Confirmation; Chrism.. 117
monks, and yet they did absolve. Theon said unto Serapion, confessing his sin of theft, "Be of good courage son, your confession absolves you from your bondage, though I hold my peace."
Therefore, secret confession, wherein is necessarily required a recounting of all a man's mortal sins, together with the circumstances that alter the kind, and wherein the priests alone that are the confessors do sit as spiritual judges, and impose satisfaction upon the penitents according to the quality of the sins, was never received of the Church until the later times.
Confirmation; Chrism 1. The chrism, or anointing of the baptized (which was used in antiquity), had its institution from Sylvester, as Platina says in his life. He it was that first made a law of the use of chrism in baptism, which before was either free or none. Athanasius, Contra Arian, orat.
2, tells the Arian that Christ was never anointed with external oil, and infuses the Spirit into us without any such ceremony. Eusebius, lib. 1, cap. 4, says that the Christians are no more anointed by types and figures, but by the virtues themselves alone.
And indeed in Justin the Martyr's time there was no use of chrism in baptism. Augustine, Adversus Judaeos, cap. 4, says that, "Christ was
He that changed the carnal (or real) unction into spiritual." And Jerome, Adversus Luciferianos, dialog. 4, says that confirmation by unction was rather instituted for the honor of priesthood than for any bond of necessity.
2. There be some of the fathers, as Cyprian and Tertullian, which do either fall flatly into Montanism, or at least do foully err, in ascribing more unto this chrism than unto the water of baptism. For they will
have it to consummate the work that Christ has begun in baptism (Cyprian, ep. 70, 72, 73). And what they give to this unction, they give in like manner to the sign of the cross. Cyprian, epist. 73, says that the baptized are consummate and perfected by this sign. And Tertullian, de resurrectione carnis, says that the flesh is signed that the soul may be fenced.
3. As for the use of oil, in antiquity it was common and vulgar in baths after washing, whence perhaps it crept into baptism. Yea, they used to pour oil into their water. Celsus prescribes to sweat in the hot house, and there to anoint, and by and by to go down into the bath.
4. This chrism now, that the fathers mention, is quite different from the papists' confirmatory unction. The fathers' was common oil, and so often called and mentioned by that name, the papists' must have balsam therein mixed (Fabianus epist. 2), which is a substance now not to be had uncounterfeit. Look at Pliny's natural history, lib. 12, c.
25.
5. The fathers used their chrism not only in the forehead, but in other parts of the body also. "This holy oil," says Cyril, Catecheses, 3, mystagog., "is the gift of Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, made powerful by the presence of His divinity, wherewith the forehead, and the organs of the senses are figuratively anointed, and the body in like manner with this visible unction, but the soul is sanctified with the holy and quickening Spirit." That it was used upon the nose, ears, and eyes, the Trullan synod testifies, cap. 95.
6. This unction (in the fathers' times) belonged unto baptism as an appendix and a ceremony, sometimes used before baptism, sometimes after, as it was in the east church for many years after Christ. "By chrism are represented the gifts bestowed in baptism," says Basil, De spiritu sancto, cap. 28. "Those that are to be baptized
are anointed like champions," says Chrysostom, in Coloss. 2, hom. 6.
"Remember this mystery of holy baptism," says Theodoret, in Cant. c. 1, "wherein those that are to receive it, being anointed with the chrism of spiritual unction, under that visible form of anointing, do receive the invisible grace of the Holy Spirit." Nazianzen, orat. 40, in Sanct. Baptism., says that, "In baptism, the soul and the body are sealed with the unction of the Spirit." And so says Damascene, De fide, lib. 4, cap. 10: "We admit," says the Synod in Trullo, cap. 95,
"the Arians, Macedonians, and Novatians that give up a bill of their faith, and curse and abjure all heresy, and all doctrine which the holy catholic and apostolic church allows not of, and first of all, signing their forehead, eyes, nose, mouth, and ears with holy chrism, we say, the seal of the gift of the Holy Ghost." "Holy baptism, and unction," says Theophylact, in Naum. cap. 2, "are great and solid monuments, unto which all are to make haste, that are not yet endued with the blessing of Christianity." "Because baptism is a type of the burial and resurrection of our Lord," says Theodorus Balsamon, ad c. 48, Syn.
Trul., "therefore those that are baptized are justly anointed with chrism, that they may be buried and rise again together with Christ."
"It is necessary," says Simeon of Thessalonica, De Mysteriis, li. 2, "that every faithful Christian be signed herewithal in his baptism, that he that is baptized, may have his baptism most divine and consummate."
7. This unction (we speak of now) pertained unto baptism in the west until above 300 years after Christ. For then was there another confirmatory unction devised by Melchiades, or as some say, before him by Urban I. Howsoever it was before used, as we have said.
"After their baptism he signs his soldiers in their foreheads," says Tertullian (De praescript., ca. 36, 40). "We are to know," says Bede
(in Psal. 26), "that that unction which is done by the bishops, with imposition of hands, is different from the other two, and called by
the name of confirmation, is indeed all one with the second (to wit, whereby we become professors of Christ), but because of arrogance, it is not granted unto every one of the priests, no more than many other like things." Jerome (Contra Lucifer, cap. 4) says that neither priest nor deacon has power to baptize without chrism, and the bishop's commandment.
