Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n
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A54780
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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.
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Philopater, F. P.
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1652
(1652)
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Wing P21; ESTC R25515
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84,169
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280
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higher civill or superstitious power the same we say of Religious Worship in the spirituall Kingdome of Gods Church as it is spirituall that whether it be exhibited to God or to the Officers of his Church or to other Christians or to sacred things dedicated to his honor yet we call it still a Religious Worship though that Religious Worship which we bestow upon God as he is God such as are Sacrifices oathes and vowes may not be exhibited to his creatures but an inferiour according to the qualty digâ—ity or esteem which the said creatâ—res have in Gods Church or the relation they haxe unto higher powers and therefore for distinction sake we call this inferiour worship which is bestowed upon creatures a Relative Religious Worship and not an absolute as having relation to God the end of all goodnesse esteem and dignity and this we intend and mean by a Relative Religious Worship and after this manner we affirm that sacred pictures signes and images may be honored and worshipped with a Relative Religious visible and invisible worship and not with an absolute as having relation either immediately or mediately unto God the end of all goodnesse This noble morall vertue of Religion as also other morall vertues hath divers acts or operations some whereof only respect God as he is God and Creator of all things others his Angels and Saints or spirituall persons or ecclesiasticall and sacred things dedicated to his honor and service as it respecteth only and chiefly God it is divine honor and worship or an absolute worship independent upon any other thing as it respecteth the creatures and sacred things dedicated to his service it is relative religious honor and worship because it is not absolute or stayeth there but hath a further relation to God the end of all goodnesse as of whom and by whom and from whom the thing worshipped hath that honor and worship and not of it selfe by it selfe The like we find in other morall vertues as for example in Justice though the substance and nature of this vertue be one particular vertue yet her operations and effects are divers and different whereof some are occupied about God as he is God and Creator of all things others about his creatures and that work or operation which according to Justice we bestow upon God as he is God and Creator of all things as love of the whole heart may not be bestowed upon his creatures but an other of an inferiour and relative quality and the like we may say of other morall vertues and also of Religion which is described by S. Thomas in his 2 a. 2 ae quaest 81. to be one speciall most noble morall vertue distinct onely by reason from holinesse which according to her proper acts and operation doth only respect God and by other vertues which she commandeth his creatures and therefore when she is described according to her most principall office or operation or principall Analogate she is said to belong unto God only and when she is described according to her largest extent or signification then she is said to belong unto God and holy things that Religion and a religious worship and honor doth belong unto God that our Adversaries do confesse that she doth also belong after the aforesaid relative manner unto sacred pictures signes and images and other holy things either mediately or immediately dedicated to the honor end service of God that I shall further shew in the ensuing chapters CHAP. X. That a Relative Religious Worship belongeth unto sacred things Pictures Signes and Images as they immediately or mediately conduct us to God S. Paul speaking of the sacred things Rites and Ceremonies which were used by the faithfull in the Old Law in the service of God saith These things were done in a figure of us Again All these things happened to them in sign or example as Protestants translate 1 Cor. 10. Again For the Law having a shadow of things to come not the very image of the things Heb. 10.1 whereby it appeareth that the Rites Ceremonies and Sacraments of the Old Law were but sacred Signs Pictures Images Shadows or imperfect and obscure representations of the sacred things of the New Testament whereupon S. Paul saith that Abraham received the sign of Circumcision seal of the Justice of Faith that is in prepuce or Christians Rom. 4.11 yet they worshipped these figures signs and shadows in the Old Law with a relative religious worship and honor as witnesseth the Scripture saying You shall observe these Ceremonies in the Sacrifice of the Paschall Lamb and when your children shall say unto you what is this Religion you shall say to them it is the victime of your Lords passage when he passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt Exod. 12.16 where the Scriptures call the reverence and respect which was borne unto the Ceremonies and signes which represented our Lords passage over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt a Religion where they used a relative religious worship as of the same nature and not a civill which is of another kind Again Aaron and his children shall be Priests to me by a perpetuall Religion Exod. 29.9 Again This is the annoynting of Aaron and his sons in the Ceremonies of our Lord c. by a perpetuall Religion in their generations Exod. 7.35 where the Scriptures call the signes and ceremonies which were used in the consecration of Aaron and his children to be Priests a Religion and therefore to be performed with an outward and inward relative religious respect and reverence In like manner a red cow being offered in burnt victimes for sin the Scriptures say This is the Religion of the victime which our Lord hath appointed Num. 19.2 where the Scriptures call the Rites and Ceremonies used about the Sacrifice for sin a Religion and therefore performed with a relative religious honor respect and reverence The Scriptures also speaking of an addition of many people unto the Rites and Ceremonies of the Jewes say Many other Nations and Sects were joyned to their Religion and Ceremonies Hester 8.17 whereupon S. Paul saith According to the most pure Sect of our Religion I was a Pharisee Act. 26.6 where the Scriptures and S. Paul call the whole practise which they had about sacred things or things dedicated to the honor of God and use of their divine service a Religion and then the respect and reverence which they were to use about the said things must be religious as of the same nature for as our Saviour said We doe not gather grapes on thornes or figs on thistles Mat. 7.16 S. James saith If any man think himself to be religious not bridling his tongue this mans religion is vaine Iames 1.26 where he supposeth that Religion and so likewise a religious worship may be used about the tempering of the tongue Again in the same place S. Iames saith A Religion clean and unspotted with God the Father is this to
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