or stone, which remain entire after the generation of the aforesaid
things. Hence this opinion cannot stand, because it is opposed to
what is manifest to our senses.

And therefore others have said that the substance of the bread and
wine returns during the corruption of the species, and so from the
returning substance of the bread and wine, ashes or worms or
something of the kind are generated. But this explanation seems an
impossible one. First of all, because if the substance of the bread
and wine be converted into the body and blood of Christ, as was shown
above (Q. 75, AA. 2, 4), the substance of the bread and wine cannot
return, except the body and blood of Christ be again changed back
into the substance of bread and wine, which is impossible: thus if
air be turned into fire, the air cannot return without the fire being
again changed into air. But if the substance of bread or wine be
annihilated, it cannot return again, because what lapses into nothing
does not return numerically the same. Unless perchance it be said
that the said substance returns, because God creates anew another new
substance to replace the first. Secondly, this seems to be
impossible, because no time can be assigned when the substance of the
bread returns. For, from what was said above (A. 4; Q. 76, A. 6, ad
3), it is evident that while the species of the bread and wine
remain, there remain also the body and blood of Christ, which are not
present together with the substance of the bread and wine in this
sacrament, according to what was stated above (Q. 75, A. 2). Hence
the substance of the bread and wine cannot return while the
sacramental species remain; nor, again, when these species pass away;
because then the substance of the bread and wine would be without
their proper accidents, which is impossible. Unless perchance it be
said that in the last instant of the corruption of the species there
returns (not, indeed, the substance of bread and wine, because it is
in that very instant that they have the being of the substance
generated from the species, but) the matter of the bread and wine;
which, matter, properly speaking, would be more correctly described
as created anew, than as returning. And in this sense the aforesaid
position might be held.

However, since it does not seem reasonable to say that anything takes
place miraculously in this sacrament, except in virtue of the
consecration itself, which does not imply either creation or ret