Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It seems that water ought to be added in great quantity, because as blood flowed sensibly from Christ's side, so did water: hence it is written (Jn. 19:35): "He that saw it, hath given testimony." But water could not be sensibly present in this sacrament except it were used in great quantity. Consequently it seems that water ought to be added in great quantity.

Objection 2: Further, a little water mixed with much wine is corrupted. But what is corrupted no longer exists. Therefore, it is the same thing to add a little water in this sacrament as to add none. But it is not lawful to add none. Therefore, neither is it lawful to add a little.

Objection 3: Further, if it sufficed to add a little, then as a consequence it would suffice to throw one drop of water into an entire cask. But this seems ridiculous. Therefore it does not suffice for a small quantity to be added.

On the contrary, It is said in the Decretals (Extra, De Celeb. Miss.): "The pernicious abuse has prevailed in your country of adding water in greater quantity than the wine, in the sacrifice, where according to the reasonable custom of the entire Church more wine than water ought to be employed."

I answer that, There is a threefold opinion regarding the water added to the wine, as Pope Innocent III says in a certain Decretal. For some say that the water remains by itself when the wine is changed into blood: but such an opinion cannot stand, because in the sacrament of the altar after the consecration there is nothing else save the body and the blood of Christ. Because, as Ambrose says in De Officiis (De Mysteriis ix): "Before the blessing it is another species that is named, after the blessing the Body is signified; otherwise it would not be adored with adoration of latria." And therefore others have said that as the wine is changed into blood, so the water is changed into the water which flowed from Christ's side. But this cannot be maintained reasonably, because according to this the water would be consecrated apart from the wine, as the wine is from the bread.

And therefore as he (Innocent III, Decretals, Extra, De Celeb. Miss.) says, the more probable opinion is that which holds that the water is changed into wine, and the wine into blood. Now, this could not be done unless so little water was used that it would be changed into wine. Consequently, it is always safer to add little water, especially if the wine be weak, because the sacrament could not be celebrated if there were such addition of water as to destroy the species of the wine. Hence Pope Julius I reprehends some who "keep throughout the year a linen cloth steeped in must, and at the time of sacrifice wash a part of it with water, and so make the offering."

Reply to Objection 1: For the signification of this sacrament it suffices for the water to be appreciable by sense when it is mixed with the wine: but it is not necessary for it to be sensible after the mingling.

Reply to Objection 2: If no water were added, the signification would be utterly excluded: but when the water is changed into wine, it is signified that the people is incorporated with Christ.

Reply to Objection 3: If water were added to a cask, it would not suffice for the signification of this sacrament, but the water must be added to the wine at the actual celebration of the sacrament.

Articulus 8

Argumentum 1

Ad octavum sic proceditur. Videtur quod debeat aqua in magna quantitate apponi. Sicut enim sanguis de latere christi sensibiliter fluxit, ita et aqua, unde dicitur Ioan. XIX, qui vidit, testimonium perhibuit.

Sed aqua non posset sensibiliter esse in hoc sacramento nisi in magna quantitate poneretur.

Ergo videtur quod aqua debeat apponi in magna quantitate.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, parva aqua multo vino admixta corrumpitur. Quod autem corruptum est, non est. Ergo idem est apponere parum de aqua in hoc sacramento, et nihil apponere. Sed non licet nihil apponere. Ergo non licet parum apponere.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, si sufficeret parum apponere, per consequens esset sufficiens quod gutta aquae in totum dolium proiiceretur.

Sed hoc videtur ridiculum.

Ergo non sufficit quod parva quantitas ponatur.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod extra, de celebrat. Missar., dicitur, perniciosus in tuis partibus inolevit abusus, videlicet quod in maiori quantitate de aqua ponitur in sacrificio quam de vino, cum, secundum rationabilem consuetudinem ecclesiae generalis, plus in ipso sit de vino quam de aqua ponendum.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod circa aquam adiunctam vino, ut innocentius III dicit, in quadam decretali, triplex est opinio.

Quidam enim dicunt quod aqua adiuncta vino per se manet, vino converso in sanguinem.

Sed haec opinio omnino stare non potest. Quia in sacramento altaris, post consecrationem, nihil est nisi corpus et sanguis christi, sicut Ambrosius dicit, in libro de officiis, ante benedictionem alia species nominatur, post benedictionem corpus significatur.

Alioquin non adoraretur veneratione latriae.

Et ideo alii dixerunt quod, sicut vinum convertitur in sanguinem, ita aqua convertitur in aquam quae de latere christi fluxit.

Sed hoc non rationabiliter dici potest. Quia secundum hoc, aqua seorsum consecraretur a vino, sicut vinum a pane.

Et ideo, sicut ipse dicit, aliorum opinio probabilior est, qui dicunt aquam converti in vinum, et vinum in sanguinem.

Hoc autem fieri non posset nisi adeo modicum apponeretur de aqua quod converteretur in vinum. Et ideo semper tutius est parum de aqua apponere, et praecipue si vinum sit debile, quia, si tanta fieret appositio aquae quod solveretur species vini, non posset perfici sacramentum.

Unde Iulius Papa reprehendit quosdam qui pannum lineum musto intinctum per totum annum servant, et in tempore sacrificii aqua partem eius lavant, et sic offerunt.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod sufficit ad significationem huius sacramenti quod sentiatur aqua dum apponitur vino, non autem oportet quod sit sensibilis post mixtionem.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod, si aqua omnino non apponeretur, totaliter excluderetur significatio, sed, cum aqua in vinum convertitur, significatur quod populus christo incorporatur.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod, si aqua apponeretur dolio, non sufficeret ad significationem huius sacramenti, sed oportet aquam vino apponi circa ipsam celebrationem sacramenti.