Answer to a Jesuit in Ireland, Treatise · Section 9

Answer to a Jesuit in Ireland · Treatise · Section 9

p. 447OF IMAGES.

WIth prayer to Saints our Challenger joyneth the use of holy Images: which what it hath beene and still is in the Church of Rome, seeing hee hath not beene pleased to declare unto us in particular, I hope he will give us leave to learne from others. aaDoctrina ost Romanae Ecclesiae, Christi & Sanctorum Imagines piâ Religione á Christianis colendas esse. Zac. Bo…erius, in Orthodoxâ Consultat, de ratione verae Fidei & Religionis ample…tenda. part. 2. Regul. 1. pag. 189. edit. Matrit. an. 1623.It p. 448is the doctrine then of the Romane Church, that the Images of Christ and the Saints should with pious Religion be worshipped by Christians: saith Zacharias Boverius the Spanish fryar, in his late Consultation directed to our most noble Prince Charles, bbSerenissime Carole, spes Anglicanae Ecclesiae. Id. part. 1. Regul. 4. pag. 58.the Hope of the Church of England, and ccPrinceps futura orbis foelicitas Id part. 2. Regul. 2. pag. 196.the future felicitie of the World; as even this Balaam himself doth style him. The representations of God, and of Christ, and of Angels, and of Saints, ddNon solùm pinguntur, ut ostendantur, sicut Cherubim olim in templo, sed ut adorentur: ut frequens usus Ecclesiae testatur. Caietan in 3. part. Thomae, quaest. 25. artic. 3.are not onelyonly painted that they may be shewed, as the Cherubims were of old in the Temple, but that they may be adored; as the frequent use of the Church doth testifie: saith Cardinall Cajetan. So Thomas Arundell archbishop of Canterbury, in his Provinciall Councell helde at Oxford in the yeare 1408. established this Constitution following. * From henceforth let it be taught commonly and preached by all, that the Crosse and the Image of the Crucifixe and the rest of the Images of the Saints, in memorie and honour of them whom they figure, as also their places and Relickes, ought to be worshipped with processions, bendings of the knee, bowings of the bodie, incensings, kissings, offerings, lighting of candles, and pilgrimages; together with all other maners and formes whatsoever, as hath beene accustomed to be done in our or our predecessors times. And in the Romane Catechisme set out by the appointment of the Councell of Trent, eenon solùm autem licere in Ecclesiâ imagines habere, & illis honorem & cultum adhibere, ostendet Parochus (cùm honos qui illis exhibetur, referatur ad prototypa) verum etiam maximo fidelium bono ad hanc usque diem factum declarabit. Catechism. Roman. part. 3. cap. 2. sect. 14.the Parish priest is required to declare unto his parishioners, not onelyonly that it is lawfull to have images in the Church, and to give honour and worship unto them, (for asmuch as the honour which is done unto them, is referred unto the things which they represent) but also that p. 449this hath still beene done to the great good of the faithfull. and that ffSanctorum quoq, imagines in templis positas demonstrabit; ut & colantur, & exemplo moniti, ad eorum vitam ac mores nos ipsos conformemus Ibid.the Images of the Saints are put in Churches, aswell that they may be worshipped, as that we being admonished by their example, might conforme our selves unto their life and maners.

