Reasons for Leaving the Church of RomeNolan, Laurence J.
Religion
Reasons for Leaving the Church of Rome
Nolan, Laurence J.
Anglican converts; Catholic Church -- Controversial literature -- Protestant authors; Catholic Church -- Ireland -- Clergy
But, my friends, there is no comparison between the two cases; for when I
assert that three persons constitute the unity of a God, I do not mean to
say that they constitute that unity in the self same sense, but that they
constitute that unity in a distinct sense; and therefore it is not
impossible, nor contradictory to my senses, nor repugnant to my reason to
make use of such an assertion. But that three or a thousand material
bodies should constitute one body, and that one body should constitute
three or thousands of bodies, this is what I consider to be impossible in
itself, and most contradictory to my senses and my reason, but of which
Transubstantiation requires a firm belief: for a person believing that
doctrine, must believe that the body which one priest holds in his hands,
wholly and substantially, must be also wholly and substantially in the
hands of thousands of others.
But you, Roman Catholics, again say, “we do not know the nature of a
glorified body, and therefore you conclude that the glorified body of
Christ might be in many places at the same time.”
This seems to me absurd; for though the resurrection had added glory to,
still it has not annihilated the humanity of Christ. This is evident,
first, from the words of Christ to his Apostles collectively; for when he
appeared among them after his resurrection, he said, as is mentioned in
Luke xxiv. 39—“Handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones
as ye see me have.” Therefore the resurrection has not abolished the
humanity of our Saviour. Again, our Saviour said to Thomas, as is
mentioned in John xx. 27—“Reach hither thy finger and behold my hand; and
reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side.” Therefore, from these
two passages, the one addressed by our Saviour to the Apostles
collectively, and the other to St. Thomas individually, it is evident
that the resurrection has not abolished the humanity of Christ, but that
he has flesh and bones like us, even in his glorified state. If he has
flesh and bones like us (as has been already proved to you,) his body
must necessarily be a finite substance—if a finite, or what is the same,
a limited substance, it must necessarily be subject to finite or limited
laws—if subject to limited laws, it cannot be consequently in many places
at the same time. Therefore the belief as to Transubstantiation must be
false.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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