a gift given by God the Father unto his Son Iesus that all his creatures which have understanding shall do honor and worship to the name of Jesus as it hath relation unto his Son he must be in the nature of an Infidell or beast who will not put off his hat or incline his head or bend his knee at it whether it be written ingraven or spoken S. Chrysostome in his Sermon of the praises of God set down in his fifth Tome so highly esteemed and reverenced this name of Iesus as it hath reference to Christ our Lord that he saith This name Jesus is a terror not only to those in hell but also to diseases and vices therefore lâ—t us challenge to our selves from it ornament and forces Thus S. Chrysostom whereupon Theophilact upon these words of S. Paul Whatsoever you do in word or in work all thingâ— in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ saith for the name of God driveth away divells and doth make all things easie unto thee and to succeed well which being so he is worthy to perish who will not beare a relative religious respect and honor unto this sacred name of Iesus From hence it is that Abulensis upon the twentieth chapter of Exodus saith That it is a greater-sin to take the name of Jesus in vain then that of God And giving a reason addeth The common and laudable custome of the Church doth more honor that name of Jesus then this of God From whence it is that the devout faithfull people as soon as they hear the name of Jesus either bow down their heads or bend their knees which they do not when they hear the name of God he therefore who doth offend against this custome dishonoring the name of Jesus doth commit a greater sin then he who dishonoreth the name of God Thus Abulensis of the outward and inward relative religious honor and worship which the Church of God hath alwayes given unto the name of Iesus because it is the proper name of the Word Incarnate and of God as he is our Redeemer a name so much honored by S. Paul as that he not only hath it 219. times in his Epistles but also the faithfull perswading him with many tears that he would not go to Hierusalem because as the Prophet Agabus had foretold there he was to be taken prisoner and to be cast into bands by the Jewes he answered I am ready not only to be bound but to die also in Hierusalem for the name of our Lord Jesus Acts 21.13 After the people of Israel were conducted by God through the red Sea and delivered out of the hands of Pharoah and the Egyptians Wisdome saith that they sung thy O Lord Wisdome 10.20 If this the faithfull in the Old Law did because they were preserved out of the hands of their temporall enemies by the passage through the red Sea how much more ought Christians to sing and extoll the name of Iesus who by the red Sea of his bloud hath redeemed us from our infernall enemies and say with the Prophet All Nations shall glorifie thy name because thou art great and doing marvellous things thou only art God conduct me O Lord in thy way and I will walk in thy truth let my heart rejoyce that I may fear thy name I will confesse to thee O Lord my God with all my heart and I will glorifie thy name for ever because thy mercy is great upon me and thou hast delivered my soul from the lower hell Psal 85.9 O Lord our Lord how marvellous is thy name in the whole earth Psal 8.10 because thou hast magnified above every thing thy holy name Psal 137.2 the name of Jesus which is magnified above all names or temporall things whereupon S. Hilarius upon this Psalme saith J have manifested thy name to men and what name this was he shewed before saying Father the hour cometh cause thy son to be honored therefore he adoreth this name Now if the Prophet did adore the name of God not for the materiall letters or characters but for that it represented unto him an infinite goodnesse and greatnesse why should we now doubt whether we ought to adore and worship holy names pictures and signes which conduct us unto the same God with a relative religious worship seeing that it doth fill our souls with pious thoughts Again the same Saint saith upon the same Psalm He confesseth the Word made flesh in truth and the cause of his confession is taken from this because thou hast magnified above every thing thy name the name of God is not known to one Nation only but it is magnified above all things and the greatnesse of his sanctity is extended to all not a barbarous nor Soyth nor servant nor freeman neither woman nor man nor any age is exeluded from it for the name of God is magnified above all Temples fall downe Idols grow mute Oracles at the coming of the Saints are silent the credit of Augures is lost the only name of God is holy amongst all Nations Thus S. Hilary Arnobius also expounding this Psalm saith The Prophet doth confess unto his name because in the name of Jesus every knee shall bow of the things in heaven of the things upon earth and of these things under the earth and what doth he confesse unto his holy name he saith thy mercy