Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Sacrament of Order
Chapter 3: That Ordination Is a Sacrament Is Proved from Tradition, and Shown by Reason
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. III, De Sacramento Ordinis, the fifth general controversy on the sacraments. The Latin source text is public domain; this English rendering is released with the site. Scripture quotations follow Bellarmine's Vulgate citations, rendered in Douay-Rheims wording where he quotes exactly. Click “Show the Latin” for the original (raw OCR of the scan; scanning errors remain — the scan itself is the authority).
Now, after our custom, we shall demonstrate the same thing from ecclesiastical tradition, that is, from the testimonies of the holy popes, councils and Fathers.
For Luther, in the book On the Babylonian Captivity, the chapter on Order, says that only Dionysius can be cited from the ancient authors for the sacrament of Order and the other sacraments, except Baptism and the Eucharist. For so he says: “I know that this author alone is held among the ancients for the sevenfold number of the sacraments, although, Matrimony being left out, he gave only six; for we read nothing at all in the rest of the Fathers of these sacraments, nor did they judge them by the name of sacrament whenever they spoke of these things; for the invention of the sacraments is recent.” So he: where he lies in many things. For it is not true, what he cites as if against himself, that Dionysius hands down six sacraments; for he mentions only four, since he writes nothing of Penance, extreme unction and Matrimony. Then he lies most impudently when he says that the invention of the sacraments is recent, namely as to the name of sacrament; for we showed in the first book that all the ancient Latins used this word. Lastly, that nothing at all is read in the ancients of these sacraments is a lie most worthy of Luther.
Of the popes, then, Innocent I, in letter 18, to Alexander bishop of Antioch, the last chapter, compares Ordination with Baptism, and says that those baptized by heretics are received with their Baptism, but that those ordained by heretics are not received with their order; and he gives the reason, because heretics are permitted to give only Baptism. From the comparison with a sacrament properly so called, he shows that he held Ordination also for a sacrament properly so called.
Where yet it is to be observed that Innocent does not mean that those whom the heretics had ordained are to be ordained again, but only that they ought to cease from the exercise of their Orders, as if they had not been ordained.
Leo I, letter 81, to Dioscorus of Alexandria, chapter 1, calls Ordination a sacrament, and commands that it be given and received by those fasting, and only on the evening of the Sabbath, and that with the greatest devotion; where he plainly shows that grace is conferred in that sacrament. And in letter 87, to the bishops of Mauretania, chapter 1, speaking of Ordination: “Who,” he says, “would dare to pass over what is committed to the injury of so great a sacrament?” So he. Do you hear here the name of sacrament?
Anastasius II, in the letter to the emperor Anastasius, chapter 7: “Of those,” he says, “whom Acacius either baptized, or whom he ordained priests or levites according to the canons, no portion of harm touches them from the name of Acacius, by which perhaps the grace of the sacrament, handed on through a wicked man, might seem less firm.” Where the holy pontiff both calls ordination a sacrament, and says that it confers grace, and compares it with Baptism; and he repeats the same in chapter 8.
Lastly, St. Gregory I, book 4 of the commentaries on the books of Kings, chapter 5, at the very beginning, speaking of the sacrament of Order: “He,” he says, “who is promoted is well anointed outwardly, if he is strengthened inwardly by the power of the sacrament.” Where he both calls ordination itself a sacrament and affirms that it confers grace.
Of the councils: the Council of Chalcedon, canon 2, condemns those who take money for ordination; and it gives the reason, because they are judged to sell the grace of God, which yet in no way can or ought to be sold. The second of Braga has the same, canon 3, and others. Lastly, the Council of Florence, with Greeks and Latins approving, numbered Ordination among the sacraments properly so called; which the Council of Trent also did, session 23, chapter 3, and canon 3.
