with so palpably incredible calumnies therein inserted His Account indeed seemes chiefly designed for Vulgar Capacities and therfore he mainly endeavours to captivate their attention and belief with much sophistry and many smooth stories of some Doctors amongst Catholicks whose different Opinions about the Moods of Christian Doctrin which they believe simply as it is delivered them plainly though they Vary in their Explications of Divine Mysteries he makes pass for disagreeing in Articles of Faith of others some who schismatically affected speak the stile of their predominant passions not according to the Religion they received from their Catholick Teachers and are therefore censured by the great Overseers of Christiantâ—y whom nevertheless the Doctor makes to speak the pure sense of the Roman Churches Faith and Piety And of some too whose Judgments guided by the compass of their ambitious and unclean affections driving at gâ—eat Names and Places cause division in the outward Hierarchy and Government of the Church for which neither the Canons of our Faith and Manners gives them any authority nor may it be hoped that either the care or power of our chief Pastors may wholly avoid such Wolves since according to Christ's prophesy scandals will still arise though our Catholick Bishops still oppose themselves against them and yet the Doctor will have these either to be our Church Governors or their actions to be destructive of our Catholick Vnity But all these slights of his are to so little purpose that many sober Protestants has been startled at thâ—se his Cantings and Imputations upon so anâ—iâ—nt and grave a Body of Christians whom their former Teachers ever allowed to be members of Christ's Mystical Body and capable of salvation in their own way of Christian observance Whence as the Cruelty of the old Roman Emperours and Presidents against the Primitive Christians moved many Vnbelievers of those times to embrace the Roman Faith so has the severe Accusations of the Doctor against Catholicks moved many of their Adversaries to a more steddy enquiry into our Catholick Truths to confer more reverently with the Dispensers of the Doctrin of that defamed Religion and oft to conclude somewhat more than ordinary of truth and honesty to be found in that Way which being long since banished this Nation by very severe Laws is still so eagerly arraigned so clamorously cryed down in Press and Pulpit and at any Rate exposed to the severity of those whose Interest passion or dulness has ever since engaged them in its suppression The Doctors whole Account amounts to a pulling down and a setting up first he pulls down the Church of Rome then He sets up his Own he makes Vse of four formidable Engins to overturn that our Catholick Church which your TO KATHOLICO amply examines But surely if the Church of Rome falls all Churches which either received their belief from her or now communicate in faith with her must fall too and thus the Catholick Church and the Communion of Saints an entire Article of the Apostles Creed is on a sudden cancelled Indeed it is so proper to all Church Reformers to pull down Churches and such like Monuments of our forefathers Christian piety suckt in with that faith they originally received from their Roman Apostles that our Natiâ—n has cause enough to bewail the power of thâ—â— Sword of Gospellers in whose sense we may confess The Roman Church in some measure to be no sound Church even no Church at all were their Swords as keen as their Pens and Tongues and as close-laid as Nero once wished His to an Imaginary Neck for we are ever bound to believe each one speaks and writes his own thoughts and hearty wishes The Doctor having endeavour'd to level our Roman Church and not finding One principled according to his own Acephalick passion wherewith to close lays the foundation of his Own properly His Stillingfleet Church Not Roman nor Protestant nor indeed any Church at all for where he leaves neither any constant Rule wherby to square our faith or observance in necessaries not clearly revealed in holy Wriâ—t nor any power to oblige to a conformity in Belief and Practices nor any One Visible Head for our Direction and Communion there can be no Church of Christ but a Babel and Confusion that which evidently follows from the Doctors Own Principles whereunto he pretends the faith of Protestants must be reduced as to the only true Test of its being Christian and Catholick And thus after our long reproaching that Church as Vnprincipled the Doctor in a full Council of his own thoughts assembled in Vertue of his all-truth discerning Spirit synodically pronounces his Anathema's against Vs and publishes Canons of faith to all the Churches of England and will prove it to be One Holy Apostolical and Catholick by such Rules as neither Scripture nor Councels nor Fathers nor any Church ever menâ—â—on'd before nor will ever be solemnly canoniz'd by any Synod of our Englâ—sh Pâ—â—lates however he pretends them to be Protestant wherein we may admire at their silence even by those Rules by which aâ—â—â—elief built on them not borrowed from the Roman Church may be contradictory and will be cleerly resolved not to have One Mark of the true Christian Church even to be no Church at all but a pure Stillingfleet an phantosm His design in forging these his Principles was thence to shew the Protestant Church as Protestant or as it is by Schism separated from the great Catholick Body of Christians to be Positive Vniform and Principled whereas by them it is clearly Negative Confusive and Begs the question in the root of all Briefly thus As for the first the Dr aims directly at the subversion of all traditional Revelation and of an external visible and infallible proponent of divine credibles and of all power obligeing to acceptance of