rendred unto the good works of sobriety charity chastity purity patience and the like the same is without words painted unto us by these compendious hieroglyphicks serving more speedily then words can do to fasten us unto a strict recollection in our prayers by one short glance about us and to a fea◠and awfulness of Gods presence in that place where we are met together for his Service accompanied with the figures of so many of our pious Ancestours who are gone to Heaven before us and also to a dissipation of any worldly thoughts that may as they are apt enough to do at that time come along with us there unto our hinderance All this benefit we have by our Pictures when we have haply no book to look upon or know not by our ignorance to read or cannot by darkness or other lettance attend unto that labour And this is all the whole business of Images as to Religion In the Road of Philosophy trodden by School-Divines where thousands of conclusions over and above faith are advanced and opposed by one another unto the sharpning of their wits many things are said about every thing as the creation resurrection and thè like which faith in the same things is silent of Nor are we in our defence of faith concerned at all in them And it may be essily discerned by our Catholick practice what use we make of our Images when of a hundred people entring into a Church not one of them ever casts his eye wistly upon them but contented with a general glance compose themselves presently unto their prayers and meditations they keep silently in spirit towards God And when our pictures are so sullied and spoiled that they will no more serve our use we put them into the fire as we would do also a page of sacred Scriptures utterly obliterated and fouled § 3. Indeed all the whole business of the use of Images at all is but a matter of discipline and government for the help of people in the great work of recollection and prayer as is the use of Churches and the musick used in them with the harp viol and other instruments the use of beads and prayer-books All which our Religion could spare and yet be not at all impaired as to any its essential or substantial parts Nay there inconveniences in any one of these things Nor do I know any good thing in this world without some inconvenience or other It is enough for us that the conveniences and benefits of any good we have or use are more and greater than the inconveniences be Many worthy Prelates in Christianity have at times excepted very strongly against Organs as some hindrance of the great work of spiritual contemplation which Christian people meet to practice together in their holy assemblies the great paramount work of Christianity especially at Mass But these men although moved unto that their exception by a Zeal not evil yet were they fain to yield at last unto the prevailing reasons of other Prelates which overbore their lesser ones Some other of our Catholick Doctors and Prelates would have had us to have used no pictures that Jews and Pagans might not catch at that pretence to cavil against our Christianity as they did But all these submitted at last unto the prevailing part by whom they were made to understand that the inconveniences they urged were but imaginary and small the conveniences great and real There have been not a few who have excepted against much vocal prayer because it took up too much of the time which would be better employed in the more principal work of prayer in spirit But yet could they not carry it although their reasons were very plausible aad good because that high and Angelical prayer in spirit agreed not equally to all men or to any one consisting of flesh and blood equally at all times and places as vocal prayer does Some have disliked even our material Temples built up so sumptuously as they are because God immense and incomprehensible dwells not in buildings made by mans hands Heaven is his Seat and Earth his Footstool Yet could they not obtain that our Churches should be therefore pulled down or not built up Prayer-books were nothing at all in use amongst Christians in primitive times when they prayed almost altogether in spirit and used no other vocal prayer but that our Lord taught us And yet this hinders us not either to make such books or use them in following times Instead of our beads in wood or mettal they used in ancient times a bag of little stones by the emptying whereof they knew that they had said over our Lords prayer a hundred or perhaps three hundred times according as any one in his devotion had prefixed to himself every day of his life to do for Gods glory and service And there might be inconveniences pretended against our present beads especially those of gold and pearl But they will not be thrown away for that Our Church-musick has been more than once opposed and that by Prelates most holy and renowned men who deemed it an unsufferable lettance to the spiritual recollection which Christians ought above all things to attend unto that they may have our Lords good Spirit and his holy operations in them especially when they meet together at their holy Synaxis But Church-musick is kept up to this day notwithstanding their reason against it which is very good for other reasons no. less good and great than it specified and urged by the far greater number of pious Prelates for it