vitâ— suâ—â— Quod perinde est ac si diceret corpus meum quod ostenditur datur pro mundo in cibum dabitur ut spiritualiter unicuique tribuatur fiat singulis tutamen praeservatioque ad resurrectionem vitae aeternae Here he speaketh both of his flesh spirit distinguisheth his spirit from the flesh that beleaving not only that which appeared to outward sense but also his invisible nature we might learn that those things which he spâ—ke were not carnall but spirituall for to how many men would his body have sufficed for meat that it might be the food of the whole world But therefore he maketh mention of his ascension into heaven that he might withdraw them from the corporall understanding of his words and that they might understand that the flesh of which he spake was a supernal meat a celestiall and spirituall food to be given by him unto them The words saith he which I have spoken unto you are spirit and life which is all one as if he had said my body which is given for the world shall be given for meat that every man may receive it spiritually and that it may be made to each a strengthning and preserving them to the resurrection to eternall life Eusebins writeth thus of the sacrament Christus cum seâ—â—sum singulare sacrificium patri obtulisset statuit {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} quam memoriaâ— {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in mensa ejus celebramus Christ when he had offered himself once for all a sacrifice to his father appointed us to offer the memory of that sacrifice to God which memory we celebrate by the sacred signs or symbols of his body and â—loud upon his table and in like manâ—â—r in his 8. book he saith that Christ delivered to his disâ—iples the syâ—bolâ— of his divine dispensation viz. bread and wine that is coâ—…ding them to make an image or representation of his own body S. Basil and S. Greg. Nazâ—anz accord with Eusebius S. Basil in his Liturgy calleth the sacrament all bread {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} coâ—poris domini that is a type 〈◊〉 figure resembling Christs â—ody or answering unto it And Greg. Nâ—zâ—aâ—z pleaseth himself with the same word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} If her hand treasured up at any time any part of the holy signs or antitypâ—â— of the precious body and blood of Christ that she mingled with her tears c Out of these and the like phrases of the fathers thus I frame an argument against you no types figures images representations of Christs body are â—is very body But the church in Constantiâ—â—â— age beleeved the elements of bread and wine to be images as Eusebius types or anti-types as S. Basil and Nazianzeu calleth them to whom Bellarmin adjoyneth Theodoret in his first dialoâ—ne Aâ—â— carius Egyptius in his Homilies and Dionysius in his Hierarâ—hâ— and confesseth that they spake of the elements of bread and winâ— after consecration therefore the elements of bread and wine after consecration are not the very body and blood of Christ The miâ—â— in this syllogism is confessed the major is strongly â—ounded on thaâ— axiom Opposit◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cideâ—â—â—imul attribui â—equeunt that is opposite things cannot be affirmed at the same time of one and the same thing but a shadow and a body an image and a face 〈◊〉 â—â—gn and the thing signified by it are among the rank of those opposites which Logicians call relative opposita and therefore as it iâ— a good argument this is Alexanders picture therefore it is not Alexander himself this is Nebuchadnezzâ—râ— image therefore it is not Nebuchadmezzâ—â— himself this is a shadow therefore it is not a body so likewise it followeth necessarily the bread and wine after consecration in the judgements of Eusebius Baâ—â— Naâ—… 〈◊〉 Dâ—…us Theodoret and others of that agâ— are types images shadows figures of Christs body and bloud theâ—â—ore they are not turned into the very body bloud of Christ 6. We teach with the apostle to the Hebrews that now to wit since Christs offering himself upon the altar of the crosse for the redemption of the whole world there remains no more sacrifice for sin You teach on the contrary that there is daily offered in the masse a true reall and properly so called propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of the living and the dead Whether did the church in Constantines time celebrate your masse or our communion I am sure Minutius Foelix implyeth that in his time the christians had no altars Putas saith he nos occultare quod colâ—mus si delubra aras non habemus Dost thou think what we conceal what we worship because we have no images nor altars And as they had no