who for fylthy lucres sake endeuour to make those thinges that can not be made and go about wyth their wicked handes to expresse counterfets of those things which are onely wyth heart and mouth acknowleged Vndoubtedly such was the iudgement of him that called the Image it self Christ But Christ is by this name both God and man it followeth then that it is the Image of God and man And that also followeth that either according to their vayne opinion he hath circumscribed the deitie shut vp the Godhead vvithin a compasse the which can not be circumscribed or limitted his rovvme as is the nature created or that he hath confounded by confusion most wicked that vniting and knitting together of the two natures which are inconfusible and in themselues distinct and so by his description and confusion hath committed agaynst the godhead a double blasphemy Such therfore as worship them are enwrapped in the same blasphemies and the curse is rewarde to eyther of them in that they haue erred wyth Arrius Dioscorus and Eutiches and such also as are infected wyth the heresie of the Acephali Notwithstanding they being condeÌ„ned of men of vnderstaÌ„ding in that they haue atteÌ„pted to paynt the diuine nature of Christ which is not only not to be measured bounded in but also not to be comprehended or by vvit comprysed do flée through their vngracious inuentioÌ„ to some other defence That we do set forth alone the Image of that nature onely of that I say which we haue séene handled and bene conuersant with And that is very wicked and a diuelish deuise of Nestorius This also is further to be considered that if so be according to the minde of the right beleuing fathers the flesh which is not onely flesh but the flesh of the sonne of God did neuer learne the way to be deuided but the whole nature of the diuinitie receyued and perfect deitie therevnto was taken How shall it of these wicked ones which endeuour this thing be deuided into two and eche by it self be separated Like is the state condition of his sacred soule For after such time as the Godhead of the sonne had assumpted in proper person the nature of flesh the soule placed hir selfe a meane betwene the deitie and the grossenesse of the flesh as that flesh was not only meare flesh but also the flesh of God the worde euen so the soule not onely an humaine soule but also the soule of God the word And both together being seene that is to say the soule and the body the godhead remayned as inseparable froÌ„ them yea that euen in the separation it selfe of the soule from the body in that passion which willingly he suffered For wheresoeuer the soule of Christ is there is also the Godhead And where the body of Christ is there is also the Godhead If that therefore the Godhead could not be separate from these in the passion how do these mad men as rash altogether vnreasonable make a diuision of flesh ioyned with the diuinitie deified and attempt to paint thesame as the Image of a naturall man only no more And forth of this they slip into another bottomlesse pit of impietie For in that they do separate the humaine nature from the diuinity do bring in the same subsisting by it self therby do make another person in the flesh the which they say to be represented in the ymage they do ioyne a fourth person to the Trinitie giue sentence that the word of God is wicked Therefore it must néedes follow of them which attempt to paynt Christ that eyther they must say that the godhead is circuÌ„scriptible such as may be coÌ„tayned vvithin a certayne compasse so confounded with the flesh or els affirm that the body of Christ is void of the godhead diuided moreouer a person by it self subsisting in the flesh so ioyne with the heresie of Nestoriê° impugning gods truth Forasmuch then as they fal into such blasphemy impietie let them be ashamed let them abhorre themselues let them cease to practise such things neyther they only which doe make them but those likewise which doe worship that which they make and vntruly name the Image of Christ Let therefore be farre from vs as reason requireth aswell the diuision of Nestorius as also the confusion of Arius Dioscorus Eutiches Seuerus wickedly disagreing one with another and on eyther syde causing an impiety And a little after the sayd Councell hath Imaginum