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
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
sacred name of Jesus whereat three fountains gushed out which yet remain untill this day and was so desirous that all Christians should honor this name that he saith Whatsoever you do in word or work do all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ giving thanks to God and the Father by him Col. 3.17 Surius in the life of S. Ignatius who lived long with the Apostles writeth that being urged by the Pagans to deny Jesus Christ as their custome was in them times answered that it was a thing impossible for him to do because it was ingraven in his heart which after death they cut in pieces and found to be true his heart every where expressing in images the name of Jesus Nicephorus in the third chapter of his seventeenth book of histories writeth that there being a great Earthquake at Antioch about the year of our Lord 524. so fearfull that it destroyed almost the whole City yet divers having confidence in the name of Jesus writ over their doors Jesus is with us let no man move from his place they their houses escaped and stood firm S. Gregory the Great a man of no little credit in the Church of God in the first chapter of his first book of Dialogues writeth that Honoratus a holy man built a Monastery neer to the City of Pundi amongst the Alps where he had almost two hundred Monks under him and a mighty great stone breaking from under the hill under which his Monastery was built came rouling down as if it would destroy both his Monastery and Monks which the holy man Honoratus seeing he often called upon the name of Christ which was Jesus and with his right hand made the sign of the crosse upon it and so staid it presently even in the declining of the side of the Mountain Also the same S. Gregory in the third chapter of the same book relateth another miracle which was done by vertue of the same sacred name of Jesus which was as followeth certain Monks had an Orchard of fruits and herbs for their provision with a Lay-brother a holy man for the Gardner into which a thief used to break for to steal away the fruit and herbs which the pious Lay-brother perceiving the losse looking about found the place where he passed over the pale and seeking for a remedy found a Serpent whom he commanded saying follow me which the Serpent did untill he came to the passage which the thief used and then said to the Serpent I command thee in the name of Jesus that thou keep this passage and do not permit the thief to enter here any more presently the Serpent extended her self along the passage and the Lay-brother returned to his Cell About midday whilest all the Monks were at rest the thief according to his custome came and putting his fâ—ot ovâ—â— the pale to enter into the Oâ—câ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 suddain he perceived that 〈◊〉 Serpent lay in his passage whereat astonished he fell backward with his head downward and his foot fixed in the pale where the Lay-brother coming at his ordinary hour found him and said to the Serpent Thanks be to God thou hast done as thou wast commanded go thy ways which she did And then loosing the thiefs foot without doing him any hurt he said how durst thou brother so often steal the labours of the Monks follow me And so conducting him to the gate of the Orchard with much courtesie he gave him the fruit and herbs which he would have stollen saying Go thy way and hereafter do not steal but if thou shalt be in want come hither unto me and that which now thou labourest to take away by stealth I will freely give unto thee Moreover it was so common a thing for the Christians of the Primitive Church to reverence the name of Jesus with a relative religious worship that pious parents taught it their children even from their infancy as witnesseth S. Augustine in the fourth chapter of his third book of Confessions saying For this name according to thy mercy O Lord this name of my Saviour thy son had my tender heart even together with my mothers milk devoutly drunk in and carefully treasured up so that what book soever was without the name though never so learned or neatly and truly penned did not fully delight me Thus S. Augustine And to conclude this sacred name of Jesus and of God is so much to be honored worshipped upon earth that even in heaven the elect shall have them written in their foreheads there to remain with honor and glory for ever and ever as witnesseth S. Iohn saying And I looked and behold a Lamb stood upon Mount Sion and with him one hundred forty four thousand having his name and the name of his father written in their foreheads Rev. 14.1 whereby it will manifestly appeare unto any indifferent reader that to honour respect and worship the name of God and Jesus Christ our Lord with a relative religious worship for the persons they represent is a great signe of election and to make no more accompt of them then they doe of other vulgar names is an apparent signe of reprobation from which God of his goodnesse deliver thee Reader CHAP. XXII Of the honor and glory of the Crosse of Christ as it representeth his person and passion and how it shall distinguish the faithfull from the followers of Antichrist SO great is the obligation which all mankind hath unto the Son of God for his death and passion upon the Crosse for their redemption from everlasting pains that as S. Augustine saith he who is not thankfull to God for his creation is worthy to go to hell but he who is not