Now for the maner of this worship, we are told by one of their Bishops; that ggErgo non solùm fatendū est, fideles in Ecclesiâ adorare coràm imagine, ut nonnulli ad cautelam forté loquuntur, sed et adorare imaginem, sine quo volueris scrupulo quin & eo illam venerantur cultu, quo & prototypon ejus: propter quod, si illud habet adorari latría, & illa latrîa; si dulia vel hyperdulia, & illa pariter, ejusmodi cultu adoranda est. Iacob. Nactantius, in epist. ad Roman. cap. 1 f…l 42. edit. Venet. an. 1557.it must not onelyonly be confessed, that the faithfull in the Church doe adore before the Images (as some peradventure would cautelously speake) but also adore the Image it selfe, without what scruple you will: yea they doe reverence it with the same worship, wherewith they doe the thing that is represented thereby. Wherefore (saith he) if that ought to be adored with Latrîa (or, divine worship) this also is to bee adored with Latrîa; if with Dulîa or Hyperdulîa, this likewise is to be adored with the same kinde of worship. And so we see that Thomas Aquinas doth directly conclude; that hhSic sequitur, quòd eadem reverentia exhibeatur imagini Christi & ipsi Christo Cùm ergo Christus adoretur adoratione latriae; consequens est, quòd ejus imago sit adoratione latriae adoranda. Thom Summ. part. 3. quaest. 25. artic. 3.the same reverence is to be given unto the Image of Christ and to Christ himselfe: and by consequence, seeing Christ is adored with the adoration of Latría (or, divine worship) that his image it to be adored with the adoration of Latrîa. VponUpon which place of Thomas, Fryar Pedro de Cabrera, a great Master of Divinitie in Spaine, doth lay downe these conclusions. I. iiSimpliciter & absoluté dicendum est, sacras imagines esse venerandas in templis, & extra templa: & contrarium est dogma haereticum. Hoc est, imaginibus exhibenda esse signa servitutis & submissionis, amplexu, luminaribus, oblatione suffituum, capitis nudatione, &c. Ilaec conclusio est dogma fidei collectum ex Sanctâ Scripturâ, ex quâ constat, res creatas etiā inanimes, dummodò Deo sint sacratae, esse adorandas. Petr. de Cabrera, in 3. part. Thom. quaest. 25, …rt. 3. disput. 2. num. 15.It is simply and absolutely to be said, that holy Images are to be worshipped, in p. 450Churches & …ut of Churches: and the contrary is an hereticall doctrine. for explication wherof he declareth, that by this worshipping he meaneth; that signes of service and submission are to be exhibited unto Images, by embracing, lightes, oblation of incense, uncovering of the head, &c. and that this conclusion is a doctrine of faith collected out of the holy Scripture; by which it appeareth, that things created yea although they be senselesse, so that they be consecrated unto God, are to be adored. II. kkImagines sunt veré & proprié adorandae, & ex intentione ipsas adorandi, & non tantùm exemplaria in ipsis repraesentata. Haec conclusio est contra Durandum & sectatores illius; quorum sententia á recentioribus censetur periculosa, temeraria, & sapiens haeresim: & M. Medina hîc refert, Magistrū Victoriam reputâsse il…am haereticam. Sed nostra conclusio est communis Theologorum. Ibid. num. 32.Images are truely and properly to be adored; and out of an intention to adore themselves, and not onelyonly the samplers that are represented in them. This conclusion (which he maketh to be the common resolution of the Divines of that side) he opposeth against Durand & his followers: who helde that Images are adored onelyonly improperly, because they put men in minde of the persons represented by them; who are then adored before the images, as if they had beene there really present. But this opinion he saith is censured by the latter Divines to be dangerous, rash, and savouring of heresie: yea and by Fr. Victoria to be plainely hereticall. For llSi imagines improprié tan tùm adorantur; simpliciter & absoluté non ado…antur, neque sunt adorandae: quod est haeresis manifesta Ibid. num. 34.if Images be adored only improperly, they are not to be adored simply & absolutely: which is a manifest heresie; saith Cabrera. And mmSi imagines solùm adorantur rememorativé, & recordativé, quia recordari nos faciunt exempla…ium; quae ita adoramus, ac si essent praesentia …equeretur eâdem adoratione, quâ colimus Deum, esse adorandas omnes c…eaturas; cùm omnes in Dei cognitionem & recordationem nos dacant, & Deus sit in omnibus rebus. Sed consequens est absurdum. Ergo. Ibid. num. 35.if Images were onelyonly to be worshipped by way of rememoration and recordation, because they make us remember the samplers, which we doe so worship, as if they had beene then present: it would follow that all creatures should be adored with the same adoration, wherewith we worship p. 451God; seeing all of them doe lead us unto the knowledge and remembrance of God, and God is present in all things. III. nnSententia Divi Thomae, quatenùs docet eodem actu adorationis coli Imaginem, & exemplar per illam representatum; est verissima, pijssima, & fidei decretis admodùm consona. Ibid. disput. 3. num. 56.The doctrine delivered by Thomas, that the Image and the sampler represented by it is to be worshipped with the same act of adoration; is most true, most pious, and very consonant to the decrees of Faith. This he ooId ibid. num. 30.saith is the doctrine not onelyonly of Thomas, and of all his disciples, but also of all the old Schoole-men almost. and particularly he quoteth for it, Cajetan, Capreolus, Paludanus, Ferrariensis, Antonius, Soto, Alexander of Hales, Albertus Magnus, Bonaventura, Richardus de Mediavilla, Dionysius Carthusianus, Major, Masilius, Thomas Waldensis, Turrecremata, Angestus, Clichtoveus, Turrian and Vazquez. In a word; ppConstans est Theologorum sententia; Imaginem eodem honore & cultu honorari & coli, quo coli tur id cujus est Imago Io. Azor. Institut. moral. tom. 1 lib. 9. cap. 6.it is the constant judgement of Divines, (saith Azorius the Iesuite) that the Image is to be honoured and worshipped with the same honour and worship, wherewith that is worshipped whereof it is an image.

