gift of the Holy Ghost; for, as we have learned from St. Peter, and as the other Apostles taught in obedience to the command of our Lord, he who contumeliously and not from necessity, but voluntarily neglects to receive this Sacrament, cannot possibly become a perfect Christian." [1] This same doctrine has been confirmed, as may be seen in their decrees, by the Urbans, the Fabians, the Eusebius s, pontiffs who, animated with the same spirit, shed their blood for the name of Christ. It is also fortified by the unanimous testimony of the Fathers, amongst whom Denis the Areopagite, bishop of Athens, teaching how to consecrate and make use of the holy ointment, says: " The priest clothes the person baptized with a garment emblematic of his purity, in order to conduct him to the bishop; and the bishop signing him with the holy and divine ointment, makes him partaker of the most holy communion." [2] Of such importance does Eusebius of Csesarea deem this Sacrament, that he hesitates not to say, that the heretic Novatus could not receive the Holy Ghost, because, having received baptism, he was not, when visited by severe illness, sealed with the sign of chrism. [3] On this subject we might adduce testimonies the most conclusive from St. Ambrose in his book on the Initiated, [4] and from St. Augustine in his works against the epistles of the Donatist Petilian: so convinced were they, that no doubt could exist as to the reality of this Sacrament, that they not only taught the doctrine, but confirmed its truth by many passages of Scripture, the one applying to it these words of the Apostle: " Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption," [5] the other, these words of the Psalmist: " like the precious ointment on the head, that ran down upon the beard of Aaron," [6] and also these words of the same Apostle, " The charity of God is poured forth in our hearts by the Holy Ghost who is given to us." [7]
Confirmation, although said by Melchiades to have a most intimate connexion with baptism, [8] is yet an entirely different Sacrament: the diversity of the grace which each Sacrament confers, and the diversity of the external sign employed to signify that grace, obviously constitute them different Sacraments. As by the grace of baptism we are begotten to newness of life, and by that of confirmation grow to full maturity, " having put away the things of a child," [9] we can hence sufficiently comprehend that the same difference which exists in the natural order between birth and growth, exists also in the supernatural, be-
- ↑ Habes decreta horum Pontificum de consecrat dist. 5.
- ↑ S. Dionysius de Eccles. Hierar. c. 2.
- ↑ Lib. 6. histor. cap. 43.
- ↑ Lib. de iis qui myst. initiantur. c. 7, lib. 2, c. 104.
- ↑ Eph. iv. 30.
- ↑ Psalm cxxxii. 2.
- ↑ Rom. v. 5. Confirmationem esse sacramentum habes insuper ex Ambros. de Sacr. lib. 3, c. 2, lib. de Spiritu Sancto, c. 6 et 7, item Aug. de Trinit lib. 15, c. 26, et in epist. Joan tract 3 et 6, et in Psalmis 26, et ante hos omnes. Tertul. lib. de Re- surr. car. Cypr. epist 7. Origen, horn. 9, in Levit Hieron. contr. Lucif. Cyril Hieros. Catech. 3.
- ↑ Epist ad Episc. Ilisp. in med.
- ↑ 1 Cor. xii 11
