AN ACCOUNT OF Dr. Still 's late BOOK AGAINST The Church of ROME Together With a short Postil upon His TEXT Non omnia sunt quae videntur nec videntur omnia quae sunt 1672. ΤΩ ΚΑΘΟΛΙΚΩ Stillingfleeton THe Book Sir which taken up with better affairs you sent unto me that I might after I had read it over draw an Abridgment of it for you with my own thoughts super-added in the close by way of a short Comment thereon is the second production as it seems of Doctor Stillingfleet against Popery Less displeasing it is I think to a Reader and nothing so tiresome as some other Books which have issued forth on that Side against the ways of Catholick Religion For there is some Truth in his Citations a seasoning of Salt and comical Wittiness sprinkled all over and no such thick gross venom of maliciousness wherewith other Books of that kind are overâ—harged appearing though much of it lie â—id throughout his Book Indeed he perâ—erts all things by his various subtilty But that is no more but what his own same and interest here principally aimed at would reâ—uire And we must give him leave to deâ—ide also and play and sport himself in his Book as a Leviathan in his own waters It â—s his pastime and pleasure and a sweetness qsteemed perhaps necessary to his life And who would be so ill-natur'd as to envy it him Besides it is a pretty piece of Rhetorick both fit and very efficacious to create in his Protestant Readers an opinion of his unerring confidence which is the one great end of his Labours And if we be thus kind he will in recompence of that our civility give leave I suppose to Catholicks who see him so jocund and supinely careless in his errours thence to conclude the strange inconsiderate security of the merry man But we must know Sir that this his elaborate Book against the Church of Rome as he speaks although it be his second yet is it not intended to be his last For If Cathoicks have any thing to say quoth he either against our Church or in defence of their own let them come into the open Field from whenâ—â— they have of late so wisely withdrawn themselveâ— finding so little success in it Thus he speaâ—â— in his Preface threatning if I understanâ—â—â—â— him right another Knocker as stout a oâ—â—â— as this can be if any one dare to appear â—gainst him or say so much as Boh to a Gooâ—â— And these words of his import I think a Challenge called commonly a Defiance which Catholicks as soon as they had read thought it as much their duty as it sounded to be the Doctors desire to fit their Slings unto their Arms and meet him But the thing proved alas to be but a Copy of the Doctors Countenance quite differing from his heart For the Presses guarded enough before against Catholicks was presently within a month after his Book came forth so stoutly beset so frequently invaded so violently searched night and day especially by the industry of one of them who entring into the Printing-houses cried out aloud And what have ye here any thing against the Doctor Stillingfleet hah that what before was difficil and extreamly dangerous was now become impossible So that I believe no Catholick in England can do him the favour which the Doctor thirsts after so earnestly in his Lips He challenged the Papists for his Credit and stopt up their way for his Security He would first make the world believe they cannot answer him and then provides that they shall not This seems to be his mind And yet I think Sir there be few Protestant Gentlemen in England who desire not as earnestly as any Catholick to see some Reply to his Book So little do they think themselves concerned in a Scroll which neither defends their Religion nor hurts or touches ours wherein nothing is said but what might as well be spoken by a Mahometan Jew or Pagan and the most part of that which is put to disable Catholick Religion diminishes Christianity it self Some of them offered themselves to print a Reply for us But they offered but words For they found that the Bishop durst not give a License to any of our Catholick Books onely so far as to secure the Printer from danger although the Doctor be a Foe to their Rank and Order and Catholick Religion a Friend This is truly Sir a very sad case that they can freely give one a License to defame men and yet dare not give others a License to clear themselves Doctor Cousins when he was in Paris spake up and down so freely against Catholick Religion that their Clergy hearing of it came to him and told him plainly That if he had ought to say against their Religion they would both get him a License from the Bishop to print his Book and themselves pay thâ— whole charges and then answer him when they had done for his satisfaction But we poor Creatures can obtaint no favour in our own Countrey no leave to speak or justifie our selves no License to print a Book for our defence when we are both scurrilously libelled and falsely slandered and imperiously challenged to answer Nor is there any open field for our poor men to