The-papacy-its-history-dogmas-genius-and-prospects-wylie

INTENTION OF THE PRIEST. 297the sound doctrine of the gospel." Not only do the .sacramentsinfuse grace at first, but they confer an increase ofgrace, and all that divine aid which is necessary to gaintlieir end.* This grace is contained in the sacraments, saythe Komanists, " not as the accident in its subject, or asliquor in a vase (as Calvin has vilely insinuated), but it isconferred by the sacraments as the instrumental cause.""-|-One very important point remains, and that is, the validityof the sacrament. In order to this, it is not enoughthat the forms of the Church be observed in the administrationof the sacrament ; the right direction of the intention ofthe administrator is an essential requisite. " If any oneshall say," says the Council of Trent, " that in ministers,while they form and give the sacraments, intention is not required,at least of doing what the Church does, let him beanathema.""! Any flaw here, then, vitiates the whole proceeding.If the priest who administers baptism or extremeunction be a hypocrite or an infidel, and does not intendwhat the Church intends, the baptized man lives withoutgrace, and the dying man departs without hope. The priestmay be the greatest profligate that ever lived ; this will notin the least affect the validity of the sacrament ;but. shouldhe fail to direct aright his intention, the sacrament is null,and all its virtue and benefit are lost,—a calamity as dreadfulas the difficulty of providing against it is great. For asthe intention of another cannot be seen, it can never beknown with certainty that it exists.It is not difficult to imagine the tremendous evil to whicha single invalid act may lead. Take the case of a childwhose baptism is invalid from the want of intention on thepart of the priest. This child grows to manhood ; he takesorders ; but he is no priest. Every priestly act he does isnull. Those he ordains are in the same predicament with* Theol. 3Ior. et Dog. Petri Dens, torn. v. p. 94.+ Idem, torn. v. p. 90.X Concil. Trid. sess. vii. can. xi.