For though he florish with Greek and Latinâ—quotations of Fathers joynd to Scripture which they do not yet since there is no visible Judge talk'd of in it but himself that is able to speak What is this but private spirit having little measure of the gift of Tongues more than Quakers have So that let them preach as much as they will the result of all Dispute between them and us must come to this Whether their last speaking Iudge in England or ours in the whole Catholic Church deserves better to be believ'd and rely'd on 5. It cannot be deny'd but that there is somthing of Truth in all these Sects The Guide which each of them respectively layes claim to is a justifiable Guide though being alone not sufficient For 1. To exclude Reason from guiding us would be to become Beasts 2. To exclude Gods Spirit from directing us would be to cease being Christians 3. To renounce the Testimony of Antiquity and Authority of General Primitive Councils would be an arrogant temerity unpardonable 4. And last of all to deny a judging determining power to the present visible Governors I mean those Governors and Synods which are Superior in respect of all other Governors or Synods Inferior would be to make all Heresies and Schisms justifiable Therefore not any of these partial Guides must be neglected Yet unlesse they all concur that which we take to be Reason and Inspiration and the sense of the Primitive Church may deceive and mis-guide us 6. Now it is only the Roman Catholic Church whose enâ—â—re Guidance proceedâ— from all these and the effect of which Guidance in full satisfaction to each mans Soul and universal peace in Gods Church which effects cannot possibly flow but from a complication of all these Guides Roman Catholics admit Reason to judge of the sense of Scripture as the Socinians do but they give due bounds to Reason nay they silence it quite when it would presume to judge of incomprehensible Mysteries and reject them because Philosophy cannot comprehend them When Reason has found out the sense of Scripture they with the Presbyterians and even Fanatics acknowledge it is Divine Inspiration that moves the Soul to assent thereto and embrace the verities contained in Scripture directing their actions accordingly But because the Devil can transform himself into an Angel of Light neither can there be any Guide more dangerous then false Inspirations they conclude that all such pretended Inspirations are indeed Diabolical Suggestions which are prejudicial to Honesty Virtue Piety and the common Rules of Obedience both Spiritual and Civil All Inspirations which which incite private uncommission'd persons to reform either Churches or State all that nourish Factions or Commotions in the Common-wealth All that beget Pride and an opinion of self-sufficiency or an humor of censuring others especially Superiors In a word whensoever the spirit of single Prophets refuse to be subject to the community of the Prophets that is Church Governors such Inspirations in Catholic Religion are rejected detested and sent back to the Infernal Father of them 7. Moreover Roman Catholics do willingly and confidently appeal to the Primitive Church the four first General Councils and the holy Fathers But universal experience demonstrating it impossible that any writing can end a Debate between multitudes of persons interessed and therefore not impartial or indifferent their last recourse is to the present visible Church which cannot declare her sense to us in any other way then as she is represented by her Pastors out of all Nations that is by a General Council All Catholics submiting to this Council not their tongues only but also their judgments by following the Church thus with humility shew that they are guided both by Reason Inspiration and Examples of Primitive Fathers Hence St. Austin sayes We receive the Holy Spirit if we love the Church if we rejoice in the name of Catholics and in the Catholic Faith And elsewhere Contra rationem nemo sobrius c. No sober man will admit an opinion against Reason no Christian against Scriptures no lover of peace and unity against the Church And this only is the Guide that we say and presently will demonstrate to be infallible 8. Now that the final Decision of all Controversies in Faith can only be expected from such a Guide and consequently that all Christians under pain of damnation are obliged never to contradict this Guide and alwaies to assent when it requires we are taught not by Reason only but God himself also and this in the Law of Moses The whole Nation of the Iews saith St. Augustin was as it were one great Prophet the policie of their Church was the Scheme of the Christian to the twelve Princes of their Families answer'd the twelve Apostles to the Seventy Elders the Seventy Disciples to the several Courts of Judgement our Ecclesiastical Synods to the great Sanhedrim a general Council and to the High Priest our Supreme Pastor Now for our present purpose the Ordinance that God made in the Jewish Church for deciding Controversies about the Law ran thus If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgement c. that is as we find in 2 Chron. 