come forth into that I know of but Tybourn and that is perhaps the Doctors meaning It does mightily amaze our Catholicks all over the Land to have their ears thus beaten with slanders which are both of a high nature and still notoriously false year by year without any end thereby to make us odious to our Neighbours and them to God Our blessed Lord have pity on us and either open if it may be thy will our Magistrates hearts towards us or stop the Ministers mouths against us that our good Name and Peace may return unto thy great Glory We are if we be silent proclaimed guilty and if we speak insolent What can we do Sir here but still commend our selves unto our heavenly Lord who miraculously preserves us We do either subsist after this life or not Our Protestant Countrey-men must needs believe one of these two things Either some Religion is true or it is all a fiction If it be all a fiction and there is no life to come then are they as guilty as we nay something more for they have taken away our Churches from us for themselves to dissemble in If there be a life to come and this everlasting then can there certainly be nothing of greater importance in this world than to know when many ways are pretended to it which of them is the most authentick and truest wherein we may be both happy and safe for ever Why then are we who are the first not permitted to speak while all others are permitted to blaspheme us If we prove to go amiss the danger is our own and if we be in the right it cannot be any danger unto them to know it All the positive things of Religion which any
We should ipso sacto renounce our Lord and all his whole Religion should we set up Moses his forbidden iâ—ols and make it our religion to worship them as heathens did But we are heartened incouraged and confirmed in our Christian Religion by looking on the faces of so many our glorious Martyrs holy Anchorets and Hermits pious Virgins and Confessours who profest this our Religion before us bravely triumphing by the power of Christs love and divine faith over sins allurements and deaths ugliest terrours though incompassed themselves with the like passions and infirmities we are our sâ—lves invironed round about And when we are entred into a Church amongst so many of our worthy predecessors we compose our selves more heartily to our devotion then otherwise we should do in imitation of them remembring now that we are come up to Mount Sion to the City of our living God to celestial Jerusalem and society of Angels to the Church of Primitive Christians conscript in the Heavens to God the Judge of all to the Spirits of just men perfected to Jesus the mediator of a new Testament and to the aspersion of blood speaking better things then Abel § 10. The Heathens saith he did ill in their idoll worship and yet the wiser sort among them testifie that they did not hold them to be Gods but worshiped God in them Our acute divâ—ne having now by his fine wit so clarified Moses law that it might not so much concern Idolaters as our vulgar painters he now begins so to purifie idolaters practice too that they may seem but in the same condition with our Catholick and best Christians And who would not give his penny to hear him act and speak The heathens all in general are so excused in their idolatry Aaron in his act of apostacy and Jeroboam in his great sin that they are all and each of them no otherwise faulty then the Church of Rome in his books Thus doth Mr. Stillingfleet convert idolatrous Nations while he sits dreaming in his closet Here he diminishes and there he exaggerates here he blacks with his pen and there he whitens and then he cryes out all is one all of the same measure all of the same colour And truly I believe the great Gyant Goliah and little David might thus be made equal if the Gyant were beheaded and cut off by the knees on one side and David on the other sâ—de set upon a high pair of stilts While Catholicks are made to do what they do not and heathens not to do what they do on a supposal that all this is true there can be no great difference Let us then hear him what he tells us of Heathens in general The wiser sort among them testifie quoth he that they worshiped not the idols as gods but worshiped God in them O very good Thus the wiser sort among the heathens say But first who are these wiser sort It behooved him to let us know this But yet for his own pocket-reasons he does not But 2ly what says he himself to it O that is needless for his reader will understand well enough what he ought to think when such a Doctor as Stillingfleet tells him what the wiser sort have thought No body would think with fools but with the wiser sort alwayes And his whole discourse proceeds on this supposed knowledge of the wiser sort and according to it concludes We cannot therefore doubt of his mind But have we no wise sort of antient beleevers who lived among the heathens to testifie unto us what the heathens did Have we no Apostles and Prophets to