may be communicated to his creatures depending upon him Ob. Some of the more simple sort of people amongst you adore your pictures of God or pray unto them as unto a living thing Ans I never could either see or hear of any such amongst them If we cannot find a dog that will not be able to distinguish between a true living Hare and a painted how much more the simplest man but if any such things should be amongst them he could not be a Roman Catholique but an heretique or infidell and as such would have been punished Ob. Mr. Lâ—mbert in his preambulations and divers of our Authors do write of the abuses which were committed in England about images Ans These abuses and the like were committed by Protestants and after the time that King Henry the VIII had separated himselfe from the Cat holike Roman Church and had by vertue of his Supremacy and the Supremacy of his Protestant Clergy placed Protestant Bishops Abbats and Abbatesses in the Monasteries who to disgrace them and bring them to desolation and ruine into which they after fell invented these and the like abuses that they might with the better colour seize upon their lands and goods as appeareth for that images were not taken out of the Churches Monasteries untill the the time of King Edward the VI. in the year 1547. which was about thirteen years after that the Popes Authority was by Parliament excluded out of England as do witnesse your own Chronicles Neither is it a sufficient cause to take away a good thing from amongst men for that divers doe abuse it for so we should neither leave Bible nor Sacraments in the church seeing that both are abused by many our Lord saith the Prophet will not leave the rod of sinners upon the lot of the just Psal 124.3 The Conclusion FOr conclusion it is necessary to observe that amongst the many oppressions which the enemy of mankind practiseth over those who by sin he hath made his slaves this is one that he permitteth not unto any one of them the use of a pious thought but if at any time a pious thought begin to appeare in any of their hearts or minds he presently snatcheth it away as witnesseth our Saviour Matth. 13.19 thereby to force his subjects to begin their hell here upon earth Wherefore if you permit no text of Scripture publikely to passe amongst the people but such as is corrupted by dissenting translations nor any Sermons to be heard but such as are made vain by differing opinions in faith nor sacred pictures signes and images to be seen which shall not be beaten down as Idols and their relative religious respect and reverence to be preached against as superstitious as they are in this Island what will be the issue but that both pious thoughts and works banished every mans heart will be his hell not only to the losse of their souls but also in processe of time to the destruction of our Nation by vicious life and wicked deeds The Scriptures command us saying Labour the more that by good works you may make sure your vocation 2 Pet. 1.10 But as S. Augustine in the 6. châ—p of his book of Grace and free will wâ—ll observeth There could be no good works if good thoughts did not go before them wherefore if you will take away the abundance of iniquity wicked deeds witchcrafts and other impious crimes which raign amongst men in this Island it is necessary that you not only publikely admit of true Copies of the holy Scriptures Sermons of the Catholike Fâ—ith which only is true end of sacred pictures signes and images but also that they be reverenced and respected with a relative religious respâ—ct and worship for the divine things which they represent and as they do represent them thereby not onely to put good thoughts into the hearts of men but alâ—o to nourish them to the bringing forth of an abundance of good works to the honor of God salvation of our soules and prosperity of our Countrey which God grant Amen To only God be honor and glory
world and to destroy mankind as he grievously threatneth at the last day saying goe and kill c. as is set down Ezechiel the nineth Again in the 22. chapter of his first book of Testimonies against the Jewes speaking of the said prophecy of Ezechiel he saith That in this signe of the crosse is salvation to all those who are signed in their forehead God in Ezechiel doth declare saying passe through the middest of Hierusalem and thou shalt make a signe in the foreheads of men c. So what will become of these men who will not have the signe of the crosse made in their foreheads Lactantius florished about the year 320. and he speaking of the practise of the Church of God concerning this point of the relative religious honor and worship which was given to the sacred signe of the cross in the twenty seventh chapter of his fourth book of Institutions saith Now it is time to declare the