Breviloquium

But concerning the variation of the Sacraments this is to be held: that the Sacraments, instituted from the beginning for the healing of man and always accompanying man's sickness, will endure to the end of the age; but some were under the law of nature, others under the written law, and others under grace. And in all these, those that are later are more evident in signification and more worthy in the effect of grace. — For in the law of nature there were oblations, sacrifices, and tithes. In the written law, circumcision was introduced, expiation was added, and the manifold distinction of oblations, tithes, and sacrifices was added. — In the new law, moreover, "the Sacraments are fewer in number, better in usefulness, more efficacious in virtue",¹ and more worthy in preeminence; in them there is at once the fulfillment and the setting aside of all the aforesaid Sacraments.

The reason for understanding the aforesaid is this: because the incarnate Word, which is the principle of our restoration and the fountain and origin of the Sacraments, since it is most merciful and most wise; because it is most merciful, it did not permit the sickness of sin to run on without the remedy of a Sacrament; but because it is most wise, it therefore applied diverse and varied medicines according to the varied change of diverse times, in accordance with the dictate of its immutable wisdom governing all things most orderly. Since therefore "from the beginning, as time advanced and the advent of the Savior drew ever nearer, the effect of salvation and the knowledge of truth grew ever more and more; it was fitting that the signs of salvation themselves also be varied through the succession of times, one after another, so that the effect of divine grace might grow toward salvation, and at the same time the signification itself in those visible signs might appear more evident."² And therefore "first through oblation and afterward through circumcision, finally through baptismal washing, the Sacrament of expiation and justification was instituted to be formed; because the form and likeness of the same cleansing is found hidden in oblation, is expressed more evidently in circumcision, but is declared more manifestly through baptism." And hence it is that "the Sacraments of the first time, as Hugh says,³ were as the shadow of truth, those of the middle time as figure or image, and those of the last, namely of grace, as the body", because they contain within themselves truth and healing grace, which they present and confer in the present what they promise.

Again, since the presence of truth and grace,⁴ which is exhibited in the law of grace, could not, on account of its excellence and manifoldness in operation and virtue, be expressed through one sign, as was fitting; hence in every time and law many Sacraments were given to express that truth and grace; but especially in the time of the law of figure, whose purpose is to figure, many and various signs preceded, which by their variety would express Christ's grace in manifold ways and commend it more excellently, and by commending it in manifold ways would nourish the little ones, exercise the imperfect⁵, and by burdening break the hard and tame them for the yoke of grace, and in a certain way soften them.

Lastly, since when truth supervenes the shadow ceases, and the announcing figure attains the intended end, once it has been attained its use and act ought to cease; hence, when grace supervenes, the old Sacraments and signs are both fulfilled and taken away, because they were prophetic signs of future things and as it were announcing from afar;⁶ and nevertheless the new ones were instituted as demonstrative of present grace and, in a certain way, commemorative of the Lord's Passion, which is the fountain and origin of healing grace, whether in us or in those who preceded Christ's advent; but in those who preceded it as a promised price, and in those who follow it as a price paid. And since grace is not owed to the promise of a price except by reason of its payment, and a more abundant grace is owed to the price paid than to the price promised, hence Christ's Passion sanctifies the Sacraments of the time of the new law more immediately, and fuller grace overflows in them.⁷ On account of this, the former prepared and led to the latter, as a way to the end, as a sign to the thing signified, as a figure to the truth, and as the imperfect leads back and prepares for the perfect.