foolish collectioÌ„ And wheras M. Hes. maketh so smal account of the sacrifice of thanksgiuing praises prayers obedience that he calleth them but common thinges he sheweth what religion is in his brest But where Daniel saith then daily sacrifice shal be taken away he wil proue that there must be a daily sacrifice and that of the Christians by Hieronyms authoritie Whose words are cited thus by him Hos mille ducentos nonaginta dies Porphyrius in tempore Antiochi in desolatione templi dicis completos quam Iosephus MachabÄ™orum vt dixintus liber tribus tantùni annis fuisse commemorant Ex quo perspicâ—â—â— est tres istos semis annos de Antichristi dici temporibus qui tribus semis annis hoc est mille ducentis nonaginta diebus sanctos perseqâ—â—turus est postea ceciderit in monte inclyto sancto A tempore igitur quod nos interpretaâ—i sunus iuge sacrificiuÌ„ quando Antichristus vrbem obtinens Dei cultum interdixerit vsque ad internecionem eius tres semis anni id est mille ducenti nonaginta dies complebuntur These thousand two hundreth and ninetie dayes Prophyrius saith thâ—â— were fulfilled in the time of Antiochus and in the desolation of the temple which both Iesophus and the booke of Machabees as we haue said do testifie to be dâ—n in three yeares only whereby it is plaine these three yeares and an halfe to be spoken of the times of Antichrist who by the space of three yeres and an halfe that is a thousand two hundreth and ninetie days shal persecute the holy and faithfull Christians and after shal fall downe in the famous and holy hill From the time therefore that we bene interpreted the daily sacrifice when Antichrist shal forbid the seruice of God vnto his destruction there shall be fulfilled three yeres and an halfe that is to say a thousand two hundreth and ninetie dayes We haue often seene before what an impudent falsarie M. Hesk. is of the Doctors and here I know not for what cause except it were to trouble the sense of Hieronymes words both in the Latine in his English translation he hath left out the Greeke word that Hieronyme vseth in this sentence A tempore iginer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod nos interpretati sumus iuge sacrificium c. Therefore from the time of the perpetuitie which we haue interpreted the perpetuall sacrifice c. At least wise he should haue noted in the margent Graecum est non potest legi But to the matter although Hierom contrarie to the exposition of our sauiour Christ referre this taking away of the daily sacrifice to the time of Antichrist yet doth he interprete the same sacrifice to be but the worship and seruice of God which Antichrist should forbid But Nicholas Lyra is a Doctour for M. Heskins tooth for he expoundeth it of the sacrifice of the altar And M. Heskins will proue it by reason For it can not be meant of a spiritual sacrifice of praise prayers mortification repentance c. For these can not be put downe but shal be frequented euen vnder his flames and sword therfore it must needes be the daily sacrifice of the altar And yet M. Heskins thinketh that shal not be cleane put downe but secretly be vsed of godly disposed people so that he were best to conclude that there shal none at al be put downe But may not the outward seruice of God be put downe as Hieronyme saith But it must of necessitie be the sacrament of the altar O easie necessitie that so lightly is auoyded Well beside this rushie cheine of M. Heskins necessitie you shall heare matter of congruitie If the fathers of all ages knewe that externe sacrifice did please God should not christians much more which liue in the cleare light acknowledge the same O profounde diuine He hath forgotten that the true worshippers must nowe worshippe God in spirit and trueth Ioan. 4. Yet more If those sacrifices were a sweete sauour to God for his sake whom they figured howe much more is our sacrifice offering Christe him selfe vnto him But sir their sacrifices were commanded Christ by his eternall spirite hath offered himselfe once to ende all such sacrifices For no man is worthie to offer him to God but euen himself If they giue not onely sacrifice of laude and thankes but also externall sacrifice of thankes shall not Christians which haue receiued greater benefites then they offer like or rather greater thankes Yes good M. Doctor but by such meanes as God hath appoynted and not by setting vp an other Altar and sacrifice to deface the crosse and sacrifice of christ Althoughe nothing can bee feyned more leaden and blockishe then these reasons bee yet the illuminate doctor cryeth out agaynste his obcÄ™cate and blind enemies that cannot see the congruitie of these matters as it were a light shining through a milstone The three and thirtieth Chapter openeth the Prophecie of Malachie The Prophete Malachie towarde the latter end of the first chapter of his Prophecie writeth thus I haue no pleasure in you saith the Lorde of hoastes neither will I accept an offering at your hand For from the rising of the sunne vntill the going downe of the same my name is great among the Gentiles and in euerie place incense shall bee offered vnto my name and a pure offering For my name is great among the heathen This text saith M. Heskins hath greatly tormented the protestantes for they wrest it into diuerse senses because it proueth inuincibly the sacrifice of the masse Therefore Oecolampadius expoundeth this sacrifice of the obedience of all nations to the faith Bucer of faith and the confession of the same Bullinger of the land and prayse of God Vrbanus Rhegius of mortification and inuocation of Gods name Al which M. Heskins him selfe that firste cryeth out of their discord confesseth to agre in this that they vnderstand the prophesie of the spirituall sacrifice of prayse and thanksgiuing But these hereticall