Page:Delineation of Roman Catholicism.djvu/282

 ''/4 TtMSUMTAH?!ATIOM, [BOOK (19.) Famerite, in the sixth century, writes thus: "The sacrament of adoption may be called adoption; just as the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, which is in the consecrated bread and wine, we are wont to call his body and blood. Not indeed that the bread is properly called his body, or that the wine is properly his blood, but Secause they contain the mystery of his body and blood within them- selves. ttence it was that our Lord denominated the consecrated 5read and wine, which he delivered to hi8 disciples, his own body and blood."* 3. Although we have given the foregoing lengthy list of quotations iom the ancient fathers, the number of them could be extended to � much greater extent. But from these that are given we see cleady that tran8ubstantation was not the doctrine of the early church. The fathers contradict the Church of Rome about the nature and properties of bodies. They deny that the n can exist without n subject; they deny that our sennes can deceive us. The primitive Chrietiase never reserved what remained of the elements, nor held them up for objects of supreme worship, as is the practice of the Church of Rome.t It must be acknowledged, however, that they did not always speak ou t]s subject consistently with Scripture or with themselves. V. It remains to trace out the rise, progress, and establishment of the doctrine of transubstantiation. 1. That the ancient fathers did not believe titis doct3'ine, nothing can be clearer from their writino(8. That they employed many ex- pressions which were easily accommodated to fayour it in after times, ifs equally certain. Instead of explaining the lofty and f],tive lan- guage of Scripture, writers of a warm imagination went beyond thon Thin gave rise to the doctrine of a physical change. And when once an opinion had taken root that seemed to exalt the sacrament 8o nmch, it easily grew and spread; and the mere so for its wonderful abeurdity, in those times of ignorance and superstition. As a specimen of the foregoing remark we adduce some quotations in point. In the second century Justin Martyr says: "We receive not the elements as common bread or as common wine; but in what manner Christ our Saylout, being made flesh through the word of Cu took flesh and blood for our salvation; in like manner a180 we are taught that tim ailment, from which our flesh and blood are nourished tumsmutation, being received with thanks, through the prayer of Ye word instituted by himself, is the flesh and the blood of that Jesus who was m___nde flesh." Thus also, in the fourth century, Cyril of Jerusalem teaches the catechumens who had been recently baptized: "When Christ himseft hath declared and spokan concerning the bread, T/s is my &ody, who shall henceforth dare to hesitate ? And when he hath peremptorily pronounced and asserted, Tk/s Ly my &/ood, who shall venture to doubt, saying that it is not his blood ? He once, at the marriage feast i Onnst of Oilflee, changed the water into wine; shall we not then give �un. Defent oneil. C*lmiced., lib. iL, e. 0.  Those who hve no an e!Mrmniy of eonsultin the fudmro for themeslve wil er s Difficulties m Aomanml, es west es tJrownlee, Breckenrid &e. 1 18 