,transcribed from the #ahce ,william ,carson edition by ,david ,price1 email ccx#jgdpglaf4org ,picture3 ,pamphlet cover ,,reasons ,,for ,,leaving ,,the ,,church ,,of ,,rome4 ,,by ,,the ,,rev4 ,l4 ,j4 ,,nolan1 ,,of ,,the ,,diocese ,,of ,,meath3 ,,lately ,a ,,roman ,,catholic ,,clergyman1 ,,but ,,now ,,of ,,the ,,established ,,church4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,dublin3 ,,published ,,by ,,william ,,carson1 #ib1 ,,grafton-,,street2 ,,and ,,sold ,,by ,,messrs4 ,r4 ,m4 ,,tims2 ,,william ,,curry1 ,,jun4 ,,co42 ,j4 ,,robertson ,,co2 ,j4 ,,burnside2 ,,grant ,,and ,,bolton1 ,j4 ,,bolster1 ,,cork2 ,g4 ,,philipps1 ,,and ,,wm4 ,m#8,,comb1 ,,belfast2 ,j4 ,,nisbet1 ,,london2 ,,waugh ,,and ,,innis1 ,,edinburgh4 ,m4,,dccc4,,xxxv4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,dedication4 ,,to ,,sir ,,george ,,rich4 ,,my ,,dear ,,sir ,,george1 ,,your zeal in the cause of religion1 your accomplishments as a perfect ,gentleman1 and your virtues as a true ,christian1 induce me to dedicate to you the following avowal of my religious opinions4 ,though your high estimation as to public character should demand from me a less familiar tone of language in addressing you1 still the thoughts of your past kindness1 in the hours of my worldly abandonment1 bid me lay aside those expressions which a more formal etiquette might require1 and address you now as ,i would a true1 a sincere1 but most honored and respected friend4 ,as ,i have received no special favor from you1 but the ordinary manifestation of your kindness2 and as ,i expect no more than your continuance of such civility1 ,i hope you will not look upon those words as the result of adulation1 nor the public consider them as the language of hypocrisy2 for adulation never bends without some intended object1 nor does hypocrisy ever act without some hope of compensation4 ,i would wish that these dedicatory lines should be also expressive of my gratitude for the kindness of my lately acquired friends4 ,the warmth of my feelings urges me on to a public recital of their names1 but a more cool reflection dictates to me at the same time the propriety of their silence4 ,the useful instructions they have imparted--the domestic happiness of which they had often made me a partaker1 and the evident anxiety they have displayed in contributing to my eternal interests1 have made impressions on my mind which shall never be obliterated4 ,the proffered liberality of others ,i shall never forget--,i mean those1 who1 when imagining me in a state of pecuniary embarrassment1 have made me a tender of their purses4 ,but let not my refusal on such occasions bespeak a want of humility on my part2 but rather let it be attributed to the suggestions of that principle1 which told me1 that it is religion1 and not emolument1 which should constitute the chief object of my change4 ,while to you1 ,sir ,george1 and my other lately acquired friends1 ,i offer the warmest acknowledgement of my gratitude1 ,i look with pity1 at the same time1 upon those who are the mere nominal professors of our faith--those who court one's friendship when they imagine that either his name or his presence would be an addition to their unmerited popularity2 but who would afterwards reject his intercourse1 for no other cause than that of becoming a conscientious member of their religion4 ,such nominal adhesion to our faith is sometimes worse in its acts than the most avowed hostility to our creed4 ,i met with one or two others1 whose elevated rank in life might point to a more distinguished course in religion1 and whose conduct to me would afford a sufficient subject for complaint2 but as my intended pamphlet is divested of any insidious reference1 this dedication must be also freed from unbecoming personalities4 ,let1 however1 such individuals reflect that1 should ,i refrain from the following avowal of my sentiments1 the resources of a respectable relationship would furnish me with the means of independent subsistence4 ,but the advancement of religion is my object--conscience must be my director--for emolument is not my theme4 ,should any portion of the following pages be considered as couched in the language of either abuse or misrepresentation1 let the fault be ascribed not to the intention1 but to the unconsciousness of the writer2 for ,i have never looked upon scurrility as proof1 nor misrepresentation as argument4 ,the one prejudices individuals against the writer1 while the other serves only to confirm those errors which a mistaken zeal might be anxious to correct4 ,in pursuing those thoughts ,i find ,i have exceeded the usual limits of a dedication2 however1 ,i trust that the matter ,i had to convey will serve as an apology both to the public and to you1 my dear ,sir ,george1 from ,your most obedient and ,ever grateful1 ,l4 ,j4 ,,nolan4 ,dublin1 #adth ,february1 #ahce4 ,,to ,,the ,,roman ,,catholics ,,of ,,ireland4 8,so as much as in me is ,i am ready to preach the ,gospel to you that are at ,rome also4 ,for ,i am not ashamed of the ,gospel of ,christ2 for it is the power of ,god unto salvation to every one that believeth40--,,rom4 i4 #ae-af4 ,,my ,,dear ,,roman ,,catholic ,,friends1 ,,some months have now elapsed since my separation from your community4 ,the past delicacy of my health--the thoughts of the important duty ,i have hereafter to discharge1 and a consideration of its awful responsibility1 have obliged me to defer until now the following open avowal of my religious opinions4 ,but my change in life has not diminished my ardour for your spiritual interests2 on the contrary1 my desires for your eternal salvation have increased4 ,your past kindness has a particular claim upon my gratitude1 and highly undeserving should ,i be in the eyes of the public1 were ,i to remain unmindful of your generosity4 ,yes1 ,i will assert without any fear of contradiction1 that there is no ,roman ,catholic ,clergyman in ,ireland could boast of more acts of attention from a people1 than ,i have experienced from your hands in the discharge of my clerical duties4 ,your actions had ever corresponded with the profession of your kindness towards me1 and your liberality had always stamped the mark of your approbation upon my conduct in life4 ,but ,i hope you will do me the justice in saying1 that ,i have never deviated from the path of honor to catch the air of a fleeting popularity4 ,well then1 my dear friends1 allow me to submit a few humble questions in the language of sincerity to your most serious consideration4 ,but before ,i do so1 do you throw aside your prejudices--cast off those thoughts which unfounded calumnies might suggest to your minds--and then1 as is mentioned in ,isaiah1 8,come now1 and let us reason together40 ,isa4 i4 #ah4 ,why have ,i left the circles of your tried friendship1 for the uncertainties of yet doubtful acquaintances8 ,why have ,i bartered the smiles for the insulting sneers of you a once attached people8 ,why exchange the scenes of worldly ease1 of worldly comfort1 and worldly independence1 for the struggles of a more arduous duty8 ,are you not aware1 that were ,i to bend the knee of hypocrisy beneath the mitred head of ,roman ,episcopal jurisdiction1 and submit to those doctrines which ,roman credulity would impose1 there is not one whose prospects would be more realised1 or whose independence more secure8 ,why have ,i retired from the pampered sanctuary of your wealthy church1 to look for shelter beneath the persecution of an insulted religion8 ,why have ,i made such an exchange in life8 ,oh1 my friends1 ,i will tell you4 ,it is because ,i have a poor soul to save1 and feel convinced that its salvation could not be acquired by continuing in the character of a ,roman ,clergyman4 ,it is because ,i have made a solemn promise on bended knees1 and have called upon the heavens to attest the sincerity of my words1 that ,i would no longer act under the garb of hypocrisy4 ,it is because1 throwing all worldly concerns out of my view1 and banishing all thoughts of a temporising necessity from my mind1 ,i have at length accepted of the kind invitation of ,jesus1 saying1 8,come out from among them and be ye separate--and ,i will receive you1 and be a ,father unto you40 #b ,cor4 vi4 #ag1 #ah4 ,in adopting my present change in life1 ,i anticipate1 more or less1 the difficulties ,i have to encounter--the troubles ,i have to overcome1 and the sacrifices ,i must naturally make on the present trying occasion4 ,the friends of my past life--the companions of other days1 and the acquaintances of my more mature years1 have abandoned me4 ,the very relations who watched over my infant years--who led me by the hand from the cradle of youth into the maturity of life1 have also forsaken me2 but ,heaven1 ,i trust1 has not done so--,god1 ,i trust1 will be my protector2 and 8if ,god be for us1 who can be against us80 ,rom4 viii4 #ca4 ,oh1 my friends1 let persons pause before they condemn--let truth take the place of falsehood--let reason but act as the substitute for prejudice--and then ,i will ask the candid mind the important question1 8should ,i remain under a conviction of my error80 ,should ,i1 for a mere temporary gratification1 barter an eternal good8 ,should ,i1 for merely ministering to the wishes of