Chapter IV. Of the Sacrament of Confirmation, and of the Manner of Administering It

Q. What do you mean by confirmation?

A, A sacrament by which the faithful after baptism receive the Holy Ghost, by the imposition of ihe hands of the bishop and prayer, accompanied with the unction or anointing of their foreheads with holy chrism.

Q. Why do you call it confirmation?

A. From its eflTect, which is to confirm or strengthen those that receive it in the profession of the true faith, to make them soldiers of Christ, and perfect Christians, and to arm them against their spiritual enemies.

Q. How do you prove from scripture, that the Apojtles practised confirmation?

A. I prove it from Acts viii. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 where we read of St. Peter and St. John confirming the Samaritans. ' They prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost,.... then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost, &c. item, Acts xix. 5, 6. They were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Ghost came on them."' It is of confirmation also that St. Paul speaks, Heb. vi. 1, 2. 'Not laying again the foundation, &c. of the doctrine of baptism, and of laying on of hands, &c.' And 2 Cor. i. 21, 22. 'Now he who confirmeth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God: who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.'

Q. How do you prove that confirmation is a sacrament?

A. First, because it is plain from Acts viii. that the visible sign of the imposition of hands has annexed to it an invisible grace, viz. the imparting of the Holy Ghost: consequently confirmation is a visible sign of invisible grace, and therefore is a sacrament. Secondly, because the Church of God from the Apostles' days, has always believed it to be a sacrament, and administered it as such. See St. Dioiiysius, L. de Eccles. Heriarch, c. 4. Tertullian L. de Baptismo^ c. 7. L. de Resurrectione carnis^ c. 8. L. de PrcBscrip. adversus HcBreses. c. 4. St, Cornelius^ Epist. ad Fdblum Antioch. apud

Eusehiwrij L. 6. Histor. c. 43. St, Cyprian, Epist. 70. ad Januarium, Epist. 72, ad Stephanum Papam, Epist, 73. ad Juhianum, Epist. 74. ad Pomperum. Firmilian, Epist. ad St. Cyprianum. The Council of Illiheris, Can. 38. The Council of Laodicea, Can. 48. St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catech. 3. Mystag, St. Pacian. Epist. 1. ^ 3. ad Symnon. Sf in Sermone de Baptismo. St. Ambrose, L. de iis qui mysteriis initiantur, c. 7. The Author of the Books of the Sdcraments attributed to St. Ambrose, L. 3. c. 2. St. Optat. of Milevis. L. 7 contra Parmenianum. St. Hierome in Dialogo contra Luciferianos. St. Innocentius, Epist. 9. ad Dicentium. St. Augustine, Tract. 6. in Epist. 1. Joannis, L. 2. contra Li-teras Petilani, c. 104, c^c. St. Cyril of Alexandria, ad Joelis, 2. i?. 24. St. Leo Pope, Serm, 4. de nativi. Theodoret in comment, ad Cantic. 1. v. 3. St. Gregory the great, Homil. 17. in Evangelia, &fC.

Q. Who is the minister of this sacrament?

A. The ordinary minister of this sacrament is a bishop only.

Q. Can this sacrament be received any more than once?

A. No, because, like baptism, it imprints a character or spiritual mark in the soul, which always remains. Hence, those that are to be confirmed are obliged to be so much the more careful to come to this sacrament worthily, because, it can be received but once; and if they then receive it unworthily, they have no share in the grace which is thereby communicated to the soul; instead of which, they incur the guilt of a grievous sacrilege.

Q. In what disposition is a person to be, in order to approach worthily to the sacrament of confirmation?

A. He must be free from mortal sin, and in the

State of grace; for the Holy Ghost will never come into a soul which Satan possesses by mortal sin.

Q. In what manner then must a person prepare himself for the sacrament of confirmation?

A. First, he must examine 'his conscience, and if he finds it charged with wilful sin, he must take care to purge it by a good confession. Secondly, he must frequently and fervently call upon God, to dispose his soul for receiving theHoly Ghost.

Q. What kind of grace does this sacrament communicate to the soul?

A, It communicates to the soul the fountain of all grace, the Holy Ghost, with all its gifts; but more in particular a fortifying grace to strengthen the soul against all visible and inivisible enemies of the faith.

Q. Is then this sacrament absolutely necessary to salvation?

A. It is not so necessary, but that a person may be saved without it: yet, it would be a sin to neglect it, when a person might conveniently have it; and a crime to contemn or despise it.