Of the Fathers: Dionysius the Areopagite, in the book On the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, chapter 5, treats of the rite of those to be ordained, and shows well enough that grace is conferred by that rite, and so that it is a sacrament. Which Luther also confesses: for in the book On the Babylonian Captivity, the chapter on Order, he cites Dionysius alone against his own novelty; nor does he answer otherwise than, after his manner, by despising the author. For he says there is nothing of solid learning in him, and adds that he could write a better hierarchy than Dionysius wrote. But we set against Luther St. Gregory, who in homily 34 on the Gospels praises this Dionysius as an ancient and venerable Father.
There is extant in Sozomen, book 7 of the History, chapter 10, the saying of a certain martyr to Nectarius, bishop of Constantinople, where he plainly compares the priesthood with Baptism, and says that men are justified by both: “Thou,” he says, “O blessed one, hast been lately baptized and purified, and soon besides increased with the priesthood; and God has appointed both of these to be expiatory of sins.”
St. John Chrysostom, book 3 On the Priesthood: “The priesthood,” he says, “is performed on earth, but is to be reckoned in the class and order of heavenly things. And that most deservedly; for no mortal man, no angel, no archangel, no other created power whatever, but the Paraclete himself ordered such a rank.” And below: “Then he will well understand with how great honor, with how great dignity, the grace of the Holy Spirit has deigned to honor priests.”
Tharasius, in the letter to Pope Adrian, which is had in the first tome of the Library of the Holy Fathers, says that those who take money for Ordination sell grace, and indeed the Holy Spirit himself, who is given in Ordination.
Theodoret on that of 1 Timothy 5, “Impose not hands lightly upon any man,” and Theophylact and Oecumenius on that of 2 Timothy 1, “I admonish thee, that thou stir up the grace,” say plainly that in Ordination the grace of the Holy Spirit is conferred, which is to be nourished by holy studies and prayer, as fire is nourished by oil.
Cyprian, or whoever was the author of the sermons on the cardinal works of Christ, calls Ordination a sacrament and compares it with Baptism: “We are taught,” he says, “what is the stability of Baptism and of the other sacraments.” And below: “For the ecclesiastical rules forbid Baptism to be repeated; and no consecrating hand presumes to approach again those once sanctified; nor does it renew sacred Orders once given,” and so on.
Ambrose, in the book On the Priestly Dignity, chapter 5: “Man,” he says, “lays on the hand; God bestows the grace. The priest lays on the suppliant right hand; God blesses with the mighty right hand.” See the same on 1 Corinthians 12, on that saying, “There are diversities of graces”; and on chapter 2 of the first to Timothy.
Jerome, in the dialogue against the Luciferians, through almost the whole of that book, compares Ordination with Baptism, and proves that Ordination given by heretics is valid, because Baptism given by them is valid Baptism. For these are the words of St. Jerome against the Luciferians: “He who baptized in his own faith could not harm the one baptized; and he who appointed a priest in his own faith did not defile the one appointed.”
Augustine, arguing by a like reason, proves against the Donatists that the sacrament of Order, once had, cannot be lost, because Baptism once received cannot be lost. For so he says in book 2 against Parmenian, chapter 13: “Let them explain how the sacrament of the baptized cannot be lost, and the sacrament of the ordained can be lost. For if each is a sacrament, which no one doubts, why is the one not lost and the other lost? Wrong must be done to neither sacrament.”
He has like things in book 1 On Baptism, chapter 1; in which places certain things are to be observed. First, that Ordination is called a sacrament by Augustine in the two chapters perhaps ten times, against the lie of Luther noted above. Second, that Augustine compares Ordination with Baptism, and that most openly, and says that each is a sacrament in the same way. Third, that the same Augustine asserts that there is no one who doubts this truth; which is against the other lie of Luther. And besides, this place is worth very many places: for if Augustine does not lie, all the authors of his time, nay even all the peoples, believed what we now believe.
See besides the same Augustine, letter 50, to Boniface, near the end; and On the Good of Marriage, chapters 18 and 24; and in the sermon on the proceedings with Emeritus; and lastly book 2 against Parmenian, chapter 11, where he says that the Holy Spirit is given through this sacrament; from which it is also gathered that the ceremony is a sacrament properly so called.
