they shall represent God as a shadow doth the Sun God hath clearly reveal'd himself to us in his Holy Word and you have drawn a veil upon him by your Dysanalogical Images and Pictures you take from the People the Holy Scriptures and teach them by Pictures according to that memorable Saying of a Pope Pictures are Lay-mens Books But God is a Spirit saith our Blessed Savior and Men must worship him in Spirit and in Truth Joh. 4. 24. And â—o by your Pictures of God you determine the Worship and the Imagination of deluded People to the shadow and representation of a Body And because Man is the most excellent of all bodily and visible Creatures you have favor'd God with an human shape whereas the Heathen vile wretches worship him under the shape of an Ox that eateth grass Phil. If God was pleased to manifest himself in an human shape as you have heard Why may not we represent him so to the People Theoph. First there is a great mistake in those Apparitions of God in the Old Testament you make use of them to represent God the Father in a human shape whereas the Fathers generally hold that God the Son assumed those appearances and therefore they call'd them Praeludia Incarnationis the Prologues of his future Incarnation and so they cannot warrant your Picturing of God the Father But to come more close to our present purpose such Visions of God which we read of were transient cited only to the present purpose as in that of Daniel concerning the ancient of days it represented Gods dreadful coming to Judgment as you may read at large the 9 th Chapter Now you would make a standing Representation of God thereby to all ends and purposes whatsoever And again when the Prophet had his Vision it was also revealed to him what it signified otherwise an old Man with white garments and the hair of his head like wool could not have represented God to the Prophet It was no Image that did bear any Analogy or Resemblance of the Divine Nature or of any Person of the Trinity and therefore cannot be made use of by it self to represent God a 3. Dist 9. Qu. 2. Durandus a great School-man tells us Such Forms wherein God appeared in the Old Testament were not assumed into one Person with the Divine Nature as was the Humane Nature of Christ and when the present design was over they were laid aside as we put off our clothes And you may as well make a suit of Clothes the Image of a Man as these Forms the Image of God Suppose any Man should converse with you a day or an hour under a Vizar would he like it if you should take his Picture and the standing copy of his countenance from the Vizar When the Holy Scriptures mention the Eye of the Lord and the Mouth of the Lord his right Hand and his Holy Arm will you take these parts and set them together and make the Image of a Man to represent God and bring these Autorities of Scripture for your warrant This is a ready way to make our People Anthropomorphites to create in them an Imagination that God consists of Parts and Members as a Man and that his Image after which God made Man was imprinted in the Body In the Gatechizing of Youth we find it an hard work to take their minds off from such conceits notwithstanding all the help of Holy Scriptures which expresly declare That God is a Spirit and not flesh invisible and not a Body When we tell them that in such Expressions of Gods Eye and Hand and Mouth c. the Holy Ghost descends to our capacity and speaks of God after the manner of Men That he seeth all things without Eyes he maketh all things without hands for he spake the word and all things were made and yet the Heavens are call'd his handy-work and so the whole Creation because Man performeth several Operations by several Organs of the body therefore for our better apprehension these Members figuratively and by a Trope are ascribed to God altho he worketh all things by himself by the Almighty Power of his will and pleasure Now when we labor to explain these things unto the People they hardly sink into their hearts to take them off from terrene Cogitations of God and much more would they be confirm'd in such low conceits of the Divine Nature if they should constantly behold God pictur'd and worship him under an humane shape Phil. For no other end do we represent God under an humane shape but to descend unto vulgar capacities and our Priests can instruct them as well as you that God is an invisible Spirit Theoph. Such Images which you make of God are not Tropes and Figures to represent him to the minds of Men but real Representations to the Eye and so are apt in undiscerning Persons to improve the imagination that God is like unto us in our Earthly Members and for this cause among others he hath forbid such Images and you transgress the Commandment of God and endanger the Souls of deluded People in making and expressing such Pictures unto public view and adoration And it is worthy Observation That altho God would borrow a visible shape to appear unto a discerning Patriarch and a Prophet yet he would not do so when he would manifest his prefence to the whole Congregation of Israel he descended upon Mount Sinai in a Cloud in the voice of Thunder and he expresly makes the Observation to the People when he prohibited any likeness of God to be made Take ye therefore good heed unto your selves for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the Fire Deut. 4. 15. Phil. Your worthy Observations must not think to carry the cause against the Traditions and Determinations of the Church Theoph. I do not expect they should when the Commands of God do little move you However to keep others out of the snare we will not spare to represent the ill effects of your picturing God when you usually draw the Image of the Trinity after this manner An old reverend Man with a little Youth and a Dove to represent the Holy Ghost here you conceive you have given us the three Persons but where is the one Substance the one only true God These Images necessarily represent a diversity of Natures and of Substance as well as a distinction of Persons And when you make God the Father ancient and God the Son as an youth you sensibly confirm the Doctrine of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrius who maintain'd That Christ the Son of God was yonger then his Father and that there was a time when the Son of God was net And therefore Abulensis a Cap. 4. Deut. qu 5. Erroris inductivae sunt cum periculo Idolatriae Herefis c. peremtorily determins against making Images of God or of the Holy Trinity
unto the Image it self putting us in mind of our Savior you have high reason to yield all civil honor and obeisance to your Prinoe but will you bow the Knee or put of your Hat unto his Image in your Coin or to his Picture in your Closet Phil. Let me ask you also one Question If any should stab the Image of the King or of your Ancestors and shew great indignation against them would you not be higtly offended Theoph. If the Circumstances declare that he did it out of despight and malice to the person represented by the Picture there is reason to take it as an high affront Phil. By insensible degrees I shall bring you to acknowledge as much as we desire If you should see any Man give honor and respect unto the Princes Picture for his sake would you not approve it Theoph. Yes giving such regard as a pious Prince expects from us not to put a studied affront upon it not to set it up in a contemtible place we likewise shew a dutiful affection in highly valuing the Picture that resembles the King Phil. Why should you except against honor and respect given to an Image of your Savior or of his blessed Mother and the Saints Theoph. We do not set aside the Religious Worship of an Image which may lawfully be made and we will not except against any respect you will give to it for his sake whom it represents you must prove it lawful to worship Images Phil. To a Prince civil Worship and Honor is due and so much you give likewise to his Picture by the same rule seeing unto Christ as Man in union with the Divine Nature is due Religious Worship and Adoration you must give Religious Worship to his Image Theoph. We never said the same honor is due to the Picture of a Prince as to his Person Do you all stand bare in the Parlor because your Princes Picture hangs there or the Pictures of any of his Predecessors And secondly from a civil Worship given unto a Creature to a Religious Worship given unto a Creature there is no consequence to be drawn and the reason is this God hath forbid one and not the other Now the Pictures of Christ and of his Cross and of the Saints are Creatures even the work of Mens hands and therefore to them no Religious Worship to be given Phil. There is a receiv'd Maxim in the Church first taken from Basil the Great a Vid. Damascen Orthod Fid. lib. 4. c. 17. 11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The honor done to the Image passeth unto him whom it represents and therefore honoring their Images you honor Christ and his Saints Theoph. 'T is truth what respect is given to a Picture is only with regard unto the thing or person represented by it and therefore it is call'd relative Honor We prize the Picture of a Friend and much more of our Blessed Savior and his Saints if they be drawn to the Life but however to the Picture itself no adoration can in reason be given and honor because it is far inferior to the meanest Man who is the living Image of God and a Picture suppose of Christ but an inanimate Image b Honor est agnitio praecellâ—ntis Now Honor is given to things more excellent Will you say the Picture of a King excels in dignity the person of a Subject or that a liveless Picture of our Blessed Savior is more honorable then a living Disciple of our Blessed Savior Phil. Not in itself but as it is the Image of Christ Theoph. I speak of it as his Image and yet I do suppose you dare not maintain That the Picture of Christ in the consideration as his Picture is more to be esteemed then a Disciple of Christ for suppose one of them were to be destroi'd Would you save the Picture and leave the Man to perish Again for worshipping the Images of Saints it may be of S t Peter Is more honor to be given to his Image now then was to his person in the days of his Flesh When Cornelius fell at his Feet and worship'd him he receiv'd it not but said Stand up I my self also am a Man Acts 10 26 instructing him that no such worship was due to a Man Phil. He would not receive such adoration as was due to God Theoph. Who told you good Cornelius a devout Man intended such worship as was due to God Dare you say Cornelius in that act committed I dolatry giving the worship due only to God unto his