them as such and consequently at the overthrow of all Articles by the Church of Rome allowed and Canonized as truths revealed upon those grounds As for the next his Canons for the interpreting Gods written Revelations are of that Latitude that whoever admits them if he please may disagree with the Doctor and all others and with himself too at different times by virtue of a pretended Personal infallible-all-truth discerning-faculty which he allows all in all fundamentals and superstructures depending on the controverted sense of Gods written Word after a sober enquiry and sincere endeavours however necessary those credibles be to salvation or the framing one Church of many truth-discerning members whether this their enquiry be performed by the working of reason only which in supernatural Truths revives Pelagianism or by a pretended personal divine assistance in regard of each Believer to which every one may as legally pretend and appropriate it to himself by pretence of having used his best means to understand Scripture as the Dr. himself or any other Teacher which is to erect an Acephalick Enthusiasm or Fanaticism And as for the last if it be a legal proof that there
the Father but no news of worshipping the Host But secondly there are not the same grounds to believe Christs presence here as that Christ is God and if that presence be not then is it idolatry without excuse It is here granted that the person of Christ visibly appearing to us in any place may be worshipped but there is not the same reason of believing and seeing And if any reply blessed is he who hath not seen and believed he may know that that word is here impertinent relating not to this matter but to the Resurrection It is also granted that in the celebration of the Eucharist we are to give a spiritual worship to Christ as well as to the Father performing that Religious Act with a due veneration of his majesty and power with a thankfulness for his goodness a trust in his promises and a subjection to his supreme authority We grant also that external reverence may be shewn in the time of receiving the Eucharist in signification of our humble and thankful acknowledgement of his benefits But we deny first that Divine worship is to be given to the Elements on the account of a real presence or that the same adoration is to be given out of Communion as in it And this is the only Controversie For how can one be sure that the object is such in it self as deserves worship sine it seems Bread still The Scripture that sayes This is my Body may be otherwayes interpreted and then the words will not make it out and the sence of them given by Fathers is hard to seek and harder to find the world being full of disputes about it The sence of the present Church can stand in no stead For is it enough that the Pope say so No. If he define it No. If a General Council concurre with him No unless they proceed in a right way and who knows that Besides how can we tell that he who consecrates is a Priest or hath any intention to do it And as we cannot be sure of the object of worship there so neither that we have yet sufficient reason to worship For Divines are not resolved whether the humanity of Christ taken abstractively from the Divinity be capable of Divine worship so that if the humanity be present with the Divinity it is uncertain whether I may worship it and as distinct from the Divinity it is certain I cannot And though out of the Sacrament we may worship Christ safely enough yet not so in the Sacrament where his corporal presence is the cause of our adoration and perhaps without the Divinity at all which is unto no purpose of Christs institution But suppose Christs Divinity be present yet this gives not ground enough of worshipping the thing wherein he is present For how and why should it be Here are their Doctors puzled mightily to shew how their worship is terminated in this case and how God is united to the Sacrament more then to the Sun and Moon and whether there be any hypostatical union in one place more then another What can they urge for any sufficient authority of this their worship The authority of the Roman Church That is nothing worth Catholick Tradition Let them shew it Scripture That cannot do it alone without Council and Fathers as some of their own learned men acknowledge For the words This is my Body may stand with a Metaphorical as well as a real sence But if they chance to be mistaken in the belief of this Doctrine then can they not certainly be excused from Idolatry as their own men Bishop Fisher and others do acknowledge no more then the Manichees and some others who said Christ was the Sun and therefore worshipped it Veneration and Invocation of Saints is another piece of Idolatry c. § 1. The Author having prosecuted in one long Chapter the first piece of our Catholick Idolatry he bestows upon us another here as long as it about two other our Idolatrous parcels the Eucharistian Host and Saints For Idolatry is such a rumbling sound that he thinks not fit to confine it to one Chapter as the other three subjects Indevotion Fanaticisme and Division but we must hear of it on both sides our head unto our double confusion But it is here to be noted that he changes now the mode of his Sophistry in to a new kind I suppose for his Readers refreshment Before he cast beams now he throws motes into our Eyes Our Images he confounds by the Loggs of Heathen Idols but our Eucharist by the dust of Philosophical curiosities which he so spreads abroad that he loseth his own eye-sight § 2. And as he changes his Logick so does he alter his phrase also And he has a reason for that too In his first Chapter he charged us with worshiping God by Images and in Images now he does not say in the like phrase that we worship God in the Host or by the Host And of