ON THE EUCHARIST. 66 of an Eastern (67) and in the character of should there be the fulness of the Divine a Western Liturgy (68), "that our sinful life amid all but a month-long fast from our bodies may be made clean by His Body"daily Bread?" While in the largest porand our souls washed by His most precious tion of the Church, the people mostly gaze Blood." Even the Roman Liturgy, though at the threshold of the Heaven where they less full on this point, has prayers, that do not enter (74), what do we? We seem, (69) the Communion may cleanse us from alas! even to have forgotten, in our very sin," may be the washing away of guilt, thoughts, that daily Communion, which the remission of all offences (70)." once was the common privilege of the whole Church, which, when the Eastern Church relaxed in her first love, the Western continued, and which they from whom we have our Communion Service in its present form, at first hoped to restore (75). It implies a life, so different from this our commonplace, ordinary tenour, a life so above this world as knit with Him Who hath overcome the world; so Angelic as living on Him Who is Angels' Food (76); a union with God so close, that we cannot mostly, I suppose, imagine to ourselves how we could daily thus be in Heaven and in our daily business here below, how sanctify our daily duties, thoughts, refreshment, so that they should be tinged with the hues reflected by our daily Heaven, not that heavenly gift be dimmed with our earthliness; how our souls should through the day shine with the glory of that ineffa It will then seem probably too refined and narrowing a distinction, when some divines of that communion, countenanced by the language of the Council of Trent (71), | maintain, in opposition to other errors (72), that venial sins only are remitted by the Holy Eucharist, since to approach it in mortal sip were itself mortal sin. For although own our Church also requires at least confession to God, and pronounces His absolution over us, before we dare approach those Holy Mysteries, yet because we are so far freed from our sins that we may approach, to our salvation not to condemnation, yet can we say that we are so freed, that nothing remains to be washed away? that the absolution, which admits to that cleansing Blood, is everything, that cleansing Blood itself, in this respect also, addeth nothing? Rather, the penitent's comfort is, that, as, in S. Basil's (73) words on fre- | ble Presence to which we had approached, quent communion," continual participation of life is nothing else than manifold life," so, often communion of that Body which was broken and that Blood which was shed for the remission of sins, is manifold remission of those sins over which he mourns, that as the loving-kindness of God admits It is not in blame of others, my breth", him again and again to that Body and that God forbid! it is as the confession! Blood, the stains which his soul had con- common fault, to which others have contracted are more and more effaced, the guilttributed least who have been least unwormore and more purged, the wounds more and more healed, that atoning Blood more and more interposed between him and his sins, himself more united with his Lord, Who Alone is Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption. not we approach to it with earth-dimmed souls. It must ever be so; we cannot know the Gift of God, if we forfeit it; we must cease mostly even to long for what we forego. We lose the very sense to understand it. thy, and which, if we confess, God may the rather teach us how to amend, that I dare not but notice, how even in this privleged and protected place, we still mostly forego even what remains, and what our Liturgy still enjoins. We have learned Since, then, this Divine Sacrament has, even, as people needs must, to justify the as its immediate and proper end, union omission. As those, who know not our with Him who hath taken our manhood privileges of daily service, think set daily into God, and the infusion into us of his prayers must become a lifeless form, so Spirit and life and immortality, making us right-minded persons speak, (and perhaps one with his glorified Humanity, as He is until they know it, must needs speak,) as One in the Godhead with the Father; and, though not we needed more reverence to besides this, it is ulteriorly the cleansing partake worthily of the Communion weekof our sins, the refining our corruptions. ly, but as though weekly Communions the repairing of our decays, what must be must needs decrease, not increase, reverthe loss of the Church