ing that this inseparable union is a mark or token of his eternal union with his church, it will be very easy to comprehend that the marriage of the faithful is attended by the Holy Ghost and the grace of God.

The imposition of hands, which the Catholic spiritual ministers receive at their ordination, being attended, according to their belief, with so immediate an influence from

hands.

the Holy Ghost, (see 1 Timothy, chap. iv. and 2, Imposition of Tim. chap. i.) and with so perfect an infusion of grace, ought to be reckoned also among the number of sacra

ments.

The Eucha

The real presence of the body and blood of JESUS CHRIST in the sacrament of the Eucharist, is firmly established by the words of the institution, which the Catholics understand in the literal sense; for they maintain rist. that there is not any thing in the words which JESUS CHRIST makes use of in the institution of this mystery, that induces them to take them figuratively; and this reason is sufficient, in their opinion, to determine them in favour of the former.

The ceremony of the Eucharist may be considered as one of the fundamental pillars of the Catholic religion, and we shall therefore give the exposition of it, as laid down by the Romish ritual. "It is evident," say the Catholics, "that these words of our Saviour, Take, eat, this is my body which is given for you, show us, that as the ancient Jews were not only united in spirit at the sacrifice of the victims which were offered up for them, but were also partakers of the flesh which was sacrificed, and which was also a sign to them of the share they had in that oblation; so JESUS CHRIST having offered up himself a sacrifice for us, it was his pleasure that we should in reality partake of the flesh of that adorable victim; in order that the actual communication of it might be a lasting testimony to each of us in particular, that he had not only assumed his body, but made a sacrifice of it for us."

Thus the eating of the body, and drinking the blood of the Son of God, is as real at the holy communion, as grace, expiation of sins, and participation of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, is actual and effectual under the new covenant.

"As he was willing, however, to try our faith in this mystery, and free us at the same time from the horror of eating his flesh, and drinking his blood, under their proper species, it was necessary for him to give them to us disguised under a species of another nature; and if these considerations induced him to let us eat the flesh of our sacrifice, in a manner differ

ent from the Jews, yet he was not for that reason obliged to subtract any thing from its reality and substance.

"It appears, therefore, that for the accomplishment of the ancient types, and in order to put us in the actual possession of the sacrifice that was offered up for our sins, it was the intention of Jesus Christ to give us in reality his body and blood, and this does not admit of any denial. We can never agree that those words should be received only in a figurative sense, because the Son of God, who was so careful to explain every thing to his apostles which he taught them under parables and figures, said nothing of that kind to explain this matter; and it is thence evident that he left these words in their natural signification. It is as easy for the Son of God to cause his body to be in the Eucharist, by saying, This is my body, as to cure a woman of her disease by saying, Woman, be thou free from thine infirmity; or to preserve a young man's life by saying to his father, Thy son liveth; or, in short, to pardon the sins of him who was sick of the palsy, by saying to him, Thy sins are forgiven thee."

66

66

Having thus laid down the tenets of the Church relating to these words of Jesus Christ, This is my body, the following is the opinion of the Catholics concerning those which he added to them, This do in remembrance of me. It is evident," they say, that it was the design of the Son of God to oblige us thereby to commemorate the death which he suffered for our salvation; and St. Paul concludes from this passage, that we exhibit the death of the Lord in that mystery. Now we must not persuade ourselves that this commemoration of our Lord's death excludes the real presence of his body; on the eontrary, if we reflect on what we have just explained, it will evidently appear, that this remembrance is grounded upon the real presence; for as the Jews, at the eating of their peaceofferings, remembered they had been sacrificed for them; so likewise, when we eat the flesh of Jesus Christ, our victim, we ought to remember that he died for us. It is the same flesh, therefore, eaten by the faithful, which not only revives in us the memory of his being offered up for us, but confirms us in the truth of it; and from being able to say that this solemn confirmation which Jesus Christ enjoins us to make, excludes the real presence of his flesh, we find, on the contrary, that this affectionate remembrance of him, required of us at the holy table, as being offered up for us, is grounded upon that same flesh being really taken there; since, in reality, we cannot possibly forget that he gave his body as a sacrifice for us, when we see that he still gives us daily the same to eat.'

On this head the Catholics say, "As it was not meet and proper that our senses should perceive any thing in this mystery of faith, so neither was it convenient that any

Transubstan

thing should be changed, with regard to them, tiation. in the bread and wine of the Eucharist. Upon which account, as we perceive the same species, and feel the same effects as before, in that sacrament, we ought not to be in any way surprised, if sometimes, and in some sense, it should go under the same denomination. Yet our faith acknowledges no other substances on this occasion, than that which is meant by those very words; that is to say, the very body and blood of Christ, into which the bread and wine are changed; and this is what we call Transubstantiation.”

"It is to be observed, that there are two actions in this mysterious sacrament, really distinct, though relative to each other. The one is the consecration of the bread and wine, which are thereby changed into the body and blood; and the other is the manducation, whereby we are made partakers of that heavenly food."

"Thus, the Son of God is set on the sacred table, by virtue of those words, clothed in the signs which represent his death; and this is wrought by the consecration. This religious action, moreover, carries with it an acknowledgment of the divine sovereignty, inasmuch as JESUS CHRIST, who is actually present, renews and perpetuates the memory of his obedience, even to his dying on the cross; for which reason nothing can be wanting to make it a true sacrifice."

"When we consider what JESUS CHRIST performs in this mystery, and that we see him, through faith, actually present on the holy table under these signs of death, we unite ourselves to him in this condition; we present him to God as our only oblation, and our only propitiator through his blood, protesting that we have nothing to offer up to him, but JESUS CHRIST and the infinite merit of his death. We consecrate all our prayers through that divine sacrifice, and when we offer up JESUS CHRIST to God, we are at the same time instructed to offer up ourselves as living sacrifices to the Divine Majesty, in and through him."

"The Church being instituted by God to be the guardian of the scriptures and of tradition, from her it is Authority of that we receive the canonical writings. the Church.

"Being thus inseparably united to the sacred authority of the Church by means of the scriptures, which we receive from her; so from her likewise we do receive our tradition, and by means thereof are taught the true sense of the scriptures.