great power of the sign of the cross of what terror this signe is to the divells those know who have seene it forasmuch as that adjured by Christ they fly out of the bodies which they did possess for as Christ himselfe whilest he lived amongst us put to flight all the divells by his word and brought men againe into their former senses who had been troubled in mind and furiously mad by assaults of the divell even so now his followers both by the name of their Master and by the sign of his passion do expel the same wicked spirits out of men whereof the proof is not hard for if whilest the Pagans offer sacrifice to their Gods any one be standing by who beareth the signe of the cross in his forehead they cease from Sacrifice neither can the consulted Oracle give any answer and this hath often been the chief cause that evill Kings have taken occasion to begin a persecution for when some of our Christian servants have stood by their Lords whilest they offered Sacrifice and have made the signe of the cross upon their foreheads they put to flight their gods neither could they describe in the entrails of their victimes the things to come And in his verses of the benefits of Christ he said bond thy knee and adore the venerable wood of the cross c. whereby it appeareth what a good fee these Christians deserve to have from the divell who have beaten down crosses and call the signing of our selves and other creatures conjuring Eusebius lived about the same time who writing the life of Constantine the Great in his 32. chapter of his first book relateth how the sign of the cross appeared to him in heaven with this inscription in this sign thou shalt overcome that is to say his enemies and in the second chapter of his third book affirmeth that he used now and then to signe his forehead with that healthfull sign of the passion and many times very much rejoyced in that victorious Tropâ—e or sign S. Athanasius florished in the year 340. who in his book of the Word Incarnate saith A man onely using the sign of the cross doth drive away from him the deceipts of the divells c. let him come who will mâ—ke an experience of my words and amongst the illusions of the divels or impostures of their foretellings or prophecies or the miracles of their Magitians and do but make the sign of the cross which they deride and call upon the name of Christ and he shall see with his eyes how for fear thereof the divell flyeth away their prophecies cease and their inchantments and witcherafts are made void S. Basil the Great florished about the year 370. who in his Oration of the Martyr Gordian saith He fortified himself with the sign of the cross and so with great constancy of mind without any fear or changing of countenance went merrily to his death Again in the twenty seventh chapter of his book of the Holy Ghost he saith If we should go about to rèject these customes which are not delivered in writing as though they were things of no moment we should imprudently condemn many things which in the Gospell are esteemed necessary to our salvation of which sort is that I may repeat that first which is the first and most common thing used amongst us the sign of the cross for who hath taught in writing that we should signe those with the sign of the cross who have put their hope in Christ is it not by a tacit and secret tradition is it not from the doctrine which our Fathers have kept in silence which curious and idle people call in question S. Cyrill of Hierusalem lived at that same time with S. Basil the Great and he in his fourth Catechesis or instructions for Christian life saith Let us not be ashamed of the cross of Christ but if any one shall hide it do thou publikely sign thy self in the forehead with the cross that the divells seeing the standard of the King trembling may make hast to be gone see also that thou make this sign when thou beginnest to eat or drink when thou sittest down and when thou arisest when thou beginnest to speak or to walk and in every one of thy affairs S. Ambrose also florished at the same time with S. Gregory and S. Cyril who in the seventy seventh Epistle of his nineth book saith Christian people do in every moment write the contempt of death upon their owne foreheads for they know that without the cross of our Lord they cannot be saved Again in his fifty sixth Sermon he saith In what place the cross of Christ is erected or planted there presently the iniquity of the divell is driven away and tempests of winds cease and also the good husbandman when he prepareth his land by tillage and seeketh nourishment for life he doth not begin to go about it but by the sign of the cross S. Hierome chapter 6. of his eighth Epistle to Demetriades saith Thou often fortifiest thy forehead with the signe of the crosse least the