S. Augustine concerninge figures is applyed to Images Images were made without all scruple in the primitiue Church Bowing to the image of Christ in S. Chrisostoms â—ime His liturgie is defended Seuerus painted the images of S. Martine and Paulinus in a holy place S. Gregorie laye prostrate before an holy Image Saint Augustine is cited De doct Christian. lib. 3. cap. 9. Qui aut operatur aut veneratur c. He that worketh or reuerenceth M. Sander translateth worshippeth a profitable signe instituted by gods authority whose strength and signification he vnderstandeth doeth not reuerence or worshippe that which he seeth and passeth away but rather that thing whereunto all suche thinges are to be referred First I note the corruptioÌ„ of Master Sanders translation that turneth Veneratur worshippeth after the popishe meaninge For God did neuer institute any signe to be worshipped in that sense which Master Sander defendeth worshippinge of Images But all signes instituted of God are to be reuerently esteemed regarded as baptisme which we do reuerently esteeme yet we worship not either the water or the action of baptizing Secondly we haue to consider how Master Sander can proue images to be profitable signes instituted by gods authoritie They be profitable saith hee because they bring vs in remembraunce of good thinges I denie this argument because nothing is profitable in religion but that which is instituted by God for otherwise we might bring the gallowes into the Church whiche bringeth vs in remembraunce of Gods Iustice c. as I haue shewed before Likewise the Prophet Abacuc vtterly denyeth Images to be profitable Cap. 2. vers 18. But let vs see how he proueth popishe images to be instituted by Gods authoritie which is al in al for if that be proued we wil not doubt of the profitablenesse of them First he alledgeth the imitation of nature and of nations the institution of some images in the law of Moses last of all the tradition left to his Church freely to make images of good things The former reasons are answered before in their proper chapters namely the lawe of nature and nations cap. 11. the making of some images in Moyses lawe cap 12. also the example of practise of this supposed tradition out of Eusebius cap. 10. And they are all three wiped away with the expresse commaundement of God in his lawe of religion Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image or the likenesse of any thing c. Neuerthelesse let vs see how by tradition left to the Churche images are prooued to be instituted by god We reade saith hee in S. Augustine as well of the Ethnikes as of the Christians There is first one falshood for Augustine in the place by him cited speaketh onely of Ethnikes De consen Euang. lib. 1. cap. 10. which because they had seene Christes image pictured with Peter and Paule imagined that Christ had written bookes to Peter and Paule Secondly he citeth the wordes thus Pluribus locis simul Petrum et Paulum cuÌ„ Christo pictos viderunt quiae merita Petri Pauli etiam propter cundem passionis diem celebrius ac solemniter Roma commendat They sawe in verie many places Peter Paule painted together with Christ because Rome doeth set foorth the merites of Peter and Paule the more famously and solemnly euen for that they suffered both vppon one day In this allegation hee addeth wordes that are not in Augustine Although not contrary to his meaning yet shewing thereby that he borrowed this place as manye of our Englishe papistes doe commonly of some other mans noting rather then of his owne reading But the greatest fault of all is that he doth deceiptfully suppresse the words following immediatly which declare howe profitable Sainte Augustine esteemed the doctrine of Images to be His whole sentence is this Credo quod pluribus locis simul eos cum illo pictos viderunt quia merita Petri Pauli etiam propter cundem passionis diem celebrius solemniter Roma commendat Sic omnino errare meruerunt qui Christum Apostolos eius non in sanctis codicibus sed in pictis parietibus quaesierunt I beleeue that they haue seene them painted with him in manye places because Rome doeth more notably and solemnely set foorth the worthinesse of Peter and Paule euen because of the same day of their suffering So they were altogether worthy to be deceiued whiche haue sought Christ and his Apostles not in the holy bookes but in painted walles Now see with what honestie Master Sander hath alledged this place of Augustine to prooue that images are of Gods institution But you will saye perhappes this place doeth prooue that Images of Christe and his Apostles were then made by Christians I graunte but not in the Churches for then the Ethnikes coulde not haue seene them because they were neuer suffered to enter into the Churches of the Christians But Gregorie Nyssen in his Oration De Theod. martyr laud. testyfieth that the paynter had set foorth the whole storie of Theodorus the martyr in his Churche And yet the Image of the martyr was none otherwise