satisfied the word Image-worship will do the work without much need of longer Proofs and therefore waving all such kind of Controversial Drudgery he falls to the Historical part in which from the different account of Historians the disagreement in Time and Place and other Circumstances he easily fills all with Confusion and Uncertainty A tedious work he makes about the second Council of Nice and sets it out in such abusive Language with so much contempt and scorn that he seems at his writing this Character to have come fresh from a Billings-gate Lecture Hear how he attacks that Venerable Synod They were a Pack of Greeks says he pa. 38. that were neither the wisest nor the honestest Men in the World. Then having undervalued the Proofs of that Council as Senseless and Ridiculous he adds pa. 39. Now you may judge whether these were not rare Greek Wits Yet we might forgive their want of Brains if they had been Men of Integrity but they were dishonest too In this manner do's he complement this great Synod with the Honorable Titles of Fools and Knaves Certainly he must be a wise Man in his own conceit who makes so bold with three hundred and fifty Fathers besides the Popes Legates and the Vicars of the Oriental Patriarchs But I leave him in this Buffoonry wishing him only much joy of his Admirable Talent in this kind The Chief thing he urges against this Council is their establishing as he pretends Superstitious Errors the Worship or Adoration of Images such as our Author judges to be nothing else than Idolatry in this doing altogether like himself who quarrels with every thing but how unlike the more Learned and Moderate Divines of his own Church who vindicate this Council from all such imputations Mr. Thorndike freely confessing that he must maintain as unquestionable that the Council of Nice injoyns no Idolatry Epil 3. pa. 363. And Dr. Field affirming that the Nicence Fathers mean nothing else by Adoration of Images but embracing kissing and reverently using of them and like to the Honor we do the Books of Holy Scripture Of the Church l. 3. c. 36. Thus do these Eminent Men deliver their Sense of this Council and it's Doctrin which our Author has thought fit to render so Ridiculous to the World. He catches at Words and without Examining or Understanding them makes Idolatry and Superstition of the most Orthodox and Christian Doctrin And this I look upon the occasion of his letting flie so furiously at this Venerable Synod and of all his Rallery against it But I proceed to consider his other Arguments The principal thing he insists on and which runs thro' his whole Pamphlet is that we cannot make it appear even as a thing probable that Images were so much as set up in Churches in the Primitive Times and upon this Practice now so common in the Church of Rome he presses her with the Guilt of Innovation An Excellent Argument well becoming a Leader of the People But this is the Motive of Reforming And do not some other Reformers upon the same grounds prove the use of Organs in the Divine Service to be an Innovation since it cannot be made appear even as probable that there were any such things known to the Primitive Christians of the first three or four hundred years And do not others still treading over the same steps make the use of Cathedrals and Churches of Deanries and Prebendaries an Innovation in Christianity since in the Primitive times there were no such things heard â—f After this rate some Men are pleas'd to argue and at this pace the Reformation may go on improving every day till there 's nothing of Christianity left if such Principles and Reasons of some Church of England Reformers are but follow'd as Just and Convincing But these can have no authority but with some Weak and Passionate Men. Others who weigh things duely know that the Circumstances of the Primitive Christians their being under Severe Persecution their living and conversing in the middle of Pagans and Jews c. did make many things inconvenient and unseasonable at that time especially such as related to the Solemnity and Order of the Church which otherwise were Good and Apostolical This Mr. Montagu a Wise and Learned Man throughly consider'd and particularly in relation to Images which he says in the first Ages were but few or none in publick not because they were then Unlawful or contrary to the Doctrin of the Apostles but because they were inconvenient in those times of Persecution and Paganism I 'll here set down his own words to satisfie the Answerer and to let him see the difference between the Spirit of Peace and Moderation and that of Bitterness and Wrangling Thus then that Worthy Divine argues in his Appeal to Caesar c. 23. As the Ancient Fathers of the Primitive Times had very few or no Churches at all at least of Note Dignity or of Receipt because they liv'd in Times of fierce Persecution and were seldom or Few of them Stationary but compell'd subinde mutare sedes so had they very few I grant or no Pictures at all