Master of Egypt should find any abode or habitation in thee Again upon the eighth chapter of Ezechiel he saith In the Hebrew Characters which the Samaritans do use untill this day the last letter Thau is made after the likeness of the cross which is imprinted in the foreheads of Christians and often made with their hands And upon the fifty eighth Psalme he prayeth saying We beseech thee O Lord that guarded by the sign of the cross and defended by the assistance thereof we may deserve to be freed from all the deceipts of the divell And to conclude so honorable was the esteeme which the Primitive Christians had of the signe of the cross as that they used it in all the rites and ceremonies of their Religion in such sort as that they accompted no solemne act of their Religion to be well and perfectly performed unless the sacred signe of the cross was added unto it as witnesseth S. Chrysostome for
in his Homily against Nestorius Bâ—shop of Constantinople for whoâ—â— condemnation the said Counceâ—â— was called set downe in the end 〈◊〉 the second act and made in the prâ—sence of the whole Councell saith All hail Mother of God c. by whoâ—â— the holy Trinity is glorified and adâ—â—red through whom the precious croâ—â— is made famous and is adored througâ—out the whole world Thus S. Cyril President of the Generall Councell before all the Bishops which were assembled from all parts to the Councell and before Nestorius Bishop of Constantinople then deposed for heresie and yet neither Nestorius the heretique nor any of his Adherents who were many nor any of the Bishops in the Councell amounting to the number of 200. gainsaid him or contradicted what he said Neither could the adoration of the cross become practised allover the Christian world in few yeares if at any time it had not been adored by Christians as we see by experience in the contrary doctrine taught by the Sectaries who have laboured against it now about 80. years and yet have prevailed but in some corners of the North part of the world only whereby it appeareth that the cross representing our Redemption upon it hath at all times beene adored with a relative religious honour throughout the whole world even since Christianity was planted amongst the Nations For suppose but not granted that there was a time when Christians did not adore the cross and that the adoration of the cross in the manner aforesaid was idolatry as our adversaries would have it how should all the Christian world without a knowne Preacher or Teacher or without any knowne Law or Edict either of Pope or Emperor fall into this their supposed idolatry of adoring the cross and no known man to oppose them or contradict this doctrine if there were Presbyterians in these Primitive times as our adversaries would gladly make the world to believe it seemeth that they were not such fighters for Religion as now they are seeing that knowne and reputed Heretiques and Infidells to both parties only excepted there is not found any one man in these antient times who did oppose it Moreover the Fathers in that Generall Councell at Ephesus so much insisted upon the Doctrinall Succession or preservation of the doctrine delivered by the Apostles from the beginning that Capreolus the Primate of Africa being hindered by the Wandall persecution to come to the Councell sent Besulam a Deacon with letters exhorting them that by the authority of Antiquity they would expell all new opinions and persevere in that one verity of the Church which from the beginning even unto that present time with a simple purity and an invincible authority had come unto them whereupon his letters being read and S. Cyril declaring the mind of Capreolus to the Councell saith The will of Capreolus Bishop of Carthage is that the antient dogmaticall points of faith be confirmed and the new and absurdly devised and wickedly divulged be exploded and condemned All the Bishops together with a loud voice cryed This is the voice of us all this we all affirm this is the vow of us all as is set down more at large in the first Act of the second part of the said Councell before the sentence of the deposition of Nestorius to demonstrate unto us that the adoration of the cross as is aforesaid was taught by the Apostles and hath been used by the faithfull even from the first plantation of the Christian faith over the world thereby to imprint in the hearts of men pious thoughts of the passion of our Lord and therefore the promises of God unto his church considered it is vain and idle now for any man to oppose or contradict it The verses attributed to Lact antius of the passion of our Lord set down in the end of his works say Flecte genu lignum quae crucis venerabile adora bend thy knee and with reverence adore the wood of the cross S. Ambrose in his Sermon