Chapter 77 — That the sacraments can be dispensed by wicked ministers

We have said enough to show that the ministers of the Church, at their ordination, receive from above power to dispense the sacraments to the faithful.

Now that which a thing acquires by being consecrated remains in it forever: therefore, that which is consecrated once is not consecrated again. Therefore, the ministers of the Church retain forever the power of their orders. Consequently, it is not taken away from them by sin. Therefore, the sacraments of the Church can be administered by sinners and wicked men, provided they be in orders.

Again. Nothing can produce an effect exceeding its faculty unless it receive the power from elsewhere. This is evident both in nature and in civil matters: water cannot give heat, unless it receive from fire the power to do so; nor can a magistrate imprison a citizen without having received power from the sovereign. Now the sacramental effects surpass the powers of man, as stated above. (Ch. 47.) Therefore, no man, however good, can administer the sacraments unless he has received the power to do so. Now wickedness and sin are opposite to goodness. Therefore, neither does sin prevent a man who has received the power from being able to administer the sacraments.

Again. A man is good or bad in reference to virtue and vice, which are habits. Now habit differs from power in that power makes it possible for us to do a certain thing, whereas habit does not make it possible for us to do a thing, but confers a certain ability or inability for doing well or ill that which it is possible for us to do. Consequently, habit neither gives nor removes the possibility of doing, but gives the facility of doing a certain thing well or ill. Therefore, the fact that a man is good or bad does not make it possible or impossible for him to administer the sacraments, but it makes him fit or unfit to administer them well.

Moreover. That which acts by the power of another agent does not assimilate the material to itself, but to the principal agent: thus a house is not made in likeness to the instruments used by the builder, but is likened to his art. Now in dispensing the sacraments, the ministers of the Church act not by their own, but by Christ’s power, of whom it is said: It is he who baptizes (John 1:33). Therefore, the minister acts as a kind of instrument, for he is an animated instrument, as it were. Therefore, the wickedness of a minister does not prevent the faithful from being saved by Christ through the sacraments.

Further. It is not for man to judge of another man’s goodness or wickedness: this belongs to God alone, who searches the secrets of the heart. Consequently, if the wickedness of a minister could prevent a sacrament from taking effect, man would be unable to be confident of his soul’s welfare, nor would his conscience be relieved of sin. Therefore, it would be unseemly if he were to base his hope of salvation on the goodness of a mere man: for it is said: Cursed is the man who trusts in man (Jer 17:5). And if a man had no hope of obtaining salvation through the sacraments, unless they were dispensed by a good minister, he would seem somewhat to trust in man for his salvation. Therefore, in order that we may place our hope of salvation in Christ, who is both God and man, we must acknowledge that the sacraments are salutary through Christ’s power, whether they be dispensed by good or by wicked ministers.

This is also made evident by the fact that our Lord bade us obey even wicked superiors, although we must not imitate their works: The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do (Matt 23:2–3). And we ought much more to obey men by reason of their having been appointed ministers by Christ than by reason of their sitting in the chair of Moses. Therefore, even wicked ministers should be obeyed: and this would not be the case unless they retained the power of orders, which is the reason why they should be obeyed. Therefore, even the wicked have the power to dispense the sacraments.

This disposes of the error of those who said that all good men, but no wicked men, can administer the sacraments.