hat we receive Christ
himself; and in eating of this bread, and drinking of this wine, we eat
the flesh, and drink the blood of Christ spiritually, and by faith.
Neither could the consecrated elements make a sacrament if they were not
such images standing in Christ's stead. But what needeth any more? Dr
Burges(684) himself calleth the sacraments the Lord's images. Now, that a
man who adoreth before the painted or graven image of Christ, though he
profess that he intendeth his whole adoration to Christ, and that he
placeth the image before him only to represent Christ, and to stir up his
mind to worship Christ, doth nevertheless commit idolatry, I trust none of
our opposites will deny. Nay, Bishop Lindsey teacheth plainly,(685) that
it is idolatry to set before the eyes of our minds or bodies any image as
a mean or motive of adoration, even though the worship should be
abstracted from the image, and not given unto it. Well, then, will it
please him to let us see that kneeling before the actual images of
Christ's body and blood in the sacrament, even though these images should
be no otherwise considered in the act of adoration, but as active objects,
motives and occasions which stir up the mind of the kneeler to worship
Christ (for this is the best face which himself puts upon kneeling, though
falsely, as we shall see afterward), is not so great idolatry as the
other. All the difference which he maketh is,(686) "that no true worship
can be properly occasioned by an image, which is a doctor of lies,
teaching nothing of God, but falsehood and vanities; but the blessed
sacrament being instituted by Christ, to call to our remembrance his
death, &c., gives us, so oft as we receive it, a most powerful and
pregnant occasion of thanksgiving and praise." Dr Burges,(687)
intermeddling with the same difference-making, will not have the
sacraments, which are images of God's making and institution, to be
compared with images made by the lust of men. Two differences, then, are
given us. 1. That the sacramental elements have their institution from
God; images not so. 2. That the sacrament is an occasion of worship; an
image not so. The first difference makes them no help; for though the
ordinance and institution of God makes the use of sacramental images to be
no will-worship, yet doth it not any whit avail to show that adoration
before them is no idolatry. May I not commit idolatry with images of God's
institution no less than with those