19. 8. between blood and blood between Law and Commandment Statutes and Iudgements then shalt thou arise and get thee into the place which the Lord thy God shall chuse And thou shalt come to the Priests and Levites and to the Iudge that shall be in those dayes and enquire and they shall shew thee the sentence of Iudgement and thou shalt do according to the sentence which they shall shew thee c. Thou shalt not decline from the sentence to the right hand or to the left The man that will do presumptuously and will not hearken to the Priest or unto the Iudge even that man shall die and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel Upon those words in this passage unto the Iudge that shall be in those daies Ainsworth out of the Rabbins observes that if the high Synedrion had determin'd of a matter after another Synedrion rose up which upon Reasons seeming good unto them disannulled the former Sentence then it was disannull'd and Sentence passed according as seemed good to those later So that the present Authority was alwaies to take place and no Appeals to be made from it For if any Disputes against the Sentence of living speaking Iudges upon any pretence whatsoever either of a private exposition of the Law or the Authority of preceding Rabbies were allow'd there would never want Contentions and Schisms in the Synagogue And observe that in this obedience was implyed an assent or submission of Judgment For otherwise it would be against Conscience in case the party continued in a contrary opinion of the sense of the Law It is just so and alwaies has been so in the Catholic Church The present Superiors living and speaking must conclude all Controversies their Interpretation of Scripture and Fathers
Supremacy began with St. Peter his words are Among the Apostles themselves there was one chief that had chief authority over the rest to the end Schisms might be compounded And this he quotes from Calvin who said The twelve Apostles had one among them to govern the rest 26. I will now produce two who will give this whole Cause to the Pope The first is the so fam'd Melancthoâ— who writes thus As certain Bishops preside â—ver particular Churches so the Bishop of Rome is President over all Bishops And this Canonical policy no wise man as I think does or ought to disallow c. For the Monarchy of the Bishop of Rome is in my judgement profitable to this end that consent of Doctrine may be retain'd Wherfore an agreement may easily be established in this Article of the Popes Supremacy if other Articles could be agreed upon The other witnesse is learned Doctor Covel the Defender of Mr. Hooker he having shew'd the Necessity of setting up one above the rest in God's Church to suppresse the Seeds of Dissention c. thus applies it against the Puritans If this were the principal means to prevent Schisms and Dissentions in the Pâ—imitive Church when the graces of God were more abundant and eminent then now they are Nâ—y if twelve Apostles were not like to agree except there had been one chief among them For saith Hierom Among the twelve one was therefore chosen that a chief being appointed occasion of Schism might be prevenâ—ed how can they think that equality would keep all the Pastors in the World in peace and unity For in all Societies Authority which cannot be where all are equal must procure unity and obedience He adds further The Church without such an Authority should be in a far worse case then the meanest Common-wealth nay almost then a Den of Theives if it were left dâ—stitute of means either to convince Heresies or to suppresse them yea though there were neither help nor assistance of the Christian Magistrate Thus Dr. Pierce may see how these his own Primitive Reformers either joyn with us in this Point of Primacy or however they oppose him in calling it a Novelty begun by Pope Boniface the third CHAP. IX Of the Churches Infallibility The necessity thereof that she may be a certain Guide to Salvation And the grounds whereupon She claims it 1. THe Second pretended Novelty of Catholick Doctrine is the Infallibility of the Church called by the Preacher The Paâ—â—adium of the Conclave and derived from the Schollars of Marcus in Irenaeus or from the Gnosticks in Epiphanius Against which Infallibility his unanswerable Arguments are 1. Infallibility is one of Gods incommunicable Attributes 2. The Church not being omniscient must therefore be ignorant in part and consequently may fall into Error 3. It is confess'd by the great Champions of the Papacy that the Heresie of the Novatians was hatch'd in Rome and continued there almost two hundred years 4. Besides Arianism that