Morals of the Church
Library › Wouters, Manual of Moral Theology › Volume II › Book III. On the Aids of the Christian Life, or on the Sacraments › Treatise I. On the Sacraments in General › Dissertation I. On the Sacraments Considered in Themselves

Part — Wouters, Manual of Moral Theology

Part I. On the Summary Notion, Existence, Essence, and Division of the Sacraments

1.

I. Summary notion. By force of the word, a sacrament signifies every sacred thing. Here, however, it is taken more strictly and is defined: a sensible sign of a sacred thing sanctifying man, that is, of grace. Sacraments of the Old Law and sacraments of the New Law are distinguished. The former only signify; the latter signify and produce grace. Hence a sacrament of the Old Law is defined: a sensible sign, but not an efficacious sign, of grace; but a sacrament of the New Law is called: a sensible and efficacious sign of grace.

The Nature of a Sacrament

2.

II. Existence of the sacraments. In order that the existence of the sacraments may be rightly set forth, the various states of men must be distinguished, namely: 1. the state of innocence in paradise; 2. the state of the law of nature, so named not to the exclusion of grace, but to the exclusion of the written Mosaic law. This state prevailed for the Israelites until the written law, and for others until Christ; 3. the state of the Mosaic Law, which for the Israelites lasted until Christ; 4. the state of the new or Christian Law. Now:

  1. In the state of innocence, by the consent of all, no sacrament existed.

  2. In the state of the law of nature, more probably at least one sacrament existed. Namely, considering the will of God to save all, there certainly existed a remedy by which little children would be freed from original sin. That this was a sensible sign of sanctifying grace, or a sacrament, is more probable, as the dogmatic theologians explain (cf. St. Thomas, part 3, q. 61, a. 3; q. 60, a. 5, ad 3; q. 61, a. 1).

  3. In the state of the Mosaic Law, several sacraments existed, as is deduced from the Council of Trent1 and from the decree of Eugene IV for the Armenians. Moreover, it is commonly admitted that circumcision was a sacrament. Other sacraments of this Law are enumerated: the consecration of priests, the eating of the paschal lamb and of the loaves of proposition, and purifications (cf. St. Thomas, I-II, q. 102, a. 5; part 3, q. 61, a. 3, ad 2).

  4. In the state of the New Law there are seven sacraments, and these were instituted by Christ; this is of faith from the Council of Trent: "If anyone shall say that the sacraments of the New Law were not all instituted by Jesus Christ our Lord; or that there are more or fewer than seven, namely Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction, Order, and Matrimony; or even that any one of these seven is not truly and properly a sacrament, let him be anathema."2 That the said sacraments were instituted immediately by Christ, not by the Apostles under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is certain doctrine, although it is disputed whether it was defined by the Council of Trent as a truth to be believed with Catholic faith.

It is disputed how Christ instituted the sacraments. Some teach that Christ determined the matter and form only in general, commanding only an apt gesture and suitable words, and leaving the more exact determination to the Church; this is the opinion of immediate institution in general. Others judge that Christ prescribed this gesture in species and these words in species, yet in such a way that there is room for some latitude, insofar as the Apostles or the rulers of the Church can, not indeed abrogate the matter and form established by Christ, but determine them more exactly or more strictly, or even increase them by new elements, so that the very sign-value is, within certain limits, subject to the will of the Church; this is the opinion of immediate institution in a perfectible specific form. Others admit immediate institution in a fixed specific form, so that the Church can do nothing directly with respect to validity by changing or adding anything concerning the matter or form.

1 Session 7, canon 2.

2 Session 7, canon 1.

The Nature of a Sacrament

3.

III. Essence of the sacraments. 1. The sacraments of the New Law consist of things and words; this doctrine is declared in the decree for the Armenians. It is clear: 1. from Sacred Scripture, which expressly affirms this about several sacraments, such as Baptism,1 Confirmation,2 and Extreme Unction;3 2. from the doctrine and use of the Church. For the rest, words and things can be understood morally, so that it suffices for words and things to be had equivalently.

  1. Things and words in the sacraments stand to one another as matter and form; this doctrine is proposed in the same decree for the Armenians. It is clear from the fact that the thing of a sacrament, which of itself can signify several things, for example washing in Baptism, and therefore of itself is indeterminate in the being of a sign, is determined by words to a special signification; so that the thing is like matter, the determinable part, while the words are like form, the determining part.

  2. The matter of a sacrament is customarily distinguished as twofold, remote and proximate. The remote matter is the thing which is used in the sacred rite, as water in Baptism; or the thing about which the sacramental action is concerned, as sins in Penance. The former is called the remote matter from which, the latter the remote matter about which. The proximate matter is the application of the remote matter, as washing in Baptism; or the action which is concerned with the remote matter, as the acts of the penitent in Penance.

1 Matt. 28:19.

2 Acts 8:15, 17.

3 Jas. 5:14.

The Nature of a Sacrament

4.

IV. Division of the sacraments. The sacraments of the New Law are distinguished into:

  1. Sacraments of the dead and of the living, according as they were primarily instituted for giving grace, namely to the spiritually dead; or for increasing it, namely in the spiritually living. The grace which is conferred on a man deprived of every degree of grace, or spiritually dead, is called first grace; the grace which is conferred on a man constituted in the state of grace, or spiritually living, is called second grace. The sacraments of the dead are Baptism and Penance. The sacraments of the living are Confirmation, Eucharist, Extreme Unction, Order, and Matrimony.

  2. Repeatable and non-repeatable, according as they can be conferred on the same person more than once or only once.

  3. Necessary and non-necessary, according as they ought or ought not to be received by individuals. Of those which ought to be received, some are necessary by necessity of means and precept, others by necessity of precept alone. Baptism for all (can. 737), and Penance for all who have fallen into mortal sin after Baptism, are necessary by necessity of means and precept (can. 901 and 906). The Eucharist is certainly necessary by necessity of precept (can. 859, §§ 1 and 4; can. 864, § 1); concerning necessity of means, it is disputed. Confirmation and Extreme Unction are not necessary by necessity of means; whether they are necessary by necessity of a grave precept is disputed. Finally, Matrimony and Order are necessary only to the community; each of these matters will be developed in its own place.

  4. Formed and unformed, according as, as soon as they are received, they confer grace, or, on account of an obstacle, at least do not produce it immediately. Of the unformed sacraments, some, when the obstacle has been removed, revive, that is, confer grace; others do not revive (St. Alphonsus, VI, 6).

  5. Finally, a sacrament is called valid or invalid according as nothing or something is lacking for constituting it.

The Nature of a Sacrament