materiall altars in his time so neither corporall sacrifices Hostias domino offeram saith Minutius cum sit litaâ—ilis c. * Shall I offer sacrificeto God to whom good mind is an acceptable sacrifice he that keeps innocencie supplicates to God he who doth justice offers to God he who saves a man from danger slayeth the best sacrifice these are our sacrifices I wonder how he forgot the sacrifice of the masse certainly if Christ be there really offered he is optiâ—â— a victima the best sacrifice that ever was offered Lactantius enameleth the former golden sentence of Minutius Hic verus cultus est in quo mens colentis seipsam Deo immaculatam victimam sistit this is the true worship wherein the mind of the worshipper offereth it self as an â—â—spotted sacrifice to God If these testimonies are not of strength enough to demolish your materiall altars and abolish your sacrifice of the masse behold Eusebius Saint Chrysostome and Saint Basil offer us as it were axes and hammers to beat them down Saint Basil on the 1. of Isay writeth thus refusing the multitude of the legall sacrifices he requires this one that every man should reconcile himself and offer up himself to GOD as an holy and lively sacrifice by his reasonable service offering unto God the sacrifice of praise forasmuch as the multitude of those legall sacrifices is now abolished one sacrifice in this end of the world is approved once offered for the abolishing of sin Eusebius Demonst. Evang. l. 1. interpreteth the clean oblaâ—ion fore-spoken by the prophet Malachy which all papists take for the sacrifice of the masse to be our hearts purified by faith and the incense there mentioned to be the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} incense of prayer and the sacrifice of the new testament to be a contrite spirit and speaking of the Lords supper he saith that therein we offer {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a memoriall of Christs sacrifice and S. Chrysostome we offer the true sacrifice of Christ {non-Roman}
worship which is proper to God so Aquinas determineth Par. 3. quaest. 25. â—r 2. Illi exhibemus cultum latriae in quo ponimus â—â—em salutis clamat enim ecclesia O crux ave spes unica hoc passionis tempore auge piâ—s justitiam reisque dona veniam ibid. Crux Christi in qua Christus crucifixus est tum propter representationem tum propter Christi membrorum coutactum 〈◊〉 adoranda est We yeeld divine worship to that in which we put our trust but we repose the trust of our salvation saith he on the crosse of Christ for so the church singeth all hail O crosse our only hope in this time of passion increase righteousnesse in the godly and grant sinners pardon and hereupon concludeth that the crosse on which Crist was crucified as well because it representeth Christ as also because it touched the members of his body is to be adored with divine worshop by which reason all christians which then lived were bound to worship with divine worship Malchus his ear and Iudas his lips and the asses back on which Christ rode and the dust in the floor on which he wrote and the water in which he washed and the oyntment which was powred upon him and the souldiers fists that buffered him and what not that toucht any part of his body Yet Andradius is not ashamed to follow Aquinas his steps non diffiâ—emar nos praeclarissimam Christi crucâ—m adorare cultu latriae we do not deny but that we worshop the most excellent crosse of Christ with divine worship And Gretzer treads in the same path in his book De Cruce And Cardinall Bellarmin scorns to follow any of these he runs before them all in the idolatrots worship not only of the wood of the crosse on which Christ hung but also of all crosses whatsoever made after that fashion Nos omnes cruces adoramus quia omnes sunt imagines verae crucis we adore all crosses because all crosses are images of the true crosse Was this the beleef or practice of the church in Constantines time Let us enquire of S. Ambrose and he will tell us that S. Helen the mother of Constantine was far from worshipping the wood of the true crosse which she found by miracle â—â—â—enit â—itulum Regeâ— adoravit non lignum utique quia hic gentilis error est vanitas impiorum sed adoravit illum qui pep 〈…〉 ligâ—◠〈◊〉 she found the title she adored the king not the wood verily that is an heathenish errour and wicked vanity but she worshipped him who hung on the wood Let us enquire of Mâ—â—utius Foelix whether the church in those days worshipped or had crosses in their oratories The heathenâ— indeed as he there brings them in objected it to the christians that they worshipped the crosse colâ—nt quod â—erentur to which jear of the heathens Mirâ—tiâ—â— answereth