over-spread the Church she was infected with the Heresie of the Chyliasts being deceived by Papias which Heresie found no contradiâ—â—â—â— for some Ages 5. Yea the whole Church in the opinion of St. Augustin and Pope Innocent during the space of six hundred years according to Maldonaâ— thought the Sacrament of the Eucharist necessary to Infants yet the Council of Trent is of a contrary mind 2. In order to the answering of this Discoâ—rse he will sure acknowledge that all Sect of Christianity agree in this that each of them has both a Rule of their Faith and a 〈◊〉 also But in both these there is difference among them To the Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists Quakers Socinians c. the only Rule is the Holy Scripture But both Catholicks and English Protestants though they acknowledge Divine Revelations to be their only Rule yet they admit certain universally received Traditions besides expresse Scripture 3. But as for the Guide from which we are to learn the true sense of this Rule the difference among the said Sects is far greater and more irreconcilable The Socinians will have Scripture interpreted onely by private reason a Guide evidently fallible and therefore not to be imposed on others The Independents Anabaptists Quakers and Presbyterians too pretend to an Infallible Guide Gods Holy Spirit but with this difference that the Independents Anabaptists and Quakers rationally acknowledge that this Guide is only to direct those that have it and perceive they have it but cannot oblige other men that have it not nor can be sure they have it Whereas the Presbyterians by an unexampled Tyranny at least in France do oblige themselves and their Posterity to a Profession that by a Divine Illumination they are taught to distinguish Canonicâ—l Books of Scripture from Apocriphal and by the same Guide to justifie all the Doctrines by which they dissent from all others And moreover by a most senslesse inhumanity will impose a necessity on all others to belie their own Consciences and acknowledge the same Guide though they have never wrought any Miracles which certainly are necessary to oblige others to believe and follow the internal Guidance of that Spirit to which they pretend 4. As for Dr. Pierce and the generality of English Protestants I speak of them now as hitherto they have bin for what they must be hereafter neither they nor I know a special Guide of theirs beyond Reason and Spirit for the finding out the sense of Scripture and judging of Traditions received by them is the Primitive Church or foure first General Councils But since those ancient Fathers are now past speaking and their Writings are as obnoxious to disputes as the Scriptures themselves a speaking Judge of the sense of all these I suppose is their Ecclesiastical Synods or Bishops when Synods are dissolved but principally those that are to make and determine the sense of Acts of Parliament And upon these grounds they finde themselves obliged to behave themselves differently to several adversaries For against Sects that went out from them they use the help of Catholick weapons the Authority of the Chuâ—ch Councils c. But against Catholics they renouncing the Authority of the present Church in her Supremest Councils of convening which the times are capable and in the interval of Councils in the major part of the Governours thereof united with him whom themselves acknowledge the prime Patriark will make use of a kind of private spirit or reason or the judgment of a most inconsiderable number of Church-Governâ—rs going against the whole Body of the Catholick Church and their chief Pastor but this as to assent only where it likes them and so will be their own selves Judges of what is the sense of Councils Fathers Scriptures and all And great difficultie they often find how to avoid being accounted Papists when they speak to Sectaries and being even Fanaticks when they Dispute with Roman Catholicks And truly the Doctors whole Sermon is in effect meerly Fanatick
general were allow'd them That the Church is fallible in unnecessaries this will not excuse them for dissenting from the Church in any particular Doctrines actually decided by a General Council Themselves acknowledge that all dissenting even internal is unlawful without a certain demonstration that the Church hath actually erred in such and such Doctrines But which way possibly can any particular person or Church arrive to such a demonstration It must be by producing express Scripture or universal Tradition formally opposite and contradictory to what the universal Church hath declared Who can think who dares believe that those supreme Guides of all Christians who were by our Lord placed in the Church and graced with such promises who are the only Guardians of the Scripture it self and only unappealable Iudges of the sense of it should conspire to propose Doctrines formally and