this his sudden change of phrase I believe every Reader does not take notice or perceive a reason though the Author have one and that a good one for it and I think a couple For first a waggish wit must so provide that he impose upon his adversary not that which is true or sounds true but what is or sounds false To worship God in Images sounds false but to worship God in the Host sounds true and therefore he imposes that upon Catholicks but not this Secondly This his diversity of phrase brings him in all the materials of that his first and this present Chapter which he could never by any force have haled into his paper unless he had carefully so placed his words as here he does The charge of worshipping God in Images gave him occasion to talk how such a worship cannot terminate upon God how that the invisible Deity cannot be represented how the Heathens worshipped God in their Idols how that Aaron and Jeroboams sin was no other c. which materials till up his first Chapter and had all failed him had he spoke singly of the respect which Catholicks bear to their holy Apostles and Martyrs represented either to their ear or eye which is all they do On the other side his charge of worshipping the Host and not God in the Host opens him a passage for all the talk of this his second Chapter how that we have no command in Scripture of worshipping the Host though we be commanded to worship Christ how that we have no ground to worship the Elements how that we cannot be sure that the Host is an object of worship how Schoolmen are puzled to declare the union with the Elements and Symbols c. which are his materials against this second parcel of our Idolatry and had all failed him too had he fairly imposed upon Catholicks a worship of God in the Host as before he did a worship of God in Images For these two great reasons he warily imposes upon them in choice phrases of
Lord must needs then have appeared among us on this our Earth in vain For both himself and all the whole truth he delivered us was in his time and all following ages contradicted round about and opposed and rendred thereby doubtful by Jews and Pagans and no less by those people who Apostatized from that Catholick Society than any other their outward and forrein Adversaries And I suppose the Giantly witts of former ages amongst the Rabbies and Philosophers did with somwhat a more stronger shot from sâ—nce and reason invade our Christian assurance than any is here discharged out of his Elder potgun by our doubt-making Doctor This is uncertain Church is slighted Fathers are otherwise interpreted there are now who deny it c. What news in all this can trouble me who could not but foresee if I did but use my common reason that all these things would happen It is not to be expected that all men should believe at once And he that believes not will both conceive doubtâ— and urge them both hare a believer and persecute him too perhaps to death without any doubt at all These doubts and oppositions and 〈◊〉 raised against Faith can have no other effect in a true believer but to strengthen and spread the roots of it more wide and deeper in his heart There was a notable Propheâ—ie of our Lord uttered by St. Siâ—â—â—on a worthy great Personage at his birth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Jesus is set both for the fall and rising of many in Israel and for a sign to be contradicted Both Christ and his whole Faith delivered by him is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Signe and eminent Trophy set up in the eyes of the whole world by all grumbling unbelievers to be enviously glanced at malitiously traduced and all possible ways opposed and persecuted O but what if this Faith of Papists should prove to be false saith he then cannot Papists be excused from Idolatry as their own learned men acknowledg This is even wondrous true whether our own learned men who are still brought in by him for the imbellishment of his own Clarkship do acknowledg it or no. And so if Jesus Christ himself should prove not to be what he is believed by Catholicks then would the Doctor also who is ready to worship him upon the account of that our Faith declared and maintained by the Catholick Councel of Nice be an Idolator too A false consequence may easily flow from a false and impossible supposition But wise men are more apt to consider their own danger than other mens And the Doctor if he were indeed in earnest and heeded rather his own Salvation then vain glory should rather ask his own soul I should think what if this Catholick Faith should be true Catholicks have for it clear Gospel universal tradition all Christian Churches in the world believing it and that in all ages the Doctor has nothing but his own sence and John Calvin who fell from that Church to plead for him Were not the Manichees censured as Idolaters for worshiping the Sun in the Firmament believing it to be God They well deserved to be censured For that was a fancy of their own grounded upon that word he hath set his Tabernacle in the Sun drawn unto a fond sence by their private interpretation contrary to the Authority of the Church and Pastors whom they would not obey when they checked and reproved them for it Even as now our present Protestants do put their various fanciful interpretations of signe and figure upon the words of Gospel This is my Body which the whole Church of God out of which they fell ever loved and reverenced as the most clear evidence of a Heavenly Legacy the truest and reallest that was ever made to man and of highest concernment to him Only the Maâ—â—chees judged by their erring surmise that our Lords Body was really there where the Church taught them it was not Protestants think it not really there where the same Church teaches them it is And thus have we passed through those