An Antidote Against Popery, Treatise · Chapter 3
CHAPTER III. Of the Churches worshi…
SECT. I. That Prayers, and all public… worship, should bee in a… knowne tongue.
The state of the Question.
WEE contravert not, in what Language one may pray to …OD in private, so that they …derstand the same, and, as the …postle sayeth, that they pray in …e Spirite, and with vnderstan…ng: but the question is, Whe…er Prayers, or anie other parte … GOD'S publicke Worship, …herein one or moe speaketh be…re the people, should bee in a …guage vnknowne to the peo…e,Sess. 6. cap. 8. can. 9. as the Councell of Trent ap…ynteth. And if the people them…ues should bee taught to recite … their devotions, the PATER …OSTER, CREED, and such …ke, in the Latine tongue, where… they hauehave no vnderstanding, …his wee altogether denye, be…use of these SCRIPTVRES …llowing.
1. Authoritie of Scripture.
PSAL. 47.7. GOD is King of all the earth: Sing prayses… Him with vnderstanding.
VponUpon which wordes, accordi… to the vulgar translation, whi… hath, SING WYSELIE, t… interlinearie hath, SING WI… VNDERSTANDING. For accordi… to Augustine's wordes, (sayeth… ordinarie Glosse) no man do… that wyselie, which hee vnderst… deth not. Therefore, (sayeth Co…thusian) some sing and also pra… vnwyselie; of whom the LOR… by the Prophet sayeth. This peo… draweth neare vntounto mee with th… lippes, but their heart is farre fr… mee. And such praysing or pray… is vnfruitfull, according to that… the Apostle, If I should pray w… my tongue onelie, my mynde is with… fruit. Therefore hee subjoynet… I will pray in the Spirit, and I w… pray with vnderstanding also: I w… sing in the Spirit, and I will sing w… vnderstanding also. Which, ho… wholesome and fruitfull a thing… is, (sayeth Carthusian) the Apostle manifesteth, subjoyning, In t… Church I had rather speake fiue words with vnderstanding, than ten thousand in an vnknowne tongue. Else, for a reasonable service, (which is requyred ROM. 12) an vnreasonable service should bee offered vp: and for the Calues of the lippes, the lippes of Calues, as it were.
Wherefore also Cardinall Contarenus affirmeth, That the simple people praying in an vnknowne tongue, wanteth that fruit,In Catechesi interrog. ultima. (sayeth hee) which they would reape, if they vnderstoode those Prayers which they vtter: for so they would in a speciall manner bende their soule and mynde to GOD, that they might obtaine from Him, that which with their mouthes they speciallie desire; and would bee more edified by the Godlie vnderstanding of those Prayers which they vtter.
1. COR. 14.15. What is it, then? I will pray with the Spirit, and I will pray with the vnderstanding also: I will sing with the Spirit, and I will sing with vnderstanding also.
VERS. 16. Else, when th… shalt blesse with the Spirit, ho… shall he that occupyeth the ro… of the vnlearned, (or vulgar, … the Rhemists translate) say Am… at thy giving of thankes, see… hee vnderstandeth not what t… sayst?
VERS. 18. I thanke GO… I speake moe tongues than all: yet in the Church I had ther speake fiue wordes with… derstanding, that by my voy… might teach others also, th… ten thousand wordes in… vnknowne tongue.
Out of all which, I reason th…
The worship of GOD sho… bee performed the best way, a… most fittest to edification. But t… best and sittest way, is, that t… same should bee performed it knowne tongue: therefore in knowne tongue should the wo… ship of GOD bee performed, …hether it beeexhortation, prayer, …r thanksgiving, all which the …postle enumerateth.
VponUpon which Text, therefore, sayth Sc…ulius) the Apostle would …ther speake a few words, cleare … right vnderstanding, than in… … wordes, that were ob… … vnknowne, and edifie … th… hearer: because a few … …ith profit, are better nor … …ch profit not.
So …ewyse, (sayeth Haymo) Els… how shall the hearer answere by the confirmatorie word which …s called AMEN, seeing hee vnderstandeth onlie his owne language, but vnderstandeth not that vnknowne tongue whereby thou speakest?
In lyke manner, (sayeth their owne Lyra) the Apostle heere showeth, in publicke prayer, if the people vnderstand the Prayer or blessing of the Priest, the better they are brought to GOD, & answere the more devotelie, AMEN. Else, the simple people wanting vnderstanding, pro… little, or nothing. For whi… cause, (sayth hee) the Blessing and all other common Service… the primitiue Church, was pe… formed in the vulgar tongue. Ye… (say the Rhemistes themselues… when a man prayeth in a stran… tongue, which himselfe vnde… standeth not, it is not so fruitf… for instruction to him, as if h… knewe particularlie what h… prayed.
