or painted cloaths nor graven nor carved nor painted things as they are such or as they are things absolute but as they have relation to the things of heaven and the mysteries of our faith and stir up in their minds pious thoughts And this is sufficient to shew unto any indifferent Reader how free Roman Catholiques are from committing either idolatry or any superstition in the honor and worship which they give unto sacred artificiall pictures signs and images and how their adversaries do calumniate them herein unjustly not only to the breach of the peace concord and charity which should be amongst the natives of this Island of Great Britain but also to the great hinderance of the elevation of mens minds to heavenly things and pious thoughts for the which God forgive them CHAP. XVI By the second Commandement God commanded all men to honor and worship his Name which is but a sacred signe picture or image of himself with a relative religious worship thereby to beget pious thoughts of him in our souls AS I have said heretofore no Artificer Carver Printer or Writer can make an essence substance or person or creature because these things are reserved to God the Author and Creator of all things but all that these men can do is to produce an accidentall form figure sign picture or image and all letters words characters hierogliphicks Tabernacles Altars c. as they are such are but artificiall signes pictures and images of the things which they represent made by artificers yet God not onely commanded that a relative religious respect and honor and reverence should be used towards the Tabernacle and propitiatory of the people of Israel as is often specified in the Scriptures but also so straitly bound all men to give a relative religious honor and worship unto his name as that he made it the second Commandement of the first Table saying Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain for our Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vain Exod 20. and our Saviour taught us to pray unto God saying hallowed be thy name which name is but an artificiall thing sometimes pronounced sometimes painted written or ingraven other sometimes expressed in pictures and images as witnesseth Pierius in the thirteenth chapter of his seventeenth book and fifth of his thirty third book of the sacred Egyptian letters where he affirmeth that for these graven printed or written letters or word God which we use they had the picture or image of an eye as a God seeing all things according to the words of S. Paul saying There is no creature invisible in his sight Heb. 4.3 or a God father of lights as the Scriptures call him James 1.17 other sometimes they expresse this word God or the name of God by the picture of a Crocodile or of a Stork which have no tongues as of a thing unspeakable whereby it appeareth that men were alwayes bound to honor and worship sacred signes pictures and images with some kind of religious worship to the ingrafting in their hearts pious thoughts seeing that the Commandements of God bind all men in all ages and times as our Adversaries do confesse and we cannot give a relative religious honor unto any sacred thing as it is such but it will put in our minds pious thoughts According to this second Commandement the children of Israel had this name of God Iehova which was esteemed most proper unto him in such honor and reverence as for the respect they bore unto it the common people abstained from pronouncing it and the Priests forbore to speak it unlesse it were in their sacrifices and solemn blessings of the people or in entering into the holy of holies as witnesseth Philo in his book of the life of Moyses and when in reading the Scriptures this name occurred in place thereof they pronounced another as Adonai or Elohim in such sort as that â—â—t onely the seventy Interpreters who translated the Old Testament into Greek and our old translation in Latin and Origen in his Tetrâ—plis or Hexaplis but also our Saviour and the Apostles as often as the word Jehova doth occur they put in place thereof Adonai And not only the name of God was worshipped by the people of Israel with a relative religious honor and worship but also the plate wherein the name of God was ingraven and hung in the miter of the High Priest before his forehead as witnesseth the Scriptures saying They made also the plate of sacred veneration of most pure gold and they wrote in it with the work of a Lapadario or Ieweller the holy of our Lord or the holy name of our Lord and they tyed it to the Miter with a lace of Hiacinth as our Lord had commanded Moyses Exod. 39.29 whereupon Iosephus in the eighth chapter of his eleventh book of Antiquities relateth that Alexander the Great seeing Iaddus the High Priest bearing this venerable plate on his forehead with great reverence went unto him and adored the name of God written in the plate Moreover an oath being an act of Religion to bind all men to use a relative religious worship towards his name which is but a sign character or Hierogliphick commanded them that when just occasion was offered of swearing that they should swear by his name saying By my name thou shalt swear Exod. 6.13 Again He that sweareth in the earth shall swear by God Isay 65.16 and divers Nations as the Egyptians and Chinois using pictures and images in place of words they must of necessity according to this command use a relative religious honor and worship to pictures and images neither may our Adversaries say that this reverence and honor to the name of God is only civill seeing that all Divines grant an oath to be an act of Religion and that the Commandements are religious things whereby it is manifest that by the second Commandement we are bound to use a relative religious honor and worship to some kind of signs pictures and images as