they shall represent God as a shadow doth the Sun God hath clearly reveal'd himself to us in his Holy Word and you have drawn a veil upon him by your Dysanalogical Images and Pictures you take from the People the Holy Scriptures and teach them by Pictures according to that memorable Saying of a Pope Pictures are Lay-mens Books But God is a Spirit saith our Blessed Savior and Men must worship him in Spirit and in Truth Joh. 4. 24. And â—o by your Pictures of God you determine the Worship and the Imagination of deluded People to the shadow and representation of a Body And because Man is the most excellent of all bodily and visible Creatures you have favor'd God with an human shape whereas the Heathen vile wretches worship him under the shape of an Ox that eateth grass Phil. If God was pleased to manifest himself in an human shape as you have heard Why may not we represent him so to the People Theoph. First there is a great mistake in those Apparitions of God in the Old Testament you make use of them to represent God the Father in a human shape whereas the Fathers generally hold that God the Son assumed those appearances and therefore they call'd them Praeludia Incarnationis the Prologues of his future Incarnation and so they cannot warrant your Picturing of God the Father But to come more close to our present purpose such Visions of God which we read of were transient cited only to the present purpose as in that of Daniel concerning the ancient of days it represented Gods dreadful coming to Judgment as you may read at large the 9 th Chapter Now you would make a standing Representation of God thereby to all ends and purposes whatsoever And again when the Prophet had his Vision it was also revealed to him what it signified otherwise an old Man with white garments and the hair of his head like wool could not have represented God to the Prophet It was no Image that did bear any Analogy or Resemblance of the Divine Nature or of any Person of the Trinity and therefore cannot be made use of by it self to represent God a 3. Dist 9. Qu. 2. Durandus a great School-man tells us Such Forms wherein God appeared in the Old Testament were not assumed into one Person with the Divine Nature as was the Humane Nature of Christ and when the present design was over they were laid aside as we put off our clothes And you may as well make a suit of Clothes the Image of a Man as these Forms the Image of God Suppose any Man should converse with you a day or an hour under a Vizar would he like it if you should take his Picture and the standing copy of his countenance from the Vizar When the Holy Scriptures mention the Eye of the Lord and the Mouth of the Lord his right Hand and his Holy Arm will you take these parts and set them together and make the Image of a Man to represent God and bring these Autorities of Scripture for your warrant This is a ready way to make our People Anthropomorphites to create in them an Imagination that God consists of Parts and Members as a Man and that his Image after which God made Man was imprinted in the Body In the Gatechizing of Youth we find it an hard work to take their minds off from such conceits notwithstanding all the help of Holy Scriptures which expresly declare That God is a Spirit and not flesh invisible and not a Body When we tell them that in such Expressions of Gods Eye and Hand and Mouth c. the Holy Ghost descends to our capacity and speaks of God after the manner of Men That he seeth all things without Eyes he maketh all things without hands for he spake the word and all things were made and yet the Heavens are call'd his handy-work and so the whole Creation because Man performeth several Operations by several Organs of the body therefore for our better apprehension these Members figuratively and by a Trope are ascribed to God altho he worketh all things by himself by the Almighty Power of his will and pleasure Now when we labor to explain these things unto the People they hardly sink into their hearts to take them off from terrene Cogitations of God and much more would they be confirm'd in such low conceits of the Divine Nature if they should constantly behold God pictur'd and worship him under an humane shape Phil. For no other end do we represent God under an humane shape but to descend unto vulgar capacities and our Priests can instruct them as well as you that God is an invisible Spirit Theoph. Such Images which you make of God are not Tropes and Figures to represent him to the minds of Men but real Representations to the Eye and so are apt in undiscerning Persons to improve the imagination that God is like unto us in our Earthly Members and for this cause among others he hath forbid such Images and you transgress the Commandment of God and endanger the Souls of deluded People in making and expressing such Pictures unto public view and adoration And it is worthy Observation That altho God would borrow a visible shape to appear unto a discerning Patriarch and a Prophet yet he would not do so when he would manifest his prefence to the whole Congregation of Israel he descended upon Mount Sinai in a Cloud in the voice of Thunder and he expresly makes the Observation to the People when he prohibited any likeness of God to be made Take ye therefore good heed unto your selves for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the Fire Deut. 4. 15. Phil. Your worthy Observations must not think to carry the cause against the Traditions and Determinations of the Church Theoph. I do not expect they should when the Commands of God do little move you However to keep others out of the snare we will not spare to represent the ill effects of your picturing God when you usually draw the Image of the Trinity after this manner An old reverend Man with a little Youth and a Dove to represent the Holy Ghost here you conceive you have given us the three Persons but where is the one Substance the one only true God These Images necessarily represent a diversity of Natures and of Substance as well as a distinction of Persons And when you make God the Father ancient and God the Son as an youth you sensibly confirm the Doctrine of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrius who maintain'd That Christ the Son of God was yonger then his Father and that there was a time when the Son of God was net And therefore Abulensis a Cap. 4. Deut. qu 5. Erroris inductivae sunt cum periculo Idolatriae Herefis c. peremtorily determins against making Images of God or of the Holy Trinity