manifestly contrary to express Scripture or evident demonstration And as for universal Tradition there can be no Iudge of it but the whole Church particular persons or Churches are utterly uncapable of making such a judgment especially in opposition to the whole Church 11. It were happie therefore if Protestants considering the Promises of Christ and the necessity of unity in the Church would allow but as much submission to the Supreme Tribunal of his Church as God obliged the Iews to perform to their Sanedrim to which no such Promises were made For then though in Thesi they did affirm the Church to be fallible yet they would acknowledge that not only all declaration of non-assenting is forbidden but an internal assent is of necessary obligation to every one of her Decisions 12. Let them seriously consider the passage of Deuteronomy heretofore produced in which God commands the Jews under the penalty of death to obey whatsoever sentence should be pronounced by the present Iudges of those dayes in any Controversies touching the Law This Precept argues that the Supreme Council of the Iews was infallible in Fundamentals And indeed God had promised that the Scepter should not depart from Judah nor a Law-giver from between his knees till Shiloh that is the Messias came By vertue of which Promise the Iewish Religion could not fail in Fundamentals and the effect of this Promise was manifestly performed For as to the outward proâ—ession and practises of the Mosaical Law it was alwayes continued in so much as our Saviour himself enjoyned Obedience to all the Commands of those who sate in Moses his Chair I say as to the outward practises of it For in the Spiritual sense of it the Iewish Ecclesiastical Magistrates were horribly perverted so far as to oppose and Murder the Messiah himself typified therein But now Shiloh was already come and God's promise of Indefectibility rested in this New High Priest and his Successors 13. Notwithstanding all this yet Errors might creep in about non-fundamentals as the Rabbins confess when they suppose a future Sanedrim might annul the Decisions of a former Council in which case the Ordinances of the later must take place and without all tergiversation be obeyed So as though they being indeed in such things fallible should command any thing contrary to the true sense of the Law the Iews were under the utmost penalty obliged to obey them which obedience required a submission of Judgment and internal assent to such Commands that they were agreeable to God's Law because it would be utterly unlawful to obey any commands of men which the Subject believed to be contrary to God's Law Now the reasonableness of this Command of God appears in this That it was a less evil and inconvenience that some Legal Precepts of no great importance should be transgressed than that Contentions and Disputes should be endless 14. From this pattern Protestants may be instructed that though they should allow a General Council no more obliging Authority than the Iews did to their Sanedrim which was infallible in fundamentals but subject to Error in non-fundamentals they can never have a warrant to Dissent from any Decisions of such a Council but ought to submit their internal Judgment to them For since it is impossible they should have any demonstrative proofs that such Councils have de facto erred I mean in matter of Doctrine all other inferiour Judgments all only probable Arguments against them ought to cease the Judgment of the whole Church rendring all contrary opinions altogether improbable So that though upon their Supposition that the Church in non-fundamentals is fallible she should have erred in such not-much-concerning Decisions and by consequence their assent would be erroneous yet that small incommodity would be abundantly recompenc'd with the most acceptable vertue of Obedience humble submission of Judgment love of Peace and Unity which accompanies it Besides that both Truth and Errour in such things lyes only on the Churches and not at all on their account 15. But since Protestants find an extraordinary difficulty more than Catholicks to submit their Judgments to Authority and are apt to think all their opinions and perswasions to be certain knowledges Let it be supposed that their first Reformers not being able to perswade themselves to renounce their Opinions should thereupon have been excommunicated by the Church In this case they ought to have suffered such Censures with patience and not voluntarily forsake her Communion and much less ought they to have set up or repair to an Anti-communion For that was in the highest degree a Formal Schism 16. In all this discourse touching the Infallibility of the Church and the unlawfulness of separation from it I do not mean a Church of one denomination no not the Roman as such for so we ascribe not Infallibility to her But I intend the Vniversal Church which