of the latter days, ence. And thus in this abode, which God in which communions are so infrequent! has encompassed and blessed with priviHow can we wonder that love should have leges above all others, where so many waxed cold, corruptions so abound, griev- have been brought into an especial nearous falls have been, among our youth, al-ness to Him, and a sacredness of office, so most the rule, to stand upright the exception, Heathen strictness reproach Christian laxity, the Divine life become so rare, all higher instances of it so few and faint, when "the stay and the staff," the strength of that life is willingly forfeited? How many look to be so brought, and yet on that account need the more watchfulness and Divine strength that they fall notwhere, if we will, we may retire into our selves, as much as we will, and have daily prayers to prepare our souls-we have in 12 DR. PUSEY'S SERMON ON THE EUCHARIST. very many cases, not even the privileges | can, if we be faithful and keep His Gift which are becoming common in village which we receive, give such abundant Churches; we all, to whom it is expressly, strength to our rarer Communions, that as by name, enjoined, to "receive the (77) they shall carry us through our forty years Holy Communion with the Priest every of trial unto his own Holy Hill, and the Sunday at the least," have it perhaps scarce- Vision of himself in bliss. Rather should ly monthly (78), and the thanksgiving for those who long for it, fear that if it were the Ascension of our Lord stands in our given them, they might not be fitted for it, Prayer Book year by year unuttered, be- or, if we have it, that we come short of the cause when he ascended up on high to re-fulness of its blessing, than use inconsidceive gifts for men, there are none here erate eagerness in its restoration. Ask we below to receive the Gift He won for us, it of God, so will He teach us how to obor Himself, Who is the Giver and the Gift.tain it of those whom He has made its disNor has this been ever thus; even a cen-pensers to us. They too have their retury and a half ago, this Cathedral was re-sponsibilities, not to bestow it prematurely, marked as one of those, where, after the though they be involved in the common desolation of the Great Rebellion, weekly loss. Let us each suspect ourselves, not Communions were still celebrated. (79) others; the backward their own backwardBut, however we may see that our pres-ness, the forward their own eagerness; ent decay and negligence should not con- each habitually interpret well the other's tinue, restoration must not be rashly com- actions and motives; they who seek to parpassed. It is not a matter of obeying ru- take more often of the heavenly Food, honbrics, but of life or death-of health or our the reverence and humility which abdecay-of coming together for the better stains, and they who think it reverent to or for the worst, to salvation or to con-abstain, censure not as innovation, the redemnation. Healthful restoration is a work turn to ancient devotion and love; restore of humility, not to be essayed as though it, if we may, at such an hour of the day, we had the disposal of things, and could at when to be absent need not cause pain or our will replace what by our forefathers' perplexity, and may make least distinction; negligence was lost, and by our sins bound so, while we each think all good of the up with theirs is yet forfeited. Sound res- other, may we altogether, strengthened by toration must be the gift of God, to be the Same Bread, washed by the Same sought of him in humiliation, in prayer, in Blood, be led, in the unity of the Spirit and mutual forbearance and charity, with in- the bond of peace and holiness of life, to creased strictness of life, and more diligent that ineffable Feast, where not, as now, in use of what we have. We must consult Mysteries, but face to face, we shall ever one for the other. There is, in our fallen see God, and be ever filled with His Goodstate, a reverent abstaining from more fre- ness and His Love. quent Communion, founded on real though undue fears; there is and ought to be a real consciousness that more frequent Com-the least of God's mercies; that we have munion should involve a change of life, already far more than we deserve; (for more collectedness in God, more retire- whereas we deserved Hell, we have the ment, at times, from society, deeper con- antepast of Heaven); that the children's sciousness of His presence, more sacred-bread is indeed taken and given unto dogs; ness in our ordinary actions whom He so vouchsafeth to