A Defense of the Catholic Faith, Book 2 · Article 12 – Article 14
ARTICLE XII. Touching the Adoration of the Hoſt.
THe Confeſsion of the Kings Booke doth place among the new inuentions of the Church of Rome.
The Adoration of the Hoſt, and the Eleuation which is made to hauehave it adored.
This poynt is important, and which doth ſurpriſe our ſpirits with a heauineſſe mixt with horrour, when at the ſound of a little Bell, the Prieſt lifteth vp the breade, and eueryevery man proſtrateth himſelfe to adore it: Or when the people doth not let to kneele in the dyrt to adore their God, which paſſeth along the ſtreet, incloſed in a Pixe or Boxe. It had beene greatly therefore to hauehave beene wiſhed that Coeffeteau could hauehave produced ſome commandement of God for the ſame, or ſome example of the Apoſtles: but that could he not doe, neyther hath any man done it hithervnto.
He commeth therefore to the Fathers, and produceth for the ſame three paſſages, the one of Chryſoſtome in his foure and twentieth Homily vponupon the firſt to the Corinth. the other of S. Ambroſe in his third booke of the Sacraments, chap. 12. And the laſt of S. Auſtin vponupon the foure-ſcore and eighteene Pſalme. All three exhort the faithful to adore the fleſh of Ieſus Chriſt, and that which is more, to adore him in the Euchariſt.
Neuer did man more abuſe his Reader, and he ſeemeth to thinke that we are beſide our ſelues: for is there any thing in all this which we doe not willingly graunt him? Is there any amongſt vsus who hath euer denied, that wee ought not to adore the fleſh of Ieſus Chriſt? Yea who hath euer doubted that we ought not to adore him in the Euchariſt? Ought not God the Father alſo to be adored? And what is this to the purpoſe to incloſe Ieſus Chriſt vnderunder formes? He that doth adore Ieſus Chriſt in the Euchariſt, doth not for al that adore that which the Prieſt holdeth in his hand, but he adoreth Ieſus Chriſt which is in heauen.
Of theſe three places, that which our aduerſaries doe moſt preſſe, is the place of S. Auſtin vponupon the foure-ſcore and eyghteene Pſalme, where hee ſaith that no man doth eate this fleſh vnleſſe hee hauehave firſt adored it. Nemo carnem illam manducat niſi prius adorauerit.An excellent paſſage. For doth not S. Auſtin ſpeake of the true and ſerious adoration? Iudas then did not eate this fleſh, for he did not adore it. According to this rule, the Hypocrites who partake of the Sacrament, doe not eate the fleſh of the Lord, for they doe not adore it. Now what it is to eate the fleſh of the Lord, himſelfe hath tolde vsus, as hath beene before alleadged;Lib. 3. de Doctr. Chriſt cap 16. That to eate his fleſh is a figure which ſignifieth to communicate of his paſsion, and to meditate thereof in our memories. And as he ſpeaketh in his twenty ſixe Tract. vponupon S. Iohn: To beleeue in him is to eate the bread of life: Credere in eum hoc eſt manducare panem vivum…qui credit in eum, manducat eum.he that doth beleeue in him doth eate him.
We hoped then that Coeffeteau would here hauehave produced the publique cuſtomes, to ſhewe that it was then the cuſtome to adore the Hoſt which the Prieſt doth holde vp with diuine worſhip, called Latria: but he hath not beene able to finde any. Dionyſius who in his Eccleſiaſticall Hierarchy, diſcribeth very exactly the forme of the publique ſeruice, which was ſome foure hundred yeares after Ieſus Chriſt: and the Apoſtolical conſtitutions of Clement, where all the Ceremony of that time is depainted; and the auncient Liturgies, howſoeuer fouly falſified, doe in no wiſe ſpeake of this adoration of the Hoſt. Theodoret ſaith indeede that foreign, the ſignes are reuerenced. This word Signes ſheweth ſufficiently that he doth not ſpeake of diuine adoration, wch they call Cultus Latriae. For that ſhould be impiety.
ARTICLE XIII. Touching the Eleuation of the Hoſt to hauehave it to be Adored.
THe King of great Britaine demaunded proofes out of the fiue firſt ages, or firſt fiue hundred yeares after Chriſt that is to ſay, aſwell Scripture as the auncient Doctors, by which it might appeare, that Ieſus Chriſt or his Apoſtles made eleuation of the hoſt. Hereat Coeffeteau holdeth his peace,Fol. 50. pag. 2. and in ſtead thereof ſaith that the auncient Church did ſhew the myſteries or ſacraments to the people by drawing a Vaile or Curtaine from before the Table: which is true:foreign, &c. and he hath learned that out of my booke of the Apology of the Lords Supper. Chryſoſtome in his third Homily vponupon the Epiſtle to the Epheſians: When thou ſhalt ſee the double Curtaines to be drawne, then thinke that heauen doth open and inlarge it ſelfe. And Dionyſius in his Eccleſiaſticall Hierarchy, The Biſhop diſcouereth and ſetteth out to open view the thing celebrated by the ſignes holily propoſed. And Baſil in like manner in his booke of the holy Ghoſt, Who is it of the Saints who hath left in writing the wordes of the prayer, when they ſhew abroad the bread of the Euchariſt, and the Cup of bleſsing?
This vncouering of the Sacrament was done, (ſaith Coeffeteau) to cauſe it to be adored: and as he ſpeaketh this without all proofe, ſo doth he it moſt falſely; and was not able to alleadge any one authority where mention is made eyther of the eleuation, or of the Adoration of the hoſt: but in ſtead thereof he bringeth certaine paſſages, which ſpeake of the vncouering of the bread, and of the drawing of a Curtaine.
ARTICLE XIIII. Touching the carrying of God in the Proceſſion.
The KINGS Confeſſion. Pope Vrbane the fourth inſtituted this feaſt in the yeare 1264.THe God-feast, or Corpus Chriſti day, and the walking or Circumportation of the Sacrament in proceſsion, is of this ranck and the King of great Britaine doth place it among the Nouelties.
Hereupon Coeffeteau fearing the touch and triall maketh an honeſt retreat, without ſtanding vponupon his defence: for he onelyonly ſaith,Fol 51: We rancke among the holy cuſtomes of the Church this faſhion of carrying the body of our Lord in the moſt ſolemne ſupplications and Proceſsions: he tels vsus his opinion, and we knew it well enough before. We expected that he ſhould hauehave taught vsus not what himſelfe beleeueth, but why he beleeueth it: when this cuſtome began: who was the authour of it: if it hauehave any ground in the word of God, or in the Fathers. Of all this not a word: a Turke or a Iew might defend himſelfe in like manner, we beleeue, we affirme. And ſhould he then ſet vponupon a King by ſaying ſo little to the purpoſe?