Three Pillars and Arch-patriarchs of the Popish Synagogues, Treatise 3 · Chapter 4
¶ CAP. 4. or as the errour of his Printer hath made it, CAP. 3. and so continueth in that errour to the end, which I note, bicause there should be no varying in the conference of his booke and mine answere.
Sander.The petegreu of such as heretofore hauehave destroyed the altars, the temples, the chalices of God, or the images of Christe and of his Saintes: with aunswere to certaine obiections which might seeme to make for image breakers. Also he noteth a notable storie of honour done to Church plate in the auncient time.
Fulk.This blaser of the Popes armes, pretending to drawe a petegreu of such as hauehave destroyed altars, temples, &c. rehearseth a beadroll of Infidells and heretiques, which hauehave defaced the true religion of God, which pertaineth nothing to them that by lawfull authoritie deface and destroy the monuments of Popish Idolatrie, hauing an expresse commandement of God so to doe. You shall ouerthrowe their altars, & breake downe their pillers, ye shall cut downe their groues, and burne their grauen images with fire, Deu. 7. v. 5. But this (he saith) pertaineth not vntounto vsus to execute, except we had conquered an heathen nation, that worshipped Iupiter and Iuno: Mars and Minerua &c. By what commandement then did Ezechias, Iosias, and all the godly Kings destroye and deface the monuments of Idolatry in the land of Iuda, which was no heathen nation, but the most peculiar people of God? By what authoritie did they destroy the hill altars or high places, in which the people did offer sacrifice only to God? 1. Reg. 3. Finally, by what precept did Ezechias breake downe the brasen serpent, which was a figure of Christ infinitely more excellent, then al the images of the Papistes, bicause yt had a godly beginning, wheras theirs hauehave a wicked beginning & a worse continuance and abuse? This cōmandemēt therfore serueth against al Idolatrie, whether it be committed of people yt are heathnish, or of such as hauing so… sacraments of God, are degenerated into false religiō & Idolatry. Wherfore the examples yt M. S. alledgeth, beside yt some of them are very violently drawne to image breakers, do nothing touche them that deface false religion, but such as destroy true religion. The Philistines were punished for looking vponupon the arke, Vzza for touching it vponupon a good intent, Ieroboam for forsaking the temple of Salomon, and setting vp two prophane Temples with Idols in them (which M. Sander omitteth,) and making priests of the vilest of the people. This last prank saith he, is practised, in Anwerpe. How so M.S? New temples are erected. Why sir, is it lawfull to hauehave but one temple as then at Ierusalem? Newe ministers are made in Schisme. I trust they be not so vile rascals, as the multitude of your Popish hedge priestes. But where be the idols in the newe temples of Anwerpe, that were in Ieroboams Temple?
But let vsus heare the rest of his examples. The seruantes of Iessabel destroyed the altars of God in the dayes of Elias: It is very true: And Elias with the godly people destroyed the altars of Baal, and slew his Priests. Nabuchodonosor burned the Temple of Salomon: he did wickedly: Balthasar abused the holy vessels, he smarted for it. But Iehu destroyed the religion of Baall, and the ornamentes thereof, and he is commended, so be all the godly Kinges for destroying of idolatrie: 2. Reg. 10.18.23.
In Malachie God reproueth the Priests for offering the blind and lame, and the polluted bread. Manasses ye priest set vp a false Temple in mount Garizim, Antiochus Epaphanes defiled the temple of God, Pompeius entered into the sanctuarie. All these did wickedly, but they that with Lawfull authoritie deface, and destroy idolatrie, doe that which is right in the sight of the Lord: 2. Reg. 18. & 23.
Christ honored the Temple with his presence, yet he chased out the abusers therof: Luc. 19. Ioan 2. &c.
The Christians in Tertullians time, vsed crossing of their forheades, to shewe them selues Christians, but no worshipping of any crosse, as the Papists do, yet came that estimation of the crosse from the Valentinian heretikes. Irenaeus, Lib. 1. Ca. 1. An. 150.
