not reach to the Case of Images which they had not But where the state of the Controversie lay between the Christians and the Heathens about Temples and Altars and what was the difference between the one and the other is too long to insert here and therefore I refer the Reader to Mr. Mede's Discourse concerning Churches Par. 1. Book 2. where 't is handled with exquisite diligence But if Petavius his reason hath any probability why were not Images brought in presently upon Constantine's coming to the Empire at least after the death of Julian For then the Church enjoy'd Peace and Power unless it were to be said that by stepping boldly into that practise assoon as they had gained power which they had utterly condemned in their distress they knew that they should bring the reproach of insincerity upon their Profession and that therefore it was more advisable to step into it by degrees But he that can believe this of the Ancient Church must not pretend any great Reverence for it But whereas Petavius thought this to be the likely reason why we hear not of Images so long together viz. that it would furnish the Heathens with objections I shall not fear to oppose this Conjecture with another and to say that it is more likely and credible that if the Antient Fathers had thought it lawful to bow down to Images and to Worship them they would have brought this practise in with one consent and that because the Gentiles had been accustomed to the worshipping of Images For it is incomparably more easie to bring men from worshipping some Images to worship others as the Jesuits knew by experience than from worshipping Images to worship none at all Nay it is yet more likely that Images were brought into several Churches in the fifth Age in compliance with the inclinations of many of the Gentiles who now the Church shined with the Glory of the World thronged into it before they had worn off their Superstition and fondness of Images and that the reason why it was done no sooner was this that the Zeal of the Ancient Church against Images being yet fresh in the minds of men must needs hinder their coming into any use immediately and leave it to be a work of some time And it is not unlikely that Petavius himself was well aware of these things for otherwise he was not likely to confess that in this Controversie about Images we are not to have regard to the Examples and Orders of the more ancient Church but rather of latter times which is in more civil terms to confess it was an Innovation for surely this learned Jesuit knew better than to say that in a Controversie about the Antiquity of worshipping Images we ought rather to regard latter times than the Ancient Church But they that will find Church-Authority for Image-Worship must go down yet lower even beyond the fifth sixth and seventh Ages of the Church Pictures were in the fifth Age brought into divers Churches for Ornament and Instruction The Histories of the Old and New Testament and at length the Passions of Martyrs and stories of Saints were to be seen upon the Walls of Churches Indeed when the seventh Age was now coming in we find the People of Marseilles began to worship Images which Serenus * Greg. lib. 9. Ep. 9. ad Serenum their Bishop discerning broke 'em down Which breaking of them Gregory the Great disallowed because he thought Images were instead of Books to them that could not read but the worshipping of them he disallowed as much as Serenus It is likely enough that some unwarrantable regard to Images began about the same time to obtain in other places For in the seventh Age there were warm Controversies about it which grew to such a heat in the Reign of Leo Isaurus that he commanded the Images to be broken down But Superstition had gotten such an head that this would not do but his Son Constantine was forced to call together a Council which consisted of 338 Bishops to put an end to those Troubles if it might be done And they did their parts effectually for they did not onely decree against the worshipping of Images but the retaining of them Now thirty years after this towards the end of the Eighth Age another Council was assembled at Nice by the promotion of the Empress Irene in which Image-Worship was stoutly maintain'd but with such kind of Arguments that if I were for the Worship of Images I should be very well content to lose the advantage of the Councils Authority provided I might never be reproached with their Reasoning The Cause was upheld by Adrian I. then Bishop of Rome who sent the Acts of this second Nicene Council to Charles the Great Charles calls a Council of Italian German and French Bishops at Frankford in which it was determined against the Constantinopolitan Council that Images might be retained and smartly concluded against these Nicene Fathers that without impiety they could not be worshipped It was unlucky that the late beginning of Antiquity for the Worship of Images should be discredited by such an Authority and robb'd of all