Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It seems that nothing can be generated from the sacramental species: because, whatever is generated, is generated out of some matter: for nothing is generated out of nothing, although by creation something is made out of nothing. But there is no matter underlying the sacramental species except that of Christ's body, and that body is incorruptible. Therefore it seems that nothing can be generated from the sacramental species.

Objection 2: Further, things which are not of the same genus cannot spring from one another: thus a line is not made of whiteness. But accident and substance differ generically. Therefore, since the sacramental species are accidents, it seems that no substance can be generated from them.

Objection 3: Further, if any corporeal substance be generated from them, such substance will not be without accident. Therefore, if any corporeal substance be generated from the sacramental species, then substance and accident would be generated from accident, namely, two things from one, which is impossible. Consequently, it is impossible for any corporeal substance to be generated out of the sacramental species.

On the contrary, The senses are witness that something is generated out of the sacramental species, either ashes, if they be burned, worms if they putrefy, or dust if they be crushed.

I answer that, Since "the corruption of one thing is the generation of another" (De Gener. i), something must be generated necessarily from the sacramental species if they be corrupted, as stated above (Article 4); for they are not corrupted in such a way that they disappear altogether, as if reduced to nothing; on the contrary, something sensible manifestly succeeds to them.

Nevertheless, it is difficult to see how anything can be generated from them. For it is quite evident that nothing is generated out of the body and blood of Christ which are truly there, because these are incorruptible. But if the substance, or even the matter, of the bread and wine were to remain in this sacrament, then, as some have maintained, it would be easy to account for this sensible object which succeeds to them. But that supposition is false, as was stated above (Question 75, Articles 2,4,8).

Hence it is that others have said that the things generated have not sprung from the sacramental species, but from the surrounding atmosphere. But this can be shown in many ways to be impossible. In the first place, because when a thing is generated from another, the latter at first appears changed and corrupted; whereas no alteration or corruption appeared previously in the adjacent atmosphere; hence the worms or ashes are not generated therefrom. Secondly, because the nature of the atmosphere is not such as to permit of such things being generated by such alterations. Thirdly, because it is possible for many consecrated hosts to be burned or putrefied; nor would it be possible for an earthen body, large enough to be generated from the atmosphere, unless a great and, in fact, exceedingly sensible condensation of the atmosphere took place. Fourthly, because the same thing can happen to the solid bodies surrounding them, such as iron or stone, which remain entire after the generation of the aforesaid things. Hence this opinion cannot stand, because it is opposed to what is manifest to our senses.

And therefore others have said that the substance of the bread and wine returns during the corruption of the species, and so from the returning substance of the bread and wine, ashes or worms or something of the kind are generated. But this explanation seems an impossible one. First of all, because if the substance of the bread and wine be converted into the body and blood of Christ, as was shown above (Question 75, Articles 2,4), the substance of the bread and wine cannot return, except the body and blood of Christ be again changed back into the substance of bread and wine, which is impossible: thus if air be turned into fire, the air cannot return without the fire being again changed into air. But if the substance of bread or wine be annihilated, it cannot return again, because what lapses into nothing does not return numerically the same. Unless perchance it be said that the said substance returns, because God creates anew another new substance to replace the first. Secondly, this seems to be impossible, because no time can be assigned when the substance of the bread returns. For, from what was said above (Article 4; Question 76, Article 6, ad 3), it is evident that while the species of the bread and wine remain, there remain also the body and blood of Christ, which are not present together with the substance of the bread and wine in this sacrament, according to what was stated above (Question 75, Article 2). Hence the substance of the bread and wine cannot return while the sacramental species remain; nor, again, when these species pass away; because then the substance of the bread and wine would be without their proper accidents, which is impossible. Unless perchance it be said that in the last instant of the corruption of the species there returns (not, indeed, the substance of bread and wine, because it is in that very instant that they have the being of the substance generated from the species, but) the matter of the bread and wine; which, matter, properly speaking, would be more correctly described as created anew, than as returning. And in this sense the aforesaid position might be held.

However, since it does not seem reasonable to say that anything takes place miraculously in this sacrament, except in virtue of the consecration itself, which does not imply either creation or return of matter, it seems better to say that in the actual consecration it is miraculously bestowed on the dimensive quantity of the bread and wine to be the subject of subsequent forms. Now this is proper to matter; and therefore as a consequence everything which goes with matter is bestowed on dimensive quantity; and therefore everything which could be generated from the matter of bread or wine, if it were present, can be generated from the aforesaid dimensive quantity of the bread or wine, not, indeed, by a new miracle, but by virtue of the miracle which has already taken place.

Reply to Objection 1: Although no matter is there out of which a thing may be generated, nevertheless dimensive quantity supplies the place of matter, as stated above.

Reply to Objection 2: Those sacramental species are indeed accidents, yet they have the act and power of substance, as stated above (Article 3).

Reply to Objection 3: The dimensive quantity of the bread and wine retains its own nature, and receives miraculously the power and property of substance; and therefore it can pass to both, that is, into substance and dimension.