unto those which represent unto us the living God and that this relative religious worship to these sacred signs do nourish in us pious thoughts otherwise God would not have commanded it CHAP. XVII The third Commandement commandeth all men to honor and reverence the Sabbath day which is but a sacred sign THe third Commandement saith Remember that thou sanctifie the Sabbath day or as Protestants translate Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy Exod. 20.3 Again observe the day of the Sabbath to sanctifie it or as Protestants translate keep the Sabbath to sanctifie it Dout. 5.12 now that dayes are but signes and not God or Gods the same Scriptures do witnesse saying Let lights be made in the firmament of heaven to divide the day and night and let them be for signes and seasons and daies and years Gen. 1.14 to manifest unto us that daies and years and so likewise the Sabbath or Sunday is but an
artificiall sacred signe gathered by the calculation of the Sun as is yet further manifest for that some begin the Sabbath day from the first appearing of the stars after the setting of the Sun as the Jews others from midnight as Catholique Christians others from Sun rising as the Protestants c. In some Countryes the dayes are sometimes as long as one of our moneths in others as two in others as three and in some it is day for half a year together so that if they did not calculate a time for the observance of the Sabbath they should either keep none or els sanctifie it for half a year together Again as I have said here before men cannot change essences and substances because these things belong to God but they have changed the Sabbath from Saturday unto Sunday as our Adversaries do confesse whereby it is demonstrated that that the Sabbath day is but a sacred sign of rest from the Creation of the world as also of the eternall rest of heaven and of the Resurrection of our Lord and of the people of God c. whereby they might be distinguished from other Nations and yet our adversaries themselves do honor reverence this day after their kind or manner with a religious worship though it be but a sign and no substance or person or God neither may they say that this sanctification of the Sabbath may be or is performed by a civill worship seeing that first the Commandements of God as I have said heretofore are divine and religious and pertaine to Religion Secondly civill worship may be used by Pagans and Heathens who cannot sanctifie any thing to God because they want faith without which it is impossible to please God Moreover that the Sabbath day or Sunday is but a sign or ceremony to put us in mind of another thing God himself doth yet further witnesse saying See that you keep my Sabbath because it is a sign betweene me and you in your generations that you may know that J am the Lord which sanctifie you keep you my Sabbath for it is holy unto you he that polluteth it dying shall dye Exod. 31.13 to demonstrate unto us that the Sabbath or Sunday is but a signe to distinguish the people of God and faithfull from the Infidells and reprobates and yet all faithfull people worship and honor it with solemn rites ceremonies and circumstances as offering of Sacrifice rest from labour attending to proper preaching reading of the Scriptures and other pious works and exercises so that it cannot be denied but that sacred signes pictures images and such things as represent unto us or have relation either immediately or mediately unto divine things or to the things of heaven or mysteries of our faith may be honored and worshipped with a relative religious honor and worship for the things of heaven or holy things which they represent and that this relative religious worship begetteth in us pious thoughts seeing God commandeth it Againe God would have this sign of the observance of the Sabbath or Sunday so much honored and respected by men as that he promiseth great rewards to those who shall religiously and carefully observe it saying If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy will in my holy day and call the Sabbath delicate and the holy of our Lord glorious and glorifie him by keeping it whilest thou doest not thine own wayes and thy will be not found to speak a word then shalt thou be delighted upon the Lord and I will lift thee up abâ—ve the neights of the earth and I will feed thee with the inheritance of Jacob thy Father Isay 58.13 Thus the Scriptures to demonstrate unto us that there is no cause why our Adversaries should so dislike of the religious relative worship which Roman Catholikes do give to sacred signs pictures and images as they represent either heavenly things or the mysteries of their faith seeing that God not only commandeth it but also promiseth great rewards to those who shall zealously and carefully reverence and respect them The cause why Almighty God so presseth man to sanctifie the Sabbath day which is but a sign of the rest which he made from the creation of the world and of our Saviours Resurrection and of the eternall rest in heaven with a relative religious worship is because we cannot worship this sacred sign of the Creation of the World Resurrection of our Saviour and eternall rest in heaven without thinking upon these things and begetting in our hearts pious thoughts of the Creation of the World Resurrection of our Saviour and eternall joyes of heaven the Sabbath being a holy sign of those sacred mysteries as words are of things when we worship this signe with a relative religious worship for those things which it doth represent we cannot but think upon the things themselves because as I have said heretofore we cannot think upon two things at once from whence it is that the relative religious worship which is given to sacred pictures signs and images as they are such cannot but nourish in the