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Dist. 1

Book IV: On the Sacraments · Distinction 1

Textus Latinus

DISTINCTIO I.

Pars I.

Cap. I. De Sacramentis.

Samaritanus enim, vulnerato appropians, curationi eius Sacramentorum alligamenta adhibuit¹, quia contra peccati originalis et actualis vulnera Sacramentorum remedia Deus instituit. De quibus quatuor primo consideranda occurrunt: quid sit Sacramentum; quare institutum; in quibus consistat et conficiatur; et quae sit distantia inter Sacramenta veteris et novae legis.

Cap. II. Quid sit Sacramentum.

«Sacramentum est sacrae rei signum²». Dicitur tamen sacramentum etiam sacrum secretum, sicut dicitur sacramentum divinitatis, ut sacramentum sit sacrum signans et sacrum signatum; sed nunc agitur de sacramento secundum quod est signum. — Item «Sacramentum est invisibilis gratiae visibilis forma».

Cap. III. Quid sit signum.

«Signum vero est res praeter speciem, quam ingerit sensibus, aliud aliquid ex se faciens in cogitationem venire³».

Cap. IV. Quo differant signum et Sacramentum.

«Signorum vero alia sunt naturalia, ut fumus significans ignem; alia data⁴»; et eorum quae data sunt, quaedam sunt Sacramenta, quaedam non. Omne enim Sacramentum est signum, sed non e converso.

Sacramentum eius rei similitudinem gerit, cuius signum est. «Si enim Sacramenta non haberent similitudinem rerum, quarum Sacramenta sunt, proprie Sacramenta non dicerentur». Sacramentum enim proprie dicitur quod ita signum est gratiae Dei et invisibilis gratiae forma, ut ipsius imaginem gerat et causa existat. Non igitur significandi tantum gratia Sacramenta instituta sunt, sed etiam sanctificandi. Quae enim significandi gratia tantum instituta sunt, solum signa sunt, et non Sacramenta; sicut fuerunt sacrificia carnalia et observantiae caerimoniales veteris legis, quae nunquam poterant iustos facere offerentes; quia, ut ait Apostolus⁵, sanguis hircorum et taurorum et cinis vitulae aspersus inquinatos sanctificabat ad emundationem carnis, non animae. Nam inquinatio illa erat contactus mortui. Unde Augustinus⁶: «Nihil aliud intelligo inquinationem, quam Lex mundat, nisi contactum mortui hominis, quem qui tetigerat immundus erat septem diebus; sed purificabatur secundum Legem die tertio et septimo, et mundus erat», ut iam intraret templum. Mundabant etiam interdum a corporali lepra illa legalia; sed nunquam ex operibus Legis aliquis iustificatus est, ut ait Apostolus⁷, etiam si in fide et caritate fierent. Quare? quia imposuit ea Deus in servitutem, non in iustificationem, et ut figura futuri essent, volens, ea sibi ipsi potius offerri quam idolis. Illa ergo signa erant, sed tamen et Sacramenta, licet minus proprie, in Scripturis saepe vocantur, quia signa erant rei sacrae, quam utique non praestabant. Illa autem Apostolus⁸ opera Legis dicit, quae tantum significandi gratia, vel in onus instituta sunt.

Cap. V. Quare instituta sint Sacramenta.

