Three Pillars and Arch-patriarchs of the Popish Synagogues, Treatise 3 · Chapter 10
Sander.THE X. OR IX. CHAP.
Master Iewelles iugling is detected concerning the antiquitie and inuention of images, and specially his manifest corrupting of Eusebius in that argument. Also an image set vp in the honour of Christ aboue fifteene hundreth yeres past. The images of Peter & Paule were seene of Eusebius. M. Iewell falsifieth Eusebius by leauing out, adding to false la…ing & false englishing. The virginity of Nunner. The chaire of S. Iames had in reuerence in the premitiue churche. The pieces of Christes image whiche Iulianus the runnagate brake, were preserued of the Christians aboue 12. hundreth yeres past.
Fulk.Although God commanded the two Cherubes to be made and let in the Tabernacle, yet the inuention of Images is not to be ascribed to God, for as Epiphanius testifieth, There the father of Abraham beinge a worshipper of false gods, was a maker of Images long before. And because you trifle M. Sander, with your distinction of Idoles and Images, telling M. Iewel they are Idol… or wanton pictures, and not the Images of holy men, whereof the booke of Wisdom, S. Cyprian, S. Ambrose, S. Augustine, Lactantius, and S. Athanatius do speake, when they saye the inuention of Idols or Images came of the diuel: may it please your learned wisdom to vnderstand, that Epiphanius speakinge of the Images of the blessed "virgin Mary, whom you cal your Lady saith: Vnde non est simulachrisicum hoc studium & diabolicus conatus? Howe is not this desire of making images also a deuillishe purpose? prętextu enim iustitiae semper subient hominum mentem diabolus, mortalem naturam in hominum oculis deificans, stanias humanas imaginis pre se ferentei per artium varietatē expressit. Et mortus quidem sunt qui adorantur, ipsi verò imagines quae nun que v…xerun…, neque enim mortuae esse possunt quae nun que vixerunt adorandas introducunt. Cont. Collyridianos H. 79. For the diuell alwayes entring into the minde of men vnderunder colour of righteousnesse, deifiing the mortall nature in the eyes of men, hath expressed by varietie of artes, images representing the similitude of men. And they truely which are worshipped are deade, but they bring in to be worshipped Images, which neuer lyued, for they cannot be dead which neuer lyued. The iudgement of other fathers shalbe added in places conuenient. But where as you cauill that eueryevery image is not an idoll, because the sonne of God is the image of God, whom we woulde not call an Idoll, you shewe your frowardnesse rather, then defende your distinction. For although in the nature of the word foreign there be no such difference but it may be called truely an image, yet the horrible abuse of images to the dishonour of God, hath caused, that of Godly writers it is taken in the euil parte, whereas the worde is indifferent. Euen as foreign being ye same that foreign, which is a King, which through crueltie of Kinges, came to be an odious name of a tyrant. So the names of Papa which sometime signified a bishop, and Missa the communion, for the wickednesse of the Pope of Rome, and of the Popishe Masse, are nowe abhorred of all true Christians. As for the images which Christ sent to Augarus or Algarus, and the Veronica of Rome, with the images made by Nicodemus, S. Luke, and shewed by Siluester to Constantinus, testified by Damascen, the counterfet Athanatius, Theodorus, the seconde Councell of Nice, Nicephorus and Metaphrastes, they are good stuffe for Legenda aurea, and as M. Sanders will not stay in them, because hee knoweth in his conscience they bee forged fables, so I will let them passe also, and stande vppon the credite of their authors.
But nowe we come to ye famous image of the woman which had the bloudie issue, and of Christ set vp on high before her doore, on a piller, with an herbe that grewe vnderunder it, which when it touched the hemme of the garment of the image of Christ, it healed all diseases.