cruces nec colimus nec optamns we â—â—ither worship crosses nor desire them 4. We teach with the apostle that marriage is honourable among all men and that it is the doctrin of devils to prohibit marriage in any condition of men be they of the clergy or of the laity You maintain the contrary both in your doctrin and practice priests among you are tyed to a single life and some of you blâ—sh not to say that a clergy man had better keep a concubine than his married wife praestat concubinam alere quam uxerem Was this the judgement or the practice of the church in Constantines age did not bishops and priests then marry Let Athanasius inform us who in his epistle ad Dracontium writeth thus you may observe many unmarried bishops among us and many married monks and again many married bishops and unmarried monks By which testimony of Athanasius it appears that in his time not only bishops but monks also might and did marry Sozomen maketh mention hist. lib. 1. cap. 11. of Spiridion the bishop of Cyrus his wife and children {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} He was married and had children and it was no disparagement unto him in his ecclesiasticall function word for word but he was not therefore worse or inferiour in those things which belong to God No more was Hilary the famous bishop of Poictou Nor the father of Nazianzen who lest his bishoprick to his son Gregory the flower of all the Greek fathers of whom thus Mantuan Praesule patre satus â—aâ— tune id jura sinebant Pastorale pedum gessit post funera patris We see the practice in Constantines time let us now hear the judgement of the church touching the practice Eusebius brings in Clemens inveighing against the despisers and contemners of marriage in this manner {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that is what will these marriage haters condemn the apostles for Peter and Philip gate children And Socrates hath a remarkable story to this purpose there being a motion made in the councell of Nice to deprive married priests of society and conversation with their wives old Papnutius though himself an unmarried man yet mainly opposed that motion disswading the fathers of the councell from laying such a heavie yoak upon the clergy alledging that marriage is honourable among all men and the bed undefiled That all men could not bear such a restraint that too much strictnesse in this kind would be hurtful to the church that the company of a man with his lawfull wife is chastity 5. We teach that the elements of bread and wine are types-and figures of the body and bloud of Christ which we truly receive in the sacrament of the Lords supper spiritually by saith not carnally with the mouth You on the contrary that the bread and wine are turned by transubstantiation into the true body blood of Christ which you beleeve that you receive with the mouth and chew with the teeth Did the church of Christ in Constantines time beleeve transubstantiation or carnall manducation Let us heat what Athanasius and Eusebius and Greg. Nazianzen and S. Ephrem have delivered touching this point Athanasius illustrating those words of our Saviour in the 6. of Iohn it is the spirit which quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing c. saith Hic de utroque â—arâ—â— siâ—ct spiritu suo locutus est spiritâ—… a câ—râ—e discrimâ—n a vit. ut non solum in eo quod oculis apparebat sed naturam quoqâ—â— invisiâ—â—leâ— credentes disceremus ea quae loqueretur non carâ—â—lia esse sed spiritualia quot enim hominibus corpus ejus suffecrffeâ— ad â—â—buâ— ut universi mundi alimonia fieret Sed propterea ascensioâ—â—â— sâ—â— in câ—lum mentionem fecit ut eos a corporals intellectâ—â— abstraheret ac deinde carnem suam de qua locutus erat cibum è supernis â—â—lestem spiritualem alimoniam ab ipso donandaâ— intelligerent quae enim loquutus sum vobis inquit spiritus
the emperour though it were against his heart and conscience 6. For the canon of scriptures S. Gregory holds the book of Maccabees in the same rank as we do profitable to he read for the edification of the church but not to be produced as inspired by God and of infallible authority for the confirmation of any poynt of faith for being to alledge a testimony out of those books he makes way for it by this preface de qua re non inordinatè agimus si ex libris licet non canonicis sed tamen ad adificationem ecclesia editis testimonium proferamus touching which matter we do not amisse if we bring forth a testimony out of those books viz. the book of Maccabees there cited which though they are not canonicall yet they are set forth for the edification and instruction of the church 7. For adoration of images he detests it