Apology for the Reformed Churches, Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV. That every man who exerciſeth the ceremonies and ſervices, which the Church of Rome renders to the Hoſt, declareth thereby that he adoreth it, and taketh it for his true and eternall God.
Object. ANd let not any ſuch man reply, That though in the uſe of the Church of Rome theſe actions have ſuch a ſignification; nevertheleſſe he uſeth them (as to his own particular) in a quite other ſenſe; nor let him pretend, that in practiſing them, he intendeth them not to expreſſe that which they commonly ſerve to ſignifie.
Anſw. This anſwer is not onelyonly vain and ridiculous, but very dangerous; and the conſequence of it is deſtructive not onelyonly to Religion, but alſo to civil Societie. For ſignes inſtituted by men to ſignifie things, whether in nature or in Religion, ſhould be interpreted by the publick and common cuſtome of thoſe who uſe them; and not by ſecret and particular intentions, this or that way. I confeſſe that in themſelves and in their own nature, they ſignifie, for the moſt part, no more one thing then another: and that ſuch among them, as have any naturall reference to the things which they ſignifie, are not ſo neceſſary; but that a man may at the beginning make them ſignifie otherwiſe. But when once the will of men (which is the Miſtris of ſuch inſtitutions) hath limited and appointed them to ſome certain ſignification, and publick uſe hath confirmed it; 'tis afterwards (I conceive) an intolerable boldneſſe to go about to uſe them in another ſenſe; and he that ſhall doe ſo, will be eſteemed either a ſot or a liar by every reaſonable perſon. For example, Such words as we ordinarily uſe to expreſſe the thoughts of our underſtandings, have not, in their own nature, any vertue or ſtrength to ſignifie this thing rather then that. The word Father, of it ſelf may as well ſignifie a ſtone, or water, or fire, as that which it doth ſignifie; and each of theſe words might as well ſignifie that which Father doth, as that which now they ſignifie. 'Tis cleare, That it is the will of man, and not their own nature, that gave them the ſenſe and ſignification, which now they have in our language. But ſince the publick uſe of our Nation hath limited and appropriated them to thoſe things which they ſignifie, who doth not ſee, That 'tis not poſsible for any particular man to uſe them hereafter in any other ſenſe; to uſe the word Father to ſignifie a ſtone; or fire to ſignifie a Father? 'Tis juſt ſo with actions, which either by the will, inſtitution, or cuſtome of men are uſed either in Religion, or civil Societie to ſignifie any thing; as for example, Homage to ſignifie the ſuperiority of him to whom it is rendred: The giving a ring and a kiſſe in ſome nations, to ſignifie the taking of a woman to wife: in the dayes of old among the Iſraelites, to let one pierce the eare with an awl, to ſignifie that one was willing to be ſervant to him, from whom he endured it: and among the Romaniſts, to be adored by Cardinals in the conclave, doth ſignifie that the man ſo adored is acknowledged to be Pope: and the kneeling before the Hoſt, that one adoreth it, and acknowledgeth it for his God. I confeſſe that theſe ſignes and others like them, originally and of their own nature, ſignifie no more theſe things then others; and that of themſelves they may be applied to other ſignifications. But ſince they are applyed and conſecrated to theſe by publick uſe, 'tis an unparallelled folly for any man, to pretend to uſe them in another ſenſe. As if one ſhould ſay in Engliſh, That he believeth the Pope of Rome to be the Head and Monarch of the Church of Chriſt; He muſt needs ſignifie the ſame thing, that theſe words do uſually ſound in the common notion and cuſtome of them in our Language: So that if he do not believe ſo, he cannot in ſo ſpeaking exempt himſelf from being held either a fool or a knave. So he who falleth on his knees before the Hoſt, or who ſolemnizeth the feaſt of it, or aſſiſteth at it, or trimmeth his lodging in honour of it; He, I ſay, doth likewiſe ſignifie, in another kind of true language, yet nevertheleſſe as expreſſe as the former, that he holdeth the Hoſt for a God, for the true Creatour and Redeemer of the world; and if he be of a contrary perſwaſion, he muſt neceſſarily grant, That he is either out of his ſenſes, or a notorious liar; abuſing the actions of his body, to ſignifie the contrary thoughts of his heart. And as the former would be laughed at by any judicious man, if, to excuſe his expreſſion, he ſhould alledge, that by Pope of Rome, he meant not what thoſe words ſignifie in the common uſe of men, but ſome other things; as for example, J. Chriſt our Lord: ſo the latter would be as ridiculous, who ſhould tell us, That he uſeth kneeling before the Hoſt, and other ceremonies, not to let men know that he