Works › The Book on the Sacrament of the Eucharist
Volume 38 · pp. 366–368
Chapter I, 4. What Is the Matter of the Sacrament of the Eucharist?
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Marginal label (printed p. 366): Quae sit materia sacramenti Eucharistiae?
4. Secundo dicere habemus, quae corporalis elementi substantia istius sacramenti sit materia.
Jam autem in praemissis in quibus de tertio genere sacramenti locuti sumus,1 ostensum est quomodo oportet esse materiam panis de frumento et materiam vini.
Sunt tamen quidam qui dicunt contra hoc dicentes, quod ex quo hoc sacramentum communiter toti Ecclesiae ubique per totum orbem terrarum diffusae detum est, quod deberet habere materiam quae in toto terrarum orbe possit inveniri, nec triticum autem nec vinum communiter invenitur: quia in terris Aquilonaribus glaciali frigiditate constrictis, nec triticum nascitur, neque vinum: et sic cum in terris illis diffusa sit Ecclesia, videtur quod illa pars Ecclesiae frequenter privetur tanto sacramento: quod valde inconveniens esse videtur, ex quo in eo consistit necessarium remedium contra peccatum.
Adhuc autem objiciunt: Ex similibus conveniens est nutrimentum: carnes autem similiores sunt complexioni humanae quam panis, et carnes communius per terrarum spatia inveniuntur quam triticum: et sic videtur, quod carnes aliquae hujus sacramenti deberent esse materia.
Ad haec omnia et similia dicimus, quod si omnia quae in nutrimento attenduntur, simul considerentur, non invenitur adeo naturale et commune nutrimentum sicut triticum et vinum: ea autem sunt substantiae puritas, complexionis aequalitas: quia triticum est moderate calidum et humidum. Sunt etiam substantiae subtilitas ad penetrandum, et nutrimenti haesibilitas, quod non facile a membris evellatur, etc., quae in ante habitis determinata sunt, tam de pane de frumento, quam de vino: et ideo nulla est materia istius sacramenti nisi panis et vinum.
Marginal label (printed p. 366): What is the matter of the sacrament of the Eucharist?
4. Secondly we have to say what substance of the bodily element is the matter of this sacrament.
Now in the things set forth before, in which we spoke of the third genus of sacrament,1 it has been shown how it is necessary that there be the matter of bread from wheat and the matter of wine.
Nevertheless there are certain persons who speak against this, saying that since this sacrament has been given commonly to the whole Church spread everywhere throughout the whole orb of lands, it ought to have matter which can be found in the whole orb of lands; but neither wheat nor wine is commonly found, because in the northern lands, constricted by icy cold, neither wheat nor wine is born. And thus, since the Church has been spread in those lands, it seems that that part of the Church is frequently deprived of so great a sacrament, which seems to be very unfitting, since in it consists the necessary remedy against sin.
Moreover they object: From similar things there is fitting nourishment; but meats are more like the human complexion than bread, and meats are found more commonly through the spaces of lands than wheat. And thus it seems that some meats ought to be the matter of this sacrament.
To all these and similar things we say that, if all things which are attended to in nourishment are considered together, there is found no nourishment so natural and common as wheat and wine. But these things are purity of substance and equality of complexion, because wheat is moderately hot and moist. There are also subtlety of substance for penetrating, and clingingness of nourishment, that it is not easily torn away from the members, etc., which were determined in what was held before, both concerning bread from wheat and concerning wine; and therefore there is no matter of this sacrament except bread and wine.
Ad hoc autem quod objicitur, dicendum, quod triticum et vinum aut ubique sunt, aut de facili, aut de propinquo ad usum sacramenti adducuntur. Si autem alicubi non invenirentur aliquando, et non contemptus religionis, sed articulus necessitatis hoc efficeret, dicimus cum Augustino, quod ideo Deus sacramentis suis gratiam non alligavit, quin gratiam suam sacramentalem et sine sacramentis in habentibus fidem et devotionem ad sacramentum operetur. Et haec vocatur spiritualis perceptio sacramenti: et in hujusmodi casu dicit Augustinus: « Ut quid paras dentem et ventrem? Crede, et manducasti. » Sicut ille in quo baptismus non contemptu religionis, sed per articulum necessitatis excluditur, non amittit fructum baptismi, sed baptizatus baptismo flaminis in Spiritu sancto reputatur. Ad hoc autem ordinata est manducatio spiritualis qua Christo incorporamur, sicut in prae habitis dictum est.