hearken to no renowned and infallible persons to inform us Surely we have and those so many that we need not have recourse either unto persons unknown amongst the heathens for their testimony or to Mr. Sillingfleet the ingenious trâ—fler He tells us that the heathens did not worship their Idols as Gods but worshiped God in them But our Apostles and Prophets tell us contrary things Hear Moses speak who lived among the thickest of the Heathens To whom did they sacrifice O Moses whom did the heathens worship Immâ—laverunt Demoniis non Deo Deut. 32. They worshiped not God but devils they sacrificed to devils saith he and not to God The Nations change their gods and indeed they are no Gods saith Jeremy ch 2. but my people have changed their glory unto an Idol Baruch another Prophet brings in his testimony chap. 4. You have provoked him who made you saith he even the eternal God sacrificing to Devils and not to God The holy Psalmist he tells us no less peremptorily That they immolated their Sons and Daughters to Devils and sacrificed to the idols of Canaan Ps 105. and that all the gods of the Heathens are Devils Ps 95. Saint Paul our own Christian Doctor is bold and expresly testifies both against Stillingfleet and his wiser heathens That the things which Centiles immolated they sacrificed to Devils and not to God 1 Cor. 10. And yet after all this our Doctor is not ashamed to justifie those his clyents the heathens They did not worship their idolls saith he for Gods but worshiped God in them And whom shall we here believe Moses Jeremy Baruch David St. Paul and all our Christian Doctors or Stillingfleet rather and his wifer heathens unknown to himself They sacrificed to devils and not to God they changed their glory into an Idol they irritated the eternal God immolating to devils and not to God they sacrificed their sons and daughters to devils not to God Thus speak our Prophets and Apostles But Mr. Sillingfleet affirms they sacrificed to God they imolated to God they worshiped god and not devils they worshiped not the idols but God in them But I discern well enough the cause of his mistake Because they abstracted the general notion of God and applied it each one to his own idols therefore he thinks he may say they worshiped God in them But this is a gross mistake For to worship God in a thing and to worship a thing for God who is no God are two very differing cases Christians worship God in Christ and they do well heathens who worshiped their Idols for God did ill Cromwell our late Usurper after he had murdâ—reâ— our good King and set the Crown upon his own head would have taken it well if his Army had toâ—d him they honoured him for their King but not if they had said they worshipped the King in him The first word had sounded in his ears as a grateful slattery the other as treason to himself To â—bstract the Deity and apply it to another subject unto whom it does not belong is as far as we are able to behead the true God and set hâ—s Crown upon the shoulders of usurping devils And because the true real Deity cannot be removed either by the pleasure of the Usurper or worshiper therefore are these idols deviâ—s and false Gods God cannot be worshâ—ped in them because he is not
Fae'ix in Gallias Germanias invexerit By this testimony it appears that Felix over and above his capital errour about Christ our Lords adoption was an iconomachus too or adversary of images and suffered at Frankford for both his errours which is not unlikely by the testimony of Platina â—nd Paulus Emilius For Platina in the life of Pope Adrian Biennio post saith he Theophylactus Stephanus Episcopi insignes Adriani nomine Francorum Germanorum Synodum habuerunt in qua Synodus quam septimam Graeci appellabant haeresis Feliciana de tollendis imaginibus abrogata est And P. Emilius in his second book de gestis Francorum speaking of that Councill of Frankford Et imaginibus saith he suns honor restitutus est The like may be proved out of Blondus Sabellicus and other historians So that all these things rightly considered and put together will sufficiently convince his relation of the Frankford Councill to be fictitious and groundiess If the Councill were assembled by the Agreement of the Pope and Emperour then not of the Emperour against the Pope If to suppress Elipand Claudius and Felix then not the Nicen Prelates If under the same Pope and Presidents which presided lately in Nice then not against any thing determined and concluded in Nice If upon the motive of Elipands errour against our Lords filiation then was not an image the principal occasion of it If Felix were there condemned for his opposition to images then were not images condemned If Charles the great one of the devoutest to the Roman Church that ever raigned so much swaied in that Councill then would he not suffer the Roman Church to be there affronted and censured If an upright Catholick he would not in spiritual affairs gainsay the Prince of Prelates who had so lately