coming upon the Virgin, operated the Conception, and fulfilled the office of generation, it is not to be doubted, that coming upon the Font, or upon those who obtain Baptism, He operates the truth of regeneration." The like argument from the miracle of Cana is used by a writer who in one sentence imitates S. Ambrose, in illustration of the Resurrection of our own bodies. For no one can change "Let us enquire then what sign He worked, in order to declare His Divinity to the people. He is related, as His first miracle, to have changed the water into wine. A great miracle, and enough for us to believe the Majesty of God. For who would not marvel that the elements were translated into other than they were. nature, but the Lord of nature. It must be believed that mortal man can be changed into immortality, in that the vile substance was changed into the precious substance. For this sign contains the whole mystery of the Resurrection. For water, worthless, pale, cold, changed into wine, precious, red, fiery, signifies that the substance of man, mortal in condition, worthless through weakness, pale through death, shall, in the Resurrection, be changed into glory, which is precious through eternity, glowing with glory, kindled with the spirit of immortality. If it is wonderful to have supplied to guests wine which was lacking, how much more to have repaired life which was exhausted! And if it is glorious to change water into wine, how much more glorious to change sins into righteousness, and to temper manners rather than wine !" The writer of another sermon in the same collection, comparing the miracles of the Exodus with Baptism, says: Serm. 8, de Epiph. i. App. S. Ambr. ii. p. 401. 8 "To them water is made solid, to us the flames are cooled, and against the wont of nature the sea is dried up by heat; by the fountain of Baptism, Hell is softened." 9 S. Ephrem compares the miracle of the Holy Eucharist with the miracles of the loaves, and of Cana; yet not as to any physical change, but as to the duration. Our Lord's word, then, produced natural food which satisfied men's wants, and passed away. By His word of consecration, He produced a Food which lasts through all times, in all lands, to all people, unto immortality. "The bread which the First-born brake in the wilderness failed and passed away, though very good. He returned again and broke the New Bread, which ages and generations shall not waste away! The seven loaves, also, that He brake, failed; and the five loaves, too, that He multiplied, were consumed. The bread that He brake exceeded the world's needs; for the more it was divided, the more it multiplied exceedingly. With much wine also He filled the waterpots. They drew it out, yet it failed, though it was abundant. Though of the Cup that He gave the draught was small, very great was its strength, so that there is no stint thereto. A Cup is He that containeth all strong wines, and also a Mystery, in the midst of which He Himself is! The one Bread that He brake hath no bound, and the one Cup that He mingled hath no stint! The wheat that was sown, on the third day came up, and filled the 8 Ib. Serm. 19, p. 415. "On the Nativ. Rhythm 3, p. 19, Oxf. Tr., T. ii. p. 409, Syr. coming upon the Virgin, operated the Conception, and fulfilled the office of generation, it is not to be doubted, that coming upon the Font, or upon those who obtain Baptism, He operates the truth of regeneration." The like argument from the miracle of Cana is used by a writer who in one sentence imitates S. Ambrose, in illustration of the Resurrection of our own bodies. For no one can change "Let us enquire then what sign He worked, in order to declare His Divinity to the people. He is related, as His first miracle, to have changed the water into wine. A great miracle, and enough for us to believe the Majesty of God. For who would not marvel that the elements were translated into other than they were. nature, but the Lord of nature. It must be believed that mortal man can be changed into immortality, in that the vile substance was changed into the precious substance. For this sign contains the whole mystery of the Resurrection. For water, worthless, pale, cold, changed into wine, precious, red, fiery, signifies that the substance of man, mortal in condition, worthless through weakness, pale through death, shall, in the Resurrection, be changed into glory, which is precious through eternity, glowing with glory, kindled with the spirit of immortality. If it is wonderful to have supplied to guests wine which was lacking, how much more to have repaired life which was exhausted! And if it is glorious to change water into wine, how much more glorious to change sins into righteousness, and to temper manners rather than wine! " The writer of another sermon in the same collection, comparing the miracles of the Exodus with Baptism, says: Serm. 8, de Epiph. i. App. S. Ambr. ii. p. 401. 8 "To them water is made solid, to us the flames are cooled, and against the wont of nature the sea is dried up by heat; by the fountain of Baptism, Hell is softened." S. Ephrem compares the miracle of the Holy Eucharist with the miracles of the loaves, and of Cana; yet not as to any physical change, but as to the duration. Our Lord's word, then, produced natural food which satisfied men's wants, and passed away. By His word of consecration, He produced a Food which lasts through all times, in all lands, to all people, unto immortality. "The bread which the First-born brake in the wilderness failed and passed away, though very good. He returned again and broke the New Bread, which ages and generations shall not waste away! The seven loaves, also, that He brake, failed; and the five loaves, too, that He multiplied, were consumed. The bread that He brake exceeded the world's needs; for the more it was divided, the more it multiplied exceedingly. With much wine also He filled the waterpots. They drew it out, yet it failed, though it was abundant. Though of the Cup that He gave the draught was small, very great was its strength, so that there is no stint thereto. A Cup is He that containeth all strong wines, and also a Mystery, in the midst of which He Himself is! The one Bread that He brake hath no bound, and the one Cup that He mingled hath no stint! The wheat that was sown, on the third day came up, and filled the Ib. Serm. 19, p. 415. "On the Nativ. Rhythm 3, p. 19, Oxf. Tr., T. ii. p. 409, Syr. Presence being a matter of faith, there were various opinions as to the remaining of the natural substances. They distinguished between what was matter of faith, and what was matter of opinion; and allowed that the belief, expressed by the English formula, contained all which was matter of faith. Thus Cardinal Henri de Segusio, Bishop of Ostia (Hostiensis), A.D. 1262, mentions three opinions as lawful, and distinguishes from them the fourth as heretical. His authority is well known, and was frequently alleged. He lived after the fourth Lateran Council, at which Pope Innocent III. had published his decree. 8 "Concerning the Body of Christ there are four opinions. One says that that substance which before was bread and wine, afterwards becomes the Body and Blood of Christ'. The second holds that the substance of bread and wine ceases to be, and yet that their accidents remain, i.e. taste and colour and weight, and that under these accidents is the Body of Christ, according to Vincentius; so that the bread should cease to be, and the Body of Christ take its place. If it is inquired what becomes of the substance of bread and wine, they say that it is resolved into its preexisting matter, or is reduced to nothing, which He can do Who made all things of nothing. Some, however, find fault with this, saying, that if any one is clothed in another's garments, he is not therefore said to be changed or to pass into him whose garments he puts on. Yet this seems to be approved of'. The third says that the sub 8 In Decr. T. ii. f. 174, v. de celebr. missa, § ex eo autem. De consecr. Dist. ii. Panis est in altari [c. 55]. Quia corpus [c. 35]. 1 De summâ Trinitate et fide Cath. in Decr. Greg. I. 1, fin. |