Articulus 5

Argumentum 1

Ad quintum sic proceditur. Videtur quod ex speciebus sacramentalibus nihil possit generari. Omne enim quod generatur, ex aliqua materia generatur, ex nihilo enim nihil generatur, quamvis ex nihilo fiat aliquid per creationem. Sed speciebus sacramentalibus non subest aliqua materia nisi corporis christi, quod est incorruptibile. Ergo videtur quod ex speciebus sacramentalibus nihil possit generari.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, ea quae non sunt unius generis, non possunt ex invicem fieri, non enim ex albedine fit linea. Sed accidens et substantia differunt genere. Cum ergo species sacramentales sint accidentia, videtur quod ex eis non possit aliqua substantia generari.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, si ex eis generatur aliqua substantia corporea, non erit sine accidente. Si ergo ex speciebus sacramentalibus generatur aliqua substantia corporea, oportet quod ex accidente generetur substantia et accidens, duo scilicet ex uno, quod est impossibile.

Ergo impossibile est quod ex speciebus sacramentalibus aliqua substantia corporea generetur.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod ad sensum videri potest ex speciebus sacramentalibus aliquid generari, vel cinerem, si comburantur; vel vermes, si putrefiant; vel pulverem, si conterantur.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod, cum corruptio unius sit generatio alterius, ut dicitur in I de generat., necesse est quod ex speciebus sacramentalibus aliquid generetur, cum corrumpantur, ut dictum est.

Non enim sic corrumpuntur ut omnino dispareant, quasi in nihilum redigantur, sed manifeste aliquid sensibile eis succedit. Quomodo autem ex eis aliquid generari possit, difficile est videre. Manifestum est enim quod ex corpore et sanguine christi, quae ibi veraciter sunt, non generatur aliquid, cum sint incorruptibilia. Si autem substantia panis aut vini remaneret in hoc sacramento, vel eorum materia, facile esset assignare quod ex eis generatur illud sensibile quod succedit, ut quidam posuerunt.

Sed hoc est falsum, ut supra habitum est.

Et ideo quidam dixerunt quod ea quae generantur, non fiunt ex speciebus sacramentalibus, sed ex aere circumstante.

Quod quidem multipliciter apparet esse impossibile. Primo quidem, quia ex eo generatur aliquid quod prius alteratum et corruptum apparet. Nulla autem alteratio et corruptio prius apparuit in aere circumstante. Unde ex eo vermes aut cineres non generantur. Secundo, quia natura aeris non est talis quod ex eo per tales alterationes talia generentur. Tertio, quia potest contingere in magna quantitate hostias consecratas comburi vel putrefieri, nec esset possibile tantum de corpore terreo ex aere generari, nisi magna et etiam valde sensibili inspissatione aeris facta. Quarto, quia idem potest accidere corporibus solidis circumstantibus, puta ferro aut lapidibus, quae integra remanent post praedictorum generationem. Unde haec positio stare non potest, quia contrariatur ei quod ad sensum apparet.

Et ideo alii dixerunt quod redit substantia panis et vini in ipsa corruptione specierum, et sic ex substantia panis et vini redeunte generantur cineres aut vermes aut aliquid huiusmodi.

Sed haec positio non videtur esse possibilis. Primo quidem quia, si substantia panis et vini conversa est in corpus et sanguinem, ut supra habitum est, non potest substantia panis vel vini redire nisi corpore aut sanguine christi iterum converso in substantiam panis et vini, quod est impossibile, sicut, si aer sit conversus in ignem, non potest aer redire nisi iterum ignis convertatur in aerem. Si vero substantia panis aut vini sit annihilata, non potest iterum redire, quia quod in nihilum decidit, non redit idem numero, nisi forte dicatur redire praedicta substantia, quia deus de novo creat novam substantiam loco primae.

Secundo videtur hoc esse impossibile, quia non est dare quando substantia panis redeat.

Manifestum est enim ex supra dictis quod, manentibus speciebus panis et vini, manet corpus et sanguis christi, quae non sunt simul cum substantia panis et vini in hoc sacramento, secundum praehabita.

Unde substantia panis et vini non potest redire, speciebus sacramentalibus manentibus.

Similiter etiam nec eis cessantibus, quia iam substantia panis et vini esset sine propriis accidentibus, quod est impossibile.

Nisi forte dicatur quod in ipso ultimo instanti corruptionis specierum redit, non quidem substantia panis et vini, quia illud idem instans est in quo primo habent esse substantiae generatae ex speciebus, sed materia panis et vini magis quasi de novo creata diceretur quam rediens, proprie loquendo. Et secundum hoc, posset sustineri praedicta positio.

Verum, quia non rationabiliter videtur dici quod miraculose aliquid accidit in hoc sacramento nisi ex ipsa consecratione, ex qua non est quod materia creetur vel redeat; melius videtur dicendum quod in ipsa consecratione miraculose datur quantitati dimensivae panis et vini quod sit primum subiectum subsequentium formarum. Hoc autem est proprium materiae. Et ideo ex consequenti datur praedictae quantitati dimensivae omne id quod ad materiam pertinet. Et ideo quidquid posset generari ex materia panis si esset, totum potest generari ex praedicta quantitate dimensiva panis vel vini, non quidem novo miraculo, sed ex VI miraculi prius facti.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod, quamvis non sit ibi materia ex qua aliquid generetur, quantitas tamen dimensiva supplet vicem materiae, ut dictum est.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod illae species sacramentales sunt quidem accidentia, habent tamen actum et vim substantiae, ut dictum est.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod quantitas dimensiva panis et vini et retinet naturam propriam, et accipit miraculose vim et proprietatem substantiae. Et ideo potest transire in utrumque, idest in substantiam et dimensionem.