Page:Delineation of Roman Catholicism.djvu/192

 184 scmzN?s m oNn. [BooE H. 'e valid: but heretics are sinners, as weU as those who sacrilegiously administer sacraments. 2. It is argued from Augustine, who saith :0 "lat is given by Paul, and what is given by Peter, belongs to Christ; and if it was given by Judas it belonged to Christ .... I do not fear an adulterer, a drunkard, a murderer, because I confide in the dove by whom it is said to me, T/d.v/s Ae toAo ba/,t/zeth." The reason of this is, that the sacraments have their efficacy from Christ, and ministers officiate only in his name and in his place. 3. Tradition. It is affirmed that this establishes the point. 4. The decision of the Council of Trent. 5. If the virtue of the sacraments depended on the probity of the ministrator, no one could know whether he was truly baptized or not. 4. Several moral uestions are solved by the Roman Catholic cuu- ists connected with this subject, a consideration of which may not be improper. We will state them in their own words, and give their so- lutions, reserving to ourselves, however, space for observation. Queshon 1. I4rAetlor a wicked minister sins if l administers ? They all allow that he sins mortally, and the catechism, p. 144, says that such sins "bring eternal death and everlasting perdition on him who dares to administer them with hands stained with the defilement of sin." Neverthe]ess, it is surprising that, after all, these notorious offenders are permitted to administer sacraments during their lives, without outward censure or deprivation. And when, in some few cases, censure is administered or deprivation takes place, it is not in consequence of the wickedness of the minister, but because he dism- gsrds the order of the church. Besides, the casuistic manner in which their divines treat this subject shows that whatever may be the occa- sional denunciations against wicked clergymen, they may continue during life in a course of habitual, flagrant sin without churoh censure or deposition. t Dens affirms,$ "that every one who administers sacramen in mor- tal sin does not sin mortally." His reasons are, 1. A ministerqmy be excused who is ignorant that he is in such a state, or who does it without reflection. 2. When he administers in case of necsi.v/'. 3. When he baptizes as a lay person does. Neverthele]s Densmain - tains that a priest who is in a state of mortal sin cannot administ# the eucharist, or absolve in the sacrament of penance, without commlg mortal sin.  2. What should be done by him  is about to administe, b is conscious to himself of mortal sin ? . According to their mannal, he ought not to administer sacrame unless he first confess sacramentally, if a confessor is within his reach but without such an opportunity he should excite contrition. In th( administration of the eucharists this is also decided by the Council Trent. In regard to the other sacraments, in solving the question, "whether he can administer before he confesses his sin to another priest and receives absolution," Dens gives the following answer: "The ques- tion," says he, "may be considered, 1. Speculatively: whether, for �Trmt. 5, in Jon. 18. 1 t De Srm., ,No. Con. Trid., oem. !8, c. 7.

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