Antichrist the Pope of Rome, Part 3 · Chapter 5
CHAP. 5. Deluſions by Images.
1. THe third kinde of Deluſion from their Saints Canonized, is by their Images; which becauſe it hath beene partly touched already in the point of miracles, where their mouing, nodding, ſpeaking, and healing, is diſcouered as counterfeit and falſe; I will here inſiſt onelyonly vponupon ſuch things as concerne their very eſſence and being, that their Antichriſtian ſuperſtition may be apparent to the whole world. And to begin with their conformity with the Pagans. The Pagans ſay, that ſome of their Images were fallen from heauen, as the Image of Pallas, and ſome made by mens hands. In like manner the Papiſts bragge of ſome of their Images, that they came from heauen, as that of our Lady of Gladneſſe, which they ſay was brought downe by the Virgin Mary her ſelfe from heauen, accompanied with a band of Angels, and deliuered to three Friars priſoners at Caire, and by them tranſported into France. And another of our Lady of Montſerrat, which they ſay was found in an hollow caue of a Mountaine, by the direction of an heauenly light, and the melodious ſinging of Angels that worſhipped it before men euer knew thereof: for theſe people are not content to bee Idolaters themſelues onelyonly, but they would faine make the Angels both Fautors and partakers in the ſame Idolatry. To this kinde may be referred ſuch as they affirme, were miraculouſly made, and which they hold in as great eſteeme as if they were fallen from heauen. Amongſt which, that is moſt famous, which they ſay Chriſt Ieſus imprinted on a linnen cloth of S. Veronica, of which I made mention before, & which is kept at Rome in Saint Peters Church, which becauſe it is a renowned Image, behold the whole Legend thereof,Feriol Locrius. mar. Aug. lib. 5. cap. 4. as it is reported by Friol de Locres in the words of Mathew of Weſtminſter. Tyberius the Emperor (ſaith hee) being afflicted in his body with the diſeaſe of the Leproſie, it was told him that there was a Phyſitian in Ieruſalem that healed all diſeaſes with his word, not knowing that the Iewes and Pilate had put him to death. He giueth therefore in charge to one Voluſian his Friend, to goe preſently to Ieruſalem, and to command Pilate to ſend this Phyſitian vntounto him: but Pilate hauing receiued the commandement of the Emperor, and being terrified therewith, deſires fourteene daies reſpite: during the which time, Voluſian asking a certaine Matron that he heard had beene familiar with Ieſus called Veronica, where he might finde this Phyſitian: ſhe anſwered, alas this was my Lord and my God, whom Pilate hath condemned, and cauſed to be crucified through the enuy of his owne Nation the Iewes. Then Ʋoluſian in great griefe ſaid, I am heartily ſorry therefore, ſeeing I ſee I cannot accompliſh my Maſters commandement. But Ʋeronica anſwered, when my Lord went vp and downe preaching, and I was depriued of his company, I was deſirous to get his picture drawne; to the end, that when I ſhould bee depriued of his preſence, I might ſolace my ſelfe with the ſight of his Image: and as I was carrying a linnen cloth to a Painter to hauehave his picture drawne therein, my Lord met me, and asked me whither I was a going? To whom I hauing declared the cauſe of my voyage, hee asked of me the cloth, and wiping his face therewith, left therein the impreſſion of his venerable countenance. If therefore thy Maſter looke but deuoutly vponupon this picture, hee ſhall preſently recouer his health. Voluſian anſwered, Can ſuch a picture be bought for Gold or Siluer? No ſaith Veronica, but with an earneſt affection of deuotion: and therefore I will goe with thee, and carry to the Emperor the Image to looke vponupon, and then returne to mine owne Country. Voluſian vponupon the credit of this report, returned to Rome with Veronica, and ſaid to the Emperor Tiberius, Pilate and the Iewes hauehave put this Phyſitian to death whom thou deſiredſt to be brought vntounto thee: but a certaine Matron is come with mee, which bringeth with her his picture, which if thou lookeſt vponupon deuoutly, thou ſhalt be cured of thy diſeaſe. Then the Emperor cauſing it to be preſented vntounto him, and looking vponupon it with great deuotion was forthwith reſtored to his former health. This is the tale, which if it ſeeme to any to be but of a tub as the Prouerbe ſpeaketh, that Author forenamed confeſſeth as much, when he deſires to be beleeued in it, but confeſſeth it to be cozen German to a dreame, and yet the ignorant people beleeue it to be as true as the Goſpell, and Pope Iohn the two and twentieth alloweth ten thouſands daies of pardon to each one that ſhall ſay this prayer following to this picture of Veronica.