painted then the fierce and cruell formes of the tyrauntes neyther otherwise on the walles then on the pauemente For he saith Capillorum item concinnator historiae par opuâ— in pauimento quod pedibus calcatur effecit Also the pauier hath made the lyke woorke of historie vppon the pauemente whiche is trodden vnder feete These deuises of painters and pauiers Master Sander is faine to take holde of in steede of the holy scriptures and aunciente writers But if hee saye that Gregorius doeth also allowe these I answere as ornamentes of the Churche not as matter of Gods religion and worshippe whiche yet he shoulde rather haue defaced with Epiphanius then suffred or allowed for inconueniencâ— that folowed This report of Gregorie sheweth the errour of that time rather then prooueth images to be instituted by god That Paulinus caused images to bee painted on the Church walles as it is confessed to be done so it is denied to be well done The like I say of the images painted in Saint Martins Church in Towers in Fraunce witnessed by Gregorius Turonensis although it was long after the time of Paulinus in which Satan beganne to lay the platforme for his Idolatrie whiche afterwarde he brought into the worlde And these be all the arguments that he hath to prooue that images are profitable signes instituted by Gods authoritie Except he meane the text of Paul to the Galat. 5. to be an argument whiche he citeth to prooue that we are made free in Christ both to knowe our signes and images to be images and signes and also to knowe whereof they are signes which the Iewes saith he did not So that the libertie of Christ is by M. Sanders doctrine not from a yoke of bondage and seruitude vnto ceremonies but from ignorance and want of knowledge of the vse of them And whereas by the lawe
and life He sheweth that his whole bodie is full of quickening vertue of the spirite For here he called his very fleshe spirite not because it lost the nature of flesh is changed into the spirite but because beeing perfectly ioyned with it it hath receiued the whole power to quicken Neither let any man think this to be spoken vndecently for he that is surely ioyned to the Lorde is one spirite with him How then shal not his flesh be called one with him It is after this manner therefore which is saide you thinke I said this earthly and mortall bodie of his owne nature to be quickening or giuing life but I spake of the spirit life For the nature of the flesh of it self caÌ„not quicken but the power of the spirite hath made the fleshe quickening Therefore the words which I haue spokeÌ„ that is those things which I spoke vnto you are spirite and life by which my fleshe also liueth and is quickening Cyrill hauing his minde still bent against the Nestorians earnestly auoucheth the trueth of Christes flesh vnited to his Diuinitie but for M. Hesk. purpose he saith nothing at all I meane for the carnal maner of receiuing Christes fleshe in the sacrament The name of Capernaites M. Hesk. so much misliketh that he would turne it ouer to vs if he could inuent any balde reason to proue it agreeing to our doctrine The sacramentaries he saith are carnal and grosse because they say that Papistes receiue nothing but bare flesh and not the flesh of Christe which is vnited to the Deitie and giueth life But indeed the Papistes say as much when they say that the flesh of Christ is receiued where it giueth no life As for those whome he calleth sacramentaries they wil not graunt that the Papistes although they prate so grossely of flesh bloud yet receiue any thing but a wafer cake a draught of wine The fortieth Chapter endeth the exposition of this text and so of the processe of the sixt of S. Iohn by Euthymius and Lyra. Euthymius to end this long and tedious processe is cited as before In. 6. Ioan. Verba quae c. The wordes which I speake vnto you are spirite and life they are spirituall and quickening For we must not looke vpon them simply that is vnderstand them carnally But imagine a certeine other thing and to beholde them with inward eyes as mysteries for this is spiritually to vnderstand Euthymius affirmeth the same that Chrysostome doeth Hom. 46. In Ioan. and almoste in the same wordes neither can M. Hesk. drawe any thing out of theÌ„ to serue his humor but that the sacramentes are mysteries and therefore some other thing must be present then is seene with the outward eye which is true so it be such a thing as may be seene onely with the eyes of the mind of which the authour speaketh But the bodie of Christ as Aug. saith euen immortall and glorified is stil visible Ep. 85. Consentio To wrangle about the sentence of Lyra it were losse of time who although he wil haue a real presence yet he wil haue The flesh of Christ to be eaten in the sacrament after a spirituall maner because the spirite by the power of God vnited to the flesh is refreshed Wherevpon M. Hesk. reiecting the true spirituall manner of eating Christes fleshe in the sacrament by faith as hereticall which he