after in the middest of his Army was slain from heaven as affirmeth S. Gregory Nazianzen in his second Oration against him and Z zâ—menus in the 2. chapter of his 6. book of histories After Iulian the Apostata followed Xenaia a servant by condition and an Eutichian Heretike by profession a man who w s never baptized yet feigned himself a Christian Clergy-man and by the Eutychian Heretikes was made also a Bishop this man saith Nicephorus in in the 27. chapter of his 16. book of Histories was the f rst who in these times belched out this opinion that the images of Christ and of those who pleased h m were not to be worshipped and so to the Eutychian heresie added the contempt of sacred Images and died excommunicated by the Councell of Calcedon After him followed the Mahometans and Turks who do so abhor the Crosse as with the Sectaries of this age they call the Christians Idolaters for adoring it as witnesseth Cedrenus upon Heraclius neither do they permit unto those of their Sect the use of Images as appeareth by the 15. and 16. chapters of their Alcoran which Turks being enemies of Christ and Christian Religion are without all hope of salvation And this is sufficient to shew unto thee deare Reader the antient enemies of the Crosse and sacred images and the miseries they fell into In thee it lieth to be a follower of the Catholike Roman Church and to honor reverence and respect sacred images with a relation unto the things they represent thereby to nourish in thee good thoughts or with the Devill Jewes Turks Infidells and Heretikes to condemne them and fill thy heart and mind with filthy shapes vicious thoughts and ugly representations As for the more modern haters of the Crosse and sacred images and their evill ends or miseries which befell them If out of curiosity thou desire to see them I refer thee to the 12. chapter of Bellarmines book of the images of Saints and to the 9. Article of the 2. book of Coccius and to the 10. Article of his 5. book in his first Tome where they are set down at large CHAP. XXVII The visible and invisible relative religious worship which the faithfull in the Primitive Church used towards the sacred pictures signes and images of the written Word of God and thereby learned the true sense and indued their soules with wholesome meditations and pious thoughts IF thou wouldest dear Reader examine the cause from whence it proceedeth that divers in this age do so much apply their minds to the reading of the Bible that they have it almost continually in their hands or lying by them and are so earnest upon it as that many of them think they must have a text out of the Scriptures for whatsoever they doe or els they sin as witnesseth Mr. Sanderson a Protestant Minister in the sixth and eighth § of his second Sermon preached at Grantham in the year 1634. and yet for the most part reap no other benefit out of it but errors heresies and blasphemies against God thou shalt find the originall cause thereof to be First a pride of mind and a contempt or scorn to bestow any relative worship respect or honor upon the materiall character or books or letters sent from God himselfe unto his faithfull followers or chridren penned by the Holy Ghost as S. Peter affirmeth 2 Pet. 1.21 but handle look upon them and use them after the same manner and with the same respect they do the books or letters of sensuall carnall men and sometimes also to shew their contempt or little esteeme change the materiall word of God as though that should be the sacred word what they would and not what God had ordained And secondly a want of an invisible relative religious worshâ—p respect and honor unto the divine and supernaturall sense which God hath given unto his sacred word whereupon they also easily change the sense into their own or other prophane whereby they turn faith into infidelity truth into error and the things revealed by God himself into blasphemy and please themselves in it Whereas holy and sacred things are not to be handlâ—d or treated upon but holily with a relative religious worship respect and esteem for the sacred things which they do represent and as they do represent them the text of the Scriptures is not only called the holy or sacred Scriptures Rom. 1.2.2 Tim. 3.15 but also our faith is called our most holy faith Jude ver 20. those must needs fall into great errors heresies and blasphemies who read speak of or handle them without a relative religious honor and respect unto them for God disperseth the proud in the conceit of their hearts Luk. 1.51 Again To whom shall I have respect saith God but to him that trembleth at my words Isa 66.2 as at the words of his Creator S. Paul calleth the Gospell of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ The Gospell of the glory of the blessed God 1 Tim. 1.11 wherefore those who give no more religious worship and honor unto it then they give unto other books but rudely read interpret and handle them as they do prophane Authors must of necessity abound with errors heresies and blasphemies according to the words of our Lord saying Whosoever shall glorifie me I will glorifie him and they that contemn me shall be base 1 Kings or Samuel 2.29 as of no Religion established by the Son of God or Scriptures seeing that Religion even by the consent of our adversaries is described to be a due worship of God and holy things and fall into the error of those wicked Priests of whom God complained saying Between a holy thing and a prophane they have put no difference Ezek. 22.26 Whereupon the faithfull servants of God to profess a Religion and to nourish in their hearts and soules the pious thoughts and piety comprehended in the Bible alwayes honored and respected the sacred text or Bible with relative religious worship both for his sake that writ it and for the divine things it represented unto their memories in such sort as in the Old Law the faithfull Jewes kept it in the Tabernacle and adored it with the Tabernacle never touched it without first washing their hands kissed it as often as they either opened or shut it would not sit upon that seat upon which it lay and if by accident it fell to the earth they fasted for their negligence one whole day as affirmeth Cornâ—lius à Lapide in his preface to the phrases of the holy Scriptures The reason why they did so was for that wisdome will not enter into a malitious soule nor dwell in a body subject to sin Wisd 1.4 whereupon the Prophet prayeth saying establish thy word in thy servant in thy fear Psal 118.38 Again blessed is the man whose will is in the way of our Lord in his law he will meditate day and night Psal 1.1 where the Prophet affirmeth that those who walk in the way of