Triplici autem ex causa Sacramenta instituta sunt: propter humiliationem, eruditionem, exercitationem. Propter humiliationem quidem, ut dum homo in senp. 9sibilibus rebus, quae natura infra ipsum sunt, ex praecepto Creatoris se reverendo subiicit, ex hac humilitate et obedientia Deo magis placeat et apud eum mereatur, cuius imperio salutem quaerit in interioribus se, etsi non ab illis, sed per illa a Deo. — Propter eruditionem etiam instituta sunt, ut per id quod foris in specie visibili cernitur, ad invisibilem virtutem, quae intus est, agnoscendam^1b mens erudiatur. Homo enim, qui ante peccatum sine medio Deum videbat, per peccatum adeo hebuit, ut nequeat divina capere, nisi humanis exercitatus. — Propter exercitationem similiter instituta sunt: quia, cum homo otiosus esse non possit, proponitur ei utilis et salubris exercitatio in Sacramentis, qua vanam et noxiam declinet occupationem. Non enim facile capitur a tentatore, qui bono vacat exercitio; unde Hieronymus^2b monet: «Semper aliquid operis facito, ut te occupatum diabolus inveniat». «Sunt autem exercitationum tres species: una ad aedificationem animae pertinet, altera ad corporis fomentum, alia ad utriusque subversionem». — Cum igitur absque Sacramentis, quibus non alligavit potentiam suam Deus, homini gratiam donare posset, praedictis de causis Sacramenta instituit. «Duo autem sunt, in quibus Sacramentum consistit, scilicet verba et res: verba, ut invocatio Trinitatis; res, ut aqua, oleum et huiusmodi».

Cap. VI. De differentia Sacramentorum veterum et novorum.

Iam videre restat differentiam Sacramentorum veterum et novorum, ut Sacramenta vocemus quae antiquitus res sacras signabant, ut sacrificia et oblationes et huiusmodi. Eorum autem differentiam breviter Augustinus^3b assignat dicens, «quia illa promittebant tantum et significabant, haec autem dant salutem».

Pars II.

Cap. VII. De circumcisione.

Fuit tamen inter illa Sacramenta Sacramentum quoddam, scilicet circumcisionis, idem conferens remedium contra peccatum quod nunc baptismus. Unde Augustinus^1c: «Ex quo instituta est circumcisio in populo Dei, quae erat tunc signaculum iustitiae fidei, ad purgationem valebat magnis et parvulis originalis veterisque peccati; sicut baptismus ex illo valere coepit ad innovationem hominis, ex quo institutus est». Item Beda^2c: «Idem salutiferae curationis auxilium circumcisio in Lege contra originalis peccati vulnus agebat, quod baptismus agere revelatae gratiae tempore consuevit, excepto quod ianuam regni caelestis nondum intrare poterant; tamen in sinu Abrahae post mortem beata requie consolati, supernae pacis ingressum spe felici exspectabant». His aperte traditur, per circumcisionem, ex quo instituta fuit, remissionem peccati originalis et actualis parvulis et maioribus a Deo praestitam, sicut nunc per baptismum datur.

Cap. VIII. Quod remedium illi habuerunt, qui fuerunt ante circumcisionem.

Quaeritur autem de viris, qui fuerunt ante circumcisionem, et de feminis, quae fuerunt ante et post, quod remedium contra peccatum habuerint. — Quidam dicunt, sacrificia et oblationes eis valuisse ad remissionem peccati. Sed melius est dicere, illos qui de Abraham prodierunt, per circumcisionem iustificatos, mulieres vero per fidem et operationem bonam vel suam, si adultae erant, vel parentum, si parvulae; eos vero qui fuerunt ante circumcisionem parvulos in fide parentum, parentes vero per virtutem sacrificiorum, scilicet quam intelligebant spiritualiter in illis sacrificiis, iustificatos. Unde Gregorius^3c: «Quod apud nos valet aqua baptismi, hoc egit apud veteres vel pro parvulis sola fides, vel pro maioribus virtus sacrificii, vel pro his qui ex Abrahae stirpe prodierunt, mysterium circumcisionis».

Cap. IX. De institutione circumcisionis et causa.

Hic dicendum est, in quo instituta fuerit circumcisio; et quare; et cur mutata per baptismum. — Abraham primus mandatum circumcisionis habuit^4c ad probationem obedientiae; nec ei soli praecepta fuit circumcisio, sed et semini eius, id est omnibus Hebraeis; quae fiebat secundum Legem octava die lapideo cultro in carne praeputii. — Data autem fuit circumcisio pluribus de causis, scilicet ut per obedientiam mandati Abraham placeret Deo, cui per praevaricationem Adam displicuerat. Data etiam fuit in signum magnae fidei Abrahae, qui credidit, se habiturum filium, in quo fieret benedictio omnium. Deinde, ut hoc signo a ceteris nationibus discerneretur populus ille. In carne vero praeputii ideo iussa est fieri circumcisio, quia in remedium instituta est originalis peccati, quod a pap. 10rentibus trahimus per concupiscentiam, quae in parte illa magis dominatur. Et quia in parte illa culpam inobedientiae primus homo sensit, decuit, ut ibi signum obedientiae acciperet.

