Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-04-10

u LAII q SAS
brat;on of the Eucharist had erept into the
C~orinthiau Church, and it was to correct
these that st. Paul wrote. In the aosencs
of the Apostle false teachers had perverted
this Divine institution by regarding 1t a
ordinary meal and making it an occasion
of excess. st. Paul informs US that when
thew assembled at the Church, there were
dirisioas among them, and that they met,
not "to eat the Lords Supper, but to par
fake of a common meal. The people In
coming together, it seems, brought with
them their provisions, and while some ate
INT little, others ate to excess. For the
APOSTLE says of them, lone IS hungry ana
another il drunken" 1t also appears,
that at the conclusion OF this feast tney
were accustomed to celebrate the Lord,s
Supper after the manner OF the jewish
p~assoyer. And now st. Paul declares, that
All who thus pervert this holy sacrament
are .'ouilty of the body and blood OF the
Lord" Ii il evident that the phrase,
.'ouihy of the body and blood Of the Lord, -
proyes nothing in support of the Corporal
presence as taught by the Church OF Rome.
For the words "body and blood OF the
Lord must be understood according to
the words of The institution. And we have
already shown that a literal Interpretation
of the Saviour's language is, not only, con-
trary to the nature and design OF the ordi-
nance, but also ridiculous aud btasphemoas'
These words Of ST. Paul give no counten-
snce to theassumption, that the Corinthians
received in the sacrament the real flesh and
blood of Christ. To assume this, Is
to misinterpret his language and make the
inspired apostle contradict both himself
and his Divine Master. Then how were they
guilty of the body and blood OF the
Lord"? The answer is to he found In He
brews, sixth chapter, 4th, 9Th and 9th
verses, and 10 Hebrews 10th chapter and
29th verse. The first passage cited reads
thus: "For it is impossible for those who
were once enlightened, and have tasted OF
the heavenly gift, and were made par
takers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted
the good word of God, and the powers of
the world TO come; if they shall fall away,
to renew them again unto repentance, see
ing they cruelty to themselves the Son Of
God afresb, and put Him to an open
shame" The phrase ''crucify to them
selves the Son of God afresh" is equivalent
to the phrase guilty of the body and
blood of the Lord" Then, all who abuse
their privileges and apostatizs from the
faith, cruelty the Son Of God afresh, and
are therefore "suilty of the body and
blood Of the Lord" The second passage
cited above reads thus: "Of how much
sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he he
thought worthy, who hath trodden under
foot the Son of God, and hath counted
the blood of the covenant,
wherewith he was saDctifed, an
unholy thing, and hath done despite unto
the Spirit of Grace" Here the Apostle
compares the guilt and punishment incur
| red by the violators of the law Of Moses,
with that, which shall be visited upon
those, who transgress the Gospel Of Christ
and reject His atonement. He declares
that HE that despised Moses law died
without mercy" and that he who rejects
the Saviour is guilty OF a greater crime,
and will receive greater punishment.
They incur greater guilt and merit greater
punishment, because by such contempt
and blasphemy they ere ''guilty of the
body and blood of the Lord
I need not dwell longer upon this pass
age, for its import is clear to any one
| whose mind is unbiased. And now in con
| clading the Scripture evidence, we shall
revert to the words of the Apostle, record
| ed in the 18th chapter of l Corinthians.
Here, st. Paul, after reciting the words of
the institution, and adding the command
for its observance, goes on to speak OF the
elements used in the Sacrament. And
three times he speaks Of the bread rs bread,
and of the wine, as the cup and certainly
this he could not have done, had he be-
lieved them to be the real body and blood
Of Christ. He tells US nothing about
a change of substance. He says not a word
about the appearances of bread and wine.
But on the contrary, he declares, that we
eat the bread, and not the flesh of Christ;
we drink the Wine and not the Saviour's
blood. We find, theI, no traces of tran
substantiation in the words of the institu.
ton, as recorded by the three Evangelists.
We search for it, in vain; in the 9th chap
ter Of st. John, where he records our
Lords conversation with the people OF
Capernaum. And from the writings of
| st. Paul, We have adduced a weight of
evidence against this doctrine, that is ab.
| solutely uuanswersble. The olly conclu.
| sion then, TO which we can come, is that
the doctrine Of Christ's corporal presence
in the holy Eucharist is unScripturdl, and
therefore unworthy of belief. 1t is not the
doctrine of Christ and his holy Apostles,
and those who teach it would 10 we'll to
remember the words of st. John. He
says, "WhOsoever transgresSeth, and
abideth not in the doctrine Of Christ bath
not God" And ''if there come any unto
You, and bring not this doctrine, receive
| him not into your house. neither bid him
| God speed; for he that bidieth him Col
speed is partaker of his evil deeds" But
before closing this lecture, there are
two other points, which 60 to support
Protestant teaching upon this subject, and
and Of these we shall speak in few words,
The first is, the analogy that exists be
tween the Jewish Passover and the holy
Eucharist. The passover was the first Of
tie three great annual festivals observed
by the Hebrews. The original intention
of this institution was the commemoration
of the exodus from Egypt, when the Lord
passed over the frst-born of the Hebrews,
and smote these of the Egyptians. The
paschal lamb which was sacrificed OF this
occasion was q type Of the Lamb Of God,
who was afterwards to be offered upon the
cross for the redemption Of the world.
This sacrament was strictly observed by
the Jewish Church, aud our Lord ale the
passover with his disciples before ins'itut'
ing the Eucharist. And on the night Of
the betrayal, the Saviour instituted the
Eucharist, which he designed to take the
place of the passover, and the creatures oI
bread aud wine We're to he, henCefcrth,
memorials of his broken body aud shed
blood. Az the passover was a memorial o.
deliverance from Egyptian bondage it fol
lows that the Eucharist is amemorisl Of oul
deliverance FROM spiritual bondage. The
passover pre6gured the death of Christ he
fore it was accomplished on the Cross, AND
the Eucharist represents his sacrificia
death as past and finished. In the pass
over there were no mysterious change:
wrought in the sacrifices Of which the PEG
pie partook, and none but the Ignorant
and superstitious believe that any such
change takes place in the sacrament. Ant
now, in conclusion, We ask your attention