The Catholic Doctrine Of The Eucharist. Part 19.

BY M. D. TALBOT.

LETTER I. TO THE LORD BISHOP OF EXETER. cont.

I shall now again call your Lordship's attention to the miracles which the Fathers (who are acknowledged by Protestants to be the witnesses of the truth) speak of when they compare the conversion of the Bread and of the Wine into the Body and into the Blood of Jesus Christ, to the Incarnation, which is the greatest of all miracles. "Let us make use of examples, say they, as drawn from the thing itself. Let us establish the truth of this mystery by that of the Incarnation. Was the order of nature followed when our Saviour was born of Mary ? It is clear that it was contrary to the order of nature that a virgin should conceive, (prœter naturæ ordinem,) and this body which we make is born of the Virgin, (et hoc quod conficimus corpus ex Virgine est.) Why do you seek the order of nature in the body of Christ, when the Lord himself was born of a Virgin contrary to the order of nature? 1 Most certainly it was the true flesh which was crucified and buried; it is truly the sacrament of this flesh. Our Lord Jesus Christ himself said, This is my Body. Before the benediction of the heavenly words it is named species, hut after the consecration it is called the Body of Jesus Christ. He himself says it is his Blood. Before the consecration it is otherwise named, after the consecration it is called Blood; and thou answerest, Amen, that is to say, it is true; that which the mouth pronounces, the soul confesses ; that which the words express, the heart believes."— (St. Ambros. de Initiand. c. 9.)

1 St. Augustine one day while contemplating on the sea shore the mysteries of the Godhead, an angel appeared to him and said, " As well might you attempt to fathom the ocean as to understand the mysteries connected therewith."