Is derived from the Latinword sacramentum, which signifies an oath, particularly the oath taken by soldiers to be true to their country and general.
The word was adopted by the writers of the Latin church, to denote those ordinances of religion by which Christians came under an obligation of obedience to God, and which obligation, they supposed, was equally sacred with that of an oath. (
See VOW.) Of sacraments, in this sense of the word, Protestant churches admit of but two; and it is not easy to conceive how a greater number can be made out from Scripture, if the definition of a sacrament be just which is given by the church of England. By that church, the meaning of the word sacrament is declared to be "an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace given unto us, ordained by Christ himself, as a means whereby we receive the same, and a pledge to assure us thereof."
Accorcing to this definition, baptism and the Lord’s supper are certainly sacraments, for each consists of an outward and visible sign of what is believed to be an inward and spiritual grace, both were ordained by Christ himself, and in the reception of each does the Christian solemnly devote himself to the service of his divine Master. (
See BAPTISM, and LORD’S SUPPER.) The Romanists, however, add to this number confirmation, penance, extreme unction, ordination, and marriage, holding in all seven sacraments. (
See POPERY.) Numerous, however, as the sacraments of the Romish church are, a sect of Christians sprung up in England, early in the last century, who increased their number. The founder of this sect was a Dr. Deacon. According to these men, every rite and every phrase, in the book called the Apostolical Constitutions, were certainly in use among the apostles themselves. Still, however, they make a distinction between the greater and the lesser sacraments. The greater sacraments are only two, baptism and the Lord’s supper. The lesser are no fewer than ten, viz. five belonging to baptism, exorcism, anointing with oil, the white garment, a taste of milk and honey, and anointing with chrism, or ointment. The other five are, the sign of the cross, imposition of hands, unction of the sick, holy orders and matrimony. This sect, however, if not extinguished, is supposed to be in its last wane. Its founder published, in 1748, his full, true, and comprehensive view of Christianity, in two catechisms, octavo.
There is no word in the Bible which corresponds to the word sacrament. It is a Latin word; and, agreeably to its derivation, it was applied by the early writers of the western church to any ceremony of our holy religion, especially if it were figurative or mystical. But a more confined signification of this word by degrees prevailed, and in that stricter sense it has been always used by the divines of modern times. Sacraments, says Dr. Hill, are conceived in the church of Rome to consist of matter, deriving, from the action of the priest in pronouncing certain words, a divine virtue, by which grace is conveyed to the soul of every person who receives them. It is supposed to be necessary that the priest, in pronouncing the words, has the intention of giving to the matter that divine virtue; otherwise it remains in its original state. On the part of those who receive the sacrament, it is required that they be free from any of those sins, called in the church of Rome mortal; but it is not required of them to exercise any good disposition, to possess faith, or to resolve that they shall amend their lives; for such is conceived to be the physical virtue of a sacrament administered by a priest with a good intention, that, unless when it is opposed by the obstacle of a mortal sin, the very act of receiving it is sufficient. This act was called, in the language of the schools, opus operatum, the work done independently of any disposition of mind attending the deed; and the superiority of the sacraments of the New Testament over the sacraments of the Old was thus expressed, that the sacraments of the Old Testament were effectual ex opere operantis, from the piety and faith of the persons to whom they were administered; while the sacraments of the New Testament convey grace, ex opere operato, from their own intrinsic virtue, and an immediate physical influence upon the mind of him who receives them. This notion represents the sacraments as a mere charm, the use of which, being totally, disjoined from every mental exercise, cannot be regarded as a reasonable service. It gives men the hope of receiving, by the use of a charm, the full participation of the grace of God, although they continue to indulge that very large class of sins, to which the accommodating morality of the church of Rome extends the name of venial; and yet it makes this high privilege entirely dependent upon the intention of another, who, although he performs all the outward acts which belong to the sacrament, may, if he chooses, withhold the communication of that physical virtue, without which the sacrament is of none avail.