hath so often before allowed as onely profitable setteth vp three other spirituall manners of Christes presence in the sacrament for three causes First because it is wrought by the spirite of god Secondly because although it be verily present it is not knowen by corporall sence but by spirituall knowledge of faith Thirdly because our spirite by the power of God is vnited to the fleshe of these deuises he maketh Lyra the author and he may bee well ynough For such blinde teachers while they wrangled about words they became altogether vaine in their imaginations and lost the true sence and meaning both of the worde of God and of the sacraments The rayling stuffe wherewith he concludeth this Chapter and this worthie expositioÌ„ continued in 36. Chapters I passe ouer as vnworthie of any answere The one and fortieth Chapter beginneth the exposition of these wordes of Christ this is my bodie after the minde of the aduersaries The first part of this Chapter conteyneth a fonde and lewde comparison of the doctrine of the Sacramentaries with the temptation of the diuell vsed to our firste parents â–ª which because it sheweth nothing but M. Hesk. witt and stomake I omitt It hath more colour of reason that he bringeth in afterward namely that there are two things which ought to moue men to resist the temtation of the sacramentaries their contrarietie to the worde of God and their contrarietie among them selues Their contrarietie to the worde of God he sayeth to bee where Christ sayde This is my bodie Sathan sayth it is not his bodie In verie deede if after Christe hath sayde the bread and wine are his bodie bloude any man shuld rise vp saye they are not his bodie bloud at al we might well iudge that he spake by the spirite of Sathan as when Christe sayeth drinke ye all of this the Pope sayth to the people there shall none of you all drink of this we may easely acknowlege the spirit of Antichrist But we whome he calleth sacramentaries doe with all reuerence humilitie confesse that the bread the wine ministred according to Christes institution are the body bloud of Christ in such sence as he saide they were And we say with S. Augustine Per similitudinem Christus multa est quae per proprietatem non est Per similitudinem petrae est Christus ostium est Christus lapis angularis est Christus c. By similitude Christ is manie things which he is not by propertie By similitude the rocke is Christ the dore is Christ the corner stone is Christ c. Wherfore we affirme nothing contrarie to the words of Christ but altogether agreeable to his meaning For contrarietie of Sacramentaries among them selues he citeth a saying of Luther written in his frowardnesse that there shoulde be eyght seuerall disagreeing spirites among the Sacramentaries from which if you take away Carolostadius Swenkfeldius Campanus and the eight without name which is belike H. N. opinion that euery man may think of it what he list whose opinions the godly whome hee calleth sacramentaries did euer more detest as wicked vngodly there remaineth the interpretation of Zwinglius of the wordes of Christ This signifieth my bodie of Oecolampadius This is a token of my bodâ—e two other Receiue the benefits of my passion and Take this as a monument or remembrance of my bodie crucified for you which differ in forme of wordes and are all one in deede and meaning So is the iudgement of Melancthon this is the participation of my bodie
this be true of the image of the Trinitie why do you Papistes suffer and defende such horrible idols and monsters of a man with three faces or with three bodies to expresse the blessed Trinitie If Angels cannot bee represented by image and if three persons be infinite how doth your Idolatrous councell of Nice the seconde not onely determine that their images may bee made but also that they haue bodies and be circumscriptible Actione 5. But you will not long holde this conclusion Furthermore I woulde knowe what diuinitie yea or Phylosophie this is that you saye the persons of Angels are infinite I thought there had beene nothing actually infinite but God onely and that all creatures are definite though they be spirituall inuisible and incircumscriptible But to let you goe with that inconsiderate terme and not to vrge it so farre as to make you an vpholder of tenne thousands of Gods your conclusion is that visions which were of bodily formes may as well be paynted as preached whether they were of the Trinitie or of Angels as the three Angels that appeared to Abraham in the shape of men The vision of Daniel 7. of the sonne of man that came to him was auncient of dayes The historie of the father speaking to Christe ▪ and the holie Ghost appearing in the shape of a Doue Admit that these visions may be painted ▪ for so much as was seene yet must they be painted as those visions onely and not otherwise for if God to shewe the distinction of the persons in Trinitie hath appeared in the shape of three men yet is it not lawfull to paint the Trinitie so and