Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Sacraments in General · Book II: On the Effect, Number, and Ceremonies of the Sacraments
Chapter 20: The Character is proved from the Scriptures
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. III, De Sacramentis in Genere, Book II: On the Effect, Number, and Ceremonies of 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).
As to the third, it must be proved from the divine letters that a character exists. Where meanwhile it is to be observed that it is no marvel if there be not found so many testimonies, and so express, of the character as are found of grace. For grace is the principal effect, the character a secondary; likewise grace is the effect of all the Sacraments, the character of some only; and accordingly the true notion of a Sacrament can stand without a character. Finally the knowledge of grace is more necessary than of the character. Yet there are not lacking places of Scripture from which the character can be gathered, especially with the added explanation of the Fathers and of the Church, without which no Ecclesiastical dogma can be established with complete certainty.
The first testimony is 2 Corinthians 1: He that hath anointed us is God, who also hath sealed us, and given the pledge of the Spirit in our hearts. Here three effects of the Sacrament of Confirmation are set down, in which we are properly anointed and sealed, both outwardly and inwardly. First, the anointing, which without doubt is done through sanctifying grace. For as oil heals diseases, makes the members robust, brightens, consoles, etc., so justifying grace does. Second is the sign, or a certain sealing, by which we are consecrated to God and deputed to his worship; and by this we understand the character, which the Fathers everywhere call a sign and seal. Third, the pledge of the Spirit — that is, the testimony of a good conscience, which follows justification, and is, as it were, the earnest of the figure of glory. For nothing in this world is more delightful than the testimony of a good conscience; for this is the peace which surpasseth all understanding. Nor can it be answered that by this sign is understood the external Sacrament itself, by which the promises are sealed, as the adversaries will have it; both because Paul speaks of the sealing of the heart, not of the body, as also of the internal anointing and the internal testimony; and also because Paul says that we are sealed, not the promises. Otherwise it would also have to be said that the promises are anointed; for Paul speaks in the same manner of the sign and of the anointing. See Ambrose book 1 On the Holy Spirit chapter 6, Haymo and Theodoret on this place.
The second place is Ephesians 1: In whom also believing you were signed with the holy Spirit of promise, who is the pledge of our inheritance. Where note that that (believing) in the Greek is of the past tense, that is, after you believed. Wherefore he speaks of Baptism, which is given after faith; and says that in Baptism a sealing is given by the virtue of the Holy Spirit. And so they expound of the seal which is received in Baptism, the Greeks and Latins — Chrysostom, Theophylact, Jerome, Haymo, Bede, Anselm, and others. Nor can we say that here is treated the sealing of the promises to excite faith, since this signing is given after faith. The third place is Ephesians 4: Grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby you are signed unto the day of redemption; where by the day of redemption he understands the day of regeneration through Baptism, as Haymo and Oecumenius noted. Nor does that particle, unto the day, stand in the way; for the Apostle is wont to use the preposition which is joined with the accusative for the preposition which is joined with the dative among the Greeks and the ablative among the Latins; as 2 Timothy last: He will save me unto his heavenly kingdom — that is, in his heavenly kingdom. All these places Calvin in his commentary expounds of the sealing of the promises which God makes in the hearts, that faith may be more confirmed. But the manner of speaking of the Apostle repugns it, who always says that we are sealed; for it would be too improper and unusual an expression, that a man is sealed, for that which is, that the promises made to a man are sealed.
