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ourselves, do not at the same time show it to be credible that miraculous powers have been left among us for the performance of it, then it will be to us incredible that the Apostolic Eucharist was miraculous; and this, I believe, is the way in which most persons argue. Whereas the fact is, that there is no ground whatever for believing the two rites identical, except what is equally a ground for believing that there are persons now in the world endowed with miraculous powers for making them so.

The short of the matter is, that both these things are credible, or neither are; in the former case there is no difficulty in attributing a miraculous character to the modern as well as the Apostolic Eucharist; in the latter there will be no inconsistency in denying it of the one, though we assert it of the other. The consecration of the bread and wine among ourselves need not be more than a form, though among the Apostles it was a miracle; nor among the Apostles need it have been less than a miracle, though it be a form among ourselves. The two questions are distinct, and should be treated as such.

Possibly it may here occur to many serious persons, not indeed as an argument against this view, but as a reason for disliking it, that it tends to throw an air of uncertainty over the use and excellence of our most solemn religious rite. Now of such persons I would ask, what do they consider to be the benefits they derive from this rite? If

they are members of the Church of England they will say, they consider their souls to be strengthened and refreshed by the Body and Blood of Christ, as their bodies are by the bread and wine: but these expressions are very ambiguous, and different persons interpret them differently. The Body and Blood of Christ are in one sense the spiritual aliment of pious souls, at all times and in all places, and are more so at one time than another, in proportion as we are more or less intent on the thought of what He has done for us, and on the resolution to identify our own will with His. If this sense of the Body and Blood of Christ is the sense in which it is said to be the inward part or thing signified in the Sacrament, and to be verily and indeed taken and received by the faithful, then it is taken and received by them at all times, in proportion as they are faithful, and only at the Lord's Supper more than at other times, according as the outward and visible sign tends to enliven their faith, and to fix their hearts more intently on Christ. All persons then who conceive that this kind of spiritual eating and drinking of the Body and Blood of Christ is the only benefit of which we are partakers in this Sacrament, may at once divest themselves of any apprehension lest uncertainty should be cast over its use and excellency; the only uncertainty of which the nature of the case admits, must arise from their own want of faith, and has no connexion whatever with the origin of the institution.

On the other hand, those who do not take this

limited view of the benefits of this Sacrament, but believe that in some sense or other the consecrated bread becomes really the Body, and the cup the Blood of their Lord, and that on eating and drinking they become nourished by Him in some unperceived and incomprehensible manner, such persons will have little reason to complain of [the above] view, as opposing difficulties to their generous faith. Surely if they attribute to consecration such wonderful effects, without at the same time supposing that there are persons set apart by God to consecrate, and endowed for this purpose with power from on high, their difficulties are great enough already. If they believe that because our Lord said, “Do this in remembrance of Me," therefore any one is able to kneel down with a party of his serious friends, and by repeating the words of Him who spoke as never man spake, to make common bread and wine into His precious Body and Blood, they certainly will find it no fresh tax on their faith to believe that Christ has left behind him on earth, a succession of persons, empowered by a special commission, to work this miracle, which they can conceive to be done even without a commission.

The modern Eucharist is either a [mere] commemoration or a miracle; if it is only a commemoration, it is good and pious whoever instituted it; if it is a miracle, no one can complain of its being shown to be a credible miracle.

COLLECTION OF TEXTS,

ILLUSTRATIVE OF THE VIEWS CONTAINED IN THE ABOVE ESSAY.

I. TEXTS INTIMATING THE CONSTITUTION

OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.

WHEREIN IT IS CALLED,

1. The Kingdom of God.

Matt. iv. 23. Jesus went about. . κηρύσσων τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς βασιλείας.

Matt. x. 7. The Apostles were commissioned to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.... κηρύσσετε, λέγοντες "Οτι ἤγγικεν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν ἐρανῶν.

Matt. xvi. 28. Jesus tells the Disciples that some persons then living should not taste of death till they saw the Son of Man coming ἐν τη βασιλεία

αὑτε.

Matt. xxi. 43. Jesus prophesying respecting the Jews, Says, ἀρθήσεται ἀφ' ὑμῶν ἡ βασιλεία το Θεό.

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Mark i. 14. 15. After John was delivered up Jesus came το Galilee, κηρύσσων τὸ εὐαγγέ λιον τῆς βασιλείας το Θεό, Καὶ λέγετα Ὅτι πεπλήρωται ὁ καιρὸς, καὶ ἤγγικεν η βασιλεία το θεο μετανοεῖτε, καὶ πιστεύ ετε ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελία.

Luke i. 32, 33. The prophecy of the Angel to the Virgin Mary: καὶ δώσει αὐτῷ Κά μιας ὁ Θεὸς τὸν θρόνον Δαβὶδ το πατρὸς αὐτῷ.

Καὶ βασιλευσει

ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον Ἰακὼβ εἰς τὸν

αἰῶνας, καὶ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτῷ οὐκ έσται τέλος.

Luke viii. Ι εὐαγγελίζει ΜΕΡΟΣ τὴν βασίλειαν τῷ Θεῷ

Luke xxi. 31. So kewise ye, when ye see these things .... know ὦτε έγγυς ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία το Θεά

Acts i. 3. After the Resurrection, Jesus was with them forty days, λέγων τὰ περὶ τῆς βασιλείας τέ Θεέ.

Acts viii. 12. When they believed Philip, ευαγγελιζομένης τὰ περὶ τῆς βασιλείας τέ Θεέ, καὶ τὰ ὀνόματος τέ Ιησέ Χριστέ, ἐβαπτίζονται

Acts xx. 25. ....διήλθον κηρύσσων τὴν βασιλείαν τε Θεῖ.

Acts xxviii. 31. ..Κηρύσα των τὴν βασιλείαν τέ Θεέ, καὶ Τεληκων τὰ περὶ το Κυρίκ Ἰησε

. . preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the Gospel.

The Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end.

.... Preaching . . the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.

....that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.

....speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

....preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the Name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized.

.... preaching the kingdom of God.

.... Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ.

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