Dist. 11, Part 2, Art. 2, 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-a2-q1
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### Article II. *On the manner in which Christ confected [the Eucharist].*

Consequently, as regards the second article, it is asked about the manner in which Christ confected. And concerning this, two things are asked: First, it is asked about the manner of confecting as regards the exterior sign; Second, as regards the interior content.

### Question I. *Whether Christ confected [the Eucharist] in unleavened or in leavened bread.*

It is asked, then, first, whether he confected in unleavened or in leavened bread. And that [he confected] in unleavened, it seems:

1. Matthew twenty-six: *Now on the first day of unleavened bread* etc.

2. Likewise, Mark fourteen: *And on the first day of unleavened bread*; and Luke twenty-two: *Now the day of unleavened bread came, on which it was necessary that the passover be killed*; but on that day no leaven was to be found in all the borders of Israel: since therefore, being in the house of the Jews, he ate the passover, he could not confect except in unleavened bread.

3. Likewise, *by reason* it seems so: because the Lord came not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill the commandments of the Law; but it was commanded, Exodus twelve and Deuteronomy sixteen, that they should eat the passover with unleavened bread: therefore he ate unleavened bread. But he confected of that bread which he had eaten at the Supper: therefore, etc.

4. Likewise, the Lord ought to have confected in that manner which best suited the Sacrament; but unleavened bread, by reason of its integrity, best suits this Sacrament: therefore he ought to have confected in the bread of unleavened bread; whence First Corinthians five: *Not in the old leaven, but in unleavened bread*.

**On the contrary:**
1. this is so, that the Lord anticipated the day of unleavened bread; but before that day they did not eat unleavened bread: therefore, etc. And that he anticipated it is shown: because, if the truth ought to correspond to the figure; since the lamb, which was the figure of this, was immolated on the fourteenth moon; Christ was crucified on the fourteenth moon, but he confected before the day of the crucifixion: therefore in leavened bread.

2. This same thing is proved *by authority*, because it is said in John eighteen: *They entered not into the praetorium, that they might not be defiled, but might eat the passover*: therefore he was led to his passion before the passover was eaten: therefore he anticipated [it]: therefore the same as before.

3. Likewise, the festal day of the passover is called the first day, on which the passover was eaten; but in John thirteen it is said that *before the day of the passover* he made the supper with his disciples: therefore, etc.

4. Likewise, this same thing is proved through Luke twenty-three, where it is said that the women on the day of the crucifixion *prepared spices*, [and] on the following [day] rested; and the Gloss says that it was not permitted to prepare anything according to the Law: therefore a great festal day fell on the day following the crucifixion; but the great festal day was the first day of unleavened bread: therefore, etc.

5. Likewise, *by reason* it seems so: because, if the Lord did not wish that we should keep the rite of the Jews; it seems that he himself did not keep it either: therefore he did not confect in unleavened bread.

Connected with this, it is asked about the controversy of the Greeks and the Latins, whence it arose; and it seems that it cannot be; because they themselves received [it] from the Apostles, and the Apostles from one Lord: therefore either the Apostles erred, or the Greeks feigned. — It is also asked which act better; and whether both act well, since some do not hold the manner of the Lord.

> **Conclusion.** Christ consecrated in unleavened bread, not in leavened bread.

**Respondeo:** To the first it must be said that the Lord celebrated the passover on the fourteenth moon; whence he did not anticipate [it], just as the three Evangelists expressly agree, nor ought he to have anticipated [it]. If, therefore, the eating of the typical lamb is done away by the eating of the true Lamb, the eating of the true Lamb ought to have followed it, not preceded [it]. Whence, because on the fourteenth moon he made the passover, when only unleavened bread was eaten, the conclusion is clear, that he confected in unleavened bread.

1. To that which is objected, that he anticipated [it], because he was crucified on the fourteenth moon; some respond that he was crucified on the fourteenth moon, because the solemnities last from one evening to another evening; whence on the first evening he ate the lamb, and before the other evening came, he was crucified. — Otherwise it is said, and better, that his passion began immediately after the Supper, because he was in agony and was seized, etc.; whence it was most fitting that the eating of the lamb and its immolation took place on the fourteenth moon, not because consummated, but because begun.

2. To that which is objected, that they entered not the praetorium, that they might not be defiled; it must be said that "passover" is taken in three ways. In one way "passover" is called the *paschal food*, as the unleavened bread which was eaten by the Jews for seven days. In another way "passover" is called the *paschal lamb*, Luke twenty-two: *On which it was necessary that the passover be killed*. In a third way "passover" is called the *true Lamb*, First Corinthians five: *Christ our passover is sacrificed*. And in the first way it is taken in John.

3. 4. To that which is objected concerning the festal day, it must be said that all those seven days were festal days; but the first was by excellence the festal day, that is the fifteenth; further, by greater excellence the Sabbath, which fell among those festal days, on which

they ought to prepare nothing, both because of its festivity and because of the unleavened bread. Therefore what John says speaks of the fifteenth day, before which the supper took place. But what the Jews say: *Not on the festal day*; is understood of the Sabbath. — Likewise, that the women rest, this is out of reverence for the Sabbath, not because it was the first day, since on the first day to prepare something [was permitted], but on the Sabbath to prepare nothing was permitted.

5. To that which is objected, that the Lord ought not to make us judaize; it must be said that the Lord did not retain [this] from the Law, but instituted [it] anew; just as is clear from baptism, because they were washed with water, and we are washed with water; and he instituted this because it suited the Sacrament.

To that which is asked about the controversy of the Greeks and the Latins, it must be said that, as Pope Leo says, the ancient Fathers, on account of the institution of the Jews, and when that error concerning legal observance was strong, decreed by the counsel of the Holy Spirit to cease, until that error should be diminished, just as they decreed to baptize in the name of Christ. Whence the whole Church first confected in unleavened bread, afterward, for this cause, in leavened bread. But that cause now ceasing, the Roman Church has now returned to the ancient rite; but the Greeks, as proud, were unwilling to return to the first rite. And so, thus driven, they were [led] to defend [it], first saying that they had so received [it]; but secondly, because this did not suffice, they added a reason: for this, lest they should judaize; thirdly, because this did not suffice, if the Lord had confected in unleavened bread, they dared to say this, that the Lord confected of leavened bread. And because the Evangelists say the contrary, they dared to say that they spoke falsely and were rebuked by John. — Behold, how "a small error in the beginning is great in the end." Yet they confect as much as we do; for this is not of the *substance* of the Sacrament, but of its *fittingness*. And this is clear from the imitation or institution of the Saints.