Canterburys Doom, Branch 1 · Evidence 2 · Section 21
21. Paſſages deleted againſt building Churches Eaſt and Weſt, and the ſuperstitious adorning of them with Images and ſuch like popiſh Furniture.
MAſter Ward, on Mat. page 342. It is controverted between us and the Papiſts concerning the formes of churches; and Bellarmine affirmes, that they ſhould be built eaſt and weſt, that ſo when we pray therein, our faces might be turned towards the eaſt; and for the proofe hereof he produceth this place; Ab oriente venturus creditur ad judicium; Ergo: It is beleeved that Chriſt will come unto judgement from the eaſt, therefore we ought to pray towards the eaſt.
Firſt, creditur, it is beleeved (ſaith he) namely, by thoſe who can beleeve what they liſt, though never ſo abſurd.
Secondly, ſuppoſe the antecedent were true, yet the conſequence halts; for although Chriſt ſhould come from the eaſt to judgement, yet it would not follow thence. that therefore we ſhould pray towards the eaſt; we muſt pray unto Chriſt, who is every where in regard of his Deitie, and (according to the Papiſts) in regard of his humanity alſo, and therefore which way ſoever we pray, we look towards him; yea, I imagine that Bellarmine would bluſh to affirme, and be backward to undertake to prove, that Chriſt's ſeat and throne of glory in Heaven is ſeated in the eaſt end thereof, and that the humanity never ſtirres or moves out of that ſeat and part of Heaven,; both which he muſt prove before his argument be of any worth or weight.
Thirdly, the compariſon (in theſe words) betwixt the comming of Chriſt and the lightning, doth not reſpect the place, but the cleare and ſodaine apparition of both, &c. All this is expunged.
In Doctor Featlye's Sermons, this paſſage is deleted, page 225. What meane our adverſaries then to ſpend ſo much in embelliſhing their churches, and ſo little in beautifying their ſoules? to lay out ſo much coſt upon the materiall, and ſo little upon the ſpirituall Temple of God? Their rood-lofts they paint, their pillars they engrave, their timber they carve, their Images they clothe, their pictures they cover, their ſtone Altars they guild, their croſſes they ſet about with jewels and precious ſtones; they have golden Miters, golden Veſſels, golden ſhrines, golden bels, golden ſnuffers, all golden, ſave the ordinary Prieſts: who, if Boniface of Mentz his obſervation be true, for the moſt part are wooden or leaden.
Dicite Pontifices in ſacro quid facit Aurum.
Saint Ambroſe taxing too much ſuperfluity in this kind, ſaith expreſly, That thoſe things pleaſe not God in, or with gold, which can be bought with no gold; if we ſpeak of the true adorning of the Church, it is not with the beauty of pictures, but with holineſſe, not with the luſtre of pearles and precious ſtones, but the ſhining of good works; not with candles and tapers, but with the light of the Word; not with ſweet perfumes, but with the ſavour of life unto life; neither will all the glorious furniture of Solomons Temple make any ſhew for their exceſſe in this kind of their outward deckings; for that furniture was typicall, then the ſervice of God was reſtrained to that Temple, and God himſelfe gave them the modell thereof: Is it not prepoſterous for Chriſtians to goe about to enrich the Goſpell with the beggarly rudiments of the law? what folly is it after they put out the light of the Word, or hide it, as it were, under a buſhell in an unknowne tongue, to ſtick up wax lights at the noon day? to cloth pictures, and to ſuffer the living members of Chriſt to goe naked? to adorne the Images of Saints, and to deface Gods Image in themſelves? to perfume their Churches, and breath out a noy ſome ſavour of impure brothels in their lives? &c.