Salue ſancta facies noſtri Redemptoris,
In qua …itet species diuini ſpendoris,
Impreſſa panniculo niuei candoris
Data que Veronica ſignum ob amoris, &c.
Wherein they addreſſe their ſpeech by a moſt palpable Idolatry not to Chriſt, but to his picture onelyonly, and to ſuch a picture as is the meere deuice of man, whereof none of the Euangeliſts make any mention, who remembring matters of leſſer moment, would neuer hauehave forgotten ſuch a miraculous impreſſion of the face of Chriſt, if there had beene any ſuch thing: but let the credit of this tale depend vponupon their Legend, which is as full of Lies as a ſtable of dung, as one of their owne Biſhops confeſſeth.
2. Concerning Images made by the Art of man, we hauehave diuers pregnant examples of notorious deluſion; as when they make Nicodemus (he that is ſpoken of in the third Chapter of Saint Iohns Goſpell) a Painter, and to hauehave drawne an Image of Chriſt on the Croſſe, which the Iewes in ſcorne crucified againe, to deſpite Chriſt. This ſtory is referred by Bellarmine to Athanaſius, Bellar. de Imag. lib. 12. cap. 10.in a booke entitled The paſſion of the Image of our Lord. Chap 4. but he doubteth whether Athanaſius was the Author of that booke or no, and yet he is alleadged in the ſeuenth Synode, act. 4. as an authenticall writer. But Baronius giueth the flat lye both to Bellarmine and to this ſacred Synode, when he ſaith, that this miracle hapned in the time of Conſtantine and Irene, vnderunder whom was held that pretended ſeuenth vniuerſall Synode, and therefore could not deriue its authority from Athanaſius. Sigebert alſo in his Chronicle reciteth it as done in the yeere of our Lord, 765. And to make the matter cleare, Lucius Marineu. Hiſtoriographer to the Emperor Charles the fift ſaith, that he worſhipped the ſame Image at Burges in Spaine in a Temple of the Auguſtines, whereas Syria is held to bee the ſeate thereof. Saint Luke alſo is made a painter of an Euangeliſt, out of whoſe ſhop (if we will beleeue their tales) hauehave beene ſent forth more Images of Chriſt, and the bleſſed Virgin his Mother, then out of any Painters ſhop of the world beſide. For at Rome onelyonly, we finde in the Laterane Chur…, an Image of our Sauiour of twelue yeeres old emboſſed with Gold and precious ſtones, begun (as they ſay) by Saint Luke, and after finiſhed by an Angell, which Image eueryevery yeere on the fourteenth day of Auguſt, is by the ordinance of Pope Leo the fourth, carried in triumph vponupon the ſhoulders of the moſt honourable Citizens of Rome all about, from thence to Saint Maria maior, and the next morning after Maſſe ſaid, it is carried with like pompe into it owne place: and vponupon this day are ſet free fourteene priſoners worthy of death, in honor of this Image. At Saint Mary of the people, is a Tablet of the Virgin Mary painted (as they ſay) by the hand of Saint Luke. At Saint Mary in the broad way, is to bee ſeene a Chappell, where Saint Luke wrote the Acts of the Apoſtles, and painted a Tablet of the Virgin Mary, which is in the ſame Chappell, and was the firſt (ſay they) that hee painted, after hee had firſt ſeene her, and therefore repreſenteth her with a Ring on her finger. At Saint Auguſtine alſo they oſtent another Image of the Virgin Mary painted by Saint Luke. At Saint Mary called Ara caeli, is another Image of the Virgin Mary of Saint Lukes workmanſhip, in ſuch quality as ſhe was in, when ſhe ſtood by the Croſſe of her Son: before the quire of which Church is alſo a round ſtone latticed about with iron, wherein the impreſſions of the feet of an Angell are to be ſeene, fixed there when Pope Gregory conſecrated the ſaid Church. At Saint Mary the new, in a Marble