CHAP. I.
WEE have hitherto passed thorow many dangerous and pernicious Gulfes of Romish Doctrines, which our instant haste will not suffer us to looke backe upon, by any repeti∣tion of them. But now are wee en∣tring upon Asphaltites, or Mare mortuum, even the Dead Sea of Ro∣mish Idolatrie; whereinto all their superstitious and sacrilegious Do∣ctrines doe emptie themselves: which, how detestable it is, we had rather prove, than prejudge.
The State of the Question, concerning Adoration of the Sacrament.
SECT. I.
IN the thirteenth Session of your Councell of Trent, wee finde a Decree commanding thus, a Let the same divine honour, that is due to the true God, be giuen to this Sacrament. After this war∣ning-Peece, they shoot of a great b Canon of Anathema, and Curse against everie one that shall not herein worship Christ (namely, as corporally present) with Divine honour. That is to say, c To adore with an absolute divine worship the whole visible Sa∣crament of Christ, in the formes of bread and wine, as your Iesuit expoundeth it; A worship (saith he) far exceeding that which is Page 76 to be given to the Crucifix. Whereupon it is that your Priests are taught, in your d Romane Missall, to elevate the Consecrated Hoast, and to propound it to the people to be adored; and adoring it themselves in thrice striking their breast, to say, O Lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world have mercy upon us. So you.
But what doe they, whom you call Sacramentaries, judge of this kinde of worship, can you tell? e All of them (saith your Cardinall) call it Idolatry. But they, whom you call Lutherans, are they not of the same Iudgement? say, f They call us (be∣cause of this worship) Artolaters, that is, Bread-worshippers and Idolaters, saith your Iesuit. As for our Church of England, She accordingly saith, that The Sacrament of the Lords Supper was not reserved, carried about, lifted up, or worshipped.
Our Method must now be to treat first of Christs Instituti∣on, or Masse; next of the Profession of Antient Fathers; then of your Romish Masse in it selfe; and lastly wee shall returne againe to our owne home, to demonstrate the happie Securitie, which our Church hath in her manner of worship. So that these contradictorie Propositions, This Sacrament is to be ado∣red with divine worship, and, Is not to be adored with divine wor∣ship, being the two different scales of this Controversie, the one will preponderate the other, according to the weight of Arguments, which shall be put into either of them.
Of the Institution of Christ; shewing that there was therein neither Precept for this Adoration of the Sacra∣ment, nor Practice thereof.
SECT. II.
NO outward Adoration of the Sacrament was practised of the Disciples of Christ (say we) at the Institution thereof, which you confesse with us; and take upon you to give a rea∣son thereof, to wit, that g There was no need that the Apostles should use any outward signification of honour to the Sacrament, be∣cause they had then Christ present and visible before them. So your Iesuite, which contradicteth your owne Objection, of there∣fore adoring Christ in receiving the Sacrament, because then he * Commeth under the roofe of your mouthes; for the neerer our approach is to any Majestie, the greater useth to be our out∣ward humiliation. But well; no Practice of outward Adora∣tion by the Apostles at that time can appeare, much lesse have you any Evidence of any Precept for it. If there had beene in the words of Christ, or in the volume of the new Testament any syllable thereof, your Cardinall would not have roved so farre, as to Deuteronomie in the old Testament, to fetch his only defence out of these words of God, h Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God; (supposing that the Bread which is worshipped Page 77 is indeed the Sonne of God:) which is, as it were, mere Can∣ting, being the basest kinde of Reasoning that can be, and is therefore called of Logitians, A begging of the point in Question.
We contrarily adhere to the Institution of Christ in all points necessarie, and essentiall thereunto, and knowing that the A∣postle promised to deliver * Whatsoever hee had received of the Lord, concerning this Sacrament (which you hold to be the principall part of your Romish Religion) wee are perswaded that he in expressing the other Commands of Christ, touching Consecration, Administration, and Communication of this Sacra∣ment, never taught that your Article of divine Adoration, whereof hee gave not so much as the least intimation. The A∣postolicall times faile you. We shall try if the next, called the Primitive Age, can any whit advantage your Cause, which is our second Station.