Fiebat autem octavo die petrino cultro, quia et in resurrectione communi octava aetate futura per petram Christum omnis ab electis abscindetur corruptio, et per Christi resurrectionem octava die factam circumciditur a peccatis anima cuiusque in eum credentis. «Duae igitur res sunt illius Sacramenti^1d».

Ideo autem mutata est circumcisio per baptismum, quia Sacramentum baptismi et communius est et perfectius, quia pleniori gratia accumulatum. Ibi enim peccata solum dimittebantur, sed nec gratia ad bene operandum adiutrix nec virtutum possessio vel augmentum ibi praestabatur, ut in baptismo, ubi non modo abolentur peccata, sed etiam gratia adiutrix confertur, et virtutes augentur. Unde aqua refectionis dicitur, quae^2d aridos fecundat et iam fructificantes ampliori ubertate donat; quia, quantumcumque per fidem et caritatem ante habitam aliquis iustus ad baptismum accedit, uberiorem ibi recipit gratiam, sed non ita in circumcisione. Unde Abrahae per fidem iam iustificato signaculum tantum fuit, nihil ei intus contulit.

Cap. X. De parvulis defunctis ante diem octavum, quo fiebat circumcisio.

Si vero quaeritur de parvulis, qui ante diem octavum moriebantur, antequam fiebat circumcisio ex Lege, utrum salvarentur, vel non; idem potest responderi, quod sentitur de parvulis ante baptismum defunctis, quos perire constat. Unde Beda^3d: «Qui nunc per Evangelium terribiliter et salubriter clamat: Nisi quis renatus fuerit ex aqua et Spiritu sancto, non intrabit in regnum Dei; ipse dudum clamat per suam Legem: Anima, cuius praeputii caro circumcisa non fuerit, peribit de populo suo, quia pactum meum irritum fecit. Forte tamen sub Lege, ingruente necessitate mortis, ante octavum diem circumcidebant sine peccato filios, sicut modo in Ecclesia fit de baptismo».

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English Translation

DISTINCTION I.

Part I.

Chap. I. On the Sacraments.

For the Samaritan, drawing near to the wounded man, applied the bandages of the Sacraments for his healing¹, because against the wounds of original and actual sin God instituted the remedies of the Sacraments. Concerning which four things first occur to be considered: what a Sacrament is; why it was instituted; in what it consists and is effected; and what is the distance between the Sacraments of the old and of the new law.

Chap. II. What a Sacrament is.

«A Sacrament is the sign of a sacred thing²». Yet a sacrament is also called a sacred secret, as the sacrament of the divinity is spoken of, so that a sacrament is a sacred thing signifying and a sacred thing signified; but now the discussion is of a sacrament according as it is a sign. — Likewise: «A Sacrament is the visible form of invisible grace».

Chap. III. What a sign is.

«A sign is a thing which, beyond the appearance it presents to the senses, of itself causes something else to come into thought³».

Chap. IV. How a sign and a Sacrament differ.

«Of signs, some are natural, as smoke signifying fire; others given⁴»; and of those which are given, some are Sacraments, some are not. For every Sacrament is a sign, but not conversely.

