all, the other oriental liturgies; and that is, in shewing, in the plainest and most unexceptionable way, that, in the opinion of St. Basil, the change which is wrought in the elements of the holy Eucharist by consecration, whereby they become the body and blood of Christ, is not in that carnal and impious sense of the church of Rome, which makes it possible for bird, beast, and reptile to bite and gnaw the Saviour of the world-for the wind to blow away the Maker of the universe, and a sick man's stomach to reject the Lord of Glory-and for that "flesh to see corruption" which the Holy Spirit has said should not; all which cases are contemplated in the Roman rubrics, but in that spiritual and sacramental sense whereby they become the means of conveying to the faithful receivers the unspeakable inward grace of which they are the appointed signs-that they are verily and indeed the Lord's body and blood, in their saving and lifegiving use; but not abstracted from their use-that, in short, the Roman doctrine of transubstantiation, as expressed in the decrees of the council of Trent, does not appear to have entered the contemplation of the holy Basil.

I have before me five copies of liturgies, bearing the name of St. Basil. I will cite the prayer of consecration as it appears in each, that the reader may be able to judge how far the foregoing assertion is warranted:

1st.-
-THE COPTIC LITURGY, ASCRIBED TO ST. BASIL.

In Renaudot's Collection. Paris, 1716. Vol. I. p. 16.

We sinners, thy unworthy servants, beseech and adore thee, O Christ, our God, by the good pleasure of thy goodness, that thy Holy Spirit may come upon us, and upon these gifts set forth, and may sanctify them, and make them the holy things of thy saints, and may make this bread the holy body of the Lord God himself, and our Saviour Jesus Christ, which is given in remission of sins, and for eternal life, to him who shall receive it.

Amen.

And this cup, the precious blood of the New Testament, of thee, the Lord God himself, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ, which is given in remission of sins, and for eternal life, to them who shall receive it (him).

2nd.

-THE ALEXANDRIAN LITURGY, ASCRIBED TO ST. BASIL, IN GREEK AND ARABIC.

In Renaudot's Collection. I. p. 68.

We sinners, and thy unworthy servants, beseech and entreat thee, O Lord, thou lover of good men, and adore thee with the good pleasure of thy goodness, that thy Holy Spirit may come upon us, thy servants, and upon these, thy gifts, set forth, and may sanctify and make them the holy things of saints; and may make this bread to hecome the holy body of the Lord God himself, and our Saviour Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and for eternal life, to them who partake of it. Amen.

And this cup, the precious blood of the New Testament, of the Lord God himself, and our Saviour Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and for eternal life, to them who partake of it.

3rd.

-THE SYRIAC LITURGY, ASCRIBED TO ST. BASIL.

(Translated by Masius.)

In Renaudot's Collection.

Vol. II. 554.

Wherefore, O Lord, we, thy wretched strangers, and useless servants, whom thou hast deigned to make the administrators of the mysteries and passions of thy Christ, not on account of our righteousness, for we have done no good upon earth, but by

thy mercy and gentleness, which thou hast largely poured upon us, "with boldness now approach, that we may touch thy holy altar. And we who have set forth the type of the body and blood of thy Christ, adore and suppliantly beseech thee,” * by the gentleness of thy goodness, let thy Holy Spirit come upon us, and upon these gifts, which we have set forth, and sanctify them, and make this bread the glorious body of our Lord Jesus Christ, the heavenly body, the life-giving body, the precious body, for the expiation of faults, and remission of sins, and for eternal life, to them

who receive it.

And this cup, the precious blood of the Lord God Jesus Christ, who reigneth over all, the redeeming blood, the life-giving blood, the expiating blood, which is shed for the redemption and life of the world, for the expiation of faults, and remission of sins, and for eternal life, to them who receive it. Amen.

4th. ANOTHER COPY, PROFESSEDLY OF THE SAME LITURGY.

Referred to in Renaudot's Collection. II. 563.

Let him (the Holy Spirit, the Comforter,) come, and descend upon us, and upon these gifts set forth, and sanctify them; that, descending upon this bread, and this wine, he may fill us also with his holiness, and may make this bread the life-giving, salutary, vivifying, and life-giving body, the body of the Lord God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ, for the expiation of offences, the remission of sins, and eternal life. Amen. In like manner, also, he may make this wine the blood of the New Testament, the salutary, vivifying, and life-giving blood of the Lord God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, for the expiation of faults, the remission of sins, and eternal life, to the partakers. Amen.

5th.-THE CONSTANTINOPOLITAN LITURGY, ASCRIBED TO ST. BASIL.

In Goar's Ritual of the Greeks. Paris, 1647, p. 166.

(This is chiefly the same as the foregoing.)

We approach thy holy altar, and setting forth the types of the holy body and blood of thy Christ, we beseech and entreat thee, + Holy of Holies, by the well-pleasing of thy goodness, that thy Holy Spirit may come upon us, and upon these gifts set forth, and bless them, and sanctify them, and make them. this bread, the precious body of the Lord and God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. And this cup, the precious blood of the Lord and God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

It will be observed, that in this last liturgy the specification of the consecration, for the use of those who receive it, is wanting; but, besides that the concurring testimony of all the other professed copies of St. Basil's liturgy to the existence of this specification affords reasonable, if not conclusive, evidence, that it is the original reading, and must formerly have stood in this version as well as the rest, the advocates for transubstantiation have little cause of triumph, for this very liturgy immediately proceeds with a prayer ill calculated to afford them satisfaction.