doers pious thoughts for which cause the divell stirreth up those in whose heart he dwelleth to have them cast down or prophaned least by their remaining and the relative respect born unto them for the sacred things they represent and as they do represent them he should be forced to change his lodging And to conclude God speaking of the observation of the feast of Easter or Pasche saith The first day of the Pasche shall be holy and solemn and the seventh day with the like festivity shall be venerable Exod. 12.16 To shew unto us that the children of Jsrael by the Commandement of God gave honor and worship to the first and seventh day of the Pasche which are but instituted signes of our Lords passage over their houses in Egypt and of the Resurrection from death to life everlasting whereby we see that of the ten Commandements two command us to worship respect and reverence with a relative religious worship sacred artificiall signs pictures and images because this begetteth in us pious thoughts CHAP. XVIII Of the sweet name or signe of Jesus and how this name respectively is to be worshipped with a relative religious worship above all names thereby to beget pious thoughts of Jesus above all things ALthough the word signe or name Jehova was of great honor and worship amongst the faithfull Jewes yet it should be inferiour in honor and reverence to the name or word Jesus as it signifieth our Saviour amongst the Christians because Jehova doth signifie God as he is our Lord and Creator but Iesus doth signifie God as he is our Saviour and Redeemer wherefore as the benefit of our Redemption is greater then that of our Creation so the name of Iesus or a Redeemer or Saviour is greater then the name of God or a Creator whereupon the Church in the blessing of the Paschall candle saith It had availed us nothing
of pious thoughts and how to attain unto them and last of all how to cherish and nourish them that we may abound with piety which is a vertue of so great eminency and excellency that as S. Paul saith It is profitable to all things 1 Tim. 4.8 and withall as there he saith hath the promise of this life that now is and of that to come and what more can be desired of men in this vale of tears Now for the better understanding what our thoughts are it is necessary first to observe that many things in the outward senses are two which in the inward soul are but one as for example to see and to hear in the outward senses are two reall distinct things which in the inward soul are both one The soule having reall distinct powers but not parts from whence it cometh to passe as S. Augustine in the nineth and tenth chapters of his fifteenth book of the Trinity excellently noteth that to heare and to see as also to speak and to see in the inward soul are both one Whereupon he describeth a thought saying A thought is a certain vision of the soul whether these things be present which are seen with the corporalleys or perceived by the other senses or they be absent and their likenesse only is seen by thought or if neither of these but these things are thought upon which are neither corporall nor yet have corporall shapes as vertues and vices or as the thought it self when it is thought upon Thus S. Augustine of our thoughts Again in the same place he saith also That thoughts are speeches or words of the heart which he proveth by the Scriptures which say They said thinking within themselves Wis 2.1 Again certain of the Scribes said within themselves Mat. 9.3 Again The Scribes and Pharisees began to think saying Luk. 5.21 where the thoughts of men are called the words or sayings of the heart so that a thought is rightly described according to S. Augustina to be a vision word or speech of the heart which if we could bring to be pious in all men and to be strengthened and nourished we should easily make piety to abound in the world for as S. Aug. there saith When we say that thoughts are words of the heart we do not therefore deny them to be visions sprung from the vision of things signified unto us because in the inward soul they are both one Now if it could be brought to passe that men in their inward souls should neither heare nor see nor speak or that which is all one not think of any thing but with detestation which were not pious they must needs abound with piety and be very happy because as S. Paul saith they should be profitable to all things and also be partakers of the promises which God hath made unto his servants in this life and in that which is to come here to be happy by grace and in the other by glory which I heartily wish unto thee Reader CHAP. II. Of Pious and impious thoughts and what Pious thoughts are NOt every thought of a good thing is therefore presently a pious thought The divell sometimes thinketh upon God though he cannot have a pious thought because he is confirmed in malice and evill men think many times upon good things but with an evill intent Wherefore as S. Augustine in his twelfth Sermon upon the 118. Psalm saith We should not only think that it is good which we do but also and that chiefly if it he good for which we do it Wherefore for a thought to be pious it is not onely sufficient that we think of a good thing but also that we think upon it to a good end God being the last end of man then our thoughts are truly pious when we think on holy and sacred things or the works of mercy or the obligations of our estate c with an inclination of mind to adhere unto them as unto things which may either immediately or mediately conduct us to God the end of all our hâ—pes So that in few words an absolute pious thought is an inward vision speech or motion of the mind by which we either immediately or mediately adhere unto God the last end our happinesse From hence it is that the Prophet David a pious man and a man according to