To these let the Scholastics be added, in the Master, book 4, distinction 24; of whom St. Thomas, question 1, article 1, affirms that it is the common opinion of all that Ordination is one of the seven sacraments truly and properly so called.
Chapter 4. The Same Is Shown by Reason
Let the fitness of reason also be added. For God, whose “works are perfect,” Deuteronomy 32, when he gives a power, gives also those things which are required for its lawful and fitting use. This we see in natural things, to which God gave not only operative powers, but also certain qualities and instruments by which they might use them readily and rightly. But in sacred Ordination there is given to a man the power of making and ministering the sacraments, which certainly cannot be rightly exercised by a sinner. Therefore God gives together with that power justifying grace also, which perfects the soul, that it may duly discharge so great a ministry. Moreover, if in Baptism, in which is given the power of receiving the Eucharist and the other sacraments, there is given together with that power sanctifying grace, because without it the other sacraments are not rightly received, why in the sacrament of Order, in which is given the power of conferring the sacraments, should not sanctifying grace also be given together with it, since it is no less a sin for an unworthy man to hand on the sacraments than to receive them? But if in this sacrament sanctifying grace is given, certainly it will be a sacrament truly and properly so called; for every ceremony instituted to sanctify is a sacrament properly so called.
There is added lastly that the adversaries have nothing to object except those negative and light arguments which we have dissolved above.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT III.
Ordinationcm sacramentum essr, prohafnr
ex tradilione.
Jam v(;ro iriore noslro idipsnm demonstrnbimns
ex ecclcsiastica Iradilione, idesl, leslimoniis san-
clorum pontilicinm, conciliorum el Patrum.
KELLAIIMI.>r. Vol. III.
Luthcrus enim in lib. de caplivil. babylonica
cap. de Ordine.solum Dionysium dicit posse cilari
ex anliquis aucloribus, pro sacramenlo Ordinis, el
aliis sacramenlis,exccplo Rafilismo et Eucbaristia.
Sic enim ait: Scio hunc soluni auctorcni haberi
cx antiquis pro septcnario sacranicntorum, ticel
Matrimonio oniisso, senariuni lantum dcderit:
nihil enini prorsus in reliquis Patribus dc islis
sacramcntis lcnimus. A'ec sacramcnii nominc
censuerunt,quoties de his rcbus loquuti sunl: re-
cens cnini esl invcntio sacramentoruni.llnec. ille:
ubi mulla menlilur. Nam nec verum cst, quod ille
quasi conlra se ciliil,Dionysium Iradere sex sacni-
menla; non enim meminit nisi qiialuor; nihil eniin
scribit de Poenilenlia, exlrema Unclione et Matri-
monio. Deinde meniilur impudentissime, cum di-
cil.recentem esse inventionem sa(;ramentorurn;ni-
mirum qiioad nomen s;icramenli: nos cnim in pri-
mo libro oslendimus, omui^s vetercs Lalinos hoc
vocabulo usos. Doniquc, nihil prorsus in antiquis
lcgi de liis sacraraenlis, csl mendaciura Lulhcro
dignissimum.
Igilur ex ponlificibus Innocenlius I. in episl.18.
ad Alexandrum Antiochiae episcopum cap. ult.con-
ferl Ordinalionem cum I)aplismo:ac dicil ab hacre-
licis baplizalos recipi cum suo IJaplismo, sed ab
baereticis ordinalos, non rccipi cum suoordine,et
caussam reddil, quia haeretici solum Baptisraum
dare ])crmillunlur. Ex collalione ciim sacramenlo
proprie diclo, indical se h;ibuisse Ordinationera et-
iain pro sacramenlo proprie diclo.
Ubi tamen Observandum csl.non vellc Fnnocen-
tium itcrum ordinandos esse, quos liaerelici ordi-
naverant, scd solura ccssare debcre ab excculione
Ordinum, ac si ordinali non essenl.