willing to have a pious mind and thankfull remembrance for his redemption is worthy to have another hell created for his greater torments whereupon all pious faithfull Christians have ever born a venerable relative religious worship unto the sacred sign or image of the Crosse not as it is a piece of wood or stone or painted cloth or action of the hand but as it representeth unto our memories the sacred passion of our Lord as words do things and indueth our minds with pious thoughts whereupon S. Paul as inamored of the holy Crosse saith God forbid that I should glory but in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ Gal. 6 14. And complaining of the little respect and reverence which the carnall men of his time bore unto the sacred Crosse of Christ saith Observe them that walk as you have seen our form for many walk of whom I often told you and now weeping also I tell you enemies of the Crosse of Christ whose end is destruction whose God is the belly and their glory in their confusion Phil. 3.17 where he giveth us to understand that to be a lover and honorer of the sacred Crosse of Christ as it representeth unto us his passion for us is a signe of election and the neglect a token of
world and to destroy mankind as he grievously threatneth at the last day saying goe and kill c. as is set down Ezechiel the nineth Again in the 22. chapter of his first book of Testimonies against the Jewes speaking of the said prophecy of Ezechiel he saith That in this signe of the crosse is salvation to all those who are signed in their forehead God in Ezechiel doth declare saying passe through the middest of Hierusalem and thou shalt make a signe in the foreheads of men c. So what will become of these men who will not have the signe of the crosse made in their foreheads Lactantius florished about the year 320. and he speaking of the practise of the Church of God concerning this point of the relative religious honor and worship which was given to the sacred signe of the cross in the twenty seventh chapter of his fourth book of Institutions saith Now it is time to declare the great power of the sign of the cross of what terror this signe is to the divells those know who have seene it forasmuch as that adjured by Christ they fly out of the bodies which they did possess for as Christ himselfe whilest he lived amongst us put to flight all the divells by his word and brought men againe into their former senses who had been troubled in mind and furiously mad by assaults of the divell even so now his followers both by the name of their Master and by the sign of his passion do expel the same wicked spirits out of men whereof the proof is not hard for if whilest the Pagans offer sacrifice to their Gods any one be standing by who beareth the signe of the cross in his forehead they cease from Sacrifice neither can the consulted Oracle give any answer and this hath often been the chief cause that evill Kings have taken occasion to begin a persecution for when some of our Christian servants have stood by their Lords whilest they offered Sacrifice and have made the signe of the cross upon their foreheads they put to flight their gods neither could they describe in the entrails of their victimes the things to come And in his verses of the benefits of Christ he said bond thy knee and adore the venerable wood of the cross c. whereby it appeareth what a good fee these Christians deserve to have from the divell who have beaten down crosses and call the signing of our selves and other creatures conjuring Eusebius lived about the same time who writing the life of Constantine the Great in his 32. chapter of his first book relateth how the sign of the cross appeared to him in heaven with this inscription in this sign thou shalt overcome that is to say his enemies and in the second chapter of his third book affirmeth that he used now and then to signe his forehead with that healthfull sign of the passion and many times very much rejoyced in that victorious Tropâ—e or sign S. Athanasius florished in the year 340. who in his book of the Word Incarnate saith A man onely using the sign of the cross doth drive away from him the deceipts of the divells c. let him come who will mâ—ke an experience of my words and amongst the illusions of the divels or impostures of their foretellings or prophecies or the miracles of their Magitians and do but make the sign of the cross which they deride and call upon the name of Christ and he shall see with his eyes how for fear thereof the divell flyeth away their prophecies cease and their inchantments and witcherafts are made void S. Basil the Great florished about the year 370. who in his Oration of the Martyr Gordian saith He fortified himself with the sign of the cross and so with great constancy of mind without any fear or changing of countenance went merrily to his death Again in the twenty seventh chapter of his book of the Holy Ghost he saith If we should go about to rèject these customes which are not delivered in writing as though they were things of no moment we should imprudently condemn many things which in the Gospell are esteemed necessary to our salvation of which sort is that I may repeat that first which is the first and most common thing used amongst us the sign of the cross for who hath taught in writing that we should signe those with the sign of the cross who have put their hope in Christ is it not by a tacit and secret tradition is it not from the doctrine which our Fathers have kept in silence which curious and