as much as we see his epistles upon record si quis imaginem facere voluerit minimè prohibe adorare vero imagines omnibus modis devita If any man will make an image forbid him not but by all means avoyd the worshipping of images Who will now be a papist when we see the Pope is become a zealous Calvinist 8. Touching merit of works S. Gregory teacheth as we do that we ought not to repose any confidence in our own merits non in fletibus non in actis nostris sed in advocati nostri allegatione confidamus let us not trust in our own weeping and bewayling of our sins nor in our own acts but in the intercession of our advocate and upon Iob si ad virtutis opus excrevero ad vitam non ex meritis sed ex venia convalesco If I grow to any work of vertue I am restored to life not by merits but by pardon I forbear to alledgemore testimonies out of S. Gregory touching this poynt because those many clear passages which I have produced out of him before against the perfection of inherent righteousnesse by a necessary consequence overthrow all merit of works also 9. Touching certainty of salvation S. Gregory conspireth with the doctrin of the reformed church for having alledged certain promises of Christ in the gospel to found it upon thus he concludes hac it aque fulti certitudine de redemptoris nostri misericordia nihil ambigere sed spe debemus indubit at a praesumere non enim muneris sui largitate frustrabitur Deus sed vires obtinendi prorsus indulget qui velle concessit nam jam ipsum desiderant oppetere donum est that is therefore being supported with this certainty we ought not to doubt c. Gregories doctrin like ours at this day is a doctrin of faith and confidence whereas the doctrin of the church of Rome at this day is a doctrin of distrâ—… of diffidence 10. Touching the power of calling synods or ecclesiasticall assemblies which you now arrogate to the Pope in S. Gregory his time as aâ—â—ay before it was in the emperours and christian princes agreeable to the tâ—â—et of the present church of England S. Gregory taketh notice of the emperour his masters command for the assembling of a synod in Rome it self juxta Christianissimi serenissiâ—i rerum domini jussionem ad beati Petri apostoli limina cum tuis sequacibus venire to volumus ut Authore Deo aggregata synodo de eaqua inter not vertitur dubâ—etate quod justum fuerit judicetur According to the command of our most christian and â—raâ—ions Lord we require thee to appear at S. Peters c. 11. Touching the definition of the church you scoff at us for â—efining the true and most proper church of Christ which we beleeve in the creed to be the whole number of Gods elect You term it an Idea Platonica or an aeÌ„reall and invisible body a Chymaera or Phantasme and yet S. Gregory describes the church as we do Christus secundum praescientiae suae gratiam sanctam ecclesiam de sanctis in aeternum permansuris extruxit Christ according to the grace of his fore-knowledge hath built on holy church of saints eternally persevering in grace and upon Ezck una ecclesia est electorum praecedentium atque sequentium There is one church of the elect going before and following after 12. Touching the blessed sacrament of the Lords Supper to be administred in both kinds it is evident that in * S. Gregories time the whole congregation consisting of the laity as well as the clergie participated of the holy cup his words are pretiost sanguinis effusione genus humanum Chrisâ—us redemit sacro-sancti vivifici corporis sui sanguinis mysterium membris suis tribuit cujus perceptione corpus suum quod est ecclesia pascitur potatur abluitur sanctificatur Christ by the effusion of his most precious blood redeemed all mankind and giveth to his members the mystory of his most holy quickning body and blood by the participation whereof his body which is the church is nourished with meat and drink and is washed and sanctified Mark I beseech you that S. Gregoryâ—ith not lib. 4. Dial. cap. 58. he giveth to his members in the participation of the sacrament his body and blood for meat and drink but the mystery of his body and blood as elsewhere he speaketh in Evang. Hom. 14. Realiter passus Christus iâ—cruce in mysterio patitur quoties ecclesia milâ—â—ns sacrâ—◠〈◊〉 celebrat hoc facit in servatoris sui comâ—â—morationem Christ having suffered really upon the crosse suffereth in a mystery as 〈◊〉 as the church celebrateth his holy supper and this she doth in remembrance of her Saviour By comparing of which places any man may perceive what S. Gregory meaneth by a mystery when he opposeth it to that which was done really I leave it to you to make the inference And now to poynt these weapons drawn out of S. Gregories armory and rub