The Holy Life and Happy Death of John Bruen, Chapter 26
CHAP. XXVI.
AFter the Lord had thus warmed the heartd this Gentleman, and his houſe alſo, with the love of the truth, and made ſome gracious impreſſions of the beauty and vertue of true godlineſſe in the ſame, there aroſe out of this fire ſuch a flame of holy zeale, both againſt all lyes and lying vanities, and for the true worſhip and glory of God,Thus far of his religious government of his owne houſe in his private family. Now of his zeale to Gods houſe in the publike Aſſembly. 1. In aboliſhing meanes and inſtruments of falſe worſhip. that beginning at his own houſe, as you have heard, hee proceeded farther to the houſe of God, according as it is written, The zeale of th… houſe hath eaten me up. Much like herein unto good Ioſiah, who after hee began to ſoeke after the God of his Father David, in his owne perſon and family, ſet himſelfe a worke to looke to the houſe of God alſo, and ſhewed forth his godly zeale, both in purging Iudah, and Ieruſalem from their graven and carved images, and in advancing againe the Word, and worſhip of God, according to his place and power. For finding in the Church of Tarum, in his owne Chappell, which of ancient right did appertaine unto him and his family, many ſuperſtitious images, and idolatrous pictures in the painted windowes, and they ſo thicke, and darke that there was, as he himſelfe ſaith, ſcarce the breadth of a groat of white glaſſe amongſt them: he knowing by the truth of God, that though the Papiſts will have Images to bee lay mens bookes, yet they teach no other leſſons but of lyes, nor any doctrine but of vanities to them that profeſſe to learne by them;Hab. 2. Papiſts will have images to be laymens bookes. Quod legentibus Scriptura, hoc & idiotis praeſtat pictura cernentibus, quia in ipſa ignorantes vident quidſequi debeant, in ipſalegunt qui literas neſeiunt. Gregor in Ep. 4. ad Servum. Maſsil. Epiſcod. De Conſecrat. Dist. 3. cap. Perlatum adnos. Vide etiam Walſrid. Strabon. de Rebus Eccleſiaſt. cap. 8. de vtilitate imaginum. Bulling. de Origine error. cap. 29. Vtilitas imaginumeſt, quod inſtruunt ſimplices, admonent ſcientes, afficiunt amnes, Ecki. in Enchir. Loc. 16. de imagin. & Vrban. Rheg. loc. de Imag. and conſidering that theſe dumbe and darke images by their painted coates and colours, did both darken the light of the Church, and obſcure the brightneſſe of the Goſpell. Hee preſently tooke order, to pull downs all theſe painted puppets, and popiſh idols, in a warrantable and peaceable manner, and of his owne coſt and charge, repaired the breaches, and beautified the windows with white and bright glaſſe again.
Hereunto he was the rather induced,His inducements thereunto. Elizab. Injunct. 23. Authority of the magiſtrate. And Example of good and great men. Dent 12.3. and encouraged, both by the liberty given, and granted by the Queenes Injunctions, utterly to extinguiſh and deſtroy all pictures, paintings, and all other monuments of idolatry and ſuperſtition, ſo that there might remaine no memory of the ſamein walls, glaſſe windowes or elſewhere, within their Churches, and houſes: and alſo by the authority of a Commiſſion ſent down into the countrey to the Earle of Darby, the Major of Cheſter, and others, to the ſame purpoſe, at the ſame time. Neither was this all: for he had the Word of God to warrant him, and the examples of godly and holy men to leade him, and countenance him in this act, as of Ezekiah, in breaking to peeces the braſen Serpent,2 King. 18 4.2 Kin. 23.8. Bulling de Orig. error cap 29. Plat. de vit. Pont. in Gregor. 3 Which made him proceed from the Chappell to the Church. This act cenſured by papiſts. Sigon. de R. Italiae lib. 3. Platin. de vit. Pont. in Grego. 