handful of doubts which the Dr. casts before our eyes to perswade us we are not sure where he knows we are immoveable And we may worship our Lord in the Eucharist still as we did before for Stillingfleet § 10. The residue of this Chapter bewraies our third Catholick Idol Saints namely and their invocation There be but three or four words in it of substance if a falshood may be said indeed to subsist at all dilated so by his pretty rhetorick as if he had a mind to teach young Lawyers how to plead in a false cause The Heathens saith he were not blamed by Christian Doctors for their ill choice of worship Venus for example or Vulcan who were wretches but for giving divine honour to any but the true God as Papists do Here are two untruths and both notorious ones For neither do Catholicks give divine honour to Saints their fellow Servants and Domesticks of Faith neither is it true that antient Christian Doctors did not blame the Heathens for their ill choyce of worship as monuments yet extant various and weighty monuments do witness both in St. Austins Civitate Dei and elsewhere Wise Heathens worshiped one God supreme heeding the rest as inferiour powers under him as Papists do their Saints These be two more falshoods as is already declared in part For neither are Saints any inferiour powers to help us from themselves as the Sun Moon or Mercury but friends of God in Heaven and welwishers to their Brethren on Earth ready as Onias Job Abraham and Daniel and all the good Angels both to desire and rejoyce at their conversion and peace Neither did the wise Heathens worship one God supreme as St. Paul expresly testifies in his Epistle to the Christians at Rome where he tells them that even the Pagan Philosophers whom Dr. Stilling fleet calls the wiser Heathens held the truth in injustice that they did not glorifie nor worship the supreme God that they became as vain in their thoughts and deeds as any even the unwiser sort of them that pretending to be wise or wiser Heathens they became starke Noddies that they transformed Gods truth discerned even by his works of Creation into a lye and that they worshiped and served the Creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not the Creator I know well enough that Varro with some others of the Heathens about Rome where all sorts of Idols were brought together for the renown and pomp of that conquering City began to plead thus and excuse their Idolatry as the Doctor has learned by him here to do But did St. Austin admit that plea or was there ever any Christian who opposed it not together with all our holy Prophets and Apostles What subordination was there amongst the Egyptian Cyrian and Chaldean Idols or what Country ever was there among the Heathens who looked not upon their own Idol-God as Supreme Papists build Churches to Saints offer Sacrifice
under earth expresly by the same Law forbidden for example Moon and Stars Dogs and Cats Whales and Dolphins The Picture of Martin Luther in their Chamber is the lawful effigies of a man But Saint Stephen in our Closet is a Calf Can any man who talks at this rate be thought to be one that has conversed either with the learned sort of Papists or the wiser sort of Heathens or one rather that had never any conversation at all either with reason or men O but Catholicks worship God by their Images which Protestants do not I marry this is a huge fault indeed that Catholicks take thereby occasion to think of God and his manifold mercies and bless his name and trust in him For they no other way worship God by Images This is the mortal sin which Catholicks commit And if that illogical speech of the Doctor Catholicks worship God by Images be drawn into any kind of sence it can be no other than this that Catholicks take occasion by the pious faces of their Martyrs to think of Gods manifold graces and mercies towards them and thereupon trust in him afresh and bless his name which great errour the Doctor it seems does carefully avoid The ancient devout Christians thought of God and worshipped him by any thing any good thing they enjoyed the verdant fields and sweet flowers comfortable air and pleasing light mountains valleys and liquid streams Plumbs Pears Apples and chearful Grapes by the vertue charity and devotion of men the ministry of Angels c. But now we must take heed of that We may taste a Plumb or a Cherry we may eat a Venison Pasty and drink good Wine if we can get it nay we may have fine Pictures in our Chambers even the Picture of Jesus Christ crucified or any of his followers we may have all this if we be such good Protestants as Mr. Stillingfleet and never think of God or worship God by it But if we worship God by it if we think of God by it then it is all poison to us All is suddenly turned to Moloch to Remphan to Bâ—al Peor to Ashtaroth to Aarons golden Steer and the Calves of Bethel If we do but eat a custard thinking of God or worshipping God by it presently it becomes a Ramphan or Chiun the Idol of the Arabians Walking upon Hamstead hill as people use innocently enough to do if casting our eyes about the prospect we think of God by it as Catholicks are wont the hill before innocent is now become a Baal Peor the Idol of the Moabites A Citizâ—n walking to the Tower may look harmlesly enough upon the Crown and royal Robes there But he must take heed then that he fall not into a meditation of Heaven or the glory of its great King to worship him in his heart by it For then it becomes to him an Adramelech the idol of Sepharvaâ—m And he must beware of the like abuse when he sees the Chamber and Table where his Majesty sits in Council with his Peers lest it become a Moloch to him the idol of the Moabites The very Flags and Banners often seen in London-streets make some simple soul to think of Jerusalem above the peace and