in eucharistic reservations, gracing every pix? How came Alcuin, then, to overlook the manifest propriety of somewhat qualifying his denial of Christ's corporeal presence in the world? Did incarnations of the Saviour, dignifying every mass, escape entirely his habitually pious, thoughtful mind? Or could he deem that language tending to throw a doubt upon the reality of such glorious incarnations was fitting, or indeed excusable, in one who numbered among the talents intrusted for his diligent improvement a most extensive influence over the public mind? Or lastly, did this distinguished son of ancient England, like the framers of king Edward's Articles, believe the incarnate Saviour to be corporally present only at the right hand of his almighty Father's majesty? Those who would readily return that affirmative answer which this last question might appear capable of exacting, will reflect with pleasure, that our Church, both before the Conquest and since the Reformation, has been perfectly consistent in restricting the participation of Christ's body and blood to those who believe effectively his holy religion. The venerable remains of ancient English theology are unblemished by the remotest hint of a possibility that irrational tenants of our earthly home, and worse than they, that infidels and reprobates may profane the precious body and blood of our immaculate Redeemer, by feeding upon it even to their condemnation. Our Articles affirm, that "the wicked, and such as be void of a lively faith, although they do carnally press with their teeth, as St. Austin saith, the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, yet in no wise are they partakers of Christ." Bede, accordingly, using the very words ordinarily attributed to St. Austin, here cited by the compilers of our Articles, restricts the feeding upon our Lord's body and blood to such as despise the world, and are poor in spirit. In another place he presents Austin's language uninterpolated, and this is fatal to a belief in transubstantiation". Ælfric, also, adopting that important discourse of the famous bishop of Hippo, which has long been excluded from his collected works, but which fortunately appears with his name in copies of Fulgentius, thus affirms: “He that receives the eucharist, not being in the bond of peace, receives no mystery for himself, but a witness against himself." • Bed. in Joh. vi. Opp. V. 509. Note 4. Of the cordial agreement between our Saxon fathers and ourselves, in maintaining that "the cup of the Lord is not to be denied to lay-people," their whole practice is a sufficient attestation. Not even the infant hanging at its mother's breast, when admitted, in compliance with prevailing usage, to the sacramental feast, was excluded from that consecrated liquor of which our blessed Saviour said, “Drink ye all of it." Upon this point, however, there is no dispute. Ignorance must indeed be complete and palpable, which could suppose that any who frequented the Lord's table in Anglo-Saxon times were denied a share of eucharistic wine. Sufficient enquiry will thus establish incontestably for the Church of England, as existing before the Conquest, a perfect identity of doctrine, respecting our Lord's presence in his holy Supper, with that which she has maintained since the Reformation. What shall we say, then, for the heartless treatment received within the very walls of this elegant and majestic fabric by the honest, venerable, zealous, and truly apostolical Latimer? What, for that which insulted and sought to embarrass and intimidate the blameless, dignified, 9 Art. XXX. See note 4. Serm. VII. scholarly, and consistent Ridley? What, for that which so severely tried the gentle spirit, conscious rectitude, physical self-possession, profound attainments of the discreet, indefatigable, but somewhat timid Cranmer? Were they any other than the eucharistic doctrines of Bede and Ælfric for which the three selfdevoted prelates boldly and earnestly contended within this holy place? Was it an inflexible adherence to any other principle of belief that drew upon them, in the divinityschool which near us gracefully rears its elaborately-fretted roof, a tumultuous torrent of indignities and clamour, (always infamous from educated assemblies, doubly so when coupled with a glaring want of sympathy?) Was it not because the lingering love of life, insidiously awakened in the breast of Cranmer, had, fatally for his peace, wrung from him some disingenuous expressions of a disposition to forsake these identical doctrines, that he stood within a few paces of this very spot, his venerable countenance bathed in tears, his whole figure a perfect image of deepest contrition, most heart-rending humiliation? Was it not, because he, and his two illustrious brethren, duly mindful of our blessed Lord's admonition against the denial of his known truth before men, refused to forsake these very doctrines, that eventually all the three braved the horrors of a violent and excruciating death, within the desiccated channel of the once-neighbouring city-fosse? And who shall overlook, among these mournful, yet consoling recollections, the dying Latimer's address to his fellow-sufferer? "From this day's struggle will arise a flame, which, by God's grace, will never cease to shine upon our country." The martyr's prayer was heard: God's grace was abundantly bestowed, and after a brief and gloomy, yet glorious interval, England nationally regained her ancient faith. And shall we not acknowledge with lively gratitude the goodness of a merciful God in calling us to the profession of a faith established firmly upon the rock of Scripture, connected with the most venerable of our national antiquities, adorned by some of the noblest examples of self-devotion displayed in the records of our native land? Our spiritual nursing-mother, we should ever bear in mind, is no creature of the Reformation. Her ministerial commissions and her polity notoriously and undeniably flow upwards, in one regular, unbroken stream, to that unsuspected period, when Apostles and apostolic men prescribed rules for ordering Christ's inheritance |