visit Orphans and Widows in their tribulations and to keep himself unspotted from the world where likewise he supposeth that Religion and religious worship may be exercised in visiting Widows and Orphans and the acts of vertue Aristotle in the third chapter of his book of Politiques taught by the light of reason saith Honor is justly given when it is destributed according to dignity And S. Paul saith Render to all men their due Rom. 13.7 And some men are religious as witnesseth the Scriptures saying All religious blesse ye our Lord Dan. 3.90 Again There were at Hierusalem Jewes religious men of all Nations Act. 2.5 Again Cornelius the Centurion is called Religious Act. 10.2 and you cannot give honor according to the dignity of one who is religious or render unto him his due unlesse you give him some kind of religious honor or worship all other being inferiour unto his dignity whereby it appeareth that some kind of religious worship may be given unto creatures Civill honor worship and adoration may be given unto prophane men as witnesseth the fact of Jacob who seeing Esau coming towards him going forward he adored prostrate to the ground seven times Gen. 33 3. yet Esau was a prophane person as witnesseth S. Paul Heb. 12.16 The Roman souldiers of all Nations as well faithfull as Infidells adored the Imperiall Ensign called Labarum as witnesseth Zozomenus in the fourth chapter of his first book of histories and all people and Nations who are not exceeding barbarous have worshipped and honored the Chair of Estate Scepter Crown and the very name of their Kings and Emperors when it hath been pronounced in publike Edicts whereby it appeareth that a worship more then civill is due unto the friends of God and sacred things dedicated to his honor and service otherwise you put no difference betweene sacred things and prophane which God condemneth saying Her Priests have contemned my law and have polluted my Sanctuaries between a holy thing and a prophane they have put no difference Ezech. 22.26 whereupon our Saviour when he had made as it were a whip of little cords he cast them who sold oxen and sheep and doves and bankers out of the Temple Joh. 2.13 And S. Paul reprehended divers Christians for eating in the Church saying Have you not houses to eat and drink in or contemn you the Church of God 1 Cor. 11.22 The Officers of Christ in his Church are his Legats according to the words of S. Paul saying We are Legats for Christ 2 Cor. 5.20 and Legats by relation do participate in some part of the honor and worship which is due unto their Lords and Masters wherefore seeing that to God is due an absolute religious worship to the Officers of Gods Church or his Legats must be due an inward and outward relative religious worship whereupon S. Paul saith The fathers of our flesh we had for instructors and we did reverence them not with civill honor only but with some kind of religious as instructors of Religion Heb. 12.9 Our Saviour saith of his followers You are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world Ioh. 15.19 Again of the world they are not as I also am not of the world Ioh. 17.17 and therefore there did belong unto them an honour and worship not worldly which is religious Father and Son are relatives and the Son by all right though in an inferiour degree is partaker of his Fathers honor and worship our Adversaries confesse that religious honor belongeth unto God and the Scriptures confesse that pious and devout Christians are the adoptive sons of God saying We are the sons of God and if sons heires also heirs truly of God and coheirs of Christ Rom. 8.17 whereby it may justly be doubted that those who deny an inward and outward relative religious worship unto the Saints and eminent servants of God have neither part nor portion in the inheritance of Christ The things which are dedicated to the service of God are called sacred by God himselfe Exod. 31.10 therefore there is due unto them an inward and outward sacred relative worship which is the relative religious worship we speak of whereupon all the Lexicons and Dictionaries not onely of Romane Catholiques but also of our adversaries themselves as of Thomas Thomasius do interpret this word Religio a true worship of God or holy things and all Nations cannot be deceived Moreover our Adversaries cannot deny but that there are religious things or things which belong unto Religion as the Scriptures Preaching Teaching Prayer the Sacraments unto which if our Adversaries will grant no kind of religious worship they destroy all Religion and prove themselves to be prophane as Esau Heb. 12.16 Religion and holinesse do not really differ as S. Thomas 2.2 ae quaest 81. Art 8. proveth therefore neither can their operations or effects really differ but holinesse is exercised about creatures as witnesseth the Scripture saying follow peace with all men and holinesse Heb 12.14 Againe holinesse becometh thy house O Lord Psal 92.5 not an absolute holinesse for so God only is holy but a relative as conducting us by meanes unto God who is only holy of himselfe so likewise the chiefest part of the Tabernacle was called The Sanctuary of Sanctuaries and Holy of Holies Exod. 26. God also commanded Moyses to make holy vestments for Aaron and his sons wherein they might minister unto him or serve him Exod. 28. But to serve God belongeth to Religion therefore these were religious vestments and had both an inward and outward relative religious reverence and respect born unto them seeing that none might wear them but Aaron and his sons and then only when they attended unto the service of God The like we may say of all the things which belonged unto the Temple and vessells of the Altar of holy ground holy Mountain holy Scriptures c. which are holy by a holinesse that referreth us to God and also religious and to be reverenced with a relative religious worship for the same cause holy and religious being really both one And to conclude at all times and in all ages the faithful honored and worshipped sacred things whether they were immediately or mediately dedicated to the service of God which are inward and outward relative religious worship as I shall further shew in the ensuing Chapters CHAP. XI Almighty God never prohibited either the making of sacred Pictures Signes and Images nor yet their relative religious Worship ALmighty God commanded us that we should not make vain and idle graven things that might divert us from him for our owne pleasures or for our selves without any respect unto him saying Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven thing Exod. 20.4 but it is never read in the Scriptures that he prohibited either the making or worshipping of sacred pictures signes or images with a relative religious worship when they are made to his honor and glory and not our own only or to our selves
