Heauen aboue or in the Earth beneath or in the water vnder the Earth thou shalt not bow downe to them nor worship them For I the Lord thy God am a iealous God visiting the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth Generation in them that hate mee but shew mercie vnto thousands in them that loue mee and keepe my Commandements When the Sicilians accused Verres of Briberie Tully being entertained their Lawier omitted his vsuall Oratorie and Rhetoricall Oration onely putting the Case in plaine tearmes produced the witnesses and said This is his crime and our accusation Let who can gainsay this euident transgression Hortensius the others Aduocate considering the cleerenesse of the Case and manifest euiction refused to plead one syllable in the defence thereof and Verres yeelded himselfe vnto a voluntarie banishment Had the Patrons of Images but the honest bashfulnesse of Heathen Hortensius and were the consciences of those we challenge for worshipping them no more confident then Verres himselfe I should make no question but that onely the reading of this plaine Precept against Images would make the Learned blush to plead for so plaine Idolatrie and cause the common people the common worshipper of Images to recant and make a voluntarie submission But alas wee contest with men resolued to hold the conclusion who shame not to support a shamefull sinne against the very Letter of the Law I am inforced therefore to inforce my accusation wherein I must act two persons first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first I will shew what they can say for Images and next what wee can say against Images both truly painly impartially euen as I hope to plead my owne selfe for my owne soule before our great God at his dreadfull Day of judgement Our Aduersaries are like the Thebans Quot sunt Thebarum portae they haue seuen Bulwarkes whence they propugne their Images the materialls whereof they pretend all to be fetched from this Commandement All their Arguments and Answeres are raised from these seuen Heads from the consideration of the Agent of the Action of the Instrument of the Worke of the Obiect of a Commandement propounded and of this Commandement expounded First Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image We doe not say they God doth giue vs patternes and is our Patron God himselfe did make them Secondly Neither doe we make them to our Selues we haue a Warrant from Heauen both ordinarie and extraordinarie he hath granted leaue by the Scriptures and graced Images with many glorious Miracles Thirdly That Instrument of our adoring God is an Image not an Idoll as the Heretickes mistake it and miscall it no Idoll therefore no Idolatrie Fourthly We doe not Worship them it is not godly honour we giue them but Reuerence or Veneration Fiftly For our Religious Worship resteth not in them but reflecteth on him it is God wee worship and not the Image Sixtly Wee haue a Commandement equall to this Commandement Pari pietatis affictu veneramur The Tradition of an vn-erring Church to iustifie our action Seuenthly Concil Trident sub Paul◠3. Sess 4. and lastly this very Commandement so much vrged against vs it is either included and but a part of the first Commandement or excluded and no part of the perpetuall Morall Law it being onely Positiue for that Place and People They dispute then from Examples from Scriptures and Miracles from the name of an Idoll from the nature of Adoration from the Person adored from Tradition and from the Exposition of this second Commandement Thus haue wee viewed the Heads of their Troupes I will now discouer their seuerall Files and Rankes that you may see the Armie of our Aduersaries which defend their Diana dropped from Heauen their Crusadoes which fight for their Crosses and worshipping of Images Their Examples giue the on-set of the Cherubins Consilium sui redit sect 20. in Gods House Exod. 25. 18. and of the Lions in the Kings house 1. Reg. 10. 19. alleaged by the De Imag. lib. 2. Bishop of Spalato of the Brazen Serpent Numb 21. 8. by Bellarmine and a whole Colledge of Iesuites haue concluded out of Daniel 3. 1. that as Rhemists in Reu. 9. 14. that Image was for the honour of the King so their Images were for the honour of Christ Nay the Image of Saint Stephen was made by an Angell and the Image of Edissa by Christ himselfe saith Bellarmine These Examples I say gaue the De Imagin lib. 2. cap. 18. on-set and indeed they are like the forlorne Hopes quickly cut in pieces or rather like honest Subiects forced to the fight against their Souereigne they turne their Weapons vpon the Rebels which bring them to the Battell Consider the Author and the end of all these Images For the first when the Image-worshippers are as wise as Solomon and as pure as Angels hauing the same authoritie with Christ from God then may they doe what they say these did erect Images to religious vses Notwithstanding these were neuer made for Adoration The two last the Image of Saint Stephen and of Edissa were not made I meane by those Artists the other were made but not worshipped The Lions were in the Kings Palace whither the people did come but not to worship the Cherubins were in the Sanctum Sanctorum whither the people did not come But the Serpent is an vnanswerable instance againe Image Adoration for so soone as it was adored it was damned for an Idoll 2. Chron. 