Dist. 9, 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/9/q/bon-sent-IV-d9-a2-q1
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### Article II. *On the receiving [of the Eucharist] in comparison to the wicked.*

Consequently, as regards the second article, inquiry is made concerning the receiving in particular, that is, concerning the receiving by the wicked. And about this four things are asked.

*First*, it is asked whether the wicked truly receive the body of Christ.

*Second*, whether one who is in sin from certain knowledge eats damnably.

*Third*, whether he always sins mortally.

*Fourth*, it is asked whether he sins damnably who gives the body of the Lord to one whom he knows to be a sinner.

### Question I. *Whether the wicked truly receive the body of Christ.*

And that the wicked truly receive the body of Christ, it seems:

1. Because he himself is in the species individually: therefore since they receive the species, they receive the true body of Christ.

2. Likewise, in baptism he who is only outwardly washed and receives nothing inwardly is in no way baptized: therefore if the wicked do not perceive any inward reality, they in no way perceive the Sacrament; but they do perceive the Sacrament: therefore etc.

3. Likewise, the Lord flees the sin of the one consecrating equally as that of the one eating; but he does not withdraw himself on account of the sin of the one consecrating: therefore neither on account of the sin of the one eating.

4. Likewise, the Son of God is not more noble in human flesh than in his own nature; but in his own nature he does not flee the evil man, indeed he is even in each one: therefore neither in his humanity.

5. Likewise, it seems by *reason*: for Christ according to his truth is not the food of the belly, but of the mind, as the Master and the Saints say: therefore since he enters neither the mind of the sinner nor the belly, it therefore seems that the sinner in no way receives.

6. Likewise, the supremely wise one does nothing unbecoming; but it is unbecoming and disordered that so noble a body should enter into so vile a lodging: therefore etc.

7. Likewise, that Christ suffers himself to be received by a sinner is either a work of *justice* or of *mercy*; not of justice, because the sinner is not worthy; not of mercy, because mercy does what is more salutary for man: therefore since everything that God does is mercy and truth; it seems that the sinner in no way receives.

**On the contrary:**

1. Wisdom, chapter one: *The holy spirit of discipline will flee the deceitful*; but the Holy Spirit is not more pure than Christ: therefore Christ too flees the deceitful or evil one.

2. Likewise, Wisdom, chapter one: *Into a malicious soul wisdom will not enter, nor dwell in a body subject to sins*: if therefore the body of the sinner is such, then it does not bring Christ in.

3. Likewise, Exodus, chapter sixteen, the manna swarmed in the vessels of those who gathered it unduly: therefore if the truth ought to correspond to the figure, since Christ does not rot, at least he departs.

### Conclusion.

> The wicked truly receive the body of Christ, but without union in the mystical body.

**I respond:** It must be said that, as the Master touches upon in the text, some wished «to say that the true body of Christ is not received by the wicked», because it is not fitting that so great a majesty and flesh so holy and pure should enter into a body subject to sins. Hence they wished to say that the true body of Christ would depart from the species, as soon as the sinner touched it with polluted lips and mouth. — But since this leads into error and is manifestly against the authorities of the Saints:

the faithful doctors commonly hold as certainly true, that in the middle reality, which is the true body of Christ, there is no difference between the just and the impious; because the Lord himself now offers himself to both, just as he offered himself for all on the cross. — But as regards the ultimate, namely the union in the mystical body, it matters much, because the good receive fruit from it, the wicked do not, but rather harm. — Hence it must be granted that they receive the reality of the Sacrament which is the true body of Christ, which was born of the Virgin, which hung on the cross, which rose from the dead and is in heaven.

*To the first and second.* To that which is objected, that the Holy Spirit flees, and wisdom; it must be said that this is understood as regards the effect of sanctifying grace, not as regards the substance.

*To the third.* To that which is objected concerning the manna, it must be said that it prefigured the evil that those receiving unworthily incur, not anything that pertains to the Sacrament.

*To the fourth.* To that which is objected, that it is the food of the mind, not of the belly; it must be said that he does not say this because it is not borne into the belly, but because it is not eaten as food, because Christ's flesh is not digested bodily, so that thence nourishment may be directed to the individual members, as the carnal disciples understood; but the good man is truly refreshed. But the sinner indeed, although he receives the true Sacrament, is not refreshed spiritually; just as the deceitful man is baptized, but nevertheless is not washed inwardly.

*To the fifth.* To that which is objected, that it is unbecoming for him to enter into a sinner; it must be said that it is most becoming and of the highest mercy and condescension; and although it may seem unbecoming to majesty, yet not to the humility of Christ, for which he was most becomingly on the cross. Moreover, he is not defiled on this account, nor indeed is he in the sinner himself, except because he is in the species of the most holy symbols.

*To the sixth.* To that which is objected, whether it is of mercy etc.; it must be said that it is of mercy. — As to what is objected, that it is an evil to the recipient; it must be said that just as God's kindness is occasionally turned into wrath by reason of the sinner's hardness; so in the matter at hand, although it is mercy, yet the sinner turns it into wrath, as is said to the Romans, chapter two: *Do you not know that the kindness of God etc.*