or memories in painting printing or carving such holy and sacred things as may put us in mind of God or of the mysteries of our faith or of heaven and the things which are therein It is manifest that the Tabernacle of Testimony with the Cherubins and two Tables wherein were written or ingraven the ten Commandements and all that which belonged unto the Tabernacle were graven things artificiall pictures signs and images for the Scriptures are herein most plain God saying to Moyses Behold I have called by name Beseleel the son of Uri the son of Hur of the Tribe of Juda and I have replenished him with the Spirit of God with wisdome and understanding and knowledge in all works to devise whatsoever may be artificially made of gold and silver and brasse of marble and pretious stones and diversity of wood and J have given him for his fellow Ooliab and in the heart of every skilfull man have J put in wisdome that they may make all things J have commanded thee Exod. 31. Thus God to Moyses to demonstrate unto us that holy artificiall images pictures signes and graven things which represent unto us God and heavenly things may be made or placed in Churches or Temples seeing that God himselfe not only gave Commandement to make such things and to place them in the Tabernacle but also indued men with extraordinary wisdome and knowledge to devise for the Tabernacle whatsoever may be artificially made of gold and silver and brasse of marble and precious stones and diversity of wood as here the Scripture saith and God cannot be the Author of sin or evill Moreover that these things which Beseleel and Ooliab made by the Commandement of God were artificiall pictures signes similitudes and images the Scripture further witnesseth saying Look and make it according to the paterne that was shewed thee in the Mount Exod. 25.40 whereupon S. Stephen said unto the Jewes The Tabernacle of Testimony was among our fathers in the desert as God ordained speaking to Moyses that he should make it according to the form which he had seen Acts 7.44 which S. Paul also confirmeth Heb. 8.5 wherefore it cannot be denied but that it is lawfull to make holy artificiall pictures signs and images and to place them in Churches seeing that by the Commandement of God such things have beene made for the Tabernacle and Temple of the people of Israel which were signs and figures of the Christian Church as witnesseth S. Paul 1 Cor. 10. Again God said to Moyses The children of Israel shall make to me a Sanctuary and I will dwell in the midst of them according to all the similitude of the Tabernacle which I will shew thee c. Two Cherubins also shalt thou make of beaten gold on both sides of the Oracle Exod. 25. Solomon also in building the Temple made in the Oracle two Cherubs of Olive trees of ten cubits in height c. and all the walls of the Temple round about he graved with divers engravings and carvings and he made in them Cherubins and palm trees and divers pictures as it were standing out of the wall and coming forth 3 Kings 6. Moreover the two Tables of the Commandements which God gave to Moyses in the Mount Sinai were sacred artificiall graven things signs or pictures as witnesse the Scriptures saying Moyses returned from the Mount carrying the two Tables of Testimony in his hand written on both sides and made by the work of God the writing also of God was graven in the Tables Exod. 32.15 And words are but signes figures or images of things as witnesseth Aristotle in the first chapter of his first book Peri-Hermenias and Pierius in his books of the sacred Egyptian letters Moreover the nature of man considered it cannot be that the making of a picture sign or image only as they are the similitudes of other things or the placing of them within Churches or Temples should be forbidden for so God should be contrary to himself who hath created man after such a manner that he cannot naturally learn know or understand any thing without conceiving the same under some corporall image or likenesse his knowledge so depending upon his senses that he cannot know any thing which either by it self or in some similitude is not first represented by some sense as for example we see visible creatures and hear sounds or voyces whereby the common sense being informed with such an image as it is able to conceive offereth the same to our phantasie or imagination whereupon the mind beginneth to gather knowledge and to print as it were or to ingrave in it selfe that which is represented unto it by the senses and therefore maketh judgement and gathereth knowledge out of these images species or representations in such sort that as often as the mind will either use knowledge or seek to increase in it she alwayes returneth to these images figures or species which she hath received and laid up in the gulph of her memory to the end that she may have wherewithall to occupy her self and take delight as occasion requireth And thus God of his goodnesse hath created man whereby it appeareth that he neither hath prohibited men from making sacred pictures signs or images nor from the placing them in Churches seeing that both Almighty God commandeth them to be made and to be placed in his Temple and that man cannot learn divine things but by sacred artificiall pictures signes and images As there are prophane and vaine images pictures similitudes and signs so there are sacred and holy as witnesseth God himself who called the Tabernacle and the artificiall images and graven things which did belong unto it sacred things Exod. 31.10 and S. Paul calleth the written words of the Bible which are but signs pictures and images as I have proved heretofore holy Scripture 2 Tim. 3.25 and the places most fit for holy things which either directly or indirectly represent unto us God and heavenly things are Churches Chappell 's and Temples which also themselves are or ought to be signes images and pictures of heaven so that the places of sacred pictures in holy Churches Chappels or Temples is but the observance of a decorum in placing like with like not to cast pearles before swine nor do injury to holy things by putting them in prophane places Temples Churches and Chappels ought to represent unto us heaven as witnesseth the Scriptures saying of the place where Iacob worshipped God This is none other but the house of God Gen. 28.17 in whose house be Angels and Saints whose Similitudes Temples Churches and Chappels are to represent whereupon the Temple in the Old Law which was a figure of Christian Churches and Chappels was adorned with pictures and images as witnesseth the Scriptures saying Solomon made in the Oracle which was in the most inward part of the Temple two Cherubins of olive trees of ten cubits in height c. and all the walls of the Temple round about he graved with