although the father in a vision appeared like an olde man and the holie Ghoste like a Doue yet is it not lawfull to paint God the father so alwayes nor the holie Ghoste much lesse to make such monsters as neuer appeared in any vision And therefore God him selfe warned the people to remember that he did not appeare to them in the mounteyne when he gaue the lawe in any forme or shape because they shoulde not bee deceiued to make an image thereafter to represent him withall Deuteronom 4. vers 15. Also Saint Paule preaching to the Athenienses sayeth that seeing wee are the generation of God wee ought not to thinke that the Godhead is like to golde siluer or stone grauen by arte and the inuention of man Act. 17. vers 29. And if you should paint the storie of the baptisme of Christe howe woulde you paint the person of the father which appeared not in any shape but onely a voice from him was hearde But knowing that you haue to doe with wranglers you say you would haue no image of the Trinitie but only to shewe that there bee three seuerall persons in one godhead this you thinke S. Augustine de fide symbolo would beare Ca. 7. but you shal heare his words Non ideo tamen quasi humana forma circumscriptū c. Yet must we not therefore thinke that God that father is circumscribed as it were with an humane shape that when we think of him a right side or a left side shoulde come into our mind or euen that which is sayde that the father doth sit we must not thinke to be done with bowing of his legges that we fall not into that sacrilege wherewith the Apostle curseth them that haue changed the glorie of the incorruptible God into the similitude of a corrupble man For it is extreme wickednes that a Christian man shoulde place such an image for God in the temple much more is it wicked in his heart where the temple of God is in deede if it be clensed from earthly desire and errour This saying of Augustine woulde suffice any sober man to see what is his iudgement for such images of God or the Trinitie which yet Maister Sander though not simply yet in some respect wil defende And the Angels he sayeth may be painted or grauen with wings as they were made in the tabernacle or as they appeared to the Prophets and the Apostles And so you may paint the diuels in such shape as they haue appeared to men but what is this to make images of them for any vse of religion which God hath forbidden But now followeth another metaphysicall abstraction of the image which is an accident from the matter or substance thereof being stone wodde c. which is a hard lesson for the common people to learne and when it is learned it is not worth a strawe for any helpe of religion The grosse image of stone being made thus a subtile fantasticall image by abstraction is ioyned with the trueth when the fantasie considereth whose image it is and then it is not possible but that it must partake some parte of the honour of that whereof it is a signe being an honourable thing To passe ouer this fond abstracting and ioyning which is a toy to mocke with an ape I will come to the conclusion of honour dewe to the signe I pray you Maister Sander what impossibilitie is this that you talke of vs Must euery signe of an honourable thing needes partake some of the honour dewe to the thing The print of a mans foote in the snowe is the signe of a man that hath trod there which is an honourable thing and perhaps was a King is this signe worthie of any honour due to a King Yea the Kinges picture is on his coyne or else where to be seen is that picture worthie of any parte of the Kings honour You sayed before you woulde not haue any parte of Gods honour giuen to his image and howe agreeth that saying with this your principle it is not possible but euerie signe of an honorable thing must partake some of the honour which is in it But you will shewe vs the order howe the image commeth to be partaker of honour but it were more necessarie you should shew vs the reason why it should haue honour then the order howe it commeth But let vs see the order The painting of Christes death moueth the eye the eye aduertiseth our common-sense our common sense informeth our fantasie reason draweth out of fantasie this deepe consideration that this image is true and profitable to saluation and worthie of all honour This may well be an idolaters reason but surely a Christian man faith is instructed by hearing and not by seeing blessed are they saith Christ which haue beleeued and not seene Ioan. 20 A Christian man learneth of the Lord by his Prophet Abacuc Cap. 2. vers 18. 19. that a grauen image is profitable for nothing that it is a teacher of lyes and curseth him that saith an image shall teach him and much more him that shall say it is worthie of all honour By which saying you may see the impudencie of idolaters which though at the first they seeme modest in giuing but an other kinde of honour to images and not that which is giuen to God
