Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Sacrament of the Eucharist · Book V: On the Sacrifice of the Mass (First)
Chapter 4: On the Division of Sacrifice
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. IV, De Sacramento Eucharistiae, Book V: On the Sacrifice of the Mass (First Book). The Latin source text is public domain; this English rendering is released with the site. Scripture quotations follow Bellarmine's Vulgate citations, rendered in Douay-Rheims wording where he quotes exactly. Click “Show the Latin” for the original (raw OCR of the scan; scanning errors remain — the scan itself is the authority).
Now a few things must be said of the division. A sacrifice properly so called, then, is wont to be divided in two ways: by reason of the matter, and by reason of the form and end. By reason of the matter it is divided into three kinds: into victims or hosts, immolations, and libations. Victims or hosts are called sacrifices of living things, namely of sheep, goats, oxen, doves, sparrows, and turtledoves: for no other living things could be sacrificed. And although these names are general, yet among the Latins they are derived from those sacrifices which were offered after a victory won over enemies. For victima is called from victoria (victory), and hostia from hostes (enemies), according to that of Ovid, Book 1 of the Fasti: The victim that falls by the victorious right hand is called a victim; from the conquered enemies the host (hostia) has its name.
Immolations are called sacrifices of inanimate but solid things, as of flour, bread, salt, incense: and they were called immolations from mola (meal), or from grinding. Although afterward the word to immolate was derived to every kind of sacrifice: for both in the sacred Scriptures and in profane authors to sacrifice and to immolate are taken for the same. Libations are called sacrifices of liquid things, as of wine and water.
By reason of the form and end it is divided into three kinds: into holocausts, offerings for sin, peace-offerings. Holocausts were offered properly in reverence of the divine Majesty, and therefore were wholly burned, that, resolved into vapor, they might wholly ascend on high, as a sign that whatever we have is God's. Offerings for sin were called those which were offered for the expiation of sin; and these were partly burned, partly eaten by the priests in the holy court itself. And there were many kinds of offerings for sin, for they were varied both for the variety of the sin and for the variety of the persons. For one was offered for perjury, another for other sins; and likewise one for the Pontiff, another for the King, another for the Synagogue, another for private men. Peace-offerings were partly burned, partly eaten by the priests, partly by those who had given them. And there were two species of peace-offerings: for some were offered for a benefit received; some for a benefit to be received, which differed from the former only in this, that these could be eaten even on the morrow, but the former had to be consumed on the very day of the sacrifice.
From which St. Thomas rightly gathers, 1a2ae, question 102, article 3, where he disputes excellently of this whole matter, that the most excellent sacrifice was the holocaust, that the offering for sin obtained the second place of dignity, the third the peace-offering for a benefit received, the last the peace-offering for a benefit to be received. For we are most of all bound to render honor to God on account of His infinite majesty; then secondly on account of the offense committed against Him; thirdly on account of a benefit already received; lastly on account of hoped-for benefits.