upon the death of Theodosius the Emperor affirmeth that not onely the cross of Christ was adored but also the nail wherewith his feet was pierced saying towards the end of his Sermon Hellen was wise who placed the cross upon the head of Kings that the cross of Christ might be adored in Kings neither is this insolency but piety seeing that it is born to our holy redemption And some lines after Kings are bended down to the iron of his feet Prudentius in his Apothesis against the Jewes before the middest saith Purpura supplex sternitur Aeniadae rectoris ad atria Christi vexillumque crucis summis dominator adorat he that is cloathed in purple lyeth prostrate in the porch of Christ and the Emperor adoreth the Standard of the cross S. Hierome in his 27. Epistle written to Eustochius a Virgin of the Epitaph of Paula in the 3. chap. commendeth Paula deceased for that lying prostrated before the cross she adored as if she had seene our Lord hanging upon it Prostratam ante crucem quasi pendentem dominuÌ„ cerneret adorabat And it is so manifest that the faithfull in the Primitive church adored the cross with relation unto our Saviour who suffered upon it for our redemption that S. Paulinus Bishop of Nola a man well knowne to S. Ambrose S. Hierome and S. Augustine in his 11. Epistle saith that the Bishop of Hierusalim did every yeare in the solemnities of Easter expose the cross to be adored of the people he himselfe adoring it first And to conclude it is yet so manifest that the Fathers in the Primitive church adored the cross that our learned adversaries who have read the antient Fathers works confesse it as Danaeus in his other part of his first part against Bellarmine page 1415. saying that Cyril and sundry other Fathers were plainly superstitious and blinded with this inchantment of the crosses adoration Parker against symbolizing part 1. page 14. and part 2. chap. 6. and page 61. alledgeth the sayings of Photius Sedulius Chrysostome Propertius Paulinus Hierome and Evagrius to that effect Fulk against Heskins page 657. affirmeth that by report of Paulinus The cross was by the Bishop of Hierusalem brought forth at Easter to be worshipped of the people and Perkins in the 83. chapter of Problemes confesseth that Prudentius Hierome and Evagrius held the adoration of the cross and so forth as is set downe more at large in the 16. chapter of the 2. book of the Progeny of Catholiques and Protestants And this is sufficient to shew that in the Primitive church and in the most florishing time of the church the sacred crosse of our Lord was adored with a relative religious worship by the faithfull and this kind of worship being free from all manner of suspition or idolatry as I have proved heretofore there is no reason or cause why all Christian Nations should not still use it to the nourishing in themselves pious thoughts and holy meditations of our Saviours
after in the middest of his Army was slain from heaven as affirmeth S. Gregory Nazianzen in his second Oration against him and Z zâ—menus in the 2. chapter of his 6. book of histories After Iulian the Apostata followed Xenaia a servant by condition and an Eutichian Heretike by profession a man who w s never baptized yet feigned himself a Christian Clergy-man and by the Eutychian Heretikes was made also a Bishop this man saith Nicephorus in in the 27. chapter of his 16. book of Histories was the f rst who in these times belched out this opinion that the images of Christ and of those who pleased h m were not to be worshipped and so to the Eutychian heresie added the contempt of sacred Images and died excommunicated by the Councell of Calcedon After him followed the Mahometans and Turks who do so abhor the Crosse as with the Sectaries of this age they call the Christians Idolaters for adoring it as witnesseth Cedrenus upon Heraclius neither do they permit unto those of their Sect the use of Images as appeareth by the 15. and 16. chapters of their Alcoran which Turks being enemies of Christ and Christian Religion are without all hope of salvation And this is sufficient to shew unto thee deare Reader the antient enemies of the Crosse and sacred images and the miseries they fell into In thee it lieth to be a follower of the Catholike Roman Church and to honor reverence and respect sacred images with a relation unto the things they represent thereby to nourish in thee good thoughts or with the Devill Jewes Turks Infidells and Heretikes to condemne them and fill thy heart and mind with filthy shapes vicious thoughts and ugly representations As for the more modern haters of the Crosse and sacred images and their evill ends or miseries which befell them If out of curiosity thou desire to see them I refer thee to the 12. chapter of Bellarmines book of the images of Saints