Patriarchs and Prelates Eutyches an Abbot and all these Broachers of Heresie And such Men of Learning and Reputation are likely to do much more mischief in seducing the People then some obscure and simple Phanatics And we have cause to fear that some Mercurial Wits beyond the Seas have laid the Scenes and come over Incognito in the mist of our Distractions and Troubles to act their parts and give Life and Motion to the Phlegmatic Humors of our Separatists who whil'st they dream of Popery and mightily declaim and fight against it are led by many of the Principals and Priests of the Church of Rome upon your account therefore wise Men should with-hold the Scripture rather from the Learned who are able to do most mischief then from the multitude But we affirm neither one nor the other That either Clerks or Pesants should be restrain'd from reading the Bible for their Instruction and Salvation out of a panic fear they should wrest and pervert them to their own destruction and others Every thing that is most useful may become pernicious Will you keep no Fire in your Chimney for fear you should burn your House Phil. a Loco praedict Bellarmine gives another considerable Argument That in the Holy Scriptures there are many seeming Contradictions which if the common People in reading should observe not knowing how to reconcile them they may be apt to question the Infallibility and Truth of the Scripture Theoph. These seeming Contradictions do not easily fall within the Observation of the vulgar but of the Learned and withal they ought to read the Holy Scriptures with veneration and due acknowledgment that they are the infallible Word of God and dictates of his Holy Spirit who cannot lye nor contradict himself and upon this ground when we apprehend any contradiction in Gods Word we must distrust our own Judgment and not question the truth of Holy Scripture in any place but our own apprehension and apply our selves to the Learned for reconciliation and better satisfaction But as to the other part of Bellarmines Assertion Is it possible any should conceive that the Holy Word of God should contribute to the corruption of Mens manners and debauch the Lives of such as study it Phil. Yes of the unwary Reader For he instanceth in that passage of the Canticles Cant. 1. 2. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth And in another place Cant. 8. 3. His left hand should be under my head and his right hand should embrace me He instances in Davids Adultery and Thamars Incest in the Patriarchs Concubines Now the ruder sort may make ill use of such Expressions and Examples Theoph. And so may a carnal Priest Tit. 1. 15. For unto them that are defiled saith the Apostle nothing is pure but even their mind and conscience is defiled But unto the pure all things are pure And therefore in such cases evil unto him that thinks evil We ought to give unto Spiritual Songs a Spiritual sense and not a sensual Psal 51. Davids Adultery is recorded and his most signal Repentance the Vices of the Patriarchs together with their Virtues to shew they were Men of like Passions with us and subject to Infirmities And the whole design of Scripture tends unto our Sanctification and holiness of Life and therefore one would think may prove a sufficient Antidote against the Infection of such Examples and withal many who never read the Scripture may hear these Stories and not be so well fortified against them Bellarmine I know made himself mirth with a Story related as he saith by a credible Person a Loco cit supra audivi ab homine fide digno c. That a Calvinistical Minister of the Church of England reading the 25 th Chapter of Ecclesiasticus in the vulgar Tongue where much is spoken of the malice and wickedness of a Woman one of his hearers a Woman rose up and said Is this the word of God nay rather of the divel Whereunto I answer That perhaps the poor Wretch before the happy Reformation in England being kept more Romano in great ignorance of the Scriptures thought it strange to hear such passages against her Sex and was promted to Blaspheme whereas had she bin conversant in the Word of God she would have learn'd to Bless and nor Blaspheme to govern her Passion and rule her Tongue and to keep silence at the Church the Apostle not permitting her there to speak c Leo decimus qui dissolute respondit Cardinali Bembo Quantum nobis profuit haec fabula Christi satis est omnibus seculis notum Job Balaeus centuriâ 8 va illustrium scriptorum Britanniae pag 636. And withal the Pope who call'd the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ a Fable was the more notorious Blasphemer As for his taunt of a Calvinistical Minister of the Church of England he knew well that our worthy Reformers chose not Calvin for their Master We are bound to honor him for his great Learning and Labor in the Work of the Lord but not to subscribe in all Points unto his Doctrine or Discipline and yet without doubt John Calvin compar'd with Ignatius Loiola the Father of Bellarmines Order was a Saint Phil. These are Impertinencies to vent your spleen But what say you to Bellarmines next Consideration That if vulgar Translations be permitted they must be changed every Age with the Language of the Country and so there would never be an end of Translating and fit Men to undertake that great Work may probably be wanting Theoph. I say that Bellarmine wanted Modesty and Consideration to assert that which the Experience of all Ages contradicts namely That the vulgar Tongue of every Country changeth for the most part in the compass of an hundred Years whereas his most part must be contracted into some few Words and Phrases every Age refining but not changing or destroying the Language of a People Phil. The last Argument of Bellarmine is this That the Majesty of Divine Service and we may add of the Holy Scripture requires a more grave and venerable Language then is the vulgar And this part of his Argument I have already proposd but that which follows is considerable d Loco citato praesertim cum in Sacris Mysteriis multa sint quae fecreta esse debeant Especially seeing in Holy Mysteries many things there are which should be concel'd from vulgar apprehensions And this Pope Gregory the 7 th urgeth as a reason of his denial unto the request of the Duke of Bohemia that his Subjects might enjoy their public Service b Istudne est verbum Dei imo potius diaboli in the Sclavonian i. e. the vulgar Tongue a Ex hoc nempe saepe volventibus liquet non immerito sacram script omnipotenti Deo placuisse c. Bin. con Tom. 7. part 1. Ep. Greg. l. 7. Epist 11. Vpon due consideration saith he I have observ'd that Almighty God was pleased that the Holy
among the vulgar sort of People in worshipping the Images of our Blessed Savior and the Virgin Mary and the Saints which were erected in their Temples and in the Streets he took a severe course and brake down the Images and commanded all that had such Images and Pictures under great penalties to bring them forth and burn'd them in the Market-place He sent likewise to Gregory the second Pope of Rome to desire his concurrence for a General Council of the Eastern and Western Bishops about this work of Reformation and in a sacred Epistle to the Pope he urg'd Arguments to justifie his course in taking away Images Whereunto the Pope returns an Answer a Bin. Edit Concil Tom. 5. pag. 501. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That whereas he had received frem him many sacred Letters within the first ten years of his Reign full of Piety and Wisdom together with an Orthodox Confession of his Faith denouncing a Curse upon those that should remove the Boundaries of Religion which the Fathers had set and for this cause he tells the Emperor That he had given ample Thanks to God for committing the Empire of the World unto so noble a Prince But now alas from his Epistle and from his practice he sadly perceiv'd how he was taken from the Truth and had given great scandal to the World And so he sets himself to give satisfaction unto some Particulars which the Emperor had mention'd in his Letter telling him before-hand That he would write to him dull and illiterate Things because thou thy self saith he art such And in truth the Pope is as good as his word for his Letter which he writes to the Emperor is blunt and desultory without any reason or consequence or good manners He saith That God did forbid Graven Images such as the Canaanites made and worship'd but he commanded Moses to make two Cherubins a Table and an Ark and these were similitudes made with hands for the glory of God He tells him That Moses prai'd and desired to see an Image of God that he might not err and the Lord answer'd That he could not see his face and live but his back parts he should see but under the Gospel he hath shew'd himself back and face That the Truth is made visible and Christ hath appear'd and dwel'd among us and where the carcass was that is Christ in the Body thither the Eagles came True Believers resorted to him and took his Picture and the Pictures of James the Brother of the Lord and of Stephen the first Martyr and so of all the Martyrs and forsaking the worship of Idols the whole World did worship these Images not with the worship due only to God but relatively a Distinction form'd to puzzle not to inform After this he tells him how our Blessed Savior sent a Copy of his Countenance in a Napkin to the King of Edessa 'T is truth saith he we do not Picture God because we know him not but if we had beheld him as we do his Son we would have made his Picture also and try whether you would call it an Idol The love of Christ knows saith he That when I go into the Temple of Peter the Prince of the Apostles and look upon his Image I am brought to compunction and as Rain out of the Clouds so do my Tears flow down Then he tells the Emperor how Christ restored sight to the blind but you put out the Eies of the People by removing Images You say we worship Stones and Tables not so but our memories must be rubb'd up and our dull and foolish and illiterate mind rais'd When we see the Picture of Christ we say Thou Son of God save us so when we see the Picture of the Holy Mother we say O holy Mother of God Mother of the Lord mediate unto thy Son to save our Souls and so to the other Saints and Martyrs He bids the Emperor go into the Grammar-Schools and tell the Boies I am he a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. b Epist 1. Greg. secund ad Leonem Isaurum Bin. Tom. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. who persecute and pull down Images and see saith he whether they will not hurl their Books at thy head When the Emperor reflected upon that passage of Hezekiah breaking in pieces the Brazen Serpent because the People did burn Incense to it 2 Kings 18. 4. How do you think he answers it Phil. I must confess it was very apposite to his purpose who pleaded the Peoples Superstition in worshipping Images as the cause of his removing them and therefore I desire to hear what satisfaction his Holiness the Pope gave unto that Objection Theoph. He tells the Emperor a Ib. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Verily Ozias was thy Brother of like perswasions as thy self and he plaid the Tyrant among his People as thou dost Where you also observe how the Pope was so ignorant of the Holy Scriptures that he ascribes that memorable passage of breaking the Brazen Serpent to Vzziah and not to Hezekiah the King and in resembling the Emperor to Hezekiah in the fact of breaking Images he by a necessary consequence approves the one as the Holy Ghost in Scripture doth the other for his zeal for Reformation and Gods Honor. Phil. I did not expect such a precipitate Answer to so considerable an Argument Theoph. Give me leave to proceed He tells the Emperor and calls Christ to witness How mightily affected he was with sight of the glorious Images and Historical Pictures of the Holy Scriptures in the Churches and that it had been much better if the Emperor had bin an Heretic denying some fundamental Truth of the Gospel then a Persecuter of Images And gives his Reason Because Heretics err'd through ignorance and about things hard to be understood whereas thou errest in such things as are as clear as the Sun and therefore their Condemnation is not so great as thine It appears in his Sacred Epistle that the Emperor did write to the Pope concerning a General Council to determin the Controversie concerning Images Phil. That was the most likely way to settle the Truth and the minds of Men. Theoph. But the Pope answers No You did write to me for a General Council but it seems to me unprofitable Phil. I pray what reason did he give of his denial Theoph. He tells the Emperor He consults his Honor and that it were better for him not to have his crimepublish'd he was a desircier of Images if he would give over and be quiet the scandal would be taken away and there would be no need of a Council He calls God to witness how he had communicated the Emperors former sacred Epistles to the Princes of the West and had much commended him for his Piety and they all had him in great Honor but as soon as they heard of this Fact of Image-breaking they trampled his Lawrels under foot and invaded some of his
Scriptures should be obscure in some places least that being evident to all Men they should be cheap and contemtible Theoph. This is in truth an occult cause the usual refuge of such as can give no reason I may call this the mystery of your Church if not the mystery of Iniquity That God design'd some things in his Word and in his Service should be concel'd from the vulgar least they should breed contemt I had thought the Word of God the more it was understood and discovered the more veneration it would procure and so all the Mysteries of the Gospel The Jews indeed had their veils and partitions and into the inner Tabernacle only the High Priest did enter once every Year and into the outward Tabernacle the Priests every day and the People stood in the outward Courts The Holy Ghost thus signifying Heb. 9. 8. That the way into the Holiest of all was not yet mado manifest while as the first Tabernacle was yet standing saith the Apostle But then speaking of their condition under the Gospel he adds Heb. 10. 19 20. But we Brethren have boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us When Christ was Crucified the veil of the Temple rent from top to bottom that which was hidden was made manifest Prophesies fulfill'd and Mysteries revel'd The Gospel is the Revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ the great Light of the World whose property is to discover not to concele and least the Majesty of such glorious Truths and Mysteries revel'd should dazle the Eies of our Understanding lo they are clothed in Scripture with humility of speech And S t Augustin b Tom. 2. Epistola 3. ad Volusianum Invital omnes humili sermone quos non solam manifestâ Pascat sed secretâ exerceat veritate tells us The Holy Scriptures invite all to read and understand them by their great condescention to our capacities feeding all not only with manifest Truths but also with hidden verities Let us therefore never speak of design'd concelements in the Gospel of Christ wherein the mystery which hath bin hid from ages and from generations is now made manifest unto the Saints as S t Paul speaks Coloss 1. 