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A53750
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A true and lively representation of popery shewing that popery is only new-modell'd paganism, and perfectly destructive of the great ends and purposes of God in the Gospel.
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Owen, Thankfull, 1620-1681.
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1679
(1679)
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Wing O830; ESTC R18583
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46,596
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82
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religious worship to any Creature whether to Saints and Angels or Demons and Heroes is a making or having other Gods before the true and everliving God and this being so expresly forbidden by the God of Israel it is most certain that all erecting Images to be bowed to or worshipped in reference to these is forbidden also But I am fallen upon the second Branch of the Parallel afore I was aware that is that as the Images of the Pagans so likewise of the Papists are Symbolical Representations of the Gods they worship That the Image of Christ or of the Virgin Mary or of this or that Saint should be like the carnal Figure of those Persons while they lived on Earth is extremely uncertain suppose now a devout Papist bowing down and worshipping the Image of the Blessed Virgin if this worship be given with respect to the Personal Similitude the Image hath with the Party it represents it will certainly fall upon some other perhaps wicked Person and not upon the holy Virgin The Picture of the beautiful Curtizan Phryne was placed upon a high Pillar at Delphos and according to the Features and Lineaments of this as of the most exquisite Beauty was drawn the Picture of the Goddess Venus and therefore 't is certain that the Strumpet Phryne and not the Goddess will be the ultimate object of the religious worship given to the supposed Picture of Venus This I say will follow upon account of Personal Similitude But that they account them symbolical Representations and worship Images as the Israelites worshipped the Golden Calf with reference to Jehovah and intended it as the Symbol of his presence is manifest from the Images they make of God wickedly representing the sacred and ever-to-be-adored Trinity under the Figure of an old Man in sacerdotal Vestments with a tripple Crown and a young Man and a Dove and this is proposed not only to be gazed upon but to be worshipped So Cajetan Images of the Trinity are painted in the Roman Church In 3. p. Tho. 9.25 ar 3. not only that they may be shewed or looked on as the Cherubims of old time were in the Temple but that they may be adored 3. The Papists agreeably to the Pagans affirm that they use Images in their religious worship as sensible helps to excite and stir up their Devotion and fix their Imaginations upon When the Council of Nice had established the worship of the Images of Christ the Virgin Mary and all the Saints according to the Excellency and Venerability of their Prototypes they add this Reason as Photius says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. For even by these are we carried up into a certain Unitive and Conjunctive Vision and thereby are vouchsafed that divine and supernatural Conjunction or Contact with the highest of all desirables As if by the worshipping of Images the Souls of Men were transported beyond themselves and carried up in Ecstatical Raptures to an Union with God himself Which is no more than what Pope Adrian who influenced that Council writes to the Empress Irene and her Son Constantine In the whole Christian World says he the holy Images are honoured or worshipped by Believers Ut per visibilem vultum ad invisibilem Divinitatis Majestatem mens nostra spirituali affectu rapiatur i. e. That by that sensible Figure our Mind may be carried by a spiritual affection to the invisible Majesty of the Divinity By which Testimonies it is clear as the Meridian Light that the Romanists worship Images as helps to quicken and draw up their affections in a more inflamed and vigorous manner to the Deity they adore And though the great Sticklers for Image-worship use many Niceties and raise a Cloud of Dust by their subtil Distinctions to blind the Eyes of the People that they may not see to the bottom of this their gross Idolatry yet can they never clear themselves from that foul and detestable Crime For though the Council of Trent express no particular but only with great caution define that due honour and worship be given to Images yet by referring us to the second Council of Nice it is plain that the Council of Trent decreed the same that the Nicene Council had done before and the Nicene Synod decreed such worship to be due to Images as the Council of Franefort said was not due but condemned by the Scriptures and the constant Practice of the Primitive Church To this purpose there is a Story in Roger Hoveden P. 1. Annal An. 792. a Native Historian of the Affairs of Britain Charles the French King says he sent a Synodal into Britain directed unto him from Constantinople in the which Book many things out alas inconvenient and repugnant to right Faith were found especially it was confirmed almost by the unanimous consent of all the Eastern Doctors no less than three hundred or more That Images ought to be worshipped which thing the Church of God doth altogether detest and abhor Against which Synodal Book Albinus wrote an Epistle marvellously confirmed by Authority of Divine Scripture and carried the same to the French King together with the foresaid Book in the name of our Bishops and Princes And not only in Britain but in other places this abominable Practice of Image-worship was condemned by the best and wisest Men of the best times and ages The Council of Eliberis in Spain forbad the use of Pictures in Churches for this reason Eliber Can. 36. Lest that which is worshipped or adored be painted upon the Walls To the same purpose the fourth Council at Constantinople cites the same words of Epiphanius against placing Images in Churches Thus another Synod at Constantinople consisting of 338 Bishops under Constantius Copronymus An. Dom. 753. forbad all religious use of Images in Churches or out of them And so much of their Decree as prohibited the worship of Images was again confirm'd by the Council of Francfort where the Bishops of Italy France and Germany were assembled by the command of the Emperour Charles the Great to that purpose To these we may add the Council of Mentz and the second Council of Sens in which Image-worship was opposed and cautioned against And a Greek Historian informs us that when Frederick 1. the Emperour who led his Army to the Conquest of the Holy Land Njcetas Chron. l. 2. An. Dom. 1180. entered into Armenia the Christians of those Parts did lovingly receive them because the worship of Images was not admitted amongst them as amongst other Northern People And lastly for the Doctrine and Practice of the first and best ages of the Church it was very remarkable what is told by Aelius Lampridius in the Life of Alexander Severus That when Adrian the Emperour had commanded Churches to be built without Images it was supposed he intended them for the service of Christ Than which saith that learned Bishop Dr. Taylor there needs no greater Ductor dubit l. 2. c. 2. or clearer Instance of the
