Page:Delineation of Roman Catholicism.djvu/255

 ol  sense, is crowded with innumerable diflJculties; ands to avoid the shadow of misrepresentation, we will quote their acknowledged stand- ards on this point. Indeed, most readers would put us down for being gul of slander were we to give the doctTie of the Church of Rome on this point in our own words; as it would be incredible, were we to judge *om all analogies 04' human errors and heresies, that any bedy. of' men could Possibly hold such glaring contradictions. The Council of' Trent, as quoted before, (sen. xiii, can. 2,) says "that the species of' brea. d and wine only. remain in the sacrament, be- cause the substance is changed into the body, and blood of' Christ." The authors of' the Roman Catechism hold the following language in reference to the eucharist: "In its belief' human reason experiences the greatest diculties. "� explain this mystery in a proper man- ner i8 extremely' difcult. On the manner of this admirable conver* sion, the pastor, however, will endearour to instzuct those who are more advanced in the knowledge and contemplation of' divine things; those who are yet weak may*, it were to be apprehended, be over- whelmed by its greatness.*' Speaking of' the change affirmed to be effected by transubstantiation, the Catechism says: "The fait are to he admonished against the danger of' gratifying a prurient curiosity, by* searching into the manner in which the change is effected. It. mocks the powers of' conception, nor can we find any* example of it in natural tnmsmutations, nor even in the wide range of' creation. The change itself' is the object, not of' our comprehension, but of' our hum- ble faith; and the manner of' that change forbids the temerity of' a too curious inquiry. The same salutarr caution should be observed by the pastor with regard to the mysterious manner in which the body of. our Lon:l is contained, whole and entire, under the least particle of' bread." "The pastor will, first of' all, impress on the minds of. the faithiul the necessity* of' detaching, as much as possible, their minds and understandings from the dominion of' the senses; for were they-, with regard to this sublime mystery, to constitute the senses the only tribunal to which they are to appeal, the awful consequences must be. their precipitation into the extreme of' impiety. Consulting the sight, the touch, the smell, the taste, and finding nothing but the appearances of' bread and wine, the senses must naturally lead them to think that this sacrament contains nothing more than bread and wine. Their minds, therefore, are as much a8 possible to be withduwn from subjection to the senses, and excited to the contemplation of the stu- pendous power of' Ood." "The accidents which present themselves to the ey.es, or other senses, exist in a wonderful and inetable manner without a subject. The accidents of bread and wine we see; but they* initere in no SUbdtnce, and exist independentl F of. any. The substance of bread and wine is so changed into the body and blood of' our Lord. that they' altogether cease to be the substance of' bread and wine."[ "Here the pastor will also explain to the f'aithf'ul that in this sacra- ment are contained not only* the true body' of Christ, and all the consti- tuent8 of* a true body', a Ashes and snews, (velut ossa et neros,) b, also Christ whole and entire." In the 217th page of' the Catechism we have the following extraordinary' contracto/sentiments, uttered �Poman Catechbm, p 05. t ldem, I). 1. : Idem, p. 216. �em, p. S06. Idem, p. 07. �mn, p. :1 t. 1

