Page:Delineation of Roman Catholicism.djvu/307

 CHiP. VII.] woisHn, OF THE HOST. g99 5. There is another thing that may be said concerning the popish host that will prove it to be more pperly an idol or a false god than any pagan idol can be. The pagans made god of silver, gold, wood, and stone; yet they were never so foolish as to think, after they had formed them ino such or such figures, and by consecration made them gods, that these materials, by consecration, lost their substances, and were turned into the nature and substance of that god they intended to worship. No; they believed that what was thu consecrated still retained its former nature and substance, and was no more an object of their worship, except as it was a representation of the god whom they worshipped or became his receptacle. And if this idol happened to be stolen, broken, defaced, or carried captive, they were far from thinking that the object of their worship was stolen, defaced, or carried captive. They thought such affronts might be offered to the image, but the god himself was above these injuries. This was the pagan notion. But the Resartists teach that tiat bread of which the priest, by consecration, makes Jesus Chrt, is turned into the very substance which they adore. By consecration it is not made a representation of our Saviour, or his receptacle, but is turned into his very* self. So that if this which they worship (we call it a wafer, they call it Christ entire) should be stolen or burned, trodden under foot or devoured by vermin, they cannot deny but it is their very* Saviour whom they wor- ship that suffers aH these abuses and indignities. For according to them, after the wor$ of consecration are said, and thereb the sub- stance of the bread is turned into the body and blood of Christ, it will continue so, as long as any of the accidents of bread remain; that is, until it is decomposed, or so long as we can distinguish the shape, colour, taste, &c., of bread. 6. Another particular we shall add, which is the following :--That though all the reproaches that Scripture casts upon heathen idol fall equally upon the worship of the host, yet there is one thing from which the former is exempt, but which falls heavily on the latter. The Romanists no sooner make a Saviour out of bread, and worship him, than they presenfiy eat him. Most commonly, indeed, the priest only eats Jesus Christ, but at the most solemn times the people also eat him as well as he. Did ever any pagan make a god, consecrate him, then worship him, and afterward eat him ? But this is done in the Church of Rome every day. Cicero, who was a Pagan himself, and knew as much of the pagan religion as. any man, expressly says, "That among all the religions of his time, there was no man so foolish es to pretend to eat his god."* The Egyans, who worshipped the vilest creatures, never dared to eat what they had once worshipped; but the Romanists cast this indignity on the adorable Jesus every time sam. Deu enim !iguana, rogi partsme vet infolicis stipitis pettis, meudi, emditur, dohtur, runcinatur: et dens sureus vel m*genteus, de ismundo vculo sapins, ut fac- turn .F4,yptio regi, confhtur, tunditur nmlleb, et incudibus fqlurstur: et hpideus, cmditur, scalpitur, et mb impursto horninc imvitur; nec sentit sum nativitatis, inju- titan, it ut nec poster de vestrs venerstione culturns: nisi forte nonalum dens nxurn eat, ve] lignum, vei arentum. uando igitur hie Mocitur ?Ecce funditur, fubricatur, scllpitur, nondum deuo est: ecce plumbttur, conotruitor, erigitor; nec Miimc dens sot: ecce omatur, conoecratur, orator; tunc postmss dens est, quirt homo ilium v=luit st dedicavit.**--]Mr/ Fe.z, c. . F/dle (. OJMFS, tOm. ii, p. )88. 1
 * Do Not. Deerum, b. '

