may be a just Profession. And if word, writing, and ⟨p. 5⟩corporal motion be all joined together, it is but the matter of the same Profession. God hath tied us to no one particular sign as necessary, nor restrained us from any, by his Word; but only as the general Directions, (of doing all things Orderly, decently, to edification, &c.) may be an Obligation or restraint: but the more particular Direction must be fetched by Christian prudence from the Light and Law of Nature it self. The nature of the thing, with concurrent circumstances, will teach us which is the fittest sign: And sometime the commands of our Teachers or Governors may determine that case, it being a matter within their power to determine (according to Gods general Rules.)