them over with the oyl of your eloquence the saith of S. Gregory was never noted to differ from the common received faith of christendom in those days as appeareth by the severall epistles of the said S. Gregory to the bishops of Europe Asia and Africa with all whom he had communion of faith so as if Christ had a catholike church on earth as needs he must S. Gregory was of it and being then a true church 〈◊〉 say holding still the same tenots it must needs be so now Gods truth being like unto him without change and therefore if an angel should câ—me from heaven to teach us any other doctrin then that which we have received from S. Gregory we are not to hear him If an angell therefore from heaven teach that the books of Maccabees are canonicall or that the Pope or any other bishop may have the stile of oecumenicall bishop or supream head over all bishops or that our best works are not imperfect or defective
if God strictly examin them or that true holinesse and sanctifying grace may be lost or that masses may be celebrated without communicants or that princes have not authority over ecclesiasticall persons or that images are to be adored or that men may merit by their works eternall life or that a child of God ought to doubt of Gods mercy and may not be assured of his salvation or that it belongeth not to princes to call ecclesiasticall assemblies or that the church in the most strict sense consisteth not of the elect only or that the whole church consisting of laity as well as clergy may not participate the mysteries of the body and blood of Christ entirely drinking of the holy cup as well as eating of the bread Let him be accursed Methinks I hear you already cry out with her in the Poet Heu patior telis vulnera facta meâ—s Oâ— with the eagle in Iulians mâ—tto feeling her self deadly wounded with an arrow feathered out of her own wing Nostris configimur alis PARAG. XIX Concerning the faith of Constantine CHALLENGE Or lastly if you desire to go neerer to the times of the apostles we will joyn with you to prove our faith in the days of Constantine the great who first built and opened christian churches and gave freedom for christians to come together and to know and publish to the world what was held by them which before could not so well be done by reason of the perfecâ—tions in which the church had been 〈◊〉 then generally eclipsed Answer From S. Gregory you step up immediately to Constantine the great and at once stride over 300 years in which time the prime and flower of the Greek and Latin fathers lived and dyed would none of them father your Church You take an oath if you be magistri in theologia to expound scripture non â—isi juxta unaâ—… câ—â—sensum patrum according to the unanimous consent of the fathers this joynt consent can very hardly be found in the interpretation of the â—…ures before Constantiâ—â—s time because few before that time commented upon the holy scripture at least whose works are come to our hands and therefore you should have especially instanced in the fathers from Constantines time to S. Gregoâ—â—s but as Festus answered Paul so think I fit to answer you Caâ—…em appellâ—…â—d Câ—sarem ibis you have appealed to Constantine and to Constantine you shall go of whom I may say truely that which the Fre 〈…〉 sometimes spake before him gloâ—ingly tu no 〈…〉 illâ—◠〈◊〉 faciâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Britains by â—â—y 〈◊〉 for though Liâ—… heâ—… not Iustus goeth about to rob us of this brouch and brightest lustre of our nation denying us the honour of his birth as you do of his faith yet I doubt not but to make good against him and you that Constantine is ours body and soul and to resolve you in point of his birth and native soyle which was this our Iland I refer you to Baronius for his faith to Eusebius Socrates Sozomen Arnobius Lactantius Minutius Foelix Athanasius Epiphanius and Greg. Nazianzen and divers others who lived in the same time or not long after him Let the faith generally beleeved and received in the age wherein this blessed Emperour lived serve as a touchstone to examine our pure and precious and your drossie and counterfeit faith and first let us begin with the ground of all faith the holy scriptures 1. We teach that the canon of the old testament consisteth of 22. books only excluding the apocryphall which your councell of Trent confoundeth with the canonicall Let the first quaere then be whether did the church in Constantines time hold with your canon or ours To this let the councell of Laodicea speak qua autem oporteat legi in authoritatem recipi haec sunt Genesis Exodus c. These books which ought to be read and received as authenticall and canonicall are