Page:Delineation of Roman Catholicism.djvu/308

 J00 W0ROHIP OF THB H08T. [BOOK the sacrament is 8dmirtistered. Either, therefore, let them cease to worship the sacrament, or let them not render themselves more ridi- culous by eating it. If they will do both these against sense and reason, ainst Scripture and the doctrines and customs of the purest and best Christians, let them never persuade reasonable men to become Christians. Such may answer, as the Arabian Averrhoes, the Moham- medan, snid, "Since the Christians adore what they eat, it is betMr for us to be of the religion of the philosophers."* 7. But to this charge of idolatry in the adoration of the host, the Roman Catholics answer, "That they do not worship any thing in the sacrament but Jesus Christ. Do we think they would worship the host if they thought it was nothing but a piece of bread ? No: they would abhor it as much as we. But being convinced that Christ is there under the form of bread, they think it not only lawful, but their duty, to give divine worship to Christ thus visibly present." We verily believe they would not worship the host, unless they believed it to be the real body of Christ, and not a mere wafer. And we likewise think, that if it were certain that Christ's real body were present, together with his soul and div/nity, they ought to worship him. But having granted this, it does not favour their cause, nor release them from the guilt of idolatry, for the two following reasons: First of all; by their orn confession, all that can render the worship of the host lawful is the transubstantiation that is made of the bread into the body of Christ. But should the doctrine- of transubstantiahos be true, yet they are not certain that every time they adore the host they are free from idolatry. For, according to the doctrine of their church, the bread and wine are never transubstantiated but by a due consecration; and for this purpose three things are necessary: "That the words of cousecrktion be properly spoken; that he who speaks them be a lawful priest; and that the priest speaks the words with the intention of making the body of Christ." If any one of these be want- ing, there is no consecration; and if no consecration, no transubstan* fiation; and if no transubstantiation, no body of Christ; and if no body of Christ, then what is worshipped is no more than a piece of bread; and consequently the worship that is given to it is idolatrous. Now, how can a man be certain that the consecration is performed with these requisites ? It is impossible for a man to know that the priest speaks the words right, because he cannot hear them pronounced; for by the laws of their clmrch, the priest is required to speak the words in a low voice, so that the standers by cannot distinctly apprehend him. Can he be assured, in the second place, that the man who consecrates is a true priest ? Before he can know this, he must know a hundred things which are impossible for him to know. For instance, that the person who consecrates was lawfully baptized; that is, with the right form of baptism, and with a true intention in the administrator; as also that he had his orders from a true bishop. and that that bishop observed the essential form of orrlination, and did intend also to make him a priest; and to make this bishop truly such, he must likewise have been bap- tized and ordainod with duo form, with due intention, and by him that had proper power. And to ascertain him who had due power, the Digitized by GO02I(
 * Dionys. Carthus. 4, dist. 10, art. 1.

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