friends and relations1 damn this soul which is destined for immortality8 ,oh1 my friends1 consider me1 when in the character of the ,roman ,priesthood1 and ,i will again put the important question1 8should ,i remain any longer under a conviction of my error80 ,think of me1 going from the sanctuary to the altar1 clothed in the priestly vest--a vest which ,i considered as a mere parade of ecclesiastical pomp4 ,consider me then as being looked upon as the medium of propitiation between the living and the dead--between heaven and earth--between man and his ,creator1 and offering up what was considered as a sacrifice of propitiation by some1 but what was believed to be only a figure or memorial by me that offered on the occasion2 would ,i not deserve to be damned--shall ,i repeat the unsanctified expression--would ,i not deserve to be damned for ever1 should ,i continue any longer bending the knee of hypocrisy beneath the altar of dissimulation8 ,yes1 and for having continued so long under a conviction of my error1 ,i now most humbly implore forgiveness1 for ,i should have long since acted in correspondence with the words of our ,saviour--8,for what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world1 and lose his own soul8--or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul80 ,mark viii4 #cf-cg4 ,perhaps it would be asserted by some1 that my present change is the effect of the moment--that it originates from whim or caprice1 and is not the result of coolness and reflection4 ,but1 my friends1 the months that have passed by since the first open avowal of my sentiments to my then ,roman ,catholic ,bishop1 in the presence of another ,roman ,catholic ,clergyman1 would serve as an answer to such accusations2 while my written as well as personal communications upon this subject1 with the truly pious and ,protestant ,rector of ,castletowndelvin1 long previous to the open announcement of my sentiments to my bishop1 must falsify the assertion1 that 8this change is the result of the moment40 ,allow me also to tell you1 that ,i have mentioned my past doubts1 not only months1 but years ago1 to a near relation1 who summed up many a plausible argument to dissuade me from that course1 which1 ,i trust1 under the guidance of heaven ,i have now adopted3 and what is more1 in compliance with the request of my late friends1 ,i have gone to some of the most distinguished members of the ,roman religion1 to explain to them my doubts2 but their mystified evasions upon plain and evident truths1 have only tended to confirm me in the conviction of their errors4 ,oh1 my friends1 my present change is not the effect of the moment1 but it is the effect of a mind that has overcome an almost invincible prejudice--a prejudice that grew up with my youthful days--that accompanied my more mature years1 and had nearly interwoven itself around the future destinies of my soul4 ,it is the effect of a mind that has taken impartiality for its guide1 and looked upon truth as the sole object of its ambition--a mind that has ruminated day and night upon the subject--that has viewed both sides of the question coolly1 attentively1 and ,i trust religiously1 and has now come to this determination1 which is founded on a consciousness of its rectitude4 ,during those hours of darkness1 when 8sleep falleth upon man0--when others were taking that repose to which the silence of the night or exhausted nature might invite them--,i trust it is not too much the language of egotism for me to say1 that during the silent hours1 when thinking of my present change1 ,i had often bedewed the nightly pillow with the tears of affliction--8my eye-lids had grown dim with grief0--my nights were turned into day because of my watching--and ,i could find no rest until ,i obeyed the advice of the ,psalmist1 saying1 8,to-day if yon will hear his voice--harden not your hearts40 ,psalm xcv4 #g-h4 ,there was a period of time which does not require much aid from memory to bring to your recollection1 when political turmoil had diffused itself over the face of this country--when the feelings of charity seemed more or less suspended1 and violence of language was frequently resorted to as the surest mode of pleasing--a time when a state of indifference was looked on as highly criminal1 and when1 even persons in the sacerdotal character1 had sometimes recourse to political harangues1 as a digest for religious instruction from the altar4 ,at that time many through motives1 perhaps1 of ambition--others through a desire of vain glory--while some through a conviction of its utility1 engaged in the political struggles of the day2 and though it may be painful to my feelings to advert to such a period1 still ,i feel bound to acknowledge1 that a mistaken zeal for religion1 unaccompanied with the experience of wiser days1 urged me on as no idle spectator of the scene4 ,but1 blessed be ,god for all things--when my mind turned upon the serious question of religion--when ,i looked upon the book of ,god as the sole standard of my faith--when ,i began to view1 through the medium of impartiality1 the important subject of my eternal salvation1 my mind became the more enlarged1 and my thoughts the more expanded by the occurrence4 ,doubt followed doubt--my prejudices began to vanish beneath the sunshine of a more liberal knowledge--the elements of darkness became at length superseded by the glorious principles of unerring light--while the effulgence of that religion1 which ,i had so often misrepresented through life1 pierced through the mystic veil1 in which my mind was enveloped1 leaving me the consolation upon this day of being addressed by my ,protestant brethren in the language of the ,apostle--8,that he which persecuted us in times past1 now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed40 ,gal4 i4 #bc4 ,there are some1 perhaps1 who1 if similarly situated as ,i am1 would prefer the private moment to the public hour for making an open avowal of their sentiments2 but ,i have considered it to be the imperative1 the indispensable duty of a true convert in ,jesus1 to act in conformity with the advice of the ,scriptures1 8by raising his voice like a trumpet to strengthen his brethren1 and to shew the people their errors40 ,yes2 and though the opprobrious epithets of 8renegade to the religion of my youth1 and apostate from the faith of my fathers10 may be annexed to my present conviction of soul1 still1 as ,st4 ,paul gloried in the titles of fool1 madman1 and apostate1 with which disbelief upbraided him on his conversion to ,christianity1 so shall ,i glory in similar appellations1 8for ,i am not ashamed of the ,gospel of ,christ40 ,i know1 my friends1 that among your community there are ,roman ,catholic ,clergymen who possess the same conviction of soul that ,i do1 as to the errors of your religion2 but the worldly considerations of present ease and anticipated troubles1 prevent their due exercise of conscience4 ,the unmerited epithet of apostacy alarms them--the thoughts of separating from worldly comforts1 from present friends and relations1 strike horror into their souls--and thus it is that those cares of passing life supersede the concerns of their eternal welfare4--,but will they go to the tomb with the consciousness of such errors as their accompaniment8--and for those transitory objects will they destroy that soul which is to be the heir of immortality8 ,oh6 let them come forth4 ,that hand which provideth food for the ravens of the air1 will also provide for us1 and ,god will be our defence--8for ,god is a shield to those that put their trust in him40 ,my friends1 many of you ask each other1 how is it possible that the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,nolan1 who has spent so many years at his academical and collegiate course1 and upon whose education so much money and pains had been expended1 should only now become a convert to the ,protestant religion8 ,this is a general question among you all4 ,it was proposed to me a few days ago at an hotel in ,dublin1 by a respectable ,roman ,catholic1 one of the very few1 of that persuasion1 that has conversed with me since my change from the ,church of ,rome4 ,but the answer to such a question is obvious4 ,the human mind in this instance may be compared to the human body2 for as it advances in years1 it increases in strength2 so that some of these doctrines which were so carefully inculcated during the time of youth1 may afterwards1 when placed before the test of wiser days and better experience1 appear in all the inconsistency of their formation4 ,take a short view of the life of an individual who may be destined from his infancy to discharge the priestly functions1 and your surprise cannot be excited at my deferring my conversion thus long4 ,scarcely is the infant tongue formed to expression1 when it is taught to pronounce the names of the ,roman doctrines2 and scarcely is the developement of the human mind discovered1 when the principles of these doctrines are most carefully introduced2 and then1 like the young ,scion of the land1 or the tender flower of the field1 the youthful mind becomes susceptible of the first impression4 ,the anxious watchings of affectionate but misguided parents2 the successful examples of employed