South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-10-19
GIVES ME- HODIST
SIDE OF DOCTRINE
Rev. Henry L. Davis Says It's
the Memory of Christ and
Not His Actual Body and
Blood That Leads to Piety.

A practical explanation of the doc
trine of communion as understood by
the Methodists was given Sunday
morning by Rev Henry L. Davis of
the First Methodist Episcopal church.
He took for his theme What mean
We by this service" and spoke as fol-
lows:
Perhaps there is no rite or sacra-
ment that marks a difference between
the Protestant and Catholic church
better than the doctrine of cOmmun-
ion.
we have heard from the lips OF
distinguished divine within the last
few days an explanation from the
viewpoint of Catholicism of the words
Of our Saviour, This is my body this
is my blood in which terms Christ is
understood literally
THAT by the mere blessing by a
priest or minister OF bread and wine
effects miracle, by virtue OF which
an organic germ of immortality is
conveyed TO all recipients who are
free from mortal sin.
"'This doctrine is utterly repulsive
to every Protestant. We know that
the bread and wine remain chemic-
ally the same and we refuse TO be-
lieve that the mere conservation or
a minute effects any other change in
them.
"Our position is that this is figur-
alive expression, with which express
sions the New Testiment is replete.
Jesus says, I am the door, L am the
vine No one for a minute presumes
TO take these expressions literally.
Points TO Scripture.
sfXNhaV TasnS said trTbfs il NV hOdV
this is my blood, who shall presume
TO affirm that He ever meant it was
His literal body and blood. He could
not have SO meant, for the following
reasons:
when the words were first ut
tered, Jesus was not cTucifed. His
body was not yet broken, His blood
was not yet shed. 1t must have been
a symbol 1t was at the celebration
of the Jewish passover when the Jews
celebrated the passing over of the
death angel, in cOmmemoratiOn OF
which event the head Of the table
broke the loaf of bread and gave il
to tn eguests.
Not only so. but both the Saviour
and Paul, the latter in 1. Cor, 1923
&c, says, AS oft as we do il in re-
membrance Of Me- Now if the vir-
tue of this sacrament is literal if the
germ of life eternal is actually pres
ent in the wine and bread, what pos
sible virtue can there be in the use
of Memory
"In the taking In of food, there
needs be no act Of the mind to rem
der it efficacious. Food may be
taken in the sleep, or in the moment
of delerium, but its effectiveness
memory be necessary TO render eff !
faafiKe fla V1aHinina Uir-nr hxrt the dor |
tor.
"Why does He say then. DO thiS |
in remembrance Of me-? Because the |
virtue of the entire act is in the |
symbolism; that has the power to set
in motion the powerful facts Of the /
memory which will recall the suffer |
ing, agony and death of our Lord
ad these things but recall to us the |
wonderful love of God and the broken |
heart cries.
" Love so amazing so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all /
"Thus only by an act of memory /
does the sacrament become effacious /.
The hypocrite, the moral reprObate, /
may receive the sacrament from pope /
bishop, cardinal and minister. and in |
the mere act of receiving obtain no |
virtue.
But let any of these fallen of the /
active memory and appreciative heart /
and through it will cry: My Lord and |
my Cod
What MethOdists Hold.
when the Catholic doctrine en- |
phasizes the position that the bread 4
and wine possess an intristic virtue. |
unless INSTRUCTED by a mortal sin, we /
Methodists hold the the efficacy is |
in the memory and the power TO re- |
call the love of God as revealed |
Calvary's sacrifice; which /
memory begets in the partaker of the /
sacrament new ASPIRATIONS for hOli- 4
ness and renewed devotion to diety.
I'm other words, while the Catholic |
holds the virtue TO !
lie in the bread and wine, we main |
tain that it lies in the attitude OF the |
recipient Of the sacrament. They hold |
the efficacy and pain is in the pulpit; |
we hold that it is in the pew.
The doctrine of transubstantiatiOn |
has a tendency to enshrine the min /
lister almost as one having miraculous
power. while it begets in the hearts of !
people an awe and superstition which
says the church is everything.
I'VE who come to the table are 70
repent of sin-be in love and charity
with our neighbOr and purpose TO live
a new life. And the test of our pur-
pose is not in the faith which we have
in human ministry, but If we leave
this altar TO Obediently keep Gods
And the best test Of the efficacy