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Breviloquium · Pars VI: De medicina sacramentali

Textus Latinus
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Capitulum IV. De Sacramentorum institutione.

De institutione autem Sacramentorum hoc tenendum est, quod septem Sacramenta legis gratiae Christus instituit tanquam novi testamenti mediator2 et praecipuus lator legis, in qua vocavit ad promissa aeterna, dedit praecepta dirigentia et instituit Sacramenta sanctificantia. — Instituit vero ea in verbis et elementis ad evidentiam significationis et efficaciam sanctificationis, ita quod semper habent significantiam veritatis, sed non semper efficaciam curationis, non propter defectum a parte sui, sed a parte suscipientis. — Instituit autem praedicta Sacramenta diversimode, quaedam scilicet ex eis confirmando, approbando et consummando, ut matrimonium et poenitentiam; quaedam autem insinuando et initiando, ut confirmationem et unctionem extremam; quaedam vero initiando et consummando et in semetipso suscipiendo, ut Sacramentum baptismi, eucharistiae et ordinis. Haec enim tria et plene instituit et etiam primus suscepit3.

Ratio autem ad intelligentiam praedictorum haec est: quia principium reparativum nostrum est Christus crucifixus, Verbum scilicet incarnatum, quod quia Verbum est Patri coaequale et consubstantiale, est Verbum summae virtutis, summae veritatis et summae bonitatis, ac per hoc et summae auctoritatis; et ideo ipsius est proprie novum testamentum introducere, ipsius etiam est legem dare integram et sufficientem secundum exigentiam summae virtutis et veritatis ac bonitatis suae. Ratione igitur summae bonitatis promissa proposuit beatificantia; ratione summae veritatis praecepta dedit dirigentia; ratione vero summae virtutis Sacramenta statuit adminiculantia; ut sic per Sacramenta virtus repararetur ad implenda praecepta dirigentia, et per praecepta directiva perveniretur ad promissa aeterna, faciente hoc Verbo aeterno, Christo scilicet Domino, in lege evangelica, in quantum est via, veritas et vita4.

Rursus, quoniam reparativum principium non solum est Verbum in quantum Verbum, sed etiam in quantum incarnatum5, quod, hoc ipso quod incarnatum, omnibus se offert ad notitiam veritatis et omnibus digne accedentibus se exhibet ad gratiam curationis; hinc est, quod tanquam plenum gratiae et veritatis6 ad maiorem evidentiam significandi et efficaciam sanctificandi Sacramenta instituit in elementis simul et verbis, ut, dum elementa oculis, et verba auribus se offerrent, qui sunt duo sensus maxime cognoscitivi, evidentiam darent significationis expressae; deinde etiam verba sanctificarent elementa, ut plenior fieret efficacia curationis humanae, quae quoniam nulli datur repugnanti et impugnanti fontem gratiae interius in corde; ideo sic instituta sunt, ut significarent semper et universaliter, non autem sanctificarent nisi accedentes digne absque omni fictione7.

Postremo, quoniam, etsi Verbum incarnatum sit fons gratiae sacramentalis, aliqua tamen gratia sacramentalis fuit ante incarnationem, aliqua vero non nisi post Spiritus sancti missionem, quaedam autem medio modo se habens; hinc est, quod oportuit, Sacramenta institui diversimode. Nam ante incarnationem necessaria fuit et compunctio poenitentialis et generatio matrimonialis; ideo haec duo Sacramenta non de novo instituit, sed iam a se instituta et naturali dictamini quodam modo impressa consummavit et confirmavit in lege evangelica, dum poenitentiam praedicavit et nuptiis interfuit et legem coniugii approbavit, secundum quod colligitur ex diversis Evangelii locis8. — Ante vero Spiritus <!-- page 269 --> sancti missionem nec fuit plena Spiritus sancti donatio ad confirmationem et nominis Christi publicam confessionem, nec unctio mentis plenaria ad evolationem; ideo haec duo Sacramenta, scilicet confirmationem et extremam unctionem, Christus solum initiavit et insinuavit, confirmationem manum parvulis imponendo et praedicendo discipulos baptizandos Spiritu sancto; unctionem vero extremam discipulos ad curandum mittendo, qui infirmos ungebant oleo, sicut dicitur in Marco1. — Medio autem tempore et fuit regeneratio et Ecclesiae ordinatio et spiritualis cibatio; ideo Christus haec tria Sacramenta, scilicet baptismi, eucharistiae et ordinis, et complete et clare instituit: primo baptismum suscipiendo, deinde formam dando et ceteris publicando2; ordinem vero, dando primo potestatem ligandi et solvendi peccata humani generis et potestatem conficiendi Sacramentum altaris; eucharistiam vero, comparando se grano frumenti et conficiendo et dando discipulis, imminente passione, Sacramentum corporis et sanguinis sui. — Et ideo haec tria Sacramenta per Christum distincte et integre debuerunt institui et in lege veteri multipliciter figurari tanquam Sacramenta substantialia novi testamenti et propria legislatoris, Verbi scilicet incarnati.

