His Body present Sacramentally and Spiritually. 53 Alensis says, that "Christ, we understand that the Body according to His Human of Christ is here, according Nature is locally in heaven, to the mode proper to this personally in the Word, sa- Sacrament." And again, cramentally on the Altar." he speaks of " the 5 presence He allows also that "these 2 of the Body of Christ, as it two things must be con- is spiritually, i. e. invisibly, ceded, that Christ as cir- and by the virtue of His cumscribed or locally, is Spirit," which he contrasts contained in heaven; He with the way in which "it is is not contained, as circum- present by the mode of a scribed or locally under the body, i. e. in its visible Sacrament." And Aquinas form." But this Presence, allows the other argument which is not circumscribed, of the Rubric, "No body not local, not after the mode can be in several places at of a body, but spiritual only once; this does not belong and Sacramental, is, so far, even to an angel; for by the no other than our Divines same reason it might be have contended for. The every where. But the Body Council of Trent itself (as I of Christ is a true body, and said) asserts, that "our Sais in heaven." His answer viour Himself always sits is, "That the Body of on the Right Hand of the Christ is not in that manner Father, according to the nain this Sacrament, as a body tural mode of being," and in place, which in its dimen- asserts only that " He is sasions is commensurate with cramentally present with us place; but in a certain spe- in many other places with cial manner, proper to this His substance, in that manSacrament. Whence we say ner of being, which although that the Body of Christ is we can scarcely express in on different altars, not as in words, we can still, with different places, but as in thought enlightened by faith the Sacrament. Whereby attain, as possible to God, we do not mean that Christ and ought most firmly to beis there only as in a sign, lieve." Would that they although the Sacrament is had left it thus not expressin the nature of a sign; but ed by words, and that both 6 1 De Sacr. Euch. qu. 10. memb. 7. art. 3. § 7. 2 Ib. Resol. p. 358. 4 Ib. ad 3. 5 Ib. ad 4. 3 p. 3. q. 75. art. 1. n. 3. 54 Christ, being present, might have received with than those of St. Chrysosreverence the ineffable Pre- tom, which are adduced consence of our Lord, to be troversially, imply any local our Food, and thus "to adoration; I had no such dwell in us and we in Him, thought in my mind. But, be one with us and we with believing that He was then Him," without defining the in an especial manner premode! sent, I could not but think It was in this way that I that we knelt, not only as thought of the Adoration of receiving so great a Gift, but our Lord in the Holy Eu- in reverence for His Precharist, in the words which sence. "Think," says St. I have quoted, not as con- Chrysostom, "with what fined or contained in place, honour thou hast been homuch less so as to involve noured, what Table thou any worship of the conse- enjoyest. What the angels crated elements. But be- tremble when they behold, lieving Him to be present, I and do not even dare fearbelieved, with the Ancient lessly to gaze on, on account Church, that He was to be of the flash of brightness adored as Present. It is the streaming forth thence; with well-known saying of St. This are we nourished, with Augustine, “No one eateth This are we commingled, and that flesh, unless he have become the one body and first adored 7.” "The rich one flesh of Christ." also have adored the body of the humility of their Lord; they are not, like the poor, satisfied, so as to imi- "The second is an act tate Him, yet they have wor- of adoration and reverence, shipped." I cannot think when he looks upon that that these words, any more good hand, that hath conse Let me quote the words of three unsuspected writers in our Church: 7 In Ps. xcviii. § 9. Roman Catholic controversialists supply "adored it." But St. Augustine is simply interpreting the words of Psalm xxii. 26. 29 of the Holy Eucharist. "The poor shall eat and be satisfied." 66 All such as be fat upon earth have eaten and worshipped." There is no ground to supply "It," in St. Augustine's words, since it may not be supplied in the Psalm itself, which St. Augustine is explaining. 8 On Ps. xxi. Enarr. I. 9 In S. Matt. Hom. 82 (al. 83) § 5. 1 Dr. Brevint, quoted in the Bishop of Oxford's Eucharistica, p. is to be adored, as present. 55 ..... crated for the use of the hath consecrated them to, I Church, the memorial of will not fail to remember my these great things. Since, Saviour, whom these Sacraby the special appointment ments do represent." of my God, these representa"If 2 Christ be in a spetives are brought in hither cial and mysterious manner for this Church, and among present in these holy mysthe rest for me, I must mind teries,' as the infinite majowhat Israel did when the rity of Christians have at cloud filled the tabernacle. all times firmly and ferI will not fail to worship vently believed, according God as soon as these sacra- to the more simple and unments and Gospel-clouds ap-restrained interpretation of pear in the sanctuary. Nei- Holy Scripture; the truly ther the ark, nor any clouds, religious man cannot but be were ever adored in Israel, profoundly impressed with but sure it is, the ark was sentiments of awe and veneconsidered quite otherwise ration