if there were any shame in her Brow these Pardons and Indulgences are denyed to the Poor and Indigent who are not of Means sufficient to raise these Criminal and Incestuous Impositions So that we live not in those days when it was harder for a Rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven than for a Camel to go through the Eye of a Needle for now the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them and not to those beggarly Creatures that have nothing but a Staff and a Wallet Take likewise the Complaint of Claudius Espencaus a famous Doctor of Sorbon cited by the same Author Comment in Ep. ad Tit. There is a Book publickly set to every Mans view says he which sells as well now as ever Intituled Taxa Cancellariae Apostolicae which is prostitute and set out for gain like a common whore whence more naughtiness is learned than from all the Summists and Summaries of all Vices There is License granted for many of them and Absolution for all but only to such as will buy them I forbear the names For as one says they are very fearful even the sound of them It is strange that in these times in this Sohism that Index and Inventory of so many unclean and abominable Villanies so Infamous that I am confident there is not a more scandalous Book in all Germany Switzerland or any other place which hath separated from the Church of Rome was not suppressed Yea it is so far from being suppressed by the Treasurers of the Church of Rome that the Licenses and Impunities for those so many and such horrible Crimes are renewed and for the most part confirmed by the Faculties of the Legats which come from thence into these Quarters with Power to restore to their former Estate all things that were utterly lost and so to legitimate all Bastards Whoresons and such as were begot by any unlawful Conjunction to allow People Marriage with such as they had formerly committed Adultery with to absolve such as were perjured Simoniacal Falsifiers Robbers Usurers Schismaticks Hereticks recanting yea and even to admit them to Orders Honours Dignities and all sorts of Benefices to dispense with casual not wilful Murderers howbeit the fore-cited Tax doth not except wilful Parricides Killers of Father Mother Brother Sister Children or Wife Sorcerers Enchanters Concubine-keepers Adulterers Incestuous with Parents or Kindred Sodomites Sinners against Nature abusers of themselves with Beasts c. O that Rome would from henceforth have some shame and cease to set out such a shameless Catalogue of all manner of wickedness This Passage is warily commanded to be blotted out in their Spanish Expurgatory Index Dr. Peter de Moulin saith That this Book was Reprinted at Paris by Tossanus Dionysius in S. James 's Street De Monar Temp. Pont. Rom. at the wooden Cross the King's Priviledge and the Pope's Bull being annexed to it And the Lord Morney speaking of these Books faith They are no less commonly used among the Pope's Brokers than Calendars with Husbandmen Mystr Iniq. or the Book of Customs and Entries among Merchants This Sink of wickedness which I have here discovered cannot but be extremely offensive to the tender senses of every true Christian therefore I shall hasten as fast as I can from it only citing a Passage out of Dr. Ranchin with a pleasant Story relating to it Review of the Council of Trent l. 5. c. 1. It is ordinary saith he with the Popes to grant a plenary Pardon of all Sins with this Expression Be they never so he ynous not only at the great Jubilee but also in particular Bulls And he instances in that of Pope Sixtus the V. An. 1588. granted to the Catholicks of France But that says he which is yet more to be condemned in them is that the Popes de not only give remission of sins already committed but also of such as are to be committed which is a means to obligex all the hast Rascals in the World unto him and to give them occasion to redouble their Crimes and Misdemeanours to rob with four hands to kill Father and Mother to set upon their Lords and Masters to violate the Authority of their Princes and usurp their Dominions For provided they can make their Party stronger and that they be devout towards the H. See there will be no want of an Indulgence yea even without that always provided they pay their Rent The story is this In the time of Pope Leo the Tenth Tetzelius a Fryar was sent into Germany with a great number of Pardoris to advance Money for his Holiness This Factor highly commended his Wares where ever he came and affirmed that he could pardon all sins both past and to come whereupon a German Gentleman bought such a one of him and afterwards rob'd the Pardoner Tetzelius was highly offended and threatned him with Bell Book and Candie But the Gentleman answered That he had bought his Pardon for it declaring that was the Sin he determined to commit when he made that Purchase To which the poor Fryar knew not what to reply 10. The last great end and purpose of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus was as I have shown to diffuse and propagate an Universal Love and Charity but how far removed from this excellent temper and spirit the Romish Church is their practice is a sufficient witness For he that shall consider how they brand us of the Reformation with the odious name of Hereticks and how impiously diligent they have been to exadicate and extirpate the Reformed Religion out of the world persecuting it in all places where their Power extends with all imaginable cruelty and withal remembers that as the often-cited Author tells us it is a Maxim of the Jesuits That if any manexamine the Doctrine of the Pope by the Rule of Gods Word Du Rauchin Review l. 5. c. 7. and seeing that it is different chance to contradict it let him be rooted out with Fire and Sword He I say that deeply reflects upon these things will find that Instruments of Cruelty are in their Habitations and that their tender mercies are like those of the wicked Our blessed Saviour once rebuked the indiscreet zeal of his Disciples when they would have called for Fire from Heaven to consume the ungrateful Samaritans and tells them that he came not to destroy mend liver but to save them But the Romish Church as if she had owned no other Lord but him who was a Murderer from the beginning thinks it not enough to call for Fire from Heaven but searches Earth and Hell too to destroy harmless and innocent persons The good Shepherd said the meek Lamb of God lays down his life for his sheep But the proud and bloody Bishop of Rome with his Idolatrous Clergy are so far from this Divine Spirit that they drive them to the Shambles and out their throats without any remorse witness those many barbarous Massacres and Butcheries of men for no other