pretence to Vniversality And therefore Petavius as others had done comforts himself with that vain pretence that the Council of Frankford * Petav. Dog Th. Tom 5. Par. 2. Lib. 15. understood not the sence of the Nicene Bishops It is a vain pretence because the Acts of the Nicene Council lay before the Fathers of Frankford But the Nicene Doctrine was condemned about 32 years after this at Paris and was indeed generally opposed in the Western Churches So that it seems there is some reason why Image-Worshippers should not regard the Examples and Constitutions of the Antient but rather of the latter times of the Church But when began the Worship of the Blessed Virgin And why have we forgotten her all this while Even because the Fathers forgat her first 'T is true we find in Gregory Nazianzen's †Greg. Naz. Orat. 18. T. 1. Oration upon St. Cyprian the story of Justina the Virgin calling upon the Virgin Mary to defend her against the unchast designes of Cyprian who if we may believe the Tale was once a Conjurer at Antioch c. But by St. Cyprian's Life written by Pontius his Deacon it is evident that this story is void of all circumstance of Truth * Bar. A. D. 250. N. 5. See Daillé de Object Cultur p. 51 c. Baronius himself confesses as much And by the endeavours that have been used to mend the Tale for the credit of G. Nazianzen 't is plain that there is no remedy but it must go for an inexcusable business And therefore if ever there was cause from the matter of a Writing imputed to a man of great Name and Authority to conclude 't is none of his this equity is to be shewn to Gregory Nazianzen it being incredible that a man of his Worth and Abilities should either invent such
Occasion that if that had been the only design of that Commandement it is very strange that God should note the Worshipping of the Heathen Gods with no other penalty than that which his Jealousie would inflict For to have any other Gods besides him is without all question spiritual Whoredom and had been threatned with Divorce if the Prohibition of so great a Crime had needed the of Sanction of any express Threatning But when he threatens the Worship of Images with the Effects of his Jealousie it seems plain that he means such Image-Worship as is consistent with acknowledging him to be our Only God And yet this is the least of all those Reasons by which it appears to me that he forbids in this Commandment the Worship of all Images whatsoever I deny not therefore but a man may kneel may kiss may incense may prostrate himself and pray before an Image and all this while ascribe no Divinity to it nor take it to be his God So likewise he may Pray and make Vows and offer Thanks and Prayses to the Saints and to the B. Virgin and not take them neither for his Gods But because God is the peerless Majesty of Heaven and Earth he will be served with a peerless Worship he will therefore have no such things as these done in Religion nor Creatures to have Respect shewn them that look so like to the Worship which he requires himself Why do I say so like That which they give to the B.V. and to the Saints is almost the very same But if we do such things as these it will not serve our turn to plead That we still keep the inward Adoration of Spirit and Truth intirely for him though we thus honor his Creatures with Religious Rites and Services any more than it would excuse a Woman that had given all the Favors and Liberty to another Man that could provoke her Husband's Jealousie to say though she could say it with Truth that she remembred all the while who was her Husband and whatever Liberties besides she used that she had still kept his Bed undefiled This Consideration I could not forbear to use and that in Compassion to those whose Prejudices will not let them feel the Sense of those Reasonings by which we prove the Roman Church to be guilty of downright Idolatry For if the fear of God's Jealousie would keep them from giving those Honors to the Saints which look so like Divine Honours if they are not so we should gain our end upon them though not by the force of the best arguing the Case will bear And this is our End That God may not be any more dishonour'd and their Salvation hindred by the unchristian Doctrines and Practices of this sort I have therefore now proceeded upon this Supposition that they are not guilty of perfect Idolatry in tâ—ose things which we complain of and yet shewn what urgent Cause there is upon another Account for a Reformation of them But I conclude this with professing That I have supposed them not guilty of that fearful Crime only to make way for another Argument since all Arguments are to be used in so important a Matter that have a Foundation of Truth but not in distrust of those Arguments which prove them guilty of it §. 