← Back to Distinction 8

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

Book IV: On the Sacraments · Distinction 8

Textus Latinus
p. 185

Quaestio II. Utrum Sacramentum eucharistiae debuerit institui ante passionem.

Secundo quaeritur circa hoc, quando debuerit institui, et quod ante passionem, videtur:

1. Quia hoc Sacramentum est relictum a Domino in viaticum, ergo tunc debuit institui, quando Dominus fuit viator. Si dicas, quod non sequitur, quia non dicitur viaticum, quia a viatore, sed quia detur viatori; obiicitur tunc, quod ipse Dominus non tantum formam instituendo, sed etiam exemplum praebendo dedit1.

2. Item, videtur, quod iuxta passionem: quia hoc Sacramentum datum est in signum amoris; sed Dominus in fine ostendit specialia signa amoris ad discipulorum consolationem, Ioannis decimo tertio2: Cum dilexisset suos, in finem etc.

3. Item, hoc Sacramentum est cibus reficiens3: ergo si tempus institutioni, et institutio debet esse concors effectui: videtur, quod debuerit institui in hora Coenae.

4. Item, hoc Sacramentum impletivum erat eius quod praefiguratum erat in agno paschali4: ergo si veritas debuit supponi umbrae, videtur, quod debuit institui post esum agni, et ita in coena paschali.

Contra:

1. Christus conficiendo dedit formam conficiendi5, ergo dando dedit formam dandi vel communicandi; sed post Coenam non est tempus conveniens sumendi: ergo videtur, quod Dominus inordinate dederit. Hoc autem est inconveniens: ergo tunc non dedit.

2. Item, hoc Sacramentum sequitur baptismum, ergo debuit institui post baptismum; sed baptismus institutus est post resurrectionem, Matthaei ultimo6: ergo etc.

3. Item, in hoc Sacramento continetur Christus sacramentaliter, ut qui non est nobiscum sensibiliter saltem sit sacramentaliter; et in ascensione recessit a discipulis corporaliter7: ergo tunc debuit instituere hoc Sacramentum.

4. Item, hoc ipsum videtur, quia est signum memoriale; sed talia melius memoriae imprimuntur, cum ultimo exhibentur, sicut dicit Augustinus in quadam homilia8: ergo inter omnia quae fecit, istud debuit esse ultimum. Sed multa fecit coram discipulis post resurrectionem: ergo hoc Sacramentum debuit post omnia instituere.

p. 186

Conclusio

Eucharistiae Sacramentum congruenter in ultima Coena paschali institui debuit.

Respondeo: Dicendum, quod Sacramentum illud, cum sit visibile, continet corpus Christi verum, et vere est ibi cibus et praecipuum signum amoris9: cibus, inquam, reficiens, et ideo tempore refectionis instituit; cibus etiam paschalis, et ideo in paschali Coena. Quia vero erat signum amoris; et in recessu debet homo ostendere amoris signa et memoriale, ut arctius in memoria maneat: ideo in ultima Coena.

1. Ad illud quod obiicitur, quod si tunc institutum est, tunc deberemus illo uti; dicendum, quod hora illa conveniens fuit primae institutioni; sed usui nostro non convenit, quia institutio respicit effectum Sacramenti10, sed usus ulterius idoneitatem suscipientis; et quia homo satur non est idoneus ad spiritualia peragenda: ideo non servat hoc Ecclesia nec debet servare. Si obiicias, quod tunc Apostoli primo indebite acceperunt; dicendum, quod ipsi sobrie comederant exemplo Magistri; et iterum, comederant cibum paschalem, qui erat quodam modo spiritualis propter significantiam11.

2. Ad aliud de baptismo dicendum, quod non est credibile, quod tunc esset forma instituta, sed quod alias instituit ibi confirmavit et publicavit. Similiter subdidit de hoc Sacramento: Ecce ego vobiscum sum12 etc.

3. Ad aliud de recessu dicendum, quod Christus recessit in passione, unde ille fuit transitus et via; et13 transitus ille fuit ad nostram salutem, ideo tunc instituit cibum paschalem; sed in ascensione fuit ad suam gloriam.

