Whether the Substantial Form of the Bread Remains in This Sacrament
After the Consecration?
Objection 1: It seems that the substantial form of the bread remains
in this sacrament after the consecration. For it has been said (A. 5)
that the accidents remain after the consecration. But since bread is
an artificial thing, its form is an accident. Therefore it remains
after the consecration.
Obj. 2: Further, the form of Christ's body is His soul: for it is
said in _De Anima_ ii, that the soul "is the act of a physical body
which has life in potentiality". But it cannot be said that the
substantial form of the bread is changed into the soul. Therefore it
appears that it remains after the consecration.
Obj. 3: Further, the proper operation of a things follows its
substantial form. But what remains in this sacrament, nourishes, and
performs every operation which bread would do were it present.
Therefore the substantial form of the bread remains in this sacrament
after the consecration.
_On the contrary,_ The substantial form of bread is of the substance
of bread. But the substance of the bread is changed into the body of
Christ, as stated above (AA. 2, 3, 4). Therefore the substantial form
of the bread does not remain.
_I answer that,_ Some have contended that after the consecration not
only do the accidents of the bread remain, but also its substantial
form. But this cannot be. First of all, because if the substantial
form of the bread were to remain, nothing of the bread would be
changed into the body of Christ, excepting the matter; and so it
would follow that it would be changed, not into the whole body of
Christ, but into its matter, which is repugnant to the form of the
sacrament, wherein it is said: "This is My body."
Secondly, because if the substantial form of the bread were to
remain, it would remain either in matter, or separated from matter.
The first cannot be, for if it were to remain in the matter of the
bread, then the whole substance of the bread would remain, which is
against what was said above (A. 2). Nor could it remain in any other
matter, because the proper form exists only in its proper matter. But
if it were to remain separate from matter, it would then be an
actually intelligible form, and also an intelligence; for all forms
separated from matter are such.
Thirdly, it would be unbefitting this sacrament: because the
accidents of the bread remain in this sacrament, in order that the
body of Christ may be seen under them, and not under its proper
species, as stated above (A. 5).
And therefore it must be said that the substantial form of the bread
does not remain.
Reply Obj. 1: There is nothing to prevent art from making a thing
whose form is not an accident, but a substantial form; as frogs and
serpents can be produced by art: for art produces such forms not by
its own power, but by the power of natural energies. And in this way
it produces the substantial forms of bread, by the power of fire
baking the matter made up of flour and water.
Reply Obj. 2: The soul is the form of the body, giving it the whole
order of perfect being, i.e. being, corporeal being, and animated
being, and so on. Therefore the form of the bread is changed into the
form of Christ's body, according as the latter gives corporeal being,
but not according as it bestows animated being.
Reply Obj. 3: Some of the operations of bread follow it by reason of
the accidents, such as to affect the senses, and such operations are
found in the species of the bread after the consecration on account
of the accidents which remain. But some other operations follow the
bread either by reason of the matter, such as that it is changed into
something else, or else by reason of the substantial form, such as an
operation consequent upon its species, for instance, that it
"strengthens man's heart" (Ps. 103:15); and such operations are found
in this sacrament, not on account of the form or matter remaining,
but because they are bestowed miraculously upon the accidents
themselves, as will be said later (Q. 77, A. 3, ad 2, 3; AA. 5, 6).
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