s purpose. On the other
hand, it is wanting in the Supper prayers of the Didache, unless c. 9. 2
be regarded as an allusion to it.]

[Footnote 290: The designation [Greek: thusia] is first found in the
Didache, c. 14.]

[Footnote 291: The Supper was regarded as a "Sacrament" in so far as a
blessing was represented in its holy food. The conception of the nature
of this blessing as set forth in John VI. 27-58, appears to have been
the most common. It may be traced back to Ignatius, ad Eph. 20.2:
[Greek: hena arton klontes hos estin pharmakon athanasias, antidotos tou
me apothanein alla zen en Iesou Christou dia pantos]. Cf Didache, 10.3:
[Greek: hemin echariso pneumatiken trophen kai poton kai zoen aionion],
also 10.21: [Greek: eucharistoumen soi huper tes gnoseos kai pisteos kai
athanasias]. Justin Apol. 1. 66: [Greek: ek tes trophes tautes haima kai
sarkes kata metabolen trephontai hemon kata metabolen] that is, the
holy food, like all nourishment, is completely transformed into our
flesh; but what Justin has in view here is most probably the body of the
resurrection. The expression, as the context shews, is chosen for the
sake of the parallel to the incarnation). Iren. IV. 18. 5; V. 2. 2 f. As
to how the elements are related to the body and blood of Christ,
Ignatius seems to have expressed himself in a strictly realistic way in
several passages, especially ad. Smyr. 7-1: [Greek: eucharistias kai
proseuches apechontai dia to me homologein, ten eucharistian sarka einai
tou soteros hemon Iesou Christou, ten huper ton hamartion hemon
pathousan]. But many passages shew that Ignatius was far from such a
conception, and rather thought as John did. In Trall. 8, faith is
described as the flesh, and love as the blood of Christ; in Rom. 7, in
one breath the flesh of Christ is called the bread of God, and the blood
[Greek: agape aphthartos]. In Philad. 1, we read: [Greek: haima I. Chr.
hetis estin chara aionios kai paramonos]. In Philad. 5, the Gospel is
called the flesh of Christ, etc. Hoefling is therefore right in saying
(Lehre v. Opfer, p. 39): "The Eucharist is to Ignatius [Greek: sarx] of
Christ, as a visible Gospel, a kind of Divine institution attesting the
content of [Greek: pistis], viz., belief in the [Greek: sarx pathousa],
an institution which is at the same time, to the community, a means of
representing and preserving its unity in this belief." On the other
hand, it cannot be mistaken that Justin (Apol. I. 66) pres