Gods own heart saith I have inclined my heart to do thy justifications for ever for reward Psal 118.112 Again in the same Psalm I have not declined from thy Testimonies Thus the Prophet to instruct us that the only thinking upon a holy or sacred thing is not sufficient to beget an absolute pious thought but the thinking upon it with an inclination of mind to adhere unto it for the benefit we receive by it and for Gods sake the end of our happinesse On the contrary an absolute wicked thought is a full or deliberate consent of the mind or thought to do any thing against the Commandements of God whereby men become cursed and wicked as witnesseth the Prophet in the same Psalm saying Thou hast very much commanded thy Commandements to be kept cursed are they that decline from thy Commandements though it be but with full consent of thought as he further witnesseth in the said Psalm saying Thou hast despised all that revolt from thy judgements because their thought is unjust or wicked As to think upon an evill thing or to have a suggestion of evill put into our minds either by the flesh world or divell who are our enemies without any inclination of will or consent of heart to do it is not properly called an evil thought but a suggestion carnall motion or temptation So likewise to think only upon a good or holy thing without any inclination of heart or mind unto it is not properly a pious thought but when we have an extension of heart to adhere unto it as unto a thing which may either immediately or mediately conduct us unto God the last end of all our happinesse CHAP. III. How all evills proceed from evill thoughts IF we would seriously consider from whence all the evills miseries and mischiefs which have happened in heaven or earth are originally sprung or have had their beginning or yet do daily arise we shall easily find that they originally have proceeded and even at this day do proceed from impious and wicked thoughts In heaven all the Angells and intellectuall Spirits lived in peace and unity with God and amongst themselves untill Lucifer one of the chiefest amongst the Intelligencers or Angells begun to think wickedly and to say in his heart I will ascend into heaven above the starres of God I will exalt my throne Esay 14.13 And upon earth there was no evill sicknesse or infirmities or miseries amongst men untill man began to think impiously that he would be like God Gen. 3.5 Whereupon truth it self saith Out of the heart come forth evill thoughts murders adulteries fornications theft false testimonies blasphemies
divers ingravings and carving and he made in them Cherubins and palm trees and divers pictures as it were standing out of the wall and coming forth 3 Kings 6. S. Paul also calleth Christian Churches the house of God 1 Cor. 11.22 and our Saviour divers times calleth his Church upon earth the Kingdome of heaven as Mat. 13.24 and again verse 47. and the Temple and Churches his Fathers house Ioh. 2.16 where not onely God dwelleth but also Angels and Saints according to the words of S. Paul saying to the Christians You are come to Mount Sion and the City of the living God heavenly Hierusalem and the assembly of many thousand of Angels and the Church of the first-born which are written in heaven Heb. 12.22 whereupon it cometh to passe that there was never in the world any Church which did belong unto Catholique Christians which had not in it an Altar as a picture sign or image of the Altar in heaven and some sacred pictures signes or images either to represent unto those who should enter into it the society of heaven or the mysteries of our faith or both otherwise it could not represent the Temple of God or house of God in heaven from whence it hath his denomination S. John saying that he saw a great multitude in heaven which no man could number of all Nations Tribes and peoples clothed in white robes and palms in their hands c. these saith he are they which are come out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the bloud of the Lamb therefore they are before the Throne of God and they serve him day and night in his Temple Revel 7. Again he saith I saw an Angel come forth from the Temple which is in heaven Revel 14.17 whereby it appeareth that as we have sacred Temples Altars and Churches which represent the Temple Altar and house of God in heaven so also we ought to have sacred images or pictures of Angells and Saints to represent unto us the Inhabitants in the Temple of heaven or the mysteries of our faith and that our adversaries who disgrace deface and beat down these things are enemies to pious thoughts and to the elevation of mens minds to heaven and heavenly things CHAP. XIII That in time of peace when there is no persecution the pictures and images of Angels and Saints ought to be placed in Christian Churches and there honored with a relative religious worship AS I have proved in the last chapter Christian Churches Temples and Chappels ought to resemble unto them heaven and the house of God in heaven wherein do dwell Angels and Saints and therefore it is as manifest that Christians ought to have some sacred pictures of Angels and Saints in their churches temples and chappels and there to honor them with a relative religious worship to represent unto them heaven as is manifest that they ought to have churches unlesse it be in time of persecution when sacred pictures are more subject to be prophaned then the churches themselves by Pagans and Infidels who do more hate sacred images then they do material churches and therefore doe sooner deface and abuse them then they doe the churches themselves In the Old Testament because the gates of heaven were not open before the Ascension of our Lord as the Scriptures witnesse Colos 1.18 therefore in the Tabernacle and Temple of the Old Law were onely the pictures