The Socinian doctrine concerning the nature of the sacraments is founded upon a sense of the absurdity and danger of the popish doctrine, and a solicitude to avoid any approach to it, and runs into the opposite extreme. It is conceived that the sacraments are not essentially distinct from any other rites or ceremonies; that, as they consist of a symbolical action, in which something external and material is employed to represent what is spiritual and invisible, they may by this address to the senses be of use in reviving the remembrance of past events, and in cherishing pious sentiments; but that their effect is purely moral, and that they contribute, by their moral effect, to the improvement of the individual in the same manner with reading the Scriptures, and many other exercises of religion. It is admitted, indeed, by the Socinians, that the sacraments are of farther advantage to the whole society of Christians, as being the solemn badges by which the disciples of Jesus are discriminated from other men, and the appointed method of declaring that faith in Christ, by the public profession of which Christians minister to the improvement of one another. But in these two points, the moral effect upon the individual, and the advantage to society, is contained all that a Socinian holds concerning the general nature of the sacraments. This doctrine, like all other parts of the Socinian system, represents religion in the simple view of being a lesson of righteousness, and loses sight of that character of the Gospel, which is meant to be implied in calling it a covenant of grace. The greater part of Protestants, therefore, following an expression of the Apostle, Rom 4:11, when he is speaking of circumcision, consider the sacraments as not only signs, but also seals, of the covenant of grace. Those who apply this phrase to the sacraments of the New Testament, admit every part of the Socinian doctrine concerning the nature of sacraments, and are accustomed to employ that doctrine to correct those popish errors upon this subject which are not yet eradicated from the minds of many of the people. But although they admit that the Socinian doctrine is true as far as it goes, they consider it as incomplete. For, while they hold that the sacraments yield no benefit to those upon whom the signs employed in them do not produce the proper moral effect, they regard these signs as intended to represent an inward invisible grace, which proceeds from him by whom they are appointed, and as pledges that that grace will be conveyed to all in whom the moral effect is produced. The sacraments, therefore, in their opinion, constitute federal acts, in which the persons who receive them with proper dispositions, solemnly engage to fulfil their part of the covenant, and God confirms his promise to them in a sensible manner; not as if the promise of God were of itself insufficient to render any event certain, but because this manner of exhibiting the blessings promised gives a stronger impression of the truth of the promise, and conveys to the mind an assurance that it will be fulfilled. According to this account of the sacraments, the express institution of God is essentially requisite to constitute their nature; and in this respect sacraments are distinguished from what may be called the ceremonies of religion. Ceremonies are in their nature arbitrary; and different means may be employed by different persons with success, according to their constitution, their education, and their circumstances, to cherish the sentiments of devotion, and to confirm good purposes. But no rite which is not ordained by God can be conceived to be a seal of his promise, or the pledge of any event that depends upon his good pleasure. Hence, that any rite may come up to our idea of a sacrament, we require in it, not merely a vague and general resemblance between the external matter which is the visible substance of the rite, and the thing thereby signified, but also words of institution, and a promise by which the two are connected together: and hence we reject five of the seven sacraments that are numbered in the church of Rome, because in some of the five we do not find any matter without which there is not that sign which enters into our definition of a sacrament; and in others we do not find any promise connecting the matter used with the grace said to be thereby signified, although upon this connection the essence of a sacrament depends.
A rite ordained by Christ or by the church as an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace
(Latin: sacra res, a sacred thing)
Among profane writers, the word sacrament designates a sacred thing, such as a soldier’s oath. Theologically a sacrament is a sensible sign, instituted by Christ, to signify and produce grace. The essentials of a sacrament are:
an external rite,
significative and productive of grace, and
Divine institution.
Pre-Christian Sacraments
Circumcision, both in the law of nature and the Mosaic Law. is generally regarded by theologians as a sacrament, instituted by God to remit original sin; in an infant this was effected by the faith of the parents in the promised Redeemer; in an adult by the faith of the recipient. Other sacraments in the Mosaic Law are: Paschal Lamb, ordination of priests, and legal purifications. These rites did not produce grace of themselves, they roused faith and other dispositions which contributed to win from God the infusion of grace.
Sacraments of the New Law The Council of Trent defined that Christ instituted seven sacraments:
The Greek Church and Eastern sects accept that these seven are the sacraments. Protestants generally teach that there are two sacraments of the Gospel, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and the others "have no visible sign of ceremony ordained by God."