Chappell is a Tablet made by the hand of Saint Luke, which was brought from Troas to Rome, and was not hurt by fire, when the Church wherein it ſtood was all burnt to aſhes. Likewiſe in the Chappell of Saint Mary of grace, there is another Tablet of Saint Lukes painting; and another in the Church of Saint Sixtus, with a number more, and all at Rome: by which we may gueſſe what a multitude of his pictures are to be found in other places, when one City doth ſo abound with them. I ſpeake not of vulgar and common Images, the abuſe whereof is no leſſe then of theſe; but I remember only ſuch as no man of ſound ſenſe can apprehend with probability or appearance of truth, conſidering what the holy Scripture reporteth of Saint Luke, and what the more found antiquity witneſſeth of him.
3. Moreouer,Arn…b. aduerſus G…nte…. l. 6. as Arnobius long agoe derided the Pagans for the diuers figures which they aſſigned to their Gods, as when they pictured Iupiter Hamon, with two hornes like a Ram, Saturne with a Sickle, Mercury as a Meſſenger equipaged for a voyage, Venus all naked, as a woman ready to proſtitute her body to whoredome, Vulcan with a Hammer and other inſtruments of the Forge, Apollo with a Harpe like a Muſitian, and Neptune with a three forked Mace: So he might well deride the Papiſts if he were now liuing, who repreſent their Saints in like faſhion, as Moſes with two hornes, Saint Iohn with a Challice, Saint Iames with a Pilgrimes ſtaffe, Saint Paul with a Sword, Saint Peter with two Keyes, Saint Geniſt with a Violl, S. Anthony with a Hogge, and ſuch like. For as hee ſpeaketh of the heathen Gods, ſo we may truely affirme of theſe Popiſh Saints, that if we take from them their enſignes, one of them could not be differenced from the other, no more then Actors in a play without their habits, for what can we tearme this but meerly an interlude of ſuperſtition? Adde hereunto, that as the Pagans worſhipped their Gods vnderunder the Image and prourtraicture of certaine men, yea, of infamous Harlots as we read, that Phidias drew the Image of Iupiter Olympian by the viſage of his Minion Pantarces, and Prapiteles the Image of Venus by the famous Harlot Phryne: So the Papiſts hauehave their Images drawne after the ſame modell, as of our Lady, Saint Mary Magdalen, and other ſhe Saints, by the feature and fauour of ſuch delicate Dames as were preſented to their view: yea, this groſſe ſuperſtition is growne to that height of impudency, that if the picture of any notorious Harlot be but placed in a Church or Chappell, or ſome other place of publike or priuate deuotion, they ſpare not to kneele vntounto it, and to adore before it,Gueuara …olden epiſt. lib. 1. as if it were a moſt vndoubted Saint. Of which horrible abuſe Anthony Gueuara Biſhop of Mondonedo, Preacher and Chronicler to Charles the fift, giueth vsus a ſufficient witneſſe; for he in one of his Golden Epiſtles affirmeth, that a certaine Great man of note called Henry Henriques, had in his Oratory three Tablets of three very beautifull women curiouſly drawne, with theſe inſcriptions ouer them, Saint Lamia, Saint Flora, Saint Lais, the names of three ancient and famous Harlots among the Pagans, which notwithſtanding this Lord prayed eueryevery day vntounto, and ſaid his Aue Maria, and Pa…er noſters. Neither is this onelyonly in priuate deuotion, but it is notoriouſly knowne by experience, that on their Feaſt day of Corpus Chriſts, at which time Altars are addreſſed in the middeſt of the ſtreets with great oſtentation, they vſe to preſent to the people to worſhip the moſt wanton and laſciuious pictures that they can finde out in any priuate houſes, with a more then heatheniſh prophanation.
