397 "nifter, or in the action. First, in the matter. If the bread be not of wheat, or if there be fo great a mixture of other grain "that it cannot be called wheat-bread, or if any way corrupted, it does not make a facrament. If it be made with rofe-water, 66 or any other diftilled water, it is doubtful whether it make a "facrament or not. Tho' corruption have begun, or tho' it be "leavened, it makes a facrament, but the celebrator fins grievous

ly.

"If the celebrator, before confecration, obferve that the hoft "is corrupted, or is not of wheat, he must take another hoft: "if after confecration, he must still take another and fwallow it, after which he must also swallow the firft, or give it to another,

or preferve it in fome place with reverence. But if he have "fwallowed the first before obferving its defects, he must never"theless swallow alfo the perfect hoft; because the precept about "the perfection of the facrament, is of greater weight than that "of taking it fafting. If the confecrated hoft disappear by an "accident, as by wind, by a miracle, or by fome animal, ano"ther muft be confecrated.

"If the wine be quite four or putrid, or made of unripe grapes, or be mixed with fo much water as to spoil the wine, it is no "facrament. If the wine have begun to four or to be corrupted,

or be quite new, or not mixed with water, or mixed with rosewater or other diftilled water, it makes a facrament, but the ce"lebrator fins grievously.

"If the priest, before confecration, observe that the materials are not proper, he must stop, if proper materials cannot be got; "but after confecration, he muft proceed, to avoid giving fcan"dal. If proper materials can be procured by waiting, he must "wait for them, that the facrifice may not remain imperfect.

"Second, in form. If any of the words of confecration be o"mitted, or any of them be changed into words of a different meaning,

46c meaning, it is no facrament: if they be changed into words of "the fame meaning, it makes a facrament; but the celebrator "fins grievously.

"Third, in the minifter. If he does not intend to make a facrament, but to cheat; if there be any part of the wine, or any wafer that he has not in his eye, and does not intend to "confecrate; if he have before him eleven wafers, and intends

466

to confecrate only ten, not determining what ten he intends : "in these cafes the confecration does not hold, because intention "is requifite. If he think there are ten only, and intends to "confecrate all before him, they are all confecrated; therefore

66

priests ought always to have fuch intention. If the priest, "thinking he has but one wafer, fhall, after the confecration, "find two sticking together, he must take them both. And he "muft take off all the remains of the confecrated matter; for

they all belong to the fame facrifice. If in confecrating, the "intention be not actual by wandering of mind, but virtual in "approaching the altar, it makes a facrament: tho' priests "fhould be careful to have intention both virtual and actual.

"Befide intention, the priest may be deficient in disposition of "mind. If he be fufpended, or degraded, or excommunicated, or under mortal fin, he makes a facrament, but fins grievoufly. He may be deficient alfo in difpofition of body. If he "have not fafted from midnight, if he have tafted water, or any "other drink or meat, even in the way of medicine, he cannot "celebrate nor communicate. If he have taken meat or drink "before midnight, even tho' he have not flept nor digefted it, "he does not fin. But on account of the perturbation of mind, "which bars devotion, it is prudent to refrain.

"If any remains of meat, fticking in the mouth, be fwallow"ed with the hoft, they do not prevent communicating, provi"ded they be swallowed, not as meat, but as fpittle. The fame

66 is

"is to be faid, if in washing the mouth a drop of water be fwal"lowed, provided it be against our will.

"Fourth, in the action. If any requifite be wanting, it is not "facrament; for example, if it be celebrated out of holy ground, or upon an altar not confecrated, or not covered with three nap“kins; if there be no wax candles; if it be not celebrated between day-break and noon; if the celebrator have not faid mat"tins with lauds; if he omit any of the facerdotal robes; if these robes and the napkins be not blessed by a bishop; if there be no clerk present to ferve, or one who ought not to ferve, a woman, for example; if there be no chalice, the cup of which is gold, or filver, or pewter; if the vestment be not of clean linen "adorned with filk in the middle, and bleffed by a bifhop; if the priest celebrate with his head covered; if there be no miffal prefent, tho' he have it by heart.