2. Witnessing of Antiquitie.
Ambr. in 1. Cor. 14.IF yee meete together (say… Ambrose) for the edifying… the Church, then those thing… should bee spoken, which th… hearers may vnderstand: for wh… profiteth it that one should speak… with a tongue which himselfe on… lie vnderstandeth, and hee wh… heareth profiteth not thereby The same doth Chrysostome affirm… and beside the fore-named Fathers, Sedulius and Haymo,Chrys. hom. …8. in 1. Cor. on the plac… foresayde.
3. Confession of partie.
…VT of this doctrine of Pauls, (sayeth Cajatane) it is colle…ed,Card. Cajet. in 1. Coe. 14. That it is better for the edi…ing of the Church, that pub…cke prayers which are sayde in …e peoples hearing, bee sayde in v…gar tongue, knowne to the …ople and Clergie, rather than … Latine. Whence it was, (sayeth …assander) that the canon…call …rayers,Cassand. liturg. and speciallie the words … consecration of the Bodie and …lood of our LORD, the An…ents did so reade it, that all the …eople might vnderstand, and say …hereto, AMEN. Yea, their late …stius, Professor in Duay,Estius in 1. Cor. 14. gran…eth, that in it selfe it is good that all …vyne service bee performed in the …ngue which people vnderstand: for …is tendeth greatlie to their edi…ying,Extat apud Baron. tom. 10. anno 880. sect. 10. epist. 147. Ioh. 8. sayeth hee) as this place …roveth well. Therefore sayde …ope Iohn the eyght, in his Epistle …o the Prince of Moravia; It is not …gaynst sound Fayth or Doctrine, whether to celebrate the Masse,… to reade the Gospell, or the s… cred Lessons of the Olde and Ne… Testament, beeing well translate… or to sing the other Divyne Se… vice: because Hee that made thr… principall Languages, the H… BREW, GREEKE, and LATIN… made also all others, to His ow… Prayse and Glorie.
SECT. 2. Of the invocation of Saynct and Angels.
The state of the Question.
THE Question is not, wheth… Say…ctes departed, out their aboundant charitie, doe g… nerallie praye for vsus, and t… whole Church militant; for t… wee oppose not: but whether w… should pray to them, as the Cou… cell of Trent appoynteth.Sess. 9. s…b Pio 4 A… not onlie to intercede for vsus, th… wee may get grace from GOD… or merciemercy; but also joyneth the… with GOD; and seeking fro… them Blessinges, and helpe, as the Rhemistes professe (on REV. 1.4) …hey doe, from the Virgine MARIE, and the Sayncts. Which to bee lawfull, wee altogether de…ye; having clearlie for vsus these reasons following.
1. Authoritie of Scripture.
PSAL. 65.2. O Thou that hearest Prayer, vntounto thee shall all flesh come: that is, All sorts of persons, (sayeth Augustine) rich and poore, great and small, Iew and Gentile.
Where …marke, that Hee to whom wee must come by prayer, must hauehave that propertie, that Hee heareth prayer: And therefore, because the LORD onlie hath this propertie, for this cause, according to the PSALMIST, all flesh should come to Him onlie.
Wherefore, (sayeth Bellarmine, Bell. l. 1. de Sāntis c. 20. …sect; Al… dicūt.concerning vocall prayers) to know the prayers, which at one and the s…me tyme are made in most distant and diverse places, is requyred true Ubiquitie: Which wee belieue not to agree (sayeth hee) to the spirits eyther of Men or Angels.See also Iob 14.21 & Eccl. 9.5 & Aquinas thereanēt, 1 part q. 12. art. 8. § Ad quartum. See 1. King. 8.39. And concerning those that are mentall, hee sayeth in that same place; Neyther Angels, not blessed Soules, altho they were present, can by their nature know our prayers, (sayeth hee) when we pray onlie in thought, seeing it is GOD onelie, who knoweth, and is the searcher of the heart.
And as for that imagination of theirs, of the Saynctes, or Angels, their beholding of all thinges in the essence of the holie Trinitie, wee may justlie say, That this Mathematicall Glasse, which some of the doating Schoole-men set in Heaven, for soothing their superstition, hath beene long agoe, in respect of the brittlenesse of it, beaten all in pieces. For I aske of them; Whether this Glasse doeth represent all things to the Sayncts, and Angels, or such thinges onelie, that are the Prayers of men on earth? If all, then their knowledge shoulde bee as infinite as GOD'S is, and nothing, no, not the day and houre of Iudgement, shoulde escape their knowledge, For MATTH. 18 10. it is sayde, that the Angels allwayes beholde the Face of the Father which is in Heaven; and yet they knowe not when the Day of Iudgement shall bee, MARKE 13.32. If onelie the Prayers of men on earth, then this were as much, as first they came onlie to the knowledge of GOD, and then GOD did reveale them to such or such a Saynct, that is invocated; and then these agayn did reveale them backe to GOD: which is moste ridiculous. Besides; Who ever revealed vntounto them, or gaue them such assurance, That there is such a revelation in Heaven? And if they hauehave no Word of GOD for it, but their owne dreames, with alyke facilitie it is rejected, as it is assumed. For Scotus vponupon Lomb. in 4. dist. 45. q. 4. sayeth, That no such revelation followeth vponupon Beatitude necessarilie, (as also doeth Biell in can. Missae, lect. 31.) But Bellarmine goeth farder, and praesupposeth, that if the Sayncts should hauehave neede thus of a newe revelation, the Church would not so boldlie say vntounto all the Sayncts, PRAY FOR VSUS; but would sometymes intreat GOD, That Hee would reveale our Prayers vntounto them. Bell. de Eccles. triumph. lib. 1. cap. 20.