To these let there be added the figure and the prediction of the Old Testament. For Circumcision was a figure of Baptism by the consent of all. But Circumcision not only cut off the flesh, by which was signified justification from sin, but also left in the body a certain cautery, as it were, by which the Jews were distinguished from non-Jews. Which cautery, if it signified anything, certainly signified the character which Christians bear in the soul, by which we shall be distinguished for ever from non-Christians. The prediction is had Isaias 66, where the Lord, speaking of the vocation of the Gentiles: All nations, he says, and tongues shall come, and shall see my glory, and I will set a sign among them, etc. For although by this sign can be understood the sign of the cross, or something else, yet nothing repugns if we say the character is understood; especially since we see Paul speaking of a certain internal spiritual sign, and Scripture must be expounded by Scripture, when it can be done. Some add another figure from Exodus 12, where the doorposts and lintels are signed with the blood of the lamb, and the prediction of Ezekiel 9: Mark Thau on the foreheads of them that groan and mourn. But these places are not to the point. For they are expounded by the Fathers of the sign of the cross, which is inscribed on the forehead, and rightly; for Ezekiel names the forehead, and the lintel signifies the same in the door of a house which the forehead is in a man. Whence also in Apocalypse 7, where a like sealing is had, the forehead too is named: Till we sign the servants of our God in their foreheads. And besides, in each place all who are signed are said to be saved, and none not signed to be saved; which certainly does not agree with the character; for many with the character will be damned, and many without the character will be saved. But all are saved who are signed with the blood of Christ's cross — that is, to whom the merit of the crucified is applied, whose figure is the sign of the cross; and none are saved to whom this merit is not applied. See on these places Cyprian in the treatise against Demetrian, Jerome on chapter 9 of Ezekiel, Gaudentius treatise 5 on Exodus.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT XX. Probatur character ex Scripturis. Quantum ad Tertium, probandum est ex divinis litteris, characterem esse. Ubi inte- rim Observandum est, non esse mirandum, si non inveniantur tot testimonia, et tam expressa de charactere, ut inveniuntur de gratia. Nam gratia est effectus principalis, character secundarius, item gratia est ef¬ fectus omnium Sacramentorum, character aliquorum tantum ; proinde vera ratio Sa¬ cramenti potest sine charactere consistere. Denique notitia gratia? magis necessaria est, quam characteris. Non desunt tamen loca Scriptura?, ex quibus character colligi pos¬ sit, praesertim adjuncta explicatione Patrum, et Ecclesiae, sine qua nullum dogma Eccle¬ siasticum omnino certo statui potest. Primum testimonium est II Gorinth. I ; Qin unxit nos Deus, et signavit nos, et dedit pignus Spiritus in cordibus nostris (I). Hic tres effectus ponuntur Sacramenti confima- tionis, in quo proprie ungimur, et signamur tum exterius, tum interius. Primo unctio, quae sine dubio fit per gratiam gratum fa¬ cientem. Ut enim oleum sanat morbos, red¬ dit robusta membra, illustrat, consolatur etc. ita gratia justificans facit. Secundo est signum, seu obsignatio qua?dam, qua conse¬ cramur Deo, et deputamur ad ejus cultum, et per hanc intelligimus characterem, quem Patres passim signum et sigillum vocant. Tertio pignus spiritus, id est, testimonium bonae conscientiae, quod sequitur justifica¬ tionem, et est quasi arrhabo figura? gloriae. Nihil enim in hoc mundo jucundius testimo¬ nio bona? conscientiae : haec est enim pax, qua? exsuperat omnem sensum. Neque po¬ test responderi per hoc signum intelligi ip¬ sum Sacramentum externum, quo obsignan¬ tur