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christian-ecclesiology-sacramentsfeatured in 18 works

Sacrament (Mystery)

A visible sign of invisible grace — water, bread and wine that do what they signify

A sacrament, called a "mystery" in the East, is a sacred sign instituted by Christ that effects or conveys the grace it signifies. Tertullian used the Latin sacramentum, and Augustine famously described a sacrament as a "visible sign of invisible grace." Traditions differ on the number: Catholics and Orthodox count seven, while most Protestants recognize two, baptism and the Lord's Supper, as instituted by Christ.

How it traveled

  1. On Baptism.
    — · 220
    explains
  2. The Epistles of Cyprian.
    Carthage · 258
    explains
  3. On the Mysteries
    Milan · 397
    explains
  4. On Baptism, Against the Donatists
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  5. Answer to the Letters of Petilian, the Donatist
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  6. Letters of St. Augustin
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  7. A Treatise on the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, and on the Baptism of Infants
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  8. Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  9. Expositions on the Book of Psalms
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  10. City of God
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  11. The Letters and Sermons of Leo the Great
    Rome · 461
    explains
  12. Treatise on the Sacraments (qq[60]-90)
    Paris · 1274
    explains
  13. Treatise on the Incarnation (qq[1]-59)
    Paris · 1274
    explains
  14. An Invitation to Holy Communion
    Zwolle · 1471
    explains
  15. Book Fourth. of the Holy Catholic Church
    Geneva · 1564
    explains
  16. One Hundred Aphorisms,
    Geneva · 1564
    explains
  17. Misrepresentations Corrected and Truth Vindicated, in Reply to the Rev. Solomon Williams
    Northampton, Massachusetts · 1758
    explains
  18. Inquiry Concerning Qualification for Communion
    Northampton, Massachusetts · 1758
    explains

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Modern teachers who discuss this idea

Modern and living teachers whose books take up Sacrament (Mystery). These works are still in copyright, so we can’t show the text here — each links out to the book.