Sacraments, ordained of Christ, are not only badges or tokens of Christian men’s profession, but rather they are certain signs of grace, and God’s good will toward us, by the which he doth work invisibly in us, and doth not only quicken, but also strengthen and confirm our faith in him. There are two Sacraments ordained of Christ our Lord in the Gospel; that is to say, Baptism, and the Supper of the Lord.

Those five, commonly called sacraments—that is to say Confirmation, Penance, Orders, Matrimony, and Extreme Unction—are not to be counted for sacraments of the gospel, being such as have partly grown out of the corrupt following of the apostles, and partly are states of life allowed in the Scriptures, but yet have not the like nature of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, because they have not any visible sign of ceremony ordained of God.

The Sacraments were not ordained of Christ to be gazed upon, or to be carried about; but that we should duly use them. And in such only as we worthily receive the same way have they a wholesome effect or operation; but they that receive them unworthily purchase to themselves condemnation, as St. Paul saith, I Cor. XI. 29.

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While the early Ante-Nicene Church Fathers used the word “Sacrament” for almost any action Christians considered sacred, in later Roman Catholic Church writings, the word's meaning drifted toward an increasingly ritualistic usage that gave rise to superstitious mysticism and the error of Ex Opere Operato. At the time of the writing of the 39 Articles of the Anglican Church, the Roman Catholic Church taught seven Sacraments for the receiving of God’s grace. In addition to the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which have been seen as the signs of one’s entrance into the New Covenant of Jesus Christ since the earliest days of the Christian Church, five others began to take root. 

The Roman Catholic Sacrament of Confirmation follows Baptism, immediately in the case of an adult, or at a time that is developmentally appropriate for those who were baptized as infants. It is the culmination of the training of an individual (i.e. a Catechumen) in the proper understanding of the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church (i.e. Catechism), and it opens the door for an individual’s first reception of the Lord’s Supper. The Roman Catholic Sacrament of Penance was the official process by which a Christian who had sinned was restored to fellowship with the Church. Penance consisted of priest-guided confession, repentance, and absolution. The Roman Catholic Sacrament of Orders is the setting aside of specific individuals for Ordination to the Ministry. The Roman Catholic Sacrament of Matrimony is the establishment of Covenant Marriage within the blessing of the Church. Finally, the Roman Catholic Sacrament of Extreme Unction was a part of the Last Rites, whereby a priest would anoint the dying with oil to seal them with God’s pardon and protection in their final hours. 

In alignment with the Protestant Reformers, this Article asserts unequivocally that Jesus only ordained (i.e. gave a “visible sign of ceremony...” / gave specific instructions for...) two Sacraments: Baptism and the Lord's Supper. While the other five practices are beautiful and may be considered sacred in a manner of speaking, they are not Sacraments ordained by Jesus in the Gospels. Furthermore, the sacraments themselves do not have the power to grant salvation to the recipient, as salvation is conditional upon one’s faith in Christ and that alone. 

The Sacraments are outward and visible signs of an inward and invisible grace. Through them, God communicates to us an assurance of our salvation and an extraordinary strengthening power to live the life of holiness that He has commanded. However, those who receive the sacraments without faith do so in vain and set themselves on the road to destruction.

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Reflect on the following Biblical texts. What are your thoughts on the way they reveal this doctrine to us? Discuss your answers with your pastor/group leader.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 

Matthew 28:16-20 

Ephesians 4:1-16 

2 Peter 1:1-15

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Use the following questions to summarize what you have learned about this Article of Faith. Discuss your answers with your pastor/group leader. (*Adapted from Wesley’s Catechism questions 82-87.)

What is the difference between something being sacred and the two Sacraments of the New Covenant? 

If participation in the Sacraments does not communicate grace directly and automatically (i.e. Ex Opere Operato), how then do the Sacraments act as means of grace by which we make our calling and election sure? 

How does participation in the Sacraments inform and establish our identity in Christ and His Church? 

How do the Sacraments serve the Church? How do they serve the World?

How does this doctrine affect the practice of our faith? 

Notes: