Chapter XXI. The Holy Eucharist. Among the various dogmas of the Catholic Church there is none which rests on stronger Scriptural authority than the doctrine of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. So copious, indeed, and so clear are the passages of the New Testament which treat of this subject that I am at a loss to determine which to select, and find it difficult to compress them all within the compass of this short chapter. The Evangelists do not always dwell upon the same mysteries of religion. Their practice is rather to supplement each other, so that one of them will mention what the others have omitted or have touched in a cursory way. But in regard to the Blessed Eucharist the sacred writers exhibit a marked deviation from this rule. We find that the four Evangelists, together with St. Paul, have written so explicitly and abundantly on this subject that one of them alone would be amply sufficient to prove the dogma without taking them collectively. These five inspired writers gave the weight of their individual testimony to the doctrine of the Eucharist because they foresaw — or rather the Holy Ghost, speaking through them, foresaw — that this great mystery, which exacts so strong an [288] exercise of our faith, and which bids us bow down our "understanding unto the obedience of Christ,"366 would meet with opposition in the course of time from those who would