3. Eckius in Enchirid. loc. 16. & Ʋrban. Rheg. loc de Imag fol. 97. b. of Epiphanius, in rending in Altars of Baalim; of Epiphanius, in rending in peeces the ſuperſtitious vaile, hanging before a Church at Anablatha,, wherein was ſet forth the picture of Chriſt, or of ſome other Saint, and of Leo the Emperour, who brake downe all Images and Idols in Churches, as ſtanding there againſt the decrees of the firſt Councell of Nice, and the Word of God. And ſo upon theſe, and the like grounds, this Gentleman went forwards from his Chappell to the reſt of the Church, defacing a… the popiſh and ſuperſtitious Images, which he… found dangerous, and offencive in any quarte or corner of it. An attempt and act tha… will be ſubject to the cenſure of the Patrons of popery, and many other popiſh and prophane perſons, as a matter of groſſe impiety and ſacriledg… to deale ſo rudely and contumeliouſly, with the images of God, of Chriſt, and of his Saints. So did Pope Gregory the third excommunieate the Emperour Leo, and ſtamped the name of Icon… claſt (as a brand of hereſie) in his forehead, … breaking downe of Images in the churches. So did Bellarmine cenſure the Germane Proteſtants, as irreligious and prophane, becauſe in their reformation, they ſpared not their Idols and their Images. Theſe men no doubt would have caſt one ſtone of rebuke at Christ himſelfe, if they had ſeene him drive with whips, the buyers and ſellers out of the Temple: and throwne another at Paul, for ſpeaking againſt the Images of Jupiter, and ſilver Shrines of Diana at Epheſus, and for preaching againſt the Altar dedicated to the unknown God, which he ſaw at Athens, had they beene amongſt thoſe perſons, and in thoſe places. Now, ſhall we intreat theſe hypocrites,Iuſtified by themſelves, againſt themſelvs. to turne their eyes into their owne boſomes, and view the records of their owne ſtories, and then let them tell us, whether their beame be not much bigger than our mote, in this kinde of diſgracing, or defacing images, and ſome other things, which they account ornaments of their Churches. What if theſe Catholikes (as they deſire and delight to be called) have caſt with violence the reliques of their Saints,Nicu. Coni. lib. de Iſaac & fil. Alexio. into filthy and baſe places? what if they have throwne the Sacrament of the body and blood of Chriſt, with great indignation, ſometimes unto the ground, and ſometimes into the fire? what if they have prophaned their holy Veſſels, Altars, Temples? what if they have uſed their ſacred images for ſeates, and footſtooles? Their own Writers will aſſure them, that in the taking of Constantinople, Antonin. Histor. part. 3. tit. 19. cap. 2.9 3.they were guitly of ſuch and ſo great ſacriledge, that they ſpared neither the treaſures of the Churches, nor the Silver Tables about their Altars, Sed violatis ſacrariis, cruces, iconas, & reliqua Eccleſiarum ornamenta rapiebant, but prophaning all the holy places, and holy things, they ſpoiled their Croſſes and Curcifixes, their Images, and other ornaments of their Churches whatſoever. Let them reade and conſider,Ouuph in vit. Clem. 7. Guiciard. Hiſt lib. 7. what violence and indignity Cardinall Columna offered (in the taking of Rome, under Clement the ſeventh) unto the Palace of the Ʋaticane, and Saint Peters Church, when he ſpoiled them of all their treaſure and rich furniture, and all the Ornaments of the Church beſides. Now therefore, yee Hypocrites, either take the beam out of your own eye, or ceaſe to find fault with this mote in your brothers eye any longer.
If ye be obſtinate in this errour of Image worſhip, and call upon our Church windowes, for your Church witneſſes,Teſtes fenestrae. Rat. 10. Aug. de Conſenſu evang. l. 1. cap. 10. as your Father Jeſuite Campion hath done: we will then anſwer you with Auſtin, Sic errare meruerunt, qui Christum & Apostolos ejus quaeſiverunt, non in ſanctis codicibus, ſedin pictis parietibus, They have well deſerved ſo to erre, who have ſought for Christ and his Apoſtles, not in the holy Booke of God, but in painted wales and windowes, as you for your parts,Aug. ibid. both doe, and have done. Nec mirum ſi a pingentibus fingentes decepts ſunt, And no marvaile, if ſuch fainers and forgers as you are, bee deceived with ſuch painters, and pictures as theſe be.
And as for this Gentleman of whom we ſpeak, it ſhall be ſufficient for him and us, that in this his affection and action, hee commeth ſo neare to that commendation, which Ambroſe gave unto Theodoſius, Theodoſius abſcondit ſimulacra Gentium, omnes enim cultus idolorum fides ejus abſcondit,Ambroſe Orat in mort, Theo. omnes eorum ceremonias obliteravit, Theodoſius did obſcure and diſgrace all the images of the Gentiles, for his faith did darken all the worſhip of Idols, and obliterate all their ceremonies.