happy company there and the God of all but then O how suddenly is the Streamer metamorphosed and tâ—rned into Nesroch the idol of Senacherib Some are so bold when they either see or hear of any corrupted by the French-pox and lecâ—eâ—y to thank God who has preserved them and worship God by it And thereby sin no less grievously than Maacham the Mother of Asa King of Judah in worshipping her idol Priap or Nimphleseth A Gentleman called upon God not in words onely but very heaâ—tâ—ly when a troublesome Fly got into his Eve and much afflâ—cted him but he little thought that by that piety of his he had sinned as deeply as they that worship Baalzebub the idol of Acaron Nothing is more ordinary with Country Gentlemen when walking abroad they behold a goodly fair Flock of Sheep in pasture of their own than to thank God and worship God by it but little do they think good men they are guilty of idolatry thereby as much guilty as they that worshipped Ashtaroth the idol of the Philistins Nay a very Cow or Calf in the Meadows if we take occasion by it to thank God for his benefits or to worship God by it is the same thing then as Aarons Moulten heifer or Jeroboams Calves set up in Dan and Bethel And as it is for substance so for the figures of things St. Paul's picture so long as we do not think of God by it is a lawful picture But if we come once to think of God to worship God by it O then that is a Calf too Aarons Calf one of Jeroboams Calves c. This thinking of God this worshipping of God by any thing this is the pestilential blast that spoils all It turns sweet into bitter lawful into unlawful things innocent into sin and good things to death The representation of our blessed Lord crucified for us so long as we think not of him may pass for a good innocent or at least indifferent thing but if we once think seriously of him if we worship God by it then O Mr. Stillingfleet what is it then And yet answer me not For I will not have those blasphemous words here repeated Speak them to a Jew in order to Jesus Christ and he will embrace and love you But a Christian cannot enduâ—e to hear them § 5. Papists saith he worship God by images and so are guilty of idolatry Catholicks may hear this but can never understand what he means They are never taught in any of their Catechisms to worship God by Images None of their spiritual books wherein all religious Duties are importunately urged and pressed upon them ever mention it and their practice does not infer it For if it did they would easiliest understand it who best know what themselves do They are taught and do in their practice endeavour to worship God in their heart and soul and ardent affections streaming forth thence towards him They worship him with bended knees lips voice hearts and eyes lifted up unto him They worship him with the assistance of Gods good Spirit the Priests Sacrifice and help of mutual Prayers They worship him by mortifying their sensuality and carnal appetites by giving alms and relieving the poor and needy for his Love by observing his Laws and Counsels by resigning to his good will and pleaâ—ure in all things especially in time of afflicting persecutions when they suffer all manner of reproach lies and calumnies loss of goods and sometimes life it sell for his name sake patiently They worship him in Closets in Church-assemblies in the fields as they are walking on Land or Sea where they have oppportunity to do it Thus doth their religion teach them to worship God as with the right causes and instruments as by the true effects and
operations as in the times and places seasonable for worship and devotion But how they should worship God by images or as he speaketh oftner in the context of his discourse in images this they do not easily understand When he lays any thing to Catholicks charge he ought to speak I should think as Catholicks do and then he will be understood by them It is not to be conceived how any one can worship God by images and in images but either for the real presence there or ideal imitation or some sort of occasion of worshâ—p arising thence And so God must be worshipped by them and in them either presentially ideally or occasionally And it cannot be presentially For so God is no otherwise present in a picture than in the wall it hangs upon nor yet ideally for the picture for example of St. Mary Magdalen or St. Paul is no idea of that invisible and glorious Godhead nor yet is any other as the Crucifix for example or Christ our Lord in his Birth or Resurrection for all these figures are representations of his humanity and no idea's of his Deity at all And Mr. Stillingfleet must needs mean one of these two ways For otherwise he could not charge them with idolatry for it And therefore I say that his charge is false and slanderous But if he mean that they worship God by images in their images occasionally which is a moral interpretation and the only true one Then is such a work so far from Idolatry that it is a sublime piety For what can they better do then to give God thanks for so great graces mercies helps and comforts bestowed in Jesus our Lord upon his Apostles Martyrs Confessors and Virgins when they look upon their Figures and Pictures either in their contemplations or patience of Martyrdome or conversion of the world subduing and bringing flesh Satan and the World under their seet especially if Catholicks conceive thereby some pious resolution as well they may of doing something the more and patiently suffering for God in imitation of those pious Heroes our Predecessours in Religion and yet naturally but flesh and blood as we our selves are I say all this is signal piety and our Christian duty And according to this morall meaning Catholicks if they do worship God by their Images and in their Images do well and like good Christians