CHAP. I. What our thoughts be in generall, and how they are visions, or words, or speech­es of our hearts.

BEfore we enter into a dis­course, how to nourish pious thoughts, it is necessary first to speak of thoughts in ge­nerall, what they be, and how they have place in our souls: Then se­condly, of pious thoughts, and how to attain unto them: and last of all, how to cherish and nourish them, that we may abound with piety, which is a vertue of so great eminency, and excellency, that as S. Paul saith, It is profitable to all things. 1 Tim. 4.8. and withall, as there he saith, hath the promise of this life that now is, and of that to [Page 2]come; and what more can be desired of men in this vale of tears?

Now for the better understand­ing what our thoughts are, it is ne­cessary first to observe, that many things in the outward senses are two, which in the inward soul are but one: as for example, to see, and to hear, in the outward senses are two reall distinct things, which in the inward soul are both one. The soule having reall distinct powers, but not parts, from whence it com­eth to passe, as S. Augustine in the nineth and tenth chapters of his fifteenth book of the Trinity excel­lently noteth, that to heare and to see, as also to speak and to see, in the inward soul are both one. Whereupon he describeth a thought, saying: A thought is a certain vision of the soul, whether these things be present, which are seen with the corpo­ralleys, or perceived by the other sen­ses; or they be absent, and their like­nesse [Page 3]only is seen by thought; or if neither of these, but these things are thought upon, which are neither corpo­rall, nor yet have corporall shapes, as vertues and vices, or as the thought it self, when it is thought upon. Thus S. Augustine of our thoughts.

Again in the same place he saith also, That thoughts are speeches, or words of the heart, which he proveth by the Scriptures, which say, They said, thinking within themselves, Wis. 2.1. Again, certain of the Scribes said within themselves. Mat. 9.3. Again, The Scribes and Pharisees began to think, saying, Luk. 5.21. where the thoughts of men are called the words, or sayings of the heart; so that a thought is rightly described, according to S. Augustina, to be a vi­sion, word, or speech of the heart, which if we could bring to be pious in all men, and to be strengthened and nourished, we should easily make piety to abound in the world; [Page 4]for as S. Aug. there saith; When we say, that thoughts are words of the heart, we do not therefore deny them to be visions, sprung from the vision of things signified unto us, because in the inward soul they are both one.

Now if it could be brought to passe, that men in their inward souls should neither heare, nor see, nor speak, or that which is all one, not think of any thing, but with dete­station, which were not pious, they must needs abound with piety, and be very happy; because, as S. Paul saith, they should be profitable to all things; and also be partakers of the promises which God hath made un­to his servants in this life, and in that which is to come; here to be happy by grace, and in the other by glory, which I heartily wish unto thee Reader.

CHAP. II. Of Pious and impious thoughts, and what Pious thoughts are.

NOt every thought of a good thing is therefore presently a pious thought. The divell some­times thinketh upon God, though he cannot have a pious thought, be­cause he is confirmed in malice; and evill men think many times upon good things, but with an evill in­tent: Wherefore as S. Augustine in his twelfth Sermon upon the 118. Psalm saith, We should not only think that it is good which we do, but also, and that chiefly, if it he good, for which we do it: Wherefore for a thought to be pious, it is not onely sufficient that we think of a good thing, but also that we think upon it to a good end; & God being the last end of man, then our thoughts are truly pious; when we think [Page 6]on holy and sacred things, or the works of mercy, or the obligations of our estate, &c with an inclinati­on of mind to adhere unto them, as unto things which may either im­mediately, or mediately conduct us to God, the end of all our h [...]pes: So that in few words, an absolute pious thought is an inward vision, speech, or motion of the mind, by which we either immediately, or mediately adhere unto God, the last end our happinesse.

From hence it is that the Prophet David, a pious man, and a man ac­cording to Gods own heart, saith, I have inclined my heart to do thy ju­stifications for ever for reward, Psal. 118.112. Again in the same Psalm, I have not declined from thy Testimo­nies. Thus the Prophet; to instruct us, that the only thinking upon a holy or sacred thing, is not sufficient to beget an absolute pious thought; but the thinking upon it, with an [Page 7]inclination of mind to adhere un­to it, for the benefit we receive by it, and for Gods sake, the end of our happinesse.

On the contrary, an absolute wicked thought is a full or delibe­rate consent of the mind, or thought, to do any thing against the Commandements of God, where­by men become cursed and wicked, as witnesseth the Prophet in the same Psalm, saying, Thou hast very much commanded thy Commande­ments to be kept, cursed are they that decline from thy Commandements, though it be but with full consent of thought, as he further witnesseth in the said Psalm, saying, Thou hast despised all that revolt from thy judgements, because their thought is unjust, or wicked.

As to think upon an evill thing, or to have a suggestion of evill put into our minds, either by the flesh, world, or divell, who are our ene­mies, [Page 8]without any inclination of will, or consent of heart to do it, is not properly called an evil thought, but a suggestion, carnall motion, or temptation. So likewise to think only upon a good or holy thing, without any inclination of heart, or mind unto it, is not properly a pious thought; but when we have an extension of heart to adhere unto it, as unto a thing which may either immediately, or mediately conduct us unto God, the last end of all our happinesse.

CHAP. III. How all evills proceed from evill thoughts:

IF we would seriously consider from whence all the evills, mise­ries, and mischiefs, which have hap­pened in heaven or earth, are origi­nally sprung, or have had their be­ginning, or yet do daily arise; we shall easily find, that they originally [Page 9]have proceeded, and even at this day do proceed from impious and wick­ed thoughts.

In heaven all the Angells and in­tellectuall Spirits lived in peace, and unity with God, and amongst them­selves, untill Lucifer one of the chiefest amongst the Intelligencers or Angells, begun to think wicked­ly, and to say in his heart, I will as­cend into heaven, above the starres of God I will exalt my throne, Esay. 14.13. And upon earth there was no evill, sicknesse, or infirmities, or miseries amongst men, untill man began to think impiously, that he would be like God, Gen. 3.5. Whereupon truth it self saith, Out of the heart come forth evill thoughts, murders, adul­teries, fornications, theft, false testi­monies, blasphemies, these are the things which defile the soul, Mat. 15.19. which is also confirmed by ex­perience, for in all our voluntary a­ctions, we first think before we do; [Page 10]whereby it is sufficiently manifest unto any reasonable man, that all the miseries and calamities which heretofore have been, or now are in the world, or hereafter shall be, originally proceed from evill thoughts; wherefore if we could but plant the Nurse of pious thoughts amongst men, we should in great part, at least, ease them of their miseries, contentions, civill warres, Sects, and brawls.

Neither would the planting of pious thoughts amongst mankind be a thing of so great a difficulty to bring to passe, if they would but firmly and constantly believe the truth in this matter; which is, that evill thoughts do not only separate, and divide one man from another, and bring in all those calamities and miseries, which we daily see amongst men, but also divide man from God, make divisions even in him­self, and deprive him of his everlast­ing [Page 11]weal, as witnesse the Scriptures, saying, Perverse thoughts separate from God, Wisd. 1.3. Again in the same chapter, The Holy Ghost will withdraw himself from the thoughts that are without understanding: and yet more, Jn the thoughts of the im­pious there shall be examination, and the hearing of his works shall come to God, to the chastising of his iniqui­ties. Again, evill thoughts are abho­mination to our Lord, Prover. 11.16: Whereupon God further saith by the Prophet I say, take away the evill of your thoughts from mine eys, Jsa. 1.16. Again, Let the impious forsake his wayes, and the unjust man his thoughts, and return to our Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, Isa. 55.7. Again, Woe be to you, who think that which is unprofitable, Micheas 2.1. And with these agree the Pro­phet Zachary, saying, Think ye not e­very man in your heart evill against his friend, and a lying [...]th love ye [Page 12]not, for all these things are such as J hate, saith the Lord, Zach. 8.17. Thus the Sctiptures, of the miseries, and wretchednesse, which accompany e­vill thoughts.

Now what man is there, who is indued with reason, and will be sensible of his own good or evill, that (the aforesaid miseries conside­red) will not hate all impious thoughts, and be glad of the means how to nourish in himselfe pious thoughts, especially the Scripture saying, He who thinketh to do evill, shall be called a fool, Prov. 24.6. of whom our Saviour saith, Thou fool, this night they (the divells) require thy soul of thee; and the things which thou hast provided, (by wicked thoughts) whose shall they be? Luk. 12.20. for he (saith S. Hieruome upon this aforesaid Text) is truly to be cal­led a foole, who consenteth in his thoughts to the suggestion of sin, al­though to the eys of men he seem never so wise.

For the aforesaid reasons, our dear Lord and Saviour being care­full of the good and salvation of mankind, reprehendeth man for his evill thoughts, saying; Wherefore think ye evill in your hearts, Mat. 9.4. And S. Paul knowing the many miseries and wretchednesse which attend upon impious thoughts, ex­horteth all men to practise, and nourish in themselves pious thoughts, saying; Brethren, what things soever be true, whatsoever ho­nest, whatsoever just, whatsoever ho­ly, whatsoever amiable, whatsoever of good fame; if there be any vertue, if any praise of discipline, those things think upon, Phil. 4.8. and for a reward of nourishing such pious thoughts, ad­deth, and the God of peace shall be with you; whereupon S. Chrysostome upon this Text saith, You may see how S. Paul would cast all wicked thoughts out of our minds, for from e­vill thoughts all wicked deeds proceed. [Page 14]From hence it is that the Prophet calleth those happy, who presently correct, or kill their evill thoughts, which he calleth Daughters of Baby­lon, saying, daughter of Babylon, (Blessed is he that shall hold, and shall crush thy little ones against the rock, Psal. 136.9. who are these little ones of Babylon, saith S. Augustine upon this Text, but our arising evill de­sires, when it is a little one or as soon as it ariseth, crush it. We kill our lit­tle ones; saith S. Gregory (in the end of his expositions upon the fourth Penitentiall Psalme) against the rock, when we mortifie or kill the first unlawfull motions, or thoughts, by an intention to follow Christ, for Christ was the rock, 1 Cor. 10.6.

Almighty God foreseeing so ma­ny evills to proceed from wicked thoughts, to prevent those miseries, of the ten Commandements which he gave unto men, two of them are against vicious thoughts, saying, [Page 15] Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house, neither shalt thou desire his wife: Exod. 20.17; and writ them in the hearts of all people, Rom. 2.15. whereupon Juvenal an heathen Poet, in his third Satyr saith, He who shall think any secret wickednesse within himself, is guilty of the fact. And Ʋaler [...]us Maximus, in the se­cond chapter of his seventh book, reporteth, that Thales the Philoso­pher being demanded whether God were ignorant of the works of men, answered, No not of their thoughts, wherefore (saith he) we ought not only to have pure hands, but also pure minds, seeing that we should believe the divine Godhead to be present at our secret thoughts. From hence also if is that Alexander the Great (as affirmeth S. Basil in his twenty fourth Homily) knew that it was an offence by beholding, to covet a woman in thought, al­though he did not accomplish the [Page 16]fact. And Cieero a morall man wri­ting divers books of Offices unto his Son Mark, for the well dispo­sing of his life, in his first book, not farre from the beginning, a­mongst other things, admonish­eth him, That in all his opinions and deeds, he should neither do, nor think any thing (libidinese) lecherously, the light of Nature teaching even the more morall sort of hea­then men, that evill thoughts were corrupters of good manners, and originally the cause of all mi­series and disorders; and therefore desired that they might be avoided, at least for the benefit of their Common-wealth.

CHAP. IV. The excellency of Pious thoughts, and how good works, and heroicall actions proceed from them.

THe substance of all mens souls are of one coelestiall incorrup­tible matter, the difference between soul and soul in excellency, beauty, and purity in this life, is the inhe­rent grace, infused vertues, pious thoughts, vertuous operations, and in the other coelestiall splendour, and everlasting bl [...]sse, which God bestoweth upon his servants; all which in such as are baptized, and of years of discretion (of whom I intend only to treat) depend upon the pious thoughts, and vertuous o­peration of the soul in this life, ac­cording to the words of our Lord, saying, Out of the heart come forth e­vill cogitations; these are the things which defile the soul, Mat. 15.19. of the abundance of the heart the mouth [Page 18]speaketh, Mat. 12. Whereupon S. Paul saith, that Christ is a Dis­cerner, or censurer of the cogitati­ons, and of the intent of the heart, Heb. 4.12.

God will not only examine our outward works and words, but al­so our very thoughts and intenti­ons of our hearts; whereupon the Prophet Jeremy saith, Wash thy heart from malice O Hierusalem, that thou mayest be saved; how long shall hurt­full cogitations abide in thee? Jer. 4.14. to signifie unto us, that no outward act of almes or prayers, or of any other seeming good deed, is acceptable, or of esteeme before God, as long as wicked thoughts, or impios intentions have place in the soul; but first it is necessary to wash our hearts, and cleanse our souls from malicious thoughts, and evill intentions, before we can doe any good deed, or be saved.

Amongst the Sacrifices which [Page 19]were offered to God in the old Law, the Sacrifice which was to be acceptable, and propitious to his expectation who offered it; The ex­trails, and feet, (which signifie the thoughts and affections) were wash­ed with water, before they were of­fered upon the Altar, Lev. 1. to sig­nifie unto us, that no Sacrifice of a­ny kind was acceptable, or propiti­ous before God for the remission of our sin, unlesse it were offered with pious thoughts, and sincere affecti­on or intention: whereupon, though throughout the book of Leviticus God had commanded Sa­crifice to be offered unto him, and also the feasts of the new-Moone, and Sabbaths, and other festivall dayes to be kept, yet he saith to the Jewes, To what purpose do you offer to me your victime [...]? the holo­causts of rams, and the fat of fat things, and the bloud of calves, and lambs, and buck, goats I have not [Page 20]desired, who sought for these things at your hands? The new Moon, and the Sabbath; and other festivities I will not abide, Isay 1.11.

And shewing the reason why he was so a versed from the things which formerly he had expresly commanded, addeth, because they were not performed with such pi­ous thoughts, and purity of heart, as he desired, saying, Your assemblies are wicked, your hands are full of bloud, wash you, be clean, take away the evill of your cogitations from mine eye, &c. and come and accuse me, saith our Lord, if your sins shall be as scarlet, they shall be made white as snow; and if they be red as vermilion, they shall be white as wooll, Isa. 13. So that neither corporall, nor spi­rituall Sacrifice, nor any other out­ward act, is gratefull or acceptable to God, unlesse they be accompani­ed with pious thoughts, and inten­tions to do them for the love of [Page 21]God; whereby appeareth the excel­lency of pious thoughts, for that they give grace, beauty, and lustre unto all our actions before God.

The Patriarch Abraham resolved with himself so far to obey God, as to sacrifice unto him his only son I­saac; & though by the providence of God, he was hindered from the fact; yet because he had a reall intention, and pious thoughts to performe it, this work was so acceptable unto God, as that thereupon the made unto him the pro [...]ise, That in his seed (Christ) all Nations should be blessed. King David resolved with himself to build a glorious Temple for God, wherein, though he was prevented by Gods own appoint­ment, yet he received so great a re­ward for these his pious thoughts, and good intentions, that God said unto him by the Prophet Nathan, I will give thee rest from all thine ene­mies, [Page 22]and will make thee a house when thy daies shall be accomplished, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall come forth of thy womb, and J will e­stablish his Kingdome; He shall build a house to my name, and I will esta­blish the throne of his Kingdome for e­ver, 2 Kings 7.

Our Saviour sitting over against the Treasury of the Temple, obser­ved how the multitude did cast mo­ney into the Treasury, and many rich men gave liberally; but when there came a poor widow, she cast in two mites, which is a farthing; he calling his Disciples together, said, Amen J say to you, that this poor wid­dow hath cast in more then all the rest, for all these of their abundance have cast into the gifts of God but she of her penury hath cast in all her li­ving that she had, Mark 12. Luk. 21. So though her gift in substance was the least, yet the piety of her mind, [Page 23]and purity of her thoughts, made it amount to be the highest in value before God.

As our ears (saith S. Augustine upon the 148. Psalm) are to our voy­ces, so the eares of God are to our thoughts; as our ears listen unto our words, or unto the tune of our voyces, to give testimony what they are, even so saith S. Augustine, the eares of God watch upon our thoughts: I know (saith God) their works, and their cogitations, Isa. 66.18. and as there it followeth, I will judge every man accordingly, where­by it doth appear, how carefull and vigilant every one ought to be of his thoughts.

It is not possible (saith S. Augustine in the place before cited) that he can have evill deeds or works, who hath good thoughts, for the deeds or works proceed from the thoughts: neither can any man do any thing, or move any of his members to do any act, unlesse first [Page 24]the commandement of his thoughts precedes: Even as whatsoever the Em­peror in his inward Pallace doth com­mand, passeth throughout the whole Empire, and into all the Provinces; what a motion or stir is made at the command of the Emperor sitting with­in his Pallace? He only moveth his lips when he speaketh, and all the Pro­vinces are moved to do that which he saith: So in every one of us the Empe­ror is within he sitteth within in our hearts; if he commands good, good things are dene; if he command evill, evil and sin is committed Thus S. Au­gastine. And this is sufficient to shew unto thee Reader, the excellency of pious thoughts, that they make all a mans life pious and vertuous, and have promise of this life, and of that which is to come.

CHAP. V. How the thoughts commonly follow the sen­ses, and that the senses consented unto beget our thoughts.

