The Bee Hive of the Romish Church, Part 2 · Preface · Chapter 14
The xiiii. Chapter. VVhichWhich treateth of some particular images, and painted tables, which the Church of Rome doth vse, and for the establishing of the same by the Scripture.
NOwe, because these Heretikes are most busie with some speciall images,Diuerse particular images & painted tables of the holie Church. which the holie Church of Rome doe vse with great deuotion, and with them doe these Heretikes mocke and ieast most of all: it is verie necessarie that wee proue and establish the same out of the holy scripture. Then, to begin withall, it is not to be mocked, nor wondered at, that they in their Churches, and Masse bookes, doe paint the Trinitie with three faces: for our mother the holie Church, did learne that at Rome, where they were wont to paint or carue Ianus with two faces. And then further, there is written in Iohn,The trinitie with three faces. That there are three in heauen which beare witnesse, the Father, the Worde, and the Holie ghost: and these three are one, &c. Then of necessitie they must be painted or made with three heades, or three faces, vponupon one necke. For whereas these heretikes say, that it is plaine forbidden, to make the likenesse of God any maner of way, seeing God himselfe saith: Thou didst heare a voyce out of the bush, Deut. 4.12.but thou sawest no likenesse: Therfore be well warie,This did the fathers of the Councell off Nice cut of thus: the like …ckius, saying, that the Iewes were addicted to idolatrie. that thou make not anie image after my likenesse: That was spoken to the Iewes onelie, and is now altered through the worthie custome and vsage of our deare mother the holie Church of Rome.
And whereas the holy Church hath also chosen to make the similitude of the father, an olde man, with a long gray beard: and for the sonne, a man hanging on the crosse: and for knowledge of the holie Ghost, a doue: that is done of her owne inuention and free will. For she might as well hauehave made a bushe, or a flame of fire, or a cloude, to counterfeite the father: for that he did shewe himselfe in all these likenesses, as well as in the likenesse of a man, or they might as well hauehave made for Christ, a childe in a cradle, or a man teaching and instructing the people. And likewise for the holie Ghost, a tongue, or a flame of fire, as well as they doe a man crucified, or a doue. But therein shee doeth vse her libertie: for that hath alwayes his course by the common rule, which is:
Sic volo, sic iubeo, stet pro ratione voluntas:
Our pleasure is as we command,
Our lust for lawe perforce shall stand. Or according to that which the Poet Horace saith in a verse:
Pictoribus atqué Poetis,
Quidlibet audendi semper fuit aequa potestas:
Painters and Poets,
hauehave licence to measure
Their colours and verses,
euen at ther owne pleasure.
Secondarily,Angels with wings. whereas angels are coū terfeited with wings, that is taken out of Esaie & Ezekiel, who say, That the Cherubims were shewed vntounto them in a vision with wings. S. Micael with his balance. Read also in fol. 107.And whereas S. Michael is made with a paire of balance in his hand, that is, because hee must wey the soules, to see whether their good workes & deserts be not heuier in weight,Rom. 3.4. Galat. 4. Ephe. 2. than their sinnes & of fences. For (as before we hauehave written) the holy church hath appointed him that office, because she esteemeth it a sure article, that none can be saued by the merits, bloud and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ onelie,Antonine parte. 3. tit. …4. cap. 20 & par 4. tit. 9. cap. 7. Bonauentura in …ent. lib. 4 d…st. 15. Barnard. Rosetus in sermo. …0. Petrus Sotus in assertione Ca…l…o. de bonis …peribu… ▪ and all other Catholike writers. 2. Cor. 3.7. Exod. 34.30.35. Moses with hornes. yet Paule doeth so teach: but euerie man must (by his owne good works & deserts) bee weyed out and saued, making full satisfaction thereby, of his sinnes and offences.
After this now, where Moses is painted with hornes, is vponupon this occasion. For that it is written, to witte, that the face of Moses did shine (as Paule himselfe doeth set it forth) that hath the common translation of the holie Church expounded thus, That Moses had hornes, for that he should be as it were a figure of our Bishoppes, which now likewise we are two hornes.