set his hand and seale to Nicen defiinitions In a word if Charles the Great called that Council at Frankford as the Doctor affirms then without all doubt was that ratified there which was established at Nice a little before For Charles was as much a Roman Catholick as either Stephen and Theophilact or the Pope himself and knew as well as any man what obedience is due to the definitions of a Council rightly consummated and confirmed as that of Nice was Binius the great Collector of the Councils proves at large that all this story of the Carolin books and Frankford Synod assembled against that of Nice is a groundless fiction And so do Alanus Surius Vasquez and several other Doctors And they are all amazed whence the rumour should arise and by whom and in what age or time But I cannot wonder much at it since I heard lately of a French Gentleman who affirms and shows in a Book of his that the English never conquered France nor ever gave them any one overthrow in battle And when he was told by a neighbour of this his notorious falshood O quoth he my book two hundred years hence may pass for an authority as good as any that speak otherwise And so I think there may possibly be such impious men who out of their present malice may furnish out a lie to infect posterity in after times But he must be an unconscionable wicked man who can do such a deed § 12. Primitive Christians never used any images as the learned of the Church of Rome acknowledge He had done well to let us knâ—w who are these leâ—rned of the Church of Rome But he will not do us that favour And â—e must still take his word for the judgment of the learned sort always Nay we must belâ—eve too that he is ever on the learned sorts side It is indeed unlikely that figures of those holy persons who first spread our Christianity in the world and made it good both by their lives and death should be frequent in primâ—tive times First because those same figures although they be honourable memories both of their persons and pieties unto whose zeal and goodness we are so much indebted yet are they not so necessarily requisite unto any such perpose but that the Church can be without them Secondly because primitive Christians had not amongst them any such plenty of Artists as we have now a days to make them Thirdly because Pagans would have mis-interpreted the end and meaning of such figures as this our Doctor does in the midst of day-light But that in those primitive times there was never any Christian so ill affected towards those pious representations as is Mr. Still appears sufficiently by the testimony of those ancient Doctors who mention incidentally the customs so those primitive times especially about the figure of the Cross which they made continually on theâ—r fore-head and breasts as a preservative against evil and kept it all over their houses particularly in their Bed-chambers and closets either framed in wood or stone or painted in colours There be notwithstanding the deluge of time which swallows up all things some monuments yet left among us of the respect which those Christians then bore both to the reliques and figures of their Saints The very chair of St. James the Apostle and first Bishop of Jerusalem Eusebius in the seventh book of his history attests that it was had in great esteem and veneration in all times even to his own days Accordingly S. Clement in his sixâ—h book of apostolical constitutions gives this general testimony of that kind of piety in those primitive Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The very relicks saith he of Saints now living with God are not without their veneration Some remainds there be also of an apostolical Council at Antioch gathered out of S. Pamphilus and Origen wherein caution is given both against the Jews malice and Gentâ—le idols by opposing the images of Jesus and his holy foâ—lowers against them both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignatiâ—s also that worthy apostolical Prelate the third from St. Peter the Apostle in the chair at Antioch thus signally speaks of the sign of the cross in his epistle to Philadelphia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Prince of this world saith he rejoices when any one denies the Cross for he knows the confession of the cross to be his own ruin this is the Standard against his power which so often as he either sees or hears it spoken of he shakes and trembles thus speaks that glorious Prelate The above named Eusebius testifies also in the same book of his history that he saw even in his time the brazen Statue of our Lord Jesus which was set up in Paneada in Palestin unto his honour by the woman cured by him of the blood flix so notable for miracles that they were spoke of all the world over This statue oâ— our Lord when Julian the apostate caused it to be thrown down and his own to be set up in place thereof a strange sodain fire from heaven consumed the statue of Julian as Zozomenus in his fist book witnesses