falsi nominis praua appellatio neque ex Christi neque ApostoloruÌ„ neque patruÌ„ traditione caepit neque precationeÌ„ sacram vllam qua saÌ„ctificari possit habet sed manet communis inhonorata quemadmodum ab artifice pictore absoluta est Quod si autem quidam ex eo errore existentes dixerint rectè ac piè à nobis dictum esse in subuersione imaginis Christi a nobis facta propter indisseparatam inconfusam essentiam duarum naturarum in vna hypostasi conuenientium tamen iterum dubitare oportet propter Imagines ter inculpatae supergloriosae dominae deiparae Prophetarum Apostolorum MartyruÌ„ cuÌ„ sint meri nudique homines neque ex duabus naturis diuina scilicet humana in vna hypostasi consistant quemadmodum in folius Christi imaginibus fieri renuntiauimus Dubitare autem oportet propter Imagines ter inculpatae supergloriosae Deiparae dominae Prophetarum Apostolorum Martyrum cum fuerint nudi homines non ex duabus naturis constituti quid nam conueniens aut coÌ„modum ad has dicere potuerint subuerso priore argumento Profecto nihil est quod hic habet Sed quid dicimus de subuersione Quandoquidem catholica nostra Ecclesia media existens inter Iudaismum Gentilitatem neutram illis consuetam sacrificationem accepit verum nouam pietatis mysticae constitutionis à Deo datae formam viam ingreditur Nam cruenta Iudaeorum sacrificia holocaustomata non admittit Gentilitatis in sacrificando omnem Idololatria statuarum copiam auersatur Haec caput inuentrix abhominabilis istius artis fuit Nam cum spem resurrectionis non haberet dignum sibi ludierum excogitauit vt per euÌ„ lusuÌ„ absentes tanque adhuc praesentes exhiberet Siquidem igitur nihil noui sapit haec res profectò tanque alienum daemoniacorum hominum inuentum ab Ecclesia Christi longissimè abijciatur Cessent itaque ora omnium quae loquuntur impia contumeliosa contra hanc nostram Deo gratam sententiaÌ„ decretuÌ„ Sancti enim qui Deo placuerunt qui ab eo dignitate saÌ„ctitatis honorati suÌ„t etiaÌ„si hinc traÌ„smigrauerint non tamen eos odiosa mortua ars vnque faciet rediuiuos Sed quicunquè ex GentiliuÌ„ errore illis statuas aut Imagines erigere fuerit conatus blasphemus iudicabitur Quomodo autem valdè laudatam Dei matrem quam obumbrauit plenitudo
the Sentence Let fayth be taken Sine pro eo quo creditur siue pro eo quod creditur eyther for that wherby we beleue or else for that which is beleued certayne it is that the simplest of them both is better than a signe though it be of the Crosse For be it the latter fayth Quam Daemones et falsi Christiani habent as he saith which the Diuels false christians haue yet by the same Possunt credere deum et credere deo they can beleue that there is a God they can giue credit vnto his words But a bare Crosse can not do this Take me a man that neuer hearde of Christ and bring him to a Spanyard to beholde all his Crosses at the Mary Masse and he shall be as learned when he commeth away as the Ape is deuout when he hath eaten the hoste But if a man neyther did nor could euer heare at all this naked fayth were able to teach him without any further information that a God there is which the very Gentiles did vnderstande Agayne to compare a gifte of God which is in the minde to the work of man made with the hande is Canibus catulos coniungere matribus haedos To ioyne the whelpes and houndes the kiddes and goates together Nowe to your Iulian. Iulians example Folio 21. b. Ye say that when he had consulted with Sorcerers and they had made the Diuels solemnly to appeare He vvas stricken in a feare and forced to make the signe of the Crosse in his foreheade Then the Diuels loking backe and seing the figure of the Lordes banner and remembring their fall and ouerthrovv sodaynly vanished out of sight Thus much or so much as this ye cite out of Theodorete and Gregory Nazianzene For the truth of the historie I contende not with you But what I iudge of the experiment I will tell you Fyrst of al that wicked reprobate and godlesse persones can vse the signe of the Crosse as well as other Which proposition shal quite cōfute all your ninth Article For if such as Iulian can crosse themselues and notwithstanding haue neuer a whit the more fayth as your selfe confesse then how falles it out that the Crosse driueth out heresies Fol. 22. a. Contradictions in Martiall Fol. 94. b. that the signe of the Crosse conuerteth obstinate sinners Fol. 114. 