and to the 9. Article of the 2. book of Coccius and to the 10. Article of his 5. book in his first Tome where they are set down at large CHAP. XXVII The visible and invisible relative religious worship which the faithfull in the Primitive Church used towards the sacred pictures signes and images of the written Word of God and thereby learned the true sense and indued their soules with wholesome meditations and pious thoughts IF thou wouldest dear Reader examine the cause from whence it proceedeth that divers in this age do so much apply their minds to the reading of the Bible that they have it almost continually in their hands or lying by them and are so earnest upon it as that many of them think they must have a text out of the Scriptures for whatsoever they doe or els they sin as witnesseth Mr. Sanderson a Protestant Minister in the sixth and eighth § of his second Sermon preached at Grantham in the year 1634. and yet for the most part reap no other benefit out of it but errors heresies and blasphemies against God thou shalt find the originall cause thereof to be First a pride of mind and a contempt or scorn to bestow any relative worship respect or honor upon the materiall character or books or letters sent from God himselfe unto his faithfull followers or chridren penned by the Holy Ghost as S. Peter affirmeth 2 Pet. 1.21 but handle look upon them and use them after the same manner and with the same respect they do the books or letters of sensuall carnall men and sometimes also to shew their contempt or little esteeme change the materiall word of God as though that should be the sacred word what they would and not what God had ordained And secondly a want of an invisible relative religious worshâ—p respect and honor unto the divine and supernaturall sense which God hath given unto his sacred word whereupon they also easily change the sense into their own or other prophane whereby they turn faith into infidelity truth into error and the things revealed by God himself into blasphemy and please themselves in it Whereas holy and sacred things are not to be handlâ—d or treated upon but holily with a relative religious worship respect and esteem for the sacred things which they do represent and as they do represent them the text of the Scriptures is not only called the holy or sacred Scriptures Rom. 1.2.2 Tim. 3.15 but also our faith is called our most holy faith Jude ver 20. those must needs fall into great errors heresies and blasphemies who read speak of or handle them without a relative religious honor and respect unto them for God disperseth the proud in the conceit of their hearts Luk. 1.51 Again To whom shall I have respect saith God but to him that trembleth at my words Isa 66.2 as at the words of his Creator S. Paul calleth the Gospell of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ The Gospell of the glory of the blessed God 1 Tim. 1.11 wherefore those who give no more religious worship and honor unto it then they give unto other books but rudely read interpret and handle them as they do prophane Authors must of necessity abound with errors heresies and blasphemies according to the words of our Lord saying Whosoever shall glorifie me I will glorifie him and they that contemn me shall be base 1 Kings or Samuel 2.29 as of no Religion established by the Son of God or Scriptures seeing that Religion even by the consent of our adversaries is described to be a due worship of God and holy things and fall into the error of those wicked Priests of whom God complained saying Between a holy thing and a prophane they have put no difference Ezek. 22.26 Whereupon the faithfull servants of God to profess a Religion and to nourish in their hearts and soules the pious thoughts and piety comprehended in the Bible alwayes honored and respected the sacred text or Bible with relative religious worship both for his sake that writ it and for the divine things it represented unto their memories in such sort as in the Old Law the faithfull Jewes kept it in the Tabernacle and adored it with the Tabernacle never touched it without first washing their hands kissed it as often as they either opened or shut it would not sit upon that seat upon which it lay and if by accident it fell to the earth they fasted for their negligence one whole day as affirmeth Cornâ—lius à Lapide in his preface to the phrases of the holy Scriptures The reason why they did so was for that wisdome will not enter into a malitious soule nor dwell in a body subject to sin Wisd 1.4 whereupon the Prophet prayeth saying establish thy word in thy servant in thy fear Psal 118.38 Again blessed is the man whose will is in the way of our Lord in his law he will meditate day and night Psal 1.1 where the Prophet affirmeth that those who walk in the way of