divine characters? On the mountains and the plains of the earth? in her forests and her fruitful fields? No! We learn much of God in the works of his hands; the glories of creation reflect the glories of his character; that His name is great His wondrous works declare; but when you come within the circumference of light which is radiated by the cross, you behold an intensity of justice, and a depth of wisdom, and a majesty of love, all too in glorious and perfect harmony, which no other sight could afford.

"Part of thy name divinely stands

On all thy creatures writ,

They show the labour of thy hands,

Or impress of thy feet.

"But when we view thy strange design
To save rebellious worms:
There vengeance and compassion join
In their divinest forms.

"Here the whole Deity is known,

Nor dares a creature guess,
Which of the glories brighter shone,

The justice or the grace."

You will be prepared now for this general statement : PROTESTANTS REGARD THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST, FINISHED UPON THE CROSS, AND THEREFORE ONCE OFFERED AND NEVER TO BE REPEATED; AS THE ONE SIN-OFFERING OF THE CHRISTIAN DISPENSATION. The Roman Catholic doctrine concerning the sacrifice of Christ is that it is repeated in every celebration of the Eucharist or the supper of the Lord; and that by a

process which the Catholic Church calls transubstantiation, every priest of that Church offers in holy sacrifice upon the altar, the Lord Jesus Christ, offers Him to God, as completely as Aaron and his successors offered the sacrifices of the law.

Against this view the Reformed Churches enter their solemn PROTEST, which may be conveniently divided into two parts. They protest against transubstantiation, and they protest against the sacrifice of the Mass.

FIRST, THEY PROTEST AGAINST THE DOCTRINE OF TRANSUBSTANTIATION.

This doctrine I shall not attempt to describe in my own language, because I know how easy it would be to colour and to misrepresent the views of others, where so much of mystery and incomprehensibleness is involved. The first description which I shall present to you is taken from Dr James Butler's Catechism, recommended by the four Roman Catholic Archbishops of Ireland.

"Q. What is the blessed Eucharist?

"A. The body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ, under the appearance of bread wine.

66 Q. What means the word Eucharist?

"A. A special grace or gift of God; and it means also, a solemn act of thanksgiving to God, for all his mercies.

"Q. What do you mean by the appearances of bread and wine?

"A. The taste, colour, and form of bread and wine, which still remain, after the bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Christ.

"Q. Are both the body and blood of Christ under the appearance of bread and under the appearance of wine. "A. Yes; Christ is whole and entire, true God and true Man, under the appearance of each.

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Q. Are we to believe, that the God of all Glory is under the appearance of our corporal food?

"A. Yes; as we also believe, that the same God of all Glory suffered death, under the appearance of a criminal on the cross.

66

Q. How can the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ?

"A. By the goodness and power of God, with whom no word shall be impossible. Luke, i. 37.

"Q. Are we assured, that Christ changed bread and wine into his body and blood?

"A. Yes; by the very words which Christ himself said, when he instituted the blessed Eucharist at his last supper.

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Q. Which are the words Christ said, when he instituted the blessed Eucharist?

"A. This is my body—this is my blood. Matt. xvi. Q. Did Christ give power to the priests of his church, to change bread and wine into his body and blood?

"A. Yes; when he said to his apostles at his last supper: Do this for a commemoration of me. Luke, xxii. 19.

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Q. Why did Christ give to the priests of his church so great a power?

"A. That his children throughout all ages and nations, might have a most acceptable sacrifice to offer to

their Heavenly Father-and the most precious food to nourish their souls."

The Canons which were passed at the thirteenth Session of the Council of Trent are more full and explicit. I will read those which expressly relate to the doctrine of transubstantiation.

"Canon (1.) Whosoever shall deny, that in the most holy sacrament of the eucharist there are truly, really, and substantially contained the body and the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, together with his soul and divinity, and consequently Christ entire; but shall affirm that he is present therein only in a sign and figure, or by his power; let him be accursed.

"(2.) Whosoever shall affirm, that in the most holy sacrament of the eucharist there remains the substance of the bread and wine, together with the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; and shall deny that wonderful and peculiar conversion of the whole substance of the bread into his body, and of the whole substance of the wine into his blood, the species only of bread and wine remaining, which conversion the Catholic Church most fitly terms 'transubstantiation; let him be accursed.

"(3) Whosoever shall deny that Christ entire is contained in the venerable sacrament of the eucharist, under each species, and under every part of each species when they are separated; let him be accursed.

"(4.) Whosoever shall affirm that the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ are not present in the admirable eucharist, as soon as the consecration is performed, but only as it is used and received, and neither fore

nor after; and that the true body of our Lord does not remain in the hosts or consecrated morsels which are reserved or left after communion; let him be accursed.

"(5.) Whosoever shall affirm that remission of sins is the chief fruit of the most holy eucharist, or that other effects are not produced thereby; let him be accursed.

"(6.) Whosoever shall affirm that Christ, the onlybegotten Son of God, is not to be adored in the holy eucharist with the external signs of that worship which is due to God; and therefore that the eucharist is not to be honoured with extraordinary festive celebration, nor solemnly carried about in processions, according to the laudable and universal rites and customs of holy Church, nor publicly presented to the people for their adoration; and that those who worship the same are idolaters; let him be accursed.

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"(7.) Whosoever shall affirm that it is not lawful to preserve the holy eucharist in the sacristy, but that immediately after consecration it must of necessity be distributed to those who are present; or that it is not lawful to carry it in procession to the sick; let him be accursed.

"(8.) Whosoever shall affirm that Christ, as exhibited in the eucharist, is eaten in a spiritual manner only, and not also sacramentally and really; let him be accursed.

Roman

The Creed of Pope Pius IV, which every Catholic professes to believe, has the following article: "7. I profess, likewise, that in the mass is offered to