Augustine's Understanding of the Sacraments

Q. Did Augustine adhere to the modern Roman understanding of the Sacraments?

 

Augustine (c. 354 - 430 A.D.):

For if sacraments had not some points of real resemblance to the things of which they are the sacraments, they would not be sacraments at all. In most cases, moreover, they do in virtue of this likeness bear the names of the realities which they resemble. As, therefore, in a certain manner the sacrament of Christ’s body is Christ’s body, and the sacrament of Christ’s blood is Christ’s blood, in the same manner the sacrament of faith is faith. Now believing is nothing else than having faith; and accordingly, when, on behalf of an infant as yet incapable of exercising faith, the answer is given that he believes, this answer means that he has faith because of the sacrament of faith, and in like manner the answer is made that he turns himself to God because of the sacrament of conversion, since the answer itself belongs to the celebration of the sacrament. Thus the apostle says, in regard to this sacrament of Baptism: “We are buried with Christ by baptism into death.” He does not say, “We have signified our being buried with Him,” but “We have been buried with Him.” He has therefore given to the sacrament pertaining to so great a transaction no other name than the word describing the transaction itself.

(Philip Schaff, NPNF1, Vol. I, Letters of St. Augustin, Letter XCVIII.9, To Boniface, His Colleague in the Episcopal Office, Augustin Sends Greeting in the Lord). Here

 

The flesh and blood of this sacrifice was promised before the coming of Christ by the similitude of victims, in the passion it was given by the truth itself, but after his ascension it is celebrated by a sacrament of memory [per Sacramentum memoriæ celebratur].

(J. P. Minge, Patrologiæ Cursus Completus, [1845], Patrologiæ Latinæ, Tomus XLII, S. Augustini, Contra Faustum Manichæum, Liber Vigesimus (XX), Caput XXI, Col. 385). Here Trans. (Francis Turretin, Institutes of Elenctic Theology, Volume Three, trans. George M. Ginger, ed. James T. Dennison, Jr., [Phillipsburg: P & R Publishing, 1997], p. 537).

Alternate Translation:

…the flesh and blood of this sacrifice were foreshadowed in the animals slain; in the passion of Christ the types were fulfilled by the true sacrifice; after the ascension of Christ, this sacrifice is commemorated in the sacrament [per Sacramentum memoriæ celebratur].

Philip Schaff, NPNF1, Vol. IV., Reply to Faustus the Manichaean XX.21. Here

The sacraments [sacramenta] are things in which, not what they are, but what they show, is always attended to, since signs exist as one thing and signify another.

(J. P. Minge, Patrologiæ Cursus Completus, [1845], Patrologiæ Latinæ, Tomus XLII, S. Augustini, Contra Maximinum Arianorum Episcopum, Liber Secundus (II), Caput XXII, § 3, Col. 794). Here Trans. (Francis Turretin, Institutes of Elenctic Theology, Volume Three, trans. George M. Ginger, ed. James T. Dennison, Jr., [Phillipsburg: P & R Publishing, 1997], p. 345).

 

Alternate Translation:

These are mysteries [sacramenta] in which one always looks not to what they are, but to what they reveal. They are signs of things; what they are is one thing, what they signify another.

John E. Rotelle, O.S.A., ed., The Works of Saint August: A Translation for the 21st Century, Arianism and Other Heresies, I/18, trans. Roland J. Teske, S.J., [Hyde Park: New City Press, 1995], Answer to Maximinus the Arian, II.XXII.3, p. 307. Here

 

…that is to say, if the fact of their catholic baptism and original reception of the sacrament of the body of Christ in the true body of Christ is sufficient to deliver these heresiarchs from eternal punishment. 

(Philip Schaff, NPNF1, Vol. II., The City of God, XXI.25). Here 

 

The reason these things, brothers and sisters, are called sacraments is that in them one thing is seen and another is understood.

