Whole Works, Tracts 2 · Tract 4 · Part 11
❀ The third point wherin Frith diſſenteth from our prelates and their proctoure.
3. THe Prelates beléeue that men ought to worſhip the ſacramēt. The fayth of the Prelates.But Frith ſayth nay, and affirmeth that it is Idolatry to worſhip it. And hée ſayth that Chriſt and his Apoſtles taught vsus not ſo to doe: neither did the holy fathers ſo teach vsus. And Frith ſayth, that the authors of thys The opiniō of Frith.worſhipping are the children of perdition which hauehave ouerwhelmed this world with ſinne. Neuertheleſſe we muſt receaue it reuerently, becauſe of the doctrine that it bringeth vsus. For it preacheth Chriſtes death vntounto vsus, and deſcribeth it before our eyes, euen as a faythfull preacher by the worde doth inſtill it into vsus by our eares and hearing. And that it ſupplyeth the roome of a preacher is euident by the woordes of S. Auſten which ſayth. Paulus quamuis portaret farcinam corporis quod aggrauat animā, potuit tamen ſignificando predicare Dominum Ieſum Chriſtum, aliter per linguam ſuam, aliter per epiſtolam, aliter per ſacramentum corporis Chriſti. That is to fay, though Paule did bere the burthen of the body which doth honorate the ſoule, yet was he able in ſignifiyng to preach ye lord Ieſus Chriſt, one way by his tonge, and an other way by an epiſtle, & an other way by the ſacrament of Chriſtes body. &c. For as the people by vnderſtanding the fignification of the wordes which he ſpake did heare the glorious Goſpell of God, and as by the reading of his piſtle they vnderſtoode his minde and receiued the word of the ſoules health, ſo by the miniſtration of the ſacrament they might ſée with their eye the thing which they heard & read and ſo hauehave their ſences occupied about the miſtery, that they might the more earneſtly print it in their minde. As by example: The Prophet Hieremie being in Hieruſalem in the tyme of Sedechias king of the Iewes, propheſyed Ierem. 27.and preached vntounto them, yt they ſhould be takē priſoners of Nabugodoneſar the king of Babilon, & the Iewes were angry with him and woulde not beléeue his wordes. And therfore be made a chayne or fetters of wood and put them about his neke and propheſied agayne and preached that they ſhould be taken priſoners & led captiue into Babilon. And as his wordes did certifie their eares yt they ſhould be ſubdued, ſo the chayne dyd repreſent their captiuitie euen before their eye. Whiche thyng did more vehemently woorke in them then the bare wordes could doe, and euen ſo it is in the Sacrament. For likewiſe as the woordes dyd inſtill into our eares, that his body was geuen for The miniſtration of the Sacrament doth lyuely expreſſe the death and paſſion of Chriſt.vsus, and his bloud ſhed for the remiſſion of our ſinnes, euen ſo did the myniſtration of the ſacrament expreſſe ye ſame thing vntounto our ſight, and doth more effectuouſly moue, then the bare wordes might doe and make vsus more attent vntounto the thing, that we may wholye geue thankes vntounto God and prayſe him for his bounteous benefites. And therfore ſeyng it is a preacher, expreſſing vntounto our ſight ye ſame thing that ye wordes doe to our eares repreſēt you muſt receyue it with reuerence & ſober behauiour, aduertiſing yt thing, that it repreſenteth vntounto you. And euen ye ſame honour is dew vntounto it which is geuen vntounto the ſcripture that is the word of God. For vntounto yt muſt a man deuoutlye geue eare and reuerently take the booke in hys hande: yea and if he kiſſe yt booke for the doctrines ſake that he learenth thereout, he is to bée cōmended, Neuertheleſſe if he ſhould goe ſence hys booke, men might well thinke that he were very childiſhe. But if he ſhould knéele downe and pray to this booke then he dyd commyt playne Idolatrye Conſider deare bretheren what I ſay and auoyde this Ieoperdye. which thing auoyded, I care not as touching the preſence of his body, though you beléeue that hys naturall fleſh be there in déede (and not onelyonly in a miſterye as I hauehave taught) For when yt Ieoperdye is paſt, he were a foole that would bee contētious for a thing as long as there cōmeth no hurt therbye.
The Germanes which beléeue the preſence of his body, do not worſhyp it, but playnly teach the contrary and in that poynt (thankes be to God) all they whom you call heretickes, do agrée fulwell. OnelyOnly auoyde this Idolatry and I deſire no more.