4. But the quinteſſence of deluſion lurketh in the Images and worſhip of the bleſſed Virgin, againſt whom farre be it from mee to conceiue the leaſt thought of irreuerence and diſhonour, I ſp…ake onelyonly againſt their ſuperſtition which ſhe her ſelfe abhorreth. It is therefore to be noted, that they hauehave a whole legion of our Ladies pictures, from wh…nce ſpringeth the greateſt reuenewes of their Cleargy. Some take their names from the places, Cities, or Townes, where they are, as our Lady of Lawretto, our Lady of Sichem, our Lady of Halls, our Lady of Walſingham, our Lady of Aix, our Lady of Nantueil, our Lady of Francucile, with a number more. Others giuegive names to the places where they are; as our Lady of the Vale, which is therefore called our Ladies Vale, our Lady of the Mount, our Lady of the Wood, our Lady of the Field, our Lady of the Well, our Lady of the Fountaine, our Lady of the Caue, our Lady of the Snow, becauſe in the hotteſt time of ſummer the place where this Image ſtands, is alwaies full of Snow, as they report: ſome againe take their names from the ſuppoſed effects, which they are thought to worke: as our Lady of Recouery, our Lady of Comfort, our Lady of Gladneſſe, our Lady of Ioy, our Lady of Pitty, our Lady of Vertue, our Lady of good Newes, our Lady of good Deſire, our Lady of Aydes, with an infinite number of the like kinde: So that we may iuſtly ſay of theſe Papiſts, as the Lord himſelfe ſaith of the Iewes by the mouth of the Prophet Ieremy, Chap. 11.13. O Iudah according to the number of thy Cities were thy Gods, and according to the number of the ſtreets of Ieruſalem, hauehave ye ſet vp Altars to that ſhamefull thing, euen Altars to burne incenſe vntounto Baal. A prophecy verified in the Popiſh Church, where they hauehave a ſeuerall Saint for eueryevery City, and the Virgin Mary a common protectrix of them all.
5. But this is not all: the differences that are betwixt theſe our Ladies are very great, aſwell in other things, as in their names; and that both in their age, and in their feature, and in their beauty, and their countenance; as Henry Stephen in his Apology for Herodotus, hath at large deſcribed: but in this lurkes the maine poyſon (ſaith the ſame Author) that for the moſt part they are acoutred and garniſhed both in countenance and veſture, like notorious Harlots; as they vſed to paint S. Mary Magdalen, to wit, naked in ſome parts, as alſo the Aegyptian Mary. And to this purpoſe I remember (ſaith he) what I hauehave read of our Lady of all beauties at Tours, ſo tearmed becauſe ſhe vſed to be painted after the ſame manner that Venus was wont to be among the Pagans: For all the daintieſt Wenches of Tours were brought before the Painter; and from one he borrowed her high forehead, from another her ſparkling eyes, from a third her pretty long noſe, from a fourth her ſmiling mouth, from others a dimpled chin, and other parts of the body: now whether the obiect of ſo beautifull an our Lady, enkindleth our deuotion or no, or rather what other flame it ſtirreth vp, I leaue to them that are competent iudges in this kinde. This I am aſſured of, out of his Author, which is one Iohn Menard, a great preacher in thoſe times, that there are in their bookes of deuotion, to be ſeene moſt laſciuious pictures, fitter to incen… luſt, then to ſtirre vp deuotion. But whether thoſe pictures were of ſuch as they had at command, or of ſuch as they would hauehave at command, I know not: onelyonly it is likely they were of ſuch creatures, as to whom they bore great affection, and leaſt they ſhould forget them, would contemplate their pictures in their prayers.
