Page:Delineation of Roman Catholicism.djvu/198

 100 St&UBTS m emmt,. [Boos fl. To show how little value is plaeed in eouneming nto eharaeiw �vith the administration of sacraments, or the sanctity of religion, we will quote from Liehermann, one of thai latest divines. "Do yo i, btA    fo ,w tie  "Asr. 1. In eases of necessity bptism or saerameutai almohv- tion may be received from mlnisters, though notoriously wicked, not even tolerated by the church. Hence the Coundi of Trent d- clares that there is no reservation of cases in the article of death, a penitent may be absolved by.any priest. ",. When a case of necessity does not interfere, it is not htwful to receive the sacraments from him who has been excommunicated by special and express sentence, or by him who is a notorious striker of the clergy. "3. When there is a just cause for asking the reception of a sacrs* ment, a person may ask and receive it from the parish priest, to whom the administration oi  the sacraments officially belongs, or from any other prepared priest, although he may be wicked, if he be uderau by the church. Because every person may use his own fight, al without his intention, it may afford an occasion to a wicked minister of greser wickedness. Yet when there is a sicient nmnbor of ministers, the law of charity demands that we do not seek the sscra- ments from him whom we know to be contaminated with wicked acts. " From the foregoing we perceive that baptism and absolution may be received from otm-/oly  men, and that, too, though they my not be tolerated by the church. This is a profanation of the sacra- me,s, and encourages and licenses all manner of sin. * Whoever is officially permitted to administer sacraments my admi- Meter them, though ever so wicked, and the people are bound to receive them from his hands. Two huge heresies are here embraced: i. The church has a right to authorize wicked men to be ministers. 2. The people are compellgd to receive the sacraments from wicked men. What hereales can be greater than these ? Roman Catholic divines divide the effects of the sacraments into true, namely, the tm, y effect, which is habitual or sanctifying grace, and the zMda effect, which is c/umter, and belongs only to bap- tism, confirmation, and orders. The genera/ offect of a//the stem- ' ment8 is sanctifying grace, while the partcu/ar effect of some is cht- racter. We will consider first the general effects of the ncremem, and next the particular one, or character. 1. Tb m, p'odtce grae. That grace is called first, or maj, by their divines, which does not suppose any habitual grace isting in the subject; or it is that which makes a man jtrt who was formerly unjust. That is called second or secndayy grace which sup- Poses another pre-existent grace, increases it, or .hich renders a just w rmm swrs jtst. The sacraments of the dead (baptism sod penance) are said, per re, or from their primary institution, to cuuse first grsce; IJ the sacraments of 'the living, which are the other five, cause 11moL de Minbro Sacrein., tom. iv, pm i, p.

