Bonaventure

Le note numerate qui sotto corrispondono ai richiami presenti tanto nel testo latino quanto nella traduzione inglese. The numbered footnotes below correspond to markers in both the Latin body above and the English translation. Quaracchi restarts footnote numbering on each printed page; the markers below are renumbered continuously across pp.177–179.

Distinctio VIII. Pars I.

Cap. I. De Sacramento altaris.

« Post Sacramentum baptismi et confirmationis sequitur eucharistiae Sacramentum. Per baptismum induimur, per confirmationem roboramur, per eucharistiam in bono consummamur¹ ». Baptismus aestus vitiorum exstinguit, eucharistia spiritualiter reficit. Unde excellenter dicitur eucharistia, id est bona gratia, quia in hoc Sacramento non modo est augmentum virtutis et gratiae, sed ille totus sumitur, qui est fons et origo totius gratiae.

Cap. II. Quod huius Sacramenti in veteri testamento figura praecessit, sicut et baptismi.

Cuius figura praecessit, « quando manna pluit Deus Patribus in deserto, qui quotidiano caeli pascebantur alimento; unde: Panem Angelorum manducavit homo. Sed tunc panem illum qui manducaverunt mortui sunt. Iste vero panis vivus, qui de caelo descendit, vitam mundo tribuit² ». « Manna illud de caelo, hoc super caelum; illud scaturiebat³ vermibus, in diem alterum reservatum; hoc ab omni corruptione alienum quicumque religiose gustaverit, corruptionem non videbit ». Illud datum fuit antiquis post transitum maris rubri, ubi, submersis Aegyptiis, liberati sunt Hebraei⁴; ita hoc caeleste manna non nisi renatis praestari debet. Panis ille corporalis populum antiquum ad terram promissionis per desertum eduxit; haec esca caelestis fideles huius saeculi desertum transeuntes in caelum subvehit. Unde recte viaticum appellatur, quia, in via nos reficiens, usque in patriam deducit. Sicut ergo in mari rubro figura baptismi praecessit, ita in manna significatio dominici corporis. Haec duo Sacramenta demonstrata sunt, ubi de latere Christi sanguis et aqua profluxerunt⁵; quia Christus per sanguinem redemptionis et aquam ablutionis nos redimere venit a diabolo et a peccato, sicut Israelitas per sanguinem agni paschalis ab exterminatore et per aquam maris ab Aegyptiis liberavit. — Huius etiam Sacramenti ritum Melchisedech ostendit, ubi panem et vinum Abrahae obtulit. Unde, ut ait Ambrosius⁶, intelligi datur, « anteriora esse Sacramenta Christianorum quam Iudaeorum ».

Cap. III. De institutione huius Sacramenti.

Hic inter⁷ alia consideranda occurrunt quatuor, scilicet institutio, forma, Sacramentum et res. Sacramentum Dominus instituit, quando post typicum agnum corpus et sanguinem suum discipulis in Coena porrexit. Unde Eusebius Emisenus⁸: « Quia corpus assumptum ablaturus erat ab oculis et illaturus sideribus, necesse erat, ut die Coenae Sacramentum nobis corporis et sanguinis consecraret, ut coleretur iugiter per mysterium quod semel offerebatur in pretium ».

Pars II.

Cap. IV. De forma.

Forma vero est, quam ipse ibidem⁹ edidit dicens: Hoc est corpus meum; et post: Hic est sanguis meus. Cum enim haec verba proferuntur, conversio fit panis et vini in substantiam corporis et sanguinis Christi. Reliqua ad Dei laudem dicuntur. Unde Ambrosius¹⁰: « Sermone Christi hoc conficitur Sacramentum, quia sermo Christi creaturam mutat, et sic ex pane fit corpus Christi, et vinum cum aqua in calicem missum fit sanguis consecratione Verbi caelestis. Consecratio quibus fit verbis? Attende, quae sunt verba: Accipite et comedite ex eo omnes; hoc est corpus meum; et iterum: Accipite et bibite ex hoc omnes; hic est sanguis meus ». « Per reliqua omnia, quae dicuntur, laus Deo defertur, oratio praemittitur pro populo, pro regibus ». Item, Augustinus¹¹: « Credendum est, quod in verbis Christi Sacramenta conficiantur; reliqua omnia nihil aliud sunt quam laudes vel obsecrationes fidelium et petitiones ». — Ecce, quae sit institutio et forma huius Sacramenti.

