nd between His followers with one another, but which
historically has been the occasion of more strife and discord betwixt
Christian people than any other institution or fact of our holy faith;
therefore we must cast aside all prejudice and preconceived opinions,
and placing ourselves at the feet of Jesus seek to learn from Him the
real truth which He alone can impart.

I believe that Christ is especially anxious to teach us the truth
to-day after all these centuries of strife, and I am convinced that so
far as the Anglican Church is concerned that there is a wonderful
measure of agreement between all her members concerning the doctrine of
the Holy Communion when they heed the advice of our great theologian,
the judicious Hooker, and "the more give themselves to meditate with
silence what we have by the Sacrament and less to dispute of the manner
how."

Let us try and consider in simple faith and simple language what is
revealed to us in Holy Scripture concerning this Sacrament, what truths
about it are therefore enshrined in the Book of Common Prayer, and what
it is accordingly that all Anglicans really believe though their mode
of expressing their common faith, and though their phraseology, may
somewhat differ.

INSTITUTED BY CHRIST.

Firstly, we believe that this Sacrament is of Supreme importance
because it was instituted by Our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
and by Him commanded to be observed and celebrated by His Church until
His coming again. The writers of the first three Gospels give us
substantially identical accounts of what our Lord said and did in the
same night that he was betrayed. St. Mark, whose narrative is probably
the oldest, tells us that on the first day of unleavened bread when
they sacrificed the Passover, in the evening Jesus and the twelve kept
this distinctive feast of the Old Testament dispensation according to
the accustomed manner.

"And as they were eating, he took bread, and when he had blessed, he
brake it, and gave to them and said, Take ye; this is my body. And he
took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave to them and they all
drank of it. And he said unto them: This is my blood of the Covenant
which is shed for many." (St. Mark XIV. 22-24 R.V.) St. Matthew's
account and that of St. Luke are practically identical.

St. John, whose gospel was written at a much later date than those of
the synoptists, does not record the institution of the Holy Communion,
b