Irenaeus, in Against Heresies 4.18.15, wrote the following:
Then, again, how can they say that the flesh,
which is nourished with the body of the Lord and with His blood, goes to
corruption, and does not partake of life? Let them, therefore, either alter
their opinion, or cease from offering the things just mentioned. But our
opinion is in accordance with the Eucharist, and the Eucharist in turn
establishes our opinion. For we offer to Him His own, announcing consistently
the fellowship and union of the flesh and Spirit. For as the bread, which is
produced from the earth, when it receives the invocation of God, is no longer
common bread, but the Eucharist, consisting of two realities, earthly and
heavenly; so also our bodies, when they receive the Eucharist, are no longer
corruptible, having the hope of the resurrection to eternity.
Here is the Greek of the
text I emphasized in bold above:
Ός γάρ απο γής άρτος
προσλαμβανόμενος τήν Εκκλησιν τού Θεού, ούχέτι ποινός άρτοςέστιν,
μεταλαμβάνοντα αλλ' εδχαριστία, έκ δύο πραγμάτων συνεστηχυζα, επγείου τε καί
ούρανίου· ούτω κάι τά σώματα ή μών της ευχαριστίας, μηχέτι είνει φθαρτά, την
ελπίδα της είς αίώνας άναστά- σεως έχοντα. (PG
7(part 1):1028-29)
One sees that, even
after the “essential form” “(“this is my body”) of the sacrament is said by the
priest/bishop, there remains the “reality” of bread. This is antithetical to
Catholic dogma, wherein the substance (“reality”) of bread no longer exists
after the invocation. Note also that Irenaeus makes it clear that the “two realities”
consist of actual bread and Christ’s body, not gifts of thanks/bread and
Christ’s actual body. This is seen by the fact that Irenaeus speaks of the “bread
which is produced from the earth,” thus the Eucharist, after the “essential
form” is uttered by the priest, remains bread which is produced from the earth,
and Jesus’ body which is Heavenly.
Irenaeus’ view is
more at home with the Lutheran “consubstantiation” view than the Roman Catholic
view, dogmatized at Fourth Lateran (1215).
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