Cap. V. Quare Christus post alium cibum dedit hoc Sacramentum discipulis.

Ubi consideratione dignum est, quare illud Sacramentum post coenam dedit discipulis. Dominus igitur Iesus ad invisibilia paternae Maiestatis migraturus, celebrato cum discipulis typico pascha, quoddam memoriale eis commendare volens, sub specie panis et vini corpus et sanguinem suum¹² eis tradidit, ut ostenderet, legis veteris Sacramenta, inter quae praecipuum erat agni paschalis sacrificium, in morte sua terminari, ac novae legis Sacramenta substitui, in quibus excellit mysterium eucharistiae. Ideo etiam post alia dedit, ut hoc unum arctius memoriae discipulorum infigeretur et ab Ecclesia deinceps frequentaretur. Sed non exinde disciplinam sanxit in posterum, ut post alios cibos sumatur; potius a ieiunis sumi oportet, sicut Apostolus¹³ docet, ut singulari reverentia diiudicetur, id est, discernatur ab aliis cibis; quod Dominus Apostolis disponendum reliquit.

Unde Augustinus¹⁴: « Apparet, cum primo acceperunt discipuli eucharistiam, non eos accepisse ieiunos. Non ideo tamen calumniandum est universae Ecclesiae, quod a ieiunis semper sumitur. Placuit enim Spiritui sancto, ut in honore¹⁵ tanti Sacramenti prius in os Christiani dominicum corpus intraret quam alii cibi; ideo ubique mos iste servatur. Non enim, quia post cibos Dominus dedit, ideo pransi vel coenati illud accipere debent, ut illi faciebant, quos Apostolus arguit. Nam Salvator, quo vehementius commendaret mysterii illius altitudinem, ultimum hoc voluit infigere cordibus et memoriae discipulorum, a quibus ad passionem digressurus erat. Quo autem ordine deinceps sumeretur, Apostolis, per quos Ecclesias dispositurus erat, reservavit docendum ».

Cap. VI. De Sacramento et re.

Nunc, quid ibi sit Sacramentum, et quid res, videamus. « Sacramentum est invisibilis gratiae visibilis forma¹⁶ »; forma ergo panis et vini, quae ibi videtur, est Sacramentum, id est « signum sacrae rei, quia praeter speciem, quam ingerit sensibus, aliquid aliud facit in cognitionem venire ». Tenent ergo « species vocabula rerum, quae ante fuerunt, scilicet panis et vini ».

Cap. VII. Quod res Sacramenti duplex est.

« Huius autem Sacramenti gemina est res, una scilicet contenta et significata, altera significata et non contenta. Res contenta et significata est caro Christi, quam de Virgine traxit, et sanguis, quem pro nobis fudit; res autem significata et non contenta est unitas Ecclesiae in praedestinatis, vocatis, iustificatis et glorificatis¹⁷ ». Haec est duplex caro Christi et sanguis. Unde Hieronymus: « Dupliciter, inquit, intelligitur caro Christi et sanguis: vel illa quae crucifixa est et sepulta, et sanguis, qui militis lancea effusus est, vel spiritualis illa ac divina, de qua ipse ait¹⁸: Caro mea vere est cibus, et sanguis meus vere est potus; et: Nisi manducaveritis carnem meam et biberitis sanguinem meum, non habebitis vitam in vobis ». « Sunt igitur hic tria distinguenda: unum, quod tantum est Sacramentum; alterum, quod est Sacramentum et res; et tertium, quod est res et non Sacramentum. Sacramentum et non res est species visibilis panis et vini; Sacramentum et res caro Christi propria et sanguis; res et non Sacramentum mystica eius caro. — Porro species illa visibilis Sacramentum est geminae rei, quia utramque rem significat et utriusque rei similitudinem gerit expressam. Nam sicut panis prae ceteris cibis corpus reficit et sustentat, et vinum hominem laetificat atque inebriat; sic caro Christi interiorem hominem plus ceteris gratiis spiritualiter reficit et saginat; unde: Calix meus inebrians quam praeclarus est¹⁹! Habet etiam similitudinem cum re mystica, quae est unitas fidelium: quia, sicut ex multis granis conficitur unus panis, et ex pluribus acinis vinum in unum confluit; sic ex multis fidelium personis unitas ecclesiastica constat ». Unde Apostolus: Unus panis et unum corpus multi sumus. Unde Augustinus²⁰: « Unus panis et unum corpus Ecclesia dicitur, pro eo quod, sicut unus panis ex multis granis, et unum corpus ex multis membris componitur; sic Ecclesia ex multis fidelibus, caritate copulante, connectitur ». « Hoc mysterium pacis et unitatis nostrae Christus in sua mensa consecravit. Qui accepit hoc mysterium unitatis, et non tenet vinculum pacis, non accipit hoc mysterium pro se, sed contra se ». « Cuius etiam Sacramentum est corpus Christi proprium de Virgine sumtum; quia, ut corpus Christi ex multis membris purissimis et immaculatis constat, ita societas ecclesiastica ex multis personis, a criminali macula liberis, consistit. In cuius rei typo facta est arca Domini de lignis Sethim²¹, quae sunt imputribilia et albae spinae similia ».