Servant Peter he only design'd to give to him such high expressions of Honor and Worship as to a Saint and Servant of God upon Earth and yet Peter would not accept of it and intimates because he was a Man he ought not So we read S t John fell down to Worship before the Feet of the Angel and the Angel said See thou do it not for I am thy fellow-servant and of thy Brethren the Prophets and of them which keep the sayings of this Book worship God Now it is to be conceiv'd John design'd not to commit Idolarry and give Divine Worship to the Angel but only some inferior Religious Worship as your Doctors use to speak and yet the Angel would not receive it being jealous of his Creators Honor and directs the Apostle to worship God Now if we must not worship Saints in their own Persons much less in their Images If Angels will not accept worship from us neither will the Saints Triumphant both instruct us to worship God and not them altho we should intend to give them only inferior worship Phil. The second Council of Nice being the seventh Oecumenical Council hath well stated this Point and establish'd the Worship proper to God call'd Latria to be incommunicable to a Creature But a second sort of inferior Worship and Adoration they determin must be given to the Images of Christ and the Saints Theoph. I wish they had first satisfied you or me why they should determine inferior Worship and Adoration to be given to the Saints in Heaven and to their Images on Earth seeing the Angel expresly forbids it and directs us only to worship God But seeing you have appeal'd to that Council of Nice thither we will go as being indeed the first Foundation of Image worship and if you please I will give you a preliminary account and history of that Council Phil. I pray do so for it will suit with our present Discourse and shew the rashness of those Enemies of Christ and his Saints who brake down their Images and cast them out of Churches as Heathen Idols unto the Dung-hill whil'st the holy Popes of Rome successively wrote Epistles and sent Legats and gave warning to the Emperors whose Zeal without knowledge gave countenance and autority to such Sacrilegious Outrages Theoph. About the year of Christ 720. Leo Isaurus the 69 th Emperor of Rome from Augustus observing the growth of Superstition and Idolatry
confirm'd in Grace and Glory the great Favorites of the King of Heaven So proceed your Arguments for the worshipping of their Images we give unto them say ye a relative inferior dependent honor according to the Analogy of Reason he that loves the Person will love his Image But where is the Autority of Holy Scripture God cannot be offended you will say that the Images of his Saints and Servants should be had in honor and what is done to the Image redounds to the honor of the Saint represented by it and of God who hath highly honored him But still you must keep within your Bounds God is jealous of his Honor and will not permit any degree thereof to be communicated to any other whether Saint or Angel much less to their Images For instance Adoration falling down and worshipping the Angel refus'd it and sends the Apostle to give that to God Peter refus'd it the Divel desir'd it upon great promises If thou wilt fall down and worship me or before me a Luke 4. ver 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all these things will I give Thee but our Blessed Savior repli'd It appertains only to God Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet this Adoration and Worship ye give to Images ye bow down and worship before them Phil. But this Adoration we give is infinitely inferior to the Worship of God Theoph. This you say but many of your Doctors say otherwise b Part. 3. q. 25. Art 3. Imag. Christi cultu Latr. coli deberi c. Aquinas the great Oracle of the Schools expresly holds That the Image of Christ is to be ador'd with that Worship call'd Latria and he gives the reason because the honor of the Image redounds to the Prototype and according to Aristotle saith he the same motion of the mind tends to the Image as an Image and to the thing represented by it and therefore seeing Christ is worship'd with Divine Adoration so likewise his Image c Art 4. Crux Christi adoranda est adoration Latriae Quia in ca ponimus c. In the next Article he declares the same for the Crucifix It is to be worship'd with the worship due to God and proves it thus Because in the Cross we put our hope of Salvation For upon the Passion-day saith he the Church hath taught us to say All hail O Cross our only hope Increase to the Godly salvation and give pardon to the guilty Phil. One Doctors Opinion signifies but little Theoph. If your Church do not approve it why after so long a time do they not censure it But what do you speak of one Doctor a Lib. 9. Inst Mor. c. 6. Azorius a Jesuit and Casuist shews it is the common Opinion of the Doctors and quotes Aquinas Bonaventure Alexander Hales Richardus Albertus Paludanus Almaine Marsilius Capreolus Cajetan caeteros juniores many others after them And whereas the second Council of Nice hath determin'd That the Image of Christ and the Cross is not to be worship'd Latria with that worship due to God but with such Veneration as is due to the Holy Bible and to Holy Vessels c. It is plain saith he that Council speaks of the Image and the Cross as in themselves they are sacred things and so to be honored as holy Vessels c. but if we consider them as Images representing Christ and his death so we must worship them as we do Christ with the same honor as the thing represented is worship'd And he brings the c Concil Trid. Sess 25. Honos qui iis exhibetur refertur ad prot c. Council of Trent to confirm his Opinion saving The honor given to the Image is refer'd to the Prototype so that by the Images which we salute and before which we uncover the head and fall down we do worship Christ and the Saints And because I am not willing to multiply Quotations I will refer you to d Naclantus Episcopus Clugiensis in Comment in 1 cap. ad Rom. propefinem Representatum est in Imag. sicut in speculo in quo cernitur honoratur c. one of your great Doctors whose Works are dedicated to Pope Pius the fifth He tells us The Prototype is in the Image as in a Looking glass wherein it is both seen and honored and therefore seeing the Image contains the exemplar and doth not only represent it when we speak of the Adoration of an Image as an Image referring unto and containg the thing represented we without any scruple affirm that we ought to worship not only before the Image as some would seem to speak cautiously but to worship the Image it self with the same worship as we do the Prototype In the same place he supposeth the e Respiciebat populus serpentem religiose forte obtulit c. Israelites in the Wilderness did worship the Brazen Serpent and perhaps offer Incense to it and yet without fear of Idolatry because it was a Type of Christ and therefore Moses and the seniors among them who knew the Mystery might fall down and worship it Religiously and be no Idolaters and the People also who knew not the Mystery believing as the Elders believed and resolving their Faith into the Faith of the Elders might without sin worship the Serpent altho they did not understand it to be the Type of Christ Phil. These are School-subtleties arguing from the Image to the Exemplar and from a notion of Aristotle and Naclantus going farther then the rest is but a single Testimony fancying an Image to be a Looking-glass and the thing represented by it to be presentially contain'd in it But you have heard the plain determination of the Nicene Council b Loquitur de Cruce prout est res quaedam sacra non ut refertur ad exemplar was That the Image of Christ and the Cross and so any other Image was not to be worship'd with that worship due to God but with a worship far inferior Theoph. You may perceive by this how much your School-men value Fathers and Councils when they speak not for them But why doth your Church and after Councils permit them to pass without censure and an Index expurgatorius Naclantus dedicates his Book to the Pope and therefore did presume upon his allowance and protection Phil. Baronius excuses the School-men and our Doctors in maintaining the Image of Christ and of the Cross are to be worship'd with the worship call'd Latria because saith he they were mistaken and did suppose with the Council of Francford that the Nicene Council had determin'd Divine Honor to be given to them Theoph. If this were so it manifests your Doctors and School-men to have been grosly ignorant of the Councils And secondly That they are resolv'd to assert whatsoever they believe a Council hath determin'd right or wrong yea altho it be against the dictate of their Conscience and rule of
commanding as Whatsoever we do either in word or deed to do all in the name of our Lord Jesus giving thanks to God and the Father by him Theodorets Comment is g Deo Patri gratiarum actionem emittite per ipsum non per Angelos Offer up to God your sacrifice of praise by Him not by the Angels Again we find not one syllable either in Theodoret or the Council of Laodicea concerning Simon Magus or his heresie but only those Christians which did worship and pray to Angels To conclude this Answer It is the miserable device of the Schools to shift off evident unanswerable arguments with obscure and srivolous distinctions giving no reall satisfaction either to them selves or others So in the point of Image worship They did not give to them the worship of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which apparteins only to God but an inferior worship call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or if any were so bold to maintaine That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is due to the Cross or the Image of Christ yet it is in a relative and inferior manner So here the Council condemns not all Veneration of Angels but only such as is due to God Whereas the circumstances you have heard prove the contrary The Councel forbids Invocation of Angels as Intercessors for us to the supreme Deity Phil. You will never I see receive any satisfaction from us I proceed unto the two Eminent Fathers of the Latin Church Bellarmin urgeth That prayer of S. Jerom in the end of his Epitaph or Panegyrick upon Paula a Vale ô Paula Cultoris tui ultimam senectutem orationibus juva Farewell ô Paula and assist with thy praiers the extream old age of thy worshipper Theoph. From other evident passages of that Father we conclude This to be a Rhetorical Apostrophe and not the judgment practise of S. Jerom to pray unto the Saints departed For in his book against Vigilantius he