115. that the signe of the Crosse maketh vvicked men to think vpon God that the Crosse is comfortable in desperation Fol. 116. Secondly this I note How sore the Diuel was hurt by the Crosse when it nothwithstanding he retayned the possession of whole Iulian both in body and soule Thyrdly that the diuell doth fayne himself to be afrayde of that which with all his heart he would haue men to vse For this is a generall rule that the Diuell is a lier and alwayes will séeme to be as he is not If there were no other matter in the worlde agaynst you this onely were sufficient to discredite you For what better reason is there that Crossing ought not to be vsed at al than that the Diuel did séeme to dread it If that indede he had bene afrayd of it he would haue doubled a point with you and not haue played so open play He runs from the Stéeple to dwell in the people He counterfets a flight from the holy water bucket and nestles himselfe in the bosome of the priest He séemeth to giue place to the charmers inchantment yet that sacrifice doth please him excedingly Ye confesse that Iulian had no hope in Christ no loue to god no faith and will ye not confesse that he was therby a desperate person a lyin of the Diuell The Diuell then shuld haue done him wrong if he had put him in any further danger But one thing I maruell at how you M. Martiall a bacheler of law sometime Vsher of Winchester now student in Diuinitie making a boke intitled to the Quéene perused by the Learned priuiledged by the King allowed by Cunner should fall into manifest contradictions scape vncontrolled I sée it is true quod mendacem memorem esse opertet a lier had nede haue a good remembrance Ye sayd in the leafe before Folio 21. The signe of the Crosse must concurre vvith fayth and fayth vvith the signe of the Crosse Nowe ye alowe the bare signe of the Crosse without any fayth to haue the force and power aforesayd If I thought ye were ignorant of Sathans practises I would shew you some of them to make you more circumspect But you haue bene brought vp in his schole a good while and therefore I thinke ye practise after him endeuouring your selfe of set purpose to deceiue For which like a Spider ye spinne a subtile webbe You sucke out of the Fathers the worst ioyce that you can that you may turne the same into your owne fylthy and infected nature Gregorie did well in abhorring the name of vniuersall Byshop But Gregories authoritie is not taken in that Gregorie sayde well when he tolde vs the tale of Speciosus a deacon that would rather forsake his benefice than his Wife But the president of that persuadeth you not Onely when Gregorie disgraceth himselfe wyth olde wiues tales and tryfling customes of his corrupted tyme then is he meate for your sawsy mouthes A Iewe sayth Gregorie vvithout truste confidence or fayth Folio 22. b. in Christes passion vvas preserued from Spirites by the signe of the Crosse I rehearse not the circumstaunce of the tale bycause I haue tolde you more than is true already For if he had no fayth in Christ the Scripture is playne that there could no spirite be worse than himselfe Heb. 11. Impossible it is to please God without fayth And shall God by the Crosse preserue them that please him not Who séeth not what a fable this is or rather a blasphemie if it be weyghed aright But Gregorie hath it A doctor of the Church So hath he more vntruthes than this Lib. Dial. 4. Cap. 55. As that for confirmation of sacrifice for the dead he bringeth forth a vision a dreame or a dotage such a one as I am ashamed to father vpō him or any one of the faythfull yet proufe good inough for such a matter of naught His tale is this A certayne priest that vsed the bathes went on a day into them and found a yong man whome he knewe not very obsequious and seruiseable vnto him he pulled of his shooes he toke his garmentes he did whatsoeuer might be comfortable for him When this he had often done one day the prieste going thitherwarde thought thus with himselfe I ought not to séeme vnthankfull vnto him which hath so deuoutly bene accustomed to serue me whensoeuer I washe me but néedes I must cary him somewhat for a reward Then toke he with him the tops of two loaues which had ben offered at seruice And as sone as euer he came vnto the place he founde his man he vsed