reputation I cannot but remember here the shadow or Ghost in Virgil which Juno made of Aeneas to draw her beloved Turnus out of the field It seemed to fight and threaten and press on and give back But nothing at all was done really Tum dea nube cavâ tenuem sine viribus umbram In faciem Aeneae visu mirabile monstrum Dardaniis ornat telis clypeumque jubasque Divini assimilat capitis dat inania verba Dat sine mente sonum gressusque effingit euntis Morte obitâ quales fama est volitare figuras Aut quae sopitos deludunt somnia sensûs Ac primas laeta ante acies exultat imago Irritatque virum telis ac voce lacessit And such a shadow of controversie is all this present Chapter and his whole book also a foming face and feeble force big but empty words rumbling and yet insignificant sounds quick profers and no progress a daring shadow or armed Ghost without either body or bones And yet such a thing as defies the whole Catholick Church steps out from the rest of his Camp and defies them all alone defies them both in letters syllables and words And this is all For he touches no body Because Catholicks by the advice and allowance of their Prelates do keep amongst them the representation of the divine Founder of their Religion who appeared amongst us by his unspeakable Love in form of a Man and of some of his holy followers in the way he chalked out for us therefore he talks of Moloch and Milcom Osiris and Isis Chemosh and Astaroth Baal Peor and Rimmon golden Bulls and Remphan the calves of Dan and Bethel And what is all this for Wy to over-run Papists and beat us down How can it do that These idols were set up by heathens in opposition to the true God and in the very place of God as darkness in the night time is in the place of light This is true what then and therefore I must not forsooth keep the figure of Jesus Christ or of St. Paul or other domestick of my own religion for my own incouragement therein What likeness what consequence is there in all this Which is Remphan and where is Moloch Which is the Calf and where is the Bull Nay and here it is worth our observing too that Protestant Gentlemen and Ladies of England Ministers and Bishops too have all pictures in their Chambers as well as Catholicks even those of our holy Apostles and Martyrs as well as others And there they are good and lawful figures but in our Chambers they are Bulls of Basan and Calves of Bethel among us Catholick pictures are against Moses his Law but theirs are not so Although they be representations both in Heaven above and Earth below and Waters under earth expressy by the same Law forbidden for example Moon and Stars Dogs and Cats Whales and Dolphins The picture of Martin Luther in their Chamber is the lawful effigies of a man But Saint Stephen in our Closet is a Calf Can any man who talks at this rate be thought to be one that has conversed either with the learned sort of Papists or the wiser sort of Heathens or one rather that had never any conversation at all either with reason or men O but Catholicks worship God by their images which Protestants do not I marry this is a huge fault indeed that Catholicks take thereby occasion to think of God and his manifold mercies and bless his name and trust in him For they no other way worship God by Images This is the mortal sin which Catholicks commit And if that illogical speech of the Doctor Catholicks worship God by Images be drawn into any kind of sence it can be no other than thâ—s that Catholicks take occasion by the pious faces of their Martyrs to think of Gods manifold graces and mercies towards them and thereupon trust in him afresh and bless his name which great errour the Doctor it seems does carefully avoid The ancient devâ—ut Christians thought of God and worshipped him by any thing any good thing they enjoyed the verdant fields and sweet flowers comfortable air and pleasing light mountains valleys and liquid streams Plumbs Pears Apples and chearful Grapes by the vertue charity and devotion of men the ministry of Angels c. But now we must take heed of that We may taste a Plumb or a Cherry we may eat a venison Pasty and drink good wine if we can get it nay we may have fine pictures in our Chambers even the picture of Jesus Christ crucified or any of his followers we may have all this if we be such good Protestants as Mr. Stillingfleet and never think of God or worship God by it But if we worship God by it if we think of God by it then it is all poison to us All is suddenly turned to Moloch to Remphan to Baal Peor to Ashtaroth to Aarons golden Steer and the Calves of Bethel If we do but eat a custard thinking of God or worshipping God by it presently it becomes a Remphan or Chiun the idol of the Arabians Walking upon Hamstead-hill as people use innocently enough to do if casting our eyes about the prospect we think of Gâ—d by it as Catholicks are wont the hill before innocent is now become a Baal Peor the idol of the Moabites A Citizen walking to the Tower may look