THe Philosophers seeking out how the understanding of men come to know, or think good or e­vill thoughts, affirm with one con­sent, as a generall maxime or prin­ciple, that there is nothing in the understanding, which either by it selfe, or els by some resemblance, shadow, or picture, was not first in some of the senses, in such sort, as Aristotle in the 8. cha. of his 3. book of the soul absolutely affirmeth, That sensible things in sensible formes, are also forms in the understanding; whereupon it cometh to passe, sa [...]th he, That he who wanteth senses, can neither learn, nor understand any thing, as also we find by experience, for he who is born deaf, though the organs of his tongue be never so [Page 26]per­fect, yet he cannot learn to speak; and he who is borne blind, though he have his other senses and under­standing perfect, yet shall he never be able to discerne or dispute of co­lours.

The senses bring in the outward visible species, images, signs, figures, or forms of things, and place them in the phantasie and memory; the memory and phantasie propounds them to the will and understanding, and the understanding and will im­bracing them, frame thoughts and actions accordingly: for as S. Au­gustine in the eighth chapter of his t [...]n [...]h book of Confessions saith, The things themselves do not enter in­to the memory, only the images of the things perceived by the senses, are rea­dy there at hand, whensoever the thoughts will call for them. Thus S. Augustine; whereby it appeareth, that according to the images or formes, which the senses bring in, [Page 27]the soul thinketh; wherefore if the senses bring in images and species of good and pious things, the thoughts are noble, heroicall, and pious; if of vicious and wicked, then the thoughts will also be base and vile.

From hence it is that the Prophet Jeremy, speaking in the person of one, who through the liberty which he gave unto his eyes, had infected his soule with wicked thoughts, and himself with filthy sins, saith, Mine eye hath spoiled my soul, Lament. 3.51. Again, death is come up through our windows, Jer. 9.21. The eye (saith S. Ambrose in the first chapter of his book intituled de fuga seculi) hath looked, and hath perverted the sense of the mind; the ear hath heard, and hath changed the intention, a smel ascended, and hath hindered the thought, the mouth tasted, and sin is committed, the touch approached, and the fire burned; for as the Prophet [Page 28]saith, death entereth by the windows, and thy windows are thine eyes. Thus S. Ambrose, to shew unto us, that the thoughts commonly follow the senses, and that the senses consented unto, beget our thoughts.

CHAP. VI. The power which the senses have to move the mind, to think good or evill, as they present.

WHat force our eyes have to move our mind to think good or evill, as they present un­to it, may well appeare by our first parent Eve, her fall, who living in the delights of Paradise, cloathed with originall grace, and possessed of what her heart could honestly desire, looked only upon the forbid­den fruit, and saw that the tree was good to eat (as her senses told her) and fair to the eyes, and delightfull to behold, and she took of the fruit there­of, and did eat; and so brought not [Page 29]only originall sin into the world, but also evill thoughts and deeds, and sicknesse, and infirmities, and all diseases, and death, which w [...]re not before, nor should have been, if sin had never been committed; where­by it doth appear, how much it im­porteth man, to have alwayes be­fore his eyes sacred forms, pictures, signs, and images, that his senses beholding them, his thoughts may be pious: for as S. Gregory the Great (in the first chapter of his sixth book upon the first of Kings) saith, seeing that we cannot think two things at once, it is easily brought about, that thinking of other things (which are good) we cannot be troubled with e­vill thoughts.

Holy Job considering the power which the object of the senses have, in filling our hearts and minds with pious thoughts, saith, I have made a covenant with mine eyes, that I would not so much as think of a Virgin, Job [Page 30]31.1. The object of the eyes, being for the most part the matter of our thoughts, holy Job made a covenant with his eyes, that they should not behold the beauty of a Virgin, least it might administer vain and carnall matter to his thoughts: whereupon S. Gregory the Great upon this text saith, That Job might keep the thoughts of his heart chast; he made a covenant with his eys, least that they might first with liberty behold, that which afterwards he should even, as it were, against his will, love, for it is a great burthen which the flesh draweth downward, and the Image or Picture of Beauty once tyed to the heart, by means of the eyes, it's hardly loosed with the pulling of both the hands: wherefore if we will not be troubled with slippery or wanton thoughts, we must be provident before hand, for it is no way safe for us to behold that which we may not covet; wherefore, that the mind may be preserved in pi­ous [Page 31]thoughts, the eys (like thieves who are posting to steal) are to be drawne back from lasciviousnesse in their pleasures; for even Eve had not touch­ed the forbidden tree, had she not first with too great liberty looked upon it. Thus S. Gregory; to demonstrate un­to us, how much the beholding of sacred pictures, signes, and images, which represent unto us, either God, or the things of heaven, or the mysteries of our faith, may be bene­ficiall unto us, seeing they are, or may be Nurses of Pious Thoughts.

Plutarch reporteth of Alexan­der the Great in his life, that after he had taken the daughters of Da­rius King of Persia captives, he visi­ted and saluted them very seldome, and then alwayes with his eyes cast upon the ground, being, saith he, a­fraid of himself, least that he might be intangled in their rare beauty; neither would he ever come in the sight of Darius his wife, who was, [Page 32](as they told him) a most comely woman, but many times resorted unto her mother, whose years took away the occasion of vain thoughts, or sensuall allurements, and not to be hindered in his designes, and con­quests by the beauty of the Persian Dames, as Curtius relateth, he ima­gined them to be Statues of wood, or stone, saying, The Persian Ladies are the griefe of the eyes, but I passe by them, as by Statues.

S. Hierome shewing unto us, how much the object of our senses help, or hurt our soules; in his second book against Jovinian saith, by the five senses, as it were by windows, vi­ces find enterance into the soul: The chiefe City and Castle of the soule cannot be surprised or taken, unlesse the A [...]my of the enemy enter in by the gates; by the tumultuous motions of the senses the soule is oppressed, it is led away captive by the sight, by the hearing, by the smelling, by the tast and touch.

According as the senses present unto the soule, so she discourseth, thinketh, and worketh; whereupon the Councell Agathensis in the twenty eighth chapter forbiddeth Clergy men, and those who were bound to live chast, to be present at marriage feasts, or at other prophane meetings, where Love-songs were sung, or wanton speeches used; where un­clean motions of the body, by dancing, or lascivious kissing, might be stirred up, least (as it saith) their eares and eyes (which according to their obliga­tion, are bound to attend the sacred mysteries) should become polluted with the infection of vaine speeches and filthy words.

Neither art thou Christian Read­er stronger then Sampson, nor more holy then David, nor wiser then Solomon, who were all overcome, and made a prey to their enemies, by the vain object of the senses; [Page 34]whereby appeareth the power which the senses have to move the mind to think good or evill, as they present.

CHAP. VII. How pious objects, and sacred Pictures furnish our souls with pious thoughts.

THe object of the senses having that power with our soules, as that it can for the most 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 [Page 35]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 [Page 36]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 [Page 37]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 l [...] 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 [Page 38]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, Chappells, 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 [Page 39]the Church so sweetly sung, the words did fl [...]w into my ears, and the truth which was contained therein, distilled m [...]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 [Page 41]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 [Page 42]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 [...]ormer tim [...]s are Catholique Christian [...], have l [...]arned our Christi­ [...]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 Christian Catholique Nations that are, the things of heaven, and mysteries of their faith, by audible artificiall sa­cred signes, or visible sacred signes, pictures and images, they should ne­ver have learned them, or have come to know them; for as S. Paul [Page 43]in the aforesaid chapter saith, faith is by hearing, and hearing is by the word of God; and words are but signes of things, as witnesseth Ari­stotle in the first chapter of his first book of Perihermanias, and Pierius in his book of the sacred Egyptian letters throughout; neither as I have proved in the precedent chap­ters, do the things themselves enter into the mind by the senses, but their signes, pictures, formes or i­mages, whereby it appeareth that the necessity of using sacred artifi­ciall signes, pictures, and images is such, as that without them we can­not learn divine things, or the my­steries of our faith.

Now seeing that the mind (as Cicero in his first book of Offices af­firmeth) is never quiet, but is always thinking or doing, as we may find by our dreams, and discourses upon things in our memory and phanta­sies, when we are even asleep, and [Page 44]no divine thing can naturally enter into our hearts and minds to be thought upon, or agitated, or dis­coursed of, which passeth not by some form, picture signe, or image through the senses, it necessarily fol­loweth, that if we will have pious thoughts, we must propose to the senses sacred artificiall pictures, signes, formes or shapes, that they may represent unto the heart, and mind sacred things, as matter of pi­ous thoughts; from whence it is, that Cathol [...]que Christians in the Primitive Church, and at all times used sacred artificiall pictures, signs and images, as of the Nativity, Preaching, working of Miracles, Passion of our Lord, upon his As­cension into heaven, his glory there, and of his coming again at the day of Judgement, and also sacred signs, pictures or images of all the things contained in both Testaments, as the pictures, signs and images of An­gels [Page 45]and Saints, and of all vertues, &c. the rebv to furnish the mind by these objects of the senses with pi­ous thoughts.

For as Abbot Mo [...]ses, a vertu­ous and learned old E [...]mite, who retyred himself into the desarts of Egypt for the salvation of his soule, in the eighteenth chapter of the first book of Casians Collations saith, The exercises of our soules may very fitly be compared unto a Water­mill, which is so continu [...]lly turned about with the violence of a stream running forth amain through certain holes, that it can never cease from grinding, yet it is the Mill [...]rs or Ma­sters power, whether it shall grind Wheat or Barley, or if he will cast in­to it to grind o [...] work upon Oats; for that certainly will be broken in pieces and grinded, which the Master or Miller will cast into it. In like man­ner, the mind (saith he) turned about by the incursions of this present life, [Page 46]and by the torrents of temptations which rush in upon us, cannot be free from the heat of thoughts, whereof, which to admit, or to repulse, every one ought to learne by his diligence and pains, for if we continually apply our minds unto the meditation of the holy Scriptures, raise up our memory to the memory of spirituall things, elevate our desires to the desire of perfection, and to the hope of the happinesse to come; it must needs be, that the thoughts which arise in our minds shall be spirituall, the mind being brought to stay her self upon those things which she hath meditated, but if overcome by sloth and negligence, we spend our time in vices and idle talk, or els busie our selves with the superfluous cares of the world: then our hearts will be filled with hurtfull thoughts, like a k [...]nd of a cockle sprung from thence; for as our Saviour said, where the trea­sure of our works or intentions is, there also our heart must necessarily be fixed.

Thus Abbot Moyses, a holy Her­mit, who lived about twelve hun­dred yeares past in the desarts of Sciti in Egypt, as affirmeth Ruffinus in the eighth chapter of his ele­venth book of histories, where their letters were all visible pictures, signs and images, as witnesseth Pierius in his book of the sacred Egyptian let­ters: And the like comparison of the operation of our soules in mat­ter of thoughts hath S. Anselme, sometime Archbishop of Canter bu­ry; in the forty one chapter of his book of Similitudes, and others, to demonstrate unto us the necessity of often hearing with respect and reverence sacred sounds, which are but signes of holy things, and of of­ten seeing, beholding, and looking upon sacred artificiall pictures, signes and images, which represent unto us divine things, or the myste­ries of our faith, &c. with a relative religious worship, that by hearing [Page 48]or beholding them after that man­ner, the divine things or mysteries of our faith may easily passe and enter into our minds, and fill our hearts with pious thoughts, as I shall yet further shew in the ensuing chap­ters.

CHAP. IX. What we mean by a relative Religious Worship and of the distinction of honor and worship.

AS our Opposers would not un­derstand what we mean by sa­cred pictures, figures and images, no more will they understand what we intend by a Relative Religious Worship, unlesse we explicate it un­to them; wherefore here it is neces­sary to repeat what I have said in the first and second chapters of our book, of the honor and prayer to Saints, where I have shewed, that as there are in generall two King­domes upon earch, th'one tempo­rall, [Page 49]th'other spirituall, so also in generall (and for as much as will serve for our purpose) there are two kinds of honors and worships, the one civill, belonging to the temporall Kingdome, the other re­ligious, belonging to the spirituall Kingdome, and both these kinds of honors and worships have divers degrees, divisions, or distributions, according to the divers and diffe­rent dignities in the said King­domes, and yet keep one or the same name of honor or worship, with little variety in words, more then the termes of religious, civill or su­perstitious.

As for example, all the honor and worship which is in the temporall Kingdome, as it is temporall, and not Christan, whether it be exhibi­ted to God, or Gods, or Kings, or his Officers, or other of his Subjects, is but civill or superstitious, though it be divided into divers acts, opera­tions [Page 50]and degrees, for these who have no true Religion (as Turks, Jews, and Infidells,) can have no true religious worship amongst them; therefore all the honor and worship which can or may be a­mongst them, is but civill or super­stitious, according to the humane vertues, dignities, or superstition, which is used amongst them, though it be divided into divers degrees; and that civill or superstitious wor­ship whith they bestow upon God, or Gods, or their Kings, may not be given to every temporall man or Officer amongst them, but an inferi­our, according to the civill or super­stitious dignity, or office, or esteem of every one, or the relation any thing amongst them hath to a higher civill or superstitious power; the same we say of Religious Wor­ship in the spirituall Kingdome of Gods Church, as it is spirituall, that whether it be exhibited to God, or [Page 51]to the Officers of his Church, or to other Christians, or to sacred things dedicated to his honor, yet we call it still a Religious Worship, though that Religious Worship which we bestow upon God, as he is God (such as are Sacrifices, oathes and vowes) may not be exhibited to his crea­tures, but an inferiour, according to the qualty, dig [...]ity or esteem which the said creat [...]res have in Gods Church, or the relation they haxe unto higher powers; and therefore for distinction sake, we call this in­feriour worship which is bestowed upon creatures, a Relative Religi­ous Worship, and not an absolute, as having relation to God, the end of all goodnesse, esteem and digni­ty, and this we intend and mean by a Relative Religious Worship, and after this manner we affirm that sa­cred pictures, signes and images may be honored and worshipped, with a Relative Religious visible and invi­sible [Page 52]worship (and not with an ab­solute) as having relation either im­mediately or mediately unto God, the end of all goodnesse.

This noble morall vertue of Re­ligion, as also other morall vertues, hath divers acts or operations, some whereof only respect God, as he is God and Creator of all things, o­thers his Angels and Saints, or spi­rituall persons, or ecclesiasticall and sacred things dedicated to his ho­nor and service; as it respecteth on­ly and chiefly God, it is divine ho­nor and worship, or an absolute worship, independent upon any o­ther thing, as it respecteth the crea­tures and sacred things dedicated to his service, it is relative religious ho­nor and worship, because it is not absolute, or stayeth there, but hath a further relation to God, the end of all goodnesse, as of whom, and by whom, and from whom the thing worshipped hath that honor and [Page 53]worship, and not of it selfe, by it selfe.

The like we find in other morall vertues; as for example, in Justice, though the substance and nature of this vertue be one particular ver­tue, yet her operations and effects are divers and different, whereof some are occupied about God, as he is God and Creator of all things, others about his creatures; and that work or operation which accord­ing to Justice we bestow upon God, as he is God and Creator of all things (as love of the whole heart) may not be bestowed upon his crea­tures, but an other of an inferiour and relative quality; and the like we may say of other morall vertues, and also of Religion, which is de­scribed by S. Thomas in his 2a. 2ae, quaest. 81. to be one speciall most no­ble morall vertue, distinct onely by reason from holinesse, which accord­ing to her proper acts and operati­on [Page 54]doth only respect God, and by other vertues which she command­eth his creatures; and therefore when she is described according to her most principall office or opera­tion, or principall Analogate, she is said to belong unto God only, and when she is described according to her largest extent or signification, then she is said to belong unto God and holy things; that Religion, and a religious worship and honor doth belong unto God, that our Adver­saries do confesse, that she doth also belong after the aforesaid relative manner, unto sacred pictures, signes and images, and other holy things, either mediately or immediately dedicated to the honor end service of God, that I shall further shew in the ensuing chapters.

CHAP. X. That a Relative Religious Worship be­longeth unto sacred things, Pictures, Signes and Images, as they immediately or mediately conduct us to God.

S. Paul. speaking of the sacred things, Rites and Ceremonies which were used by the faithfull in the Old Law, in the service of God, saith, These things were done in a fi­gure of us: Again, All these things happened to them in sign (or example, as Protestants translate) 1 Cor. 10. Again, For the Law having a shadow of things to come, not the very image of the things, Heb. 10.1. whereby it appeareth that the Rites, Ceremo­nies, and Sacraments of the Old Law were but sacred Signs, Pictures, Images, Shadows, or imperfect and obscure representations of the sa­cred things of the New Testament; whereupon S. Paul saith, that Abra­ham received the sign of Circumcisi­on, [Page 56]seal of the Justice of Faith, that is in prepuce, or Christians, Rom. 4.11. yet they worshipped these figures, signs and shadows in the Old Law with a relative religious worship and honor, as witnesseth the Scri­pture, saying, You shall observe these Ceremonies, (in the Sacrifice of the Paschall Lamb) and when your chil­dren shall say unto you what is this Religion? you shall say to them, it is the victime of your Lords passage, when he passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, Exod. 12.16. where the Scriptures call the reverence and respect which was borne unto the Ceremonies and signes which represented our Lords passage over the houses of the chil­dren of Israel in Egypt, a Religion, where they used a relative religious worship, as of the same nature, and not a civill, which is of another kind.

Again, Aaron and his children [Page 57]shall be Priests to me by a perpetuall Religion, Exod. 29.9. Again, This is the annoynting of Aaron and his sons in the Ceremonies of our Lord, &c. by a perpetuall Religion in their generations, Exod. 7.35. where the Scriptures call the signes and cere­monies which were used in the con­secration of Aaron and his children to be Priests, a Religion, and there­fore to be performed with an out­ward and inward relative religious respect and reverence. In like man­ner, a red cow being offered in burnt victimes for sin, the Scriptures say, This is the Religion of the victime which our Lord hath appointed, Num. 19.2. where the Scriptures call the Rites and Ceremonies used about the Sacrifice for sin a Religion, and therefore performed with a rela­tive religious honor, respect, and re­verence.