And yet if all or the greater part of Catholick Prelates meeting together should take away all these outward helps from us beads and books singing and Church-musick pictures and Churches and all finding the inconveniences to be now greater than they have been and weightier than any convenience we have by them though the thing would seem very strange to us yet ought we I think to obey them resignedly and attend wholly unto our spiritual mediations either alone or in our Eucharistian meetings and to the other good works commanded or counselled us in Gospel in expectation of our future bliss and eternal happiness in God which can never be taken from us though all things of discipline or helps in government be alterable § 4. And now it is time to turn back and view the subject of this Chapter that we may see if any one period in it be true and pertinent He tells us first that Papists worship God by Images which logically is not true Then that a representation of the invisible Deity cannot be made which is impertinent Then that the worship given to God by an image does not terminate upon God which is neither pertinent nor true And so he proceeds on to the very end of his Chapter with sounds either empty or false or both neither heeding or caring what he says so he do but mention learned papists and wiser heathens which may help to butterress up his
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
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-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
And of the same braâ—en statue of Christ our Lord write also Theophilact Damascenus and several others And here we may take notice by the way that charity devotion set up statues to our Lord but apostasy malice pulls them down And whether Dr. Stillingfleet who busies himself so much to cast down the images of Jesus our Lord and his holy followers would refuse to have his own set up for his great pains either in Guildhall or Cheapside he knows best himself Truly if that were done I do not believe that any of his neighbours or Countreymen would take him then for a calf of Bethel Of the Images of the virgin Mary made by St. Luke there is much fame amongst the antient writers in particular Theodorus Simeon Metaphrastes and Nicephorus The last of which does also attest in his second book that the said precious relick was carried up and down the whole habitable world of Christians who looked upon it with a most greedy and unsatisfied devotion The same Nicephorus adds moreover how Constantius the Son of Constantine translated the relâ—cks of St. Luke from Thebes of St Andrew from Achaia and of St. Timothy from Ephesus unto Constantinople with a vast concourse and joy of Chrâ—stian people and there with all honour and reverential respect inshrined them in a cathedral Church dedicated to the Apostles Of the image also of Christ our Lord imprinted by himself in a handkercher applied to his own face and sent to King Abagarus who requested his picture write Evagrius Metaphrastes and others Of another image of Jesus Christ made by Nicodemus which being ignominiously crucified by the Jews wrought many wonderous miracâ—es we have a solemn testimony of Athanasius cited in the foâ—rth action of the seventh great Synod And all this testifies that Christians in primitive times were affected towards holy pictures and relicks as Catholicks are at this day at least not such haters and vilifiers of them as is Dr. Stillingfleet Nor can I conceive how any of the learned in the Church of Rome should be ignorant of these things Nay the very Church of England which this Doctor pretends to defend hath lately put the images of the Apostles and Primitive Saints into their common-prayer-book and Primers printed by authority So that if the Doctor had opened his eyes he might have seen clear enough that all this talk of his is now unseasonable however it might have passed well enough in the beginning of the furious reformation when they pulled down all sacred figures and suffered none to be set up either sacred or common When husbands broke their wives pictures and wives their husbands least they should give ill example to St. Peter and Paul or incourage any of the twelve Apostles to creep up again upon their walls When children in obedience and duty to their parents spitting upon their effigies said as they were taught to say I renounce the devil and all his works When all the people flâ—cked together in all places to tear down Churches and Chappels and private oratories in houses with a Now boys we are free men let us eat drink and play for to morrow we shall dye No more duty of any our daily prayers no more fasting no more vows no more troublesome adoration upon our knees no more pining meditations no more pennance no more restitution no more priest no more altar no more cross or holy rood no more Peter and Paul to be seen no more languishing memories of Saints no more obedience to the erring Church no more self-examination no more conscience scruples c. Those times indeed were mad enough But now people as newly awaked from wine begin to be wiser and look more soberly about them Even Denmark and Holland consider now in cold blood the many sad mischiefs they acted in hot nor is our own Countrey wholly ignorant of the irreparable ruins of those mad times However our Doctor will