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Pars 6, Cap. 3

Breviloquium · Pars VI: De medicina sacramentali

Textus Latinus
p. 267

Capitulum III. De Sacramentorum numero et distinctione.

De distinctione autem et numero Sacramentorum novae legis hoc tenendum est, quod ipsa sunt septem secundum correspondentiam ad gratiam septiformem, quae per septenarium temporis nos reducit ad principium, quietem et circulum aeternitatis, sicut ad octavam resurrectionis universalis3. — Horum vero Sacramentorum ianua est baptismus, deinde confirmatio, eucharistia, poenitentia, unctio extrema, ordo et matrimonium, quod licet ultimo collocetur propter morbum concupiscentiae annexum, ipsum tamen fuit ante omnia introductum in paradiso etiam ante peccatum.

Ratio autem ad intelligentiam praedictorum haec est: quia principium nostrum reparativum, Christus Dominus, Verbum incarnatum, cum sit Dei virtus et sapientia4 et misericordia nostra; sic potenter, sic sapienter, sic clementer, sic decenter sua debet instituere Sacramenta in lege gratiae, ut nihil prorsus desit curationi nostrae, quantum competit statui praesentis vitae. Ad perfectam autem curationem aegritudinis concurrunt haec tria, scilicet expulsio aegritudinis, introductio sanitatis et conservatio introductae salutis5. — Primum igitur, quoniam ad perfectam curationem perfecta et universalis requiritur morbi expulsio; et morbus est septiformis, triplex culpabilis, scilicet culpa originalis, mortalis et venialis; et quadruplex poenalis, scilicet ignorantia, malitia, infirmitas et concupiscentia; et « non sanat oculum quod sanat calcaneum », sicut dicit Hieronymus6: hinc est, quod oportuit, adhiberi contra haec septenarium medicamentorum ad hunc septiformem morbum plenius expellendum, scilicet contra originalem baptismum, contra mortalem poenitentiam, contra venialem unctionem extremam, contra ignorantiam ordinem, contra malitiam eucharistiam, contra infirmitatem confirmationem, et contra concupiscentiam matrimonium, quod eam temperat et excusat.

Rursus, quia perfecta curatio non potest esse sine restitutione integrae sanitatis; et sanitas animae integra consistit in usu septem virtutum, trium scilicet theologicarum et quatuor cardinalium: hinc est, quod ad harum usum sanum restituendum institui oportuit septiforme Sacramentum. Nam baptismus sanando disponit ad fidem, confirmatio ad spem, eucharistia ad caritatem, poenitentia ad iustitiam, unctio extrema ad perseverantiam, quae est fortitudinis complementum et summa7, ordo ad prudentiam, matrimonium ad temperantiam conservandam, quam maxime persequitur infirmitas carnis, sed honestas remediat nuptiarum.

Postremo, quoniam perfecta curatio esse non potest sine conservatione salutis introductae; et salus introducta conservari non potest in conflictu certaminis nisi in acie Ecclesiae, quae est terribilis ut castrorum acies ordinata8; et hoc quidem fit per septiformis gratiae armaturam: hinc est, quod necesse est, septem esse Sacramenta. Nam ut haec acies sit perfecte et continue communita; cum constet ex partibus corruptibilibus, indiget Sacramentis munientibus, relevantibus et renovantibus: munientibus pugnantes, relevantibus cadentes et renovantibus morientes. Sacramentum autem muniens aut munit ingredientes, et sic est baptismus; aut stantes, et sic est confirmatio; aut exeuntes, et sic est extrema unctio. — Sacramentum vero relevans aut relevat a casu veniali, et sic est eucharistia; aut a mortali, et sic est poenitentia. — Sacramentum autem renovans aut renovat in esse spirituali, et sic est p. 268 ordo, cuius est administrare Sacramenta; aut in esse naturali, et sic est matrimonium, quod quia renovat multitudinem in esse naturae, quod est omnium fundamentum, ideo primo fuit ante omnia introductum; licet propter morbum concupiscentiae annexum, et quia minime est sanctificativum, quamvis significatione sit Sacramentum magnum1, inter medicamenta spiritualia ultimo collocetur et locum sortiatur extremum. Unde quia baptismus est ingredientium, confirmatio pugnantium, eucharistia vires resumentium, poenitentia resurgentium, extrema unctio exeuntium, ordo novos milites introducentium, matrimonium novos milites praeparantium; patet ex his sufficientia et ordo medicamentorum sacramentalium et armorum.

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English Translation

Chapter III. On the number and distinction of the Sacraments.

Concerning the distinction and number of the Sacraments of the new law, moreover, this must be held: that they are seven, according to their correspondence to the sevenfold grace which through the sevenfold course of time leads us back to the beginning, to the rest and circle of eternity, as to the eighth day of the universal resurrection3. — Now the door of these Sacraments is baptism, then confirmation, the eucharist, penance, extreme unction, order and marriage — which, although it is placed last on account of the annexed disease of concupiscence, was nevertheless itself introduced before all the rest in paradise, even before sin.

