Concerning the Sacraments · Part 8

1 In this description Probst {Lit. des viert. Jahrh. p. 249) sees a parallel to the order of the prayers in the Roman Canon. In the Gelasian Sacramentary the Sanctus, which corresponds to the "praises," is followed by the prayers Te igitur (a prayer for the Church and Pope) and Memento, domine, a prayer for the congre- gation "who offer this sacrifice of praise." The letter of Pope Innocent I to Decentius (416 a.d. ) shows that at Rome in his time the names of offerers were recited within the Canon. But it is possible that the author of de Sacram. is not observing the strict order and that the prayers referred to are "the prayers of the faithful" earlier in the service. There is no prayer for kings in the Gelasian Canon, but such a prayer is found in the Good Friday prayers (Wilson, Gel. Sacram. p. 76), which are a survival of the "prayers of the faithful."

2 Cf. de Myst. ix. 52 (note).

3 " ut sint quae erant et in aliud commutentur." The words have also been rendered "that they should be what they were and be changed into something else." Thus rendered the words have been interpreted as an assertion by the author of the continued existence, after consecration, of the natures of the bread and wine. The passage was discussed in the Eucharistic controversies of the eleventh and twelfth centuries. Lanfranc and Alger of Liege appear to have interpreted the words in the above sense, but sought to evade the conclusions drawn from them by contending that the words refer to the outward appearances of bread and wine.

ON THE SACRAMENTS in

was not, the sea was not, the earth was not; but hear David saying, He spake, and they were made: he com- manded, and they were created}

1 6. Therefore, that I may answer thee, it was not the body of Christ before consecration; but after consecra- tion, I tell thee, it is now the body of Christ. He spake, and it was made: he commanded, and it was created. Thou thyself didst formerly exist, but thou wrast an old creature; after thou wast consecrated, thou didst begin to be a new creature. Wilt thou know how thou art a new creature? Everyone, it says, in Christ is a new creature.2

17. Hear, then, how the word of Christ is wont to change every creature, and changes, at will, the ordi- nances of nature. In what way? thou askest. Hear; and, first of all, let us take an example from his genera- tion. It is usual that a man is not generated save from a man and a woman and the use of marriage; but

One MS. omits the words altogether. The Roman edition reads tit quae erant in aliud commatentur (" that the things which were should be changed into something else"), and the same reading was known to Lanfranc. The variations in reading reflect the controversial use made of the passage. On the other hand, the translation given in the text, which is supported by Cardinal Perronne, appears to be justified on two grounds: —

(1) The author has in mind the parallel passage in Ambrose, de My st. ix. 52. "The word of Christ could make out of nothing that which was not; cannot it then change the things which are into that which they were not? For to give new natures to things is quite as wonderful as to change their natures" (see notes).

(2) In the present passage the author is arguing that creation out of nothing is an even greater miracle than the conversion of existing things into something else. The greater implies the less. If the word of Christ can effect the one, it can effect the other. The words ut sint are not intended to lay stress on the continued exist- ence of bread and wine as bread and wine, but emphasize the fact that the change effected in them does not involve destruction or a new act of creation. That is probably all that is in the author's mind.

1 Ps. xxxiii. (xxxii. Vulg.), 9. Cf. de Myst. ix. 52.

2 2 Cor. v. 17 (freely quoted).

ii2 THE TREATISE

because the Lord willed it, because he chose this mys- tery,1 Christ was born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin, that is, the mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.2 Thou seest, then, that he was born contrary to the ordinances and course of nature, he was born as man from a virgin.

1 8. Hear another example.3 The people of the Jews were hard pressed by the Egyptians; they were shut in by the sea. At the divine command Moses touched the waters with his rod, and the wave divided, certainly not according to the use of its own nature, but according to the grace of the heavenly command. Hear another.4 The people thirsted, they came to the spring. The spring was bitter; holy Moses cast wood into the spring, and the spring which had been bitter was made sweet, that is, it changed the use of its nature, it received the sweetness of grace. Hear also a fourth example.5 The axe head had fallen into the waters; as iron it sank by its own use. Elisha cast wood; straight- way the iron rose, and swam upon the waters, certainly contrary to the use of iron, for the matter of iron is heavier than the element of water.