our Lord will not make so slight accompt of the Scriptures as to read them only transitorily but he will meditate upon them which is performed alwayes with great humility and submission of mind whereupon S. Hilary upon this text saith The meditation of the law is not onely in the words of the reader but in the religion of works In the New Tâ—stament our Saviour saith Give not that which is holy to dogs neither cast ye you pearles before swine least they trample them under their feet and turn again and tear you in pieces Mat. 7.6 Pearls saith S. Hierome upon this text and the 13. of Matthew are the Gospel and the Law and the Prophets the dogs saith he are those who after they have received the faith returne to the vomit of their former sins and swine those who have not yet believed the Gospell but stick fast in the mine of infidelity and vices to demonstrate unto us that our Lord would not have heretiques vitious men or infidells to read the Scriptures whereof in the 13. of S. Matthew he yeeldeth a reason because they do not esteem them above the things of this world and therefore if such men read the Scriptures in lieu of reaping benefit by them they corrupt them and become as our Saviour there saith persecuters of the church which we find true by experience in this age Again our Saviour saith to the Jewes Search the Scriptures Joh. 5.39 with that honor care and affection that they ought to be searched into for as S. Chrysostome in his Sermon of Abraham well observeth he saith Search the Scriptures do not corrupt them search them not onely by reading them but carefully inquiring after the sense God gave indeed the sacred letters or characters but he laid not open their contemplations or mysteries but reserved them to their senses that so he might maintain equity or justice and behold thy care or industry Thus S. Chrysostome to shew unto us that he who shall read the sacred letters or characters of the Bible without a relative religious worship unto the text for the divine things they represent and follow the sense which God gave unto the text will reap no thing but error and heresie for our Saviour commanding a diligent search to be made into the Scriptures forbideth us to corrupt them and willeth us that we should not omit any means of finding out the sense or height of their contemplation which amongst other things is an inward and outward relative religious worship to the sacred text signes pictures or images of the Bible as did the Jewes in the old Law lest for want thereof we corrupt the text by false senses or interpretations Our Saviour out of a desire that all men might be saved and to fulfill what was necessary on his behalf commanded the Apostles saying Going into the whole world preach the Gospell to all creatures And they going forth preached every where Mar. 16.20 Yet our Saviour himself in Matth. 13. saith that of four sorts of hearers of the Gospel three hear to their greater damnation The first are only hearers who are like men who dwell by the high-way and look aftere very thing that passeth and entertain all kind of thoughts friendships and affairs like an Inne which is open to good and bad known and unknown friends and strangers of whom S. James speaketh saying If a man be a hearer of the word and not a doer he is like unto a man beholding the feature of his face in a glasse who considered himself and went his way and presently forgetteth what a manner of man he was James 1.24 The second hear and with joy receive the Word but are temporall and have no root and so for a time they believe and in time of tâ—mptation they revolt because they did not esteem of the Gospel above all earthly things as did the Prophet David saying The law of thy mouth is good to me above thousands of gold and silver Psal 118.71 and therfore for temporall plâ—asures or commodities easily forsook it The third hear the Word and the care of the world and the deceiptfulnesse of riches and concupiscences about other things entring in choak the word and it is made fruitlesse For as S Paul saith They who will be made rich fall into temptations and the snare of the Dâ—vill and into many unprofitable and hurtfull desires which drown men in destruction and perdition 1 Tim. 6.9 The fourth are they who with with a good and very good heart hearing the word of God do reteine it and yeeld fruit in patience Thus our Saviour to demonstrate unto us that there is required on our parts an esteem of the Word of God above all earthly things that we may adhere and cleave unto the sense given unto it by God and it to us and fill our hearts with pious thoughts otherwise the reading or hearing of it or picking of our faith out of it will but increase our damnation Honor is due unto vertue as affirmeth Aristotle chap. 5. of his book of Ethicks and also the Scriptures 1 Tim. 5.17 And the Scriptures are the vertue of God Rom. 1.16 1 Cor. 1.18 wherefore as to God is due an absolute religious worship so to the Scriptures which are his Word signes figures and images is due a relative religious worship because it is his Word whereupon S. Paul describing the manner how the Christians in the Primitive church received the word of the Gospell saith We also give thanks to God continually because that when you had received of us the word of the hearing of God you received it not as the word of men but as it is indeed the word of God 1 Thes 2.12 and there also shewing the effect which the Word of God worketh in men when together with the sense it is received and imbraced after this relative religious manner presently addeth their constant suffering for the Gospell as received into a good and very good heart which yeeldeth fruit in patience In regard of this visible and invisible relative religious worship and honor which is due unto the sacred Word of God when Bishops make Deacons and give them authority to read the Gospell they receive the holy books kneeling as is set down in the Pontificall And antiently when the Gospell was read in the church all men who were present laid down their weapons stood barehead even the Christian Kings and Emperors and the Bishops Priests and Deacons who celebrated the diviâ—e Service and handled the book of the Goâ—pell in honor thâ—reof often kissed the sacred book with a holy kisse as witnessâ—th the antient Roman order publâ—shed in the 8. Tome Bibliothâ—cae Patrum which relâ—tive religâ—ous honor is so due unto the sacred Scriptures as that Justinus Martyr who livâ—d with the Apostles cholars in his Oration to the Gentiles commendeth Prolomaeus King of Egypt for using it saith after that the seventy Interpreters had translated the Old Testament into Greek Pâ—olomâ—
