Pars 6, Cap. 5
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-c5
----------------------------------------
### Chapter V. *On the dispensation of the Sacraments.*

Concerning the *dispensation* of the Sacraments, moreover, this must be held: that the power of dispensing the Sacraments regularly pertains to the human race alone. — And in the dispensing of all the Sacraments an intention in the one dispensing is necessary. — In some, moreover, there is necessarily required, together with the intention, the *priestly* or the *pontifical* order; the *pontifical*, I say, is necessary for the dispensation of *confirmation* and of *order*, but the *priestly* for the dispensation of *the eucharist, penance* and *extreme unction*. *Baptism*, however, and *marriage*, although they pertain to priests, can nevertheless in fact be dispensed apart from the priestly order, most of all in the article of necessity. — And these things being so, the Sacraments can be dispensed by the good and by the wicked, by the faithful and by heretics, *within* the Church and *without*, but *within* according to truth and unto profit, *without* indeed not unto profit, although they be dispensed according to truth.

Now the reason for the understanding of the foresaid is this: since our reparative principle, the Word namely incarnate, because inasmuch as he is God and man he instituted the Sacraments for the salvation of men, he ordained — as was also fitting — that they should be dispensed to men through the ministry of men, for the preserving of the conformity of the dispenser to Christ the savior and to the very man to be saved. Since therefore Christ the savior saved the human race according as *the equity of right, the dignity of order* and *the security of salvation* demanded — for *he wrought* our *salvation* in a manner right, ordered and certain — hence it is that according to the exigency of these three he committed the Sacraments to men to be dispensed. — First, therefore, because *the rectitude of right* demands that the works of a man, according as he is *man*, be not done precipitately; and that the works of a man as *minister of Christ* be in some manner referred to Christ; and that the works of a man as *minister of salvation* be in some manner referred to salvation, either in general or in particular; and the dispensation of the Sacraments is the work of a man as *rational*, as *minister of Christ* and as *minister of salvation*: hence it is that it is necessary that it be done *from intention*; and from that intention by which one intends to do what Christ instituted for human salvation, or at least to do what the Church does, in which the foresaid intention is included in general, because the Church herself, as she received the Sacraments from Christ, so dispenses them unto the salvation of the faithful.

Again, because *the order of dignity* demands that greater things be committed to the greater, lesser to the lesser and middling to the middling; and some Sacraments there are which regard chiefly *the excellence of power* or of dignity, as the Sacrament of confirmation and of order; some which regard *the indigence of necessity*, as baptism and marriage, of which the one generates and the other regenerates unto the existence that is due; and some indeed *middling*, as the eucharist, penance and extreme unction: hence it is that *the first*, as supreme,

cannot be dispensed save by bishops and pontiffs, so far as pertains to the common law; *the others* indeed, as lowest, can be dispensed by any orders and inferior persons whatsoever, most of all in the article of necessity — which I say by reason of baptism; but *the middling* by priests alone, who between bishops and inferior persons are constituted as it were in the middle.

Lastly, because *the security of salvation* demands that the thing be so done that it fall not into doubt; and there is no one who is certain of the goodness and belief of the dispenser, and he himself is not certain concerning himself, *whether he be worthy of love or of hatred*: therefore, if the Sacraments could be dispensed only by the good, no one would be *certain* of the reception of the Sacrament; and thus it would behove them always to be iterated, and the *malice* of one would prejudice another's salvation; nor would there be any *stability* in the grades of the hierarchy of the Church militant, which consists most of all in the dispensing of the Sacraments. And therefore it was fitting that the dispensation of the Sacraments should be committed to man not by reason of *sanctity*, which varies according to the will, but by reason of *authority*, which always remains, so far as pertains to itself; and through this it behoved that it should extend itself to the good and to the wicked, to those who are *within*, and to those who are *without* the Church. — Yet, because *outside* the unity of faith and charity, which makes us sons and members of the Church, no one can be saved; therefore, if the Sacraments be received *outside*, they are not received unto salvation, although they be true Sacraments; but they can be made profitable if one return to holy mother Church, the one bride of Christ, whose sons alone Christ the bridegroom accounts worthy of the eternal inheritance. Whence Augustine against the Donatists: « The Church, compared to paradise, indicates to us that men can indeed receive her *baptism* even outside, but that no one outside her can either receive or hold *the salvation of beatitude*. For the rivers also from the fount of paradise, as Scripture testifies, flowed abundantly even outside; indeed they are expressly recorded, and through what lands they flow, and that they are set outside paradise is known to all; nor yet in Mesopotamia or in Egypt, whither those rivers came, is there the felicity of life which is recorded of paradise. Thus it comes about that, although the *water* of paradise is outside paradise, *beatitude* nevertheless is not save within paradise. So therefore the *baptism* of the Church can be outside the Church, but the *gift* of *the blessed life* is not found save within the Church, which is founded also upon the rock, which received the keys of binding and loosing. This is the one which holds and possesses all the power of her spouse and Lord, through which conjugal power she can even bear sons of handmaids, who, if they be not proud, shall be called into the lot of the inheritance, but if they be proud, shall remain outside. The more, therefore, since we fight for the honor and unity of the Church, let us not grant to heretics whatever of hers we recognize among them, but, refuting them, let us teach that what they have from unity avails them not unto salvation, unless they come to that same unity ».

---