ROM. 10.14. Howe shall they call vponupon Him, in whom they have not believed?
But to assume; we must only belieue in God:Iohn 14.1. Ierem 17.5. Greg. Nazian. Orat. 37. Ruffin in exposit. Symboli. therfore, onlie in call vponupon GOD. Nowe, that wee must onlie belieue in GOD, beside Scripture cited on the margents, Antiquitie telleth vsus, Gregorie Nazianzen saying, That this is proper onelie to GOD. And Cyprian, (or, as others will hauehave it, Ruffinus, vponupon the first Article of the CREED) saying, By this syllabe of praeposition, IN, the Creator is distinguished from the creatures. So that when sayth is expressed in the DEITIE, it is sayde, I belieue in God the Father, and in JESƲS CHRIST His Sonne, and in the holy Ghost: But when speach is of the creatures, or of mysteries, the praeposition IN is not added: as, wee say not, I belieue in the holie Church; but, I belieue the holie Church. So also sayeth Aquinas, Aquī. in Ioh. 14.1By this where hee sayeth; Belieue also in me, our Saviour testifieth, that Hee is true GOD. For altho wee may belieue a man, who is a creature, yet wee ought to belieue in none, but in GOD onlie.Lomb. in Rō. 4.3 Therefore also sayeth Lombard, It is another thing to belieue in GOD, another thing to belieue Him, and another thing to belieue that Hee is. For the Devills believed Him, but not in Him: and wee belieue Paull and Peter, but not in Paull, nor in Peter, (sayeth hee.) Wherefore, wee conclude, If wee may no wayes belieue in Paull, nor in Peter, who are Saynctes departed; then, by this place of Scripture, wee may no wayes incall vponupon them.A Lapide, in Rō. 10. For no man incalleth vp… anie, (sayeth Cornelius à Lapide the Iesuit) in whome hee doe… not belieue, and from whom h… hopeth not for helpe and reliefe… their handes.
PSAL. 50.15. Call vpo… Mee in the day of trouble: will deliver thee, and thou sh… glorifie Mee.
Loe heere GOD'S owne… rection, to call vponupon Him onel… with His gracious Promise of D… liverance, for our encowrageme… and that to Him onelie belong… the Religious Worship bo…h Prayer and Prayse, whereby H… is glorified by vsus. Whereas o… the contrarie, GALAT. 4.8. t… Apostle rebuketh them who d… service to them, which by natu… were not GOD'S: and therefo… vseth the worde foreign? Of which sort of service in Re… gious Worship, none can de… Prayer to bee.
LVKE 11.2. And hee say… to them, When yee pray, say, Our Father, which art in Heaven.
Remarke, then, that our Saviour directeth vsus, to pray to Him onelie, who is Creator, and of the Divine Nature: and not to praye to anie Saynct, or Angell, who are of a created nature. Therfore, vnderunder the name of FATHER, their owne Maldonate, the Iesuit, Maldon. in Math 6.will hauehave the whole Divine Nature comprehended, as it comprehendeth Father, Sonne, and holie Ghost; saying, I approue rather the opinion of others, who will hauehave the whole Trinitie heere to bee called FATHER, than theirs, who take the worde personallie. And hee proveth it to bee so; Because the whole Trinitie is our Father, in regarde of creation, preservation, redemption, and regeneration, &c. Yea, Prayer is such a principall parte of Divine Service, incommunicable to anie other, that it is vsuallie put for the whole, as Ier. 10.25. Ioel 2. 32. Act. 9.14. 1. Cor. 1.2. A… the publicke place of GOD… Worship hath from thence its… nomination, of The House… Prayer, ISAI. 56.7. MATT… 21.13.
ROM. 8.5. But yee hauehave… ceaved the Spirit of Adoption… whereby wee cry, ABBA, F… THER.
So lykewyse GAL. 4.6. A… because yee are sonnes, GO… hath sent foorth the Spirit of H… Sonne into your heartes, cryin… ABBA, FATHER.