The Nouatians kept conuenticles from the Catholiks, such are the assemblies of the Papistes, separated from the Churche of God, though they be neuer so many in number, as the Arrians in the East and in Affrica were.
The Manichees did hate the Image of Christe, whom they denied to be a very man, testified in the 2. Councel of Nice, which was almoste 800. yeares after Christe, when Images were made and honoured, yet M. Sander noteth it Anno Dom. 280. when in the Churche of God were no Images of Christ. But among the heretikes Gnostici was there images of Christ, which they honoured, An. 129. Ire. Lib. 1. Cap. 24.
Dioclesian and Maximian commanded the Churches of Christians to be destroied, & the Bibles to be burned, so did the Papistes at Orleans, and Anwerpe, to the Churches, & in all places where they come for the Bibles burning. Yet the good man, chargeth the protestants at Anwerpe in S. Frances monasterie, for burning the Bible.
When Georgius an Arrian Bishop was brought into Alexandria by force, there was great sedition and spoyle of Church goodes, there hath beene as great sedition and spoyle in bringing in of Catholike Bishops of Rome & greater also, as many hystories do witnesse, and the Papistes wil not denie, so many Schismes hauehave ben about election of their Popes.
But neerer to the matter, Iulian the Apostata with the paganes pulled downe the image of Christ, that was set vp in the streete of Caesarea Philippi in remembraunce of the miracle done vponupon the woman that was healed of her issue of bloud, not in the Church to be worshipped. Wel: he shewed his malice, but he did no hurt to Christian religion. This example hurteth not them that lawfully pul downe, & deface Images in the Church of Christ: for Epiphanius before Iulian, did so at Anablatha, Epiph. epi. 34. But Iulianus did obiect vntounto the Christians, that they did worship the woode of the crosse, when they painted Images therof, on their foreheades, and before their houses. Hereof M. Sander gathereth, that the Christians had a grauen image of Christe him selfe euen from his owne time, in Paneade, or Caesarea Philippi, as images of the crosse before their houses: for the image of Christe, Eusebius testifieth, it was set vp by the Heathen men, and not by Christians, Lib. 7. Cap. 18. Although it is not like, that it was set vp in Christes time, when it is manifest by Iosephus, that the Iewes could not abide so much as the image of the Emperour, or of his standerd the Eagle to be set vp among them. The images of the crosses set before their doores, declare they had not them, and much lesse any other of Christ and his saintes in Churches, which Iulian would not hauehave omitted, to proue them woode worshippers and idolaters. Cyrillus in deede defendeth these signes of crosses as better memorials of Christ, and of his vertues, then ye Images of ye Gentiles, yet he defendeth not setting vp of crosses, or any images in Churches, & creeping to them, which is the filthie idolatrie of the Papists.
Iulian the vncle of this Apostata, did sit vponupon the vessels vsed at the communion, in despight of our religion, and was iustely plagued therefore. Eustachius ye heretike kept his conuenticles in priuate places, he would not be ruled by his Bishop. The protestants kepe open assemblies, whē they are not hindred by persecution, and are ordered by the Bishops & Elders of their Church, though they will not be obedient to the Hereticall Bishops of the Popishe Church. The same Eustachius condemned the marriage of Priestes, as the Papistes doe. Ep. Con. Gangr. Vigilantius iustly reproued the Christians for superstitious estimatiō of reliques, which Hieronyme could not honestly defend for all his quarrelling.
To conclude, Chrysostome complayneth of the iniurie done to him, his church, and the sacraments, by barbarous souldiers: Optatus of the like by the Donatistes, Victor by the Arrians, all these and an hundreth more that might be brought of like examples, beeing actes of Infidels, and Heretiques against true religion, doe not proue, but the commaundement of God must be executed, against false religion, by them who hauehave authoritie of God so to doe.
