ARTICLE XXVI.

Of the Unworthiness of the Minifters, which hinders not the Effect of the Sacraments.

Although in the Wilble Church, the Evil be ever mingled with the Eood, and sometimes the Evil have chief Authozity in the Hinifkzation of the Word and Sacraments; per foz as much as they do not the fame in their own Name, but in Chriff's, and do miniffer by his Commission and Authority, we may use thei? Ministry both in hearing the Word of God, and in receiving the Sacraments. Neither is the Effea of Chrift's Dzdinance taken away by their Wickedness: Nor the Grace of God's Gifts dimi nished from such as by faith and rightly do receive the Sacraments miniffered unto them, which be Effcaual because of Chzift's Inftitution and Promise, although they be miniftred by Evil Men. Nevertheless it appertaineth to the Discipline of the Church, that Enquiry be made of Evil Ministers; and that they be accufed by those that have knowledge of their Offences, and finally being found guilty, by jufk Judgment be deposed.

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 public fcandal which was given by the enormous vices, that were without any difguife practifed by the Roman Clergy of all ranks, did from thence revive the conceit of the Donatifts, who thought that not only herefy and fchifm did invalidate facred functions, but that perfonal fins did also 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 ftate that he was in who adminiftered them, as the anfwer of their other prayers did.

In the progrefs of the controverfy with the Donatifts, they carried this matter very far; and confidered the ef fect of the Sacraments as the anfwer of prayers: fo fince the prayers of a wicked man are abomination to God, they

thought

thought the virtue of thefe actions depended wholly on ART. him that officiated.

XXVI.

Against this St. Auguftin fet himself very zealously; he answered all that was brought from St. Cyprian in fuch a manner, that by it he has fet us a pattern, how we ought to separate the juft refpect that we pay the Fathers, from an implicit receiving of all their notions. If this conceit were allowed of, it must go to the fecret thoughts and inward ftate in which he is who officiates; for if the Sacraments are to be confidered only as prayers offered up by him, then a man can never be fure that he receives them; fince it is impoffible to fee into the hearts, or know the fecrets of men. Sacraments therefore are to be confidered only as the public acts of the Church and though the effect of them, as to him that receives them, depends upon his temper, his preparation and application; yet it cannot be imagined that the virtue of thofe federal acts, to which Chriftians are admitted in them, the validity of them, or the bleffings that follow them, can depend on the secret state or temper of him that officiates. Even in the cafe of public fcandals, though they may make the holy things to be loathed by the averfion that will naturally follow upon them; yet after all, though that averfion may go too far, we muft ftill diftinguish between the things that the Minifters of the Church do as they are public officers, and what they do as they are private Chriftians. Their prayers, and every thing elfe that they do, as they are private Chriftians, have their effect only according to the ftate and temper that they are in when they offer them up to God but their public functions are the appointments of Chrift, in which they officiate; they can neither make them the better nor the worfe by any thing that they join to them. And if miraculous virtues may be in bad men, fo that in the great day fome of thofe, to whom Chrift fhall fay, I never knew you; depart from me Matth. vii. ge that work iniquity, may yet fay to him, Lord, Lord, have 22, 23. we not propbefied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out Devils, and in thy name have done many wonderful works? then certainly this may be concluded much more concerning thofe ftanding functions and appointments that are to continue in the Church. Nor can any difference be made in this matter between public fcandals and fecret fins; for if the former make void the Sacraments, the latter muft do so too. The only reafon that can be pretended for the one, will alfo fall upon the other: for if the virtue of the Sacraments is thought to be derived upon them as an answer of prayer; then fince the prayers of hypocrites

:

ART. hypocrites are as little effectual as the prayers of thofe XXVI. who are openly vicious, the inference is good, that if the Sacraments administered by a fcandalous man are without any effect, the Sacraments administered by a man that is inwardly corrupted, though that can be only known to God, will be alfo of no effect; and therefore this opinion that was taken up, perhaps from an inconfiderate zeal against the fins and fcandals of the Clergy, is without all foundation, and muft needs caft all men into endless fcruples, which can never be cured.

Rubr. de

The Church of Rome, though they reject this opinion, yet have brought in another very like it, which muft needs fill the minds of men with endlefs diftractions and fears; chiefly confidering of what neceffity and efficacy they make the Sacraments to be. They do teach that the intention of him that gives the Sacrament is neceffary to the effence of it, fo that without it no Sacrament can be adminiftered. This was exprefsly affirmed by Pope Eugenius in his decree, and an anathema paffed at Trent against thofe that deny it. They do indeed define it to be only an intention of doing that which the Church intends to do; and though the fureft way they fay is to have an actual intention, yet it is commonly taught among them, that an habitual or virtual intention will ferve. But they do all agree in this, that, if a Priest has a fecret intention not to make a Sacrament, in that cafe no Sacrament is made; and this is carried fo far, that in one of Miff. Rom. the rubrics of the Miffal it is given as a rule, that if a Prieft who goes to confecrate twelve Hofties, fhould have a general intention to leave out one of them from being truly confecrated, and thould not apply that to any one, but let it run loosely through them all, that in fuch cafe he fhould not confecrate any one of the twelve; that loofe exception falling upon them all, because it is not reftrained to any one particular. And among the Articles that were condemned by Pope Alexander the Eighth, the 7th of December 1690, the 28th runs thus; Valet baptifmus collatus a Miniftro, qui omnem ritum externum formamque baptizandi obfervat, intus vero in corde fuo apud fe refolvit, non intendo quod facit Ecclefia. And thus they make the fecret acts of a Prieft's mind enter fo far into those divine appointments, that by his malice, irreligion, or atheism, he can make thofe Sacraments, which he vifibly bleffes and administers, to be only the outward fhews of Sacraments, but no real ones. We do not pretend that the Sacraments are of the nature of charms; fo that if a man should in a way of open mockery and profanation go about them,