and thy truth A soul doth confesse nothing else to God in the sight of the Angels but the mercy wherewith he is redeemed and the truth which he is taught what truth without all doubt this wherein his holy name is magnified above all things for this is a name which is above all names Thus these Fathers of the relative religious honor respect reverence which the faithful in their times bare unto this sacred name of Jesus as it representeth Christ our Lord and all his mercies and putteth into their minds pious thoughts And to conclude the relative religious respect which the Primitive Christians bare unto this sacred name of Jesus was such that Procopius an antient Father who lived above eleven hundred years past in his Commentaries upon the forty fourth of Esay affirmeth they caused it to be imprinted with an hot iron upon their bodies and now the world is ascended to that height of pride that there are found men who will not call themselvs Christians and yet not vouchsafe either to uncover their heads or bend their knees or incline their stiffe necks at this sacred name to verifie upon them the prophecy of S. Paul saying In the last times men shall be haughty proud stubborn puffed up and lovers of voluptuousnesse more then of God 2 Tim. 3. If at the reading or publishing of a Proclamation all who are well-affected toward the King or State put off their hats or bow or bend their heads at the name of the King or State politique how much more ought all Christians to do it at the holy name of Jesus which is a name
after in the middest of his Army was slain from heaven as affirmeth S. Gregory Nazianzen in his second Oration against him and Z zâ—menus in the 2. chapter of his 6. book of histories After Iulian the Apostata followed Xenaia a servant by condition and an Eutichian Heretike by profession a man who w s never baptized yet feigned himself a Christian Clergy-man and by the Eutychian Heretikes was made also a Bishop this man saith Nicephorus in in the 27. chapter of his 16. book of Histories was the f rst who in these times belched out this opinion that the images of Christ and of those who pleased h m were not to be worshipped and so to the Eutychian heresie added the contempt of sacred Images and died excommunicated by the Councell of Calcedon After him followed the Mahometans and Turks who do so abhor the Crosse as with the Sectaries of this age they call the Christians Idolaters for adoring it as witnesseth Cedrenus upon Heraclius neither do they permit unto those of their Sect the use of Images as appeareth by the 15. and 16. chapters of their Alcoran which Turks being enemies of Christ and Christian Religion are without all hope of salvation And this is sufficient to shew unto thee deare Reader the antient enemies of the Crosse and sacred images and the miseries they fell into In thee it lieth to be a follower of the Catholike Roman Church and to honor reverence and respect sacred images with a relation unto the things they represent thereby to nourish in thee good thoughts or with the Devill Jewes Turks Infidells and Heretikes to condemne them and fill thy heart and mind with filthy shapes vicious thoughts and ugly representations As for the more modern haters of the Crosse and sacred images and their evill ends or miseries which befell them If out of curiosity thou desire to see them I refer thee to the 12. chapter of Bellarmines book of the images of Saints and to the 9. Article of the 2. book of Coccius and to the 10. Article of his 5. book in his first Tome where they are set down at large CHAP. XXVII The visible and invisible relative religious worship which the faithfull in the Primitive Church used towards the sacred pictures signes and images of the written Word of God and thereby learned the true sense and indued their soules with wholesome meditations and pious thoughts IF thou wouldest dear Reader examine the cause from whence it proceedeth that divers in this age do so much apply their minds to the reading of the Bible that they have it almost continually in their hands or lying by them and are so earnest upon it as that many of them think they must have a text out of the Scriptures for whatsoever they doe or els they sin as witnesseth Mr. Sanderson a Protestant Minister in the sixth and eighth § of his second Sermon preached at Grantham in the year 1634. and yet for the most part reap no other benefit out of it but errors heresies and blasphemies against God thou shalt find the originall cause thereof to be First a pride of mind and a contempt or scorn to bestow any relative worship respect or honor upon the materiall character or books or letters sent from God himselfe unto his faithfull followers or chridren penned by the Holy Ghost as S. Peter affirmeth 2 Pet. 1.21 but handle look upon them and use them after the same manner and with the same respect they do the books or letters of sensuall carnall men and sometimes also to shew their contempt or little esteeme