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
a gift given by God the Father unto his Son Iesus that all his creatures which have understanding shall do honor and worship to the name of Jesus as it hath relation unto his Son he must be in the nature of an Infidell or beast who will not put off his hat or incline his head or bend his knee at it whether it be written ingraven or spoken S. Chrysostome in his Sermon of the praises of God set down in his fifth Tome so highly esteemed and reverenced this name of Iesus as it hath reference to Christ our Lord that he saith This name Jesus is a terror not only to those in hell but also to diseases and vices therefore lâ—t us challenge to our selves from it ornament and forces Thus S. Chrysostom whereupon Theophilact upon these words of S. Paul Whatsoever you do in word or in work all thingâ— in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ saith for the name of God driveth away divells and doth make all things easie unto thee and to succeed well which being so he is worthy to perish who will not beare a relative religious respect and honor unto this sacred name of Iesus From hence it is that Abulensis upon the twentieth chapter of Exodus saith That it is a greater-sin to take the name of Jesus in vain then that of God And giving a reason addeth The common and laudable custome of the Church doth more honor that name of Jesus then this of God From whence it is that the devout faithfull people as soon as they hear the name of Jesus either bow down their heads or bend their knees which they do not when they hear the name of God he therefore who doth offend against this custome dishonoring the name of Jesus doth commit a greater sin then he who dishonoreth the name of God Thus Abulensis of the outward and inward relative religious honor and worship which the Church of God hath alwayes given unto the name of Iesus because it is the proper name of the Word Incarnate and of God as he is our Redeemer a name so much honored by S. Paul as that he not only hath it 219. times in his Epistles but also the faithfull perswading him with many tears that he would not go to Hierusalem because as the Prophet Agabus had foretold there he was to be taken prisoner and to be cast into bands by the Jewes he answered I am ready not only to be bound but to die also in Hierusalem for the name of our Lord Jesus Acts 21.13 After the people of Israel were conducted by God through the red Sea and delivered out of the hands of Pharoah and the Egyptians Wisdome saith that they sung thy O Lord Wisdome 10.20 If this the faithfull in the Old Law did because they were preserved out of the hands of their temporall enemies by the passage through the red Sea how much more ought Christians to sing and extoll the name of Iesus who by the red Sea of his bloud hath redeemed us from our infernall enemies and say with the Prophet All Nations shall glorifie thy name because thou art great and doing marvellous things thou only art God conduct me O Lord in thy way and I will walk in thy truth let my heart rejoyce that I may fear thy name I will confesse to thee O Lord my God with all my heart and I will glorifie thy name for ever because thy mercy is great upon me and thou hast delivered my soul from the lower hell Psal 85.9 O Lord our Lord how marvellous is thy name in the whole earth Psal 8.10 because thou hast magnified above every thing thy holy name Psal 137.2 the name of Jesus which is magnified above all names or temporall things whereupon S. Hilarius upon this Psalme saith J have manifested thy name to men and what name this was he shewed before saying Father the hour cometh cause thy son to be honored therefore he adoreth this name Now if the Prophet did adore the name of God not for the materiall letters or characters but for that it represented unto him an infinite goodnesse and greatnesse why should we now doubt whether we ought to adore and worship holy names pictures and signes which conduct us unto the same God with a relative religious worship seeing that it doth fill our souls with pious thoughts Again the same Saint saith upon the same Psalm He confesseth the Word made flesh in truth and the cause of his confession is taken from this because thou hast magnified above every thing thy name the name of God is not known to one Nation only but it is magnified above all things and the greatnesse of his sanctity is extended to all not a barbarous nor Soyth nor servant nor freeman neither woman nor man nor any age is exeluded from it for the name of God is magnified above all Temples fall downe Idols grow mute Oracles at the coming of the Saints are silent the credit of Augures is lost the only name of God is holy amongst all Nations Thus S. Hilary Arnobius also expounding this Psalm saith The Prophet doth confess unto his name because in the name of Jesus every knee shall bow of the things in heaven of the things upon earth and of these things under the earth and what doth he confesse unto his holy name he saith thy mercy and thy truth A soul doth confesse nothing else to God in the sight of the Angels but the mercy wherewith he is redeemed and the truth which he is taught what truth without all doubt this wherein his holy name is magnified above all things for this is a name which is above all names Thus these Fathers of the relative religious honor respect reverence which the faithful in their times bare unto this sacred name of Jesus as it representeth Christ our Lord and all his mercies and putteth into their minds pious thoughts And to conclude the relative religious respect which the Primitive Christians bare unto this sacred name of Jesus was such that Procopius an antient Father who lived above eleven hundred years past in his Commentaries upon the forty fourth of Esay affirmeth they caused it to be imprinted with an hot iron upon their bodies and now the world is ascended to that height of pride that there are found men who will not call themselvs Christians and yet not vouchsafe either to uncover their heads or bend their knees or incline their stiffe necks at this sacred name to verifie upon them the prophecy of S. Paul saying In the last times men shall be haughty proud stubborn puffed up and lovers of voluptuousnesse more then of God 2 Tim. 3. If at the reading or publishing of a Proclamation all who are well-affected toward the King or State put off their hats or bow or bend their heads at the name of the King or State politique how much more ought all Christians to do it at the holy name of Jesus which is a name
