The Council of Trent examin'd and disprov'd by Catholick tradition in the main points in controversie between us and the Church of Rome with a particular account of the times and occasions of introducing them : Part 1 : to which a preface is prefixed concerning the true sense of the Council of Trent and the notion of transubstantiation.

2. Of the Sacrament of Penance.

1. The Council of Trent declares Absolution of the Pe∣nitent to be a judicial Act, and denounces an Anathema a∣gainst * 1.1 him that denies it; but the Greek Church uses a de∣precative Form, (as they call it,) not pronouncing Abso∣lution by way of Sentence, but by way of Prayer to God. Which as Aquinas observes, rather shews a Person to be absolved by God than by the Priest, and are rather a Prayer * 1.2 that it may be done, than a signification that it is done; and therefore he looks on such Forms as insufficient. And if it be a judicial Sentence, as the Council of Trent deter∣mines, it can hardly be reconciled to such a Form, where∣in no kind of judicial Sentence was ever pronounced; as

Arcudius grants; and in Extreme Unction, where such a * 1.3 Form is allowed, there is, as he observes, no Judicial Act. But he hopes at last to bring the Greeks off by a Phrase used in some of their Forms, I have you absolved; but he * 1.4 confesses it is not in their Publick Offices; and their Priests for the most part use it not. Which shews it to be an Innovation among the Latinizing Greeks, if it be so ob∣served, which Catumsyritus denies, and saith, he proves * 1.5 it only from some Forms granted by Patents, which are not Sacramental; and supposing it otherwise, he saith, it is foolish, false and erroneous to suppose such a Form to be valid; because it is no Judicial Act.

2. The Council of Trent makes Confession of all Mortal * 1.6 Sins, how secret soever, to be necessary in order to the benefit of Priestly Absolution in this Sacrament, and de∣nounces an Anathema against those that deny it; but the * 1.7 Greek Church grants Absolution upon supposition that they have not confessed all Mortal Sins: As appears by the Form of the Patriarch of Antioch, produced by Arcudius, and another Form of the Patriarch of Constantinople, in Jere∣mias * 1.8 his Answer. Arcudius is hard put to it, when to excuse this he saith, they only pray to God to forgive them; for this is to own that a deprecative Form is insufficient, and so that there is no Sacrament of Penance in the Greek Church.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Concil. Trid. de Paenit. c. 6. ••an. 9.
• * 1.2

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. p. q. 84. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. a••. 1.
• * 1.3

  Arcud de Concord. 4. l. c. 3. p. 36••.
• * 1.4

  p. 370.
• * 1.5

  Catumsyritus de vera Conc. Proleg. p. 153.
• * 1.6

  Concil. Trid. de Poenit. c. 5.
• * 1.7

  Can. 7.
• * 1.8

  Arcud. p. 373.