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Of the Sacrament of Confirmation

1. Which is the other Sacrmente next vnto Baptisme?

COnfirmation: which is a Sacrament of the new Law, as sacred & holy, saith1 S. AVGVSTINE, as Baptisme it selfe: which is ministred vnto the Baptised, with the imposition of the hands of a Bishop, & the annointing with holy Chrisme.

2. What warrant haue we to vse this Sacrament?

IT hath the testimonie of diuine Scripture, according to the vniforme sentence and interpretation of the Fathers, and the2 Church. For hereunto belongeth that which3 S. LVKE the Euangelist, not once writeth of the Apostles, that laide their hands vpon the Baptised, vsing this visible signe, ordained by God himselfe; because a newe and more plentifull grace of the holy-Ghost was giuen to those which were new borne in Christ. And therfore when the Apostles laid hands vpon them, they receiued, as S. LVKE recordeth of those4 Baptised, the holie Ghost, to witte, with a certaine encrease and aboundance of spirituall grace.

But at this time, whereas the Bishoppes doe beare the roome, and possesse the place of the Apostles: God doth not defraud his Church, of this so holesome a grace: but by the same Bishoppes5 in this Sacrament woorketh effectually: so that as6 testifieth S. CYPRIAN, The verity is ioined with the signe; and the spirite is present in the Sacrament.

And hereunto doth appertaine that Canon of the Church, of olde set downe:7 All the faithfull ought to receiue the holy-Ghost after Baptisme by the imposition of handes from a Bishoppe, that they may bee founde perfite Christians: because when the holy-Ghost is infused, the faithfull heart is dilated to prudence and constancie.

3. What things are necessary for the perfection of this Sacrament?

THree thinges are speciallie required thereunto: the proper matter of the Sacrament, the due forme of wordes, and a conuenient Minister.

The matter is compound of Oile and8 Baulme, which being consecrated by a Bishoppe, hath nowe of olde obtained the name of holye9 Chrisme, and in this Sacrament is, after a solemn manner laid vpon the forehead.

The prescripte forme of wordes is this;10 I doe signe thee with the signe of the Crosse, and confirme thee with the Chrisme of saluation, In the name of the Father, and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost.

The Minister of this Sacramente is a Bishop only; that the example, forme, & Tradition of the11 Apostles may be kept. Of which thing we haue receiued a decree set down of olde in this maner:12 The Sacrament of imposition of hands, is to be had in great reuerence which cannot be done by any other, but by the high Priests: neither is it reade, or knowen to haue beene donne by any other in the Apostles time, but by the 13 Apostles themselues.

4. And why are the Baptised, annointed with holy Chrisme?

BEcause that by the instincte of the holy-Ghost,14 the Apostles haue so deliuered vnto vs, as15 S. CLEMENT, and16 S. DENIS, the disciples of S. PETER, and S. PAVL doe proue, and they deliuered that doubtlesse, concerning the hallowing of Chrisme, which they had receiued of our Lord himselfe: as is thereof a graue witnes,17 FABIANVS, who was both a Martyr of Christ, and high Bishop of the Church.

Also, there is extant of this matter, such a precept of a most holie18 Synode: The Baptised after Baptisme must receiue the most holy Chrism, and be made partakers of the kingdome of heauen. Sainte CYPRIAN alleadgeth,19 this reason: that a Christian hauing once receiued Chrisme, to witte, Vnction, or Annointing; may be the annointed of God, and haue in him the grace of Christ, and continually maintaine holinesse.

And this visible Ointment, wherwith the Church doth annoint the Baptised, as20 S. AVGVSTINE teacheth, doth signifie the gifte of inuisible grace: wherewith the holy Ghost doth with his internal Vnction replenishe and confirme, Christ principally, who tooke his name of21 Chrisme, and then in like sort al Christians. Whereupon 22 TERTVLLIAN, very fitly, alluding as it were to the nature of Oile, hath written of this Sacrament in this manner. The fleshe is annointed; that the Soule may bee consecrated: the fleshe is signed; that the Soule may bee fensed: the fleshe by imposition of hands, is ouershadowed; that the Soule by the spirite may bee illuminated. By which it is euident, that they which reiect holy Chrisme, doe greatly bewray their owne ignorance and folly: as manifestly denying, the most auncient ordinance of the Apostles, & rashely condemning the continuall custome & Tradition of the Church.