above all names Phil. 2.9 CHAP. XX How terrible the name of Jesus is unto the divells when it is honored with an inward and outward relative religious worship AS this name of Iesus as it representeth our Saviour is honorable and glorious both in heaven and earth so also when it is pronounced with a relative religious worship it is a name of terror and fear unto the divells whose place is to live under the earth in such sort that not only in the time of our Saviour the Disciples by vertue of his name and power given unto it cast divells out of the bodies of men when returning from preaching they said Lord also the divells are subject unto us in thy name Luke 10.17 And our Saviour said I saw Satan as lightning fall from heaven but also at all times the divells are to be cast out of the bodies of men by vertue of this name pronounced or used with a relative religious worship according to the words of our Lord saying Them that believe these signs shall follow in my name shall they cast out divells Mark 16.17 whereupon S. Paul when he would cast an evill spirit or divel out of a woman said no more but I command thee in the name of Iesus Christ to goe out of her and he went out at the same hour Act. 16.18 And it was so common a thing in the time of the Apostles for divers of the faithfull by vertue of the name of Jesus as it representeth Christ our Lord to cast divells out of the bodies of men that in imitation thereof certain also of the Judais all Exorcists went about assayed to invocate upon them that had evill spirits the name of our Lord Iesus saying I adjure you by Iesus whom Paul preacheth Act. 19.13 And our Saviour affirmeth that many shall appear before him after their death who in pretence of right to their salvation will say Have not we in thy name cast out devels Mat. 7.22 To demonstrate unto us that not onely the faithfull shall at all times honor and worship the name of Iesus as it representeth unto us Christ our Lord but also many wicked men and reprobates and the divells themselves though against their wills S. Iustine Martyr lived with the Apostles Scholars and was a famous Martyr yet he in his first Apology for the Christians unto the Roman Senate before the middest saith unto the Senators Many of our men who are called Christians both throughout the world and even in this City adjuring them by the name of Iesus Christ who was crucified under the Pretor Pontius Pilate have cured many who were possessed of divells when by no other Exorcists or any Magitians they could find remedy and even at this day they do cure casting and driving the divells out of their bodies S. Antonius as affirmeth S. Athanasius in his life not only with the name of Jesus often put the divell to flight but also taught Martinianus a prefect of souldiers to dispossesse his daughter by invocation of the name of Jesus with a relative religious worship unto it S. Hierome writing the life of S. Hilarion saith That on a night he heard as it were the crying of infants the bleating of sheep the bellowing of beasts the mourning of women the wring of Lions the noyse of an army and the horror of barbarous voyces that being first affrighted by the outcries amazed he might be moved to fly at the sight but understanding that these were policies of the divell casting himself upon his knees he made the signe of the Crosse of Christ upon his forehead armed with such a helmet and compassed about with the brest-plate of faith remaining in his posture desiring after a manner to see him whom he did abhor to hear whilest he carefully cast his eyes on all sides upon a suddaine the Moone shining he see a Chariot drawn with fiery horses to rush upon him whereat when he had cryed out Jesus even before his eys of a suddain all this pomp was swallowed up at a chink into the earth S. Ephraem the Deacon writeth of S. Abraham an Ermite in Syria that singing Psalmes at midnight of a suddaine a beautifull light shined in his Cell and a voice was heard as it were of a multitude saying Blessed art thou Abraham thou art truly blessed and faithfull there is none found like thee amongst men who hast done whatsoever I have desired forthwith the holy man knowing the craft of the malignant spirit with a loud voice said O full of deceipt and policy thy darknesse be to thee in perdition for I am a poor sinner yet armed with the shield of hope through the grace of God I nothing fear thy treacheries neither do thy many phantasies affright me for the name of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ whom I have loved and do love is to me a strong fortresse in which name I check thee filthy and thrice miserable dog At which words presently as smoak the divell vanished out of his sight Whereby it appeareth that the divells feare this very name of Jesus as it hath relation to our Saviour and do fly away when it is spoken with honor faith and confidence that for his name sake he will protect us Almighty God being favourable unto all those who love and honor his name it hath alwaies beene thought a good prayer to say For thy name sake thou wilt be propitious to my sin for it is much Psal 24.11 Arise Lord help us and redeem us for thy name Psal 43.26 Help us O Lord our Saviour and for the glory of thy name O Lord deliver us and be propitious to our sins for thy names sake Psal 78.9 whereby it appeareth that he must be a savage Christian that will not bear a relative religious honor reverence or respect unto the sacred name of Jesus CHAP. XXI Many miracles wrought in confirmation of the inward and outward relative honor and worship given to the name of Jesus THis name of Jesus hath alwayes amongst the Christians beene a name of so great a relative religious honor and worship that by vertue of it as it representeth Christ our Lord and all his mercies many miracles have in severall times beene wrought in the church S. Peter saying to the man who was lame from his mothers womb silver and gold I have none that which J have the same J give to thee in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth arise and walk and taking his right hand he lifted him up and forthwith his feet and soles were made strong and springing he stood and walked and went with them into the Temple walking and leaping and praising God Act. 3.6 S. Paul not only did miracles by vertue of this name as it hath relation to our Saviour whilest he lived as I have shewed heretofore but also as it is related by constant Tradition at his death when his head was cut off it gave three rebounds or leaps and three times repeated this
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