attendants1 and the well paid services of wily or deluded instructors1 all combine in confirming those opinions which error had implanted4 ,the individual enters upon his academical course4 ,there his mind1 as to ,scriptural knowledge1 is scarcely enlarged by the change2 for1 if he hears of any reference to the book of life1 it is only for a partial selection of bare and isolated texts1 that may be calculated to uphold the members of one religion1 and misrepresent the abettors of another4 ,thus enveloped in unscriptural darkness1 the individual enters into the collegiate department as the last preparation for his missionary labors4 ,but here1 also1 the advantages of ,scriptural knowledge become partially contracted2 for that time which should be occupied in searching the word of ,god1 is nearly engrossed with what are called the quibbles of a moral theology4 ,such1 my friends1 you know to be the description of him whose means would allow a similar preparation for the priesthood2 and as such it is perfectly applicable to him who is the writer of these lines4 ,such were the difficulties ,i had to encounter--such were the prejudices ,i had to combat--and such must be my apology for the deferring of my conversion those years back4 ,it was only when placing my hand on the ,bible1 and saying that its contents should form the ground-work of my faith1 the bulwark of my salvation2 it was only then the spirit of ,god had entered into my heart1 giving me both the understanding to perceive1 and the courage to acknowledge my error4 ,may the same spirit guide you into a similar perception of your errors1 and a similar fearlessness as to their acknowledgement4 ,,second ,,part4 ,having mentioned1 my friends1 in the preceding part of this pamphlet the kindness you had always exercised towards me--the worldly comforts ,i could enjoy by remaining in your church1 and the difficulties ,i must now encounter by separating from your communion1 ,i will submit to you in the two subsequent parts of my pamphlet1 some of the reasons that have influenced my conduct upon so important a change in life4 ,i will not dwell1 however1 upon those doctrines1 with which1 from your want of ,scriptural knowledge1 you are but little acquainted3 and though ,i do not now detain you on the doctrine of ,justification by ,faith1 still you must admit1 as the ,apostle says1 8that without faith it is impossible to please ,god40 ,therefore no act of ours can be considered as good or acceptable in the sight of ,god1 except faith be its foundation4 ,again1 no matter how good or acceptable those works may be in the sight of ,god1 still they cannot be said to merit salvation2 for it is mentioned in the #b;d chap4 #hth and #ith verses of the ,ephesians--8,by grace are you saved through faith1 and that not of yourselves1 it is the gift of ,god1 not of works1 lest any man should boast20 and therefore it is not according to our own merits1 but through the merits of ,jesus ,christ1 that salvation can be acquired4 ,but1 my friends1 this does not exclude the necessity of good works upon our part1 for our good works must be conformable to our faith in ,christ1 of which they are the external evidence4 ,i will not dwell either1 upon the doctrine of ,infallibility1 so falsely claimed by the ,church of ,rome1 as it would require more than the compass of this pamphlet would allow1 to make its name even intelligible to most of you2 although ,i might briefly hint at the wild supposition of a few fallible beings meeting together and constituting an infallibility2 as much as to say1 that a compound of any thing may contain that which is essentially different from its parts1 which appears to me as most extravagant4 ,as to your doctrine of the invocation of saints1 ,i will not detain you for any time upon this subject4 ,i never believed in the necessity of invoking them2 nor does the intelligent portion of ,roman ,catholics believe in the necessity of invoking them2 nor do any of your divines who have the least pretensions to learning1 attempt to say that it is indispensably requisite to have recourse to the invocation of saints3 for though your ,council of ,trent1 in the twenty-fifth session1 would appear to some to be quite explicit upon the subject1 still your divines1 in interpreting that council1 agree that it is only useful and profitable1 but not indispensably requisite for you to have recourse to the intercession of the saints4 ,such an assertion may be a matter of surprise to some of my ,protestant friends1 but to you let it serve as a subject of utility3 and lest it might be considered as the result of artful invention with me1 ,i will now give you the words of your favorite divine1 ,dr4 ,milner1 on the occasion4--,in his book entitled 8,the ,end of ,controversy10 and in his 8,thirty-third ,letter to ,james ,browne1 ,esq40 he says--8,in conclusion you will observe that the ,council of ,trent barely teaches that it is good and profitable to invoke the prayers of the saints2 hence our divines infer that there is no positive law of the church incumbent on all her children to pray to the saints40 ,such are the words of your respected but now deceased ,rev4 ,dr4 ,milner4 ,he died a few years ago4 ,the bare mention of his name carries to each of you the recollection of his character4 ,he was looked on as the standard of your faith1 as the almost infallible guide in your religion4--,his words are only expressive of the real sentiments of your other divines upon this subject2 so that1 my friends1 you may observe that it is only a partial ignorance among some of you as to the real doctrine in this respect1 that points to so wide a distinction between you and my ,protestant brethren4 ,nor shall ,i dwell upon the doctrine of confession1 the modern observance of which ,i may at some future period shew to be neither conformable to the word of ,god1 nor sanctioned by the practice of the apostolic age4--,and now1 my friends1 to speak most seriously on the subject1 has it not often lulled you into a most dangerous security1 that your sins were forgiven you1 when you had neither sorrow for the committal of1 nor the determination not to commit those crimes again8--,however ,i shall not dwell upon those doctrines at present2 but shall now direct your attention to that doctrine with which you are most acquainted--,i mean ,transubstantiation4 ,i will in this second part of the pamphlet point out to you my reasons1 which1 guided by the spirit of truth1 led me to a disbelief upon this subject of ,transubstantiation3 and in the third part of this pamphlet1 ,i will produce to you the scriptural arguments that have confirmed my conviction as to that disbelief4 ,but first1 ,i must lay down the doctrine of ,transubstantiation according to the ,council of ,trent4 ,roman ,catholics assert1 that during the mass1 according to the words of the ,council of ,trent1 ses4 #ac and can4 #b--8,that the entire substance of the bread is converted into the body1 and the entire substance of the wine into the blood of ,christ1 the appearances of the bread and wine only remaining1 and this is called ,transubstantiation40 ,now ,i assert1 that such a supposition is directly contrary to our senses and our reason1 and as such1 is unworthy of our belief4 ,the senses are the avenues or inlets to our reason1 while reason becomes the voice of ,god himself speaking unto us4 ,reason is the medium of communication between the ,creator and the creature4 ,it is the standard of our judgment1 and the supreme tribunal where all our knowledge is acquired1 and where the existence of the ,deity himself becomes discovered to the human mind4 ,yes1 reason is that grand feature1 the reflection of the divinity1 which in a great degree assimilates man to the image of his ,creator2 and thus it is1 that when the senses give their united testimony as to the existence of an object1 and that reason stands forth to pronounce upon the veracity of their assertion1 to such conclusive evidence the scriptures attach the seal of infallibility2 and it would be blasphemous 7according to the words of ,christ himself to the ,jews1 in the case of ,lazarus7 to deny the force of their allegation4 ,i do not want here to summon before the bar of finite comprehension the infinite power of ,eternal ,providence--,i do not want to uncover the veil of the sanctuary1 and pry into the mysteries of that ,eternal ,being1 which hath made darkness his dwelling place1 and the thick clouds the pavilion of his glory--,i do not deny that the ways of ,god are unsearchable--that his divine essence is above the reach of human senses--that there are invisible truths far beyond the human comprehension1 and that man cannot dive into the unfathomable depths of the ,trinity or ,incarnation4 ,but is the composition of a little water and flour beyond the reach of my understanding8 and when my reason and senses unite in telling me that that composition of flour and water cannot be changed into the body and blood of ,christ without implying a principle of self-destroying contradiction1 let me ask1 is it not more natural to obey the dictates of my reason1 telling me1 that ,god will not transgress that moral restraint which the formation of his own laws has voluntarily imposed upon