us sent them home with rich gifts and as it was befitting kissed the books and consecrated to God put them in his Library Moreover in honor of the Gospell when it was read in the church candles were lighted not to drive away darknesse for the Sun then many times shined bright but to shew signes of joy and to expresse under the type of a temporall light that light which is spoken of in the Scriptures saying He was the true light as witnesseth S. Isidorus in the 12. ch of his 7. boâ—k of Etimologies and S. Hierome in his book against Vigilantius aâ—d to distinguish the honor which they gave unto the holy Bible from other books they made a sacred place in the church only to keep it in as witnesseth S. Paulinus in his 12. Epistle to Severus So the relative religious respect which the Primitive Fathers bare unto the sacred books and their divine Christian Catholique senses delivered unto them by doctrinall succession from the Apostles brought forth in them an abundance of pious thoughts and healthfull meditations of the unity of the Christian Catholike faith constancy in one and the same Religion sincerity in all their actions and charity towards God and man seeing the relative religious honor and respect which they bare both to the sacred materiall letter and divine sense imposed upon them an obligation rather to die a thousand deaths then to suffer any alteration or change in one jot of the materiall text or title of the divine sense On the contrary our adversaries by denying all kind of visible religious respect honor or worship to the sacred Word of God have made those books which they now call the Bible as they use them the most wretched miserable visible creatures that are upon the earth the Panders of all heresies schismes and blasphemies and the protector and defender of all rebellions wickedness and sin as we find by too lamentable experience whereby appeareth the necessity of this visible and invisible relative religious worship and honor unto the sacred Word of God by all Christian men to nourish in their hearts pious thoughts of the things contained therein and to possesse them with a firm and constant resolution to adhere unto that materiall text and divine sense which were delivered unto the faithfull in the beginning to persevere in the same untill the end of the world according to the words of S. John saying That which you have heard from the beginning let it abide in you if that abide in you which you have heard from the beginning you also shall abide in the Son and in the Father 1 Joh. 2.24 CHAP. XXVIII Answer to Objâ—ctions OBject Some Roman Catholikes pray to pictures and adore them as God Answ I do not think that any of our Adversaries ever heard any Roman Catholique to say Picture pray for me or have mercy upon me or to call a picture a God or to say that there were more Gods then one if he should hear any to say so or know of any who should believe that any picture or image were a God this man or woman could not be a Roman Catholique but an heretique or Pagan idolater seeing that the â—atholique Roman Church teacheth all her followers in the three Creeds and in her Catechismes to believe uâ—der penalty of damnation that there is but one God Ob. They pray before pictures and kneele before images Ans So our adversaries pray before their Bibles and kneel before their books yet I do not think that they believe their Bible or other Prayer-books to be Gods Ob. They say that their pictures are holy call the cross holy cross Ans So do our adversaries call their Communion the holy Communion and their Bible the holy Bible and the Scriptures the sacred Word of God for the same reason that they call the Bible holy and the Scriptures sacred for the same reason Roman Catholiques call the picture of our Saviour and his Saints holy that is because they represent unto us holy things as well as words as I have said heretofore antiently in Egypt and at this day in China that which we in Europe expresse by letters and characters they exprâ—sse by pictures and images so that the Christians of these countryes must either have no Bible or a Bible of pictures and images and if our adversaries will allow them to have an holy Bible and sacred Scriptures then they must also allow of holy pictures and sacred images distinct from prophane Ob. Images and idols are all one Ans How absurd this is appeareth by the Scriptures which say Christ is the image of the invisible God Col. 15. God created man to his own image to the image of God he created him Gen. 1.17 Adam lived 130. years and begat to his own image and likenesse Gen. 5.3 man is the image and glory of God 1 Cor. 11.7 And if images and idols be all one then the Christians in Egypt and China when they put forth Bibles set forth idols and when they respect or reverence their Bibles or sacred Scriptures they worship idols which how absurd it is I leave to the piety of the Reader Again many idols are no images as trees mountains the Sun Moon and Stars unto which the Heathen offered Sacrifice as unto their gods whereby they made them idols which yet were no images Moreover images and idols differ in this First that idols as they are idols had no truth at all in nature but were feigned things all our sacred images have some estentiall truth extant either in heaven or earth which they represent Secondly all idols are without truth concerning faith and religion all our images contain such a truth as belongeth to Christian faith or religion Thirdly Sacrifice was offered to idols but we never offer sacrifice to any image or picture Fourthly idols as they are idols were either images of wicked men or creatures not worthy of honor ours of our Saviour and his Saints who are worthy of worship and honor whereby it appeareth that sacred images and idols are not all one Ob. Roman Catholiques adore kneel before and worship their images as the heathen did their idols Ans The heathen at least for the most part adored kneeled and worshipped the materiall carved piece of wood or ingraven stone or molten image or painted cloth as a God as witnesse the Scriptures saying make us gods that may go before us Exod. 32.1 Againe he cut down Cedars c. and kindled them and baked bread but of the rest he wrought a god and adored Isa 44.15 Againe Balthasar the King made a great feast to his Nobles c. and they praised their gods of gold and of silver of brasse of iron and of wood and of stone Daniel 5.4 whereupon God himselfe said to the Israelites that when they should fall into idolatry you shall serve gods that were framed with mens hands wood stone that see not Deut. 4.18 But as I have said heretofore no
