“And since the same Christ who once offered himself by his blood on the altar of the cross, is contained in this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, and offered without blood, the Holy Council teaches that this sacrifice is really propitiatory, and made by Christ himself; so that if we approach God contrite and penitent, with a true heart and sincere faith, we obtain mercy and find grace in seasonable aid. For assuredly God is appeased by this oblation, bestows grace, and the gift of repentance, and forgives all crimes and sins how great soever; for the sacrifice which is now offered by the ministry of the priests is one and the same as that which Christ then offered on the cross, only the mode of offering is different.” [20a]
Now looking at these words you observe that they contain two or three most startling statements.
(1.) That there is a propitiatory sacrifice offered continually.
(2.) That the reason of this propitiatory sacrifice is that God is not yet appeased, or, in other words, that the atonement is incomplete, for it says, “God is appeased by this oblation.”
(3.) That the victim offered is the very same, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ. The wafer is said to be transubstantiated into the living person, body, soul, and divinity, of the Lord, and as such to be offered without blood upon the altar; as is yet more distinctly stated in the Catechism, where it says: “We confess that the sacrifice offered in the Mass is one and the same as that offered on the cross; seeing that the victim is one and the same; namely, Christ our Lord, who offered himself as a bloody offering once only on the altar of the cross, for the bloody and unbloody victims are not two victims, but one only, whose sacrifice, according to the Lord’s commands, Do this in remembrance of me, is daily renewed in the Eucharist.” [20b]
Now, if there be any Roman Catholic here to-night, I would most earnestly ask of him, how such language can be reconciled with the clear statements of the Word of God? Mark how St. Paul, in the chapters to which I have referred, again and again declares that there can be no fresh offering of the Lord. He says, in chap. ix. 26, “Now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” Can he, then, be appearing daily in his human person, that he may be sacrificed again? He says, chap. ix. 28, “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many;” and chap. x. 10, “By the which will we are sanctified by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Is it possible, then, that he should be offered every Sunday on ten thousand Romish altars? He says, chap. x. 12, “This man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sin, for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.” How then can we believe that be is now dying as a second sacrifice upon earth? He says, x. 14, “By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified,” and if that one offering is sufficient to give to us all a full and perfect justification before God, how can those who are thus perfected admit the idea of a second sacrifice to appease God’s justice, and a second victim to obtain forgiveness at his hands? No, dear brethren, that one offering was once and for ever. It was “eternal redemption” that the Lord then obtained for us. Eighteen centuries have passed since it was offered, and have borne down in their passage thousands and tens of thousands of happy spirits, who, washed in that living fountain, have found a peaceful reception in the Lord. They have each one borne with them the sad taint of deep corruption, and have grieved in spirit over indwelling sin. They have been placed in various spheres in life, some buffetted by the rough adventures of this stormy world, some led through the fire of persecution, and called as witnesses for Christ to stand alone in their faith; while others have been led in the softer dealings of the Spirit by smoother paths, and to more gentle resting-places; but all have gained their strength from one source, and derived their peace from one truth—that source Christ Jesus; that truth the one most certain fact, that the Lord has made on the cross a full, perfect, and sufficient satisfaction for their sin. Upon it they lived, upon it they died, by it they triumphed, and through it they will all be presented faultless at the coming.
And that fountain is as fresh now as ever; that atonement is as perfect in its application to us as it was to them. We too have our indwelling sin, our deep inbred corruption, which without atonement must destroy us for eternity, but we have the atonement, and resting in it we may be safe.
Now the whole controversy with Rome turns on the power and application of that atonement to the conscience of sinners. It is not a question of mere historical antiquity, or ecclesiastical genealogy, but one involving the soul’s peace. The soul needs peace, and in the Scriptures peace is promised. “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you,” was the clear and unfailing promise of the Lord. But in order to [obtain] that peace we must receive the atonement as God has revealed it, viz., as a full, perfect, and final expiation for our sin. How can there be peace while we are striving to effect an impossibility, and to make satisfaction to that broken law which could only be satisfied by the blood of the Son of God? How can there be peace while we are toiling to reach the atonement instead of simply trusting it, and hoping by holiness, good works, and penance to make such a qualifying righteousness, as shall fit us for the reception of the grace of God? How can there be peace if the justice of God still hangs over the accepted believer, and requires centuries of purgatorial flame as a further expiation for his forgiven sin? How can there be peace if we are to regard the work on the cross as still requiring repetition in the mass, and directed to the Saviour as still offered on the altar instead of mediating at the right hand of God?
Away then with all thoughts of any human satisfaction, of anything that man can do to make a compensation for his sins! Our one compensation is the fact that the Lord Jesus has endured the curse of all. Away with all limits to that work of his, which may either fetter its freedom or detract from its fulness! our hope is that it reaches down so low that the guilty sinner need bring nothing as the purchase of his reconciliation, and it rises so high that he stands accepted in the righteousness of God. Away with all thoughts of either requiring or presenting any fresh propitiation, with all idea of offering a second time the risen Lord, who now reigns exalted on the throne. The one great propitiation was enough, and we want no more. We know that there is deep corruption eating into the very heart’s core; we know that we cannot stand a moment before God without atonement, but we know also—and we hope to spend eternity in praising God for that blessed knowledge, that the atonement then made was perfect; and that he who then died our death now lives to perfect our life. On him therefore we cast the whole burden, without limitation, as without reserve, and trusting to him and his work, we find peace and salvation for our souls.