him1 is it not better that ,i should do so than that ,i should attribute to the ,godhead some of the most unaccountable extravagancies that human reason could suggest8 ,let justice but decide1 and truth will bow in affirmation of the remark4 ,but ,roman ,catholics1 in support of their doctrine of transubstantiation1 say1 8,cannot he who has formed the heavens and the earth--who has created all things1 visible and invisible--who has changed the rod of ,moses into a serpent1 and the waters into rivers of blood in ,egypt--who has changed ,lot's wife into a pillar of salt1 and who has changed the water into wine at the marriage of ,cana1 cannot he 7say they7 empower the priest1 representing the person of ,christ1 to change the bread into the body1 and the wine into the blood of ,christ80 ,my friends1 in my answer to this1 let it not be understood that ,i want to circumscribe infinite power within the narrow precincts of human limitation4 ,i do not want to append to ,eternal ,providence the confined restrictions of mortality4 ,i know that infinite wisdom can contrive1 and infinite power can execute far more than human reason can comprehend2 but while ,i admit the truth of these appeals to divine power in the one instance1 ,i must reject the false supposition of change in the other4 ,for1 when ,god changed the rod of ,moses into a serpent1 and the waters into rivers of blood in ,egypt1 or when our ,saviour changed the waters into wine at the marriage of ,cana2 these were changes that were palpably evident to the senses1 that the senses judged of1 and were not contradictory to reason4 ,but1 with regard to the supposed change1 during the time of the mass1 of the bread into the body1 and the wine into the blood of ,christ1 allow me to tell you1 my friends1 that ,i have considered such a change to be contrary to my senses and most repugnant to my reason4 ,for1 as often as ,i had taken into my hands that bread to bless1 ,i found it the same1 after1 as previous to consecration2 having the same texture1 presenting the same form1 and producing to my mind the self same identical effects4 ,as often as ,i looked on it after consecration1 ,i observed it to be bread--when ,i touched it after consecration ,i felt it to be bread2 and 8if faith0 7as the ,roman ,catholics must have it7 comes from hearing and not from seeing1 when ,i broke the bread after consecration1 ,i both saw and heard the result of its being bread2 reason then told me that it was more or less blasphemous to deny the united testimony of my senses giving such unbroken evidence to facts so perceptible to their powers1 and ,i have yielded to such conviction4 ,oh1 my friends1 ,i had often thought during the time of the mass1 that if ,i could change the bread into the body and the wine into the blood of my ,redeemer1 that ,i would consequently possess a most exorbitant power--that ,i would transcend by the nobleness of my act the infinite majesty of heaven itself--that my ,creator should be at the beck of my fancy--that whenever or wherever my will suggested1 ,i might summon ,him from the throne of his ,eternal ,majesty and convert upon the altar of frailty a little scrap of insignificant bread into the body1 the blood1 the soul and divinity of my ,maker4 ,oh1 my friends1 that ,god who measureth the tops of the mountains in a balance1 and the waters of the sea in the hollow of his hands--that he1 who rideth upon the whirlwinds1 making the earth his footstool and the canopy of heaven his covering--that he1 who formed the heavens and the earth1 all things visible and invisible--that he should descend from his eternal throne to enter into the womb of a virgin mother--there to be inclosed for the long space of nine revolving months1 and afterwards to be born1 in time1 under the figure of a mere child--under the form and the habit of a poor slave2 oh1 my friends1 it is human redemption alone1 could call for such an act of humiliation4 ,but that the ,saviour of the world1 after having offered one1 eternal1 immeasurable and unspeakable sacrifice for the sins of mankind1 and that after having been placed by his own irrevocable decree at the right hand of ,god1 that he should descend from his throne of eternal justice upon the altar of human weakness1 and that there1 at the mere announcement of a few insignificant words1 falling from the lips of a poor weak mortal1 he should suffer a wretched collection of diminutive portions of bread1 of similar figure1 of similar size1 but of similar material as common wafer--that he should suffer them to be converted into his ,infinite ,majesty--that that ,infinite ,majesty should continue whole and entire under each such particular species of bread--that afterwards he should allow his boundless omnipotence to be confined within the narrow precincts of a poor miserable little box1 commonly called a pixis1 and then to be hacknied about from place to place1 and distributed from person to person according to the whim or caprice of human suggestions--such1 my friends1 ,i have considered1 would be unworthy of ,infinite ,majesty--would be derogatory to his eternal attributes--subversive of the principles of that humanity with which ,god had vested himself1 and contradictory to those words which ,i hold as unalterably true1 that if the resurrection has added glory to1 it has not annihilated the humanity of a ,redeemer4 ,but you1 ,roman ,catholics1 will assert1 as an objection to what ,i have now laid down1 that as the senses deceived us in some respects they may for a similar reason deceive us with regard to ,transubstantiation3 and in proof of your assertion you will say 7as others have said already7 8that the senses were deceived with regard to the ,holy ,ghost descending in the form of a dove upon our ,saviour receiving baptism from ,john20 and again you will say1 8that the senses have been deceived1 inasmuch as they often imagined angels to be men20 and therefore you will conclude1 7as many other ,roman ,catholics have done7 that our senses are also deceived with regard to ,transubstantiation4 ,but1 my friends1 in the above instances the senses did not deceive1 inasmuch as the sense of vision or of sight1 judges only from appearances1 and therefore its testimony in the cases quoted was true4 ,but who would assert that all the senses combined together in the above instances were deceived2 for1 if all the senses were deceived1 how could reason pronounce upon the ,holy ,ghost being in the form of a dove1 or the angels being in the appearance of men1 since it was from the senses only that reason formed its judgment upon those occasions8 ,and hence it is1 that while in certain cases1 one portion of the senses imparts the language of appearances1 in the very same cases1 another portion of our senses implies the language of reality4 ,and thus it is1 that when the senses1 in their unimpaired and natural state1 view objects at a proper distance and through a proper medium1 and that reason pronounces on their veracity1 disbelief can be no longer attached to their allegation1 and therefore it is1 that ,transubstantiation must be false2 for the bread is a quite palpable and perceptible object to the senses4 ,the sight tells that it is not the body--the touch feels it is not the body--the taste is convinced of its not being the body--and the hearing1 from the result of sound1 joins in the assertion that it is not the body2 while reason also attests the impossibility of its being the body of ,christ4 ,if the senses were to deceive us in objects so perceptible to their powers1 and were that to be pronounced as true1 what reason declares as a contradiction1 then deceit might be ascribed to the ,deity--then it might be asserted1 that men were led into an inexplicable chaos of illusions1 and impostures1 and that reason and the senses1 which we have received from the beneficent author of nature1 as the mediums of our preservation and happiness1 were only the gifts of a demoniac power1 with the words of no reliance marked on their formation4 ,oh1 my friends1 were the senses to be deceived in their combined testimony upon objects so perceptible to their powers as bread and wine1 then universal ,pyrrhonism would follow1 that is a doubt as to all things and a belief as to nothing--then would all the arts and sciences be subverted1 and then would the existence of the ,deity stand without proof--then the noble structures of religion would totter to their base--revelation itself would be at an end--the death1 the resurrection1 the ascension and miracles of our ,lord1 these mighty bulwarks of a ,christian's faith1 would be overthrown2 for1 are not the senses the great external arguments and evidences of ,christianity8 ,before ,i conclude my remarks upon this part of the subject1 allow me to make them obvious to the capacity of each of you1 by one example4 ,suppose an individual told me1 that this pen1 which ,i now hold in my hand1 was in reality a man2 why1 ,i should instantly deny the assertion1 and say1 this is impossible2 for the united testimony of my senses and my reason tells me1 that this pen is not a man1 as it has neither the appearances nor properties of a man--that my senses and reason are the gifts of ,god--that1 therefore1 they cannot deceive me1 