30? PeNAI?C �?A BSOLUTIet N. [Book 1I. Christ, in opposition to the institution of this gacmment." Speaking of baptized persons, the council says, c. 2: "If these afterward defile themselves by any trans,easton, it is not his will that they should be cleansed by a repetition of baptism, which is on no account lawful in the Catholic Church, but they should be placed as offenders before the tribunal of penance, that they may be absolved by the sentence of the priests, not once only, but as often as they/tee thereto, confessing their sins." Again it is declared by the council, c. 5: "Though the priest's absolution is the dispensation of a benefit which belongs to another, yet it is not to be considered as merely a ministry, whether to publish the gospel or to declare the remission of sins, but as the na- ture of a judicial act, in which sentence is pronounced by him as judge; and therefore the penitent ought not to flatter himself on ac- count of his faith, for faith without penance cannot procure remission of sins." The two following canons expressly ascribe the power of absolution to be invested in the priest. Canon 3: "Whoever shall affirm that the words of the Lord our Saytour, ' Receive ye the Holy Ghost,' &c., are not to be understood of the power of forgiving and retaining sins in the sacrament of penance, &c.; let him be accursed." Canon 9th says: "Whoever shall affirm that the priest's sacramental absolution is not a judicial act, but only a ministry, to pronounce and declare that the sins of the party confessing are forgiven, so that he believes him- self to be absolved, even though the priest should not absolve seriously, but in jest; let him be accursed." The absolution of a wicked priest is as valid as that of a pious one. "The council farther teaches, that even those priests who are living �iu mortal sin exercise the function of forgiving sins, as the ministers of Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit conferred on them in ordi- nation; and that those who contend that wicked priests have not this power hold very erroneous sentiments," c. 6. "Whoever shall affirm that priests living in mortal sin have not the power of binding and loosing, or that priests are not the only ministers of absolution, &c.; let him be accursed,"c. 10. Dens says: "A wicked priest can validly absolve, because Christ is the principal minister."* We will also quote a few sentences from the Catechism of the Council of Trent, by which it will appear that the clergy of the Church of Rome claim to themselves the power of forgiving sins: "Our sins are forgiven by the absolution of the priest. The voice of the priest, who is legitimately constituted a minister for the remission of sins, is to be heard as that of Christ himself, who said to the lame man, ' Son, be of good cheer; thy sins are forgiven thee,'" p. 239. "The abso- lution of the priest, which is expressed in words, seals the remissiou of sins, which it accomplishes in tl?e soul," p. 240. "Unlike the authority given to the priesis of the old law, to declare the leper cleansed from his leprosy, the power with which the priests of the new law are invested is not simply to declare that sins are forgiven, but, as the ministers of God, really to absolve from sin; a power which God' himself, the author and source of grace and justification, exercises through their ministry,"p. 2ii2. "There is no sin, however
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