Three Pillars and Arch-patriarchs of the Popish Synagogues, Treatise 3 · Chapter 5
Sander.THE V. OR IIII. CHAP.
That the worde of God forbiddeth not generally the making of all kinde of images, and in what sence images are forbidden to be made.
Fulke.That the worde of God forbiddeth not the making of all images generally, it is a matter out of controuersie with vsus, although the Iewes and Mahometistes think the contrarie. But seeing making of images is by the seconde commaundement expressely forbidden, wee may clearely perceiue, what images are forbidden to be made, if wee consider that this is a precept of the first table, which concerneth religion.
Therefore, by it were are forbidden to make to our selues any manner of images for any vse of religion. M. Sander saith: that Iewes were onelyonly forbidden to make them as straunge Gods, for when the Lord had said, Thou shalt hauehave no straunge Gods: imediatly shewing what are straunge Gods, hee saith, thou shalt make no grauen images. Beside that, this interpretation is a confusion of two commaundements in one, the former shewing the matter or substance of Gods honour, the other the essentiall forme thereof to be spirituall, it is proued false by these reasons: diuers nations worshipped liuing creatures which were no images, as Cattes, Oxen, Crocodiles, Serpents, Apes, as Gods, therfore the interpretation of strange Gods can not be images. The Israelites worshipped the true God Iehoua, which brought them out of the land of Aegypt, in the image of a Calfe, Exo. 3…. So did the Israelites vnderunder Ieroboam: and euen those Gentiles that did worship images with godly honour, they did worship thē but as images of the Gods them selues, whome they confessed to dwel in heauen, earth, the sea, or hell, except some ignoraunt persons among them, euen as among the Papistes the like hauehave bene, that did thinke the very Idols to be Saintes, and were moued thereto, by the falshood of the Popish Priestes, which would make their eyes to gogle & water, their lippes to stirre, their noses to bleede; their faces to sweat, euen as by pricking their finger they made their Masse cakes to bleede. The Gentiles also, though they worshipped many Gods, yet they honoured one Iupiter aboue all the rest of the inferiour Gods, whom they worshipped but euen as the Papistes worship the Saintes. And to that one God they did attribute as great praise, as the Papistes doe to the highest God. The Poet Horace saith, Quire… hominum ac Deorum, Qui mare & terras variis que mundum, Temperat horis: Vnde nil maius generatur ipso, Nec viget quicquam simile aut secundum: Proximos illi tamen occupanit Pallas honores. It is hee which gouerneth the affaires of men and Gods, which ruleth the Sea and the land, and the whole world with diuers seasons. So that nothing is brought foorth greater then hee, neither is there any thing like him or second vntounto him. Yet Pallas receiueth the next honour vntounto him. Compare this confession of the Heathen Poet, with that the Papistes teach of the worshippe of GOD and our Ladie, and see howe like they be.
But to returne to Maister Sanders interpretations, hee maketh a second restraint, vponupon these wordes, Thou shalt not make to thy selfe, that is, by thine owne priuate iudgement, but such images as I shal appoint to be made, thou maist hauehave. This restraint is right, and according to the meaning of the worde of GOD. For by this are excepted the brasen serpent, the Cherubims, and what so euer beside GOD commaunded to be made, and had in any vse of religion. As for the images of the Lions about Salomons throne, the Oxen that bare vp the see of brasse, the Pomgranets, Date trees, and other flowers made for the ornament of the temple, were in no vse of religion, and without all daunger of worshipping, therefore not prohibited by this commaundement, no more then the images of beastes, fishes, birdes, trees, in bookes of Philosophie, or the painting of stories in clothes or galleries, &c.
But whereas Maister Sander in this restriction, enlargeth the commaundement of God to be vnderstoode, not onelyonly that which is deliuered by the speciall and certaine messingers of God, Moses, the Prophetes, and the Apostles, but also addeth their successours, of whose calling we hauehave no warrant of GOD, I may not therein agree with him. For hee quoteth for successours of the Apostles, Paulinus, Gregorie, and the second Councell of Nice, yea, Eusebius, Basil, Ambrose, Augustine, Chrysostome, which all erred from the Apostolique doctrine in some pointes, although none of the fiue last named, allowed the hauing of images in Churches. Eusebius Li. 7. cap. 18. speaketh of an image in the streat, made by the Gentiles. Basil, Hom. in 40. Martyres: of images of men of warre painted for imitation, but not in the Churche. Chrysostomes Liturgie was written in the dayes of the Emperour Alexius, sixe or seuen hundreth yeares after Chrysostomes death. Ambrose in vita Geruasij, is a meere forgerie, for the right Ambrose, De suga saeculi cap. 5. Eccles… manes idęas, & vanas nescit simulachrorum figuras. The Church knoweth no improfitable formes and vaine figures of images. Augustine De consensu Eu. cap. 10. the place by him quoted, condemneth them that sought Christe in painted walles, of Gregorie Nyssen we hauehave spoken in the Chapter before, the other whome he citeth, Paulinus and Gregorie of Rome, we refuse as erronious, and the second Nicen assembly as Idolatrous.
But M. Sanders proceedeth to defend the makers of images, whome the scripture accurseth, saying, that it meaneth either makers of idols, or else makers of wanton images, or at least, such as make them for an euill end and purpose. Concerning the first, hee findeth fault with the English translation, which eueryevery where almost, turneth idols into images. As though the Hebrue wordes, which the English translation expresseth, had that ridiculous distinction of idols and images, yea, as though the very vulgar Latine translation Psalme 113. which he quoteth, calleth them not Simulachra images, the makers whereof, are accursed. Concerning the second, it is plaine the Psalmist speaketh not of wanton images, but of such as were worshipped of the Heathen. And to the thirde, I graunt it meaneth them that make them to an euill end and purpose, as all Popish image makers doe, which make them to the end they might be set vp in Churches, to be worshipped, contrarie to Gods commaundement.
But the last reason for the defence of image making, would serue to perce a marble stone, with the subtiltie thereof, and yet when all is done, hath as much reason in it, as the blockes which it defendeth. Mans naturall vnderstanding is, by conceiuing images, made and brought vntounto it by the externall and inward senses, therefore it is lawfull to make carued images. We may conceiue in our mind an image of Christe nayled on the crosse, therefore we may make it of wood or stone, and worship it.
O subtile argument. But syr, you graunt the making of Idols to be forbidden, but those conceiued images of the minde are called Idolls by them, that teach you that they be such conceptions of things: therefore this argument a paribus, will serue you to defend Idolls as well as images. Yet one question or two about this diffuse argument I would demaund. Doeth God forbid by the second commaundement naturall, or artificiall images? If artificiall, then they hauehave no comparison with naturall images.
Againe syr, are our seeing and hearing from whome these images you speake of first doe come, by your Philosophie actions or passions? If they be passions, howe are they compared with making of grauen images, whiche are actions? Finally, where he saith, this prohibition was not immutable, but temporall to that people, he passeth all bounds of reason and common vnderstanding, as by the iudgment of God is become like vntounto those Idols whome he defendeth. For hauing graunted before that Idolatrie was forbidden by this precept, nowe he restraineth the forbidding of idolatrie, only to the Iewes of that time, as though it were lawfull for Christians, who more streightly then the Iewes, must worship God in spirit and trueth Iohn. 4. and are commaunded to keepe them selues pure from Idols. 1. Iohn 5.