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"of the fame meaning, it makes a facrament; "but the celebrator fins grievously.

"Third, in the minifter. If he does not in"tend 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 to confecrate only ten, not deter"mining 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 priests ought al

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ways 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 must take off all the "remains of the confecrated matter; for they all

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belong to the fame facrifice. If in confecra"ting, the intention be not actual by wandering "of mind, but virtual in approaching the altar, "it makes a facrament: though priests fhould be "careful to have intention both virtual and ac❝tual.

"Befide intention, the priest may be deficient "in difpofition of mind. If he be suspended, or "degraded, or excommunicated, or under mortal “fin, he makes a facrament, but fins grievously. "He may be deficient also in difpofition of body. "If he have not fafted from midnight, if he have

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"tafted water, or any other drink or meat, even "in the way of medicine, he cannot celebrate 66 nor communicate. If he have taken meat or "drink before midnight, even though 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.

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"If any remains of meat, fticking in the mouth, be swallowed with the hoft, they do not prevent communicating, provided they be fwallowed, "not as meat, but as fpittle. The fame is to "be faid, if in washing the mouth a drop of "water be swallowed, provided it be against our

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"Fourth, in the action. If any requifite be wanting, it is no facrament; for example, if it "be celebrated out of holy ground, or upon an "altar not confecrated, or not covered with three "napkins: if there be no wax candles; if it be "not celebrated between day-break and noon; "if the celebrator have not faid matins with "lauds; if he omit any of the facerdotal robes; "if these robes and the napkins be not bleffed by a bishop; if there be no clerk present to serve, "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 vest"ment be not of clean linen adorned with filk "in the middle, and bleffed by a bishop; if "the priest celebrate with his head covered; if 46 there

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“there be no missal present, though 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 washings into holy ground. If poifon "fall into the cup, the blood must be poured on "tow or on a linen cloth, remain till it be dry, "then be burnt, and the afhes be thrown upon

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holy ground. If the hoft 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 Chrift'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 ashes buried in holy ground.

“If the priest vomit the eucharist, and the spe"cies appear entire, it must be licked up moft re"verently. If a naufea prevent that to be done, "it must be kept till it be corrupted. If the fpecies 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 fhall add but one other article, which fhall be extremely fhort; and that is the creed of Athanafius. It is a heap of unintelligible jargon; and yet we are appointed

to

to believe every article of it, under the pain of eternal damnation. As it enjoins belief of rank contradictions, it feems purposely calculated to be a teft of flavish fubmiffion to the tyrannical authority of a proud and arrogant priest *.

CHAP. III.

Religious Worship.

N the foregoing chapter are traced the gradual

IN

advances of the fenfe of Deity, from its imperfect state among favages to its maturity among enlightened nations; displaying to us one great Being, to whom all other beings owe their existence, who made the world, and who governs it by perfect laws. And our perception of Deity, arifing from that sense, is fortified by an intuitive propofition, that there neceffarily muft exift fome being who had no beginning. Confidering the Deity as the author of our exiftence, we owe him grati

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Bishop Burnet feems doubtful whether this creed was composed by Athanafius. His doubts, in my apprehenfion, are scarce fufficient to weigh against the unanimous opinion of the Chriftian church.

tude; confidering him as governor of the world, we owe him obedience: and upon thefe duties is founded the obligation we are under to worship him. Further, God made man for fociety, and implanted in his nature the moral fenfe to direct his conduct in that ftate. From thefe premises, may it not with certainty be inferred to be the will of God, that men should obey the dictates of the moral fenfe in fulfilling every duty of justice and benevolence? Thefe moral duties, it would

appear, are our chief bufinefs, in this life; being enforced not only by a moral but by a religious principle.

Morality, as laid down in a former sketch, confifts of two great branches, the moral fense which unfolds the duty we owe to our fellow-creatures, and an active moral principle which prompts us to perform that duty. Natural religion confifts alfo of two great branches, 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 fuperior 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

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