these following Gen. Exod c. In which catalogue none of the apocryphall books are mentioned Let Athanasius inform us who reckons but 22. books of the old testament as we do and after him Greg. Nazian. most expresly brandeth the apocrypha with a note of bastardy {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Which Greek verses a wel-willer to your church hath translated into Latin At tua ne libris fallatur mens alienis Hunc habeas certum numerum a me lector â—â—ice Tot nempe Hebrâ—â— quot sunt elementa loquelae Quicquid pratorea est hand inter certa loc anduâ— The Greek word for word is thus to be Englished I have sâ—â— down 22. books of the old testament agreeable to the number of the Hebrew letters â—â—d 〈◊〉 â—e found any besides these â—… to be counted among the true and genuine books of the old Testament 2. We with Tertullian adore the pleâ—â—tude of scriptures aâ—â—ibing to them this perfection that they contain in them all things necessary to salvation You maintain on the contrary that the written word alone is not a sufficient and perfect rule and therefore you add unto it the unwritten word which you call cradâ—ion Which part did Constantine take and the church in his time let Athanasius be heard in this case Sufficiunt per se sacroe divinâ— us inspiratae luâ—rae ad veritatis indicationem The holy inspired scriptures are sufficient of themselvs for the declaration of the truth let â—aâ—tantiâ—â— be heard Cyprian was so ravished with the excellent knowledge of the holy scriptures that he was content with them alone upon which faith is built Let us hear Constantine himself who sitting in a golden chair as president and moderator in the first and most famous councell of Nice recommendeth the books of the old and new testament to the fathers assembled in that councell in these words the books of the evangelists and apostles and the oracles of the ancient prophets do plainly instruct us what to conceive of divine matters therefore setting aside all enmity and discord let us from the words inspired by God take the resolution of those things that are in question which most christian direction of this most noble Emperour swayed much with the fathers in that synod yet cardinall Bellarmin makes light of it and gives the Emperour a slurr for it lib. 4. de verbe Dei non scripto cap. 11. Respondeo hoc testimonium non esse tanti faciendum erat enim Constantinus magnus Imperator non magnus ecclesiae Doctor I answer that this testimony is not of so great moment for Constantine was indeed a great Emperour but not a great Doctor of the church 3. We teach that the wood of Christs crosse is not to be worshipped at all much lesse with divine worship you teach on the contrary that the crosse of Christ is to be adored cultu latria that is with the highest kind of
{non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or rather we offer a commemoration of that sacrifice Iâ— S. Chrysâ—stome had beleeved as you now do that the true body of Christ is properly offered and his blood truely shed in the daily sacrifice of the masse he should have corrected his former correction of himself and said what said I we rather offer a memoriall of Christs sacrifice nay rather we offer the very sacrifice it self Christs body and blood and that truely and properly 7. We teach that images may not be set up in churches to worship God by theÌ„ much lesse to worship the images themselvs you on the contrary maintain the erecting censing clothing kissing kneeling before and worshipping of images From which idolatry superstition how fat the church was in Constantines age appears by the canon of the councell of Eliberis the act of Epiphanius the judgement of Eusebius and the joynt testimony of Minutius Felix and Lactantius The 36 canon of the councell of Eliberis is very expresse against images and pictures in churches placuit picturas in ecclesia esse non debere ne quod colitur aut adoratur in parictibus depingatur It seemed good to us or we have determined that no images or pictures be in churches lest that which is worshiped and adored be painted on the walls When S. Epiphanius saw that canon neglected and the law of God violated in that poynt his zeal kindâ—ed within him he tare down a vâ—il rent it in the middle which he found hanging on the church walls at Anablathra because it had on it an image as it had bin of Christ or some saint More over he gave charge to those of that place not to hang up any more such veils against the expresse command of God Eusebius was no better affected to images then Epiphanius for in his epistle to Constantia who desired him to send her an image of Christ he contendeth by many arguments that no true image of