first asserts That Martyrs are not to be worshipt b Quis aliquando Martyres adoravit Whoever worshipt them Phil. Althou they are not worshipt as God yet we may pray unto them Theoph. Praier is a part of religious worship due to God if you mean only civil requests such as one Christian makes to another to remember him in his praiers we would not deny it to the Saints in Heaven could we be assur'd that they do hear us But to proceed Jerom doth not bring one syllable to assert the Invocation of Saints altho if his jugdment had inclin'd the ballance that way he had occasion given by Vigilantius whose Assertion was That while we live we may pray one for another c Post mortem nullus audet pro aliis deprecari but none praies for other after death Against this Jerom riseth with great indignatien If the blessed Apostles and Martyrs while in the flesh could pray for others how much more after they are crown'd d Postquam cum Christo esse cepermt minus valebunt shall they prevail less with Christ now they are with him This is somewhat for their Intercession but not for their Invocation Nay in his funeral Oration upon Nepotian dedicated to Heliodorus Jerom saith expresly e Quicquid dixero quia ille non audit mutum videtur Whatsoever I say of him t is but silence seeing he heareth not And in the close of the Oration he saith f Cum quo loqui non possumus de eo loqui nunquam desinamus Seeing we cannot speak to him or with him let us never cease to speak of him now making praiers to the deceased is speaking to them and not of them Phil. If I should multiply Replies to your answers we should never conclude I hast unto the testimony of S. Augustin Bellarmin quotes 3 places out of this Holy Father to prove the Invocation of Saints a Tract 84. in Joannem Non sic Mart. ad Mensam commemoramus c. We do not so commemorate Martyrs at the Holy Table as we do others who rest in peace so as to pray for them but rather that they may pray for us .. And the second place is like unto it De verbis Apostolorum Serm. 17. b Injuria est pro Mart. orare cujus nos debemus Orat. commendari It is an injury to pray for a Martyr unto whose Praiers we should be commended Theoph. In these two parallel passages S t Augustin shews That the Commemoration of the Martyrs at the Altar in the time of Divine Service must not be construed a Praier for them for that would be an injury to them but rather a tacite recommendation of the Congregation unto their Praiers and Intercession Here is no Invocation exprest but only a recommendation implied and so they are dubious and imperfect proofs and in the first he speaks only comparatively That Martyrs should rather pray for us then we for them And yet withal I must acquaint you That Epiphanius a Primitive Bishop who did much oppose the growing Superstition of Worshipping Saints and Images both by his Writings and Actions c Heresi 75. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. be expresly tells us We pray for Martyrs and for the whole Order of Blessed Saints c. That so we may distinguish the Lord Christ from all generations of Men. Phil. Make what use of your Observations you please I pass to the third Testimony which Bellarmin brings from S t d Lib. de cura pro Mortuis c. 4. Nisi ad hoc ut dum recolunt ubi sunt c. Augustin I do not see what advantage to the dead is the care of their Friends to bury them near the Tomb of some Martyr unless herein That whilst they remember where the Bodies of their Friends do lie they may commend them unto those Saints as Patrons to be assisted by their Praiers Theoph. Notwithstanding this Testimony we shall willingly be tried by this Book concerning S t Augustins Judgment in the point of Praying to the Saints And I will therefore give you a short account of the whole Book In the beginning S t Augustin shews how he was consulted by Paulinus a Bishop whether it was any advantage to the Dead to be buried in the Temple or near the Monument of a Saint or Martyr The occasion was given by a Pious Matron Flora who was very importunate to have her Son Cynegius buried in the Temple of S t. Felix Hereunto S t Augustin answers That it is no part of our Misery if our Bodies should not be Interr'd but expos'd by the Tyranny of Persecutors unto the Fouls of the Air or to the Beasts of the Field For saith he our Blessed Savior saith expresly That after Man hath kill'd the Body he can do no more not hurt the person after death And when the Bodies of Martyrs were not permitted Burial it was no part of their Infelicity but only shew'd the cruelty of Tyrants That so Christians who
read and believe the Scripture as most true and the infallible Word of God But Men of mature Learning and Judgment should dive into the profound Mystery and meaning of the Scripture you may read his words in the first Page of that Book The same Eusebius wrote three Books as Jerome reports of the Life of Pamphilus his great Friend which are not extant But c Lib. 1. Apol. adversus Ruffinum Script Sanctas non ad leg sed ad habendum tribuebat non solum viris sed feminis Jerome cites this Passage out of the third Book in commendation of Pamphilus Who is vertuous and not a Friend of Pamphilus who supplied food and necessaries to the poor and distributed the Holy Scriptures not only to Men but Women who were desirous to read them for which end he purchased many Bibles d In Psal 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Basil the Great tells us All Scripture is written by Divine Inspiration and profitable and therefore given by the Holy Ghost that every one of us might choose a proper remedy for his disease as out of a common Apothecaries shop f r his Soul Phil. As the Holy Scriptures have Physic for all Diseases so the Application should be well made by our Spiritual Physicians otherwise the Patient may miscarry and therefore we hold the People should hear and receive the Scripture from the Priests mouth Theoph. This gloss contradicts the Text for the Father saith e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every one should choose his proper remedy out of the common Tresury Again f Lib. de Parad. c. 12. Gentiles aut c. Ambrose directs a Gentile who would believe or a Catechumen who would receive farther Instruction unto the living Waters of the Holy Scripture without the corrupt Channels of Interpreters You see the Holy Scripture ought not to be with-held from Unbelievers and Unbaptized But Jerome for the Latine Church and Chrysostom for the Greek speak so fully to this Point that we may supersede all other Testimonies Jerome writes many Epistles to Virgins to Women concerning themselves and the Institution of their Children the Government of their Families and above all commends to them the diligent reading of the Scripture In his Epistle to Laeta a Noble Dame g De Instit filiae nec alibi reperiant nisi in adyto script Prophet Apostolos de spiritualibus sciscitantem c. He gives in charge to inure her beloved Daughter to the study of the Scripture That none should find her in the way of the World amidst the throng and tumult of Play-fellows and Kins-folk but in the recesses of the Holy Scripture consulting the Prophets and Apostles about Spiritual concerns Instead of fine Clothes and Jewels let her love the Book of God let her learn the Psalter and divert her self with those Songs In the Proverbs of Solomon let her learn Morals In the Ecclesiastes to despise the World In Job Patience and Vertue Let her proceed to the Evangelists and never lay them out of her hands so to the Acts of the Apostles and their Epistles and having enrich'd her heart with these Divine Tresures let her commit to memory the Prophets and the Pentateuch c. And at last without danger let her learn the Canticles In another Epistle to a Virgin a Al Demetriadem de Virg. servandâ Spendeounum illud tibi nata deo praeque dominibus unum praedicam repetens c. O thou that art born of God saith he This one thing above all I must give in charge repeating it over and over again That thou possess thy heart with the love of reading the Holy Scripture Love the Bible and wisdom will assuredly love thee In an Epistle to Salvina perswading her to keep her self a Widow he faith b Semper in manibus sit divina Lectio Let the Bible be always in thy hand to read it In an Epistle to Celautia concerning the government of her Family he presseth the same Exhortation c Semper in manibus jugiter in mente volvantur Let the Holy Scripture be always in thy hand and in thy mind In Marcella's Epitaph d Epistola ad Principiam div Script ardor erat incredib semper que cantabat In 〈…〉 rde meo abscondo eloq tua ut non peccem c. he gives this commendation of her She had an incredible thirst after the Holy Scripture and ever sang I have hid thy word within my heart that I might not sin against thee c. and that she became an Oracle to resolve doubts concerning the Scripture I might collect many more such passages out of this Author but I will content my self with one general Exhortation to read the Scripture instead of all e Praefatione in Epistelam ad Ephesies si quiequam est quod in hac vita c. If there be any thing saith the good Father which should make a wise man choose to live and weather out the storms and troubles of our present state it is the knowledge and meditation of the Scripture For whereas as he goes on herein we chiefly differ from other living Creatures that we are rational and can speak and all Reason and Language is contain'd in the Holy Scripture whereby we know God and are not ignorant wherefore we were created I marvel any there should be who either out of sloth and negligence will not learn themselves these excellent things or think others worthy reprehension who do study them And now tell me Have you not enough of Jerome Would he not marvel think you at your new Doctors who as much discourage the People from reading the Scripture as he with all his excellency of Grace and Eloquence doth excite them Phil. I must confess I never look'd to hear so much to this purpose Theoph. Have a little patience and you will find Chrysostom as full and emphatical Like advice he gives to Gaudentius for the Education of Pacatula his Daughter f Let her learn the Psalter by heart and before she f Discat Psalterium memoriter c. comes to maturity of age let her make the Books of Solomon the Evangelists the Apostles and Prophets her chief tresure In his first Tome he tells his hearers a Hom. 10. in Genesin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. We may at home before and after meals taking into our hands the Holy Bible feed our Souls for as the Body doth want corporal nurishment so doth the Soul spiritual we being thereby strengthned against the assaults of the flesh and our restless enemy who sets upon us to captivate our Souls And therefore saith he the Prophet David calls him Blessed who meditates in the Law of the Lord day and night And then he adds This is our salvation this our spiritual wealth this our security If we arm our selves daily by spiritual bearing and reading and discourse we shall never be over come but frustrate all the
Scriptures might behold many Historical passages of Scripture carv'd and limn'd and represented to the Eye As to see in a Picture our Blessed Savior wrap'd in Swadling-clothes and lying in a Manger and the Wise-men worshipping and presenting Gifts So his Circumcision his Baptism his Scourging and Crucifixion effectually represented in Pictures may more sensibly affect the Heart then bare reading the Histories in the Gospel Theoph. But what is this to the Historical Image of God Christs Picture is taken as he is Man Phil. Bellarmin explains himself as to that In that Historical passage of Gods appearing to Adam and Eve in the midst of the Garden Gen. 3. after they had eaten of the forbidden Fruit to paint a Man walking in amidst the Trees of Paradice and our first Parents hiding from his presence is to represent God Historically Theoph. Or rather falsly and unwarrantably For the Text saith not that God did appear in an humane Shape but only That Adam and Eve heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the Garden in the cool of the day and bid themselves ver 8. How God was pleased to manifest himself to them is not express'd they must draw the Image of a voice to represent aright that History Phil. But there is another instance more opposite of those three Men who appeared to Abraham at his Tent door in the plain of Mambre Gen. 18. It is expresly said in the first verse The Lord appeared to Abraham as he sat at the Tent door God therefore was represented by one of these three Men who afterwards as we read ver 17. staid and communed with Abraham when the other two went to Sodom Now to draw three waifering Men turning in to Abraham's Tent and entertain'd by him whereof two departed towards Sodom and the third communed with Abraham would be Historically to represent God under the Image of a Man Theoph. We deny not that three Men may be drawn coming towards Abraham and all the sequel of the Story but we deny that either of these thus pictur'd would be the Image of God representing him God afterwards manifested himself to Abraham in communication in means unknown to us whereas under the similitude of a Man he was altogether unknown to the Blessed Patriarch You may as well say a Cloud is Gods Image because he appeared to Moses and the Israelites in a thick Cloud upon Mount Sinai Exod. 19. 9. The same reason holds for the Holy Ghost descending upon Christ in the shape of a Dove the Dove was no Image of the Holy Ghost had no similitude or representation of the third Person of the Blessed Trinity who is the Eternal Spirit and cannot be represented by Picture If you saw the Picture of a Dove you would not say This is the similitude or Image of the Holy Ghost Phil. The whole Scene of Christs Baptism being represented in a Table and among the rest a Dove descending upon Christ it would put us in mind of the Holy Ghosts descent upon him Theoph. So the Rain-bow in the Clouds puts us in mind of Gods gracious Promise never to drown the World a second time These are Signs but not Similitudes or Images Answer me this Question Would you worship one of them as God If we saw the Baptism of Christ represented in Images would you worship the Dove pictur'd therein or would you worship the shape of fiery Tongues in Picture descending upon the Apostles Phil. I am not concern'd to give an Answer to such Impertinencies Theoph. Well if you will not be put out of your road proceed and shew what Bellarmin means by an Analogical Picture of God Phil. He tells us a Vt supra Potest aliquid pingi ad explicand c. That things may be represented and painted and their nature explicated not by an immediate and proper similitude but by Analogy or a Metaphorical and Mystical representation Theoph. Alas with how much difficulty doth your great Doctor express himself Fain he would say somwhat to the purpose but knows not what and therefore he involves himself in a cloud of mystical terms and notions very well suited doubtless to the capacity and for the Instruction of the People I must needs acknowledg I comprehend him not and much doubt whether he understood himself Phil. Your doubts and no understanding must be no rule to us Bellarmine well explains himself by following Instances As we picture Angels saith he with youthful and fair Countenances and with wings to shew their speed in Gods service and their flourishing state alwaies in the spring of youth as Christ is pictur'd in the form of a Lamb to represent innocency and meekness after this Analogical way Man is the Image of God even extra historiam and we may picture God under an humane shape Theoph. Your Doctor deriv'd this deep Theology from the Pythagoreans or rather from the old Idolatrous Egyptian Priests who were much taken with Hieroglyphics But I pray observe how his Instance in Man as the Analogical Image of God is the worst chosen of all the rest For all Lambs are meek and patient and so may Hieroglyphically represent the patience and meekness of Christ But most Men are evil like the Beasts that perish as Lions and Tigers and Wolves devouring one another as Swine and Goats for Lust and so are become rather Images of the Devil And notwithstanding all this must the single Image and Figure of a Man without any other thing to determin it represent God and become his Analogical Picture and let me observe to you how they deal worse with God then with the Angels for these they picture fair and youthful to represent their florid incorruptible state but they picture God as the ancient of days whom we read of in the Prophet Dan. 7. 9. with a grey Beard and antique Countenance as if he had one foot in the Grave Phil. That form sitly represents Gods Eternity Theoph. Any thing that shall please the fancy where there is no ground in Reason or Religion to determine it The Heathen Poets made prodigious Deities and so do Christian Painters But what Analogy can there be between the Divine Nature and an Image the one is Infinite the other finite the one a Spirit the other altogether material An Hieroglyphic or Image which represents God in one respect must be infinitely defective in many other The Egyptians Analogically represented the great Deity of the World by the Hieroglyphic of an Eye to signifie his All-seeing Providence But alas the Eye seeth but doth not fore-see It is the Mind that is provident not the Eye And then where is the Power and Justice and Mercy of God represented by that Emblem If all were an Eye where is the Body saith the Apostle And if an Eye shall be the Image of God where is the Hand of Power and the Scepter of Government and the Scale of Justice and Thunderbolt of his Wrath Put all the Emblems in the World together and
as being Inducements of Error and with the danger of Idolatry and Heresie of attributing unto God corporeity and an essential distinction of Persons in the God-head And altho saith he the Church hath received such Images or dissembled them yet they do not signifie aright And suitably hereunto we read how Pope John the 22 d. declar'd some for Heretics and Anthropomorphites and burn'd others in the confines of Bohemia and Austria because they made use of such Tables to represent the Holy Trinity under the Pictures of an old Man a Youth and a Dove And now I will bring the approved Testimony of the Antients against representing God by any Picture c Defid symbolo cap. 7. Credimus quod sedet ad dextrum Dei patris c. Augustin saith We believe Christ sets at the right hand of his Father not that God is circumscrib'd with an humane form or sits with his knees bended c. least we should fall under that Sacriledge for which the Apostle accursed those who chang'd the Glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of a corruptible Man It is wickedness to set up such an Image in a Christian Temple d Clemens Alexand. Pro treptico ad Gentes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Another Father tells us We have no visible Image of a visible Matter but an intellectual of a spiritual Substance God is no sensible Spectacle e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lib. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Again Moses put no Statue or Image of God in the Tabernacle intimating that God is a Majesty invisible and incircumscrib'd f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. In the same Book he shews how Moses was expresly commanded not to make any graven Images or likeness of God that we might not look on things visible but intelligible for the easiness of beholding him vilifies the Majesty of God and to worship the intelligible Substance by a material Object is to dishonor God by our sight It was the general great design of the Holy Fathers to take Men off from material and sensible Cogitations when they apply their hearts to God to know him and to worship him g 2 a. Therapeut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Theodoret shews how God doth manifestly teach us that nothing visible can be liken'd to him And he forbids all Men saith he to make any Image of things visible so as to conceive it may become an Image or Statue of the invisible God Nay the second Council of Nice which first establish'd the honor and worship of Images of Christ and of the Saints yet expresly declares against any Image of God h Act. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. John Bishop of Thessalonica saith We make the Image of Christ as Man not as we believe him to be God by nature for what likeness or Figure can there be of him who is incorporeal and interminable i Bin. â—om 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Gregory the second Pope of that name in his first Epistle b Aventinus Annalium Priorum lib. 7 pag. 601. to Leo Isaurus the Emperor saith Why do we not make the Father visible in Picture because we know him not and it is impossible to represent in Picture the nature of God a Crth. fidei lib. 4. c. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And Damascen a great favorer of Images speaks full to this point What representation can be made of God who is incorporeal uncircumscrib'd invisible and interminable And he concludes It is extream folly and impiety to figure God You see how positive they are against any Picture of God Phil. Bellarmine takes notice of many of these Autorities and Arguments and shews how they are spoken of an Image of God which should represent his Essence and he grants that to be impossible Theoph. In every Controversie he hath a Catholic Distinction to help him at a loss as I have observ'd before We cannot picture God essentially saith he no nor Man nor any thing in the World say I. A Picture gives only the outward Lineaments and Features but these Autorities which I have urg'd say There can be no Image not of his Essence but of an invisible God no Lineaments of him who is Infinite It is extreme folly and madness to attemt it Nay Bellarmin himself acknowledgeth that divers School-men are against making an Image of God but he will be of the right side He resolv'd to be a Cardinal against the rule of his Order and so he will maintain Opinions to please his Party against the rule of Scripture and we may believe of his own Conscience what the Court of Rome doth countenance he must defend otherwise against such evidence of Scripture and Reason and the Testimony of the Fathers he would never have asserted the lawfulness of making a visible Image of the invisible God so to instruct the unwary People to become Idolaters and Heretics as one of his own Doctors hath sufficiently observ'd b Abulensis ut supra And so I leave this detestable Point of making a Picture and Image of God Phil. You observe this is not so generally defended by our Doctors and therefore you ought not so severely to lay it to our charge Theoph. Why doth not your Church forbid it but rather dissemble it as Abuhensis expresseth it If we must not say she doth with full approbation receive this abominable practice yet in most Cathedral Churches we shall find such Representations of the Holy Trinity and Pictures of God the Father in an human shape and of the Holy Ghost in the shape of a Dove We call for a Reformation of these gross Errors but you lend a deaf Ear being given over unto strong Delusions and have found doubty Doctors and sworn Champions of your Church to defend the practice Phil. You should not be so severe in a disputable Case Theoph. Who made it disputable when the Holy Scriptures and Holy Fathers condemn it In process of time an Antichristian Generation may put it to the Vote and Question whether there be a God and we forsooth must use moderation in a disputable case Phil. All this hath been a kind of digression to load us with the greater envy Have you any thing to obâ—ect against the Images of Christ and of the Blessed Virgin and of the Saints to be receiv'd with honor and due veneration there lies the knor and difficulty between us Councils and Popes have avowed that practice and your Doctors with great impudence declaim against it Theoph. I can produce an ancient a Bin. Tom. 1. Concilii Eliberat c. 36. Placuit picturas in Ecclesia esse non dobere ne id quod colitur Adoratur in partete depingatur Canon of the Eliberitan Council in Spain forbidding Images in Churches It pleaseth us That Pictures should not be in Churches least that which is Worship'd and Ador'd be painted on the
hath troubled all your Doctors and they mightily labor to undermine the Testimony but if you have any thing considerable to say let us hear it Phil. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Damascen answers thus That which is rare and single gives no Law to the Church and one Swallow makes no Summer nor is one Mans judgment able to overthrow the Tradition of the Catholic Church thro-out the World Where you may take notice how he declares the Tradition of the Church thro-out the World for Images Theoph. Damascen was a great Proctor for Image worship for which Zeal Leo Isaurus put out his Eyes and we shall hereafter try how his Catholic Tradition can be made good However you find he acknowledgeth the Fact of Epiphanius who was a Learned Orthodox Bishop of the Primitive Church and his Zeal was so great against Pictures in Churches That in anothers Diocess he took upon him to reform Phil. Some conceive it was no Picture of Christ or any Saint but of an Heathen for Epiphanius speaks doubtfully a Picture * Quasi Christi aut Sancti cujusdam as suppose of Christ or some Saint Theoph. You catch at every Reed in a sinking cause Epiphanius in his Letter to the Bishop of Jerusalem saith Hee had forgot whose Picture it was but it may be of Christ or some other Saint which he could not say had it bin the Image of some prophane Person and that had bin the reason of his zeal and indignation against the Picture Phil. Many others with Bellarmin suspect this relation to be added to Epiphanius his Epistle in the close for there it is a Postscript by some ill affected to Images and urge Reasons first out of the second Council of Nice the sixth Session where Epiphanius a Deacon and Representative or Vicar of the Arch-Bishop of Sardinia in that Council undertakes to answer and confute the Definition of the Council of Constantinople against Images and shews that other Passages were falsly intitled to Epiphanius even an whole Book against Images That Epiphanius in his 80 Heresies which he publish'd includes not the Heresie of making and worshipping Images which doubtless he would have done a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. if he had thought it contrary to the rule of Christ That Epiphanius his Disciples after his decease erected a Temple in honor to him and set up his Image therein which they would not have done had they known his judgment to be against Images Theoph. This is the usual knack to suspect what doth not please but most of your Doctors acknowledg the Fact as you have heard of Damascen and Alphonsus de Castro reckons Epiphanius among the Image-breakers As for the Deacons asserting many passages of Epiphanius to be suppositious we have no reason to take his word unless his Reasons carry it and they are too weak to bear the burthen of his charge for Epiphanius in 79 th Heresie doth expresly speak against the Image of the Virgin Mary as against her worship And in truth he speaks against Images in general b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c The Divel creeping into the minds of Men under a righteous pretence sets before their eyes the Image of Men whom being dead they worship and their Images had never life and yet are worship'd likewise by adulterate minds withdrawn from the one-only true God If the Story be true that Epiphanius his Disciples did set up his Image in a Temple which they built and dedicated to his honor we answer It is no new thing for Disciples to swerve from their Masters Principles and Practice The Deacons Arguments therefore do not prove this and the other passages of Epiphanius against Images to be forg'd Phil. Bellarmin hath one or two Observations more to make this passage of Epiphanius suspected of cutting the Picture Because saith he the Adversaries of Images do not mention it Theoph. I suppose he means the Bishops in the Constantinople Council against Images Now they having cited other passages against Images out of Epipharius a Con◠Nic. 2. Act. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. declare expresly That they had not brought all his Testimonies but left them to the diligent inquiry of the Learned Phil. Bellarmin cites b Epistolarum l. 9. Epistola nona Nullum Episcoporumante Serenum fregisse Imag Christi aut Sanctorum Gregory the Great asserting That Serenus was the first Bishop who brake the Images of Christ and the Saints and therefore Epiphanius did not so before him Theoph. The Pope was not Infallible and perhaps might not read this passage of Epiphanius As this Orthodox Bishop shewed his zeal against Pictures so about the same time a pious Emperor Theodosius by an Edict did forbid even the Image of Christ c Petrus Crinitus de honestâ disciplinâ lib. 9. cap. 9. Cum sit nobis cura dillgens in rebus omnibus supremi numinis religionem tueri signum salvatoris nostri Christi nemini concedimus pingere sed quodcunque reperitur tolli jubemus Having a studious care in all things to desend the Religion of the most high God we permit none to carve or paint any Image of our Savior Christ in colours stone or any other matter and command such Pictures to be taken away wheresoever they are found resolving severely to punish all such as do contrary to our command And so we are led unto another Instance of Serenus Bishop of Marseils who brake down all the Images and Pictures in Churches thro-out his Diocess about the year 600. when Gregory the Great was Pope who writes an Epistle to Serenus reprehending the Fact as proceeding from inconsiderat zeal d Epistolarum l. 9. Epist nona Quid inconsiderato zelo succensus Sanctorum Imagines confregeris And whereas the Bishop made his Plea That he remov'd them out of Churches and brake the Images because the People were prone to worship them That he forbid the worship of them the Pope approves for it is written saith he Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve And at length he gives this advice e Si quis Imag. facere voluerit minime probibe c. If any destres to make or to have an Image forbid him not But by all means take care that no man worship them Phil. This Testimony of Gregory approves the Images of the Saints for History and Ornament altho he forbids the worship of them and we are not yet come to that point Your Instances from the Eliberitan Canon from Epiphanius and Serenus are against the Images themselves not their worship Theoph. Those Holy Bishops were offended with Pictures in Churches because they might be occasion of Idolatry the People inclining to give Religious worship to them as Serenus made his Plea Phil. Notwithstanding such panic fears you know as Bellarmin shews God placed the Cherubins in the Ark. Theoph. In the inward Tabernacle over the Mercy-seat where