And whereas they make of the three wise men,The three Kings. that came out of the East, three Kings, and one of those as blacke as pitch, like a Morian, that is fetched out of the wordes of Dauid,Psal. 72.10. or Solomon, saying: Kings shall come out of the Moores lande, to worship Christ. For this hath the holy Church interpreted, to be spoken by the three wise men. And although the Morians land, lay much more to the West of Iurie, than to the East, from whence the wise men came, that is of no importance: for the holie Church can alter the lying and situation of the landes, and make of the West the East.
Againe,The Oxe and the Asse by the cribbe. whereas they hauehave likewise set an Oxe and an Asse by the cribbe of their litle Iesus, whiche doe warme him with their breath: that is grounded vponupon the plaine Text of Esaie, who saith, The Oxe doth know his maisters will, Esaie 1.3.and an Asse the cribbe of his maister: but the people of Israel will vnderstande nothing at all, &c. Yea, and it may be a verie good allusion, that by the Oxe, the Bishoppes, Abbattes, and Prelates, are vnderstood, because they weare hornes also, like an Oxe, and can roare out excellentlie well against these heretikes, better than they can preache the worde of God. And by the Asse may verie well be vnderstoode the graie Friers, which are likewise as graie as asses, and therewithall, all the residue of Monkes, Friers, and poore Priestes, who are not much better learned than Asses, and doe esteeme Christ still as a young childe that lies yet in the cribbe, and therefore go about to please him & make him contented with goodlie images, and puppets, with belles & rattelles, with piping, and daunsing, and with such other like fonde toyes and ceremonies.
Saint Lungies with a Lance.Againe, where they paint S. Lungies, who pricking Christ in the side with a speare, receiued his sight, by vertue of the bloud which sprinckled in his eyes, that is likewise proued by good scriptures. For Saint Iohn saith,Iohn. 19.34. That a souldier with a speare did pearce Christes side. And this speare in the Greeke was called Longi, whereof the holy Church hath made a Saint, and named the same S. Longinus. And because the saide Iohn said: That it came so to passe, Iohn. 19.37.because the Scripture should bee fulfilled, saying: They shall looke vponupon him whom they hauehave pearced: Zach. 12.18.Out of that hauehave they fetched the lies or Legend of S. Lungies, as to say that he was blind, and thinking to hauehave thrust his speare into a Crowe, did thrust it into the side of Iesus Christ, and so the bloud did spring out into his eyes, wherby he receiued his sight: and was long afterwards canonized by the Pope, and put into the Kalendar for a Saint.
In summe, all their paintings, and all those dumbe images, which are set vp in Churches: as the Apostles with rounde trenchers behinde their heades, and euerie one of them with his weapon in his hande, our Ladie with her fris…ed haire, and goodlie golden garmentes, with her perukes, fine kerchiefs, and goodly set forth with all her conceites like a Princesse of this world, and Saint Katharine, and S. Barbara, bare breasted, with their embrodered and stitched workes, as trimly deck… and painted, as the Courtesans of Rome, and Venice. And all this can our deare mother fetch finely out of the scriptures: yea, and shee can finde you a threede for euerie needle. So that these Heretikes hauehave nothing to say to this: for whatsoeuer is done of a good intent and purpose, and to the profite of our deare mother the holie Church of Rome, that must bee by God accepted without anie doubt, and hee must of necessitie passe it in his reckoning booke, or else muscels were no fishe, neither should you hauehave anie oysters at Billingsgate.
For a fla… conclusion, wee must hauehave goodly images, and braue painted tables, in the Church: yea, and though it did not serue for anie other purpose, but that young men and maidens, will therefore the rather come to Church: for thereby it happens often, that when they come onelie to see the images and goodlie paintinges, and fisnomies: yet in the meane space some deuotion commes in their mindes, to hauehave a snatch at a Masse, or to heare a Salue Regina: whereby they often obteine pardon of their sinnes, euen halfe against their willes. And therefore we care not a beane, for all that these Heretikes can say to this, but will manteine and vpholde our olde deuotion without anie iotte lacking