Chapter VI.
On the Repetition of the Sacraments.
Concerning the repetition of the Sacraments, this must be held: that although it is common to all Sacraments not to be repeated upon the same person and matter and from the same cause, lest insult be done to the Sacrament; nevertheless there are specifically three Sacraments that are in no way to be repeated, namely baptism, confirmation, and orders. For in these three a threefold interior character is imprinted, which is not destroyed; among which the baptismal character holds the foundation, nor can the others be imprinted unless that one is first imprinted.
Whence if anyone is ordained without having been baptized, nothing whatsoever is effected, but the whole must be done anew, because "that is not understood to be repeated which is established not to have been done."
Now the reason for understanding the foregoing is this: because our restorative principle, namely the incarnate Word, although by reason of His supreme power and wisdom and goodness He does nothing inefficaciously, nothing unfittingly, nothing unfruitfully: nevertheless He must observe this most especially in His noblest works, of which kind are those through which the human race is restored. Since therefore the Sacraments belong to the genus of such divine works: hence it is that insult is in a certain way done to them when they are repeated upon the same matter and person and from the same cause: because from this it is shown that those previously administered were inefficacious, unfitting, and unfruitful, contrary to what the power, wisdom, and supreme goodness of the restorative principle itself required, which always assists in working in those Sacraments and through them.
Furthermore, since among these restorative Sacraments, in which there is generally the efficacy of divine power for the restoration of the human race, certain ones were introduced only for the remedies of diseases: but certain others not only for this, but for establishing, distinguishing, and ordering the hierarchical grades in the Church: and diseases can be varied, expelled, and introduced again, but the grades of the Church must be firm, solid, and unshaken: hence it is that the Sacraments which regard repeatable diseases have passing effects, and consequently are also repeatable by reason of a new cause. But those Sacraments which regard the hierarchical grades and the determinate states of the faith must necessarily, besides their remedial effects, confer certain permanent effects for the fixed and stable distinction of the grades and states of the Church. And since this cannot be accomplished through natural endowments or through gratuitous gifts that produce grace: it is necessary that it be accomplished through certain signs impressed upon an incorruptible substance, namely the incorruptible soul, by an incorruptible principle, according to conformity with the incorruptible, indelibly and freely, which are called characters: which, since they are never destroyed, therefore neither can they be repeated, nor those Sacraments in which such characters are imprinted.
Finally, since there is a threefold status of faith, according to which distinction is to be made among the Christian people, namely in the ranks of the ecclesiastical hierarchy, that is, the status of faith begotten, strengthened, and multiplied; according to the first, the distinction of the faithful from unbelievers is made; through the second, the distinction of the strong from the weak and feeble is made; according to the third, the distinction of clerics from the laity is made: hence it is that those Sacraments which regard the aforesaid threefold status of faith imprint characters, by which, being indelibly impressed, they always distinguish, and on this account can never be repeated. Since therefore baptism regards the status of faith begotten, in which the people of God are distinguished from unbelievers, as the Israelites from the Egyptians; and confirmation regards the status of faith strengthened, in which the strong people are distinguished from the weak, as fighters from those who are not fit for battle; and orders regards the status of faith multiplied, in which the clergy are distinguished from the laity, as the Levites from the other tribes: hence it is that characters are imprinted in these three Sacraments alone.
But since the distinction of the people from the non-people is first and fundamental: hence it is that the baptismal character is the foundation of all other characters; and therefore, if that is not laid as a foundation, nothing can be built upon it; and on this account it must be conferred anew. But if that is laid as a foundation, the others can be imprinted and are never to be repeated further: nor are the three aforesaid Sacraments which imprint these characters repeated for any reason, and a grave penalty ought to be imposed on those who in fact repeat them, on account of the affront to the divine Sacrament: although the other four can be repeated for diverse reasons without affront to themselves.