Q. What kind of persons stand most in need of the grace of this sacrament?

A. Those that are the most exposed to persecutions upon account of their religion, or to temptations against faith.

Q. At what age may a person be confirmed?

A. Ordinarily speaking, the Church does not give confirmation until the person is come to the use of reason, though sometimes she confirms infants; in which case great care must be taken, and they be put in mind, when they come to the use of reason, that they have received this sacrament.

Q. What is the obligation that a christian takes upon him in confirmation?

A. He lists himself there for a soldier of Christ; and consequently is obliged, after having received this sacrament, to fight manfully the battles of his Lord.

Q. May a person have a godfather or godmother in confirmation?

A, He may by way of an instructor and encourager in the spiritual warfare; and this godfather or godmother contracts the like obligations as in the sacrament of baptism, and the same spiritual kindred.

Q. May a person.that is confirmed take a new name?

A, It is useful so to do, not by way of changing one's name of baptism, but by way of adding to it another name of some saint, to whom one has a particular devotion, and by whose prayers he hopes to acquit himself more faithfully of the obligations of a soldier in Christ.

Q. Is a person obliged to receive this sacrament fasting?

A. No, he is not, though it is advisable so to receive it.

Q. In what manner is the sacrament of confirmation administered?

A, First: the bishop turning towards those that are to be confirmed, with his hands joined before his breast, says, 'May the Holy Ghost come down upon you, and the power of the Most High keep you from sins.'

Answ. Amen.

Then signing himself with the sign of the cross, he says, ' Our help is in the name of the Lord.'

Answ. Who made heaven and earth, &c.

Then extending his hands towards those that art *o be confirmed (which is what the ancients call the imposition of hands) he prays that they may receive the Holy Ghost.

Bishop. Let us pray,

O Almighty everlasting God! who hast vouchsafed to regenerate these thy servants by water and the Holy Ghost; and who hast given them the remission of all their sins; send forth upon them thy sevenfold Holy Spirit, the Comforter from heaven. Answ. Amen.

Bisli. The spirit of wisdom and of understanding.

Answ. Amen.

Bish. The spirit of counsel and of fortitude.

Answ. Amen.

Bish, The spirit of knowledge and of piety.

Answ. Amen.

Bish. Replenish them with the spirit of thy fear, and sign them with the sign of the cross ►fi of Christ, in thy mercy, unto life everlasting: Through the same Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the same Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Then the bishop makes the sign of the cross with holy chrism, upon the forehead of each one of those that are to be confirmed, saying, ' N. I sign thee with the sign of the cross, I Confirm thee with the chrism of salvation, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen.'

After which he gives the person confirmed a Jittle blow on the cheek, saying. Pax tecu?n, that is, peace be with thee.

Then the bishop standing with his face towards the altar, prays for those that have been confirmed, that the Holy Ghost may ever dwell in their hearts, and make them the temple of his glory. And then dismisses them with this blessing: 'Behold thus shall every man be blessed, who feareth the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Sion, that you may see the good things of Jerusalem all the days of your life; and may have life everlasting, Amen.

Q. I would willingly be instructed in the meanmg of these ceremonies: therefore pray tell me first why the Church makes use of chrism in confirmation, and what this chrism is?

A. Chrism is a compound of oil of olives and balm of Gilead, solemnly consecrated by the bishop on Maundy-Thursday: and the unction, or outward anointing the forehead with Chrism, is to represent the inward anointing of the soul in this sacrament with the Holy Ghost. The oil, whose properties are to fortify the limbs, and to give a certain vigour to the body, to assuage our pains, &c. represents the like spiritual effects of the grace of this sacrament in the soul, and the balm, which is of a sweet smell, represents the good odour or sweet savour of christian virtues, and an innocent life, with which we are to edify our neighbours after having received the sacrament.

Q. Why is this unction made on the forehead, and in form of the cross?

A. To give us to understand that the effect of this sacrament is to arm us against worldly fear and shame: and therefore we receive the standard of the cross of Christ upon our foreheads, to teach us to make an open profession of his doctrine and maxims; and not to flinch from this profession, for fear of any thing that the world can either say or do.

Q. What is the meaning of the Bishop's giving 6* a little blow on the cheek to the person that is confirmed? ^

A. It is to imprint in his mind, that from this time forward he is to be ready, like a true soldier of Jesus Christ, to suffer patiently all kinds of affronts and injuries for his faith.

Q. And why does the bishop, at the same time as he gives the blow, say, peace be with thee?

A, To signify that the true peace of God, which, as St. Paul says,'^ exceeds all understanding, is chiefly to be found in patient suffering for God and his truths.