31. 1. All these Examples therefore are impertinent that one only excepted of Nebuchadnezzer which was worshipped at Babell as an Idoll and therein I confesse their Images doe answere that Example In the second place they instance in the second phrase we doe not say they make any Images to our selues wee haue a warrant from God to worship them Wee haue his warrant ordinarie his Word and Oracle and his warrant extraordinarie his Workes and Miracles The ordinarie warrant they seeme to repute but an ordinarie Argument they vrge the Scriptures very sparingly Suarez Apol. lib. 2. c. 11 12 13 14. Learned Suarez in his large Discourse of Images alleadgeth not one Scripture to auouch the Adoration of them Seuen indeed are cited by Bellar. de Imag. lib. 2. c. 22. Bellarmine but so as that I cannot tell which to admire most either the first that the Scriptures are not quoted or the last that they are so ill quoted by two of our learnedst Aduersaries in the greatest point in Controuersie they accusing vs for Heresie because wee oppugne and wee them for Idolatry because they propugne the worshipping of Images Suarez his Scriptures are soone assailed because neuer cited Take Bellarmines testimonies according to his owne corrupt Translation and make the best of them Adorate scabellum Worship his foot stoole Psal 95. Nolite iurare per Coelum Matth. 5. Sweare not by Heanen Locus in quo stas
Proceed wee from their Positions to their Practice and we shall perceiue that some of them worship the very Image Our English woman is one Rainoldus de Idol lib. 2. cap. 3. sect 70. who prayed to the Image of our Ladie that it would intercede for her to the person of our Ladie as it is related by that reuerend Diuine Doctor Rainolds Their owne Italian women are many who worshipped the Image of the Ladie Prunetana of Florence tanquam pluuiae serenitatisque Donatricem as the very Authour of Raine and Faire-weather The instance is authenticall a Pope is my Authour Pius secundus Moreouer Coment Piâ— 2. lib. 2. they vtter Prayers to their Pictures which cannot concerne the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or thing Resembled Thus they Pray to the Crosse Ara Crucis Salue lignum Breuiar Rom. partâ— Hyeâ—al fine Lampas lucis Vitae dignum Vera salus Hominum Ferre mundi pretium Nobis pronum Confer isti Fac Patronum Plebi Christi Quem tulisti Dominum Crucis Beneficium O Altar bright Haile holy Wood The Lampe of light Of life the Rood Thou hope of our saluation Of pearelesse estimation Cause him to heare Of thy good grace whom thou didst beare Blesse this whole place To free vs from damnation And goodly congregation That the Crosse should intercede to Christ this Prayer cannot be to Christ but to the Crosse it selfe These words also are spoken directly to the Painted cloth and to the Image and are not agreeable to Iesus Christ Salue sancta facies nostri Redemptoris Moulins Buckâ—â— sect 120. pag. 321. In qua nitit species diuini splendoris Impressa panniculo niuei candoris Salue vultus Domini Imago beata Deduc ad proprium O foelix figura Ad videndum faciem quae est Christi pura Haile holy face of Christ Redeemer mine In which the sparkes of heauen it selfe doe shine Here pictur'd in pure linnen white and fine Haile blessed Image of that blessed face Of Christ himselfe O bring mee to that place Where His face I may see by Thy sweet grace Neither may we passe their Pater Noster which they are permitted to pray vnto an Image euen by Catech. Trid. Tract de Orat. Tit. Quis Orandus their Trent Catechisme To come to a conclusion of this point Bellarmine himselfe doth grant that Christians haue worshipped the very Images and that with Diuine Bell. de Imag. l. 2. c. 11. Honour and he doth imply that Christians may worship the very Images The two maine reasons he rendreth wherefore the Heathen did adore the very Images are these Quia mouebantur loquebantur De Imag. l. 2. c. 13. because they seemed to moue and speake quia praedita erant forma humana and because they had the members of men things not vnusuall amongst our Aduersaries I adde that Christians doe worship the very Images and that with diuine Honour Wee cense them sayth Bishop Bonner Suaues odores nos etiam Bonner in Praec 2. in ipsa Ecclesia offerimus Imaginibus Wee offer sweet odours euen Incense vnto Images in our Church sayth their Bellarmine And when God Bell. de Eccles Triumph l. 1. c. 13. p. 1957. himselfe would discipher most detestable Idolaters hee describes them thus Euery man had a Censer in his hand Ezech. 8. 