The Scriptures also speaking of an addition of many people unto [Page 58]the Rites and Ceremonies of the Jewes, say, Many other Nations and Sects were joyned to their Religion and Ceremonies, Hester 8.17. whereup­on S. Paul saith, According to the most pure Sect of our Religion, I was a Pha­risee, Act. 26.6. where the Scriptures and S. Paul call the whole practise which they had about sacred things or things dedicated to the honor of God, and use of their divine service, a Religion, and then the respect and reverence which they were to use a­bout the said things, must be religi­ous, as of the same nature, for as our Saviour said, We doe not gather grapes on thornes, or figs on thistles, Mat. 7.16.

S. James saith, If any man think himself to be religious, not bridling his tongue, this mans religion is vaine, Iames 1.26. where he supposeth that Religion, and so likewise a re­ligious worship may be used about the tempering of the tongue. A­gain [Page 59]in the same place S. Iames saith, A Religion clean and unspotted with God the Father is this, to visit Or­phans and Widows in their tribulati­ons, and to keep himself unspotted from the world: where likewise he suppo­seth, that Religion and religious worship may be exercised in visiting Widows and Orphans, and the acts of vertue.

Aristotle in the third chapter of his book of Politiques, taught by the light of reason, saith, Honor is justly given, when it is destributed ac­cording to dignity. And S. Paul saith, Render to all men their due; Rom. 13.7.

And some men are religious, as witnesseth the Scriptures, saying, All religious blesse ye our Lord, Dan. 3.90. Again, There were at Hierusa­lem Jewes, religious men of all Nati­ons, Act. 2.5. Again, Cornelius the Centurion is called Religious, Act. 10.2. and you cannot give honor [Page 60]according to the dignity of one who is religious, or render unto him his due, unlesse you give him some kind of religious honor or worship, all other being inferiour unto his dig­nity; whereby it appeareth, that some kind of religious worship may be given unto creatures.

Civill honor, worship and adora­tion may be given unto prophane men, as witnesseth the fact of Jacob, who seeing Esau coming towards him, going forward, he adored prostrate to the ground seven times, Gen. 33, 3. yet Esau was a prophane person, as witnesseth S. Paul, Heb. 12.16. The Roman souldiers of all Nations, as well faithfull as Infidells, adored the Imperiall Ensign called Labarum, as witnesseth Zozomenus in the fourth chapter of his first book of histories; and all people and Nati­ons, who are not exceeding barba­rous, have worshipped and honored the Chair of Estate, Scepter, Crown, [Page 61]and the very name of their Kings and Emperors, when it hath been pronounced in publike Edicts: whereby it appeareth, that a wor­ship more then civill is due unto the friends of God, and sacred things dedicated to his honor and service, otherwise you put no diffe­rence betweene sacred things and prophane, which God condemneth, saying, Her Priests have contemned my law, and have polluted my San­ctuaries, between a holy thing and a prophane they have put no difference, Ezech. 22.26. whereupon our Savi­our, when he had made as it were a whip of little cords, he cast them who sold oxen, and sheep, and doves, and bankers out of the Temple, Joh. 2.13. And S. Paul reprehended divers Christians for eating in the Church, saying, Have you not houses to eat and drink in, or contemn you the Church of God, 1 Cor. 11.22.

The Officers of Christ in his [Page 62]Church are his Legats, according to the words of S. Paul, saying, We are Legats for Christ, 2 Cor. 5.20. and Legats by relation do partici­pate in some part of the honor and worship which is due unto their Lords and Masters; wherefore see­ing that to God is due an absolute religious worship, to the Officers of Gods Church, or his Legats, must be due an inward and outward re­lative religious worship; whereup­on S. Paul saith, The fathers of our flesh we had for instructors, and we did reverence them, not with civill honor only, but with some kind of religious, as instructors of Religion, Heb. 12.9.

Our Saviour saith of his follow­ers, You are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, Ioh. 15.19. Again, of the world they are not, as I also am not of the world, Ioh. 17.17. and therefore there did be­long unto them an honour and [Page 63]worship, not worldly, which is re­ligious.

Father and Son are relatives, and the Son by all right (though in an inferiour degree) is partaker of his Fathers honor and worship, our Adversaries confesse that religious honor belongeth unto God, and the Scriptures confesse that pious and devout Christians are the adop­tive sons of God, saying, We are the sons of God, and if sons, heires also, heirs truly of God, and coheirs of Christ, Rom. 8.17. whereby it may justly be doubted, that those who deny an inward and outward rela­tive religious worship unto the Saints and eminent servants of God, have neither part nor portion in the inheritance of Christ.

The things which are dedicated to the service of God, are called sacred by God himselfe, Exod. 31.10. therefore there is due unto them an inward and outward sacred [Page 64]relative worship, which is the rela­tive religious worship we speak of; whereupon all the Lexicons and Dictionaries, not onely of Romane Catholiques, but also of our ad­versaries themselves, (as of Thomas Thomasius) do interpret this word, Religio; a true worship of God or ho­ly things, and all Nations cannot be deceived.

Moreover, our Adversaries can­not deny, but that there are religi­ous things, or things which belong unto Religion, as the Scriptures, Preaching, Teaching, Prayer, the Sacraments; unto which if our Ad­versaries will grant no kind of re­ligious worship, they destroy all Religion, and prove themselves to be prophane as Esau, Heb. 12.16.

Religion and holinesse do not re­ally differ, as S. Thomas (2.2ae. quaest. 81. Art. 8.) proveth; therefore nei­ther can their operations or effects really differ, but holinesse is exerci­sed [Page 65]about creatures, as witnesseth the Scripture, saying, follow peace with all men, and holinesse, Heb 12.14. Againe, holinesse becometh thy house O Lord, Psal. 92.5. not an ab­solute holinesse, for so God only is holy; but a relative, as conducting us by meanes unto God, who is on­ly holy of himselfe; so likewise the chiefest part of the Tabernacle was called The Sanctuary of Sanctuaries, and Holy of Holies, Exod. 26. God also commanded Moyses to make holy vestments for Aaron and his sons, wherein they might minister unto him, or serve him, Exod. 28. But to serve God belongeth to Re­ligion, therefore these were religi­ous vestments, and had both an in­ward and outward relative religi­ous reverence and respect born un­to them, seeing that none might wear them but Aaron and his sons, and then only when they attended unto the service of God. The like [Page 66]we may say of all the things which belonged unto the Temple, and ves­sells of the Altar, of holy ground, holy Mountain, holy Scriptures, &c. which are holy by a holinesse that referreth us to God, and also reli­gious, and to be reverenced with a relative religious worship, for the same cause holy and religious being really both one.

And to conclude, at all times, and in all ages the faithful honored and worshipped sacred things, whether they were immediately or mediate­ly dedicated to the service of God, which are inward and outward re­lative religious worship, as I shall further shew in the ensuing Chap­ters.

CHAP. XI. Almighty God never prohibited either the making of sacred Pictures, Signes and Images, nor yet their relative religious Worship.

ALmighty God commanded us that we should not make vain and idle graven things, that might divert us from him for our owne pleasures, or for our selves, without any respect unto him, saying, Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven thing, Exod. 20.4. but it is never read in the Scriptures, that he pro­hibited either the making or wor­shipping of sacred pictures, signes or images, with a relative religious worship, when they are made to his honor and glory, and not our own only, or to our selves; hereup­on it followeth in the same text, Thou shalt not adore them (which thou hast made to thy self, and not to the honor of God) nor serve [Page 68]them, for this is Idolatry: but faithfull Roman Catholiques never make any such pictures to them­selves only, much lesse do they wor­ship them or serve them, or adore them.

God created all things in heaven and upon earth for man, and man for himself, so that man may not use any of the creatures of God or himself for himselfe, or to himselfe onely, or do any thing to himselfe, or for himself only without offence to God, much lesse may he make pictures, signs and images to him­self only, or to bow down to them or worship them, or serve them for himself only.

This is self-love, or Philantia, not onely forbidden by the first Com­mandement, and condemned by S. Paul, saying, In the last dayes shall approach perillous times, and men shall be lovers of themselves, 1 Tim. 3.1. but also by the moral Philosophers, [Page 69]as by Aristotle in the third chapter of his second book of Politiques, and in the eighth chapter of his nineth book of Moralls, ad Nicho­machum, saying, They use to call those who love themselves filthy people: whereupon Suidas reporteth of Narcissus as beautifull young man, who was enamored of himselfe, that the Nymphs upbraided him, saying, Many hate thee, because thou too much lovest thy selfe: wherefore seeing that Almighty God bindeth all men by the obligation of their creation to love and serve him with all their hearts, no marvell that he hath tyed man from making or do­ing any thing for himself, as for him­self, and from adoring or serving such things after they be made, e­specially pictures and images, seeing there is nothing so hurtfull to the love and service of God, as selfe-love, and the working or doing any thing for our selves, or the worship­ing [Page 70]or serving it; whereupon the Antients compared self-love to the love of the Ape unto her Cub, which she killeth with imbracing, as they do, who make to themselves and not to God graven things or i­mages, or pictures, and after fall down to them and worship them, without any reference or order to God.

Our Saviour, to keep all Christi­ans from this self-love, or from making any graven thing, or image for themselves, and not with refe­rence, order, or relation to God, taught them, saying, If any will come after me (to heaven) let him deny himself, Mat. 16.24. that is, saith S. Basil in his answer to the sixth Interrogation of his large disputa­tion upon Rules, forsake all his own pleasures, and do, or make nothing for himself, much lesse to make a graven thing, or image for himself, and af­ter to bow down unto it, and serve [Page 71]it: This to be the sense of these words the Scripture doth witnesse, saying in the same chapter, You shall not make gods of silver, nor gods of gold shall you make to you, ver. 23. A­gain, mine Angell shall bring thee unto the Amorrheite, and Hetheite, and Pherezeit, and Canaanite, and H [...]veit, and Iebuzite, whom I will destroy, you shall not adore their gods, nor serve them, Exod. 23.23. Again, He hath cut down cedars, taken the elm tree, and the oak, &c. he took of them and was warmed, and kindled them, and baked bread, but of the rest he wrought a God, and adored, he made a graven thing, and bowed down before it, halfe he burnt with fire, &c. but the rest thereof he made a god, and a graven thing to himself; he how­eth down before it, and beseeching, saying, Deliver me, because thou art my god, Isa. 44.14. whereupon when the children of Israel in the desert fell into Idolatry, whilest [Page 72] Moyses was in the Mount with God about these Commandements, God said to Moyses, Thy people have made to themselves a molten calfe, and have adored, and immolating hosts unto it, have said, these are thy gods Israel, Exod. 32.8. whereby it is manifest, that this text onely forbiddeth the making of Idols, and of vain and i­dle pictures, or images, which have no reference or relation to God, but to men only, and the affection or service done to them, which is by all Roman Catholikes accompt­ed sinfull and wicked; and therefore if any Roman Catholique make to himself any such image, sign or pi­cture, their Adversaries shall doe well to punish him.

That these words, a graven thing, or as it is in the Hebrew text, Pesel, signifieth an idol or vaine image made to a mans selfe, and not to the honor of God, the seventy In­terpreters of the Scriptures, who [Page 73]were assigned for that purpose by the Jews, to translate the Old Te­stament into Greek do witnesse, for they translate for the Hebrew word Pesel (which our Adversaries erro­neously call a graven image) Idolum an Idol. In like manner Origen in his eighth Homily upon Exodus, and S. Augustine twice in his 71. question upon Exodus readeth this text, Thou shalt not make to thy self an Idol. And Calvin himself in his Commentaries upon the second of Exodus put forth in French, saith upon this text, Moyses only speaketh of Jdols. And a little after, That which some foolishly have thought, here to be condemned all graving and ima­ges, needeth no confutation, seeing that Moyses hath no other intent, but to exempt the glory of God from all fi­ctions which tend to corrupt it; where­by it appeareth that this text ma­keth nothing either against the ma­king of sacred pictures, signs or i­mages, [Page 74]or the adoring or worship­ing them with a relative religious worship, which conducteth us to God and heavenly things.

In like manner this first Com­mandement, (or the second, as our Adversaries will have it) is again set down in the fifth of Deuteronomy, where it is also said, Thou shalt not make to thee a thing graven, nor the similitude of any thing that is in hea­ven above, &c. thou shalt not adore them, nor serve them; where Almigh­ty God prohibiteth the making of graven things, pictures, signs or ima­ges to our selves, and not to his ho­nor and glory, and likewise prohi­biteth the adoring or worshipping of such pictures, signes and images as are made to our selves, and not to his honor; neither in all the Bi­ble is there found any prohibition, either to make any sacred artificiall picture, sign or image, or to adore or worship them, being made with [Page 75]a relative religious worship for the holy things they doe represent; where upon I may conclude that Al­mighty G [...] neither prohibited the making of sacred artificiall pictures, signs and images, nor yet their wor­ship after the manner abovesaid, as I shall yet further shew in the ensu­ing chapters.

CHAP. XII. That it is lawfull to make holy artificiall Pictures, Signes and Images, which may immediately or mediately bring us to think upon God and heavenly things, and place them in Churches or Temples.

FIrst the arts of painting, carve­ing, printing and writing were never prohibited, and if it be law­full to exercise these arts in naturall and morall things, it cannot be de­nied, but that they may be used to assist our minds or memories in painting, printing, or carving such holy and sacred things, as may put [Page 76]us in mind of God, or of the my­steries of our faith, or of heaven, and the things which are therein.

It is manifest, that the Taberna­cle of Testimony, with the Cheru­bins and two Tables, wherein were written or ingraven the ten Com­mandements, and all that which be­longed unto the Tabernacle were graven things, artificiall pictures, signs and images, for the Scriptures are herein most plain, God saying to Moyses, Behold I have called by name Beseleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the Tribe of Juda, and I have re­plenished him with the Spirit of God, with wisdome, and understanding, and knowledge in all works, to devise what­soever may be artificially made of gold, and silver, and brasse, of marble and pretious stones, and diversity of wood, and J have given him for his fellow Ooliab, and in the heart of e­very skilfull man have J put in wis­dome, that they may make all things [Page 77]J have commanded thee, Exod. 31. Thus God to Moyses, to demon­strate unto us, that holy artificiall i­mages, pictures, signes and graven things, which represent unto us God and heavenly things, may be made or placed in Churches or Tem­ples, seeing that God himselfe, not only gave Commandement to make such things, and to place them in the Tabernacle, but also indued men with extraordinary wisdome and knowledge, to devise for the Tabernacle whatsoever may be ar­tificially made of gold, and silver, and brasse, of marble and precious stones, and diversity of wood, as here the Scripture saith, and God cannot be the Author of sin or evill.

Moreover that these things which Beseleel and Ooliab made by the Commandement of God, were artificiall pictures, signes, similitudes and images, the Scripture further witnesseth, saying, Look and make [Page 78]it according to the paterne that was shewed thee in the Mount, Exod. 25.40. whereupon S. Stephen said unto the Jewes, The Tabernacle of Testimony was among our fathers in the desert, as God ordained, speaking to Moyses, that he should make it according to the form which he had seen, Acts 7.44. which S. Paul also confirmeth, Heb. 8.5. wherefore it cannot be denied, but that it is lawfull to make holy artificiall pictures, signs and images, and to place them in Churches, see­ing that by the Commandement of God such things have beene made for the Tabernacle and Temple of the people of Israel, which were signs and figures of the Christian Church, as witnesseth S. Paul, 1 Cor. 10.

Again God said to Moyses, The children of Israel shall make to me a Sanctuary, and I will dwell in the midst of them, according to all the si­militude of the Tabernacle which I [Page 79]will shew thee, &c. Two Cherubins also shalt thou make of beaten gold on both sides of the Oracle, Exod. 25. Solomon also in building the Tem­ple, made in the Oracle two Cherubs of Olive trees of ten cubits in height, &c. and all the walls of the Temple round about he graved with divers en­gravings and carvings, and he made in them Cherubins, and palm trees, and divers pictures, as it were standing out of the wall, and coming forth, 3 Kings 6.

Moreover the two Tables of the Commandements which God gave to Moyses in the Mount Sinai, were sacred artificiall graven things, signs or pictures, as witnesse the Scriptures, saying, Moyses returned from the Mount, carrying the two Tables of Testimony in his hand, written on both sides, and made by the work of God, the writing also of God was graven in the Tables, Exod. 32.15. And words are but signes, figures, or images of [Page 80]things, as witnesseth Aristotle in the first chapter of his first book, Peri-Hermenias, and Pierius in his books of the sacred Egyptian let­ters.

Moreover the nature of man con­sidered, it cannot be, that the ma­king of a picture, sign or image on­ly (as they are the similitudes of o­ther things) or the placing of them within Churches or Temples should be forbidden, for so God should be contrary to himself, who hath crea­ted man after such a manner, that he cannot naturally learn, know, or understand any thing, without con­ceiving the same, under some corpo­rall image or likenesse, his know­ledge so depending upon his senses, that he cannot know any thing, which either by it self, or in some si­militude, is not first represented by some sense; as for example, we see visible creatures, and hear sounds or voyces, whereby the common sense [Page 81]being informed with such an image, as it is able to conceive, offereth the same to our phantasie or imaginati­on; whereupon the mind beginneth to gather knowledge, and to print (as it were) or to ingrave in it selfe that which is represented unto it by the senses, and therefore maketh judgement, and gathereth know­ledge out of these images, species, or representations, in such sort, that as often as the mind will either use knowledge, or seek to increase in it, she alwayes returneth to these ima­ges, figures or species which she hath received, and laid up in the gulph of her memory, to the end, that she may have wherewithall to occupy her self, and take delight, as occasi­on requireth: And thus God of his goodnesse hath created man, where­by it appeareth that he neither hath prohibited men from making sacred pictures, signs or images, nor from the placing them in Churches, see­ing [Page 82]that both Almighty. God com­mandeth them to be made, and to be placed in his Temple, and that man cannot learn divine things, but by sacred artificiall pictures, signes and images.

