said (John 6:54): "Except you eat of the
flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, you shall not have life
in you."

And this would be enough for man if he had an impassible life, both
corporally and spiritually; but since man is liable at times to both
corporal and spiritual infirmity, i.e. sin, hence man needs a cure
from his infirmity; which cure is twofold. One is the healing, that
restores health: and corresponding to this in the spiritual life
there is Penance, according to Ps. 40:5: "Heal my soul, for I have
sinned against Thee." The other is the restoration of former vigor by
means of suitable diet and exercise: and corresponding to this in the
spiritual life there is Extreme Unction, which removes the remainder
of sin, and prepares man for final glory. Wherefore it is written
(James 5:15): "And if he be in sins they shall be forgiven him."

In regard to the whole community, man is perfected in two ways.
First, by receiving power to rule the community and to exercise
public acts: and corresponding to this in the spiritual life there is
the sacrament of order, according to the saying of Heb. 7:27, that
priests offer sacrifices not for themselves only, but also for the
people. Secondly in regard to natural propagation. This is
accomplished by Matrimony both in the corporal and in the spiritual
life: since it is not only a sacrament but also a function of nature.

We may likewise gather the number of the sacraments from their being
instituted as a remedy against the defect caused by sin. For Baptism
is intended as a remedy against the absence of spiritual life;
Confirmation, against the infirmity of soul found in those of recent
birth; the Eucharist, against the soul's proneness to sin; Penance,
against actual sin committed after baptism; Extreme Unction, against
the remainders of sins--of those sins, namely, which are not
sufficiently removed by Penance, whether through negligence or
through ignorance; order, against divisions in the community;
Matrimony, as a remedy against concupiscence in the individual, and
against the decrease in numbers that results from death.

Some, again, gather the number of sacraments from a certain
adaptation to the virtues and to the defects and penal effects
resulting from sin. They say that Baptism corresponds to Faith, and
is ordained as a remedy against original sin; Extreme Unction, to
Hope, being ordained against venial sin; the Eucharist, to Charity,
being ordained ag