afore this time that the sacrameÌ„t was reuerently kept vnder the Roode that the altar refused the Roode loft shuld be reuerenced Now as coÌ„cerning the sixt general CouÌ„cel kept at Constantinople in Trullo vvhereby ye say it may be gathered that the signe of the Crosse vvas kept had in Churches I pray you alleage the canon of that Councel out of which ye gather it I am not ignorant that in the Popes law it is cited so But I am not yet persuaded that it is so Belike the patchers of those ragged reliques missetoke the name of the .vj. for the .vij. For as it is certayne that in the syxt CouÌ„cel of Constantinople there was a long discourse contra Monothelitas agaynst them which affirmed there was but one will in Christ so in all the actions that are come abrode to the sight of the world there is not so much as mention of the crosse It is an easy matter to say Such a Councel defined so the case bring no proufe at al nor so much as a word to rule the case ouer This is to slight dealing in so great a cause as you wil haue the Crosse to be But on the other side as you haue brought but the bare name of thre Councels for you wherof there is none that confirmeth your error so if I bring thrée councels in dede as famous as they which in playne words by publique frée assent shal ouerthrow it wil ye be then content to giue ouer How soeuer your frowardnesse in this behalf shal leade you yet that other may vnderstand how men of souÌ„der iudgement haue asseÌ„bled themselues also together alway resisted the herosie of Imagry I wil onely rehearse thrée other to you Eutropius Rer. Rom. Lib. 22. Constantine the fyft sonne to Leo surnamed Isauricus otherwyse by a nickname of Iconolatrae called Iconomachus of Image worshippers an Image enimie in the yeare of our Lord .746 called a Councel at his princely palace of Constantinople where Eutropiê° reporteth that the byshop of Ephesus the byshop of Perga the byshop of Constantinople with other moe to the number of .338 Prelats were as apeareth by the subscriptions or as Sigebertê° Sigebertus in Chro. reporteth 330. There they sate deliberating vpoÌ„ the matter from the .x. of February til the .viij. of August In the ende they coÌ„cluded as touching the Image of Christ thus Si quis diuinaÌ„ Dei verbi secunduÌ„ incarnationeÌ„ figuraÌ„ c. The acts of which councell I will therefore insert at more large into my writing bicause they coÌ„tayne very learned reasons against the picture of Christ to be made or Image of any other in place of Gods seruice vsed Sanctorum patrum vniuersaliuÌ„ Synodorum puram inuiolataÌ„ à Deo traditam fidem nostram coÌ„fessionem obseruantes dicimus non debere quenquam diuisionem aut confusioneÌ„ vltra verum sensum voluntatem inexprimibilem incognoscibileÌ„ illam vnioneÌ„ duarum secunduÌ„ Hypostasim vnum naturaruÌ„ coÌ„minisci Quae nam est haec insana opinio pictorum vt lucri turpis miseri causa ea quae effici nequeant studeant coÌ„ficere vt ea quae ore corde sunt tantummodo confessa impijs manibus figurare intendant Arbitratus autem sic est ipsam Imaginem Christum vocando Est autem Christus hoc nomine Deus homo Sequitur vt Imago Dei sit hominis Et consequens est vt aut iuxta opinionem vanitatis suae deitatem quae circuÌ„scriptione creatae carnis circumscribi non potest circumscripserit aut inconfusam illam vnitionem impietatis confusione confuderit geminas blasphemias in deitatem per descriptionem confusionem intulerit Iisdem ergo blasphemijs earum adorator inuoluitur ve illud vtriusque praemium quod scilicet cum Ario Dioscoro Eutyche Acephalorum haeresi errauerint Damnati autem à cordatis viris in eo quod incomprehensibilem incircumscriptibilem diuinam Christi naturam ipsi depingere studuerunt ad aliam aliquam praua inuentione apologiam confugiunt quod solius carnis quam vidimus palpauimus cum qua vérsati sumus illius inquam ImagineÌ„ exhibemus quod sane impium est Nestoriana diabolica inuentio Considerandum est hoc Quod si iuxta orthodoxos patres simul caro simul dei verbi caro nunquam partitionis notitiam suscepisset sed totaliter tota natura diuina assumpta totaliter perfectè deitate arrepta fuisset quomodo in duas diducetur ab impijs illis qui istud facere conantur priuatim separabitur