But now he commeth to answere our obiections, and first the example of Epiphanius a godly bishop of Cyprus whose wordes I will first set downe, as they are conteyned in an epistle of his, to Iohn Bishop of Ierusalem. Praeterea quod audini, &c. Moreouer whereas I heard that some men did murmur against me, because that when we went together to the holie place, whiche is called Bethel, that there I might make a gathering with you after the Ecclesiasticall manner: and was come to the village, which is called Anablatha, and had seene there as I passed by a candle burning, and had inquired what place it was, and had learned that it was a Churche, and came into pray: I found there a vale hanging at the doore of the saide Church, steyned and painted, and hauing the image as it were of Christe or of some Saint, for I doe not well remember whose Image it was. Therefore when I saw this thing, that the Image of a man did hang in the Church of Christ, contrarie to the authoritie of the scriptures, I rent it, and gaue councel to the keepers of that place, that they should rather wrappe some dead poore man in it & carry him to buriall in it. And they contrariwise murmured & said, if he would hauehave rent it, it had beene meete that he should hauehave giuen vsus another vayle, and hauehave changed it. Which when I heard, I promised that I would giuegive them one, and send it shortly. Now there was some stay in the meane time, while I seeke to send them a very good vaile in steed of yt. For I thought one should hauehave ben sent me out of Cypres. But now I hauehave sent such a one as I could get. And I pray you yt you will commaunde the elders of yt place, to receiue this vale, which we hauehave sent by this bearer. And to charge them that here after no such vayles be hanged vp in the Church of Christ, which are against our religion. For it becommeth your honestie, to hauehave such carefulnesse to take away scrupulositie, which is vnworthie of the Church of Christ, and the people which i… committed to you.
These be the words of Epiphanius in his Epistle translated by S. Hierom. For answere to this, first he will not affirme whether yt Epiphanius ye byshop of Cypres wrote this Epistle, or some other of that name, because Damascen that impudent corrupter of antiquitie, when he can not answere the Epistle, he moueth such suspition in his Apologie for the worshipping of Images. But let Hierome himselfe testifie the matter, Contra errores Ioan Hierosol. ad Pampathiam, in the end of the Epistle. Secondly he answereth that notwithstanding the iudgement of Epiphanius, it is not against the authoritie of the scriptures to hauehave Images in the churches, for then shoulde not Theodorus the martyr, hauehave had his martyrdome painted on the walles, as Gregorius Nyssenus witnesseth. In deede Gregorius Nyssenus, which liued somewhat after Epiphanius, speaking of the ornaments of the Churche, affirmeth that there was the history of the martyr painted on the wall, but so farre from anye spice of adoration, that the same was also expressed vppon the pauement which men did tread vppon. Like as for ornamente, there were grauen also in woode the Images of beastes. These were the beginnings and as it were the first budding vp of Idolatrie in the church, yet gainesaide by godly men, and forbidden in the councell of Eliberis.
Another reason he hath, of those simple mens authoritie, that hang vp the Image, and their murmuring, which was not for putting downe the Image, but for that he gaue them not another vail or curtaine first. That it was not his priuate opinion, it appeareth in this, that he writeth so confidently thereof to the bishop of Ierusalem, in whose dyocesse Anablatha was, and who was present whē the saide Image was defaced.
But if he had thought (saith M. Sander) the hauing of Images to bee an heresie, he woulde hauehave noted it in his booke of Fourescore and more heresies, where he noteth no suche opinion of hauing Images in the Churche for hereticall.