we call Roman Catholick because all true Orthodox Churches an union of which constitutes the Universal Church acknowledge the Roman Church to be the Root of their Unity Therefore Protestants in vain seek to excuse their separation upon pretence it was onely from the Roman not from the Vniversal Church because 1. A separation from the external Communion of any one true Member of the Catholick Church for Doctrines which are commonly held by other Churches in communion with that Member is indeed a separation from all Churches which is manifestly the case of the English separation 2. Because it is evident that the pretended Reformed Churches really separated themselves a toto mundo A thing which Calvin confesseth in an Epistle of his to Melancthon in these words Nec non parvi refert c. For it doth not a little concern us that not the least suspition of any discord risen among us descend to posterity For it were a thing more then absurd after we have been constrained to make a discession from the whole world if we in our very beginnings should also divide from one another And which Chillingworth also confesseth in several places cap. 5. sect 55. As for the external Communion of the
itching to be as old as the Iulian period begun before the Protoplast Some of them perhaps may have heard of the Palladium of the Conclave but for the Embroidery of the Theopneust Aholiab or the Antiquaryes Keimeliah I believe the Ladies at least were a little puzled on the sudden how to understand them yet if those pompous Sounds were translated into plain English not one of them but would easily see the sense without other Dictionary than their own Cabinet 3. As for the Doctor 's profession in his Epistle Dedicatory That his Resolution was the Sermon should never have been expos'd to the World had not his Majesty commanded it I readily beleeve him for a Victory is easily and very cheaply got if a Controversie be to be decided by a flourishing Speech confidently pronounc'd by a Person in esteem for Learning and Sincerity in a Place where none must contradict especially when he protests he has Proofs unquestionable for all his Assertions But till those Proofs be examin'd the Conquest is only over the Hearer's passions not their reason It may be and I pray God this Sermon was not meant so a good preparation to usher in the Calvinistical zeal for executing severities on innocent Persons who sincerely abhor the crimes deserving such Rigors and the unchristian Principles the Fountains of those Crimes that is on Persons against whom the Law-givers themselves have publickly professed they never intended those punishments This kind of Iustice he may hope for from his Sermon but a rational conviction will never be the effect of it 4. Truly Doctor Pierce must not blame us if we fear he had some such thoughts in his mind when he preached this Sermon so differing from the style of Court-Sermons in the times of his Majesty of glorious memory and of the late as he styles him immortal Archbishop But have we since those dayes deserved such a change in the Tongues and Pens of any Protestants especially the Clergy By what crimes Is it because we have ever since been ready and are so still unanimously to sacrifice our Blood and Fortunes for his Majesty by which also their Church hath been maintained and setled against all the irreconcileable enemies both of monarchy and It Methinks they might forgive us this fault both for past and future For we shall fall into it again if they do not take care by destroying us to prevent it 5. This suspition of ours is much encreased when we reflect on that bitter passage in his Epistle Dedicatory where he sayes I suppose my discourse however innocent in it self will yet be likely to meet with many not only learned and subtile but restless Enemies men of pleasant insinuations and very plausible snares nay such as arâ— apt where they have power to confute their Opponents with fire and faggots Indeed it is possible his Sermon may somewhere fall into some such hands But unlesse he will renounce all Charity justice and humanity he must not impute particular mens actions to Catholic Religion and for their faults expose us to the common hatred and violence Let all the received Canons of the Church be searched and if one be found that justifies the shedding of blood simply on the account of Religion he may have some pretence for such an indefinite odious reflexion upon innocent suffering Christians Let all the practises of the World be examined and it will clearly appear 't is not Catholick Religion that 's chargable with these Excesses since in so many places both they are not where it is and are where it is not And though for some few of these later Ages the Civil Magistrates of some Countries have exercis'd a greater severity then anâ—iently was us'd Yet now even they have entertain'd a more calm and tractable Spirit