in public use amongst them not so much as for Ornament sake And the reason was because they lived continually amongst Pagans and were themselves for the most part such as had abandon'd and come over from Paganism unto Christ that were bred in brought up in inur'd to and fast setled unto Idolatry in Image-worship Therefore they spoke against them with some tartness and inveighing sort lest haply by conversing with or neighboring upon Pagans or thro' former use of being mis-led by those Pagans the Novel and tender Shoots of Christianity might receive hurt and learn to worship Idols as those Pagans did In which words this Author plainly declares that tho' there was not the public use of Images in the first Ages yet the admittance of them afterwards into Churches was no Innovation as our Answerer pretends but the practising of a thing which in all the precedent Ages had been just and lawful but not expedient for the reasons here assign'd by him Which thing the same Author has thus clearly deliver'd in the foregoing Chapter where speaking of the use of Images Before St. Gregory says he I know no such confest employment for them He was the first that gave such public approbation unto them DECLARATORILY tho' it was TRVE DOCTRIN IN IT SELF before he ever profess'd it such Can any thing be more clearly express'd Is it not evidently here acknowledgâ—d by a Church of England Divine that the Use of Images as approv'd and allow'd by Pope Gregory who was for giving Reverence and Respect unto them as this Author confesses in the same Chapter was a True Doctrin in it self tho' it was never professedly declar'd before this time And yet our Answerer unacquainted it seems with the Doctrin of his own Church and with the Circumstances of the Primitive Church comes here with the full Cry of Innovation
Severe Reflections he makes upon his own Church while he 's blindly knocking down Popery Who could desire a better condition'd Antagonist than this who is so Good-natur'd as never to strike at his Adversary but he gives himself a Blow over the Face at the same time Has not he fairly defended his own Church while he thus exposes her under the Guilt of being Heathenish Heretical going contrary to the Primitive Church to Councils and Scriptures which is the Blackest of that Dirt he has done his best to cast upon the Church of Rome Hitherto the Reader has seen the Doctrin of the Church of Rome and of England as far as concerns the Two First Points viz. the Historical and Commemorative Use of Holy Images and how this Worthy Answerer with some wrested and misapply'd Passages of Antiquity strikes most rashly at Both Churches not caring so he can but overthrow the Church of Rome what other Church tho' his own falls with her Now we will consider the Third Point which is of the Honor and Respect due to these Images of Christ c. And as to this The Church of Rome teaches that the Images of Christ c. ought to be kept especially in Churches and DUE Honor and Veneration given them Not for that any Divinity or Vertue is believ'd to be in them for which they are to be Worship'd or that any thing is to be Asked of them or any Confidence to be placed in them as was done by the Heathens but because the Honor shewn to them is referr'd to the Prototypes or Things Represented by them So that by the Images we Kiss and before which we Kneel we Adore Christ and Reverence his Saints whom the said Images Represent So the Council of Trent delivers this Doctrin Sess 25. The like is shewn in the Catechism ad Parochos ubi sup And the whole meaning of it is nothing more than what was given at large by Leontius Bishop of Cyprus who flourish'd An. 620. that is above a Thousand and threescore years ago who thus makes his Apology for the Christians against the Jews who charg'd them with the breach of the second Commandment in giving honor to Images The Pictures and Images says he of the Saints are not ador'd amongst us like Gods. For if I Worship'd the Wood of an Image as God I might as well do the like to any other Wood If I honor'd the Wood as God I would never throw it into the fire when the Image is once disfigur'd As therefore he that has receiv'd a Commission from his Prince and kisses the Seal dos not respect the Wax the Paper or the Lead but gives the Honor to the King so we Christians when we shew Respect to the Figure of the Cross do not honor the Nature of the Wood but the Sign the Pledge the Remembrance of Christ through this beholding him who was Crucified on it we respect and Adore him And as Children full of a dear Affection to their Father who is Absent from them do kiss with Tears and with all Tenderness embrace his Stick his Chair his Coat which they see at home and yet do not adore these things but express their Desire and Honor they have for their Father Just so do all we Faithful honor the Cross as Christs Staff the most Holy Sepulcher as his Chair and Couch the Manger and Bethleem as his House c. Not that we honor the Place the