As there are prophane and vaine images, pictures, similitudes, and signs, so there are sacred and holy, as witnesseth God himself, who cal­led the Tabernacle and the artificiall images, and graven things which did belong unto it, sacred things, Exod. 31.10. and S. Paul calleth the writ­ten words of the Bible, which are but signs, pictures and images (as I have proved heretofore) holy Scri­pture, 2 Tim. 3.25. and the places most fit for holy things, which ei­ther directly or indirectly represent unto us God, and heavenly things, are Churches, Chappells, and Tem­ples, which also themselves are, or ought to be signes, images and pi­ctures of heaven; so that the places [Page 83]of sacred pictures in holy Churches, Chappels or Temples, is but the ob­servance of a decorum, in placing like with like, not to cast pearles before swine, nor do injury to holy things, by putting them in prophane places.

Temples, Churches, and Chap­pels ought to represent unto us hea­ven, as witnesseth the Scriptures, saying of the place where Iacob worshipped God, This is none other but the house of God, Gen. 28.17. in whose house be Angels and Saints, whose Similitudes, Temples, Chur­ches and Chappels are to represent; whereupon the Temple in the Old Law, which was a figure of Christi­an Churches, and Chappels, was a­dorned with pictures and images, as witnesseth the Scriptures, saying, Solomon made in the Oracle (which was in the most inward part of the Temple) two Cherubins of olive trees of ten cubits in height, &c. and all the walls of the Temple round about he [Page 84]graved with divers ingravings and carving, and he made in them Cheru­bins, and palm trees, and divers pi­ctures, as it were standing out of the wall, and coming forth, 3 Kings 6.

S. Paul also calleth Christian Churches the house of God, 1 Cor. 11.22. and our Saviour divers times calleth his Church upon earth, the Kingdome of heaven; as Mat. 13.24. and again verse 47. and the Tem­ple and Churches his Fathers house, Ioh. 2.16. where not onely God dwelleth, but also Angels and Saints, according to the words of S. Paul, saying to the Christians, You are come to Mount Sion, and the City of the living God, heavenly Hierusalem, and the assembly of many thousand of Angels, and the Church of the first­born, which are written in heaven, Heb. 12.22. whereupon it cometh to passe, that there was never in the world any Church which did be­long unto Catholique Christians, [Page 85]which had not in it an Altar, as a picture, sign, or image of the Altar in heaven, and some sacred pictures, signes or images, either to repre­sent unto those who should enter into it the society of heaven, or the mysteries of our faith, or both, otherwise it could not represent the Temple of God, or house of God in heaven, from whence it hath his denomination; S. John saying, that he saw a great multitude (in hea­ven) which no man could number, of all Nations, Tribes, and peoples, clo­thed in white robes, and palms in their hands, &c. these (saith he) are they which are come out of great tribulati­on, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the bloud of the Lamb, therefore they are before the Throne of God, and they serve him day and night in his Temple, Revel. 7. Again he saith, I saw an Angel come forth from the Temple which is in heaven, Revel. 14.17. whereby it [Page 86]appeareth, that as we have sacred Temples, Altars and Churches, which represent the Temple, Altar, and house of God in heaven, so al­so we ought to have sacred images, or pictures of Angells and Saints, to represent unto us the Inhabitants in the Temple of heaven, or the mysteries of our faith; and that our adversaries, who disgrace, deface, and beat down these things, are e­nemies to pious thoughts, and to the elevation of mens minds to hea­ven and heavenly things.

CHAP. XIII. That in time of peace, when there is no persecution, the pictures and images of Angels and Saints ought to be placed in Christian Churches, and there honored with a relative religious worship.

AS I have proved in the last chapter, Christian Churches, Temples and Chappels ought to resemble unto them heaven, and [Page 87]the house of God in heaven, where­in do dwell Angels and Saints, and therefore it is as manifest, that Christians ought to have some sa­cred pictures of Angels and Saints in their churches, temples and chap­pels, and there to honor them with a relative religious worship, to re­present unto them heaven, as is ma­nifest, that they ought to have chur­ches, unlesse it be in time of persecu­tion, when sacred pictures are more subject to be prophaned, then the churches themselves, by Pagans and Infidels, who do more hate sacred images, then they do material chur­ches, and therefore doe sooner de­face and abuse them, then they doe the churches them­selves.

In the Old Testament, because the gates of heaven were not o­pen before the Ascension of our Lord, as the Scriptures witnesse, Colos. 1.18. therefore in the Taber­nacle [Page 88]and Temple of the Old Law, were onely the pictures of Angels, and not of Saints; but now in the New Law, that the Saints have pas­sage into heaven, and the Inhabi­tants of heaven doe consist of An­gels and Saints, as witnesse the Scriptures, Heb. 13.22. Revel. 7.9. it is as requisite that the pictures and images of Saints should be placed in Christian churches and chappels, and there respected and honored with a relative religious worship, as that it was necessary in the old Law the pictures of Angels should be in the Tabernacle and Temple, and there respected and adored after the manner aforesaid, the same rea­son serving equally for both.

The Inhabitants of the Temple and house of God in heaven, con­sisting of an innumerable multitude of Angels and Saints, he should be but an unskilfull workman, who would undertake to make a de­scription [Page 89]of it unto our corporall eyes, and not paint or carve any i­mage or picture of any Saint, see­ing that heaven is the house of Saints, as further witnesseth S. Paul, 2 Cor. 5.1. unlesse he should excuse himself by reason of persecution, that he omitted these things, least they should be prophaned by Pa­gans and Infidels, or administer oc­casion unto them of greater wrath or indignation against Christians: whereupon it came to passe, that though the Primitive Christians al­wayes used pictures and images of Saints in their churches, chappels, and places of meeting, and respe­cted and reverenced them with a re­lative religious worship, as they did their churches, thereby to nou­rish in themselves pious thoughts; yet in the time of persecution they used them not carved or painted up­on the walls, or so fixed, as that they could not easily remove them, [Page 90]as doth witnesse the Councell of J­liberis held in the time of of perse­cution, and before the church had peace, in the thirty sixth Canon, saying, It hath pleased the Councell that pictures should not be in the Chur­ches, (that is to say, fixed or fasten­ed to the walls) least that which is worshipped and adored should be paint­ed upon walls, where the Pagan and Infidels coming might easily abuse them.

But after that persecution ceased, and the church had peace; for the statues, pictures and images of false gods, and prophane men, which the Pagan and Infidells used in their Temples, and the honor which they bestowed upon them, the Christians brought in the pictures, images and memories of the Saints, with a rela­tive religious respect and honor un­to them, as witnesseth Theodoret in the end of the eighth book of the cure of Greek affections, or of Mar­tyrs, [Page 91]saying, The Temples of those false gods, and prophane men, together with their groves, are now so destroy­ed, that there doth not remain any of their footsteps, neither can we know after what manner their Attars were built, for the very matter of those things is purged out, by the erect­ed Temples and Altars of the Mar­tyrs, for our Lord God hath brought in his dead into the Temples in place of your gods, he hath made their glory void and vain, and hath given their honor to his Martyrs; and for the so­lemnities of all your gods and god­desses, are brought in the common feasts of Peter, Paul, Thomas, Sergi­us, Marcellus, Leontius, Antonius, Moritius, and other holy Martyrs. Thus Theodoret, who florished in the year 430. to shew unto us, that as soon as the church had peace, the faithful kept the feasts of the Saints, placed their pictures in the chur­ches, and gave unto them all the ex­teriour [Page 92]visible honor which the Pa­gans did unto their false gods, ex­cept Sacrifice, and their relation to their Idols, as to the true and living God: Untill the conversion of Con­stantine the great the church of God for the most part remained in persecution, as soon as he was con­verted, and begun to erect Christi­an churches, in the first church which he built, which was the Constantini­ana, (afterwards called the Church of our Saviour) he placed in it the pictures and images of our Saviour, and the Apostles, as witnesseth Da­masus in the life of S. Silvester, say­ing, Jn these times Constantine Au­gustus built the Church Constantini­ana, where he bestowed these gifts, a balcone of silver, with our Saviour sitting in the fore front thereof, in a chair of five foot high, weighing one hundred and twenty pounds, and at his back the twelve Apostles, every one of them of five foot in height, weighing [Page 93]every one of them ninety pounds, with crownes of most pure gold; looking through the Cancells of our Saviour, sitting in a throne of five foot of most pure silver, &c.

Not long after Constantine li­ved, S. Gregory Nazianzen, who for his excellent knowledge in divini­ty, was commonly called the Di­vine, a man of noble parents, and brought up at Athens with S. Basil the Great, as his School-fel­low, yet this man making an Ora­tion in the presence of S. Basil of the death of his Father, which is the nineteenth amongst his works, highly extolleth his father for building a stately and sumptu­ous Church, adorned with pictures so artificially made, that they did not (as he saith) yeeld to nature it self, yet prophane and vain pictures were never permitted to have pla­ces in Churches.

Moreover Helladius S. Basils suc­cessor in the Church of Cappadocia, writing the life of S. Basil, affirmeth, That the pious man stood before the image of our Lady, where also was painted the effigies of the famous Martyr Mercury; and he stood pray­ing that he might be freed of wicked Julian the Apostata, and he learned of the said image the event that fol­lowed, which was of his death.

S. Gregory Nissen was brother to S. Basil the Great, and lived at the same time with S. Gregory Nazian­zen, yet he writing an Oration in the praises of Theodorus the Mar­tyr, and coming to describe the beauty and sumptuousnesse of a Church built to his honor, in the City Euchita, afterward called The­odorpolis of his name, amongst o­ther things saith, The Painter also by the flower of his art hath set forth in pictures the valiant acts or deeds [Page 95]of the Martyr, his repugnances, his torments, the figures of barbarous and savage tyrants, the violent force of the flames of fire consuming the Champion, a patern of the combates of our General Christ in humane shape; and to conclude, he hath expressed un­to us, as in a book, which containeth the interpretation of tongues, all the combates and labours of the Martyr, by artificially painting them in colours. Thus S. Gregory Nizzen, to demon­strate unto us, that in the primitive Church, and even in the most florish­ing time of the Church, the faith­full had the pictures and images of their Saints in their publique Chur­ches, and respected and reverenced them with a relative religious wor­ship, as Roman Catholiques doe at this day, thereby to nourish in them­selves pious thoughts.

Anastasius Sinaita, Bishop of Antioch, florished about the yeare 544. who as it is set down in the [Page 96]third Oration of S. Damascenus, de Jmaginibus, relateth, that twenty Sarazens breaking into the Church of the aforesaid S. Theodor [...]s, and making their retreat in it, one of them (as he saith) shot an arrow at the image of S. Theodorus, which wounded it upon the right shoulder, whereat bloud issued out, and ran down unto the lowest part of the image, yet they all beholding what was done, and seeing the arrow sticking in the shoulder of the image of the Saint, and the bloud gushing out, were no­thing moved with this wonderfull mi­racle, neither he who did it, being sorry for it, nor any of the rest for their evil behaviour; within a few dayes they all died, and none else, except those Sara­zens who had taken up their lodgings in the said Church. This image (saith he) thus strucken with an arrow is yet remaining, bearing the wounds of an arrow, and the stains of bloud, many of those who were then living, and see [Page 97]this thing are yet alive, and I also see the image, and have written what I have seen. Thus Anastasius Bishop of Antioch.

S. Chrysostome set forth a pub­lique Church-Service-book for the Church of Constantinople, translated out of Greek into Latin by Eras­mus, wherein is set down the man­ner how the Priest is to proceed in the Service of the Church, and a­mongst other things he saith; That the Minister or Deacon going before with a light, the Priest cometh forth of the Ʋestry, with the Gospel in his hands, and turning himself to the i­mage of Christ, which stood betweene two doors, bowing down his head, saith with a loud voice, O Lord Governor of all things, &c.

The religious Nilus was a Disci­ple of S. John Chrysostome, yet he instructing Olympiodorus, a Procon­ful, how he would have Churches a­dorned, saith, I would have the walls [Page 98]of the Church on both sides filled with the histories of both the Old and New Testament, set forth by the work of a most skilfull Painter, to this end, that those who were not taught to read, and cannot read the Scriptures, by beholding the pictures may be taught, who they were which by worthy deeds sincerely served God, that they also may be moved to undertake the like glorious works, by which these men have made an exchange of earth for heaven, and honor these things by con­templation, which they never see with their eys.

Prudentius in his Hymne of the Martyr S. Cassianus, setteth downe at large, how over his Tomb stood his image painted with a thousand wounds torn in all the joynts, his skin broken with little pricks, and a many boyes sticking bodkins into his wounded members, shewing the cruelty of his death and Mar­tyrdome, yet Prudentius florished in the year 390.

S. Augustine in the tenth chapter of his first book de consensu Evan­gelistarum saith, In many places Pe­ter and Paul were seen painted with our Saviour: Evadius in the fourth chap. of his 2. book of the miracles of S. Stephen, saith, that before the memory or Altar of S. Stephen was a vail, wherein was painted S. Stephen, bearing a glorious crosse upon his shoulders: Nicephorus in the second chapter of his fourteenth book af­firmeth, that Pulcheria Augustae placed in the Church which she had built in Constantinople in the yeare 43 [...]. a picture of our blessed Lady, re­ceived from Eudoxia at Hierusalem.

Theodoret Bishop of Syria wri­ting the admirable life of Simeon Stilites saith, an innumerable people from divers Nations came by troops unto him, into the territo­ries of Antioch, and many from Spain, Britany and France, who in Rome it selfe was so famous, that [Page 100] in all their porches and entrance into their places of offices, they put little pictures of him, thereby (as he saith) to procure help and defen [...]e unto them­selves: Yet Theodoret florished in the yeare 430. whereby it appear­eth that both in their publique Churches, and private houses, the faithfull of the Primitive Church had the pictures of Saints, and re­spected them with an outward and inward relative religious honor and worship, thereby to nourishin them­selves pious thoughts.

CHAP. XIV. How the Nurse of Pious Thoughts doth not only consist in the having and behold­ing sacred pictures, signes and images, but also in giving unto them an outward and inward relative religious worship, not for the materiall things themselves, but for the sacred things which they represent.

TO the preservation of pious thoughts in our hearts, as I have said heretofore, it is not only sufficient often to hear sacred artifi­ciall sounds, and see or behold sa­cred artificiall pictures, signes and i­mages, but also to honor, worship and respect them, with an outward and inward relative religious wor­ship, not for themselves, or for the matter they are compounded of, but for the divine things and myste­ries of our faith which they repre­sent unto us, and as they do repre­sent them unto us, and not other­wise; for not only vitious and wick­ed [Page 102]men, whose hearts are of wick­ed thoughts, but also the divells themselves hear, and see sacred pi­ctures, signes and images, as appear­eth by the fourth of S. Matthew, where the divell both heard and al­ledged Scripture. And Mr. Sander­son a Protestant Minister, in his se­cond Sermon preached at Grantham in the year 1634. §. 6. & 8. telleth us of many Sectaries here in Eng­land, who are so addicted to the ma­teriall visible artificiall signes, and sounds of the Bible, that to do any thing at all without directions from the written materiall Word (as they say) is unlawfull and sinfull, even so far, as for the taking up of a straw: whereby it appeareth, that not the often hearing of sacred artificial ma­terial signs, or seeing of sacred artifi­cial material pictures, signs or images only, is sufficient to the begetting and nourishing of pious thoughts in the hearts of men, but also it is [Page 103]necessary, that we should reverence and respect them with an outward & inward relative religious worship and honor, for the things which they represent, as often as we heare or see them; so to worship them, not for the sounds themselves, or for the pictures, signes and images themselves, or for the matter they are made of, but as they represent divine things unto us, and the my­steries of our faith, thereby to pre­pare and open our hearts for the worthy receiving of the knowledge of these sacred things, and mysteries of our faith which they doe repre­sent, and to distinguish betweene sacred pictures, signs and images, and prophane or civill.

First, honor and reverence towards any thing begetteth a great esteem and love of the thing it self in the heart of man; for as Aristotle well observeth (in the eleventh chapter of his first book of Rhetorick) saith, [Page 104] Honor and glory is of most pleasing things; so that these things which we honor, we cannot but love, and love openeth the heart, and maketh a passage to the thing beloved; and when we honor, worship, or respect any thing which belongeth to God, or that may conduct us to God for Gods sake, or as it belongeth or conducteth us to God, the honor endeth, or is terminated in God, and not in the thing honored: where­upon (as I have said heretofore) S. John Baptist so much honored the latchet of our Saviours shoes, for our Saviours sake, that he thought himself not worthy to unloose it, Joh. 1.27. And the faithful Centu­rion so greatly honored and reve­renced our Saviours words for our Lords sake (as that he said) I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof, but only say the word, and my boy shall be healed, Mat. 8.8. In like manner, the woman which was trou­bled [Page 105]with an issue of blood, so high­ly esteemed of our Saviours gar­ments, that she said, If I shall touch only his garment I shall be safe, Mat 9.1. And as also I have said hereto­fore, the Primitive Christians so highly esteemed and honored the very shadow of S. Peter, for our Lords sake, That they did bring forth the sick into the streets, and laid them in beds and couches, that when Peter came, his shadow at least might over­shadow any of them. Act. 5.15. There were also brought from Paul his body, napkins or handkerchiefs upon the sick, and the diseases departed from them, Act. 19.12. of so great force was the relative religious worship that the faithfull gave unto the things which belonged unto God, or unto his servants, to indue them with pious thoughts, and a constant faith.

