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Dist. 8, Part 1, Art. 1, Q. 2

Book IV: On the Sacraments · Distinction 8

Textus Latinus
p. 182

Quaestio II. De numero et sufficientia quatuor figurarum.

Secundo quaeritur de numero et sufficientia figurarum huius Sacramenti; et Magister1 assignat quatuor, scilicet agnum paschalem, manna, sacrificium Melchisedech et sanguinem, qui profluxit de latere Christi. Sed videtur, quod Magister assignet insufficienter:

1. Quia aliae figurae praecesserunt in sacrificiis et oblationibus diversorum, ut in hoedo, quem obtulit Manue, Iudicum decimo tertio2, et favo mellis, primi Regum decimo quarto.

2. Item, videtur falsus in assignando manna pro figura: quia habuit omnem saporem3; sed hoc non habet eucharistia, quia tunc alia Sacramenta superfluerent.

3. Item, obiicitur de oblatione Melchisedech4: quia ipse obtulit et dedit Abrahae; sed Sacramentum eucharistiae offertur Deo: et ita non videtur figura.

4. Item, obiicitur de agno paschali et eius sanguine: quoniam praecessit transitum maris rubri5; ergo figuram baptismi; et ita videtur, si recta fuit figura, quod et eucharistia fuit ante baptismum; quod absurdum est.

5. Item, obiicitur de sanguine, qui fluxit de latere Christi6: quia ille idem est in hoc Sacramento secundum veritatem et est signatum in hoc Sacramento: ergo idem est figura sui, et idem est signum et signatum respectu eiusdem; quod est omnino inconveniens.

Conclusio.

Sufficienter a Magistro assignantur quatuor figurae eucharistiae.

Respondeo: Dicendum, quod Magister sufficienter assignat figuras in hoc Sacramento, habito respectu ad omnes leges. Nam in lege naturae ponit figuram sacrificium Melchisedech, et in lege Moysi similiter agnum et manna, et in lege gratiae sanguinem passionis. — Similiter sufficientes sunt figurae, si attendamus ad ea quae praesignantur. Nam in hoc Sacramento est visibilis forma, et haec praesignata est in sacrificio Melchisedech; et est res contenta7, et haec in agno paschali; et res signata tantum, et haec in manna; et virtus dans efficaciam, et haec in sanguine, qui fluxit de latere Christi. — Unde tres primae tenent rationem figurae, sed ultima magis tenet rationem causae, nihilominus tamen habet rationem figurae, pensatis circumstantiis, quod de passo et iam mortuo profluxit sanguis et aqua8.

1. Quod ergo obiicitur de sufficientia, iam patet: quia aliae figurae reducuntur ad has; omnes enim oblationes et omnia sacrificia ad agnum paschalem, et omnes cibi ad manna reduci possunt.

2. Ad illud quod obiicitur de manna, dicendum, quod omnem tantum valet dicere quantum perfectum; vel si omnem distributive dicatur, intelligitur quantum ad rem contentam9; vel si intelligatur quantum ad effectum, facienda est vis in sapore quantum ad actum cibandi; et tunc alia non superfluunt.

3. Ad illud quod obiicitur de sacrificio Melchisedech, dicendum, quod peroptime praefiguratum est ibi et in manna Sacramentum eucharistiae: quoniam hoc Sacramentum nobis profertur ad esum et Deo offertur ad cultum; et ideo datur nobis divinitus, et nos Deo offerimus; et hoc signatum est in manna, quod repositum fuit in urna coram Domino10, quia datum fuit de caelo ad esum, et iterum coram Domino repositum; taliter datur hoc Sacramentum, si quis inspiciat diligentius: quia de caelo nobis datur, et nos sumimus, tamen nihilominus Deo offerimus.

4. Ad illud quod obiicitur de agno paschali, dicendum, quod agnus ille proprie significabat Christi passionem11, quae erat radix et fundamentum p. 183 virtutem praebens omnibus Sacramentis, et ideo omnia praecessit. Et quamvis omnia Sacramenta efficaciam habeant a passione; quia in hoc Sacramento veraciter continetur Christus passus, ideo esus et usus illius agni praecipue hoc Sacramentum signabat, et ideo figuram baptismi praecedebat non ratione, qua illud Sacramentum praefigurabat, sed ratione, qua praefigurabat passionem.

5. Ad ultimum dicendum, quod sanguis Christi, qui fluxit de latere Christi, non habuit, proprie loquendo, rationem figurae, quia ibi erat veritas; tamen ratione modi emanandi, quia profluxit de latere mortui, habuit rationem quodam modo praefigurandi, maxime ratione annexi, scilicet aquae; et istud melius tactum fuit in principio huius libri12. Et sic patet solutio obiectorum13.