7. The second thing I propounded was to shew the beginnings of this strange Worship amongst Christians which they offer in the Church of Rome to the B. Virgin and to the Saints For I must not forget that M. de Meaux pretends that his Church in these things teaches as the Primitive Church taught and that she does what she teaches with all Antiquity But what if nothing of all this was either Taught or done in the Church for 360 years after Christ M. de M. sayes that those of the Pretended Reformation obliged by the strength of Truth begin to acknowledge that the custom of Praying to Saints and honoring their Reliques was Established even in the fourth Age of the Church This he takes all occasions to insinuate and with these colours he serves himself to represent the Reformation as odiously as he can devise Thus he tells us in his Pastoral Letter But above all what horror are they worthy of Past l. p. 29. who cast the Accusation of Idolatry upon the whole Church and also on the Church of the first Ages Where he takes it for granted that the Honour and Innocence of the first Ages must stand or fall with the Cause of the Roman Church and so takes occasion to accuse us of a great and fearful Crime viz. That we cast the accusation of Idolatry upon the whole Church even the Church of the first Ages He had observed but just before that those who bear false and scandalous Witness against an Innocent Person are Condemned to the same punishment which the Crime of which they bear Witness did deserve had it been found true And therefore we deserve before men the Horror which is due to Idolatry and shall receive the just punishment thereof in the sight of God If this Rule be true and we must incur the Penalties of Idolatry if we falsly accuse others of it M. de Meaux ought to reflect upon himself who having accused us of falsly accusing the First Ages in this matter supports his Accusation by taking these two things for granted First that we acknowledge the Illustrious Fourth Age to have requested the Prayers of Martyrs and honored Reliques Ibid. as the pretended Catholicks have done since Secondly that the Fourth Age being granted them the first Three must be theirs in course If M. de Meaux be safe upon these Grounds we have no great cause to apprehend the Horrors and Punishments of false Accusation And if this be all he hath to say 't is but a very slender ground for an Appeal to the Primitive Church and to all Antiquity For neither have the. Reformed acknowledged heretofore Id. p. 8. nor do they now begin to acknowledge that the Customs of the Roman Church in these points were established in the Fourth Age of the Church Nor if they did acknowledge it would this Acacknowledgment give away the Primitive Church and all Antiquity in favour of Praying to Saints and worshipping of Images and Reliques unless the first three Ages were less Antient and Primitive than those that followed That which we acknowledge is not that Saint-Worship was Established in the Fourth Age but this that towards the latter end of the Fourth Age some unhappy occasions were given for the Establishing of that Worship in after Ages which we could wish had never been given and which the Great Men of those Dayes we have reason to believe would have prevented if they had been Prophets as well as holy Men and foreseen the Mischiess into which they were ripened by the Superstition of after-times I shall therefore demonstrate that 't is a vain thing for the pretended Catholicks to presume that they have the Authority of the
Faithful arrived to the knowledge of the Martyrs yet he doubted not that the Martyrs prayed for the Faithful which is all that can be proved from these places But what is this to the Invocation of them which St. Austin also expresly denies in saying that they are not invocated by the Priest who Sacrifices And here we â—â—â—st remember what the Ancient Fathers meant by the Christian Sacrifice Not only the Oblation of Bread and Wine brought by all the People and presented at the Holy Table with the Prayers of the Priest nor onely the Consecration of those Elements afterwards to be the Memorials of Christs Body and Blood which they first laid before God and then distributed to the Faithful I say we must remember that they did not onely mean these visible Sacrifices but likewise all the Prayers Praises and Thanksgivings of the Church which were Vocal Sacrifices together with Contrition of Heart and all pious Affections answerable to the Outward Sacrifices by which the Faithful offer'd up * Aug. de Civ lib. 10. c. 6. themselves a Sacrifice to God This was that Reasonable Service and unbloudy Sacrifice which the Priest in behalf of all the People solemnly offered up to God So that St. Austin's meaning is this That the Faithful being assembled at the Memories of the Martyrs for Divine Service the Martyrs are not Invocated by the Priest in any part of the Administration And therefore the distinction of Sacrificial and Extrasacrisicial Prayers will not avoid this Testimony since the Prayers of the Faithful at their Religious Assemblies were all Sacrificial Prayers as being part of the Christian Sacrifice And St. Austin whose