The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

240 THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS.deference from a younger to an elder brother, whenSolomon bows low feefore Bethsabee, it is the bonorwhich a son pays to his mother; when INathan,coming in before David, had worshipped, bowingdown to the ground/ it is the homage of a subjectto his prince. But when a man prostrates himselfin prayer to God, it is the creature adoring the Creator. And if these various actions are expressed,sometimes by the word adore, sometimes by worshipor prostration, it is not the bare meaning of the wordwhich has guided interpreters in rendering it, butthe nature of the case. When an Israelite prostrated himself before the king, no one thought ofcharging him with idolatry. If he had done thesame thing in the presence of an idol, the verysame bodily act would have been called idolatry.And why? Because all men would have judgedby his action that he regardedthe idol as a realdivinity, and that he would express, in respect toit, the sentiments manifested by adoration^ in thelimited sense which we give to the word. Whatshall we think, then, of what Catholics do to showhonor to saints, to relics, to the wood of the cross?They will not deny that their acts of reverence, insuch cases, are very much like those by which theypay outward honor to God. But have they thesame ideas about the saints, the relics, and thecross, as they have about God ? I believe that wecannot fairly accuse them of it."A gentleman who was present at the unveiling of