The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-02-20
TTHE LENTEN LECTURE
BY BISHOP KAHN YESTERDAY.
The First of ssrto. of DlsOOursss on the
Doctrine of the Real Presence of tho
Body of Christ in the EuchArist-ThS
Argument from His Point of view.
At The yesper service last evening In tho

at the VespsE service last evening In the
Cathedral, Bishop Kahn began his usual
course OF Lenten lectures. The question
which he intends to discuss is: "Why
has Professionalism rejected the doctrine
OF the real presence OF Chrlst's body and
blood in the Holy Communion2"
In his introduction, the Bishop dwell
on the many discordRnt sects into which
Protestant christianity was cut up, and
characterized the absence Of even doctri
nal unity as a scandal to the infdsl al
home and to the heather abroad. The
result of the so.cslled Reformation, &C
maniiestly in opposition to the dearest
wish Of the ssviour's sacred heart, is in
itself quite sufficient to prove that it could
not be the work Of God. We're its authorl
justified In their revolt against the old
church, How few ever trouble them.
selves to ASCERTAIN. It Is said and gener.
ally believed by Professionals that the
purpose of that uprising against the Ro.
man Catholic Church was 10 reform the
church Of Christ and purify 1t from many
erroneous doctrines, etc, etc. But Ia Il
not Q notorious fact that, at first, abuses
only in matters Of discipline were de-
nounced, and the church's doctrines were
not assailed?
Now-ad days 1t is not an uncommon
thing to see quite long lat OF supposed
Innovations in matters Of doctrine, against
which Luther Ia represented as vigorously
protesting. In this list, ninety-nine out Of
hundred will put the Catholic doctrine
OF the corporal presence OF Christ in the
Eucharist. Most Proteatants in our day
are firmly convinced that this Popish su.
prostitution las they arc wont to brand
it) was one Of the most eggregiouserrors
which the glorious Reformation was di:
vlnely commissioned to destroy. Did
Martin Luther, who is ever lsuded as the
leader OF the Reformation, so think ?
Far from it. He continued all his lite to
uphold in the strongest manner the doc
trine Of the presence in the Lords sup
per, Of the very flesh and blood OF Jesus
Christ. Against those who denied the
doctrine, he was as bitter, as violent, as
coarse in his denunCiations as against the
Paptiss themselves. In his "Little
Gate chism," written only two years be-
fore. his death, he styles the adherents
OF Zuinglius, who admitted mere iguTa-
tive presence Of ChrisL's body and blood
in the Supper, 'madmen, blasphemers,
miserable WTetCheg, damned souls for
whom 1t Is no longer lawful to pray"
Just one year before he died, he called the
Eucharist, 1.-THE adorable sacrament
an expression that greatly inCensed Cal.
win.
The Biahop referred to the authorized
standard OF the Lutheraus, the Comics
sion Of Augsburg, in which, among the
abuses charged against the Church Of
Rome, no mention is made Of this doc.
trine; nay, 1t teaches expressly the real
presence Of the body Of Christ in ths Lords
Supper, and processes the greatest revsr.
ence for tho MaRo. But tho wording OF
this confession was not explicit enough
for Luther, and few years later, in the
Confession OF SmaiCald, these expressions
were employed: ave believe that the
bread and wine are the true body and
blood OF Christ, and are given to and re-
ceived by, not only pious Christians, but
also BY the impious." Indeed, Luther
found one OF his Chiefest pleasures in the
bitter enmity no ever cherished against
the opponents OF the doctrine OF the real
pregence. For fifty years and more, his
views continued to be entertained by the
vast majority OF ProteBtants. But the
very reverse ls true to-day. Few Protest.
ants now believe in the corporal
presence Of Christ in the Lords
Supper. This belief is regarded as
peculiarly distinctive Of the Catholic
Church. The question under discussion
is: "Why has Professionalism rejected this
doctrine?" Martin Luther is constantly
sulogized as. another Mosea divinely raised
up to lead Gods people out OF tina dark
ness Of Popish auperatitiong, and as q
God.giited messenger sent to purify the
Church OF Christ and purge 1t OF the er-
rors engratted on the Goapel-trutbs, And
yet the great majority OF his admirers in
our age are forced to acknowledge that
God, who gave him his extraordinary
mission to reform His Church, permitted
him to hold and teach and propagate most
zealously one OF the grossest OF all Romo's
supposed errors; or that they themselves
have flung aside doctrine which, in
Luther'a opinion, is one Of the most clear.
ly revealed truths OF the New Testament,
Assuredly this is strange alternative.
Perhsps, said the Bishop, the reason for
this change Of belief may be found in the
unhappy tendency 10 rationalism which
Professionalism fosters. But II tho doctrine
OF the real presence Ia rejected because
reason cannot comprehend lit, other doc.
trines as yet acknowledged as essential to
must share The same fate.
The second lecture, to be delivered at 8
p. NJ. next Sunday, will BIZ devoted to a
thorough development Of the Catholic
teaching concerning the real presence,
and to an exposition Of come Of the theo-