harmlesly enough upon the Crown and royal Robes there But he must take heed then that he fall not into a meditation of Heaven or the glory of its great King to worship him in his heart by it For then it becomes to him an Adramelech the idol of Sepharvaim And he must beware of the like abuse when he sees the Chamber and Table where his Majesty sits in Council with his Peers lest it become a Moloch to him the idol of the Moabites The very Flags and Banners often seen in London-streets make some simple soul to think of Jerusalem above the peace and happy company there and the God of all but then O how suddenly is the Streamer metamorphosed and turned into Nesroch the idol of Senacherib Some are so bold when they either see or hear of any corrupted by the French-pox and lechery to thank God who has preserved them and worship God by it And thereby sin no less grievously than Maacham the Moâ—her of Asa King of Judah in worshipping her idol Priap or Nimphleseth A gentleman called upon God not in words onely but very heartily when a troublesome Fly got into his Eye and much afflicted him but he little thought that by that piety of his he had sinned as deeply as they that worship Baalzebuâ— the idol of Acaron Nothing is more ordinary with Country Gentlemen when walking abroad they behold a goodly fair flock of sheep in pasture of their own than to thank God and worship God by it but little do they think good men they are guilty of Idolatry thereby as much guilty as they that worshipped
Ashtaroth the idol of the Philistins Nay a very cow or calf in the meadows if we take occasion by it to thank God for his benefits or to worship God by it is the same thing then as Aarons Moulten heifer or Jeroboams calves set up in Dan and Bethel And as it is for substance so for the figures of things St. Pauls picture so long as we do not think of God by it is a lawful picture But if we come once to think of God to worship God by it O then that is a Calf too Aarons Calf one of Jeroboams Calves c. This thinking of God this worshipping of God by any thing this is the pestilential blast that spoils all It turns sweet into bitter lawful into unlawful things innocent into sin and good things to death The representation of our blessed Lord crucified for us so long as we think not of him may pass for a good innocent or at least indifferent thing but if we once think seriously of him if we worship God by it then O Mr. Stillingfleet what is it then And yet answer me not For I will not have those blasphemous words here repeated Speak them to a Jew in order to Jesus Christ and he will embrace and love you But a Christian cannot endure to hear them § 5. Papists saith he worship God by images and so are guilty of idolatry Catholicks may hear this but can never understand what he means They are never taught in any of their Catechisms to worship God by Images None of their spiritual books wherein all religious Duties are importunately urged and pressed upon them ever mention it and their practice does not infer it For if it did they would easiliest understand it who best know what themselves do They are taught and do in their practice endeavour to worship God in their heart and soul and ardent affections streaming forth thence towards him They worship him with bended knees lips and voice hearts and eyes lâ—fted up unto him They worship him with the assistance of Gods good Spirit the Priests Sacrifice and help of mutual prayers They worship him by mortifying their sensuality and carnal appetites by giving alms and relieving the poor and needy for his Love by observing his Laws and Counsels by resigning to his good will and pleasure in all things especially in time of afflicting persecutions when they suffer all manner of reproach lies and calumnies loss of goods and sometimes life it self for his name sake patiently They worship him in Closets in Church-assemblies in the fields as they are walling on Land or Sea where they have opportunity to do it Thus doth their religion teach them to worship God as with the right causes and instruments as by the true effects and operations as in the times and places seasonable for worship and devotion But how they should worship God by images or as he speaketh oftner in the context of his discourse in images this they do not easily understand When he lays any thing to Catholicks charge he ought to speak I should think as Catholicks do and then he will be understood by them It is not to be conceived how any one can worship God by images and in images but either for the real presence there or ideal imitation or some sort of occasion of worship arising thence And so God must be worshipped by them and in them either presentially ideally or occasionally And it cannot be presentially For so God is no otherwise present in a picture than in the wall it hangs upon nor yet ideally for the picture for example of St. Mary Magdalen or St. Paul is no idea of that invisible and glorious Godhead nor yet is any