have fully secured for every Christian man, woman, and child, the services of a priest who, not burdened with the care of too many souls, can reasonably be expected to devote himself to their service and ministry? Otherwise, we must picture to ourselves our blessed Lord beholding the multitudes scattered in our towns and villages, and moved with compassion for them, as sheep having no shepherd. "The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest." It is the Lord's harvest. Who will help to gather it in ?

CHAPTER IV.

THE HOLY EUCHARIST; POPULAR FALLACIES RESPECTING ITS DUE

CELEBRATION.

"Give us this day our daily bread."-S. MATT. vi. 11. "This do in remembrance of Me."-S. LUKE Xxii. 19.

"The bread that I will give is My Flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."-S. JOHN vi. 51.

To understand the need there exists for a larger number of priests than we have, let us consider what is above all else the one peculiar work or office of a priest in the Church of God. But, before beginning this inquiry, let us premise that one chief object, besides the daily ministering to, and edification of, the members of our own communion, is to seek for points, not of difference, but of agreement, with the other branches of Christ's Church; not to copy the tactics of Nonconformists within our land, and so seek to widen the breach existing between us and our brethren of the Church, but to do all in our power to promote and further reunion betwixt ourselves and our brethren who hold the same faith; for with the latter, who are members of the Catholic Church, we must necessarily have more sympathy than with those who dissent from us, and have left the communion of the

Church. By thus seeking reunion with all our brethren, we shall be declaring that mind of Christ which should exist in all His members, and labouring to promote that peace and unity for which He prayed on the night of His sacred Passion.

And, as the lesser portion of Christ's Catholic Church, let us seek this end in view with all humility, and be prepared to make sacrifice of all that is non-essential in our religious customs and practices; and, as a daughter Church, let us be ready also to adopt all godly and edifying uses of the mother Church and elder sister Churches-uses which were once in vogue among ourselves, but which have been more or less in abeyance for the last four hundred years among the clergy and their flocks, partly through ignorance, and partly out of deference to weaker consciences, or through pressure brought to bear upon them by the secular power and more turbulent spirits of the times.

One such religious custom that has thus been allowed to fall through, is the daily celebration by each priest of the highest act of worship which a Christian can render to his Maker, and the only act of worship for which any scriptural authority can be adduced, inasmuch as it is commanded by the supreme Bishop of Souls and great High Priest, our blessed Lord Himself. I refer to the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. It is our misfortune that the only authoritative titles given to this Holy Office in the Prayer-book should be those which imply an apparent necessity for the attendance of several members at the great Sacrament, and that all of them should be actual partakers. The titles of the "Holy Com

Confusion of Terms.

21

munion," of the "Lord's Supper," have thus done more to obscure the real intention and meaning of this majestic office than the turbulence and tyranny of majorities in past years. They have served to convey to following generations of Churchmen, who have not had either the opportunity or the inclination to study the subject deeply, that the Office is one which must necessitate, of course, their corporate attendance before it can be validly celebrated or properly consummated. But to hold such an opinion is most improper, not to say heretical, as regards this Sacrament. Such an opinion if entertained must overthrow the nature of the Holy Sacrament, and reduce all the teaching respecting it to an absurdity. Let us, with all reverence, examine the matter more particularly.

It will, first of all, be readily granted, I presume, that, when the priest has celebrated the Divine office, and communicated himself of the Blessed Sacrament, we may state with all truth that the Holy Eucharist has been consummated, and that all has been done that need be done for the valid celebration of this greatest of all Sacraments. What need, then, of the multitude? They are only there to assist by their presence, and take their part in the service. But, with or without their presence, the Sacred Rite has been to all intents and purposes duly and properly consummated by the action alone of the celebrant.

If we are to insist strictly upon the letter of the Bible, apart from any Catholic tradition, it must be admitted, I think, that what is there written can give no direct or indirect encouragement to the theories of those who so tenaciously cling to the opinion that

numbers are necessary to the due celebration of the Holy Sacrament. The only command given in Holy Scripture is, "Do this in remembrance of Me." That particular act of doing, or offering, could be performed only by one of those then present, or their legitimate successors in the sacred ministry, and this particular act is limited to them alone. No hint is there given that the act would require the attendance of one or more besides to validate its celebration. Nor are we taught by the precedent there set before us at the institution of the Sacred Rite that its due celebration necessitated the attendance of any outside the ranks of the Ordained or the Celebrants themselves. Otherwise, might we not argue that the attendance of any such (if necessary on this most solemn occasion) would be forthwith commanded? For not merely was an injunction given, but the actual celebration of the Blessed Sacrament took place, and the ritual and form of celebrating no doubt was distinctly shewn on the occasion; and such is the tradition in the Church, that our Saviour Himself partook of the Blessed Sacrament of His own precious Body and Blood.

However truly edifying the celebration might have been to the general members of His faithful followers, according to the idea of some, yet may we not safely conclude that our Lord, according to His infinite wisdom, thought it best to require only the attendance of His Apostles on this occasion, not even His holy mother, the blessed Virgin, being invited? These were those Sacred Mysteries which only those who were ordained to celebrate the same were allowed to witness and participate in on this occasion of their solemn institution and celebration.