oath, therefore can in no way be used with any degree of propriety among christians. This new sacramental notion was, that the consecrating priest had the power to abolish the substance of the bread and wine; and to substitute the very body and blood of Christ. This doctrine of the Romish Church, was called the doctrine of transubstantiation. 'The faith of the Romish Church may be understood, by the council holden against CoвHAM and other protestants about the fifteenth century. "We believe," said the Bishop, "and the faith and determination of the holy church, touching the blissful sacrament of the altar is this; that after the sacramental words be once spoken by a priest in his mass, the material bread that was before bread, is turned into Christ's very body; and the material wine, that was before wine, is turned into Christ's very blood. And so there remaineth thenceforth, neither material bread, nor material wine, which there was before the sacramental words were spoken." Because COBHAM and JOHN BADBY would not be. lieve this doctrine of transubstantiation they were condemned, and put to death as heretics.-ROBERT, king of France, caused fourteen of his clergy to be burned at one time for protesting against the grace (as they were pleased to call it,) of the sacrament, both in baptism and in communion. These protestants fell a victim to sacramental superstitions about the year 1022, The doctrine of the pope, was built upon the letter of the scripture (to wit, "This 19 my BODY, this is my BLOOD." The same pharasaical mind, caused the Romish church to err, which even did cause the Jews, and other outward minded professors to err from the truth. How true is that saying of the apostle Paul." The natural man desires not the things of the Spirit, neither can he, for they are Spiritually discerned." It was because the minds of men were naturally hard to conceive the things of the Spirit, that our Lord spoke not any thing without a parable. And notwithstanding such pains were taken to reach the dead and low mindedness of the natural man, yet how frequently did the Jews put the most natural construction upon the most Spiritual allegories. Because men have looked only on the surface of the scripture, they have ever found themselves entangled in endless mythologies, disputes and contentions about the meaning of the letter. "This is my body, this is my blood." If this scripture was to be taken without a deviation from the strictness of the letter, then the sacramental notion of the papists might be considered as correct as any other. The next notion which arose concerning the sacrament was that propagated by MARTIN LUTHER. As LUTHER considered the doctrine of transubstantiation incorrect, he gave it out, that the substance of Christ's body, together with the substance of the -- bread and wine, constituted a proper sacrament, or in other words, that the bread did remain; but that the body of Christ was inherent in it, so that the substance of the bread, and of the body, and of Christ, was there too. It is said that this doctrine of Luther's was called the doctrine of consubstantiation in contradiction to the doctrine of the Pope. We have Luther's own words, concerning his belief, and they plainly show that he was hardly a protestant in this matter.And notwithstanding he had blamed the papists because they had not given sufficient reason for their notion of the presence of Christ's body, &c. yet he, himself, when requested to explain this, his new notion, could not. "But" said he "we are not commanded to scrutinize in what manner Christ is in the bread, it is sufficient that He himself hath said that it is so." The papists felt that their doctrine had a sufficient foundation in the letter of the text, that is, "this is my body" and said Luther, "men may exclaim and contend for a thousand years; but they will never be able to take away the expressions which are as clear as words can make them." If Luther's mind had not been hampered by the letter, we never should have heard these expressions from him, which are much bet→ ter calculated to support the Pope's doctrine, than his. About this time, a violent and lengthy contention arose between the Helvetic and Calvinist denominations, with the Lutherans, concerning the manner in which the body and blood of Christ was in the sacra ment. This dispute has been very properly called the great sacramental contest. This dispute, as it appears, after having produced the most dreadful animosities, and hates, finally terminated in a fatal division of many sincere friends to reformation. This contest was attended by a Spirit too insatiate to be satisfied without taking away liberty of life, and even life itself. Luther, himself, so far gave way to a persecuting spirit, that he petitioned the elector of Saxony to banish CAROLASTADIUS, (otherwise called CAROLSTADT,) because he could not in all things submit to his judgment. The sacrament opinion of Carolastadius, has been since received by the world instead of the notions of Luther or John Calvin. CALVIN, it appears yielded to like unchristianlike conduct. He banished CASTELLIO, and burned Servetus; and Melancthon who was called the pen of the reformation approved of what CALVIN had done. Such hates arose through the body of protestants that they became so disaffected towards each other that they had recourse to the sword, and Germany sustained the shame and lost-protestants say of more than fifty thousand men, and papists say that one hundred and thirty thousand Lutherans per ished from the cause.-Good would it have been, had that intolerant spirit which so frequently shows itself in matters of religion ended in Germany. This is but one instance in a thousand, that the cause of God has been injured by its advocates in their contest about sacraments and other things of no more worth. It is not uncommon, even at the present day; that in will-worship, we see men possessed with a self-righteous spirit, connected with selfish ambition; but in all things, it is too subtle to be perceived by such. as are the dupes of it. We have but one more sacramental notion to notice. JOHN CALVIN considered the opinion of Luther as inconsistent. He gave out that the substance of the bread remained what it was, natural bread, and that the body of Christ was not there corporeally, or substantially; but yet, that the body of Christ really and sacramentally was received by the faithful in the use of the bread and the wine. After CALVIN had laboured to establish his own opinion, in opposition to Luther's, yet he was as much in the fog, as LUTHER was in the dark; and when asked how his doctrine could be truth, he says, "If it be asked me how it is? I shall not be ashamed to confess that it is a secret too high for me to comprehend in my spirit, or explain in words." I shall not stop to comment on these opinions, which in process of time have confuted CC |