In denying an actual communication of Christ to the sacred emblems, it became necessary to guard against the construction of a merely commemorative rite, and thus evacuating the Sacrament of its holy burthen of Grace. For neither Ratramn, in opposing the doctrine of Paschase, nor afterwards Berenger, in advocating the views of Erigena against Lanfranc, appear to have held, that the Eucharist was nothing more than a sign. Ratramn, indeed, distinctly asserts a real presence, though he does not admit a presence of the crucified body of Christ in the consecrated bread and wine. The Church of England doctrine of the Sacrament, it is well-known, is founded on the views given by this author. Cranmer and Ridley are said to have studied his book together.... p. 320, ad fin.

7. The relative importance of the Eucharist, in comparison with the other Sacraments, and, indeed, with the whole doctrine and ritual of Christianity, in the system of the Church of Rome, may be drawn from the primary notion [of actual communication] of sacramental efficiency.. I do not say, that it ought not to hold a principal station among the observances of a holy life. But it is the doctrinal supremacy given to it, to which I am referring. View it, as it exists in the Roman Church, and it is there found absorbing in itself the whole, it may be said, of Christian worship. To be set apart for its celebration seems to be the chief purpose, the essence, of the Roman priesthood. Whilst the other Sacraments, recognised by that theory, participate of the virtue of Christ's passion, this is the passion itself, of Christ, etc. -p. 321.

8. We are ready, indeed, to admit ourselves, that the vice of the Minister does not impede the effect of the Sacrament. For it is evident, that where the Faith of the Receiver is the true consecrating principle, that which really brings down Christ to the heart of each individual,—the personal delinquency of him who administers it cannot deteriorate the Sacrament, itself.-p. 323. (vide Art. XXVI. Ch. of Eng.)

10. It was an admirable expedient, indeed, of ecclesiastical policy, thus to rest the power of the Church on the purity and indefectibility of an abstraction. Religious imagination was sustained on the picture of the Church, as the

great Mother of the Faithful, cherishing her beloved children in her pure bosom.-p. 324.

Note, p. 324. We should observe the confusion of ideas prevalent in the early Church on the subject of Baptism. The Church was considered as Church also was "the mother of the faithful." "the body of Christ." The Hence, being baptized, and being made a "member of the body of Christ," and being "incorporated" into the Church, became equivalent expressions. Hence, too, the Church was said to "generate" sons by Baptism. Augustin. contra Donatist. c. 10. et alib.

12. Baptism, and other Sacraments, were conceived to impress a Character on the soul; and it was hence maintained, that it could not be repeated... Cyprian, indeed, maintained the contrary requiring, that those which had been Baptized by heretics, should be re-baptized by the orthodox; but the opposite doctrine was established on the authority of St. Augustine. .. We may perceive a trace of the scholastic doctrine of impressed character;" in the scrupulous care shewn by our Church in the Baptismal service, to ascertain whether Baptism has already been performed rightly-and in the provision (itself a scholastic one) of conditional Baptism, in cases where doubt may exist of its previous due administration. -p. 326, 7.

"

9. In a manner analagous to the original formation of all things by the Divine Word acting on matter, it was conceived, that the sacred words pronounced by the Priest came imposed on it a mystical or sacramental form. with power to the element or matter, and

Thus a Sacrament has been described as consisting of matter and form.-p. 335.

Note, p. 336. Hence the inquiries in our Baptismal Service. "With what matter was this child baptized?" "With what words was this child baptized?" "Because some things (it is said) essential to this Sacrament may happen to be omitted through haste."

ascribed to the rites
themselves.
—p. 335.

11. The decision
as to the intrinsic
efficacy of the rite
of Baptism can be
only speculation.
p. 344.

15. Transubstantiation is connected with the Scholastic Theory of the Trinity. -p. 535.

11. But, though we are free from the yoke which the Sacramental ritual imposes on the members of the Roman Communion, we still require watchfulness against the temptation to refine on the subject, and lest we enslave ourselves to a kind of priestcraft in our own minds. The tendency to raise questions about Baptism, in modern times, is an evidence of this spirit of refinement. Men are not content with the simple declarations; "Repent, and be baptized :"-" Except a man be born again of water and of the Spirit," etc.: "Go, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father," etc. nor will they acquiesce in the duty of conforming their practice to these Scriptural injunctions. But it is thought by some, that the question must be further decided, whether Baptism is in all cases equivalent to Regeneration. They propose a question, that is, as to the intrinsic efficacy of the rite; a difficulty, which practical Christianity by no means calls upon us to decide, and the decision of which, after all, can be only speculation. In regard, indeed, to both the Sacraments, singleness of heart is the only human means, that we possess, of apprehending their true import. Ends with quotation from Hooker, Eccl. Pol. v. 67.]—p. 343.

15. The Christian philosopher of the schools conceived the Divine words uttered, to carry that mystical creative force, which belonged to the Divine Word as existing in the Trinity. Note.-Aquinas, Sum. Theol. IIItia Pars, qu. LXXVIII. art. 4.-Note K.

[The passage quoted, (Prop. 15), is extracted from note K. which contains the quotation from Aquinas above referred to.

RELATION OF NATURAL MORALITY TO
RELIGION.

3. The maxim, that the business of man is the imita

3. According to the Platonic doctrine, morality was based on immutable speculative principles, the abstract species, the real constituents, according to his view, of every thing

denominated good. This was to take morality out of the sphere of man's moral nature, and place it in a kind of philosophical pietism. He rejected, accordingly, the notion, that man was the "measure" of moral excellence, and admitted no standard of human perfection below that of the Deity Himself. His religion and his morality coincided in the maxim, that the business of man was the Imitation of God. Thus was the confusion of ethical and theological truth begun in that method of philosophy, which first obtained the sanction of the Christian Church. The principle of the Imitation of God, so elevating in its conception, and so accordant with the language of Scripture, being found in the volumes of philosophy,-a precedent was established, for conjoining the two classes of truth in one promiscuous speculation.-p. 271.

6. We are apt to speak of Religion, as supplying fresh motives of conduct. But, in fact, the principles of our moral nature are the motives, the only motives to actions, as, to use an imperfect analogy, the springs and wheels of a machine are the motives to its action: and the truths of Christianity are presented to those principles, as objects towards which they should tend. . . . . This confusion of results (unfolded by Religion) with the motives of human conduct takes place, when the religious principle is substituted as the spring of action: when it is argued, for instance, that no action can have any moral value, except it be done immediately, and exclusively, on a motive of glory to God. The glory of God supplies, indeed, the great religious centre of our actions: they are incomplete and irreligious, if they terminate in worldly objects. But our actions must still be performed according to the laws of our nature. They must originate within us; they must be morally right in themselves, in order to their sanctification in the great object, which Religion holds out to our view.-p. 300.

8. This notion of the separate existence of the soul has so incorporated itself with Christian Theology, that we are apt, at this day, to regard a belief in it as essential to orthodox doctrine. Even in maintaining that such a belief is not essential to Christianity, I may incur the appearance of impugning a vital truth of religion. I cannot, however, help viewing this popular belief as a remnant of scholasticism. I

feel assured that the truth of the Resurrection does not depend on such an assumption; that the Life and Immortality of man, as resting on Christ raised from the dead, is a certain fact in the course of Divine Providence; whatever may be the theories of the soul, and of its connexion with the body.-p. 310.

FINIS.

OXFORD: PRINTED BY TALBOYS AND BROWNES