THE NURSE OF Pious Thoughts Wherein is briefly shewed That the use which Roman Catholikes do make of sacred Pictures Signes and Images is not Idolatry or any other misdemeanour as some imagine but the Nurse of Pious Thoughts and Healthfull Meditations Written By F. P. Philopater Proverbs 11.16 Evill thoughts are abominable to our Lord. DOVAY Printed in the Yeere 1652. To the Right Honorable Lords worshipfull Knights Esquires Gentry and all the free-born people of England who desire the redresse of notorious scandalls health and all happinesse Right Honorable c. AMongst the many notorious scandalls which contrary to the Lawes of God just Lawes of the Land solemn oaths and Engagements of this Nation are committed in these distracted times there are almost none more common in this Island then the defacing disgracing beating down and demolishing of sacred pictures signes memories and images of our Saviour his Saint's worthy men and all holy things the Nurses of Pious Thoughts the remembrances of vertuous actions and monuments of heroical deeds without any notice thereof taken by the State to the unspeakable detriment of the Commonwealth for if you do not permit visible signes pictures images and remembrances of piety vertue and the Obligations which men have unto God and Christ Jesus his only Son to be exposed to the senses the windows of their souls and yet allow of vain idle and prophane you shall shut up the door to vertue and gratitude and let loose the reines to sin and misery experience telling us that what the eye seriously and constantly with affection beholdeth the heart thinketh and evill thoughts consented unto corrupt good manners and corrupt manners have brought forth these present calamities and divisions which to go about to redresse will be in vain unless you permit men to injoy the means Wherefore not to be wanting in good wishes to my native soyl I have written this book of sacred pictures signes and images the Nurses of Pious Thoughts and out of my affection have dedicated it unto your Honors unto whom doth belong the correction of these scandalls that protected by your Authority and backed by your power the sacred objects of piety vertue and godlinesse may every where appear obvious unto the eyes not only to the extirpation of vice reconciliation of dissentions rooting out of malice but also to the planting of a true unity perfect peace and a sincere charity in the hearts of all the Inhabitants of this Island to the great glory of God and prosperity of our Country which is all the interest or desires of profit I seek for by these my labours more then to be esteemed as by Gods grace I shall ever remain Your Honors most humble servant in Christ Jesu F. P. Philopater The Preface to the Reader Dear Reader THe holy Apostle of our Lord S. Peter considering the danger which even the faithful and children of God live in whilest they remain in this mortall life through the craft and policy of the enemy of mankind saith unto them Brethren be sober and watch because our adversary the divell as a roaring Lion goeth about seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet. 5.8 not with his teeth or jawes but by a crafty and subtill kind of suggestion of impious thoughts unto the minds of men by which consented unto as the Scriptures affirm Mat. 15.18 1 Cor. 6.15 he not only defileth their hearts expelleth God out of their bodies and entereth himselfe to dwell there Mat. 12.45 but also raigneth and domineereth over them so rigorously that they must not constantly think but what he will Mat. 13.19 And knowing by the excellency of his wit and long experience that if he should suffer sacred pictures signes memories and images the instruments of pious thoughts every where publikely to stand and be respected as they ought there would be no quiet resting or abode for him in their hearts without seeking for himself a new lodging in other parts because there is no agreement betweene Christ and Belial therefore so by certain slights and cunning suggestions stirreth up men of light belief and unconstant minds in whose heart as our Saviour saith he liveth to disgrace and beat them down as idolls after this manner Whereas all words have divers senses and all things divers formalities conceptions and respects he never permitteth them over whom he hath power or in whose heart he dwelleth to take the words of sacred signs pictures and images in the same sense formality conception or respect in which they were delivered unto the Church of God by our Saviour and the Apostles or in which Roman Catholiques take them at this day that is to say as relatives which of themselves are nothing but a connotation of the things which they represent the divell maliciously will alwayes have them in whom he dwelleth to take them for things absolute and so deceiveth them to the banishing of pious thoughts out of their souls As for example we may consider the things which we commonly call an image either to be a carved or an ingraven stock or stone or a painted cloth or paper or els we may consider it as it is an image of some common thing or els of some heavenly or divine or of the mysteries of our faith without any further reflection upon it or els we may understand it not only as it is the image of some heavenly and divine thing or of the mysteries of our faith but also as it doth represent unto us the said heavenly and divine things or the mysteries of our faith and doth or may beget in our hearts pious thoughts as the image or resemblance of Christ upon the cross as it doth represent his sufferings for us or his image as he is in heaven as it doth represent him unto us in that glory and so doth or may beget in us pious thoughts of his mercy and suffering for us or els of the glory of the other life in which last sense the Church of God and Roman Catholikes alwayes take sacred pictures signs and images when they give unto them any religious respect honor or reverence And Satan to deceive those in whom he dwelleth as in his house and home to continue his possession alwayes maliciously and wittingly suggesteth unto them that the church of God and Roman Catholikes take images in the first or second sense that is to say either as they are carved or ingraven stocks and stones of painted cloaths or papers or an image in common without any further representation and then stirreth them up by his suggestions not only to beat them down as idols but also to accuse Roman Catholikes of idolatry as though they adored stocks and stones or painted papers or cloaths not only to the extirpation of pious thoughts out of the hearts of men but also to the great disturbance of the peace and unity which should be amongst Christians by the alâ—enation of the minds of silly people one from another who ignorant of
