Pagans Indeed Durand derives this dedication or consecration from the practice of the Jews and Gentiles and Durantus urgeth the latter as an argument for it De Ritib Eccles Cath. Lib. 1. cap. 24. First They consecrate the ground where the Church is to be built and the form and manner of it is thus prescribed in the Roman Ritual and Pontifical The Place being appointed by the Bishop where the Church is to be built the day before the first Stone is to be blessed or consecrated the Bishop or some Priest deputed by him fixeth a venerable Cross of wood where the Altar is to be erected The next day the Stone to be laid in the foundation of the Church which must be four square and the Corner stone is consecrated after this manner The Bishop or his Deputy having put on his Robes and standing in the place where the Church is to be built blesseth the Salt and Water and while the Clergy is singing an Antiphona and Psal 83. sprinkles the place where the Cross is set with holy Water The Psalm being ended the Bishop or Deputy turning himself towards the place thus sprinkled prayeth O Lord God though Heaven and Earth cannot contain thee yet thou art pleas'd to have a House upon Earth where thy Name may be always called upon We beseech thee visit this place with the serene aspect of thy Piety the merits of the Blessed Mary ever a Virgin and B. N. naming the Saint in whose Honour and Name the Church shall be built and by the infusion of thy grace purifie it from all defilement and being purified preserve it and thou who didst compleat the devotion of thy beloved David in the work of his Son Solomon vouchsafe to perfect our desires in this work and let all spiritual wickedness fly away Through our c. Amen Then the Bishop or Priest blesseth the first Stone saying O holy Lord Father Almighty Eternal God be pleased to bless ✚ this Stone to be the foundation of the Church in honour of S. N. Through our Lord c. Amen Then he sprinkles the Stone with holy Water and with a Knife makes the sign of the Cross in every part of it saying in the Name of the Fa †ther and of the Son †and of the Holy †Ghost And then this Prayer Bless O Lord this Creature of Stone and grant by the invocation of thy holy Name that whosoever shall with a pure mind assist in the building of this Church may obtain soundness of body and health of soul Through c. And after some other Ceremonies which I omit for brevity sake the Bishop or his Deputy toucheth the Stone and puts it in the foundation saying In the Faith of Jesu Christ we lay this first Stone in this foundation in the Name of the Fa †ther and of the Son †and of the Holy †Ghost that true Faith may flourish here and the fear of God and brotherly love and that this place may be destinated to Prayer c. And when the Mason hath laid the Stone with Mortar the Bishop sprinkles it with holy Water saying Sprinkle me with Hysop O Lord and I shall be clean and wash me and I shall be whiter than Snow After this he sprinkles every part of the place where the Church is to be built if it be not covered but if it be covered then he walks round about sprinkling the foundation of the Church Many other Ceremonies are observed and Prayers added which I must pass over Pontificale Rom. p. 199. Ritual Roman p. 241. And that they cast in silver and gold with the first Stone as the Heathen did Hospinian gives us two Instances out of Bruschius De Origine Templor Lib. 1. cap. 11. Secondly They consecrate the Church after it is built And that their Ceremonies used herein are as superstitious idle and ridiculous as those of Pagans needs no other proof than the meer relation and mystical signification of them And here I will follow their Durandus Rational Divin Officior Lib. 1. cap. 6. and Durantus de Ritibus Eccles Cathol Lib. 1. cap. 24. All being put out the Church except a Deacon who remains shut within the Bishop halloweth the water mixed with Salt before the door of the Church and in the mean time twelve Candles burn within before twelve Crosses painted on the Walls After this the Bishop the Clergy and People following him goes three times about the Church and with a Branch of Hysop sprinkles the Walls with holy Water and every time coming to the door smites it with his Pastoral Staff saying Lift up your heads O ye Gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors and the King of Glory shall come in And the Deacon within answereth Who is this King of Glory To whom the Bishop replies The Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in Battel At the third time the door being opened the Bishop with a few Ministers enters the Church saying Peace be to this house c. Then he begins at the left Corner of the East to write with his Pastoral Staff on the Pavement sprinkled with ashes the Greek Alphabet to the right Corner of the West and again from the right Corner of the East the whole Latin Alphabet to the left Corner of the West viz. in this Form according to the