4. Ad aliud de memoria dicendum, quod ante passionem fuit cum eis ut socius; et ideo tunc reliquit signa amoris; sed post resurrectionem fuit ut dominus et quasi extraneus; unde dicebat14: Hoc est quod dicebam, cum adhuc essem vobiscum; et ideo recessus ille debuit explicare signum et Sacramentum amoris.

---

English Translation

Question II. Whether the Sacrament of the eucharist ought to have been instituted before the Passion.

Secondly, it is asked concerning this, when it ought to have been instituted; and that it ought to have been before the Passion seems [to be the case]:

1. Because this Sacrament was left by the Lord as viaticum, therefore it ought to have been instituted then, when the Lord was a wayfarer. If you say that this does not follow, since it is not called viaticum because [it comes] from a wayfarer, but because it is given to a wayfarer; the objection then is that the Lord himself gave it not only by instituting the form, but also by furnishing the example1.

2. Likewise, it seems [it ought to have been] near the Passion: because this Sacrament was given as a sign of love; but the Lord at the end showed special signs of love for the consolation of the disciples, John the thirteenth2: When he had loved his own, [he loved them] unto the end, etc.

3. Likewise, this Sacrament is a refreshing food3: therefore if [we consider] the time for institution, the institution too ought to be in accord with the effect: it seems that it ought to have been instituted at the hour of the Supper.

4. Likewise, this Sacrament was the fulfillment of that which was prefigured in the paschal lamb4: therefore if the truth ought to be set under the shadow, it seems it ought to have been instituted after the eating of the lamb, and thus at the paschal supper.

On the contrary:

1. Christ by consecrating gave the form of consecrating5, therefore by giving he gave the form of giving or of communicating; but after the Supper is not a fitting time for receiving: therefore it seems that the Lord gave it inordinately. But this is unfitting: therefore he did not give it then.

2. Likewise, this Sacrament follows baptism, therefore it ought to have been instituted after baptism; but baptism was instituted after the resurrection, Matthew the last [chapter]6: therefore etc.

3. Likewise, in this Sacrament Christ is contained sacramentally, so that he who is not with us sensibly may at least be [with us] sacramentally; and at the ascension he withdrew from the disciples bodily7: therefore then he ought to have instituted this Sacrament.

4. Likewise, this same thing seems [to follow], because it is a memorial sign; but such things are better impressed on the memory when they are exhibited last, as Augustine says in a certain homily8: therefore among all the things he did, this ought to have been the last. But he did many things before the disciples after the resurrection: therefore this Sacrament ought to have been instituted after all [of them].

Conclusion

The Sacrament of the eucharist was fittingly instituted at the last paschal Supper.

I respond: It must be said that that Sacrament, since it is visible, contains the true body of Christ, and there is truly there a food and the chief sign of love9: a refreshing food, I say, and therefore he instituted it at the time of refreshment; a paschal food too, and therefore at the paschal Supper. But because it was a sign of love; and at [one's] departure a man ought to show signs of love and a memorial, so that it may abide more firmly in the memory: therefore [he instituted it] at the last Supper.

1. To that which is objected, that if it was instituted then, then we ought to use it [then]; it must be said that that hour was fitting for the first institution; but it does not suit our use, because institution regards the effect of the Sacrament10, whereas use [regards] further the suitableness of the recipient; and because a man who is sated is not suited for performing spiritual things: therefore the Church does not observe this nor ought it to observe it. If you object that the Apostles then received it for the first time unworthily; it must be said that they had eaten soberly by the Master's example; and again, they had eaten the paschal food, which was in a certain way spiritual on account of its signification11.

2. To the other [argument] about baptism it must be said that it is not credible that the form was instituted then, but that what he had instituted elsewhere he there confirmed and made public. Similarly he added concerning this Sacrament: Behold, I am with you12 etc.

3. To the other [argument] about the withdrawal it must be said that Christ withdrew in the Passion, whence that was a passing-over and a way; and13 that passing-over was unto our salvation, [and] therefore then he instituted the paschal food; but at the ascension it was unto his own glory.

4. To the other [argument] about memory it must be said that before the Passion he was with them as a companion; and therefore then he left signs of love; but after the resurrection he was as a lord and as it were a stranger; whence he was saying14: This is what I was saying, when I was still with you; and therefore that withdrawal ought to have unfolded the sign and Sacrament of love.