promissiones, ut adversarii volunt; tum quia Paulus loquitur de obsignatione cordis, non corporis, ut etiam de unctione interna, et testimonio interno ; tum etiam quia Pau- CAPUT XX. 473 lus dicit nos obsignari, non promissiones. Alioqui etiam oporteret dicere inungi pro¬ missiones : nam eodem modo loquitur Pau¬ lus de signo, et de unctione. Vide Ambro¬ sium lib. I. de Spiritu sancto cap. G. Ilay- inonem et Theodoretum in hunc locum. Secundus locus est Ephes. I : In quo et credentes signati estis Spiritu promissionis sanc¬ to, qui est pignus hcereditatis (I). Ubi nota illud (credentes) in Grajco esse temporis praeteriti 7rwTev<xavTej, id est, postquam credi¬ distis. Quocirca loquitur de Baptismate, quod datur post fidem ; ac dicit in Baptis¬ mate dari obsignationem virtute Spiritus sancti. Et ita exponunt de signaculo, quod accipitur in Baptismo Grseci et Latini, Chry- sostomus, Theophylactus , Hieronymus, Havmo, Beda, Anselmus, et alii. Nec pos¬ sumus dicere hic agi de obsignatione pro¬ missionum ad excitandam fidem, quando¬ quidem haec signatio datur post fidem. Tertius locus est Ephes. IV : Nolite con¬ tristare Spiritum sanctum Dei , in quo signati estis in diem redemptionis ; ubi per diem re¬ demptionis (2), intelligit diem regenerationis per Baptismum, ut Haymo , et GEcumenius annotarunt. Neque obstat particula illa, in diem , quia Apostolus solet usurpare praepo¬ sitionem et, quae conjungitur accusativo, pro praepositione h , quae conjungitur dativo apud Graecos, et ablativo apud Latinos : ut II Tim. ult. : Salvabit me in regnum suum coe¬ leste (3), id est, in regno suo coelesti. Haec omnia loca Calvinus in commentario exponit de obsignatione promissionum, quam Deus in cordibus facit, ut fides magis con¬ firmetur. Sed repugnat modus loquendi Apo¬ stoli, qui semper dicit, non obsignari, esset enim nimis impropria , et inusitata locutio, obsignari hominem, pro eo quod est, obsig¬ nari promissiones homini factas. His accedant figura , et vaticinium Testa¬ menti veteris. Nam Circumcisio fuit figura Baptismi omnium consensu. Circumcisio au¬ tem non solum prajeidebat carnem, quo si¬ gnificabatur justificatio a peccato, sed etiam relinquebat in corpore quoddam veluti cau¬ terium, quo discernebantur Judici a non Ju¬ dicis. Quod cauterium si quid significabat, certe significabat characterem, quem in ani¬ ma gerunt Christiani , quo discernemur in seternum a non Christianis. Vaticinium ha¬ betur Isai. LXVI. ubi loquens Dominus de vocatione gentium : Omnes gentes , inquit, et linguae venient , et videbunt gloriam meam, et ponam in eis signum etc. (4) Quamvis enim per hoc signum possit intclligi signum cru¬ cis, aut aliquid aliud, tamen nihil repugnat si dicamus intelligi characterem : praesertim cum videamus Paulum loqui de signo quo¬ dam spirituali interno, et oporteat Scriptu¬ ram exponere per Scripturam , cum id £eri potest. Aliqui addunt aliam figuram exExod.XII. ubi signantur postes, et superliminaria san¬ guine agni, et vaticinium Ezech. IX : Signa Thau in frontibus gementium, et dolentium (o). Sed luec loca non sunt ad rem. Nam expo¬ nuntur a Patribus de signo crucis , quod in¬ scribitur in fronte, et recte : nam Ezechiel nominat frontem, et idem significat superli¬ minare, quod est in porta domus id , quod est frons in homine. Unde etiam in Apoc. VII. ubi habetur similis obsignatio , etiam nominatur frons, donec signemus servos Dei nostri in frontibus eorum. Et prieterea in utroque loco dicuntur salvari omnes signati, et nulli non signati salvari : quod certe non convenit characteri ; multi enim cum cha¬ ractere damnabuntur , et multi sine cha¬ ractere salvabuntur. At omnes salvantur, qui signantur Christi cruce sanguine, id est, quibus applicatur meritum crucifixi , cujus figura est signum crucis ; et nulli salvantur quibus hoc meritum non applicatur. Vide de his locis Cyprianum tract. contra Deme- trianum. Hieronymum in cap. IX Ezechiel. Gaudentium tract. 5. in Exodum.