being worshipped with religious honour neither hath the vilenesse of Images defended them from being honoured with Gods honour For the corruption and inclination of mans nature vnto Idolatrie is so great that nothing is so vile or ridiculous but it hath bene honoured as god And therefore Augustine truely sayth in ps 113 Ducit enim affectu quodam infirmo rapit infirma corda mortalium formae similitudo et membrorum imitata compago For the similitude of shape and the counterfetted composition of lymmes doeth leade and with a certaine weake and sicke affection doeth rauishe the weake heartes of mortall men Againe Quis autem adorâ—â— vel orat intuenâ—â—imulachrum qui non sic afficitur vt ab eo se exandiri putet ac ab eo sibi praestari quod desiderat speret For who doeth worshippe or praye beholdinge an Image whiche is not so affected that hee thinketh he is hearde of it and hopeth that shall be performed by it whiche hee desireth Examine your popishe worshippinge of Images by this sayinge of Augustine Maister Sander and either saye hee speaketh vntruely or confesse that your Image-Douly is no better then Idolatrie But Augustine proceedeth aunsweringe the obiection that they are turned to bee deade stockes without sense Plus valent simulachra ad curnandam infelicenâ— anâ—mam quod as habent quod oculos habent narâ—s habent manus habent pedes habent quam ad corrigandam qood non loquentur non videbunt non audient non â—dorabunt non contrectabunt non ambulabunt Images preuayle more to bowe downe or make crooked the vnhappie soule because they haue a mouthe they haue eyes they haue a nose they haue handes and they haue feete then to refourme it or make it streight that they shall not speake they shall not see they shall not heare they shall not smell they shall not handle they shall not walke Go your wayes nowe M. Sander and say that there is no daunger lest Images should be abused to robbe God of his honour because of the basenes of their forme which is lesse then a creature and they be as it pleaseth you to call them manufactures THE X. OR IX CHAP. Master Iewelles iugling is detected concerning the antiquitie and inuention of images and specially his manifest corrupting of Eusebius in that argument Also an image set vp in the honour of Christ aboue fifteene hundreth yeres past The images of Peter Paule were seene of Eusebius M. Iewell falsifieth Eusebius by leauing out adding to false laâ—â—ing false englishing The virginity of Nunner The chaire of S. Iames had in reuerence in the premitiue churche The pieces of Christes image whiche Iulianus the runnagate brake were preserued of the Christians aboue 12. hundreth yeres past Although God commanded the two Cherubes to be made and let in the Tabernacle yet the inuention of Images is not to be ascribed to God for as Epiphanius testifieth There the father of Abraham beinge a worshipper of false gods was a maker of Images long before And because you trifle M. Sander with your distinction of Idoles and Images telling M. Iewel they are Idolâ—â— or wanton pictures and not the Images of holy men whereof the booke of Wisdom S. Cyprian S. Ambrose S. Augustine Lactantius and S. Athanatius do speake when they saye the inuention of Idols or Images came of the diuel may it please your learned wisdom to vnderstand that Epiphanius speakinge of the Images of the blessed virgin Mary whom you cal your Lady saith Vnde non est simulachrisicum hoc studium diabolicus conatus Howe is not this desire of making images also a deuillishe purpose prÄ™textu enim iustitiae semper subient hominum mentem diabolus mortalem naturam in hominum oculis deificans stanias humanas imaginis pre se ferentei per artium varietateÌ„ expressit Et mortus quidem sunt qui adorantur ipsi verò imagines quae nunque vâ—xerunâ— neque enim mortuae esse possunt quae nunque vixerunt adorandas introducunt Cont. Collyridianos H. 79. For the diuell alwayes entring into the minde of men vnder colour of righteousnesse deifiing the mortall nature in the eyes of men hath expressed by varietie of artes images representing the similitude of men And they truely which are worshipped are deade but they bring in to be worshipped Images which neuer lyued for they cannot be dead which neuer lyued The iudgement of other fathers shal be added in places conuenient But where as you cauill that euery image is not an idoll because the sonne of God is the image of God whom we woulde not call an Idoll you shewe your frowardnesse rather then defende your distinction For although in the nature of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there be no such difference but it may be called truely an image yet the horrible abuse of images to the dishonour of God hath caused that of Godly writers it is taken in the euil parte whereas the worde is indifferent Euen as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being the same that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a King which through crueltie of Kinges came to be an odious name of a tyrant So the names of Papa which sometime signified