ween baptism which regenerates, and confirmation which imparts full growth and perfect spiritual strength.
Again, if the new difficulties which the soul has to encounter, demand the aid of a new and distinct Sacrament, it is obvious that as we have occasion for the grace of baptism to stamp upon the soul the impress of the true faith, so it is of the utmost advantage that a new grace fortify us with such intrepidity of soul, that no danger, no dread of pains, tortures, death, have power to deter us from the profession of the true faith. Hence, Pope Melchiades marks the difference between them with minute accuracy in these terms: " In baptism," says he, " the Christian is enlisted into the service, in confirmation he is equipped for battle; at the baptismal font the Holy Ghost imparts the plenitude of innocence, in confirmation the perfection of grace; in baptism we are regenerated to life, after baptism we are fortified for the combat; in baptism we are cleansed in confirmation we are strengthened; regeneration saves by its own efficacy those who receive baptism in peace, confirmation arms and prepares for the conflict." [1] These are truths not only recorded by other Councils, but specially denned by the Council of Trent, and we are therefore no longer at liberty not only to dissent from, but even to entertain the least doubt regarding them. [2]
But, to impress the faithful with a deeper sense of the sancity of this Sacrament, the pastor will make known to them by whom it was instituted; a knowledge the importance of which with regard to all the Sacraments, we have already pointed out. He will, accordingly, inform them that not only was it instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ, but as St. Fabian Bishop of Rome testifies, the chrism and the words used in its administration were also appointed by him: a fact of easy proof to those who believe confirmation to be a Sacrament, for all the sacred mysteries are beyond the power of man, and could have been instituted by God alone. [3]
Of the component parts of the Sacrament, and, first, of its matter, we now come to treat. The matter of confirmation is chrism, a word borrowed from the Greek language, and which, although used by profane writers to designate any sort of ointment, is appropriated, by ecclesiastical usage, to signify ointment composed of oil and balsam, and solemnly consecrated by the episcopal benediction. A mixture of oil and balsam, therefore, constitutes the matter of confirmation; and this mixture of different elements at once expresses the manifold graces of the Holy Ghost, and the excellence of this sacrament. That such is its matter the Church and her councils have uniformly taught; and the same doctrine has been handed down to us by St. Denis, and by many other fathers of authority too great to be questioned, particularly by Pope Fabian, [4] who testifies that the Apostles received the composition of chrism from our Lord, and