This balde reason he learned out of the councell of Nice 2. act. 4. of one Epiphanius which taketh vponupon him to reiecte and controll the authoritie of this ancient Epiphanius of Cypres. But howe falsely, they hauehave affirmed this of him, you may see in diuers places of Epiphanius booke against heresies. First lib. 1. Tom. 1. he sheweth the punishment of God against Tharra an Image maker, which ouer liued his sonne Aran, which no man (as he saith) did before him. Secondly, lib. 1. Tom. 2. hee sheweth that Simon Magus the father of heretikes, made Images of him selfe and his harlot Helena to be worshipped: & that Carpocrats the heretik made the Images of Iesus, and of S. Peter, and did cense them and worship them. Also Her. 27. he saith, Gnostici & Carpocratitae, &c. The Gnostikes and Carpocratites, hauehave Images painted in collours, some also of golde and siluer and other matter, which they say be the Images of Iesus, and that these Images of Iesus were made when hee liued among men vnderunder Pontius Pilate. Againe lib. 2. T. 1. her. 55. he sheweth yt there were some in Arabia, Robas and Edom, which worshipped the Image of Moses. And Centra Cullyridianos, her. 79. which worshipped the Images of ye blessed virgin Marye, he saith: Vnde non est, &c. Howe is not this desire of making Images a diuelish attempt? Prętextu enim Iustitię, for the deuil alwais entring into the mind of men vnderunder pretence of righteousnes, deifying the mortal nature in ye eres of men, by variety of arts, hath set forth stocks or statues, bearing ye Image of men. And they truely which are worshipped by thē are dead, but they bring in their Images to be worshipped, which neuer liued, for they cā not be dead which neuer liued. Finally Lib. Autorato. prima enim scortatio est excogitatio simulachrorum inquit scriptura. The inuenting of Images was ye first whordome saith the scripture.
By these places iudge howe true it is which Damascen writeth, that his owne church was decked with Images. But yet M.S. hath another shift of descāt, yt the cause of rēding this vail might be, for auoiding of offence of ye weak Iews, & Pagās, lately cōuerted in yt place. As thogh Epiphanius doth not plainly declare ye cause to hauehave bin, for yt it was cōtrari to ye scriptures. The like cause he wold hauehave to be of the decree of the councell of Eliberis in Spaine: Placuit pict…ras in ecclesia esse non debere, ne quod colitur aut adoratur in, arietibut depingatur. It is decreed yt there ought to be no pictures in ye Church, lest yt which is worshipped & adored, should be painted on ye walles. But the Canon it self sheweth a reason why they would hauehave no pictures in ye churches, lest God whō onelyonly they worshipped & adored might be painted on the wals, which were an abhominable absurditie, yet hath bene practised & i… defended, men be so prone to Idolatrie. But M.S. gathereth that seeing there might be no pictures in churches, ergo they might be in priuate houses, & if they be lawful to be in priuate houses, much more they might be permitted in churches. A proper ringworm, a doctor like argumēt, by which I may cōclude as foloweth. There may be no shoppes in churches, ergo they may be in priuate houses, and if they may be permitted …n priuate houses, much more in churches. But yet he hath an other answer. This fact of Epiphanius was a priuate zeale, which is not to be folowed cōtrary to ye decree of ye catholike church: but I reply, it was a godly zeal, because it was ruled by ye cōmandement of God & ye holy scripture, against which no church hath authority to decree. But the last answere is as good as cake & pudding, which yet he thinketh worthy of a note in the margent. Images could not be brokē before they were set vp, therfore the setters vp of Images are ancienter & neerer ye Apostles time then the pullers down. That is out of questiō Euen so heresies could not be confuted before they were inuented, therfore the inuenters of heresies, are ancienter & neerer the Apostles times then the confuters. Note ye papistes for your learninge or else note that this note of Master Sander is not worthye the notinge. But hee proceedeth and will prooue (as he sayeth) that as there were some Images in Churches in the time of Epiphanius, so straight after his time, they were cōmon in all churches: but this straightway was almost 200. yeares after Epiphanius,An. 493 as he citeth out of Nicephorus, of one Xenias who, he saith, was the first that spake against worshipping of Images, which howe false it is, al men that hauehave read the works of ye ancient writers doe knowe sufficiently. The next breaker of Images, he would hauehave to be Serenus bishop of Marsiles,An. 596. who wa… reproued by Pope Gregorie, which wrote vntounto him, that he shoulde not hauehave broken the Images, but prohibited the people from worshipping of them: Lib. 7. Epist. 169. But M. Sander will auoide that …rohibition, by the distinction of adoratiō, that they should not be worshipped as God: because Gregorie saith, lib. 7. epist. 53. Scio quod, &c. I know that you desire not the Image of our Sauiour, to this purpose, to worshippe it as God. By which wordes he meaneth, that all worshippe is due vntounto God, and that by worshipping an Image, it is made a false God.
