On several occasions, but principally in the Sacrament of Repentance and in the explanation of the Liturgy or the Communion Service, the Mystery of the Lord’s Supper has also been the subject of our explanations and exhortations. For the present we confine ourselves to a discussion in favor of the Orthodox truth, concerning this all-holy Sacrament, and our object in doing so—is the necessity of the Church (especially considering Her in this place), the refutation of error and innovation, and to fulfill the obligation of a conscience bound by a duty of consecration: St. Paul is reminding us in these words: For woe is unto me, if I preach not the Gospel; for necessity is laid upon me; I have a stewardship intrusted unto me (1 Cor., ix. 16, 17).
The teachings of the many different Protestant societies in regard to this Sacrament are so diverse, far-fetched, and obscure, and not foreseeing any immediate danger to the truth from their several opinions, separately scattered, we shall now look into the teaching and practice of the Latin church, which being the nearest to ours, yet is so changed with unreasonable innovations, that the wholeness of the doctrine and of the forms of the primitive undivided church are lost in her, and her zeal in proselytizing and boasting of numbers may prove dangerous for some of our people, who allow themselves, unawares, to wander.
In the first place, the Latin church does not use leavened bread in the Eucharist, but unleavened bread, or wafers. Whence and at what time did this custom of receiving the Communion by wafers have its introduction? It was in Spain during the seventh century that this innovation was introduced by some, and when it spread and became a custom in quite a number of dioceses in the West, the Patriarch Michael Cerularius of Constantinople canonically presented the matter for correction to the Patriarch of the West, i.e., the so-called Pope of Rome, but when Leo IX in 1054 had seen that the anti-apostolic practice had taken root in so many influential churches, and it would not be of any avail for him to condemn it, he actually gave his sanction for this way of communicating and recommended it for all those who would be of one mind with him, but against the four Orthodox Patriarchs and the Apostolic Church in general.
Our Lord Jesus Christ instituted the mystery of communion before the feast of the passover (John, xiii. 1-2); consequently, at the time when the Jews ate leavened bread, for only during the Paschal week they were required to use unleavened bread. The Redeemer was delivered up to the Scribes and High Priests after His last supper; moreover, He was crucified, He died, and was buried before the Jews partook of their supper of roast lamb with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. In describing the Sacrament of the Eucharist, the Holy Scriptures contain the Greek word Artos; in the Greek language, only leavened bread is called Artos. We should bear in mind that the originals of the New Testament were written firstly in the Greek.
Now, concerning the administering of the Communion to the people in one kind. Our Orthodox Church teaches that the people are members of Christ’s Church in the same degree as the clergy. And those who are led, as well as those who lead in the way of salvation, partake alike of both the body and the blood of Christ in the Mystery of the Eucharist. Not so in the Latin Church! In giving the cup of the covenant, did not He—the Head of our Church—command, Drink ye all of it? (Matt., xxvi. 28.) It has been repeated more than once, for instance: except ye drink His blood, ye have not life in yourselves (John, vi. 53). Why is it the Latin church has no regard for history? Several of her own doctors tell us that the Communion in the West was administered to the people in both kinds during the twelfth century. It was as late as the fifteenth century that the Roman Church prohibited her priests to administer the Sacrament to the people in its complete form. Of course, the Latin church puts forth arguments in defense of her adulterated practices. But nothing will justify her in changing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. At no other time or place, but at His last supper, did the Lord and Master so completely humble Himself, when He washed the feet of His disciples, and made Himself as one of the others, eating with them, yea—and giving His very blood and very body, that they, and we, and all may be one in Him, at the same time saying: this do in remembrance of me (Luke, xxii. 19). Sad it is, indeed very sad, the practices of the Pope and his ministers should be of such a nature, that their followers are denied the whole of that which pertains to eternal salvation. While partaking of the cup themselves, are not the Latin clergy something more, or nobler and higher, and not like unto their brethren, or the rest of common mankind?
Finally, we make remark of another abuse of the early Orthodox Christian practice. It is the natural result of other previous mistakes, or rather unfaithfulness, namely: the communion of infants. In this case, the Latins cannot say, that the flesh is in the blood, and the blood is in the body, because infants cannot partake of a wafer, but otherwise they are able to receive a drop of liquid, though they be very young. Now the question arises: if infants are baptized and anointed with holy chrism, why should they be denied the life-giving Grace in the Sacrament of Holy Communion? If there is no direct command in Holy Writ to administer the same to infants, there is none likewise in regard to baptizing them. Yet this is demanded by Holy Tradition. Infants were communicants in the West for a long time. It was Odone, the Bishop of Paris in 1175, who was the first to prohibit the little children from being brought to the table of the Lord. After this, it spread to other countries, but first in cities among so-called genteel people, and then it was that Rome said this sin was infallible. How is it that the Latin church attempts such undertakings without the authority of the whole body of the Catholic Church! May the Holy Ghost, who abides in the Church of Christ, protect us from such error and all snares of the proud one.
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