other as the Crucifix for example or Christ our Lord in his Birth or Resurrection for all these figures are representations of his humanity and no idea's of his Deity at all And Mr. Stillingfleet must needs mean one of these two ways For otherwise he could not charge them with idolatry for it And therefore I say that his charge is false and slanderous But if he mean that they worship God by images and in their images occasionally which is a moral interpretation and the only true one Then is such a work so far from Idolatry that it is a sublime piety For what can they better do then to give God thanks for so great graces mercies helps and comforts bestowed in Jesus our Lord upon his Apostles Martyrs Confessors and Virgins when they look upon their figures and pictures either in their contemplations or patience of Martyrdome or conversion of the world subduing and bringing flesh Satan and the world under their feet especially if Catholicks conceive thereby some pious resolution as well they may of doing something the more and patiently suffering for God in imitation of those pious Heroes our Predecessours in religion and yet naturally but flesh and blood as we our selves are I say all this is signal piety and our Christian duty And according to this morall meaning Catholicks if they do worship God by their imâ—ges and in their images do well and like good Christians But the Doctor will not charge them I suppose with a matter of so much truth and great piety as this is although his words cannot make out any other sence that is true but only this morall one And the more logical sence of worshipping God by images and in images ideally or presentially is false Let him even take which sence he pleases either what justifies Catholicks or what salsifies his own assertion It is all one to me whether we stand or he fall § 6. He adds that the worship of God by images does not terminate upon God because God has forbid it and so gives Gods honour to the Creature This is strange gibberish An act that tends to nothing is no act If it be some act it tends and has already tended to something and it terminates upon that thing unto which it tends and whose act it is denominated This is clear enough even to a young sophomore or one who indeed never yet came into the aire of Philosophy if he do but understand the terms and words here used For example I cannot see a man in the street except my vision terminate upon him nor can my vision terminate upon him but I must see him And it is all one whether I see him close by me or by my window or in a looking glass at home For I cannot see him any way but my sight must terminate upon him and if it do not I see him not And this course of nature is not hindred not yet altered at all because that person may haply have forbidden me to look upon him either this way or that For our acts or actions are accomplished within our selves independently of any acceptance or disacceptance of them Acceptance or disacceptance commanding or forbidding is another thing extrinsecal and quite differing from the substance of the act or action
images to provoke God to anger and cast his own God behind his back Can he be Justly charged with all this only because he kept the Israelites from going up to Jerusalem and made them do those devotions at home which they were wont to do in that mother Citty Can only change of place suffice for the criminous imputation of idolatry where is the same adoration same rites same sacrifice same Priests and same God Is it possible that the same service and Common prayer-book read by Ministers of the same kind in London and Highgate be Gods service in one place and idolatry in the other all other things agreing but only the circumstance of place No indeed it is not possible it should be so But it is very possible it should be said so Mr. Stillingfleet here speaks it and speaks it stoutly on his own head even against all Divine authority and upright reason People may sin against ecclesiastical obedience indeed by not coming up to their parochial Church when they are commanded But they cannot only upon that ground be charged with idolatry or making strange gods or casting their own God behind their back He must be a very passionate Prelate and extreamly unjust and sinfully injurious who laies that imputation upon people upon no other ground or motive then that one circumstantial neglect of place And yet holy Scripture several times thus charges Jeroboam and puts such a blot upon his scutcheon both for his own idolatry and that into which he induced all the people that he is seldom or never mentioned without his black sirname Jeroboam who made Israel to sin If it were true at least as Mr. Stilling-fleet here speaks that Jeroboam and Israels sin were only a circumstance of place and that they and he did in their own tribes but what was done in Jerusalem then must it needs follow that there were in the Temple of Jerusalem such like representations as those calves