Cósimiliter vero de sacra eius anima se habet Postquam enim assumsisset deitas filij in propria hypostasi carnis naturaÌ„ inter deitatem carnis crassitudinem anima mediam se interposuit quemadmodum simul caro simul verbi Dei caro sic simul anima simul verbi Dei anima Et ambabus simul conspectis videlicet anima corpore inseparabilis ab ipsis deitas extitit in ipsa etiam disiunctione animae à corpore in voluntaria passione Vbi enim anima Christi illic etiam deitas vbi corpus Christi illic quoque deitas consistit Siquidem igitur in passione inseparabilis ab ijs mansit deitas quomodo insam isti quauis imprudentia irrationaliores carnem deitate coniuÌ„ctaÌ„ deificatam diuidunt hanc vt nudi hominis imaginem pingere conantur Et ex hoc in aliud impietatis barathrum labuntur Nam carnem a deitate separantes per se subsistenteÌ„ eam inducentes aliamque personam in carne constituentes quam in Imagine representari dicunt quartam personam Trinitati adijciunt diuinam assertionem praedicant impiam Itaque fiet illis qui Christum depingere nituntur vt aut deitatem circumscriptibilem cum carne confusam dicant aut corpus Christi expers deitatis diuisum praeterea personaÌ„ per se subsistentem in carne asserant ita Nestorianae Deo repugnanti haeresi similes existunt In taleÌ„ igitur blasphemiam impietatem cadentes pudore suffundantur auersentur se ipsos talia facere desinant nec hij solum qui faciunt verum etiam qui falso nomine factam dictam ab ipsis Christi imaginem venerantur Absit a nobis ex aequo Nestorij diuisio Arij Dioscori Eutychis Seueri confusio male sibi ipsa repugnantia quae vtraque ex aequo impietatem procurant Which wordes in English be these We following therein the pure and inuiolable faith deliuered from God receyued of holy fathers and generall Councels do say that no man ought to ymagine a diuision or confusion contrary to the true sense and wyll not able to be expressed and the same vnion being aboue reach of knowlege of two natures agreable to one persoÌ„ For what a mad opinion is this of paynters
incircuÌ„scriptilem verbi Dei essentiam Hypostasin propterea quod incarnatus est naturalibus coloribus in Imaginibus ad formam hominis depinxerit qui non theologicè sensit eam post carnem non minus incircumscriptibilem remansisse anathema Si quis indiuisam Dei verbi naturae carnis secunduÌ„ hypostasin vnitionem videlicet ex vtrisque vnam inconfusaÌ„ impartibilem perfectioneÌ„ factam in Imagine depingere conatur vocatque eum Christum Christus enim nomine vno Deum hominem significat ex ea reconfusionem duarum naturarum monstrosè asserit anathema Si quis carnem hypostasi verbi Dei vnitam diuiserit in nuda excogitatione mentis eam habens ex eo conatus fuerit illam in Imagine depingere anathema Si quis vnicum Christum in duas hypostases diuiserit ab vna parte Dei silium ab altera parte Mariae silium collocans neque continuam vnitionem factam confitens ob id in imagine tanquam per se subsistentem Mariae filium depinxerit anathema Si quis ex vnitione ad diuinum verbum deificatam carnem in Imagine pinxerit veluti diuidens eam ex assumpta deificata deitate indeificatam ex hoc eam conficiens anathema Si quis in forma Dei existentem Deum verbum serui formam in propria hypostasi assumentem per omnia nobis similem factum sine peccato conatus fuerit materialibus coloribus figurare veluti si nudus homo fuisset hoc modo ab inseparabili incommutabili deitate seiuÌ„gere veluti quaternitatem inducturus in sanctam viuificantem Trinitatem anathema If any person shall not acknowledge our Lorde Iesus Christ after the taking of lyuing reasonable and vnderstanding flesh to sytte together with God and his Father and that he shall so retourne agayne with the maiesty of his Father to iudge both quicke and deade not any more fleshe and yet notwythstanding hauing a body that he may be séene of those of whome he was pricked and that he doth remayne God wythout the grossenesse of fleshe Let him be holden accursed If any person shall attempt to counterfet the diuine figure of God the worde as he became man wyth materiall coloures and doth not worship wyth all his heart with eyes of vnderstaÌ„ding him sitting on the right hand of his Father glistering aboue the brightnesse of the sunne in the throne of hys glory Let him be holden as accursed If any