Almighty God will not only have these things which immediately be­long unto himself, to be honored [Page 106]with a relative religious honor and worship for his sake, but also these things which appertain unto his ser­vants, whom he also so highly e­steemed, that he keepeth an accompt of every hair which groweth upon their heads, according to his word, saying, your very hairs of the head are all numbered, Mat. 10.30. And if Al­mighty God will have the haires of his servants heads, which are but ex­crements, to be of so great esteeme, who is there that is not exceeding proud, an enemy of his own good, that will deny an outward and in­ward relative religious worship to sacred pictures, signes and images, as they are sacred pictures, signs and images, and administer unto our minds pious thoughts of heaven and heavenly things, seeing this in­grafteth and setleth in our hearts the knowledge of the pious things themselves, which are represented by these pictures, signs and images, [Page 107]and may well be described to be the Nurse of Pious Though

CHAP. XV. How free Roman Catholiques are from i­dolatry, by worshipping of sacred pi­ctures, signes and images, with the a­foresaid relative religious worship.

TO let thee dear Reader most clearly and manifestly under­stand how free Roman Catholiques are from committing Idolatry in the worship which they give to sa­cred artificiall pictures, signs and i­mages, I desire thee first to remem­ber, that they call sacred pictures, signes and images, these artificiall things, which represent unto them, either the things in heaven, or the mysteries of their faith, or the holy actions of our Saviour, or his Saints; &c. and as they do represent them, these they call sacred pictures, signs, and images, for the holy things they represent, and as they represent [Page 108]them; as God himselfe called the artificiall things which did belong unto the Temple sacred, Exod. 31. And secondly, that they wor­ship them, not as they are absolute things or substances, or as they are carved stocks, or stones, or painted cloaths, or creatures, this is but the false calumniations of their Adver­saries, (who whilest they can find nothing that's evill in their Religi­on, of which they can justly charge them withall, do impute that unto them, which they do not) but they worship them as they have relation to the aforesaid known holy things, and either mediately or immediate­ly conduct their hearts and minds to God, the Author of all goodnesse, as a mark, sign or note which should shew unto us a thing of greater worth, eminency or dignity then it self, in such sort, as if it did say, J am none of your God, or last end, see­ing I doe but represent only a thing [Page 109]more excellent then my selfe, like the stamp upon the coyn; whereup­on our Saviour said unto the Jewes, who shewed unto him the tribute money, whose is this image and su­perscription? they say to him Caesars; then he saith to them, render therefore the things that are Caesars, to Caesar, Mat. 22.20.

Wherefore seeing that sacred artificiall pictures, signes or images, do but tell us of things more excel­lent then themselves, certainly as such, and by these who esteem them such, they can neither be esteemed or reputed as a God, or Gods, nor be as God worshipped; for who­ever esteemed, thought or imagined that to be a God, or worshipped that for a God, which he affirmed to be but a shadow, or a relation unto another thing of greater dig­nity, none who was endued with reason, seeing that every one e­steemeth God to be the chiefest of [Page 110]all Gods, and the last end of all things, according to the words of our Lord, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, and I am the first and the last, Revel. 1.17.

And de facto that any one doth e­steem a thing to be a sacred artifici­all picture, sign or image, and doth worship it as a sacred artificiall pi­cture, signe or image of another thing, he doth deny it to be a God, or to worship it as a God, and there­fore cannot commit idolatry unto it, by worshipping it as a sacred artificiall picture, signe or image.

Secondly, as I have said hereto­fore, an artificiall picture, signe, or image, about which the controver­sie is, as such is neither substance, person, nor creature, nor so esteem­ed by any one who is endued with reason, because they are but the work of a Painter, Printer, Writer or Carver, who cannot make a sub­stance, person or creature, because [Page 111]they are reserved to God alone; whereby also it is manifest, that whi­lest Roman Catholiques do wor­ship sacred artificiall pictures, signes and images, as they are such, and no otherwise, they cannot commit i­dolatry, because idolatry is, when the honor and worship which is due unto God, as he is God and Creator of all things, is given unto another person, or unto a creature or sub­stance, which Roman Catholiques acknowledge, and confesse sacred artificiall signes, pictures and ima­ges, are not: And what reasonable man ever, either worshipped or ac­knowledged, or esteemed that for a God, which he publiquely and con­stantly professed to be neither per­son nor substance, nor yet so much as a creature; nor to have any subsistence of it self: whereby you see that the clamours of some Sectaries against the idolatry of Roman Catholikes in the worshipping of sacred artifi­ciall [Page 112]pictures, signes, and images, are but as the cry and noyse of frogs, which to hearken unto, do but dull mens ears, and hinder them of better thoughts.

That Roman Catholiques do not honor or worship sacred artifi­ciall pictures, signes or images, with any other honor or worship then relative, unto divine and heavenly things after the manner abovesaid, is first manifest by the decree of the Councell of Trent, which in the twenty fifth Session saith, The image of Christ, of the Virgin Mother of God, and of other Saints, are to be had and retained, especially in Chur­ches, and that due honor and worship is to be imparted unto them, not for that any divinity is to be believed to be in them, or vertue, for which they are to be worshipped, or that any thing is to be begged of them, or that hope is to be put in them, as in times past the Pagans did, who put their trust in I­dols; [Page 113]but because the honor which is ex­hibited to them is referred unto the first patern which they resemble; so that by the images which we kisse, and before which we uncover our heads, and kneel, we adore Christ and his Saints, whose likenesse they bear. Thus this Councell, to demonstrate unto us, that even by the decree of this Councell, which all Roman Catho­liques are bound to follow, they honor, worship and respect sacred artificiall pictures, signes and ima­ges, with a relative honor and wor­ship only, and no other.

Secondly, it is yet further mani­fest, that Roman Catholiques do not honor or worship sacred artifi­ciall pictures, signs or images, with any other honor or worship but re­lative; for that though they worship pictures, yet they do not worship all pictures, signs or images, which they should do, if they worshipped pictures absolutely, neither yet doe [Page 114]they worship the same signes, pi­ctures or images, when they doe re­present, or have relation unto other things, as appeareth in the name of God, and Jesus, and the materiall Temples and Altars of Jewes and Gentiles, which they represent, or have relation unto any other thing, then unto the living God, or Christ our Saviour, or the Temple, or Al­tar in heaven.

As for example, though the third Commandement say, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; and the Scriptures say, In the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, Phil. 2 16. yet they do not worship the name of God, where it is said to Moyses, J will make thee God of Pharoah, Ezod. 7.1. nor the name of Jesus, when it signifieth unto us, Jesus the son of Nun, or Joshua, Act. 7.45. or Jesus the son of Sirach, writer of Ecclesiasticus, or the Tem­ples or Altars of Pagans or Here­tikes, [Page 115]because they want that rela­tion to the living God, and things in heaven; whereby it is demonstra­ted, that Roman Catholiques give no other worship or honor unto sa­cred artificiall pictures, signes or i­mages, but relative, as they induce them to think, and put them in mind of other things which are more ex­cellent and eminent then they, and whoever worshipped or honored God with a relation unto another thing more excellent or eminent in dignity then he? or whoever e­steemed that to be a God, which he respected and worshipped with re­lation unto another thing, more ex­cellent in dignity then that which he worshipped? whereby it is mani­fest that Roman Catholikes neither do commit idolatry in their wor­shipping of sacred artificiall pi­ctures, signs or images, as they do, neither can they, seeing that in the fact it selfe they demonstrate, that [Page 116]the pictures, signs or images which they worship, are no gods, nor yet so much as creatures, or substances, after the manner which they wor­ship them, nor yet have of them­selves so much as any subsistence.

Thirdly, this is generally and u­niversally the Tenet of all Roman Catholiques, that a materiall thing which hath neither life, sense, nor reason, such as is a carved or ingra­ven stock or stone, or painted cloth, of it self, or by it self, without re­lation or reference unto another thing, is not capable of any honor, worship, or reverence, much lesse of a religious honor or worship, where­by it is manifest that Roman Catho­liques do not worship stocks or stones, or painted cloaths nor gra­ven, nor carved, nor painted things, as they are such, or as they are things absolute, but as they have relation to the things of heaven, and the my­steries of our faith, and stir up in [Page 117]their minds pious thoughts.

And this is sufficient to shew un­to any indifferent Reader, how free Roman Catholiques are from com­mitting either idolatry, or any su­perstition, in the honor and worship which they give unto sacred artifi­ciall pictures, signs and images, and how their adversaries do calum­niate them herein unjustly, not only to the breach of the peace, concord and charity which should be amongst the natives of this Island of Great Britain, but also to the great hinde­rance of the elevation of mens minds to heavenly things and pious thoughts, for the which God for­give them.

CHAP. XVI. By the second Commandement, God com­manded all men to honor and worship his Name, which is but a sacred signe, pi­cture or image of himself, with a rela­tive religious worship, thereby to beget pious thoughts of him in our souls.

AS I have said heretofore, no Ar­tificer, Carver, Printer, or Writer, can make an essence, sub­stance, or person, or creature, be­cause these things are reserved to God the Author and Creator of all things, but all that these men can do, is to produce an accidentall form, figure, sign, picture or image; and all letters, words, characters, hierogliphicks, Tabernacles, Altars, &c. as they are such, are but artifici­all signes, pictures and images of the things which they represent, made by artificers; yet God not onely commanded that a relative religious respect, and honor, and reverence [Page 119]should be used towards the Taber­nacle, and propitiatory of the peo­ple of Israel, as is often specified in the Scriptures, but also so straitly bound all men to give a relative re­ligious honor and worship unto his name, as that he made it the second Commandement of the first Table, saying, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, for our Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vain, Exod 20. and our Saviour taught us to pray unto God saying, hallowed be thy name, which name is but an artifici­all thing, sometimes pronounced, sometimes painted, written or in­graven; other sometimes expressed in pictures and images, as witnesseth Pierius in the thirteenth chapter of his seventeenth book, and fifth of his thirty third book of the sacred Egyptian letters; where he affirmeth, that for these graven, printed, or written letters, or word God, [Page 120]which we use, they had the picture or image of an eye, as a God seeing all things, according to the words of S. Paul, saying, There is no crea­ture invisible in his sight, Heb. 4.3. or a God father of lights, as the Scriptures call him, James 1.17. o­ther sometimes they expresse this word God, or the name of God, by the picture of a Crocodile, or of a Stork, which have no tongues, as of a thing unspeakable; whereby it ap­peareth, that men were alwayes bound to honor and worship sacred signes, pictures and images, with some kind of religious worship, to the ingrafting in their hearts pious thoughts, seeing that the Comman­dements of God bind all men in all ages and times, as our Adversaries do confesse, and we cannot give a relative religious honor unto any sacred thing as it is such, but it will put in our minds pious thoughts.

According to this second Com­mandement, the children of Israel had this name of God Iehova; which was esteemed most proper unto him, in such honor and reve­rence, as for the respect they bore unto it, the common people abstain­ed from pronouncing it, and the Priests forbore to speak it, unlesse it were in their sacrifices, and solemn blessings of the people, or in enter­ing into the holy of holies, as wit­nesseth Philo in his book of the life of Moyses; and when in reading the Scriptures this name occurred, in place thereof they pronounced another, as Adonai, or Elohim, in such sort, as that [...]t onely the se­venty Interpreters, who translated the Old Testament into Greek, and our old translation in Latin; and O­rigen in his Tetr [...]plis, or Hexaplis; but also our Saviour, and the Apo­stles, as often as the word Jehova doth occur, they put in place there­of Adonai.

And not only the name of God was worshipped by the people of Israel, with a relative religious ho­nor and worship, but also the plate wherein the name of God was in­graven, and hung in the miter of the High Priest before his forehead, as witnesseth the Scriptures, saying, They made also the plate of sacred ve­neration, of most pure gold, and they wrote in it with the work of a Lapa­dario, or Ieweller, the holy of our Lord (or the holy name of our Lord) and they tyed it to the Miter with a lace of Hiacinth, as our Lord had commanded Moyses, Exod. 39.29. whereupon Iosephus in the eighth chapter of his eleventh book of Antiquities relateth, that Alexan­der the Great seeing Iaddus the High Priest bearing this venerable plate on his forehead, with great re­verence went unto him, and adored the name of God written in the plate.

Moreover an oath being an act of Religion, to bind all men to use a relative religious worship towards his name, which is but a sign, chara­cter or Hierogliphick commanded them, that when just occasion was offered of swearing, that they should swear by his name, saying, By my name thou shalt swear, Exod. 6.13. Again, He that sweareth in the earth, shall swear by God, Isay 65.16. and divers Nations, as the Egyptians and Chinois, using pictures and ima­ges in place of words, they must of necessity, according to this com­mand, use a relative religious honor and worship to pictures and images; neither may our Adversaries say, that this reverence and honor to the name of God is only civill, seeing that all Divines grant an oath to be an act of Religion, and that the Commandements are religious things; whereby it is manifest, that by the second Commandement we [Page 124]are bound to use a relative religious honor and worship to some kind of signs, pictures and images, as unto those which represent unto us the living God, and that this relative re­ligious worship to these sacred signs, do nourish in us pious thoughts, otherwise God would not have commanded it.

CHAP. XVII. The third Commandement commandeth all men to honor and reverence the Sabbath day, which is but a sacred sign.

THe third Commandement saith, Remember that thou sanctifie the Sabbath day, or as Protestants tran­slate, Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy, Exod. 20.3. Again, ob­serve the day of the Sabbath to sancti­fie it; or as Protestants translate, keep the Sabbath to sanctifie it, Dout. 5.12. now that dayes are but signes, and not God, or Gods, the same Scri­ptures do witnesse, saying, Let lights [Page 125]be made in the firmament of heaven, to divide the day and night, and let them be for signes, and seasons, and daies, and years Gen. 1.14. to ma­nifest unto us, that daies, and years, and so likewise the Sabbath or Sun­day, is but an artificiall sacred signe, gathered by the calculation of the Sun, as is yet further manifest; for that some begin the Sabbath day from the first appearing of the stars, after the setting of the Sun, as the Jews, others from midnight, as Ca­tholique Christians, others from Sun rising, as the Protestants, &c. In some Countryes the dayes are some­times as long as one of our moneths, in others as two, in others as three, and in some it is day for half a year together; so that if they did not calculate a time for the observance of the Sabbath, they should either keep none, or els sanctifie it for half a year together.

Again, as I have said here before, [Page 126]men cannot change essences and sub­stances, because these things belong to God, but they have changed the Sabbath, from Saturday unto Sun­day, as our Adversaries do confesse, whereby it is demonstrated, that that the Sabbath day is but a sacred sign of rest from the Creation of the world, as also of the eternall rest of heaven, and of the Resurre­ction of our Lord, and of the peo­ple of God; &c. whereby they might be distinguished from other Nations, and yet our adversaries themselves do honor reverence this day after their kind or manner with a religious worship, though it be but a sign, and no substance, or per­son, or God; neither may they say, that this sanctification of the Sab­bath, may be, or is performed by a civill worship, seeing that first the Commandements of God, as I have said heretofore, are divine and reli­gious, and pertaine to Religion. [Page 127]Secondly, civill worship may be u­sed by Pagans and Heathens, who cannot sanctifie any thing to God, because they want faith, without which it is impossible to please God.

Moreover, that the Sabbath day or Sunday is but a sign or ceremony to put us in mind of another thing, God himself doth yet further wit­nesse, saying, See that you keep my Sabbath, because it is a sign betweene me and you in your generations, that you may know that J am the Lord which sanctifie you, keep you my Sab­bath, for it is holy unto you, he that polluteth it, dying, shall dye, Exod. 31.13. to demonstrate unto us, that the Sabbath or Sunday is but a signe, to distinguish the people of God and faithfull from the Infidells and re­probates, and yet all faithfull peo­ple worship and honor it with so­lemn rites, ceremonies and circum­stances, as offering of Sacrifice, rest [Page 128]from labour, attending to proper preaching, reading of the Scriptures, and other pious works and exerci­ses, so that it cannot be denied, but that sacred signes, pictures, images, and such things as represent unto us, or have relation, either immedi­ately or mediately unto divine things, or to the things of heaven, or mysteries of our faith, may be honored and worshipped with a relative religious honor and wor­ship, for the things of heaven, or holy things which they re­present, and that this relative re­ligious worship begetteth in us pi­ous thoughts, seeing God command­eth it.

Againe, God would have this sign of the observance of the Sab­bath or Sunday so much honored and respected by men, as that he promiseth great rewards to those who shall religiously and carefully [Page 129]observe it, saying, If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy will in my holy day, and call the Sabbath delicate, and the holy of our Lord, glorious and glorifie him (by keeping it) whilest thou doest not thine own wayes, and thy will be not found to speak a word, then shalt thou be delighted upon the Lord, and I will lift thee up ab [...]ve the neights of the earth, and I will feed thee with the in­heritance of Jacob thy Father, Isay 58.13. Thus the Scriptures, to de­monstrate unto us, that there is no cause why our Adversaries should so dislike of the religious relative worship which Roman Catholikes do give to sacred signs, pictures and images, as they represent either hea­venly things, or the mysteries of their faith, seeing that God not only commandeth it, but also promiseth great rewards to those, who shall zealously and carefully reverence and respect them.