expositions he saith cannot stande And why so â–ª forsooth because these spiritual sacrifices be not new but were offered by the godly euen since Abel who he saith was the first that offered sacrifice to God and that of the fruites of the earth whereas it is not to be thought that Adam offered no sacrifice al that time before and the text is plaine that Abell offered the fruit of his cattell But although the spirituall worship of God is not newe yet it was newe to the Iewes that the father shoulde bee worshipped from the time of Christ neither in the mouÌ„t Garizim nor at Ierusalem but of all nations in spirite and trueth that is without all externall and figuratiue sacrifices An other reason is of the purenesse of the newe sacrifice aboue the olde For the olde sacrifices were pure by participation the newe is pure by nature and therefore nothing else but the bodie of
mihi videris esse Non enim corpus solùm sed etiam panis vitae nominatur Ita enim Dominus ipse appellanit Porro autem ipsum corpus Diuinum corpus appellanus viuificum Dominicum docentes non esse commune alicuius hominis sed Domini nostri Iesu Christi qui est Deus homo Orthodoxus Say then the mysticall tokens which are offered to God by the Priestes of God of what thinges sayest thou they are tokens Eran. Of the body bloud of our Lorde Orth. Of that bodie which truely is Or of such a bodie as truely is not Eran. Which truly is Ortho. Very well For it behoueth the patterne to be example of the image For painters doe followe nature and do paint the images of those thinges which are seene Eran. It is true Orth. Then if the Diuine mysteries doe represent that bodie which is a bodie in deede therefore our Lordes bodie is euen nowe also a-bodie not beeing chaunged into his Diuine nature but filled with Diuine glorie Eran. It came well to passe that thou diddest speake of the Diuine mysteries For euen out of the fame will I shewe vnto thee that our Lordes bodie is chaunged into another nature Therefore aunswere vnto my questions Orth. I will answere Eran. What doest thou call the gifte which is offered before the inuocation of the Priest Orth. I may not speake it openly for it is like that some are present that are not admitted to the mysteries Eran. Then answere darkely Orth. That meate which is made of such kinde of seedes Eran. And how doe we cal the other signe Ortho. That is also a common name which signifieth a kinde of drinke Eran. But after sanctification how doest thou call them Ortho. The bodie and bloud of christ Eran. And doest thou beleeue that thou art made partaker of the bodie and bloud of Christ Orth. So I beleeue Eran. Therefore euen as the tokens of the bodie and bloud of our Lord are other things before the inuocation of the priest and after the inuocation are changed and made other thinges euen so the Lordes bodie after the assumption is changed into his Diuine substance Orth. Thou art taken with thine owne nets which thou haste made For the mysticall signes after sanctification do not departe from their nature For they remain in their former substance figure and shape they may be both seene and handled euen as before But they are vnderstoode to be those thinges which they are made to be are beleeued reuerenced as those which are the same thinges that they are beleeued to be Compare therefore the image with the examples and thou shalt see the similitude For the figure ought to be like to the trueth For that same bodie hath the former shape and fashion circumscription and to speake at once the substance of a bodie But it is made immortall after his resurrection and more mightie then that any corruption or destruction can befall vnto it and it is made worthie to sit at the right hand of God and is worshipped of euerie creature as that which is called the naturall bodie of our Lorde Eran. But yet the mysticall token changeth the former name For it is no more called that it was called before but it is called the bodie Therefore the trueth also ought to be called God and not a bodie Orth. Thou seemest vnto me to be ignorant For it is not only called the body but also the bread of life For so our Lorde himselfe called it But his very bodie we call a Diuine bodie a quickening and our Lordes bodie teaching that it is not a common bodie of any man but of our Lord Iesus Christ which is both God and man By this discourse of Theodoretus you may see both howe syncerely Maister Heskins hath cited his authoritie and also what the writers minde was both concerning transubstantiation and the carnall manner of presence The authoritie of Anselmus Bishop of Canterburie I passe ouer as I haue done alwayes with Burgesses of the lower house But Maister Heskins affirmeth that the preparation we are commanded to make for the receipt of the sacrament the danger of vnworthie receiuing do argue the reall presence for such preparation and perill should not be for receiuing a peece of bread And if we aunswere that by faith we receiue Christs bodie bloud verily but yet spiritually he will confute vs by that wee affirme the fathers to haue receiued Christ as verily as we doe who yet had not like preparation nor like punishment for vnworthie receiuing For their preparation was onely in outwarde things their punishment onely bodily and temporall But who is so grosse of vnderstanding as M. Heskins that will not acknowledge that the fathers of the olde Testament by that purifying and preparation in bodily things were admonished that inward spiritually purenesse was more necessarie And wheras he sayeth the vnworthie receiuers of those auncient sacraments were punished only with temporal death how often doth those threatenings occurre in the lawe That soule shal be rooted out from my face that soule shall perish from his people he hath broken my