Dist. 1, Part 1, Art. 1, Q. 3
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/4/d/1/q/bon-sent-IV-d1-p1-a1-q3
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### Question III. *On the containing power of the Sacraments.*

In the third place inquiry is made whether the Sacraments are containers of grace. And that they are is shown as follows.

1. Upon that text of the Psalm: *He made darkness His hiding-place*; the Gloss: "The Divinity lay hidden in the flesh, the remission of sins in baptism"; but the Divinity was in the flesh according to truth: therefore also the remission of sins in baptism. But that remission is through grace: therefore grace is in baptism.

2. Likewise, Hugh in the ninth part openly says that five things concur to heal a man, namely "God the physician, man the sick one, the priest as minister or messenger, grace as the antidote"; and lastly he says that "the Sacrament is a vessel," and he adds: "Why? because it contains grace, as a vessel keeps medicine."

3. Likewise, the same Hugh in the definition of a Sacrament openly says that a Sacrament "from sanctification contains some invisible and spiritual grace": therefore grace is in a Sacrament as in a container.

4. Likewise, the same seems true *by reason*, because in the Sacrament of the altar the true body of Christ, which is signified, is not only there as in a sign, but according to truth is contained there; otherwise it would not differ from the sacrifices of the old Law: therefore likewise, if baptism is a Sacrament of the new Law, grace is not only there as in a sign, but is also essentially contained there.

5. Likewise, if you should say that this would not be fitting, because grace is an accident and ought to be the perfection of the noblest creature, namely the rational one, and so ought not to be contained in an irrational creature; on the contrary: the divine essence is nobler than grace, which proceeds from it; but the non-rational creature is capable of the divine essence: therefore much more so of grace.

6. Likewise, an accident that does not have its origin from the principles of the subject does not determine matter for itself; but grace is of this kind: therefore it does not determine matter for itself: therefore it can be in any creature whatever: therefore etc.

7. Likewise, in the Sacrament of the altar we see that there are material accidents, but nevertheless by the power of the Sacrament they are suspended from matter, so that they are not in any subject: therefore since grace is much more spiritual, it seems that it is the more apt to be in the other Sacraments according to essence and truth, yet not as in a subject: therefore it seems that it must be posited that grace is in a Sacrament as in a container.

**On the contrary:**
1. Grace is a mean between nature and glory: therefore nothing is capable of grace which is not capable of glory, since grace itself is as it were the ultimate disposition; but no Sacrament is capable of glory: therefore neither of grace.

2. Likewise, if grace were prior in the Sacrament; since accidents do not change their subject, that grace would never pass over to the soul: therefore it would be in vain; but this is not to be posited, therefore neither the former.

3. Likewise, grace, since it is a perfection of the soul and a perfection that is an accident, depends upon the soul much more than the soul upon the body; but the soul is never created except in the body, but is created simultaneously and exists together with the body: therefore much more so is grace created simultaneously and exists in the soul: therefore it is not in the Sacrament.

4. Likewise, if grace is in the Sacrament as in a containing vessel; this is established, that it is for no other reason than that it be poured over from the Sacrament into the soul itself: therefore if it is not poured over, it is in vain there. But it is possible that someone approach the Sacrament feignedly; then it is established that the grace is not poured over: therefore the grace was in vain in this Sacrament.

5. Likewise, grace immediately leads back and reforms the soul to God: therefore it goes forth from God immediately flowing into the soul itself: therefore it is not poured over by means of another vessel.

### Conclusion.

> The Sacraments contain grace, because they signify it and confer it on those who are not ill-disposed, yet not in such a way that it is essentially in them.

**I respond:** It must be understood with respect to this, according to some, that the Sacraments themselves are vessels of grace, since they are in the ultimate disposition, which is sanctification through the word, and through their mediation it is poured over into the soul itself, and once poured into the soul it washes or anoints inwardly, as is signified outwardly in the visible sign. And so far do they say that the Sacraments of the new Law are the cause of grace and effect what they figure.

Yet nevertheless, as has been shown by several reasons, it is in no way to be said that grace is contained *essentially* in the Sacraments themselves, as water in a vessel, or medicine in a pyxis; indeed to understand it thus is erroneous. But they are said to contain grace, because they *signify* it, and because always, unless there be a defect on the part of the recipient, grace is conferred in them, understanding it thus, that grace is in the soul, not in the visible signs. — And so far also are they called *vessels of grace*. They can also be called *vessels* for another reason: that, just as what is in a vessel is not *of it* nor *from it*, but nevertheless is drawn *with it*; so grace is not *from the Sacraments* nor *of the Sacraments*, but arises from the eternal fount and from it is drawn by the soul itself *in the Sacraments*. And just as one has recourse to a vessel when he requires liquid; so to one who seeks the liquid of grace and does not have it, recourse must be had to the Sacraments themselves. And thus is evident the response to those two sayings of Hugh.

1. To that which is objected, that the remission of sins lies hidden in baptism; it must be said that this is understood of the hiddenness of the thing signified in the sign, which indeed has a further account than the account of signifying, yet not of essentially containing in itself, but because that which it signifies is contained in the soul.

4. To that which is objected concerning the Sacrament of the altar, it must be said that God could do likewise, if He willed; but nevertheless it is not so fitting here as there, because in that Sacrament there is transubstantiation. Hence that which is signified there is truly a substance, which it is fitting should exist of itself, and fitting also that it be veiled under those species for our benefit; but grace it is not so fitting should exist of itself, since it is not a substance; nor that it be contained in those corporeal Sacraments, since by its nature it is created to be in something much nobler. Since therefore power does not derogate from wisdom and ordination, therefore, although God could do it, nevertheless He does not; nor is it similar, as has been shown. — *If therefore you object* that it does not differ from the Sacraments of the old Law, because there [the thing] was as in a sign; it must be said that that sign has some account of causing, as will afterward be evident, yet it does not have the account of containing materially.

5. To that which is objected, that the divine essence is in any creature whatever, therefore grace can be; it must be said that it is not similar nor is it an *argument from the lesser*; and the reason is that *to be* through indwelling grace presupposes *to be* through essence and adds to it a much greater nobility on the part of that which receives; and therefore it is a *consequent* in that argument. For it would indeed conclude rightly, if *to be* through grace did not include *in itself to be* through essence; but it does include it, just as *to be well* includes *to be*.

6. To that which is objected, that grace does not determine a subject for itself, because it does not have a cause in it; it must be said that although it does not have a cause, it nevertheless has an occasion, because the soul is created in order that grace might perfect it, and for this it is apt by its nature; not so the other irrational creatures.

7. To that which is objected, that in the Sacrament of the altar accidents remain without a subject, therefore likewise in the other Sacraments grace [remains]; it must be said that it is not similar: because there the accidents remain both on account of the weakness of our sense and on account of the benefit of faith. But if that grace were in the Sacraments, there would be no benefit on this account, because God is always present, to give grace to one who approaches worthily; indeed there would be a disorder there, and derogation would already be done to grace itself; which ought not to be done by a divine miracle, since grace itself is by nature fitted to perfect the soul and to be in it.