form a correct judgment of the opinion held by the fathers upon the Eucharist, we must investigate writings of the second kind, and not those of the first. Good sense requires that, for the discovery of the real sentiments of an author, recourse should be had to the writings in which he must have clearly expressed them, and not to those in which he was under the necessity of concealing them in vagueness, obscurity, and ambiguity of language.

"in what order you must enter the baptistery; what are the 66 reasons for the sacred ceremonies there made use of; with what "devotion you must, on coming forth from baptism, approach the "altar of God, and participate in the spiritual and celestial mysteries there offered: in order that, having your souls en"lightened by our instructions and exhortations, you may each of "you comprehend the greatness of the gifts conferred upon you "by the Almighty."

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"Of all the things," says St. Gaudentius, (a) " that are pointed "out to us in the book of Exodus, in describing the celebration of "the pasch, we shall at present speak only of those, which cannot be explained before the Catechumens, but which notwithstanding it "is necessary to disclose to the newly baptized .... This splendid night (of Easter) requires our instruction to be adapted rather "to the circumstances of the time, than to the lesson of the day, in "order that the neophytes may, for the first time, be taught in "what manner we partake of the paschal sacrifice. ... (b).

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......

"You not only see the same body that was seen by the magi," says St. Chrysostom; (c) "but you are acquainted with its virtue, 66 you know how it communicates itself, and you are ignorant of ❝ nothing that it has effected, having been carefully instructed "in all these particulars at the time of your initiation.” "In the paschal solemnity," says St. Augustine, (d) "first seven or eight days are appointed for the instruction of "the children (the newly-baptised) upon the sacraments.

"the

(a)Explanation of Exodus to the Neoyhytes. (b)Treatise v. (c)Hom. XXV. on the I. Ep. to Corinth, (d)Discourse 238 delivered on the fifth day of the paschal solemnity.

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There is no doubt that, in those glorious ages, every bishop was most zealous in instructing the neophytes of his Church, and that between the baptismal font and the sacred table, he detained them for some time, for the purpose of discovering what had hitherto been concealed, and instructing them in the sublime theology of the sacrament, they were about to have the happiness of receiving. There is no doubt that, if some of these holy prelates trusted on these occasions to the ideas suggested at the moment by their piety and learning, still many must have preferred committing their thoughts to writing, that their instructions might be more connected, methodical, and clear, for the assistance also of their memory, and to spare themselves the time and trouble of two annual preparations for the work, during their episcopacy. Not that such instructions, replete with the mysterious doctrine, were written for the purpose of becoming public. The case was far otherwise, most assuredly. You may conceive with what vigilant anxiety the prelate must have guarded his invaluable treasure from the eye of the suspected or the stranger, and with what difficulty even his friends could extort a communication of his labour, or a copy of the essay from his wary and fearful circumspection. One single elementary and dogmatical instruction of this nature would bring us more acquainted with the primitive belief respecting the Eucharist, than would a thousand mutilated passages, extracted from the writings that were made

'I would here recommend the re-perusal of the observations prefixed by St. Cyril of Jerusalem, to his Catechetical Instructions I have quoted it in the appendix on the Discipline of Secrecy.

public by the fathers, and in which, of course, an apprehension of revealing the mysteries drove them to a studied reserve and obscurity of style.

If it be true, as there is every reason to suppose, that the generality of the bishops, during the four first ages, actually composed detailed instructions upon the dogmas of the Eucharist, we can only regret that the far greater number of these are lost. It has pleased providence, however, that some of these authentic and incontestible records of primitive faith should be transmitted to us. In them we must interrogate antiquity, whose voice may still be heard, and by whom we ourselves may be instructed in the discourses addressed to the neophytes, and which, of their nature, plainly decide the matter for or against, between us and the protestants. Whatever was the belief at that time, whether protestant or catholic, must there be found clearly delivered. For it was necessary to inform the neophytes what they were going to receive; whether it was really the body and blood of Jesus Christ, or merely a little bread and wine, as a figure and representation, and nothing more: whether the substance of the body took the place of the substance of the bread, and consequently required the adoration of the faithful; or, whether the bread and wine, still preserving their own nature, became simply a memorial of Jesus Christ absent, and called, of course, for no other respect, or reverence than what might be due to any other religious ceremony. Again, one or other of the two contradictory tenets must be expressed in positive terms, in these dogmatical and elementary instructions. Your own theologians, no less than ourselves, have them in their hands; but, I suspect, you will never have found them much inclined to bring you

acquainted with such documents. Ask them to communicate these documents to you, together with their sentiments respecting them. You will soon find that they take your request with no very good grace: and, in truth, to deal plainly with you, it is impossible that they should. Ah well! Sir, I will spare them their embarrassment: and, so far as you are concerned, I will go on to accomplish their defective ministrations. Now, therefore, imagine yourself among the ancient neophytes of Jerusalem; and that you, as well as they, are about to be addressed by the venerable patriarch Cyril,' on the sacrament you have hitherto known little about, in language and instructions as follows: "The doctrine of blessed "Paul is alone sufficient to give certain proofs of the "truth of the divine mysteries." He quotes the passage from St. Paul to the Corinthians, and thus proceeds: "As then, Jesus Christ, speaking of the "bread, declared and said, this is my body, who "shall ever dare to call his word in question? And

as, speaking of the wine, he positively assured us "and said, this is my blood, who shall doubt it and

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say, that it is not his blood? Once, in Cana of "Galilee, he changed water into wine by his will ❝alone; and shall we think it less worthy of credit, "that he changed wine into his blood? Invited to 66 an earthly marriage, he wrought this miracle; and "shall we hesitate to confess that he has given to "his children his body to eat, and his blood to "drink. Wherefore, with all confidence, let us "take the body and blood of Christ. For under the

1Ann. 350. Catech. myst. IV. n. 1. 2. 3. p. p. 292. 293. 294. passim. ed. Oxonii. 1703.

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type or figure of bread, his body is given to them, "and under the figure of wine, his blood is given; "that so being made partakers of the body and "blood of Christ, you may become one body and one "blood with him. ....... Wherefore I conjure

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you, my brethren, not to consider them any more as common bread and wine, since they are the body "and blood of Jesus Christ, according to his words: "and although your sense might suggest that to you, "let faith confirm you.-Judge not of the thing by your taste, but by faith assure yourself, without the "least doubt, that you are honoured with the body " and blood of Christ. This knowing, and of this "being assured, that what appears to you bread, is "not bread, but the body of Christ, although the "taste judges it to be bread; and that the wine which you see, and which has the taste of wine, is not "wine, but the blood of Christ."

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Saint Gregory of Nazianzum,' addressing the faithful and neophytes, says: "Waver not in spirit, "when you hear speak of the blood, passion, and "death of God; but rather eat the body and drink "the blood without any hesitation, if you would "live. Never doubt of what you hear said respecting "his flesh, and be not scandalized at his passion: be "firm and constant, and in no wise shaken by the "language of our adversaries,"

Saint Gregory, of Nyssa, speaking of the newly-baptised, says: "Man being composed of "two parts, the body and the soul, united and mixed

'Born 327; died 389. Second Discourse on the Pasch.

2 An. 369. Orat. Catech. c. XXXVII. T. II. p. 534, &c. Ed. Paris. 1615.