idle people call in question S. Cyrill of Hierusalem lived at that same time with S. Basil the Great and he in his fourth Catechesis or instructions for Christian life saith Let us not be ashamed of the cross of Christ but if any one shall hide it do thou publikely sign thy self in the forehead with the cross that the divells seeing the standard of the King trembling may make hast to be gone see also that thou make this sign when thou beginnest to eat or drink when thou sittest down and when thou arisest when thou beginnest to speak or to walk and in every one of thy affairs S. Ambrose also florished at the same time with S. Gregory and S. Cyril who in the seventy seventh Epistle of his nineth book saith Christian people do in every moment write the contempt of death upon their owne foreheads for they know that without the cross of our Lord they cannot be saved Again in his fifty sixth Sermon he saith In what place the cross of Christ is erected or planted there presently the iniquity of the divell is driven away and tempests of winds cease and also the good husbandman when he prepareth his land by tillage and seeketh nourishment for life he doth not begin to go about it but by the sign of the cross S. Hierome chapter 6. of his eighth Epistle to Demetriades saith Thou often fortifiest thy forehead with the signe of the crosse least the Master of Egypt should find any abode or habitation in thee Again upon the eighth chapter of Ezechiel he saith In the Hebrew Characters which the Samaritans do use untill this day the last letter Thau is made after the likeness of the cross which is imprinted in the foreheads of Christians and often made with their hands And upon the fifty eighth Psalme he prayeth saying We beseech thee O Lord that guarded by the sign of the cross and defended by the assistance thereof we may deserve to be freed from all the deceipts of the divell And to conclude so honorable was the esteeme which the Primitive Christians had of the signe of the cross as that they used it in all the rites and ceremonies of their Religion in such sort as that they accompted no solemne act of their Religion to be well and perfectly performed unless the sacred signe of the cross was added unto it as witnesseth S. Chrysostome for
sacred passion and of our redemption upon the cross CHAP. XXV Of four sacred images which were made of Christ our Lord whilest he lived upon earth and of the relative religious honor done unto them to the inriching of their minds with pious thoughts EVsebius in the 14. chapter of his 7. book of histories and after him Casiadorus Nicephorus and other historiographers relate that the woman which our Saviour cured of an issue of bloud by the touch of the hem of his garment as is set downe in the 9. of S. Matthew in gratitude thereof in the City of Peneada where she was borne erected two cast images or statues of brasse the one of her self kneeling and holding up of her hands as is used in prayer the other of our Saviour standing right over against it with his garment to his ancles and his hand stretched out toward the woman at the foot whereof even upon the thing it stood upon grew a strange kind of herb which when it ascended to that height as to touch the hem of his garment had vertue to cure all kind of diseases which Statua Eusebius going to the said City of Penedda saith that he see with his eys Zozomenus in the 20. chapter of his 5. book continuing the same history saith that Julian the Apostata being certified that in Caesarea Philippi for so now Peneada was called was the famous image or statua of Christ which the woman who was cured of an issue of bloud had set up sent to have it cast down and his owne to be set up in the place which being done saith Zozomen a violent fire descended from heaven struck his statua above the brest and so cast the head together with the neck against the earth that it stuck fast in the ground with the face downward and even untill this day it remaineth black as burned with lightning At which time also the Pagâ—ns or heathen people so dragged the statua of Christ up and down with such sury as that they broke it into pieces but the Christians afterward gathering together the broken pieces placed them in the church where they are stil preserved Thus these antient Authors to shew unto us that the Primitive Christians honored worshipped with a relative religious worship the image statua's of Christ not for the matter or metal they were made of but for the pious thoughts they represented unto their memories as Roman Catholiques do at this day and that those who do deface sacred images beat down as Julian the Apostata and the Pagans are enemies of pious thoughts and Christianity Evagrius Scholasticus who florished about the yeare 596. in the 26. chapter of his fourth book of histories writeth that in the City Edessa neer unto the river of Euphrates where sometime Abgarus reigned as King there was a picture of our Saviour kept which he himself had sent unto the said King and the City being so straitly besieged by Costroes King of Persia that they were almost in dispair his works of great heaps of wood and tymber approaching so neer their walls that they could not defend them and they had made mines of fire underneath which could not burne for want of ayr not knowing how further to defend themselves saith Evagrius They brought forth the most holy image divinely made and not by the hands of men but by God Christ which he had sent to Abgarus when he desired to see him and put it into