Apology for the Reformed Churches, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. That the adoration of the Euchariſt, as it is practiſed by the Church of Rome, doth (as we believe) overthrow the foundation of pietie and ſalvation.
MY intention is not to examine all the particulars of the differences between us, one by one; to know the weight and importance of each in particular. That would cauſe me to be more large then I intend to be on this ſubject, and would be more tedious to the Reader then neceſſary for the end I propoſed. We may with leſſe adoe juſtifie our ſelves. For if among all thoſe points wherein we differ there be but one, which overthrows the foundations of Chriſtianitie; That is enough to prove the neceſſity of our ſeparation, whether the reſt be light or weighty: No man being bound to gratifie thoſe who are in any communion ſo farre, as to joyn with them to the prejudice of his own ſalvation. Leaving therefore at preſent all other Articles, to the belief whereof Rome would oblige us, I ſhall onelyonly conſider this one, viz. the adoration of the Hoſt (as they call it) which is in my opinion a very important one; and I hope, I ſhall ſhew briefly and clearly, that it is not poſſible to receive it, without overthrowing the foundation of our piety here, and eternall happineſſe hereafter. 'Tis a Doctrine held by all Believers from the beginning of the world to this preſent, that the Soveraigne and higheſt kind of honour and ſervice, which is ordinarily called adoration, is due to none but God alone, who created the heaven and the earth, and redeemed us through J. Chriſt. This is the foundation of all the doctrine and diſcipline of Gods people of old; the firſt and principall Article of the divine Law, which God pronounced from heaven with the voice of thunder, and which he wrote for them with his own finger, upon the tables of ſtone given to Moſes. Thou ſhalt not have, ſaith he, any other God before my face. I can not well here (if I would) ſet down all the places wherein His holy Prophets repeat this commandment and comment on it. 'Tis likewiſe the great and chief foundation of the Goſpel. This is life eternall, ſaith our Lord, to know thee the onelyonly true God, and him whom thou haſt ſent Jeſus Chriſt. Joh. xvii. 3. For this knowledge of God and of Chriſt comprehends likewiſe the ſervice which is due to them. The ſame God who taught us this truth, declareth in an infinite company of places, That He can hold them for no other then Enemies and Rebels, that break this His commandment, then for ſuch who have broke His covenant, and renounced His communion; proteſting, That He will puniſh them very ſeverely both in this world, and in the next; that He is jealous of His glory, and will not by any means ſuffer it to be given to anothor. And to make us the better to conceive the horribleneſſe of this crime, He repreſents it to us under the image of the moſt baſe and abominable tranſgreſſions that are committed in the life of man: comparing it to whoredome, adultery, and all the moſt foul and infamous ſymptomes and denominations of weakneſſe: ſo that He uſeth ſometimes, upon this ſubject, terms and expreſſions that a man can ſcarce reade or pronounce without bluſhing, deſiring certainly thereby to ſhew how hatefull this fault is, and unbefitting any Believer. The truth is, Since our Great God hath done us the favour, to call us by His infinite goodneſſe to His Communion, and to enter with us into ſo cloſe a Covenant, that to expreſſe it to us, he tells us that He is our Husband, and that we are His Spouſe; it is ſufficiently evident, that they who render to any other the honour and ſervice which is due to God, commit the ſame fault, which a woman that is married doth, when ſhe abandons that to another, which is due to none but her own husband. So that as adultery is the greateſt fault that can be committed againſt the bond of wedlock; ſo may we be aſſured, that no man can more grievouſly infringe his covenant with God, then by devolving that ſervice which belongs to him, upon any creature whatſoever. And as adultery doth diſſolve marriage; ſo the crime of thoſe who ſerve creatures diſſolves the Covenant with God. Which may the better be underſtood by another compariſon. God is our King and Soveraigne, and we are His ſubjects. Juſt therefore as a ſubject cannot more hainouſly offend his King, nor more openly renounce his ſubjection, and that allegiance which he oweth him, then by giving to ſome other beſides him the name, glory, honour, and ſervice of his Soveraigne; ſo tis not poſſible that we ſhould offend God more mortally, then in attributing to any other but His Majeſty the name of our God and Lord, which appertains to Him alone, and ſo the honour and ſervice agreeable to theſe names. This was the main crime of the Gentiles, who thus broke Gods Covenant, and pulled upon themſelves moſt dreadfull wrath and curſes in this world, and eternall death in the next. S. Paul teacheth us Rom. i. 25. That this rendering to the creature a ſervice due to the Creatour, was the ſource and fountain whence all the miſchiefs iſſued forth upon them. And 1 Cor. vi. 10. he ſaith plainly, That idolaters (that is to ſay, Such as render to any creature the ſervice due to God) ſhall never inherit the Kingdome of heaven. And conformably to this, S. John Rev. xxi. 8. proteſteth, That their portion ſhall be in the lake burning with fire and brimſtone, which is the ſecond death. For of all the truths that are taught in the Old and New Teſtaments, there is not any one, which is ſo clearly and ſo often expreſſed as this very thing; not any one, which hath been leſſe conteſted by hereticks, or more univerſally and affirmatively forbidden by the Church; wch hath ever conſtantly broke off from thoſe that under any pretence whatſoever will