like Tithes, &c., up to the year 855, are naturally initiated by the Church; and when fully settled thus, are recognized and ratified by the State. ARTICLES CLASSIFIED. I. to VIII.-The Catholic Faith set forth. IX. to XVIII.-Various Roman and Protestant heresies condemned. XIX., XX.-The Church and her prerogatives defined. XXI. to XXIV.-As IX. to XVIII. XXV. to XXX.-The two "Sacraments of the Gospel," and five "Sacramentals," elucidated. XXXI. to XXXIX.-As IX. to XVIII. RULE OF INTERPRETATION. "No man shall put his own sense or comment to be the meaning of the Articles, but shall take them in the literal and grammatical sense;" "in the plain and full meaning thereof;" "in the true, usual, literal meaning."-Declaration, and Art. xxxiv. Article xxv. De Sacramentis. Sacramenta a Christo instituta, non tantum sunt notæ professionis Christianorum, sed certa quædam potius testimonia et efficacia signa gratiæ atque bonæ in Of the Sacraments. Sacraments ordained of Christ be not only badges or tokens of Christian men's profession, but rather they be certain sure witnesses and effectual signs of nos voluntatis Dei, per quæ invisibilitèr Ipse in nobis operatur, nos tram que fidem in Se non solùm excitat, verum etiam confirmat. Duo a Christo Domino nostro in Evangelio instituta sunt Sacramenta ; scilicet, Baptismus et Coena Domini. Quinque illa vulgò nominata Sacramenta, grace and God's goodwill towards 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 scilicet, Confirmatio, is to say, Confirmation, Pœnitentia, Ordo, Matrimonium, et Extrema Unctio, pro Sacramentis Evangelicis habenda non sunt, ut quæ, partim a pravà Apostolorum imitatione profluxerunt, partim vitæ status sunt in Scripturis quidem probati, sed Sacramentorum eandem cum Baptismo et Conà Domini rationem non habentes, ut quæ signum aliquod visibile, seu cæremoniam, a Deo institutam, non habeant. Sacramenta non in hoc instituta sunt a Christo ut spectarentur, aut cir Penance, Orders, Matrimony, and Extreme Unction, are not to be counted Sacraments of the Gospel, being such as have grown partly of the corrupt following of the Apostles, partly are states of life allowed in the Scriptures; but yet have not like nature of Sacraments, with Baptism and the Lord's Supper, for that they have not any visible sign or ceremony ordained of God. The Sacraments were not ordained of Christ to be gazed upon, or to be cumferrentur, sed ut ritè illis uteremur; et in his duntaxat qui dignè percipiunt, salutarem habent affectum. Qui verò indignè percipiunt, damnationem (ut inquit Paulus) sibi ipsis acquirunt. carried about, but that we should duly use them. And in such only as worthily receive the same, they have a wholesome effect or operation; but they that receive them unworthily, purchase to themselves damnation, as S. Paul saith. I. WHAT SACRAMENTS ARE NOT. "Not only" outward signs, or empty nut-shells, as maintained by the Continental Reformers and their modern Dissenting followers, but a great deal more. II. WHAT SACRAMENTS ARE. 1. Reliable pledges of God's goodwill to Man. 2. Assuring tokens of grace given at a definite time. 3. Visible media, or channels through which God invisibly pours Divine influence. 4. "Quickening" or vitalizing the soul, and lighting the lamp of Faith therein, i.e., when the Divine Life is begun by new birth in Holy Baptism. 5. "Strengthening and confirming" the soul, and trimming the lamp afterwards; i.e., by supplying fresh oil of Divine Grace in Confirmation and Holy Communion. OBS. The Church Catechism corroborates this, by describing a Sacrament as an outward sign of inward grace" then and there given, because of the promise in S. Matt. xxviii. 20; and says in effect, that these two parts, like the Blade and Handle which form a Knife, must go together; since otherwise, there is no "Sacrament" at all. It says further, that the outward sign was fixed upon by Christ in person, for two reasons, viz. (1) as a medium or channel whereby the inward grace may flow down and be conveyed to us; and (2) as a pledge to assure us thereof," i.e. a tangible something to enable us to feel certain that there is no mistake about the inward grace having really been given, by fixing the time and place, &c., of its actual conveyance or transmission. 66 III. "SACRAMENT" EXPLAINED BY ILLUS TRATION. A Sacrament may be aptly compared to a NUT, inasmuch as it involves three things, viz. : 1. Signum, the outward and visible SHELL, or Species, for inspection. 2. Res, the inward, invisible KERNEL, the Real Thing, i.e., Divine Presence. 3. Virtus or Damnum, the FLAVOUR, good or bad; benefit or injury. Hence the last four questions in Church Catechism. (a) "What is the outward part," i.e. Signum? Ans. "Bread and wine," &c. (b) "What is the inward part," i.e., Res signifi cata? Ans. "The Body and Blood of Christ," &c. (Vid. also Prayer of Consecration, and Words of Delivery, in Communion Office, for same teaching of the Real Presence, or Præsentia Rei significata. (c) "What are the benefits," i.e. Virtus? Ans. "The strengthening and refreshing," &c. (Vid. also Prayer of Humble Access, and Post Communion Thanksgiving No. 2, in Communion Office.) (d) "What is required," &c., i.e., to obtain Virtus and escape Damnum? Ans. "To examine themselves," &c. (Vid. also Invitation in Communion Office, "Ye that do truly," &c. IV. SACRAMENTS, NOT TO BE HAD OUT OF THE CHURCH. A Sacrament requires the conjunction of three essentials, in order that it may be "duly ministered according to Christ's ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same." (Art. xix.) viz.— (1) The Priest to consecrate and bless. S. John XX. 21, 3; S. Matt. xxviii. 20. (2) The Matter to be consecrated. S. John iii. 5; S. Matt. xxvi. 26, 7. (3) The Words of Institution. S. Matt. xxviii. 19, and xxvi. 26, 8. For observe. When giving His last command to the Apostles, Christ did not say, as He might, if He had so intended it, "Go everybody and baptize," but "Go ye." And this deliberate limitation to a select few was ipso facto a designed exclusion of all others. (Num. iii. 10; xvi. 7.) Nor, again, did Christ say, as He so easily might had He chosen, "Lo, I am with Baptism, whosoever may administer it;" but, "I am with you when baptizing." Hence it is evident that in Christ's view of a Sacrament, the Minister is as important a feature of the rite as the Matter and the Words. Now the various Dissenting Bodies not only have not, but do not pretend to have, the Apostolical Succession, through which alone the Sacra |