Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It seems that all the sacraments are necessary for salvation. For what is not necessary seems to be superfluous. But no sacrament is superfluous, because "God does nothing without a purpose" (De Coelo et Mundo i). Therefore all the sacraments are necessary for salvation.

Objection 2: Further, just as it is said of Baptism (Jn. 3:5): "Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter in to the kingdom of God," so of the Eucharist is it said (Jn. 6:54): "Except you eat of the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink of His blood, you shall not have life in you." Therefore, just as Baptism is a necessary sacrament, so is the Eucharist.

Objection 3: Further, a man can be saved without the sacrament of Baptism, provided that some unavoidable obstacle, and not his contempt for religion, debar him from the sacrament, as we shall state further on (Question 68, Article 2). But contempt of religion in any sacrament is a hindrance to salvation. Therefore, in like manner, all the sacraments are necessary for salvation.

On the contrary, Children are saved by Baptism alone without the other sacraments.

I answer that, Necessity of end, of which we speak now, is twofold. First, a thing may be necessary so that without it the end cannot be attained; thus food is necessary for human life. And this is simple necessity of end. Secondly, a thing is said to be necessary, if, without it, the end cannot be attained so becomingly: thus a horse is necessary for a journey. But this is not simple necessity of end.

In the first way, three sacraments are necessary for salvation. Two of them are necessary to the individual; Baptism, simply and absolutely; Penance, in the case of mortal sin committed after Baptism; while the sacrament of order is necessary to the Church, since "where there is no governor the people shall fall" (Prov. 11:14).

But in the second way the other sacraments are necessary. For in a sense Confirmation perfects Baptism; Extreme Unction perfects Penance; while Matrimony, by multiplying them, preserves the numbers in the Church.

Reply to Objection 1: For a thing not to be superfluous it is enough if it be necessary either in the first or the second way. It is thus that the sacraments are necessary, as stated above.

Reply to Objection 2: These words of our Lord are to be understood of spiritual, and not of merely sacramental, eating, as Augustine explains (Tract. xxvi super Joan.).

Reply to Objection 3: Although contempt of any of the sacraments is a hindrance to salvation, yet it does not amount to contempt of the sacrament, if anyone does not trouble to receive a sacrament that is not necessary for salvation. Else those who do not receive orders, and those who do not contract Matrimony, would be guilty of contempt of those sacraments.

Articulus 4

Argumentum 1

Ad quartum sic proceditur. Videtur quod omnia sacramenta sunt de necessitate salutis. Id enim quod non est necessarium, videtur esse superfluum. Sed nullum sacramentum est superfluum, quia deus nihil facit frustra. Ergo omnia sacramenta sunt de necessitate salutis.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, sicut de baptismo dicitur, nisi quis renatus fuerit ex aqua et spiritu sancto, non potest introire in regnum dei, ita de eucharistia dicitur, Ioan. VI, nisi manducaveritis carnem filii hominis et biberitis eius sanguinem, non habebitis vitam in vobis.

Ergo, sicut baptismus est sacramentum necessitatis, ita et eucharistia.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, sine sacramento baptismi potest aliquis salvus fieri, dummodo non contemptus religionis, sed necessitas sacramentum excludat, ut infra dicetur.

Sed in quolibet sacramento contemptus religionis impedit hominis salutem. Ergo, pari ratione, omnia sacramenta sunt de necessitate salutis.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod pueri salvantur per solum baptismum, sine aliis sacramentis.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod necessarium respectu finis, de quo nunc loquimur, dicitur aliquid dupliciter. Uno modo, sine quo non potest esse finis, sicut cibus est necessarius vitae humanae. Et hoc est simpliciter necessarium ad finem. Alio modo dicitur esse necessarium id sine quo non habetur finis ita convenienter, sicut equus necessarius est ad iter. Hoc autem non est simpliciter necessarium ad finem. Primo igitur modo necessitatis sunt tria sacramenta necessaria. Duo quidem personae singulari, baptismus quidem simpliciter et absolute; poenitentia autem, supposito peccato mortali post baptismum. Sacramentum autem ordinis est necessarium ecclesiae, quia, ubi non est gubernator, populus corruet, ut dicitur Proverb. XI.

Sed secundo modo sunt necessaria alia sacramenta. Nam confirmatio perficit baptismum quodammodo; extrema unctio poenitentiam; matrimonium vero ecclesiae multitudinem per propagationem conservat.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod ad hoc quod aliquid non sit superfluum, sufficit necessarium primo vel secundo modo.

Et sic sunt necessaria sacramenta, ut dictum est.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod illud verbum domini est intelligendum de spirituali manducatione, et non de sola sacramentali, ut Augustinus exponit, super ioannem.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod, licet omnium sacramentorum contemptus sit saluti contrarius, non tamen est contemptus sacramenti ex hoc quod aliquis non curat accipere sacramentum quod non est de necessitate salutis. Alioquin qui non accipiunt ordinem, et qui non contrahunt matrimonium, contemnerent huiusmodi sacramenta.