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English Translation

Chapter IV. On the institution of the Sacraments.

Concerning the institution of the Sacraments, moreover, this must be held: that Christ instituted the seven Sacraments of the law of grace as the mediator of the new testament2 and the chief bearer of the law, in which law he called to the eternal promises, gave directing precepts, and instituted sanctifying Sacraments. — And he instituted them in words and elements for the evidence of the signification and the efficacy of the sanctification, in such wise that they always have the significancy of truth, but not always the efficacy of curing — not on account of a defect on their own part, but on the part of him who receives. — And he instituted the foresaid Sacraments in diverse manners: some of them, namely, by confirming, approving and consummating, as marriage and penance; some, however, by insinuating and initiating, as confirmation and extreme unction; and some indeed by initiating and consummating and by receiving them in his own person, as the Sacrament of baptism, of the eucharist and of order. For these three he both fully instituted and also was the first to receive3.

Now the reason for the understanding of the foresaid is this: since our reparative principle is Christ crucified, the Word namely incarnate, which, because the Word is coequal and consubstantial with the Father, is the Word of highest power, of highest truth and of highest goodness, and through this also of highest authority; and therefore it belongs properly to him to introduce the new testament, and to him also it belongs to give a law entire and sufficient according to the exigency of his highest power and truth and goodness. By reason, therefore, of his highest goodness he set forth beatifying promises; by reason of his highest truth he gave directing precepts; by reason indeed of his highest power he established auxiliary Sacraments; so that thus through the Sacraments strength might be repaired for the fulfilling of the directing precepts, and through the directive precepts one might come to the eternal promises — this being done by that eternal Word, namely Christ the Lord, in the evangelical law, inasmuch as he is the way, the truth and the life4.

Again, since the reparative principle is not only the Word inasmuch as it is the Word, but also inasmuch as it is incarnate5, which, by this very fact that it is incarnate, offers itself to all for the knowledge of truth and exhibits itself to all who approach worthily for the grace of curing; hence it is that, as full of grace and truth6, he instituted the Sacraments in elements together with words, for a greater evidence of signifying and efficacy of sanctifying: so that, while the elements offered themselves to the eyes and the words to the ears — which are the two senses most apt for knowing — they might give an evidence of express signification; and then also that the words might sanctify the elements, so that the efficacy of human curing might be made fuller; which curing, since it is given to no one who resists and assails the fount of grace inwardly in the heart, they were therefore so instituted that they should signify always and universally, but should not sanctify save those who approach worthily without any feigning7.

Lastly, since, although the Word incarnate is the fount of sacramental grace, some sacramental grace nevertheless was before the incarnation, some indeed not save after the mission of the Holy Spirit, and some holding a middle manner; hence it is that it behoved the Sacraments to be instituted in diverse manners. For before the incarnation both penitential compunction and matrimonial generation were necessary; therefore these two Sacraments he did not institute anew, but, as already instituted by himself and in a certain manner impressed upon the natural dictate, he consummated and confirmed them in the evangelical law, when he preached penance and was present at the nuptials and approved the law of wedlock, according as is gathered from diverse places of the Gospel8. — But before p. 269 the mission of the Holy Spirit there was neither a full giving of the Holy Spirit for confirmation and the public confession of Christ's name, nor a plenary anointing of the mind for the flight upward; therefore these two Sacraments, namely confirmation and extreme unction, Christ only initiated and insinuated: confirmation, by laying his hand upon little ones and by foretelling that the disciples would be baptized with the Holy Spirit; extreme unction indeed, by sending the disciples out to heal, who anointed the sick with oil, as is said in Mark1. — In the middle time, moreover, there was both regeneration and the ordination of the Church and spiritual feeding; therefore Christ instituted these three Sacraments, namely of baptism, of the eucharist and of order, both completely and clearly: baptism, first by receiving it, then by giving its form and by publishing it to the rest2; order indeed, by giving first the power of binding and loosing the sins of the human race and the power of confecting the Sacrament of the altar; the eucharist indeed, by comparing himself to the grain of wheat and by confecting and giving to the disciples, with his passion imminent, the Sacrament of his own body and blood. — And therefore these three Sacraments had to be instituted by Christ distinctly and entirely and to be figured in manifold ways in the old law, as the substantial Sacraments of the new testament and proper to the lawgiver, namely the Word incarnate.

