Dist. 10, Part 2, Art. 1, Q. 2
by St. Bonaventure
Source text: Public Domain Mark 1.0. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://bonaventure.wrootpress.com/browse/4/d/10/q/bon-sent-IV-d10-p2-a1-q2
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### Question II. *Whether the power of transubstantiating is nobler than the power of conceiving Christ.*

Secondly it is asked about the power of transubstantiating by comparison to the power of conceiving. And that the power of transubstantiating is nobler is shown thus.

1. The nobility and magnitude of a power is known through its act, and the act through its term; but the power of conceiving in the Virgin was terminated at the body of Christ as passible and mortal, whereas transubstantiation is terminated at a body impassible and immortal, and this insofar as it is in perfect age and substance and quantity: therefore etc.

2. Likewise, the less the disposition toward the term of the action possessed by that from which the action begins,

the more excellent and more powerful is the reducing power; but bread has a lesser disposition toward the flesh of Christ than the flesh of the Blessed Virgin: since therefore by the power of transubstantiation bread passes into flesh, and by the power of conception the flesh of the Blessed Virgin was made the flesh of Christ; it seems that the transubstantiating power is more worthy and more excellent.

3. Likewise, the more a power diffuses and communicates itself, the more potent and the better it is, because "the good is self-communicative": but the power of transubstantiating is common to the whole world and makes the flesh of Christ to be wherever the faithful are; whereas the power of conceiving was only in the Virgin and made Christ to be in one place only: therefore this power, namely of transubstantiating, is nobler and more excellent.

**On the contrary:** 1. That power is more worthy which makes its subject more worthy and more excellent; but the power of conceiving given to the Virgin Mary made her much more worthy than the power or potestas of consecrating given to a priest or to the word: therefore the power of conceiving is more excellent.

2. Likewise, that work is greater and more excellent for which, according to right reason, one is held to praise God and give thanks to Him more; but we are more held to praise God for the conception of the glorious Virgin than for the consecration which the priest performs at the altar: therefore etc.

3. Likewise, that power is more potent and greater which can do more; but the Blessed Virgin by a single conception conceived that same thing and as much as all priests by all consecrations confect from the beginning of the world to the end; and moreover, she conceived for us something new which was not before; but the priest confects only what already was: therefore the power of conception extends to a greater effect or term: therefore it is nobler.

### Conclusion.

> The power of conceiving Christ is nobler than the power of transubstantiating, both as regards the manifestation of the divine power, by which the divine Majesty is praised, and inasmuch as it is considered as communicated to the Blessed Virgin.

**I respond:** It must be said that there are two ways of speaking of each of these powers: either insofar as they are in their source and *first principle*, so that there is spoken of the *power of conceiving*, which effected the conception both principally and by its own authority, and likewise the *power of transubstantiating*; and in this way there is no comparison according to greater and lesser *in itself*; but if they are compared as to the *manifestation made through effects*, it must be judged that they stand as exceeding and exceeded. For although each is most noble and shows that God's power is supreme; yet in the one the divine Majesty is more praised, and in the other our reason is more taken captive.

In another way we can speak of this twofold power, insofar as it is said to be *communicated to a creature*, according to which it is said that to the Virgin was given the power of conceiving and to the priest, through the word, the power of confecting; and speaking in this way, *absolutely* the power of conceiving is more worthy and more excellent, because it ennobles its *subject* more — for it is greater to *be the Mother of God* than to *be a priest* — because also its *action* is more singular and more illustrious — for it is greater to *conceive* than to *confect* — because the *term* of the action receives more from the conceiving Mother than from the confecting priest. For it received from the Mother humanity and *being*, not only *being here* or *being there*; whereas in consecration, as will better appear, the body of Christ does not begin to be.

1. To that, therefore, which is objected concerning the nobility of the body of Christ, the response is already plain. For the body of Christ in consecration is not *made*; and if it were made, then indeed I would readily grant the argument, but certainly even then its *humanity* would not be made, since that was made in the conception; nor would the *glory of the body* be made, since that was made in the resurrection; nor would *perfect age* be made, since it is made perfect by the span of thirty years. Hence the argument fails, because it argues as if it made [it]. But through consecration nothing new is made; rather, this alone is made, that what was in heaven perfect and glorious by the power of transubstantiating should, the same, without change, be on the altar.

2. To that which is objected, that the disposition is lesser; it must be said that on either side there was a *potency of obedience*. Nevertheless, granting that the disposition is lesser, still the power given to the word or to the priest does not effect or reduce to act, as does the power of conceiving given to the Virgin; and this will better appear in the third problem.

3. To that which is objected concerning communication, that the power which communicates itself more is nobler; it must be said that this is true, all other things being equal; but it is not so in the matter at hand. For the most blessed Virgin Mary had so great a power divinely conferred upon her that she is rightly called, and most truly is, the *Mother of the Lord*; but the priest — nor the word — can be called neither father nor mother of Christ, although for his ministry the bread is converted into the most blessed body of Christ.