"one and indivisible body; by which it happens that our members "belong to him more than to ourselves." (a)

And in the twelfth book, explaining that part of the Gospel where it is said, that the soldiers divided the garments of Jesus Christ into four parts, but that his tunic they did not divide, he says "that the four parts of the world have obtained by lot, and "that they possess, without division, the sacred robe of the Word, "that is, his body; because the only Son, although divided in each “individual christian, and sanctifying the soul and body of each "by his own flesh, is nevertheless entire and undivided in all, "being one every where, because, as St. Paul says, he cannot be "divided."

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"The Jews strove among themselves, saying: How can this man give us his flesh to eat? This how is quite a Jewish diffi"culty, and will be the cause of the severest punishment: for they "will justly be reputed guilty of grievous crimes, who dare to "attack by their incredulity the excellent and supreme Creator of "all things, and who have the audacity to put the question how, "respecting what he chooses to operate....The rude and indocile "mind rejects as an extravagance whatever surpasses its comprehension, because it does surpass it; its ignorant temerity "leads it to the extremity of pride. We shall see that the Jews "fell into this excess, if we consider the nature of the case. They "ought without hesitation to have received the words of our Sa"viour, whose divine virtue and invincible power over nature, "which he had on many occasions displayed before their eyes, "they had so often admired.... And yet, behold, they put the mad "interrogation, how, to God, as if ignorant that the word con"tained a blasphemy, since in God resides the power to do all "things without difficulty.... But if thou persistest, O Jew, in "putting this how, I in my turn will ask of thee, how the rod of "Moses was changed into a serpent? How the waters were "changed into blood?......It would be more becoming, therefore, to believe in Christ and to give credence to his words; "much more becoming to procure and pay eulogies to him, than "rashly and inconsiderately to exclaim, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?.... For our parts, in receiving the divine "mysteries, let us have a faith free from all curiosity: this is our duty, and we should never again put the question how to the

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(a) Commentary on St. John.

"words that are said." (a) I cannot sufficiently exhort the chil dren of the reformation, of whatever communion, to reflect upon this passage, and to examine thoroughly into the doctrine it so clearly teaches.

St. Proclus, disciple of St. John Chrysostom, and one of his successors in the see of Constantinople (b), had the glory of converting the illustrious Roman Volusianus, who had opposed St. Augustin himself, and who declared ever after his baptism, that, if Rome had possessed three such men as Proclus, the very name of paganism would have been extinguished. He had moreover the honour, after the magnificent panegyric he had pronounced on St. Chrysostom, of obtaining from the emperor Theodosius the younger, at his and the people's united request, that the venerable body of this illustrious archbishop should be translated to Constantinople, where it was received with extraordinary pomp, thirty-five years after his death in Armenia. Of the books that Proclus composed, there remains but one short piece on the Tradition of the Divine Liturgy, in which are found these words: "By these prayers (of

the Liturgy) the descent of the Holy Spirit was expected, that, "by his sacred presence, he would make the bread, that is pre"sented for the offering, the body of Christ, and the wine, mingled with water, his blood." In Bibl. P.P. Max. T. VI. p. 618.

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St. Peter, archbishop of Ravenna (c), surnamed Chrysologus for his golden eloquence, expresses himself as follows (d): "Let "the christians, who touch every day the very body of Jesus "Christ, learn by this example (of the woman labouring under a "flux of blood) what remedy is there to be found for their maladies, "since this woman was perfectly cured by merely touching the "hem of his garment. But it is indeed deplorable that, whereas "she found in this hem the cure of her complaint, we find, on "the contrary, fresh disorders in the remedy itself. Of this the

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This ex

apostle warns those who touch the body of the Lord unworthily, telling them, that they receive their own damnation." ample had been brought forward in the same manner by other more ancient fathers, and amongst others by St. Dionysius, patriarch of Alexandria, and St. John Chrysostom.

We read in the Gospel, that a pharisee invited the Lord to

(a) B. IV. on St. John, ch. VI--(b) Elected in 434, died in 446.—(c) Elected in 433, died in 450.-(d) Disc›urse XXXIV.

*eat with him. But wherefore, O pharisee, do you wish to eat "with Jesus Christ? Believe in him, be a christian, and you "shall eat him himself. I am, said the Saviour, the bread that "is come down from heaven. God always gives more than we ask "of him; for he gives himself to be eaten by him who wished only "for the honour of eating with him: and yet, in granting him this more extraordinary favour, which he did not expect, he did not deny him a less, which he did petition for. Did he not also of "his own accord make the same promise to his disciples, when he "said: You who have always remained with me till now, shall eat “and drink at my table in my kingdom? Christian, consider 86 now, whether he who has given himself to be eaten by you during “this life, will, in the other, be able to refuse you any of the good things he possesses." (a)

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St. Leo (b), so deservedly surnamed the Great, for the splendour with which he has illustrated the Church, by the talents and vigour which he displayed against the heresy of Eutyches, condemned at Chalcedon, expresses himself thus upon the Eucharist, of which he was speaking indirectly in one of his sermons : "The "Lord having said: Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of mau,

and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you; communicate "therefore at the sacred table, in such a manner that you entertain σε no doubt whatever as to the truth of the body and blood of "Jesus Christ for we there receive by the mouth what is be"lieved by faith: and vainly do we reply, Amen (it is true) if any doubt is entertained as to what is received." (c)