adoreth it (which is the thing that theſe actions ſignifie in the common uſe of men) but to ſignifie that he adoreth our Lord, who ſitteth on high in heaven. If ſuch excuſes might take place, if any one might be ſuffered to uſe the ſignes of things to a clean other ſenſe, then that wherein they are taken in the common and ordinary uſe of men; all ſocieties publick and private, religious and civill, would ſtraight be plunged into an horrible confuſion. We ſhould not hereafter have any credit, or aſſurance among men. For as for words, every man might abuſe them to ſignifie what pleaſeth him; the religion and great care that ſhould be taken of oaths, contracts, promiſes (a thing ſo abſolutely neceſſary for the ſubſiſtence of mankind) would quite fall to the ground. A woman may think that a man hath promiſed to be her husband, becauſe he hath ſworn that he will take her for his ſpouſe; but the perfidious diſſembling fellow will excuſe himſelf, ſaying, That by the word ſpouſe, he meant a concubine, and not a lawfull wife, which is that wch the word commonly ſignifieth. A Judge in France may believe that a guilty perſon is innocent, becauſe a witnes aſſureth him (upon his oath) that he did not tuer, that is, kill ſuch a man; for whom he is accuſed. And according to this rule, the witneſſe ſhall quit himſelf from perjury, by alledging, That he meant by tuer not to kill (as it ſignifies in French,) but to keep alive, to defend and preſerve (as it ſignifieth in Latine) by an impudence like that of the French priſoner, who being asked, whether he ever paſſed the ſtraight of the ſea, ſwore that he never did; meaning by the word ſtraight, not that between Dover and Calis, whereof the queſtion was asked him, but that of Gibraltar, of which none of the ſtanders-by thought a whit. Briefly, all the language of men (that admirable organ of their diſcourſe by which they diſcover the thoughts of their hearts to each other ſo uſefully) would by this means become a meer ginne, a trick to couſen and delude. No man would be able by this means, to underſtand his neighbours meaning, any more then if the ancient confuſion of Babel were again in the world; every one would become a ſtranger and barbarian to his companion. And then for actions which ſignifie any thing, If particular men might be ſuffered to wreſt them to another ſenſe and meaning then that, whereto the publick hath appointed them, the ſame diſorder would take place. A ſubject after he hath done homage to the enemie of his naturall Lord, to exempt himſelf from the puniſhment due to this undutifulneſſe, might alledge, That he meant by this act, not to acknowledge the Tyrant for his Soveraigne, (which is the common ſignification of that action) but onelyonly to ſalute him, as we do another man. And the ſervant of old time in Iſrael might have denied the ſervice, which he promiſed to his Maſter by the ſigne of his eare pierced, (an ordinary thing in that nation) excuſing himſelf, that he meant the clean contrary by that act, viz. to renounce his Maſters ſervice, & not to oblige himſelf to it for the future. The Souldier in warre might wear the enemies colours, and pretend that he had not for all this renounced his captain. But this abuſe will be more dangerous in religion, by how much that ſhould be kept more holy and inviolable among men. For if a man may be permitted to practiſe actions, whicd are inſtituted to another ſenſe, and that he may never intend them to that end for which they are commonly uſed; there will be nothing certain in Religion. For as you will preſume to proſtrate your ſelf before the Hoſt of the Church of Rome, and think you may not thereupon be accuſed of adoring it; ſo another will as well proſtrate himſelf before images, and offer to them wax-candles, without being taxed of having worſhipped them. Another may wear a Turbant, and enter into the Moſques of the Turks, and there perform their devotions, without being guilty of Mahumetaniſme. For (he will ſay) 'Tis to Jeſus Chriſt that I perform theſe ſervices, and not to the God of Mahomet. And another among the inhabitants of China may proſtrate himſelf without ſcruple before their idols, pleading that he addreſſeth this adoration not to the Pagode there preſent (as the idolaters doe) but to God the Father, or to Jeſus Chriſt. And if they be permitted to wreſt actions thus from their true ſenſe and meaning, why not words likewiſe? For theſe are ſignes of the ſame nature, both the one and the other are inſtituted by men, and to the ſame end; ſaving that the nature of the words hath oftentimes leſſe reference to their ſignification, then the nature of an action, or a ceremonie: ſo that a man ſhould make leſſe ſcruple of abuſing it. According to this account, a Proteſtant might ſwear boldly, that he believeth, A man ſhould adore the Hoſt: for he will ſay, that by the word Hoſt, he meaneth