these are the things which defile the soul Mat. 15.19 which is also confirmed by experience for in all our voluntary actions we first think before we do whereby it is sufficiently manifest unto any reasonable man that all the miseries and calamities which heretofore have been or now are in the world or hereafter shall be originally proceed from evill thoughts wherefore if we could but plant the Nurse of pious thoughts amongst men we should in great part at least ease them of their miseries contentions civill warres Sects and brawls Neither would the planting of pious thoughts amongst mankind be a thing of so great a difficulty to bring to passe if they would but firmly and constantly believe the truth in this matter which is that evill thoughts do not only separate and divide one man from another and bring in all those calamities and miseries which we daily see amongst men but also divide man from God make divisions even in himself and deprive him of his everlasting weal as witnesse the Scriptures saying Perverse thoughts separate from God Wisd 1.3 Again in the same chapter The Holy Ghost will withdraw himself from the thoughts that are without understanding and yet more Jn the thoughts of the impious there shall be examination and the hearing of his works shall come to God to the chastising of his iniquities Again evill thoughts are abhomination to our Lord Prover 11.16 Whereupon God further saith by the Prophet I say take away the evill of your thoughts from mine eys Jsa 1.16 Again Let the impious forsake his wayes and the unjust man his thoughts and return to our Lord and he will have mercy upon him Isa 55.7 Again Woe be to you who think that which is unprofitable Micheas 2.1 And with these agree the Prophet Zachary saying Think ye not every man in your heart evill against his friend and a lying â—â—th love ye not for all these things are such as J hate saith the Lord Zach. 8.17 Thus the Sctiptures of the miseries and wretchednesse which accompany evill thoughts Now what man is there who is indued with reason and will be sensible of his own good or evill that the aforesaid miseries considered will not hate all impious thoughts and be glad of the means how to nourish in himselfe pious thoughts especially the Scripture saying He who thinketh to do evill shall be called a fool Prov. 24.6 of whom our Saviour saith Thou fool this night they the divells require thy soul of thee and the things which thou hast provided by wicked thoughts whose shall they be Luk. 12.20 for he saith S. Hieruome upon this aforesaid Text is truly to be called a foole who consenteth in his thoughts to the suggestion of sin although to the eys of men he seem never so wise For the aforesaid reasons our dear Lord and Saviour being carefull of the good and salvation of mankind reprehendeth man for his evill thoughts saying Wherefore think ye evill in your hearts Mat. 9.4 And S. Paul knowing the many miseries and wretchednesse which attend upon impious thoughts exhorteth all men to practise and nourish in themselves pious thoughts saying Brethren what things soever be true whatsoever honest whatsoever just whatsoever holy whatsoever amiable whatsoever of good fame if there be any vertue if any praise of discipline those things think upon Phil. 4.8 and for a reward of nourishing such pious thoughts addeth and the God of peace shall be with you whereupon S. Chrysostome upon this Text saith You may see how S. Paul would cast all wicked thoughts out of our minds for from evill thoughts all wicked deeds proceed From hence it is that the Prophet calleth those happy who presently correct or kill their evill thoughts which he calleth Daughters of Babylon saying daughter of Babylon Blessed is he that shall hold and shall crush thy little ones against the rock Psal 136.9 who are these little ones of Babylon saith S. Augustine upon this Text but our arising evill desires when it is a little one or as soon as it ariseth crush it We kill our little ones saith S. Gregory in the end of his expositions upon the fourth Penitentiall Psalme against the rock when we mortifie or kill the first unlawfull motions or thoughts by an intention to follow Christ for Christ was the rock 1 Cor. 10.6 Almighty God foreseeing so many evills to proceed from wicked thoughts to prevent those miseries of the ten Commandements which he gave unto men two of them are against vicious thoughts saying Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house neither shalt thou desire his wife Exod. 20.17 and writ them in the hearts of all people Rom. 2.15 whereupon Juvenal an heathen Poet in his third Satyr saith He who shall think any secret wickednesse within himself is guilty of the fact And Valerâ—us Maximus in the second chapter of his seventh book reporteth that Thales the Philosopher being demanded whether God were ignorant of the works of men answered No not of their thoughts wherefore saith he we ought not only to have pure hands but also pure minds seeing that we should believe the divine Godhead to be present at our secret thoughts From hence also if is that Alexander the Great as affirmeth S. Basil in his twenty fourth Homily knew that it was an offence by beholding to covet a woman in thought although he did not accomplish the fact And Cieero a morall man writing divers books of Offices unto his Son Mark for the well disposing of his life in his first book not farre from the beginning amongst other things admonisheth him That in all his opinions and deeds he should neither do nor think any thing libidinese lecherously the light of Nature teaching even the more morall sort of heathen men that evill thoughts were corrupters of good manners and originally the cause of all miseries and disorders and therefore desired that they might be avoided at least for the benefit of their Common-wealth CHAP. IV. The excellency of Pious thoughts and how good works and heroicall actions proceed from them THe substance of all mens souls are of one coelestiall incorruptible matter the difference between soul and soul in excellency beauty and purity in this life is the inherent grace infused vertues pious thoughts vertuous operations and in the other coelestiall splendour and everlasting blâ—sse which God bestoweth upon his servants all which in such as are baptized and of years of discretion of whom I intend only to treat depend upon the pious thoughts and vertuous operation of the soul in this life according to the words of our Lord saying Out of the heart come forth evill cogitations these are the things which defile the soul Mat. 15.19 of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Mat. 12. Whereupon S. Paul saith that Christ is a Discerner or censurer of the cogitations and of the intent of the heart Heb. 4.12 God will not only examine our outward works and words but also our very