and seem to hope by other Arguments sufficiently to secure their Religion However why must our England imitate the rigidest of other Nations against whom for that very reason we so loudly exclaim rather than the moderate proceedings of those who are nearer us both in scituation temper and interest Why thus continually be harping upon one string that jarres and never touch the rest that move in harmony 6. Our late unhappy wars have made the Preacher and many others besides him Travellers We appeal to their consciences and experience if they would be pleased to speak as Persons of honour and integrity Did they in any Catholick Countries even ROME it self though here much spoken against for cruelty ever apprehend any danger for their opinions or refusal to joyn in the exercise of Catholick Religion so they would abstain from publick scandalous affronts to the Church they had freedom not only with all quietnesse to enjoy their consciences but civilly to justifie their Doctrines All expressions of kindnesse tendernesse and compassion they received from their Catholick Opponents but surely not the least hard usage that might imprint terrour in their minds 7. Thus much may be permitted us to alledge in our own Defence upon this occasion gives us by the Preacher especially considering we are the onely persons expos'd to the publick hatred and rigour though we onely of all the Dissenters from the Religion of the Kingdom least deserve it For we are no Innovators but Professors of the same Religion that made this Nation Christian. A Religion though now too generally decryed yet in those times confirmed by great Miracles as even Protestants acknowledge A Religion which for almost a thousand years was onely known and professed here When the Reformation entred though almost all Subjects were Catholicks yet seeing the change was introduc'd by a Supream Authority no opposition was made to it by any other Aâ—mes but Prayers and Tears Whatsoever Treasons have been acted by a few wretched persons even our Princes themselves have acquitted the generality of Catholicks thereof and our Religion from allowing them There cannot be framed any Formes of professing or acknowledging due Supremacy and Allegiance to our Kings but we are ready to subscribe them in the same sense that the most learned Protestants themselves ordinarily say they intend them Publick atttestations of our fidelity and zeal in serving and defending our Princes and even the Religion of the Kingdom almost destroy'd by a Conspiracy of all other Dissenters have been made in our behalf even by some who now are most sharp against us Yet after all this of them who are not able to alledge any one of these excuses for themselves some are rendered in a capacity to Triumph over our Suffrings unrepentant Traytors are among our Accusers though it is known the thing which most enrages them is our fidelity their Invectives how false soever are believ'd and they hope to become popular for their attempts to destroy us CHAP. II. Eleven Novelties charged on Catholics Schism imputed to Catholics Why necessary the Sermon should be refuted by Catholics The Answerers protestation of sincerity 1. THe Doctours Sermon for as much as concerns us Roman
some expressions of respect which we would use to the Person that would be ridiculous to the Picture as reverently to speak to him to beg his Prayers to God for us to ask a Question c. 8. Our last Enquiry shall be into the difference of regard if any there be to our Saviour's Picture and St. Peter's the former representing to us him that is both God and Man the later meerly Man However we shall find that the regard to both the Pictures is of the same species and nature that is only Sacred because a Picture we never look upon but as an instrument to put us in mind or to call to our memories an object And therefore it being of our own framing is not capable of any respect beyond that which is due to so material inferior a thing what ever the object represented by it be True it is that the internal affections and thoughts occasionally raised in our minds will be infinitely different for we shall think upon Christ with Adoration Love Resignation and Obedience due to God only Not so of St. Peter But the Pictures themselves will be treated by us as Sacred Pictures only that deserve a respect proportionable And since it is evidenâ— they are capable of a sinful dis-respect consequently a due respect may be paid to them I say may not alwaies ought to be For then it would never be fit to put on ones Hat c. in a Room where there hangs a Crucifix 9. To sum up briefly our meaning in this whole matter We find minds too apt to be distracted from meditating on Divine things Therefore we help our selvs by such as will call to our memories and fix our thoughts upon objects good for our Souls Such are holy Pictures both in times of prayer and out we find this