change the materiall word of God as though that should be the sacred word what they would and not what God had ordained And secondly a want of an invisible relative religious worshâ—p respect and honor unto the divine and supernaturall sense which God hath given unto his sacred word whereupon they also easily change the sense into their own or other prophane whereby they turn faith into infidelity truth into error and the things revealed by God himself into blasphemy and please themselves in it Whereas holy and sacred things are not to be handlâ—d or treated upon but holily with a relative religious worship respect and esteem for the sacred things which they do represent and as they do represent them the text of the Scriptures is not only called the holy or sacred Scriptures Rom. 1.2.2 Tim. 3.15 but also our faith is called our most holy faith Jude ver 20. those must needs fall into great errors heresies and blasphemies who read speak of or handle them without a relative religious honor and respect unto them for God disperseth the proud in the conceit of their hearts Luk. 1.51 Again To whom shall I have respect saith God but to him that trembleth at my words Isa 66.2 as at the words of his Creator S. Paul calleth the Gospell of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ The Gospell of the glory of the blessed God 1 Tim. 1.11 wherefore those who give no more religious worship and honor unto it then they give unto other books but rudely read interpret and handle them as they do prophane Authors must of necessity abound with errors heresies and blasphemies according to the words of our Lord saying Whosoever shall glorifie me I will glorifie him and they that contemn me shall be base 1 Kings or Samuel 2.29 as of no Religion established by the Son of God or Scriptures seeing that Religion even by the consent of our adversaries is described to be a due worship of God and holy things and fall into the error of those wicked Priests of whom God complained saying Between a holy thing and a prophane they have put no difference Ezek. 22.26 Whereupon the faithfull servants of God to profess a Religion and to nourish in their hearts and soules the pious thoughts and piety comprehended in the Bible alwayes honored and respected the sacred text or Bible with relative religious worship both for his sake that writ it and for the divine things it represented unto their memories in such sort as in the Old Law the faithfull Jewes kept it in the Tabernacle and adored it with the Tabernacle never touched it without first washing their hands kissed it as often as they either opened or shut it would not sit upon that seat upon which it lay and if by accident it fell to the earth they fasted for their negligence one whole day as affirmeth Cornâ—lius à Lapide in his preface to the phrases of the holy Scriptures The reason why they did so was for that wisdome will not enter into a malitious soule nor dwell in a body subject to sin Wisd 1.4 whereupon the Prophet prayeth saying establish thy word in thy servant in thy fear Psal 118.38 Again blessed is the man whose will is in the way of our Lord in his law he will meditate day and night Psal 1.1 where the Prophet affirmeth that those who walk in the way of
part forcibly perswade us to think good or evill as it representeth If thou wilt Christian Reader have pious thoughts thou must alwayes or for the most part have before thine eyes and senses pious objects such as are the presence of God under some borrowed forme the passion of our Lord things of heaven and the mysteries of our holy faith which because they are all either invisible or absent or both it is requisite as long as thou art in this vale of tears whereas the Apostle saith we see by a glasse in a dark sort to have of the aforesaid things sacred artificiall pictures signes and images or borrowed formes which may represent unto thy senses these holy things as a Nurse to feed thy soul with pious thoughts Neither is it sufficient to the maintenance of pious thoughts only to have sacred artificiall pictures signes and images before you to behold but also it is necessary that you beare a relative religious honor and respect towards them for this doth not only prepare and open wide your heart to receive the said Species into your understanding and to love and understand the sacred things which they do represent but also doth imprint a perseverance of pious thoughts in your heart for every one easily imbraceth and entertaineth that which he honoreth and esteemeth as we see by daily experience for if a thing be never so good yet if you doe not esteem it to you it is not good but hurtfull who contemne a sacred thing For this cause S. John Baptist honored and worshipped the latchet of our Saviours shoes with a relative religious worship which ended in our Saviour saying whose latchet of his shoe I am not worthy to unloose John 1.1.2.7 And he who so much honored the latchet of his shoe as that he thought