ART. of thofe. It was therefore fome newly begun cuftom, in which XXV. the world was not yet fufficiently inftructed. And so it was indeed, for the fubject of thefe queftions was not pure oil, fuch as now they make to be the matter of extreme unction; but the oil of chrifm, which was made and kept for other occafions; and it feems very clear, that the miraculous power of healing having ceafed, and none being any more anointed in order to that; fome began to get a portion of the oil of chrism, which the Laity, as well as the Priefts, applied both to themselves and to their friends, hoping that they might be cured by it. Nothing elfe can be meant by all this, but a fuperftitious ufing the chrifm, which might have arifen out of the memory that remained of thofe who had been cured by oil, as the ufe of bread in the Eucharift brought in the holy bread, that was fent from one Church to another; and as from the use of water in baptifm fprung the ufe of holy water. This then being the clear meaning of thofe words, it is plain that they prove quite the contrary of that for which they are brought; and though in that Epiftie the Pope calls chrifm a kind of Sacrament, that turns likewife against them; to fhew that he did not think it was a Sacrament, ftrictly speaking. Besides, that the ancients used that word very largely, both for every myfterious doctrine, and for every holy rite that they ufed. In this very Epiftle, when he gives directions for the carrying about that bread, which they blessed and fent about as an emblem of their communion with other Churches; he orders them to be fent about only to the Churches within the city, because he conceived the Sacraments were not to be carried a great way off; fo these loaves are called by him not only a kind of Sacrament, but are fimply reckoned to be Sacraments.

We hear no more of anointing the fick with the chrism, among all the ancients; which fhews, that as that practice was newly begun, fo it did not fpread far, nor continue long. No mention is made of this neither in the first three ages, nor in the fourth age; though the writers, and particularlythe Councils of the fourth age are very copious in rules concerning the Sacraments. Nor in all their penitentiary canons, when they define what fins are to be forgiven, and what not, when men were in their laft extremities, is there so much as a hint given concerning the laft unction. The Constitutions, and the pretended Dionyfius, fay not a word of it, though they are very full upon all the rituals of that time in which thofe works were forged, in the fourth or fifth century. In none of the lives of the Saints before the ninth century, is there any mention made of their having extreme unction, though their deaths are fometimes very particularly related, and their re

ceiving

XXV.

ceiving the Eucharift is oft mentioned. Nor was there any AR T. queftion made in all that time concerning the perfons, the time, and the other circumftances relating to this unction; which could not have been omitted, especially when almost all that was thought on, or writ of, in the eighth and ninth century, relates to the Sacraments and the other rituals of the Church.

nardi Notæ.

It is true, from the feventh century on to the twelfth, they Lib.Sacram. began to use an anointing of the fick, according to that men- Gregor. Metioned by Pope Innocent, and a peculiar office was made for it; but the prayers that were used in it, fhew plainly that it was all intended only in order to their recovery.

Ang. l. iii.

c. 15.

Of this anointing many paffages are found in Bede, and in Bede Hift. the other writers and councils of the eighth and ninth century. But all thefe do clearly exprefs the use of it, not as a Euchol. Sacrament for the good of the foul, but as a rite that carried Gra. p. 408. with it health to the body; and fo it is still used in the Greek Church. No doubt they fupported the credit of this with many reports, of which fome might be true, of perfons that had been recovered upon ufing it. But because that failed fo often that the credit of this rite might fuffer much in the esteem of the world, they began in the tenth century to say, that it did good to the foul, even when the body was not healed by it; and they applied it to the several parts of the body. This begun from the custom of applying it at first to the difeafed parts. This was carried on in the eleventh century. And then in the twelfth, thofe prayers that had been formerly made for the fouls of the fick, though only as a part of the office, the pardon of fin being confidered as preparatory to their re- Dec. Eug. in covery, came to be confidered as the main and most effential Con. Flor. part of it: then the Schoolmen brought it into shape, and fo Seff. 14. it was decreed to be a Sacrament, by Pope Eugenius, and finally established at Trent.

The argument that they draw from a parity in reafon, that because there is a Sacrament for fuch as come into the world, there fhould be alfo one for those that go out of it, is very trifling; for Chrift has either inftituted this to be a Sacrament, or it is not one if he has not inftituted it, this pretended fitness is only an argument that he ought to have done fomewhat, that he has not done. The Eucharift was confidered by the ancients as the only viaticum of Chriftians, in their laft paffage: with them we give that and no more.

Thus it appears upon what reafon we reject thofe five Sacraments, though we allow both of Confirmation and Orders as holy functions, derived to us down from the Apoftles; and because there is a vifible action in thefe, though in ftrictness that

Bb

cannot

Con. Trid.

