Being therefore convinc’d of the real Presence of our Lord’s Body in the most holy Eucharist, I undoubtedly believe, that I ought to worship it: This I am commanded to do by the holy Council of Trent, Session XIII. Canon 5. where, speaking of the Eucharist, it says, that it ought to be ador’d with the Worship due to God.
The Wisemen worshipp’d Jesus Christ when he came into the World in the Stable; and the holy Writ assures us, that he was worshipp’d by the Apostles in Galilee. Why then shan’t we worship him now in the Eucharist, since we are persuaded, that he really exists there? That’s the Doctrine which St. Austin taught us upon the xcviiith Psalm, Nemo illam carnem manducet, nisi prius adoraverit, et non solum non peccamus
adorando, sed peccamus non adorando, i. e. Let none eat of that Flesh, till he has first ador’d it; for we not only do not sin by worshipping it, but we sin by not worshipping it.
As to the manner of communicating, I believe, ’tis sufficient to receive the Communion in one Kind: First of all, because the Church has so thought fit, and had great Reasons for it: Secondly, tho’ our Lord Jesus Christ, as the Council of Trent says, instituted this august Sacrament at the Supper under the Species of Bread and Wine, and gave it to his Apostles in both those Kinds, it does not from thence follow, that he establish’d it for a Law to distribute the holy Mysteries to all the Believers in both Kinds: For he himself often speaks but of one Kind, as when he says in St. John, Chap. vi. Ver. 51. If any Man eat of this Bread, he shall live for ever; and the Bread which I will give is my Flesh, which I will give for the Life of the World: And Ver. 58. He that eateth of this Bread shall live for ever.
I believe, that the holy Eucharist was instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ for Two Reasons: First of all, that it might serve as Nourishment for our Souls, for the Preservation of its spiritual Life; and in the second Place, that the Church might always have a Sacrifice to offer to God for the Forgiveness of our Sins: For as we offend God so often, and as our Sins incense him against us, the Church offers up the Sacrifice of the Eucharist, to engage God the Father to suspend the just Severity of his Wrath and Vengeance, and to obtain his Mercy.
The Paschal Lamb, which the Israelites both offer’d up, and ate as a Sacrifice, and as a Sacrament, was the Type of the Eucharist. Our Lord could not give us a greater Token of the
Love which he bore to us, than to leave us this visible Sacrifice, which is a Renovation of that bloody Sacrifice, which he offered himself to his Father upon the Cross, that we might honour his Memory to the End of all Ages.
By the Sacrifice of the Eucharist, I understand the holy Mass; and as the Sacrament of the Eucharist is an Action meritorious for us, and procures us great Advantages when we receive it, I believe, that I merit by the holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and that it is my Satisfaction to God for my Sins: I believe, that this Sacrifice is the very same which was offer’d upon the Cross: I believe, that ’tis the same Victim, that is to say, our Lord Jesus Christ, who once offer’d himself up on the Tree of the Cross: And in Fact the Victim, which offer’d itself up in a bloody manner, and that which offers itself in an unbloody manner, is the same; there are not Two Victims. And this Sacrifice is renew’d every Day in the Eucharist, according to the Command which God gave us, when he said to us, This do in Remembrance of Me, Luke xxii. Ver. 19. I believe, that none but Jesus Christ is Priest in this Sacrifice: The Ministers, who consecrate the Body and Blood of our Lord, do not offer that Sacrifice themselves, but supply the Place of Jesus Christ himself: This is evident from the Words of the Consecration; the Priest does not say, This is the Body of Jesus Christ, but This is my Body; and by Consequence he says so, because he is in the Place of Jesus Christ, and because, by the Virtue of those Words, he changes the Substance of the Bread and Wine into that of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ: Therefore the Mass is not only a Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving, or a mere Commemoration of
the Sacrifice which was completed upon the Tree of the Cross; but I also believe, that ’tis an effectual Sacrifice, which reconciles me to God, and gains me his Favour. And if we offer this holy Victim with a pure Heart, a lively Faith, and have a deep Sorrow for our Sins, I doubt not but God will shew us Mercy, and that we shall obtain the Assistance of his divine Grace whenever we need it: Nay, I am persuaded, that ’tis in a manner impossible, that, for the Sake of this sacred Victim, God should not grant us the Grace of Repentance, and the Remission of our Sins.
By Consequence the holy Sacrifice of the Mass is not only useful both to him that offers it, and to him that really partakes of it, but I also believe it to be advantageous to all the Faithful in general, both to the Living, and to those who die in the Grace of God, before they are purify’d from the Spots of their Sins. According to the constant Tradition of the Apostles, the holy Sacrifice of the Mass may be offer’d up for those Believers who die in the Grace of God before they are intirely cleans’d from their Faults; and ’tis likewise offer’d up to remove Afflictions and public Calamities, and to atone for the Sins of the Living, and the Pains which they have deserv’d. From hence I conclude, that the Sacrifice of the Mass is offer’d particularly for the Benefit and Advantage of all the Faithful.