The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology - Saint Mary ...

than imply, to wit, that Judas was present at the Lord's Supper, and such is
the judgment of the oldest and best commentators, and, among them, of
Calvin himself, and of others, who, in common with him, had a doctrinal
interest in denying the presence of Judas. Moreover, as John does not give
an account of the Institution of the Supper, we may naturally settle the
chronological and other questions connected with it from the synoptists.
But if our Lord could say to Judas also, "Take, eat, this is My body," then
the sacramental character of the Supper cannot depend upon the
worthiness or faith of the receiver.
In all divine provisions for the salvation of man, we must discriminate
between the essence, which is of God, and is, like Him, unchanging, and
the use of them, which is by man, and is conditioned on his faith. The
divine reality is neither affected by the character of the giver, nor of the
receiver, as a gold coin does not cease to be gold, though the giver hands it
away carelessly as a piece of brass, and the receiver takes it as. brass and
casts it into the mire. Faith is not a Philosopher's Stone; it cannot convert
lead into gold; it can only grasp what is. Nor can unbelief by a reverse
process convert gold into lead; it can only reject what is. “Unto us was the
gospel preached, as well as unto them; but the word preached did not
profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." The gospel,
the word, the sacrament, remain one and the same, but the profit connected
with them depends upon the faith of those that receive them.
God is not far from any one of us, yet none but the believing realize
the benefits of His presence. The multitude thronged and pressed upon
Jesus; His presence was equally real in its essence to all, but the saving
efficacy of it went forth in virtue only to the woman who touched His
clothes in faith. (Mark v. 30.) So Christ is present in the sacramental
drapery alike to all communicants, but the touch of faith is needed to
participate in the virtue of His healing. The touch of those who crucified
our Lord was no less real than that of the woman whose touch brought
healing; but their touch, like the unworthy eating and drinking, made them
"guilty of the body