I am often surprised that staunch Protestants appear sometimes to speak with a certain measure of distrust of the Church Catechism, for there are few documents which contain clearer, or more decisive, statements as to great Protestant principles. What, _e.g._, can be clearer than the definition given of a sacrament, “An outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace”? That definition teaches two truths—(1) That the grace is inward and spiritual, and (2) That the sign is distinct from it, being outward and visible. In that short sentence is contained one of the great principles of the reformation. Rome had confused the sign with the grace when it decreed that the whole substance of the elements was changed into the whole substance of the body and blood of Christ, in which case it is obvious the sign must cease to be a sign, being changed into the thing signified. The Church of England taught, Article 28, that such “transubstantiation was repugnant to the plain words of Scripture, and overthroweth the nature of a sacrament.” Rome had decreed, “If any one shall say that in the Eucharist Christ is received _only_ spiritually (observe the _only_), let him be anathema.” The Church of England replied, “The body of Christ is given, taken, and eaten in the supper _only_ after an heavenly and spiritual manner.” Rome said, “If any one shall say that faith _alone_ is a sufficient preparation for receiving the Lord’s Supper, let him be anathema.” The Church of England replied, “The mean,” _i.e._, the only mean “whereby the Body of Christ is received and eaten in the supper, is faith.” Pages of other passages might be quoted had I time, but these are enough to show the real point at issue. Rome taught that the sign was transubstantiated into the thing signified, and so ceased to be a sign as it became a living Saviour, localised on the altar with body, soul, and even bones and nerves. The Church of England taught that the risen Lord is “in heaven and not here,” that the sign remains a material, visible sign, and that the grace is a spiritual grace. So that, as is well said in the homily, “The meat we seek for in this supper is spiritual food; and nourishment of our soul, a heavenly refection, and not earthly; an invisible meat and not carnal.” And again, “Look up with faith upon the body and blood of thy God, thou marvel with reverence, thou touch it with the mind, then receive it with the hand of thine heart, and thou take it fully with thy inward man.” * * * * * (4.)—_The Final Completeness of the one Propitiation_.