in the yeare 430. whereby it appeareth that both in their publique Churches and private houses the faithfull of the Primitive Church had the pictures of Saints and respected them with an outward and inward relative religious honor and worship thereby to nourishin themselves pious thoughts CHAP. XIV How the Nurse of Pious Thoughts doth not only consist in the having and beholding sacred pictures signes and images but also in giving unto them an outward and inward relative religious worship not for the materiall things themselves but for the sacred things which they represent TO the preservation of pious thoughts in our hearts as I have said heretofore it is not only sufficient often to hear sacred artificiall sounds and see or behold sacred artificiall pictures signes and images but also to honor worship and respect them with an outward and inward relative religious worship not for themselves or for the matter they are compounded of but for the divine things and mysteries of our faith which they represent unto us and as they do represent them unto us and not otherwise for not only vitious and wicked men whose hearts are of wicked thoughts but also the divells themselves hear and see sacred pictures signes and images as appeareth by the fourth of S. Matthew where the divell both heard and alledged Scripture And Mr. Sanderson a Protestant Minister in his second Sermon preached at Grantham in the year 1634. § 6. 8. telleth us of many Sectaries here in England who are so addicted to the materiall visible artificiall signes and sounds of the Bible that to do any thing at all without directions from the written materiall Word as they say is unlawfull and sinfull even so far as for the taking up of a straw whereby it appeareth that not the often hearing of sacred artificial material signs or seeing of sacred artificial material pictures signs or images only is sufficient to the begetting and nourishing of pious thoughts in the hearts of men but also it is necessary that we should reverence and respect them with an outward inward relative religious worship and honor for the things which they represent as often as we heare or see them so to worship them not for the sounds themselves or for the pictures signes and images themselves or for the matter they are made of but as they represent divine things unto us and the mysteries of our faith thereby to prepare and open our hearts for the worthy receiving of the knowledge of these sacred things and mysteries of our faith which they doe represent and to distinguish betweene sacred pictures signs and images and prophane or civill First honor and reverence towards any thing begetteth a great esteem and love of the thing it self in the heart of man for as Aristotle well observeth in the eleventh chapter of his first book of Rhetorick saith Honor and glory is of most pleasing things so that these things which we honor we cannot but love and love openeth the heart and maketh a passage to the thing beloved and when we honor worship or respect any thing which belongeth to God or that may conduct us to God for Gods sake or as it belongeth or conducteth us to God the honor endeth or is terminated in God and not in the thing honored whereupon as I have said heretofore S. John Baptist so much honored the latchet of our Saviours shoes for our Saviours sake that he thought himself not worthy to unloose it Joh. 1.27 And the faithful Centurion so greatly honored and reverenced our Saviours words for our Lords sake as that he said I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof but only say the word and my boy shall be healed Mat. 8.8 In like manner the woman which was troubled with an issue of blood so highly esteemed of our Saviours garments that she said If I shall touch only his garment I shall be safe Mat 9.1 And as also I have said heretofore the Primitive Christians so highly esteemed and honored the very shadow of S. Peter for our Lords sake That they did bring forth the sick into the streets and laid them in beds and couches that when Peter came his shadow at least might overshadow any of them Act. 5.15 There were also brought from Paul his body napkins or handkerchiefs upon the sick and the diseases departed from them Act. 19.12 of so great force was the relative religious worship that the faithfull gave unto the things which belonged unto God or unto his servants to indue them with pious thoughts and a constant faith Almighty God will not only have these things which immediately belong unto himself to be honored with a relative religious honor and worship for his sake but also these things which appertain unto his servants whom he also so highly esteemed that he keepeth an accompt of every hair which groweth upon their heads according to his word saying your very hairs of the head are all numbered Mat. 10.30 And if Almighty God will have the haires of his servants heads which are but excrements to be of so great esteeme who is there that is not exceeding proud an enemy of his own good that will deny an outward and inward relative religious worship to sacred pictures signes and images as they are sacred pictures signs and images and administer unto our minds pious thoughts of heaven and heavenly things seeing this ingrafteth and setleth in our hearts the knowledge of the pious things themselves which are represented by these pictures signs and images and may well be described to be the Nurse of Pious Though CHAP. XV. How free Roman Catholiques are from idolatry by worshipping of sacred pictures signes and images with the aforesaid relative religious worship TO let thee dear Reader most clearly and manifestly understand how free Roman Catholiques are from committing Idolatry in the worship which they give to sacred artificiall pictures signs and images I desire thee first to remember that they call sacred pictures signes and images these artificiall things which represent unto them either the things in heaven or the mysteries of their faith or the holy actions of our Saviour or his Saints c. and as they do represent them these they call sacred pictures signs and images for the holy things they represent and as they represent them as God himselfe called the artificiall things which did belong unto the Temple sacred Exod. 31. And secondly that they worship them not as they are absolute things or substances or as they are carved stocks or stones or painted cloaths or creatures this is but the false calumniations of their Adversaries who whilest they can find nothing that 's evill in their Religion of which they can justly charge them withall do impute that unto them which they do not but they worship them as they have relation to the aforesaid known holy things and either mediately or immediately conduct their hearts and minds to God the Author of all
