Chapter III. Of the Sacraments

What do you mean by a Sacrament?

An institution of Christ, consisting in some outward sign or ceremony, by which grace is given to the soul of the worthy receiver.

How many such sacraments do you find in scripture?

These seven: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist (which Protestants call the Lord's Supper), Penance, extreme Unction (or the anointing of the sick), Holy Orders, and Matrimony.

What scripture have you for baptism?

John iii. 5, “Except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom

Of the Sacraments. 23 of God.** Matt, xxviii. 19, “ Go teach all nations, baptizing them in the name 6f the Father, # and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost/*

How do you prose that this commission given to the apostles of baptizing all nations, is to be understood of baptism administered in water?

From the belief and practice of the Church of Christ in all ages, and of the apostles themselves; who administered baptism in water: Acts viii. 36, 38, “See here is water,” said the eunuch to St. Philip, u what does hinder me from being baptized? — and they went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.” Acts x. 47, 48, “ Can any man forbid water/* said St. Peter, “ that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.**

What do you mean by Confirmation?

Confirmation is a sacrament, wherein by the invocation of the Holy Ghost, and imposition of the bishop’s hands with the unction of holy chrism, a person receives the grace of the Holy Ghost, and a strength in order to the professing of his faith.

What scripture have you for Confirmation?

Acts viii. 15, 17, where Peter and John confirmed the Samaritans. “ They prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost — Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.**

What scripture have you for the Eucharist, or the supper of the Lord?

We have the history of its institution set down

24 Of the Sacraments.

9 t large. Matt, xxvi., Mark xiv., Luke xvii., 1 Cor. xi., and that this sacrament was to be continued in the church “ till the Lord comes,'* that is, till the day of judgment, as we learn from St. Paul, 1 Cor. xi. 26.

What do you mean by the sacjrament of Penance?

The confession of sins, with a sincere repentance, and the priest's absolution.

What scripture have you to prove that the bishops and priests of the Church have power to absolve the sinner that confesses his sins with a sincere repentance?

John xx. 22, 23, u Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them: And whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained." Matt, xviii. 18, “ Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven; arid whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven." Which texts Protestants seem to understand in the same manner as we, since in their Common Prayer Book, in the Order for the Visitation of the Sick, we find this rubric: u Here shall the sick person be moved to make a special confession of his sins, if he feel his conscience troubled with any weighty matter. After which confession the priest shall absolve him (ir he humbly and heartily desire it) after this sort:

“ Our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath left power to his church to absolve all sinners who truly repent and believe in him, of his great mercy forgive thee thine offences: and by his authority

Of the Sacraments. 25 committed to me, I absolve thee from all thy sins* in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."

How do you prove from the text above quoted of John xx* 22, 23, and Matt, xviii. 18, the necessity of the faithful confessing their sins to the pastors of the Church, in order to obtain the absolution and remission of them?

Because, in the text above quoted, Christ has made the pastors of the church his judges in the court of conscience, with commission and authority to bind, or to loose, to forgive, or to retain sins, according to the merits of the cause, and the disposition of the penitents. Now as no judge can pass sentence without having a full knowledge of the cause; which cannot be had in this kind of causes, which regard men's consciences, but by their own confession; it clearly follows, that he who has made the pastors of the church the judges of men's consciences, has also laid an obligation upon the faithful to lay open the state of their consciences to them, if they hope to have their sins remitted. Nor would our Lord have given to his church the power of retaining sins, much less the keys of the kingdom of heaven, Matt. xvi. 19, if such sins aa exclude men from the kingdom of heaven, might be remitted independently of the keys of the Church.

Have you any other texts of Scripture which favour the Catholic doctrine and practice of Confession?

Yes. We find in the old law, which was a figure of the law of Christ, that such as were infected with the leprosy, which was a figure of c

26 Of the Sacraments.

Bin, were obliged to show themselves to the priests, and subject themselves to their judgment, fckje Ler>. xiii. and xiv. Matt. viii. 4. Which, according to the holy Fathers, was an emblem of the confession of sins in the sacrament of penance. And in the same law a special confession of sins was expressly prescribed. Num. v. 6, 7, “ When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit, to do a trespass against the Lord, and that person be guilty: Then they shall confess their sins which they have done.” The same is prescribed in the New Testament, James v. 16, “ Confess your faults one to another that is, to the priests or elders of the church, whom the apostle had ordered to be called for, ver. 14. And this was evidently the practice of the first Christians, Acts xix. 18. “ Many that believed came and confessed, and shewed their deeds.”

What do you mean by Extreme TJnctxon?

You have both the full description and proof of it, James v. 14, 15. “Is any sick among you, let him call for the elders (wpeffPvrepovsy the priests) of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”

What is Holy Orders?

A sacrament instituted by Christ, by which bishops, priests, &c., are consecrated to their respective functions, and receive grace to discharge them well.

When did Christ institute the Sacrament of Holy Orders?

Of the Sacraments. 21

At bis last supper, when he made his apostles priests, by giving them the power of consecrating the bread and wine into his body and blood, Luke xxii. 19, “ Do this in remembrance of me.” To which he added, after his resurrection, the power of forgiving the sins of the penitent, John xx. 22, 23.

What scripture proof have you that Ho «,> Orders give grace to those that receive them •worthily?

The words of St. Paul to Timothy, whom he had ordained priest by imposition of hands, 2 Tim. i. u Stir up the gift (to of God which is in thee, by the putting on of my hands and 1 Tim. iv. 14, “Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, by the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.”

When was Matrimony instituted?

It was first instituted by God Almighty in paradise between our first parents; and this institution was confirmed by Christ in the new law. Matt. xix. 4, 5, 6, where he concludes, “What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.”

How do you prove that Matrimony is a sacrament?

Because it is a conjunction made and sanctified by God himself, and not to be dissolved by any power of man; as being a sacred sign, or mysterious representation of the indissoluble union of Christ and his Church, Ephes. v. 31, 32. “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh- This is a g*e at mystery

28 Of the Sacraments,

(/ivoTJ/piov, a sacrament); but I speak concerning Christ and the church (tic Xpiarov ical elg Trjy EKicXricrtat', in Christ and in the church)/*

Why does not the Church allow of the mar - riage of the clergy?

Because, upon their entering into holy orders, they make a vow or solemn promise to God and the Church to live continently: now the breach of such a vow as this would be a great sin; witness St. Paul, 1 Tim. v. 11, 12, when speaking of widows that are for marrying after having made such a vow as this, he says, they “ have damnation, because they have cast off their first faith,” that is, their solemn engagement made to God.

But why does the Church receive none to holy orders but those that make this vow?

Because she does not think it proper, that they, who by their office and functions ought to be wholly devoted to the service of God, and the care of souls, should be diverted from these duties by the distractions of a married life. 1 Cor. vii. 82, 33, “ He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord. But he that is married, careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.”

Why does the Church make us i of so many ceremonies in administering the sacraments?

To stir up devotion in the people, and reverence to the sacred mysteries; to instruct the faithful concerning the effects and graces given by the sacraments; and to perform things relating to God’s honour and the salvation of souls with a becoming decency.

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4 Have you any warrant from Scripture for the use of such ceremonies? -

Yes, we have the example of Christ, who frequently used the like ceremonies. For instance, in curing the man that was deaf and dumb, Mark vii. 33, 34. In curing him that was born blind, John ix. 6, 7. In breathing upon his apostles when he gave them the Holy Ghost, John xx. 22, &c.