Page:The Net of Faith.pdf/339

66* simple worship was followed by the much wiser later Church, matured in her rituals and refined in her sacraments, splendid and beautiful.

The original Church was stupid because she worshipped without vestments and without altars and without church buildings, and knew naught but to say the Lord's Prayer. The present church knows how to honor God because she built great and costly cathedrals and altars out of stone, she ordered rich vestments and blessed everything, she produced many prayers and songs at masses; she honored God bountifully with ornamented churches, walls painted and dressed up with tapestries, with lights, bells, organs, with singing in high voices and with plainsongs, and melodies with polyphonic notes. All this has the wise Church secured for the honor of God! For he yearns so much to be honored; yea, He is sad if there is not enough wax to burn and if the walls do not shine with resplendent colors! This is why he (the Auditor) scorned so much the stupid Church during his lecture. But his new Church has elaborated long rituals for every occasion and sacrament, with proper incantations and benedictions intoned by powerful bishops. And when they are done with all these sacramental invocations they sell the sacraments for money to common people. What a grand way to honor God, indeed, with