The Fourth Book Of The Sentences

The doctrine of signs

Distinction 1, part 1

Chapter I On the Sacraments

For the Samaritan, assisting the wounded traveller, his care employed the bindings of the Sacraments, because against the wounds of original and actual sin, God has instituted the remedies of the Sacraments. Concerning which there are four issues to be considered: what is a Sacrament? why was it instituted? what things does it consist of? and what is the distance between the Sacraments of the Old and New Law?

Chapter II What is a Sacrament?

A Sacrament is a sign for a sacred thing. However a sacrament is also said to be a sacred secret, just as there is said to be a sacrament of the Divinity, so that a Sacrament is both the sacred signifying and the sacred signified. But now one deals with the Sacrament, according to which it is a sign. Likewise, a Sacrament is the visible form of an invisible grace.

Chapter III What is a sign?

A sign, however, is a thing beside the species, which bears upon the senses, causing something else, out of itself, to come into your mind.

Chapter IV How sign and Sacrament differ.

Of signs, however, some are natural, such as smoke signifying fire; others are given and of these, certain ones are Sacraments, certain ones are not. For every Sacrament is a sign, but not conversely. A Sacrament bears the likeness of that thing, of which it is a sign. For if the Sacraments did not have the likeness of the things of which they are Sacraments, they would not properly be said to be Sacraments. For a Sacrament is properly said to be that which is so great a sign of the grace of God and the form of invisible grace, that it bears its image and exists as its own cause. Therefore not only for the grace of signifying have the Sacraments been instituted, but also that of sanctifying. For those things which have only been instituted for the grace of signifying, are solely signs, and not Sacraments. Just as the carnal sacrifices and ceremonial observances of the Old Law, which never could make the ones offering them just because, as the Apostle says, the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer use to sanctify polluted things, cleanse forth the flesh, not the soul. For that pollution was a result of contact with the dead. St. Augustine says “Nothing other do I understand the pollution to be, which the Law cleanses, but contact with a dead man, whom he who had touched was said to be unclean for seven days; but he was purified according to the Law on the third and seventh day, and then he was clean to now enter the Temple.” Those sacraments of the Law were sometimes used to cleanse even leprosy from the physical man; but never has anyone out of the works of the Law been justified in them, as the Apostle says, even if they were done in faith and charity. Why? Because God imposed them as a liability so that they would be a figurative of the future, He willing, that these be offered to Himself rather than to idols. Therefore they were signs, but nevertheless in the Scriptures they are also often called Sacraments, because they were signs of a sacred thing, which they certainly did not ensure. Moreover those the Apostle says that are the works of the Law which have been instituted only for the grace of signifying and as a burden.

Chapter V  Why the Sacraments have been instituted?

From three reasons have the Sacraments been instituted: on account of

·        humiliation,

·        erudition,

·        discipline.

On account of humiliation while a man in the sensible things, which by the nature of things are below him, he subjects himself in reverence out of God’s precept, and so out of this humility and obedience he pleases God more and merits to be near Him, and by His command he seeks salvation in those things that are inferior to himself, even if not from them, but through them from God.

On account of erudition have they (sacraments) also been instituted, so that through that which is seen outwardly as the visible thing, the mind may be instructed to acknowledgethe invisible virtue, which is within (ie the hidden or deeper meaning). For the Man, who before sin used to see God without a medium (a perfect vision of God), has been dulled through sin so much that he is unable to grasp the divine, except by human discipline.

On account of discipline have they similarly been instituted: because, since man cannot be free from public duty, there is proposed to him a useful and salubrious exercitation in the Sacraments, by which he may deflect from vain and obnoxious occupation. For not easily is he grasped by a tempter, he who has time for good exercise, hence Jerome warns “Always do work, so that the devil will find you busy.”

Also (autem) there are three species of discipline; one pertains to the edification of the soul, another to the foment of the body, the third to the subversion of both . Therefore though apart from the Sacraments, to which God has not bound His own power, He can grant grace to a man through them, He has instituted the Sacraments for these aforesaid causes. Also there are two things of which a Sacrament consists, namely “words” and “things”. Words are the invocation of the Trinity; things such as water, oil and others of this kind.