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English Translation
p. 182

Question II. On the number and sufficiency of the four figures.

Secondly it is asked concerning the number and sufficiency of the figures of this Sacrament; and the Master1 assigns four, namely the paschal lamb, manna, the sacrifice of Melchisedech, and the blood which flowed from the side of Christ. But it seems that the Master assigns them insufficiently:

1. For other figures preceded in the sacrifices and oblations of various persons, as in the kid which Manoah offered, Judges the thirteenth2, and the honeycomb, first of Kings the fourteenth.

2. Likewise, he seems to be mistaken in assigning manna as a figure: because it had every savor3; but the eucharist does not have this, because then the other Sacraments would be superfluous.

3. Likewise, an objection is raised concerning the oblation of Melchisedech4: because he himself offered and gave it to Abraham; but the Sacrament of the eucharist is offered to God: and so it does not seem to be a figure.

4. Likewise, an objection is raised concerning the paschal lamb and its blood: since it preceded the crossing of the Red Sea5; therefore [it was] a figure of baptism; and so it seems that, if it was a correct figure, the eucharist too existed before baptism; which is absurd.

5. Likewise, an objection is raised concerning the blood which flowed from the side of Christ6: because that very same [blood] is in this Sacrament according to truth and is the thing signified in this Sacrament: therefore the same thing is a figure of itself, and the same thing is sign and thing-signified with respect to the same thing; which is altogether unfitting.

Conclusion.

The four figures of the eucharist are sufficiently assigned by the Master.

Respondeo: It must be said that the Master sufficiently assigns the figures in this Sacrament, with respect had to all the laws. For in the law of nature he sets as a figure the sacrifice of Melchisedech, and in the law of Moses likewise the lamb and the manna, and in the law of grace the blood of the passion. — Likewise the figures are sufficient if we attend to the things which are prefigured. For in this Sacrament there is a visible form, and this was prefigured in the sacrifice of Melchisedech; and there is the thing contained7, and this [was prefigured] in the paschal lamb; and the thing signified only, and this in the manna; and the power giving efficacy, and this in the blood which flowed from the side of Christ. — Hence the first three hold the character of a figure, but the last rather holds the character of a cause; nonetheless it has the character of a figure, the circumstances being weighed, namely that from one suffered and already dead there flowed blood and water8.

1. As for what is objected concerning sufficiency, it is now plain: because the other figures are reduced to these; for all oblations and all sacrifices can be reduced to the paschal lamb, and all foods to the manna.

2. To that which is objected concerning the manna, it must be said that every is worth as much as saying "perfect"; or if every be taken distributively, it is understood with respect to the thing contained9; or if it be understood with respect to the effect, stress is to be laid on the savor with respect to the act of feeding; and then the others are not superfluous.

3. To that which is objected concerning the sacrifice of Melchisedech, it must be said that the Sacrament of the eucharist was most excellently prefigured both there and in the manna: since this Sacrament is set before us for eating and is offered to God for worship; and therefore it is given to us from God, and we offer it to God; and this was signified in the manna, which was laid up in the urn before the Lord10, because it was given from heaven for eating, and again laid up before the Lord; in such a manner is this Sacrament given, if one looks more diligently: because it is given to us from heaven, and we take it, yet nonetheless we offer it to God.

4. To that which is objected concerning the paschal lamb, it must be said that that lamb properly signified the passion of Christ11, which was the root and foundation p. 183 furnishing power to all the Sacraments, and therefore it preceded all things. And although all the Sacraments have their efficacy from the passion; because in this Sacrament Christ who suffered is truly contained, therefore the eating and use of that lamb signified this Sacrament especially, and therefore it preceded the figure of baptism, not by the reason by which that Sacrament prefigured, but by the reason by which it prefigured the passion.

5. To the last it must be said that the blood of Christ, which flowed from the side of Christ, did not have, properly speaking, the character of a figure, because there was the truth there; yet by reason of the manner of its flowing forth, because it flowed from the side of the dead one, it had in a certain way the character of prefiguring, especially by reason of what was annexed, namely the water; and this was better treated at the beginning of this book12. And thus the solution of the objections is plain13.