person do paynt Incircumscriptible is that vvhich caÌ„ not be measured or coÌ„passed vvithin any certaine boundes the incircumscriptible nature and substance of God the worde and his person with naturall coloures in Images after the fashion of a man bycause that he toke fleshe and doth not also thinke after the doctrine of true Diuinity the same diuine nature after the assumpting of fleshe to remaine notwithstanding incircumscriptible Let him be holden as accursed If any person doe enterprise to paint and set forth in an ymage the indiuisible vniting in one person of the natures of God the word and fleshe that is to say the perfection made of both twaine which neither is to be confouÌ„ded of eyther nor one from the other to be seuered and doth call the same Christ for Christ in one name doth signifie both God and man and by that meanes most monstruously doth affirme the confusion of the two natures Let him be holden as accursed If any person shall diuide the humaine nature vnited to the person of God the worde and hauing it onely in the ymagination of his minde shal therfore attempt to paynt the same in an Image Let him he holden as accursed If any person shall diuide Christ being but one into two persons placing on the one syde the sonne of God and on the other syde the sonne of Mary neyther doth coÌ„fesse the continuall vnion that is made and by that reason doth paynt in an Image the sonne of Mary as subsisting by himselfe Let him be acccursed If any person shall paynt in an Image the humayne nature being deified by the vniting thereof to God the worde separating the same as it were from the Godhead assumpted and deified making the same as though it were deified Let him be holden as accursed If any person shall presume to counterfet in material colours God the word being in the shape of God taking on him in his propre person the forme of a seruant by al things made like vnto vs yet wythout sinne as though that he were but onely bare naturall man by this meanes to diuide him from the inseparable vnchangeable godhead as though he would bring in a quaternity into the holy and quickening Trinitie Let him be holden as accursed And so farre the Councell of Constantinople concerning this case whose authoritie if you admit not yet let their reasons take place or be aunswered let the word of God which they faythfully alleaged the testimony of fathers which they roundely brâ—â—â—ht out take away thys wicked and abhominable worshâ—â—ping of God with an Image Let not the natures of Christ be confounded Let not the one from the other be seuered Christ on the Crosse was both God and man That on our Crosse is but an Image only of a maÌ„ Christ on the crosse was that soÌ„ne of God that on our crosse is but the ymage of the sonne of Mary Christ hath an inseparable and vnchangeable Godheade that on our Crosse maketh .ij. persons of one .iiij. persons in Trinitie Therefore accursed be that Crosse to the Diuell And thus much for the first Councell Nowe about the same tyme Concilium ElibertinuÌ„ when the controuersie was hote in Gréece they began also to styrre in Spayne and there at a City called nowe Granata was a Councel helde of nynetene Byshops and syx and thyrty Elders The chiefe among them was Foelix byshop of Aquitane When they maturely had weyghed the matter with one assente they agréed on this poynt Placuit Can. 36. picturas in Ecclesia esse non debere ne quod colitur aut adoratur in parietibus depingatur Which wordes in english are these Our pleasure is that there should be no pictures in the Church that the thing be not paynted on the walles which is serued or worshipped The like also is repeated after Can. 41. Folio 40. b But these ye say vvere condemned by the seauenth generall Councell kepte at Nice vvhere three hundreth and fifty Byshoppes men of great vertue profound knovvledge and depe sight in diuinitie vvere But that was also condemned after by another Councel assembled at Frankforde in the yeare of our Lorde 7 9 4. where all the learned of Charles his dominions of Fraunce Italie and Germanie were present whyther Adrian the Pope sent also his Embassadoures Theophilacte and Stephan Where Charles himself was in propre person vpon occasion of the sayd Councel of Nice which the Pope had sent him to be approued But