House the Country the City or the Stones but Him that was Conversant amongst them who appear'd in our Flesh and deliver'd us from Error Christ our Lord and for Christ we honor those Things which belong to him describing his Passion in our Churches in our Houses in the Streets in Images upon our Linen in our Chambers upon our Cloths and upon every Place to the end that having these continually before our Eyes we may be put in mind and not like thee O Jew forget our Lord and God. As you therefore expressing a veneration for the Book of the Law do not Honor the Paper or Ink of which 't is compos'd but the Word of God contain'd in it So I shewing Reverence to the Image of Christ do not Adore no God forbid the Wood or the Colors but having an Inanimate Representation of Christ by this seem to be possess'd of and to Worship Christ himself As Jacob having receiv'd the party-color'd and Bloody Coat of his Son Joseph kiss'd it full of Tears and put it to his Eyes not doing this for any Love or Honor he had for the Coat but by this seeming to kiss Joseph and hold him in his Arms So all Christians holding or kissing any Image of Christ of his Apostles or Martyrs do the like to Christ himself or his Martyrs in the affection of their Souls By all which 't is evident that all the Honor and Veneration paid by Catholics to any Picture or Image of Christ or his Martyrs is only to express the Love and Honor they have for Christ and his Martyrs and that in thus doing they no more commit Idolatry or make Gods of those Pictures than that Woman is disloyal to her Husband who in affection to him respects and kisses his Picture than that Subject is a Traytor to his Prince who Honors his Portraiture or than all those who pay a Reverence to the Chair of State for the Relation it has to the King make a King of the Chair in so doing This then is the Doctrin and Practice of the Church of Rome The Church of England seems to concur with the Church of Rome in all this Point This may be gather'd partly out of the Ecclesiastical Canons agreed to An. 1603. in the First year of King James I. where Can. 30. 't is said That the Holy Ghost did so Honor by the mouths of the Apostles the very NAME of the Cross that it did not only comprehend even Christ Crucified under that Name but likewise the efficacy of Christ's Death and Passion c. In which words this Church acknowledges the Giving Honor to the NAME of the Cross to have been the Practice of the Apostles as they were inspir'd by the Holy Ghost And that the Name of the Cross was not only to put them in mind of the Person whom they were to Worship as a Modern Doctor says of the Name of Jesus but that the Holy Ghost did by the Apostles Honor the very NAME it self Spiritus S. per Apostolorum ora ipsum Crucis Nomen usque adeo honoravit And in honoring that Name did honor Christ Crucified Christum ipsum Crucifixum sub eodem comprehenderet Which is the very Practice and Sense of Catholics both as to the Name of the Cross of Jesus and of Pictures Names or Words being Pictures to the Ear as Pictures are Words to the Eye But it comes nearer our Case what is added in the same Canone 2 o. Honor ac Dignitas Crucis Nomini acquisita etiam SIGNO Crucis vel
afterwards he terms a Reverence and if I may so call it a Religious Respect to Sacred Places and Things In which words tho' there 's some Mincing it yet it delivers in some manner the whole Doctrin of Catholics The two Churches thus agreeing in the lawfulness of placing Images in Churches and that an Honor or Reverence or even Worship in it's kind is necessarily due to them as they serve for helps to Piety of Affection or Rememoration and have Relation to God. The Answerer of these leaves of Nubes Testium lets fly at all this like one of Montagu's FVRIOVS ONES or SINGVLAR ILLVMINATES He runs it down under the Name of IMAGE-WORSHIP and is sure with this very Word alone so far to prevail upon the Ignorant and Vulgar at least with whom by his loose arguing he seems chiefly concern'd as to gain their Votes in crying down the Papists for Idolaters and then his Business is done Upon this strain he runs to the end of his Pamphlet proving that Image-Worship is contrary to Fathers to Antiquity to Councils Image-Worship Image-Worship is all the Cant But never tells what this Image-Worship is and never reflects that his own Church is for an Image-Worship too Thus unhappily in the midst of Dust and Noise he manages the Controversie with the Papists without ever Stating the Question or declaring what the Papists hold unbecoming a Scholar and multiplying many Needless Contentions unbecoming a Christian If he had examin'd the Doctrin of his own Church and understood what Catholics teach he would have soon discover'd the vanity of this Engagement and found that after so much bustle upon this matter there 's but little more in 't besides Fighting about Names and Words and that however tolerable this may be in a School for a Logic Dispute 't is unworthy of a