Close they give the Reason The honor of the Image redounds to the Prototype and he that worships the Image therein deth worship the Person of him that is represented by it Phil. You have put your self to great trouble to give this large account of both Councils yet I observe you have been partial laboring to represent the one rational and serious the other light and superstitious yet when you shall observe the definition of the Constantinople Council condemning all Pictures and the Art of making them as a wicked and ungodly Occupation I cannot think you do fully assent to the determination Theoph. You must allow somthing to the heats and passions of Men and to the present juncture of Affairs The People it seems were given to the Superstitious Worship of Images and to promote the humor Idle Monks made Stories and Legends of miraculous Effects from Images and Relics and the Emperors with the advice of their Bishops being much set upon a thorow Reformation as to this particular they altogether take away the occasion of Idolatry both out of Churches and Houses and public Places breaking down and burning Images and Pictures as Hezekiah used the Brazen Serpent because the Israelites burnt Incense to it and forbidding every one to keep Images and any Artist to make them Phil. You make a Plea for them which afterwards in the Council of Nice many of their Bishops did not for themselves That they were so severe against Images because of the Peoples Superstition and proneness to honor them with Religious Worship Theoph. You heard the Emperor Leo Isaurus made that Plea in his Sacred Epistle to Gregory the second As for the Bishops those who came to the Council of Nice and recanted their former Actions they stood not at all upon their defence and justification they saw the Stream too great for them to bear up against it and therefore confessing aggravating condemning their former proceedings and begging pardon they found that the securest way to be receiv'd into the Council and to retain their Bishopricks Phil. On the other side your self have observed how the Fathers of the Council of Nice declared against giving to an Image the Worship call'd Latria which they acknowledged due onely to God but only such Honor and Adoration which we give to Men superior unto us or to the Holy Gospels and it is usual with you the Law of the Land commanding it when you take an Oath to kiss the Bible and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is rendred Adoration signifies no more then salutation as the Patriarch Tarasius declared in the Council Theoph. This is somthing you say to justifie that Council but you must observe withal that charge of their Definition of offering Incense and burning Tapers at these Images and Invocating the Saints whom they represent for their mediation and assistance praying to them as well as falling down before them this exceeds all civil worship and respect and can hardly be distinguish'd from Religious worship due to God alone especially in the apprehension of vulgar minds who have not subtlety to understand between supreme and inferior worship or in their practice to make any difference and withal that Axiome upon which they grounded the Doctrine of Image worship That the honor don to the Image redounds to the Prototype would make Men emulous to honor the Image in the same degree as that which is represented by it and so the Image of Christ with Divine Worship as many School-men afterwards expresly maintain'd And withal we read Stauratius Bishop of Chalcedon declar'd publicly in the Council a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he did receive and adore Images as the pledge of his salvation And the last Clause I urg'd of the definition of the Council of Nice That he who adores the Image adores him whom the Image represents seems to determin the same Adoration to one and to the other For such Reasons as these the Council of Francford soon after assembled by Charles the Great consisting of about 300 Bishops did reject the Council of Nice as setting up Religious Worship unto Images altho likewise they did not receive the Council of Constantinople because they brake down Images and altogether forbad them And when Pope Adrian had sent to Charles the Emperor a Copy of the second general Council of Nice he together with the Council of Francford set forth four Books under the Name of Libri Carolini in Answer unto and in confuration of the Nicene Council concerning Image worship Phil. I presume you know many of our Doctors flatly deny that the Council of Francford did condemn the seventh General Council of Nice for Images but that they condemn'd the Council of Constantinople against Images So Gregory de Valentia lib. 2. de Idol c. 7. and Alphonsus de Castro shews out of Platina That one Felix who was an Arian was also an Image breaker and the Council of Francford was summon'd to condemn the Heresie of Felix Theoph. All this is said but not prov'd Felix his Heresie was condemn'd because he held That Christ as Man was the Son of God by adoption and no other thing was laid to his charge And likewise the Council of Constantinople for breaking Images was condemn'd in short but the Council of Nice at large for decreeing the worshipping of Images And Baronius expresly saith he was so far from denying that he did absolutly maintain that the Council of Francford did condemn the Council of Nice Tom. 9. Anno 794. And he brings many undeniable Testimonies of those times to confirm it only in some Historians and Writers of those times there was a mistake in calling it the Synod of Constantinople instead of the Synod of Nice but they name the Emperor Constantine and Irene under whom the Council was held and they expresly say The Council of Francford condemn'd the Council which establish'd worshipping of Images and the four Caroline Books made by that Council and own'd by Charles the Great which were sent to Pope Adrian wholly determin against the worshipping of Images Hinemarus Bishop of Rhemes tells us He saw that Book when he was a Youth in the Kings Palace and did read it and that when b Suarum puparum cultum vehementer prâ—m veret Hadrian did still persist in promoting the worship of Images Ludovicus the Son of Charles together with the Council of Paris did write more severely against Images and plainly reprehend the a Indiscrete noscitur fecisse in eo quod superstitiose cos adorari jussit Pope for establishing and defending their worship Phil. b Concili abulum Parisiense Bellarmin calls this Council of Paris a Conventicle because it durst reprove the Pope Theoph. Alas The new Doctrine of the Popes Infallibility did not pass for currant Coin in those daies Phil. But Baronius shews how the Council of Francford proceeded upon a mistake and great scandal in their condemnation of the Council of Nice being made believe That
Gods Word But leaving the Cardinals Excuses and Guesses to himself Aquinas and the rest give their own Reasons for their Opinions the Church hath taught us to put our hope in the Cross and therefore we worship it with Divine Worship the honor of his Image tends to Christ The thing represented is in the Image as in a Looking-glass and therefore we adore it Nay Azorius takes notice of the Nicene determination and shews how in one sense it is true in another not take the Image of Christ materially as a Consecrated thing so it is not worship'd with Divine Worship but formally as an Image representing Christ so Divine Worship is given to it Now such allowed Distinctions as these and Doctrines have prevail'd upon the unwary People to give the same worship to the Image and the Exemplar nay to give Religious Worship to all Images In the Schools they tell us of divers kinds of Worship whereas in their Churches there is no sensible difference what Worship the People give to God the same they give to the Saints they Pray they fall down and Worship And to our purpose a In Psalm 113. Quis adorat vel orat intuens simulachrum qui non sic afficitur ut ab eo se exaudiri putet ab eo sibi praestari quod desiderat speret Augustin proposeth a serious Question Who Praies or Adores beholding an Image and is not so affected that he believes the Image bears him and hopes to receive from it that which he desires and praies for Phil. S t Augustin speaks of the Heathen and their Idols Theoph. And it is very applicable unto your deluded People and their Images for let us no longer hover in the Clouds and in the general Notion of a Divine Worship call'd Latria due only to God and of an inferior Worship call'd Dulia given unto the Saints in Heaven and to their Images You know the saying Dolus in universalibus Much deceit usually lurks in general terms We will descend therefore to some particulars what are precisely the Acts of Divine Worship a Azorius tells us To put our trust and confidence in him is one special act of Latria the peculiar Worship due to God And yet Aquinas hath shew'd how your Church teacheth us to put our only hope in the Cross Ave Crux spes Vnica Phil. This we must conceive to be a Prosopopoea or Speech made to Christ upon the Cross in the day of his Passion Theoph. The common People doubtless understands your Figure of Prosopopoea singularly well And why doth your Church choose to speak to the Cross after that manner and not rather to Christ upon the Cross And how comes it to pass that Aquinas understood not this Figure but supposeth it to be spoken to the Cross directly and so frames his proof of Divine Worship due to the Cross because we put our trust in it Again for Churches and Temples built and dedicated to the Saints b Tom. 6. lib. 10. contra Maximinum Nonne si templum alicui Sancto Angelo excellentiss de ligno lapide faceremus Anathematizeremur à veritate Ecclesia Dei quonium Creat exhiberemus eam servitutem quae soli Deo debetur Augustin saith expresly If we should make a Temple to any Holy and most excellent Angel either of Wood or Stone Should we not be separated and accursed from the Truth and from the Church of God because we exhibit to a Creature that service which is due only to God c Hoc nunc fit quibuslibet Divis. And Erasmus his Marginal Note upon this Passage of Augustin is This now is every where done unto the Saints d Lib. 1. De vera Rel. c. 55. Honoramus cos charitate non servitute nec iis templa construimus Again Augustin in another place speaking of the Saints saith We honor them with love not with service neither do we build Temples to them e Horae Virg. Mariae secundum usum sacrum Sancti Dei in quorum honore commemoratione haec Sancta est dedicata Ecclesia haec altaria consecrata c. So at the entrance into the Church Men are taught to direct their Praiers unto the Saints to whom the Churches are dedicated saying O ye Saints of God in the honor and remembrance of whom this Church is dedicated and this Altar consecrated c. Now the Temple is call'd The House of Prayer and the House of God because to him only who heareth Praier we sheuld send up our Supplications Again Altars as well as Images are frequently erected unto Saints and yet Saint Augustin saith An Altar implies a Deity the Altar shews they take the Statue for a God and the Altars of the Blessed Virgin and of the Saints are common upon which their Votaries offer Gold and Jewels and Pearl and embroidered Garments c. Phil. Bellarmin shews how the Altars are erected and Churches f Sermone 6. de Verb. Domini secundum Matth. Quod pro Numine accip illam siatuam Altare testatur dedicated to God and so the Sacrifice