a bishop and Missa the communion for the wickednesse of the Pope of Rome and of the Popishe Masse are nowe abhorred of all true Christians As for the images which Christ sent to Augarus or Algarus and the Veronica of Rome with the images made by Nicodemus S. Luke and shewed by Siluester to Constantinus testified by Damascen the counterfet Athanatius Theodorus the seconde Councell of Nice Nicephorus and Metaphrastes they are good stuffe for Legenda aurea and as M. Sanders will not stay in them because hee knoweth in his conscience they bee forged fables so I will let them passe also and stande vppon the credite of their authors But nowe we come to the famous image of the woman which had the bloudie issue and of Christ set vp on high before her doore on a piller with an herbe that grewe vnder it which when it touched the hemme of the garment of the image of Christ it healed all diseases This M. Iewel wil not call a fable saith he but he himselfe addeth fables to that which is written of Eusebius as first that it was set vp by the woman whiche is vnlike that a poore womaÌ„ which as the Gospel teacheth had wasted all her goods vppon phisitions Mark. 5. could be able to set vp such a costly image of Brasse vppon a piller Secondly it is not like she woulde haue set vp her owne image Thirdly Eusebius saith it was set vp by other men And therefore the reporte of Theophylact which lyued a thousand yeres after is of small credit Secondly he saith that Eusebius sawe this image which is not to be proued by any worde he speaketh although he saith that he had seen other images of Christ of Peter of Paule But nowe to
comprehendeth it not Ioan. 1. and the natural man vnderstandeth not those things that be of the spirite of God. 1. Cor. 2. ver 14. and where shal we finde the practise of all nations according to the lawe of nature when they haue all declined and gone astray there is not one that doth good no not one Ro. 3. Psal. 13. Wherefore there are other two most certeine infallible rules wherby the law of nature in any case may be found out and knowen namely the word of God and the spirite of God whiche giue mutuall testimonie one to the other the worde and spirite of God beeing contrarie to the worshipping of Images The Lord saying in the first table of religion Thou shalt not fall downe to them nor worship them it is manifest that worshipping of images is contrarie to the Lawe of nature So that you see the foundation of this building already subuerted by which you may coniecture how long it is possible for the house to stande after it For what soeuer he iangleth of the internall conceptions of the minde vnproperly and metaphorically called images and comparing artificiall images vnto them it is nothing els but vain deceiptfulnesse to be contemned and hissed out not onely of all Christian Churches of euery faithfull man but also out of all schooles of Diuinitie by all them that are learned as well in the scriptures of God as in humaine phylosophie But that you may see what soundnesse there is in his doctrine thus he weaueth his copwebbe One telleth him that Christ died onely to saue man from euerlastinge paines he hearing and beleeuing this straight conceiueth Christ dying for him and is mooued to loue him Secondly he is much delighted with the Image which he conceiued in his minde of Christ dying for him and loueth that also Thirdly he loueth and honoureth him that tolde him this matter as a bringer of good tydinges So here bee three kindes of honour the cheefe to Christe the thinge it selfe the second to the inward conception or Image of him in his minde the last is to the reporter And here you haue a paterne of popishe prophane diuinitie for here is no loue nor honour due to the spirite of God who onely must open his heart to receiue suche tydings profitably nor to the worde of God which must be the warrant of this tydinges to be true nor to fayth which applying these tydinges to his owne saluation is the roote of all vertuous obedience loue honour and thankefulnesse in him But euen as he considereth of any prophane report so doeth he consider of this glad tydings of the gospell and not otherwise But to proceede of this wise distribution of three fold honour hee inferreth seuen causes of honouring artificiall Images The first is that it beareth the office of a reporter and therefore it must needes haue a rewarde of honour A slowe messenger a dumbe reporter which can neither go of this errande nor tell his tale But what skilleth it saieth Master Sander whether I learne by hearing or by seeing For Basill sayeth that both eloquent orators and cunninge paynters the one with their tongue the other with theiâ— pensil haue set forth valiant acts done in warre and stirred vp many to fortitude Hom. in 40. martyr But it skilleth vs to learne by hearing of Gods word because faith coÌ„meth by hearing Rom. 10. vers 17. and they are blessed which beleeue without seeing Ioh. 20. vers 29. Howsoeuer it skilleth papists howsoeuer