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Apparatus Criticus
  1. 1
    Hic in lit. c. 2.
    Here in the text [of the Master], c. 2.
  2. 2
    Vers. 19. — Seq. loc. est I. Reg. 14, 27.
    Verse 19. — The following passage is I Kings 14:27.
  3. 3
    Sap. 16, 20: Omne delectamentum in se habentem et omnis saporis suavitatem.
    Wisdom 16:20: Having in itself all delight and the sweetness of every savor.
  4. 4
    Cfr. Gen. 14, 18. seqq.; Hebr. 7, 1. seqq.
    Cf. Gen. 14:18ff.; Heb. 7:1ff.
  5. 5
    Vide Exod. 12, 3. seqq. Cfr. hic lit. Magistri, c. 2. — Inferius ante eucharistia codd. omittunt et.
    See Exod. 12:3ff. Cf. here the text of the Master, c. 2. — Below, before eucharistia the codices omit et.
  6. 6
    Ioan. 19, 34.
    John 19:34.
  7. 7
    Codd. K aa addunt: ut est corpus Christi, quod traxit de Virgine. Inferius post res signata tantum in cod. L subiungitur scilicet corpus Christi mysticum. Cfr. de his infra p. II. huius dist. a. 2. q. 1.
    Codices K, aa add: as it is the body of Christ, which he drew from the Virgin. Below, after res signata tantum, in cod. L there is added, namely, the mystical body of Christ. Cf. on these matters below, in part II of this distinction, a. 2, q. 1.
  8. 8
    Ioan. 19, 34. — Vide inferius solut. ad 5.
    John 19:34. — See below, the reply to [objection] 5.
  9. 9
    Alex. Hal., S. p. IV. q. 10. m. 1. a. 2, adiungit: Ut enim dicit Augustinus, ultimo de Civ. Dei [XXII. c. 30. n. 1.], ipse est «quaecumque ab hominibus honeste desiderantur».
    Alexander of Hales, Summa, part IV, q. 10, member 1, a. 2, adds: For as Augustine says, in the last book of the City of God [XXII, c. 30, n. 1], he himself is «whatever is honorably desired by men».
  10. 10
    Hebr. 9, 4: In qua [arca] urna aurea habens manna.
    Heb. 9:4: In which [ark there was] a golden urn holding manna.
  11. 11
    Cfr. August., de Cataclysmo, c. 1. n. 5. seq.; Gregor., II. Homil. in Evang. homil. 22. n. 7. seqq., ex quo sumtus est c. Quid sit sanguis (75.), de Consecrat. d. 2; Raban., 1. Comment. in Exod. 12, 1. seqq., ex quo plura refert Glossa ordinaria apud Strabum. — Inferius post quia edd. addunt tamen.
    Cf. Augustine, On the Cataclysm, c. 1, n. 5f.; Gregory, Homilies on the Gospels, book II, homily 22, n. 7ff., from which is taken the chapter Quid sit sanguis (75), On the Consecration, d. 2; Rabanus, Commentary on Exodus, book 1, on 12:1ff., from which the Glossa ordinaria in Strabo reports much. — Below, after quia, the editions add tamen.
  12. 12
    Edd. subiungunt scilicet in prooemio. Cfr. etiam infra d. 11. p. II. a. 1. q. 3. ad 5. — Alex. Hal., loc. cit., praeter illam expositionem, secundum quam sanguis fluens de latere Christi potius sit causa demonstrativa suum effectum quam figura demonstrans figuratum, adhuc aliam adducit, scil. quod sanguis ille visibilis fuerit figura sanguinis invisibiliter in Sacramento contenti; de quo vide infra lit. Magistri, d. X. c. 1, et ibid. Comment. p. 1. dub. 4.
    The editions add, namely, in the proem. Cf. also below, d. 11, part II, a. 1, q. 3, ad 5. — Alexander of Hales, loc. cit., besides that exposition (according to which the blood flowing from the side of Christ is rather a cause demonstrating its effect than a figure demonstrating the thing figured), adduces yet another, namely that that visible blood was a figure of the blood invisibly contained in the Sacrament; on which see below, the text of the Master, d. X, c. 1, and there the Commentary, part 1, dub. 4.
  13. 13
    Vide scholion ad praecedentem quaest.
    See the scholion to the preceding question. ---
Cited by

4 places in the Opera Omnia citethis question. Derived from Quaracchi’s own apparatus, never tagged by hand.

Whether the Eucharist ought to be confected in the species of bread and wine
Book IV: On the Sacraments · Distinction 11 · 2×
supra d. 8. p. I. a. 1. q. 2.
Whether water belongs to the integrity of the sacrament of the Eucharist
Book IV: On the Sacraments · Distinction 11
supra d. 8. p. I. a. 1. q. 2.
Whether Christ confected [the Eucharist] in unleavened or in leavened bread
Book IV: On the Sacraments · Distinction 11
supra d. 8. p. 1. a. 1. q. 2.
Whether the orders are seven, or more, or fewer
Book IV: On the Sacraments · Distinction 24
supra pag. 182, nota 3

1 further reference addresses the article or printed page this question belongs to, rather than the question itself.

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