8. The anointing in baptism was used by the fathers as a significant sign of the preparation unto the fight and contention with the devil, whereas now the unction that the papists use is a sign of a sacrament distinct from baptism, and yet unto the same end and use. "Your breasts are anointed," says Cyril (Cateches. 3, Mystag.), "that being armed with the breastplate of righteousness, you may resist the devil's assaults more strongly." "By baptism," says Nazianzene (Orat.
40), "you have fortified yourself, and have provided you of a most firm and during help, signing your body and soul with the unction and the Spirit." "They that are to be baptized," says Chrysostom (in Coloss., hom. 6), "are anointed like champions, or as those that are to run a course." "The anointing of the baptized with oil," says
Germanus (in Theoria), "is to this end: that the devil should not overcome us with his power of sin and death." Look also the saying of Theophylact, cited section 6. "By the benefit of this unction," says the author de unctione Chrism. apud Cyprian, "both wisdom and understanding is given us from above, and counsel and fortitude comes down upon us from heaven."
"We come unto the fount," says Ambrose (de Sacram. lib. 1, c. 2); "you enter, and are anointed as a champion of Christ, as one that is to undergo the fight of this world," etc. "The name of Christ," says
Prosper (in sentent. Augustine, Sent. 342), "is derived from chrism, that is from unction. Wherefore because of this, every Christian is sanctified, so that he may understand that he is not only partaker
both of priestly, and of kingly dignity, but also made a warrior against the devil." "By the anointing of chrism in baptism," says
Rabanus Maurus (Inst. Cleric., lib. 1, c. 28), "the Holy Spirit gives vigor of heavenly grace unto all the faithful. Therefore," says he, "that chrism is well used in baptism." Now the schoolmen will have chrism in confirmation used to the same effect and end. "The perfection of confirmation," says Thomas (in Sent. 4, dist. 7, q. 3), "is to make a man stand strongly in himself." And a little after: "The child is made fit for the conflict, with this sacrament." And Soto (in Sent. 4, dist. 7, art. 7) says that, "By confirmation a man is made a warrior."
9. The fathers did not hold their chrism and imposition of hands to give grace by the work wrought, or by doing of the bare action, but used it as a sign, signifying the powerfulness of the Spirit which is given in baptism: "Calling him out that is (thus) anointed, unto these sacred conflicts, in type or figure," says the book of the Hierarchy
(cap. 2, part. 3). "The gift of the Holy Ghost," says Origen (hom. 8, in Levit.), "is signified by the figure of oil." "Your forehead and your other senses are anointed, typically," says Cyril (Catech. 3). But this anointing was accounted of small effect, without the invocations which they used therewithal, as the fathers themselves do testify.
"The hands are put upon them by benediction, with invocation, and calling upon the Holy Ghost," says Tertullian (lib. De baptismo).
"Imposition of hands," says Augustine (De bapt., lib. contra Donat., cap. 16), "what is it but prayer over the person?" "I do not deny," says
Jerome (Adversus Lucifer), "but that it is a custom in some churches for the bishops to go, and with invocation of the Holy Spirit, put his hands upon those that are baptized by the priests and deacons, in smaller cities afar off. But nowadays it is held a true doctrine, that this unction gives grace, and confirms truly and properly, whereas in
ancient times there was no sacramental confirmation used without baptism, and the Lord's Supper."
10. It was once a custom to give the infants this confirmatory chrism immediately after their baptism. As witness, Innocent I (epist. 1);
Augustine (De eccle. dogmat., c. 52); Ordo Romanus; and Amalarius (De eccl. off., lib. 4, cap. 29). Now it must be differed (at least it is so in the general practice of popery) for five, six, or seven years after.
Nay, moreover they confirmed (the baptized) by giving the holy communion, as Alcuinus himself (De offic. eccle. cap. de sabb. Sanct.
Pascha) testifies.
11. The schoolmen cannot agree upon the original of this supposed sacrament. Alexander of Hales (in Sent. 4, quest. 24, memb. 1) will needs have it instituted by the Council of Meld (Meldensi).
Bonaventure (in Sent. 4, dist. 7, ar. 1, quest. 1) says it was not of Christ's ordaining. And so says Marcilius (in 4 Quest. 14). Molanus says that concerning the form of this sacrament, it is no marvel if the fathers make but small mention thereof, seeing Innocentius I says, "I dare not set down the words, lest I should seem to betray (a secret mystery)." The masters of the Church of Rome are the first that published the form hereof in their book called Ordo Romanus, where we read these words: "I confirm you in the name of the Father, etc."
(de Sacra., tract. 4, cap. 6). Bellarmine (De sacram. confirmat., lib. 2, cap. 10) confesses that the fathers have not set down the form of confirmation, nor of divers other sacraments, because they were already known unto every one. He had spoken more truly if he had said, unknown unto everyone, for they do set down both the form of baptism, and of the Supper in divers places. What reason had they then to keep the forms of the rest from our knowledge? But this is but one of Bellarmine's conveyances. "Of the form of confirmation," says Suarez (in 3 part. Thoma.), "we find nothing in Scripture. And if