Page:Delineation of Roman Catholicism.djvu/186

 178 scas=sNvs m osaas.. [Boox II. the eucharist, as used by the evangelists and St. Paul. (Compare' Matt. xxvi, 27; Luke xxii, 19; I Cor. xi, 24.) But in this matter the Church of Rome is peculiarly guilty in making 8eriotm additions, sub- tractions, and alterations in the sacraments. She takes away one part oft he eucharist, namely, the wine, in administering it to the people, and when she uses it she mingles it with water. A change or omis- sion of words may not alter the sense, but a chmuge in t/s, or the ma,', must merially affect a sacrament. 4. In the mtter of the sacrament they hold it not necessary to be a vi object, but such as comes under the cognimmce of the sen.., u the ears; for in penance they have no material form but the sound of' the words. It will be ditcult to show th such can be a sensible sym, representing an inward grace. But it would be an endless task to point out all the errors of Eomanists in the administration of sacraments. 1. The Council of Trent arms that the sacraments are neither fewer nor more than seven, and they prounce all accursed who hold to the contrary. It will be amusing and instructive to the reader to sso what arguments and authorities are employed by the Church of Rome for the purpose of establishing their seven sacraments.- They rgue from Scripture, tradition, church authority, prescription, analo- gies of nature, &c. the(l.) -rptur. The following is a literal translation of Peter Dens, author of the text-beok on divinity in most Roman Catholic schools: "The number  is also insinuated in various places of Scripture; thus in Prov. ix it is said: Wisdom, which is Christ,/u&  Am* /unae, that is, the church, and bat/i art out lter sev p///ars, to wit, the seven sacraments, which as so many pillars sustain the church. Titus in like manner in Exod. xxv, by' the seven lights which were in one candlestick this is insinuated: for the sevcn sacraments are, as it were, ,so many lights which illuminate the church."* The Roman catechism is content with saying that the seven sacra- ments can be proved from Scripture, without quoting any passage for that purpose. The various councils say the same thing, and generally with the same silence respccting the Scripture texts. Such Scriptund authority as that which Dens gives is frequently adduced, and in quot- ing it we embrace its confutation in its own absurdity. They do, how- ever, sometimes quote Scripture, md we have an instance of this in Bsi!ly,t who quotes the following Scripture authority for the sacra- ments peculiar to the Church of Rome: for penance, John xx, 22, 23, for extreme unction, James v, 14; for orders as a sacrament, 2 Tim. i, 6; for marriage as a sacraneut, Eph. v, 31, 32. It must appear to the intelligent reader that the Scripture authority for the Roman saera, ments is very slight indeed. (2.) Traditions of the fates. The testimony on this head is usually to be found where each sacrament is treated in order. We can only say now, that early antiquity gives no ground for sacraments to the number of seven. I $1 �

