Three Pillars and Arch-patriarchs of the Popish Synagogues, Treatise 3 · Chapter 2
Sander.THE II. CHAP.
The state of the question concerninge the adoration of holy Images, where also a reason is giuen of the order which is taken in the booke following.
In this chapter, hee mooueth foure questions, 1. whether Images may be made,Fulke. 2. whether any Images may bee worshipped, 3. whether it bee expedient that anie shoulde be worshipped, 4 with what kinde of worship Images may be worshipped. To the first he aunswereth that Images may be made. To the seconde, that these Images onelyonly may be worshipped, in respect of Christian religion, which bring vsus in minde either that there is a God, or that there are three persons of the Trinitie, or which represent Christ, or his holy Angels and Saints, by which he alloweth the making and worshippinge of the Images of god, or of the trinity, beside ye images of Christ, men, and Angels.
To the third, he answereth that it is expedient that Images should be worshipped. To the fourth, he defendeth it for more probable, that the same degree of honor is not due to the Image of Christ, of our Lady, or of other saintes, which is due to Christ, our Lady, & other saintes themselues, but there is a certaine proper honour due to holy Images, which may be called a worship or honour due to a good remembraunce or monument. These be his owne wordes, by which hee sheweth himselfe contrary to other Papistes, that defende that Images are to be worshipped with the same honour that is due to the thinges whereof they are Images. As that the Image of God is to be worshipped, euen with the same honour that is due to God himselfe.
But going ouer his questions againe, hee saieth, it is graunted for the most part of all men, that Images may be made so they be not abused, which is vtterly false, for no Christian man will graunt, that it is lawfull in anye respect to make any Image of God, that is, to transforme the glorye of the immortall God into the image of a mortal man, or to make that monstrous image of the Trinitie, with three faces or three bodies: of an old man, a yong man, and a doue. Rom. 1. vers. 23. The seconde and thirde, he sayeth are denyed by the Caluenistes and Lutherans. In the fourth, there hath been controuersie among the Popish Catholikes, some thinking the honor dewe to the thing it selfe (by reason that the image is all one with ye thing, when it exerciseth the act of an image) might be giuen to the image therof. But other be of another minde. Beside this controuersie among the Papistes themselues confessed about the honour of God, which is one of the chiefest pointes of Christian religiō, note that the former sort make dombe & dead images, to exercise an act, which is a grosse & monstrous absurditie. But of all those foure questions, M. Sanders promiseth to intreate: first to proue the making of images lawful and commendable: 2. the worshipping of them to be lawfull & commendable, as the signes of honorable verities for the verities sake, which is all one, as if you would saye, we must worship falsities for louelove of verities, for betweene veritie & falsitie there is no meane, the creature in steede of the creator, Rom. 1. vers. 25. But how absurdly doth he confound images with the signes of all kinds? Or what kinde of argument is this? Iohn Baptist confessed him selfe vnworthie to loose the latchet of Christes shooe, therefore he woulde worship his shooe or we must worship his image. Or these, a man embraceth a seruant or messenger sent from his friende, kisseth a ring that commeth from him, loueth to heare of his name, esteemeth his picture, therefore wee must embrase, kisse, louelove, & esteeme images of God, &c. which hee hath not sent vntounto vsus, but expressely forbidden vsus to make or hauehave in any vse of religion. But yt he shoulde not be mistaken, in saying, images ought to be honoured, he doeth not as a learned man shoulde doe, make a lawfull diuision or distinction of honour, but like a blinde or craftie Sophister, he maketh a confusion and iumbling of diuerse names and kindes of honour, to trouble the vnderstanding of a simple reader, as of honour due to God, to Saintes, to our prince, to his liuetenant, to our parents, friends, fellowes, superiours, and to holy remembrance, and one of these kindes of honour he will proue due to images, and not that which is due to God alone. As though all honour of religion, were not dewe onelyonly to God, Mat. 4. vers. 10. and honour of charitie, were not to be directed by Gods lawe, by which, honour of images is expressely forbidden. But with M. Sander the difference of honour commeth from the minde, and therefore falling downe before an image. Kissing, &c. if he thinke it not to be God, nor any reasonable creature, but an image of Christ. &c. is no idolatrie. As if God had not by expresse wordes forbidden, the falling downe before images, yea, although the minde knowe they be false idols. For else how are they commended, which hauehave not bowed their knees to Baal, nor kissed him with their mouth, among so many idolaters and dissemblers? But Abraham (saith M. Sander) adored the people of the land, yet was he no idolater. As though he could not put a difference betweene ciuile worship & religious: yea, he giueth a rule how to auoide idolatrie: GiueGive God thy heart (saith he) and after be secure, that ye honour which is giuen in any respect be for Gods sake, & all is well. By this reason, we may worship not onelyonly all idols, but we may make idols of all Gods creatures, & worship them for Gods sake, as the Aegyptians did Oxen, crocodiles, cattes, apes & onions, for they be al good monuments & remembrances of God their creatour, and better then any forged idoll. To auoide which absurditie, it were good not only to looke that you worship not any thing for Gods sake, but to be sure, what God hath commaunded you to worship, & that to honor with such honour also as he hath appointed. So shall you worship God aright, & honour his ministers ecclesiasticall or ciuil, his friendes, and your brethren, and whatsoeuer else is worthie of any honour. But Maister Sander to auoide the offence that might be taken by the termes of adoration, worshipping, honouring, &c. protesteth that hee alloweth onelyonly that honouring of images, when the partie in the faith of one God, and one mediatour Iesus Christ, doth direct his honour by the image to the trueth represented, which faith and intention doth deliuer him quite from all spice of idolatrie. But how false this determination of M. Sanders is, we see euidently by the historie of the golden Calfe, which Aaron and the people worshipped, euen according to his faith and intention, namely, they worshipped the God which brought them forth of the land of Aegypt by that image, euen Iehoua, that made heauen and earth, Exod. 32. vers. 4. & 5. Againe, what manner of faith this is, which is not onelyonly not grounded vppon the worde of God, but also cleane contrarie to it, children that learne their Cathechisme can sufficiently vnderstand. In the ende of this Chapter M. Sander practiseth a figure of popish rethorike, which is, after great bragges & promises of proofe, to occupie the reader with some by matters, before the performance taken in hand, partly that his vnderstanding should not be so quick, as when his minde is newly kindled wt desire of the sight of such things as he promised, & partly yt being half wearied with other needelesse discourses, he shoulde not be so attentiue to consider the force of his reasons. Therfore he promiseth first to answere the obiections of ye aduersaries, & yet because that argument is not so fitt for his purpose, he turneth it ouer also, vntil he hauehave for disputations sake, fayned the honouring of images vnlawful, & yet proued yt the image breakers in the lowe countries did not well.