hallow, greater love for His Passion which we celebrate, and carrying it about, in strictness of self-rule and selfdiscipline, and self-denying love. And these graces, we know too well, come slowly. Better, then, for a time forego what any would long for, or obtain it, whereby God's bounty and Providence that Gift may be had, than by premature urgency "walk not charitably," or risk injury to a brother's soul. He Who alone can make more frequent Communion a blessing, and who gave such strength to that one heavenly meal, whereby through forty days and forty nights of pilgrimage he carried Elijah to His Presence at the Mount of God, Meantime such of us as long to be penitents, may well feel that we are less than that He, who is undefiled, spotless, separate from sinners, cometh to be a guest with us sinners; and therein may we indeed find our comfort and our stay. For where He is, how should there not be forgiveness, and life, and peace, and joy? What other hope need we, if we may indeed hope that we thereby dwell in Him and He in us, He in us, if not by the fulness of His graces, yet with such at least as are fitted to our state, cleansing our iniquities and healing our infirmities, Himself the forgiveness we long for; we in Him, in Whom if we be found in that Day, our pardon is forever sealed, ourselves forever cleansed, our iniquity forgiven, and our sin covered. NOTES. (1) Wisd., xvi., 20. (2) Hom. 46, in S. Joh. fin. (5) Ep. 15, ad Mart., and Ep. 16, ad Presb. (7) Sam., xxi., 5. (8) S. Ambr. de Myst. fin., S. Jerome, Ep. 120, ad Hedib., q. 2, on St. Matt., xxvi., 29. "Moses gave us not the true bread, but the Lord Jesus; Himself feasting, and the feast; Himself eating, and Who is eaten (Ipse conviva et convivium, ipse comedens et qui comeditur). We drink His Blood, and without Himself we cannot drink it. Let us do His will, and Christ will drink with us His own Blood in the kingdom of the Church." (9) "Marvel not hereat, nor inquire in Jewish manner how," &c.—S. Cyr., in S. Joh., 1. iv., p. 362, Add., p. 358, 5. the Cherubim in dwelling, not the pot, nor the (13) "Why do we receive it [the Holy Eu charist] within us? Is it not that it may make Christ to dwell in us corporeally also (up ovxì καὶ σωματικῶς ἡμῖν ἑνοικίζουσα τον Χριστόν), by participation and communion of His holy flesh? For St. Paul says that the Gentiles are imbodied (avoowua) with, and coheirs, and copartakers of Christ? How are they shown to be embodied?' Because, being admitted to share the Holy Eucharist, they become one body with Him, just as each one of the holy Apostles. For why did be [St. Paul] call his own, yea the members of all, as well as his own, the members of Christ? (1 Cor., vi., 15.) And the Saviour Himself saith, Whoso eateth My Flesh, and drinketh My Blood, dwelleth in Me and I in Him.' For here it is especially to be observed, that Christ saith that He shall be in us, not by a certain relation only as entertained through the affections, but also by a natural participation. For, as if one entwineth wax with other wax, and melteth them by the fire, there resulteth of both one (v r), so through the participation of the Body of Christ and of His precious Blood, He in us, and we again in Him, are co-united; for in no other way could that which is by nature corruptible be made alive, unless it were bodily entwined with the Body of That Which is by nature Life, the Only-Begotten (et μn ovvenλakn owμATIKŴs τῷ σώματι τῆς κατά φύσιν ζωῆς τοῦτ' ἔστι, τοῦ Μου voyevous). And if any be not persuaded by my words, give credence to Christ himself, crying aloud, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat,' &c. (St. John, vi., 53, 54.) Thou hearest how Himself, plainly declaring that, unless we eat His Flesh and drink His Blood,' we have not in ourselves,' that is, in our flesh, Eternal Life; but Eternal Life may be conceiv (10) "When the Son saith that He was sent, He signifieth His Incarnation, and nothing else; but by Incarnation we mean that He became wholly man. As, then, the Father, He saith, made Me man, and since I was begotten of That Which is, by nature, Life, I, being God the Word, 'live, and, having become man, filled My Temple, that is, My Body, with Mine own nature; so then, in like manner, shall he also who eateth my Flesh live by Me. For I took mortal flesh; but, having dwelt in it, being by nature Life, because I am of The living Father, I have transmuted it wholly into My own life. The corruption of the flesh conquered not me, but I conquered it, as God. As then (for I again say it, unwearied, since it is to profit), although I was made flesh (for the 'being sent' meaneth this), again I live through the living Father, that is, retaining in Myself the natural excellence (evoviav) of Him Who begat Me, so also he, who, by the participation of My Flesh, receiveth Me, shall have life in himself, being wholly and alto-ed to be, and most justly, the Flesh of That gether transferred into Me, who am able to give life, because I am, as it were, of the lifegiving Root, that is, God the Father."