He gathers secondly that by those three kinds of sacrifices are signified three states of the faithful. For the holocaust signifies the state of the perfect, who dedicate themselves wholly to the service of God. The peace-offering, the state of those making progress, who give thanks to God for the justification of sins received, and ask perseverance in good: and therefore three parts of that sacrifice are made, one burned to God, another eaten by the priest, the third by the offerer; because perseverance in good is acquired by the grace of God, the ministry of the priests, and also the proper merit of good works. Finally the offering for sin signifies the state of beginners, or penitents, who seek from God the pardon of sins. And because justification from sins cannot be acquired by one's own merits, but by the grace of God alone through the ministry of the priests: therefore one part of that sacrifice is offered to God, another to the priest, none falls to the offerer himself.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT IV. De partitione sacrificii Nunc de partitione pauca dicenda sunt. Sacrificium igitur proprie dictum, duobus modis dividi solet, ratione materiae, et ratio¬ ne formae et finis, ltationac materiae dividitur in tria genera, in victimas, seu hostias, im¬ molationes, et libamenta. Victimae, seu ho¬ stiae dicuntur sacrificia ex animantibus, vide¬ licet ovibus, capris, bobus, columbis, passe¬ ribus, et turturibus : nec enim ulla alia ani¬ mantia sacrificari poterant. Et quamvis haec nomina generalia sint, tamen apud Latinos derivata sunt ab iis sacrificiis, quae offereban¬ tur post victoriam de hostibus reportatam. Victima enim a victoria, et hostia ab hostibus dicta est, juxta illud Ovid. lib. i. Fastorum: Victima qua: cecidit dextra victrice vocatur Hostibus a victis hostia nomen habet. Immolationes dicuntur sacrificia ex rebus inanimis, sed solidis, ut ex farina, pane, sale, thure : dicebantur autem immolationes a mo¬ la, sive a molendo. Quamvis deinde vocabu¬ lum immolandi ad omne genus sacrificii deri¬ vatum sit : nam et in Scripturis sanctis, ct in profanis auctoribus sacrificare, et immolare pro eodem accipiuntur. Libamenta dicuntur sacrificia rerum liquidarum, ut vini, et aquae. Ratione formae, et finis dividitur in tria ge¬ nera, in holocausta, hostias pro peccato, ho¬ stias pacificas. Holocausta offerebantur pro¬ prie in reverentiam divina) Majestatis, et ideo 307 tota cremabantur, ut resoluta in vaporem to¬ ta sursum ascenderent, in signum quod quid¬ quid habemus, Dei est. Hostite pro peccato di¬ cebantur ea), qua) offerebantur pro expiatio¬ ne peccati ; et ha) partim cremabantur, par- tim a sacerdotibus in ipso atrio sancto man¬ ducabantur. Erant autem multa genera hosti¬ arum pro peccato, nam ct variabantur pro varietate peccati, ct pro varietate persona¬ rum. Aliud enim offerebatur pro perjurio, aliud pro aliis peccatis ; ct similiter aliud pro Pontifice, aliud pro Rege, aliud pro Synago¬ ga, aliud pro privatis hominibus. Hostia) pa¬ cifica) partim cremabantur, partim manduca¬ bantur a sacerdotibus, partim ab iis, qui do¬ naverant. Erant autem dua) species pacifico¬ rum : qua)dam enim offerebantur pro benefi¬ cio accepto : qusedam pro beneficio accipien¬ do, qua) in hoc solum differebant a superiori¬ bus, quod ista) poterant etiam in crastino manducari, illa) autem debebant consumi ipso die sacrificii. Ex quo recte colligit S. Thomas 1 . 2. qua)st cn. art. 3. , ubi de tota hac materia egregie disputat, prsestantissimum sacrificium fuisse holocaustum, secundum locum dignitatis ob¬ tinuisse sacrificium pro peccato, tertium sa¬ crificium pacificum pro beneficio accepto, postremum sacrificium pacificum pro bene¬ ficio accipiendo. Maxime enim obligamur Deo honorem deferre ob ipsius infinitam maje¬ statem ; deinde secundo ob offensam in ip¬ sum commissam, tertio ob acceptum jam be¬ neficium, postremo propter sperata benefi¬ cia. Colligit secundo tribus illis generibus sa¬ crificiorum significari tres fidelium status. Nam holocaustum significat statum perfecto¬ rum qui totos se Dei obsequio dedicant. Sa¬ crificium pacificum, statum proficientium, qui Deo gratias agunt pro ncccpta justifica¬ tione peccatorum, et petunt perseverantiam in bono : ct ideo ejus sacrificii fiunt tres par¬ tes, una crematur Deo, altera manducatur a sacerdote, tertia ab offerente ; quia perseve¬ rantia in bono acquiritur gratia Dei, ministe¬ rio sacerdotum, et merito etiam proprio ope¬ rum bonorum. Denique sacrificium pro pec¬ cato, significat statum incipientium, seu.pce- nitentium, qui quscrunt a Deo veniam pecca¬ torum. Et quia justificatio a peccatis non po¬ test acquiri propriis meritis, sed sola Dei gra¬ tia per ministerium sacerdotum : idcirco ejus sacrificii una pars Deo offertur, altera sacer¬ doti, nulla ipsi offerenti cedit. LIBER V. 308