The cause why Almighty God so presseth man to sanctifie the Sab­bath day, which is but a sign of the rest which he made from the creati­on of the world, and of our Savi­ours Resurrection, and of the eter­nall rest in heaven, with a relative religious worship, is because we can­not worship this sacred sign of the Creation of the World, Resurrecti­on of our Saviour, and eternall rest in heaven, without thinking upon these things, and begetting in our hearts pious thoughts of the Crea­tion of the World, Resurrection of our Saviour, and eternall joyes of heaven; the Sabbath being a holy sign of those sacred mysteries, as words are of things; when we worship this signe with a relative religious worship for those things which it doth represent, we cannot but think upon the things them­selves, because (as I have said here­tofore) we cannot think upon two [Page 131]things at once; from whence it is, that the relative religious worship which is given to sacred pictures, signs and images, as they are such, cannot but nourish in the doers pi­ous thoughts; for which cause the divell stirreth up those, in whose heart he dwelleth, to have them cast down or prophaned, least by their remaining, and the relative re­spect born unto them for the sacred things they represent, and as they do represent them, he should be forced to change his lodging.

And to conclude, God speaking of the observation of the feast of Easter, or Pasche, saith, The first day of the Pasche shall be holy and solemn, and the seventh day with the like fe­stivity shall be venerable, Exod. 12.16. To shew unto us, that the children of Jsrael by the Commandement of God, gave honor and worship to the first and seventh day of the Pasche, which are but instituted [Page 132]signes of our Lords passage over their houses in Egypt, and of the Resurrection from death, to life e­verlasting; whereby we see that of the ten Commandements, two com­mand us to worship, respect, and reverence with a relative religious worship sacred artificiall signs, pi­ctures, and images, because this be­getteth in us pious thoughts.

CHAP. XVIII. Of the sweet name or signe of Jesus, and how this name respectively is to be wor­shipped with a relative religious wor­ship above all names, thereby to beget pi­ous thoughts of Jesus above all things.

ALthough the word, signe, or name Jehova was of great ho­nor, and worship amongst the faithfull Jewes, yet it should be in­feriour in honor and reverence to the name or word Jesus, as it signi­fieth our Saviour amongst the Christians, because Jehova doth sig­nifie [Page 133]God, as he is our Lord and Creator, but Iesus doth signifie. God, as he is our Saviour and Re­deemer; wherefore as the benefit of our Redemption is greater then that of our Creation, so the name of Iesus, or a Redeemer, or Savi­our, is greater then the name of God, or a Creator; whereupon the Church in the blessing of the Pas­chall candle, saith, It had availed us nothing to be born, if we had not re­ceived the benefit of our redemption. Moreover the name of God a Re­deemer, doth include in it the name of God as Creator, but not the con­trary; whereby it appeareth, that the word or name Jesus respectively is more holy, and more to be hono­red and worshipped amongst Chri­stians, then was the Word or name Jehova in the Old Law, seeing that respectively it is of greater dignity and eminency, as Abulensis in his se­venth question upon the twentieth [Page 134]chapter of Genesis proveth more at large; where upon I may conclude, that we are bound to honor with a relative religious worship the sweet name of Jesus by the first and se­cond Commandement.

Christ Iesus (saith S. Paul) hum­bled himself made obedient unto death, even to the death of the crosse, for the which thing God hath exalted him, and hath given him a name, which is above all names, that in the name of Jesus every knee bow of celestialls, terresti­alls and infernalls, Phil. 2.8. Thus the Scriptures; to demonstrate unto us, that we may honor and worship graven things, signs, pictures, and images, when they are not made to our selves, as are Idols, or vain ima­ges; but to expresse and represent unto us, sacred and holy things, and have relation unto God the end of all goodnesse, S. Paul here saying, In the name of Jesus (whether it be ingraven, and so a graven thing, or [Page 135]painted, and so a picture, or printed, or written, or spoken, and so a sign) every knee shall how.

The Angel Gabriel said to our B. Lady, Thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bear a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, he shall be great, and he shall be called the son of the most high, Luke 1.31. so great, as that S. Peter said, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you did crucifie, in this same, this lame man standeth before you whole, &c. neither is there any other name under heaven given to men, wherein we may be saved, Act. 4.10. wherefore if it were an offence, as it was amongst the people of Israel, not to honor and worship the name Iehova, which signified God, as God and Creator of all things, much more it must be an offence amongst the Christians not to honor and wor­ship the name Jesus, as it belongeth to Christ our Lord, because it sig­nifieth [Page 136]the whole work of the In­carnation, and our redemption; whe [...] to doe concur the wisdome, power goodnesse. Majesty, and all the attributes of God, more then in any his other works made, o [...] cre­ated, and put [...]eth us in mind of all these things; whe [...] upon the Scri­ptures say, A most strong tower the name of our Lord, the just unneth to it, and shall be exalteb, Prov 18.10. Again, whosoever shall invocate the name of the Lord, shall be saved, Ioel 2.22. Rom. 10.13. for as S. Paul saith, None can say our Lord J [...]sus, but in the Holy Ghost, 1 Cor. 12.3. that is, saith Sedulius upon this text, in heart, word and work.

In this name the Fathers and Pro­phets of the Old Law rejoyced, saying, as it may be read in the He­brew J will expect thy salvation (or thee Jesus) O Lord, Gen. 49.18. A­gain, the Prophet David foretelling the preaching of the name of Je­sus [Page 137]amongst the Gentiles, saith, our Lord hath made known his salvation (or his Jesus) in the sight of the Gen­tiles) Psal. 97.2. Again in the same Psalm, all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God (or the Jesus of our God:) whereupon the Prophet J say, singing a song in Thanksgiving for the benefits the world was to receive by Christ, saith, God is my Saviour (or Jesus) J will do confidently, and will not fear, because our Lord, God of God (that is to say, the son of god Iesus) is my strength, and my praise, he is become my salvation (or my Jesus and Sa­viour) you shall draw waters of joy out of the Saviour fountains (or out of the fountains of Jesu) And you shall say in that day, confesse to our Lord, and invocate his name, make his inventions known among the peo­ple; Remember that his name is high, J say 1 [...].2. Thus these Fathers of the Old Law, whereby it appeareth, [Page 138]that more relative religious honor and worship is to be given unto the name of Jesus respectively, as it re­presenteth unto us Christ our Savi­our, then unto any other name of God, otherwise the Scriptures and antient Fathers of the Old Law would not so highly extoll, com­mend, and rejoyce at this name, more then in other names of God, as I shall yet further shew in the en­suing chapter.

CHAP. XIX. Greater honor to be given unto the name Jesus, as it signifieth Christ our Lord, then to any other name of God.

GOd the Father, as it were re­joycing at the salvation of mankind, and glorying at the name of his only Son our Lord, said by the mouth of the Prophet Mala­chy, Great is my name among the Gen­tiles: Again, my name is great among the Gentiles, saith the Lord of Hosts, [Page 139]Malachy the first; which words S. I­renaeus in the thirty third chapter of his fourth book of heresies, ex­pounding, saith, What other name is there, by which he is glorified amongst the Gentiles, but that of our Lords, by which the Father is glorified, and man glorified, and because it is the name of his proper son, who was made man by him, he calleth it his name; as if a King himself should paint the i­mage of his son, in two respects he might justly call that image his first, because it is his sons, and secondly, be­cause he made it; so the name of Je­sus Christ, which throughout the whole world is glorified in the Church, the Father doth confesse to be his, both because it is his sons, and he writing it, hath given it for the salva­tion of men. Thus S. Jrenaeus, who li­ved with the Apostles Schollars, to signifie unto us, how glorious and honorable this name of Jesus (as it calleth into our memory Christ our [Page 142] [...] [Page 143] [...] [Page 140]Lord, and all the benefits received by him) was in the Primitive church, seeing that it was glorified (as this Saint affirmeth) in his time of the whole Church, dispersed over the world; and how could it be glorified so universally and early by all Chri­stians, if the Christians of these times should have given no more honor or worship unto it, then they did to Dick, or Tom, or Iohn; yet O­rigen in his fourteenth Homily upon S. Luke saith, The glorious word Jesu is to be spoken, or called upon, with all honor and worship.

In these Primitive times the reli­gious respect and reverence which the ancient Fathers bare unto this name of Iesus, as it had a relation to Christ our Lord, was so great, that S. Ambrose chap. 9. of his book of Hexameron, or six dayes work, saith, This is the gift of the eternall Father to his Son, that in the name of Jesu every knee shall bow, of these who are [Page 141]in heaven, upon earth, and under the earth. Thus S. Ambrose. Now if this be 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 l [...]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 thing [...] in the [Page 142]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 [Page 143]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 [Page 144]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 [Page 145]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 [Page 146]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, [Page 147]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, [Page 148]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 above all names? Phil. 2.9.

CHAP. XX: How terrible the name of Jesus is unto the divells, when it is honored with an in­ward and outward relative religious worship.

AS this name of Iesus, as it re­presenteth our Saviour, is ho­norable and glorious both in hea­ven and earth, so also when it is pro­nounced with a relative religious worship, it is a name of terror and fear unto the divells, whose place is to live under the earth, in such sort, that not only in the time of our Sa­viour, the Disciples by vertue of his name, and power given unto it, cast divells out of the bodies of men, when returning from preaching they said, Lord also the divells are subject unto us in thy name, Luke 10.17. And our Saviour said, I saw Sa­tan as lightning fall from heaven, but also at all times the divells are to be cast out of the bodies of men, by [Page 150]vertue of this name, pronounced or used with a relative religious wor­ship, according to the words of our Lord, saying, Them that believe, these signs shall follow, in my name shall they cast out divells, Mark 16.17. where­upon S. Paul, when he would cast an evill spirit or divel out of a wo­man, said no more, but I command thee in the name of Iesus Christ to goe out of her, and he went out at the same hour, Act. 16.18.

And it was so common a thing in the time of the Apostles for di­vers of the faithfull, by vertue of the name of Jesus, as it represent­eth Christ our Lord, to cast divells out of the bodies of men, that in i­mitation thereof, certain also of the Judais all Exorcists went about, & as­sayed to invocate upon them that had evill spirits the name of our Lord Ie­sus, saying, I adjure you by Iesus whom Paul preacheth, Act. 19.13. And our Saviour affirmeth, that many [Page 151]shall appear before him after their death, who in pretence of right to their salvation, will say, Have not we in thy name cast out devels? Mat. 7.22. To demonstrate unto us, that not onely the faithfull shall at all times honor and worship the name of Iesus, as it representeth unto us Christ our Lord, but also many wick­ed men and reprobates, and the di­vells themselves, though against their wills.

S. Iustine Martyr lived with the Apostles Scholars, and was a fa­mous Martyr; yet he in his first Apo­logy for the Christians unto the Roman Senate, before the middest, saith unto the Senators, Many of our men, who are called Christians, both throughout the world, and even in this City, adjuring them by the name of Iesus Christ, who was crucified under the Pretor Pontius Pilate, have cured many, who were possessed of divells, when by [Page 152]no other Exorcists, or any Magiti­ans they could find remedy, and e­ven at this day they do cure, cast­ing and driving the divells out of their bodies. S. Antonius, as affirm­eth S. Athanasius in his life, not only with the name of Jesus often put the divell to flight, but also taught Martinianus a prefect of souldiers to dispossesse his daughter by invo­cation of the name of Jesus, with a relative religious worship unto it.

S. Hierome writing the life of S. Hilarion saith, That on a night he heard as it were the crying of infants; the bleating of sheep, the bellowing of beasts, the mourning of women, the wring of Lions, the noyse of an army, and the hor­ror of barbarous voyces, that being first affrighted by the outcries, a­mazed, he might be moved to fly at the sight; but understanding that these were policies of the divell, casting himself upon his knees, he [Page 153]made the signe of the Crosse of Christ upon his forehead, armed with such a helmet, and compassed about with the brest-plate of faith, remaining in his posture, de­siring after a manner to see him whom he did abhor to hear; whi­lest he carefully cast his eyes on all sides, upon a suddaine the Moone shining, he see a Chariot drawn with fiery horses to rush upon him; whereat when he had cryed out Jesus, even before his eys, of a sud­dain all this pomp was swallowed up at a chink into the earth.

S. Ephraem the Deacon writeth of S. Abraham an Ermite in Syria, that singing Psalmes at midnight, of a suddaine a beautifull light shined in his Cell, and a voice was heard, as it were of a multitude; saying, Blessed art thou Abraham, thou art truly blessed and faithfull, there is none found like thee amongst men, who hast done whatsoever I have [Page 154]desired; forthwith the holy man knowing the craft of the malig­nant spirit, with a loud voice said, O full of deceipt and policy, thy darknesse be to thee in perdition, for I am a poor sinner, yet armed with the shield of hope through the grace of God I nothing fear thy treacheries, neither do thy ma­ny phantasies affright me, for the name of my Lord and Saviour Je­sus Christ whom I have loved, and do love, is to me a strong fortresse, in which name I check thee, filthy, and thrice miserable dog. At which words presently, as smoak, the divell vanished out of his sight. Whereby it appeareth, that the divells feare this very name of Jesus, as it hath relation to our Sa­viour, and do fly away when it is spoken, with honor, faith and con­fidence, that for his name sake he will protect us.

Almighty God being favourable [Page 155]unto all those who love and honor his name, it hath alwaies beene thought a good prayer to say, For thy name sake thou wilt be propitious to my sin, for it is much, Psal. 24.11. Arise Lord, help us and redeem us for thy name, Psal. 43.26. Help us O Lord our Saviour, and for the glory of thy name, O Lord deliver us, and be propitious to our sins for thy names sake, Psal. 78.9. whereby it appear­eth, that he must be a savage Christi­an, that will not bear a relative reli­gious honor, reverence, or respect unto the sacred name of Jesus.

CHAP. XXI. Many miracles wrought in confirmation of the inward and outward relative honor and worship given to the name of Jesus.

THis name of Jesus hath alwayes amongst the Christians beene a name of so great a relative religious honor and worship, that by vertue of it, as it representeth Christ our [Page 156]Lord▪ and all his mercies, many mi­racles have in severall times beene wrought in the church, S. Peter say­ing to the man who was lame from his mothers womb, silver and gold I have none, that which J have, the same J give to thee, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, arise and walk, and taking his right hand he lifted him up, and forthwith his feet and soles were made strong, and springing, he stood and walked, and went with them into the Temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God, Act. 3.6.

S. Paul not only did miracles by vertue of this name, as it hath relati­on to our Saviour, whilest he lived, as I have shewed heretofore, but al­so as it is related by constant Tradi­tion at his death when his head was cut off; it gave three rebounds or leaps, and three times repeated this sacred name of Jesus, whereat three fountains gushed out, which yet re­main untill this day, and was so de­sirous, [Page 157]that all Christians should ho­nor this name, that he saith, What­soever you do in word or work, do all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God, and the Father by him, Col. 3.17.

Surius in the life of S. Ignatius, who lived long with the Apostles, writeth, that being urged by the Pa­gans to deny Jesus Christ (as their custome was in them times) answe­red, that it was a thing impossible for him to do, because it was ingraven in his heart, which after death they cut in pieces, and found to be true, his heart every where expressing in i­mages the name of Jesus.

Nicephorus in the third chapter of his seventeenth book of histories writeth, that there being a great Earthquake at Antioch about the year of our Lord 524. so fearfull, that it destroyed almost the whole City, yet divers having confidence in the name of Jesus, writ over [Page 158]their doors, Jesus is with us, let no man move from his place, & they, & their houses escaped, and stood firm.

S. Gregory the Great, a man of no little credit in the Church of God, in the first chapter of his first book of Dialogues writeth, that Honora­tus, a holy man built a Monastery neer to the City of Pundi amongst the Alps, where he had almost two hundred Monks under him, and a mighty great stone breaking from under the hill, under which his Mo­nastery was built, came rouling down, as if it would destroy both his Monastery and Monks, which the holy man Honoratus seeing, he often called upon the name of Christ (which was Jesus) and with his right hand made the sign of the crosse up­on it, and so staid it presently, even in the declining of the side of the Mountain.

Also the same S. Gregory in the third chapter of the same book, re­lateth [Page 159]another miracle which was done by vertue of the same sacred name of Jesus, which was as follow­eth, certain Monks had an Orchard of fruits and herbs for their provisi­on, with a Lay-brother, a holy man for the Gardner, into which a thief used to break for to steal away the fruit and herbs, which the pious Lay-brother perceiving the losse, looking about, found the place where he passed over the pale, and seeking for a remedy, found a Serpent, whom he commanded, saying, fol­low me, which the Serpent did, un­till he came to the passage which the thief used, and then said to the Ser­pent, I command thee in the name of Jesus that thou keep this passage, and do not permit the thief to enter here a­ny more; presently the Serpent ex­tended her self along the passage, and the Lay-brother returned to his Cell. About midday, whilest all the Monks were at rest, the thief accord­ing [Page 160]to his custome came, and putting his f [...]ot ov [...] the pale to enter into the O [...]c [...] [...] suddain he percei­ved that [...] Serpent lay in his passage, whereat astonished, he fell back­ward, with his head downward, and his foot fixed in the pale, where the Lay-brother coming at his ordinary hour found him, and said to the Ser­pent, Thanks be to God thou hast done as thou wast commanded, go thy ways, which she did. And then loosing the thiefs foot, without doing him any hurt, he said, how durst thou brother so often steal the labours of the Monks, follow me. And so conducting him to the gate of the Orchard with much courtesie, he gave him the fruit and herbs which he would have stollen, saying, Go thy way, and hereafter do not steal, but if thou shalt be in want, come hither unto me, and that which now thou labourest to take away by stealth, I will freely give unto thee.

Moreover it was so common a [Page 161]thing for the Christians of the Pri­mitive Church to reverence the name of Jesus with a relative religi­ous worship, that pious parents taught it their children, even from their infancy, as witnesseth S. Augu­stine in the fourth chapter of his third book of Confessions, saying, For this name according to thy mercy O Lord, this name of my Saviour thy son, had my tender heart, even together with my mothers milk devoutly drunk in, and carefully treasured up, so that what book soever was without the name, though never so learned, or neatly and truly penned, did not fully delight me. Thus S. Augustine.

