COMMUNION UNDER ONE KIND
CHAPTER 1.
Q. Is it necessary to receive the sacrament of the Eucharist under both kinds?
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A. No; it is not, for three reasons; first, because what is received under both kinds is received under one kind only; secondly, because Christ has promised the same reward to the reception of one as to the reception of both; thirdly, because the ancient Church administered this sacrament often under one kind only.
Q. Why do you say that the same is received under one, as under both species?
A. Because Christ is received as he is, living and immortal, whole and entire; and, as a living body is not without blood, or living blood without a body, so Christ is received, as he is under either the form of bread or the form of wine.
Q. Does the priest, who receives under both, receive more than the Laic?
A. No; he receives the same; for, as a man receiving two hosts would not receive more than he who receives only one, so the reception of one species is equal to the reception of both—Christ whole and entire being received in either case.
Q. Why do priests alone partake of the chalice—have they more right to it than the people?
A. They alone partake of it in Mass, because it is part of the sacrifice; but priests, bishops
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and even the Pope, receive under one kind only, when they receive out of Mass.
Q. Why do you say that the chalice forms part of the sacrifice?
A. Because Christ is a priest, according to the order of Melchizedeck; now Melchizedeck offered bread and wine both; hence, Christ had been pleased to institute the sacrifice of his body and blood, under the forms of bread and of wine.
CHAPTER II.
Q. Why do you say that Christ promises the same reward to the reception of one as to the reception of both kinds?
A. Because this is clearly laid down in the sixth chap. of St. John, ver. 50—"This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that if any man eat of it he may not die." 52—"If any man EAT of this BREAD he shall live for ever." 58—"As I live by the Father, so he that eateth me, the same shall live by me." 59—"Not as your fathers did eat manna and are dead; he that eateth this bread shall live for ever."
Q. What do you observe on these passages?
A. That Christ promised eternal life to those who receive under one kind, as well as to those who receive under both. Indeed, Christ himself administered the sacrament under one kind
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only to the disciples at Emmaus:—"And it came to pass, whilst he was at table with them, he took bread, and blessed, and brake, and gave to them." St. Paul, 1 Cor. chap. xi, 27, says: "Therefore, whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord." This shows clearly, that the unworthy reception of either kind is enough to damn, and consequently, also, the worthy reception, enough to save; because, both the body and blood of the Lord are profaned, or advantageously received, under either kind, as is evident from the conjunctive particle AND, in the latter part of the verse, whilst the disjunctive OR is used in the former. From the account of the Last Supper given by St. Luke, chap. xxii, 20, it would appear that the cup was not a necessary, even of the Apostolic communion, for it is given not during the supper, but after the supper.
CHAPTER III.
Q. Why have you said that the ancient and pure church administered the sacrament often under one kind only?
A. Because history proves it to be the fact Nicephorus, Hist. Eccles. lib. iii, cap. 7, St Cyprian, and St. Basil, all allude to the practice.
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The latter says, that the solitaries who lived far from towns, were in the habit of carrying with them, for the whole year, the Holy Eucharist, under the form of bread.
Q. Did not Pope Gelasias command all Catholics to receive the chalice?
A. Yes; but this was only for a time, and for the purpose of detecting the Manichean heretics, who considered wine as the creature of the devil. These heretics mingled with the Catholics, and, concealing their heretical principles, approached to communion with them. Hence, the Pope ordered the chalice also to be administered, knowing that this being under the form of wine, would deter these heretics from profaning the sacrament.
Q. What do you conclude from this?
A. That the sacrament must have been previously administered under the form of bread, otherwise this order of Pope Gelasius would have been unnecessary.
Q. How was the sacrament given to the sick, to the young, and to infants?
A. Under the form of bread only in the two former cases, and under the form of wine in the latter; and the Greek Church, during Lent, was in the habit of consecrating on Sunday what should be necessary for the whole week, and under the form of bread only.