"And unite us all, who partake of this one bread and cup, into the fellowship of the one Holy Spirit."

I said before, that the sense in which the liturgies ascribed to St. Basil (however diversified in other respects) all unite in representing

* The passage in inverted commas appears to be that cited by the fathers of the Deutero Nicene Council.

This is the same passage cited by the Deutero Nicene fathers; all it wants is, the OappovvTES. That this originally stood here may be inferred from the Syriac copy above cited, and also from this, that in the Latin version, in Goar's edition, the word "confidentes" appears.

the change effected by consecration in the Eucharistic elements (that is to say, a change for sacramental use, and not abstracted from the use, as in transubstantiation,) is confirmed virtually by all, expressly by almost all, the other oriental liturgies. The following extracts will make good the assertion :

The Liturgy ascribed to St. James.-"Make this bread the holy body of thy Christ, and this cup the precious blood of thy Christ, that all who are partakers thereof may obtain remission of their sins."-Brett's Collection. Lond. 1720, p. 18.

The Liturgy ascribed to St. Mark.-" Making the bread the body, and the cup the blood, of the New Testament of our Lord himself; that they may be to us who partake of them the means of faith," &c.-Ibid. pp. 37, 38.

The Liturgy ascribed to St. Chrysostom.-" Make this bread the precious body of thy Christ, and what is in the cup the precious blood of thy Christ, that it may be to those who partake of it for sobriety," &c.-Ibid. p. 46.

The Ethiopian Liturgy.-"That he may make them both the body and blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for ever and ever... that all the partakers thereof may by them obtain the sanctification," &c.—Ibid. p. 86.

The Nestorian Liturgy." Make this bread and this cup the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, cleansing and sanctifying them by thine Holy Spirit, that the partaking of these holy mysteries may be to all who receive them the means of everlasting life," &c.-Ibid. p. 100.

The Liturgy of Surrus, Patriarch of Antioch.-"That this bread may be made the life-giving, heavenly-saving body both of our souls and bodies, even the body of our Lord... Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and everlasting life, to all those who partake of it; and the mixture in this cup, the blood of the New Testament. . . even the blood of our Lord.... for the remission of sins, and everlasting life, to all those who partake of it.”—Ibid. 106.

The Liturgy of St. Gregory." And make this bread thy Holy Body, O Lord God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ, which is given for the remission of sins, and for eternal life, to them who communicate of it; and, again, this cup, the precious blood of thy New Testament, O Lord God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ, which is given for the remission of sins, and for eternal life, to them who communicate of it."—Renandot, I. 3.

Liturgy of St. Cyril.-"That he may make this bread the body of Christ, and this cup also the precious blood of the New Testament, of the same Jesus Christ, the Lord, God, Saviour, and King of us all, that they may be to all of us, who shall partake of them, useful to obtain faith without disputing," &c.-Ibid. 48, 49.

The Syriack Liturgy, ascribed to Pope Xystus." And make this bread the body of Christ our God; and make this cup the blood of Christ our God, that they may make us, who shall communicate in them, partakers of heavenly pleasure," &c.— Renandot, II. 136, 137.

The Syriack Liturgy, ascribed to St. Peter.-" May make this bread the salutary body.. of our Lord God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, for the expiation of offences, &c. to them who shall partake of it. Amen. And in like manner, this cup, the heavenly drink, the salutary blood, &c. of Jesus Christ, for the remission of the things which they have foolishly done, and the relaxation of sins to the partakers.”— Ibid. 148.

Another Syriack Liturgy, ascribed to St. Peter." May make this bread the body of Christ our God, and this cup the blood of Christ our God, that they may be to them who communicate for the cleansing of body and soul."—Ibid. 156, 157.

The Syriack Liturgy, ascribed to St. John the Evangelist." May make this bread the body of Christ our God, and this cup the blood of Christ our God, that they may sanctify the bodies and souls of those who shall communicate in them."—Ibid. 165–167.

The Syriack Liturgy, ascribed to the Twelve Apostles.-" May make this bread the body of Christ our God, and the mixture in the cup the blood of Christ our God, that these sacraments may be to us holy and vivifying," &c.—Ibid. 172.

The Syriack Liturgy, ascribed to St. Clement of Rome.-"May make this bread the vivifying body. .... of the Lord God himself, and our Saviour Jesus Christ, for the propitiation of offences, remission of sins, and eternal life, of the partakers. In like manner, the mixture in the cup, the purifying blood of.. Jesus Christ,

for the propitiation of offences, &c. of the partakers, that by the communion of these vivifying sacraments we may have entrance to the delights of eternal life," &c.—Ibid. 192.

Syriack Liturgy, ascribed to St. Dionysius.-" May make this bread the living body. ..of.... Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and for eternal life, to them who receive it; and the mixture in the cup, the living blood. ... . . of.... Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and life eternal, to them who receive it."— Ibid. 206, 207.