-S. Cyril in S. Joh., 1. iv., c. 3, init., p. 366, ed. Aub. Which is Life, that is, the Only-Begotten.'' S. Cyr. in S. Joh., xv., 1, 1. x., c. 2, p. 862, 3. "How say they that the flesh goeth to corruption, and partaketh not of life, which is nourish(11) "So receive the Holy Communion, be-ed by the Body of the Lord and by His Blood. lieving that it hath power of expelling, not death Our doctrine agreeth with the Eucharist, and the only, but the diseases in us [i. e., in the soul]. Eucharist confirmeth our doctrine. For as bread For Christ thus coming to be in us (ev huiv yeyo-out of the earth receiveth the invocation of God, v), lulleth in us the law which rageth in the members of the flesh, and kindleth carefulness to Godward, and deadeneth passions," &c.-S. Cyr. in S. Joh., vi., 56, p. 365. He saith, he that eateth My Flesh dwelleth in Me, showing that He is mingled with him (ev air ȧvakiova Tai)."-S. Chrys., Hom., 47, in S., § 1. "Thou hast not the Cherubim, but the Lord Himself of | is no longer common bread, but Eucharist, consisting of two things, an earthly and a heavenly, so also our bodies, receiving the Eucharist, are no longer corruptible, having the hope of the Resurrection forever.”—S. Iren., 4, 18, 5; comp. S. Greg. Nyss. (very fully), Catech. Orat., c. 37, t. iii., p. 102. (14) But, in the words of our Catechism, "by 14 DR. PUSEY'S SERMON the Body and Blood of Christ,” i. e., by receiving them. (15) Ezek., xxviii., 12, 15. (16) "I say more, even angels, and virtues, and the higher powers are confederated in this one Church, as the Apostle teaches that in Christ all things are reconciled, not only things in earth, but things in heaven."-S. Niceta Expl. Symb., p. 44, (quoted Manning, Unity of the Church, p. 37.) (27) Bp. Andrewes' Devotions for Holy Communion, (from Ancient Liturgies,) “O Lord, I am not worthy, I am not fit, that Thou shouldest come under the roof of my soul; for it is all desolate and ruined; nor hast Thou in me fitting place to lay thy head." (29) De Beat. Philog. Hom., vi., t. i., p. 500, ed. Ben. de Pœnit. Hom. 9, init., S. Ephr, Opp. Syr., t. iii., p. 23. (30) S. Chrys. in Ps. 133. (31) S. Chrys. de Bapt. Christi, fin. (32) "This Blood is the salvation of our souls; by this the soul is washed; by this beautified; by this kindled; this maketh our mind gleam more than fire; this maketh_the_soul brighter than gold."-S. Chrys. in S. Joh. Hom. 46, § 3, add. de Sac., iii., 4. (28) S. Chrys. de Sacerdot., iii., 5, add. in die Nat. J. C., t. 2, p. 305, "consider that, being earth and ashes, thou receivest the Body and Blood of Christ-now when God inviteth thee to His (17) "Doth any man doubt that even from own Table, and setteth before thee his own Son the flesh of Christ our very bodies do receive-let us draw near as approaching to the King that life which shall make them glorious at the of Heaven." latter day, and for which they are already accounted parts of His Blessed Body? Our corruptible bodies could never live the life they live, were it not that here they are joined with His Body, which is incorruptible, and that His is in ours as a cause of immortality-a cause by removing through the death and merit of His own flesh that which hindered the life of ours. Christ is, therefore, both as God and as man, that true vine whereof we both spiritually and corporeally are branches. The mixture of His bodily substance with ours is a thing which the ancient fathers disclaim. Yet the mixture of His flesh with ours they speak of, to signify what our very bodies through mystical conjunction receive from that vital efficacy which we know to be in His; and from bodily mixtures they borrow diverse similitudes rather to declare the truth, than the manner of coherence between his sacred and the sanctified bodies of saints."