Dist. 6, Part 1, Art. 1, Q. 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/4/d/6/q/bon-sent-IV-d6-p1-a1-q4
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### Question IV. *By what means the character is imprinted.*

Fourthly it is asked, by what means the character is imprinted, and it is asked whether it is imprinted through the *virtues*, as it is through the Sacraments. And that it is so, seems shown:

1. Because the character is a conforming or configuring sign; but through the virtues the soul is configured to God: therefore the character is imprinted through the virtues.

2. Likewise I ask whether it is imprinted through the *Sacraments of the Old Testament*. — And it seems that it is: because the character is a distinctive sign, distinguishing a people from a non-people; but the Lord in the time of the Law had a people who had to be distinguished, just as also now: therefore if they were distinguished through the Sacraments, it is clear that in those a distinctive seal was imprinted; but this is a character: therefore etc.

3. Likewise I ask whether it is through *all the Sacraments of the New Testament*. — And it seems that it is: because what can do the greater can do the lesser; but all give grace, which is greater than the character: therefore etc.

4. Likewise, the character disposes to grace: therefore since all the Sacraments give grace and dispose to it, all give the character.

**On the contrary:** 1. The character is an indelible sign, and that alone is impressive of a character which is not repeated upon the subject; but only three Sacraments are non-repeatable, namely baptism, confirmation, and order: therefore only those three imprint a character.

It is therefore asked further on account of this — since every passion which is in certain things is in them through some common nature — what is that *common nature* found in these three, and not in the others. And it is established that it is not *matter*, because it is not common; nor *form*, because neither is that common. — And *if you say* that they agree in the *invocation of the Trinity*, and because there is one *efficient cause*: likewise in the others too there is invocation of the Trinity and an efficient cause, since he is one in all the Sacraments. It is necessary therefore that that nature be taken from the side of the *end*. But this does not seem so, because in the *common* end all seem to agree; but in the *proximate* ends all differ. — And *if you say* that this is because these three Sacraments are those regarding a determinate state of faith: therefore since faith is the same according to the diverse states, it seems that in all these Sacraments one character is imprinted. But it is established that there are many characters, otherwise no one could be ordained if he were not confirmed.

It is therefore asked what is the *ground of the multitude*; and it seems that they are *superfluous*, since they could be sufficiently distinguished by one. But that they are *many*; seems shown, because the interior character has a likeness with the exterior sign; but the signs are dissimilar and diverse: therefore so too are the characters.

### Conclusion.

> *The character is imprinted not in the virtues, but in the Sacraments of the new law, and only in three.*

**I respond:** For the understanding of the foregoing it must be noted that the character is an *interior distinctive sign*. Since, then, to signify does not belong to it except by reason of a visible sign; therefore it is imprinted only in the Sacraments, not in the virtues. But since it distinguishes interiorly and spiritually; therefore it is in the Sacraments, which are of a people not carnal but spiritual: therefore it is imprinted in the Sacraments of the new law, not of the old. Since it is distinctive not of one, but of many; therefore unitive of many in one state of faith: therefore it is imprinted only in those Sacraments which regard a determinate state of faith. — Now there are three states of faith, namely *begotten*, *strengthened*, and now *multiplied*; and according to this a threefold distinction is observed in the people, namely of the *good* from the wicked, of the *strong* from the weak, of *clerics* from the laity. — And this threefold distinction was prefigured in the people of Israel: the first, when all are distinguished from the Egyptians for coming into the land of promise; the second, when the strong from the weak for fighting in war; the third, when the Levites from the rest of the people for ministering in the temple. — Likewise the distinction was threefold in the house of David: the first, his house from the unbelievers; the second, because there were there especially *warriors*; the third, because the Levites and priests and scribes were also distinguished from the rest, and also had *leaders* and *princes*.

Since therefore there are only three Sacraments which regard a *determinate state of faith*: baptism, the first because there faith is begotten, and a man is separated from the Egyptians; confirmation, the second, because there faith is strengthened, and as a champion a man is anointed for battle and is set apart from the weak; and order, the third, because there manifold power is given, and a man as holy is set apart from the laity for the ministry of the temple: therefore these three alone imprint a character.

The common nature, therefore, found in these and not in the others, is that they are visible signs operating interiorly, regarding a determinate state of faith. And because the distinction of the *people* from the non-people precedes the other distinctions; therefore the baptismal character precedes the others of necessity. But the distinction of the *strong* from the weak precedes the other distinction only by fittingness, not of necessity. — From this, then, is clear the *order* of the characters; clear also the *number*, because there are three according to the three states and the three distinctions and the three Sacraments; clear also the *ground* of imprinting. For, presupposing identity on the side of the material element, by reason of which signification belongs to it, the principal ground is taken from the side of the end. Since, however, the end moves the *efficient cause*, and the efficient cause according to the requirement of the end introduces the *form* into the matter: a threefold ground concurs: and the first is the determination of the state of faith on the side of the end; on the side of the efficient cause, the institution, who, ordaining to such an end, gave such power that in these a character might be imprinted; on the side of the form, however, is the invocation of the holy Trinity. And thus all things are clear.

1. As for what is first objected concerning the *virtues*, it is now clear: because [it is] not according to a *configuration* that the distinctive sign is regarded, on account of the fact that it is not a sensible sign outwardly.

2. To that which is objected concerning the Sacraments of the *old law*, the response is likewise clear: because there was there only an exterior configuration in the flesh, since they were the Sacraments of a carnal people.

3. To that which is objected: that what can do the greater can do the lesser; it must be said that this is not generally true, because frequently the power of a creature is ordained to the greater, not to the lesser; for a man can beget a man, not a straw.

4. To that which is objected, that all the Sacraments dispose to grace; it must be said that the act of disposing to grace is not *proper* to the character, but rather to that which is predetermined.

As for what is asked afterward, it is sufficiently clear, and is more clearly clear, if the foregoing be more briefly resumed. —

For the order and sum of the foregoing is this: that the character is an interior sign at once distinctive and unitive in some state of faith; therefore it is imprinted by a visible sign, operating interiorly, regarding a determinate state of faith. The determinate state of faith, then, is the first ground of *imprinting*. Since «the end imposes necessity upon the things that are unto the end», therefore, because he himself instituted the Sacraments unto this end, he gave the *power* and the congruous *form* of words. — There is also a ground of *multiplying*. For since there are only three states of faith and three distinctions, therefore only three characters. — There is also a ground of *ordering*. For the begetting of faith precedes confirmation, and confirmation precedes multiplication; but the first of necessity precedes the second and the third, and the second precedes the third by fittingness. Such is the order in the distinctions of the people: for first there is the separation of the *faithful* people from the Egyptians or the wicked; second, of the *strong* from the weak; third, of the *holy* and perfect from the rest. And thus there is order in the characters.