Answer unto a Crafy and Sophistical Cavillation, Debate · Confutation of book 4 · Section 18
Winchester.
But to returne to S. Augustine touching adoration, if the very flesh of Christ were not in the sacrament truely present, which is as much to say, as in substaunce present, if it were not in deede present, that is to say really present, if it were not corporally present that is to say,Truely. Really. Corporally. the very body of Christ there present God and man. If these truthes consenting in one were not there, S. Augustine would neuer hauehave spoken of adoration there. No more he doth sayth this author there, but in heauen: let S. Augustines wordes quoth I be iudge, which be these, No man eateth that flesh but he first worshippeth it. It is found out how such a footestoole of the Lordes foot should be worshipped, and not onelyonly that we do not sinne in worshipping, but we do sinne in not worshipping it. These be S. Augustines wordes, which I sayd before, can not be drawen to an vnderstanding of the worshipping of Christes flesh in heauen, where it remayneth continually glorified and is of all men christened continually worshipped. For as S. Paule sayth, Christ is so exalted that eueryevery tongue should confesse, that our sauiour Christ is in the glory of his father. So as the worshipping of Christ there in the estate of his glory where he reigneth, hath neither (afore) ne (after) but an (euer) continuall worshipping in glory. Wherfore S. Augustine speaking of a (before) must be vnderstanded of the worshipping of Christes flesh present in the Sacrament, as in the dispensation of his humility, which Christ ceaseth not to do reigning in glory, for although he hath finished his humble pafible conuersation, yet he continueth his humble dispensation in the perfection of his misticall body, and as he is our inuisible priest for euer, and our aduocate with his father, and so for vsus to him a mediator, to whom he is equall, so doth he vouchsafe in his supper which he continueth to make an effectuall remembraunce of his offering for vsus, of the new Testament confirmed in his bloud, and by his power maketh him selfe present in this visible Sacrament, to be therein of vsus truely eaten, and his bloud truely drunken, not onelyonly in fayth, but with the truth and ministery of our bodely mouth, as God hath willed and commaunded vsus to do: which presence of Christ in this humility of dispensation to releaue vsus and feed vsus spiritually, we must adore as S. Augustine sayth before we eate: and we do not sinne in adoring, but we sinne in not adoring, remembring the diuine nature vnite vntounto Christes flesh, and therfore of flesh not seuered from the godhead. Which admonishment of S. Augustine declareth he ment not of the worshipping of Christes flesh in heauen, where can be no danger of such a thought, where all tōgues confesse Christ to be in the glory of his father, of which Christ as he is there in glory continually to be worshipped, it were a colde saying of S. Augustine to say, wee doe not sinne in worshipping Christ in heauen, but sinne in not worshipping him, as though any coulde hauehave doubted whether Christe shoulde bee worshipped in his humanitye in heauen being inseparably vnite to the diuinity. And when I say in his humanity, I speake not properly as that mistery requireth, for as Christes person is but one of two perfite natures, so the adoration is but one as Cirill declareth it, and therfore abhorreth the addition of a sillable to speake of coadoration. And will this author attribute to S. Augustine such a grossenes to hauehave written and giuen for a lesson, that no man sinneth to worship Christes flesh in heauen reigning in glory? wherfore taking this to be so farre from al probabilitie, I sayd before these words of S. Augustine can not be drawen with any tenters to stretch so farre as to reach to heauen, where eueryevery christian man knoweth and professeth the worshipping of Christ in glory, as they be taught also to worship him in his dispensation of his humility, when he maketh present him selfe in this Sacrament, whome we should not receaue into our mouth before we adore him. And by S. Augustines rule, we not onelyonly not sinne in adoring, but also sinne in not adoring him.