-Hooker, H. E., v., 56, 9. The thoughtful study of these chapters of Hooker on the connexion of the Sacraments with the Incarnation of our Blessed Lord would do much, in pious minds, to remove existing difficulties in the reception of the truth. (18) "The Holy Body then of Christ giveth life to those in whom It is, and keepeth them from incorruption, mingled (úvakiprúuevov) with our bodies. For we know it to be the Body of no other than of Him Who is, by Nature, Life, having in Itself the whole Virtue of the united Word, and in-qualitied as it were, (TEπоITμÉνOV) yea, rather, filled with His mighty working, whereby all things are made alive and kept in being. S. Cyr. in S. Joh. 6, 35, 1, iii., c. 6, p. 324. (19) S. Chrys. Hom. 46, in S. Joh. § 2, fin. "Wherefore we needs ought to learn what is the miracle (vavua) of the Mysteries, why they were given, and what their benefit. We become one body, members, he saith, of His Flock and of His Bones."-Add., § 3. See also Mede, App. (20) "If they who touched the hem of His garment drew such great virtue, how much more they who possess him wholly (oi öλov avròv KarEXOVTEC)."-S. Chrys. Hom. 50, in S. Matt., § 2. (21) S. Cyril Alex. in S. Joh. 1, iv., c. 2, in v. 44, p. 361. The words just preceding are, on v. "For wholly destitute of all share and taste of that life which is sanctification and bliss, are they who do not through the mystical Communion (evλayía) receive the Son." 24. (22) Ib. in v. 55, p. 363. (23) De Trin., viii., 13. (24) Ib., § 14. (25) "Where His Body is, there Christ is. When the adversary shall see thy dwelling-place (hospitium) filled with the brightness of the heavenly Presence," &c.-S. Ambr., in Ps. 118, § 8, 48. (26) S. Aug. in Ps. 138, § 21. Serm. 135, de verb.; Ev. Joh., 9, c. 5, comp. S. Hil. de Trin., xi., 49, (quoted Tract on Holy Baptism, p. 180, ed. 3.) (33) S. Christ. in S. Matt. Hom. 25, § 3. (34) S. Chrys. de Bapt. Christi fin., t. ii., p. 371. (35) S. Aug. Serm., 227, ad Inf. de Sacr. (36) S. Chrys. Hom., 46, in S. Joh., § 3. "But that we may be thus [one body, members of His Flesh and of His Bones,] not through love only, but in very truth, be we mingled with that Flesh. For this taketh place through the Food He gave us, wishing to show the longing He hath towards us, wherefore He hath mingled Himself with us, and blended (¿véovpe) His body with us that we might be in a manner one substance (ért) as the body joined to the head;" and in S. Matt. Hom. 82, § 5. "It sufficed not to Him to become man, nor to be buffeted and slain, but He mingleth Himself also with us, and not by faith only, but in very deed maketh us His Body." "For as if one joineth wax with wax, he will see the one in the other, in like manner, I deem, he who receiveth the Flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and drinketh His precious Blood, as He saith, is found as one substance with Him ( ¿ç πρòç aνтòv) commingled as it were and immingled with him (dvvavakiovýμevos wozeg kas vaμyvýμevos avт), through the participation, so that he is found in Christ, and Christ again in him. As then Paul saith that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump, so the least portion of the consecrated elements blendeth (avcope) our whole body with itself, and filleth it with its own mighty working, and thus Christ cometh to be in us and we in Him."-S. Cyr. in S. John, 6 57, p. 364, 5. S. Cyril again uses the word avaKɛkpauévovç ib., p. 351. (37) S. Chrys. in S. Mat., Hcm., 82, § 5. "That whereas the Angels gaze with awe, thereby are we nourished, therewith are we mingled, and we become the one body and the one flesh of Christ." Add., S. Cyr., Jer., Lect. 22, § 3. (38) The whole passage stands thus in S. Cyril, (in S. Joh., 17, 23, 1. xi., c. 12, p. 1001,) "We are united [not only with each other, bui] with God also. And how, the Lord Himself hath explained. 'I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in one (els tv).' For the Son is in us corporeally as Man, commingled and co-united with us (συνανακιρνμ' μενός τε και στα vevoάuevos) by the Holy Eucharist. And again spiritually as God, by the power and grace of His own Spirit, re-creating the spirit in us to newness of life, and making us partakers of the | tion."-St. Cypr. Ep. ad Cæcil. init. "His Blood (50) S. Chrys. de Prodit. Jud., Hom., i., 6. (51) Johnson's Unbloody Sacrifice, c. 2, s. 1, (40) S. Chrys., in S. Joh., Hom., 46, § 4. "I (41) See S. Chrys. below, p. 21. Liturgies, p. (42) S. Aug. Conf., 1, 10, fin., "pretii nostri (43) S. Aug., c. Cresc., Don. i., 25. (45) S. Aug. in Ps. 100, 9. (46) S. Aug., Serm. 77, 4 add., Serm. 80, 5, (47) S. Chrys. ad Pop. Ant. ii., fin. break," тòv úρтov öv кhev, where he chiefly (53) S. John, xvii., 19. "What meaneth, 'I (54.) "He Who disposeth all things according (49) St. Chrys. in St. Matt. Hom. 25, § 3. "If (55) Gen. xlix., 11, is explained of the Passion |