26. And the same Apostle expresly tells us 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost In whom the God of this World hath blinded the minds of them which believe not least the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them And now I pray tell me Have you found your Arguments unanswerable never believe the wit of Man can bring Demonstrations against the Truths of God Your great Champion Bellarmine hath not brought a probable Argument against the Peoples reading and hearing the Holy Scripture and Divine Service in the vulgar Tongue which is at present the Controversie between us Phil. If your self be Judge the Question is determined But I have not yet done until I have propos'd two serious Considerations more against publishing the Holy Scriptures in the vulgar Tongue wherewith Peter Sutor a Carthusian hath furnish'd me The first is this a Mulierculae in Lect. Bibl. versantes curam rei domesticae negligent Idiotae huic negotio dediti non curabant c. De tralat Bib. c. 22. p. 96. It will make Laborers Men and Women neglect their business whil'st they spend the time in reading the Scripture which they should imploy about their houshold affairs and necessary occupations Theoph. This is a great Crime tending to the ruine of many Families But alas too general experience proves the contrary that Men and Women are not so easily drawn from the cares and business of the World to mind Heavenly things from idle Communications to the Holy Scriptures You have heard how Chrysostom complains of the contrary That such as had Bibles never look'd into them bound them up in costly Covers and lock'd them up as hidden Treasures and they pretended the Incumbrances of the World for their excuse Our Blessed Savior in the Parable of the Sower sheweth Matth. 13. 22. How the cares of the world like thorns choke the good seed of Gods word And your Monks fear is least reading the Word should hinder the necessary cares and business of Life It seems of late the World is much alter'd for the better that the hearts of Men should be so endear'd unto the Holy Scripture that if they be not with-held from them Men would neglect their Callings But these are fond Imaginations you know the Holy Scriptures strictly enjoin every one to follow his calling 1 Cor. 7. 20. Promise the Blessing of God upon the diligent band Prov. 10. 4. and 12. 24. Command That such as will not labor should not eat 2 Thess 3. 10. And Solomon in the last Chapter of his Proverbs hath set forth a good Housewife so excellently that it is not possible a wise Woman minding that Chapter should neglect her business But what is your Carthusians second Consideration against publishing the Holy Scripture in the vulgar Tongue Phil. It seems you want work and you do so please your self with your conceited Answers that I am unwilling any longer to tickle your humor and to propose any more Objections Theoph. It is high time indeed to draw to a conclusion and therefore I did hasten you to that which you reserv'd and 't is my request it may be your last Proposal Phil. If you will needs hear it it is this If the common People should be permitted constantly to read the Holy Scripture in the vulgar Tongue b Facile plebs nuomuâ—â—bit cum sibi tot onera imponi comperiet praeter Scripturam Pet. Sutor ibâ—â—lem They would murmur against so many Burthens and Impositions of the Church which they find not required in the Book of God and so may become stubborn and disobedient to the commands of the Church Theoph. This hath hit the nail upon the head Never any Man spake more to the purpose in this Point It is a most ingenious confession That if the Scripture were permitted to be read by all sorts farewel to all the intolerable Burthens and superstitious Impositions of Rome As he that doth evil hateth the light so your Church requiring many unwarrantable superstitious things of her Children wisely keeps them from giving heed unto the Word of God which soon would discover her Impostures Phil. I beseech you Theophilus do not end a Controversie with a Quarrel You are my Guest and Friend and after these heats of Disputation it will concern me to divert you with such Civilities and slender Entertainment as the House at present will afford I hope you will resolve to tarry some time with me and give your self and me the opportunity to debate the other Points in difference between us You are as welcome as your Heart can wish A SECOND CONFERENCE CONCERNING The
half Communion IN THE CHURCH of ROME Theoph. SIR I am much obliged to you for your kind and civil Entertainment and much more for that freedom of Discourse which your great Moderation hath allow'd me when somtimes in the defence of Truth and through a flaming Zeal that you should recover it I have neglected the Ceremonies of Friendship to hold the substance I have not sought so much to please as to convince you Phil. Truth is a Jewel which all are concern'd to purchase and hold fast but where this Tresure is to be found is the great Question I have bin diligent in the search and the Providence of God as I believe hath not been wanting in conducting me unto the Catholic Church the great Repository of Divine Truths Theoph. Doubtless the Holy Catholic Church is so the Truth it self hath promis'd to be with her unto the end of the World The Catholic Church will alwaies hold the Catholic Faith and by this Rule we judg particular National Churches to be true Members of the Church Catholic as they hold the Catholic Faith Phil. I mean the Roman Catholic Church whose Faith as Peters cannot fail and which hath alwaies laid a just claim to be the Catholic Church wherein the Truths of God and Eternal Life are conserv'd as her peculiar Tresure and none who do not communicate with her can share in them Theoph. That which you call a just claim will in its due place appear a most intolerable Usurpation and such as make the Catholic Church and the Roman Church to be reciprocal terms of the same amplitude and extent have forfeited their Logic and their Reason together The Church of Rome at best was a part and Member of the Church Catholic and now since thro her manifold Corruptions she hath well-nigh forfeited that Interest lo with an unparallel'd Insolence she flies at all and prescribes to the name of Catholic more solicitously perhaps out of a jealousie the Catholic Church should totally exclude her and out of a consciousness she hath deserv'd it But this digression would usher in a large Controversie besides our present purpose and I design first to insist upon the manifold Errors of your Church one after another as our occasions will permit and then if you please we will dispute the Point Whether the Church of Rome can be the only true Catholic Church which has so many ways departed from the Catholic Doctrine Phil. Your confidence Theophilus is no proof Theoph. I hope it shall appear to you and to the World that my Reasons and my Proofs have made me confident You may remember a second obvious Exception which I propos'd against the practice of the Church of Rome was her half Communion in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Her denying the Cup unto the Laiety If you please we will now take it into Consideration Phil. Most willingly For I find a great noise and clamor is rais'd about it and the Grand Sacrilege of the Church of Rome is proclaim'd out of the Pulpit and the Press and from some appearances of Truth your severe Imputations and Calumnies pass for currant with the undiscerning multitude Theoph. These appearances of Truth as you are pleas'd to call them are no less then Demonstrations carrying so much Light and Evidence in them that even the undiscerning multitude in reading the Holy Scriptures are able at first sight to discover the incongruity of your Practice with the Rule how teaching for Doctrines the commandments of men you evidently transgress the commands of God Phil. This Artifice of yours and Industry to court the People into a prejudice against us is to me a Demonstration that you put no great confidence in the merits of your Cause Do not so peremtorily conclude before you have enter'd upon the Proof Theoph. I will prove your giving the Bread in the Holy Communion and not the Cup unto the People to be against the Institution of Christ the end of the Sacrament the practice of the Apostles and of the Church Catholic for twelve-hundred Years Phil. You have propos'd a good Method of Discourse and I desire you would follow it Theoph. First our Blessed Savior immediatly before his Passion instituted the Sacrament and gave it to the Disciples present in both kinds as three Evangelists record Matth. 