Christ may be drawn neither according to his divine nature nor according to his humane not according to his divine because no man hath â—ver seen or can see that not according to his humane because we have learned that his humane nature or form of a servant is â—ingled with or united to the glory of his divine dignity and who will undertake with dead colours to expresse the brightnesse of that glory and dignitie Minutius Felix upon another reason dislikes the dedicating of any image to God put aâ— nos occultare quod credimus si delubra ar as non habemus quod enim simulacrum Deo fingam eum si recte existimes sit dei homo ipse simulacrum Dost thou think that we conceal what we worship because we have no place for images nor altars I pray what images shall I make to God seeing if we judge rightly man himself is Gods image Lactantius is warmer in the cause he concludes peremptorily that religion and images cannot stand together wherefore out of doubt there is no religion where there is an image therefore out of doubt none in your church where there are so many images for if religion be a divine thing and there is nothing divine but in things that are heavenly images therefore are voyd of religion because there can be nothing heaâ—enly in that thing which is of the earth The same Lactantius lib. 2. divinarum institut cap. 2. excludes all images even of the true God as needlesse and superâ—â—uous the image of a man seems then to be needfull when the man himself iâ— away but it is of no use when he is present therefore the image of God is ever superfluous and of no use because his spirit and deity being every where present can never be absent from us You see he layes hard at your images and he endeavours as vehemently to blow out your wax lights They light candles to God as if he were in the dark can he be thought well in his wits who offers candles or wax lights to God for a gift who is the author and giver of all light If this strong breath of Lactantius being but single cannot blow out the lights that burn continually in your churches yet methinks the joynt and conspiring breath of all the fathers assembled in the councell at Eliberis cannot but puff them quite out It is to be forbidden that candles be publikely lighted if any do presume to do otherwise let them keep from the communion In fine to draw the arrow you have put into Constantines bow to the head against the errors and superstitions of your present Romish church prove to me by any good and uncontrolable testimony that publike service in an unknown tongue or masses without communicants or communion of the laity without the cup or making images of the three persons of the Trinity or worshipping images or crosses or selling pardoâ—â— for the release of souls out of purgatory or elevation or circumgestation of the host in pompous procession or praying upon beads or hallowing meddals and Agnus Dei's or blessing salt spittle water c. or christening bells and gallies or going on pilgrimage to the images of Christ our Lady and other saints or whipping themselvs in penance for their own sins or the sins of others or such like customs and fites of your now Romish church were in practice in Constantine his time Prove that the treasury of saints merits and works of supererogation or unwritten traditions in matter of faith or justification before God by inherent righteousnes or any sin in its own natâ—re veniall and not against the law of God but only beside it or esteeming the Apocryphall books of the old testament for canonicall scriptures or equalizing the Latin vulgat translation of the old and new testament to the originalls in Hebrew Greek or seven sacraments properly so called or the Popes infallibitie or his transcendent authority to gratifie or disannull the acts of generall councells to canonize saints to dispence with oaths and vows to depose kings and dispose of their kingdoms or the suspending the effect of the sacrament upon the intention of the priest or accidents without subjects or rats and mice eating Christs body or the putting it in many thousand places at once or any the like assertions of your Romish doctors were any part of Constantines beleef and the day shall be yours In the mean time if as your challenge and the promise of your friends deeply engage you you shall think of a reply to this my answer I require three things of you First that according to our Saviour his rule you mete the same measure to me which I mete to you by setting down my whole answers in my own words that the reader may see what you answer to each particular and what you balk as also how direct and pertinent your replyes shall be Secondly that you be not guilty of that which