Pars 6, Cap. 4
by St. Bonaventure
Source text: Public Domain Mark 1.0. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://bonaventure.wrootpress.com/browse/5/d/6/q/bon-brev-p6-c4
----------------------------------------
### 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 testament* 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 receive.

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 life*.

Again, since the reparative principle is not only the Word inasmuch as it is the Word, but also inasmuch as it is incarnate, 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 truth*, 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 feigning.

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 Gospel. — But before

*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 Mark. — 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 rest; 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.

---