Whether This Proposition Is False: "The Body of Christ Is Made Out of
Bread"?
Objection 1: It seems that this proposition is false: "The body of
Christ is made out of bread." For everything out of which another is
made, is that which is made the other; but not conversely: for we say
that a black thing is made out of a white thing, and that a white
thing is made black: and although we may say that a man becomes black
still we do not say that a black thing is made out of a man, as is
shown in _Phys._ i. If it be true, then, that Christ's body is made
out of bread, it will be true to say that bread is made the body of
Christ. But this seems to be false, because the bread is not the
subject of the making, but rather its term. Therefore, it is not said
truly that Christ's body is made out of bread.
Obj. 2: Further, the term of _becoming_ is something that is, or
something that is _made._ But this proposition is never true: "The
bread is the body of Christ"; or "The bread is made the body of
Christ"; or again, "The bread will be the body of Christ." Therefore
it seems that not even this is true: "The body of Christ is made out
of bread."
Obj. 3: Further, everything out of which another is made is converted
into that which is made from it. But this proposition seems to be
false: "The bread is converted into the body of Christ," because such
conversion seems to be more miraculous than the creation of the
world, in which it is not said that non-being is converted into
being. Therefore it seems that this proposition likewise is false:
"The body of Christ is made out of bread."
Obj. 4: Further, that out of which something is made, can be that
thing. But this proposition is false: "Bread can be the body of
Christ." Therefore this is likewise false: "The body of Christ is
made out of bread."
_On the contrary,_ Ambrose says (De Sacram. iv): "When the
consecration takes place, the body of Christ is made out of the
bread."
_I answer that,_ This conversion of bread into the body of Christ has
something in common with creation, and with natural transmutation,
and in some respect differs from both. For the order of the terms is
common to these three; that is, that after one thing there is another
(for, in creation there is being after non-being; in this sacrament,
Christ's body after the substance of bread; in natural transmutation
white after black, or fire after air); and that the aforesaid terms
are not coexistent.
Now the conversion, of which we are speaking, has this in common with
creation, that in neither of them is there any common subject
belonging to either of the extremes; the contrary of which appears in
every natural transmutation.
Again, this conversion has something in common with natural
transmutation in two respects, although not in the same fashion.
First of all because in both, one of the extremes passes into the
other, as bread into Christ's body, and air into fire; whereas
non-being is not converted into being. But this comes to pass
differently on the one side and on the other; for in this sacrament
the whole substance of the bread passes into the whole body of
Christ; whereas in natural transmutation the matter of the one
receives the form of the other, the previous form being laid aside.
Secondly, they have this in common, that on both sides something
remains the same; whereas this does not happen in creation: yet
differently; for the same matter or subject remains in natural
transmutation; whereas in this sacrament the same accidents remain.
From these observations we can gather the various ways of speaking in
such matters. For, because in no one of the aforesaid three things
are the extremes coexistent, therefore in none of them can one
extreme be predicated of the other by the substantive verb of the
present tense: for we do not say, "Non-being is being" or, "Bread is
the body of Christ," or, "Air is fire," or, "White is black." Yet
because of the relationship of the extremes in all of them we can use
the preposition _ex_ (out of), which denotes order; for we can truly
and properly say that "being is made out of non-being," and "out of
bread, the body of Christ," and "out of air, fire," and "out of
white, black." But because in creation one of the extremes does not
pass into the other, we cannot use the word "conversion" in creation,
so as to say that "non-being is converted into being": we can,
however, use the word in this sacrament, just as in natural
transmutation. But since in this sacrament the whole substance is
converted into the whole substance, on that account this conversion
is properly termed transubstantiation.
Again, since there is no subject of this conversion, the things which
are true in natural conversion by reason of the subject, are not to
be granted in this conversion. And in the first place indeed it is
evident that potentiality to the opposite follows a subject, by
reason whereof we say that "a white thing can be black," or that "air
can be fire"; although the latter is not so proper as the former: for
the subject of whiteness, in which there is potentiality to
blackness, is the whole substance of the white thing; since whiteness
is not a part thereof; whereas the subject of the form of air is part
thereof: hence when it is said, "Air can be fire," it is verified by
synecdoche by reason of the part. But in this conversion, and
similarly in creation, because there is no subject, it is not said
that one extreme can be the other, as that "non-being can be being,"
or that "bread can be the body of Christ": and for the same reason it
cannot be properly said that "being is made of (_de_) non-being," or
that "the body of Christ is made of bread," because this preposition
"of" (_de_) denotes a consubstantial cause, which consubstantiality
of the extremes in natural transmutations is considered according to
something common in the subject. And for the same reason it is not
granted that "bread will be the body of Christ," or that it "may
become the body of Christ," just as it is not granted in creation
that "non-being will be being," or that "non-being may become being,"
because this manner of speaking is verified in natural transmutations
by reason of the subject: for instance, when we say that "a white
thing becomes black," or "a white thing will be black."
Nevertheless, since in this sacrament, after the change, something
remains the same, namely, the accidents of the bread, as stated above
(A. 5), some of these expressions may be admitted by way of
similitude, namely, that "bread is the body of Christ," or, "bread
will be the body of Christ," or "the body of Christ is made of
bread"; provided that by the word "bread" is not understood the
substance of bread, but in general "that which is contained under the
species of bread," under which species there is first contained the
substance of bread, and afterwards the body of Christ.
Reply Obj. 1: That out of which something else is made, sometimes
implies together with the subject, one of the extremes of the
transmutation, as when it is said "a black thing is made out of a
white one"; but sometimes it implies only the opposite or the
extreme, as when it is said--"out of morning comes the day." And so
it is not granted that the latter becomes the former, that is, "that
morning becomes the day." So likewise in the matter in hand, although
it may be said properly that "the body of Christ is made out of
bread," yet it is not said properly that "bread becomes the body of
Christ," except by similitude, as was said above.
Reply Obj. 2: That out of which another is made, will sometimes be
that other because of the subject which is implied. And therefore,
since there is no subject of this change, the comparison does not
hold.
Reply Obj. 3: In this change there are many more difficulties than in
creation, in which there is but this one difficulty, that something
is made out of nothing; yet this belongs to the proper mode of
production of the first cause, which presupposes nothing else. But in
this conversion not only is it difficult for this whole to be changed
into that whole, so that nothing of the former may remain (which does
not belong to the common mode of production of a cause), but
furthermore it has this difficulty that the accidents remain while
the substance is destroyed, and many other difficulties of which we
shall treat hereafter (Q. 77). Nevertheless the word "conversion" is
admitted in this sacrament, but not in creation, as stated above.
Reply Obj. 4: As was observed above, potentiality belongs to the
subject, whereas there is no subject in this conversion. And
therefore it is not granted that bread can be the body of Christ: for
this conversion does not come about by the passive potentiality of
the creature, but solely by the active power of the Creator.
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