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Objection 1: It seems that the Paschal Lamb was not the chief
figure of this sacrament, because (Ps. 109:4) Christ is
called "a priest according to the order of Melchisedech," since
Melchisedech bore the figure of Christ's sacrifice, in offering
bread and wine. But the expression of likeness causes one thing to be
named from another. Therefore, it seems that Melchisedech's
offering was the "principal" figure of this sacrament.
Objection 2: Further, the passage of the Red Sea was a figure of
Baptism, according to 1 Cor. 10:2: "All . . . were
baptized in the cloud and in the sea." But the immolation of the
Paschal Lamb was previous to the passage of the Red Sea, and the
Manna came after it, just as the Eucharist follows Baptism.
Therefore the Manna is a more expressive figure of this sacrament than
the Paschal Lamb.
Objection 3: Further, the principal power of this sacrament is that
it brings us into the kingdom of heaven, being a kind of "viaticum."
But this was chiefly prefigured in the sacrament of expiation when the
"high-priest entered once a year into the Holy of Holies with
blood," as the Apostle proves in Heb. 9. Consequently, it seems
that that sacrifice was a more significant figure of this sacrament than
was the Paschal Lamb.
On the contrary, The Apostle says (1 Cor. 5:7,8):
"Christ our Pasch is sacrificed; therefore let us feast . . .
with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."
I answer that, We can consider three things in this sacrament:
namely, that which is sacrament only, and this is the bread and wine;
that which is both reality and sacrament, to wit, Christ's true
body; and lastly that which is reality only, namely, the effect of
this sacrament. Consequently, in relation to what is sacrament only,
the chief figure of this sacrament was the oblation of Melchisedech,
who offered up bread and wine. In relation to Christ crucified, Who
is contained in this sacrament, its figures were all the sacrifices of
the Old Testament, especially the sacrifice of expiation, which was
the most solemn of all. While with regard to its effect, the chief
figure was the Manna, "having in it the sweetness of every taste"
(Wis. 16:20), just as the grace of this sacrament refreshes
the soul in all respects.
The Paschal Lamb foreshadowed this sacrament in these three ways.
First of all, because it was eaten with unleavened loaves, according
to Ex. 12:8: "They shall eat flesh . . . and unleavened
bread." As to the second because it was immolated by the entire
multitude of the children of Israel on the fourteenth day of the moon;
and this was a figure of the Passion of Christ, Who is called the
Lamb on account of His innocence. As to the effect, because by the
blood of the Paschal Lamb the children of Israel were preserved from
the destroying Angel, and brought from the Egyptian captivity; and
in this respect the Paschal Lamb is the chief figure of this
sacrament, because it represents it in every respect.
From this the answer to the Objections is manifest.
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