But it foloweth in the same Epistle (saith M. Sander) which proueth that Gregorie acknowledged some worshippe due to Images. Nos non, quasi ante Diuinitatem, ante imaginem proster nimur, &c. We fall not downe before an Image, as before ye godhead, but we worship him whome by the Image we remēber to hauehave ben borne, or to hauehave suffred, and also to sitte in the throne. But these wordes import no such matter, but rather the contrarye, except M. Sander can prooue, that it is all one to fall downe before an Image, and to fall downe vntounto an Image. Although he seemeth to say, that they falled not downe at all before anye Image, but onelyonly vsed them for their remembraunce.
M. Sander continuing his petegrue, sheweth that Philippicus the Emperour being a monothelite, anno. 710. threwe downe the Images of the fathers of the sixe generall councels that were set in the Churche porche of Sophia: belike he was afraide they woulde come shortly into the Church. Pope Constantine caused the like pictures to be set vp in the Church porche of Saint Peter at Rome. And what of this? Forsooth hee was an heretike that threwe downe images. So was Pope Honorius condemned for a monotholite archeheretike in the seuenth generall councell, that mainteined images. After him An. 730. Leo, persuaded by two Iewes, saith the late idolatrous writers, threwe downe the images at Constantinople: and anno 740. Constantine his sonne, a wicked man, and an heretike followed him. But vnderunder Irene & Constantine anno 796. by the seconde councell of Nice, images were restored and their worship established. Of these stories of pulling downe and setting vp of images, M. Sander noteth, that the mainteiners of images passed their aduersaries in foure things. The first, that they were quietly set vp, and broken downe with tumult, so were many heresies by the subtile serpent quietly setled, which without great tumult could not be rooted out, as ye Arrian heresie, for example. But that images were vsed from the Apostles, and Christ him selfe, he promiseth to shewe afterward. The second, whereas they were set vp in diuerse countries, they were pulled downe only in Greece: a wise matter, whereas idols were worshipped in ye days of Ezechias, throughout all the worlde, they were pulled downe onelyonly in Iewrie. And yet against this idolatrous councell of Nice Carolus Magnus Emperour of ye West writ a booke, which is yet extant. The thirde prerogatiue, the idolaters hauehave had two generall councels of their side, the idoll breakers none: and yet hee confesseth they had one at Ephesus, another at Constantinople, but he sayeth, they had them by stealth, that is marueile, when they were gathered by the Emperours, as all other generall councels were. And many of them (sayth he) recanted after: so did they of Nice when the Emperours which followed immediatly after the Nicen councell, threwe downe the images, as their predecessours had done. Finally, where as hee alledgeth the sixte councell of Constantinople for images, there is not one worde in all that councell to defende them, but a counterfect Canon foysted in by the idolatrous councell of Nice, which they say was made foure or fiue yeres after, vnderunder Iustinian to cloke their forgerie.