Ad hoc autem quod de carnibus objicitur, dicendum quod caro in genere similior est carni: sed quoad exigentiam omnium eorum quae convenientem faciunt nutrimentum, caro non est propinquius et convenientius nutrimentum: quia, sicut dicunt physici, omnis caro inflammat, quod non facit triticum: sed tamen hoc non attenditur: sed quia congregata in pane et in vino inveniuntur, quae faciunt naturalia cibum et potum, et quia Christus grano frumenti et viti se comparavit, et praecipue quia Christus primitus hoc sacramentum in pane de frumento et vino instituit. Oportet igitur hujus sacramenti esse materiam panem de frumento et vinum. Genes. XXVII, 37: Frumento et vino stabilivi eum. Oleum enim stabilit ad unctiones gratiae sacramentalis, quia omne sacramentum est in peccati remedium: sed frumentum et vinum stabilit ad corporale et spirituale nutrimentum. Deuter. XXXII, 28: Oculus Jacob in terra frumenti et vini. Et ex his idem accipitur quod prius: quia super oleum ad unctionem gratiae refertur sacramentalis. Psal. IV, 8: A fructu frumenti, vini, et olei sui, multiplicati sunt, scilicet multiplicatione spirituali, qua fideles multiplicantur ex sacramentorum procreatione. Zachar. IX, 7: Quid bonum ejus est, et quid pulchrum ejus, nisi frumentum electorum, et vinum germinans virgines? hoc est, virgineas mentes.
But to what is objected, it must be said that wheat and wine either are everywhere, or are easily or from nearby brought for the use of the sacrament. But if they were sometimes not found somewhere, and not contempt of religion but the article of necessity brought this about, we say with Augustine that God therefore has not bound grace to his sacraments so that he does not work his sacramental grace even without the sacraments in those having faith and devotion toward the sacrament. And this is called spiritual perception of the sacrament; and in a case of this kind Augustine says: "Why do you prepare tooth and belly? Believe, and you have eaten." Just as he in whom baptism is excluded not by contempt of religion but through the article of necessity does not lose the fruit of baptism, but is reckoned baptized by the baptism of breath in the Holy Spirit. But spiritual eating, by which we are incorporated into Christ, is ordered to this, as was said in what was held before.
But to what is objected about meats, it must be said that flesh in genus is more like flesh. But with regard to the requirement of all those things which make fitting nourishment, flesh is not a nearer and more fitting nourishment, because, as natural philosophers say, all flesh inflames, which wheat does not do. Yet this is not attended to, but rather that those things which make natural food and drink are found gathered in bread and in wine, and because Christ compared himself to the grain of wheat and to the vine, and especially because Christ first instituted this sacrament in bread from wheat and wine. Therefore it is necessary that the matter of this sacrament be bread from wheat and wine. Genesis 27:37: "I have established him with wheat and wine." For oil establishes unto the anointings of sacramental grace, because every sacrament is for the remedy of sin; but wheat and wine establishes unto bodily and spiritual nourishment. Deuteronomy 32:28: "The eye of Jacob in the land of wheat and wine." And from these things the same is received as before, because over oil it is referred to the anointing of sacramental grace. Psalm 4:8: "From the fruit of their wheat, wine, and oil, they have been multiplied," namely by spiritual multiplication, by which the faithful are multiplied from the procreation of the sacraments. Zechariah 9:7: "What is his good thing, and what is his beautiful thing, except the wheat of the elect, and wine germinating virgins?" that is, virginal minds.
Hoc etiam ab ipsis nominibus accipitur: quia frumentum a verbo fruor, frueris, derivatur: eo quod ipsum prae aliis fructum facit nutritionis. Et vinum derivatur a vi: eo quod vim specialem habet ad potandum membra, si temperate et ordinate sumatur. Hoc signatum est, Ezechiel. XXVII, 17, ubi de Tyro dicitur: Juda et terra Israel ipsi institores tui in frumento primo. Tyrus enim angustia interpretatur, et signat eos qui ex angustia mundi ad Dominum convertuntur, de quibus ipse dicit: Venite ad me, omnes qui laboratis et onerati estis, et ego reficiam vos.2 Illi enim frumentum se nutriens et stabiliens in gratia habere non possunt, nisi ex Juda qui clerum signat, et ex terra Israel quae signat populum religionis Christianae. Propter quod et, Matth. XV, 27, mulier Syrophaenissa, quae prima panem filiorum a Domino petivit, de finibus Tyri et Sidonis legitur fuisse egressa: quia venationem cupiditatis saecularis et angustias mundi dimiserat, ad fidem Christi conversa.
Haec igitur est causa quare sacramentum Eucharistiae talem habet materiam, etc.
This is also received from the names themselves: because wheat is derived from the verb "I enjoy, you enjoy," because it makes the fruit of nutrition before other things. And wine is derived from force, because it has a special force for giving the members drink, if it is taken temperately and ordinately. This was signified, Ezekiel 27:17, where concerning Tyre it is said: "Judah and the land of Israel, they were your merchants in the first wheat." For Tyre is interpreted "anguish," and signifies those who are converted from the anguish of the world to the Lord, concerning whom he himself says: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you."2 For they cannot have wheat nourishing and establishing them in grace except from Judah, which signifies the clergy, and from the land of Israel, which signifies the people of Christian religion. On account of which also, Matthew 15:27, the Syrophoenician woman, who first sought the bread of the children from the Lord, is read to have gone out from the borders of Tyre and Sidon, because she had abandoned the hunting of worldly cupidity and the anguishes of the world, converted to the faith of Christ.
This therefore is the cause why the sacrament of the Eucharist has such matter, etc.
Notes
- See above, Distinction III, Treatises I and II. (Vide supra, Dist. III, Tract. I et II.) ↩
- Matthew 11:28. (Matth. XI, 28.) ↩
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