11. And in the Pontificall it is said Thus à Pontifice in thuribulum imponi Pontif. Part. 2. de benedict noua Crucis that the Pope doth stand with a Censer in his hand mox Crucem incensari and that Incense in that Censer is employed about the Crosse Moreouer Nabuchodonosor in signum honoris iussit ei offerri munera odorum suffituum id quod nos etiam secundùm fidem nostram Imaginibus facere consueuimus Nabuchodonosor sayth Vasquez by way of honour commanded that Odours and Perfumes Vasquez de Adorat Disp 6. cap. 3. should be offered vnto Daniel which wee also according to our Faith vse to performe vnto Images And which is yet more considerable the same Vasquez in the same booke concludeth that Hezechiah did breake the brasen Serpent quia illi adolebant Incensum because they burned Incense vnto it and yet he confesseth that they do the same to their Images in the Church of Rome I cannot tell how to expresse it nor they how to excuse it Thinke withall that they sweare by them goe a Pilgrimage to them a Procession with them and place them in the principall places of their Churches to bow and creepe vnto them I demand With diuine Honor externall could more be done if the naturall Image of God Christ Iesus himselfe did descend visibly to bee adored I must answere my selfe but in the phrase of holy Augustine quoted by our holy Bishop Iewell Nemo mihi Iuell Artic. 14. sect 12. dicat Non est Deus nam pro qua re habeant Ara testatur Let them neuer say Wee doe not worship Images as God Let their Incense alone testifie their Adoration Or rather I will conclude Bell. de Imagin lib. 2. c. 24. pag. 2081. in Bellarmines owne words Etiamsi quis dicat id se facere propter Deum vel Christum non propter Imagines hoc ipso quod eas colit diuinis honoribus conuincitur eas colere propter ipsas non propter Deum quicquid ipsi verbis dicant Let the Image-worshippers protest what they please that they worship God in the Image and not the Images themselues yet so long as we see their Practice wee know they worship the very Images indeed although they speake neuer so much to the contrarie Audito nomine Ecclesiae Hostis expalluit They Camp Rat. 3. triumph in Tradition and presse vs with the perpetuall Practice of the Church which doth vndeniably proue say they that the worshipping of Images is lawfull This Arch-argument is vrged by that Arch-apostate Consider his confident assertion Consilio sui reditus sect 23. pag. 24. Ecclesiam porro Christianam etiam Antiquissimam Totam ac Vniuersalem summo consensu absque vlla oppositione aut contradictione statuas ac imagines veneratam esse est certissimum ac probatissimum It is saith he most sure and most certaine that the whole ancient Church with one consent and without any opposition did practise the worshipping of Images I cannot sufficiently admire the impudence of this Assertion which aduanceth it selse with a double insolent iniurie the first against God and the second against the Church Suppose his Brauado to be true that the whole ancient Church with one consent did admit Image-adoration But suppose withall with your eyes see that Gods Law doth interdict it Is the Tradition of the Church a warrant sufficient to iustifie the breach of Gods owne inhibition the case is here cleere they are mandata mea not aliena the Commandements of God and not of the Church which must iudge or iustifie vs at the Day of iudgement Next as
words Image and Idoll are confounded Therefore it is a vaine Distinction Secondly The Interdiction is Vniuersall any likenesse of any thing in Heauen Earth or Sea Now the Romish Images are they not some likenesse of some thing either in Heauen or in the Earth or in the Sea how can they be exempted from this generall inhibition Thirdly the End scope and drift of this Commandement is to preserue religious worship to God alone it must not therefore bee imparted to any creature whether it be to an Idol or an Image whether it be by a Pagan or a Christian Nay the profession doth aggrauate the Idolatry 2. Sam. 12. 14. Fourthly the Reason of the precept is this For I am a iealous God Now will the iealous man permit the Honour of his Bed to Some men by way of Difference No more will God permit the Honour of his Worship to some Images by way of Distinction Adde to this that Logicall axiome Cui conuenit definitio conuenit definitum such as haue the same Definition are the same Thing but the Romish Images and the Heathen Idolls haue the same Definition therefore they are the same thing Thus Dauid doth define them Psal 135. 