couenant c Wil ye make vs beleeue that God threateneth onely a temporall and not an eternall death to the contemners of his ordinances Finally when the same punishment of condemnation remaineth to them that receiue baptisme vnworthily which abydeth them that receiue the Lordes supper vnworthily how will hee proue a reall presence more in the one sacrament then in the other The seuen and fiftieth Chapter expoundeth this text For this cause manie are weake and sicke c. by Origen Saint Ambrose Origen is cited in Psalm 37. Iudicium Dei parui pendis c. Settest thou little by the iudgement of God and despisest thou the church admonishing thee Thou are not afraide to communicate the bodie of Christ comming to the Eucharistie as cleane and pure as though nothing vnworthie were in thee and in all these thou thinkest that thou shalt escape the iudgement of god Thou doest not remember that which is written that for this cause many among you are weake sick many are fallen a sleepe Why are many sicke Because they iudge not them selues neither examine themselues neither do they vnderstand what it is to communicate with the church or what it is to come to so great and so excellent sacraments They suffer that which men that be sicke of agues are wont to suffer when they eat the meates of whole men and so cast away them selues Here Maister Heskins noteth firste that Origen calleth the sacrament in plaine wordes the bodye of Christe therefore it is no breade figure or signe of the bodie of christ Secondly he calleth it mysteries therefore it is two sacraments whole Christ bodie bloud is vnder eche kind Thirdly sicke men sometimes will eate whole mens meate therefore euil men receiue the bodie of christ These be all
the same honour that is due to God himselfe But going ouer his questions againe hee saieth it is graunted for the most part of all men that Images may be made so they be not abused which is vtterly false for no Christian man will graunt that it is lawfull in anye respect to make any Image of God that is to transforme the glorye of the immortall God into the image of a mortal man or to make that monstrous image of the Trinitie with three faces or three bodies of an old man a yong man and a doue Rom. 1. vers 23. The seconde and thirde he sayeth are denyed by the Caluenistes and Lutherans In the fourth there hath been controuersie among the Popish Catholikes some thinking the honor dewe to the thing it selfe by reason that the image is all one with the thing when it exerciseth the act of an image might be giuen to the image therof But other be of another minde Beside this controuersie among the Papistes themselues confessed about the honour of God which is one of the chiefest pointes of Christian religiō note that the former sort make dombe dead images to exercise an act which is a grosse monstrous absurditie But of all those foure questions M. Sanders promiseth to intreate first to proue the making of images lawful and commendable 2. the worshipping of them to be lawfull commendable as the signes of honorable verities for the verities sake which is all one as if you would saye we must worship falsities for loue of verities for betweene veritie falsitie there is no meane the creature in steede of the creator Rom. 1. vers 25. But how absurdly doth he confound images with the signes of all kinds Or what kinde of argument is this Iohn Baptist confessed him selfe vnworthie to loose the latchet of Christes shooe therefore he woulde worship his shooe or we must worship his image Or these a man embraceth a seruant or messenger sent from his friende kisseth a ring that commeth from him loueth to heare of his name esteemeth his picture therefore wee must embrase kisse loue esteeme images of God c. which hee hath not sent vnto vs but expressely forbidden vs to make or haue in any vse of religion But that he shoulde not be mistaken in saying images ought to be honoured he doeth not as a learned man shoulde doe make a lawfull diuision or distinction of honour but like a blinde or craftie Sophister he maketh a confusion and iumbling of diuerse names and kindes of honour to trouble the vnderstanding of a simple reader as of honour due to God to Saintes to our prince to his liuetenant to our parents friends fellowes superiours and to holy remembrance and one of these kindes of honour he will proue due to images and not that which is due to God alone As though all honour of religion were not dewe onely to God Mat. 4. vers 10. and honour of charitie were not to be directed by Gods lawe by which honour of images is expressely forbidden But with M. Sander the difference of honour commeth from the minde and therefore falling downe before an image Kissing c. if he thinke it not to be God nor any reasonable creature but an image of Christ. c. is no idolatrie As if God had not by expresse wordes forbidden the falling downe before images yea although the minde knowe they be false idols For else how are they commended which haue not bowed their knees to Baal nor kissed him with their mouth among so many idolaters and dissemblers But Abraham saith M. Sander adored the people of the land yet was he no idolater As though he could not put a difference betweene ciuile worship religious yea he giueth a rule how to auoide idolatrie Giue God thy heart saith he and after be secure that the honour which is giuen in any respect be for Gods sake all is well By this reason we may worship not onely all idols but we may make idols of all Gods creatures worship them for Gods sake as the Aegyptians did Oxen crocodiles cattes apes onions for they be al good monuments remembrances of God their creatour and better then any forged idoll To auoide which absurditie it were good not only to looke that you worship not any thing for Gods sake but to