The-papacy-its-history-dogmas-genius-and-prospects-wylie

SISTHE EUCHARIST, TRANSUBSTANTIATION, THE MASS.How differently does the Bible treat us !It addresses usthrough the powers God has endowed us with, and calls onus to exercise these powers. The faith of the Bible is theperfection of reason : the faith of Rome is based on theprostitution and extinction of all those faculties which arethe glory of man.Considering that the dogma of transubstantiation lacksfooting in both Scripture and reason, one might think thatRome would have shown great moderation in pressing it.Quite the reverse. The belief of it was enforced with a rigourwhich would not have been justifiable although it hadbeen the plainest, instead of the most confounding, of propositions.Rome endeavoured to make it plain by the help ofracks and faggots. Transubstantiation defied belief notwithstanding; and the consequence was the effusion of bloodin torrents.Rome has inaugurated her leading dogmas, asthe heathen did their idols, by hecatombs of human beings.So many confessors have been called to die for the mass, thatit has come to be known as Rome''s " burning article."The monstrous juggle of transubstantiating the elementsis immediately followed by an act of gross idolatry. The hostbeing consecrated, the officiating priest kneels and adoresit ; he next elevates it in the sight of the people, who likewisekneel and adore it. The Church distinctly teachesthat it is to be worshipped with that worship which is renderedto God himself ; because it is God. " It is thereforeindubitable," say the fathers of Trent, " that all true Christians,according to the uniform practice of the CatholicChurch, are bound to venerate this most holy sacrament,and to render to it the worship of lafria, which is due to thetrue God. Nor is it the less to be worshipped that it wasinstituted by Christ the Lord, as has been stated ; for we believethe same God to be present in it,—'of whom the eternalFather, when he introduces him into the world, thus speaks :And let all the angels of God worship him.' "* The same* Concil. Trid. scss. xiii. cap. v. : Perrone's Prselectiones Theologicse,torn. ii. p. 222.