Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-04-10
REV. DRYDEN's LECTURE.

Sunday Evening Sermon.
We continue our report of Rev. M. F.
Dryden's fifth lecture upon the subject OF
the Holy Communion, as follows
We pass now TO st. Paul's First Epistle
TO the Corinthians. In the 10th chapter
18th, 18th verses, we find these wordF:
THE cup of blessing, which we bless, is it
not the communion Of the blood Of Christ?''
For we being many are one bread and one
body; for we are all partakers OF that one
bread" In this chapter the Apostle seeks
to correct a certain abuse which existed in
the Church. at CoriDth. The Corinthian
Christians had been guilty of attending
the heather festivals, and of eating things
that were offered to idols. And st. Paul
shows clearly that by frequentiDg and tax
ing part in these feasts they were guilty OF
idolatry. In the course of his argument he
refers to the sacrifcial feasts of the Jews,
WHOM partaking of those sacrifices hat were
offered upon the altar, did it as a pledge
that they would become the recipients OF
those spiritual blessings which the sacrifices
were intended to represent. And the
Apostle in following out the analogy
tslches us that in the Sacrament OF the
| Lords Supper, are pledged TO us, the ben
efts of Christ's death and passion. TIE
/ Jews who ate the Passover he says, were
''partakers of the altar" and in the same
sense Christians are ''partakers of the
| Lords table" And his conclusion Is that
those Corinthians who were partakers OF
sacrifices offered to idols were participants
of idolatry. In this connection he uses
the words which we quoted above. he
SAYS, I'VE being many are N bread ana
one body; for We all partake OF that one
bread" Here the Apostle refers to the
one loaf that was used at the passover, and
shows that those who partook of it were one
RELIGIOUS body. And likewise all who worth
ily receive the bread and wine of the Eu-
| chsrist are one body in Christ. And from
this he concludes that the converts at Cor
NTH could not consistently hold fellowship
with idoi-wOrshipers by participating IN
their feasts. The Apostle here says moth
ias about the substance of the bread being
changed into the substance OF the body oil
Christ and the substance of the wine into
the substance of his blood. And it is ap'
parent TO every one who is capable of un-
Outstanding the teaching of st.
Paul upon this subject, that be
knew nothing about that mysseriOu.
change of the elements, which is claimed
by the church of Rome. For In the lltf
chapter of 1st Corinthians, where he gives
us an independent account OF the inshtu
ton, no uses language 30 clear and ex
plicit as tn remove oil doubt from the
minds of the most incredulous. Here hi
6rst recitss the words of the institution Al
recorded by tie three Evsngelisis, anC
then pives US an exposition OF his owl
views az to the nature and desigD oil TIN
saccament. The exposition given by TIT
Apastle is couched in these words "FoI
a. rlten AS ys eat this bread, and drink thi
euD ga do shew the LorC's death till h
come. Wherefore whatsoever shall eat thi
bread and drink this cup of the Lord, nm
WORLDLY, shall he guilty of the body anC
blood of Lord. Bat let a man examine
himself, and so let him eat Of that bredt
and drink Of that cup For he that eatetl
aud drinketh uuwortbily, eateth aud drink
eth damna,ion to himself, not discerning
the Lords body" Now in this pssssg
there are several facts which claim on
attention, and Of these, time will allow u
TO give only a brief summary. And hrst
while this Sacrament, through tn
agency of the Holy Spirit, seals b
the believer the benefits Of the atonement
the Appstle declares that it is also eommem
ordtire of Christ's death and passion. Fo
he ex pressly says, as often Is we eat th
bread and drink the cup we do shoW III
Lords death TIL he come" He utters, too
q solemn warning lest any should eat au'
drink wuorthily, and that none might b
thus guilty, he urges upon every one tn
necessity of q close determination. Il
|, eat and drink uaTorthiiy, he informs US,
to partake Of the Sacrament without dis
corning the Lords body" And it is oh
7 vicus that the Apostle in using the words
mot discerning the Lords body" canno
mean physical discernment. Indeed RI
mauists in advocating the corporal pres
ence'' of Christ in the Eucharist do no
claim a risi5le presence. But on the con
: trsry. they affirm the corporal presence
/ under the appearances of bread and wine
!, Then il follows, according to their owl
|, teaching, that the Apostle is speakin
of sDirittaI ~discernment, or in other words
|, an act of faith. But if the act Q
discerning the Lords presence is a spiritac
act land they say it is), then what follows
II follows that the Lords Presence in tn
holy Eucharist is q spiritual presence.
Aud | need not say that this is Protestan
teaching. With st. Paul, we deny iii
"~eorporal presence" as held by the Romis
Cbnrch: and teach His spiritual presenc
only. This we belisue, and belieVTag, W
rejoice with unspeakable Joy! Then to es
and drink unworthily, is TO eat and drin
without q proper faitk and a right intention
, And all such, the Apostle declares, ''shaI
] be guilty of the body and blood OF tn
| Lord" And now the question come
{ What is it to ''be guilty Of the body an
3 blood of the Lerd''? TO answer this que
ton satisfactorily we have only 10 call Il