in the more immedithan an ordinary chest, and ate Presence of the Divine the cloud than a vapour, as Saviour of the world. He soon as God had hallowed will feel with the patriarch: them to be the signs of His How dreadful is this place! Presence. Therefore, as the 'this is none other but the former people did never see house of God, and this is the temple or the cloud, but the gate of heaven.' Nor that presently at that sight will he need the voice of they used to throw them- God to say: 'Put off thy selves on their faces, so I shoes from thy feet: for the will never behold these bet- place whereon thou standter and surer Sacraments of est is holy ground.' Now the glorious mercies of God, there is every reason to bebut as soon as I see them lieve, that of those who inused in the Church to that tended their worship at the holy purpose that Christ elevation 3 to be directed to 2 Palmer's Treatise on the Church, vol. i. p. 314. 3 Mr. Palmer is vindicating the Church of Rome as a Church, from the charge of idolatry founded on the elevation of the Host. I have quoted these words in Illustration only, how he conceives that adoration at the sacrament may be simply directed" to Christ Himself." This is, of course, quite unconnected with the practice of the elevation, which is not here in question. 56 Bp. Andrewes, Christ present to be adored. Christ, as more immediately term substantial as equivaPresent in the Holy Eucha- lent to material or natural, rist; many directed it sim- and not referring to any ply to Christ Himself, and metaphysical sense which not to the external part of may be given to it. But, the Sacrament, whether sub- secondly, our Lord's Body stance or species." and Blood, though not ma The third, one of our terially, are yet truly and greatest names, Bishop An- really present in the consedrewes, I will give as quoted crated elements. They are by Archdeacon Wilberforce, not present in place or by from whom I take it. I give outline, as though His Body the introductory words as were a mere body, but by fully as I can here, although, reason of those spiritual proto do him justice, the whole perties, which render His context ought to be studied. Flesh worоiós, as S. Cyril "In respect, then, to the expresses it, and which betwo points which have been long to it, because it is oμa especial subjects of discus- TVενμATIKÓν. So that, withsion, it may be said, first, out adoring the elements, or that the Presence of our recognising any corporal Lord's Body and Blood is presence of Christ, men may not a material presence; fully concur in the words of that, so far as Christ's Body Bishop Andrewes: 'Nos 4 is a fitting object for the vero, et in mysteriis Carnem senses, or a natural body, it Christi adoramus, cum Amis in Heaven. This is un- brosio : et non id sed eum, derstood to be the truth qui super altare colitur. Nec asserted by the Church of Carnem manducamus, quin England, when she denies adoremus prius cum Augusthe doctrine of Transub- tino. . . Et sacramentum stantiation; she is using the tamen nulli adoramus.' .... 4 Responsio ad Apol. Bellarm. p. 195. Bishop Andrewes had said just before," Christ Himself the Substance [res] of the Sacrament, in and with the Sacrament, out of and without the Sacrament, is wherever He is, to be adored. But the king [James, whom he was defending] laid down that Christ truly present in the Eucharist, is also truly to be adored, i. e. the substance of the Sacrament; but not the Sacrament, i. e. the earthly part, as Irenæus; the visible, as Augustine." Roman Catholic books largely used in English Church, 57 IV. " By your introduction of Roman Catholic books adapted to the use of our Church." On this subject I recollect plan of the same kind on that your Lordship made foot to publish similar works observations in a charge unadapted. Those who had some years ago, although I formed it made way for recollect (but I forget on mine, and abandoned their what ground) that I thought own 5. In early days, I had that your observations re-seen Massillon, Bourdaloue, lated to one in your Lord- Fléchier, admitted into priship's Diocese, rather than vate gentlemen's libraries; to myself. I may own, and Dean Stanhope's "adapperhaps, that I thought that tation" of Parson's Direcyour Lordship was hardly tory, as well as of Thomas à acquainted with the class of Kempis, were among our minds for whom those books household books of devowere intended, as I, from tional reading. Part of the circumstances, was; and " Spiritual Combat ” had that you could not know to been translated and "adapthow great an extent Roman ed" to our use by an earlier Catholic books of devotion, and well-known author, Dr. morals, religious biography, Lucas. on the spiritual life, doc- There was a craving awaktrine, and, perhaps, more ened which could not be than all, controversy, are supplied at once; and if it circulated among our people. was left unsupplied, would At the very time that I was supply itself in works, in preparing my plan for the which, combined with so publication of translated much which is good and books, "adapted for the use holy, devout and instructive, of the English Church," I there were other elements, heard that there was another which, as an English 5 Surin's 'Foundations of a Spiritual Life" came in this way into my hands. I should hardly have ventured, upon my own responsibility, to publish a book aiming at such total self-abnegation. |