of the Eucharist and of Praier and Praises are offer'd up to God in honor to the Saints and they are call'd upon in the public Prayers of the Church c. Theoph. a Bell. Tom. 2. lib. de Beat. Sanctorum c. 7. Invocantur Sancti in publicis Ecclesiae precibus c. Bellarmin acknowledgeth enough to condemn the practice of your Church in ascribing more honor to the Saints then the Holy Scriptures allow them Christ saith Do this in remembrance of me And Bellarmin saith The Sacrifice of the Eucharist is offered to God in remembrance and honor of the Saints And withal you should do well to consider That if these Religious Acts are perform'd to God in honor of the Saints they are terminated in them as the finis ultimus the chief end As when you say The honor and worship of the Image redounds to the honor of him whom it represents and the honor done to the Servant redounds unto the Master so the several acts of worship perform'd to God in honor of the Saints redound more to their glory then to the glory of God they are the chief end and his service but subordinate unto their honor And so you run in a Circle and intangle your selves in a Labyrinth to maintain a gross and palpable Error of giving a Religious Worship to the Saints and to their Images calling the Cross Our only hope the Images of the Saints Pledges of our Salvation lighting Tapers and burning Incense to them and such like and after all you wash your hands of Idolatry and tell the World That ye give inferior petty honor to the Saints and their Images and to the Cross even such as to sacred Utensils of the Church or to the Holy Book of Scriptures or to the Chair of State in the Kings Palace or to the Kings Image or to the name of Jesus or to
That the Saints departed have as much charity to pray for us and that their Praiers are as prevalent with God But alas Death hath intercepted former commerce And his third Particular must be well prov'd or all will fall to the ground namely That the Saints in Heaven do hear our Praiers and know our particular needs otherwise it will be in vain to call for their assistance And this main Point your Cardinal doth but slightly touch and gives a short and fallible proof of it That because the Angels know the conversion of a sinner and rejoice thereat according to the saying of our Blessed Savior therefore likewise the blessed Saints do know our state and all our concerns Now we have already shew'd how the Consequence is weakly drawn from the knowledg of the Angels to the knowledg of the Saints in Heaven because the Angels are Gods Messengers ministring unto the heirs of Salvation they are imploi'd about us and know much of our concerns but of the Saints departed no such things are recorded And moreover doubtless the Angels themselves know not all the affairs of particular persons only of those about whom they are emploied and so far as God shall impart to them in their Embassage and Emploiments Phil. As they know the Conversion of every Sinner that repenteth and rejoice so do they know and hear the Praiers of all the Faithful especially such as do concern them and are particularly directed to them Theoph. We are much in the dark as to the measure and extent of their knowledg and must not in these things so much above us set one foot forward without the light and conduct and revelation of Gods Word Now we read in Holy Writ That the Angels have charge over us according as God has committed us unto them but how far and in what particulars is not revel'd We read They rejoice at the Conversion of a Sinner which way soever or whensoever for the improvement of their joy God is pleased to manifest it unto them perhaps by the relation of those Angels who were instrumental in the Conversion But from those Promises we cannot infer their universal Knowledg of Affairs here below and much less the universal Knowledg of the Saints in Heaven Methinks the Learned Cardinal should not so peremtorily have handled this grand Point upon which depends the Invocation of Saints for if they hear us not in vain certainly do we make our Praiers to them If they understand not our condition they cannot recommend it unto God If S t Peter knows not of any such Person as Philodoxus in being to no effect shall we beg his assistance Phil. Not so neither d Ibid. c. 20. Non frustra Sanctos à nobis Invocari etiamsi nec audiant nec agnosâ—ant preces nostras aliquis alius eorum vice fungitur Bellarmin expresly affirms That we do not pray for them in vain altho we shall grant they know not neither hear our Praiers for saith he some other may perform their office and we obtain the favor For many miraculous Instances are given in Church Records of many that have obtained their Requests whil'st they have applied themselves unto the Intercession of some Saint and therefore so we obtain our desires whil'st we pray unto them it is not material whether they hear or not it will concern us to call upon them Theoph. He had done well to point out this Aliquis alius Who is this Delegate of the Saints in Heaven to do their work whil'st themselves hear not our Prayers Whil'st we Invocate the Saints do the Angels help us The surest way then would be to apply our selves to them Doth God help us when we pray to the Saints altho it is high presumtion to make God the Saints Delegate qui eorum vice fungitur however if God helps such as pray to the Saints the most compendious course would be to call directly upon him and so did Christians in the Primitive and purest Times Ad memorias Martyrum at the Shrines and Monuments of Martyrs they did pray to God who was pleas'd to work many miraculous Cures at their Tombs in Testimony of the Faith which those Martyrs sealed with their Blood And this is the just account of the Miracles wrought by the Saints and Martyrs in Heaven at their Shrines here on Earth The Miracles were wrought by Almighty God before the Monuments of the Saints themselves not knowing of it as we shall shew hereafter out of S t Augustine his Book De cura pro Mortuis And yet from this Assertion of Bellarmin wherein I suppose he stands single That we pray not to the Saints in vain altho they do not hear us From this Assertion we must conclude him very inconsiderable and forgetful when immediatly after he approves this Consequence e Sancti recte in vocantur ergo sciunt quod petimus The Saints are immediatly call'd upon therefore they know what we ask One Supposition destroies the other If we may prudently and successfully pray to them altho they hear us not it cannot follow That if we rightly call upon them they do hear us Phil. The first Assertion of Bellarmin was by way of supposition not granted altho they hear us not yet we may profitably pray to them but he positively maintains That the Saints know humane affairs and do hear our Praiers f Quae solo cordis assectu proferuntur even such as are made only in the Heart altho there may be some dispute how they know and hear c. and he gives you the several Opinions of the Doctors Theoph. His former Supposition as we call it was ill put because it directly overthrows the Consequence which he immediatly after approves That because the Saints in Heaven are rightly Invocated therefore they do hear us But I pray proceed to shew how the Saints attain unto the knowledg of things beneath and even of our mental Praiers Phil. g Ibid. c. 20. Bellarmin proposeth four Opinions of the Doctors about the manner how the Saints in Heaven know Affairs beneath and hear the Praiers that are made unto them The first That they know them by the relation of Angels who are Messengers between Heaven and Earth The second That both Angels and Saints are in a sort every where present by the celerity and agility of their natures and so they understand the Affairs of the world and hear our Prayers And he cites S t Augustin for the first Opinion and Jerome for the second Theoph. He cites them very faintly Innuit Augustinus saith he S t Augustin intimates so much in his Book De cura pro Mortuis and there indeed the Father tells us The dead may hear of Affairs on Earth by the relation of Angels but he affirms not they do so and then they may hear some things related h Non quidem omnia sed quae sinuntur indicare but not all things And afterwards he declares Fatendum
death And for a farther Confutation we shall find in his Works undoubtedly belonging to him that altho in some places he dubiously allows the Intercession of the Saints in Heaven for us Mortals yet he no where approves their Invocation but rather the contrary a Hom. 3. In Cantieum Sol. The Saints departed this life saith he having a great love for those who are in the World it will be no inconvenience if we say they have a care of our wellfare and do assist us with their Praiers and Intercession with God Again b In cap. 13. Josue Ego sic arbitror c. I am of the Opinion That all the Fathers who are asleep before us are helpful to us by their Praiers And yet afterwards he accounts this Opinion of his Apocryphal c Lib. 2. In Epistolam ad Rom. Non procul à principio as being not manifest by good Autority If such as are without the Body and now with Christ do any thing for us after the manner of Angels who are ministering Spirits d Habeatur inter occultanda mysteria nec chartulx committenda let this as a Mystery be concel'd and not publish'd and committed to Paper Phil. e Ibid. c. 20. Bellarmin takes notice of this Passage out of Origen and answers That he speaks of their daily and constant converse with us which is not so certain as that they know our state and Pray for us whereof Origen asks the Question f Homil. 