XAV.

ART. cannot be called a Sacrament, yet fo the thing be rightly understood, we will not dispute about the extent of a word that is not used in Scripture. Marriage is in no refpect to be called a Sacrament of the Chriftian religion; though it being a state of fuch importance to mankind, we hold it very proper both for the folemnity of it, and for imploring the bleffing of God upon it, that it be done with prayers and other acts of religious worfhip but a great difference is to be made between a pious cuftom begun and continued by publick authority, and a Sacrament appointed by Chrift. We acknowledge true repentance to be one of the great conditions of the New Covenant; but we fee nothing of the nature of a Sacrament in it: and for extreme unction, we do not pretend to have the gift of healing among us; and therefore we will not deceive the world, by an office that fhall offer at that, which we acknowledge we cannot do: nor will we make a Sacrament for the good of the foul, out of that which is mentioned in Scripture, only as a rite that accompanied the curing the difeafes of the body.

The last part of this Article, concerning the use of the Sacraments, confifts of two parts: the first is negative, that they are not ordained to be gazed on, or to be carried about, but to be ufed: and this is fo exprefs in the Scripture, that little queftion can be made about it. The inftitution of Baptifm is, go preach and baptize: and the inftitution of the Eucharift is, take, eat, and drink ye all of it: which words being fet down before those in which the confecrating them is believed to be made, this is my body; and this is my blood; and the confecratory words being delivered as the reafon of the command, take, eat, and drink; nothing can be more clearly expreffed than this, that the Eucharift is confecrated only, that it may be ufed; that it may be eat and drunk.

The fecond part of this period is, that the effect of the Sacraments comes only upon the worthy receiving of them; of this fo much was already faid, upon the first paragraph of this Article, that it is not neceflary to add any more here. The pretending that Sacraments have their effect any other way, is the bringing in the doctrine and practice of charms into the Chriftian religion and it tends to diffolve all obligations to piety and devotion, to a holiness of life, or a purity of temper: when the being in a paffive and perhaps infenfible ftate, while the Sacraments are applied, is thought a difpofition fufficient to give them their virtue. Sacraments are federal acts, and those visible actions are intended to quicken us, fo that in the use of them we may raise our inward acts to the highest degrees poffible; but not to supply their defects or imperfections.

Our

Our opinion in this point represents them as means to raise our minds, and to kindle our devotion; whereas the doctrine of the Church of Rome represents them as fo many charms, which may heighten indeed the authority of him that adminifters them, but do extinguish and deaden all true piety, when fuch helps are offered, by which the worft of men, living and dying in a bad ftate, may by a few feint acts, and perhaps by none at all of their own, be well enough taken care of and fecured. But as we have not fo learned Christ, so neither dare we corrupt his doctrine, in its most vital and effential parts.

ART.

XXV.

ART.
XXVI.

ARTICLE XXVI.

Of the Unworthinefs of the Minifters which hinder not the Effect of the Sacraments.

Although in the Wilble Church, the Evil be evez mingled with the Good, and fometimes the Evil have chief Authority in the Ministration of the WozD and Sacraments; pet foz as much as thep do not the fame in their own Name, but in Christ's, and do mimfter by his Commillion and Authozity, we map use theiz Miniftrp both in heazing the Wozd of Cod, and in receiving the Sacraments. Neither is the Effea of Chit's Didinance taken away by theiz Wickedness: Noz the Grace of God's Gifts diminished from fuch as by faith and rightly do receive the Sacraments minickzed unto them, which be Cf. feaual because of Christ's Institution and Promise, although they be miniffzed by Evil Hen.

Nevertheless it appeztaineth to the Discipline of the Church, that Enquiry be made of Evil Hinifters ; and that they be accused by those that have & 10Wledge of their Dffences, and finally being found guil ty, by juft Judgment be dcposed.

The

HE occafion that was given to this Article, was the heat of fome in the beginnings of the Reformation; who being much offended at the publick fcandal which was given by the enormous vices, that were without any disguife practifed by the Roman Clergy, of all ranks, did from thence revive the conceit of the Donatifts, who thought that not only herefy and fchifmm did invalidate facred functions, but that perfonal fins did alfo make them void.

It cannot be denied but that there are many paffages in St. Cyprian that look this way; and which feem to make the Sacraments depend as much on the good state that he was in who adminiftered them, as the answer of their other prayers did.

In the progress of the controverfy with the Donatifts, they carried this matter very far; and confidered the effect of the Sacraments as the answer of prayers: fo fince the prayers of a wicked man are abomination to God, they thought the virtue of these actions depended wholly on him that officiated.

Against this St. Auguftin fet himself very zealously; he

answered