the mine which they had made sprinkling it with water whereof they had put a good quantity both into the fire and wood which was in their mine and so aid coming by divine power to their faith doing this that which before they could not perform was now easily done for presently a flame took hold of the wood which was below and burnt it into coals and after ascended to that which was above And when the besieged see the smoak to begin to break out above to blind the eys of their enemies they take little tankers and fill them with sulfur tow and such like as are apt to burn and make a smoke and and cast them upon the top of their enemies works which by the force of their throwing kindled and of themselves cast out smoke whereby they so obscured the smoke which came out of their mine that all those who were ignorant of the fact imagined that the smoke which they see came from the tankers and not from any other place but three daies after flames of fire were seen to break out of the earth and then the Persians who fought upon thesr bulwarks perceiving their danger Costroes striving against the divine vertue and power turneth the conduct of water which ran in the outside of the City upon the fire thinking thereby to extinguish it but the fire receiving the water as if it had been oyle or brimstone or some such other thing which easily taketh fire burnt the more untill it had destroyed all the works of the enemy and brought them to ashes whereupon Costroes failing of his hope returned home with shame Thus Evagrius of the picture which our Saviour had sent to King Abgarus Mention is also made of this image which our Saviour made by his divine power without workmanship of hands and sent to Abgarus by Procopius a Scholar of S. Augustines in his 2. book De bello Persico and by the seventh Generall Councell in the 5. Act where Leo a Lecturer of the Cathedrall church of Constantinople saith I your unworthy servant when J went into Syria with the Kings Commissioners passed to Edessa and there see the holy image not made with hands honored and also adored by the faithfull Of this image likewise make mention Adrian the first in the 18. chapter of his book to Charles the Great S. Damascenus in the 17. chapter of his 4. book Orthodoxa fidei and in his Oration de Imaginibus and Constantius Porphyrogenitus in his Oration made before the Emperors the Clergy and the people which is set down in Metaphrases upon the 16. of August Moreover this image was of such fame and respect that it was translated from Edessa unto Constantinople as witnesse Zonoras in Romana Lecapeno Nicephorus Callistus in the 7. chapter of his 2. book and S. Thomas upon the third of the sentences dist 9. q. 1. Art 2. Marianus Scotus in his Chronicle at the yeare 39. and others relate that our Saviour going to his passion a woman called Veronica gave him a handkerchiefe to wipe the sweat which run down his face and he returned it unto her again with his image upon it which image was in the time of Tyberius conveighed by the Christians to Rome where even untill this day it hath been preserved and reverenced with a relative religious worship of all pious Christians and is commonly set forth to be seen in S. Peters church upon Maunday Thursday Moreover Athanasius in his book of the suffering of the image of our Lord printed
Roman Catholique either esteemeth or thinketh any sacred image to be a God or adoreth or kneeleth to it or worshippeth it as a God if he should he should cease to be a Roman Catholique and become an infidell Again the heathen terminated their adoration kneeling and worshipping in their idolls as in their last end God and chiefest good as is before shewed Roman Catholiques adore and kneel before their sacred pictures and worship their images onely as remembrances of holy things and neither as gods or as things which containe any Godhead nor yet as before an absolute thing creature or person Thirdly they offered sacrifice unto their idols as witnesse the Scriptures saying They have made to themselves a molten calf and have adored and immolated hosts unto it Exod. 32.8 Again They sacrificed to the idols of Canaan Psal 105.38 The Roman Catholiques never offer sacrifice unto any picture or image whatsoever Ob. Some of you say that the same honor is due unto the image which is due unto the example but Christ as you confess is to be adored with divine honor or honor of latria Ans Whatsoever any of ours for disputation sake shall say in this point yet they all submit their judgements to the church which in the 7. Act of the seventh Generall Councell hath decreed that the image of Christ is not to be honored with divine honor and in the third Canon of the last Act that the image of Christ is no otherwise to be adored then is the books of the Gospell and before these Councels to worship the image of Christ with divine honor was condemned amongst us for heresie as witnesseth S. Jrenaeus in the 24. cha of his 1. book of heresies S. Epiphanius in his 27 heresie and S. Augustine in the 7. heresie of his book ad quod vult Deus So first no Christian Catholique ever affirmed that it was lawfull to offer exteriour visible sacrifice to the image of Christ our Lord. Secondly these men do not say that the image of Christ as it is the image of Christ and as it is separated from Christ may by it selfe independent of Christ be worshipped with divine honor but as it is one thing with Christ or is reduced to Christ as the garments of a King are annexed to the King or as the splendor beauty