goodnesse as a mark sign or note which should shew unto us a thing of greater worth eminency or dignity then it self in such sort as if it did say J am none of your God or last end seeing I doe but represent only a thing more excellent then my selfe like the stamp upon the coyn whereupon our Saviour said unto the Jewes who shewed unto him the tribute money whose is this image and superscription they say to him Caesars then he saith to them render therefore the things that are Caesars to Caesar Mat. 22.20 Wherefore seeing that sacred artificiall pictures signes or images do but tell us of things more excellent then themselves certainly as such and by these who esteem them such they can neither be esteemed or reputed as a God or Gods nor be as God worshipped for whoever esteemed thought or imagined that to be a God or worshipped that for a God which he affirmed to be but a shadow or a relation unto another thing of greater dignity none who was endued with reason seeing that every one esteemeth God to be the chiefest of all Gods and the last end of all things according to the words of our Lord saying I am Alpha and Omega and I am the first and the last Revel 1.17 And de facto that any one doth esteem a thing to be a sacred artificiall picture sign or image and doth worship it as a sacred artificiall picture signe or image of another thing he doth deny it to be a God or to worship it as a God and therefore cannot commit idolatry unto it by worshipping it as a sacred artificiall picture signe or image Secondly as I have said heretofore an artificiall picture signe or image about which the controversie is as such is neither substance person nor creature nor so esteemed by any one who is endued with reason because they are but the work of a Painter Printer Writer or Carver who cannot make a substance person or creature because they are reserved to God alone whereby also it is manifest that whilest Roman Catholiques do worship sacred artificiall pictures signes and images as they are such and no otherwise they cannot commit idolatry because idolatry is when the honor and worship which is due unto God as he is God and Creator of all things is given unto another person or unto a creature or substance which Roman Catholiques acknowledge and confesse sacred artificiall signes pictures and images are not And what reasonable man ever either worshipped or acknowledged or esteemed that for a God which he publiquely and constantly professed to be neither person nor substance nor yet so much as a creature nor to have any subsistence of it self whereby you see that the clamours of some Sectaries against the idolatry of Roman Catholikes in the worshipping of sacred artificiall pictures signes and images are but as the cry and noyse of frogs which to hearken unto do but dull mens ears and hinder them of better thoughts That Roman Catholiques do not honor or worship sacred artificiall pictures signes or images with any other honor or worship then relative unto divine and heavenly things after the manner abovesaid is first manifest by the decree of the Councell of Trent which in the twenty fifth Session saith The image of Christ of the Virgin Mother of God and of other Saints are to be had and retained especially in Churches and that due honor and worship is to be imparted unto them not for that any divinity is to be believed to be in them or vertue for which they are to be worshipped or that any thing is to be begged of them or that hope is to be put in them as in times past the Pagans did who put their trust in Idols but because the honor which is exhibited to them is referred unto the first patern which they resemble so that by the images which we kisse and before which we uncover our heads and kneel we adore Christ and his Saints whose likenesse they bear Thus this Councell to demonstrate unto us that even by the decree of this Councell which all Roman Catholiques are bound to follow they honor worship and respect sacred artificiall pictures signes and images with a relative honor and worship only and no other Secondly it is yet further manifest that Roman Catholiques do not honor or worship sacred artificiall pictures signs or images with any other honor or worship but relative for that though they worship pictures yet they do not worship all pictures signs or images which they should do if they worshipped pictures absolutely neither yet doe they worship the same signes pictures or images when they doe represent or have relation unto other things as appeareth in the name of God and Jesus and the materiall Temples and Altars of Jewes and Gentiles which they represent or have relation unto any other thing then unto the living God or Christ our Saviour or the Temple or Altar in heaven As for example though the third Commandement say Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain and the Scriptures say In the name of Jesus every knee shall bow Phil. 2 16. yet they do not worship the name of God where it is said to Moyses J will make thee God of Pharoah Ezod 7.1 nor the name of Jesus when it signifieth unto us Jesus the son of Nun or Joshua Act. 7.45 or Jesus the son of Sirach writer of Ecclesiasticus or the Temples or Altars of Pagans or Heretikes because they want that relation to the living God and things in heaven whereby it is demonstrated that Roman Catholiques give no other worship or honor unto sacred artificiall pictures signes or images but relative as they induce them to think and put them in mind of other things which are more excellent and eminent then they and whoever worshipped or honored God with a relation unto another thing more excellent or eminent in dignity then he or whoever esteemed that to be a God which he respected and worshipped with relation unto another thing more excellent in dignity then that which he worshipped whereby it is manifest that Roman Catholikes neither do commit idolatry in their worshipping of sacred artificiall pictures signs or images as they do neither can they seeing that in the fact it selfe they demonstrate that the pictures signs or images which they worship are no gods nor yet so much as creatures or substances after the manner which they worship them nor yet have of themselves so much as any subsistence Thirdly this is generally and universally the Tenet of all Roman Catholiques that a materiall thing which hath neither life sense nor reason such as is a carved or ingraven stock or stone or painted cloth of it self or by it self without relation or reference unto another thing is not capable of any honor worship or reverence much lesse of a religious honor or worship whereby it is manifest that Roman Catholiques do not worship stocks or stones
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