Now the reason for the understanding of the foresaid is this: since our reparative principle, Christ the Lord, the Word incarnate, is the power and the wisdom of God4 and our mercy; so powerfully, so wisely, so clemently, so becomingly ought he to institute his own Sacraments in the law of grace, that nothing whatever should be lacking to our curing, so far as befits the state of the present life. Now for the perfect curing of sickness these three things concur, namely the expulsion of the sickness, the introduction of health, and the conservation of the health introduced5. — First, therefore, since for a perfect curing a perfect and universal expulsion of the disease is required; and the disease is sevenfold, threefold as culpable, namely original, mortal and venial fault, and fourfold as penal, namely ignorance, malice, infirmity and concupiscence; and « that does not heal the eye which heals the heel », as Jerome says6: hence it is that against these it behoved a sevenfold set of medicines to be applied for the fuller expelling of this sevenfold disease, namely against the original baptism, against the mortal penance, against the venial extreme unction, against ignorance order, against malice the eucharist, against infirmity confirmation, and against concupiscence marriage, which tempers and excuses it.

Again, since a perfect curing cannot be without the restitution of entire health; and the entire health of the soul consists in the use of the seven virtues, namely of the three theological and the four cardinal: hence it is that for the restoring of the sound use of these it behoved a sevenfold Sacrament to be instituted. For baptism by healing disposes to faith, confirmation to hope, the eucharist to charity, penance to justice, extreme unction to perseverance, which is the completion and sum of fortitude7, order to prudence, marriage to the conserving of temperance, which the infirmity of the flesh most of all pursues, but which the honourableness of the nuptials remedies.

Lastly, since a perfect curing cannot be without the conservation of the health introduced; and health once introduced cannot be conserved in the conflict of the struggle except in the battle-line of the Church, which is terrible as an army set in array8; and this indeed comes about through the armour of sevenfold grace: hence it is that it is necessary that the Sacraments be seven. For that this battle-line may be perfectly and continuously fortified, since it is composed of corruptible parts, it stands in need of Sacraments fortifying, raising up and renewing: fortifying those who fight, raising up those who fall, and renewing those who die. Now the Sacrament which fortifies either fortifies those entering, and thus it is baptism; or those standing, and thus it is confirmation; or those going out, and thus it is extreme unction. — But the Sacrament which raises up either raises up from a venial fall, and thus it is the eucharist; or from a mortal one, and thus it is penance. — And the Sacrament which renews either renews in spiritual being, and thus it is p. 268 order, whose office it is to administer the Sacraments; or in natural being, and thus it is marriage, which, because it renews the multitude in the being of nature, which is the foundation of all things, was therefore first introduced before all the rest; although, on account of the annexed disease of concupiscence, and because it is least of all sanctifying — although in signification it is a great Sacrament1 — it is placed last among the spiritual medicines and obtains the last place. Hence, since baptism is of those entering, confirmation of those fighting, the eucharist of those recovering their strength, penance of those rising again, extreme unction of those going out, order of those bringing in new soldiers, marriage of those preparing new soldiers; there appears from these the sufficiency and the order of the sacramental medicines and arms.

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Apparatus Criticus
  1. 3
    Cfr. supra pag. 203, nota 8. et p. V. c. 10. in fine. — De hoc cap. vide IV. Sent. d. 2. a. 1. q. 3. — Inferius voci introductum P praefigit institutum et (cfr. Gen. 2, 21.), quod Vat., 1 et 3 circa finem cap. eidem voci praemittunt.
    Cf. above, p. 203, note 8, and p. V, c. 10, at the end. — On this chapter see IV Sent. d. 2, a. 1, q. 3. — Below, to the word introductum P prefixes institutum et (cf. Gen. 2, 21), which the Vatican codex and editions 1 and 3 put before the same word near the end of the chapter.
  2. 4
    Epist. I. Cor. 1, 24, ubi Apostolus dicit: « Christum Dei virtutem et Dei sapientiam ». — Superius post reparativum Vat., 1 et 3 addunt et curativum nostrorum morborum, nonnulli codd. scilicet.
    The Epistle I Cor. 1, 24, where the Apostle says: « Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God ». — Above, after reparativum, the Vatican codex and editions 1 and 3 add et curativum nostrorum morborum, and several codices scilicet.
  3. 5
    Cfr. tom. III. pag. 750, nota 11. verba Augustini.
    Cf. tom. III, p. 750, note 11, the words of Augustine.
  4. 6
    In Comment. in Marc. 9, 28. (inter opera Hieron.); cfr. tom. IV. pag. 52, nota 9. — De septiformi morbo cfr. supra p. III. c. 5. et 8. — Inferius post mortalem B H addunt actualem.
    In the Commentary on Mark 9, 28 (among the works of Jerome); cf. tom. IV, p. 52, note 9. — On the sevenfold disease cf. above, p. III, c. 5 and 8. — Below, after mortalem, B H add actualem.
  5. 7
    P complementum summum.
    P reads complementum summum.
  6. 8
    Cantic. 6, 3. et 9.
    Canticles 6, 3 and 9.
  7. 1
    Eph. 5, 32: Sacramentum hoc magnum est. — Edd., refragantibus pluribus et melioribus codd., perperam collocatur et sortitur pro collocetur et sortiatur. In fine cap. I L O V addunt spiritualium (etiam K a secunda manu, sed primitus supernaturalium).
    Eph. 5, 32: "This is a great sacrament." — The editions, against the more numerous and better codices, wrongly have collocatur and sortitur for collocetur and sortiatur. At the end of the chapter I L O V add spiritualium (K too, by a second hand, but originally supernaturalium). ---
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