BY M. D. TALBOT.
LETTER I. TO THE LORD BISHOP OF EXETER. cont.
They would have assured them, " That not one of the Faithful doubts, that at the hour of the Sacrifice, the Heavens open at the voice of the Priest, and that the Angels are found present at tin's mystery of Jesus Christ, that things the most elevated are united to things the most low, that terrestrial are joined to celestial, and visible to invisible."— (St. Gregory, L. 4, Dial. c. 43.)
They would have taught Protestants also that it is not the faith of the receiver which makes the Sacrament, but the word of Jesus Christ. Faith believes, but the words of Jesus Christ transubstantiate it.
"Christ," says Walafrid Strabo, about the year 860, "in the Supper which, before his betrayal, he had celebrated with his Disciples, after the solemnization of the ancient passover, delivered to the same Disciples the Sacraments of his Body and Blood in the substance of Bread and Wine; and taught them, that they ought to pass from things carnal to things spiritual, from things earthly to things heavenly, from images to truth."—( Walaf. Strabo, de Eel. Eccks. c. xvi.)
"The Lord in the Supper," says Venerable Bede, (Com. in Ps. iii.) about the year 720, " gave to his Disciples the figure of his holy Body and Blood." The learned Author of Faberism Exposed, truly says, " When Venerable Bede called the blessed Eucharist the figure of Christ's body and blood, he spoke only of those sensible appearances of bread and wine being a figure; but never did that learned and holy man teach that the Eucharist itself was a mere figure. If Mr. Faber had acted with common candour, he would have placed the following words of St. Bede by the side of his quotation, and then no doubt could have existed of the belief of that venerable Doctor, (p. 332,) ' Thus his Blood is not shed by the hands of unbelievers to their own destruction, but is received by the mouths of the faithful to their salvation.' " "Sicque sanguis illius non infidelium manibus ad perniciem ipsorum funditur, sed fidelium ore suam sumitur ad salutem." — (S. Bedce, Homil. hiem. de Sanct. in Epiph.) "If Venerable Bede," continues this learned author, "believed the holy Eucharist to be only a figure, he must have said that the figure of Christ's blood was received by the faithful; but he makes no distinction between the blood shed by the Jews, and the blood received by the faithful; both he believed to be real, true, and substantial."— (p. 332.)
As to St. Augustine, will any one presume to say, after reading the following quotation from this great Doctor of the Church, that this illustrious Saint was not a firm believer in, and did not teach the real presence of Christ in the Sacrament, when he said, addressing himself to his young pupils, wishing of course to ground them in the true belief on this great point, "Hoc accipite in pane quod pependit in cruce, Hoc accipite in calice, quod effusum est de latere Christi. erit enim illi mors, non vita, qui mendacem putaverit Christum." — (S. Aug. Serm. ad Neoph.) —"Receive this in the bread, which hung on the Cross. Receive this in the chalice, which was shed out of the side of Christ; it will be death and not life to him who thinks that Christ is a liar."
LETTER I. TO THE LORD BISHOP OF EXETER. cont.
They would have assured them, " That not one of the Faithful doubts, that at the hour of the Sacrifice, the Heavens open at the voice of the Priest, and that the Angels are found present at tin's mystery of Jesus Christ, that things the most elevated are united to things the most low, that terrestrial are joined to celestial, and visible to invisible."— (St. Gregory, L. 4, Dial. c. 43.)
They would have taught Protestants also that it is not the faith of the receiver which makes the Sacrament, but the word of Jesus Christ. Faith believes, but the words of Jesus Christ transubstantiate it.
"Christ," says Walafrid Strabo, about the year 860, "in the Supper which, before his betrayal, he had celebrated with his Disciples, after the solemnization of the ancient passover, delivered to the same Disciples the Sacraments of his Body and Blood in the substance of Bread and Wine; and taught them, that they ought to pass from things carnal to things spiritual, from things earthly to things heavenly, from images to truth."—( Walaf. Strabo, de Eel. Eccks. c. xvi.)
"The Lord in the Supper," says Venerable Bede, (Com. in Ps. iii.) about the year 720, " gave to his Disciples the figure of his holy Body and Blood." The learned Author of Faberism Exposed, truly says, " When Venerable Bede called the blessed Eucharist the figure of Christ's body and blood, he spoke only of those sensible appearances of bread and wine being a figure; but never did that learned and holy man teach that the Eucharist itself was a mere figure. If Mr. Faber had acted with common candour, he would have placed the following words of St. Bede by the side of his quotation, and then no doubt could have existed of the belief of that venerable Doctor, (p. 332,) ' Thus his Blood is not shed by the hands of unbelievers to their own destruction, but is received by the mouths of the faithful to their salvation.' " "Sicque sanguis illius non infidelium manibus ad perniciem ipsorum funditur, sed fidelium ore suam sumitur ad salutem." — (S. Bedce, Homil. hiem. de Sanct. in Epiph.) "If Venerable Bede," continues this learned author, "believed the holy Eucharist to be only a figure, he must have said that the figure of Christ's blood was received by the faithful; but he makes no distinction between the blood shed by the Jews, and the blood received by the faithful; both he believed to be real, true, and substantial."— (p. 332.)
As to St. Augustine, will any one presume to say, after reading the following quotation from this great Doctor of the Church, that this illustrious Saint was not a firm believer in, and did not teach the real presence of Christ in the Sacrament, when he said, addressing himself to his young pupils, wishing of course to ground them in the true belief on this great point, "Hoc accipite in pane quod pependit in cruce, Hoc accipite in calice, quod effusum est de latere Christi. erit enim illi mors, non vita, qui mendacem putaverit Christum." — (S. Aug. Serm. ad Neoph.) —"Receive this in the bread, which hung on the Cross. Receive this in the chalice, which was shed out of the side of Christ; it will be death and not life to him who thinks that Christ is a liar."