be sure what God hath commaunded you to worship that to honor with such honour also as he hath appointed So shall you worship God aright honour his ministers ecclesiasticall or ciuil his friendes and your brethren and whatsoeuer else is worthie of any honour But Maister Sander to auoide the offence that might be taken by the termes of adoration worshipping honouring c. protesteth that hee alloweth onely that honouring of images when the partie in the faith of one God and one mediatour Iesus Christ doth direct his honour by the image to the trueth represented which faith and intention doth deliuer him quite from all spice of idolatrie But how false this determination of M. Sanders is we see euidently by the historie of the golden Calfe which Aaron and the people worshipped euen according to his faith and intention namely they worshipped the God which brought them forth of the land of Aegypt by that image euen Iehoua that made heauen and earth Exod. 32. vers 4. 5. Againe what manner of faith this is which is not onely not grounded vppon the worde of God but also cleane contrarie to it children that learne their Cathechisme can sufficiently vnderstand In the ende of this Chapter M. Sander practiseth a figure of popish rethorike which is after great bragges promises of proofe to occupie the reader with some by matters before the performance taken in hand partly that his vnderstanding should not be so quick as when his minde is newly kindled with desire of the sight of such things as he promised partly that being half wearied with other needelesse discourses he shoulde not be so attentiue to consider the force of his reasons Therfore he promiseth first to answere the obiections of the aduersaries yet because that argument is not so fitt for his purpose he turneth it ouer also vntil he haue for disputations sake fayned the honouring of images vnlawful yet proued that the image breakers in the lowe countries did not well THE III. CHAPTER That although the images of Christ and of his saincts had beene falsely worshiped yet the Churches were vniustly spoyled and the images vniustly throwen downe and consequently that the doers of it must needes be the ministers of the diuell Also he noteth the reason of breaking the Brasen serpent The keepers of church goods are Idolaters The foundation of the newe gospell in the lowe countries is shamefull The inconstancie of the Protestantes doctrine It is confessed and therefore needeth no proofe that the act of breaking the popish Idols in the lowe countries if it wanted the authoritie of the Magistrate
was vnlawful yet it followeth not that the doer◠were the ministers of the diuel For they that offend of inconsiderate zeale are not by and by the ministers of the diuell The people that would haue made Christ a King Ioh. 6. attempted a thing vnlawfull for them to doe yet were they not for that the ministers of the diuel The euil was of the diuell the persons for the moste parte sought to serue God or else M. Sander how will you defend them that commit idolatrie vppon good intent in worshipping of an vnconsecrated hoste or in worshipping the diuell in the likenesse of Angels But to come to your reasons The abuses of the images you say might haue bene taken away and the images let alone and that in deede was the iudgement of Gregorie ad Seren. lib. 7. Ep. 109. but his authoritie against the manifest worde of God which forbiddeth all images in any vse of religion is of small weight with vs Ex. 20. The example of King Ezechias breaking the brasen serpent is vnfitly alledged to defende the breaking of images by priuate persons but the two last reasons that M. Sander alledgeth of the breaking thereof are to be considered the one that the brasen serpent was a figure rather then an image the other that it was worshipped as the trueth it self That it was both a figure an image he might haue said truely but so to make it a figure that he denyeth it to be an image is grosse impudencie for first it was an image of a serpent before it was a figure of christ And then it followeth hereof that if such an image as was lawfully made was a figure of Christ by lawfull authoritie was broken when it was abused howe much more images that were neuer lawfully made and also haue beene abused to idolatrie as all the famous images in Poperie haue beene ought by like authoritie to be vtterly defaced destroyed To the seconde reason that the people did worship the brasen serpēt as God it is nothing credible although they gaue vnto it the honour due vnto god For that Ezechias called it Nechushtan which is a lumpe of brasse it shewed that God is not to be worshipped in any materiall image it proueth not what opinion the people had of it M. San. saith the Papistes worship not the mettall of their images but they vse them as occasions to put them in remembrance of them whose images they are It were an hard point for him to proue that the Israelits did worship the brasse of the serpent but rather that image of the serpent as a holy relique by which their forefathers had deliuerance from the stinging of fierie serpents But to the matter it is needlesse for him to cite out of Augustin that it is not lawfull to breake Idolls but for them that haue authoritie and lesse to proue that they which stale siluer crosses and challices c. if any such were as I thinke hee slaundereth them did euill But he will proue that keepers of Church goods be Idolaters bicause they be couetous He may so proue a greater number of obstinate Papistes Idolaters who both keepe Church goodes in their houses and the very Churches or Abbeys which he maketh all one for their houses And yet Augustine whome he citeth alloweth the conuerting of idolatrous treasures to common vses as was the giuing of Abbeys by cōmon consent of the