Dist. 11, Part 2, Art. 1, Q. 1
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/11/q/bon-sent-IV-d11-p2-a1-q1
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### Article I. *On the species in which the Church now confects.*
### Question I. *Whether the Eucharist ought to be confected in the species of bread and wine.*

For the understanding of this part, according to the two things which the Master determines, two matters are principally asked. First, for the understanding of the first, it is asked concerning the species in which the Church now confects. Second, it is asked concerning the manner in which Christ is confected. Concerning the first, four matters are asked briefly.

Concerning the first, then, it is asked whether this Sacrament ought to be confected in the species of bread and wine.

And that this Sacrament ought to be confected in the species of bread and wine, the Lord's own institution or consecration and the observance of the Catholic Church furnish sufficient authority and ground. — But that [it ought] not, it seems:

1. Because, according to what Hugh says, "as the knowledge of truth increases, the signs ought to have become more evident": therefore, since bread and wine were Sacraments of the law of nature, in no way ought they to be Sacraments of the law of grace, in which so great a knowledge of truth concurs.

2. Likewise, the written law gave and had more knowledge than the natural [law]: therefore its signs were more certain and more expressive: therefore the new law ought rather to confect in the Sacraments or signs handed down in the time of the written law than in the time of the law of nature, of which are the species of bread and wine.

3. Likewise, this same thing seems so, because in the written law the lamb and its blood were offered; but flesh more expresses flesh, and blood blood: therefore the Sacrament of the Eucharist ought rather to be confected in that species than in this.

4. Likewise, the species of a Sacrament have naturally to represent; but bread and wine come about by artifice: therefore they are not fitting for a Sacrament.

5. Likewise, this is shown especially of bread, because in this Sacrament Christ suffering ought especially to be signified, whence he himself says: *Do this in remembrance of me*; but whole bread does not signify the passion: therefore it is not fitting for this Sacrament.

6. Likewise, in this Sacrament Christ is contained as the food of little ones, who was before the food of Angels; but the food of little ones is milk: therefore it ought to be confected in milk.

7. Likewise, it is objected concerning wine: because here Christ is signified as healing food or drink; but wine is not given to the sick: therefore this Sacrament, which is curative of spiritual infirmity, ought not to be confected in wine.

8. Likewise, the effect of this Sacrament is to extinguish the disease of concupiscence; but it is of the nature of wine to inflame, Proverbs the twentieth: *Wine is a luxurious thing*: therefore etc.

> **Conclusion.** Bread and wine fittingly express the twofold reality of this Sacrament.

**I respond:** It must be said that of this Sacrament there is a twofold reality, namely the true and the mystical body of Christ; and since signs are instituted for the sake of expressing the thing signified, such things ought to have been [chosen] as by their nature were apt to express both. — And since the mystical body is from many things aggregated into one, such elements ought to have been [chosen] as would make one out of many; and such is bread, because it is from many pure grains; such also is wine, which is from many pure berries: therefore they rightly signify the union of the mystical body.

Now the true body of Christ is contained in this Sacrament as food — because for this the Sacrament was instituted — and as food not of any kind whatever, but as fitting food, efficacious food, healing food, food common to all: therefore a sign ought to have been instituted which would indeed be food having these properties. Now the more fitting food is bread of wheat and wine; and a sign of this is that nature does not breed disgust from its frequent use, which is not the case with any other food. — It is also efficacious in strengthening, because bread fortifies, and wine gladdens. — It is also healthful, as Isaac says in the *Diets*, that each makes for health. — Further, it is common and customary food, especially among peoples living rationally. Whence Damascene: "It is the custom for men to eat bread and to drink wine; therefore the Lord joined Divinity to these and made them his body and blood, so that through these things which are according to nature customary, in which life is preserved, the soul might be carried over to those things which are above nature."

1. From these things the objections are clear. For as to what it objects, that the Sacraments in the new law are more evident; it must be said that it was made more evident by reason of the word added: *This is my body*; but it was not necessary on the part of the element, because that evidence sufficed.

2. 3. To that which is objected concerning the signs of the written law, it must be said that the signs of the passion were more evident, because, as was said above, they were principally ordained to signifying it, but [they were] not more evident as regards the expression of sacramental grace; and this is principally signified in the Sacraments of the new law. — And by this it is clear concerning the flesh, because the flesh is not signified as flesh, but as refreshing.

4. To that which is objected, that they are from artifice; it must be said that the aptitude is from nature, but the perfection from human work; thus also Christ from his origin had the aptitude of feeding, but was made food in act by the cooking in the fire of the passion and the pressing in the winepress of the cross; so it is in the sign itself, namely bread and wine.

5. And by this is clear what follows, which it objects, that it does not signify the passion; for it must be said that this is false, rather it does signify [it] through the cooking, or also the pressing. It could nevertheless be said that Christ is not expressed as suffering principally, but as food.

6. To that which is objected, that it is the food of little ones; it must be said that it is the food of little ones and of the humble, yet of those who have in some way grown, not of those coming to the faith. Whence Augustine: "I am the food of the grown; grow, and you shall eat me," etc. And therefore it was instituted in bread, not in milk.

7. To that which is objected concerning wine, that it does not heal; it must be said that wine is given to those already convalescing and not to those actually being made sick; in which is signified that this Sacrament ought to be given to those already confident through a good conscience, not to those lying in the bed of sin.

8. To that which is objected, that it increases lust; it must be said that it does this when it is taken to drunkenness, not when it is taken for refreshment and gladness, with sobriety preserved.