that the church professes her hope of salvation to be founded in Christ alone. "We openly de-. clare," says he, " that we cannot be acceptable to God but in and through Jesus Christ; nor do we apprehend how any other sense can be imputed to our belief, of which our daily petition to God for pardon, through his grace, in the ⚫ name of Jesus Christ, may serve as a proof."* "Art. XVII. I do also profess, that in the mass there is offered unto God, a true, proper, and propitiatory sacrifice for the quick and the dead; and that, in the most holy sacrament of the eucharist, there is truly, really, and substantially the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ; and that there is a conversion made of the whole substance of the bread into the body, and of the whole substance of the wine into the blood; which conversion, the whole Catholic church call Transubstantiation," "This sacrifice was only ordained as a representation of that which was once accomplished on the cross, to perpetuate the memory of it for ever, and to apply unto us the salutary virtue of it for the absolution of those sins which we daily commit.t" * Picart Ceremon. vol. i. p. 260, where the quotations are larger. + Modest and True Account of the chief Points in Controversy, p. 108. The" Catholic Christian" urges, in support of this doctrine, that our church catechism, in answer to the question, What is the inward part or thing signified? says, the body and blood of Christ, which is verily and indeed taken and received by the faithful in the Lord's supper. And the council of Trent, decrees" that, if any one says, that a true and proper sacrifice is not offered up to God at the mass, or that to be offered is any thing else than Jesus Christ given to be eaten, let him be anathema." "Canon III. If any one says, that the sacrifice of the mass is only a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, or a bare memorial of the sacrifice, which was completed upon the cross, and that it is not propitiatory nor prófitable to any but him that receives it, and that it ought not to be offered for the living and for the dead, for their sins, their punishments, their satisfactions, and their other necessities, let him be anathema." "Canon IX. If any one says, that the usage of the church of Rome, to pronounce part of the canon, and the words of consecration, with a low voice, ought to be condemned; or that *Preface to the Catholic Christian. the mass ought only to be celebrated in the vulgar tongue; and that water ought not to be mixed with the wine, which is to be offered in the cup; because it is against the institution of Jesus Christ, let him be anathema." These definitions of faith were followed with a decree to enforce them.* When it is asked, in the Catechism, What is the Catholic doctrine as to the mass? It is answered, The consecration and oblation of the body and blood of Christ, under the sacramental veils or appearances of bread and wine, wherein is offered a true, proper, and propitiatory sacrifice for the living and the dead.† The church of Rome declares, that, upon the priest's pronouncing these words, Hoc est corpus meum, the bread and wine in the eucharist are transubstantiated into the natural body and blood of Christ, the species or accidents only of the bread and wine remaining, and has made it an article to be believed under an anathema.‡ That in the sacrifice of the mass, Christ is * Dupin's Eccles. Hist. of the Sixteenth Century, b. iv. ch. xviii. + Grounds of the Catholic Doctrine, p. 31. Concil. Trident. Sess. 13, de Real. Pres. offered as often as that is celebrated; and that, though therein he be unbloodily offered, yet it is a true propitiatory sacrifice for the sins both of the living and dead, and denounces the person accursed that denies any part of this.* Solitary masses, wherein the priest communicates alone, are approved and commended, and whosoever saith they are unlawful, and ought to be abrogated, is accursed. † "Art. XVIII. And I believe, that under one kind only, whole and entire, Christ is taken and received." Bread and wine, after consecration, are turned into the substance of Christ's body and blood, without changing the species.-And the people are forbidden to receive the sacrament in both kinds.‡ The council of Constance decreed, that Christ did institute this sacrament in both kinds, and that the faithful in the primitive church did receive in both kinds: yet, that the practice of receiving in one kind was highly reasonable, they appointed the continuance of consecration * Conc. Trident. Sess. 22. cap. 1. +Ibid. can. viii. Conc. Trident. Sess. 13. in both kinds, and of giving to the laity only in one kind, since Christ was entire, and truly under one kind.* And they assigned these further reasons, lest the blood of Christ should be spilt-lest the wine kept for the sick should fret -lest wine may not always be had-or lest some may not be able to bear the smell or taste. Let their own words testify for them:† "In the name of the holy and undivided Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Amen. This present sacred, general council, declares, decrees, and determines, that, although Christ instituted and administered to his disciples this venerable sacrament after supper, under both kinds of bread and wine, yet this, notwithstanding the laudable authority of sacred canons, and the approved custom of the church, hath maintained, and doth maintain, that such a sacrament as this ought not to be made after supper, nor to be received by the faithful otherwise than fasting, excepting in case of infirmity, or other necessity granted or admitted by law, or by the church and since, for avoiding some dangers and scandals, the custom has been rationally introduced, that though this sacrament was in the primitive church received by the faithful * Conc. Constan. Sess. 13, held A. D. 1414. |