Aug. epist. 105.Whence wee inferre, as Aug… stine showeth, That as the Spir… of Fayth teacheth vsus, rightlie t… belieue; So the Spirit of Praye… teacheth vsus rightlie howe to pray… But so it is, that the Spirite o… Prayer, called heere The Spirit of Adoption, teacheth vsus to pray to GOD onelie, as our Father: and so, to come to Him not as subjects by Courteours to a King; but immediatelie, as children to a loving father: Because (sayeth Estius) this is the priviledge of the sonnes of GOD,Estis…. in R…. 8. to call GOD their Father, both by CHRIST'S example, the naturall Sonne of GOD, who in the Gospell eyther teaching or praying, called GOD His Father, as lykewyse by His precept who teached vsus to pray thus, Our Father, &c.
Therefore, for Prayer to GOD onelie, wee see, that wee hauehave the direction of the whole Trinitie, GOD the Father teaching vsus so to doe, PSAL. 50; GOD the Sonne, LVKE 11; and GOD the holie Ghost, ROM. 8; beside the example of CHRIST, and all the Sayncts before vsus.
To which doctrine and practise, how farre that of Poperie is contrarie, is more now than evident,Fran. de Mēdoza in viridari… vtr… usque cruditiones, sacrae & prophanae lib. 2. probl. 2. and wherein they are come to such a hight of impietie, as the Iesuit Mendoza hath of late set foorth this as a Probleme. Whether it is more profitable to vsus to invovate the Name of IESVS, or the name of Marie? to which hee answereth, thus, Now (sayeth hee) witho… anie ambiguitie, more plainlie… decyde the whole matter, thus;… I say, Let it bee so, that the favo… and authoritie which CHRIS… hath with GOD, be greater tha… the Virgins; yet notwithstandin… the blessed Virgine is more easil… moved with our prayers, som… tymes, nor Christ is: and ther… fore the patrocinie of the mothe… is more present, or readie, som… tymes, vntounto vsus, th…n the patro… nie of the Sonne. And this op… nion hath both authoritie, reason, and experience for it (sayeth hee… Wherefore also in the fourth Probleme of that same booke, he… affirmeth, That the Virgine Mari… is to bee worshipped with tha… highest degree or worship whic… they call LATRIA, in respect o… the dignitie of her motherhood, which belongeth to the order o… hypostaticall Vnion: bee reason of which vnion, (sayeth hee) th… worship of LATRIA is due to CHRIST'S …umanitie; and therefore to all other things which belong to that order of vnion.
As for the invocation of Angels, tho the preceeding arguments doe sufficientlie militate agaynst anie such, yet beside them, wee joyne this which concerneth the same in particular.
COLOS. 2.18. Let no man beguyle you of your reward (or seduce you, as the Rhemistes translate) in a voluntarie humilitie, and worshipping of Angels.
VponUpon which words S. Chrysostome commenting, hee showeth what this worshipping was, to wit, the making of them intercessours betweene GOD and them, counting it too prowde a boldnesse, immediatelie to goe to God, or to Christ to interceed for them, and therefore they prayed vntounto the Angels, that they would mediate at GODS hand for them.Concil. Laod. cā 35 Theod in Col …. Which the Councell of Laodicea condemned as Idolatrie, & therefore sayeth Theodoret. The councell which conveaned at Laodicea, which is the Metropolitane citie of Phrygia, did prohibite by a Law, that they should not PRAY to Angels, (Loe there the worship in particular) So that it is an ydl… subterfuge for Romanistes, to say that divyne adoration, or one so… was onelie prohibite, seeing th… Text is general, inhibiting all wo… ship, & consequentlie invocation… Which invocation also of Angel… Ireneus in lyke manner did teac… to bee farre from the practice o… the true Church of CHRIST in his dayes.Iren. l. …. cap. 57 Also Aug. de v… ra Relig. c. 55. Aug. heres. 39. And Augustine showeth that they who thus did worship Angels, were accounted Heretickes, and therefrae called Angelici.
2. Witnessing of Antiquitie.
HAueHave Christ alone before your eyes,Ig…at Ep. 6. ad Philadelp and His Father, in your prayers, being enlightened by the Spirit (sayeth Ignatius.) Also all prayers and supplications, and intercessions, and thanksgivinges, are to bee sent vp to GOD the LORD of all,Origē contr. Celsum, lib. 5. p. 230. (sayeth Origen) by the high Priest who is aboue all Angels, beeing the living Word, and GOD. And as for the Churches practise, the names of the Saynctes are in th…ir owne o…dour rehearsed amongst vsus,Aug. lib. 22 de civit. DEI c. 10 (sayeth Augustine) but they are not invocated by vsus.