not have his sport spoiled nor yet his game stopt Punchienella though Bartholmew fair be ended may be acted still either in Lincolns Infields or Chairing cross or any where else both now and then and seven years hence It will be still new to some body He may also know that King James a wise and learned Prince in the year 1617. gave order that the pictures of Saints should be set up in his Chappel of Holy-wood house in Edinborough as Spotswood attests in his history of the Church of Scotland And he cannot be ignorant that several times order and command has been given to Protestant people by our English Bishops that they bow and do reverence at the name of Jesus when it s spoken or read in the Câ—uâ—ch Now the name of Jesus and figure of Jesus is all one thing the one of them representing to the ear what the other does to the eye All this he might have considered But his tongue is hot and he must speak although it be against himself and the very Church he justifies as much as it is against the Church he arraignes Indeed his whole discourse is so frivously subtile and subtilely frâ—volous that no Church needs much to heed what he sayes This I know and am câ—â—tain of that although he should be confuted at large and confounded for ever by any Catholick Writer yet shall we be never the nearer to any quietness and peace For the next man that wants a rich benefice will if he have but this mans confidence collect another book of popish idolatry out of this book of Dr. Still as he gather'd this of his out of Henry Moore Jeremy Taâ—lor and sundry others his Predecessors not heeding at all any answer that has been given by former Catholicks to the talk any more than Dr. Stillingfleet does here They will ever write one out of another and never regard what has been said to any one of them in defence of that which they oppose abecedarian scriblers Nor can there be any end so long as there is a bishoprick or fat benefice to hope for and Catholick hands so tied up that they can print nothing unto their own justification without insuperable difficulties and hazard I have read in London the Defiances of one Fencer to another both of them in print Who accordingly do meet in Bear-garden without any controul there to baste one another lustily for the peoples pleaâ—ure And it would be a pastime I think equally delightful not less profitable and somewhat more civil to see two men reason down one another We poor men should esteem it a great favour to us if our adversary might read his charge and we our defence even in Bear-garden Since neither in Churches Halls Universities or Schools are we permitted to speak or print any thing to speak for us And Doctor Stillingfleet who hath made his defiance already may which he hath not yet done appoint the day Not men and fencers onely but bulls and bears cocks and dogs all are permitted to defend themselves when they are invaded but onely we poor old Christians whose Religion hath blessed our Land fifteen hundred years As if it were agreed on all hands that we should never be rightly understood Mr. H. Thorndike a grave Divine and and learned Doctor in our present English Church both affirms and strongly proves in his book called Just weights and measures that Roman Catholicks are idolaters no way adding also That they who separate from the Church of Rome as Idolaters are thereby schismaticks before God Thus speaks that learned man the Pâ—aenix of divines who only dares to be honest And the mere authority of this eminent Protestant may suffice to evacuate all the sophistry of this whole chapter of this Doctors book as also of that which follows in the next place about our holy Host and Saints Now Sir I must bid you farewel And that you may not think me either idle or neglective of my duty and respects to you pray give me leave to tell you that what you see here printed but now was written and ready for the Preâ—s in August last And before October ended I had finished all my work upon Dr. Stillingfleets Book such-like familiar Commentaries as these upon his first chapter be But in all these six months I could get no more printed for you either at home or abroad than this poor fifth part of the whole after my many travels vexations expences and dangers Such obstructions are made about the Presses and so many violences offered here continually far above any used since we were born that I can see no possibility for any whole book of ours to shoot that gulf be our cause never so innocent and good Nay they will here print our catholick books themselves as if they were their own as Thomas a Kempis Granada Parsons Resolutions Drexellius and the like But if we be taken printing them the PRESS is broken PRINTER punished and we if we be found in danger of our lives And therefore I beseech you Sir be content with thus much or rather this little The rest you shall have in written hand In the mean time let Dr. Still triumph and crow as he pleases He is made and has made him self sure enough Although he hath defied the whole catholick world and all that know of it having something to say are both willing and ready yet will no man come forth into the open field against him because they cannot He thinks himself wise no doubt wiser than millions of men and may do so still For my part Sir I find him as wise as one man and no more Farewel FINIS