The Fourth Part.  Of Sacraments.

      M.  Now having ended our treating of the law of God, of the Creed, or Christian confession, and also of prayer and of thanksgiving, it resteth last of all to speak of the sacraments and divine mysteries, which always have prayer and thanksgiving joined unto them.  Tell me, therefore, what is a sacrament?

      S.  It is ^ban outward testifying of God’s good-will and bountifulness toward us, through Christ by a visible sign representing an invisible and spiritual grace, by which the promises of God touching forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation given through Christ, are, as it were sealed, and the truth of them is more certainly confirmed in our hearts.

      M.  Of how many parts consisteth a sacrament?

      S.  Of two parts: ^cthe outward element, or visible sign, and the invisible grace.

      M.  Why would God so have us to use outward signs?

      S.  Surely we are not endued with mind and understanding so heavenly and divine, that the graces of God do appear clearly of themselves to us, as it were to angels.  By this mean therefore God hath provided for our weakness, that we which are earthly and blind should in outward elements and figures, as it were in certain glasses, behold the heavenly graces which otherwise we were not able to see.  And greatly for our behoof it is that God’s promises should be also presented to our senses, that they may be confirmed to our minds without doubting.