with regard to an object so palpable1 so perceptible to their powers1 and that therefore ,i conclude1 this pen is not a man4 ,but1 should the supposed individual go farther and say1 8,i would not tell you a lie1 and will prove by miracles that the pen which you hold in your hand is really a man40 ,miracles ,i would say6 ,is it not my senses that are to judge of your miracles2 and if my senses deceive me with regard to this pen1 what is to prevent them from deceiving me also with regard to your miracles2 for if they be deceived in one case1 a similar reason may imply deceit in the other8 ,therefore that the miracles of our ,lord may not be exposed to uncertainty--that the death1 resurrection and ascension of our ,redeemer may not be liable to doubt--that the certainty of all human knowledge--the very consciousness of our own being1 and that the very existence of the ,deity may not be rendered dubious2 in fine1 that a doubt as to all things1 and a belief as to nothing1 may not follow1 it is necessary to believe1 that the senses could not deceive us with regard to objects so perceptible to their powers2 and therefore1 ,i consider1 that the doctrine of ,transubstantiation must be false1 as being directly contrary to our senses and most repugnant to our reason4 ,among the many reasons that influenced my disbelief as to the doctrine of ,transubstantiation1 there is another which ,i have considered to be of no trivial tendency on the subject4 ,i could not conceive that a finite or material substance could be in two or more places at the same instant of time3 that is1 ,i could not imagine those years past1 that the body of our ,saviour1 which the resurrection has not deprived of its humanity1 could be wholly and substantially in my hands1 and wholly and substantially over many portions of the globe1 at the same identical moment2 for ,i consider that finite substances1 whether glorified or corruptible1 must be subject to finite laws and regulations4 ,i know there are some however who would say1 8that according to the principles of metaphysical or philosophical observations1 that it could not be proved1 that it is impossible for one body to be in many places at the same time40 ,but1 my friends1 a primary truth or self evident principle is not to be lost among the mysterious windings of metaphysical subtleties2 and when reason fully comprehends or clearly understands a subject1 and pronounces truth over the object of its comprehension1 the mad ravings of an unrestrained philosophy are not to be credited1 when suggesting a mere suspicion of falsehood4 ,oh1 my friends1 to say that the same body could be wholly and substantially in my hands during the time of the mass1 and wholly and substantially in the hands of thousands of others at the same identical moment1 and to require a belief of such an assertion1 would be demanding a complete surrender of common sense--a prostration of the human intellect--while it would be divesting man of that grand attribute1 that noble characteristic of his being--,i mean reason1 which is the pure gift of ,god4 ,but ,roman ,catholics say1 8we do not understand the meaning of the ,trinity2 that is1 we do not understand how three persons constitute one ,god1 and therefore say they1 though we do not comprehend how the body of ,christ could be in many places at the same time1 still we should believe40 ,but1 my friends1 there is no comparison between the two cases2 for when ,i assert that three persons constitute the unity of a ,god1 ,i do not mean to say that they constitute that unity in the self same sense1 but that they constitute that unity in a distinct sense2 and therefore it is not impossible1 nor contradictory to my senses1 nor repugnant to my reason to make use of such an assertion4 ,but that three or a thousand material bodies should constitute one body1 and that one body should constitute three or thousands of bodies1 this is what ,i consider to be impossible in itself1 and most contradictory to my senses and my reason1 but of which ,transubstantiation requires a firm belief3 for a person believing that doctrine1 must believe that the body which one priest holds in his hands1 wholly and substantially1 must be also wholly and substantially in the hands of thousands of others4 ,but you1 ,roman ,catholics1 again say1 8we do not know the nature of a glorified body1 and therefore you conclude that the glorified body of ,christ might be in many places at the same time40 ,this seems to me absurd2 for though the resurrection had added glory to1 still it has not annihilated the humanity of ,christ4 ,this is evident1 first1 from the words of ,christ to his ,apostles collectively2 for when he appeared among them after his resurrection1 he said1 as is mentioned in ,luke xxiv4 #ci--8;,handle me and see1 for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have40 ,therefore the resurrection has not abolished the humanity of our ,saviour4 ,again1 our ,saviour said to ,thomas1 as is mentioned in ,john xx4 #bg--8,reach hither thy finger and behold my hand2 and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side40 ,therefore1 from these two passages1 the one addressed by our ,saviour to the ,apostles collectively1 and the other to ,st4 ,thomas individually1 it is evident that the resurrection has not abolished the humanity of ,christ1 but that he has flesh and bones like us1 even in his glorified state4 ,if he has flesh and bones like us 7as has been already proved to you17 his body must necessarily be a finite substance--if a finite1 or what is the same1 a limited substance1 it must necessarily be subject to finite or limited laws--if subject to limited laws1 it cannot be consequently in many places at the same time4 ,therefore the belief as to ,transubstantiation must be false4 ,but1 my friends1 more of you1 ,roman ,catholics1 say upon this subject1 8that as the body of our ,saviour entered into the room where the ,apostles were assembled together1 though the windows and doors were closed at the time1 that therefore the body of our ,saviour was and can be in many places at the same time40--,the answer to this is plain2 for in order that this objection would hold good on the present occasion1 it would be necessary to shew that when the body of our ,saviour was in the room with the ,apostles1 it was also in another or a thousand different places at the same instant of time4 ,many natural reasons also could be given as to how the body of our ,saviour might have entered the room of the ,apostles without their perceiving him enter1 or without supposing that his body was in many places at the same time4 ,there are more ,roman ,catholics who1 in endeavouring to explain the mode by which our ,saviour's body might be present in many places at the same time1 assert1 8that as our ,saviour fed the multitude of the five thousand with five loaves1 without any increase as to the number of the loaves1 that therefore our ,saviour's body could1 by a similar mode of reasoning1 be received by many at the same instant40 #cj ,but1 my friends1 in order that this argument would hold good in the present instance1 it would be necessary that each of the multitude referred to would eat an entire loaf wholly and substantially1 without part or parcel2 for ,roman ,catholics hold1 that it is not a part of our ,saviour's body1 but the whole of his body1 which is taken by each individual1 on receiving their sacrament4 ,some ,roman ,catholics also endeavour to show our ,saviour's body could be present in many places at the same time1 8by attaching to it a velocity1 or what is the same1 a quickness1 which would be almost equal to an infinite velocity or quickness2 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 instant40 ,but this is totally subversive of the doctrine of ,transubstantiation2 for1 no matter how great the velocity or quickness of the body might be1 still1 if that quickness were not equal to an infinite quickness the doctrine of ,transubstantiation could not be proved4 ,for1 some interval of time 7if the velocity be not equal to infinite7 must exist between the body of our ,saviour being here1 being in ,france1 being in ,america1 and in a thousand other places1 which is contrary to ,roman ,catholic doctrine2 which asserts1 8that as long as the species of bread and wine continues1 so long does ,christ exist in the sacrament20 which words clearly prove1 that our ,saviour's body is not to leave the sacrament at any time1 and1 therefore1 such a supposition of quickness being attached to the body of ,christ1 is perfectly absurd and contradictory to ,roman ,catholic doctrine4 ,again1 such a supposition of velocity or quickness equal to what they would term almost infinite1 is quite absurd4 ,for it is proved1 from the most natural deductions of the accelerated motion of moving bodies1 8that if each ray of light were equal to the two-millioneth part of the smallest portion of sand we can form a conception of1 that man could no more stand before their effects1 than before grape shot fired from the mouth of a cannon40 #ca ,if such then would be the effects of the rays of the sun upon bodies1 what would be the result of the bread upon the ,priest1 if a million of times greater velocity would be imparted to that