Part IV (Tertia Pars) Part 144 (2/2)

Hence it must be done by a simple power. Therefore it is not effected by the power of those words.

_On the contrary,_ Ambrose says (De Sacram. iv): ”If there be such might in the word of the Lord Jesus that things non-existent came into being, how much more efficacious is it to make things existing to continue, and to be changed into something else? And so, what was bread before consecration is now the body of Christ after consecration, because Christ's word changes a creature into something different.”

_I answer that,_ Some have maintained that neither in the above words is there any created power for causing the transubstantiation, nor in the other forms of the sacraments, or even in the sacraments themselves, for producing the sacramental effects. This, as was shown above (Q. 62, A. 1), is both contrary to the teachings of the saints, and detracts from the dignity of the sacraments of the New Law.

Hence, since this sacrament is of greater worth than the others, as stated above (Q. 65, A. 3), the result is that there is in the words of the form of this sacrament a created power which causes the change to be wrought in it: instrumental, however, as in the other sacraments, as stated above (Q. 62, AA. 3, 4). For since these words are uttered in the person of Christ, it is from His command that they receive their instrumental power from Him, just as His other deeds and sayings derive their salutary power instrumentally, as was observed above (Q. 48, A. 6; Q. 56, A. 1, ad 3).

Reply Obj. 1: When the bread is said to be changed into Christ's body solely by the power of the Holy Ghost, the instrumental power which lies in the form of this sacrament is not excluded: just as when we say that the smith alone makes a knife we do not deny the power of the hammer.

Reply Obj. 2: No creature can work miracles as the chief agent. Yet it can do so instrumentally, just as the touch of Christ's hand healed the leper. And in this fas.h.i.+on Christ's words change the bread into His body. But in Christ's conception, whereby His body was fas.h.i.+oned, it was impossible for anything derived from His body to have the instrumental power of forming that very body. Likewise in creation there was no term wherein the instrumental action of a creature could be received. Consequently there is no comparison.

Reply Obj. 3: The aforesaid words, which work the consecration, operate sacramentally. Consequently, the converting power latent under the forms of these sacraments follows the meaning, which is terminated in the uttering of the last word. And therefore the aforesaid words have this power in the last instant of their being uttered, taken in conjunction with those uttered before. And this power is simple by reason of the thing signified, although there be composition in the words uttered outwardly.

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FIFTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 78, Art. 5]

Whether the Aforesaid Expressions Are True?

Objection 1: It seems that the aforesaid expressions are not true.

Because when we say: ”This is My body,” the word ”this” designates a substance. But according to what was said above (AA. 1, 4, ad 3; Q.

75, AA. 2, 7), when the p.r.o.noun ”this” is spoken, the substance of the bread is still there, because the transubstantiation takes place in the last instant of p.r.o.nouncing the words. But it is false to say: ”Bread is Christ's body.” Consequently this expression, ”This is My body,” is false.

Obj. 2: Further, the p.r.o.noun ”this” appeals to the senses. But the sensible species in this sacrament are neither Christ's body nor even its accidents. Therefore this expression, ”This is My body,” cannot be true.

Obj. 3: Further, as was observed above (A. 4, ad 3), these words, by their signification, effect the change of the bread into the body of Christ. But an effective cause is understood as preceding its effect.

Therefore the meaning of these words is understood as preceding the change of the bread into the body of Christ. But previous to the change this expression, ”This is My body,” is false. Therefore the expression is to be judged as false simply; and the same reason holds good of the other phrase: ”This is the chalice of My blood,” etc.

_On the contrary,_ These words are p.r.o.nounced in the person of Christ, Who says of Himself (John 14:6): ”I am the truth.”

_I answer that,_ There have been many opinions on this point. Some have said that in this expression, ”This is My body,” the word ”this”

implies demonstration as conceived, and not as exercised, because the whole phrase is taken materially, since it is uttered by a way of narration: for the priest relates that Christ said: ”This is My body.”

But such a view cannot hold good, because then these words would not be applied to the corporeal matter present, and consequently the sacrament would not be valid: for Augustine says (Tract. lx.x.x in Joan.): ”The word is added to the element, and this becomes a sacrament.” Moreover this solution ignores entirely the difficulty which this question presents: for there is still the objection in regard to the first uttering of these words by Christ; since it is evident that then they were employed, not materially, but significatively. And therefore it must be said that even when spoken by the priest they are taken significatively, and not merely materially. Nor does it matter that the priest p.r.o.nounces them by way of recital, as though they were spoken by Christ, because owing to Christ's infinite power, just as through contact with His flesh the regenerative power entered not only into the waters which came into contact with Christ, but into all waters throughout the whole world and during all future ages, so likewise from Christ's uttering these words they derived their consecrating power, by whatever priest they be uttered, as if Christ present were saying them.

And therefore others have said that in this phrase the word ”this”

appeals, not to the senses, but to the intellect; so that the meaning is, ”This is My body”--i.e. ”The thing signified by 'this' is My body.” But neither can this stand, because, since in the sacraments the effect is that which is signified, from such a form it would not result that Christ's body was in very truth in this sacrament, but merely as in a sign, which is heretical, as stated above (Q. 85, A.

1).

Consequently, others have said that the word ”this” appeals to the senses; not at the precise instant of its being uttered, but merely at the last instant thereof; as when a man says, ”Now I am silent,”

this adverb ”now” points to the instant immediately following the speech: because the sense is: ”Directly these words are spoken I am silent.” But neither can this hold good, because in that case the meaning of the sentence would be: ”My body is My body,” which the above phrase does not effect, because this was so even before the utterance of the words: hence neither does the aforesaid sentence mean this.

Consequently, then, it remains to be said, as stated above (A. 4), that this sentence possesses the power of effecting the conversion of the bread into the body of Christ. And therefore it is compared to other sentences, which have power only of signifying and not of producing, as the concept of the practical intellect, which is productive of the thing, is compared to the concept of our speculative intellect which is drawn from things, because ”words are signs of concepts,” as the Philosopher says (Peri Herm. i). And therefore as the concept of the practical intellect does not presuppose the thing understood, but makes it, so the truth of this expression does not presuppose the thing signified, but makes it; for such is the relation of G.o.d's word to the things made by the Word.

Now this change takes place not successively, but in an instant, as stated above (Q. 77, A. 7). Consequently one must understand the aforesaid expression with reference to the last instant of the words being spoken, yet not so that the subject may be understood to have stood for that which is the term of the conversion; viz. that the body of Christ is the body of Christ; nor again that the subject be understood to stand for that which it was before the conversion, namely, the bread, but for that which is commonly related to both, i.e. that which is contained in general under those species. For these words do not make the body of Christ to be the body of Christ, nor do they make the bread to be the body of Christ; but what was contained under those species, and was formerly bread, they make to be the body of Christ. And therefore expressly our Lord did not say: ”This bread is My body,” which would be the meaning of the second opinion; nor ”This My body is My body,” which would be the meaning of the third opinion: but in general: ”This is My body,” a.s.signing no noun on the part of the subject, but only a p.r.o.noun, which signifies substance in common, without quality, that is, without a determinate form.

Reply Obj. 1: The term ”this” points to a substance, yet without determining its proper nature, as stated above.

Reply Obj. 2: The p.r.o.noun ”this” does not indicate the accidents, but the substance underlying the accidents, which at first was bread, and is afterwards the body of Christ, which body, although not informed by those accidents, is yet contained under them.

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