A Christian duty composed by B. Bernard Francis.

DISCOURS XL. OF THE SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL. (Book 40)

AS Creation is attributed to the Father: Redemp∣tion to the Son: So sanctifieation of souls is at∣tributed to the holy Ghost: becaus 'tis an effect of particular love and goodness: The more usuall way He takes for this work is the administration of Sacraments, which are the instrumental causes of his graces, chanells and conduits of his bene∣dictions. Before we speak of each one in particular, 'tis good to treat of them in general, and to consider what is common to all the Sacraments of the Law of Grace. Wherefore I will put before your eyes their causes, the nature, and effects of them.

1. T••e Efficient Caus who instituted the Sacraments, is IESVS * 1.1 CHRIST. Who is the Authour of the Sacraments, but IESVS our Lord? these Sacraments came from heaven, says S. Ambrose. And the holy Ghost, by the mouth of his Spouse, assembled in the Coun∣cel of Trent. If any one shal say, that all the Sacraments of the new Law were not instituted by CHRIST our Lord, let him be anathema. IESVS hath given his Apostles, and his Church commission to insti∣tute Feasts Fasts and the Ceremonies of the Office: but the institution of Sacraments He reserv'd to himself: 'tis He alone that b••queathed them to the faithfull, as the magasins of his merits, chanells of his graces, and authentick proofs of his Di∣vinity — Yes of his Divinity.

2. For in the institution and administration of Sacraments IESUS shews that he is God, since He exercises and makes appear di∣vine

perfections, His Power, Wisdom, Goodness, Mercy, Iu∣stice, and Providence.

3. His Power: They say usually in Philosophy, that no creature howe∣ver noble and eminent it may be can serve the Creator as an instrument, to draw out of nothing another creature: that a Seraphin cannot create, no not instrumentally, a drop of water, or one only grain of sand: Let them change now their tone, and praise the power of IESVS CHRIST, who makes use of common creatures to produce so excellent: of material, to to produce Spiritual: of dead and inanimate creatures, to create a divine life: who makes use elements which are in the lowest order of nature, to produce that which is most high and more excel∣lent than all that is in nature: who makes use of a little wa∣ter to produce grace, which is a participation of the life of God himself.

4. He shews in this his Wisdom, disposing of all things sweetly. leading his creatures to their last End by means convenient, and fitted to their nature. If you had not bodys: if you were as An∣gells * 1.2 separated from all corporeall matter, God would give you his gifts purely, spiritually, and invisibly; but becaus your souls are cloathed with terrestrial and materiall bodys, God gives you his graces in material elements. and in sensible signes.

5. He exercises his Goodness; for by the malediction thun∣dred against the first man and his posterity, corporeal creatures are * 1.3 becom to us temptations, stumblingblocks, and snares: But by the Benediction of IESUS, they are the matter of Sacraments, conduits of his graces, organs of our sanctification, and instru∣ments of our salvation.

6. And whereas He is both mercifull and just, in shewing us mercy, he exercises his justice; for man being by sin unjustly elevated against God, who is infinitely above him; he is justly punished and humbled, seeing himself oblig'd to receive his salva∣tion by corporal creatures, which are so much below him.

7. His Providence in sine herein does shine: He foresaw that men are naturally inclin'd to an exterior worship: and He pro∣vided Sacraments and Sacrifice, which consist in exterior actions, lest they should employ themselves in superstitions. He sees that Vnity

is necessary amongst his faithfull: and to make them uniform in the exercise of Piety and divine service, to unite them togeather in th•• same Religion, and the same Church, He institutes exte∣riour actions, common to all Christians, by which they may pay to God their Duties, and receive from him his favours.

8. But IESUS is not only the Authour and Institutor of Sacraments: He is moreover the Dispencer of them, who vouchsafes to con∣fer and administer them to you; to confer them I say, not only as an universall and general caus: but also as a special and par∣ticular.

9. The Nature and the Essence of a Sacrament is to be a vi∣sible and effective signe of divine and invisible grace; And they have very great resemblance with the Authour of grace, with the subject of grace, and with the effect of grace. The Authour of grace is IESUS CHRIST Man God, and the Sacraments represent him very naturally; For as IESUS CHRIST, if one may speak so, is but a holy and wonderfull Compositum of the divine Word and humane nature: so a Sacrament is but a compositum of the word of the Priest, and of the material Element. The subject of grace, is the person that receives it: he is composed of body and soul; And the matter of the Sacrament is applyed to his body: and the form which consists in words, teaches, excites, and animates the faith and the devotion of his soul. The effects of grace are different and very well represented by the exteriour signes or Sacra∣ments; The effect of Baptismal grace is to cleanse the soul from original sin, and to temper the ardours of concupiscence; and what is more proper to represent these effects than water? The effect of Eucharistical grace is to feed, nourish, and cherish our souls; and what is more proper to signify this nourishment, than the species of bread? we may say the same of the other Sa∣ments as we shal see God ayding, when we treat of each one In particular: let us content our selves at present to see, that the Sacraments are practical and effective signes of the grace they sig∣nify, of which only it now remains to speak.