THE NURSE OF Pious Thoughts Wherein is briefly shewed That the use which Roman Catholikes do make of sacred Pictures Signes and Images is not Idolatry or any other misdemeanour as some imagine but the Nurse of Pious Thoughts and Healthfull Meditations Written By F. P. Philopater Proverbs 11.16 Evill thoughts are abominable to our Lord. DOVAY Printed in the Yeere 1652. To the Right Honorable Lords worshipfull Knights Esquires Gentry and all the free-born people of England who desire the redresse of notorious scandalls health and all happinesse Right Honorable c. AMongst the many notorious scandalls which contrary to the Lawes of God just Lawes of the Land solemn oaths and Engagements of this Nation are committed in these distracted times there are almost none more common in this Island then the defacing disgracing beating down and demolishing of sacred pictures signes memories and images of our Saviour his Saint's worthy men and all holy things the Nurses of Pious Thoughts the remembrances of vertuous actions and monuments of heroical deeds without any notice thereof taken by the State to the unspeakable detriment of the Commonwealth for if you do not permit visible signes pictures images and remembrances of piety vertue and the Obligations which men have unto God and Christ Jesus his only Son to be exposed to the senses the windows of their souls and yet allow of vain idle and prophane you shall shut up the door to vertue and gratitude and let loose the reines to sin and misery experience telling us that what the eye seriously and constantly with affection beholdeth the heart thinketh and evill thoughts consented unto corrupt good manners and corrupt manners have brought forth these present calamities and divisions which to go about to redresse will be in vain unless you permit men to injoy the means Wherefore not to be wanting in good wishes to my native soyl I have written this book of sacred pictures signes and images the Nurses of Pious Thoughts and out of my affection have dedicated it unto your Honors unto whom doth belong the correction of these scandalls that protected by your Authority and backed by your power the sacred objects of piety vertue and godlinesse may every where appear obvious unto the eyes not only to the extirpation of vice reconciliation of dissentions rooting out of malice but also to the planting of a true unity perfect peace and a sincere charity in the hearts of all the Inhabitants of this Island to the great glory of God and prosperity of our Country which is all the interest or desires of profit I seek for by these my labours more then to be esteemed as by Gods grace I shall ever remain Your Honors most humble servant in Christ Jesu F. P. Philopater The Preface to the Reader Dear Reader THe holy Apostle of our Lord S. Peter considering the danger which even the faithful and children of God live in whilest they remain in this mortall life through the craft and policy of the enemy of mankind saith unto them Brethren be sober and watch because our adversary the divell as a roaring Lion goeth about seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet. 5.8 not with his teeth or jawes but by a crafty and subtill kind of suggestion of impious thoughts unto the minds of men by which consented unto as the Scriptures affirm Mat. 15.18 1 Cor. 6.15 he not only defileth their hearts expelleth God out of their bodies and entereth himselfe to dwell there Mat. 12.45 but also raigneth and domineereth over them so rigorously that they must not constantly think but what he will Mat. 13.19 And knowing by the excellency of his wit and long experience that if he should suffer sacred pictures signes memories and images the instruments of pious thoughts every where publikely to stand and be respected as they ought there would be no quiet resting or abode for him in their hearts without seeking for himself a new lodging in other parts because there is no agreement betweene Christ and Belial therefore so by certain slights and cunning suggestions stirreth up men of light belief and unconstant minds in whose heart as our Saviour saith he liveth to disgrace and beat them down as idolls after this manner Whereas all words have divers senses and all things divers formalities conceptions and respects he never permitteth them over whom he hath power or in whose heart he dwelleth to take the words of sacred signs pictures and images in the same sense formality conception or respect in which they were delivered unto the Church of God by our Saviour and the Apostles or in which Roman Catholiques take them at this day that is to say as relatives which of themselves are nothing but a connotation of the things which they represent the divell maliciously will alwayes have them in whom he dwelleth to take them for things absolute and so deceiveth them to the banishing of pious thoughts out of their souls As for example we may consider the things which we commonly call an image either to be a carved or an ingraven stock or stone or a painted cloth or paper or els we may consider it as it is an image of some common thing or els of some heavenly or divine or of the mysteries of our faith without any further reflection upon it or els we may understand it not only as it is the image of some heavenly and divine thing or of the mysteries of our faith but also as it doth represent unto us the said heavenly and divine things or the mysteries of our faith and doth or may beget in our hearts pious thoughts as the image or resemblance of Christ upon the cross as it doth represent his sufferings for us or his image as he is in heaven as it doth represent him unto us in that glory and so doth or may beget in us pious thoughts of his mercy and suffering for us or els of the glory of the other life in which last sense the Church of God and Roman Catholikes alwayes take sacred pictures signs and images when they give unto them any religious respect honor or reverence And Satan to deceive those in whom he dwelleth as in his house and home to continue his possession alwayes maliciously and wittingly suggesteth unto them that the church of God and Roman Catholikes take images in the first or second sense that is to say either as they are carved or ingraven stocks and stones of painted cloaths or papers or an image in common without any further representation and then stirreth them up by his suggestions not only to beat them down as idols but also to accuse Roman Catholikes of idolatry as though they adored stocks and stones or painted papers or cloaths not only to the extirpation of pious thoughts out of the hearts of men but also to the great disturbance of the peace and unity which should be amongst Christians by the alâ—enation of the minds of silly people one from another who ignorant of