---

Apparatus Criticus
  1. 1
    Dist. 12. p. II. a. I. q. 3.
    Distinction 12, part II, article I, question 3.
  2. 2
    Vers. 1: Cum dilexisset suos qui erant in mundo, in finem dilexit eos.
    Verse 1 [John 13]: When he had loved his own who were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
  3. 3
    Ambros., VIII. in Luc. 17, 3-5. n. 51: Iste ergo cibus refectionis, est cibus sanguinis etc. Cfr. August., Serm. 131. (alias 2. de Verbis Apostoli) c. 1. n. 1.
    Ambrose, on Luke, book VIII [on] 17, 3-5, n. 51: This food of refreshment, then, is the food of the blood, etc. Cf. Augustine, Sermon 131 (otherwise 2nd, On the Words of the Apostle), c. 1, n. 1.
  4. 4
    Vide Bedam, VI. in Luc. 22, 15. seqq.; Hug. a S. Vict., Quaest. in Epist. I. Cor. q. 86, et supra a. 1. q. 2. nec non hic lit. Magistri, c. 1.
    See Bede, on Luke, book VI [on] 22, 15 ff.; Hugh of St. Victor, Questions on the First Epistle to the Corinthians, q. 86, and above, article 1, question 2; and likewise here the text of the Master, c. 1.
  5. 5
    Cfr. quaest. seq.
    Cf. the following question.
  6. 6
    Vers. 19.
    Verse 19 [Matthew 28].
  7. 7
    Cfr. hic lit. Magistri, c. 3.
    Cf. here the text of the Master, c. 3.
  8. 8
    Quaenam illa sit homilia, ignoramus; sententia haec invenitur in Epist. M. (alias 118.) c. 6. n. 8. Vide hic lit. Magistri, c. 5.
    What that homily may be, we do not know; this opinion is found in Letter [54] (otherwise 118), c. 6, n. 8. See here the text of the Master, c. 5.
  9. 9
    Plurimi codd. omittunt amoris. Mox pro instituit cod. U melius institutum, Vat. institui debuit.
    Very many codices omit amoris [of love]. Soon, for instituit [he instituted], codex U better [reads] institutum [instituted], the Vatican edition institui debuit [ought to have been instituted].
  10. 10
    Cod. P (D a secunda manu) addit vel unionem, cod. E vel potentiam, cod. bb et Vat. sive [Vat. vel] quod efficit.
    Codex P (D by a second hand) adds vel unionem [or the union], codex E vel potentiam [or the power], codices bb and the Vatican edition sive [Vat. vel] quod efficit [or that which it effects].
  11. 11
    Cfr. hic lit. Magistri, c. 3.
    Cf. here the text of the Master, c. 3.
  12. 12
    Matth. 28, 20. Vide supra d. 3. p. II. a. 1. q. I. in fine. — Superius pro esset cod. H fuerit.
    Matthew 28:20. See above, distinction 3, part II, article 1, question I, at the end. — Above, for esset [might be], codex H [reads] fuerit [was].
  13. 13
    Cod. H et quia. Pro via cod. H in via, cod. M ad vitam, Vat. ex via. — Alex. Hal., 4. p. IV. q. 10. m. 2. a. I. — § 3: Recessus Domini in passione fuit transitus ad humanam salutem, in quantum homo erat viator; propter quod conveniebat, quod tunc institueretur cibus paschalis; in ascensione non fuit sic, sed transitus ad gloriam.
    Codex H [reads] et quia [and because]. For via [way], codex H [reads] in via [in the way], codex M ad vitam [unto life], the Vatican edition ex via [out of the way]. — Alexander of Hales, [Summa] part IV, q. 10, member 2, article I. — On § 3: The Lord's withdrawal in the Passion was a passing-over unto human salvation, insofar as he was a wayfarer as man; on account of which it was fitting that the paschal food be instituted then; at the ascension it was not so, but [was] a passing-over unto glory.
  14. 14
    Luc. 24, 44: Haec sunt verba, quae locutus sum ad vos, cum adhuc essem vobiscum.
    Luke 24:44: These are the words which I spoke to you, while I was still with you. ---
Cited by

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

← Dist. 8, Part 1, Art. 2, Q. 1Dist. 8, Part 1, Art. 2, Q. 3→