But the Doctor will not charge them I suppose with a matter of so much truth and great piety as this is although his words cannot make out any other sence that is true but only this morall one And the more logical sence of worshipping God by images and in images ideally or presentially is false Let him even take whâ—ch sence he pleases either what justifies Catholicks or what falsifies his own assertion It is all one to me whether we stand or he fall § 6. He adds That the worship of God by Images does not terminate upon God because God has forbid it and so gives Gods honor to the Creature This is strange gibberish An act that tends to nothing is no act If it be some act it tends and has already tended to something and it terminates upon that thing unto which it tends and whose act it is denominated This is clear enough even to a young sophomore or one who indeed never yet came into the Air of Philosophy if he do but understand the terms and words here used For example I cannot see a man in the street except my vision terminate upon him nor can my vision terminate upon him but I must see him And it is all one whether I see him close by me or by my Window or in a Looking-glass at home For I cannot see him any way but my sight must terminate upon him and if it do not I see him not And this course of nature is not hindred nor yet altered at all because that Person may haply have forbidden me to look upon him either this way or that For our acts or actions are accomplished within our selves independently of any acceptance or disacceptance of them Acceptance or dâ—sacceptance commanding or forbidding is another thing extrinsecal and quite differing from the substance of the act or action For they specifie onely either the motive or event which may make the act either good or evil either grateful or displeasing but not make it an act or no act or not to tend where it has tended And so must my act of worshipping God by images terminate upon God or else it is no act of worshipping God by them however God may have either commanded or forbid it God has forbidden blasphemy and yet the act terminates upon him otherwise it could not be a sin against him And if Gods worship by Images do not terminate on God whither on Gods name does it tend and how is God worshiped by them This he does not tell us here unless he insinuate it in those following words oâ— his but gives the honour due to God unto the Creature But how can that be If God should have forbid us by his law to see a star through a tube should we not therefore see it but the tube only or should not our sight then be terminated upon the Star So it seems by this Doctors philosophy who hath conversed with the learneder sort of Papists and the wiser sort of heathens but very little with himself Holy Fathers and Doctors have often said that the honour of an Image redounds to the Prototype but never thought or said that the honour of the Prototype redounds to the Image as it is here affirmed against both art and experience But let us hear him proceed in his discourse He will surely let fall some sence or truth ere long § 7. Gods infinite and incomprehensible Deity saith he cannot be represented O here it is This is very true What a comfortable thing it is to meet with a draught of truth sometimes when a man is dry and thirsts after it But to what purpose is this spoken here Catholicks have no representations of that invisible Deity nor none they look after Figures they have of our Lord Christ born as man amongst us and made flesh and crucified and ascending into Heaven Figures also of his holy Followers and Martyrs but representations of the invisible Deify they never yet saw nor heard nor thought of On then The wisest of Heathens judged any such representations of the Divine nature incongruous and unbecoming his glory Indeed they were wise heathens and their judgment very right and good Nor did I ever hear of any Christian wise or unwise any otherwise minded O how would this Doctor prevail if this wise Discourse of his were as pertinent as it is true But he trusts and hopes well that his good fate will so accompany his Reader that he shall not doubt at all that every word that is true in his book is also to some purpose And to some purpose indeed it is namely to
have it thought that he is victorious in his main design although indeed and truth it belong nothing at all to it But let me not stop his carreere If any such figure of the Deity were inconsistent in the old Law much more in the new where we are commanded to worship God in spirit and truth O uncontroulable consequence arising from premisses most true No man can or dare deny all this Methinks I love him here for his reason and cannot but grieve it should be all spilt in vain so pure it is and precious A little more of this while he is in a good mood It seems more rational to worship God in the Sun and Moon which have more of God in them than a Picture has and to say our prayers to the Sun and Moon than to any Image Seems so Sir It is certainly more rational what should we doubt of And what a pitty is it there should be none to be found who worship God in a Picture either ideally or presentially none who say their prayers to a picture that this great blow of his might not beat the Aire to the indangering of his elbows Saint Paul testifies that the Godhead is not like either to gold or silver or stone Good St. Paul always said well and his testimony is good at all times and especially now when it hits so pat with the wiser Heathens There be many Churches now in England which have since our reformation the Tetragram name of God written upon the walls within side in golden letters Unto those men who did this it would not seem altogether impertinent to tell them that the Godhead is not like to gold silver or stone