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Distinction VIII. Part I.

Chap. I. On the Sacrament of the altar.

« After the sacrament of baptism and of confirmation there follows the sacrament of the eucharist. By baptism we are clothed, by confirmation we are strengthened, by the eucharist we are consummated in the good¹ ». Baptism extinguishes the heat of the vices, the eucharist refreshes spiritually. Hence it is excellently called eucharist, that is, good grace, because in this sacrament there is not only an increase of virtue and grace, but he himself is received whole, who is the fount and origin of all grace.

Chap. II. That a figure of this Sacrament went before in the Old Testament, as also of baptism.

A figure of it went before, « when God rained down manna upon the Fathers in the desert, who were fed by daily food from heaven; whence: Man ate the bread of Angels. But those who ate that bread then died. This bread, however, is living, which came down from heaven, and gave life to the world² ». « That manna was from heaven, this is above heaven; that bubbled up³ with worms, when reserved to the next day; this, free from all corruption, whoever shall have reverently tasted, shall not see corruption ». That was given to the ancients after the crossing of the Red Sea, where, the Egyptians being drowned, the Hebrews were set free⁴; so this heavenly manna is to be granted only to the reborn. That bodily bread led the ancient people through the desert to the land of promise; this heavenly food bears up the faithful of this age, as they cross the desert, into heaven. Hence it is rightly called viaticum, because, refreshing us on the way, it leads us all the way into our homeland. As therefore in the Red Sea the figure of baptism went before, so in the manna [went before] the signification of the Lord's body. These two sacraments were shown forth, when from the side of Christ blood and water flowed out⁵; because Christ came to redeem us from the devil and from sin by the blood of redemption and the water of washing, just as he set free the Israelites by the blood of the paschal lamb from the destroyer and by the water of the sea from the Egyptians. — The rite of this Sacrament also Melchizedek showed forth, when he offered bread and wine to Abraham. Whence, as Ambrose says⁶, it is given to be understood that « the sacraments of the Christians are earlier than those of the Jews ».

Chap. III. On the institution of this Sacrament.

Here among⁷ other things four come up for consideration, namely institution, form, Sacrament, and reality (res). The Sacrament the Lord instituted, when after the typical lamb he handed over his body and blood to the disciples at the Supper. Whence Eusebius of Emesa⁸: « Because he was about to take away the assumed body from their eyes and to bring it to the stars, it was necessary that on the day of the Supper he should consecrate for us the Sacrament of his body and blood, so that it might be honored continually through the mystery which was offered once as a price ».

Part II.

Chap. IV. On the form.

The form, however, is that which he himself there⁹ uttered, saying: This is my body; and afterwards: This is my blood. For when these words are pronounced, the conversion of the bread and wine into the substance of the body and blood of Christ takes place. The rest are said for the praise of God. Whence Ambrose¹⁰: « By the discourse of Christ this Sacrament is confected, because the discourse of Christ changes the creature, and so from bread is made the body of Christ, and the wine with water put into the chalice becomes blood by the consecration of the heavenly Word. By which words is the consecration made? Attend to what the words are: Take and eat ye all of this; this is my body; and again: Take and drink ye all of this; this is my blood ». « Through all the rest that are said, praise is offered to God, prayer is sent up beforehand for the people, for kings ». Likewise, Augustine¹¹: « It must be believed that in the words of Christ the sacraments are confected; all the rest are nothing other than the praises or supplications and petitions of the faithful ». — Behold, what the institution and form of this Sacrament are.

Chap. V. Why Christ gave this Sacrament to the disciples after another food.

