LECTURE LXXII.

Q. What is the inward part or thing signified ?

A. The Body and Blood of Christ which are verily and. indeed taken and received by the faithful in the Lord's Supper.

Some further explanation of the manner of Christ's presence in the Lord's Supper seems necessary. And, first, let me distinctly repeat, that the bread and wine are not changed into the body and blood of Christ, even after they have been consecrated. This, as you have just heard, is the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church, and it is called Transubstantiation. Now, it is evident to any one's senses that the bread and wine remain unchanged in substance: they are the same after the priest has blessed them as they were before. Not that I reject the doctrine of Transubstantiation, simply because it contradicts my senses, because I know by the taste (I would wish to speak with all possible reverence upon this greatest of mysteries) that the sacramental elements are still bread and wine. This alone, I conceive, is not sufficient reason for disbelieving any doctrine. But I reject it, because it

was not taught, and not even heard of, in the early Universal Church for many centuries. Had the doctrine of Christ's bodily presence in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper been at all times, and in all places of Christendom holden and believed, no member of the church, it seems to me, would have been justified in rejecting it, simply because it contradicted his senses. The belief of it might, perhaps, have been a trial of faith to persons of weak minds; yet the acceptance of it would not have betrayed a spirit of credulity, but rather have been a sign of dutiful submission to the teaching of the church. Now while, upon this ground, we altogether reject the doctrine of Christ's bodily presence in the Eucharist, namely, because it was never taught in the Universal Church, upon this very same ground we are bound to believe the doctrine of Christ's real presence. Our Church holds it, as is evident from the answer in the Catechism to which our attention has now been confined. And any one, who knows any thing of the history of the Prayer Book, and more especially of the Communion Service as it now stands, will admit that she has been desirous to teach this particular point to her sons and daughters. But, perhaps, it may be asked, Is there any difference between the doctrine of Christ's bodily presence in the Lord's Supper, as believed by the Romish Church, and the doctrine of His real presence, as believed by the English Church? To such

inquiry I would answer, There is a very great difference between the two doctrines. For the former implies that Christ is present in this sacrament with the very same body in which He went about Judæa, during the days of His earthly ministry. But the latter signifies that He is really, though spiritually present. Just as the living and dead are present with us in different ways. The former we may see face to face and handle; the latter are also present, though they have passed out of sight into the unseen world. Hitherto, however, I have stated but one half. Christ is really present to the faithful only. His body and blood are verily and indeed taken and faithful only in the Lord's Supper.

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received by the

For, if with a

we receive that

true penitent heart and lively faith, holy sacrament, then we spiritually eat the flesh of Christ, and drink his blood." This is the language of the Church, and nothing can more plainly show her mind upon this important point. I must not omit, however, all mention of the twenty-ninth article, as it immediately relates to the subject before us. "The wicked and such as be void of a lively faith, although they do carnally and visibly press with their teeth (as Saint Augustine saith) the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, yet in no wise are they partakers of Christ but rather, to their condemnation, do eat and drink the sign or sacrament of so great a thing." Here the necessity of a lively faith, in order to the worthy

receiving of the Holy Communion, is most strongly insisted upon. Again and again, would I repeat, with emphatic distinctness and without reserve, that the faithful receiver alone will derive any benefit and blessing from coming to the sacred table. To him, and none other, is Christ there really present; to him only does He say, by the mouth of His minister, Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you; eat and drink in remembrance of my death for you, and feed on Me in your heart by faith with thanksgiving. And for this reason we are first bidden to draw near with faith, a lively faith in God's mercy through Christ. Otherwise, we receive not the communion of the body and blood of Christ; we only eat and drink our own damnation. And the mention of this expression induces me once more to explain it, with the hope of removing a dangerous snare and stumbling-block; as many persons are deterred from becoming regular communicants through a mistaken apprehension of its real meaning. The expression is taken from St. Paul's first Epistle to the Corinthians, where he is rebuking them for certain irregularities in their manner of receiving the Lord's Supper. And he thus charges them; "Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body." Now the Greek word, which is here translated "dam

nation," means judgment; and the Apostle intends to say that by going to the Lord's Supper unworthily, without due preparation and reverence, we shall provoke God to visit us with some heavy judgment, some personal chastisement and severe visitation. And for this cause, he continues, many are weak and sickly among you; many have been punished with bodily sickness and infirmity for their impiety in regarding the Lord's Supper as an ordinary meal; and many, he adds, sleep; that is, many, for their greater sin, have been visited with death. It thus appears that the word "damnation" in no way alludes to the future and eternal condemnation of the soul in Hell hereafter. It plainly refers to present judgment visited upon us by God for our unhallowed profanation of His sacred mysteries. And let ne ask you to consider with yourselves for an instant, whether you are not just as likely to provoke such Divine judgment against you by altogether turning your backs upon the holy communion as by coming to it unworthily? I do not wish to weigh the one sin against the other; but I wish to press this point upon you that it is a very grievous sin, a very grievous injury to yourselves, never to partake of the communion of the body and blood of Christ. And I pray God, for His sake, to awaken you to a better and more holy frame of mind upon this particular part of your christian duty!