This M. Iewel wil not call a fable (saith he) but he himselfe addeth fables to that which is written of Eusebius, as first, that it was set vp by the woman, whiche is vnlike, that a poore womā which (as the Gospel teacheth) had wasted all her goods vppon phisitions Mark. 5. could be able to set vp such a costly image of Brasse vppon a piller. Secondly, it is not like, she woulde hauehave set vp her owne image. Thirdly Eusebius saith it was set vp by other men. And therefore the reporte of Theophylact which lyued a thousand yeres after, is of small credit. Secondly he saith that Eusebius sawe this image, which is not to be proued by any worde he speaketh, although he saith that he had seen other images of Christ, of Peter & of Paule. But nowe to examine these falsifications pretended. First he chargeth the bishop with false Latining and worse Englishing of this greeke following, foreign. The bishopps latine is: Hoc mirum est veteres Ethnicos beneficio affectos a seruatore nostro, ista fecisse, his english this: It is no meruaile that the Heathens receiuing such benifites of our Sauiour, did these thinges. Here saith hee foreign, Olim, in times past, is left out in the latine, which is false, for it is included in the word veteres. In deede in the english by the printers fault it is omitted. M. Sander woulde iustifie the bolde and false translation of Ruffinus, which turneth these wordes foreign, qui ex Gentilibus crediderant: Such of the Gentiles as had beleeued. Where he manifestly addeth the worde crediderant which is not in Eusebius.
Wherein you may see the equitie of Maister Sanders, which findeth faulte with Maister Iewell for leauing out that which he doth not omitte, and iustifieth Ruffinus which doth openly adde to the text. But for all his trifling about wordes, hee sheweth him selfe ignorant of the phrase: for when hee hath wrangled as much as hee can, the Latine of the Greeke, worde for worde is this: Nec mirum est eos ex Gentibus qui olim beneficio affecti sunt a seruatore nostro ista fecisse. And it is no marueile that those of the Gentiles which of olde time were benefited by our Sauiour Christe, hauehave done these thinges.
Now Maister Sander like a falsifier, rendeth these wordes asunder, and will hauehave all that matter to stande in these wordes: foreign which hee sayeth must needes signifie those which in times past had beene Gentiles, but after had beleeued, which wordes if he wring vntill the bloud come foorth, yet can hee not make such a signification of them. For if Eusebius had meant so, hee woulde hauehave added foreign, or foreign, or some wordes of like effecte. Secondly, hee would rather hauehave sayde foreign then foreign, those that sometime were Gentiles, then those that of olde time were Gentiles, but that in the worde foreign, of olde time, he had relation vntounto the time of Christe. Thirdly as maister Sander himselfe afterwarde striuing for the Aduerbe foreign, vnchaungeablye, to be ioyned with the Participle sheweth himselfe a good Grammarian: So here diuiding the Aduerbe foreign, from the Participle foreign, and ioyning it with nothing, sheweth himselfe to be a malicious wrangler, and a shamelesse falsifier.
Nowe where hee sayeth, it is not like to bee true, that Christe bestowed anye greate cure vppon those, who shoulde hauehave tarryed still Heathens, because hee more willingly cured the soule then the bodie: I aunswere, the chiefe ende of his cures, was not for the priuate benefite of them that were cured, but to shewe himselfe to all men, to be the sonne of God, the true phisition of body and soule. But M. Sander replieth, though some were vnkind, as the 9. Lepers Luke. 17. yea, some were carelesse of him, as the man that had lyen 38. yeares in the porche, and the blinde man, vntill he instucted them by his worde, Iohn. 5. & 9. yet those which did set vp images in his honour, were not vnkind. I aunswere, they thought to satisfye them selues with a vaine, superstitious, and heathenishe kinde of remuneration.
Thirdly hee sayeth, with Theophylact a late writer, that this woman which was faithfull did set vp this image, but that I hauehave proued before to bee neither true, nor like to be true.
