Three Pillars and Arch-patriarchs of the Popish Synagogues, Treatise 4 · Section 28 – Section 29
Rastel.SECTIO. 28.
Fulk.The Bishop saide, that for the space of twelue hundreth yeares after Christ, this worshipping of the sacrament was neuer knowne nor practised in any place. M. Rastel after his courteous manner saith, he lyeth, for he hath alledged S. Ambrose and S. Augustine before, to proue that the sacrament is to be worshipped: and now citeth Therdoret, Euthymius, Emissenus, Iames, Basil, and Chrisostome in their Liturgies for the same purpose. But the aunswere is easie to be made, none of all these speake of that worshipping or adoration of the sacrament which Pope Honorius commaunded, but of honouring, reuerencing, worshipping, or adoring of the sacrament as diuine mysteries, which honouring, worshipping, or adoring, we all confesse to be due to the blessed sacramentes, not onelyonly to the Lordes supper, but also to the sacrament of baptisme. For none of all these writers beleeued the carnall presence of Christe in the sacrament, which the Papistes hold. Saint Augustine denyeth the sacrament to be that body which was crucified, in Psal. 98. Saint Ambrose calleth the sacrament the figure of the body and bloud of Christe. De sacra. lib. 4. cap. 5.
Theodorete (whose saying hee citeth) being flatly against transubstantiation, as you may read more at large in mine aunswere to Heskins Lib. 3. cap. 56. calleth in the same Dialogue the sacrament, the tokens or signes of the body of Christe. And in his first Dialogue, he saith: The tokens which are seene, hee hath honoured with the name of his body and bloud, not chaunging their nature, but adding grace to their nature. His discourse at large is set downe in mine answer to Hes. li. 3. ca. 52. Euthymius in 6. Ioan. saith, that ye words of Christ must be vnderstod spiritually, & the sacramēts must be considred with inward …ye, …as mysteries.
The very wordes of Emissenus which M. Rastel citeth, expresse his minde to be of a spirituall presence. Beholde with thy faith, saith he, honour and wonder at the holie bodie and bloud of Christ. The very name of the gift which is vsed in the liturgie falsely ascribed to Saint Iames, declareth that the Author of that liturgie did not beleue it to be the naturall bodie of Christe, but a gifte or token in remembraunce thereof. The prayer whiche is made in those liturgies falsely ascribed to Chrysostome and Basil, at the lifting of the sacrament, proueth that they did not beleeue the bread to be chaunged into the bodie of Christ, after the wordes of consecration. For then they would not hauehave prayed, that God would giuegive to them the bodie and bloud of his sonne, and by them to the people, if they had them present before. And whereas they all cried, Sancta sanctis, holy thinges belong to holie men, it was not to call the people to worshippe the sacrament, which they lifted a little, but not ouer their heades to be seene, but to charge them that were not baptised to departe, and to prepare the rest to the worthie receiuing of the sacrament. Maister Rastell so great a Chrysippus and Aristotle of Logike, neuerthelesse vseth these argumentes to proue adoration. But leauing these, he asketh if any within that compasse of 1200. yeares beleeued the sacrament to be the very bodie of Christ: and if that be graunted, whether the very bodie and bloud of Christ be not to be worshipped, and then bringeth in Damascen, and Lanfrancus. Of the former it may be doubted, but very grossely he writeth, the other was an enimie of Berengarius, 200. yeares before Honorius the Author of this adoration. I answere breefely, although the carnall presence was receiued two or three hundreth yeares before Pope Honorius, yet there can no adoration be proued, for at this day the Lutheranes admitte the carnall presence, yet they abhorre adoration, saying the very bodie of Christe is present to be eaten, but not to be worshipped.
RastellSECTIO. 29. From the first face of the 89. leafe to the 93. leafe.
FulkThe Bishop sayde, that the schoolemen perceiuing the daunger of idolatrie that was vntounto the ignorant people, in worshipping the cake if it were not consecrated, gaue warning to the people to worship it vnderunder this condition, if it were consecrated. M. Ra. like a Doctor determiner, cutteth of al the reasons of the schoolemen, and saith they were not the best learned, that so decide the controuersie. For there is no daunger at all vntounto the people, so long as their intent is to worship God and the bodie of Christ. Example also he bringeth, that if a man honour him which is not his father, in steede of his father, because all the parishe saith he is his father, he doeth not amisse. In deede, if that man doe the duetie of a father to his supposed sonne, I thinke the errour is not greatly hurtefull to him that honoureth him as his Father. Agayne sayeth Maister Rastell, suppose that one were so like thine owne Father (whiche is possible ynough) that it could not be discerned, whiche of the two were thy true father, thou werest not to be blamed, if thou honour the one in steede of the other. I aunswere, suppose it were so, which is vnlikely ynough, I would thinke he were an vnaduised child, which would not inquire which of the two were his true father, before he chose to honour either of them. But Maister Rastel asketh, if he should honour no father, because he could not discerne the one from the other. And I likewise aske him whether hee should honour two men for his father, or two fathers in steede of one, because he knoweth nor which is his right Father. Finally, I would aske suche a not profound learned Maister of Arte, as Rastel is, but such a simple fellowe as Maister Rastell talketh withall in this discourse, whether an vnconsecrated cake bee as like the bodie of Christe, as one man may be to an other? I weene he would say no. But then M. Rastel would take the tale out of his mouth, and reply that an vnconsecrated cake, and a consecrated, be as like as any two men can be. But then I would aske him, whether any thing wherein they may be counted like, is either the thing or the cause, or the signe and marke of the thing that is worshipped? If not, his two cases are as like to these of the sacrament, as an aple is like to an oyster.