Against this use, or rather horrible abuse of Images, to what purpose should we heape up anie testimonyes of holy Scripture; if the words of the second commandement, uttered with Gods owne mouth with thundring and lightning upon mount Sinai, may not be heard? Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any graven Image, nor the likenesse of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bowe downe to them, nor worship them. Which thunderclap from heaven the guides of the Romish Church discerning to threaten sore that fearefull Idolatrie which daily they commit; thought fit in wisedome, first to conceale the knowledge of this from the people, by excluding those words out of the Decalogue that went abroad for common use, under p. 452pretence (forsooth) of including it in the first Commandement: and then afterwards to put this conceite into mens heads, that this first commandement was so farre from condemning the veneration of Images, that it commanded the same, and condemned the contrarie neglect thereof. And therefore Laurence Vaux in his Catechisme, unto this Question; Who breaketh the first Commandement of God by unreverence of God? frameth this Answere. qqVaux Catechism. chap. 3.They that doe not give due reverence to God, and his Saints, or to their Relickes and IMAGES. and Iacobus de Graffijs in his explication of the same Commandement specifieth the due reverence here required, more particularly. namely,rrVt unamquamque imaginem eodem cultu, quo ille, cujus imago est, venetemur. id est, ut imagini Dei, vel Christi, vel etiā Crucis signo, prout Dominicam passionem ad mentem revocat, atriam impartiamur: ad sacrae Virginis imaginem hyperduliae, aliorum veró Sanctorum duliae adoratione adoremus. Iacob. de Graff…s, Decision, aure. casuū cons…ient. part. 1 lib. 2. cap. 2. s…ct. penult. that we should reverence everie Image with the same worship that we doe him whose image it is. that is to say, that wee impart Latrîa (or, divine worship) to the Image of God; or of Christ, or to the signe of the Crosse also, in asmuch as it bringeth the Passion of our Lord unto our minde: and that we use the adoration of Hyperdulîa at the Image of the holy Virgin, but of Dulìa at the Images of other Saints. And can there be found (thinke you) among men, a more desperate impudencie then this? that not onelyonly the practise of this wretched Idolatrie should be maintayned against the expresse commandement of almightie God; but also that hee himselfe should be made the author and commander of it, even in that verie place where he doth so severely forbid it, and ssRom. 1.18.Rom 1:18reveale his wrath from heaven against the ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men, which withhold the truth in unrighteousnesse. The miserable shiftes and silly evasions, whereby they labour to obscure the light of this truth, have beene detected by others to the full, and touched also in some part by my selfe in an ttSerm. at Westminst. before the house of Comons.other p. 453place: where I have shewed out of Deuteronom. 4.15, 16. and Rom. 1.23. that the adoring of the verie true God himselfe in or by an Image, commeth within the compasse of that Idolatrie which the word of God condemneth. And to this truth doe the Fathers of the ancient Church give plentifull testimonie: in what great account soever our Challenger would have us thinke that the use of Images was with them.

Indeed in so great account was the use of Images among them; that in the ancientest and best times, Christians would by no meanes permit them to be brought into their Churches; nay some of them would not so much as admit the art it selfe of making them: so jealous were they of the danger, and carefull of the prevention of the deceite, whereby the simple might anie way be drawne on to the adoring of them. uuforeign. Clem. Alexand…· Prophetie. ad Gentes.We are plainely forbidden, saith Clemens Alexandrinus, to exercise that deceitfull art. For the Prophet saith; Thou shalt not make the likenesse of anie thing, eyther in the heaven or in the earth beneath. xxforeign. Id Paedagog. lib. 3. cap. 2.Moses commandeth men, to make no Image, that should represent God by art. yyforeign. Id. in Prophetic.For in truth an Image is a dead matter, formed by the hand of an artificer. But we have no sensible Image made of any sensible matter, but such an Image as is to be conceived with the understanding. So his scholler Origen, writing against