But this is not all Master Iewels falshod (sayeth hee) for hee sayeth moreouer: Nam & Apostolorum Pauli & Petri, & ipsius Christi imagines coloribus ductas & seruatas vidimus. For wee hauehave seene the images of Paule and Peter, and of Christe drawen in coulours and preserued. Here first beside the lacke of eius, his, which he confesseth to be of no importance, he misseth foreign et, which he wil needes hauehave to signifie also. What quarrelling merchant is this? here is et thrise, yet none of them wil serue his turne, because the firste is not translated, also, that it might be thought that Eusebius had seene the former image of brasse. But seeing et is twise put, once before Apostolorum, and then before ipsius Christi, by iudgement of all English Grammarians it may truely be translated thus: For wee hauehave seene the images drawen in colours and preserued, both of his Apostles Paule and Peter, and also of Christ him selfe. Againe, foreign may be translated euen of his Apostles Paule and Peter.
What Empyre hath Master Sander in Grammer, that foreign may signifye nothing but also: when it hath three significations beside, and, both, euen. But it pleaseth Master Sander, that Eusebius which liued about three hundreth yeares after Christe, sawe painted images of Christ himselfe & of his Apostles, yea, but in the hands of Heathen men, or men of Heathenish superstition, or else perhaps among the Gnostikes & Carpocratites heretikes. For what one worde of commendation doth he bestowe vponupon them? He sawe them in deede, but if they had bene profitable for Christianitie, why did he not make the like, or cause them to be made in his church of Caesarea? What cause hauehave you hitherto (M. Sander) to cry out, O the deceit of M. Iewell? seeing for any thing you hauehave shewed, it is true which he saith: The Phaeniciens being Heathens, made these images in the honour of Christe, and of his Apostles, onelyonly of their heathenish and vaine superstition. But you will shewe a further falshoode in M. Iewell, and that still in one storie, for he proceedeth: Et credibile est, priscos illos homines nondum relicta auita superstition… ▪ adhunc modum consueuisse colere illos ethnica consuetudine tanquam seruatores. And it may well be thought, that men in olde times being not yet remoued from the superstitiō of their fathers, vsed after this sort to worship them by an heathenish custome as their sauiours. That M. Iewell meant no fraud in, this translation, it is manifest by that which M. Sander confesseth, that he set the Greeke wordes by the side of his booke, which are these, foreign. that is, as it is like, that those auncient men vnchangably after this maner were accustomed to honour them as Sauiours by an heathenish custome vsed among them. This I hauehave translated worde for worde, and what difference is there in sense from M. Iewels translatiō, but that nothing of his can please M. San. for first he maketh one quarell, yt foreign signifieth vnchangably, or without change, which M. Iewel hath turned, not yet being remoued from the superstition of their fathers. But Ruffinus also translateth it, ex gentili consuetudine indifferenter, of an heathenish custome indifferently, and M. San. himself afterward confesseth, that it is an heathenish custome to honour men with setting vp their images. And if it was superstitious in the heathen, therefore it was superstitious in these Christians which folowed the heathenish custome, foreign without any change. Secondly he saith, foreign, is spightfully Englished, their sauiours. And why so, I pray you▪ What other thing doth the worde signifie, but a Sauiour of whole or part, of body or soule. Except you will say, that among the Heathen, Castor & Pollux were called foreign in the plural number, but it was for that they were supposed to be sauiours or preseruers of Mariners, which declareth in what sense Eusebius saith, these men worshipped them without chaunge, by an heathenish custome foreign euen as they worshippe sauiours for example, such and so as they called Castor and Pollux. I will not therefore sticke with you, but that those men of whome Eusebius speaketh in this last sentence, were such as professed some l…ue of Christe and Christianitie, but yet after an heathenish maner. Alexander the Emperour worshipped the image of Christe in his Chappell among his other idols. Carpocrates the heretique made the images of Iesus and Paul, Homer and Pythagoras, & did cense them with incense, and worship them. Epiph. lib. 1. Tom. 2. in prefat. The Gnostike heretiques had euen such images of Christe painted in colours as Eusebius speaketh of, euen as they had the images of Pythagoras, Plato, Aristotle. Epher. 