Roman Pontifical p. 222. Then the Bishop makes new Holy-water mixed with Salt Ashes and Wine wherewith he sprinkles the Altar Walls and Pavement of the Church After this he anoints with Chrism the Twelve Crosses painted on the Walls saying Let this Temple be sancti †fied In the Name of the Fa †ther and of the Son †and of the Holy †Ghost Lastly These and other Ceremonies being ended the Bishop celebrates Mass And then follows the mystical signification of these Ceremonies The Holy-water wherewith the Church is sprinkled signifies Baptism because the Church after a certain manner is baptized And the water is mixed with salt to denote our Prudence which is the condiment of all Vertues as Salt is of all Meats Again the threefold sprinkling of the Church within without with this Holy-water signifies the threefold immersion in Baptism And this is done for three reasons 1. For the expulsion of evil Spirits 2. For the purgation and expiation of the Church 3. For the removal of every Malediction For the Earth from the beginning was subject to a curse because man fell by its fruit but the Water was under no curse Hence our Saviour did eat fish and we do not read that he ate flesh except of the Paschal Lamb. And this sprinkling in their going about the Church signifies the care that God hath of his who sends his Angel to guard those that fear him Again the Bishops thrice going about the Church denotes our Saviour's threefold Circuit for the sanctification of the Church The first was when he came from Heaven to Earth The second when he descended
Rerum lib. 6. cap. 13. And a little before in the same Chapter he affirms That Images were derived from Pagans 2. The Heathen consecrated these Statues and Images of their gods with certain Prayers and Ceremonies before they pay'd any reverence and veneration to them by vertue whereof they supposed some extraordinary Vertues were acquired to them and resided in them Dan. 3. 2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the King sent to gather together the Princes the Governors to come to the dedication of the Image which Nebuchadnezzar the King had set up So Arnob. Adv. Gent lib. 1. lib. 6. lib. 8. Minutius Felix in Octav. Tert. Apol. cap. 12. cum notis Franc. Zephir de Spectaculis cap. 13. and de Idolat cap. 4. S. Aust De Civit. Dei lib. 8. cap. 23 24. Thus do Papists consecrate the Statues and Images of their Saints with certain Prayers and Ceremonies The manner of this Consecration is thus described The Bishop standing without his Mitre saith Our help is in the Name of the Lord. Ans Who made Heaven and Earth Lord hear my prayer Ans And let my cry come unto thee The Lord be with you Ans And with thy spirit Almighty Everlasting God who forbiddest not the Images and Representations of thy Saints that as often as we behold them with corporal eyes so often we may meditate with the eyes of our memory to imitate their acts and sanctity we beseech thee vouchsafe to bless ✚ and sancti ✚ fie this Image or Graving adapted to the honour and memory of B. N. thy Apostle or Martyr or Confessor or Bishop or Virgin and grant that whosoever shall endeavour humbly to honour this thy most glorious Apostle or Martyr or Confessor or Bishop or Virgin before this Image by his prayers and assistance he may obtain of thee Grace in this present and eternal Glory in the life to come Through our Lord c. And in the last place the Bishop besprinkles the Image with holy water Pontif. Roman p. 367. And as the Pagans of old did believe that by the Consecration of their Images some extraordinary Vertues were derived to them Even so do our Romanists now as is most clear from these following prayers The Image of S. John the Baptist is consecrated with these words Grant O Lord that all beholding with reverence this Image and pouring out their prayers before it may be heard in whatever they shall ask Let this Image be the expulsion of Devils the advocation of Angels the protection of Believers c. Pontificale Antiquum apud Rivet Orthod Cathol Tom. 1. Tract 2. Quaest 34. And the Image of the blessed Virgin with these words O God sanctifie this Image of the B. Virgin that it may bring the gift of saving-help to thy faithful that hurtful Thunder and Lightning may be more speedily expell'd that the Inundation of Waters or Commotion of Civil Wars or Devastation of Pagans may be suppressed at the presence of it c. Pontif. Antiq. apud Gerhard de Lege Dei And what wonderful Vertues do they attribute to their Agnus Dei's three of which were sent by Pope Vrban the fifth to the Emperor of Greece with these words Balsamus munda Cera cum Chrismatis unda Consiciunt Agnum quod munus do tibi magnum Fonte velut natum per mystica sanctificatum Fulgura desursum depellit omne malignum Peccatum frangit ut Christi sanguis angit Praegnans servatur simul partus liberatur Dona defert dignis virtutem destruit ignis Portatus mundae de fluctibus eripit unde Ceremoniale Rom. apud Rivet Orthod Cath. Tom. 1. Tract 2. Quaest 17. Hospin de Orig. Fest Christ p. 67. Thus our Romanists blasphemously attribute to their Agnus Dei's what is proper to the Word of God and the Blood of Christ viz. That they blot out iniquities purge away the filth of sin obtain pardon confer grace and defend from all evil 3. The Heathen gave great honour and reverence to the Statues and Images of their gods which they expressed several ways 1. By cringing bowing and kneeling before them 2 King 5. 