this craft of Satan believe Roman Catholikes really to be idolaters for the respect they bear to sacred images as they represent unto them pious thoughts and persecute them severely as idolaters to the losse of their own souls by their calumniations and cruelty with out cause Satan well knowing that the soul of man is so inclosed in his body that he cannot naturally understand supernaturall divine and invisible things but by some visible audible or sensible means and also that every vertuous action hath two vitious extremes as hath the use of signes pictures or images which extremes are superstition and prophanenesse and that it were a hard task for him to win men who formerly had been faithfull Christians to fall into superstition and publikely to use these or the like images signs or pictures as his similitudes and adore them to his honor and glory as if he were their God as he doth the Heathen and Gentiles suggesteth unto them in whom he hath power either to prophane them or wholly to deface or beat them down that though he cannot directly and publikely apply them or the like to his honor as he doth amongst the Pagans yet by breaking disgracing or casting them down he may at least conduct men into ignorance misprision or contempt of divine holy and supernaturall things and the mysteries of our faith so to lead them into such a prophane and barbarous kind of life as that they shall not bear any affection either unto Religion or Superstition or unto any kind of Sect good or evill more then may serve them for a cloak to colour their barbarism or advance their temporall affâ—irs or not to be discovered that they are Atheists or prophane Wherefore to prevent this mischiefe and the utter ruine of our Nation by Atheisme and prophanenesse I have written this book of The Nurse of Pious Thoughts thereby at large to shew unto thee dear Reader that the relative religious worship which Roman Catholikes do give unto sacred pictures signs and images and the use they make of them is neither idolatry or any sin or misdemeanour as theâ—enemy of mankindâ— suggesteth but to nourish in themselves and others pious thoughts divine meditations and elevation of their soules to heavenly things thereby to keep out the divell from dwelling in their hearts or doing them any mischiefe and to conduct the Holy Ghost to their infinite comfort and consolation to dwell with them for ever which is that I wish unto thee Reader and so I rest Thy servant in Christ Jesu F. P. Philopater The Contents of the Chapters Chap. 1. WHat our thoughts be in generall and how they are visions or words or speeches of our hearts p. 1 Chap. 2. Of pious and impious thoughts and what pious thoughts are 5 Chap. 3. How all evills proceed from evil thoughts 8 Chap. 4. The excellency of pious thoughts and how good works and heroicall actions proceed from them 17 Chap. 5. How the thoughts commonly follow the senses and that the senses consented unto beget our thoughts 25 Chap. 6. The power which the senses have to move the mind to think good or evill as they present 28 Chap. 7. How pious objects and sacred pictures furnish our soules with pious thoughts 34 Chap. 8. The necessity of sacred artificiall pictures signes and images to the nourishing of pious thoughts and what we call sacred pictures and signes 40 Chap. 9. What we mean by a relative religious worship and of the distinction of honor and worship 48 Chap. 10. That a relative religious worship belongeth unto sacred things pictures signes and images as they immediately or mediately conduct us to God 55 Chap. 11. Almighty God never prohibited either the making of sacred pictures signes and images nor yet their relative religious worship 67. Chap. 12. That it is lawfull to make holy artificiall pictures signs and images which may immediately or mediately bring us to think upon God and heavenly things and place them in Churches or Temples 75 Chap. 13. That in time of peace when there is no persecution the pictures and images of Angels and Saints ought to be placed in Churches and there honored with a relative religious worship 86 Chap. 14. How the Nurse of Pious Thoughts doth not only consist in the having and beholding sacred pictures signes and images but also in giving unto them a relative religious worship not for the materiall things themselves but for the sacred things which they represent 101 Chap. 15. How free Roman Catholikes are from idolatry by worshipping of sacred pictures signs and images with relative religious worship 107 Chap. 16. By the second Commandement God commanded all men to honor and worship his name which is but a sacred sign picture or image of himself with a relative religious worship thereby to beget pious thoughts in our souls 118 Chap. 17. The third Commandement commandeth all men to honor and reverence the Sabbath day which is but a sacred sign 124 Chap. 18. Of the sweet name or sign of Jesus and how this name is to be worshipped with a relative religious worship above all names thereby to beget pious thoughts of Jesus above all things 132 Chap. 19. Greater honor to be given unto the name Jesus as it signifieth Christ our Lord then to any other name of God 138 Chap. 20. How terrible the name of Jesus is unto the divells when it is honored with a relative religious worship 149 Chap. 21. Many miracles wrought in confirmation of the relative honor and worship given to the name of Jesus 155 Chap. 22. Of the honor and glory of the Crosse of Christ as it representeth his person and passion and how it shall distinguish the faithfull from the followers of Antichrist 163 Chap. 23. That the faithfull in the Primitive Church used a relative religious worship towards the sacred signe of the Crosse 173 Chap. 24. The Crosse adored with a relative religious worship in the Primitive Church not for the matter but for the holy passion of our Saviour which it representeth 191 Chap. 25. Of four sacred images which were made of Christ our Lord whilest be lived upon earth and of the religious relative honor done unto them to the inriching of their minds with pious thoughts 205 Chap. 26. Of the enemies of the Crosse and sacred images and of the miseries that befell them 214 Chap. 27. The relative religious worship which the faithfull in the Primitive Church used towards the sacred pictures signes and images of the written Word and thereby learned the true sense and indued their soules with pious thoughts 223 Chap. 28. Answer to objections 24â— The Conclusion 263 The Nurse of Pious Thoughts CHAP. I. What our thoughts be in generall and how they are visions or words or speeches of our hearts BEfore we enter into a discourse how to nourish pious thoughts it is necessary first to speak of thoughts in generall what they be and how they have place in our souls Then secondly
