The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

""COMMUNION UNDER ONE KIND. 345lasting He has also said life," :will give is"The bread which IMy flesh, for the life of the world."It seems to me that the charge of withholding thecup comes with very bad grace from Protestantteachers, who destroy the whole intrinsic virtue ofthe Sacrament by giving to their followers nothingbut bread and wine. The difference between themand us lies in this, that under one form we give thesubstance, while they under two forms confessedlygive only the shadow.In examining the history of the Church on thesubject, we find that up to the twelfth century, communion was sometimes distributed in one form, sometimes in another, commonly in both.1. St. Luke tells us that the converts of Jerusalem were persevering in the doctrine of the Apostles, and in the communication of bread (as theEucharist was sometimes familiarly called), and inprayer."lAnd again he speaks of the Christiandisciples assembled at Troas on the Lord s day,break bread." We 2 are led" to conclude, from thesepassages, that the Apostles sometimes distributed thecommunion in the form of bread alone, as no reference is made to the cup.It was certainly the custom to carry to the sickonly the consecrated host. And surely, if there isany period of life when nothing should be neglectedwhich conduces to salvation, it is the time of approaching death. Eusebius tells us that the aged1Acte ii. 42. Ibid. xx. 7.to