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
the Greek church who in his fifty fifth Homily upon S. Matthew saith All things which help to our salvation are perfected by the Crosse for when we are regenerated the Crosse of our Lord is present when we are nourished with the most sacred meat when we take orders every where and alwayes that sign of victory is at hand Thus S. Chrysostome for the Greek church And for the Latin S. Augustine in his one hundred eighteenth Tract upon S. Iohn saith Unless the signe of the cross be applied as well to the forehead of the believers or to the water wherewith they are regenerate or to the oyl wherewith they are annoynted none of these are rightly administred Thus these two Doctors of the honor reverence respect which both the Greek and Latin Fathers of the Primitive church bare unto the sacred signe of the cross And if any one desire yet further proofe either for the frequent use of the sign of the cross or the relative religious worship which was bestowed upon it or the many miracles performed by it refer him to the nineth article of the second book of the first Tome of Coccius to Grotserus de Cruce and to the sixteenth chapter of the second book of the Progeny of Catholiques and Protestants It being all one to speak by known signes or by words and when the faithfull doe make the signe of the cross their known intent is to profess that they believe in the B. Trinity and desire to march under the standard of Christ crucified as is set down in our Catechisms And when they do worship or reverence the cross they do it not as I have said heretofore as it is a carved stock or stone or a graven thing or a painted cloth but as it putteth us in mind of the mysteries of our Redemption and the passion of our Lord for the remission of our sins and imprinteth in our hearts piety which as S. Paul saith is profitable to all things having the promise of the life that now is and of that to come 1 Tim. 4.8 CHAP. XXIV The Crosse adored with an inward and outward relative religious worship in the Primitive Church THough all exteriour visible honor and glory is due unto God according to S. Paul saying To the King of the worlds immortall invisible only God honor and glory 1. Tim. 1.17 yet all exteriour visible honor is not due unto God alike but some is so immediately due unto him and given unto him that it may not be given unto any other of which kind are visible sacrifices oaths and vowes Other is immediately due unto him by means of his eminent creatures as adoration by bowing or bending to the ground kneeling lifting up the hands to men in dignity c. For Abraham who is called the father of the faithfull Rom. 4. adored the children of Heath Gen. 23.7 Iacob who is called the elect of God Psal 104.6 when he did see his brother Esau coming towards him Going forward he adored prostrate to the ground seven times Gen. 33.3 It being told Moses that Iethro his father in law did approach going forth he met him adored and kissed him Exod. 11.7 And it hath alwayes been the custome of Christian children to ask their parents blessing kneeling with their hands elevated on high and closed together and also of inferiour servants after the same manner to ask their Masters forgiveness of their offences Jacob also adored the top of Josephs rod Heb. 11.11 The Scriptures also call the Tabernacle the house of God Exod. 34.26 And the Propitiatory his seat who sitteth upon the Cherubins upon it 2. Kings or Samuel 6.2 and the Ark the foot stool of the seat of our God Chronicles 1.28 and 2. and commanded it to be adored saying Adore his foot stoole because he is holy Psal 99.5 And even from the beginning of Christianity and from the first propagation of the Gospel the Christian souldiers both Greeks and Latines of all Nations adored the Imperial Standard of the Romans which was called Labarum as witnesseth Zozomenns in the 4. cha of his 1. book of histories S. Gregory Nazianzen in his 1. Oration against Julian the Apostata about the middest where he relateth at large that it being the custome of the Roman souldiers to adore the picture or image of the Emperour Julian the Apostata by deceipt and guilt to win them to adore the divell intermixt his image with the picture of divells whereby first it is manifest that exteriour visible adoration and prostration is not so immediately due unto God as that it may not be given unto any creature seeing that the faithfull both in the Old and New Law adored creatures and that sometime by the Commandement of God Secondly that the cross not as it is a carved piece of wood or an ingraven stock or stone or painted cloth or a cross in generall but as it representeth unto us the mysteries of our Redemption the seat or Altar whereupon our Saviour suffered for our sins or the Standard of Christ Jesus and of all faithfull Christians may be adored seeing that in this sense it is not inferiour either to Josephs Scepter or rod or to the Ark of the children of Israel or unto the image or picture of the Roman Emperors in their standards or to the standards themselves whereupon it came to passe that even in the most florishing time of the church and as soone as the church had peace and was freed from the persecution of the Heathen the cross as it representeth unto us Christ crucified and the mysteries of our salvation c. was publikely and openly adored by all Christian Nations as witnesseth Zozonienus in the place before cited where he relateth at large how Constantine the Great placed it in the Imperiall Standard to this intent and purpose that it might be adored of his souldiers consisting of all Nations adding in the same chapter saying It is also reported that the souldier who on a certaine time bare this Ensigne with the cross in it being amazed with a suddain assault of the euemies delivered the standard to another and withdrew himself out of the battell where being out of the danger of any dart of a suddain fell down deadly wounded and he who had taken of him the divine Ensign of the Cross remained free from any hurt â—hough many darts were cast at him Moreover it is said that never any â—uldier whose office it was to bear this sign either suffered any great calamity in the wars or was wounded or taken prisoner which truly is very credible Thus Zozomenus to shew unto us that the sacred cross representing unto us the sufferings of our Lord as soon as the church had peace and persecution ceased was after thâ— manner abovesaid publikely and openly adored by the faithfull Christians of all Nations In further witnesse hereof S. Cyril Archbishop of Alexandria anâ— President in the Generall Counceâ—â— of Ephesus holden in the year 431
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