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confirmation, the eucharist, penance, extreme unction, orders, and matrimony,* or that any of these is not truly and properly a sacrament: let him be accursed.

"2. Whoever shall affirm, that the sacraments of the new law only differ from those of the old law, in that their ceremonies and external rites are different: let him be accursed.

"3. Whoever shall affirm, that these seven sacraments are in such sense equal,† that no one of them is in any respect more honourable than another: let him be accursed.

"4. Whoever shall affirm, that the sacraments of the new law are not necessary to salvation, but superfluous; or that men may obtain the grace of justification by faith only, without these sacraments, (although it is granted that they are not all necessary to every individual:)+ let him be accursed.

"5. Whoever shall affirm, that the sacraments were instituted solely for the purpose of strengthening our faith : let him be accursed.

"6. Whoever shall affirm, that the sacraments of the new law do not contain the grace which they signify; or that they do not confer that grace on those who place no obstacle in its

* "The sacraments, then, of the Catholic church are seven, as is proved from Scripture, from the unbroken tradition of the fathers, and from the authoritative definitions of councils. Why they are neither more nor less may be shewn, at least with some degree of probability, even from the analogy that exists between natural and spiritual life. In order to exist, to preserve existence, and to contribute to his own and the public good, seven things seem necessary to man-to be born, to grow, to be nurtured, to be cured when sick, when weak to be strengthened, as far as regards the public weal, to have magistrates invested with authority to govern, and finally, to perpetuate himself and his species by legitimate offspring. Analogous, then, as all these things obviously are, to that life by which the soul lives to God, we discover in them a reason to account for the number of the sacraments." The writers proceed to shew, that by baptism we are born again; by confirmation we grow; by the eucharist, are nurtured, &c.—Catechism, p. 147.

"All and each of the sacraments, it is true, possess an admirable efficacy given them by God; but it is well worthy of remark, that all are not of equal necessity or of equal dignity, nor is the signification of all the same. Amongst them are three of paramount necessity-a necessity, however, which arises from different causes;" these are, baptism, penance, and orders. " But, the dignity of the sacraments considered, the eucharist, for holiness and for the number and greatness of its mysteries, is eminently superior to all the rest."-Catechism, p. 148.

Orders, for instance, are peculiar to the priesthood.

way; as if they were only the external signs of grace or righteousness received by faith, and marks of Christian profession, whereby the faithful are distinguished from unbelievers :* let him be accursed.

"7. Whoever shall affirm, that grace is not always conferred by these sacraments, and upon all persons, as far as God is concerned, if they be rightly received; but that it is only bestowed sometimes, and on some persons: let him be accursed.

"8. Whoever shall affirm, that grace is not conferred by these sacraments of the new law, by their own power, [ex opere operato ;] but that faith in the divine promise is all that is necessary to obtain grace: let him be accursed.

9. Whoever shall affirm, that a character-that is, a certain spiritual and indelible mark, is not impressed on the soul by the three sacraments, baptism, confirmation, and orders; for which reason they cannot be repeated:† let him be ac

cursed,

"10. Whoever shall affirm, that all Christians have power to preach the word and administer all the sacraments: let him be accursed.

"11. Whoever shall affirm, that when ministers perform

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"They [the sacraments] possess an admirable and unfailing virtue to cure our spiritual maladies, and communicate to us the inexhaustible riches of the passion of our Lord."—"The principal effects of the sacraments are two, sanctifying grace, and the character which they impress." Of the former it is observed, "how so great and so admirable an effect is produced by the sacraments, that, to use the words of St. Augustine, water cleanses the body and reaches the heart;' this, indeed, the mind of man, aided by the light of reason alone, is unequal to comprehend. It ought to be an established law, that nothing sensible can, of its own nature, reach the soul; but we know by the light of faith that in the sacraments exists the power of the Omnipotent, effectuating that which the elements cannot of themselves accomplish.”—Catechism, p. 152, 155.

"When the apostle says, 'God hath anointed us, who hath also sealed us, and given the pledge of the Spirit in our hearts,' he clearly designates, by the word 'sealed,' this sacramental character, the property of which is, to impress a seal and mark on the soul. This character is, as it were, a distinctive and indelible impression stamped on the soul." It "has a twofold effect—it qualifies us to receive or perform something sacred, and distinguishes us one from another."-Catechism, p. 154. Calvin says of it, "Magis consentaneum est incantationibus magicis, quam sanæ Evangelii doctrinæ.”— Antidot. p. 257.

....

and confer a sacrament, it is not necessary that they should at least have the intention to do what the church does :* let him be accursed.

"12. Whoever shall affirm, that a minister who is in a state of mortal sin does not perform or confer a sacrament, although he observes every thing that is essential to the performance and bestowment thereof: let him be accursed.

