middle ages, to find numerous opponents, but these were generally persons in humble life whom the great and learned proscribed and vilified as heretics. It is no wonder, therefore, that at the Reformation, a doctrine which had been pretty firmly established in the West during nearly five centuries, and almost indisputably admitted by influential minds during three, should have been usually considered as coeval with the foundations of Christianity. Immediately consequent upon the reception of transubstantiation in the Roman Church was Artolatry, or the worship of bread. During the first ages of the Christian æra, the sacramental elements were not at all elevated after consecration. Early in the eighth century, however, we are told by Germanus, Bishop of Constantinople, it was usual in the East to hold up the consecrated bread as a commemoration of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection: perhaps also this practice might be intended to admonish the congregation that the time for communicating was now at hand. That this usage was adopted by the Eastern Christians with a view to the people's adoration of the Eucharist, there is neither evidence nor probability. The Western Church appears not to have elevated the consecrated elements until a much more recent period: that she did not enjoin the ado 'Hospinian, 371. Bingham, I. 759. This is sufficiently evident from Durant, (De Ritibus Eccl. Cath. Rom. 1591. p. 476 et seq.) who undertakes to prove that ration of them in the time of Berenger, must be inferred from the total absence of any notice of such a practice in all the contentions undergone by that celebrated divine". The earliest writers in the West who mention the elevation of the sacramental bread are Ivo de Chartres, and Hugh de St. Victor, both of whom lived in the eleventh century; but the reason which they assign for the practice is the same as that assigned by the Constantinopolitan Bishop'. In the middle of the following century, however, it is certain that artolatry had begun its course, for Averroes, the Arabian philosopher, said, "Since Christians eat what they worship, let my soul be with the philosophers." The minds of men, therefore, having been sufficiently prepared for this innovation by its gradual reception in the West, Honorius III. who succeeded Innocent III. in 1216', decreed that the clergy should teach their congregations reverently to bow at the elevation of the Eucharist, and on meeting it when carried by the priest to a sick person". The succeeding pope, Gre the elevation of the Eucharist was ever the usage of the Church, but produces Eastern authorities chiefly, and even these making little or nothing for his object. * Ibid. 797. Averroes lived about the year 1150. It is worthy of remark, that no such reflection appears to have been cast upon the primitive Christians by the heathens of their time, eager as these were to vilify the Church: a plain proof that artolatry did not exist in the first ages. 1 1 Du Pin, III. 292. m Hospinian, 372.. gory IX., who attained his dignity in 1227", decreed that, on the elevation of the Eucharist, a bell should be rung, and at its sound the kneeling people should with outstretched hands adore the host. This usage still exists in the Roman Church, and it tends materially to lower the dignity of her most gorgeous masses. Sublime music and magnificent dresses do, indeed, render those solemnities highly captivating to the generality of men; nor are the kneeling worshippers one of the least imposing features in the scene; but the tinkling bell sadly mars the whole contrivance, and throws an air of pettiness about * Du Pin, III. 292. • "Gregorius 9. decrevit, ut ad Christi corporis et sanguinis confectionem, itemque hostia elevationem, campanula seu tintinnabulum pulsaretur, ut eo audito, cuncti, ceu sidere quodam tacti, in genua procidant, et hostiam extentis manibus adorent: quemadmodum Nauclerus in chronicis suis, Generat. 