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Objection 1: It seems that the substance of the bread is annihilated
after the consecration of this sacrament, or dissolved into its
original matter. For whatever is corporeal must be somewhere. But
the substance of bread, which is something corporeal, does not
remain, in this sacrament, as stated above (Article 2); nor can
we assign any place where it may be. Consequently it is nothing after
the consecration. Therefore, it is either annihilated, or dissolved
into its original matter.
Objection 2: Further, what is the term "wherefrom" in every
change exists no longer, except in the potentiality of matter; e.g.
when air is changed into fire, the form of the air remains only in the
potentiality of matter; and in like fashion when what is white becomes
black. But in this sacrament the substance of the bread or of the wine
is the term "wherefrom," while the body or the blood of Christ is
the term "whereunto": for Ambrose says in De Officiis (De
Myster. ix): "Before the blessing it is called another species,
after the blessing the body of Christ is signified." Therefore,
when the consecration takes place, the substance of the bread or wine
no longer remains, unless perchance dissolved into its (original)
matter.
Objection 3: Further, one of two contradictories must be true.
But this proposition is false: "After the consecration the substance
of the bread or wine is something." Consequently, this is true:
"The substance of the bread or wine is nothing."
On the contrary, Augustine says (Question 83): "God is not
the cause of tending to nothing." But this sacrament is wrought by
Divine power. Therefore, in this sacrament the substance of the
bread or wine is not annihilated.
I answer that, Because the substance of the bread and wine does not
remain in this sacrament, some, deeming that it is impossible for the
substance of the bread and wine to be changed into Christ's flesh and
blood, have maintained that by the consecration, the substance of the
bread and wine is either dissolved into the original matter, or that it
is annihilated.
Now the original matter into which mixed bodies can be dissolved is the
four elements. For dissolution cannot be made into primary matter, so
that a subject can exist without a form, since matter cannot exist
without a form. But since after the consecration nothing remains under
the sacramental species except the body and the blood of Christ, it
will be necessary to say that the elements into which the substance of
the bread and wine is dissolved, depart from thence by local motion,
which would be perceived by the senses. In like manner also the
substance of the bread or wine remains until the last instant of the
consecration; but in the last instant of the consecration there is
already present there the substance of the body or blood of Christ,
just as the form is already present in the last instant of generation.
Hence no instant can be assigned in which the original matter can be
there. For it cannot be said that the substance of the bread or wine
is dissolved gradually into the original matter, or that it
successively quits the species, for if this began to be done in the
last instant of its consecration, then at the one time under part of
the host there would be the body of Christ together with the substance
of bread, which is contrary to what has been said above (Article
2). But if this begin to come to pass before the consecration,
there will then be a time in which under one part of the host there will
be neither the substance of bread nor the body of Christ, which is not
fitting. They seem indeed to have taken this into careful
consideration, wherefore they formulated their proposition with an
alternative viz. that (the substance) may be annihilated. But even
this cannot stand, because no way can be assigned whereby Christ's
true body can begin to be in this sacrament, except by the change of
the substance of bread into it, which change is excluded the moment we
admit either annihilation of the substance of the bread, or dissolution
into the original matter. Likewise no cause can be assigned for such
dissolution or annihilation, since the effect of the sacrament is
signified by the form: "This is My body." Hence it is clear that
the aforesaid opinion is false.
Reply to Objection 1: The substance of the bread or wine, after
the consecration, remains neither under the sacramental species, nor
elsewhere; yet it does not follow that it is annihilated; for it is
changed into the body of Christ; just as if the air, from which fire
is generated, be not there or elsewhere, it does not follow that it is
annihilated.
Reply to Objection 2: The form, which is the term "wherefrom,"
is not changed into another form; but one form succeeds another in the
subject; and therefore the first form remains only in the potentiality
of matter. But here the substance of the bread is changed into the
body of Christ, as stated above. Hence the conclusion does not
follow.
Reply to Objection 3: Although after the consecration this
proposition is false: "The substance of the breed is something,"
still that into which the substance of the bread is changed, is
something, and consequently the substance of the bread is not
annihilated.
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