And to conclude, this sacred name of Jesus and of God, is so much to be honored, & worshipped upon earth, that even in heaven the elect shall have them written in their fore­heads, there to remain with honor and glory for ever and ever, as wit­nesseth S. Iohn saying, And I looked, [Page 162]and behold a Lamb stood upon Mount Sion, and with him one hundred forty four thousand, having his name, and the name of his father written in their foreheads, Rev. 14.1. whereby it will manifestly appeare unto any in­different reader, that to honour, respect, and worship the name of God, and Jesus Christ our Lord with a relative religious worship for the persons they represent, is a great signe of election, and to make no more accompt of them, then they doe of other vulgar names, is an apparent signe of re­probation, from which God of his goodnesse deliver thee Reader.

CHAP. XXII. Of the honor and glory of the Crosse of Christ, as it representeth his person, and passion, and how it shall distin­guish the faithfull from the followers of Antichrist.

SO great is the obligation which all mankind hath unto the Son of God for his death and passion upon the Crosse, for their redemp­tion from everlasting pains; that as S. Augustine saith, he who is not thankfull to God for his creation, is worthy to go to hell, but he who is not willing to have a pious mind, and thankfull remembrance for his redemption, is worthy to have ano­ther hell created for his greater tor­ments; whereupon all pious faith­full Christians have ever born a ve­nerable relative religious worship unto the sacred sign or image of the Crosse, not as it is a piece of wood or stone, or painted cloth, or action [Page 164]of the hand, but as it representeth unto our memories the sacred passi­on of our Lord, as words do things, and indueth our minds with pious thoughts; whereupon S. Paul, as ina­mored of the holy Crosse, saith; God forbid that I should glory, but in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ, Gal. 6: 14. And complaining of the little respect and reverence which the carnall men of his time bore un­to the sacred Crosse of Christ, saith, Observe them that walk, as you have seen our form, for many walk, of whom I often told you, (and now weeping al­so I tell you) enemies of the Crosse of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is the belly, and their glory in their confusion, Phil. 3.17. where he gi­veth us to understand, that to be a lover and honorer of the sacred Crosse of Christ, as it representeth unto us his passion for us, is a signe of election, and the neglect a token of perdition, which also in another [Page 165]place he confirmeth, saying, The word of the crosse to them indeed that perish is foolishnesse but to them that are saved, that is to us, it is the power of God, 1 Cor. 1.18.

Likewise at the later day, when Almighty God shall send his An­gells to destroy the earth and Sea, to make a distinction betweene the servants of God, and the followers of Antichrist, he will give them a command, that all the Elect shall be marked with the sign of the Crosse, that thereby they may be knowne from the Rebrobate, as witnesseth S. John saying, I saw an Angell as­cending from the rising of the Sun, having the sign of the living God, and he cryed with a loud voice to the four Angells, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, hurt not the earth, or the sea, nor the trees, untill we sign the servants of our God in their foreheads. Thus S. John, Rev. 7.2. whereupon Andreas Arch­bishop [Page 166]of Caesarea in Cappadocia, an antient learned Author, in his Com­mentaries upon the Revelations, saith upon this text, This place, as is before said, doth belong unto the time of Antichrist, when the signe of the quickning crosse (vivificae crucis) shall distinguish the faithfull from the infi­dells, who shall without any feare, and without any shame, carry the Crosse of Christ before the face of the impious.

Antichrist, to blot out the memo­ry of the sacred crosse, and to hin­der men from signing themselves with it, and from using any reve­rence or respect unto it, shall cause all his followers to have his name, or the character of his name im­printed in their right hand, or in their forehead; that if they would signe themselves with the sacred signe of the crosse, in testimony that they believe the blessed Trinity, and march under the protection of Christ crucified, they cannot, as [Page 167]witnesseth S. John, saying, Antichrist shall make all, little and great, and rich, and poor, and freemen, and bond­men, to have a character in their right hand, or in their foreheads; and that no man may buy or sell, but he that hath the character or name of the beast, or number of his name, Rev. 13.16. And this Antichrist shall do, as witnesseth S. Hypolitus a Martyr, who suffered death for the professi­on of the Catholique faith, about fourteen hundred yeares past; least that any man with his right hand should make the sign of the Crosse in his forehead.

The like hath S. Ephrem, who flo­rished not long after him, in his Tract of Antichrist, saying; Anti­christ will imprint his character in the right hand, and forehead of all his followers, that it may not be possible for any with his right hand to sign himself with the sign of Christ our Saviour; or by any [Page 168]means to imprint the terrible and holy name of God in his forehead; or the glorious and fearfull Crosse of our Saviour; for that wretch will know very well, that by im­pression of the Crosse of our Lord all his power is made void: And therfore he will have his character imprinted in the right hand of men; because we with our right hands do sign the rest of the mem­bers of our bodies with the signe of the Crosse. Thus S. Ephrem.

Moreover, our Saviour will have the signe of the crosse, as it repre­senteth him crucified, to be had in such honor and reverence amongst the sons of men, that when he shall come to judge quick and the dead, it shall appeare before him in the ayre, as his standard, as himself wit­nesseth, saying, Immediately after the tribulation of these dayes (of An­tichrist) the Sun shall be darkened, and the Moon shall not give her light, [Page 169]Stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be moved; and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, Mat. 24.36. Where­upon S. Methodius in his Oration of the consummation of the world, saith, The sign of the Cross exceed­ing in brightness & glory the shi­ning of the Sun, shall be seen from the East unto the West, to tell the appearing & coming of the Judge. In like manner S Chrysostome upon this text saith; Then shall appeare the signe of the Son of Man, that is to say, the Crosse it self; for the Crosse shall be seen more bright then the Sun; for, the Sun shall be darkened, and the Crosse shall ap­pear, which cannot be (saith he) but the Cross with his brightnesse must obscure the beams of the Sun. And then asking the question, why, or for what cause shall the sacred Crosse appear so glorious? answer­eth, That it may abundantly confound [Page 170]the impudency of the Jewes. Thus S. Chrysostome, who never could i­magine that there would arise men, who should call themselves Christi­ans, and yet abuse, contemne, and beat down the Crosse of Christ: Whither will these men run at the terrible day of judgment, who now not only shun and avoid by all means the Cross of Christ, but also call the reverend relative religious respect thereof idolatry?

In like manner S. Ephrem, in his Sermon of these things, which are to be revealed after the appearing of the Crosse, at the coming of our Lord, saith, The signe of the Son of Man shall appear in heaven, with a multitude of Angells, lightening the whole earth above the brightnesse of the Sun, even from one end of the world unto the other, foretelling the coming of our Lord. And with these further do agree Theophylact and Euthemius upon this text, saying, [Page 171] Then the crosse shall appeare, shining more bright then the Sun. Again, the Crosse shall then be far more glorious then the Sun, which when the impi­ous, who in this life have had aversi­on from the sacred crosse shall see, then as our Saviour there saith, shall they weep and bewaile their follies, when it is too late.

Agreeable unto this which hath been said, the holy Church in the of­fice of the crosse doth say, This sign of the crosse shall be in heaven, when our Lord shall come to judgement, and the Sibils in the end of their sixth book do sing;

According to the words of our Lord of the day of judgement, Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then shall all the Tribes of the earth bewail. And after the Standard of the crosse, as it follow­eth in the text, they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with much power and Majesty, Mat. 24. which joy being propounded unto him (before his passion, as S. Paul saith) he sustained the crosse, Heb. 12.2.

CHAP. XXIII. That the faithful in the Primitive Church used an inward and outward relative religious worship towards the sacred sign of the Crosse.

ALmighty God having bestowed that honor and dignity upon the crosse, as not only to be a sacred sign of the passion of his onely Son for our redemption, but also to be a badge of a Christian; and his stan­dard, when he shall come with his Army of Angells and Saints to judgement, as I have proved in the precedent chapter. The antient Fa­thers of the Primitive Church, and all the faithfull, ever bare an inward and outward relative religious re­spect, honor, and worship to that sacred sign, image, or picture, not as it is a stock or stone, or painted cloth, or carved or painted thing, but as it representeth the person of our Lord, his sacred passion or my­steries [Page 174]of our faith unto our memo­ries, as words do things. For S. Dio­nisius Areopagita, who was conver­ted to the faith by S, Paul, Acts 17. (in the second §. of his second chap­ter of his book of Ecclesiasticall Hi­erarchy) relateth unto us, that a­mongst the religious rites, and holy mysteries of Baptism, the sacred sign of the crosse was so much honored, that it was often used, even some­times thrice together, and in the fifth chapter of the said book and second §. speaking of the admini­stration of orders, or consecration of Clergy men, he saith, The Bishop who consecrateth them, doth imprint upon every one of those whom he con­secrateth the sign of the crosse.

S. Ignatius the Martyr, a man who lived for a long time with the Apo­stles, speaking of the honor and dig­nity of the sacred crosse of Christ, in his Epistle to the Philleppenses, saith; the Prince of this world, or [Page 175]divell doth rejoyce when any one shall deny the crosse, for he very well knoweth, that the confession of the crosse is his destruction, for that it is a trophe or triumphal Ark against his power, which as soon as he shall see, he abhors, and hearing of it, is affrighted.

S. Martiale, who is supposed by some to have lived in the Apostles times, in the eighth chapter of his E­pistle to those of Burdeaux in France, giveth them this counsell, saying, Remember the cross of our Lord, upon which you believe the true God, and Son of God suffered, keep it in your mind, speak often of it, and have it in the sign; for the crosse of our Lord is your invinci­ble armor against Satan, a helmet defending your head, a breastplate protecting your breast, a shield dri­ving back again the darts of the ma­lignant enemies, a sword which by no means will suffer the iniquity, [Page 176]or treachery of the perverse pow­ers to come neer unto you; by this only signe the heavenly victory is given unto us, and by the cross the baptism of God is sanctified.

S. Hippolitus the Martyr, who li­ved neer the Apostles times, in his tract of the consummation of the world, saith, that in the time of An­tichrist, many believing in him, shall receive the character of that impure fellow, and enemy of God, in place of the quickning crosse of our Saviour.

Tertullian who florished in the year 200. speaking of the relative religious honour and reverence which the Christians of his time u­sed towards the sacred signe of the crosse, in the third chapter of his Corona Militis, saith, At every pace, or moving, at our coming in­to the house, at our going out, in putting on our apparell and shoes, when we wash our hands, when we take meat, when we light can­dles, [Page 177]when we go to bed, when we sit down, and in every thing which we do, we tear our foreheads with the sign of the crosse, but if you expect a text out of Scripture for these, and other such like observan­ces, thou shalt find none, tradition will be pretended to be the defen­der, custome the confirmer, and faith the observer. Again in the 22. chapter of his third book against Marcion, he saith, The Crosse is the Greek letter Tau, or our Latin letter T. the forme of the crosse which as it was foretold should be imprinted in our foreheads in the true Catholique Hierusalem. Thus Tertullian, where he alludeth to the Prophecy of Ezechiel, when God said to one cloathed in linnen gar­ments, Passe through the middest of the City in the middest of Hierusalem, and sign Thau upon the forehead of the men that mourn and lament upon all the abhominations that are done in the [Page 178]middest thereof; and to them who had weapons of destruction in their hands, he said in my hearing, Passe through the City, following him, and strike, let not your eye spare, neither have ye mer­cy, the old, the young man, and the Vir­gin, the little one, and the women kill to utter destruction, but upon every one upon whom you shall see Than, kill not, and begin ye at my Sanctuary. Thus Ezechiel in the nineth chapter of his Prophecies of the signing those, whom God would spare and shew mercy upon, with the letter Thau, which is the last of the Hebrew let­ters, and according to the old He­brew characters, beareth the forme and similitude of the crosse, to shew unto us, that the signing our selves with the sign of the crosse, and the bearing a relative religious worship unto it, for the mysteries of the pas­sion of our Lord, which it putteth into our minds, is a great signe of e­lection to eternal salvation; and the [Page 179]hatred or aversion which many Se­ctaries of this age beare against the sign of the crosse, which is used in blessing, is an index of their repro­bation, according to the words of the Prophet, saying, He loved cur­sing, and it shall come to him; and he would not blessing, and it shall be far from him, Psal. 108.18. even so far, as that for all eternity he shall never have, nor yet hear of any.

Origen lived early in the Church, who also speaking upon this text of Ezechiel, in his eighth Homily upon divers places of the Gospell, saith, He who doth not feare the golden Capitoll, doth feare the crosse. In Ezechiel, when the Angell slew all these unto whom he was sent, be­ginning his slaughter from the ho­ly place, they onely are preserved whom he had signed with the let­ter Thau; that is to say, with the i­mage of the crosse; let us there­fore rejoyce brethren, and let us [Page 180]lift up our holy hands to heaven in likenesse of the crosse, seeing that the divels are oppressed when they find us so armed; whereupon in his sixth Homily upon Exodus he saith; What doe the divells feare? what will make them tremble? without doubt the crosse of Christ, by which they are led captives in triumph, by which they are spoiled of their principalities, and power; feare therefore and trembling will fall upon them, when they shall see the sign of the cross faithfully imprint­ed upon us.

S. Cyprian florished about the year 240. and he also in his Epistle to Demetrianus, speaking of this a­foresaid Prophecy of Ezechiel, saith, God doth shew in another place, that those only can escape, who are born againe, and have beene signed with the signe of the crosse, when sending his Angells to consumed the world, and to destroy mankind, [Page 181]as he grievously threatneth at the last day; saying, goe and kill &c. as is set down Ezechiel the nineth. Again in the 22. chapter of his first book of Testimonies against the Jewes, speaking of the said prophe­cy of Ezechiel, he saith, That in this signe of the crosse is salvation to all those who are signed in their forehead; God in Ezechiel doth declare, saying, passe through the middest of Hierusa­lem, and thou shalt make a signe in the foreheads of men &c. So what will become of these men who will not have the signe of the crosse made in their foreheads?

Lactantius florished about the year 320. and he speaking of the practise of the Church of God, concerning this point of the relative religious honor and worship, which was gi­ven to the sacred signe of the cross, in the twenty seventh chapter of his fourth book of Institutions, saith; Now it is time to declare the great [Page 182]power of the sign of the cross, of what terror this signe is to the di­vells, those know who have seene it; forasmuch as that adjured by Christ they fly out of the bodies which they did possess; for as Christ himselfe whilest he lived amongst us, put to flight all the divells by his word, and brought men againe into their former senses, who had been troubled in mind, and furi­ously mad by assaults of the divell, even so now his followers, both by the name of their Master, and by the sign of his passion, do expel the same wicked spirits out of men, whereof the proof is not hard; for if whilest the Pagans offer sacrifice to their Gods, any one be standing by, who beareth the signe of the cross in his forehead, they cease from Sacrifice; neither can the con­sulted Oracle give any answer: and this hath often been the chief cause that evill Kings have taken occasi­on [Page 183]to begin a persecution; for when some of our Christian servants have stood by their Lords whilest they offered Sacrifice, and have made the signe of the cross upon their foreheads, they put to flight their gods; neither could they describe in the entrails of their victimes the things to come. And in his verses of the benefits of Christ, he said, bond thy knee, and adore the venerable wood of the cross, &c. whereby it appeareth what a good fee these Christians deserve to have from the divell, who have beaten down cros­ses, and call the signing of our selves and other creatures, conjuring.

Eusebius lived about the same time, who writing the life of Con­stantine the Great, in his 32. chapter of his first book, relateth how the sign of the cross appeared to him in heaven, with this inscription, in this sign thou shalt overcome; that is to say, his enemies; and in the second [Page 184]chapter of his third book affirmeth, that he used now and then to signe his forehead with that healthfull sign of the passion, and many times very much rejoyced in that victorious Trop [...]e, or sign.

S. Athanasius florished in the year 340. who in his book of the Word Incarnate, saith, A man onely using the sign of the cross, doth drive away from him the deceipts of the divells, &c. let him come who will m [...]ke an experience of my words, and amongst the illusions of the divels, or impostures of their foretellings or prophecies, or the miracles of their Magitians, and do but make the sign of the cross, which they deride, and call upon the name of Christ, and he shall see with his eyes, how for fear thereof the divell flyeth away, their prophecies cease, and their inchantments and witcherafts are made void.

S. Basil the Great florished about the year 370. who in his Oration of [Page 185]the Martyr Gordian, saith, He forti­fied himself with the sign of the cross, and so with great constancy of mind, without any fear or changing of coun­tenance, went merrily to his death. A­gain, in the twenty seventh chapter of his book of the Holy Ghost, he saith, If we should go about to rèject these customes, which are not delivered in writing, as though they were things of no moment, we should imprudently condemn many things, which in the Gospell are esteemed necessary to our salvation, of which sort is (that I may repeat that first, which is the first and most common thing used amongst us) (the sign of the cross) for who hath taught in writing, that we should signe those with the sign of the cross, who have put their hope in Christ; is it not by a tacit and secret tradition? is it not from the doctrine which our Fathers have kept in silence, which curious and idle people call in question?

S. Cyrill of Hierusalem lived at [Page 186]that same time with S. Basil the Great, and he in his fourth Cate­chesis, or instructions for Christian life, saith, Let us not be ashamed of the cross of Christ, but if any one shall hide it, do thou publikely sign thy self in the forehead with the cross, that the di­vells seeing the standard of the King, trembling may make hast to be gone; see also that thou make this sign, when thou beginnest to eat or drink, when thou sittest down, and when thou ari­sest, when thou beginnest to speak, or to walk and in every one of thy affairs.