all other things except religioÌ„ faith may be learned As for the reporter of the glad tydings of the gospel he is in deed worthy of honor if he do his message truly willingly diligeÌ„tly but it is honor of the second table not of the first that perteineth to him And except there be in him loue to God his neighbor he is worthy of no honor althogh he do the message Therefore if the Image were as a reporter â–ª he could haue but honor of the second table which is of charity not of religion But seeing there is in an image neither loue will diligence truth for which causes a reporter is loued cherished neither is an image cause of anye thinge there is no loue honour or worshippe due â—nto it The second cause of honoring artificial images is for that it doth speedily and most coÌ„ueniently informe our inward imagination and therefore is more to be honored theÌ„ any orator For the eye being the principal sense is most ready to instruct the minde and therfore a painted image is a more easie and liuely way to enstruct vs then any orator In deed if faith were a register of visible things as it is of inuisible thinges Heb. 11. vers 1.7 the sense of seing were a more easie speedy coÌ„uenient way of instructing then by hearing but yet images were no more to be honored then the sound of words is nowe to be worshipped when we heare the gospell preached But God saith he hath ioyned visible signes to his worde as in the proclaiming of the lawe yea sir but God shewed not there the image of any thing to teach them thereby but expressely forbad the vse of them in his religion and seruice But if God gaue visible wordes as he doeth his sacramentes it is not therefore lawfull for men to make images as visible teachers which God hath forefended There is therefore hitherto no naturall cause of the honouring of images The thirde cause of honouring of Images is because they be naturally knit and ioyned to the trueth concerning their shape and representation as the reporter if he be an Ethnike or Iewe he is ioyned to Christ in morall honestie and naturall loue of trueth if he be baptized much more as a member of Christ if he be a bishop c. as a minister of Gods worde if he be a Prophete by a more special grace if an Apostle as one nerest to Christ if it be Christ himselfe as the chiefe and God himselfe So Images as they be neerer to Christ they are more to be honoured and Christs Image most of all which speaketh alwayes and yet saith neuer a worde to them that haue spirituall eares of vnderstanding Nay carnall eyes of blinded and hardened heartes But this difference he maketh the former reporters deserue honour beeing reasonable creatures freely and voluntarily reportinge the trueth but letters and Images deserue no honour and yet it is due to them whiche is a straunge matter a due without desert yea necessarily due to them in respect of that whose image it beareth But admitte that the image were a true reporter as he is nothing but a false dumb stocke without any action yet seeinge he compareth an image to the written letters of the gospell which be figures of that trueth which is represented and learned by them I pray you what honour is due to the written letters of the Byble more then to the written letters of any other
to make no diference betweene matters of substance and matters of circumstance as hee by his Popish sophistrie doth confounde SECTIO 24. From the secoÌ„d face of the 72. leafe to the second face of the 74. leafe wherin he beginneth to speak of adoration of the sacrameÌ„t Where the bishop saith that the olde doctours neuer make mention of adoration of the sacrament maister Rastell saith the argument is both naught and lying Naught because it may bee they vsed it although they neuer spake of it lying because he saith they do speake of it But to aunswere the naughtinesse of the argument I say maister Rastell is both a naughtie and lying gatherer of the bishoppes argument dismembring that which hee ioyneth together thus Christ his Apostels and the primitiue church neuer made mention of adoration of the sacrament therefore is not to bee vsed And concerning the lying supposed I answere that no auncient doctour speaketh one word of adoration of the sacrament as the verye sonne of GOD but either of adoration of Christ in heauen or of worshipping and adoring that is reuerently handling and honouring of the mysteries of Christ and no more of this sacrament then of the other namely baptisme For aunswere to the places he citeth out of Chrysostome Ambrose Augustine I will referre the reader to mine answere vnto the 45.46 47. Chapters of the second booke of Heskins parleament where this question is handled more at large Sauing that which he citeth out of Hom. 83. out of Chrysost. that we are fed with that thing which the Angels do honour which we confesse to be the body of Christ after a spirituall maner yet pertaineth it nothing to adoration of the sacrament And much lesse that he citeth ex Orat. in Philon. That as we entertaine