thoughts and intentions of our hearts whereupon the Prophet Jeremy saith Wash thy heart from malice O Hierusalem that thou mayest be saved how long shall hurtfull cogitations abide in thee Jer. 4.14 to signifie unto us that no outward act of almes or prayers or of any other seeming good deed is acceptable or of esteeme before God as long as wicked thoughts or impios intentions have place in the soul but first it is necessary to wash our hearts and cleanse our souls from malicious thoughts and evill intentions before we can doe any good deed or be saved Amongst the Sacrifices which were offered to God in the old Law the Sacrifice which was to be acceptable and propitious to his expectation who offered it The extrails and feet which signifie the thoughts and affections were washed with water before they were offered upon the Altar Lev. 1. to signifie unto us that no Sacrifice of any kind was acceptable or propitious before God for the remission of our sin unlesse it were offered with pious thoughts and sincere affection or intention whereupon though throughout the book of Leviticus God had commanded Sacrifice to be offered unto him and also the feasts of the new-Moone and Sabbaths and other festivall dayes to be kept yet he saith to the Jewes To what purpose do you offer to me your victimeâ— the holocausts of rams and the fat of fat things and the bloud of calves and lambs and buck goats I have not desired who sought for these things at your hands The new Moon and the Sabbath and other festivities I will not abide Isay 1.11 And shewing the reason why he was so a versed from the things which formerly he had expresly commanded addeth because they were not performed with such pious thoughts and purity of heart as he desired saying Your assemblies are wicked your hands are full of bloud wash you be clean take away the evill of your cogitations from mine eye c. and come and accuse me saith our Lord if your sins shall be as scarlet they shall be made white as snow and if they be red as vermilion they shall be white as wooll Isa 13. So that neither corporall nor spirituall Sacrifice nor any other outward act is gratefull or acceptable to God unlesse they be accompanied with pious thoughts and intentions to do them for the love of God whereby appeareth the excellency of pious thoughts for that they give grace beauty and lustre unto all our actions before God The Patriarch Abraham resolved with himself so far to obey God as to sacrifice unto him his only son Isaac though by the providence of God he was hindered from the fact yet because he had a reall intention and pious thoughts to performe it this work was so acceptable unto God as that thereupon the made unto him the proâ—â—â—ise That in his seed Christ all Nations should be blessed King David resolved with himself to build a glorious Temple for God wherein though he was prevented by Gods own appointment yet he received so great a reward for these his pious thoughts and good intentions that God said unto him by the Prophet Nathan I will give thee rest from all thine enemies and will make thee a house when thy daies shall be accomplished and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers I will raise up thy seed after thee which shall come forth of thy womb and J will establish his Kingdome He shall build a house to my name and I will establish the throne of his Kingdome for ever 2 Kings 7. Our Saviour sitting over against the Treasury of the Temple observed how the multitude did cast money into the Treasury and many rich men gave liberally but when there came a poor widow she cast in two mites which is a farthing he calling his Disciples together said Amen J say to you that this poor widdow hath cast in more then all the rest for all these of their abundance have cast into the gifts of God but she of her penury hath cast in all her living that she had Mark 12. Luk. 21. So though her gift in substance was the least yet the piety of her mind and purity of her thoughts made it amount to be the highest in value before God As our ears saith S. Augustine upon the 148. Psalm are to our voyces so the eares of God are to our thoughts as our ears listen unto our words or unto the tune of our voyces to give testimony what they are even so saith S. Augustine the eares of God watch upon our thoughts I know saith God their works and their cogitations Isa 66.18 and as there it followeth I will judge every man accordingly whereby it doth appear how carefull and vigilant every one ought to be of his thoughts It is not possible saith S. Augustine in the place before cited that he can have evill deeds or works who hath good thoughts for the deeds or works proceed from the thoughts neither can any man do any thing or move any of his members to do any act unlesse first the commandement of his thoughts precedes Even as whatsoever the Emperor in his inward Pallace doth command passeth throughout the whole Empire and into all the Provinces what a motion or stir is made at the command of the Emperor sitting within his Pallace He only moveth his lips when he speaketh and all the Provinces are moved to do that which he saith So in every one of us the Emperor is within he sitteth within in our hearts if he commands good good things are dene if he command evill evil and sin is committed Thus S. Augastine And this is sufficient to shew unto thee Reader the excellency of pious thoughts that they make all a mans life pious and vertuous and have promise of this life and of that which is to come CHAP. V. How the thoughts commonly follow the senses and that the senses consented unto beget our thoughts THe Philosophers seeking out how the understanding of men come to know or think good or evill thoughts affirm with one consent as a generall maxime or principle that there is nothing in the understanding which either by it selfe or els by some resemblance shadow or picture was not first in some of the senses in such sort as Aristotle in the 8. cha of his 3. book of the soul absolutely affirmeth That sensible things in sensible formes are also forms in the understanding whereupon it cometh to passe saâ—th he That he who wanteth senses can neither learn nor understand any thing as also we find by experience for he who is born deaf though the organs of his tongue be never so perfect yet he cannot learn to speak and he who is borne blind though he have his other senses and understanding perfect yet shall he never be able to discerne or dispute of colours The senses bring in the outward visible species images signs figures or forms of things and place them in the phantasie and memory