of Angels and not of Saints but now in the New Law that the Saints have passage into heaven and the Inhabitants of heaven doe consist of Angels and Saints as witnesse the Scriptures Heb. 13.22 Revel 7.9 it is as requisite that the pictures and images of Saints should be placed in Christian churches and chappels and there respected and honored with a relative religious worship as that it was necessary in the old Law the pictures of Angels should be in the Tabernacle and Temple and there respected and adored after the manner aforesaid the same reason serving equally for both The Inhabitants of the Temple and house of God in heaven consisting of an innumerable multitude of Angels and Saints he should be but an unskilfull workman who would undertake to make a description of it unto our corporall eyes and not paint or carve any image or picture of any Saint seeing that heaven is the house of Saints as further witnesseth S. Paul 2 Cor. 5.1 unlesse he should excuse himself by reason of persecution that he omitted these things least they should be prophaned by Pagans and Infidels or administer occasion unto them of greater wrath or indignation against Christians whereupon it came to passe that though the Primitive Christians alwayes used pictures and images of Saints in their churches chappels and places of meeting and respected and reverenced them with a relative religious worship as they did their churches thereby to nourish in themselves pious thoughts yet in the time of persecution they used them not carved or painted upon the walls or so fixed as that they could not easily remove them as doth witnesse the Councell of Jliberis held in the time of of persecution and before the church had peace in the thirty sixth Canon saying It hath pleased the Councell that pictures should not be in the Churches that is to say fixed or fastened to the walls least that which is worshipped and adored should be painted upon walls where the Pagan and Infidels coming might easily abuse them But after that persecution ceased and the church had peace for the statues pictures and images of false gods and prophane men which the Pagan and Infidells used in their Temples and the honor which they bestowed upon them the Christians brought in the pictures images and memories of the Saints with a relative religious respect and honor unto them as witnesseth Theodoret in the end of the eighth book of the cure of Greek affections or of Martyrs saying The Temples of those false gods and prophane men together with their groves are now so destroyed that there doth not remain any of their footsteps neither can we know after what manner their Attars were built for the very matter of those things is purged out by the erected Temples and Altars of the Martyrs for our Lord God hath brought in his dead into the Temples in place of your gods he hath made their glory void and vain and hath given their honor to his Martyrs and for the solemnities of all your gods and goddesses are brought in the common feasts of Peter Paul Thomas Sergius Marcellus Leontius Antonius Moritius and other holy Martyrs Thus Theodoret who florished in the year 430. to shew unto us that as soon as the church had peace the faithful kept the feasts of the Saints placed their pictures in the churches and gave unto them all the exteriour visible honor which the Pagans did unto their false gods except Sacrifice and their relation to their Idols as to the true and living God Untill
to be born if we had not received the benefit of our redemption Moreover the name of God a Redeemer doth include in it the name of God as Creator but not the contrary whereby it appeareth that the word or name Jesus respectively is more holy and more to be honored and worshipped amongst Christians then was the Word or name Jehova in the Old Law seeing that respectively it is of greater dignity and eminency as Abulensis in his seventh question upon the twentieth chapter of Genesis proveth more at large where upon I may conclude that we are bound to honor with a relative religious worship the sweet name of Jesus by the first and second Commandement Christ Iesus saith S. Paul humbled himself made obedient unto death even to the death of the crosse for the which thing God hath exalted him and hath given him a name which is above all names that in the name of Jesus every knee bow of celestialls terrestialls and infernalls Phil. 2.8 Thus the Scriptures to demonstrate unto us that we may honor and worship graven things signs pictures and images when they are not made to our selves as are Idols or vain images but to expresse and represent unto us sacred and holy things and have relation unto God the end of all goodnesse S. Paul here saying In the name of Jesus whether it be ingraven and so a graven thing or painted and so a picture or printed or written or spoken and so a sign every knee shall how The Angel Gabriel said to our B. Lady Thou shalt conceive in thy womb and shalt bear a son and thou shalt call his name Jesus he shall be great and he shall be called the son of the most high Luke 1.31 so great as that S. Peter said in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom you did crucifie in this same this lame man standeth before you whole c. neither is there any other name under heaven given to men wherein we may be saved Act. 4.10 wherefore if it were an offence as it was amongst the people of Israel not to honor and worship the name Iehova which signified God as God and Creator of all things much more it must be an offence amongst the Christians not to honor and worship the name Jesus as it belongeth to Christ our Lord because it signifieth the whole work of the Incarnation and our redemption wheâ—â— to doe concur the wisdome power goodnesse Majesty and all the attributes of God more then in any his other works