Jottings on the sacraments as instruments in Calvin

I have distracted myself from what I probably ought to be doing by going over some no doubt rather incomplete and now rather aged notes to remind myself what Calvin says on the sacraments as instruments.

The Institutes

physical things (e.g. food, sun, fire) and sacraments only instruments used by God. We should put no confidence in these creatures / sacraments but in God. (4.14.12, p1287)

A Short Treatise on the Holy Supper of Our Lord Jesus Christ [1540]



“The bread and the wine are visible signs, which represent to us the body and blood, but…this name and title of body and blood is given to them because they are as it were instruments by which the Lord distributes them to us.”

Calvin ‘Short Treatise’ §18

http://www.theologian.org.uk/doctrine/calvinonthelordssupper.html#_ednref63



Calvin, John, Calvin: Theological Treatises Library of Christian Classics Volume XXII, Translated with Introduction and Notes by J. K. S. Reid (London / Philadelphia, SCM Press / Westminster Press, 1954)



The Catechism of the Church of Geneva (1545) p83ff



Online version: https://reformed.org/documents/calvin/geneva_catachism/geneva_catachism.html

Q309 M. Is there no other medium, as it is called, than the Word by which God may communicate himself to us?

S. To the preaching of the Word he has added the Sacraments.

 Q311 M. Is there such virtue in a visible sign that it can establish our consciences in a full assurance of salvation?

S. This virtue it has not of itself, but by the will of God, because it was instituted for this end.

 Q312 M. Seeing it is the proper office of the Holy Spirit to seal the promises of God on our minds, how do you attribute this to the sacraments?

S. There is a wide difference between him and them. To move and affect the heart, to enlighten the mind, to render the conscience sure and tranquil, truly belongs to the Spirit alone; so that it ought to be regarded as wholly his work, and be ascribed to him alone, that no other may have the praise; but this does not at all prevent God from employing the sacraments as secondary instruments, and applying them to what use he deems proper, without derogating in any respect from the agency of the Spirit.

 Q313 M. You think, then. that the power and efficacy of a sacrament is not contained in the outward element, but flows entirely from the Spirit of God?

S. I think so; viz., that the Lord hath been pleased to exert his energy by his instruments, this being the purpose to which he destined them: this he does without detracting in any respect from the virtue of his Spirit.

Summary of Doctrine Concerning the Ministry of the Word and Sacraments p170ff



IV



“To effect this union, the Holy Spirit uses a double instrument, the preaching of the Word and the administration of the sacraments.” (p172)



Confession of Faith of the Reformed Churches of France 1562 (p137ff)



24. Of the sacraments (p152)



“We hold, however, that they are useful only when God gives effect to them, and displays the power of his Spirit, using them as instruments. Hence the Spirit of God must act to make us feel their efficacy for our salvation. We also confess that the use of them is necessary, and that all those who make no account of them declare themselves despisers of the grace of God, and are blinded by devilish pride, not knowing their infirmity which God has been pleased to sustain by such means and (p152) remedy” (p153)



Mutual Consent as to the Sacraments (between the ministers of the church of Zurich and John Calvin, minister of the church of Geneva) (1554) [Consensus Tigurinus] (p199ff)



Heads of Agreement (p212ff)



13. God uses the instrument, but all the virtue is his (p216)



Exposition of the articles of agreement = first response to Wetphal (pp221-244)



“… the sacraments are neither empty figures nor mere external badges of piety, but seals of the divine promises, testimonies of spiritual grace to cherish and confirm faith, and, on the other, … they are instruments by which God acts effectually in his elect;…” (p224)



Summary of Doctrine Concerning the Ministry of the Word and Sacraments p170ff



IV



“To effect this union, the Holy Spirit uses a double instrument, the preaching of the Word and the administration of the sacraments.” (p172)



Second Defence of the Pious and Orthodox Faith Concerning the Sacraments, in answer to the calumnies of Joachim Westphal (1556) (p245ff)



“Christ effectually uses this instrument [the Supper] to dwell in us.” (p287)



Canons and decrees of the Council of Trent, with the antidote (1547) (p17fff)



Canon 4



“I will readily allow that the use of those things which Christ gave us as helps to salvation is necessary, that is, when an opportunity is given: although believers are always to be reminded that there is no other necessity for any sacrament than that of an instrumental cause, to which the power of God is by no means to be tied down. Every pious person must with his whole heart shudder at the expression that these things are superfluous…. whatever grace is conferred upon us by the Sacraments, is nevertheless to be ascribed to faith. He who separates faith from the Sacraments, does just as if he were to take the soul away from the body.” (p174)



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Wallace, Ronald S., Calvin’s Doctrine of the Word and Sacrament (Edinburgh, Scottish Academic Press, 1995) first edition 1953



“God alone performs whatever we obtain by the sacraments and that by His secret and as it is called intrinsic virtue. But lest anyone should object, that the signs too have their office… we hasten to say… that God uses their instrumentality, and yet in such a manner that He neither infuses His virtue into them, nor derogrates in any respect from the efficacy of His spirit.” (CR 9:22-3) (p164)



God uses the sacraments as an instrument (OS 1:508; CR 12:727) p170



Baptism and the Lord’s Supper “these instruments of the Spirit (spiritus organa) whereby God sanctifies us” Comm on Lev 16:16 p170



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Zachman, Randall C., Image and Word in the Theology of John Calvin (Notre Dame, University of Notre Dame Press, 2007)



“In the final edition of the Institutes in 1559, Calvin made several additions in order to clarify his understanding of the sacrament of baptism as an instrument God uses to distribute to us the grace of Christ, by performing and exhibiting the truth that is represented by the sign. Calvin had in 1536 directly denied that baptism was an instrument or organ of grace in this sense.” (p329)



“Calvin insists that the symbols instituted by God truly offer and present the reality they represent, and therefore are instruments God uses to descend to us. However, he also claims that the reality being represented in these symbols must be sought in heaven, and encourages the godly to use divine symbols as ladders and vehicles by which they might ascend to God.” (p439)