3. Confession of partie.
NOthing of this was delyvered or taught (sayeth Eckius) in the Scriptures of the Olde Testament,E…k. enchirid. de vener sanct. c. 15 and in the New Testament also, the Apostles nor Evangelists, neyther by word nor writ, (that is, Scripture nor Tradition) left anie such thing behinde them, that the Sayncts should bee prayed vntounto. And it is to bee confessed, (sayeth Cassander) that manie & great errours through the pretext of the intercession and merits of Sayncts,Cassand. cōsult art. 2… hauehave invaded the mynds and manners of the vulgar, wherevnto also the inconsiderat wrytings and sayings of learned men hauehave given occasion, and fostered their erour. For first, wicked men continuing in their wickednesse h… believed that by the onelie int… cession and patrocinie of Saynct… they should get pardon and gr… from GOD at hand, which p… nicious opinion also so farre… might bee, hath beene confirm… by counterfeyt miracles
Another errour is, that m… who are not wicked or otherw… good, hauehave made choyse v… themselues of certayne Sayncts… their Patrons and Defenders, a… hauehave placed more confidence… their merits and intercession th… in Christs merite, and so, havi… obscured that office of Christs o… lie advocation, they hauehave in pla… thereof substitute the Sayncts, a… in speciall the Virgine Maries a… vocation.
Biel in can M…ssae Lect. 8.Yea, there hath not wanted f… mous men (meaning BIEL an… others) who affi…me, that i… the Virgin Marie that is accomplished which Assuerus promised to Esther, to giuegive her the halfe of hi… Kingdome, and that even so of the Kingdome of GOD (which consisteth of justice and merciemercy) the LORD hath given to Marie merciemercy, retayning justice to Himselfe, whence are these Titles given to her, Queene of Heaven, and Queene and Mother of merciemercy.
What shall I say, when thorow the whole Psalter, everie-where the Name of the LORD is found changed into the name of our Ladie, yea, it is come to that hight, that even CHRIST now raygning in Heaven is made subject to His Mother, whence in the Churches this is sung to her, saying, Command our Redeemer.
Thirdlie, some are seene to attribute to the merits of Saynctes, the verie power of Sanctification and Redemption, which is onelie proper to Christ God and Man, and of whose fulnesse wee all hauehave receaved, (all this sayeth Cassander)
SECT. 3. Of the worshipping of Images.
The state of the Question.
WEE acknowledge the civi… vse of Images, as freelie a… the Church of Rome; to wit, th… vse that is made of them in th… common societies of men, out o… the appoynted places of GODS solemne worsh…p, for ornament and historicall vse. But to represent GOD by anie Image, wee count it vnlawfull; and to worship the Images of CHRIST, or o… Saynctes, with anie religious adoration, as the Councell of Tren… decreeth them to bee,Sess. 9. sub Pio 4 and to bee kissed, and fallen downe before, wee oppose, as most grosse Idolatrie: Especiallie, seeing all the Schoole-men,Peres. de tradit. part. 3. allmoste, (sayeth their owne Bishop Peresius) doe teach, That the Images are to bee worshipped, with that selfe same worship, as those whom they represent. And, that the Images of CHRIST, and the Saynctes, are to bee worshipped properlie, (sayeth Bellarmine) that is, as they are considered in themselues;Aquin. part. 3 q. 25. art. 3. Alex. part. 3 q. 30. art. vlt. Azor. instit. moral t. 1. l. 9. c. 6 Bonavent. & alii in 3. sent. dist. 9. B…ll. l. 2. de imag. c. 21. & 23. So Cabrera, in 3. Thomae, quaest. 25. art. 3. disp. 2. num. 34.35. B…ll. l. 2. de imag. cap, 22. §, 4•. So Peres. de tradit. part. 3. so that the worship stayeth it selfe in the Image: For if the Image (sayeth hee) were not to bee worshipped but improperlie, to wit, because before it, or in it, or by it, that which it representeth is adored, then surelie it might bee simplie denyed, that Images should bee worshipped at all. And as for such subtile distinctions, whereby they would palliate their Idolatrie, they are such, (as Bellarmine himselfe sayeth of such) which neyther themselues vnderstande who hauehave broached them, and farre lesse the vnlearned people.
Cassand. cōsult. de imag. art. 21So that it is more than ma… fest, (sayeth their owne Cassan… than can bee expressed by wor… that the worship of Images,… come to that hight of adorati… that the verie Paganes themsel… hauehave given to their Idoles. N… ther is their excuse of anie wo… (sayeth hee) which some vse… pretende, That they giuegive this w… ship not to the Images, but… them whom they represent:See also Aug l. 3. de doctr. Christ cap. 7. Biel in canon Missae lect. 49 … this colour the Paganes also… for their Idolatrie, as wee see… Arnobius, (sayeth hee) Yea, p… ple are so affected to them, (s… eth their owne Biell) that t… thinke some divine grace, or… linesse, doeth reside in them,… which they are able to worke… racles, and giuegive cures: and… that cause they worship them,… goe in pilgrimage to them.