made oâ— created and putâ—eth us in mind of all these things wheâ—â— upon the Scriptures say A most strong tower the name of our Lord the just unneth to it and shall be exalteb Prov 18.10 Again whosoever shall invocate the name of the Lord shall be saved Ioel 2.22 Rom. 10.13 for as S. Paul saith None can say our Lord Jâ—sus but in the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12.3 that is saith Sedulius upon this text in heart word and work In this name the Fathers and Prophets of the Old Law rejoyced saying as it may be read in the Hebrew J will expect thy salvation or thee Jesus O Lord Gen. 49.18 Again the Prophet David foretelling the preaching of the name of Jesus amongst the Gentiles saith our Lord hath made known his salvation or his Jesus in the sight of the Gentiles Psal 97.2 Again in the same Psalm all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God or the Jesus of our God whereupon the Prophet J say singing a song in Thanksgiving for the benefits the world was to receive by Christ saith God is my Saviour or Jesus J will do confidently and will not fear because our Lord God of God that is to say the son of god Iesus is my strength and my praise he is become my salvation or my Jesus and Saviour you shall draw waters of joy out of the Saviour fountains or out of the fountains of Jesu And you shall say in that day confesse to our Lord and invocate his name make his inventions known among the people Remember that his name is high J say 1â— 2 Thus these Fathers of the Old Law whereby it appeareth that more relative religious honor and worship is to be given unto the name of Jesus respectively as it representeth unto us Christ our Saviour then unto any other name of God otherwise the Scriptures and antient Fathers of the Old Law would not so highly extoll commend and rejoyce at this name more then in other names of God as I shall yet further shew in the ensuing chapter CHAP. XIX Greater honor to be given unto the name Jesus as it signifieth Christ our Lord then to any other name of God GOd the Father as it were rejoycing at the salvation of mankind and glorying at the name of his only Son our Lord said by the mouth of the Prophet Malachy Great is my name among the Gentiles Again my name is great among the Gentiles saith the Lord of Hosts Malachy the first which words S. Irenaeus in the thirty third chapter of his fourth book of heresies expounding saith What other name is there by which he is glorified amongst the Gentiles but that of our Lords by which the Father is glorified and man glorified and because it is the name of his proper son who was made man by him he calleth it his name as if a King himself should paint the image of his son in two respects he might justly call that image his first because it is his sons and secondly because he made it so the name of Jesus Christ which throughout the whole world is glorified in the Church the Father doth confesse to be his both because it is his sons and he writing it hath given it for the salvation of men Thus S. Jrenaeus who lived with the Apostles Schollars to signifie unto us how glorious and honorable this name of Jesus as it calleth into our memory Christ our Lord and all the benefits received by him was in the Primitive church seeing that it was glorified as this Saint affirmeth in his time of the whole Church dispersed over the world and how could it be glorified so universally and early by all Christians if the Christians of these times should have given no more honor or worship unto it then they did to Dick or Tom or Iohn yet Origen in his fourteenth Homily upon S. Luke saith The glorious word Jesu is to be spoken or called upon with all honor and worship In these Primitive times the religious respect and reverence which the ancient Fathers bare unto this name of Iesus as it had a relation to Christ our Lord was so great that S. Ambrose chap. 9. of his book of Hexameron or six dayes work saith This is the gift of the eternall Father to his Son that in the name of Jesu every knee shall bow of these who are in heaven upon earth and under the earth Thus S. Ambrose Now if this be
perdition which also in another place he confirmeth saying The word of the crosse to them indeed that perish is foolishnesse but to them that are saved that is to us it is the power of God 1 Cor. 1.18 Likewise at the later day when Almighty God shall send his Angells to destroy the earth and Sea to make a distinction betweene the servants of God and the followers of Antichrist he will give them a command that all the Elect shall be marked with the sign of the Crosse that thereby they may be knowne from the Rebrobate as witnesseth S. John saying I saw an Angell ascending from the rising of the Sun having the sign of the living God and he cryed with a loud voice to the four Angells to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea saying hurt not the earth or the sea nor the trees untill we sign the servants of our God in their foreheads Thus S. John Rev. 7.2 whereupon Andreas Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia an antient learned Author in his Commentaries upon the Revelations saith upon this text This place as is before said doth belong unto the time of Antichrist when the signe of the quickning crosse vivificae crucis shall distinguish the faithfull from the infidells who shall without any feare and without any shame carry the Crosse of Christ before the face of the impious Antichrist to blot out the memory of the sacred crosse and to hinder men from signing themselves with it and from using any reverence or respect unto it shall cause all his followers to have his name or the character of his name imprinted in their right hand or in their forehead that if they would signe themselves with the sacred signe of the crosse in testimony that they