or proportion of a body is coherent to a body and so by a subtill distinction they may peradventure defend that the image of Christ may by accident or reductively be honored with the same honor that Christ our Lord is honored though not of it selfe or by it selfe for all Roman Catholiques do hold that a thing which hath neither life sense nor reason such as is an artificiall image or picture of it selfe and in regard of it selfe is neither worthy of any honor nor capable and therefore though these Roman Catholiques do differ in words and subtill distinctions yet they agree in substance effect and meaning and say that the cross or picture of our Saviour as it is a molten or graven or painted thing hath no relation to our Lord is worthy of no honor or worship but may be burned or broken without offence as it hath relation to our Saviour or as it is the picture of Christ of it selfe it speaketh of an inferiour thing to Christ our Lord as the picture of Caesar speaketh of an inferiour thing to Caesar and therefore cannot be worshipped with the same honor which is due to Christ but by accident or dependence and this is the opinion of all Roman Catholiques Ob. Moyses said to the Israelites You saw not any similitude in the day that our Lord spoke to you in Horeb from the middest of the fire lest perhaps deceived you might make you a graven similitude or image of male or female Deut. 4.15 Ans This text answereth it selfe in the verses following Beware lest at any time thou forget the Covenant of the Lord thy God c. and make to thee a graven similitude of these things which our Lord hath prohibited to be made So this text only prohibiteth the making of vain images to our selves and not to the honor of God as I have shewed more at large hereupon and so the alledged text saith lest deceived you might make you for your selves and not for the honor of God Againe in this same chapter it saith and being deceived make to you some similitude whereby it appeareth that this text only prohibiteth the making of vain and idle pictures to our selves and not the pious pictures of our Saviour and his Saints nor yet of the civill pictures of well-deserving men which may redound to the honor and glory of God by putting civil good thoughts into our minds Ob. You picture God and the Holy Ghost contrary to the Scriptures which say To whom have you made God like or what image will you set to him I say 40.18 Ans There be three sorts of images or pictures some are made to expresse the perfect similitude form essence and nature of the thing it self and so no faithfull man goeth about to make an image or picture of God because as so he is incomprehensible and invisible and this is that which is forbidden by this text The second kind is by images to represent to our sight some visible apparitions of God unto men in such shapes and formes as his will hath chosen and not his nature framed as his walking in Paradise to seek Adam and Eve in the shape of a man Gen. 3. his standing upon the top of a ladder Gen. 18. his conversing with Moyses as one friend with another Exod. 33. his sitting upon a Throne as he appeared to the Prophets Isay and Micheas Isa 6. and the 3. of Kings and last chapter his appearing in the form of a Dove and cloven tongues as it were of fire Mat. 3. Act. 2. c. to picture God after any of these manners to expresse the manner of his apparitions to mankind hath alwayes beene lawfull otherwise these who in place of letters and characters use pictures and images as the Egyptians and Chinois could have no Bible neither doe they give him any new form but express the form in which out of his infinite goodness he appeared unto men A third kind of setting forth God unto our minds by pictures and images is not to expresse his immediate form nature or essence by pictures or images which is impossible but by some remote and mediate similitude which according to our weak capacity may put us in mind of him or his attributes As for example to express him as all-seeing by an eye or as of in speakable power wisdom goodness by a Stork which hath no tongue for that no tongue is able to expresse his essence nature goodness c. or els to shew that God is eternal without beginning or ending by a circle which hath neither end nor beginning c. as is more at large set downe by Pierius
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
our Lord will not make so slight accompt of the Scriptures as to read them only transitorily but he will meditate upon them which is performed alwayes with great humility and submission of mind whereupon S. Hilary upon this text saith The meditation of the law is not onely in the words of the reader but in the religion of works In the New Tâ—stament our Saviour saith Give not that which is holy to dogs neither cast ye you pearles before swine least they trample them under their feet and turn again and tear you in pieces Mat. 7.6 Pearls saith S. Hierome upon this text and the 13. of Matthew are the Gospel and the Law and the Prophets the dogs saith he are those who after they have received the faith returne to the vomit of their former sins and swine those who have not yet believed the Gospell but stick fast in the mine of infidelity and vices to demonstrate unto us that our Lord would not have heretiques vitious men or infidells to read the Scriptures whereof in the 13. of S. Matthew he yeeldeth a reason because they do not esteem them above the things of this world and therefore if such men read the Scriptures in lieu of reaping