27. which heretiques answere directly to the wordes of Eusebius, that they made and worshipped the images of Christe and his Apostles, without chaunge, euen as they made the images of Heathen men, whome they had in estimation. Againe, S. August. De moribus Ecclesiae Catholicae cap. 34. speaketh of such worshippers of reliques and pictures euen in his time, which yet the Catholique Church did not allowe. Nolite mihi colligere professores nominis Christiani, ne que professionis suae vim aut scientes aut exhibentes. Nolite consectari turbas imperitorum, qui vel in ipsa vera religione superstitiosi sunt vel ita libidinibus dediti, vt obliti sint quid promisserint Deo. Noui multos esse sepulchrorum & picturarum adoratores: noui multos esse qui luxuriosissimè super mortuos bibant, & epulas … laueribus exhibentes, super sepultos seipsos sepeliant, & voracitates ebrietates que suas deputent religioni. Gather not me together such professours of ye Christian name, as either know, not or shewe not the vertue of their profession. Seeke not vp the multitude of vnskilfull men, which euen in true religion it selfe are superstitious, or else so giuen to filthie lustes, that they hauehave forgotten what they hauehave promised to God. I knowe there be many worshippers of tombs and pictures: I know there be many which most riotously drinke ouer the dead, & making banquets for the dead bodies, burie them selues vponupon the buried bodies, and account their gluttonies and dronkennesse to be religion. Such Christians they might be, of whome Eusebius speaketh. But M. San. confessing this maner of honouring by images, to be an heathenish custom, doth also affirme, that it was a laudable custome, saying, that it was but pusillanimitie, & scrupulositie in the Iewes, that they durst make no images. So that to obey the commandement of God, is counted of him for a vice, and it is a great vertue of magnanimitie, to be bolde to do that which God hath forbidden. But what reason hath he? Forsooth, all things that the heathens vsed, were not euill. Sacrifice was not euill, though the heathen did offer sacrifice to diuels. Virginitie of Nuns, for so it pleaseth him to translate Sanctiomonialium in Augustine, although there were no Popish names in his time, is not euill, bicause the heathen had their vestall Virgines. So that by his Logike, there is one reason of things good and lawfull, if they be well vsed, as sacrifice and virginitie, and things simply forbidden, as making and worshipping of images in religion.
But nowe we are come to S. Iames Chapter, which not heathen men, but the brethren at Hierusalem, and as Ruffinus translateth it, the Bishops in succession did preserue and had in estimation, his words folowing imediately after the sentence last intreated of, are these. foreign.
For the brethren there by succession hauing in estimation the Chaire of Iames the Apostle that is kept vntounto this time (which Iames was the first that receiued ye charge of the Church of Hierusalem of our Sauiour him self, and of the Apostles, whome also the holy scriptures do shewe to hauehave bene called the brother of Christ) doe euidently shewe vntounto all men, in what manner both those that were in the old time, and those that be euen till our days, hauehave maintained, & yet do maintaine a worthie reuerence and worshippe of holy men for their godlinesse sake. Here M. Sander scoffeth, rayleth, braggeth, and all about the Moone shine in the water. Knowe you not Maister Iewel (saith he) that this worde foreign, For, giueth a reason of that which went before? What was that? That olde men tarrying in superstition, did set vp images, whereof the reason followeth, bicause the brethren at Hierusalem do honour the chaire of S. Iames. Then he cryeth out, O cursed lying spirit, &c. At length he concludeth, that it is manifest, that Eusebius alloweth and stoutly defendeth the honour that is giuen to Saints by their images and reliques. See what a stout champion Maister Sander wil make Eusebius to be for images and reliques. But to returne to your foreign, for, Maister Sander, is there no remendie but either images must be allowed, or this connexion be foolish? May foreign, for, giuegive a reason of nothing but as you wil hauehave it? Why may it not rather giuegive a reason? why hee counteth that an heathenish custome of honoring Christ & his Apostles by making their images, bicause the faithfull brethren at Hierusalem, euen from the time of Saint Iames, not making an image of him, but keeping his chaire, that he vsed to sit in, as a monument, declare euidently, what maner of reuerence hath bene giuen by true Christians from the beginning to this day, vntounto holy mē? that is, to hauehave them in remembrance without superstition and idolatrie, but not by making of their images. For except this Antithesis be vnderstood, it were in deed a folish connexion, & as euil an argument, to proue that they which made images of Christ & his apostles after ye heathnish custome, did wel, because the Christians at Ierusalem kept the chaire of S. Iames, and had it in estimation. So that the matter beeing well considered the coniunction is wiser then Maister S. can vnderstande for all his outcries and amplifications.