(John E. Rotelle, O.S.A., ed., The Works of Saint Augustine, A Translation for the 21st Century Sermons, III/7, (230-272B) on the Liturgical Seasons, trans. Edmund Hill, O.P., [New Rochelle: New City Press, 1993], Sermon 272, p. 300). Here

 

The sacrament is one thing, the power (virtus) is another [sed aliud est sacramentum aliud uirtus sacramenti].

(Tractatus in Iohannis Evangelium, XXVI.11 (CCSL 36:265)) trans. (Edward J. Kilmartin S.J., The Eucharist in the West: History and Theology, [Liturgical Press, 2004], n. 96, p. 47). Here Cf. "...but the sacrament is one thing, the virtue of the sacrament another." (Philip Schaff, NPNF1, Vol. VII., Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John, Tractate XXVI.11). Here

 

Who, then, is the God who was anointed by God? Let the Jews tell us that. After all, these scriptures are theirs as well as ours. God was anointed by Go, and when you hear the word, "anointed," understand that it means Christ, for "Christ" is derived from "chrism," and the name "Christ" means "Anointed one." Nowhere else were kings and priests anointed; it was done only in that kingdom where Christ's coming was prophesied, where he was anointed, and from where the name Christ was to come. Nowhere else at all do we find this, in any other nation or kingdom. So God was anointed by God, and with what kind of oil? Spiritual, obviously. Visible oil is a sign; invisible oil is a sacramental mystery, for the spiritual oil is within. God was anointed for us, and sent to us. He was God, but he became man so that he could be anointed; yet he was man in such wise that he was God, and he was God in such a way that he did not disdain to be man. He is true man and true God, and there is no falsehood in him, for he is in every respect true, in every respect the very Truth. God became man, and it can be said that "God was anointed," because God became man, became Christ the Anointed One. 

(John E. Rotelle, O.S.A., ed., The Works of Saint Augustine, A Translation for the 21st Century, Expositions of the Psalms, 33-50, III/16, Trans. Maria Boulding, O.S.B., [Hyde Park, New York: New City Press, 2000], Exposition of Psalm 44, § 19, p. 297). Here 

 

The psalmist wants to speak openly now about the sacrament that the Lord held in his hands. Taste and see how sweet the Lord is. The psalm is opening its meaning to you know, surely? It shows you that the feigned insanity and persistent madness of David was a sane insanity, a sober intoxication, for he was prefiguring something. Like King Achis the Jews replied, "How can this be?" when the Lord kept telling them, Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you will not have life in you (Jn 6:54). King Achis, who stands for error and ignorance, was sovereign in them as they objected, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? (Jn. 6:53). If you do not know, taste and see how sweet the Lord is; but if you do not understand this, you are King Achis. David will alter his behavior and withdraw from you; he will forsake you and go away. 

(John E. Rotelle, O.S.A., ed., The Works of Saint Augustine, A Translation for the 21st Century, Expositions of the Psalms, 33-50, III/16, Trans. Maria Boulding, O.S.B., [Hyde Park, New York: New City Press, 2000], Exposition of Psalm 33, § 12, p. 33). Here

And when Moses entrusted him with the task of bringing the people in, he summoned him, and changed his name, and called him Jesus; so that the people of God would enter the promised land not under Moses but under Jesus, that is to say, not under the law but under grace. But just as that man wasn't the true Jesus, but a model one, so too that promised land wasn't the real one, but a model one. It was a temporary one, you see, for the first people; whereas the one that has been promised to us will be eternal. But eternal realities were being promised and foretold under temporal, time-bound, models and symbols. So just as he wasn't the real Jesus, and neither was that the real promised land, but the model or symbol of it; so too that rock wasn't really Christ, but only symbolically, and so with all the other things. 