Leo I.episl.Sl.adDioscoruraalexandrinum cap.I.
Ordinalionem sacramenlum vocat, et jubct a join-
nis dari et accipi , ct solum in vespcra sabb;iiiii,
idque summa cum devolionc: ubi apcrle indical in
co sacramenlo graliam conferri. El episl.87. ad e-
piscopos Miiuritaniac cap. I. dc Ordinatione lo-
qucns. Quis, inquil, dissimidare audeat.quod in
lanti sacramcnti pcrpctratur injuriam? llaec il-
le. Audis liic nomen siicramenti?
Aiiiistasius II. in epist. ad Anaslasium imperido-
rem cap. 7. Nullum. inquit, dc his, quos rel ba-
pti.zavit Acacius, vcl quos saccrdotos: sivc lcvitas
secundum canones ordinavit.uUa cos cx noniine
Acacii portio lacsionis attinqit. quo forsitan per
iniquum tradita sacranicnti qratia minus (Irma
videatur. iJbi s. ponlifcx ordiiialioncm ct sacra-
incnlum vocat, el griiliam conforre dicil. cl cum
Baptismo comparat: el idem rcpetit ciip. 8.
Doniipie s. rirogorins I. lib. i.commontariorura
in libros Beguni cap. *>.in i[)SO inilio do s;icramcn-
to Ordinis Io(|uens: Is, inqnit, quipromovelur bc-
nc foris u,n(jitur, si inlus virlute sacramenli ro-
borotur. Lbi oi sac,r;iinimluin vorat et gr;)ti;im con-
ferre :inirm;it i|)s;im ordiiialioucm.
Ex conciliis: Chalcedonense concilium can. 2.
daminil eos. (|ni [tccunias pro ordiiuiliiiiie snsci-
|)iiiiil; et ciiussain riMldil, ()uia graliam Dci illi cen-
soiilur vcndorc, ([uae lameii vendi nullo niodo po-
tesl iiiil dobet. Idcin liabel II. bracarcnso can. 3.
»7
7G6
' ?-L)t; SACUA.MENTO OHDliMS
♦'l iilia. I)oiii(|iie norenlimim conoiliuni. ('iriiccis ct
Laliiiis |)rob;iiilibii<,Uiilin;»li()ntMn inlcr s;i(T;iinfnlii
j»ro|)rie (liol:i iUMmMMvil.i|iio(l eli;ini rooil coiiciliuin
lrit!(Miliiuiiii scss. i\\. c;ip. 2. ct c;in. li.
E\ l';ilribns. Dionysiiis iireop;ijjil;i lib. de ccclc-
si;istir;i lii(M;irclii;i c;ip. li. dc rilu ordiihindornni ;i-
jjil. ct salis oslciuiit oo riln j;r;ili;iin coiilVrri ct
proiiide sncr:unpiitum esse. Quod ctiam Lutlicrns
hitelur: n;iin in lib. de biibylonic;i c;iplivil. c;ip. de
Ordine, sidnin Dioiiysium ciUil conlr;! su;im iiovilii-
lcm: nec ;ililcr respondcl. iiisi inorc suo cum ;iii-
ctorcm conlemncndo. Dicil enim niliil in eo cssc
soliihie crudilioiiis: ct ;iddil, sibi hMMJe cssc inclio-
rem liieiarchiiim scribcre. {|u;iin Dionysius scri-
pserit. IVos nnlem opponimns Liilhcro s. Grcgori-
unj, qui liom. ."U. iii cvniiixciiii. luiiic Dionysiiim,
ul ;mlif]uiim el vencr;d)ilcin l';ilriMii liiiidiil,
Kxsliit iipnd Sozomcnnm lib. 7. Iiisl. ciip. 10.
niiirlyrii cnjusdiim scntcnliii. ;id Ncclarium cpisco-
puni Consliintiiiopolis. iibi iipcrle comp^ir;!! s;iccr-
dolium cum l!ii|)lismo. cl ulro^pic bnmiiics jnslifi-
eari dicil: Tu. iiu|iiit. o beale. recens. bapiizntus
ct j)urilicalus, et mox insuper sacerdoUo a.uclus
es: ulraque autcm liaec peccatorum expiatoria
esse Deus cunslituit.