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Apparatus Criticus
  1. 2
    Hebr. 9, 15. — Inferius pro Instituit vero S Instituit enim.
    Hebr. 9, 15. — Below, for Instituit vero, S reads Instituit enim.
  2. 3
    Cfr. IV. Sent. d. 3. p. II. a. 1. q. 1; d. 7. a. 1. q. 1. seq.; d. 8. p. I. a. 2. q. 1-3. et dub. 4; d. 17. p. II. a. 1. q. 1-3; d. 23. a. 1. q. 2; d. XXIV. lit. Magistri, c. 1, et Comment. p. I. a. 2. q. 2. seq.; d. 26. a. 1. q. 1. seq. — Pro plene instituit multi codd. et 2 plene statuit.
    Cf. IV Sent. d. 3, p. II, a. 1, q. 1; d. 7, a. 1, q. 1 seq.; d. 8, p. I, a. 2, q. 1–3, and dub. 4; d. 17, p. II, a. 1, q. 1–3; d. 23, a. 1, q. 2; d. XXIV, the Master's text, c. 1, and the Commentary, p. I, a. 2, q. 2 seq.; d. 26, a. 1, q. 1 seq. — For plene instituit many codices and edition 2 read plene statuit.
  3. 4
    Ioan. 14, 6. — Superius pro beatificantia A S beneficia. Subinde pro repararetur 2 cum pluribus codd. reparetur, et E perveniatur pro perveniretur.
    John 14, 6. — Above, for beatificantia, A S read beneficia. Then for repararetur, edition 2 with several codices reads reparetur, and E perveniatur for perveniretur.
  4. 5
    Sensus videtur requirere, ut verba ita construantur: quoniam Verbum est reparativum principium non solum in quantum Verbum, sed etiam etc. Tamen codd. et edd. eandem positionem verborum habent, quam retinuimus.
    The sense seems to require that the words be construed thus: since the Word is the reparative principle not only inasmuch as it is the Word, but also, etc. Nevertheless the codices and the editions have the same disposition of the words, which we have retained.
  5. 6
    Ioan. 1, 14. — De duobus sensibus maxime cognoscitivis cfr. tom. III. pag. 529, nota 9. et 10. — Superius post se offert Vat., 1 et 3 addunt quantum.
    John 1, 14. — On the two senses most apt for knowing cf. tom. III, p. 529, notes 9 and 10. — Above, after se offert, the Vatican codex and editions 1 and 3 add quantum.
  6. 7
    Cfr. IV. Sent. d. 1. p. I. q. 2. et d. 4. p. I. a. 2. q. 2. seq.
    Cf. IV Sent. d. 1, p. I, q. 2, and d. 4, p. I, a. 2, q. 2 seq.
  7. 8
    Matth. 4, 17. et Marc. 1, 14. seq. — Ioan. 2, 1. seqq. — Matth. 19, 4. seqq.
    Matt. 4, 17, and Mark 1, 14 seq. — John 2, 1 seqq. — Matt. 19, 4 seqq.
  8. 1
    Cap. 6, 13. — Ibid. 10, 13; Matth. 19, 13. et Luc. 18, 15. dicitur, quod parvuli sunt ei oblati, ut manus eis imponeret sive tangeret illos. Act. 1, 5: Vos autem baptizabimini Spiritu sancto etc. — Superius verbis confirmationem manum I K L O V interserunt siquidem. Subinde pro discipulos baptizandos A E H Z discipulis eos baptizandos, I K L M O U V discipulis baptizandis.
    Chapter 6, 13. — Ibid. 10, 13; Matt. 19, 13, and Luke 18, 15 it is said that little ones were brought to him, that he might lay his hands upon them or touch them. Acts 1, 5: "But you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit," etc. — Above, into the words confirmationem manum, I K L O V insert siquidem. Then for discipulos baptizandos A E H Z read discipulis eos baptizandos, and I K L M O U V discipulis baptizandis.
  9. 2
    Matth. 3, 13; 28, 19; Marc. 16, 15. et Ioan. 3, 5. — De ordine cfr. Ioan. 20, 22. seq.; Luc. 22, 19. et I. Cor. 11, 24. seq.; ubi etiam de eucharistia. Ioan. 12, 24. seq.: Nisi granum frumenti etc. — Inferius pro primo H P W Petro (Matth. 18, 18.). Subinde plurimi codd. et 2 omittunt discipulis, et post distincte I K L addunt et aperte.
    Matt. 3, 13; 28, 19; Mark 16, 15, and John 3, 5. — On order cf. John 20, 22 seq.; Luke 22, 19, and I Cor. 11, 24 seq., where also on the eucharist. John 12, 24 seq.: "Unless the grain of wheat," etc. — Below, for primo, H P W read Petro (Matt. 18, 18). Then very many codices and edition 2 omit discipulis, and after distincte I K L add et aperte. ---
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