5. What is the vse and commodity of this Sacrament?

IN Baptisme we are23 regenerate vnto life; after Baptisme in this Sacrament, we are strengthned vnto combate. In Baptisme wee are washed: by this after Baptisme, we are strengthned: that the holy-Ghost may be alwaies present with the regenerate, as a keeper, and a comforter, & a tutor. This is the Doctrine of that holie high Bishop & Martyr MELCHIADES. And hereunto agreeth that which24 S. CLEMENT testifieth hee receiued of the Apostles themselues: When any man hath beene regenerate by water, let him be afterwarde confirmed by a Bishoppe with the seauenfoulde grace of the holy-Ghost: because otherwise he can neuer be a perfect Christian. This25 Sacrament therefore profiteth in maruelous manner, that they which are by regeneration entered in the mysteries of Faith, as26 Infants newe-borne, and as yet weake & feeble, may waxe greater in groweth, and be strengthned in Christ.

These, as it were nouices in christian warfare, the Bishop admonisheth in annointing, that against so many enemies & daily dangers, they must be confirmed,27 Spiritu principali, with a principall Spirite. He signeth with the Crosse28 their foreheade, which is the seate of shamefastnesse, that they may constantly, and without feare, confesse the name of our Lord. Hee giueth them also a blowe on the cheeke; that they may alwaies remember, how they must with inuincible patience performe and finishe their Christian warfare.

Footnotes

  1. Lib. 2. con tra lit. Petil. c. 104. Concil. Eliber. ca. 38 Aurel. c. 3. Lac. c. 48. Melden. c. 6. Flor. Const. ses. 15. Trid. ses. 7. Bern. in vita Malach. episc. Petrus Damian ser. 1 dededicat. eccles. Isid. de eccles. offic. li. 2. c. 25. & 26. Raban. de inst. cler. l. 1. c. 30. ↩

  2. Cyp. l. 1. ep. 12. Aug. lib. 5. cont. Dona. cap. 19. & 20. item. tract. 6. in ep. Ioan. ↩

  3. Act. 8, 17. & 19, 5. Cypr. ad Iubaian. ↩

  4. Ibidem. ↩

  5. Hier. cont. Lucif. cap. 4. ↩

  6. serm. de vnctione Chrismatis. ↩

  7. Vrban. Pont. et Martyr. qui. anno 227. vixit in ep. ad omnes Christianos. ↩

  8. Conc. Braccar. c. 4. Cypr. de vnction. Chris. Greg. in 1. c Cant. Fab, & Con Flo. ↩

  9. Cypr. vt supra & l. 1. ep. 12. Bas. de spir. san c. 27. Fab qui vixit anno. 241. ep 2. ↩

  10. Con Flo. 2. Cor. 1, 21. Ephes. 1, 13. ↩

  11. Act. 8, 14 Clem ep. 4. Vrban Melc. Damasc. ep. 4. Leo. epi. 88. ad episc. Ger. & Gall. Conc. Wor. Flor. & Tri. ↩

  12. Eus. Pon. & Mart. ep. ad Episcop. Tusc. & Can pan. Innoc. c. 1 ep 1. ad Decent. c. 3. ↩

  13. Act 8, 14. & 19, 6. ↩

  14. Bas. de spir. san. cap. 27. ↩

  15. Epi. 4. ad Iulium & Iulian. ↩

  16. De eccle. hier. c. 4. & 2 ↩

  17. In ep. ad Orientales Episc. ↩

  18. Synod. Laod. can. 48. Corn. ad Fab. Antioc. apud Euseb. l. 6. hist. c. 35. Theodor. de haer. Fabul. in Nouat. ↩

  19. l. 1. ep. 1. & de vncti. Chrismat. Cyril. l. 9. in Leuit Cyril. Hier. catech. 3. myst. ↩

  20. l. 15. de Trinit. ca. 26. Pacianus Barcilonen. de Baptis. et ep. 1 ad sympron. ↩

  21. in senten tiis Prosper. 342. ex. Aug tract. 33. in Io. & ser. 47. de verb. Do. Rab. l 1 c. 30 Isid. l. 2. c. 25 ↩

  22. l. de carnis resurrectione c. 8. Item. in lib. de Bapt. Theod. in c. 1. Cantic. Dionys. Clemens. Tert. Fabian. Cornel. Cypr. Cyrill. vterque Basil. Pacian Amphiloc. Optat. &c. Con cil. Rom. sub Siluest. Iten 2. 3. & 4. Carthag. 2. Tol. 1. Vasinse, Trid. ↩

  23. Io. 3, 5. Melch. ad Hisp. Episc. Conc. Flor. Petr. Clun. lib. 6. ep. 1. ↩

  24. Ep. 4. ad Iulium. Amb. l. 3. de Sacram. c. 2. & de iis qui initiant. mysteriis cap. 7. ↩

  25. Dion. de Eccles. hierarc. cap. 2. ↩

    1. Pet. 2, 2
    ↩

  27. Psal. 50, 14. ↩

  28. Aug. in Psal. 141. Luc. 9.26. Mat. 10, 33. 1. Pet. 2, 20. Luc. 21.15. Mat. 5, 39. Act. 4, 13.31 & 5, 29.41. ↩

Chapter 12 of 36