Celsus the philosopher: zzforeign. Origen. contra Cels. lib. 7. pag. 373.Who having his right wits (saith he) will not laugh at him, who after such great philosophicall discourses of God or Gods, doth looke on Images; and eyther presenteth his prayer to them, or by the sight thereof offereth it to him who is conceived p. 454thereby, unto whom he imagineth that he ought to ascend from that which is seene and is but a signe or symbol of him? And whereas Celsus had brought in that speech of Heraclîtus; aaforeign Hera…li…. Ephes. ibid. pag. 384. et apud Clem. Alexandr. in Prophetic. ad Gent. pag. 25. edit. Graecolat. ubi statim subiungitur: foreign; An non enim sunt prodigiosi qui lapides adorant?They pray unto these Images, as if a man should enter into conference with his house: and demanded; bbforeign. Celsus, apud Origen. ut supr. pag 384.Whether any man unlesse he were a verie childe, did thinke these things to be Gods, and not monuments and images of the Gods? Origen replyeth, that ccforeign. Origen. ibid. pag. 386.it is not a thing possible, that one should know God, and pray to Images: and that Christians ddforeign (lege, foreign: ut in verbis Celsi, pag. 384. lin. 24.) foreign. Id. ibid. pag 387.did not esteeme these to be divine Images, who used not to describe any figure of God who was invisible and without all bodily shape; eeforeign. hoc est, (ut ex verbis subseque…tib. intelliigitur) foreign. Id. ibid. pag. 385.nor could endure to worship God with anie such kinde of service as this was. In like maner, when the Gentiles demanded of the ancient Christians, ffCur nullas aras habent, templa nulla, nulla nota simulacra? Minut. Feli… in Octavio.why they had no knowne Images? Minutius Felix returneth them for answere againe. ggQuod enim simulacrum Deo fingam; cùm si recté existimes, sit Dei homo ipse simulacrum? Ibid.What Image shall I make to God; when man himselfe, if thou rightly judge, is Gods Image? hhIpsae imagines sacrae, quibus inanissimi homines, serviunt, omni sensu carent, quia terra sunt. Quis autem non intelligat, nefas esse rectum animal curvari, ut adoret terram? quae id circo pedibus nostris subjecta est, ut calcanda nobis, non adoranda sit. Lactant. divin. I…stitut. lib. 2. cap. 17.These holy Images (saith Lactantius) which vaine men serve, want all sense; because they are earth. Now who is there that understandeth not, that it is unfit for an upright creature to be bowed downe, that he may worship the earth? which for this cause is put under our feete, that it may be troden upon, not worshiped by us. iiQuare non est dubiū, quin religio nulla sit, ubicun que simulacrum est. Nam si religio ex divinis rebus est; divini autē nihil est nisi in coelestibus rebus: carent ergo religione simulacra; quia nihil potest esse coeleste in eâ re, quae fit ex terrâ. Ib. cap. 18.Wherefore p. 455there is no doubt, that there is no religion, wheresoever there is an Image. For seeing Religion consisteth of divine things; and nothing divine is to be found but in heavenly things: Images therefore are voyde of religion; because nothing that is heavenly can be in that thing, which is made of earth.

When kkAlexander Imp. Christo templum facere voluit, eumque inter Deos recipere. Quod & Adrianus cogitâsse fertur, qui templa in omnibus civitatibus sine simulacris jusserat fieri; quae hodie id circo quai non habent numina, dicuntur Adriani: quae ille ad hoc paráffe dicebatur. sed prohibitus est ab ijs qui consulentes sacra, repererant omnes Christianos futuro… si id optatò evenisset, & templa reliqua deserēda. Lamprid. in Alexandro.Adrian the Emperour had commanded that temples should be made in all cities without Images; it was presently conceived, that he did prepare those temples for Christ: as Aelius Lampridius noteth in the life of Alexander Severus. which is an evident argument, that it was not the use of Christians in those dayes to have anie Images in their Churches. And for keeping of Pictures out of the Church, the Canon of the Eliberine or Illiberitane Councell (helde in Spaine, about the time of Constantine the great) is most plaine. llPlacuit, picturas in Ecclesiâ esse non debere; ne quod colitur aut adoratur, in parietibus depingatur. …oncil El b…r. cap. …6.It is our minde, that pictures ought not to be in the Church; lest that which is worshipped or adored, should be painted on walles. which hath so troubled the mindes of our latter Romanistes; that Melchior Canus