Our Argumentes, then, f… agaynst the representation of G… by anie image; and next, aga… adoration of anie Image,… these.
1. Authoritie of Scripture.
ISAI. 40.18. To whom will yee liken GOD? Or what likenesse will yee compare vntounto Him?
Wherevpon sayeth Ierom, To whom will yee liken GOD? Or what image will yee make to Him, who is a Spirit, in all, and everie where? &c. Lykewyse, sayeth Perusin (an Augustine Eremite, and Professor of divinitie) By these words is refuted and rejected the rashnesse of men; yea, their madnesse and ignorance, (sayth hee) who dare bee bolde to represent GOD by anie image, or resemble Him by anie similitude: seeing the Majestie and Essence of GOD is invisible, and incomprehensible.
VponUpon which words of the Prophet, in lyke manner, sayeth Pintus, a Portiugall Frier; Seeing GOD is a Spirit, who filleth all places, how can yee resemble Him by anie graven Image? Or what lykenesse can yee make v… Him?
ROM. 1.23. And th… changed the glorie of the inc… ruptible GOD, into the sim… tude of a corruptible man.
VponUpon which words sayeth O… gen; It is not to bee passed… that this speach of the Apostl… not onelie condemneth them w… worship Idoles, but also, t… these are to bee accounted in l… manner amongst Anthropom… phit heretickes; who in t… Church call that bodilie image… a man which they set vp there,… image of GOD. Therefore a… Augustine giveth this reason,Aug. de fide … symbolo, c. 7. & epist. 222. w… it is not lawfull for anie Christ… to make any such image of GO… lest wee fall into that same sac… ledge, (sayeth hee) whereby… Apostle maketh them execrab… who change the glorie of the i… corruptible GOD, into the si… tude of a corruptible man.
Damasc. orthod fid. l. … c. 17 Nicep lib. 18 c. 53 Euthym. panopl part. 3 tit. 20Yea, it is extreame furie and i… pietie, (sayeth Damascene, to… present GOD by anie figure: …nd Nicephorus and Euthymius set …his downe as the Heresie of the …lde Armenians, saying: Neyther …bhorre they to make the Image …f the blessed Trinitie, (sayeth …ee) which is onelie vncreated, …nfinite, indefinite, and altogether …nknowne.
In the Church of Rome also Gregorie the second, (Anno 726) …ryting to Leo Isaurus, testifieth, …hat then they paynted not, nor …epresented GOD the Father, by …nie image; because hee can not …ee seene.Baron anno 726. p 87 Vasq. l. 2. de ador. cap. 3 disp. 4 Abul. Cathar. opusc. de… mag.
VponUpon which wordes Baronius …ath noted in the margent, that it was thereafter, that the custome grew to paynt GOD the Father. Therefore, their owne Vasques …nd Catharinus declare also, that …he representing GOD by anie …mage, is expresslie agaynst the second Precept. As also (as witnesseth Bellarmine) Abulensis, Durand, and their Bishop Peresius, teach plainlie, that the image of GOD is nowayes lawfull to bee made.B…ll. l. 2. de sanct. cap. 8 See also Aquin. part. 3 qu. 25 art. 3. Yea, himselfe sayeth, That it is not so surelie to bee believed by the Church, that the Image of GOD, or of the Trinitie, may bee as lawfully made as the Image of CHRIST, and of the Sayncts. And without good instruction of the Prelates and preachoures, l… confesse, (sayeth hee) that such pictures without danger can no… be set before vnlearned people.
EXOD. 20.5. Thou shalt not bow downe to them, nor worship them. And agayne,
LEVIT. 26.1. Neyther shall yee set vp anie image of stone in your land, to bowe downe to it: For I am the LORD.
Wherevpon sayeth the ordinarie Glosse; This Divine Speach cutteth off both these; to wit. That neyther in affection thou worship such, neyther giuegive anie show of adoration to them.Theod cited in Ca…ena Lipomani, in Exod. 20 Ge…sō compend. Theol. precept. 1 & Helkoc. in sap. lect. 157. b Orig. contr. Celsū, lib. 7 Baron anno 794. n. 1 Abb. Vrsperg. anno 793. Therfore also sayeth Theodoret, The LORD heere showeth, that both are impious, saying, Thou shalt not bow downe before them, nor worship them. For which cause also Gerson (Chancellour of the Vniversitie of Paris) declareth, That all worship of Images, even …he bowing before them, is vn…awfull. Therefore sayde Origen of the Church in his tyme, Wee worship no Images. And after …he Councell of Francford, (helde Anno 800) for opposing the wor…hip of Images, decreed by the seconde of Nice, in that Booke which was purposelie written for confutation thereof, it is sayde, The Catholicke Church profes…eth, that mortall men are to worship GOD not by Images, but …y CHRIST the LORD.
