Question 91

effectual means of salvation—For effectual see Answer 31. What is a mean of salvation? A mean of salvation signifies any appointment of God, whereby He promotes and accomplishes His design of saving our souls; so the word is a mean, Rom. i. 16. What is meant by an effectual mean of salvation? By an effectual mean is meant such a mean as fully obtains and accomplishes the end it was appointed for, 1 Thess. ii. 13 (Flavel).

not from any virtue in them—“Not from any power in themselves” (Larger Catechism). “Virtue, Lat. Virtus, -utis (from vir, a man), the especial character of a man as opposed to woman; courage, strength, power, merit, worth” (Wedgwood). The word is used in the sense of the text in Mark v. 30. “We must not suppose that there is some latent virtue inherent in the sacraments by which they, in themselves, confer the gifts of the Holy Spirit upon us, since the only office divinely assigned them is to attest and ratify the benevolence of the Lord toward us” (Calvin). “The Romish doctrine upon this subject is, that the sacraments contain the grace which they signify; that they confer grace always and certainly, where men do not put an obstacle in the way; and that they do this ex opere operato, or by some sort of physical or intrinsic power bestowed upon them, apart from the state of mind of the recipients; that baptism is the instrumental cause of justification as including both remission of sins and regeneration; and that the Lord’s Supper invariably conveys spiritual nourishment” (Cunningham, Reformers, Essay v., Zwingle and the Doctrine of the Sacraments. A fine example of Cunningham’s learning, clearness, and strength). The student will see from the above extracts why this Answer is constructed on the polemical form in which it stands; first negative and then positive.

or in him that doth administer them—“Or any virtue derived from the piety or intention of him by whom they are administered” (Larger Catechism). “A sacrament is not to be estimated by the hand of him by whom it is administered, but is to be received as from the hand of God Himself, from whom it undoubtedly proceeded; its dignity neither gains nor loses by the administrator.”

only by the blessing of Christ, and the working of his Spirit—“The sacraments duly perform their office only when accompanied by the Spirit, the internal Master, whose energy alone penetrates the heart, stirs up the affections, and procures access for the sacraments into our souls. If He is wanting, the sacraments can avail us no more than the sun shining on the eyeballs of the blind, or sounds uttered in the ears of the deaf” (Calvin). “All the seales in the warld will not worke, except the Spirit of God concurre, and seale the same truth in your hearts quhilk the sacrament seales outwardlie. Except He mak cleare the sight of thy mind inwardlie, and worke a feeling in thy hart, baith word and sacrament sall tine their fruit and effect quhilk they suld have. All the Scriptures are full of this” (Robert Bruce’s Sermons, 1589).