Breviloquium

But concerning the distinction and number of the Sacraments of the new law this is to be held: that they are seven, according to their correspondence to the sevenfold grace, which through the sevenfold division of time leads us back to the principle, rest, and circle of eternity, as to the octave of the universal resurrection.¹ — Of these Sacraments the door is baptism, then confirmation, the Eucharist, penance, extreme unction, order, and matrimony; although it is placed last because of the sickness of concupiscence attached to it, it was nevertheless introduced before all the others in paradise, even before sin.

The reason for understanding the aforesaid is this: because our reparative principle, Christ the Lord, the incarnate Word, since he is the power and wisdom of God and our mercy;² he ought to institute his Sacraments in the law of grace so powerfully, so wisely, so mercifully, and so fittingly that absolutely nothing be lacking for our healing, insofar as befits the state of the present life. But three things contribute to the perfect healing of sickness: namely, the expulsion of sickness, the introduction of health, and the preservation of the health introduced.³ — First, therefore, since perfect and universal expulsion of sickness is required for perfect healing, and sickness is sevenfold—threefold culpable, namely original, mortal, and venial sin; and fourfold penal, namely ignorance, malice, weakness, and concupiscence—and "what heals the heel does not heal the eye," as Jerome says⁴: hence sevenfold medicines had to be applied against these, for the fuller expulsion of this sevenfold sickness: namely, against original sin, baptism; against mortal sin, penance; against venial sin, extreme unction; against ignorance, order; against malice, the Eucharist; against weakness, confirmation; and against concupiscence, matrimony, which tempers and excuses it.

Again, since perfect healing cannot exist without restoration of integral health, and the integral health of the soul consists in the use of the seven virtues, namely the three theological and the four cardinal virtues, hence it was necessary to institute the sevenfold Sacrament for restoring their sound use. For baptism, by healing, disposes to faith; confirmation, to hope; the Eucharist, to charity; penance, to justice; extreme unction, to perseverance, which is the completion and summit of fortitude⁵; order, to prudence; matrimony, to the preservation of temperance, which the infirmity of the flesh pursues most intensely, but which the honor of marriage remedies.

Lastly, since perfect healing cannot exist without preservation of the health introduced, and the health introduced cannot be preserved in the conflict of battle except in the battle-line of the Church, which is terrible as an army set in array,⁶ and this indeed is done through the armor of sevenfold grace, hence it is necessary that the Sacraments be seven. For in order that this battle-line be perfectly and continuously fortified, since it consists of corruptible members, it needs Sacraments that fortify, relieve, and renew: fortifying those who fight, relieving those who fall, and renewing those who die. But the fortifying Sacrament either fortifies those entering, and thus is baptism; or those standing, and thus is confirmation; or those going out, and thus is extreme unction. — But the relieving Sacrament either relieves from the fall of venial sin, and thus is the Eucharist; or from mortal sin, and thus is penance. — But the renewing Sacrament either renews in spiritual being, and thus is order, whose role is to administer the Sacraments; or in natural being, and thus is matrimony, which, because it renews the multitude in the being of nature, which is the foundation of all things, was therefore introduced first, before all; although, because of the sickness of concupiscence attached to it, and because it is least sanctifying, although it is a great Sacrament in signification,⁷ it is placed last among spiritual medicines and takes the final place. Whence, since baptism is for those entering, confirmation for those fighting, the Eucharist for those regaining strength, penance for those rising again, extreme unction for those going out, order for those introducing new soldiers, and matrimony for those preparing new soldiers, the sufficiency and order of the sacramental medicines and arms are clear from these.