This Thunder-clap from Hea…en, of the second Precept of GOD'S Lawe, the Romanistes …erceaving to threaten sore that grosse Idolatrie which they day…ie commit, thought fit (with Pha…ao, working wyselie) to conceale the knowledge thereof from the common people, by razing those wordes out of the Decalogue that goeth abroade for common vse:Opus illust. Caroli Magni. cōtra synod. Nic. p. 468 lib. 4 cap. 2 Aug. 2. tom epist. 119. ad Ianuar. c. 11 Greg. lib. 9 ep. 9 See al…o Concil. Elib. can. 36. And so to incurre that guilt, Deut. 12.32. and curse Rev. 22.19.
2. Witnessing of Antiquitie.
NO Image of GOD is to bee worshipped, (sayeth Augustine) but that which is the same that Himselfe is; to wit, CHRIST, who is consubstantiall with the Father, and the ingraven Character of His person. In lyke manner sayeth Gregorie to Serenus Bish… of Marsils; The dispersed sonnes o… the Church, are to bee called together, and it is to bee show… vntounto them, by the testimonies o… holie Scripture, That it is n… lawfull to worship anie thing tha… is made with handes; because it i… wr…tten, Thou shalt worsh…p th… LORD thy GOD, and Him onlie shalt thou serue. And there after hee sayeth; Wherefore, es… ch…w by all meanes the adoratio… of Images.
3. Confession of partie.
AS for the worship of Images, (sayeth Polydor Virgill) not onelie those that are not of our Religion,Polyd Virgil l. 6. de invēt rerū. c. 13. but, as S. IEROME testifieth, all the ancient Fathers, allmost, condemned the same, for feare of Idolatrie. And the LORD inhibited not onelie anie Image to bee worshipped, (sayeth ABVLENSIS) but also that Himselfe should bee worshipped by anie Image.Abul. in Deut ….
Where also it is to bee noted, That their word Veneration, which they vse, sign…fieth Adoration, and is one ther…with, as is evident BELLARMINE,Bello l. 2. de Imag c. 21. Conc. Nic 2 art. 4. and as THARASIVS wo…des, Bishop of CONSTANTINOPLE, in the second Councell of NICE, showe, saying, All who professe the Vene…ation of Images, and d…nye Adorat…on, are blamed, or disproved, as Hypoc…ites.
SECT. 4. Of the Adoration of Reliques.
The state of the Question.
THe Question is not, Whethe… the true reliques of Sayntes that is, their dead bodies, o… anie member thereof, should be honoured; which wee grant, (against Vigilantius) yeelding to the… that due honour which was eithe… given to CHRIST'S owne bodie,Math 27.59 by Ioseph of Arimathea, or… His first Martyr S. STEVEN, b… the Disciples; to wit, decent an… houourable Buriall: But wee d… nye, that anie such religious wo… ship should bee given vntounto the… as the Councell of Trent decreeth, Sess. 9. sub Pio 4. and as… vsuall amongst the Papistes; to wi… insh…yning and placing of the… bones on Altars, for religiou… worship; going in pilgrimage… them, carrying them abouut i… Processions, to bee kissed,Cateches. Conc. Trid. in explic. 3 precep kneeled vntounto, and adored; swearing by them, (as is approven by the Catechisme of Trent) and so Deifying them indeede.*Ier. 5.7… Ave ferr… trium phale, foelix hasta, nos amore per te fixo saucia O crux, ave, spes unica, Auge piis justi…iam, reis{que} dona veniam. And to Veronica's picture of CHRIST'S face at Rome, Nos de duc ad propria, ô foelix figura, ad vidend… faciem quae est CHRISTI pura. And, which is worst of all, praying vntounto such thinges, as never had lyfe, hearing, or holinesse; as to the poynt of the spear that pierced CHRIST His syde, saying;
All hayle, triumphall Yrne,
And Speare that happie is:
Lance vsus with louelove of HIM,
Whom thou didst pierce, I wis.
And in lyke manner to the Crosse, (as Bellarmin granteth the Church doeth sing) saying;
Hayle, holie Crosse, our onlie hope,
who vponupon earth doe liue:
To Godlie, Righteousnesse augment,
To guiltie, pardon giuegive.
Yea, to the picture of CHRIST'S Face on a linnen cloath at Rome, …hey praye, saying;
O blessed Figure, leade vsus to the place,
Where wee may see there CHRIST
His fayrest Face.
1. Authoritie of Scripture.
DEVT. 34.6. And h… buried him (to wit, M… SES) in a valley in the land Moab, over agaynst Be… Peor: but no man knoweth of… sepulchre vntounto this day.
