Reasons for Leaving the Church of Rome

by Laurence J. Nolan

Some Roman Catholics also endeavour to show our Saviour’s body could be present in many places at the same time, “by attaching to it a velocity, or what is the same, a quickness, which would be almost equal to an infinite velocity or quickness; so that no sensible interval of time would exist between a body being here and a thousand separate parts of the globe at the same instant.” But this is totally subversive of the doctrine of Transubstantiation; for, no matter how great the velocity or quickness of the body might be, still, if that quickness were not equal to an infinite quickness the doctrine of Transubstantiation could not be proved. For, some interval of time (if the velocity be not equal to infinite) must exist between the body of our Saviour being here, being in France, being in America, and in a thousand other places, which is contrary to Roman Catholic doctrine; which asserts, “that as long as the species of bread and wine continues, so long does Christ exist in the sacrament;” which words clearly prove, that our Saviour’s body is not to leave the sacrament at any time, and, therefore, such a supposition of quickness being attached to the body of Christ, is perfectly absurd and contradictory to Roman Catholic doctrine.

Again, such a supposition of velocity or quickness equal to what they would term almost infinite, is quite absurd. For it is proved, from the most natural deductions of the accelerated motion of moving bodies, “that if each ray of light were equal to the two-millioneth part of the smallest portion of sand we can form a conception of, that man could no more stand before their effects, than before grape shot fired from the mouth of a cannon.” [31] If such then would be the effects of the rays of the sun upon bodies, what would be the result of the bread upon the Priest, if a million of times greater velocity would be imparted to that bread? Why, my friends, the effect would be tremendous—death would be the immediate and necessary consequence to the priest officiating. Therefore, such a supposition as that of “an almost infinite velocity,” is absurd.

Such, my friends, are some of the reasons, which inspired by the spirit of truth, have influenced my disbelief as to the doctrine of Transubstantiation. I know some of you will say it is difficult to understand some of those reasons I have given on this subject; but remember it is only the quibbling objections that are made in support of this doctrine that are difficult to be understood, and not the answers I have given, for I have endeavoured to make those answers as plain as possible to the capacity of each. I will now proceed to these Scriptural arguments which confirm me in the disbelief as to your doctrine of Transubstantiation.

THIRD PART.

But, my friends, before I enter upon these Scriptural arguments, allow me to remind you of one important circumstance. Do you remember some time ago how anxious your Bishops and Clergy were in preventing the diffusion of the Gospel light among the people of Ireland? Do you remember how all their energies were directed against those Missionaries who so indefatigably struggled for the circulation of the Bible among you? Well, my friends, I am now happy to inform you that the times are quite altered—“tempora mutantur & nos cum illis mutamur.” But as some of you may not understand the meaning of those words I will translate them for you—that is, “the times are changed and we are changed in them;” for your Bishops have lately resolved that a cheap edition of the Bible should be published for your instruction. With mine own hands I circulated some of those Bibles among you. I hope you will now avail yourselves of such an opportunity, and that you will look to your Bibles for those arguments to which I will now refer you. Let you remember that these words are not mine, but the words of eternal life. They are to be found in your own Bibles. Let you therefore consider them diligently. I will not confuse your minds by a reference to many texts of Scripture, but shall only introduce those which I consider as essentially necessary upon the subject of Transubstantiation; which means (as I have mentioned before) the transubstantiating, or what is the same, the changing, during the time of mass, of the bread into the body and the wine into the blood of Christ.

You assert that the sacrifice of the mass is the same as the sacrifice at the last supper; and you also say that the sacrifice at the last supper is the same propitiatory sacrifice as that offered upon the cross, with this exception, that the sacrifice upon the cross was a bloody one, but the sacrifice at the last supper was an unbloody and mystical sacrifice.

Now, my friends, look to all those passages in your Bible which describe the last supper—look to Luke the 22d chap.—look to Mark the 14th chap.—look to Matthew the 26th chap.—look to the 1st Corinthians the 11th chap, and in all these places you will not find a single word about a mystical and unbloody sacrifice at the last supper. No, for these are words of what I might call a self-accommodating distinction—formerly introduced by the selfish views of man—they are quite unscriptural, and therefore unworthy of our belief upon so important an occasion.

I will now show you there was no propitiatory sacrifice at the last supper, and consequently that there is no propitiatory sacrifice at your masses, for you assert that the sacrifice at the mass and the sacrifice at the last supper are the same.

It is mentioned in Leviticus, 17th chap, and 11th verse, “for it is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul.” Now this in the old law is confirmed by the words of St. Paul in the new law, as may be seen in the 9th chap, and 22d verse of the Hebrews, where it is said, “and without shedding of blood there is no remission.” Therefore there was no propitiatory sacrifice at the last supper, or what is the same, no sacrifice for the remission of sins, for you Roman Catholics admit, that the sacrifice at the last supper was an unbloody sacrifice, and therefore there is no sacrifice at the mass, since the supposed sacrifice at the last supper and the supposed sacrifice of the mass are considered the same.

Again I assert, there was no sacrifice at the last supper, for St. Paul says in the 7th chap, and 27th verse of the Hebrews, “Who needeth not daily as those High Priests to offer up sacrifices—for this he did once.” Therefore if he sacrificed himself but once, it is evident there was no sacrifice at the last supper. Again, it is said in the 10th chap. and 12th verse of the same Epistle, “But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, for ever sat down on the right hand of God.” If therefore our Saviour only offered one sacrifice, that was the sacrifice of the cross, and certainly not the supposed sacrifice at the last supper; and consequently there is no sacrifice at the mass, since, as I mentioned before, Roman Catholics assert that the supposed sacrifice at the last supper and that of the mass are the same.