Christ the God-Man immediately instituted the sacraments. As God, He is the principal cause of them, since God alone can give to a material rite the power to produce grace; Christ as Man instituted them and also gives them their efficacy from His merits and death.
Efficacy of the Sacraments
Protestants teach that sacraments do not give grace; their purpose is to rouse faith, so that fiduciary faith, not the sacrament, is the medium of grace and heavenly gifts. The Council of Trent teaches that the sacraments produce grace ex opere operato, that is, from Divine institution they are instrumental causes of grace. Hence the sacramental rite, independent of the faith, merits, or worthiness of the minister, confers grace when the recipient places no obstacle. If a sacrament is received without the necessary dispositions, it gives no grace. However, theologians teach that when the evil disposition is removed, then the sacrament revives and gives grace. This doctrine is certain for Baptism, and is probable for the other sacraments, except Holy Eucharist and Penance which do not revive.
Matter and Form
The sacrament is composed of two elements
matter, the determinable element, and
form, words which determine the matter
Both together signify and produce grace. For a valid sacrament the minister must use valid matter and pronounce the essential words of the form; moreover as a rational and secondary minister, he must determine the purpose of the rite and so have at least the intention of doing what the Church does. If the sacrament is made and administered for the purpose of mockery or mimicry, the sacrament is invalid due to defective intention.
Division of the Sacraments
Baptism and Penance are called sacraments of the dead because their primary purpose is to remit sin and to confer spiritual life through sanctifying grace; the other sacraments are called sacraments of the living, because they increase grace already existing in the soul. This division is not absolute, for at times a sacrament of the dead simply gives an increase of grace; at times a sacrament of the living, e.g Extreme Unction, can remit grave sin. The noblest of the sacraments is Holy Eucharist, for it contains Christ Himself. Some sacraments are more necessary for salvation than others, thus Baptism is necessary for all; Penance for those who fall into grave post-Baptismal sin; Holy Orders to give sacred ministers to the Church.
Effects
They produce sanctifying grace or increase it and they give sacramental grace, i.e., the right to actual graces granted by God at opportune times in order that the obligations imposed by the sacrament may be faithfully fulfilled. Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders imprint a character on the soul, hence they can be received but once.
Minister
The laity, i.e., the contracting parties, are the ministers of Matrimony; a lay person can be the extraordinary minister of Baptism in the case of danger from death; outside the above, the minister must be ordained. Heretical and schismatical ministers validly ordained, can administer valid sacraments, for the efficacy of the sacraments is solely from Divine institution and the merits of Christ, and so does not depend on the faith or worthiness of the minister.
Recipient
To receive the other sacraments valid Baptism is necessary. Adults must have at least an habitual intention to receive a sacrament but in Penance and Matrimony a virtual intention is required. No intention is required for infants and the perpetually insane to receive the sacraments of which they are capable. To receive the sacraments worthily, the recipient must have the requisite dispositions, i.e., supernatural attrition for the sacraments of the dead; a state of grace for the sacraments of the living.
According to common usage, the word ‘sacrament’ refers to some formal religious act that is an outward sign of an inward spiritual truth. The two sacraments commanded by Jesus are baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Mat 28:19; 1Co 11:23-24). They are also called ‘ordinances’, meaning rites or ceremonies established by divine command.
Baptism is an outward expression of faith in Christ and what he has done for believers through his death and resurrection (Act 2:38; Rom 6:3-4; see BAPTISM). The Lord’s Supper is an outward expression of fellowship with the risen Christ and his people, through recalling his sacrificial death and proclaiming its eternal blessings (Mat 26:26-29; 1Co 10:16-17; 1Co 11:26; see LORD’S SUPPER).
A visible manifestation of the word. The bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper are considered sacraments in that they are visible manifestations of the covenant promise of our Lord: "In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, ’This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.’" (Luk 22:20).
God, in the OT, used visible signs along with His spoken word. These visible signs, then, were considered to have significance. "Among the OT sacraments the rites of circumcision and the Passover were stressed as being the OT counterparts of baptism (Col 1:10-12) and the Lord’s Supper (1Co 5:7)."