God here so he wil receiue vs there with much glorie Where he speaketh of honouring God and not adoring the sacrament SECTIO 25. in the 74. leafe The Bishop aunswering a place of Augustine saith we must worship Christ where we eate him but we eate him in heauen by faith therefore we must worship him there M. Rastel sayth we eate him on earth also but proofe he bringeth none greater then his owne saying either of reason or authoritie SECTIO 26. From the end of the 74. leafe to the first face of the 79. leafe The Bishop proueth we must seeke Christe in heauen by these reasons Wee must lift vp our heartes wee must seeke those things which are aboue in heauen where Christ is and not the things that are vpon earth where Christ is not Câ—ll 3. And our conuersation is in heauen from whence wee looke for our Sauiour c. Phil. 3. M. Rastel saith the conclusion is inferred madly and miserably bicause these textes do no more disproue Christes body to bee on earth really then they proue our bodies to be in heauen really as in this short example our conuersation is in heauen and yet Paule was on earth in body when he saide this O wise and happie concluder but blinde and blockish interpretour which reasoneth as though the worde Conuersation in Saint Paules saying did signifie presence or being whereas it signifieth franches or libertie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our franches freedom or conuersation is in heauen Where is nowe your madd and miserable conclusion The Bishops arguments therefore on these places stand firme and vnmoueable that Christ is not on earth in body but in heauen where we must seeke him not climbing with ladders as it pleaseth Maister Rastel to scoffe in so graue matters but ascending by faith and affection set on heauenly and spirituall things As for his exposition of Sursian corda howe wholesome it is you may gather by this one note that in the very beginning â–ª he saith that the body of Christe is not onely lying on the altar and caried in mens handes but also broken and diuided The places hee citeth out of Saint Augustine for adoration be aunswered in mine aunswere to Maister Heskins before mentioned SECTIO 27. The Bishop saith that adoration of the sacrament is a newe deuise of Pope Honorius of three hundreth yeares agoe and after him Vibanus the fourth made an holiday of Corpus Christi c. Maister Rastel is angrie that three hundreth yeares should be counted a little while agoe when it is not three score yeares since Luther sprang vp But if Luther haue taught any doctrine that was not receiued in the Church a thousand and fiue hundreth yeares ago we are content it be accounted newe but whatsoeuer may be proued to haue bene taught 1500. yeares agoe must needes be old though Luther be newe and in comparison of that age Honorius and Vrbanus are but yong children But remitting the antiquitie Maister Rastell will stande for the veritie bicause the Popes lacked no counsell Neither by your doctrine needed they any 2. The Vniuersities were not without great schollers Such as those blinde and hereticall times affoorded 3. Religious houses and orders were not destroyed Yea they swarmed with Locustes to maintaine the kingdome of Absaddon 4. The holy Ghost in true Catholikes was inuincible Yea but there were fewe true Catholikes in those days 5. The wicked spirit in heretiques would haue bene venterous Yea the Pope the Archheretique of the world was venterous ynough when he set vp such idolatrie 6. A good man with the daunger of his life would haue spoken the trueth So did many good men which cost them their liues 7. An heretique for fame would not haue passed vpon death what neede an heretique feare death when heresie was so generally receiued that the true Catholikes were condemned and burned for heretiques by the name of Albigenses Waldenses Pauperes de Lugduno and such like which from time to time were persecuted imprisoned and burned for refusing and disalowing such idolatrie and false worshipping These be the worshipfull reasons he hath to proue the veritie of this bread worship which after he hath dilated more at large hee commeth at length to admiration of the seruice of Corpus Christi day made by Thomas Aquinas which hee thinkeh to be so excellent that the very sound and sense of the Anthemnes Respondes and Versicles declare whence they proceeded And I am of the same opinion for the comparing of such thinges to the sacrament as pertaine nothing vnto it declareth that such comparison came from the spirit of man not from the spirite of god As where it is saide 3. Reg 19. That Helias sawe a cake of bread at his head c. And Iob complaineth of the crueltie of his seruants that would haue eaten his flesh Iob. 31. And as for the holiday though it were instituted but of late yeares yet he taketh it sufficient to proue the adoration necessarie which could not be seene in the Church twelue hundreth yeres before or els that holiday should haue bene set vp long before SECTIO 28. The