Theorema de sacramentorum nucleo

uncircumcised: and all the house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart. Jer. 9:25-26. Acts 7:51.

IIII. What is the Cause.

We think, however, that those who are not contentious do not even call these things into doubt.

1. That no one else, except God the redeemer, is the institutor of the Sacraments, when spoken of univocally.

2. That the same are to be administered in order and decently by those to whom the preaching of the Gospel has been legitimately entrusted. For it is the duty of the same, as Chancellor, trusting in the authority of the Prince, both to transcribe the tablets of the Testament in good faith, and to seal them with the Seal of the same.

3. That the end of the Sacraments is τόδε πρὸς τόδε this toward this, to seal the justice of faith and our incorporation with Christ.

4. That the end of the same is τόδε ἐν τῷδε this in this, the whole CHRIST, of whom the Church is one mystical Body. 1 Cor. 12:12-13. Eph. 4:4 and 5:23.

5. That the form is the external and internal action and perception: and as in the former the organs and sensory parts of the body shine, so in the latter the ἐνέργειαν energy/operation and virtue of the Holy Spirit and of our faith shine.

6. That there is a relation and analogy between the visible and sensible Signs, and the Things represented by them.

V. What it is.

Now we shall approach the institution regarding the NUCLEUS OF THE SACRAMENTS σὺν Θεῷ with God: if we first make it attested that here the NUCLEUS is called, metaphorically, that principal Thing from which all the power, use, and estimation of the Sacraments depend: it is also said to be so, not for the sake of inclusion, nor σωματείας corporeality: but for the sake of σχέσεως relation, reference, analogy, and similarity.