(John E. Rotelle, O.S.A., ed., The Works of Saint Augustine, A Translation for the 21st Century, Sermons, III/10, (341-400) on Various Subjects, Trans. Edmund Hill, O.P., [Hyde Park, New York: New City Press, 1995], Sermon 352, § 4, pp. 141-142). Here

So now they should stop saying to us, "What is there for you to give us, if we already have baptism?" They are so unaware of what they are saying, you see, that they are not even willing to read what holy scripture assures us of: that right inside the Church itself, that is to say, in the communion of the members of Christ, many were baptized in Samaria, and did not receive the Holy Spirit, but remained only in the baptismal state, until the apostles came to them from Jerusalem; while on the other hand Cornelius and those who were with him were found worthy to receive the Holy Spirit even before they received the sacrament of baptism. In this way God has taught us that the sign of salvation is one thing, salvation itself another; the form of godliness one thing, the power of godliness another. 

(John E. Rotelle, O.S.A., ed., The Works of Saint Augustine, A Translation for the 21st Century, Sermons, III/7, (230 - 272B) on Liturgical Seasons, Trans. Edmund Hill, O.P., [New Rochelle, New York: New City Press, 1993], Sermon 260A, § 3, p. 189). Here

And now then, my dearest friends, we have recognized the sacrament. Listen. He was walking with them, he is hospitably entertained, he breaks bread, and he's recognized. And we too must not say that we have not known Christ. We have known him if we believe. It's too little to say we have known him if we believe; we have him with us if we believe. They had Christ with them at a meal together; we have him inside in our spirits. It's a greater thing to have Christ in your heart than in your house. Our hearts, after all, are more inwardly attached to us than our houses. So now then, where ought the faithful to recognize him? The faithful know where; the catechumens, though, don't know; but nobody is shutting the door in their faces, to stop them knowing. 

(John E. Rotelle, O.S.A., ed., The Works of Saint Augustine, A Translation for the 21st Century, Sermons, III/7, (230 - 272B) on Liturgical Seasons, Trans. Edmund Hill, O.P., [New Rochelle, New York: New City Press, 1993], Sermon 232, § 7, p. 28). Here

 

‘I believe in the forgiveness of sins.’ If this power were not in the Church, there would be no hope; if there were no remission of sins in the Church, there would be no hope of future life and of eternal salvation. We give thanks to God who gave this gift to His Church. Behold, you are about to come to the sacred font; you will be washed in baptism; you will be renewed in the saving laver of regeneration; when you rise from these waters, you will be without sin. All the sins which in the past haunted you will be wiped out. Your sins will be like the Egyptians following the Israelites, pursuing only up to the Red Sea. What does ‘up to the Red Sea’ mean? Up to the font consecrated by the cross and blood of Christ. For, because that font is red, it reddens. Do you not see how the member of Christ becomes red? Question the eyes of faith. If you see the cross, see the blood, too. If you see what hangs on the cross, see what drips down from it. The side of Christ was pierced with a lance and our purchase price flowed forth. Therefore, baptism is signified by the sign of Christ, that is, by the water in which you are immersed and through which you pass, as it were, in the Red Sea. Your sins are your enemies. They follow you, but only to the Red Sea. When you have entered [the water], you will escape; they will be destroyed, just as the Egyptians were engulfed by the waters while the Israelites escaped on dry land. And why does Scripture say: ‘There was not one of them left’? Because, whether you have committed many or few, great or small sins, even the smallest of them has not remained. But, since we are destined to live in the world where no one lives without sin, on that account the remission of sin depends, not solely on the washing in holy baptism, but also on the Lord’s daily prayer which you will receive after eight days. In that prayer you will find, as it were, your daily baptism, so that you may give thanks to God who has given to His Church this gift which we acknowledge in the Creed. Hence, when we have said: ‘I believe in the holy Church,’ let us add, ‘and in the remission of sins.’ 