realme into the Kings hand of whome diuers inioy them as bought or giuen If any man vniustly got into his possessiō any such stuffe of couetousnes I for my part will not excuse him of idolatrie nor Sander of treason for cursing the Prince which is inriched by Abbey landes lawfully giuen vnder colour of giuing offence But the foundation of the newe Gospell is shamefull bicause the Protestants contemne this acte of spoyling and yet their preachers and Doctours were the captaines of the spoyle In the first Chapter where he tolde vs the storie he could name but one preacher him an infamous person and yet perhaps he slandereth him in all that he saith against him Now he seemeth as though al the preachers Doctours were captaines of this disorder which is an impudent and shamelesse lye as that which followeth is a malicious and foolish slander that the inconstancie of the protestants is such as there is no ground or assurance of our faith bicause there be diuers opinions in some matters that are no articles of faith or bicause Papistes may feigne inconstancie in their doctrine where there is none at al. For albeit that some haue thought that men must not be enforced to profession of religion and one or two haue written against the regimēt of women as a French Papist also hath done in his Emblemes yet generally we hold that heretikes are to be punished and all men compelled to serue God truly and none suffred to commit idolatrie likewise we hold the regiment of women lawful as well in the highest estate of a Queene as in inferiour degrees of a mother or a mistresse We always teach obedience vnto the Prince And it is the Pope that armeth subiectes against their Prince discharging them of their allegeance as in the rebellion of the North. The doings of Fraunce and Scotland are by publique instruments testified vnto the world by the Princes them selues that they were good and lawfull and not done against them but in their seruice and obedience For miracles and Doctours we neuer taught diuersly of them but alwayes that they were to be embraced according to the trueth which they are brought to confirme which trueth must be tryed onely by the authoritie of scriptures neither by miracles nor Doctours And bicause he toucheth by name the miracle of Maister Lane of Westchester although we make no great account of it as a miracle which might be a natural cure yet it is more vnlike to be a fable and more like to be a true miracle then that which Maister Bristowe alledgeth of Margeret Iesop with the short leg The decrees of the Pope though hee bee Antichrist are sufficient to beate downe the papistes which holde that he can not erre the like I say of the gloses and late writers of their owne to whome we owe no obedience as they professe their faith to be gouerned by them And seeing of custome some be good some be bad why may we not receiue the good and refuse the bad without M. San. frumpe Let olde customes preuaile quoth M. Iewell The old Latin translation of the Bible is in many places corrupt but neuer to be preferred before the originall of the Greeke and Hebrue although it may be cited where it differeth against the Papistes which receiue it as only true Old writers haue called the holy table an altar and the Communion a sacrifice or Masse yet followeth it not that Popish altars Popish Masse may not be condemned But what slaunders are these the body of Christe is the signe of
one question or two about this diffuse argument I would demaund Doeth God forbid by the second commaundement naturall or artificiall images If artificiall then they haue no comparison with naturall images Againe syr are our seeing and hearing from whome these images you speake of first doe come by your Philosophie actions or passions If they be passions howe are they compared with making of grauen images whiche are actions Finally where he saith this prohibition was not immutable but temporall to that people he passeth all bounds of reason and common vnderstanding as by the iudgment of God is become like vnto those Idols whome he defendeth For hauing graunted before that Idolatrie was forbidden by this precept nowe he restraineth the forbidding of idolatrie only to the Iewes of that time as though it were lawfull for Christians who more streightly then the Iewes must worship God in spirit and trueth Iohn 4. and are commaunded to keepe them selues pure from Idols 1. Iohn 5. THE VI. OR V. CHAP. That the word of God only forbiddeth Latria which is Gods own honour to be giuen to artificiall images leauing it to the lawe of nature and to the gouernors of his Church what other honour may be giuen to holy images Also the place of Exodus Thou shalt not adore images is expounded and that Christe by his incarnation taketh away all idolatrie that Maister Iewell vainely reproueth Doctour Harding condemneth his owne conscience and is proued a wrangler The difference in honour betweene Latria and Doulia As M.S. saith images are forbidden to be worshipped as they are forbidden to be made so say I but with a farre differing vnderstanding They may not be made to any vse of religion so they may not be worshipped with any religious worship which apperteineth to god For our religion is a seruice of God onely And where he saith as Images might be made by the authoritie of Moses or of the gouernours of Gods people so they wert not to be taken for Gods so they may be likewise worshipped by the authoritie of Gods church this only prouiso being made that Gods owne honour be not giuen vnto them I aunswere that as neither Moses nor any gouernour had authoritie to make any images in any vse of religion other then God commanded no more hath the Church any authoritie to allowe any worshipping of them whiche she hath none authoritie by God to make but an expresse