Apology for the Reformed Churches, Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. That he, who believeth the Euchariſt to be bread in ſubſtance, cannot give it the reverence which is practiſed in the Church of Rome, withoul evident falſhood, hypocriſie, and perfidiouſneſſe.
Object. FOr to ſay (Though the intention of the Church of Rome be, that we ſhould addreſſe this kneeling and adoration, whereof that is the mark, to the Sacrament there preſent) That we may nevertheleſſe uſe it otherwiſe, and addreſſe it to J. Chriſt ſitting in heaven at the right hand of His Father, lifting up our hearts, raiſing our affections and thoughts to Him; and by this means kneel with our Adverſaries, without adoring (as they do) that which we believe to be but a creature.
Anſw. This is a falſe and dangerous excuſe of the fleſh, which (might it take place) would open a large and dangerous gate to impietie and hypocriſie, and ruine the foundations of all religion. And for the better underſtanding of it, I muſt begin with it a little higher.
God being the Creatour and Redeemer of whole man, that is to ſay, both of his ſoul and of his bodie, would have him (which is but reaſonable) ſerve Him entirely, uſing both the one and the other of theſe two parts to that end. Glorifie God in your body and in your ſpirit, both which are Gods, ſaith the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. vi. 20. And as in offices which concern our neighbours, he commandeth us ſincerity, willing us to love them inwardly, and to edifie and help them outwardly; ſo doth He command that in piety, which regardeth Himſelf, we ſhould joyntly make uſe of our hearts and bodies. And as He abominates that man, who loving his neighbour in his heart, ſhould abuſe him with his tongue, or hurt him with his hand; or contrariwiſe ſhould give him an almes with his hand, and hate him in his heart: So will He not approve of that man, who pretends to reverence Him in the ſecret of his ſoul; and yet with his tongue blaſphemeth His name: nor him who bleſſing Him with his mouth, ſhall curſe Him with his heart. 'Twill ſtand one man in no ſtead to plead for himſelf, That his ſoul did his duty, but the bodie failed of his; nor another to excuſe the defaults of the ſoul by the ſervice of the body. So that in effect, theſe excuſes will be but a meer mockery. The union of the mind and the body being ſo neare, that when the mind is diſpoſed as it ſhould, the body cannot but perform its devoir: and he that abuſing God or his neighbour with his tongue, would have us believe that notwithſtanding all that, he loveth them ſincerely in his heart; is a bold lyar deſerving to be puniſhed, not onelyonly for his blaſphemy or wrong, but likewiſe for his impudence.
According to theſe undoubted Maximes we are bound, not onelyonly to receive in our hearts the truths, which God hath revealed in Religion; but likewiſe outwardly to profeſſe them: And we are all bound not onelyonly not to disbelieve with our hearts the errours and impieties, which are contrary to the truth of God; but likewiſe not to confeſſe them outwardly in any kind. For if it be enough to retain in the heart the knowledge and love of truth, and it be permitted to deny it outwardly ſometimes; S. Peter had not fell in denying his Maſter: for no man can doubt but that his heart within, knew well enough what his tongue diſavowed without. And ſo, to denie our Lord before men, would be no ſinne; and confeſſion with the mouth would be of no uſe: which all are things evidently falſe. For that action of S. Peter is grievouſly blamed in the Goſpel, and his tears (if we had no other proof) ſhew us ſufficiently, that he thought he did extremely offend God. And our Lord, Matth. x. 33. proteſteth expreſſely, that He will denie him before His Father in heaven (that is to ſay, that at the great day of judgement, He will not own him for His; nor put him in the number of His bleſſed children) who will deny him before men. And laſtly, S. Paul, Rom. x. 9, 10. teacheth us, That with the heart men believe unto righteouſneſſe, and with the tongue they make confeſſion unto ſalvation, and to be ſaved he doth not onelyonly require, That you ſhould believe the Lord in your heart, but likewiſe that you ſhould confeſſe him with your mouth. The ſame reaſons do neceſſarily induce us to believe, That it is not enough to baniſh from our hearts the belief of impietie, and ſuch errours as are contrary to the foundations of true Religion; unleſſe we alſo baniſh the confeſſion of them from our mouthes. For to confeſſe an errour which overthroweth the fundamentalls of Religion, is clearly to deny our R… ligion. Since then we are forbidden under pain of an eternall curſe, to confeſſe with our mouth the errours which we deteſt with our hearts; Tis cleare, that if we believe the adoration of the Hoſt of the Church of Rome, to be an errour contrary to the foundations of piety, as we do indeed: That we cannot confeſſe it, without violating the commandment of J. Chriſt, and pulling upon our ſouls eternall ruine and damnation. For, where is the Chriſtian who firmly believing that the Sacrament is a creature, and being asked if he ſhould give it the adoration of latria, will not dread to anſwer, Yes? and whoſe conſcience will not feel a thouſand remorſes, if any paſſion cauſe his tongue to ſay ſo? And how can we ſay that the Sacrament is to be adored, or confeſſe it more clearly, then by proſtrating our ſelves before the Hoſt of the Church of Rome, and giving it in the preſence of men the ſame outward veneration, which is the mark and ſubſtance of that which we give to Him.
Object. But you'l perhaps deny, That with your mouth you ever ſaid, that a man ought to adore it.
Anſw. I anſwer, Firſt, in this age wherein we live, 'tis very hard (if not impoſſible) to adhere to the communion of Rome, without making this confeſſion with the mouth and hand, and by the ſpeech and ſubſcription; ſuch is the extreme rigour wherewith ſhe requireth it of every one of her Communicants.
But to paſſe by confeſſion of the tongue. 'Tis enough for my preſent purpoſe, that you are upon your knees before the Hoſt. For in ſo doing, you have confeſſed not with your tongue indeed, but (which is all one) with all your body. Your action hath confeſſed in publick, what your heart hath rejected and abhorred in private. For to confeſſe in theſe matters, is to declare by ſome outward ſigne what you believe, or on the contrary what you do not believe; witneſſing it either by words of the mouth, or by writing of the hand, or by any other intelligible ſigne. Now ſecondly, this in civill converſation would be eſteemed a meer illuſion and mockery, to pretend that a man doth not own or confeſſe a thing, though he declare as much by ſome evident ſigne, under pretence that he doth it without ſpeaking: as if a man that did homage to another, ſhould pretend, that he did not acknowledge him for his Soveraigne, under colour of his not expreſſing in words that he did.
The actions by which men do ordinarily declare ſuch things, are ſignes not onelyonly equivalent to words, but much more preciſe and ſignificative; ſo that to uſe them, is to declare a thing more expreſly and openly, then if a man ſhould ſpeak it in words. Now to kneel before the Hoſt of the Church of Rome, to uncover the head, and proſtrate the body to the earth, at the ſound of a little bell, or to go in proceſſion after it on the day of its Feaſt; or to deck a mans lodging with hangings againſt it paſſe by, and other actions like to theſe, are the plain and ordinary ſignes, whereby men acknowledge the Hoſt to have a Soveraigne Divinity, and pay (as it were) ſo many homages to it; as appeareth by the will of them, who command it in the Church of Rome, and by the common intention of thoſe, who practiſe it continually.
So that every one who falleth on his knees before the Hoſt of the Church of Rome, or who goeth in proceſſion when 'tis made in honour thereof, on the day of that Feaſt; or who goeth out of his lodging to honour its pompe; Declareth and witneſſeth, that he holdeth it for his Soveraigne God (and not for a creature) as clearly and expreſly, as if he pronounced and affirmed it in ſo many words.