S.Joann. chrysoslomus lib.lJ. de saccrdolio: Sa-
cerdotiu))i. inquil. in tcrra peragitur. sedm re-
rum coelcstium rlassc))i,ordinemque rcfcrendum
est. .Atque id perquam merilo: quippe ncni mor-
lalis quispimn, non anfjelus, non archanfielus,
non alia quaevis crcala potcntia. sedipsc Para-
cletus ordi)ie))i ejus))iod'i disposuit. El inlrn: Tuni
probeintelliget, q)ianto sacerdotcs honore.qnan-
la dif))iilate,Spiritus sancti rp-atia dignata fuerit.
Tliariisius in cpist. ad A(Jriaiium papam, quae
liabelur in primo lomo bibliolliecae sanclorum Pii-
trum. dicit eos, qui pecuni;is accipiunl pro Ordi-
ualione. vendere graliam, alqiic inleo ipsum Spiri-
tum snnclum. qui daliir in Ordinalione.
Tlicodorelus in illud. I.Tini. .'*. Manus citone-
inini i)nposueris. Theophilaclus el Occumenins in
illud. 2. Tim. 1. Ad)no7ic te, ut excites graliam:
.iperte dicunl in Ordinationc coiiferri ijriitiam Spiri-
tus sancli, quae piis studiis et or;ilione fovenda
est. queraadmodum oleo fovetur ii,m;s.
Cyprianus,seu quicunuiue fiiit auclor sermonnm
de operibus cardinaiibus Christi, Ordinalionem sa-
crarnenlum vocal. et cum Baplismo confert: Doce-
m)ir. inquit. quae sit Baptis)ni, et aliorvm sacra-
mentoruDi stabilitas. El infra: ]\am Baptismum
repeti. ecclesiasticae prohibent regulae; et semcl
sanctilicalis nulla dei)iceps nianus iterum conse-
cruns pracsumit acccderc: nono sacros Ordines
seviel dalos iterum renoxat etc.
Ambrosius lib. de dignitale sacerdolali cap. 5.
//o7no.inquil. imponit nianum.Deus largilur gra-
tianusacerdos i))ipo)iit supplicem dexicram.Deus
henedicil pntoiti dextera. Vide eundem 1. Co-
rinlh. 12. in illud: Divisiones graliarmii sunt. Et
in 1. cap. 2. ad Timolh.
Hierouymus in dialogo contra Luciferianos, lo-
to fere eo libro. confert Ordinalionem cum Baptis-
:no, ac probat Ordinalionem ab liaerelicis dalam,
esse raljm, quia Buplismas ab eis dalus, ralus Ba-
[ilismus csl. llla sniil ciiim verba s. Ilieronymi
conlrii Lucifcriimis: N/ //i /('(fe sua Ixrpti.zalo ba-
pti.-ans norere mni poluit:ct iii fidc s)iasai'crdo-
lem co))stitutuni conslil)(.c)is noii iniqainavit.
Augustiuiis siinili riilionc argnmc.nliindi, probiil
conlrii Ddiiiilisliis. SiKMiiiiKMiliiiii Ordinis s(M1icI hii-
bitum iimitli iioii pos>c.(]uia n;i|)lisiiiuiii sciiicl iic.cn-
ptusainitti non poiesl: sic enim ait lib. 2. coiilr;i
rarmeiiianmn, cap. l.'L Ipsi explicent q)W)nodo
sacramcnt)i,))i bajitizatinon possil amilti, et sa-
cramcntum ordi))alip()ssit amilli.Si enim ulrum-
que sacramentiDn est. quod neuio dubilat , cur
Hludno)i a))iiltitur. cl illud amiltilur? neutri sa-
cramcnto injuria facicnda est.