Divine who pretends to be a Preacher of the Gospel of Peace 'T is already here made out to any unprejudic'd Considerer that according to the Doctrin of Protestants especially those of the Church of England 't is impossible to separate even the Historical Use of Holy Images from a Respect and Reverence which necessarily follows them Much less can they serve as Helps to Piety for the exciting Devotion and bringing to mind the Persons Represented but they force from the beholders an Interior Love and Honor so that as 't is impossible for a Good Subject to have by him the Picture of his Prince and of a Traytor without being differently affected in his Soul towards them even in the very same manner as he is to the Persons they Represent So neither can a Faithful and Good Christian behold the Pictures or other Representations of Christ of Judas of Mahomet but his Soul will be differently mov'd towards them with Love Respect Honor Veneration on the one side with Indignation and Contempt on the other as he finds himself affected to the Persons Represented by them Thus far is acknowledg'd by Protestants and may be gather'd from what is above cited out of Montagu and Junius Catholics say the same and so cannot be censur'd or condemn'd for this What then is their Crime The Charge urg'd against them is that they shew this same Honor and Veneration outwardly to these Holy Images of Christ the Apostles c. They kiss them pull off their Hats they Bow they Kneel Burn Tapers Incense and Pray before them This is the Crime this the Image-Worship and Idolatry of the Catholics And here in their behalf and to bring this Voluminous Controversie into a Narrower Compass I must ask of the Answerer If it be lawful for Protestants and Catholics to have an INTERIOR Respect Honor and Reverence for Holy Images as appears evidently confess'd above how comes it to be so Vnlawful and Abominable for Catholics to signifie and express outwardly this same Respect Honor and Reverence which is so Commendable for all Christians both Catholics and Protestants to have Inwardly in their Souls Certainly That Honor and Reverence which in the Heart is Christian cannot but be Christian in the Expression And 't is very absur'd to think a Duty can become Idolatry by professing it If a Christian has a greater Reverence in his Soul for the Book of the Holy Scriptures than for any other Book whatsoever may not he lawfully express this Reverence by Kissing it If the Woman in the Gospel respects and Honors in her Heart the Hem of our Saviours Garment is the Kissing that Hem any more Idolatry than was that Affection and Reverence she had in her Soul towards it If a Christian has a Respect and Reverence even for the House of God or Church above other Houses that are not Dedicated to his Service may not he shew this Respect by Vncovering his Head If a Christian Honors the Communion-Table above other Prophane Tables may not this Honor be exteriourly profess'd by setting Candles on it and Plate and adorning it with Hangings and then Bowing to it without a Crime If a Christian Reverences and Honors in his Heart the NAME of Jesus or of the Cross as the Church of England says the Apostles did can it be Idolatry outwardly to profess this same Honor by Bowing or Bending the Knee And if he Respects the Sacrament may not he shew this exteriorly by receiving it Kneeling And if these Exterior Professions and Acknowledgments of the Interior Respect Honor and Reverence that is due to these things may be thus commendably shewn by Kissing Vncovering the Head by Tapers Ornaments Bowing and Kneeling without any Abomination in the sight of God or just Scandal to our Neighbor why may not the like Interior Respect and Honor acknowledg'd due to Holy Representations of Christ or his Saints be profess'd outwardly by the same Visible Expressions of Respect and Reverence Especially since what is done to all these things is upon no other account than the Relation they have to God and as appertaining to him and his Service Neither let the Answerer think to take Sanctuary in calling this Veneration shewn to Pictures and Images of Christ a Worship as an Image-Worship For however this may work upon the Mobile and Unthinking Crowds and fill their heads with a Notion of Idolatry yet every Man of Sense and unbiass'd Judgment knows that this word Worship is equivocal and that 't is not every thing is presently made an Idol of which is any ways said to be Worship'd As is shewn at large in The Pap. Misrep 2. Part. c. 5 6. For 't is not only the Honor which Catholics shew to Holy Images is call'd a Worship but likewise that is a Worship which Protestants give as is own'd by Junius above so that in this Sense Protestants may be said and prov'd to be Image-Worshipers too The Reverence likewise shew'd by Protestants to the Sacrament is call'd by Jewel Rep. to Hard. a Worship The Honor given to the Bible he stiles a Worship In the same way of speaking the Respect to the Communion-Table may be