A Sacrament bears the likeness of the thing of which it is the sign. «For if the Sacraments did not bear the likeness of the things of which they are Sacraments, they would not properly be called Sacraments». For a Sacrament is properly so called which is in such a way the sign of the grace of God and the form of invisible grace, that it bears its image and exists as its cause. Therefore the Sacraments were not instituted only for the sake of signifying, but also for the sake of sanctifying. For those things which were instituted only for the sake of signifying are signs only, and not Sacraments; as were the carnal sacrifices and the ceremonial observances of the old law, which could never make those who offered them just; because, as the Apostle says⁵, the blood of goats and of bulls, and the ashes of a heifer being sprinkled, sanctified the defiled, unto the cleansing of the flesh, not of the soul. For that defilement was the touching of a dead body. Hence Augustine⁶: «I understand the defilement, which the Law cleanses, to be nothing other than the touching of a dead man, which whoever had touched was unclean for seven days; but he was purified according to the Law on the third and the seventh day, and was clean», so that he might now enter the temple. Those legal things also cleansed at times from bodily leprosy; but no one was ever justified by the works of the Law, as the Apostle says⁷, even if they were done in faith and charity. Why? because God imposed them for servitude, not for justification, and that they might be a figure of what was to come, willing that they be offered to himself rather than to idols. Therefore they were signs, but yet they are often called also Sacraments in the Scriptures, though less properly, because they were signs of a sacred thing, which they assuredly did not bestow. But the Apostle⁸ calls them works of the Law, which were instituted only for the sake of signifying, or as a burden.

Chap. V. Why the Sacraments were instituted.

For a threefold cause the Sacraments were instituted: for the sake of humbling, of instructing, of exercising. For the sake of humbling, indeed, so that while man, by the precept of the Creator, reverently subjects himself in senp. 9sible things, which by nature are below him, by this humility and obedience he may please God more and merit before him, by whose command he seeks salvation in the things within himself, though not from them, but through them from God. — For the sake of instruction also they were instituted, so that through that which is outwardly seen in a visible appearance, the mind may be instructed to recognize the invisible power which is within^1b. For man, who before sin saw God without a mean, by sin grew so dull that he cannot grasp divine things, unless he is exercised through human ones. — For the sake of exercise likewise they were instituted: because, since man cannot be idle, there is set before him a useful and salutary exercise in the Sacraments, by which he may avoid vain and harmful occupation. For he is not easily taken by the tempter who is free for good exercise; whence Jerome^2b admonishes: «Always be doing some work, so that the devil may find you occupied». «Now there are three kinds of exercises: one pertains to the building-up of the soul, another to the nourishing of the body, another to the overthrow of both». — Since therefore God could give grace to man without the Sacraments, to which he has not bound his power, he instituted the Sacraments for the aforesaid causes. «Now there are two things in which a Sacrament consists, namely words and things: words, as the invocation of the Trinity; things, as water, oil, and the like».

Chap. VI. On the difference between the old and the new Sacraments.

It now remains to see the difference between the old and the new Sacraments, so that we may call Sacraments those which of old signified sacred things, as sacrifices and oblations and the like. But Augustine^3b briefly assigns their difference, saying that «those only promised and signified, but these give salvation».

Part II.

Chap. VII. On circumcision.

There was, however, among those Sacraments a certain Sacrament, namely of circumcision, conferring the same remedy against sin that baptism now does. Hence Augustine^1c: «From the time when circumcision was instituted among the people of God, which was then the seal of the justice of faith, it availed for the great and for little ones for the purgation of original and old sin; just as baptism began to avail for the renewal of man from the time it was instituted». Likewise Bede^2c: «Circumcision in the Law wrought the same aid of saving healing against the wound of original sin that baptism has been wont to work in the time of revealed grace, except that they could not yet enter the door of the heavenly kingdom; yet, consoled in the bosom of Abraham after death in blessed rest, they awaited with happy hope the entrance of the supernal peace». By these things it is plainly handed down that, through circumcision, from the time it was instituted, the remission of original and actual sin was granted by God to little ones and to the greater, just as now it is given through baptism.

Chap. VIII. What remedy those had who were before circumcision.

But it is asked concerning the men who were before circumcision, and concerning the women who were before and after, what remedy against sin they had. — Some say that sacrifices and oblations availed them for the remission of sin. But it is better to say that those who came from Abraham were justified through circumcision, but the women through faith and good work, either their own, if they were adult, or their parents', if they were little ones; and that those who were little ones before circumcision were justified in the faith of their parents, but the parents through the power of the sacrifices, namely which they understood spiritually in those sacrifices. Hence Gregory^3c: «What the water of baptism avails among us, this among the ancients was effected either for little ones by faith alone, or for the greater by the power of sacrifice, or for those who came from the stock of Abraham by the mystery of circumcision».