Testimony this is did in this notion of Sacrifice clearly follow the Doctrine of the more Ancient Fathers Let us observe saith he Ibid. c. 5 that where God said he would not have Sacrifice there it is shewn that he will have Sacrifice He willeth not the Sacrifice of a slain Beast but he will have the Sacrifice of a contrite Heart And afterwards he addeth these instances as the Ancients had done before him The Psalmist saith Offer unto God the sacrifice of praise and pay thy vows to the Most High and call upon me in the day of tribulation and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glâ—â—â—fie me 'T is true that he sometimes distinguisheth the visible Oblations of the Church from Prayers and Praises as where he argues Ibid. c. 19. that the visible Sacrifices are to be offered up to God onely whose visible Sacrifice we our selves are in our hearts as in vocal Prayer and Praise we pray to God and praise him onely to whom we offer the devotion of the Heart But though in that place he doth not call Prayers and Praises Sacrifices as he doth elsewhere very frequently yet even there he taketh it for granted that when the Faithful were assembled for praying to God and praising him they addressed themselves to none but to Him It is so plain even from this Father that the Invocation of Martyrs and Saints was no part of the Service of the Church that I have thought sit to insist onely upon his Testimony especially since Monsieur de Meaux has been pleased to bring in the words of the Council of Trent explaining their practise in Invocating the Saints Because saith he the Council doth almost make use of the very words of this Holy Bishop Let us first hear the words of the Council The Church does not offer Sacrifices to the Saints but to God alone who has Crowned them The Priest also does not address himself to St. Peter and St. Paul saying I offer up to you this Sacrifice but rendring thanks to God for their Victories he demands THEIR ASSISTANCE to the end that those whose Memory me celebrate upon Earth would vouchsafe to pray for us in Heaven Now let us hear the words of St. Austin in that place to which Monsieur de Meaux refers But we do not appoint Temples Priesthoods Holy Rites and Sacrifices to the Martyrs because not They but their God is our God Indeed we honour the Memories of the Martyrs as of holy men c. But who of the Faithful ever heard the Priest standing at the Altar Ibid. lib. 8. c. 27. though erected for the Honour and Worship of God over the holy Body of a Martyr to say in the Prayers I offer Sacrifice to thee O Peter or Paul or Cyprian when at their Memories 't is offered to God who made them both Men and Martyrs and associated them to the Angels in heavenly glory that by this solemnity we may give thanks to the True God for their Victories and that we by renewing in our selves the remembrance of them may be excited by imitating them to strive for such Crowns and Palms as they have obtained †Eodem invocato in Auxilium THE SAME True God BEING INVOCATED FOR OVR ASSISTANCE It seems there is almost no difference made by putting the Saints instead of God Let Monsieur de Meaux lay his hand upon his Heart and tell us honestly for once whether Eodem invocato in Auxilium do not refer to the True God spoken of before and not to the Saints And if so what there is in this passage of the Holy Bishop that makes for the Invocation of Saints And now Monsieur de Meaux may go on as long as he thinks fit to make Triumphs Pastoral Letter p. 29. upon our Acknowledgement that during the Fourth Century the Church desired the Prayers of Martyrs and honoured Reliques For he goes on in this strain in his late Pastoral Letter where he declaims so Tragically against those that if you will believe him charge Idolatry upon the Illustrious Fourth Age yea that very Age wherein the Prophecies of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ were accomplished more manifestly than ever when the Kings of the Earth till then Persecutors of the Name of Jesus became according to the Ancient Oracles his Adorers My Lord the Bishop of Meaux knew when it was convenient to use the stile of a perfect Gentleman p. 30. But since he wrote his Exposition the Case of some of his Countrey-men is something altered though the Cause be the same Now the Blasphemies of the Protestants put him into sits of Amazement p. 2â— and he cannot tell what Horrour they are worthy of But to do him right he keeps true to one old principle that will I believe be dear to him as long as he lives p. 16. Once more my Brethren let us not dispute let us not run into Controversie No by no means for it is much easier to declaim than to dispute to take things for granted than to prove them and to make general slourishes than to enter into examination of particulars What can be more easie than to exclaim in this manner The Ambroses the Augustines the Hieroms p. 30. the Gregories of Nazianzene the Basilius 's and the Chrysostomes whom all Christians have