one God: who vouchsafe so to illuminate all our minds, that our prayer may always please him. Amen. Of Signs, and the Manner! of Signs; of Sacra-mental Signs: What a Sacrament Is; of Whom, for What Causes, and How Many Sacraments Were Instituted of Christ for the Christian Church; of What Things They Do Consist; How These Are Consecrated; How the Sign and the Thing Signified in the Sacraments Are Either Joined Together or Distinguished; and of the Kind of Speeches Used in the Sacraments. The Sixth Sermon
THE treatise upon the sacraments remaineth, which we heard is joined to the word of God and prayer2. But in speaking of sacraments, delivered by Christ our king and high-priest, and received and lawfully used of his holy and
[1 ratione, Lat.] [2 orationibus, Lat. ] ων]
catholic church, I will, by God’s grace and assistance?, observe this order; first, we entreat of them generally, and then particularly or severally. And here beforehand I will determine upon the certain signification of a sign or sacrament, wherein, if I shall be somewhat long or tedious4, I crave pardon, dearly beloved, therefore; for I hope it shall not be altogether fruitless.
Signum, a sign, the Latin writers call a token’, a representing, a mark and shew of something that hath signification. So say Tully” and Fabius. Fabius saith: Some call signum, σημεῖον, though some term it indicium; other some vestigium, a mark or token whereby a thing is understood, as slaughter by blood” St Aurelius Augustine, the famous ecclesiastical writer, cap. 4, De Magistro, saith: “We generally call all those things signs, which signify somewhat; where also we find words to be.” Again, Lib. 11, De Doctrine Christiana, cap. 1, he saith: “A sign is a thing beside the semblance which it layeth before our senses, making of itself something to come into our mind or thought; as by seeing smoke, we believe there is fire’.”
The said Aurelius Augustine doth divide signs into signs natural and signs given. Natural he calleth those which, without any will or affection to signify, beside themselves make something else to be known, as is smoke signifying fire; for smoke hath not any will in itself to signify. Signs given are those which all living creatures do give one to another, to declare as well as they can the affections of their mind, or any thing which they conceive, mean, or understand.” And signs given he divideth again by the senses. For some belong to the eyes; as the ensigns or banners of captains, moving of the
[3 ipso Domino inspirante, Lat.] [ or tedious, not in Lat.] [6 notam, Lat.] [6 vestigium et indicium rei significantis, Lat. [7 Cicero de Invent. Lib. I. cap. 30.] [8 Fabius Instit. Lib. v. cap. 9.] [9 Dicimus ea signa universaliter omnia, quee significant aliquid;]
[ubi etiam verba esse invenimus.—August. de Magistro, cap. 4. Opp.]
[Tom. I. fol. 116, col. 2. Par. 1531.] [10 Signum est res preter speciem quam ingerit sensibus, aliud]
[aliquid ex se faciens in cogitationem venire: sicut.fumo viso]
[ignem subesse cognoscimus.—Id. de Doctr. Christ. Lib. 11. cap. 1.]
[Opp. Tom. 11. fol. 5, col. 3.] 15—2]
hands, and all the members. Some again belong to the ears; as the trumpet and other instruments of music, yea, and words themselves, which are chief and principal among men, when ὉΠΟΥ͂ intend to make their meaning known. Unto smelling he referreth that sweet savour of ointment mentioned in the gospel, whereby it pleaseth the Lord to signify somewhat. To the taste he referreth the supper of the Lord; for, saith he, “by the taking of the sacrament of his body and blood he gave or made a sign of his will.” He addeth also an example of touching: and when the woman by touching the hem of his vesture is made whole, that is not a sign of nothing, but signifieth somewhat’.” In this manner hath St Augustine entreated of the kinds and differences of signs.