commandement forbidding both the making the worshipping of them in the first table of the law which concerneth onely religion Nowe we haue saide both let vs consider M. Sanders reasons First he saith God forbidding his owne honour to be giuen to images left it to the lawe of nature and to the gouernors of his Churche what honour images should haue Concerning the lawe of nature he saith that God perceiued that when images of honourable personages are made honor was due vnto them What lawe of nature is this M. Sander that is distinct from the law of God Or what nature is that whose lawe alloweth the worshipping of images In deed the corruption of mans nature is to worship falshode in steed of trueth but the law of nature hath no such rule beeing al one with the lawe of God as nature is nothing else but the ordinaunce of god And where find you one title in the lawe that God hath leaft it to the gouernours of his Church to appoint a worship meete for images Worde you haue none letter you haue none nor pricke of a letter sounding that way But you haue collections First of the signification of Latria as though God had written his Lawe in Greeke and not in Hebrue and yet Latria according to the Graecians hath no such restraint to signifie the seruice of God only but euerie seruice of men also and is all one that Doulia and so vsed of Greeke writers excep◠we will say that Doulia which you will haue to be giuen to images is a more slauish seruile worship then that whiche you would haue vs to giue to God. But you will helpe your distinction with the confusion of the commandementes because God saith in the 1. precept Thou shalt haue none other Gods but me and then saith immediately Thou shalt not make nor worworship images but these cōmandementes are distinct or else you shall neuer make tenne And whereas you alledge that he saith immediatly after I the Lord thy God am a iealous God that maketh cleane against you For by those wordes the Lorde declareth that he can no more abide the vse of images in his religion then a iealous man can abide any tokēs of an adulterer to be about his wife therefore idolatrie in the scriptures is often called fornication So the circumstances helpe you nothing but is altogether against you But what an horrible monster of idolatrie is this that after you haue once confessed that Gods incomprehensible nature cannot be represented by any artificiall image you affirme that Christe by his incarnation hath taken away idolatrie that we should not lacke some corporall trueth wherein we might worship the Diuine substance Whereas Christ himselfe telleth vs that nowe the time is come that God shall not be worshipped as before in bodily seruice at Ierusalem or in the mountaine but in spirite and trueth Ioan. 4. The image of Christe you say is a similitude of an honourable trueth whereas no idol doth represent a trueth A worshipfull trueth I promise you Christe you say was man but I say he is both God and man a person consisting of those two natures Your image representeth onely a person consisting of one nature but suche a one is not Christe therefore your image representeth a falshoode and is by your owne distinction an Idol For the Diuine nature you confesse cannot be represented by an artificiall image Againe what an image is it of his humanitie It can not expresse his soule but his bodie onely Last of all why is it an image rather of Christ then of an other man Seeing in lineamentes and proportion of bodie it hath no more similitude vnto Christes bodie then to an other mans But that it pleased the caruer to say it is an image of Christ. O honourable blockes and stones But Philo the Iewe was cited for a fauourer of this interpretation that images are none otherwise forbidden to be made or worshipped then to be made or worshipped as GODS Howe vaine the authoritie of a Iewe is for a Christian man to leane vnto I shall not neede to say especially when it is well knowen that the Iewes also not considering in whether table this commandement is placed vnderstand by it that all images generally are forbidden And Philo saith nothing to helpe him For first in Decal he saith when God had spoken of his owne substance and honour order would that he should tell how his holy name was to be worshipped And againe De eo quis haer rer Diuin Vt solus
seconde faultes are falsly found for he nameth neither Idoluâ— nor Latria but this compound worde idolatrie and maketh this proposition To honour a creature in that forte c. is idolatrie Meaning whether the creature be an image or no image As to worship the Sunne or the Moone is idolatrie which be creatures and so tearmed by all learned men and euen by the Papistes themselues which call the worshipping of an vnconsecrated host idolatrie The third fault is also a forged quarrell for he doeth not presuppose that we may set vp no creature to be worshipped but he saith to honour a creature in that sorte that is with religious worship as it is set vp to be worshipped is idolatrie And therefore M. Sanders imagination of a king set vp in his throne to be honoured of certeine men that had rebelled against him is foolishe and ridiculous For the Bishop in his proposition speaketh of religious worship which is proper onely to God and not of ciuill honour The fourth fault also is a fonde quarrelling or rather an vngodly denying of an image to be a creature For by this meanes he maketh a thirde thing existent in the world that is neither God the creator nor a creature but he saith it is a manufacture and not a creature like as he said before that their worshipping of Images is not idolatrie but image douly that is seruing of images whiche is all one as if a man would say a horse is a beast therefore it is not a substance So he may deny a man to be a creature because he