Chap. IX. On the institution of circumcision and its cause.

Here it must be said in what circumcision was instituted; and why; and why it was changed through baptism. — Abraham first received the command of circumcision^4c for the proof of obedience; nor was circumcision commanded to him alone, but also to his seed, that is, to all the Hebrews; which was done according to the Law on the eighth day with a stone knife in the flesh of the foreskin. — Now circumcision was given for several causes, namely that by obedience to the command Abraham might please God, whom Adam by transgression had displeased. It was given also as a sign of the great faith of Abraham, who believed that he would have a son, in whom the blessing of all would come to pass. Then, that by this sign that people might be distinguished from the other nations. But in the flesh of the foreskin circumcision was ordered to be made, because it was instituted as a remedy for original sin, which we draw from our pap. 10rents through concupiscence, which dominates more in that part. And because in that part the first man felt the fault of disobedience, it was fitting that there he should receive the sign of obedience.

Now it was done on the eighth day with a stone knife, because both in the common resurrection, which is to come in the eighth age, through the rock which is Christ all corruption shall be cut off from the elect, and through Christ's resurrection, accomplished on the eighth day, the soul of each one believing in him is circumcised from sins. «There are therefore two things of that Sacrament^1d».

But circumcision was changed through baptism because the Sacrament of baptism is both more common and more perfect, since it is heaped up with fuller grace. For there sins only were remitted, but neither grace as a helper for working well nor the possession or increase of virtues was bestowed there, as in baptism, where not only are sins abolished, but also helping grace is conferred, and the virtues are increased. Hence it is called the water of refreshment, which^2d makes the dry fruitful and bestows on those already bearing fruit a greater abundance; because, however much anyone just by faith and charity previously had approaches to baptism, he there receives a more abundant grace, but not so in circumcision. Hence to Abraham, already justified through faith, it was only a seal, and bestowed nothing within him.

Chap. X. On little ones who died before the eighth day, on which circumcision was done.

But if it is asked concerning little ones who died before the eighth day, before circumcision was done according to the Law, whether they were saved, or not; the same can be answered that is held concerning little ones who died before baptism, who, it is agreed, perish. Hence Bede^3d: «He who now through the Gospel terribly and salutarily cries out: Unless one is born again of water and the Holy Spirit, he shall not enter into the kingdom of God; the same long ago cried out through his Law: The soul whose flesh of the foreskin shall not have been circumcised shall perish from his people, because he has made my covenant void. Yet perhaps under the Law, when the necessity of death pressed in, they circumcised their sons before the eighth day without sin, as now in the Church it is done concerning baptism».