set up by Jeroboam in Dan and Bethel and indeed the very same with them And thence we may gather for our learning if this be all true an axiom of great truth and concernment namely that one and the same piece of worship which pleases God in the Catholick Church is an abomination to him in the waies of heresie and schisme The very same thing which in Jerusalem and the tribe of Judah were called Cherubims in Samaria and all the rest of Israel apostatised from them was but a calf § 11. Charles the great a noble Emperour caused Books to be set forth against the Council of Nice where images had been established called Carolin Books and assembled also a Council at Frankford wherein both the said Nicen Council was condemned and all their reasons for images confuted c. That there were both in the Councill of Frankford and Nice too some Catholick Prelates who propounded difficulties against images cannot be denied For when ever any Councill meets together about any affair they dispute pro and con â—oth for and against it that the Prelates having all things set before their Eyes that can be said on both sides might be the better inabled to determine So doubtless it was done by the Apostles themselves in their great Councill held in Jerusalem about Circumcision where inquisitio magna facta est great inquisiâ—ion disputation and examination was made about it All this is certain enough But yet that either in Frankford or any where else were made after this their dispute any final or conclusive declaration against the use of images amongst Christians or that Charles the Emperour should either write books or cause any to be written either against images or the Council oâ— Nice wherein they had been then established or summon that Council of Frankford to withstand that other of Nice unanimously concluded by the Preâ—ates and confirmed by the general Pastour this is a thing so apparently false and fictitious that there needs no more but the knowledge of those very persons and times to prove it so Charles the Great was one that adored the Roman Church whereof he was himself a Member above all Emperours that ever was before or since his time The Council of Frankford wherein were little less then three hundred Catholick Prelates was peaceably concluded and no commotion followed upon it which must needs have risen if they had condemned another Council lately celebrated and confirmed by all pastoral authority Nor was that Frankford Councill ever annulled or any way censured either by P. Adrian or any after him Add to this that the said Councill was both begun and finished under the same Poâ—e Adrian and his Legates Theophilact and Stephâ—nus who had presided lately in the said Nicen Council where the lawful use of images was established It cannot possibly be imagined that the same Pope and Presidenes should conclude in Frankford quite contrary to what they ordered in Nice but seven or eight years before It is also certain that the said Council of Frankford was summoned and assembled not about images only as the Doctor imagines but about the question of our Lord Christ his filiation as all antient histories testifie against Foelix and Elipand two Spanish Bishops and Claudius Taurinensis who teaching that our Lord is rather to be called an adoptive than natural Son of God raised much commotion in Spain and France and this novelty of theirs was first condemned at Ratisbone and afterwards at Frankford For Foelix after his first condemnation repaired to the Emperour Charles his Court who then wintered at Rheginum and there submitting to the Prelates was sent thence to the presence of Pope Adrian where in the Cathedral of St. Peter he revok'd his Errour Elipand hearing of his submission grew more violent and by his books both regained Foelix again and disturbed all Germany as he had France and Spain before And now to prevent the infection the Pope and Charles the Emperour agreed to bring together a conciliar Assembly of Prelates in Frankford wherein presided Theophylact and Stephanus who had lately concluded the second Council of Nice Whence it clearly appears that Doctor Stillingfleet quite mistakes the business Now if the same Pope and his very self-same Legates presided first in the Nicen Council and then in Frankford as the Doctor acknowledges we may rationally enough conclude that the Nicen decrees about images lately finished in the East were made known to the West by their acceptation and promulgation at Frankford where the business of filiation was decided For this is indeed very true But no way can we think that the same Presidents would now undo what they had done a little before And that this is indeed the whole truth in this business may be yet confirmed by the authority of the Council of Senon kept not long after which in their 14. decree thus speaks Carolus magnus Francorum Rex Christianissimus in Francorum furdensi conventu ejusdem erroris iconomachorum suppressit insaniam quam inselicissimus quidam