himself not worthy to touch it in respect of the supereminent honor which belonged to our Saviour imagine if you can the innumerable pious thoughts of God and of the mysteries of our faith which were in his soul seeing that God exalteth the humble whereupon S. Augustine upon this text saith He humbled himself very much in that he thought himself not worthy to do this certainly saith S. Augustine he was full of the Holy Ghost what a consequence is this S. John said I am not worthy to unloose the latchet of his shoe and thereupon S. Augustine inferreth that he was full of the Holy Ghost because that relative religious honor which he gave unto the latchet of our Lords shoe for our Saviours sake opened wide his lâ—â— art to receive into it all kind of pious thoughts or any impression of our Saviour or of the Holy Ghost who dwelleth with a contrite and humble spirit Isay 57.15 From hence also it is that the faithfull in the Primitive Church so much honored with a relative religious honor the shadow of S. Peter and the handkerchiefs of S. Paul as that they did bring forth the sick into the streets and laid them in beds and couches that when Peter came his shadow at the least might overshadow them Act. 5.15 and brought from S. Pauls body napkins or handkerchiefs unto the sick Act. 19.11 that by any thing which had relation unto these holy servants of God they might at least beget in the sick pious thoughts and sometimes also health of body or cure of their diseases From hence also it is that the faithfull at all times have not onely had respect and reverence to the memory of the Martyrs the locall places of Churches Chappell 's and Altars and to the holy name of God and Iesus Christ our Lord but also unto the sacred text of the Scriptures pious books and service of the Church which are but holy signes notes pictures similitudes and objects to our senses which may Furnish our soules with pious thoughts as S. Augustine after his conversion in the sixth chapter of his nineth book of Confessions affirmeth they did in him with great consolation saying By the notes of the Church so sweetly sung the words did flâ—w into my ears and the truth which was contained therein distilled mâ—lting into my heart and the affection of piery even boyled in my breast my tears ran trickling down my cheeks and it was well with me Thus S. Augustine to demonstrate unto us that as obsceane and filthy objects and the names and notes of prophane loves and vitious things respected beget in our hearts impious and wicked thoughts so pious objects and sacred pictures when they are respected for the holy things which they represent do presently furnish our minds with pious thoughts as I shall further shew in the ensuing Chapters CHAP. VIII The necessity of sacred artificiall Pictures Signes and Images to the nourishing of pious thoughts and what we call sacred Pictures and Signes THe thoughts for the most part following the senses as I have shewed in the precedent chapter to have pious and golden thoughts it is not only necessary to avoid vaine and idle species and formes but also to have often or for the most part before our eyes sacred artificiall pictures signes and images thereby to imprint in our hearts sacred and pious thoughts but we call these sacred artificiall pictures signes and images which represent unto us holy and divine and invisible things or the mysteries of our faith c. and as they do represent them unto us and imprint in our hearts the knowledge of the aforesaid divine things or mysteries and beget in our minds pious thoughts these we call sacred not for the matter they are made of but for the sacred things they do or may represent and as they do represent them unto us this we understand by sacred artificiall pictures signes and images and nothing els Now how necessary these things are to the begetting in us pious thoughts appeareth first by what I have said in the former chapters for if we can learn nothing or understand or think of any thing but either by it selfe or els by some resemblance picture or signe it must passe by the senses and all the things of heaven and mysteries of our faith c. are invisible and insensible to the senses unlesse we use sacred artificiall pictures signes and images we can never come to know any thing of the heaven of glory or of the mysteries of our faith c. as further appeareth by the Heathen and Pagan people who for want of the use of these things and of a Preacher to preach or teach them these things by audible sacred artificiall signes or visible sacred artificiall pictures signes and images remain untill this day in their infidelity or Paganism And we also who at this day and in â—ormer timâ—s are Catholique Christianâ— have lâ—arned our Christiâ—â—â—â—y by those sacred artificiall signs pictures and images neither otherwise could we ever have knowne it as witnesseth S. Paul saying how shall they hear without a Preacher Rom. 10.14 If Preachers had not come and taught all the