Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 2 · Section 3
#Sect. 3. The Oppoſites ſaying, the ſecond Commandement forbiddeth only materiall Images, are confuted. The Croſſe now vſed is not ſimply aereall.
NO great colour can our oppoſites finde, to cleare the croſſe from theſe imputations: but that which they are able to get, that they varniſh with all the induſtry and ſkill that may be. The firſt ſort of them ſinge the old ludden: It is the materiall Image that this commaundement doth forbid, of ſuch an aeriall figure as this, it taketh no knowledg, alas, what is it but the wagging of a finger? Firſt, we inſiſte vponupon the letter of this Commandement temunah, ſignifyeth any ſimilitude whatſoeuer. As for Peſell though it be properly an Image materiall that is hewn, yet by aaD Fulke ag Gregor. Martin ca. 3. ſect. 20. ſynechdoche it doth ſtand for all other formes & figures. Secondly, we ſtand vponupon the intent of this Commandement, which is to forbid all mans inuention in the worſhip of God, Whereupon it becommeth vnlawful, not only to adore, but alſo tobD. Fulke reioind. are. 3. fol. 162. D. Bilſ. ag. Apolog. p 4. p. 340.3…2. make any ſimilitude in the ſeruice of God; any ſimilitude (I ſay) of any ſort or kind whatſoeuer, for ſo ourcHomil. ag. peril. of Idolat p. 1 Homilie biddeth me ſpeake. Thirdly, we build vponupon the nature of an Image, whoſe eſſence is to repreſent that which an aereall ſigne can doe aſwell as any, as the aereall ſmoke of ayre the pillar of fire that was aereall, the aereall image of Endor ſhewe, and the aerealleTrelcat. tranſcunt actions of breaking, powring, giuing, taking, which are Symbolicall in the Supper. WhenfConcil. Nicen. 2. Act. 1. Chryſoſtome is alleadged,dTho. Aquin p. 3. q 25. art. 4. Ego ex Cera fuſilem picturam pietate plenam amaui: and when the little ſhrines of Diana, whichgBaeza in Act 19. Demetrius made are condemned, and the Images of Baſilides although but little as which were borne about in the boſome, the matter permanent is not reſpected, or the forme how little or how great it is, ſo it be a forme at all? and as litle & aereall as the ſigne of the Croſſe is, Maiſter Hooker matcheth it with the brazen ſerpents picture,hRic. Hook li 5. ca. 65. Caeſar. Baron Annal. in an. 120. which hee thinketh might hauehave bene lawfull in the Temple. Whereas it is certaine that not onelyonly eueryevery picture of an Idoll is vnlawfull (by this Commandement) in Gods ſeruice, but alſo quicquid Papiſtae rapiunt ad ſacrum impietatum picturam & commendationem: whatſoeuer the Papiſts ſnatch to the painting & commendation of their impieties. Howbeit we leane not vponupon Maiſter Hooker, mortivicina Paula, crucis ſignum mHieron. epiſt. 27. cap. 13.pingebat in labijs. Ad omnem inceſſum manus nIdem epiſt 22. ad Euſtoch. cap 16.pingat crucem, Paula neere to death, painted the ſigne of the Croſſe in her lips. At eueryevery putting to of the hand let her make a Croſſe. Diuerſe like teſtimonies might be brought out of the Fathers, that this ſigne is not ſo aereall, but that it may be termed a picture which is an Image in all plaine ſight. ForqEpipha. epiſt ad Ioh Hieroſolimit. Epiphanius calleth the picture of Anablatha, an an Image. Euſebius therEuſeb hiſtor lib. 7. cap. 14. pictures of Paul and of Chriſt, the Images of them. And what the Councill ofsConcil. Elibertin. can. 36. Eliberis decreeth againſt pictures in the Church, whattAuguſt. de morib. eccleſ. cont. Manich. cap. 34. Auguſtine ſpeaketh againſt the adoring of pictures in walles, that doe we applie againſt Images as well we may, none making any difference betweene them, but the Greeke, and perchaunce the Lutheran Churches, which are condemned on all ſides. Neither doth the aerineſſe of the Croſſe hinder but that it is amongſt the pictures of largeſt ſence, which this Commaundement doth condemne. Eſpecially ſeeing in auncient times the picture aereall and materiall were yoked together as if they were one. Pingamus in lanuijs, at que in frontibus viuiſicum ſignum (ſaithuEphreem. de. paenitent. cap. 3. one) Sanctus Hilarion (ſaithwSeuerus ſulpit. Carol Sigon. de occidental. imper. li. 7. an. 365. another) pinxit in Sabulo tria ſigna crucis. Saint Hilarion painted in the ſand three ſignes of the Croſſe, and thereby ſtayed the invndation of the ſea. Now I would faine know what difference betweene a Croſſe pictured in the ſand, and a Croſſe pictured in the childes forehead? hath not the one as liuely colours as the other? what if it had not? Nos non in coloribus & tabulis honorem conſtituimus, We put not honour in coloures and in tables (ſaithxConcil. Nicen. 2. Act. 2. the Idolater). Againe, Non colorum naturam adoro; ab ſit ſad inanimatā Characterem Chriſti, I worſhip not the natures of colours. GodyIbid. act. 4 forbid, but the liueles Character of Chriſt. Fourthly, we plead proportion, for as eueryevery figuratiue Idoll is forbidden in the firſt Commaundement (as hath bene ſhewed) ſo eueryevery figuratiue Image heere in the ſeruice of God.zDecret. p. …. de conſecret. diſtinct. 3. cap. 13. The Canon law holdeth a Sunday, an Image of the day wherein Chriſt roſe, allow ſuch a largneſſe of ſenſe, & is not the Croſſe an Image?aDecret. p. 3 de poenirent. diſtinct. 2. cap. 35. The minde that is ſanctified is an a Image of God, and is not a mind defiled then with fancies, an Image of that which doth defile it? This I ſpeake becauſe the croſſe worketh Images in the ſoule, which are vnlawfull by the Commandement: and we know, Quicquid efficit tale illud ipſum eſt magis tale, whatſoeuer maketh ſuch, is it ſelfe, much more ſuch. The Croſſe helpeth the inward imagination (ſaith Maiſter Hooker.) This imagination apprehendeth an Image of the thing conceiued (ſaith thebSuar. tom. 1. in Tho. diſput. 54. ſect. 1. Rodolph. Goclenius metaphy. ſic. diſput. 4 Philoſopher.) This Image conceiued is a true Image (ſaith thecDecret. p. 1 diſtinct. 6. cap. 1. Lawyer.) When this Image is receiued from the apprehenſion of an outward Image (which the Lord hath not commaunded) it is an Image Idolatrous, ſaith thedAuguſt de vera. religion. c…. 38 Diuine, to which oureD. Bilſ. ag. Apolog. p. 1. p. 30. Oppoſites themſelues conſent. If the inward Image which is no way ſenſible which the Croſſe begetteth be an Image which is vnlawfull by this Commandement, then the outward ſenſible ſimilitude which begetteth it, muſt bee an Image much more vnlawfull, be it neuer ſo little a one; be it but a fingers wagging. For euen1Pro. 6.10. ver. 13. ſlouth though neuer ſo [little] is without excuſe, as alſo the inordinate wagging of the2Iſa. 58.9. finger, though neuer ſo tranſeunt, it being our fingers duty to be a weapon3Rom. 6.13. vntounto righteouſnes; which how can it be, alwhile it is in pay with an Idoll, doth ſuch an hand4Iſa. 33.15. ſhake it ſelfe from that which is euill, as it is inioyned to doe.