and blood of Christ, and to the memory of his passion, not only to be pure from all defilement, but likewise to shew forth and express the remembrance of the death of Christ, lest he eat and drink to his own judgement."[1] L. 1. De Bap. c. III. T. ii. p. 651.—“If he who was unclean, under the old law, might not touch what was holy, how much more criminal is he, who, in the impurity of his soul, rashly approaches to the body of our Lord. Let us therefore cleanse ourselves from all defilement.” Ibid. L. ii. Interrog. III. p. 654.
St. GREGORY OF NYSSA,[2] G. C.-“As that which is pernicious is admitted into our bodies, so should that which is salutary; in order that the virtue of this latter may bring aid to us. When this salutary medicine is within us, it repels, by its contrary quality, the poison we had received. But what is this medicine? No other than that body, which was shewn to be more powerful than death,y) and was the beginning of our life; and which could not otherwise enter into our bodies, than by eating and drinking:--Now we must consider, how it can be, that one body, which so constantly, through the whole world, is distributed to so many thou. sands of the faithful, can be whole in each receiver, and itself remain whole. :) The body of Christ, by the inhabitation of the Word of God, was transmuted into a divine dignity : and so I now believe, that the bread, sanctified by the Word