19. From all these examples, then, dost thou not understand how effectual is the heavenly word? If the heavenly word was effectual in the earthly spring, if it was effectual in other things, is it not effectual in the heavenly sacraments? Therefore thou hast learnt that what was bread becomes the body of Christ,6 and that wine and water are put into the chalice, but become blood by the consecration of the heavenly word.

1 The mystery (sacramentum) is the Incarnation. Cf. 1 Tim. iii. 16 (T.). For this parallel with the Incarnation see de Myst. ix. 53. 2 1 Tim. ii. 5.

3 Ex. xiv. Cf. for this section de Myst. ix. 51.

4 Ex. xv. 23-25. 5 2 Kings vi. 5-6.

6 ex pane fit corpus CJu-isti. With this section cf. de Myst. ix. 52. '

20. But perhaps thou sayest, " I do not see the appearance1 of blood." But it has the likeness; for as thou hast taken the likeness of the death,2 so also thou drinkest the likeness of the precious blood, that there may be no shrinking from actual blood, and yet the price of redemption may effect its work. Thou hast learnt, therefore, that what thou receivest is the body of Christ.

CHAPTER V

The words with which the priest consecrates the sacrament are quoted, and the sacrament is shown to be a greater gift than that of the manna.

2 1. Wilt thou know that it is consecrated by heavenly words? Hear what the words are. The priest speaks.3 " Make for us," he says, "this oblation approved, ratified, reasonable, acceptable, seeing that it is the figure of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, who4 the day before he suffered took bread in his holy hands, and looked up to heaven to thee, holy Father, almighty, ever- lasting God, and giving thanks, he blessed, brake, and having broken, delivered it to his apostles and to his disciples, saying, Take, and eat ye all of this; for this is my body, which shall be broken for many.

22. Likewise also after supper, the day before he suf- fered, he took the cup, looked up to heaven to thee, holy

1 speciem. Here, as video suggests, it denotes "appearance," as in de Myst. iv. 25. See de Myst. ix. 52 (note). * Rom. vi. 5.

3 On the prayers which follow see Introd. pp. xxx ff., and for the expression "figure of the body... of Christ," p. xxxv.

4 The recital of the institution is a conflation of the four accounts in Mt. xxvi. 26 f.; Mk. xiv. 22 f.; Lk. -xxii. 19 f.; I Cor. xi. 23 f., with additions from the accounts of the feeding of the multi- tude in Mk. vi. 41 ("looked up to heaven") and Mk. viii. 6 ("gave to his disciples"). Both additions are found in the Roman Canon and in several Eastern rites.

H

ii4 THE TREATISE

Father, almighty, everlasting God, and giving thanks, blessed it and delivered it to his apostles and to his disciples, saying, Take, and drink ye all of this; for this is my blood" Observe all those expressions. Those words are the Evangelists' up to Take, whether the body or the blood. After that they are the words of Christ; Take, and drink ye all of this; for this is my blood. And observe them in detail.

23. Who the day before he suffered, he says, in his holy hands took bread. Before it is consecrated, it is bread, but when the words of Christ have been added, it is the body of Christ. Therefore hear him saying: Take and eat ye all of this; for this is my body. And before the words of Christ it is a cup full of wine and water. When the words of Christ have operated then and there it is made to be x the blood of Christ which redeemed the people. Therefore, see in how many ways the word of Christ is mighty to change all things. There the Lord Jesus himself testifies to us that we receive his body and blood. Ought we to doubt of his trustworthiness and testimony?

24. Now come back with me to the point which I set out to prove. It is a great and awful thing that he rained manna on the Jews from heaven. But distin- guish. What is greater, manna from heaven or the body of Christ? Certainly the body of Christ who is the maker of heaven. Then he who ate manna died. Whosoever eats this body shall have remission of sins and shall never die.2

25. Therefore [when thou receivest] 3 it is not super- fluous that thou sayest Amen, already in spirit confessing that thou receivest the body of Christ. The priest says

1 sanguis Christi efficitur.

2 A ref. to Jn. vi. 49, 50.

3 The words in brackets are omitted by some authorities.

to thee, The body of Christ. And thou sayest, Amen, that4s, T hold fast.

that is, True.1 What the tongue confesses let the heart

CHAPTER VI