But hath not the king of heaven and Monarke of the whole world more just cause to censure in the like manner, or more severely those among us that seeme most forward and to invite & entertaine him who run into his presence without shewing any reverence; speake unto him without bowing their knee; he are him in the Ministry of the Word without uncovering their heads, so much as at the reading the text; participate of the dreadfull Mysteries (as the Fathers call them) of his blessed Body and Blood; sitting at the Communion as they doe at their ordinary table, without expressing any thankfull humility, or giving testimony, that they discerne the Lords body from common meat.

Is this to serve the Lord Christ with holy? feare? To rejoice unto him with trembling . . . to fall low before his footstool, because he is Holy?- Daniel Featley(Anglican)

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#Liturgy

Let us fix our eyes οη the blood of Christ and understand how precious it is to his Father, because, being poured out for our salvation, it won for the whole world the grace of repentance.

Let us review all the generations in turn, and learn that from generation to generation the Master has given an opportunity for repentance to those who desire to turn to him. Noah preached repentance, and those who obeyed were saved. Jonah preached destruction to the people of Nineveh; but those who repented of their sins made atonement to God by their prayers and received salvation, even though they had been alienated from God. - Pope St Clement of Rome

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#St_Clement_of_Rome
#Eucharist
#Soteriology

The righteous are the medicine of life in this world. If they were not in the world, the world would be dissolved and destroyed by wrath. The world flourishes when the righteous are within it, like a garden with a spring of water. If the spring fails, the fruit of the garden dry up, and there is no profit or refreshment for the soul, and its vines are uprooted and burned in the fire. If vines which please the gardener are found, they will be cultivated again, and will produce a harvest.

The world is allowed [to continue], held by the prayer of the righteous, as dough [exists] through the power of yeast. The righteous are the guides of this world, as a boat is guided by the wisdom of its sailors. The boat encounters fierce waves and staggers to and fro with violent motions, but the wise navigators stand diligently and lead the boat to a calm place. If there are no wise navigators for the boat, it cannot reach the harbour; the boat sinks and loses its merchandise.- Aphrahat

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Thus you should keep in your mind that your prayer has been left in front of the altar, and if he [Gabriel] who presents prayers does not want to carry it from the earth, it is because he inspected it and found it to be a faulty offering.

If the offering is pure, he raises it up before God. […] And if you are willing to forgive, then he [Gabriel] who offers up prayers will receive your offering and raise it up; but if you do not forgive, then he will say to you: ‘I will not bring your polluted offering before the sacred throne.’ Instead you will go there and give an account to your Creditor, taking your offering with you, while he [Gabriel] will leave your offering and go off.- Aphrahat the Persian Sage, Demonstrations 4

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#Syrian
#Prayer

they [i.e. the consecrated Elements] are thereby made such instruments as mystically yet truly, invisibly yet really work our communion or fellowship with the person of Jesus Christ as well in that he is man as God, our participation also in the fruit, grace and efficacy of his body and blood, whereupon there ensueth a kind of transubstantiation in us, a true change of both body and soul, an alteration from death to life Richard Hooker, Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity V.67.11).

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#Eucharist

Let us become spiritual; let us become a perfect temple for God. Το the best of our ability, let us cultivate the fear of God and strive to keep his commandments, so that we may rejoice in his righteous requirements.

The Lord will judge the world without partiality. ΑΙΙ will receive according to what they have done: if they are good, their righteousness will precede them; if they are evil, the wages of doing evil will go before them. Let us never fall asleep in our sins, as ifbeing "called" were an excuse to rest, lest the evil ruler gain power over us and thrust us out of the kingdom of the Lord.

Moreover consider this as well, my brothers and sisters: when you see that after such extraordinary signs and wonders were done in Israel, even then they were abandoned, let us be οn guard lest we should be found to be, as it is written, "many called, but few chosen."- Epistle of Barnabas

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#Barnabas
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Now that no man take offence at the word Altar, Let him know that anciently both these names Altar or holy Table were used for the same things, though most frequently, the Fathers and Councils use the word Altar. And both are fit names for that holy thing: For the holy Eucharist, being considered as a Sacrifice, in the representation of the breaking of the Bread, and pouring forth the Cup, doing that to the holy Symbols, which was done to Christs Body and Blood, and so shewing forth and commemorating the Lords death and offering upon it the same Sacrifice that was offered upon the Cross, or rather the commemoration of that Sacrifice, S. Chrys. in Heb. 10. 9. may fitly be call'd an Altar, which again is as fitly call'd an holy Table, the Eucharist being considered as a Sacrament, which is nothing else but a distribution and application of the Sacrifice to the several receivers.-Anthony Sparrow(Anglican)

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#Liturgy
#Eucharist

And how cometh it, some will say, that one who is our Friend threaten hell, and punishment, and vengeance?

It is owing to His loving us alone. For all He doeth and is busied with, is with a view to strike out thy wickedness, and to refrain with fear, as with a kind of bridle, thy inclinableness to the worse side, and by blessings and by pains recovering thee from thy downward course, and leading thee up to Him, and keeping thee from all vice, which is worse than hell. But if thou mockest what is said, and wouldest rather live continually in misery, than be punished for a single day, it is no marvel. For this is but a sign of thy unformed judgment, drunkenness, and incurable disorder. Since little children even when they see the physician going to apply burning or the knife, flee and leap away screaming and convulsed, and choose to have a continual sore eating into their body, rather than to endure a temporary pain, and so enjoy health afterwards.- St John Chrysostom, Homily IX, Romans