believe the blessed Trinity and march under the protection of Christ crucified they cannot as witnesseth S. John saying Antichrist shall make all little and great and rich and poor and freemen and bondmen to have a character in their right hand or in their foreheads and that no man may buy or sell but he that hath the character or name of the beast or number of his name Rev. 13.16 And this Antichrist shall do as witnesseth S. Hypolitus a Martyr who suffered death for the profession of the Catholique faith about fourteen hundred yeares past least that any man with his right hand should make the sign of the Crosse in his forehead The like hath S. Ephrem who florished not long after him in his Tract of Antichrist saying Antichrist will imprint his character in the right hand and forehead of all his followers that it may not be possible for any with his right hand to sign himself with the sign of Christ our Saviour or by any means to imprint the terrible and holy name of God in his forehead or the glorious and fearfull Crosse of our Saviour for that wretch will know very well that by impression of the Crosse of our Lord all his power is made void And therfore he will have his character imprinted in the right hand of men because we with our right hands do sign the rest of the members of our bodies with the signe of the Crosse Thus S. Ephrem Moreover our Saviour will have the signe of the crosse as it representeth him crucified to be had in such honor and reverence amongst the sons of men that when he shall come to judge quick and the dead it shall appeare before him in the ayre as his standard as himself witnesseth saying Immediately after the tribulation of these dayes of Antichrist the Sun shall be darkened and the Moon shall not give her light Stars shall fall from heaven and the powers of heaven shall be moved and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven Mat. 24.36 Whereupon S. Methodius in his Oration of the consummation of the world saith The sign of the Cross exceeding in brightness glory the shining of the Sun shall be seen from the East unto the West to tell the appearing coming of the Judge In like manner S Chrysostome upon this text saith Then shall appeare the signe of the Son of Man that is to say the Crosse it self for the Crosse shall be seen more bright then the Sun for the Sun shall be darkened and the Crosse shall appear which cannot be saith he but the Cross with his brightnesse must obscure the beams of the Sun And then asking the question why or for what cause shall the sacred Crosse appear so glorious answereth That it may abundantly confound the impudency of the Jewes Thus S. Chrysostome who never could imagine that there would arise men who should call themselves Christians and yet abuse contemne and beat down the Crosse of Christ Whither will these men run at the terrible day of judgment who now not only shun and avoid by all means the Cross of Christ but also call the reverend relative religious respect thereof idolatry In like manner S. Ephrem in his Sermon of these things which are to be revealed after the appearing of the Crosse at the coming of our Lord saith The signe of the Son of Man shall appear in heaven with a multitude of Angells lightening the whole earth above the brightnesse of the Sun even from one end of the world unto the other foretelling the coming of our Lord. And with these further do agree Theophylact and Euthemius upon this text saying Then the crosse shall appeare shining more bright then the Sun Again the Crosse shall then be far more glorious then the Sun which when the impious who in this life have had aversion from the sacred crosse shall see then as our Saviour there saith shall they weep and bewaile their follies when it is too late Agreeable unto this which hath been said the holy Church in the office of the crosse doth say This sign of the crosse shall be in heaven when our Lord shall come to judgement and the Sibils in the end of their sixth book do sing O lignum foelix in quo Deus ipse pependit Nec te terra capit sed coeli tecta videbis Cum renovata Dei facies ignita micabit O happy Tree upon whose armes did'st spread Our God himself did hang alive and dead Earth cannot hold thee but a glorious sign Thou shalt appear in heav'n when Gods divine Immortal face shall bright in judgement shine According to the words of our Lord of the day of judgement Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven and then shall all the Tribes of the earth bewail And after the Standard of the crosse as it followeth in the text they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with much power and Majesty Mat. 24. which joy being propounded unto him before his passion as S. Paul saith he sustained the crosse Heb. 12.2 CHAP. XXIII That the faithful in the Primitive Church used an inward and outward relative religious
amongst the works of S. Athanasius speaketh of an image of Christ our Lord which Nicodemus who took him downe from the eross gave to Gamaliel which after many ages fell into the hands of the Jewes at Berith who out of spite to our Saviour spit upon it struck it with a reed crucified it and pierced the side thereof with a spear whereat bloud and water issued out which cured all diseases as is more at large set down in the said history to manifest it is that sacred images have alwayes beene in use amongst Catholique Christians and that a relative religious worship ought to be bestowed upon them seeing that even from our Saviours time the faithfull have practised it and God hath been pleased to confirme their piety by miracles CHAP. XXVI Of the enemies of the Crosse and sacred Images and of the miseries that befell Images and of the miseries that befell them THe first enemy that the cross had was Satan who lived long with the Apostles who as