sticketh not to charge the Councell mmIlla (lex) non imprudenter modò, verumetiam impié, á Concilio Elibertino lata est de tollendis imaginibus. Canus. loc. Theologic. lib. 5. cap. 4. conclus 4.not onelyonly with imprudencie, but also with impiety, for making such a law as this, nnGentiles lignum adorant, quia Dei imaginem putant: sed invisibilis Dei imago non in eo est quod videtur, sed in eo utique quod non videtur. Ambros. in Psal. 118. octo…ar. 10.Ps 118The Gentiles (saith S. Ambrose) worship woode, because they thinke it to be the image of God: but the image of the invisible God is not in that which is seene, but in that which is not seene. ooNon vult se Deus in lapidibus coli. Id. epist. 31. ad Valen…inianum Imp.God would not have himselfe worshipped in stones: saith the same Father p. 456in another place. and, ppEcclesia inanes ideas & varias nescit simulacrorum figuras; sed veram novit Trinitatis substantiam. Id. de fugâ saecui…, ca, 5The Church knoweth no vain ideaes and diverse figures of Images; but knoweth the true substance of the Trinitie. So S. Hierome: qqNos unum habemus virū, & unam veneramur imaginem, quae est imago invisibilis & omnipotentis Dei. Hieronym. lib. 4. in Ezech. cap. 16.Ezek 16We worship one Image, which is the image of the invisible and omnipotent God. and S. Augustine: rrIn primo praecepto prohibetur coli aliqua in figmē tis hominum Dei similitudo: non quia non habet imaginē Deus, sed quia nulla imago ejus coli debet, nisi illa quae hoc est quod ipse; nec ipsa pro illo, sed cum illo. Augustin. epist. 119. ad Ianuar. cap. 11.In the first commandement, any similitude of God in the figments of men is forbidden to be worshipped. not because God hath not an image; but because no image of him ought to be worshipped, but that which is the same thing that he is, (Coloss. 1.15. Hebr. 1.3.) nor yet that for him, but with him. As for the representing of God in the similitude of a man: he resolveth, that ssTale simulacrum Deo nefas est Christiano in templo collocare. Id. de Fide & Symbol. cap. 7.it is utterly unlawfull to erect any such image to God in a Christian Church. and touching the danger of Images in generall, and the practise of the Church in this matter, thus he writteth. ttHoc enim venerantur, quod ipsi ex auro argento que fecerunt. Sed enim & no… pleraque instrumenta & vasa ex hujusmodi materiâ vel metallo habemus in usum celebrandorū sacramentorū; quae ipso ministerio consecrata sancta dicuntur, in ejus honorē cui pro salute nostrâ inde servitur. Et sunt profectò etiā ista instrumenta vel vasa, quid aliud quàm opera manū hominū? Veruntamen nunquid os habent, & non loquentur? Nunquid oculos habent, & non videbunt? Nunquid eis supplicamus, quia per ea supplicamus Deo? Illa caussa est maxima impietatis insanae, quòd plus valet in affectibus miserorū similis viventi forma quae sibi efficit supplicari, quàm quòd eam manifestū est non esse viventē, ut debeat á vivente contemni. Plus enim valent simulacra ad curvandā infelicē animā, quòd os habent, oculos habent, aures habēt, nares habēt, manus habent, pedes habēt; quàm ad corrigendā, quòd non loquentur, non videbunt, non audient, non odorabunt, non contrectabunt, non …bulabunt. Id, in Psal. 113. cons. 2.Ps 113The Gentiles worship that, which they themselves have made of Gold and silver. But even vve also have diverse instruments and vessels of the same matter or metall, for the use of celebrating the sacraments: which being consecrated by this very ministerie are called holy, in honour of him who for our salvation is served thereby. And these instruments and vessels also, what are they else but the worke of p. 457mens hands. Yet have these any mouth, and will not speake? have they eyes, and will not see? Doe we supplicate unto these, because by these wee supplicate unto God? That is the greatest cause of this madd impietie, that the forme like unto one living which maketh it to be supplicated unto, doth more prevaile in the affections of miserable men; than that it is manifest it doth not live at all, that it ought to be contemned by him who is indeed living. For Images prevayle more to bowe downe the unhappy soule, in that they have a mouth, they have eyes, they have eares, they have nosthrillés, they have hands, they have feete; than to correct it, that they will not speake, they will not see, they will not heare, they will not smell, they will not handle, they will not walke. Thus farre S. Augustine.

