Pars 6, Cap. 7
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-c7
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### Chapter VII. *On the constitution and integrity of baptism.*

Now in the seventh place it remains to see concerning the *integrity* of each Sacrament; and since these are seven in number, first it must be said concerning the *integrity of baptism*, which is the gate of the other Sacraments.

Concerning the *integrity*, therefore, of the Sacrament of *baptism* this must be held: that for this, that anyone be baptized truly and fully, there is required the *expression of the vocal form* instituted by the Lord, which is this: I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen; without the omission of a word and without the interposition of a word, without the inversion of the aforesaid order and without the alteration of the name prescribed. — There is required also *immersion* or ablution through *the element of water* upon the whole body, or at least upon the worthier part, in such wise that the *expression* and the *immersion* be done by one and the same person and at the same time. — And when these concur, if there be no *feigning* in the one being baptized, there is given to him grace *regenerating, rectifying* and *purifying* from every fault. — And that this may be done the more efficaciously, *catechism* and *exorcism* are sent before as preparatory, in infants as much as in adults; yet in such wise that in *adults* there is required *one's own faith*, whereas in *infants* the *faith of another* suffices.

Now the reason for the understanding of the aforesaid is this: since our reparative principle, the Word namely incarnate, as a most perfect and most sufficient principle, has to repair the human race through the medicaments of the Sacraments, in such wise that there be in them nothing superfluous, nothing disordered, nothing also diminished, he must needs have so disposed that the Sacrament of baptism and the others should be made entire according to what *his own power, our salvation* and also *our disease* demanded. — Since therefore the *power*

repairing us is the power of *the whole Trinity*, which holy mother Church believes in mind, confesses in word and professes in sign, under the distinction and property of the three persons, under their natural order and origin; and is also the power of *the passion of Christ*, who died and was buried and *on the third day rose again*: hence it is that, for the expression of these in the Sacrament which is the first of all the Sacraments, and in which first and principally this power works, there had to be made an expression of *the Trinity* in a distinct, proper and ordered naming, so far as pertains to the common form — although in the time of the primitive Church it could be done *in the name of Christ*, in which the understanding of the Trinity is enclosed. There had also to be made a proper and ordered naming of the word of *baptizing* with a threefold immersion, for the expression of the death of Christ and of the burial and of the resurrection made after three days, so far as pertains *to congruity*. And because both powers work at once and in the one Christ the Saviour, both of these ought to be done by *one* and the same person at once and at the same time, for the preserving of unity in the Sacrament and for the signifying of the unity in our Mediator.

Again, since *our salvation* required to be begun through a regeneration or renewal in the *being* of grace conferring spiritual *being*, by wiping away *uncleanness*, by putting to flight *the darknesses* and by cooling *concupiscence*, which universally weakens every man descending seminally from Adam; hence it is that the first Sacrament, which is regenerative, had to be made in an element which should have a conformity, by natural representation, to the aforesaid threefold effect of the grace beginning our salvation. Since therefore water by its purity *cleanses*, by its transparency *is a bearer of light*, by its coldness *cools*; and is most of all common to all men among all liquids: hence it is that the Sacrament of our regeneration had to be accomplished in the element of *water indifferently*; because « all water is of the same species with all water », and also lest anyone, on account of a defect of the element, should be able to incur peril of salvation.

Lastly, since *our disease*, against which baptism is principally directed, is original sin — which deprives the soul of the life of grace and of the enabling rectitude of all the virtues, and in a certain manner renders it prone to every kind of fault, and is drawn from elsewhere and « makes the infant concupiscible and the adult concupiscent in act », and reduces him also into diabolical servitude and into the power of the prince of darkness — hence it is that, in order that through that Sacrament a sufficient medicament of remedy might be applied by way of the contrary, it was fitting that in it there be given grace *regenerating* against the privation of the gratuitous life, grace *rectifying* in the sevenfold power against the privation of the enabling virtue, grace *purifying* from every fault against the proneness to every vicious disorder.

And since original sin is drawn from elsewhere and makes the infant concupiscible and the adult concupiscent in act, *one's own faith* and *penance* are necessary *for the adult*, but for the *infant* the *faith of another* suffices, which namely is in the universal Church. But because baptism ought to draw both infants and adults out of the servitude of the devil and out of the power of the prince of darkness; hence it is that both ought to be *exorcized* unto the expulsion of the contrary power, and both also *catechized*: *adults*, that, the mist of error having been driven out, they may be informed unto faith; *infants* indeed, that the godparents may know what they ought to teach them, lest through human defect the Sacrament of baptism be hindered from having its own end.

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