The Reformed Conception of the Sacrament

Just how and why the word "sacrament" came to be used for the divine institutions we now know by that name is not entirely clear. The word itself is not taken from Scripture. That, however, need not condemn its use. Other terms have found their way into Reformed theology which are not taken directly from the Word of God. "Sacrament" is from the Latin "saeramentum," meaning: something that is consecrated, a consecration. In early times it designated the sum of money deposited in court by both...