The speech of Amphilochius Bishop of Iconium to this purpose is memorable: uuforeign. Amphiloch. citatus á Patrib Concilij Constantinop. an. 754.We have no care to figure by colours the bodily visages of the Saints in tables, because we have no need of such things; but by virtue to imitate their conversation. but the fact of Epiphanius, rending the vayle that hung in the Church of Anablatha, is much more memorable: which he himselfe in his epistle to Iohn Bishop of Ierusalem (translated by S. Hierome out of Greeke into Latin) doth thus recount. xxInveni ibi velum pendens in foribus ejusdem Ecclesiae tinctum atque depictum, & habens imaginem quasi Christi, vel Sancti cujusdā: non enim satis memini, cujus imago fuerit. Cùm ergo hoc vidissem, in Ecclesiâ Christi contra auctoritatem Scripturarum hominis pendere imaginem, scidi illud; & magis dedi consilium custodibus ejusdem loci, ut pauperem mortuum eo obvolverent & efferrent. Epiph…n. epist ad Ioann▪ Hierosolym. tomo 1. oper. Hieronym. epist. 60.I found there a vayle hanging at the doore of the Church dyed and painted, and having the image as it were of Christ or some Saint: for I doe not well remember, whose image it was. When therefore I saw this; that contrarie to the authoritie of the Scriptures the image of a man was hanged up in the Church of Christ: I cut it, and gave counsell to the keepers of the place, that they should rather p. 459wrappe and burie some poore dead man in it. and afterwards he intreateth the Bishop of Ierusalem (under whose government this Church was) yyDeinceps praecipere, in Ecclesiâ Christi istiusmodi vela, quae contra religionē nostrā veniunt, non appēdi. Id. ibid.to give charge hereafter, that such vayles as these which are repugnant to our religion, should not be hanged up in the Church of Christ. Which agreeth verie well with the sentence attributed to the same Father in the Councell of Constantinople: zzforeign. Epiphan. citat á Concil. Constantinop. in Act. 6. tom. 5. Concil N…caen. II.Acts 6Have this in minde beloved sonnes, not to bring Images into the Church, nor into the Coemiteries of the Saints, no not into an ordinarie house: but alwayes carie about the remembrance of God in your hearts. For it is not lawfull for a Christian man to be caried in suspense by his eyes and the wandrings of his minde. and with his discourse against the heresie of the Collyridians, which made an Idol of the Virgin Mary (as in the former question hath more largely beene declared.) to which he opposeth himselfe in this maner. aaforeign. Epiphan. in Panar. haeres 79. pag. 447.How is not this course Idolatrous, and a Divelish practise? For the Divell stealing alwayes into the minde of men under pretence of righteousnesse, deifying the mortall nature in the eyes of men, by varietie of artes framed Images like unto men. And they truely who are worshipped are dead, but their Images that never yet were alive (for they cannot be sayd to be dead that never were alive) they bring in to be worshipped, by a minde going awhoring from the one and onelyonly God: as a common harlot, stirred with a wicked desire of promiscuous mixture, and rejecting the sobrietie of the lawfull marriage of one man.

If it be inquired who they were that first brought p. 458in this use of Images into the Church: it may well be answered, that they were partly lewd Heretickes, partly simple Christians newly converted from Paganisme, the customes whereof they had not as yet so fully unlearned. Of the former kinde the Gnostique heretickes were the principall: who bbImagines quasdam quidē depictas, quasdam autē & de reliquâ materiâ fabricatas habent: dicentes formam Christi factam á Pilato, illo in tempore quo fuit Iesus cum hominibus. Irenaeus, lib. 1. adve…s. haeres. cap. 24. foreign (vel foreign potiù…) foreign. Epiphan. in Panar. haeres. 27 pag 52.had Images, some painted in colours, others framed of gold and silver and other matter; which they sayd were the representations of Christ, made under Pontius Pilate, when he was conversant here among men. Whence Carpocrates, and Marcellina his disciple (who brought this Idolatrous heresie first to Rome in the dayes of Pope Anicetus) ccId. Epiphan in Anacephalaeosi, pag 525. de Carpocrate. foreign. Sectae ipsius fuisse traditur socia quaedam Marcellina; quae colebat imagines Iesu, & Pauli, & Homeri, & Pythagorae, adorando incensumque ponendo Augustin. de haeres. cap. 7.having privily made Images of Iesus, and Paul, and Homer, and Pythagoras, did cense them, and worship them: as Epiphanius and Augustine doe report. To the latter that observation of Eusebius may be referred concerning the Image of Christ, thought to be erected by the woman that was cured of the bloudy issue. ddforeign. Euseb. lib. 7. histor. Ecclesiastic. cap. 18.It is no marvell (saith he) that those of the Heathen who of old were cured by our Saviour should doe such things: seeing we have seene the Images of his Apostles Paul and Peter, yea and of Christ himselfe, kept painted with colours, in tables: for that of old they have beene wont by a Heathenish custome thus to honour them whom they counted to be their Benefactors or Saviours.