18 44. Isa 15. 17. He maketh a god and worshippeth it he maketh it a graven Image and falleth down thereto c. Adorant simulachra in terram prostrati saith Arnobius speaking of the Gentiles lib. 6. Adv. Gent. 2. By kissing of them 1 King 19. 18. Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal and every mouth which hath not kissed him Job 31. 27 And my heart hath been secretly enticed or my mouth hath kissed my hand Because they could not reach the Sun and Moon the Heathen used when they saw them shine bright and as it were shew themselves in their glory to lift up their hands to them and then put them to their mouths by this sign adoring them as gods If the things they worshipped were nigh they kissed them If out of reach they put their hands to their mouths as acknowledging they had their breath and life from them This was a Rite and Ceremony of Adoration among Idolaters Minutius Felix reports of Caecilius who looking upon the Image of Serapis according to the use of the superstitious Vulgar he put his hand to his mouth and kissed it 3. The Heathen lighted Candles and burnt Incense before their Images Baruch 6. 19 21 They light them Candles their faces are blacked through the smoak Their gods are black in the face by the smoak as our Roman Doctors expound it which proceeds from the Incense burnt in honour of them The Images perfumed and discoloured with smoak grow black Arnob. Adv. Gent. lib. 6. Macrob. Saturnal 4. The Heathen pray'd before their Images Isa 44. 17 He falleth down unto it and saith Deliver me for thou art my god Minutius Felix speaking of the Gentiles saith They invocate their gods pray before Images c. The very same honour and reverence is given by our Romanists to the Images of their Saints 1. They bow and kneel before them and kiss them For this we have the determination of their much admired Council of Trent Ses 25. We kiss them uncover the head and fall down before them 2. They light Candles and burn Incense before their Images Thomas Arundel Arch-Bishop of Canterbury in his Provincial Council held at Oxford 1408 made this Constitution From henceforth let it be taught commonly and preached by all That the Cross and the Image of the Crucifix and the rest of the Images of the Saints in memory and honor of them whom they represent as also their Places and Reliques ought to be worshipped with Processions bendings of the knee bowings of the body incensings kissings offerings lighting of Candles and Pilgrimages together with all other manners and forms whatsoever as hath been accustomed to be done in our Predecessors times Lindewods Constit Provin lib. 5. cap. de Haeret. And Durantus gives the reason and mystical signification of lighting
from Earth into Limbus The third when he ascended from thence into Heaven It also signifies the threefold state of those that shall be saved viz. Virgins Continent and Married persons 2. The twelve lighted Candles signifie according to Rabanus Maurus the twelve Patriarchs and Apostles or according to Ivo that the shining and burning light of the Apostles is to be commended 3. The Bishop's thrice smiting of the door with his Pastoral Staff shews that the Powers of Heaven Earth and Hell yield unto him and that Christ hath a threefold right to his Church Again by this threefold smiting of the door with his Staff is understood the preaching of the Gospel And the opening of the door denotes that by the preaching of Pastors Infidels are converted to the Faith The Deacon's Interrogation Who is the King of Glory signifies the peoples ignorance of Christ And the Bishop knocks thrice Because that is the most noted and sacred Number and because without the invocation of the Trinity there is no Sacrament in the Church 4. The door being opened the Bishop enters to note that nothing is able to resist his Office when rightly executed according to that Lord who can resist thy power And he enters the Church with two or three that in the mouth of two or three Witnesses every word of Consecration may be confirmed or because few were present when Christ in his Transfiguration pray'd for the Church And when the Bishop is entred he saith Peace be to this House because Christ came into the world to make peace between God and Man 5. The Bishop begins at the left corner of the East and goes to the right corner of the West and then at the right corner of the East to the left of the West writing on the Pavement sprinkled with ashes the whole Alphabet in Greek and Latin 1 By the Alphabet we are to understand the first Principles and Rudiments of the Christian Faith according to that of the Apostle Heb. 5. 