Page:Delineation of Roman Catholicism.djvu/491

 CaA. XVI.! m?amo'v. 485 endows it with sacramental qualities, there are several points of consi- derable importance to Christianity in which we and the Church of Rome disagree. II. As to the sacramental character of matrimony, they say it is a sacrament, institutecl by Christ, and conferring grace. I. In support of its being a sacrament, they quote Eph. v, 32: "This is a great sacrament, but ! speak in Christ and in the church. " They say that matrimony is a sign of a holy thing, representing the union of Christ and his church, and therefore it is a sacrament. To this we reply: 1. The following is a better translation: "This is a great mystery,." Or indeed.if we read sacrament, theyhave no ad- vantage, seeing tile original word �tpo,, m,, which they translate sacrament, is attributed to other thugs than sacraments; as, "my_ery of godliness," 1 Tim. iii, 16. "A me,-, Babylon the great,*' Rev. xvii, 5. But they know there is no force in this argument. The text in their version can only be of force to the minds of ignorant persons who know not the Scriptures. 2. The apostle doe8 not say that marriage is a mystery; for he speaks concerning Christ and the church. 3. It is acknowledged that marriage is instituted of God, and is a sign of a hell thing, yet no sacrament; for 8o was ?.e sabbath ordainod of ana signified the rest in Christ, Heb. iv, 8, yet was it no sacrament. For all significant and mystic signs are not sacraments. Furthermore, they quote the following passage of cripture to sup- port their doctrine: "She shall be saved in child-bearing if they' con- tinue in faith and love," I Tim. ii, 15. Hence they infer, that the grace of sanctification is given to the parties married. To this we answer: 1. We deny that any sacraments oe ,,v'ace, or c, mf' 'e; they are means or instruments only of grace. 2. It is at once allowed that d gives to pious married persons grace to live in piety and holiness; but it is unnecessary to constitute marriage into a sacrament for this Urpese. 3. Besides, those who are not married possess the sancti- ng grace of (od; and therefore, its exercise is suciont to preserve married or unmarried persons in a state of purity or 8anctication. 2. That marriage is no sacrament of the gospel, speaking of 9, sa- crament in its proper Scriptural acceptation, we prove by the following arguments: (1.) Matrimony was instituted before sin existed in Paradise, there- fore it cannot be a sacrament of the gospel. Marriage may also exist among infidels and wicked persons, who are not capable of receiving the sacraments of the church. (2.) They are inconsistent with themselves, for they call marriage a profanation of orders. And they say it is more tolerable for a priest to keep many concubines than to marry. Can they really 5elieve that marriage is a sacrament, which they make 8o vile and Polluted .a thing ? Pope Siriciust applies the words of St. Paul, "They that are in the flesh cannot please (.od," against the marriage of ministers. This shows that this pope, in common with most popes, knew very little of Scriptural interpretation, seeing the reference is plainly to deep hu- man depravity and wickedness, but not to the marriage state. (3.) In every sacrament, there ought to be an external sensible t E!t. ad Himerium Digitized by 002I(

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