But by whomsoever they were first brought in, certaine it is that they proved a dangerous snare unto the p. 460simple people, who quickely went a whooring after them: contrarie to the doctrine which the Fathers & Doctors of the Church did deliver unto them. And therefore S. Augustine writing of the maners of the Catholicke Church against the Manichees, directly severeth the case of such men from the common cause, and approved practise of the Catholicke Church. eeNolite mihi colligere professores nominis Christiani, nec professionis suae vim aut scientes aut exhibentes. Nolite consectari turbas imperitorum, qui vel in ipsâ verâ religione superstitiosi sunt, vel ita libidinibus dediti, ut obliti sint quic quid promiserint Deo Novi multos esse sepulchrorum & picturarum adoratores. &c. Nunc vos illud admoneo, ut aliquando Ecclesiae catholicae maledicere desinatis, vituperando mores homnum, quos & ipsa condemnat, & quos quotidie tanquam malos filios corrigere studet. Augustin. de moribus Ecclesiae Catholicae, cap. 34.Doe not collect unto me (saith he) such professors of the name of Christ, as eyther know not or keepe not the force of their profession. Doe not bring in the companies of rude men, which eyther in the true religiō it selfe are superstitious, or so given unto their lusts that they have forgottē what they did promise unto God. Then for an instance of the first, he alledgeth that he himselfe did know many which were worshippers of graves and Pictures: and at last concludeth. Now this I advise you, that you cease to speake evill of the Catholicke Church, by upbrayding it with the maners of those men, whom shee her selfe condemneth, and seeketh everie day to correct as naughtie children. This also gave occasion to Serenus Bishop of Marsiles 200. yeares after, to breake downe the Images in his Church, when hee found them to be thus abused: which fact of his though Pope Gregory disliked, because he thought that Images might profitably be retayned as lay-mens bookes; yet in this he commended his zeale, that he would by no meanes suffer them to be worshipped. ffPraetereà indico dudū ad nos pervenisse, quòd fraternitas vestra quosdā imaginū adoratores aspiciens, easdē Ecclesiae imagines confregit, at que projecit. Et quidē zelū vos, ne quid manufactū adorari possit, habuisse laudavimus: sed srangere easdē imagines non debuisse, judicamus Id circo enim pictura in Ecclesi…s adhibetur, ut hi qui literas nes…iunt, saltem in parietibus videndo legant quae legere in codicibus non valent. Tua ergo fraternitas & illas servare, & ab earū adoratu populū prohibere debuit: quantenus & literarū nescij haberent unde scientiā historiae colligerent; & po…ulus in picturae adoratione minimé pecc…ret. Gregor. Registr. lib. 7. epist. 109. ad Serenum. Vide …am lib. 9. epist. 9. ad eundem.I certifie you (saith he) that it came p. 461of late to our hearing, that your brotherhood, seeing certaine worshippers of Images, did breake the said Church-images and threw them away. And surely we commended you that you had that zeale, that nothing made with hands should be worshipped: but yet we judge that you should not have broken those images. For painting is therefore used in Churches, that they which are unlearned, may yet by sight read those things upon the walles, which they cannot reade in bookes. Therefore your brotherhood ought, both to preserve the images, and to restraine the people from worshipping of them: that both the ignorant might have had, whence to gather the knowledge of the historie; and the people might not sinne in worshipping the picture.

There would be no end, if we should lay downe at large the fierce contentions that afterwards arose in the Church touching this matter of Images: the Greeke Emperours, Leo Isaurus, Constantinus Caballinus, Nicephorus, Stauratius, Leo Armenus, Michael Balbus, Theophilus, and others, opposing them in the East; and on the other side, Gregory the second & third, Paul the first, Stephen the fourth, Adrian the first and second, Leo the third, Nicholas the first, & other Popes of Rome as stiffely upholding them in the West. In a Councell of CCCXXXVIII. Bishops helde at Constantinople in the yeare of our Lord 754. they were solemnely condemned: in another Councell of CCCL. Bishops helde at Nice in the yeare 787. they were advanced againe, and the veneration of them as much commended. This base decree of the second Nicene Councell, touching the adoration of Images, although it were not by the hundreth part so grosse, as that which was afterwards invented by the Popish Schoolmen: p. 462yet was it reiected as repugnant to the doctrine of the Church of God; by the Princes and Bishops of England first, about the yeare 792. and by Charles the great afterward, and the Bishops of Italy, France & Germany, which by his appointment were gathered together in the Councell of Frankford, the yeare of our Lord. 794.