6. Now I would aske them in this ſubiect but one queſtion, to wit, Whether all theſe our Ladies which I hauehave named, are one and the ſame in ſubſtance, or diuers and many? If they ſay, One and the ſame, I aske then why they diſguiſe her after ſo many faſhions? If they ſay that they are diuers, I would faine know of them, which is the true Virgin Mary the mother of Ieſus Chriſt? This queſtion which way ſoeuer they anſwer, caſts them into moſt foule and groſſe abſurdities, and therefore I leaue it to their wiſedomes to reſolue: onelyonly let me remember them of the opinion of a good woman of Mount Riuard in France, who ſaide, that our Lady of Nautueil, and our Lady of Francucil were Siſters, and ſurely ſhe had reaſon, ſeeing their habits and countenances were ſomewhat alike.
7. But this abuſe is not onelyonly in the habits of our Ladies, but alſo of the other Saints, which to decipher to the full, would aske a longer diſcourſe then I intend; and for which, I referre the Reader to the former Author, Henry Stephen. Indeed the differences betwixt them, is both infinit, and incredible; not onelyonly in theſe things, but in many others; and therefore it is a great wonder how they being ſo different betweene themſelues, ſhould hauehave ſo perfect an harmony in the kitchins of their holy Church, which they all with one accord maintaine in ſuch ſort, that they hardly giuegive place to the kitchins of Kings and Emperours. Much reuenew commeth to them from the bodies of their Saints departed, in regard of their relikes, as hath bene declared before, but it is nothing to that wealth which they gaine by their ſoules: which that we may beleeue to be true, let the Reader take but the paines to view theſe Latine verſes, which I will ſet downe verbatim, as they were a long time written in Gothick letters in a Tablet of ſtone, faſtned to a picture of the Church of S. Stephen at Bourges, neere vntounto the Altar, where vſed to be ſung their Cardinall Maſſe: for they containe in them the very quinteſſence of moſt impudent and abhominable impiety, and is ſo Authenticall a preſident, as cannot be denyed, without denying their owne hand and ſcale. The verſes are theſe.
Hic des denotè, coeleſtibus aſſociote:
Mentes aegrotae per munera ſunt ibi lotae:
Ergo venitote gentes à ſorde remota:
Qui dat is eſtote certi de diuite d…e:
Te precor accelera, ſpargas hic dum potes aera:
Et ſic reuera ſecure coelica ſpera.
O ſi tu ſcires, quantum data proſit ibires,
Tu iuxta vires, donares quod dare quires.
Te miſer à paena dum tempus habet aliena
Huc dare te paena, v…niae fit aperta crumena,
Conſors coeleſtis fabricae, qui p…rrigit, eſt is:
Ex hoc ſum teſtis, hic vos mundare poteſtis.
Fratres haurite de trunco pocula vitae
Hic aliquid ſinite, veri velut Iſraelitae
Crede mihi crede, coeli dominaberis oede
Nam pro mercede Chriſto dices mihi cede.
Hic datur exponi paradiſus venditioni,
Currant ergo boni, rapientes calminathroni
Ʋis retinere forum, mihi tradas pauca bonorum
Pro ſumma quorum, reſerabitur aula polorum.
Hic ſi large des, in coelo fit tua ſedes:
Qui ſerit hic parce, parce comprendit in arce
Cur tardas tantum? nummi mihi des aliquantum,
Pro ſolo nummo gandebis in aethere ſummo, &c.
I forbeare to interpret theſe verſes in Engliſh, becauſe their greateſt grace lyes in the Latine rimes; onelyonly the meaning in few words is this: That he which giueth to an Image, goeth directly into Paradiſe, and the more he giueth the better place he ſhall finde there; yea, that Chriſt himſelfe ſhall yeeld his place vp to ſuch an one. Now is it poſſible that men that are reaſonable creatures, ſhould be thus deluded and blinded? But this is the efficacy of Antichriſtian deluſion inflicted by Gods iudgement vponupon men for their ſinnes, and wrought by the ſubtlety and malice of Sathan, vponupon their ſoules.