26. 26. As they were eating Jesus took Bread and blessed it and brake it and gave it to the Disciples and said Take eat this is my Body ver 27. He took the Cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying Drink ye all of it for this is my Blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for remission of sins So we read in Mark 14. 22 23. and he expresly testifieth of the Cup That he gave it to them and they all drank of it Saint Luke after the same manner And adds moreover the command of Christ This do in remembrance of me Luke 22. 19. Phil. I pray observe how that command is given only when the Disciples receiv'd the Bread and not when they took the Cup. The Words are these He took Bread and gave thanks and brake it and gave unto them saying This is my Body which is given for you this do in remembrance of me Likewise also the Cup after Supper saying This Cup is the New Test ament in my Blood which is shed for you ver 20. And a Tom. 3. Lib. 4. cap. 25. de Sacramento Eucharistâ— ut intelligeremus c. Bellarmin observes it as an instance of Gods wonderful Providence to make Heretics unexcusable And that we may understand it was the command of Christ that the Sacrament should be distributed to all under the species of Bread but not so under the species of Wine Theoph. S t Luke saith Likewise also the Cup Intimating the same Institution for one and for the other Phil. We are not much concern'd in your gloss upon the Text. Theoph. But you are in S t Pauls who declares That after the same manner he took the Cup when he had supped saying This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood 1 Cor. 11. 25. the very Words of S t Luke And then expresly adds the words of command of our Lord Christ This do as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me Now what say you to the word of command given by Christ to do this in remembrance of him as well when he gave the Cup as when he distributed the Bread unto the Disciplos Phil. Bellarmin observes a difference b Ibid. Post panis consecrationem absolute penitur post calicem cum conditione This do in remembrance of me is put absolutely even in S t Pauls relation after the Consecration of the Bread but after the Cup it is repeated with a Condition â—his do as often as you drink it in remembrance of one not intimating that the Cup must of necessity be given or taken but if it be given or receiv'd it should be done in
Distinctions not intelligible to the Hearer or Reader Phil. You will find the same Tertullian shews a Lib. 2. Contra Marcionem c. 22. Tanquam simplex ornamentum c. The end of the second Commandment was to prevent Idolatrous Worship of Images as it follows in the Commandment Thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them And that God commanding the Cherubins to be made for Ornament and Furniture of the Tabernacle it was no contradiction to his Law having not in them the causes of Idolatry for which the making of Images were prohibited Such an answer he likewise gives for the brazen Serpent It was made for cure to heal the People who were stung with Fiery Serpents in the Wilderness and for a Type of Christ healing the Nations as our Savior himself hath applied it and a Type likewise of the Old Serpent the Devil hang'd and crucified upon Christs Cross These things therefore were not against the Commandment because they were not made to be ador'd and worshipp'd Theoph. You have led me whether I desir'd We do not conceive all Images or the making of them to be forbidden by the second Comment but only such as are made for Religious Worship b Non sit nobis religio humanorum operum cultus Let not the worship of things made with hands become any part of our Religion And again saith St. Augustin c Aug De vera Rel c. 5◠Tom. 〈◊〉 non sit nobis Rel. cultus hominum mortuorum Let it be no part of our Religion to worship Men that are dead for if they liv'd godly saith he they will never desire or seek after such honors d Honorandi sont propter Imitationem non Adorandi propter Religionem They are to be honor'd for our imitation not adored as to Religion But alas your Doctors have left the old innocent Plea for Images whether in Churches or other places That they may be useful for Ornament for Instruction for an honorable Commemoration of holy Persons and for Imitation All this will not suffice but you will have Veneration and Adoration and what not be given unto them and so you have given occasion of Scandal to the Godly and of great Superstition and Idolatry to the more ignorant sort among your selves who cannot perplex themselves with such nice Distinctions wherewith your Leaders think to fence themselves against the charge of Idolatry But we shall proceed to shew this by degrees Mean while least you should make too much use of my Concession concerning Images made for such innocent uses as have been mention'd That they are not against the second Commandment I must here put in a solemn caveat against your Images of God which against all Reason and Religion you make and adore Phil. a Bell. Tom. 2. l. 2. de Ecclesiâ triumph c. 8. Non esse tam cereum in Ecclesiâ an sunt fuciendae Imag. Dei c. Bellarmin doth acknowledge That it is not so certain in the Church whether the Image of God and of the Trinity should be made as whether the Image of Christ and of the Saints Theoph. And yet in the same Paragraph he asserts positively b Licere pi 〈…〉 ere etiam Imag Dei Fatris in ferm 〈…〉 is senis Spiritum Sanctum inf columbae That it is lawful to picture God the Father in the shape of an old Man and God the Holy Ghost in the shape of a Dove and cites many of your Doctors to confirm his Opinion and so your general practice doth maintain it Now I will first urge the Holy Scripture against this Doctrine and Practice of your Church and then leave you to defend it Moses gives a great charge unto the People of Israel Deut. 4 15 16 c. Take good heed unto your selves least ye corrupt and make you a graven Image the similitude of any figure the likeness of male or female the likeness of any beast or winged soul the likeness of any creeping thing upon the ground or of any fish in the waters and least thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven and when thou 〈◊〉 the host of heaven shouldst be driven to worship them and serve them Phil. This charge is level'd against the Idolatry of the Gentiles and those Nations whom God cast out of Canaan who did worship graven Images of Men and Women and Beasts and creeping things for Gods Theoph. The Clause and Parenthesis in the first Verse of this charge For ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb I say this Clause manifests That God gave the charge lest by any thing after mention'd they should attemt to represent him It is truth that the Heathen did represent their false Gods in and by such Shapes and Images and did worship them And the Almighty God by a full enumeration of Creatures forbids any similitude to be made to represent and to worship him under it And to this effect the Propher Isaiah expostulates with an Idolatrous People To whom will ye liken Gods or what likeness will ye compare unto him Isa 40. 