Here it is worthy of consideration why he gave that Sacrament to the disciples after the supper. The Lord Jesus therefore, about to pass over to the invisible things of the Father's Majesty, having celebrated with the disciples the typical Passover, wishing to commend to them a certain memorial, handed over to them his body and blood¹² under the species of bread and wine, in order to show that the sacraments of the old law, among which the chief was the sacrifice of the paschal lamb, were to be terminated in his death, and the sacraments of the new law to be substituted, among which the mystery of the eucharist excels. For this reason also he gave it after the other [foods], so that this one might be more closely fixed in the memory of the disciples and be frequented thereafter by the Church. But he did not thereby establish a discipline for the future, that it should be taken after other foods; rather it ought to be taken by those who are fasting, as the Apostle¹³ teaches, so that it may be judged (diiudicetur) with singular reverence, that is, discerned from other foods; which the Lord left to the Apostles to dispose.

Whence Augustine¹⁴: « It appears that, when the disciples first received the eucharist, they did not receive it fasting. Yet on that account the whole Church is not to be calumniated, because it is always taken by those who are fasting. For it pleased the Holy Spirit that, in honor¹⁵ of so great a Sacrament, the Lord's body should enter the mouth of the Christian before other foods; therefore everywhere this custom is kept. For it is not because the Lord gave it after foods that those who have dined or supped ought to receive it, as those did whom the Apostle reproved. For the Savior, that he might the more vehemently commend the loftiness of that mystery, willed to fix this last in the hearts and memory of the disciples, from whom he was about to depart to the passion. But in what order it should thenceforth be taken, he reserved to be taught by the Apostles, through whom he was about to arrange the Churches ».

Chap. VI. On the Sacrament and the reality.

Now let us see what is Sacrament there, and what is reality. « A Sacrament is the visible form of invisible grace¹⁶ »; the form therefore of bread and wine, which is there seen, is the Sacrament, that is, « a sign of a sacred thing, because besides the appearance which it presents to the senses, it makes something else come into knowledge ». Therefore the appearances « keep the names of the things which were before, namely of bread and of wine ».

Chap. VII. That the reality of the Sacrament is twofold.

« Of this Sacrament, moreover, there is a twin reality, one namely contained and signified, the other signified and not contained. The reality contained and signified is the flesh of Christ, which he drew from the Virgin, and the blood, which he shed for us; but the reality signified and not contained is the unity of the Church in the predestined, the called, the justified, and the glorified¹⁷ ». This is the twofold flesh of Christ and blood. Whence Jerome: « In two ways, he says, is the flesh of Christ and the blood understood: either that which was crucified and buried, and the blood which was poured out by the soldier's lance, or that spiritual and divine flesh, of which he himself says¹⁸: My flesh is truly food, and my blood is truly drink; and: Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you shall not have life in you ». « There are therefore here three things to be distinguished: one, which is Sacrament only; another, which is Sacrament and reality; and a third, which is reality and not Sacrament. Sacrament and not reality is the visible species of bread and wine; Sacrament and reality is the proper flesh of Christ and his blood; reality and not Sacrament is his mystical flesh. — Furthermore, that visible species is the Sacrament of a twin reality, because it signifies each reality and bears an express likeness of each reality. For just as bread, beyond other foods, refreshes and sustains the body, and wine gladdens and inebriates a man; so the flesh of Christ refreshes and fattens the interior man more than other graces spiritually; whence: How splendid is my inebriating chalice¹⁹! It has also a likeness with the mystical reality, which is the unity of the faithful: because, just as from many grains one bread is confected, and from many grapes wine flows together into one; so from many persons of the faithful the ecclesiastical unity stands together ». Whence the Apostle: We being many are one bread and one body. Whence Augustine²⁰: « The Church is called one bread and one body, for the reason that, just as one bread is from many grains, and one body is composed of many members; so the Church is connected together from many faithful, charity coupling them ». « This mystery of our peace and unity Christ consecrated at his table. He who has received this mystery of unity, and does not keep the bond of peace, does not receive this mystery for himself, but against himself ». « Of which also the Sacrament is the proper body of Christ taken from the Virgin; because, as the body of Christ stands together from many most pure and immaculate members, so the ecclesiastical society [stands together] from many persons, free from criminal stain. In the type of which reality was made the ark of the Lord of setim wood²¹, which [pieces] are incorruptible and like to white thorn ».

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