render to the creature the ſervice due to God. Even Rome her ſelf (of whom we complain) diſagrees with us but very little, if at all, in this point. For though ſhe render great honours to divers creatures, yet ſhe ever acknowledged, That there is a kind of religious ſervice which cannot without ſacriledge be given to any thing but God alone: this ſhe commonly termeth the adoration of latria, to diſtinguiſh it from other honours and ſervices, which ſhe beleeves may without ſin be given to that which is not God. If therefore there be any Article in all the Chriſtian faith, which ſhould be called fundamentall, it is this. If there be any, which we ſhould preſerve inviolably with the price of all that is deare unto us, it is this. Nevertheleſſe, this very Article doth the Church of Rome oblige us to violate, if we will communicate in her ſervices. For ſhe doth moſt expreſſely command all ſuch as be of her communion, to render that ſoveraigne and higheſt kind of ſervice, which ſhe calleth latria, (and confeſſeth to be due to none but God) unto a thing which we believe to be a creature, and not God himſelf. She would have us to take for our great God, for the Creatour of Heaven and earth, for the Redeemer of mankind, this ſacrament, which is indeed holy and precious; but which yet our ſenſe, our reaſon, and our faith grounded on the H. Scriptures, findeth to be but bread. She would have us give to this ſubject all the praiſe of the creation and redemption of the univerſe; to inveſt it with all the glory that is due to our Soveraigne and higheſt Lord; and hereupon proſtrate our ſelves moſt humbly (our bodies and ſouls) before thoſe altars, whereon this is laid; and in thoſe ſtreets where we meet it; that we ſhould celebrate the day which ſhe hath conſecrated to the honour of the Euchariſt, under the name of the feaſt of our great God; and ſhould pronounce anathema maran-atha againſt all them who approve not this doctrine, and this practiſe. Here I ſhall venture to addreſſe my ſelf to any the moſt paſſionate among our Adverſaries, and take them for my Judges in this cauſe, for my Counſellours in this difficultie.
You, Sirs, command me to adore the Sacrament of the Euchariſt, with the adoration of latria. Now I cannot, I muſt not conceal from you, That I believe this Sacrament in its ſubſtance to be an inanimate creature; having not yet been able to reſiſt the Authority of my ſenſe, of my reaſon, and of the H. Scriptures, which tell me that it is nothing but bread. My belief being thus, what ſhould I doe? Shall I adore that which I know to be but a creature? Why, you cannot but ſee how God forbids the adoration of a creature, under peril of eternall damation. Your Authoritie pulls me on one ſide, and Gods on the other. In my judgement, He forbids the very ſame thing that you deſire. Whither ſhall I turn me in this condition.
I doubt not but hereupon they'l ſoon drive me from their Altars, and forbid me to make uſe of that, the Divinitie whereof I neither can nor will acknowledge. For they oblige not men to adore their Hoſt, but becauſe of a belief they have, that it is truly Jeſus Chriſt, God bleſſed for ever. Did they not believe it ſo to be, they would not adore it, they would not bring it to others to be adored. So that ſince I have not that belief, methinks they ſhould not judge it fitting for me to adore it: and if I ſhould adore it, they would impute this action to nothing but an extreme puſillanimitie, and baſeneſſe of ſpirit, which for fear of men can cauſe me to doe a thing, that I my ſelf eſteem unlawfull and unpleaſing to God.
And let them not here alledge, That I am deceived in the opinion that I have of the ſubſtance of the Euchariſt. For the queſtion is not, whether the Euchariſt be bread or not, (this ſhould be diſputed apart) but whether he who believes that it is bread in ſubſtance, can adore it, without making himſelf guilty of Sacriledge, and giving a creature that honour which is due to the Creatour. For if one ſhould grant, That he cannot (which we now are coming to demonſtrate from the premiſes very evidently) I have gained the point that I intended to prove: it being cleare, that this ſuppoſeth We have had reaſon to ſeparate from Rome, ſeeing we believe that the Euchariſt is bread in ſubſtance; it being impoſſible for us to yield to that worſhip, which ſhe deſires we ſhould give it, unleſſe we give to a creature that, which we are bound to give onelyonly to the Creatour. Whence all the odious queſtion concerning ſchiſme is ended.
For we call that ſchiſme, which is a ſeparation made without neceſſity. So that when my conſcience forbids me under pain of Gods wrath, and my own damnation, to obey that which you command me in this particular, 'tis evident, that it is not fancie, pleaſure, or faction, but a pure neceſſity that conſtraineth me to ſeparate from you. If you cannot tax this my opinion, much leſſe can you condemne my ſeparation. Accuſe me if you pleaſe of ſtupidity, For not being able to conceive, how a body that is in heaven can be at the ſame time in a thouſand places on earth; how all the quantity of a complete man can be brought within one ſingle point; how a thing, that my ſenſe and reaſon knoweth to be bread, and the H. Scripture calleth oftentimes bread, can not be bread at all for all this; but the very Creatour of the world. Blame as much as you pleaſe the dulneſſe of my ſpirit, that cannot comprehend a whit of theſe pretended myſteries. But once preſuppoſe my belief to be true, and then you cannot ſhew me wherein I do amiſſe in ſeparating from you. At this time 'tis ſufficient, that I have ſhown, that our ſeparation is not contrary to charity, which obligeth no man to embrace that, in favour or love of his neighbour, which he believes diſagreeable to Gods will, and pernicious to his own ſoul.