the doctrine of the Church Catholic, the author would dissuade from unprofitable speculations, as to the mode in which that doctrine was to be reconciled to human intellect. This reconcilement was the original object of Transubstantiation, which, to those who could once accept it, left no further difficulty as to the manner in which we partake of Christ's Body and Blood; this has been, in their opposite way, the error of the Lutherans and of the Zuinglians or Calvinists: the old Church, on the contrary, and with her, our own, and Bucer, in this place, assert simply the fact, that "Christ doth really and indeed give His true Body to the faithful in His Supper," and therewith closes up the question, without asking "How can these things be?"
11. The Bohemian Confession remarkably coincides with Bucer's, both in its firm adherence to Scriptural truth, and in the absence of speculation: "They believe," it is said, "that the Sacrament of the Eucharist, is an administration instituted by Christ, and set forth first to the Apostles, and through them, by His grace and goodness, to the whole Church, for the common use and health of all. Also, that it is to be believed with the heart and confessed with the mouth, that the Bread of the Lord's Supper is the true Body of Christ, which was given for us, and the cup His true Blood, which was shed for us for the remission of sins, as Christ the Lord plainly saith, this is my body, this is my blood: also, that these words of Christ, whereby Himself pronounces the bread to be His Body, and the wine, specifically to be His Blood, no one should add, mingle, or take away from them; but believe in simplicity these words of Christ, neither declining to the right hand nor to the left." Accordingly the Bohemians receive the words of Christ with a simple faith, which none of the Zuinglians or Calvinists do; as, indeed, this, their language, would not be adopted by those schools. In consequence, we find, that, besides the attacks of the Papists, they had, as they state in their confession, to endure those of others, who "entitled this confession of faith on the Lord's Supper the dregs of popery, and themselves marked with the character of the beast, idolaters, Anti-Christs, or that whore of which John prophesies in the Apocalypse,"—language, which, obviously, never would have been applied to any Zuinglian or Calvinistic school. Accordingly, it is also said, that at the time of the Communion, "the ministers repeating the words of the Lord's Supper, exhort the people itself to this faith, to believe, namely, the presence of the Body of Christ." Of the Sacraments generally, also, they state, (Art. 11.) that "they are (generally) necessary to salvation, and that, by them the faithful are made partakers of the merits of Christ." Baptism, again, (Art, 12.) is said to be a "salutary ministration, instituted by Christ, and added to the Gospel, whereby (i.e., by Baptism), He purifies, cleanses, and sanctifies His Church, in His own death