42. sub anno 1240. annotat; itemque Urspergensis Paralipomena fol. 351. Cranzius in Saxonia lib. 8. c. 10." (Hospinian, 373.) Durandus, who wrote about the year 1386, plainly says that the host is elevated for the purpose of adoration, and he is the first writer who assigns such an object to that ceremony, " as Mr. Daillé proves at large." (Bingham, I. 795.) The following words of Durandus are cer⚫ tainly sufficiently plain. "Dictis verbis istis, Hoc est corpus meum, sacerdos elevat corpus Christi: primo ut cuncti astantes illud videant, et petant quod proficit ad salutem." (Rationale 65.) The council of Trent anathematised those who denied, " that Christ in the Eucharist ought not to be worshipped with the honour of Latria, (the worship due only to God) or honoured with a particular feast, (that of Corpus Christi) or carried in procession, or put în a public place to be worshipped;" and it also anathematised those who said that such "worshippers are idolaters." (F. Paul. 340.) it, in keeping indeed with the tricks of artful men, but most unsuited to a stupendous miracle wrought by the mighty hand of Omnipotence P. Artolatry, like her twin-sister transubstantiation, was indebted for general reception, in a considerable degree, to those wonders which figure in Romish history and theology. It was observed with astonishment, that even brutes rendered that homage to the host which heretics refused, and a learned mule, ass, or sheep effected conversions which defied the eloquence of friars. P As such, transubstantiation is always represented by its friends. "Cum ergo sacerdos illa Christi verba pronunciat Hoc est corpus meum, et hic est sanguis meus; panis et vinum in carnem et sanguinem convertuntur illa verbi virtute qua verbum caro factum est et habitavit in nobis ; quia dixit et facta sunt, mandavit et creata sunt; qua feminam mutavit in statuam, et virgam convertit in colubrem, qua fontes mutavit in sanguinem, et aquam convertit in vinum." (Durandi Rationale, 63.) These illustrations, however, are none of the most felicitous, for we are not informed that the Jews of our Saviour's time were expected to believe in his incarnation, although he did not visibly dwell among them; nor do we read, that although Lot's wife was changed into a pillar of salt, those about her could discover no change in her at all; nor that, Aaron's rod appeared to be just as little of a serpent after the change as it was before: nor that, that the Nile though turned into blood was not perceptibly altered. As for the change of the water into wine at the marriage of Cana, we are expressly informed that no person, however incredulous, could take it for water after our Saviour's intervention. It is, therefore, plain that the miracles of Scripture are widely different from those of transubstantiating priests. "Ce fut dans le même tems que se firent des miracles eclatans pour l'etablissement de cette adoration; car l'an 1230. Antoine de Padouë ayant trouvé dans le comté de Toulouse un Transubstantiation and artolatry having gained firm possession of the public mind, a crowd of superstitions, absurdities, and indecencies followed in their train. Officiating priests were troubled with numerous directions, known as cautels of the mass, intended to guide them in cases of sudden nausea, fainting, and accidents of every kind which might overtake either themselves, or the consecrated elements. In the schools it was debated, whether brute animals eating the host eat the Lord's body, whence come the worms in a musty host, what becomes of the Lord's body when a host is received into the stomach, or may become of it in case of the recipient's illness; with many other questions relating to this subject equally childish, disgusting, and even blas heretique qui nioit la presence reelle, et cet heretique ayant promis après une longue dispute d'embrasser le sentiment d'Antoine, si une mule qui aurait jeûnée trois jours, etant placée entre le foin et le Sacrement, elle quittoit le foin pour aller adorer l'hostie; Antoine ne manqua pas de tenter le miracle: et l'on vit que la mule affamée negligea les alimens que l'heretique lui offroit, pour aller rendre ses respects à l'hostie. Un autre heretique qui avoit accoutumé son ânesse à manger des hosties, crut être fort sûr de son fait, en soutenant au même Antoine de Padouë que son ânesse mangeroit l'hostie, qu'on lui presentoit comme le corps de Jesus. Christ. L'heretique fut trompé, l'animal eut plus de raison que lui; car Antoine ayant consacré un hostie, et la presentant à l'ânesse, cet animal se mit à genoux, et l'adora au lieu de la manger. La brebis de St. François faisoit quelque chose de plus, car elle se mettoit à genoux toutes les fois qu'elle entendoit sonner la petite cloche pour l'elevation." Basnage, Hist. de l'Egl. Rotterdam, 1699. p. 1002. 'These cautels may be seen in the missals. |