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Apparatus Criticus

1
Cfr. Luc. 10, 30.
Cf. Luke 10:30.
2
August., X. de Civ. Dei c. 5, et II. contra Adversar. Legis et Prophet. c. 9. n. 34. — Paulo inferius post sicut Vat. et plurimae edd. omittunt dicitur, refragantibus codd.
Augustine, On the City of God bk. X, c. 5, and Against the Adversary of the Law and the Prophets bk. II, c. 9, n. 34. — A little below, after just as (sicut), the Vatican edition and most editions omit dicitur, against the codices.
3
August., III. Quaestion. in Pentateuch. q. 84.
Augustine, Questions on the Pentateuch bk. III, q. 84.
4
August., II. de Doctr. christ. c. 1. n. 1; in quo textu cod. C et edd., excepta 6, habent cognitionem pro cogitationem, refragante etiam originali.
Augustine, On Christian Doctrine bk. II, c. 1, n. 1; in which text codex C and the editions, except the sixth, have cognitionem (knowledge) for cogitationem (thought), the original also opposing.
5
Hebr. 9, 13; superius de sacrificiis et caerimoniis cfr. Levit. 16, 13.
Hebrews 9:13; above, concerning the sacrifices and ceremonies, cf. Leviticus 16:13.
6
Libr. IV. Quaestion. in Pentateuch. q. 33 n. 10. (secundum sensum), ubi respicitur Num. 19, 11. — Ibi ante mundus codd. C D et plurimae edd. addunt ita.
Questions on the Pentateuch bk. IV, q. 33, n. 10 (according to the sense), where Numbers 19:11 is regarded. — There, before mundus (clean), codices C, D and most editions add ita.
7
Hom. 3, 20; Gal. 2, 16. Deinde respicitur Rom. 6, 14: Adae, qui est forma futuri.
[Rom.] 3:20; Gal. 2:16. Then Romans 6:14 is regarded: of Adam, who is a figure of him who was to come.
8
Loc. cit. et Act. 13, 10, ubi dicitur: Quid tentatis Deum imponere iugum... quod neque patres nostri neque nos portare potuimus.
Loc. cit. and Acts 13:10 [recte 15:10], where it is said: Why tempt you God to put a yoke... which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear.
1b
Cod. C et plures edd. cognoscendam. Deinde pro adeo hebuit, ut nequeat edd., excepta 1, legunt a Deo habuit, ut nequaquam (aliquae nequeat), refragantibus codd.
Codex C and several editions read cognoscendam (to be known). Then, for adeo hebuit, ut nequeat the editions, except the first, read a Deo habuit, ut nequaquam (some nequeat), against the codices.
2b
Epist. 125. (alias 4.) ad Rustic. n. 11. — Quae in hoc cap. praecedunt et duo loci sequentes sumta sunt ex Hugone, Sum. Sent. tr. 4. c. 1. et I. de Sacram. p. IX. c. 3.
Letter 125 (otherwise 4), to Rusticus, n. 11. — What precedes in this chapter and the two following passages are taken from Hugh [of St. Victor], Summa Sententiarum tr. 4, c. 1, and On the Sacraments bk. I, pt. IX, c. 3.
3b
Enarrat. in Ps. 73. n. 2.
Exposition on Psalm 73, n. 2.
1c
Libr. II. de Nuptiis et concupisc. c. 11. n. 24; et Gratian., C. Ex quo (7.), de Consecrat. dist. 4. Respicitur Rom. 4, 25.
[Augustine,] On Marriage and Concupiscence bk. II, c. 11, n. 24; and Gratian, canon Ex quo (7), de Consecratione dist. 4. Romans 4:25 is regarded.
2c
Homil. 10 (super Luc. 2.) in Circumcis. Domini.
Homily 10 (on Luke 2) on the Circumcision of the Lord.
3c
Libr. IV. Moral. c. 3. in praefat.; et Gratian., C. Quod autem (5.), de Consecrat. dist. 4.
[Gregory,] Morals bk. IV, c. 3, in the preface; and Gratian, canon Quod autem (5), de Consecratione dist. 4.
4c
Cfr. Gen. 17, 10 seq.; deinde Ios. 5, 2, de quibus agitur etiam infra. — Totum hoc cap. sumtum est ex Glossa ad Rom. 4, 10; Gen. 17, 10, et Ioan. 7, 22.
Cf. Genesis 17:10ff.; then Joshua 5:2, which are also treated below. — This whole chapter is taken from the Gloss on Romans 4:10; Genesis 17:10, and John 7:22.
1d
[Marker in the Master's text on printed p.10, Cap. IX; the Quaracchi page-footer here is entirely Notae ad Commentarium (Bonaventure's notes), so no editorial apparatus for this littera marker is printed on p.10.]
[Source not given in the printed page-footer — see Notes.]
2d
[Marker in the Master's text on printed p.10, Cap. IX; cf. Ps. 22 (23), 2, aquam refectionis. No editorial page-footer note printed on p.10 — see Notes.]
[Cf. Psalm 22 (23):2, the water of refreshment. No editorial page-footer note printed on p.10 — see Notes.]
3d
[Marker in the Master's text on printed p.10, Cap. X; Beda, cf. John 3:5 and Gen. 17:14. No editorial page-footer note printed on p.10 — see Notes.]
[Bede; cf. John 3:5 and Genesis 17:14. No editorial page-footer note printed on p.10 — see Notes.]

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