"13. Whoever shall affirm, that the received and approved rites of the Catholic church, commonly used in the solemn administration of the sacraments, may be despised, or omitted, without sin, by the minister, at his pleasure; or that any pastor of a church may change them for others : let him be accursed." It will be seen that the decree contains no definition of a sacrament. This deficiency is supplied in the catechism, where it is asserted that a sacrament "is a thing subject to the senses, and possessing, by divine institution, at once the power of signifying sanctity and justice, and of imparting both to the receiver."+ As the administration of the sacraments is the prerogative of the priesthood, it will be observed how admirably this doctrine is adapted to exalt the sacerdotal order, which, by the way, is one of the leading principles of the Roman-catholic system. The religion of the New Testament consists of faith and holiness: "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God;" and faith "purifieth the heart." Here is beautiful simplicity; but what a complex affair is the religion of Rome, (if it be not a prostitution of that venerable name to apply it in this connexion !) We find baptism and the Lord's supper

* "Representing, as he does, in the discharge of his sacred functions, not his own, but the person of Christ, the minister of the sacraments, be he good or bad, validly consecrates and confers the sacraments, provided he make use of the matter and form instituted by Christ, and always observed in the Catholic church, and intends to do what the church does in their administration."-Catechism, p. 150.

"Si necessaria est ministri intentio, nemo est nostrum, qui certam baptismi sui fidem facere sibi ausit, qui certa fiducia ad sacram cœnam accedat.". "Ego vero sacro sanctæ Christi institutioni tantum defero, ut si Epicureus quispiam, intus totam actionem subsannans, mihi cœnam ex Christi mandato, et secundam regulam ab eo datam, rituque legitimo administret, non dubitem panem et calicem illius manu porrecta, vera mihi esse corporis et sanguinis Christi pignora."-Calvin. Antidot. ut sup.

Catechism, p. 141.

in the word of God; the one an initiatory ordinance, the other commemorative; as for the remaining five sacraments, so called, scripture knows nothing of them as such, and to affirm that they were all instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ is to be guilty of glaring falsehood.

Baptism was the subject of the second part of the decree.

"Canon 1. Whoever shall affirm, that the baptism of John had the same virtue as the baptism of Christ: let him be accursed.

"2. Whoever shall affirm, that real and natural water is not necessary to baptism, and therefore that those words of our Lord Jesus Christ, Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost,' (John iii. 5,) are to be figuratively interpreted: let him be accursed.

"3. Whoever shall affirm, that the true doctrine of the sacrament of baptism is not in the Roman church, which is the mother and mistress of all churches: let him be accursed.

"4. Whoever shall affirm, that baptism, when administered by heretics, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, with the intention to do what the church does,† is not true baptism: let him be accursed.

* "The pastor will teach that water, which is always at hand and within the reach of all, was the fittest matter of a sacrament which is essentially necessary to all; and also, that water is best adapted to signify the effect of baptism. It washes away uncleanness, and is therefore strikingly illustrative of the virtue and efficacy of baptism, which washes away the stains of sin. We may also add, that, like water, which cools the body, baptism in a great measure extinguishes the fire of concupiscence in the soul." . . . “Our Lord, when baptized by John, gave to the water a power of sanctifying. Should we, however, ask how our Lord has endowed water with a virtue so great, so divine; this indeed is an inquiry which transcends the power of the human understanding. That when our Lord was baptized, water was consecrated to the salutary use of baptism, deriving, although instituted before the passion, all its virtue and efficacy from the passion, which is the consummation, as it were, of all the actions of Christ—this, indeed, we sufficiently comprehend."-Catechism, p. 160, 165.

† Bellarmine expounds it thus: "By the church' is not meant the Roman church, but the true church, as understood by the administrator; so that when a minister of the church of Geneva, for instance, baptizes any one, he intends to do what the church does,—that is, the church of Geneva,—which he holds to be the true church."-De Sacramentis in Genere, l. i. c. 27. There was a reason for this apparent liberality; see note †, P. 120.

"5. Whoever shall affirm, that baptism is indifferent, that is, not necessary to salvation :* let him be accursed.

"6. Whoever shall affirm, that a baptized person cannot lose grace, even if he wishes to do so, how grievously soever he may sin, unless indeed he becomes an infidel: let him be accursed.

"7. Whoever shall affirm, that the baptized are by their baptism brought under obligation to faith only, and not to the observance of the whole law of Christ : let him be accursed.

"8. Whoever shall affirm, that the baptized are free from all the precepts of holy church, either written or delivered by tradition, so that they are not obliged to observe them, unless they will submit to them of their own accord : let him be accursed.

"9. Whoever shall affirm, that men are so to call to mind the baptism they have received as to understand that all vows made after baptism are null and void, by virtue of the promise made in that baptism; as if by such vows any injury were done to the faith which they professed, or to their baptism itself: let him be accursed.

"10. Whoever shall affirm, that all sins committed after baptism are forgiven, or become venial, solely by the remembrance of that baptism, or faith therein:† let him be accursed.

"11. Whoever shall affirm, that baptism, truly and regularly administered, is to be repeated when a man is brought to repentance, who has denied the faith of Christ, after the manner of the infidels : let him be accursed.

"12. Whoever shall affirm, that no one ought to be baptized but at the age at which Christ was baptized, or in the article of death: let him be accursed.

"13. Whoever shall affirm, that children are not to be reckoned among the faithful by the reception of baptism, because they do not actually believe; and therefore that they

* "The law of baptism, as established by our Lord, extends to all, insomuch that, unless they are regenerated by the grace of baptism, be their parents Christians or infidels, they are born to eternal misery and everlasting destruction."-Catechism, p. 171.

+ It is obvious that this canon is directed against those who deny the necessity of penance.

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