The foure bookes, which by his authoritie were published against that Nicene Synod, and the adoration of Images defended therein, are yet to be seene: as the Resolution also of the Doctors of France assembled at Paris by the command of his sonne Ludovicus Pius, in the yeare 824. and the booke of Agobardus Bishop of Lions concerning Pictures and Images, written about the same time; the argument whereof is thus delivered by Papirius Massonus the setter out of it. ggGraecorum errores de imaginibus & picturis manifestissimé detegens, negat eas adorari debere: quam sententiam omnes Catholici probamus, Gregorijque Magni testimoniū de illis sequimur. Papir. Masson. Praefat. in Agobardi Opera, edit. Paris. an. 1605.Detecting most manifestly the errors of the Grecians touching images and pictures, he denieth that they ought to be worshipped: which opinion all wee Catholickes doe allowe; and follow the testimonie of Gregory the great concerning them. This passage, together with the larger view of hhExpungantur omnia, quae sub hoe titulo (De Imaginibu… ) continentur. Jndex librorum expurgatorum. Bernardi de Sandoval & Roxas Card. de consilio senatus generalis Inquisit. Hispan. excus. Madriti, an. 1612.the contents of this Treatise following afterwards, the Spanish Inquisitors in their Index Expurgatorius commande to be blotted out: which wee finde to be accordingly performed by the Divines of Cullen, in their late corrupt edition of the iiMagn. Bibliothec. Veter. Patrum, tom. 9. part. 1. edit. Colon. ann. 1618. pag. 548. & 551.great Bibliothecke of the ancient Fathers. Gretser professeth, that he kkVehementer profectò hoc judicium de libro. Agobardi ab homine Catholico profectū. miratus sum. nam Agobardus toto libello, nihil aliud facit, quàm quòd demonstrare nititur (quamvis casso conatu) imagines non esse adorandas. Jac. Gretser. lib. 1. de Cruc…. …ap. 58.extreamely vvondereth, that this judgement of the booke of Agobardus should proceed from a Catholicke p. 463man. For Agobardus (saith he) in that w…ole booke doth nothing else, but endevour to demonstrate (although with a vaine labour) that images are not to be worshipped. llEt quinam sunt Graeci, quorū de imaginibus er…ore Agobardus refellit, ut Editor ait? Nimirum Graeci isti sunt Petres Nicaeni Concilij; qui sanxerunt, imagines adorandas & colenda… esse. Contra quos qui disputat, is ab orthodoxis toto coelo discordat. Ibid.And who be these Grecians, whose errors touching images Agobardus doth refell, as this Publisher saith? Surely these Grecians are the Fathers of the Nicene Councell, who decreed that Images should be adored and worshipped. Against whom whosoever disputeth, doth mainely dissent from right beleevers. To which blinde censure of the Iesuite we may oppose, not onelyonly the generall judgement of the ancient mmforeign. Nicet. Choniat. Annal. lib. 2.Almaines his owne countriemen, who within these foure or five hundred yeares did flatly disclayme this Image-worship (as by Nicetas Choniates is witnessed:) but also the testimonie of the Divines and Historians of England, France, and Germanie touching the Nicene Councell in particular; rejecting it as a nnHincmar. Rhemens. lib. contr. Hincmar. Laudunens. cap. 20. Egolismens. monach. in vitâ Caroli Magni. Annal. Fuldens. Ado, Regino, & Hermann, Contract. in Chronic. an. 794.Pseudo-synode, because it concluded ooImagines adorari debere: quod omninò Ecclesia Dei execratur, Simeon Dunelmens. Roger. Hoveden. & Matth. Westmonaster. histor. ann 792. vel 793.that Images should be worshipped: which thing (say our Chroniclers) the Church of God doth utterly detest. And yet for all that, we have newes lately brought us from Rome: that ppEcclesiam porrò Christianam, etiam Antiquissimam, Totam, ac Vniversalem, summo consensu, absque ullâ oppositione, aut contradictione, Statuas ac imagines veneratam esse, est certissimum ac probatissimum. M. Anton. de Dominis, De consilio sui reditus, sect. 23.it is most certaine, and most assured, that the Christian Church, even the most Ancient, the Whole, and the Vniversall Church, did with wonderfull consent, without any opposition or contradiction, worship statues and images. Which if the cauterized conscience of a wretched Apostata would give him leave to utter: yet the extreame shamelessenesse of the assertion might have withhelde their wisedomes whom he sought to please thereby, from giving him leave to publish it.

p. 464But it may be I seeke for shamefastnesse, in a place where it is not be founde: and therefore leaving them to their Images, like to like, (for qqPsal. 115.8. & 135.18.Ps 115:8Ps 135:18they that make them are like unto them; and so is every one that trusteth in them) I proceede from this point unto that which followeth.