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CHAPTER IV.
Q. Has not Christ expressly said, Matth xxvi, 27: "Drink ye all of this?''
A. Yes; but these words were addressed to the Apostles alone, and not to all the faithful.
Q. But if the command to drink was here given only to the Apostles, may we not justly conclude that the command to eat also, was given only to the Apostles?
A. The commands to eat and to drink were on this occasion, both given only to the Apostles and their successors,—that is to say, to the bishops and priests of the Church.
Q. How do you prove this?
A. The command to eat and to drink was given on this occasion only to those to whom it was said—"DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME;" but these latter words were addressed only to the Apostles and their lawful successors in the ministry; because, by these last words, Christ conferred on his ministers the power to consecrate and administer the Eucharist; and it is quite apparent, that this power was given to the Apostles only, and not to mankind in general, who have never even claimed it.
Q. Is there then no command in this passage, that the laity should receive the Eucharist?
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A. Yes; the priests are ordered to distribute it by these words: "Do this in remembrance of me;" and consequently, the laity are commanded to receive it.
Q. At what precise moment did Christ utter these words: "Do this in remembrance of me?"
A. St. Luke (chap. xxii, 19) quotes these words as having been uttered by our Lord immediately after he had given the Eucharist to the Apostles under the appearance of bread, and before he had delivered the chalice to them.
Q. What may be learned from this circumstance?
A. That Christ authorized his Apostles and their successors to administer the sacrament under the form of bread to the laity, but that he gave no command as regards the chalice.
Q. But does not Christ say, in St. John, chap. vii, "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye cannot have life in you?"
A. True; but we receive Christ not dead, but alive and immortal, as he is now in heaven; hence, we most certainly receive under either kind both his body and blood, for where his body is, there is his blood, soul, and divinity also. Besides, Protestants have nothing to do with this text on the present question, since
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they hold, that not only this text, but the whole chapter in which it is found, regard, not the sacrament of the Eucharist, but mere faith in Jesus Christ.
CHAPTER V.
Q. What would you say, in addition to; the above, to an obstinate Protestant who would tell you, that every thing done by Christ at the Last Supper should continue to be practised, and hence, that all should receive under both kinds, because he administered it to all then present?
A. I would tell him: Protestants, in that case, have much to do that they neglect.
Q. What should they do, if all that Christ did, be essentially necessary?
A. They should wash the feet of all that are admitted to the sacrament;—they should break the bread—they should make the chalice or cup pass from hand to hand;—they should receive the sacrament after supper, and only twelve should sit at the same table.
Q. What if Protestants reply, that these are not essential to the reception of the sacrament?
A. That is just what we say with regard to the reception of both kinds.
Q. Are not both kinds essential to the sacrament?
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A. If they were, Christ would not have promised to the reception of one kind all that he promised to him who receives both. And again, if they were, the pure Church of the first four centuries, would not have administered one species without the other, as she frequently did.
Q. Why does the Catholic Church administer the sacrament under one kind only?
A. Amongst other reasons, first, because, for the above reasons, it is evidently unnecessary to use both; and, secondly, because many accidents, exposing this most holy sacrament to irreverence (such as spilling the cup) would take place, if the cup were given to all.
Q. Have Protestants made any admissions on this head?
A. Yes; the Confession of Augsburg excuses the Church from any blame in this matter, (p. 235
and Luther, tom. ii, p. 100, says:—"If you go where only one kind is administered, be content with one kind, and don't oppose the great mass of Christians;" and again, tom. iii, p. 274—"If a General Council should order us to receive under both kinds, out of contempt for the Council we should receive only one."
Q. What do you conclude from all we have said?
A. Protestants, in forming their creed, have
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read the Scripture without studying its meaning.
Q. What other inferences would you draw?
A. That the Scripture does not contain every necessary truth clearly laid down; otherwise, there would be no dispute on this subject.
