Three arguments that penance is not a sacrament.
Three arguments that penance is not a sacrament.
§ 29. Those are our arguments to which Bellarmine makes some response. However, other arguments can also be made. First, the sacraments deal with faith, which is confirmed in us through them as instruments. That is why circumcision is called “the seal of the righteousness of faith” (Rom. 4:11). Consequently, without faith sacraments are complete [integra] but are of no benefit. Augustine (vol. 7, Contra Donatistas, bk. 3, ch. 14): “When the integrity of a sacrament is questioned and its sanctity is being treated, it is unimportant what one who receives the sacrament believes or with what sort of faith he has been imbued. Of course, it is very important to the way of salvation, but it is unimportant to the question of the sacrament, for it can happen that a person may have the whole sacrament but a wrong faith.” But repentance is not a means for strengthening faith but is related to faith as a whole to a part; nor are our exterior acts of penance without faith sufficient to reconcile us to God; nor is absolution itself, which they want to be the form of this sacrament, the spiritual means of any grace without faith. Therefore penance is not a sacrament properly speaking.
Second, in any sacrament there is a sacramental analogy between the elemental or earthly part and the other heavenly part so that what happens in the external sign corresponds to that which happens internally. Yet such an analogy in the actions of the penitent or in the word of absolution cannot be shown in respect to the forgiveness of sins. For though the absolver’s word not only announces the forgiveness of sins but also signifies that it has happened, and in this sense could be listed among the signs, yet no such analogy between the word of absolution and the forgiveness of sins, such as exists between the elemental and heavenly things in the rest of the sacraments, can be seen. Therefore the acts of the penitent and the word of absolution do not constitute a sacrament properly so called.
Third, every sacrament is a seal appended to the Word. Whether you consider the confession or the absolution, you have words, and thus a word would be appended to the Word. Therefore repentance is not a sacrament properly so called.