Siiudi;i habcl lib. I. de Biiplismo , cap. 1. iu
qiiibiis locis quiicdam Obs(M'vanda suul. l'iiiiio:Or-
(liiiiilioncm ab Augusliiio vociiri sacriuuenlnm in
duobtis ciipilulis forlo dccies, coiilrii Liilheri mcn-
dacium supr;i nolalnm. Sccundo.Auguslinum con-
fcrrc Ordiiiiilioncm (mui Baplismo.idque nperlissi-
mc, dicere, eodcm modo iilruni(]ue s;icr;imciilum
esse. Terlio, cnndem .Aiignsliiuim ;isserere, nemi-
nem csse, (jui dubitet de liiic verilate : quod esl
conlra allcrum LuthiM'i mendacium. El practercn
(;sl hic locns iiistar iiiurimoriim loi'Orum: si cnim
Auguslinus non meiililur . omnes ejus lemporis
auclorcs, immo cluiin omncs populi id credebanl ,
(inod iios modo ciedimus.
AMde Praet(M-e;i (Mindcm Aiigusliuum episl. .">().
ad Boiiilacium prope linem: cl de bono conjugali,
c.lS. cl 21. el iii scrmoiu! de geslis ciim Emerilo;
cl dcnique lib. 2. conlra Parmenianum. cap.1t.
ubi dicil, per hoc sacramentum dari Spiritum san-
clum: e.\ (]uo eliam coliigilur, eliam caeremoniam
sacramenlum esse pr^qirie dictum.
His acceilanl Scholaslici apud Maglslrum, lib.
i. dislincl. 2i. ex quibus s. Tliomas, qnaesl. \.
arlic. 1. affirmal comiiiuiiem esse omnium senten-
liam. Oiditialioiicm uniim cssc ex seplem verc ac
proprie dictis sacramcnlis.
CAPUT IV.
Idem ostenditur ralione.
Accedal eliam congruentia ralionis. Deus enim,
ciijus perfecla siinl opera, Deuleron. 32. cnm diil
poleslalem. dal eli;im Cii, qiiae requirunlur ad e-
jus legitimum cl congruenlem usum. Id videmus
"in rebus naturalibus. qu'h"s Deus non tanlum po-
lcnlias operalivas dedil, sed cliam certas qualilii-
les et inslrumenta, quibus expedile ct recte illis
ulanlur. In Ordinalione autem sacra dalur liomini
jioteslas conficiendi el minislrandi sacramcnla ;
quac certe a peccalore recle exerccri non polest.
Diibit igilur Deus simul cum ea polestale, eliarn
graliam juslificantem el perficienlem animam. ut
rile lungalur tanlo minislerio. Praeterea, si in Ba-
plismo, in quo dalur poleslas suscipiendi Eucha-
ristiam et alia sacramenta , dalur simul cum ea
polcst;yte gratia gratum faciens , quia sine ea non
recle percipiuntur sacraraenla caetera: cur in sa-
Lllil-U PRIMUS
767
cramenloOrtliiiis, iii qii.i (IjiUji' pol.^slns conterondi
sacrjiincnlj, noii simul eliani clabllur gialia gra-
lum racicns, cum non iniiius pp.ccaluni sil liomini
in(lip;no sacrainenla Iraderc, quani accipcrc? Ouod
si hoc sacramcnlo ilalur i»ralia graluin faciens ,
cerle sacramenluin eril vere Iic proprie dicluin :
omnis eniin caerenionia inslilula ad saiiclirican-
dum. sacrainenlum esl propric (licluin.
Accedil ulliino, quod adversarii nihil habenl ,
quod oi)jicianl, nisi argumeula illa negaliva el le-
via, quae nos supra dissolvimus.