benefit by them they corrupt them and become as our Saviour there saith persecuters of the church which we find true by experience in this age Again our Saviour saith to the Jewes Search the Scriptures Joh. 5.39 with that honor care and affection that they ought to be searched into for as S. Chrysostome in his Sermon of Abraham well observeth he saith Search the Scriptures do not corrupt them search them not onely by reading them but carefully inquiring after the sense God gave indeed the sacred letters or characters but he laid not open their contemplations or mysteries but reserved them to their senses that so he might maintain equity or justice and behold thy care or industry Thus S. Chrysostome to shew unto us that he who shall read the sacred letters or characters of the Bible without a relative religious worship unto the text for the divine things they represent and follow the sense which God gave unto the text will reap no thing but error and heresie for our Saviour commanding a diligent search to be made into the Scriptures forbideth us to corrupt them and willeth us that we should not omit any means of finding out the sense or height of their contemplation which amongst other things is an inward and outward relative religious worship to the sacred text signes pictures or images of the Bible as did the Jewes in the old Law lest for want thereof we corrupt the text by false senses or interpretations Our Saviour out of a desire that all men might be saved and to fulfill what was necessary on his behalf commanded the Apostles saying Going into the whole world preach the Gospell to all creatures And they going forth preached every where Mar. 16.20 Yet our Saviour himself in Matth. 13. saith that of four sorts of hearers of the Gospel three hear to their greater damnation The first are only hearers who are like men who dwell by the high-way and look aftere very thing that passeth and entertain all kind of thoughts friendships and affairs like an Inne which is open to good and bad known and unknown friends and strangers of whom S. James speaketh saying If a man be a hearer of the word and not a doer he is like unto a man beholding the feature of his face in a glasse who considered himself and went his way and presently forgetteth what a manner of man he was James 1.24 The second hear and with joy receive the Word but are temporall and have no root and so for a time they believe and in time of tâ—mptation they revolt because they did not esteem of the Gospel above all earthly things as did the Prophet David saying The law of thy mouth is good to me above thousands of gold and silver Psal 118.71 and therfore for temporall plâ—asures or commodities easily forsook it The third hear the Word and the care of the world and the deceiptfulnesse of riches and concupiscences about other things entring in choak the word and it is made fruitlesse For as S Paul saith They who will be made rich fall into temptations and the snare of the Dâ—vill and into many unprofitable and hurtfull desires which drown men in destruction and perdition 1 Tim. 6.9 The fourth are they who with with a good and very good heart hearing the word of God do reteine it and yeeld fruit in patience Thus our Saviour to demonstrate unto us that there is required on our parts an esteem of the Word of God above all earthly things that we may adhere and cleave unto the sense given unto it by God and it to us and fill our hearts with pious thoughts otherwise the reading or hearing of it or picking of our faith out of it will but increase our damnation Honor is due unto vertue as affirmeth Aristotle chap. 5. of his book of Ethicks and also the Scriptures 1 Tim. 5.17 And the Scriptures are the vertue of God Rom. 1.16 1 Cor. 1.18 wherefore as to God is due an absolute religious worship so to the Scriptures which are his Word signes figures and images is due a relative religious worship because it is his Word whereupon S. Paul describing the manner how the Christians in the Primitive church received the word of the Gospell saith We also give thanks to God continually because that when you had received of us the word of the hearing of God you received it not as the word of men but as it is indeed the word of God 1 Thes 2.12 and there also shewing the effect which the Word of God worketh in men when together with the sense it is received and imbraced after this relative religious manner presently addeth their constant suffering for the Gospell as received into a good and very good heart which yeeldeth fruit in patience In regard of this visible and invisible relative religious worship and honor which is due unto the sacred Word of God when Bishops make Deacons and give them authority to read the Gospell they receive the holy books kneeling as is set down in the Pontificall And antiently when the Gospell was read in the church all men who were present laid down their weapons stood barehead even the Christian Kings and Emperors and the Bishops Priests and Deacons who celebrated the diviâ—e Service and handled the book of the Goâ—pell in honor thâ—reof often kissed the sacred book with a holy kisse as witnessâ—th the antient Roman order publâ—shed in the 8. Tome Bibliothâ—cae Patrum which relâ—tive religâ—ous honor is so due unto the sacred Scriptures as that Justinus Martyr who livâ—d with the Apostles cholars in his Oration to the Gentiles commendeth Prolomaeus King of Egypt for using it saith after that the seventy Interpreters had translated the Old Testament into Greek Pâ—olomâ—