What difference is there between the Lord’s Supper and the papal Mass?

The Lord’s Supper testifies to us that we have complete forgiveness of all our sins through the one sacrifice of Jesus Christ which he himself has accomplished on the cross once for all; (and that through the Holy Spirit we are incorporated into Christ, who is now in heaven with his true body at the right hand of the Father and is there to be worshiped.) But the Mass teaches that the living and the dead do not have forgiveness of sins through the sufferings of Christ unless Christ is again offered for them daily by the priest (and that Christ is bodily under the form of bread and wine and is therefore to be worshiped in them). Therefore the Mass is fundamentally a complete denial of the once for all sacrifice and passion of Jesus Christ ( and as such an idolatry to be condemned).

For we dream neither of a faith devoid of good works nor of a justification that stands without them. This alone is of importance: having admitted that faith and good works must cleave together, we still lodge justification in faith, not in works. We have a ready explanation for doing this, provided we turn to Christ to whom our faith is directed an from who it receives its full strength.

Why, then, are we justified by faith? Because by faith we grasp Christ’s righteousness, by which alone we are reconciled to God. Yet you could not grasp this without at the same time grasping sanctification also. For he “is given unto us for righteousness, wisdom, sanctification, and redemption” [1 Cor. 1:30]. Therefore Christ justifies no one whom he does not at the same time sanctify. These benefits are joined together by an everlasting and indissoluble bond, so that those whom he illumines by his wisdom, he redeems; those whom he redeems, he justifies; those whom he justifies, he sanctifies.

John Calvin, Institutes of Christian Religion, Book III, Ch. XVI

I know of people who had the habit of learning lists of synonyms by heart, so that any one of a set of words could be brought quickly to mind, and also, if they used one, and found they needed it again soon after, they could avoid the repetition by selecting another with the same meaning. This is a childish occupation, a mark of effort ill-spent, and not even particularly useful; it simply assembles a crown of words, out of which the speaker can snatch the nearest without any discrimination.

What we have to do is to acquire our stock with judgement, aiming at forceful oratory, not the patter of a street trader. And we shall achieve this by reading and hearing the best models. By taking this trouble, we shall learn not only the words for things but which words are best in each place.

– Quintilian, The Orator’s Education, Book 10, 257.

Then why does the Holy Spirit call baptism the water of rebirth and the washing away of sins?

God does not speak in this way except for a strong reason. Not only does he teach us by Baptism that just as the dirt of the body is taken away by water, so our sins are removed by the blood and Spirit of Christ; but more important still, by the divine pledge and sign he wishes to assure us that we are just as truly washed from our sins spiritually as our bodies are washed with water.

We are God’s: let us therefore live for him and die for him. We are God’s: let all the parts of our life accordingly strive toward him as our only lawful goal. O, how much has that man profited who, having been taught that he is not his own, has taken away dominion and rule from his own reason that he may yield it to God!

John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book III, CH. VII.1

Just a reminder: Euclid Recitations are 10:00 – 11:00 on Thursday’s. I was used to having mine later, and almost forgot.

Christopher Hill summarizes thus the difference between Protestant and catholic attitudes: ‘Successful medieval businessmen died with feelings of guilt, and left the money to the church to be put to unproductive uses. Successful Protestant businessmen were no longer ashamed of their productive activities whilst alive, and at death left money to help others to imitate them.’ Protestantism, then, generated the psychological preconditions essential to the development of modern capitalism.

A Life of John Calvin, Alister E. McGrath, 224

If you have beauty it has passed me by;
I take but slightest interest in such things,
But rather I possess the keenest eye
For what’s inside – a mind unwavering,
A rich intellect, and greater than mine,
Though I feel no jealousy, but adore
A beautiful wit; amazing design
That warms my heart and cuts it to the core.
Now I clearly see your handsome features,
And fool was I to ignore such brilliance
As becomes glad nature’s finest creatures;
Now will I seek your heart with every sense.
If I ever your great beauty ignored,
Let now my dull senses return restored.

By Paul Vest

I cannot imagine how the founders of cities would have made a homeless multitude come together to form a people, had they not moved them by their skillful speech, or how legislators would have succeeded in restraining mankind in the servitude of the law, had they not had the highest gifts of oratory. The very guiding principles of life, however intrinsically honourable they are, nevertheless possess more power to shape men’s minds when the brilliance of eloquence illumines the beauty of the subject.

Quintilian, The Orator’s Education, book II, ch. 16

It’s rather amusing that I should try to write a review for a rock concert, I who in 4th grade condemned all rock music as evil and who played mostly classical piano and listened to little rock throughout my life until now. But I’m doing it anyways. And in classic style, it’s a month late.
On December 10th, Awkward Silence, Commonplace, and Edward Bugg played a gig together. I missed Awkward Silence. I could review them anyways, but that might not be a very wise move.
Commonplace played before Edward Bugg, and I must say I really enjoyed their performance.
They are alternative rock with a very clear, clean sound…. (Continue Reading)

What are the Sacraments?

They are visible, holy signs and seals instituted by God in order that by their use he may the more fully disclose and seal to us the promise of the gospel, namely, that because of the one sacrifice of Christ accomplished on the cross he graciously grants us the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

Ah! Quelle regard d’un azûre si intense
Ces yeux hypnotiques qui me tente, me tourmente
Un océan si profond–ah! je m’y perd!
Mais son sourire doré me ramène sur terre.

By Deborah R. Foucachon, 2001

It was a gift of Providence to mankind that the truly good should give us the greater pleasure.

Quintilian, The Orator’s Education, book I

Give me a boy who is encouraged by praise, pleased by success, and who cries when he has lost. He is the one who will be nourished by ambition, hurt by reproof, and excited by honour. In him I shall never have to fear laziness.

Quintilian, The Orator’s Education, book I, ch. 3

Have you ever noticed how close laughter and tears are to one another in little children? They can shift straight from one to the other without any transition. Rather than living on opposite ends of the spectrum, comedy and tragedy are close neighbors. Comedy is just tragedy in perspective.

Ben Merkle, credenda Agenda; weather

Doug Wilson preached a sermon during the Christmas season that I really appreciated! It was about the miracle that surrounds the account of the wise men being led by the Star of Bethlehem, but he ties that into the miracles that surround us everyday.
A few quotes:
“How can you breath? what’s with that?”
“Your world is way too bizarre to be real.”
“You could spend the rest of your life getting PHD’s in what’s going-on on one square inch of your lawn.”

I’d like to post it here for all you students who were gone (or go to Trinity), and for all those who don’t have the privilege of being here in Moscow.

The Star of Bethlehem (9.3 MB)
Used with permission

“Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.
“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver. “Don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. he’s the King, I tell you.”

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, ch. 8

“In the home, the husband is a picture of Christ. But if he shows no initiative in loving, teaching, or admonishing, he is a lying picture of Christ. In other words, each husband, every day, is talking about Christ through his behavior. What he says is either a truth or a lie, but he cannot be silent.”

-Doug Wilson, Standing on the Promises, 17

“We are always falling in love, or quarreling, looking for jobs or fearing to lose them, getting ill and recovering, following public affairs. If we let ourselves, we shall always be waiting for some distraction or other to end before we can really get down to our work. The only people who achieve knowledge are those who seek it while the conditions are still unfavorable. Favorable conditions never come.”

-C.S. Lewis

Hill Abbey

Here’s a great summary of Latin Participles: Latin Participles