Dist. 7, Art. 3, 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/7/q/bon-sent-IV-d7-a3-q3
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### Question III. *Whether the Sacrament of confirmation can be given before baptism.*

Thirdly, inquiry is made concerning the manner of receiving this Sacrament and concerning order. And it is shown that this Sacrament cannot be given before baptism.

1. And the first is shown by this, that baptism is the *foundation* and the *gateway* of the Sacraments: therefore if anyone receives another [Sacrament] in fact, since he does not enter through the gateway nor possess the foundation, he has nothing. — If you say that baptism is the foundation [only] fittingly; *on the contrary:* Innocent says in a certain decretal that one not baptized, who had been ordained and promoted to the priesthood, had to be rebaptized again and reordained; but order cannot be repeated, whether it be received from one who can give it in fact, or from one who can give it by right: therefore if he could not receive order, by parity of reasoning neither [could he receive] confirmation.

2. Likewise, confirmation regards something pre-existing, because what *is* not cannot be confirmed; but no Sacrament other than baptism necessarily precedes confirmation: therefore if it presupposes something, it seems [it presupposes] baptism.

**On the contrary:** 1. The Sacrament of the eucharist is later than [that] of confirmation; but the Sacrament of the eucharist can be received before baptism in fact: therefore [the Sacrament] of confirmation [can] also, as it seems.

2. Likewise, I observe that someone not baptized can die for Christ and confess Christ: therefore one not baptized can have the *reality* of this Sacrament before baptism: therefore by parity of reasoning [he can have] also the *Sacrament.*

3. Likewise, although the orders in the Sacrament of order are ranked, nevertheless one who receives the higher orders, neglecting the lower ones, is not to be reordained, but rather is [truly] ordained: therefore if there is an *order* there even as regards the characters, and a *comparison* according to greater fittingness; much more does it seem in the case at hand that one not baptized can be confirmed.

### Conclusion.
*One not baptized cannot be confirmed, unless he be first baptized.*

**I respond:** It must be said that one not baptized cannot be confirmed, unless he be first baptized. — The reason for this comes from the twofold reality of this Sacrament: first, on the part of *grace:* because there [in baptism] justifying grace is given, here [in confirmation] strengthening [grace], and this latter presupposes the former. The other reason comes from the part of the *character:* because that [baptismal] character is the foundation of the others; therefore, it not being imprinted, the others cannot be imprinted; and since, when the character is not imprinted in the Sacraments in which it is naturally apt to be imprinted, nothing is said to be done: and therefore one not baptized cannot in such a state be confirmed; and I grant the arguments to this effect. — But how the baptismal character is the *foundation* is plain: because that one regards *faith* or the beginning of faith, and the others regard the *state* of faith; and as faith stands to the state, or the other states to the beginning, so [stands] character to character.

1. To that which is objected concerning the eucharist, the response is already plain: because there no character is imprinted, and so it does not have so essential an order as confirmation and order [do].

2. To that which is objected, that one can confess and die [for Christ]; it must be said that this is true without the *Sacrament,* but not without the *reality of that Sacrament;* and just as the reality of this [Sacrament] cannot be had without the reality of that Sacrament, so neither can [its] character without [the other] character.

3. To that which is objected concerning the orders, it must be said that it is not alike: because, as will be shown, the comparison of the higher orders to the lower is not so essential, on account of the diversity of the ministries. But this will appear better in its own place.

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