To that which the Bishop saith this image beeing in the streete, proueth not the setting vppe of Images in the Churche, he aunswereth, there were other images whiche Eusebius sawe, and where should he see them, but in the Churche in Constantine his time? I hauehave shewed before where he might see them, among the Heathens and Heretikes. And that he sawe none in the Church, appeareth in the Panaegynt ad Paulin. Tyr. Epū, Lib. 10. Cap. 4. where a godly Church is described in euerie small parte and ornament of it, yet no image at all spoken of, which should not hauehave beene omitted if it had beene seene there, especially beeing such necessarie ornamentes of Churches as the Papistes account them.
But Iulianus ye runnagate (saith he) out of the tripertite historie. Lib. 6. Cap. 41. brake that Image, and the Christians afterwarde gathered vp the peeces and laide them in a Churche. If this be not giuing of honour to Christes images, he cannot tell what is honouring of Images. Yes M. Sander, to set candels before them, to kneele to them, to pray to them, to kisse them, to offer to them, to make vowes to them, to ascribe health to them, &c. These are honouring of images vsed of Papistes, other maner of honouring then those Christians are saide to hauehave vsed. For if it be credible, that the peeces of brasse lay in the streete vntill Iulianus was dead, that they might be gathered vp of the Christians, and were not molten to none other vse by the Paganes, yet why did not the Christians rather melt them & make them a new image, then lay them vp in the Church? But M. Iewell is charged to speake if he dare, what he would do, if he chaunced to come into the same Church, where the image of Christ were kept, whether he would follow Iulianus in breaking it, rather then the Christians in reseruing it.
He is now at rest with God, hauing fought a good fight, fulfilled his course, and kept the faith, wayting for the crowne of righteousnes which shalbe giuen him by God the righteous iudge in that day, so that he can make M. Sander none answer, but thus I thinke he would hauehave resolued his question, when he liued in this world. He wold neither followe the spightfull malice of Iulian, nor the superstitious emulation of those Christians, but do with it as it became a Christian man according to Gods commandement, and his calling. And for my parte, M. Sander I dare speake vntounto you what I thinke. I am one which esteeme monuments, as much as any one poore man of my degree. In so muche yt a wise man perhaps might say vntounto me. Insanis veteres statuas Damasippus emendè. And therfore if I had in my priuate possessiō such images of Christ, Peter and Paul, as Eusebius did see, and that I were assured they were the true counterfets of their bodies or countenances as those which he did see were supposed to be. I would so esteeme them, as I do the Images of Caesar, Pompeius, Tulla, and such like, and peraduenture for the rarenesse, much more, but not a pinne the more in respect of religion. For I do so honour auncient images, that I make as great account of a peece of Nero, or Heliogabalus, as I do of Constantius, and Theodosius. But if I had authority of a Church, in which were an image of pure gold representing the whole stature, countenance, & apparell of Christ as he walked vponupon the earth, which were abused to idolatrie, as your Popish images hauehave beene, and are in some places vntounto this day, I would rather breake it in peeces by the example of Ezechias, & cast it into the deepe sea, then either I would suffer idolatrie to be committed vntounto it, or preserue it to be a snare to them that liued after me to runne a whoring after it. But as for your euill fauoured blockes and stones, which hauehave none other shape or name but such as the idol of the workemans brayne hath giuen them, and being set vp to be worshipped, I would no more esteeme them, then the myre in the streete, or that whiche is more vile, although you crie vntill you be hoarse, they are the holy images of Christe, of the blessed Trinitie, of Saint Peter, and S. Paule. For to a Christian man they are abhomination.