is a geniture that is a thing begotten But perhaps he will allowe all thinges made of God or nature to be creatures but nothing made of man so that a table or chaire a sword c. are no creatures because they are made with mens handes What then wil he cal a tree that is graffed with mens handes and groweth by nature also Those he highe pointes of Diuinitie I promise you But to the purpose there is neither substance nor forme of any thing in the worlde but it is a creature therefore both in respect of the matter and fashion an Image is a creature except you will say with the Master of the sentences Lib. 3. dist 37. that the forme of an Image in that it is set vp to be worshipped is no creature but a peruersion of a creature as all sinne is And least you shoulde take exceptions to my traÌ„slating of Idolum for an Image he speaketh of the forme of a man in Idolo which is no faigned thing but a thing of trueth But to cut of all this vaine babling that an Image is no creature the Apostle S. Paule speaking of the Images of the Gentiles by which they turned the glory of God into the similitude of the Image of a mortal man c. calleth Images creaturs And they serued the creature more then the Creator which is to be blessed for euer Rom. 1. vers 23. 25. But hee faineth an obiection of M. Iewelles that an Image is lesse then a creature and therefore it deserueth lesse honour then a creature Whereas M. Iewell said an Image is a creature But he answereth his owne obiection that because an Image is able to stir vs vp to a vertuous and good remembraunce and to prouoke vs to vertue it is worthie of greater honour then a creature As though we ought not by any immediate creature of god to be stirred vp to good remembraunces and prouoked to vertue rather then by an vnprofitable dead and dumbe Image And who will graunt him that an Image is able to stirre vs vp to goodnesse or to prouoke vs to vertue wheÌ„ an Image as the scripture saith is good for nothing Abacuc 2. But admitte that men by the sight of an Image take occasion of good remembraunce the Image in this case is no agent and therefore worthie of no honour A man seeinge the gallowes which is a signe of execution of Iustice is mooued to remember Iustice which is a good remembraunce and is thereby prouoked to absteine from vice and to liue vertuously is the gallowes therefore worthie of honour I thinke not because the gallowes is no agent or doer in those good things but onely the minde of man that taketh occasion of that he seeth No more doeth an image and therefore no more worthy of honor But Augustine saith De verb. Dom. Ser. 58 Si quis nostrum c. If anye of vs should finde the kings purple or crowne lying a side woulde he go about to worship them But when the king hath them on him he runneth in danger of death if any man contemne to worship them together with the king So saieth M.S. the Image is to be honored in respect of the truth whose similitude it beareth A wise similitude First he compareth ciuil worship with religious worshippe as he doeth euery where Secondly that which is reuerenced necessarily because it is annexed with an honourable thinge with that which is not annexed for God may be worshipped without images the king caÌ„not be worshipped with out his robes reseruing humane naturall honestye Thirdly that which is accidentally worshipped as the kings crowne his purple c. Because the king wearinge them is worshipped is alledged to prooue that a proper worship is due to images distinct from the worship due to the paterne or sampler But of religious worship Augustine saith Nihil omnino colendum est totumque abijciendum quicquid mortalibus â—culis cernitur quicquid vllus sensus attingit Nothing is to be worshipped at all and all that is to be cast away whatsoeuer is seene with mortall eyes what soeuer any sense doth atteine And to take away all cauilling he addeth in his RetractatioÌ„s quicquid mortalis corporis vllus sensus attingit â–ª est enim sensus mensis Whatsoeuer any sense of the mortall body doth atteine for there is a sense of the minde lib. Retr 1. cap. I. Likewise that the signes are to bee worshipped for that they signifie he saith it is a madnesse in ps 101. Talis est enim dementia hominum quasi adorandum aliquid dicatur cum decitur Sol-Christum significaâ— Adora ergo petram quia Christum significat Such is the madnesse of men as though it were saide that any such thinge were to be worshipped when it is saide The sunne signifieth Christ then worshippe a rocke also because the rocke signifieth christ Last of all M. Sander â—aith supposinge an image to be lesse then a creature the baser it is the lesse daunger there is that it shoulde bee worshipped as God as Chrysostome saith therefore men are called in scripture the sonnes and Images of God and not Angels because there is lesse daunger in worshipping men for their basenes thaÌ„ Angels for their excellency But he might conclude the baseâ— Images are the more horrible sinne is the worshippinge of them For the basenesse of men hath not kept them from