bread8 ,why1 my friends1 the effect would be tremendous--death would be the immediate and necessary consequence to the priest officiating4 ,therefore1 such a supposition as that of 8an almost infinite velocity10 is absurd4 ,such1 my friends1 are some of the reasons1 which inspired by the spirit of truth1 have influenced my disbelief as to the doctrine of ,transubstantiation4 ,i know some of you will say it is difficult to understand some of those reasons ,i have given on this subject2 but remember it is only the quibbling objections that are made in support of this doctrine that are difficult to be understood1 and not the answers ,i have given1 for ,i have endeavoured to make those answers as plain as possible to the capacity of each4 ,i will now proceed to these ,scriptural arguments which confirm me in the disbelief as to your doctrine of ,transubstantiation4 ,,third ,,part4 ,but1 my friends1 before ,i enter upon these ,scriptural arguments1 allow me to remind you of one important circumstance4 ,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 ,ireland8 ,do you remember how all their energies were directed against those ,missionaries who so indefatigably struggled for the circulation of the ,bible among you8 ,well1 my friends1 ,i am now happy to inform you that the times are quite altered--8tempora mutantur nos cum illis mutamur40 ,but as some of you may not understand the meaning of those words ,i will translate them for you--that is1 8the times are changed and we are changed in them20 for your ,bishops have lately resolved that a cheap edition of the ,bible should be published for your instruction4 ,with mine own hands ,i circulated some of those ,bibles among you4 ,i hope you will now avail yourselves of such an opportunity1 and that you will look to your ,bibles for those arguments to which ,i will now refer you4 ,let you remember that these words are not mine1 but the words of eternal life4 ,they are to be found in your own ,bibles4 ,let you therefore consider them diligently4 ,i will not confuse your minds by a reference to many texts of ,scripture1 but shall only introduce those which ,i consider as essentially necessary upon the subject of ,transubstantiation2 which means 7as ,i have mentioned before7 the transubstantiating1 or what is the same1 the changing1 during the time of mass1 of the bread into the body and the wine into the blood of ,christ4 ,you assert that the sacrifice of the mass is the same as the sacrifice at the last supper2 and you also say that the sacrifice at the last supper is the same propitiatory sacrifice as that offered upon the cross1 with this exception1 that the sacrifice upon the cross was a bloody one1 but the sacrifice at the last supper was an unbloody and mystical sacrifice4 ,now1 my friends1 look to all those passages in your ,bible which describe the last supper--look to ,luke the #bb;d chap4--look to ,mark the #adth chap4--look to ,matthew the #bfth chap4--look to the #ast ,corinthians the #aath chap1 and in all these places you will not find a single word about a mystical and unbloody sacrifice at the last supper4 ,no1 for these are words of what ,i might call a self-accommodating distinction--formerly introduced by the selfish views of man--they are quite unscriptural1 and therefore unworthy of our belief upon so important an occasion4 ,i will now show you there was no propitiatory sacrifice at the last supper1 and consequently that there is no propitiatory sacrifice at your masses1 for you assert that the sacrifice at the mass and the sacrifice at the last supper are the same4 ,it is mentioned in ,leviticus1 #agth chap1 and #aath verse1 8for it is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul40 ,now this in the old law is confirmed by the words of ,st4 ,paul in the new law1 as may be seen in the #ith chap1 and #bb;d verse of the ,hebrews1 where it is said1 8and without shedding of blood there is no remission40 ,therefore there was no propitiatory sacrifice at the last supper1 or what is the same1 no sacrifice for the remission of sins1 for you ,roman ,catholics admit1 that the sacrifice at the last supper was an unbloody sacrifice1 and therefore there is no sacrifice at the mass1 since the supposed sacrifice at the last supper and the supposed sacrifice of the mass are considered the same4 ,again ,i assert1 there was no sacrifice at the last supper1 for ,st4 ,paul says in the #gth chap1 and #bgth verse of the ,hebrews1 8,who needeth not daily as those ,high ,priests to offer up sacrifices--for this he did once40 ,therefore if he sacrificed himself but once1 it is evident there was no sacrifice at the last supper4 ,again1 it is said in the #ajth chap4 and #abth verse of the same ,epistle1 8,but this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins1 for ever sat down on the right hand of ,god40 ,if therefore our ,saviour only offered one sacrifice1 that was the sacrifice of the cross1 and certainly not the supposed sacrifice at the last supper2 and consequently there is no sacrifice at the mass1 since1 as ,i mentioned before1 ,roman ,catholics assert that the supposed sacrifice at the last supper and that of the mass are the same4 ,again ,i assert1 there was no sacrifice at the last supper1 for there was no sacrificial act performed by our ,saviour at the time1 nor the slightest intimation of a sacrificial act given1 nor any of those ceremonies which are connected with a sacrifice gone through at the time by our ,redeemer4 ,our ,saviour was simply at the table1 surrounded by his disciples4 ,no altar was at hand--no victim suffered--no blood was shed1 as ,roman ,catholics admit1 nor was there any offering made but a simple distribution of bread and wine made among the apostles2 and ,i believe you must allow1 that you had never heard or read of a sacrifice without some of those appendages of either an altar1 the suffering of a victim1 the shedding of blood1 or an offering being made on the occasion1 none of which were witnessed at the last supper4 ,therefore there was no sacrifice at the last supper4 ,finally1 ,i assert1 there was no sacrifice at the last supper2 for if the sacrifice at the last supper were the same propitiatory sacrifice as that offered on the cross1 ,i ask1 in the language of candor and religion1 what was the utility of our ,saviour going through the bitter ordeal of his passion--why undergo the painful ceremony of being treacherously betrayed with the signal of peace by one of his disciples--denied by another1 and abandoned by all in the hours of his affliction8 ,why allow himself to be dragged like a common malefactor from place to place--then to be clothed in the garb of pretended loyalty1 and afterwards to be greeted with all the insulting gratulations of a mock king8 ,why remain tied to a pillar1 there to be most cruelly scourged afterwards to be crowned with a diadem of thorns8 ,why undergo the pangs1 the torments1 the excruciating agonies on the gibbet of a cross1 and then seal with his blood the cause of man's redemption8 ,why all these1 if the sacrifice at the last supper were the same propitiatory sacrifice for the remission of sins as the sacrifice on the cross8 ,oh1 my friends1 it has been1 and is my firm conviction1 that if the sacrifice at the last supper were the same as the sacrifice on the cross1 it could not be blasphemous to assert that the sacrifice of the cross was nugatory--was an act perfectly useless--was inconsistent with and unbecoming the attributes of the ,deity2 and1 therefore1 ,i conclude there was no sacrifice at the last supper1 and consequently no sacrifice at the mass1 since1 as ,i mentioned before1 the supposed sacrifice at the last supper and that of the mass are the same in your opinion4 ,i know that ,roman ,catholics assert1 that there is nothing hard or impossible to ,god1 and that1 therefore1 our ,saviour could give his body and his blood to his ,apostles at the last supper4 ,now1 my friends1 this assertion is perfectly incorrect2 for there are many things relatively impossible to ,god2 when ,i say relatively1 ,i mean with relation to these laws which impose upon the ,deity a moral and voluntary restraint1 which restraint he cannot transgress in accordance with his divine attributes2 and hence it is1 that1 owing to those laws1 ,god cannot cause a thing to exist and not to exist at the same time2 nor can he cause a part of any material body to be greater than the whole substance of that body1 that part and entire substance remaining in their self-same1 sensible1 and evidently unchanged state4 ,but those two unnatural suppositions must be credited1 if we are to believe that our ,saviour gave his body and his blood to the ,apostles at the last supper4 ,first1 we should believe that he existed and did not exist at the same time2 existed1 inasmuch as he gave himself to the ,apostles1 and did not exist1 inasmuch as the ,apostles consumed his body by eating it1 and all this while he was sitting and conversing with them4 ,therefore to suppose1 that our ,saviour gave his body and his blood to the ,apostles at the last supper to be eaten by them would be to suppose1 that he existed and did not exist at the same time1 which is absurd1 and relatively impossible on the part of ,god4 ,secondly1 