S. Ignatius in his Epistle to the Phillipenses saith Before the cross was framed the divel laboured that it might be made and to that purpose he wrought with the children of disobedience in Judas in the Pharisees in the Sadduces in old men in young in the Priests but after that the cross was finished he was troubled moved Judas to repent shewed him a halter and taught him how to hang himselfe with it he terrified and troubled the same woman in her sleep that is to say Pilates wife spoken of in the 27. of S. Mathew and he endeavoured that they should cease from crucifying who before had laboured by all means that the same cross should be had in a readinesse not that he repented him of so great an evill for so he should have beene less wicked but now he begun to apprehend his own destruction for the cross of Christ was to be the chiefest cause of his condemnation death and perdition therefore he worketh it in many that they should deny the cross and be ashamed of the passion and affirme that Christ tasted death only in opinion c. for the divel is divers and sundry ways the author of all evill deceiving mens minds by false reasons Thus S. Ignatius to demonstrate unto us that the first enemy of the cross was the divel The second enemies of the cross were the Jewes who as S. Ignatius in the same place before cited affirmeth the divell stirred up to deny the cross who also unto this day remain reprobate The third were the Gentiles whom as the said S. Jgnatius in the same place affirmeth calumniated the cross of witchcraft or inchantment as divers do at this day The fourth were certaine Libertine Christians and Apostates who in the Apostles times fell from the faith denied the cross and put their whole felicity in sensuall life and carnall pleasure of whom S. Paul speaketh saying Many walk whom often I have told you of and now weeping also I tell you enemies of the cross of Christ whose end is destruction whose God is the belly and their glory in their confusion who mind worldly things Phil. 3.18 Thus S. Paul against certaine Heretikes who in his time were enemies of the cross of Christ and gave themselves to luxury gluttony and sensual delights casting off abstinence temperance continency mortification and austere life which the crosse doth teach us which heresie then took root not onely in Juda but in Greece in divers of his Epistles doth so extoll the cross of Christ as to affirm that he knew nothing but Jesus Christ crucified These Heretiques were Simon Mâ—gus and his followers Cerinthus Bâ—silides c. who taught that Christ was not indeed crucified but withdrew himself from the cross and suffered only in his image and the like whereof see S. Ironaeus in his 1. book and 25. chapter of heresies and Epiphanius heresie 24. and 28. and S. Ignatius in his Epistle to the Trallians After these followed the hereticall Nicolaites Theoâ—â—orus and Cleobulus who as affirmeth S. Ignatius in his aforesaid Epistles were so great lovers of voluptuousnesse carnall pleasures and such Sycophâ—nts as that they became enemies of the cross of Christ denied the cross and were ashamed of his passion And it is a thing worthy to be noted that all those who denied the vertue of the cross or the signing themselves with the cross were carnall sensuall people whose God was their belly and their glory in their confusion for within few years they ended their dayes in ignominy and shame and these also denied that the Christians ought to give any reverence or respect to the images or pictures of the Apostles or Saints affirming themselves to be immediately sent from God to reform the world as witnesseth S. Epiphanius Haeres 21. and 22. and contemned the Martyrs of Christ as witnesseth S. Irenaeus in the 20. chapter of his 3. book of heresies saying they ascended to that madness as to despise the Martyrs and found fault with these who had beene slaine for the confession of our Lord. After these followed the Manicheans who as the former Heretikes had done taught that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ had not a true body but a phantasma or an appearance of a body whereof no pictures or images were to be worshipped as affirmeth Terasius in the 2. Councell of Nice Michael Syngelus in the life of Dionisius Areopagita and S. Augustine in the fifteenth chapter of his 20. book against Faustus a Manichean This Manicheus or Manes taking upon him by his vertue and power to cure the son of the King of Persia sick in the hands of the Physitians the Physitians being dismissed and Manes taking upon him the cure he died presently whereupon the King as affirmeth Suidas caused Manicheus or Manes to be flay'd quick and so naked to be delivered to dogs to be eaten After the Manicheans followed the Arians so called of Arius who as is affirmed in the 7. Synod denied that any worship ought to be given by Christians to the image of Christ or his Saints This Arius after many troubles and afflictions which he had brought upon the courch at an appointed time that he was to dispute with Alexander Bishop of Alexandria fâ—ll into a Flux and as Carion in his Chronicle relateth going aside to ease himself died suddainly upon the privy After these followed Julian the Apostata who falling from Christianity to Paganism not only erected his own image in the place where the statua of our Lord stood in Caesarea of which I have spoken of heretofore but also as affirmeth S. C ril B shop of Alexandria in his sixth book against him upbraided the Catholike Christians of his time with the adoration of the cross as our Adversaries do at this day saying O wretched men who adore the wood of the cross and imprint the sign thereof in your foreheads and before your doors Thus the Emperor Julian in his heat against the Christians who soon
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