that we are so free and strong in our faith that we neede not to be kept from conuenient worshipping of lawdable images as the weake Iewes were Nay you impudently and moste arrogantly contemne GOD and his lawe and moste blasphemously affirme that GOD kept the Iewes from conuenient worshipping of lawdable images whiche haue so many commodities or else you lie moste damnablye 12 We professe the trueth of the Gospell and of the lawe of nature which requireth conuenient honour to be giuen to the images of honorable personages Because you professe another Gospell then that we haue receiued out of the worde of God if Nicholas Sander were as great as Michael the archangell Gods great curse light on him Anathema to a new Manachee that maketh the truth of the Gospell and the lawe of nature contrarie to the trueth of the lawe of God giuen by Moses Yea Anathema Maranatha be he that defendeth that to bee good whiche God so manifestly condemneth for abhominable You haue heard what authorities he bringeth to proue the honouring and worshipping of images conuenient Videlicet neuer a one Now shal you heare some sentences of the auncient writers to the contrarie Augustine Ad Deogratias Epi. 49. Et idola quidem omnè sensu carere quis dubitat Veruntamen cum his locantur sedibus honorabili sublimitate vt a precantibus atque immolantibus attendantur ipsa similitudine animatorum membrorum atque sensuum quamuis insensata atque exanima afficiunt infirmos animos vt viuere ac spirare videantur accedente praesertim veneratione multitudinis quae tantus eis Dei cultus impenditur And who doubteth but that idolles are voide of all sense Yet when they are sette vppe in those places in honorable height so that they bee looked vppon by them that pray and sacrifice by the very similitude of the members and senses of liuing creatures although they be insensible and without life they affecte the weak mindes of men so that they seeme to liue and breathe especially when the worshipping of the multitude commeth to them by which so great honor of God is bestowed vpon them The same Augustine in Leuit. Qu. 68. writeth thus Nam quid isto praecepto absolutius non mentiemini Sic enim dictum est quomodo non facies tibi idolum quod factum non potest aliquando iuctum esse quomodo dictum est non maechaberis For what can be more absolute then this commaundement You shall not lye For it is euen so saide as that Thou shalt not make to thy self any grauē image which fact can neuer bee righteous and euen as it is saide Thou shalt not commit adulterie If M. Sander cauill at the worde Idoll yet the commandement is generall for all images and similitudes to be made by mans deuise as he himselfe confesseth Therefore it is as lawfull to haue images in religion as to lye or to commit adulterie by Saint Augustines iudgement Other places of Augustine in psal 96. 113. which I haue cited before I omitte Yet this one short sentence I will adde to shewe how farre S. Augustins iudgement was from M. Sanders assertion that in worshippinge of images is small or no danger of idolatrie at all in psal 113. Quis autem adorat vel orat intuens simulachrum qui non sic affuitur vt ab eo se exaudiri putet ac ab eo sibi prestari quod desiderat speret For who doeth worshippe or pray beholding an image which is not so affected that he thinketh himselfe to be hearde of it and hopeth that that thing shal be performed of it which he desireth Hierome in Ezechiell lib. 4. cap. 16. hath these wordes Nos autem vnum habemus virum vnam veneramur imaginem quae est imago inuisibilis omnipotentis Dei. We saith he of the Christians haue but one husbande and worship but one image which is the image of the inuisible and Almightie god Meaning Christ and speakinge against the image worshippers and spirituall fornicators of the Gentiles Iewes and heretikes Likewise vpon Daniel lib. 1. cap. 3. Siue statuā vt Symmachus sue imaginem auream vt caeteri transtulerunt voluerimus legere cultores Dei eam adorare non debent Ergo Iudices principes saeculi qui imperatorum statuas adorant imagines hoc se facere intelligant quòd tres pueri facere nolentes placuerint Deo. Et notanda proprietas Deos coli imaginem adorari dicunt quod vtrunque seruis Dei non conuenit Whether we will reade it a standing image as Symmachus or a golden image as the rest haue translated the worshippers of God ought not to adore it Therefore the Iudges and Princes of the worlde which worship the statues and images of the Emperours let them vnderstand that they do that which the three children would not doe and pleased god And that the propertie of speech is to be marked they cal the worshippinge of the image the worshippinge of God both which is vnmeete for the seruauntes of God. If Hierome will not allowe the worshipping of the Emperours Image which is but ciuill much lesse the worshippinge of the image of Christ or his saintes which is religious Chrysostom in Math. Hom. 51. counteth it a meere mockery of God and the saints to set vp their image in golde or siluer and to suffer the true images and their members to dye for famine or colde as they doe in all places where Idols are hanged with chaines and brooches Quid porro si frigore congeluum hominem aspiceres nec vestem aliquam ei preparares si aureas statuas ad laudē eius erigeres nonne contemnere videreris What if thou shouldest see a man frozen with colde and didst not prepare him any garment but didst set vp golden images to his praise shuldest thou not seeme to dispise him And the God reiecteth al such honour as is imagined to be done to him by images or other inuentions of men he saith Qui honoratur eo maxime honore laetatur quem ipse vult non quem optamus He whiche is honoured delighteth chiefly in that honour which he himselfe will haue not which we wishe to him Ambrose Ep. 31. derideth them Qui Deum loquntur simulachrum adorant which speake of God and worshippe an image In Rom. cap. 9. he saith that Christ would not suffer him selfe to be worshipped but that he is god Nec Dominus vbique se adorari pateretur nisi quia Deus After the councell of Eliberis that forbad all pictures in the Church the councell of Carth. 5. willed such altars as were set vp in the countrie and high wayes as memories of the martyrs should be abolished ouerthrowen although they were pretended to be set vp by reuelations or visions woulde they then haue permitted images in memorie of the martyrs When also they decreed to intreate the Emperour that all reliques and monumentes of idolatrie might be destroyed CHAP. XVIII OR XVII