benefit by them Being such sacred things we must renounce our reason if we deny a respect may be due to them But by honoring with an outward regard a Picture we intend only to give a testimony what respect we beat to the person or holy thing represented And though for want of variety of postures we shew some part of the same outward Reverence to the Pictures of St. Peter and our Lord yet that signifies we only venerate St. Peter as a glorious Saint yet a Creature but that we adore Christ as God And no man that sees or knows us can think otherwise So that unlesse it be a fin to show outwardly what we are oblig'd to think inwardly there is not the least fault committed 10. And now Mr. Bagshow give me leave to acquaint you with your mistakes First this respect called by the Church Honor and Veneration which we affirm may be payd to Sacred Images you call Worshipping of Images meerly to make in odious to your ignorant Proselites For worship is commonly taken to be that honor which is due only to God and which we abhor to give to Images But Secondly You give it an other name more abominable calling it Idolatry such as God punished in the worst of Pagans Once at least in your life speak your Conscience Do you think or only suspect that we Roman Catholics worship false Gods and true Devils Do we consider our Images as they did their Idols to which by Magical conjurations they annexed an evil Spirit to do wonders and to extort Devine worship from the seduced people Taketheed Sir how you persist in so unjust a Blasphemy against Gods Church A time will come that you will be called to a strict account for it It concerns you therefore to make some reparation 11. But after all this take notice that the Catholic Church though it declare that such a veneration may fitly be given to holy Images as common reason and human nature cannot chuse but allow Yet it commands none to afford them even so much You may be a Roman Catholic all you life and never be obliged to perform any external respect to an Image There is not in Catholic Countries a Groom or Kitchin-Maid so ignorant but would rather burn an Image then afford it any honor due to God only And shall those that think thus and do only what human reason generally approves and cannot hinder be esteem'd and publisht by you the only Christians in the World fit to be thrust out of all Christian Kingdoms and executed as Traytors though otherwise they be acknowledgâ—most faithful peaceable men and obedient Subjects Are you not afraid of In quo judicio judicaveritis judicabimini 12. You see Sir how sinee you will not admit of Authorities to justifie the Belief and Practise of Roman Catholics but only common sense and reason I have complyed with you And now in one world tell you that you must never hope to make any sober man believe that Roman Catholics are Idolaters or even faulty in the matter of Images till you can demonstrate 1. That it is unlawful to make use of our seeing faculty to put us in mind of God 2. That he dishonors the King that shall with reverence bare headed and in a kneeling posture receive a Letter or Mandate that comâ—â— from him 3. That it is a contempt of God to go through a Church with ones head uncovered 4. And that it is unlawful and irreligious to make a scruple of using a Leaf of the Bible in the house of Office 13. For a Farewel I will conclude this Point with a Story the truth whereof several Gentlemen Protestants too in this Town are able to justifie In the Year 1651. a devout Italian Friar being appointed to preach in the Great Dome at Padua the Arch-bishop present and having been informed that among his Auditors there were some English Protestants who in discourse had earnestly objected as you do Idolatry to Catholics He therefore that he might encounter such a scandal made choice of the Doctrine concerning Images for the subject of a great part of his Sermon And when he came to that Point holding in his hand a Crucifix he could his hearers That that Image did in one glance lively represent even to the most ignorant beholder our Lord Iesus God and Man and almost all the Circumstances of his most bitter and accursed death so patiently and willingly suffered for us Thereupon with great Passion and Rhetoric he magnified the love of our Lord hanging on the Câ—oss earnestly pressing his Hearers to return a proportionable Love and Duty to him And during this Discourse he often with great reverence and tenderness of affection embraced and devoutly kissed the Crucifix Having said much to this purpose after a little pause he pursued his Discourse telling them he could not believe or suspect that any one who had heard and seen what he had said and done could reasonably imagin that he had any intention to dishonor our Lord by that which he had done to the Crucifix which represented him much lesse that he adored it as if he thought it a kind of God that he