18. The best Image of God is Man an Image of the Lords own making that this likeness and similitude of God consists in the Soul of Man with her noble Faculties of Free-will and Understanding and dominion over the Creatures in that original rectitude and holiness where with he was created but these things cannot be represented by the linea 〈…〉 of a P 〈…〉 or an Image which only represent the dimensions and features of a Body and therefore by the Image of a Man God cannot be represented and much less by any inferior Creature God is Infinite and Invisible and Spiritual and all Images are finite and material and terminated by visible dimensions and therefore one cannot resemble another Phil. To this Bellarmin answers a Vbi supra Tribus modis potest aliquid pingi c. That God cannot be represented essentially by an Image but Historically and Analogically he may Theoph. Your Doctors have vented new and dangerous Doctrines and you may observe what a fine Web they spin of nice and subtle Distinctions to catch the unwary People in the Snare What a rumbling noise this makes in a Country-mans ear enough to put him in a Sound God cannot be represented by an Image Essentially yet Historically and Analogically he may Phil. Our Church takes care that the Priests should instruct the ignorant People and explain these and the like distinctions to them and so doth Bellarmin explain himself in this Chapter Theoph. It were the nearer and far easier way of Instruction to leave the People to keep the Commandment without any worship of Images and without the labyrinth of your perplex'd Distinctions But I pray shew what Bellarmin means by the Historical and Analogical Pictures of God Phil. You know Gregory the Great call'd Pictures The Books of Lay-men Such as could not read or study the
hath troubled all your Doctors and they mightily labor to undermine the Testimony but if you have any thing considerable to say let us hear it Phil. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Damascen answers thus That which is rare and single gives no Law to the Church and one Swallow makes no Summer nor is one Mans judgment able to overthrow the Tradition of the Catholic Church thro-out the World Where you may take notice how he declares the Tradition of the Church thro-out the World for Images Theoph. Damascen was a great Proctor for Image worship for which Zeal Leo Isaurus put out his Eyes and we shall hereafter try how his Catholic Tradition can be made good However you find he acknowledgeth the Fact of Epiphanius who was a Learned Orthodox Bishop of the Primitive Church and his Zeal was so great against Pictures in Churches That in anothers Diocess he took upon him to reform Phil. Some conceive it was no Picture of Christ or any Saint but of an Heathen for Epiphanius speaks doubtfully a Picture * Quasi Christi aut Sancti cujusdam as suppose of Christ or some Saint Theoph. You catch at every Reed in a sinking cause Epiphanius in his Letter to the Bishop of Jerusalem saith Hee had forgot whose Picture it was but it may be of Christ or some other Saint which he could not say had it bin the Image of some prophane Person and that had bin the reason of his zeal and indignation against the Picture Phil. Many others with Bellarmin suspect this relation to be added to Epiphanius his Epistle in the close for there it is a Postscript by some ill affected to Images and urge Reasons first out of the second Council of Nice the sixth Session where Epiphanius a Deacon and Representative or Vicar of the Arch-Bishop of Sardinia in that Council undertakes to answer and confute the Definition of the Council of Constantinople against Images and shews that other Passages were falsly intitled to Epiphanius even an whole Book against Images That Epiphanius in his 80 Heresies which he publish'd includes not the Heresie of making and worshipping Images which doubtless he would have done a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. if he had thought it contrary to the rule of Christ That Epiphanius his Disciples after his decease erected a Temple in honor to him and set up his Image therein which they would not have done had they known his judgment to be against Images Theoph. This is the usual knack to suspect what doth not please but most of your Doctors acknowledg the Fact as you have heard of Damascen and Alphonsus de Castro reckons Epiphanius among the Image-breakers As for the Deacons asserting many passages of Epiphanius to be suppositious we have no reason to take his word unless his Reasons carry it and they are too weak to bear the burthen of his charge for Epiphanius in 79 th Heresie doth expresly speak against the Image of the Virgin Mary as against her worship And in truth he speaks against Images in general b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c The Divel creeping into the minds of Men under a righteous pretence sets before their eyes the Image of Men whom being dead they worship and their Images had never life and yet are worship'd likewise by adulterate minds withdrawn from the one-only true God If the Story be true that Epiphanius his Disciples did set up his Image in a Temple which they built and dedicated to his honor we answer It is no new thing for Disciples to swerve from their Masters Principles and Practice The Deacons Arguments therefore do not prove this and the other passages of Epiphanius against Images to be forg'd Phil. Bellarmin hath one or two Observations more to make this passage of Epiphanius suspected of cutting the Picture Because saith he the Adversaries of Images do not mention it Theoph. I suppose he means the Bishops in the Constantinople Council against Images Now they having cited other passages against Images out of Epipharius a Con◠Nic. 2. Act. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. declare expresly That they had not brought all his Testimonies but left them to the diligent inquiry of the Learned Phil. Bellarmin cites b Epistolarum l. 9. Epistola nona Nullum Episcoporumante Serenum fregisse Imag Christi aut Sanctorum Gregory the Great asserting That Serenus was the first Bishop who brake the Images of Christ and the Saints and therefore Epiphanius did not so before him Theoph. The Pope was not Infallible and perhaps might not read this passage of Epiphanius As this Orthodox Bishop shewed his zeal against Pictures so about the same time a pious Emperor Theodosius by an Edict did forbid even the Image of Christ c Petrus Crinitus de honestâ disciplinâ lib. 9. cap. 9. Cum sit nobis cura dillgens in rebus omnibus supremi numinis religionem tueri signum salvatoris nostri Christi nemini concedimus pingere sed quodcunque reperitur tolli jubemus Having a studious care in all things to desend the Religion of the most high God we permit none to carve or paint any Image of our Savior Christ in colours stone or any other matter and command such Pictures to be taken away wheresoever they are found resolving severely to punish all such as do contrary to our command And so we are led unto another Instance of Serenus Bishop of Marseils who brake down all the Images and Pictures in Churches thro-out his Diocess about the year 600. when Gregory the Great was Pope who writes an Epistle to Serenus reprehending the Fact as proceeding from inconsiderat zeal d Epistolarum l. 9. Epist nona Quid inconsiderato zelo succensus Sanctorum Imagines confregeris And whereas the Bishop made his Plea That he remov'd them out of Churches and brake the Images because the People were prone to worship them That he forbid the worship of them the Pope approves for it is written saith he Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve And at length he gives this advice e Si quis Imag. facere voluerit minime probibe c. If any destres to make or to have an Image forbid him not But by all means take care that no man worship them Phil. This Testimony of Gregory approves the Images of the Saints for History and Ornament altho he forbids the worship of them and we are not yet come to that point Your Instances from the Eliberitan Canon from Epiphanius and Serenus are against the Images themselves not their worship Theoph. Those Holy Bishops were offended with Pictures in Churches because they might be occasion of Idolatry the People inclining to give Religious worship to them as Serenus made his Plea Phil. Notwithstanding such panic fears you know as Bellarmin shews God placed the Cherubins in the Ark. Theoph. In the inward Tabernacle over the Mercy-seat where
Gods Word But leaving the Cardinals Excuses and Guesses to himself Aquinas and the rest give their own Reasons for their Opinions the Church hath taught us to put our hope in the Cross and therefore we worship it with Divine Worship the honor of his Image tends to Christ The thing represented is in the Image as in a Looking-glass and therefore we adore it Nay Azorius takes notice of the Nicene determination and shews how in one sense it is true in another not take the Image of Christ materially as a Consecrated thing so it is not worship'd with Divine Worship but formally as an Image representing Christ so Divine Worship is given to it Now such allowed Distinctions as these and Doctrines have prevail'd upon the unwary People to give the same worship to the Image and the Exemplar nay to give Religious Worship to all Images In the Schools they tell us of divers kinds of Worship whereas in their Churches there is no sensible difference what Worship the People give to God the same they give to the Saints they Pray they fall down and Worship And to our purpose a In Psalm 113. Quis adorat vel orat intuens simulachrum qui non sic afficitur ut ab eo se exaudiri putet ab eo sibi praestari quod desiderat speret Augustin proposeth a serious Question Who Praies or Adores beholding an Image and is not so affected that he believes the Image bears him and hopes to receive from it that which he desires and praies for Phil. S t Augustin speaks of the Heathen and their Idols Theoph. And it is very applicable unto your deluded People and their Images for let us no longer hover in the Clouds and in the general Notion of a Divine Worship call'd Latria due only to God and of an inferior Worship call'd Dulia given unto the Saints in Heaven and to their Images You know the saying Dolus in universalibus Much deceit usually lurks in general terms We will descend therefore to some particulars what are precisely the Acts of Divine Worship a Azorius tells us To put our trust and confidence in him is one special act of Latria the peculiar Worship due to God And yet Aquinas hath shew'd how your Church teacheth us to put our only hope in the Cross Ave Crux spes Vnica Phil. This we must conceive to be a Prosopopoea or Speech made to Christ upon the Cross in the day of his Passion Theoph. The common People doubtless understands your Figure of Prosopopoea singularly well And why doth your Church choose to speak to the Cross after that manner and not rather to Christ upon the Cross And how comes it to pass that Aquinas understood not this Figure but supposeth it to be spoken to the Cross directly and so frames his proof of Divine Worship due to the Cross because we put our trust in it Again for Churches and Temples built and dedicated to the Saints b Tom. 6. lib. 10. contra Maximinum Nonne si templum alicui Sancto Angelo excellentiss de ligno lapide faceremus Anathematizeremur à veritate Ecclesia Dei quonium Creat exhiberemus eam servitutem quae soli Deo debetur Augustin saith expresly If we should make a Temple to any Holy and most excellent Angel either of Wood or Stone Should we not be separated and accursed from the Truth and from the Church of God because we exhibit to a Creature that service which is due only to God c Hoc nunc fit quibuslibet Divis. And Erasmus his Marginal Note upon this Passage of Augustin is This now is every where done unto the Saints d Lib. 1. De vera Rel. c. 55. Honoramus cos charitate non servitute nec iis templa construimus Again Augustin in another place speaking of the Saints saith We honor them with love not with service neither do we build Temples to them e Horae Virg. Mariae secundum usum sacrum Sancti Dei in quorum honore commemoratione haec Sancta est dedicata Ecclesia haec altaria consecrata c. So at the entrance into the Church Men are taught to direct their Praiers unto the Saints to whom the Churches are dedicated saying O ye Saints of God in the honor and remembrance of whom this Church is dedicated and this Altar consecrated c. Now the Temple is call'd The House of Prayer and the House of God because to him only who heareth Praier we sheuld send up our Supplications Again Altars as well as Images are frequently erected unto Saints and yet Saint Augustin saith An Altar implies a Deity the Altar shews they take the Statue for a God and the Altars of the Blessed Virgin and of the Saints are common upon which their Votaries offer Gold and Jewels and Pearl and embroidered Garments c. Phil. Bellarmin shews how the Altars are erected and Churches f Sermone 6. de Verb. Domini secundum Matth. Quod pro Numine accip illam siatuam Altare testatur dedicated to God and so the Sacrifice of the Eucharist and of Praier and Praises are offer'd up to God in honor to the Saints and they are call'd upon in the public Prayers of the Church c. Theoph. a Bell. Tom. 2. lib. de Beat. Sanctorum c. 7. Invocantur Sancti in publicis Ecclesiae precibus c. Bellarmin acknowledgeth enough to condemn the practice of your Church in ascribing more honor to the Saints then the Holy Scriptures allow them Christ saith Do this in remembrance of me And Bellarmin saith The Sacrifice of the Eucharist is offered to God in remembrance and honor of the Saints And withal you should do well to consider That if these Religious Acts are perform'd to God in honor of the Saints they are terminated in them as the finis ultimus the chief end As when you say The honor and worship of the Image redounds to the honor of him whom it represents and the honor done to the Servant redounds unto the Master so the several acts of worship perform'd to God in honor of the Saints redound more to their glory then to the glory of God they are the chief end and his service but subordinate unto their honor And so you run in a Circle and intangle your selves in a Labyrinth to maintain a gross and palpable Error of giving a Religious Worship to the Saints and to their Images calling the Cross Our only hope the Images of the Saints Pledges of our Salvation lighting Tapers and burning Incense to them and such like and after all you wash your hands of Idolatry and tell the World That ye give inferior petty honor to the Saints and their Images and to the Cross even such as to sacred Utensils of the Church or to the Holy Book of Scriptures or to the Chair of State in the Kings Palace or to the Kings Image or to the name of Jesus or to
