e spiritual combat with the enemies
of the Faith. This is evident from the example of the apostles, who,
before they received the fulness of the Holy Ghost, were in the
"upper room . . . persevering . . . in prayer" (Acts 1:13, 14);
whereas afterwards they went out and feared not to confess their
faith in public, even in the face of the enemies of the Christian
Faith. And therefore it is evident that a character is imprinted in
the sacrament of Confirmation.

Reply Obj. 1: All have to wage the spiritual combat with our
invisible enemies. But to fight against visible foes, viz. against
the persecutors of the Faith, by confessing Christ's name, belongs to
the confirmed, who have already come spiritually to the age of
virility, according to 1 John 2:14: "I write unto you, young men,
because you are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and you
have overcome the wicked one." And therefore the character of
Confirmation is a distinctive sign, not between unbelievers and
believers, but between those who are grown up spiritually and those
of whom it is written: "As new-born babes" (1 Pet. 2:2).

Reply Obj. 2: All the sacraments are protestations of faith.
Therefore just as he who is baptized receives the power of testifying
to his faith by receiving the other sacraments; so he who is
confirmed receives the power of publicly confessing his faith by
words, as it were _ex officio._

Reply Obj. 3: The sacraments of the Old Law are called "justice of
the flesh" (Heb. 9:10) because, to wit, they wrought nothing
inwardly. Consequently in circumcision a character was imprinted in
the body only, but not in the soul. But in Confirmation, since it is
a sacrament of the New Law, a spiritual character is imprinted at the
same time, together with the bodily character.
_______________________

SIXTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 72, Art. 6]

Whether the Character of Confirmation Presupposes of Necessity, the
Baptismal Character?

Objection 1: It seems that the character of Confirmation does not
presuppose, of necessity, the baptismal character. For the sacrament
of Confirmation is ordained to the public confession of the Faith of
Christ. But many, even before Baptism, have publicly confessed the
Faith of Christ by shedding their blood for the Faith. Therefore the
character of Confirmation does not presuppose the baptismal character.

Obj. 2: Further, it is not related of the apostles that they were
baptized; especially, since it is written