Syriack Liturgy, ascribed to St. Ignatius.—“ May make this bread the holy body of.... Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and life eternal, of the receivers; and this cup the living blood. .of.... Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and life eternal, of the receivers."-Ibid. 218, 219.

Syriack Liturgy, ascribed to Julius, Bishop of Rome.-" May make this bread the body of Christ our God, and the mixture in the cup the blood of Christ our God, that it may profit all those who shall receive and communicate of it." &c.—Ibid. 229, 230. Syriarck Liturgy, ascribed to Eustathius of Antioch." May exhibit this bread, the holy body of Christ our God, and make the mixture in the cup the blood of Christ our God, but may give to us, by the receiving of them, pardon of sins." &c.—Ibid. 237. Syriack Liturgy of St. John, which, in the Chaldaic Missal, is ascribed to Chrysostom." May exhibit this bread, the body of Christ, our God, and the mixture in the cup the blood of the same Christ our God, that whosoever shall communicate in them may be heirs in the kingdom of heaven," &c.-Ibid. 257.

Syriack Liturgy, ascribed to Maruta, Metropolitan of Sagril. "May change this simple bread, and make it the very body which was sacrificed for us.. the body of the very word of God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and life eternal, to them who receive it; and may change this mixed wine, which is in the cup, and make it the very blood which was shed for us. . . . . . the blood of the very Lord, the word of God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and eternal life, to them who receive it." &c.—Ibid. 264, 265.

It were a waste of time, and of the reader's patience, to add all the numerous proofs which might be adduced from the remaining oriental liturgies. I will content myself, therefore, with citing that which is in general accounted the purest and most ancient of all-I mean the liturgy called the Clementine, which stands in the eighth book of what are called the Apostolical Constitutions:

"That he may make this bread the body of thy Christ, and this cup the blood of thy Christ, that all who shall partake of it may be confirmed in godliness," &c.—Bult, p. 10.

This, when combined with all that have been, and the rest that might be, cited, may serve to shew that when St. Basil expressed in his liturgy-which has received the entire approval of the Deutero Nicene fathers-the change in the Eucharistic elements to be a change only for the use of those who received them, he was expressing that which, throughout the whole of the east, from the remotest periods, has been the received sense of all the bodies of Christians, orthodox or heretical.

But it is not only the liturgies of the east that bear witness to this point: the west and the east have joined their voices together, that the testimony against the Roman error of transubstantiation may be catholic. In the ancient Gothic liturgy, published by Mabillon, we have the prayer of consecration as follows:

"Beseeching thee, that thou wouldest vouchsafe to send thy Holy Spirit upon these solemn mysteries, that they may become unto us a true eucharist, in the name of thee and of thy Son, and of thy Holy Spirit, that they may confer eternal life, and an

everlasting kingdom on us, who are going to eat and drink them in the transformation of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ."-Brett, 114.

In the liturgies of Narbonne and Aquitaine, cited by Martene, in his Treatise of Divine Offices, 4to. Lyons, 1706, p. 537:

"Lord, Holy Father, Almighty, eternal God, deign to bless this bread with thy holy and Spiritual benediction, that it may be to all who take it the salvation of mind and body," &c.

Nay, even the Roman liturgy itself, in the very canon of the mass, bears witness that such was the doctrine of that apostolic church before the enemy of mankind contrived to sow his tares in that fruitful field of the Lord's planting, which erst had yielded good wheat :

"Which oblation do thou, O God, we beseech thee, vouchsafe to render, in all respects, blessed, approved, effectual, reasonable, and acceptable, that it may be made unto us the body and blood of thy most beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ."

Oh! when will Rome return to that purity of doctrine, to which, even to this very day, her ancient forms,-which she has providentially preserved-bear undeniable witness? Surely, the day will come. Blessed will their eyes be, to whom it is permitted to see it! Blessed their ears, who shall hear the joyful sound!

But to return whence I set out, and to conclude: if fair and reasonable argument may be allowed any weight in this controversy, then I venture to think, that I have succeeded in citing the collective evidence of nearly seven hundred bishops, at the close of the eighth century, against the doctrine of transubstantiation; and in shewing, that as the assertion of a belief in transubstantiation being required as necessary to salvation, in the early ages, is untenable, and has consequently been abandoned by the candid writers on the Roman side, so the assertion, that though not necessary to salvation in the early ages, still that the belief in it was, in point of fact, generally received, is also untenable, and should, in fairness, be likewise abandoned by them.

NOTICE: The press of matter is such this month, that the readers of the Magazine must excuse the omission of any paper illustrating the usual frontispiece.

DEVOTIONAL & PRACTICAL.

PUBLIC WORSHIP.

(An Address by the BISHOP OF BARBADOES, on laying the first stone of a New Church, December 31, 1835.)

"

MY CHRISTIAN BRETHREN,-The worship of Almighty God is grounded upon the express command of Holy Scripture,-" Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.' The readiness of angelical obedience may be imitated by us, the names of departed saints and apostles may be held in all holy rememVOL. IX.-April, 1836. 3 D