(The Fathers of the Church, Saint Augustine, Sermons on the Liturgical Seasons, Vol. 38, Trans. Sister Mary Sarah Muldowney, R.S.M., Sermon 213, § 8, [Catholic University of America Press, 2008], pp. 128-29). Here

 

Nor is the water "profane and adulterous" over which the name of God is invoked, even though it be invoked by profane and adulterous persons; because neither the creature itself of water, nor the name invoked, is adulterous. But the baptism of Christ, consecrated by the words of the gospel, is necessarily holy, however polluted and unclean its ministers may be; because its inherent sanctity cannot be polluted, and the divine excellence abides in its sacrament, whether to the salvation of those who use it aright, or to the destruction of those who use it wrong. Would you indeed maintain that, while the light of the sun or of a candle, diffused through unclean places, contracts no foulness in itself therefrom, yet the baptism of Christ can be defiled by the sins of any man, whatsoever he may be? For if we turn our thoughts to the visible materials themselves, which are to us the medium of the sacraments, every one must know that they admit of corruption. But if we think on that which they convey to us, who can fail to see that it is incorruptible, however much the men through whose ministry it is conveyed are either being rewarded or punished for the character of their lives? 

(Philip Schaff, NPNF1, Vol. IV, On Baptism against the Donatists, III.10.15). Here

 

So they are great sacraments and signs, really serious and important sacraments. Do you want to know how their seriousness is impressed on us? The apostle says, Whoever eats the body of Christ or drinks the blood of the Lord unworthily is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord (1 Cor 11:27). What is receiving unworthily? Receiving with contempt, receiving with derision. Don't let yourselves think that what you can see is of no account. What you can see passes away, but the invisible reality signified does not pass away, but remains. Look, it's received, it's eaten, it's consumed. Is the body of Christ consumed, is the Church of Christ consumed, are the members of Christ consumed? Perish the thought! Here they are being purified, there they will be crowned with the victor's laurels. So what is signified will remain eternally, although the thing that signifies it seems to pass away. So receive the sacrament in such a way that you think about yourselves, that you retain unity in your hearts, that you always fix your hearts up above. Don't let your hope be placed on earth, but in heaven. Let your faith be firm in God, let it be acceptable to God. Because what you don't see now, but believe, you are going to see there, where you will have joy without end. 

(The Works of Saint Augustine, A Translation for the 21st Century Sermons, III/6, (184-229Z) on the Liturgical Seasons, [New Rochelle, New York: New City Press, 1993], Sermon 227, pp. 255-256). Here

 

Alternate Translation:
Then, after the consecration of the Holy Sacrifice of God, because He wished us also to be His sacrifice, a fact which was made clear when the Holy Sacrifice was first instituted, and because that Sacrifice is a sign of what we are, behold, when the Sacrifice is finished, we say the Lord's Prayer which you have received and recited. After this, the 'Peace be with you' is said, and the Christians embrace one another with the holy kiss. This is a sign of peace; as the lips indicate, let peace be made in your conscience, that is, when your lips draw near to those of your brother, do not let your heart withdraw from his. Hence, these are great and powerful sacraments. Do you wish to know how they are commended? The Apostle says: 'Whoever eats the body of Christ or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily, will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.' What does it mean to receive unworthily? To receive in mockery, to receive in contempt. Let the Sacrament not appear of trifling value to you because you look upon it. What you see passes; but the invisible, that which is not seen, does not pass; it remains. Behold, it is received; it is eaten; it is consumed. Is the body of Christ consumed? Is the Church of Christ consumed? Are the members of Christ consumed? God forbid! Here they are cleansed; there they will be crowned. Therefore, what is signified will last eternally, even though it seems to pass. Receive, then, so that you may ponder, so that you may possess unity in your heart, so that you may always lift up your heart. Let your hope be, not on earth, but in heaven; let your faith be firm and acceptable to God. Because you now believe what you do not see, you are going to see there where you will rejoice eternally. 

(The Fathers of the Church, Saint Augustine, Sermons in the Liturgical Seasons, Volume 38, Trans. by Sister Mary Sarah Muldowney, R.S.M., [Fathers of the Church Inc., 1959], Sermon 227, pp. 197-198). Here

 

~ Soli Deo Gloria