part forcibly perswade us to think good or evill as it representeth If thou wilt Christian Reader have pious thoughts thou must alwayes or for the most part have before thine eyes and senses pious objects such as are the presence of God under some borrowed forme the passion of our Lord things of heaven and the mysteries of our holy faith which because they are all either invisible or absent or both it is requisite as long as thou art in this vale of tears whereas the Apostle saith we see by a glasse in a dark sort to have of the aforesaid things sacred artificiall pictures signes and images or borrowed formes which may represent unto thy senses these holy things as a Nurse to feed thy soul with pious thoughts Neither is it sufficient to the maintenance of pious thoughts only to have sacred artificiall pictures signes and images before you to behold but also it is necessary that you beare a relative religious honor and respect towards them for this doth not only prepare and open wide your heart to receive the said Species into your understanding and to love and understand the sacred things which they do represent but also doth imprint a perseverance of pious thoughts in your heart for every one easily imbraceth and entertaineth that which he honoreth and esteemeth as we see by daily experience for if a thing be never so good yet if you doe not esteem it to you it is not good but hurtfull who contemne a sacred thing For this cause S. John Baptist honored and worshipped the latchet of our Saviours shoes with a relative religious worship which ended in our Saviour saying whose latchet of his shoe I am not worthy to unloose John 1.1.2.7 And he who so much honored the latchet of his shoe as that he thought himself not worthy to touch it in respect of the supereminent honor which belonged to our Saviour imagine if you can the innumerable pious thoughts of God and of the mysteries of our faith which were in his soul seeing that God exalteth the humble whereupon S. Augustine upon this text saith He humbled himself very much in that he thought himself not worthy to do this certainly saith S. Augustine he was full of the Holy Ghost what a consequence is this S. John said I am not worthy to unloose the latchet of his shoe and thereupon S. Augustine inferreth that he was full of the Holy Ghost because that relative religious honor which he gave unto the latchet of our Lords shoe for our Saviours sake opened wide his lâ—â— art to receive into it all kind of pious thoughts or any impression of our Saviour or of the Holy Ghost who dwelleth with a contrite and humble spirit Isay 57.15 From hence also it is that the faithfull in the Primitive Church so much honored with a relative religious honor the shadow of S. Peter and the handkerchiefs of S. Paul as that they did bring forth the sick into the streets and laid them in beds and couches that when Peter came his shadow at the least might overshadow them Act. 5.15 and brought from S. Pauls body napkins or handkerchiefs unto the sick Act. 19.11 that by any thing which had relation unto these holy servants of God they might at least beget in the sick pious thoughts and sometimes also health of body or cure of their diseases From hence also it is that the faithfull at all times have not onely had respect and reverence to the memory of the Martyrs the locall places of Churches Chappell 's and Altars and to the holy name of God and Iesus Christ our Lord but also unto the sacred text of the Scriptures pious books and service of the Church which are but holy signes notes pictures similitudes and objects to our senses which may Furnish our soules with pious thoughts as S. Augustine after his conversion in the sixth chapter of his nineth book of Confessions affirmeth they did in him with great consolation saying By the notes of the Church so sweetly sung the words did flâ—w into my ears and the truth which was contained therein distilled mâ—lting into my heart and the affection of piery even boyled in my breast my tears ran trickling down my cheeks and it was well with me Thus S. Augustine to demonstrate unto us that as obsceane and filthy objects and the names and notes of prophane loves and vitious things respected beget in our hearts impious and wicked thoughts so pious objects and sacred pictures when they are respected for the holy things which they represent do presently furnish our minds with pious thoughts as I shall further shew in the ensuing Chapters CHAP. VIII The necessity of sacred artificiall Pictures Signes and Images to the nourishing of pious thoughts and what we call sacred Pictures and Signes THe thoughts for the most part following the senses as I have shewed in the precedent chapter to have pious and golden thoughts it is not only necessary to avoid vaine and idle species and formes but also to have often or for the most part before our eyes sacred artificiall pictures signes and images thereby to imprint in our hearts sacred and pious thoughts but we call these sacred artificiall pictures signes and images which represent unto us holy and divine and invisible things or the mysteries of our faith c. and as they do represent them unto us and imprint in our hearts the knowledge of the aforesaid divine things or mysteries and beget in our minds pious thoughts these we call sacred not for the matter they are made of but for the sacred things they do or may represent and as they do represent them unto us this we understand by sacred artificiall pictures signes and images and nothing els Now how necessary these things are to the begetting in us pious thoughts appeareth first by what I have said in the former chapters for if we can learn nothing or understand or think of any thing but either by it selfe or els by some resemblance picture or signe it must passe by the senses and all the things of heaven and mysteries of our faith c. are invisible and insensible to the senses unlesse we use sacred artificiall pictures signes and images we can never come to know any thing of the heaven of glory or of the mysteries of our faith c. as further appeareth by the Heathen and Pagan people who for want of the use of these things and of a Preacher to preach or teach them these things by audible sacred artificiall signes or visible sacred artificiall pictures signes and images remain untill this day in their infidelity or Paganism And we also who at this day and in â—ormer timâ—s are Catholique Christianâ— have lâ—arned our Christiâ—â—â—â—y by those sacred artificiall signs pictures and images neither otherwise could we ever have knowne it as witnesseth S. Paul saying how shall they hear without a Preacher Rom. 10.14 If Preachers had not come and taught all the