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Theodoret (d), disciple of St. Chrysostom, and who, from the confession of the centuriators of Magdeburg, seems to have established transubstantiation, has often, as he himself declares in his Dialogues, studiously selected obscure expressions, in order that the truth might remain veiled in his writings, which might fall into the hands of unbelievers. And yet, in a passage which from its obscurity appears favourable to the Sacramentarians, he fails not to insert a decisive word which of itself expresses the whole catholic doctrine to the satisfaction of every sincere seeker of truth. For, speaking of the mysterious symbols, or signs, which after consecration are still visible and palpable, he adds (e): "Never

(a) Sermon XCV.-(b) Chosen pope in 440, died in 461,.-(c) Discourse VI. on the fast of the seventh month.-(d) Bishop in 431, died very old 470.(e) Dial. II.

"theless they are, from that time, conceived to be what they have "been made; they are believed as such, and are adored as being "the things that they are believed to be."

Theodoret was not always restrained by the same apprehension, as you may judge from the following passages: "The apostle "reminds the Corinthians of that sacred night when the Lord,

closing the typical paseh, displayed the true original of this "figure, opened the portals of the salutary sacrament, and gave "his precious body and blood not only to the eleven apostles, but "to Judas himself." And again on these words: He that shall eat this bread, or drink this chalice unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of Jesus Christ: "Here the apostle "strikes at the ambitious: he strikes also at us, who, with a bad "conscience, dare to receive the divine sacraments. This sen"tence, shall be guilty of the body and blood, signifies, that as "Judas betrayed and the Jews insulted him, so do they treat him "with ignominy, who receive into impure hands his most holy body, and introduce it into an unclean mouth." (a)

Judge again of his doctrine from the following fact, recorded by him (b) The Emperor Theodosius being arrived at Milan, "after the slaughter committed by his order at Thessalonica, and "wishing to enter the Church as he had been accustomed, St. "Ambrose went out to prevent him; and meeting him at the out"side of the great porch, he forbad him to enter, using nearly the "following words: With what eyes, O Emperor, can you behold "the temple of Him, who is our common master? With what "feet will you dare to tread upon ground so holy? How will "66 you presume to stretch forth your hands towards God, while they are yet reeking with blood unjustly shed? How will you dare "to touch the most holy body of the Saviour of the world with "those same hands, that have been stained with the carnage at "Thessalonica? And how will you dare to receive that precious "blood into your mouth, after it has, in the fury of your passion,

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pronounced the unjust and cruel words, which have caused the "blood of so many innocent persons to be spilt? Retire then, "and beware how you attempt to add crime to crime! Permit "yourself rather to be bound in the manner that is ordained in "heaven by that God, who is the master of kings and people; and respect that sacred bond which is able to heal your soul of this

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(a) On 1 Cor. Ch. XI.—(2) Eccles. Hist. B. V. Ch. XVII.

moved

"mortal wound, and restore it to health.. -The Emperor, "by these words, returned to the imperial palace, weeping and "groaning; and a long time afterwards, that is, at the end of eight "months, the divine Ambrose absolved him from his sin."

Hesychius (a), on the authority of Theophanes in his Chrono- ' logical History, was celebrated for his learning, in the time of St. Cyril of Alexandria. He was priest at Jerusalem. In his Commentary on Leviticus, we read (b),: "God ordained in the old law, "that what remained of the flesh and the bread of the sacrifices, "should be burnt. This we see with our own eyes now accom

plished in the Church, where what remains after the celebration "of the mysteries of the communion of the faithful, is burnt in "the fire. Thus this sensible action represents something "spiritual and intelligible to those who are careful to remark it; “viz, that when we find ourselves incapable of eating the sacrifice entirely, our mind becoming weak and faint, and doubting "whether what is seen should be believed to be the body of the "Lord, which the angels themselves cannot behold, then we must "not remain in this doubt, but burn it in the fire of the spirit, "that it may eat and consume what our weakness is not able to "eat and consume. And how shall the fire of the spirit consume "it within us, unless by our considering that the things which to "us appear impossible, are yet very possible by virtue of the "Holy Spirit ?"

"The mysteries of Jesus Christ are properly the Holy of "Holies (c), because it is the body of him, concerning whom the "angel Gabriel said to the virgin: The Holy One that shall be "born of you shall be called the Son of God. And that man "knows not what he receives, who knows not

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its power and

dignity, and that it is truly this same body and blood.......... "The Spirit of God within us, and the word that he has left us, "regulate the use of our senses, and prevent not only our taste, "but also our hearing, our sight, our touch, and our smell "from taking more upon them than is becoming in this mystery: so that they lead us not to form any vulgar notion or feeble reasoning unworthy of things so elevated and sublime.... For "the sanctification of the mystic sacrifice and the change and "transformation of the sensible into spiritual things, must be

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(a) He flourished at Jerusalem from 440 to 470—(b) B. II. Ch. VIII,→ (c) Hesychius, book VI. chap. XII.