should we suppose that our ,saviour gave his body and blood to his ,apostles at the last supper1 it would then follow that a part of his body was greater than the entire of his body4 ,in order to shew this1 ,i will not advert to those who would say1 that our ,saviour had actually partaken of the bread which he had distributed among the ,apostles1 and consequently made his mouth1 which was only a part of his body1 to consume his entire body4 ,i will not dwell upon such an assertion1 but will come to one no less evident2 and that is1 if our ,saviour gave his body to be eaten by his ,apostles at the last supper1 it would then follow that he grasped his entire body within the narrow compass of his hand1 and thus make his hand1 which was only a part1 greater than his entire body1 as the container must naturally be greater than the contained2 and all this to be done while that hand and body remained in the self-same1 sensible1 and evidently unchanged form4 ,oh1 repugnant words6 ,oh1 irreconcileable doctrine6 ,oh1 monstrous assertion6 ,how can a man slumber under such a belief8 ,how can he rest in the consciousness of such an error8 ,methinks that should an individual after serious reflection tacitly submit to such an irrational belief1 it would be requisite that he should be invested by the ,deity with faculties the very reverse1 of what he now enjoys2 that he should possess a reason that would reconcile truths that are intuitively evident with falsehoods that are intuitively false2 and which should unite principles that are eternally true and immutably fixed1 with those that imply self-destroying contradictions4 ,i will give you another argument from the ,scriptures1 which tended to confirm me in my disbelief as to the doctrine of ,transubstantiation4 ,that my remarks upon this subject may be obvious to the capacity of each of you1 ,i refer you now to the #bb;d chapter of ,st4 ,luke1 which is explanatory of the institution of the sacrament at the last supper4 ,it is said of our ,saviour in the #aith and #bjth verses of that chapter1 8and he took bread and gave thanks and brake it1 and gave unto them1 saying1 this is my body which is given for you2 this do in remembrance of me40 ,likewise also the cup after supper1 saying1 8,this cup is the ,new ,testament in my blood which is shed for you0 #bjth verse4 ,now you ,roman ,catholics assert1 that the words in the #aith verse ought to be taken in their literal sense1 that is to say1 that when our ,saviour spoke these things1 8this is my body10 that he actually converted the bread into his body and gave it to be eaten by his ,apostles4 ,but if ,i can shew you many passages both in the ,old and ,new ,testament1 where the word is must be taken in a figurative1 sense4 ,i do not see what is to prevent the word is 7in the passage alluded to7 from being also taken in a figurative sense4 ,but there are many passages in the ,old as well as the ,new ,testament1 where the word is must be taken to signify represent1 or1 what is the same1 where it must be taken to signify the figure or memorial of a thing4 ,first1 you will find in the #agth chapter of ,genesis where ,god speaking of the circumcision says1 in the #ajth verse1 8,this is my covenant40 ,now the circumcision was not transubstantiated into the covenant4 ,therefore the word is in this passage must be taken in a figurative sense3 that is1 to signify the figure or memorial of the covenant4 ,look also to the #abth chapter of ,exodus1 where ,god after having spoken of the lamb that was to be sacrificed in memorial of his passing over the houses of the ,israelites and his smiting all the first born in the houses of the ,egyptians1 he says1 as is mentioned in the #aath verse1 8,it is the ,lord's ,passover40 ,now the word is in this passage must be taken to signify represent1 as the lamb could not be said to be transubstantiated into the ,passover4 ,there are also innumerable passages in the ,new ,testament1 where the word is must be taken to signify represent4 ,first1 ,st4 ,paul1 speaking of the church1 says1 8it is the body of ,christ40 ,here the word is must be taken to signify represent4 ,in the #acth chapter of ,matthew1 our ,saviour says1 in the #cgth verse--8,he that soweth the good seed is the son of man40 ,again1 in the #chth verse of same chapter he says1 8the field is the world20 and in the #cith verse of same chapter he says1 8the harvest is the end of the world20 and lastly1 in ,luke viii4 #aa1 our ,saviour says1 8the seed is the word of ,god40 ,now1 as in all those passages the word is must be taken to signify represent1 what is to prevent it being taken in the same sense in ,luke xxii4 #ai1 where our ,saviour said1 8this is my body80--especially as in the following verse of the same chapter it must be taken for represent1 where our ,saviour says1 8,this cup is the ,new ,testament20 for the cup was not transubstantiated into the ,new ,testament1 as you must all admit2 and therefore it is that ,i was led to consider that the word is1 in the #aith verse of the #bb;d chapter of ,luke1 should be taken in a figurative sense2 especially as in that same verse our ,saviour said1 8,do this in remembrance of me40 ,and finally1 there is nothing so common in our language as to make use of this word is in the sense of represent4 ,for example1 let me suppose that on passing through ,sackville-street1 in ,dublin1 and that a stranger on seeing ,nelson's pillar would ask me1 who is that8--,i1 immediately understanding him1 would say1 that is ,nelson3 and certainly the word is1 in those passages1 must be taken to signify represent2 for which reason1 also1 ,i was led to consider that the word is1 in this passage of our ,saviour1 must be taken to signify represent1 when he said1 8,this is my body40 ,i know1 my friends1 that in opposition to these passages to which ,i have alluded1 that you would introduce as an objection that passage in the first of the ,corinthians1 xi4 #bg1 where it is mentioned1 8,wherefore1 whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the ,lord unworthily1 shall be guilty of the body and blood of the ,lord20 from which words you would wish to prove that the ,apostles believed the real body and blood of ,christ to be in the sacrament4 ,but1 my friends1 let you consider by whom and for what purpose the sacrament was instituted1 and then your surprise will not be excited at the ,apostle expressing himself in such strong language1 although he would not believe that the real body and blood of ,christ were present in the sacrament4 ,by whom was it instituted8 ,by ,jesus ,christ himself4 ,for what purpose8 ,as a last bequest to mankind--as a remembrance of that ,jesus who left his throne of eternal justice to enter into the womb of a virgin mother--that ,jesus who was conceived and born in time--who1 during his mortal pilgrimage of thirty-three years1 suffered all the extremities of privation to which human nature could be subject--and who finally placed the eternal seal of his blood upon the cause of man's redemption4 ,is it a wonder then1 that the ,apostle1 though not believing the real body and blood of ,christ to be present1 should have recourse to such strong language against those who would violate the respect due to that sacrament1 which was to be a memorial of our ,saviour1 and which was to shew forth the ,lord's death until he come8 ,oh1 my friends1 if you or ,i were in the same situation as the ,apostle1 we would recur to a similarity of expression1 to announce our horror to the wretch who would approach with polluted heart so sanctified a memorial2 for whoever would disrespect such a sacrament1 might be naturally said to be guilty of the body and blood of ,christ4 ,my friends1 before ,i close this third part of my intended pamphlet1 ,i find it indispensably requisite to advert to that practice in your church1 by which the priests prevent you from receiving the wine in the distribution of what they call their sacrament4 ,now1 my friends1 this ,i consider not only to be a direct infringement upon the words1 but also a direct violation of the command of our ,saviour3 for if the command of our ,saviour1 at the institution of the sacrament1 were more strict in one part than another1 it was surely more urgent with regard to the receiving of the wine2 for it is said in ,matth4 xxvi4 #bg1 that our ,saviour after having taken the cup1 and having given thanks1 he gave it to his ,apostles1 saying1 8,drink ye all of it20 and as it is said in ,mark xiv4 #bc1 8,they all drank of it40 ,now observe that this word all was not annexed to the eating of the bread1 but only to the drinking of the wine1 which circumstance must prove to the reflecting mind this important fact1 that as our ,saviour foresaw the abuse that in course of time would be adopted in the ,roman church1 by withholding the cup from the people1 he has been therefore more urgent in his command as to the reception of the wine1 than he has been as to the reception of the bread4 ,i am aware that your clergy have recourse to many stratagems in explanation of this difficulty4 ,they say1 that when you receive the bread1 you not only receive the body but also the blood of our ,saviour1 and that therefore it is not requisite for you to receive the wine4 ,but1 my friends1 in answer to this ,i say1 that if our ,saviour1 at his last supper1 intended to give to his ,apostles1 in the mere substance of the bread1 both his body and his blood1 what was his utility in giving his body and his blood a second time in the wine8 ,to do so would be an act of supererogation--it would be an act of perfect uselessness1 and would be derogatory to the ,redeemer in the institution of so important a sacrament3 and hence ,i considered that withholding the cup from the people1 is a direct infringement upon the words of our ,saviour4 ,but your clergy also assert1 that our ,saviour1 at his last supper1 addressed the ,apostles as priests1 and not as the laity1 and that therefore he made it incumbent only on the ,apostles to receive the sacrament under both kinds4 ,but1 my friends1 we read of no such distinction made by our ,saviour2 and moreover1 when he said1 8drink ye all of this10 he also added1 8for this is my blood shed for many40 ,now his blood was not shed for the ,apostles alone1 but also for the flock2 and hence ,i conclude1 that the people should receive the wine as well as the priests4 ,again1 my friends1 if this passage1 8drink ye all of this10 were directed to the ,apostles alone1 why is it that the priests do not always receive under both kinds2 for ,i know that when they are not actually celebrating the mass1 they only receive the communion under one kind8 ,this seems a perfect anomaly--especially as our ,saviour drew no line of distinction between a priest officiating and a priest communicating4 ,finally1 my friends1 if these words1 8drink ye all of this10 were addressed to the ,apostles alone as priests1 then the people should at no period of time have partaken of the cup4 ,but that the people did partake of the cup is evident from the words of ,st4 ,paul in the #ast ,corinthians1 #aath chapter and #bhth verse1 where he says1 8,let a man examine himself1 and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup20 which words of the ,apostle were addressed to all the ,corinthians1 and consequently proving to us that the laity as well as the pastors1 had partaken of the sacrament under both kinds4 ,popes ,gellasius and ,leo ordered the wine to be taken by the people on their receiving the sacrament2 #dc while it was only in the fifteenth century1 at the ,council of ,constance1 that the use of the wine was prevented4 ,i would then address myself to the heads of your church and say1 why is it that you who boast so much of the antiquity of your doctrines--the antiquity of your religious institutions--you1 who in the hours of controversial difficulties fly to the traditions of your antients1 as the great props of your vacillating arguments--the last hopes of your controversial safety--why you thus mutilate the traditions of antiquity8--why depart from that practice as old as ,christianity itself8--why claim to yourselves a greater portion of wisdom than he who has instituted1 than he who has ordained1 than he who has sanctioned such a sacrament8--why infringe upon some of the most important words of a ,saviour8--why violate that last impressive command of a ,redeemer1 by withholding from the people a right1 which1 if duly administered1 must prove highly beneficial to the receiver8 ,equivocation may give an answer to such interrogations1 but cool and dispassionate reason will receive no apology4 ,,the ,,conclusion4 ,my friends1 there was a time when the dungeon or the scaffold would be the temporary but certain award of these my humble efforts for religion--a time when the most exquisite of tortures would follow a similar announcement of principle--a time when the inquisitorial rack would either extort a recantation of such sentiments1 or point to some painful death as a necessary consequence of their avowal--a time when the ,papal arm had wielded an ungovernable sway over the countries of ,europe2 and when secular power was so entwined around the ecclesiastical diadem1 that a ,pontiff's nod might be once considered as a sufficient guarantee for the deposition of a monarch--a time when a ,pope ,gregory the ,seventh #dd detained a ,henry the ,fourth1 of ,germany1 for three days naked and fasting at his gates1 and suing for mercy and absolution--a time when in the days of a ,pope ,innocent the ,third #de;a the ,british crown had lain beneath the feet of ,papal authority2 and when a ,john of ,england was forced to yield obeisance to that edict which proclaimed absolution to a people from their due allegiance to a monarch4 ,yes1 my friends1 there was another period of time when individuals1 under the pretext of religion1 and under1 if not the influence1 at least the sanction of ecclesiastical power1 had frequent recourse to acts of punishment which no religious creed should tolerate--a time when the manly and religious sentiments of a ,lord ,cobham #de;b had enkindled for his body the fire of persecution2 and when the open avowal of a ,ridley1 a ,hooper1 a ,cranmer1 and a ,latimer1 #de;c had impressed upon their brow the indelible sentence of religious martyrdom4 ,but blessed be ,god for all things1 those times are past1 and we now live in days when a more refined civilization has contracted the unlawful stretch of ,roman church authority1 and when the intelligence of mankind points out to a safer way for the glorious spirit of religious toleration4 ,yes1 8old things are passing away1 behold all things are becoming new40 ,even the narrow compass of your own days1 furnishes to the reflecting mind a proof of the comparative enlightenment of the times2 and gives to religious hope a more consoling assurance of a better futurity4 ,that spell which kept your minds in unscriptural darkness1 is now broken2 for your ,bishops have at length come to the resolution of letting the ,gospel light among you4 ,a cheap edition of the ,douay ,bible has been lately published for your particular instruction2 and the ,priest that would now withhold it from your perusal must undoubtedly wish to make a traffic of your ignorance4 ,the number of your holydays is curtailed--those days which were often spent by some of you amid the scenes of drunken reveries1 or in the circles of lawless assemblages4 ,your ,saturday abstinence1 which the superstitious times of a ,gregory the ,seventh had generated1 is now abolished2 all of which circumstances must form a remarkable epoch in the discipline of the ,roman ,church4 ,the number of your reserved cases is also diminished4 ,but here it may be requisite to apprise some of my readers of the meaning which ,roman credulity attaches to the reservation of cases4 ,a reserved case is generally termed that from which an ordinary confessor cannot absolve his penitent without a special privilege from his ,bishop4 ,thus for instance1 some time ago it was a reserved case for any of you to hear instructions in a ,protestant house of worship4 ,i have known an instance when a respectable ,roman ,catholic1 who is now of considerable influence at the bar1 was publicly denounced from an altar1 for the mere fact of attending a charity sermon preached by a ,protestant clergyman4 ,but1 my friends1 it seems that the progress of years may divest crimes of their hideousness2 and that this1 which was once reckoned a reserved case1 may be now counted among the number of your ordinary sins2 for1 ,i am now happy to inform you1 that any officiating curate or parish priest has obtained the supposed privilege of absolving you from the imputed sin of receiving instruction4 ,i hope you will avail yourselves of whatever advantages the intelligence of the times may afford3 and that the narrow or selfish views of man will no longer control you in the exercise of your judgment4 ,remember that 8the word of ,god is fire tried10 and that it has ever courted investigation1 while falsehood has always shrunk from inquiry4 ,i know there are many among the lay portion of ,roman ,catholics1 who would anxiously sever the link of their nominal adhesion to ,roman doctrine1 but their fears of an after persecution prevent an avowed acknowledgment of error4 ,but1 my friends1 remember that the troubles of this life are not to be compared with the glory that awaits us in the next4 8,for 7as the ,apostle says7 our light affliction1 which is but for a moment1 worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory40 #dg;a ,i pray then1 8,that the ,god of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 the ,father of glory1 may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him2 that the eyes of your understanding being enlightened1 ye may know what is the hope of his calling0 #dg;b--and that ye may be strengthened to say with me in the words of the ,psalmist1 8,in ,god ,i will praise his word2 in ,god ,i have put my trust2 ,i will not fear what flesh can do unto me40 ,psalms #efth chap4 #dth verse4 ,,footnotes4 #cj ,see ,hayes's ,sermon ,i4 #ca ,see ,nicholson's ,philosophy1 vol4 #a4 #dc ,see ,scheffmaker's ,polemical ,catechism1 translated by ,coppinger1 the ,roman ,catholic ,bishop of ,cloyne4 #dd ,in the eleventh century4 #de;a ,in the thirteenth century4 #de;b ,in the fifteenth century4 #de;c ,in the sixteenth century4 #dg;a #b ,cor4 #dth chap4 #agth verse4 #dg;b ,ephes4 #ast chap4 #ag-ah verses4