2. 2. This Alphabet is written in Greek and Latin and not in Hebrew because the Jews departed from the Faith 3. It is written in an oblique after the manner of a Cross and not a direct line Because no man can attain to this holy knowledg who receives not the Mystery of the Cross 4. He goes from the left corner of the East to the right of the West and then from the right corner of the East to the left of the West where we have a two-fold figure 1. Of the Cross signified in such a Scheme 2. The collection both of Jews and Gentiles into one Church And he begins at the left corner of the East to shew that Christ was born of the Jews and goes to the right corner of the West to shew that though Christ was born of the Jews the Doctrine and belief of his Incarnation and Passion was received by the Gentiles And his going from the right corner of the East to the left corner of the West seems to signifie that when the fulness of the Gentiles is come all Israel shall be saved 6. Twelve Crosses are painted on the Walls for three reasons 1. To affright Devils 2. To be Ensigns of Christ's Triumphs 3. To excite Devotion And these Crosses are anointed with Chrism and have Candles burning before them to signifie that the Twelve Apostles who received the first fruits of the Spirit have revealed the Mystery of the Cross to all Nations And so much for the mystical signification of these Ceremonies and the second particular 3. The Heathen beautified their Temples with many noble Gifts and much costly Furniture The Capitol in Rome consecrated to Jupiter Imperator upon Mount Torpeius was adorned with the Statues and Images of all the gods Maiolus mentions a Temple in Vpsalia of such splendor and glory that the Pavement Walls and the very Pillars of it were covered with Gold Dies Canicul p. 405. And Ruffinus speaking of the Temple of Serapis saith that the Walls within were covered with Plates of Gold apud Maiol ibid. The Heathen when in any distress or danger frequently vowed to enrich and adorn the Temples of their gods with magnificent gifts Hinc Augusta nitent sacratis munera Templis Aurea Phoebeis certantia Lumina Templis Manilius apud Rosin Antiq. Rom. lib. 2. cap. 2. Instituit pulchram solidavit robore Templum Caepit perfecit donisque ornavit auxit And a little after he adds Plurima votorum sacravit dona suorum Immensoque pium ditavit munere Templum Corippus Africanus apud cundem Tertullian speaking of the old Romans saith Deum victimis Templum donis honorâstis Ye have honoured God with Sacrifices and beautified the Temple with gifts Apol. cap. 26. Thus do Papists adorn and beautifie their Churches For this their great Doctors urge many Arguments Bellar. de Cultu Sanctor lib. 3. cap. 6. Stapleton Antidota Evangelica in Caput 12. Johannes Durantus de Ritib Eccles lib. 1. cap. 4. And Durandus and Belethus tell us That this adorning consisteth in three things viz. in the decking and trimming of the Church Quire and Altar The Church that is the body of the Church is to be adorned with Curtains and Princely Hangings of Silk and Arras the Quire with Tapistry or Hangings wrought with Pictures of divers colours c. the Altar with rich Coverings Crufixes Phylacteries c. Rational Divin Officior lib. 1. cap. 3. numb 23 Explicat Divin Officior cap. 115. And answerable hereunto is their Practice as all Travellers into those parts where the Roman Religion is established and Historians declare The Palaces of Princes come far short of many of their Churches in splendor and glory How richly and magnificently the Church of Loreto is adorned by Popes Kings and Emperors Turselin gives us a large account Pope Julius 2. beautisi'd this Church with many noble gifts He enriched the high Altar with sacred Ornature viz. an excellent Sute of Cloth of Gold a Silver Cross of Forty pound weight gilt and carved with rare art two Candlesticks a cubit and an half high of twenty six pound weight being of the same substance and work Histor Lauret lib. 2. cap. 12. Francis Cajetan a Noble-man of Rome gave Golden Ornaments for the Altar Cardinal Arigonio other Vestments of Silver and beset with Pearl and the Cardinal of Vrbine most of the Sacred Ornature of his Chappel which was very rich and costly lib. 4. cap. 13. lib 5. cap. 1. 4. The Heathen every year celebrated the Dedication of their Temples which they called the Feast of Dedication Hospinian mentions a famous Fountain in Italy called Juturna from which the Romans fetched water for all their Sacrifices At this Fountain a Temple was built and dedicated to Juturna and the Dedication of it was solemnly observed on the Ides of January De Origine Festor Pagan lib. 2. cap. 8. p. 51. And on the 17 of February or then-about was celebrated the Dedication of the Temple Concordia which Camillus vowed