"If a gnat or spider fall into the cup after confecration, the

priest must swallow it with the blood, if he can: otherwise, "let him take it out, wash it with wine, burn it, and throw it "with the wafhings into holy ground. If poifon fall into the cup, the blood must be poured on tow or on a linen cloth, re"main till it be dry, then be burnt, and the ashes be thrown upon holy ground. If the host be poisoned, it must be kept in a tabernacle till it be corrupted.

"If the blood freeze in winter, put warm cloths about the

cup: if that be not fufficient, put the cup in boiling water. "If any of Christ's blood fall on the ground by negligence, it must be licked up with the tongue, and the place fcraped: the fcrapings must be burnt, and the afhes buried in holy ground. "If the priest vomit the eucharist, and the species appear en"tire, it must be licked up moft reverently. If a nausea prevent "that to be done, it must be kept till it be corrupted. If the fpe

"cies.

"cies do not appear, let the vomit be burnt, and the ashes thrown

upon holy ground.”

As the foregoing article has beyond intention fwelled to an enormous fize, I shall add but one other article, which, at the same time, fhall be extremely fhort; and that is the creed of Athanafius. It is a heap of unintelligible jargon; and yet we are appointed to believe every article of it, under the pain of eternal damnation. As it enjoins belief of rank contradictions, it seems purpofely calculated to be a teft of flavish fubmiffion to the tyrannical authority of a proud and arrogant priest *..

CHAP. III.

RELIGIOUS WORSHIP.

IN

N the foregoing chapter are traced the gradual advances of the fense of Deity, from its imperfect state among favages to its maturity among enlightened nations, difplaying to us one great being to whom all other beings owe their exiftence, who made the world, and who governs it by the most perfect laws. And our perception of Deity, arifing from that fenfe, is fortified by an intuitive propofition, that there neceffarily muft exist fome being who had no beginning. Confidering the Deity as the author of our existence, we owe him gratitude; confidering him as govern

*Bishop Burnet feems doubtful whether this creed was compofed by Athanafius; tho' his doubts, in my apprehenfion, are scarce fufficient to weigh against the unanimous opinion of the Chriftian church.

or

may

or of the world, we owe him obedience: and upon these duties is founded the obligation we are under to worship him. Further, God made man for fociety, and implanted in his nature the moral sense to direct his conduct in that state. From these premises, it not with certainty be inferred to be the will of God, that men fhould obey the dictates of the moral fenfe in fulfilling every duty of justice and benevolence? Thefe moral duties, it would appear, are our chief business in this life; being enforced not only by a moral but by a religious principle.

Morality, as laid down in a former sketch, consists of two great branches, viz. the moral fenfe, which unfolds our duty to man, and an active moral principle, which prompts us to perform that duty. Natural religion confifts also of two great branches, viz. the fenfe of Deity, which unfolds our duty to our Maker, and the active principle of devotion, which prompts us to perform our duty to him. The univerfality of the fenfe of Deity proves it to be innate the fame reafon proves the principle of devotion to be innate; for all men agree in worshipping superior beings, whatever difference there may be in the mode of worship.

Both branches of the duty we owe to God, that of worshipping him, and that of obeying his will with respect to our fellow-creatures, are fummed up by the Prophet Micah in the following emphatic words. "He hath fhewed thee, O man, what is good: "and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do juftly, to love xc mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" The two articles first mentioned, are moral duties regarding our fellow-creatures; and as to fuch, what is required of us by the Lord is to do our duty to others, not only as directed by the moral fenfe, but as being the will of our Maker, to whom we owe abfolute obedience. That branch of our duty is reserved for a second section: at present we are to treat of religious worship, included in the third article, viz. the walking humbly with our God.

VOL. II.

3 E

SECT.