Lord.

§. I.

Of the Virtue, and Efficacy of the Sacraments.

AR, as we were laft Time upon the Point of Parting, you were pleafed to tell me, that France remains ftill in the Dreggs of the Corruptions of Rome; and amongst those Dreggs you reckon'd Confeffion for one. Well, Sr, if Confeffing our Sins be among the Dreggs of Corruption, I must own the Reformation has effectually

purged your Church of it: And the Drudgery of Sa sfaction, which according to Proteftant Doctrine is Derogating from the infinite Satisfaction of Chrift, is purged away with it.

Bleffed Reformation! Which has deliver'd her Children from the Popish Toke of Conffing their Sins, and Doing Penance for them! 'Tis true, this was the Old Way of Going to Heaven after the Loss of Baprifmal Grace. For which End the Solemn Fast of Lent, befides double the Number of other Fafting Days were commanded by the Church, and innumerable Religious Houfes were fet up to ferve as Sanctuaries for Repenting Sinners. But who would have cared one Farthing for the Reformation, if this Old Way had been kept up? 'Twas therefore wifely done to remove thefe Obftacles to that Godly Work by perfwading the People, that Confeffing and Punishing their Sins, as Papifts do, are but unneceffary Ceremonies, and that the Way to Heaven is both easier and fafer without them. However I have heard you fay fometimes, that Confeffion is a good Thing, if rightly used.

» G. And I fay fo ftill: but not in that Sense, it is generally ufed with you, and is exprefs'd in "your Catechifm ad Parochos de Pænitentia Sacramento.

Sect. 46. 47. That fuch a Repentance, as God will "not accept nor pardon for it, is made fufficient

by the Sacrament of Penance, and all our Sins re"mitted by it: and that pauciffimi, very few can be » faved without it; they might have said, None, For they here require in Repentance acceptable to » God a Senfe and Sorrow for Sin, that shall be fully equal to the Demerit, ut cum fcelerum magnitudine » æquari conferrique poffit; which is impoffible for Mortal Man: And therefore all must be damn'd without the Sacrament of Penance. pag. 109.

L. I fear, Sr, there are but few faved without it; nay moft certainly none of those, who are willfully out of the Pale of the Catholick Church; because the Repentance of fuch can never be fincere. Howe

,

to come to the Words of the Catechism, tho you have quoted them fairly, you have tranflated them very unfairly. For the Word conferri (which you have omitted in your Tranflation) mollifies and explains the Word aquari; and shews it to import not a full Equality, as you have render'd it in English, but an Equality of Proportion. So that the Meaning of the Catechism is no other, than that our Sorrow must be fuch, that it may be compared with, and bear a Proportion to the Grievoufness of our Sins; which is not impoffible by the Help of God's Grace.

'Tis likewife true what the Catechism fays, that there is a twofold Contrition, or Repentance: One fo perfect, that is fuffices to obtain the full Pardon of our Sins without the Sacrament of Penance; tho it always implies a fincere Defire of it: But whether there be few or many, that have this perfect Contrition is all a Gueß, and known to God alone. But there is another Contrition, or Repentance of a more impenf.et Nature, yet it is hearty and fincere not only as to it's Deteftation of paft Sins, but likewife as to it's Purpose of Amendment for the Time to come. This the Catechifm fays is infufficient to blot out Sins without the Sacrament; yet is a fufficient Preparation to it. Nor do I fee any Thing you can reasonably object against it.

G. My Lord, the Catechifm fays, it was necef- « fary that God should inftitute this Sacrament as an easier Way for Men to get to Heaven, «

L. Pray, Sr, can any Chriftian doubt, but that Chrift has inftituted the Sacraments as Means to facilitate our Way to Heaven

» G. My Lord, you interrupted me: the Words »of the Catechism are there. Quare necesse fuit, ut cle» mentiffimus Dominus faciliori ratione communi hominum » faluti confuleret. An eafy Way indeed! Confeß to "a Prieft, and get Abfolution, and this makes up "the Defects of your Repentance, and you are faved » ex opere operato, by the Work wrought, the bare » Performance of this Sacrament, And the Council » of Trent anathematizes all thofe, who say, that "the very Sacraments of the Gofpel do not conferr » Grace in the fame Manner by the bare Perfor »mance. Si quis dixerit per ipfa nova legis Sacramenta ex » opere operato non conferri Gratiam ----- Anathema fit. Seff. 7. Can. 8. It is true, that God did inftitute » his Sacraments as Means of Grace (for which we » blefs his Name daily in our general Thanksgiving) » but this turns them into Charms, when the very » Sacraments themselves, ipfa Sacramenta, conferr »the Grace ex opere operato, by the bare Perfor»mance of the Work. pag. 110.

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L. Sr, I heartily fubfcribe to the Definition of the Council of Trent, and join with it in Pronouncing Anathema against all that deny it. But, Sr, you are not quite fo much out of the Way as you will needs appear to be. For you grant the Thing, and only quarrel with the Expreffion, to have the malignant Pleasure of Lampooning Popery.

You fay, 'tis true, that God did inftitute his Sacraments as Means of Grace; we say the fame. Because Almighty God, who can make us become Partakers of his holy Grace by what Means he pleases, has thought fit to inftitute certain outward and vi fible Signs, which we call Sacraments, to ferve as Means to convey it to us. And because they do this independently of the Holineß, the Merits, or Faish of the Minifter, they are faid to conferr Grace ex

opere operato, that is, by that Virtue or Efficacy, which Chrift gave them in their Inftitution. And if you will needs call this a Charm, you are free to please yourself with the prophane Fancy. But if you will ftand to it in good earnest, I shall make you fenfible, that you befpatter yourself with the Dirt you throw at us. Pray, Sr, is not Baptifin a Sacra

ment?

G. Who doubts it?

L. Well, Sr, let us fuppofe the Minifter, who baptizes a Child to be an Heretick, or a wicked Man, will not the Baptism be valid, and the Child receive the full Grace of the Sacrament?

G. I cannot deny but he will.

L. I know you cannot deny it, unless you will renounce your 26th Article of Religion. But here, Sr, you are trapann'd into the opus operatum of the Council of Trent, which you nickname a Charm. For the Mi nifter being fuppofed to be an Heretick, or a wicked Man, and the Child being void of Reason, the Baptifmal Grace he receives must be attributed wholly and folely to the Virtue and Efficacy of the Sacrament. So that the Sacrament itself conferr's Grace by the bare Performance of the Work according to Chrift's Inftitution: that is, independently either of the Holi ne of the Minister, or Cooperation of the Child: And if you call this Turning it into a Charm, 'tis a Charm of Divine Institution, and I hope both Priests and Parfons may make Use of it without Danger of becoming Conjurers or Magicians by it.

G. Then I prefume, My Lord, you require no more Preparation for the Sacrament of Penance, than a Child is capable of for the Sacrament of Baptifm: that is to fay, none at all.

L. Sr, you cannot be fuch a Stranger to our Doctrine as to think fo. We require a diligent Exa