Loe heere the greatest hon… that the LORD thought fit… bee given to the bodie of His d… rest and faythfull servant Mo… to wit, BVRIALL, which the LO… would hauehave, for the place there to bee vnknowne, as sayeth Chrysostome, Chrysost. Hom. 5. in Math Lyra in Deut. 34, So Rhem pref. before the bookes of Genesis.that all occasion Idolatrie might bee cut off:… as Lyra sayeth, which was d… by GOD, lest the people… worshipped him, whose mor… tie as it showed him, not to… God, so if it had beene lawfull… laudable to hauehave adored his… liques, as the deare servāt of GOD, the LORD had not withdrawne and obscured so this his bodie from His owne people.
2. KING. 23.17.18. Then hee sayde, (to wit, IOSIAH) What title is that which I see? And the men of the Citie tolde him, It is the Sepulchre of the man of GOD, which came from Judah, and proclaymed these thinges that thou hast done agaynst the Altar of Bethell. And hee sayd, Let him alone, let no man moue his bones.
Beholde heere agayne the honour that this Godlie King IOSIAH giveth to the bones or reliques of the true Prophet of GOD; to wit, no exhumation, nor anie adoration; but onlie that hee will not hauehave his Sepulchre touched, nor his bones moved out of their place.
2. KING. 13.21. And it came to passe, as they were b… rying a man, that beholde, th… spyed a band of men, and th… cast the man into the Sepulch… of Elisha: and when the man w… let downe, and touched the bon… of Elisha, hee revived, and stoo… vp vponupon his feet:
Remarke heere, lykewyse, th… greatest honour that was done t… the Prophet ELISHA his body, wa… Buriall. And that tho at the touc… of his bones, for authorizing th… trueth of his prophesies, a miracle was wrought, by the powe… of GOD, (for which cause it… sayd in ECCLESIASTICV… 48.14. that the bodie of ELISEV… did prophesie in the graue) yet h… bones are not sayde therefore… hauehave beene taken vp, inshryned nor worshipped.
Cyril. lib. 6. contr Iuliā p. 1422. Witnessing of Antiquitie.
WEE hauehave no such custome (saye…h Cyrill) to adore Martyres; yea, not onlie doe wee nowyse worship the reliques of Martyres,Hieron. ep. ad Riparium, contr. Vigilantiū tom. 2 f. 119 (sayeth S. Ierome) but wee will not worship the Sunne, nor Moone, nor Angels, nor Arch-Angels, nor Seraphims, nor no name that is named in this world, nor that which is to come; lest wee should serue the creature, rather than the Creator.
In lyke manner, Athanasius, in the lyfe of holie Antonie, telleth vsus,In vita S. Antonii. that hee oftentymes desired the Bishops, to instruct the people, that the Aegyptian custome was not good, to keepe the bodies of the Saynctes aboue the earth; wherein (sayde hee) the bodies of the Patriarchs and Prophets are kept vntounto this daye. Yea, the verie bodie of our LORD was layde in a Graue, and covered with a stone rolled thereto, till Hee should ryse agayne the third day. By which wordes (sayeth Athanasius, or the Author of his lyfe) hee showeth, that hee sinned, who after their death did not burie the bodies of those, how holie soever: for what is of greater account, or more holie, than o… LORD'S Bodie, (sayeth hee… Wherefore, manie there-after… when they heard this, they burie… their dead, and gaue GOD… thankes, that they were so wel… instructed, (sayeth the foresay… Author.)
3. Confession of partie.
Cassand. cōsult. art. 21 de veneratione reliquiarum.IT is certayne, (sayeth Cassander) that in these last tymes too much hath beene ascrybed to the reliques of Saynctes; so that even by good men, endewed with a pious zeale, their whole religion, as it were, hath beene thought to bee placed in getting such Reliques, decoring them with Golde, and precious stones, and in building moste statelie Temples to their memories. As also that a false confidence hath beene placed by wicked men, in the foolish and superfluous worship of Reliques: Wherefore, in the Councell of Cabilon they are rebuked,Cap. 45. who vnderunder pretext of Devotion, went in Pilgrimage to Rome, or Turaine; thinking by the frequenting of those places, (to wit, where manie Reliques were) that they were purged from their sinnes.
To this were added other evils, (sayeth hee) that thorow avaryce, and for entysing simple people, false Reliques hauehave beene obtruded, and feygned miracles alleadged to bee wrought, whereby the superstition of people hath beene nowrished: and sometymes thorow the deceat and illusion of the Devill, abusing mens superstition, by Dreames, and Visions, new Reliques hauehave beene revealed: and by the same operation of Satan, miracles hauehave seemed to bee wrought. Wherefore hee concludeth, Art, 22.That it were more wyselie & better, that men did abstayne from all ostentation of Reliques, and that p…ople were exhorted, (sayth hee) to honour the true Reliques of Saynctes; that is, to imitate their holie ex…mples, which are extant, and may bee seen… eyther in Scripture, or were done by th… Apostles, or are recorded o… them.