A treatise of the sacrament of the confirmation wherein is shewed the necessary spirituall profit, and excellencie of this sacrament. Composed by W.R.

CHAPTER. VII. Of the effects of Confirmation common to all that receiue it.

AS touching all other Sacraments, so also cō∣cerning Confirmation, there are some that receiue it wor∣thily, and some vnworthily, and in both sorts it worketh someeffects, and of these wee vvill speake in this Chapter, and in the next of those vvhich it vvorketh in those that receiue it vvorthily.

The first effect which it * 1.1 worketh in all that receiue it, is spirituall affinitie; this it doth by the institution of the Church, which ordaineth that there shall bee a spiri∣tuall affinitie, betweene the Bishop that confirmeth, and the person confirmed and his Parents, and also betweene the Godfather or Godmo∣ther, and the partie confir∣med and his Parents; which affinitie is of the selfe same nature, of which that is, which is contracted in Bap∣tisme, and in like sort hinde∣reth Mariage betweene thē in whome it is, as that doth.

The second, is a spirituall * 1.2 and inuisible Character, which it imprinteth in the Soule of him that receiueth it, and therewith marketh him in the sight of God and his Angells, for a Souldier of Christ, who ex officio, and by speciall profession, is to con∣fesse his faith euē before per∣secutors. For as in Baptisme there is imprinted in the Soule, a spirituall Character, where with wee are marked for Children or Subiects of God, and in Orders an other, where with they that receiue it, are marked for Christs Officers in his Church: So

in Confirmatiō there is prin∣ted the like, whereby wee are marked for Christs Soul∣diers, who by speciall office and profession vndertake to professe Christs faith euen * 1.3 before persecutors. For as all Subiects are bound to fight for theire Prince, but his Souldiers more especially by theire Profession and office: So are all Christians bound to professe Christs faith, but those that are confirmed, are bound thereto, by theire spe∣ciall office of spirituall Soul∣diers; And if they continue true Souldiers to theire greate Captaine, this marke

will remaine in theire Soules for all eternitie more glo∣rious then any Starre in the * 1.4 firmament, as a perpetuall signe and testimonie that heere in this world they vn∣dertoke to bee Souldiers of Christ, and to professe his name in what perill soeuer: and contrariwise to theire eternall confusion, if they proue Traytors to Christ and his Campe.

The third effect which Confirmation worketh in all that receiue it, is that in the face of the Church and be∣fore men, it maketh vs abso∣lute and cōpleate Christians,

and worthy of that name in all respects; For whereas be∣fore by Baptisme wee were but in the State of Children or Childish Christians, by Confirmation wee are putt in State of men or manly Christians. And therefore, as a man better deserueth the name of a man, then a Child doth: So a confirmed Chri∣stian better deserueth the name of a Christiā, then one who is not confirmed; More∣ouer, * 1.5 though those who are baptized, deserue the name of Christians, so farrefourth as Christian simply signifieth a disciple and mēber of Christ

yet as the name of Christ is deriued from Chrisme, and cō∣sequently the name of Chri∣stian according to the perfect and entire deriuation thereof from the name of Christ, doth also signifie a Chrismed or anointed disciple of Christ: so the name of Christian accor∣ding to its complete and per∣fect signification, doth agree onely to those that are con∣firmed; And for this cause saint Cyrill and the Councell of Orleans before cited, said, * 1.6 that men till they were con∣firmed were not Christians or not properly worthie of that name: And Author de vnct. Chris∣matis:

As Christ is so called of Chrisme: So all that are confir∣med, are thereby made partakers both of an ointment and name. The like haue saint Cyprian, saint Prosper, and saint Au∣stin before cited; Further∣more, by Baptisme wee are but admitted into the Citie of God, but by Confirma∣tion wee are also admitted into his Campe, and thought worthie to fight for his cause.

And for these effects of Confirmation saint Thomas 3. p. q. 65. art. 4. saith: Confir∣mation in a sort doth perfect Bap∣tisme; q. 72. art. 1. In Confirma∣tion

a man cometh as it were to perfect age of spirituall life Art. 5. Confirmation is a spirituall growth setting a man forward to a perfect spirituall age: Art. 6. * 1.7 This Sacrament is giuen for a cer∣taine excellencie, not of one man ouer an other, but of one man a∣boue himselfe as the same beeing a perfect mā in respect of himselfe beeing a Child. Art. 10. Therefore * 1.8 hee who cometh to this Sacrament is held, as beeing yet spiritually weake or a Child: And Art. 5. Hee that is confirmed receiueth power publikely to professe Christs Faith by mouth as it were by of∣fice. By which wordes of saint Thomas wee see, both the

effects and end of this Sa∣crament, which is to make strong mē in Christ, of weake Children, to perfect that which Baptisme had begun, and to make Souldiers of Christ by office and profes∣sion: But now lett vs see the effects, which Confirmation worketh in those that wor∣thily receiue it.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Spirituall affinitie in Confirma∣tion.
• * 1.2

  Charac∣ters of a perfect Christian and Soul∣dier.
• * 1.3

  The con∣firmed pro••••sse theire Faith ex officio.
• * 1.4

  The glo∣rie of the Character of Confir∣mation.
• * 1.5

  Christe name of Chrisme and conse∣quently Christian.
• * 1.6

  Supra. C. 4.
• * 1.7

  The ex∣••••••lencie o•• one ••ō∣firmed o∣uer him∣selfe not cōfirmed.
• * 1.8

  As a man ouer a Child.