defectu In.

tent. art. I.

XXVI.

them, that therefore, becaufe matter and form are ob- ART. ferved, they fhould be true Sacraments. But though we make the ferious appearances of a Chriftian action to be neceffary to the making it a Sacrament; yet we carry this no further, to the inward and fecret acts of the Prieft, as if they were effential to the being of it. If this is true, no man can have quiet in his mind.

It is a profanation for an unbaptized perfon to receive the Eucharift; fo if baptifm is not true when a Prieft fets his intention cross to it, then a man in orders must be in perpetual doubts, whether he is not living in a continual ftate of facrilege in adminiftering the other Sacraments while he is not yet baptized; and if baptifm be so neceffary to falvation, that no man who is not baptized can hope to be faved, here a perpetual fcruple muft arife, which can never be removed. Nor can a man be fure but that, when he thinks he is worthipping the true body of Jefus Chrift, he is committing idolatry, and worshipping only a piece of bread; for it is no more according to them, if the Priest had an intention against confecrating it. No orders are given if an intention lies against them; and then he who paffes for a Prieft is no Priest; and all his confecrations and abfolutions are fo many invalid things, and a continued course of facrilege.

Now what reafon foever men may have in this cafe to hope for the pardon of thofe fins, fince it is certain that the ignorance is invincible; yet here ftrange thoughts muft arise concerning Chrift and his Gofpel; if in thofe actions that are made neceffary to falvation, it should be in the power of a falfe Chriftian, or an atheistical Prieft or Bishop, to make them all void; fo that by confequence it fhould be in his power to damn them: for fince they are taught to expect grace and juftification from the Sacraments, if these are no true Sacraments which they take for fuch, but only the fhadows and the phantafms of them, then neither grace nor juftification can follow upon them. This may be carried fo far as even to evacuate the very being of a Church: for a man not truly baptized can never be in orders; fo that the whole ordinations of a Church, and the fucceffion of it, may be broke by the impiety of any one Priest. This we look on as fuch a chain of abfurdities, that if this doctrine of intention were true, it alone might ferve to deftroy the whole credit of the Chriftian religion, in which the Sacraments are taught to be both fo neceffary and fo efficacious; and yet all this is made to depend on that which can neither be known nor prevented.

Dd

The

11.

ART.

XXVI.

3, 4, 5.

The laft paragraph of this Article is fo clear, that it needs no explanation, and is fo evident, that it wants no proof. Eli was feverely threatened for fuffering his fons to go on 1 Sam. iii. in their vices, when by their means the facrifice of God was abhorred. God himfelf ftruck Nadab and Abihu dead, when they offered ftrange fire at his altar; and upon Levit. x. 3. that these words were uttered, I will be fanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people will I be glori1 Tim. v. 1, fed. Timothy was required to receive an accufation of an 19, 20. vi. Elder, when regularly tendered to him; and to rebuke before all thofe that finned; and he was charged to withdraw himself from thofe Teachers who confented not to wholefome words, and that made a gain of godlinefs. A main part of the difcipline of the primitive Church lay heaviest on the Clergy and fuch of them as either apoftatized, or fell into fcandalous fins, even upon their repentance, were indeed received into the peace of the Church; but they were appointed to communicate among the Laity, and were never after that admitted to the body of the Clergy, or to have a fhare in their privileges. Certainly there is nothing more incumbent on the whole body of the Church, than that all poffible care be taken to difcover the bad practices that may be among the Clergy; which will ever raife ftrong prejudices, not only against their perfons, but even against their profeffion, and againft that religion which they feem to advance with their mouths, while in their works, and by their lives, they detract from it, and feem to deny its authority. But after all, our zeal muft go along with juftice and difcretion: fame may be a juft ground to enquire upon; but a fentence cannot be founded on it. The Laity muft difcover what they know, that fo these who Gal. v. 12. have authority may be able to cut off those that trouble the Church. Difcretion will require that things which cannot be proved, ought rather to be covered than expofed, when nothing but clamour can follow upon it. In fum, this is a part of the government of the Church, for which God will reckon feverely with thofe, who from partial regards, or other feeble or carnal confiderations, are defective in that, which is fo great a part of their duty, and in which the honour of God, and of religion, and the good of fouls, as well as the order and unity of the Church, are fo highly concerned.

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