15. The Images of the Heathen are but siluer and gold the worke of mens hands They haue mouthes and speake not and eyes haue they and see not they haue eares and heare not neither is there any breath in their mouthes But the Romish Images are but Siluer and Gold and the worke of mens hands they haue mouthes and speake not and eyes haue they and see not they haue eares and heare not neither is there any breath in their mouthes Therefore the Images of the Romish Catholikes and the Idolls of the Pagans are all one without Distinction I will shut vp this point with the saying of Agobardus p. 237. Si Sanctorum imagines hi qui Doemonum cultum reliquerunt Venerari â—uberentur puto quod videretur ijs non tam idola reliquisse quam simulacra mutasse that is If the Pagans should bee perswaded to leaue worshippingâ— the Images of their Heathen Gods and to worâ—â—ip the Images of our Christian Saints they would suppose that they did not forsake but alter their Adoration of Images By this we see that there are Idolls in Rome but for Idolatry this they obscure with a cloud of quaint distinctions which I cannot say whether they be more infinite or intricate yet this I say first that their Armie of Distinctions are very Midianites they destroy one another Againe as the Sepia by powring out her inkie puddle doth so dazle the eye of the Fisher that hee cannot discerne the bodie of the Fish yet by the very action hee knoweth more certainely the place where about shee lurketh So their many perplexed distinctions make vnderstanding â—hen the more assured of their errours and Idolatrie they would not thus struggle and wind about with their snapping distinctions to bite in sunder the thread of our arguments but that they feele themselues enwrapped and fast bound with these manifold cords of Scripture and reason choaking their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though I confesse that their nicities will exercise a sound iudgement punctually to discouer them Although wee say they haue Idolls yet they say they doe not worship them With Dulia peraduenture Consilium sui Reditus but not with Latria saith Spalato Nay neither with Dulia nor Latria saith Bellarmine vnlesse it be Analogice and Reductiuè Yea Images De Imag. lib. 2. c. 25. are to be adored both with Dulia and Latria and Hyperdulia also saith A. D. but improprie per A. D. Sect. 4. accidence analogice Againe all worship is to be exhibited to all Images Deriuatiue not Primitiue Enchirid. c. 13. saith Casterus Lâ—ncino would haue them to be worshipped Relatiuè only in regard of their representation Trent Hist lib. â— p. 799. Lainez liketh not that restitution but pleadeth that they may be worshipped Obiectiuè in regard De Trad. par 3. of their dedication also Peresius saith that veneration ought to be onely Motiuè but Sayrus Clauis li. 4. c 30. Inhaesiue that they are truely venerable Concerning this multitude of distinctions I will apply that saying of Cicero as it is alreadie Iewell in H. Art 4. Sect. 12. applyed by Bishop Iewell Bonum esse negus Praepositum dicis An minuis hoc pacto Auaritiam thou wilt not haue wealth called Bonum but Praepositum but doest thou hereby any thing abate auarice Euen so say wee to our aduersaries yee will not haue the worshipping of Images be called Latria but Dulia but doe they hereby any thing abate Idolatrie Or to come closer to their conscience in the words of our Souereigne When Praemonit p. 41. Christ at the day of Iudgement shall accuse them for Idolatry I doubt whither hee will be satisfied by such nice sophistical distinctions Haec sunt verba Suarez Ap. li. 2. c. 12. num 1. regis Quibus prudenter obuiare mihi difficilius est quà m clarissimis rationibus respondere saith Suarez his words speake the truth that he found it more easie to assoile the most learned argument then to answer this plaine appealing to his conscience and indeed the plaine conscience of a poore sinner dare not depend on such curious distinctions against the day of Iudgement To proceed although the Heads of these Fox-like distinctions bee diuided yet all their Tales meet in this concurrance that they do not properly worship Images not with Latria as Bellarmine De Imag. lib. 2. c. 20. calleth it or with godly worship as our Country-men English it I answere that euen Dulia or Rhemists in Act. 17. Sect. 4. the lowest degree of Diuine worship is inhibited by God as the onely bowing of the knee in this Commandement and also Leuit. 26. 1. Againe I say that Latria it Selfe or the highest degree of godly worship is exhibited by some of them vnto Images The Image of Christ is to be adored adoratione Latriae with the very worship due to God Sum. part 3. quaest 25. Art 3. these are the very words of Thomas This also is the suffrage of all the Thomists saith Institut part 1. lib. 9. cap. 6. Azorius yea it is the definitiue sentence of a greater than Thomas or all the Thomists euen of the Pope himselfe Clemens the eight spake thus Crux Legati quia ei debetur Latria erit à dextris that is The Crosse must haue the right hand because it is worshipped with Gods owne worship If they mince the matter with more distinctions I answer in the words of one of their own an English-man the Author of the Monarchomachia that the plaine people stand not to weigh words Tit. 1. pag. 49. but they take them in cortice as the letter importeth or in the words of another their owne too an Italian Bellarmine Coguntur vti subtilissimis distinctionibus quas ipsi