26. in Numb Quis dubitet c. Who doubts of it That the Saints do help us with their Praiers and confirm and encourage us by the example of their good Works Theoph. By degrees he proceeded from doubting to affirming and yet the Assertion only maintains That the Saints do pray for us in common which we have not denied but himself rejects the Consequence That because the Saints do pray for us therefore we should pray to them g L. 8. Contra Celsum For when Celsus had objected That it could not displease the Supreme Deity if inferior Demons as Friends of God should be worship'd and implor'd to become the Advocates of poor Mortals with him Origen answers That Christians acknowledg no such Demons but know that the Angels are Gods Ministers and the Blessed Saints his Friends And then he proceeds to shew the practice of Christians in Invocation We humbly present our Petitions to the most high God thro his only begotten Son to whom also we make our Supplications as being the propitiation for our Sins and as being our High Priest to offer up our Praiers to God For God only saith he is to be worship'd and God the Word our High Priest to be call'd upon that those Requests which come to him he would please to present unto the Father If we desire as he goes on the favor and assistance of the Angels they assuredly are Friends to such who imitate their Holiness and call upon God with devout hearts and worship him whom they adore and worship And therefore he sheweth the most compendious way is to commit our selves to the great Ruler of the Creation thro Christ who hath taught us so to do and from him to expect that help and protection which by the ministery of Angels and by the Spirits of Just Men is communicated to us And whereas Celsus had objected as your Doctors many of them do unto this day that as in the Courts of Princes we make our Applications first to his Nobles and Favorites to appease his Displeasure and obtain his Favor so in our Address to the most High God we should make our way by the Intercession of his choisest Friends and Servants Origen answers Altho in the Courts of Princes so it be yet to us one only God is to be appeas'd with Piety and Virtue and his Favor to be desired as for the blessed Saints and Angels their favor and assistance follows a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. as the shadow the Body They love and serve those who are in the favor of God This I do assure you saith he when we have propos'd to our selves great things and made our Request known to God by Prayer and Supplication All the Heavenly b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Powers of their own accord without our Invocation do pray with us and for us Nothing could more be said against the Invocation of Saints and Angels and the Heavenly Powers and this I am perswaded was the principal reason why your Learned Cardinal brought not the Testimony of Origen to confirm your Praiers to the Saints departed as others of your unadvised Doctors have done Phil. To proceed We find in the same Century how Cyprian a Blessed Martyr was so far perswaded of the Saints Intercession in Heaven that as he desired in his Epistles to him the Praiers of Cornelius the Pope living So farther That he would please to enter with him into a serious Engagement That whether of them by Divine dignation should first leave the World he should be mindful to persevere with God in servent Praier for his Brethren the Faithful left behind him c Tom. 2. l. de disc Ethabitis Virginum ad finem Again in his Book to the Virgins he exhorts them To hold out couragiously to proceed Spiritually and to obtain Happily and then saith he Remember us when your Virginity shall receive the Crown Theoph. This is an Instance of Praier to the living for their assistance when they should be translated into Heaven but nothing to the Point of the Invocation of Saints departed It was his private Opinion That the Saints in Heaven might retain the remembrance and affection towards their Friends and Relations whom they left behind and commend them particularly in their Praiers but not distinctly know their condition or hear their Praiers if they should call upon them this mutual stipulation before their decease rather implies that they conceiv'd they should not have opportunity after ones decease for the other to call upon him And now good Friend having conferr'd notes together about the Testimony of the three first Centuries of Christianity there appears none for the Invocation of the Saints departed not so much as any foot-steps of this Doctrine before Cyprians a Martinussius Pere Ne vestigium quidem unte Cypriutum say some of your Doctors and we have not found a word in Cyprian that doth confirm it For a close therefore we may answer all your Pretensions with our Blessed Saviors words Matth. 18. 8. but from the beginning it was not so And taking in Tertullians Rule b Id verum quodcunque primum id Adulterum quad posterius That is truth which is first what comes after is adulterate We may conclude your Doctrine to be innovate and a fruit of Spiritual Fornication Phil. You must not so soon condemn so many of the Primitive Fathers who have deliver'd this Doctrine and therefore I pray
Distinctions not intelligible to the Hearer or Reader Phil. You will find the same Tertullian shews a Lib. 2. Contra Marcionem c. 22. Tanquam simplex ornamentum c. The end of the second Commandment was to prevent Idolatrous Worship of Images as it follows in the Commandment Thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them And that God commanding the Cherubins to be made for Ornament and Furniture of the Tabernacle it was no contradiction to his Law having not in them the causes of Idolatry for which the making of Images were prohibited Such an answer he likewise gives for the brazen Serpent It was made for cure to heal the People who were stung with Fiery Serpents in the Wilderness and for a Type of Christ healing the Nations as our Savior himself hath applied it and a Type likewise of the Old Serpent the Devil hang'd and crucified upon Christs Cross These things therefore were not against the Commandment because they were not made to be ador'd and worshipp'd Theoph. You have led me whether I desir'd We do not conceive all Images or the making of them to be forbidden by the second Comment but only such as are made for Religious Worship b Non sit nobis religio humanorum operum cultus Let not the worship of things made with hands become any part of our Religion And again saith St. Augustin c Aug De vera Rel c. 5◠Tom. 〈◊〉 non sit nobis Rel. cultus hominum mortuorum Let it be no part of our Religion to worship Men that are dead for if they liv'd godly saith he they will never desire or seek after such honors d Honorandi sont propter Imitationem non Adorandi propter Religionem They are to be honor'd for our imitation not adored as to Religion But alas your Doctors have left the old innocent Plea for Images whether in Churches or other places That they may be useful for Ornament for Instruction for an honorable Commemoration of holy Persons and for Imitation All this will not suffice but you will have Veneration and Adoration and what not be given unto them and so you have given occasion of Scandal to the Godly and of great Superstition and Idolatry to the more ignorant sort among your selves who cannot perplex themselves with such nice Distinctions wherewith your Leaders think to fence themselves against the charge of Idolatry But we shall proceed to shew this by degrees Mean while least you should make too much use of my Concession concerning Images made for such innocent uses as have been mention'd That they are not against the second Commandment I must here put in a solemn caveat against your Images of God which against all Reason and Religion you make and adore Phil. a Bell. Tom. 2. l. 2. de Ecclesiâ triumph c. 8. Non esse tam cereum in Ecclesiâ an sunt fuciendae Imag. Dei c. Bellarmin doth acknowledge That it is not so certain in the Church whether the Image of God and of the Trinity should be made as whether the Image of Christ and of the Saints Theoph. And yet in the same Paragraph he asserts positively b Licere pi 〈…〉 ere etiam Imag Dei Fatris in ferm 〈…〉 is senis Spiritum Sanctum inf columbae That it is lawful to picture God the Father in the shape of an old Man and God the Holy Ghost in the shape of a Dove and cites many of your Doctors to confirm his Opinion and so your general practice doth maintain it Now I will first urge the Holy Scripture against this Doctrine and Practice of your Church and then leave you to defend it Moses gives a great charge unto the People of Israel Deut. 4 15 16 c. Take good heed unto your selves least ye corrupt and make you a graven Image the similitude of any figure the likeness of male or female the likeness of any beast or winged soul the likeness of any creeping thing upon the ground or of any fish in the waters and least thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven and when thou 〈◊〉 the host of heaven shouldst be driven to worship them and serve them Phil. This charge is level'd against the Idolatry of the Gentiles and those Nations whom God cast out of Canaan who did worship graven Images of Men and Women and Beasts and creeping things for Gods Theoph. The Clause and Parenthesis in the first Verse of this charge For ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb I say this Clause manifests That God gave the charge lest by any thing after mention'd they should attemt to represent him It is truth that the Heathen did represent their false Gods in and by such Shapes and Images and did worship them And the Almighty God by a full enumeration of Creatures forbids any similitude to be made to represent and to worship him under it And to this effect the Propher Isaiah expostulates with an Idolatrous People To whom will ye liken Gods or what likeness will ye compare unto him Isa 40. 18. The best Image of God is Man an Image of the Lords own making that this likeness and similitude of God consists in the Soul of Man with her noble Faculties of Free-will and Understanding and dominion over the Creatures in that original rectitude and holiness where with he was created but these things cannot be represented by the linea 〈…〉 of a P 〈…〉 or an Image which only represent the dimensions and features of a Body and therefore by the Image of a Man God cannot be represented and much less by any inferior Creature God is Infinite and Invisible and Spiritual and all Images are finite and material and terminated by visible dimensions and therefore one cannot resemble another Phil. To this Bellarmin answers a Vbi supra Tribus modis potest aliquid pingi c. That God cannot be represented essentially by an Image but Historically and Analogically he may Theoph. Your Doctors have vented new and dangerous Doctrines and you may observe what a fine Web they spin of nice and subtle Distinctions to catch the unwary People in the Snare What a rumbling noise this makes in a Country-mans ear enough to put him in a Sound God cannot be represented by an Image Essentially yet Historically and Analogically he may Phil. Our Church takes care that the Priests should instruct the ignorant People and explain these and the like distinctions to them and so doth Bellarmin explain himself in this Chapter Theoph. It were the nearer and far easier way of Instruction to leave the People to keep the Commandment without any worship of Images and without the labyrinth of your perplex'd Distinctions But I pray shew what Bellarmin means by the Historical and Analogical Pictures of God Phil. You know Gregory the Great call'd Pictures The Books of Lay-men Such as could not read or study the