10. This word Grace in the Scripture, and in the language of the Faithfull, is taken in divers senses. First, it is taken some∣times for all favours that God does us, also in the order of

nature; other times for free gifts of God, term'd graces gra∣tis given: becaus they are not given for the deserts, not for the benefit of the Receiver: but for the good of the Church, as the gifts of prophecie, preaching, and working miracles.

11. 'Tis not in any of these senses that 'tis taken treating of the Sacraments. 'Tis taken for habitual and sanctifying grace: which is a most excellent quality, that Sanctifys us, and ren∣ders us holy and just before God: that makes us children of the eternal Father, Brothers, and Coheires with IESUS CHRIST, living Temples of the holy Ghost, Kings of heaven, and Parta∣kers of the Divine nature says S. Peter. * 1.4

13. 'Tis an article of Faith declar'd by the councell of Trent, that all sacraments of the christian Church give Sanctifying grace to all that receive them worthyly. If there were a Confessor so rich and liberal, that he would give five or six Guinnies to all that should com and confess to him, and as often as they should com, who would not go? would he not be opprest with people? We are not Christians if we believe not firmly, that as often as we confess, or receive other sacrament as we ought, we acquire a greater treasure, than if one should give us a thousand guinnys; yes, in the ballance of Gods judgment, and in the esteem of wisemen, one only degree of grace is more precious, and more worth than all the riches of the Indies, becaus grace is of a superior order to all the goods of nature.

14. But by the sacraments you receive not only one degree of grace, but many. In Isaiah it is sayd, You shal draw waters in joy out of the Saviours fountaines: 'Tis not sayd, you shal receive they shal be given you: But you shal draw: tis not sayd, out of cisterns: But out of fountaines; if it were sayd, you shal receive grace you might think that you should receive but as much as one would give you: But since tis sayd, that you may draw, and also out of fountaines, which cannot be drain'd, you may take as much of it as you will. The measure of the greater or lesser quantity of water that you draw out of a fountaine, is not in the foun∣taine it self: but in the greatness or littleness of the vessell where∣in you draw it, so the measure of the greater or lesser grace you receive in sacraments, is not in the sacraments themselves: but in

the greater or lesser disposition which you bring; it you com to them with much of faith, attention, contrition, humility, devotion, fervour, and love of God, you will receive in them much grace: if you go to them with little disposition, you will receive but little; and consequently 'tis more profitable to confess and to com∣municate one only time with-great devotion, than 5. or 6 times with little disposition.

14. Moreover the sacraments give not only habitual and sancti∣fying grace: but also actual and auxiliary graces, which ayd us to obtain the end for which each Sacrament was instituted. I ex∣plicate my self; when you receive holy Orders in a good state, and with the disposition that you ought, in the sanctifying grace which you receive, is included a promise which God makes you to give you actual graces, to perform well the divine office, to instruct the people, to administer the Sacraments, and to do other ecclesiastical functions to which you are apply'd and consecrated by holy Orders. If you marry in a good state, and as a christian, in the sanctifying grace which you receive, is containd a promise that God makes you, to give you in occasions, actual and auxi∣liary graces, to live peaceably with your husband, to breed up well your children, to resist temptations against conjugal chastity, and to practise other vertues to which marriage obliges you. By which you see the great prejudice you do your selves, when either you neglect or receive unworthily the Sacraments: you deprive your selves of innumerable graces, which God would oblige himself to give you in the rest of your life, as the appurtenances and atten∣dants of the grace, which you should have receiv'd.

16. This will render you extreamly culpable in the judgment of God, and you will dye with great regret, seeing you had so souveraigne remedies and helps, and that you neglected so much to profit by them. know that the Sacraments are talents, of inesti∣mable value: but which are given us with an obligatio•• to gain by them. In S. Matthew IESUS compares himself to a Lord who gave Talents to his servants: and finding that he who had recei∣v'd * 1.5 but one had not gaind with it sayd, cast the unprofitable servant out into exteriout darkness: there shal be weeping and gnashing of teeth. What then would He have don to him, if he had lost his ta∣lent?

what would He have don to him, if he had receiv'd and lost many? and what will IESUS say to us? what will he do to us, if we shal have abused, or not used and profited in vertue by the talents of the sacraments He hath given us? what weeping? what regrets? what gnashing of teeth? and what rage against our selves for having lost so good, so easy, and so frequent occa∣sions to make good our salvation, to advance in vertue, to load our selves with merits, and to enrich our selves for eternity? But vertuous people will reioyce, will admire their own happiness, and will acknowledg their wisdom in receiving them often, becaus they will see that these Sacraments were most rich talents, and were gages, and infallible promises of the inestimable, incomprehensible, and infinite glory which they shal possess for ever. Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  lib. 4. c. 4. de Sacramēt. Trid. ss. 7. can. 1.
• * 1.2

  S. Chry∣hom. 60. ad Pop. An∣tioch.
• * 1.3

  Wisdom. 4.
• * 1.4

  2. Ep. 1. ss. 7. can 6.
• * 1.5

  Mat. 25.