But to such as use only the effigies of our Lord according to his humanity and his holy Apostles and Martyrs what a pitty it is it should be impertinent and wholly lost Let him speak on some more of his truths Germanus Patriark of Constantinople says expresly that Christians make no representation of the invisible Deity and St. Damascene affirms it madness to go about it Marry God have mercy o' their souls for this their express saying Catholicks would desire no better a testimony for themselves if they wanted any then this of those two great Catholick Doctors that no such repreâ—entation entation they have and none they go about to have O but he hopes that all this being true will make strongly against the Church of Rome And will it so I have heard say there be a thousand Churches in Rome which are all Churches of Rome equally Which of them all are concerned in this talk that their walls may confute him But he means Catholick people perhaps oh O then all is well they are safe enough and unhurt by all this which is but their own doctrine and faith At least he has by these fair shreds of truth farced up a dozen pages in his book And he hopes that his protestant reader will believe it all to be most pertinent and apposite discourse against papishes though it be nothing less And if they do so think he has his end a happy Man no doubt § 8. Moses forbad saith he the making of any graven thing and the word which Moses uses in that his law for a graven thing is general and signifies not an idol only as Papists say but any picture likeness image or representation as Moses himself speaks either in heaven above or in earth below or waters under the earth pesel themurah eikon glypton sculptile any kind of thing that may be exprest either with the pencil or graving tool Believe me Sir if this be true it will undo all our Painters who come flocking hither into England as the only thriving place for them out of Holland Germany France and Italy too and here fill the Land with pesels themunahs eikons gâ—yptons sculptile's and any things they can express with their pencils for our delight Dolphins whales and other fish of the Sea biâ—ds of the Aire Beasts Flowers Woods gallant men and fair women all that ever Moses forbad to be exprest Nay I have seen my self in a Protestant Church Moses himself painted on the walls with glittering hornes on his head and a pair of law tables in his hand But it may be Law-makers do exemp themselves at least some Protestants may interpret as they seem to do that Moses forbad to make the figure of Jesus Christ but not his own No man in England scruples to have any of these eikons no not the Doctor himself notwithstanding this law of Moses so expresly contrary to them all no man doubts to set any painter or graver on work And yet must still this Law be cast in the teeth of Catholicks as transgressors of it For Gods sake why is St. Mary Magdalen in her penitential weeds upon her knees with beads in her hand and eyes all blubbered and swoln with tears more against the law of Moses than one of our delicate Paragons of beauty in her shining dress lips of coral and sparkling eyes O but Catholicks worship them Sâ—r this word in the sense and meaning of protestants is as great a falshood as was ever uttered by man For Catholicks neither have nor can have any other relative esteem of any Picture than what they have to the penitential works they represent or to the worth and piety of the Persons And an absolute esteem of the Picture this is measured out only by the Materials and artifice of the Painter according to which one Picture shall be worth five hundred pounds and another representing the same thing not worth five shillings And can we believe that our Protestant young Gentlemen have no veneration at all to our beauties set thus in their Majesty nor no kind of affections rising in their hearts towards them Yea ten to one more of ill affections and god wot greater then any good ones we can have to our crucisied Jesus in our way of piety And the difference indeed is only this that our reverence and affection is towards holy persons and unto an imitation of their piety hope patience constancy and charity Their 's to a concupiscence of flesh and eyes This and nothing but this if truth may be spoken makes them so wrathful and furious against our Catholick pictures Satan hates Jesus Christ and therefore inflames them to tear down his memories and representations but he loves pride of life and those portractures must stand that advance this He is pleased with that which feeds concupiscence of eyes and concupiscence of flesh brings him in the disciples which Jesus Christ loses Moses did forbid Jews who were travelling with him towards Palestine and idolatrous Nation to make to themselves that is to say on their own heads without warrant of the Synagogue or in imitation of the Pagan rites any of the idolatrous images there and elsewhere to be met withal or any similitude at all least seduced thereby they leave their own God and religion to
