Wesley Corpus

(Epist. 5.) And in this large sense he calls the sign of the cross a sacrament; (in Psalm. cxli.,) and others give the same name to washing the feet, (Cypr. de Lotione Pedum,) and many other mysteries. But then matrimony doth no more confer grace, than wash ing the feet, or using the sign of the cross; which Bellar mine, after all the virtue he ascribes to it, will not allow to be properly and truly a sacrament. (De Imag., l. 2, c. 30, sec. Dices ergo.) Q. 88. May those that are in holy orders marry, or those that are married be received into orders in the Church of Rome? A. No; these that are married may not be admitted; (Concil. Later. 1, Can. 21, et Later. 2, Can. 6;) those that are admitted may not marry; and those that, being admitted, do marry, are to be separated. Q. 89. If marriage is a sacrament, and so confers grace, how comes it to be denied to those that are in holy orders? (Catech. Rom., par. 2, c. 8, n. 17.) A. Those in holy orders are the temple of God, and it is a shameful thing that they should serve uncleanness. (Later. Concil. 2, Can. 6.) REPLY. The Apostle, on the contrary, saith, “Marriage is honourable in all; ” (Heb. xiii. 4;) and gives a hard character of that doctrine which forbids it. (1 Tim. iv. 1-3.) And how lawful it was, the direction of the Apostle about it (1 Tim. iii. 2) doth show. And how convenient it is, is manifest from the mischiefs attending the prohibition of it in the Romish Church, which wise men among themselves have lamented. (Polyd. Virgil. de Invent, l. 3, c. 4, et Cassander Consult, art. 23.) I MIGHT have added the Fifth Section about the juris diction which the Church of Rome challenges over Princes, and about their canonization of saints, their consecration of Agnus Deis and beads, &c., and the use these and the like are applied to. I might have further considered their notes of a Church, and, showed how many of them are not true, or, however, do not belong to the Church of Rome; but that would be too large a subject to enter upon: And what has been said will be sufficient to show how far that Church hath erred from truth and reason.