J. Chriſt faſtened to the Croſſe, and not the Sacrament, which they call ſo at Rome. A Chriſtian might anſwer without infidelity, That he is a Muſelman, or a Jew, or a Pagan, according as it ſtandeth moſt for his advantage, and may take his oath on it, if need be. For (he 'l ſay) I take theſe words in a ſenſe different from that wherein they are ordinarily uſed; I mean that I am a Muſelman that is, a Believer (as the word in Arabick ſignifies) of J. Chriſt, and not of Mahomet; a Jew ſpirituall, not a carnal one; a Pagan by extraction or birth, and not by religion. For why may it not be as lawfull to wreſt words? if it be lawfull to uſe kneeling before the Hoſt of the Romane Church, to ſignifie any thing elſe beſides adoration of the Sacrament. Do you not perceive that there is the ſame reaſon? Since in the uſe of the Church of Rome it ſignifies, as clearly, properly, and univerſally, this adoration, as the words of Muſelman, of Jew, of Pagan, ſignifie the men of theſe three ſects in our common language? It will ſoon appear how dangerous a thing this libertie is, if permitted among men. But is it permitted? God forbid. The laws both of God and men cenſure them as cheaters, treacherous, faithleſſe perſons, who offer to practiſe it; and puniſh them as the worſt Malefactours. As for men, who knoweth not that their tribunals are for the moſt part ſet up to maintain faithfulneſſe and honeſtie in words, and other declarative ſignes of our intentions? If one after he have given his promiſe to a Maid, That he will take her for his ſpouſe, ſhould refuſing to marry her be brought before a Juſtice, and there be ſo impudent as to plead, that he meant onelyonly to take her for his concubine; who queſtioneth but that ſuch a man would be taken, not onelyonly for a treacherous perſon and a perjured, but likewiſe for a mocker; and that he ſhould be puniſhed, notwithſtanding his excuſe? And the ſubject, who ſhall leave his Soveraignes colours, and ſhall do homage to his enemy, and wear his marks and badges; ſhall he be quitted for ſaying, That his heart was loyall all this while, and that he did theſe things with another intention? Shall he not nevertheleſſe be held for a Rebell and (which is more) for a mocker, and a man that hath a heart and a heart, as the Scriptures ſpeak; and one, whom errour and paſſion hath tranſported into the contrary partie, againſt his Liege-Lord? And if he fall into the hands of the Princes Officers, will theſe ridiculous excuſes poſſibly preſerve him from infamy, and that puniſhment which ſhameleſſe and rebellious ſubjects deſerve, or will he not rather fare the worſe for them? Now if the juſtice of man, in ſtead of accepting this kind of excuſes, is offended and incenſed by thoſe, who have the boldneſſe to alledge them, how can we hope that the juſtice of God (which is infinitely more pure and more holy) ſhall take ſuch for payment, when queſtion is made concerning Truth, and His Service? I cannot believe that there is any man ſo brutiſh as to imagine, that after he hath expreſly pronounced, That we muſt adore a creature, he ſhall be abſolved for ſaying, that by the word Creature he meaneth the Creatour. There is no man that hath common ſenſe but ſeeth, that this would be a pure illuſion; and that ſo dull and groſſe, as I cannot think any man ſhould ever dream of making uſe of it. Thoſe very men who are partly of our perſwaſion, and yet think That a man may with a good conſcience proſtrate himſelf before the Hoſt of the Romane Church, will yet make ſcruple of pronouncing with their mouthes, that they muſt adore it. Now the nature and reaſon of words, and of actions, and ceremonies, is the ſame (as we have proved.) Both the one and the other are ſignes and ſymboles, inſtituted to ſignifie our thoughts.
Since then all Chriſtians agree that in Confeſſions and declarations of Faith, which we make either by the mouth or writing, 'tis not permitted them to uſe words in any ſenſe, but that wherein they are taken in common uſe; we muſt conclude, That it is not lawfull for us to abuſe the ceremonies and actions of one Religion, to a ſenſe contrary to what they ſignifie in the ordinary practiſe of men. Whence it followeth, That, even as by the confeſſion of thoſe, who are our Adverſaries in this point, he will ſinne grievouſly, that believing the Hoſt of the Romane Church to be a creature, ſhall ſay with his mouth, That he muſt render to it the adoration of latria (in what ſenſe ſoever he pretend to take theſe words;) ſo is it a very ſottiſh fault, for any to proſtrate themſelves before the Hoſt, having the ſame belief as we have, the ſame intention in ſo doing: Since by ſo doing, they pronounce as much or more expreſly, then if they had ſaid it with their mouth, That they muſt adore the Hoſt. The action which they perform, ſignifying the ſame thing, clearly and expreſly, in the common uſe of men.