though not intire § 6. But we deny saith he that Divine worship is to be given to the Elements upon the account of a â—â—â—l presence This denial also as the words â—and is good enough For none that I know worship Elements Secondly We deny that the same adoration is to be given out of Communion as in it and this is the only Controversy I had thought he said before that he could worship Christ any where but only in the Eucharist where the corporeal presence determins a worship Now he seems to say that he can worship him in Communion and not out of it and this the only controversie But we must take his grants and danyals singly and not stand to tye them one to another lest we anger our Benefactor What he gives we must take thankfully and not look a gift horse in the month and what he denyes in one page he may grant us in another if we can but have patience § 7. They cannot be sure saith he that the object deserves worship appearing still bread Scripture that saies This is my Body may be otherwise interpreted the sence of the Fathers is hard to find the present Church stands in no stead For is it enough the Pope says it No. If he define it No. If a General Council concur No. Vnless they proceed in a right way and who can be sure of that Now he throws about his Philosophy-dust to perswade us we can be sure of nothing It still appears bread So it does Even Christ our Lord appeared a meer man but the eye of Faith apprehended him the Son of the Living God a Child newly baptized appears but the same it was and yet is believed to be now regenerate and born again all that is in man appears mortal but is not believed so Mulâ—a videntur quae non sunt This divine Majesty hath words of life and power and call the things which are not as those that are and by his naming them makes them to be what he says they are And in those words of life do Caâ—holicks believe and trust when taking bread he solemnly and seriously said at his last hour instituting then an Oblation and Sacrament most soveraigne and venerable to remain in his Church for ever This is my Body and all Christians hitherto have lived and dyed in this Faith Scripture that says This is my Body may be otherwise interpreted Considering they were the last words of our Loving Lord departing from us and his final Legacy bequeathed his believers they cannot be rightly interpreted but as they sound And any other interpretation that has been yet given by any against our Catholick Faith amounts only unto thus much This is not my Body which is a strange mad interpretation The sence of the Fathers is hard to seek saith he But who seeks after it writers of controversies may take pains to cull it out and demonstrate it to unbelievers for their Conversion But Catholicks have their Faith already wherein they are educated and bred up from their youth united to their immediate Pastors as these are to the rest of the Catholick Body The present Church stands in no stead why so that is all in all as the body is to the finger hands and other members in which they all move Is it enough the Pope says it No c. This man here imagins first that Catholicks have their Faith to seek which is his feeble imagination Secondly That Scripture cannot help them for his reason above specified as feeble as it And Thirdly That the present Church can availe as little because the Popes word is not assured as though the Popes word were the present Church And is not all this a strange raving talk All men know I think Sir all men excepting only this spiritual Hâ—ctor that as Catholicks have their Faith and Religion by Tradition from one Generation to another so in it they have ever lived unanimously under their immediate Priests and Pastors united altogether in the great Catholick Body the present Church and never look further Nor is there any need at all either of the Popes word or Councels unless some great sedition or scandalous Apostacy arise in some one or other particular Diocess For then the Bishop of the place calls for help of his fellow Bishops and the supreme Pastor in particular and conciliar Assemblies as Governours extraordinary in a tempest which may indanger the ship And Catholicks thus keeping close together in one body united with their Pastors whom the Holy Ghost hath set over them for their safety and peace cannot but remain steady and immoveable by the assistance and blessing of that Lord who hath promised ever to be with them even to the worlds consummation Nor do they ever seek for their Faith any where for they have it sufficiently already and all their â—are is to conform their lives to it as they ought that they may get Gods good Spirit and his holy operations in themselves which is the end of their Religion and all they do in it And what a pretty peice of ignorance is it in Dr. Stillingfleet to perswade us that they cannot be certain of their Faith who are certain and know themselves certain and declare so much before the face of the Sun and all the eyes of Heaven by their stability fixedness and immovability in Faith even this particular Faith of our Lords presence in the Eucharist so many ages together and such vast distant places not only against the dictamen of their own sences but even against all the violence and subtilty of mankind conspiring to shake all the very nerves and bones of their holy Faith out of joynt Dr. Stilling fleet has more need to consider in Gods fear how Catholicks do arrive to this strange assurance rather than emptily to tell us they cannot be sure § 8. Their own School-men puzle and are unresolved how the whole Humanity can be present how united how terminate a worship c. Here is another handful of his dust his curiosity-dust to lessen our assurance If our School-men puzle and are puzled we must needs be thought unresolved But what do these School-men puzle what are they unresolved in Not in their Faith which says that our Lord is present with us in his holy Eucharist but in the Philosophical Quomodo or how this thing or that thing is And as they cannot disagree in Faith which they received all alike one and the very same so can they not agree in Philosophy which they invent and contrive very divers every one to himself according to his genious and capacity And what is all this unto us believers or to one and another among themselves as they are all Christians even just nothing I say just nothing can the assurance of our Faith be prejudiced by any supervening curiosities of men disputing afterward in their maturer age about the Quomodo of it or the possibility of the contrary to it or the ways of Gods working