The fourth, yt notwithstanding so many Emperours resisting, yet images at length preuailed among ye Greekes, which hauehave them at this day painted, & as he sayeth, doe reuerence them, but hee sayeth falsly, if hee meane they worship them, as the Papistes do theirs: and they are only painted on walles or tables, not carued or grauen, lest they shoulde be worshipped. They continue still also enemies to the Church of Rome, if continuance be any matter to iustifie their doings. But nowe he concludeth howe vaine a thing it is to oppose Epiphanius which was but one man, and a fewe hereticall Emperours against all the rest of the fathers, and the generall councels. As though because hee hath cited onelyonly Epiphanius, there were none of the fathers against images but hee, beside that he skippeth ouer the Eliberin councell cited by him selfe. But what fathers and councels hauehave beene against images, I shall hauehave better occasion to shewe hereafter. Nowe he proceedeth in his peuish pelfe: there were heretikes called Bogomili anno 1180. which condemned the worshipping of images. All is not good that heretikes condemne: the Arrians condemned the Manichees: the Pellagians condemned the Arrians. There was neuer any heresie but allowed some good thinges▪ and condemned some euill things. Next he adioyneth Anno Do. 1160. the Waldensies, whome hee calleth beggers of Lyons, yet Pauperes signifieth not beggers, but poore men, which were true Christians, and condemned not onelyonly idolatrie, but also all Papistrie. The Sarazens also iustly condemne the Papistes for Idolaters, whose idols being so contrarie to the manifest commaundement of God, were a greate occasion to make so many nations to forsake Christianitie, and for the Mahometists to continue in their wicked and false religion. Last of all hee commeth to Wickelefe, Hus. Luther, &c. and them of the lowe countries, whome especially hee chargeth with sacriledge. But to omitt their fact which I hauehave often shewed cannot be defended if it wanted lawfull authoritie, all the stories that hee bringeth, or can bring of godly princes, and other persons erecting altars, churches, colledges, &c. and furnishing true religion with all ornamentes meete for the same, are nothing to the purpose to defende the temples of idols, with their idols and altars, and other their trumperie from destruction by godly and lawfull authoritie. At length hee alledgeth the decrees of Arcadius, Honorius, Theodosius, and Valentinianus, which alloweth the erecting of their owne images, and of all notable men, as Iudges, Magistrates, &c. which when it was a ciuile honour vsed among the Romanes, and nothing at all touched religion, I marueile with what face hee can alledge it, for setting vp of images in churches to bee worshipped, and yet that honouring of the Emperours images is condemned by Saint Ierome in Daniell, lib. 1. Cap. 3. Likewise, that they decreede, that such as fledd to the Emperours image, should be safe from violence, which was only a ciuil policie, to bring the maiestie of the Emperour in estimatiō with the common people, & therefore it followeth not yt much lesse they would hauehave commaunded the image of Christe to hauehave bene pulled downe, which could not be set vp, but to the dishonour of Christ, because he hath forbidden it: And therfore they made a decree, that wheresoeuer it was set vp, it should be taken downe. M. Sander sayeth, that M. Iewel alledging this edict, doth translate tolli to be taken downe, which signifieth to bee taken vp, as though the decree had been of crosses on the grounde to be taken vp lest they shoulde bee trodden vppon, but when M. Sander hath sayed his pleasure, tolli signifieth to be taken cleane awaye. And although in Iustinian Ti. 11. lib. 1. the signe of our sauiour Christ is forbidden to be grauen or painted on the grounde in flint or marble: yet it followeth not, but the edict cited by the bishop of Sarum, may be vnderstood of taking away all images, wheresoeuer they were.
The conclusion of the Chapter is, that he findeth nothing on Maister Iewels syde, but Infidels, Iewes, heretikes, Idolaters, or else he maketh many lyes vpō Christian Princes, as though the lawe of God were nothing, but Paganisme, Epiphanius were an heretike, the fathers of the councell of Eliberis were rennagates or Iewes, the edictes of the Christian Emperours, were restreined by Maister Sanders glose, because an image was made by the woman that was healed (saith he) but Eusebius sayeth by the Gentiles, lib. 7. Cap. 16. and the Gospell reporteth that shee had consumed all her goods vppon Phisitions, and therefore was not able to set vp such a piller and two such images of brasse, one of Christe, the other of her selfe, as those were reported to bee. From which day forwarde (saith he) all Catholike fathers and Councels, and Christians, made and reuerenced holy images as it shall appeare afterward. Of all the lowde lyes that euer I heard, this may goe for the whetstone. What shall appeare afterward, we shall consider afterwarde. But in the meane time, remember his lye sufficiently confuted, euen by such testimonies as hee himselfe hath alledged, by way of obiection the Epistle of Epiphanius, and the councell of Eliberis.