the Communion Table Now if all that I have said implies no more I yield the Cause Phil. b Lib. 2. de Idol c. 1. Idololatriae genuina Ratio est Creaturae c. Gregory de Valentia seems to reconcile all the difference with this Distinction Formal Idolatry is to give Divine Honor to a Creature as to God If therefore I give Divine Honor to the Saints or their Images as Creatures not as God I am not guilty of Idolatry Theoph. He was driven to this shift to justifie the practice of your Church and free it from Idolatry but it will not serve for Divine Worship is due only to God and therefore should not be communicated to a Creature upon any account Phil. You will have the last word and I yield to you because the Night comes on and I suppose both of us are sufficiently tired with the length of this Controversie and you are almost fallen upon another Controversie of the Honor and Adoration of Saints which will require another season to determin it Theoph. The honor of Saints and of their Images having near affinity have bin some time taken into consideration together but my chief design was against Image worship as giving great occasion of Idolatry and Scandal in the Church And what I have said I leave to your serious consideration giving you many thanks for this opportunity and freedom of Discourse and for my noble Entertainmentall this time I have been your studious Opponent There are many differences between our Church and yours remaining whereupon when our occasions shall allow us other Meetings if you are willing we will treat with Gods Blessing in Charity and Love THE FOURTH CONFERENCE OF THE Invocation of SAINTS Phil. DEar Sir Since our last Meeting I have been tumultuous in my thoughts and dis-satisfied with my self That I could not give such full satisfaction to your Arguments as I at first suppos'd However I have learn'd of the Apostle Tit. 1. 9. To hold fast the faithful word as I have been taught and not permit the Truth to be wrested from me by subtle and perhaps sophistical Objections I may go to Heaven in the plain way wherein Christ and his Holy Church doth lead me without perplexing my self with emergent Difficulties and Controversies reserving them to be resolv'd until Elias as the Jews speak or rather until our Blessed Savior shall come again Theoph. It seems you are resolv'd to hold to the Conclusion strongly be the Premises never so infirm and hereunto no doubt your Doctors and your Priests advise you To yield an Implicit Faith to the Decrees of your Church and not dispute them But upon the same Motive you should always have subscrib'd and kept stedfast unto the Articles of our Church which was likewise yours and not have forsaken her Communion for Scruples and Imaginations of your own and false Suggestions of others I mean Those creeping Emissaries of Rome who swarm among us and buz into Mens Ears uncertain sounds to unsettle their minds and take them off from sound Principles and then infuse their bewitching Sorceries and Delusions making them drunk with the Cup of Fornications and then forsooth their besotted Reason must be charm'd against all attemts to awaken and to recover them If Reason and Argumentation could induce you to leave our Church whilist you gave an easie belief unto our Adversaries give us leave by the same method to undeceive and to reduce you and do not brutishly resolve to hold fast those pretended Truths which you cannot defend against our Oppositions Phil. Your Church allowing her Disciples a liberty of judging I suitably made use of her Indulgence but being now converted to the Church of Rome I am taught the obedience of an Implicit Faith and not encourag'd to dispute her Articles Theoph. A rare Artifice and Policy to keep Men hood-wink'd and in Error by forbidding them to open their Eies and make use of their Reason and Judgment to discover the Truth Our Church may easily impose the like Credulity upon her Children but she dares not use Stratagems against the Truths of God to do evil upon pretensions of good to keep her Sons and Daughters in ignorance that they may be obedient The Holy Scriptures enjoin a search and examination and trial Prove all things saith St. Paul and hold fast that which is good 1 Thess 5. 21. But you would have Men tenacious of their Opinions without Judgment hold to the Point without the proof S t Peter exhorts the Saints 1 Pet. 3. 15. alwaies to be ready to give an answer unto every one that asketh them a reason of the hope that is in them but you are against this rendring of Reasons the Autority of your Church must suffice Phil Not so neither The Church commands and gives sufficient proof for her prescriptions and we submit to her account Theoph. Do you take the liberty for your own satisfaction to examine and judge of the account Phil. Yes doubtless the more to convince and settle us upon that good foundation Theoph. But suppose upon the search and enquiry you do not find satisfaction to your reason Suppose your Heart and Conscience may suggest Exceptions against the Doctrine and the practice of your Church what then Phil. We may have recourse unto our Priests and Doctors for solution of doubts Theoph. Taking the Holy Oracles of Scripture along with you that is not amiss but withal you should do well to consider That they will surely resolve the Question on their own side and your Church gives no liberty to hear the adverse Party and so Truths are not weigh'd in an equal ballance and differences are determin'd only one side being heard Phil. Good Theophilus trouble not your self with the non-permissions of our Church it will appear at present you have no cause to complain for I am purposely come to requite your former visit and to continue the debate in a Friendly manner concerning some other Points wherein we differ and whereas the last time you made choice of such Particulars to insist on which you thought most liable unto popular Exception you shall give me leave now to propose the subject of our Discourse Theoph. Sir besides the equity of your Demand the rule of Hospitality requires That in my own House I should design to observe you and therefore be pleas'd to make your Friendly Challenge and appoint the Field and Weapons and I will answer you Phil. Upon this fair Concession I will try your skill in one great Point concerning the Invocation of Saints and because you shall not complain of a surprizal I will principally urge Eellarmins proofs in whose Works you appear'd the last time to be so conversant Theoph. Our Church piously with-holding none of our Adversaries Writings from us that upon due Examination we may judg of Truth I have I must confess propos'd chiefly to my self the perusal of that great Cardinals Defence because I was assur'd of his great Abilities and of