S. Ambrose also florished at the same time with S. Gregory, and S. Cy­ril, who in the seventy seventh Epi­stle of his nineth book saith, Chri­stian people do in every moment write the contempt of death upon their owne foreheads, for they know, that without the cross of our Lord they cannot be sa­ved. Again in his fifty sixth Sermon, he saith, In what place the cross of Christ is erected or planted, there pre­sently [Page 187]the iniquity of the divell is dri­ven away, and tempests of winds cease; and also the good husbandman when he prepareth his land by tillage, and seeketh nourishment for life, he doth not begin to go about it, but by the sign of the cross. S. Hierome chapter 6. of his eighth Epistle to Demetriades saith, Thou often fortifiest thy forehead with the signe of the crosse, least the Master of Egypt should find any abode or habitati­on in thee. Again upon the eighth chapter of Ezechiel, he saith, In the Hebrew Characters, which the Sa­maritans do use untill this day, the last letter Thau is made after the likeness of the cross, which is im­printed in the foreheads of Chri­stians, and often made with their hands. And upon the fifty eighth Psalme he prayeth, saying; We be­seech thee O Lord, that guarded by the sign of the cross, and de­fended by the assistance thereof, [Page 188]we may deserve to be freed from all the deceipts of the divell.

And to conclude, so honorable was the esteeme which the Primi­tive Christians had of the signe of the cross, as that they used it in all the rites and ceremonies of their Religion, in such sort, as that they accompted no solemne act of their Religion to be well and perfectly performed, unless the sacred signe of the cross was added unto it, as witnesseth S. Chrysostome, for the Greek church, who in his fifty fifth Homily upon S. Matthew saith, All things which help to our salvation are perfected by the Crosse; for when we are regenerated, the Crosse of our Lord is present, when we are nourished with the most sacred meat, when we take orders; every where, and alwayes that sign of victory is at hand. Thus S. Chry­sostome for the Greek church. And for the Latin; S. Augustine in his one [Page 189]hundred & eighteenth Tract upon S. Iohn, saith; Unless the signe of the cross be applied, as well to the forehead of the believers, or to the water wherewith they are regene­rate, or to the oyl wherewith they are annoynted; none of these are rightly administred. Thus these two Doctors, of the honor, reve­rence, respect, which both the Greek and Latin Fathers of the Primitive church bare unto the sacred signe of the cross: And if any one desire yet further proofe, either for the fre­quent use of the sign of the cross, or the relative religious worship which was bestowed upon it, or the many miracles performed by it, refer him to the nineth article of the second book of the first Tome of Coccius to Grotserus de Cruce, and to the six­teenth chapter of the second book of the Progeny of Catholiques and Protestants.

It being all one to speak by known [Page 190]signes, or by words; and when the faithfull doe make the signe of the cross, their known intent is to pro­fess, that they believe in the B. Tri­nity, and desire to march under the standard of Christ crucified, as is set down in our Catechisms: And when they do worship or reverence the cross, they do it not, as I have said heretofore, as it is a carved stock or stone, or a graven thing, or a painted cloth; but as it putteth us in mind of the mysteries of our Redempti­on, and the passion of our Lord for the remission of our sins, and im­printeth in our hearts piety, which as S. Paul saith, is profitable to all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that to come, 1 Tim. 4.8.

CHAP. XXIV. The Crosse adored with an inward and out­ward relative religious worship in the Primitive Church.

THough all exteriour visible ho­nor and glory is due unto God, according to S. Paul, saying, To the King of the worlds, immortall, invi­sible only God, honor and glory, 1. Tim. 1.17. yet all exteriour visible honor is not due unto God alike; but some is so immediately due unto him, and given unto him, that it may not be given unto any other: of which kind are visible sacrifices, oaths and vowes: Other is immedi­ately due unto him by means of his eminent creatures, as adoration by bowing, or bending to the ground, kneeling, lifting up the hands to men in dignity, &c. For Abraham (who is called the father of the faithfull, Rom. 4.) adored the children of Heath, Gen. 23.7. Iacob, who is called the elect of God, Psal. 104.6. [Page 192]when he did see his brother Esau coming towards him, Going forward he adored, prostrate to the ground se­ven times, Gen. 33.3. It being told Moses, that Iethro his father in law did approach, going forth he met him, adored and kissed him, Exod. 11.7. And it hath alwayes been the cu­stome of Christian children to ask their parents blessing kneeling, with their hands elevated on high, and closed together; and also of inferi­our servants after the same manner, to ask their Masters forgiveness of their offences; Jacob also adored the top of Josephs rod, Heb. 11.11.

The Scriptures also call the Ta­bernacle, the house of God, Exod. 34.26. And the Propitiatory his seat, who sitteth upon the Cherubins upon it, 2. Kings, or Samuel 6.2. and the Ark, the foot stool of the seat of our God, Chronicles 1.28. and 2. and com­manded it to be adored, saying, A­dore his foot stoole, because he is holy, [Page 193]Psal. 99.5. And even from the be­ginning of Christianity, and from the first propagation of the Gospel, the Christian souldiers, both Greeks and Latines, & of all Nations, adored the Imperial Standard of the Romans, which was called Labarum, as wit­nesseth Zozomenns in the 4. cha, of his 1. book of histories, & S. Gregory Na­zianzen in his 1. Oration against Ju­lian the Apostata, about the middest, where he relateth at large, that it being the custome of the Roman souldiers to adore the picture or i­mage of the Emperour Julian the Apostata, by deceipt and guilt to win them to adore the divell, inter­mixt his image with the picture of divells; whereby first it is manifest, that exteriour visible adoration and prostration, is not so immediately due unto God, as that it may not be given unto any creature, seeing that the faithfull, both in the Old and New Law, adored creatures, and [Page 194]that sometime by the Commande­ment of God.

Secondly, that the cross, not as it is a carved piece of wood, or an in­graven stock or stone, or painted cloth, or a cross in generall, but as it representeth unto us the mysteries of our Redemption; the seat or Altar whereupon our Saviour suffe­red for our sins, or the Standard of Christ Jesus, and of all faithfull Christians may be adored; seeing that in this sense it is not inferiour either to Josephs Scepter or rod, or to the Ark of the children of Isra­el, or unto the image or picture of the Roman Emperors in their stan­dards, or to the standards them­selves; whereupon it came to passe, that even in the most florishing time of the church, and as soone as the church had peace, and was freed from the persecution of the Hea­then, the cross, as it representeth un­to us Christ crucified, and the myste­ries [Page 195]of our salvation &c. was pub­likely and openly adored by all Christian Nations, as witnesseth Zo­zonienus in the place before cited; where he relateth at large, how Con­stantine the Great placed it in the Imperiall Standard, to this intent and purpose, that it might be ado­red of his souldiers, consisting of all Nations; adding in the same chap­ter, saying;

It is also reported that the souldier, who on a certaine time bare this En­signe (with the cross in it) being a­mazed with a suddain assault of the euemies, delivered the standard to a­nother, and withdrew himself out of the battell, where being out of the dan­ger of any dart, of a suddain fell down deadly wounded; and he who had ta­ken of him the divine Ensign of the Cross, remained free from any hurt, [...]hough many darts were cast at him. Moreover it is said, that never any [...]uldier whose office it was to bear this [Page 196]sign, either suffered any great calami­ty in the wars, or was wounded, or ta­ken prisoner, which truly is very cre­dible. Thus Zozomenus, to shew unto us, that the sacred cross representing unto us the sufferings of our Lord as soon as the church had peace, and persecution ceased, was after th [...] manner abovesaid publikely and o­penly adored by the faithfull Chri­stians of all Nations.

In further witnesse hereof, S. Cy­ril Archbishop of Alexandria, an [...] President in the Generall Counce [...] of Ephesus, holden in the year 431 in his Homily against Nestorius B [...] ­shop of Constantinople, for who [...] condemnation the said Counce [...] was called, set downe in the end [...] the second act, and made in the pr [...] ­sence of the whole Councell, saith All hail Mother of God &c. by who [...] the holy Trinity is glorified and ad [...] ­red, through whom the precious cro [...] is made famous, and is adored throug [...] ­out [Page 197]the whole world. Thus S. Cyril, President of the Generall Councell, before all the Bishops which were assembled from all parts to the Councell, and before Nestorius Bi­shop of Constantinople, then depo­sed for heresie; and yet neither Ne­storius the heretique, nor any of his Adherents, who were many, nor a­ny of the Bishops in the Councell, amounting to the number of 200. gainsaid him, or contradicted what he said. Neither could the adoration of the cross become practised allover the Christian world in few yeares, if at any time it had not been ado­red by Christians, as we see by expe­rience in the contrary doctrine taught by the Sectaries, who have laboured against it, now about 80. years, and yet have prevailed but in some corners of the North part of the world only; whereby it appear­eth, that the cross representing our Redemption upon it, hath at all [Page 198]times beene adored with a relative religious honour throughout the whole world, even since Christia­nity was planted amongst the Na­tions.

For suppose, but not granted, that there was a time when Christi­ans did not adore the cross, and that the adoration of the cross in the manner aforesaid was idolatry, as our adversaries would have it, how should all the Christian world, without a knowne Preacher or Teacher, or without any knowne Law, or Edict either of Pope or Em­peror, fall into this their supposed idolatry of adoring the cross, and no known man to oppose them, or contradict this doctrine? if there were Presbyterians in these Primi­tive times, (as our adversaries would gladly make the world to believe) it seemeth that they were not such fighters for Religion as now they are; seeing that knowne and repu­ted [Page 199]Heretiques and Infidells to both parties only excepted, there is not found any one man in these antient times, who did oppose it.

Moreover the Fathers in that Ge­nerall Councell at Ephesus, so much insisted upon the Doctrinall Succes­sion, or preservation of the doctrine delivered by the Apostles from the beginning, that Capreolus the Pri­mate of Africa, being hindered by the Wandall persecution to come to the Councell, sent Besulam a Dea­con with letters, exhorting them, that by the authority of Antiquity, they would expell all new opinions, and persevere in that one verity of the Church, which from the beginning, e­ven unto that present time, with a sim­ple purity, and an invincible authori­ty, had come unto them: whereupon his letters being read, and S. Cyril declaring the mind of Capreolus to the Councell, saith; The will of Ca­preolus Bishop of Carthage is, that [Page 200]the antient dogmaticall points of faith be confirmed, and the new and absurd­ly devised, and wickedly divulged, be exploded and condemned. All the Bishops together with a loud voice cry­ed, This is the voice of us all, this we all affirm, this is the vow of us all, as is set down more at large in the first Act of the second part of the said Councell, before the sentence of the deposition of Nestorius, to demon­strate unto us, that the adoration of the cross, as is aforesaid, was taught by the Apostles, and hath been used by the faithfull, even from the first plantation of the Christian faith o­ver the world, thereby to imprint in the hearts of men pious thoughts of the passion of our Lord; and therefore (the promises of God unto his church considered) it is vain and idle now for any man to oppose or contradict it.

The verses attributed to Lact an­tius of the passion of our Lord, set [Page 201]down in the end of his works say, Flecte genu lignum quae crucis vene­rabile adora, bend thy knee, and with reverence adore the wood of the cross. S. Ambrose in his Sermon upon the death of Theodosius the Emperor, affirmeth, that not onely the cross of Christ was adored, but also the nail wherewith his feet was pierced, saying towards the end of his Sermon, Hellen was wise, who pla­ced the cross upon the head of Kings, that the cross of Christ might be ado­red in Kings; neither is this insolency, but piety, seeing that it is born to our holy redemption: And some lines af­ter, Kings are bended down to the iron of his feet. Prudentius in his Apo­thesis against the Jewes, before the middest, saith, Purpura supplex ster­nitur Aeniadae rectoris ad atria Chri­sti, vexillum (que) crucis summis domi­nator adorat, he that is cloathed in purple, lyeth prostrate in the porch of Christ, and the Emperor adoreth [Page 202]the Standard of the cross. S. Hierome in his 27. Epistle written to Eusto­chius, a Virgin of the Epitaph of Paula, in the 3. chap. commendeth Paula deceased, for that lying pro­strated before the cross, she adored, as if she had seene our Lord hanging upon it. Prostratam ante crucem quasi pendentem dominū cerneret adorabat.

And it is so manifest, that the faithfull in the Primitive church a­dored the cross, with relation unto our Saviour who suffered upon it for our redemption, that S. Pauli­nus Bishop of Nola, a man well knowne to S. Ambrose, S. Hierome, and S. Augustine, in his 11. Epistle saith, that the Bishop of Hierusa­lim did every yeare in the solemnities of Easter, expose the cross to be adored of the people, he himselfe adoring it first. And to conclude, it is yet so manifest, that the Fathers in the Pri­mitive church adored the cross, that our learned adversaries, who have [Page 203]read the antient Fathers works confesse it, as Danaeus in his other part of his first part against Bellar­mine, page 1415. saying, that Cyril and sundry other Fathers, were plainly superstitious, and blinded with this inchantment of the crosses adora­tion. Parker against symbolizing, part. 1. page 14. and part 2. chap. 6. and page 61. alledgeth the say­ings of Photius, Sedulius, Chryso­stome, Propertius, Paulinus, Hie­rome, and Evagrius, to that effect. Fulk against Heskins page 657. af­firmeth, that by report of Pauli­nus, The cross was by the Bishop of Hierusalem brought forth at Easter to be worshipped of the people; and Per­kins in the 83. chapter of Pro­blemes, confesseth, that Pruden­tius, Hierome, and Evagrius held the adoration of the cross, and so forth, as is set downe more at large in the 16. chapter of the 2. book of the Progeny of Catho­liques [Page 204]and Protestants. And this is sufficient to shew, that in the Primitive church, and in the most florishing time of the church, the sacred crosse of our Lord was adored with a relative religious worship by the faithfull; and this kind of worship being free from all manner of suspition, or idola­try, as I have proved heretofore; there is no reason or cause why all Christian▪ Nations should not still use it, to the nourishing in themselves pious thoughts, and holy meditations of our Saviours sacred passion, and of our redemp­tion upon the cross.

CHAP. XXV. Of four sacred images which were made of Christ our Lord, whilest he lived up­on earth, and of the relative religious honor done unto them, to the inriching of their minds with pious thoughts.

EƲsebius in the 14. chapter of his 7. book of histories, and after him Casiadorus, Nicephorus, and o­ther historiographers relate, that the woman which our Saviour cured of an issue of bloud by the touch of the hem of his garment, as is set downe in the 9. of S. Matthew; in gratitude thereof, in the City of Peneada where she was borne, erected two cast images or statues of brasse, the one of her self kneeling, and hold­ing up of her hands, as is used in prayer, the other of our Saviour standing right over against it, with his garment to his ancles, and his hand stretched out toward the wo­man, at the foot whereof, even up­on [Page 206]the thing it stood upon, grew a strange kind of herb, which when it ascended to that height, as to touch the hem of his garment, had vertue to cure all kind of diseases, which Statua Eusebius going to the said Ci­ty of Penedda, saith, that he see with his eys.

Zozomenus in the 20. chapter of his 5. book, continuing the same hi­story, saith, that Julian the Apostata being certified that in Caesarea Phi­lippi (for so now Peneada was cal­led) was the famous image or sta­tua of Christ, which the woman, who was cured of an issue of bloud had set up, sent to have it cast down, and his owne to be set up in the place which being done, saith Zozo­men, a violent fire descended from hea­ven, struck his statua above the brest, and so cast the head together with the neck against the earth, that it stuck fast in the ground with the face down­ward, and even untill this day it re­maineth [Page 207]black, as burned with light­ning. At which time also the Pag [...]ns or heathen people so dragged the statua of Christ up and down with such sury, as that they broke it into pieces, but the Christians afterward gathering to­gether the broken pieces, placed them in the church, where they are stil preserved. Thus these antient Authors, to shew unto us, that the Primitive Christians honored & worshipped with a rela­tive religious worship the image & statua's of Christ, not for the matter or metal they were made of, but for the pious thoughts they represent­ed unto their memories, as Roman Catholiques do at this day; and that those who do deface sacred images, & beat down, as Julian the Aposta­ta, and the Pagans, are enemies of pious thoughts and Christianity.

Evagrius Scholasticus, who flori­shed about the yeare 596. in the 26. chapter of his fourth book of histo­ries, writeth, that in the City Edessa, [Page 208]neer unto the river of Euphrates, where sometime Abgarus reigned as King, there was a picture of our Saviour kept which he himself had sent unto the said King; and the Ci­ty being so straitly besieged by Co­stroes King of Persia, that they were almost in dispair, his works of great heaps of wood and tymber ap­proaching so neer their walls, that they could not defend them; and they had made mines of fire under­neath, which could not burne for want of ayr, not knowing how fur­ther to defend themselves, saith E­vagrius, They brought forth the most holy image, divinely made, and not by the hands of men, but by God Christ, which he had sent to Abgarus, when he desired to see him, and put it into the mine which they had made, sprinkling it with water, whereof they had put a good quantity, both into the fire and wood, which was in their mine, [Page 209]and so aid coming by divine pow­er to their faith doing this, that which before they could not per­form, was now easily done; for pre­sently a flame took hold of the wood, which was below, and burnt it into coals, and after ascended to that which was above: And when the besieged see the smoak to be­gin to break out above, to blind the eys of their enemies, they take little tankers, and fill them with sulfur, tow, and such like, as are apt to burn, and make a smoke, and and cast them upon the top of their enemies works, which by the force of their throwing kindled, and of themselves cast out smoke, whereby they so obscured the smoke which came out of their mine, that all those who were ig­norant of the fact, imagined that the smoke which they see came from the tankers, and not from a­ny other place; but three daies af­ter [Page 210]flames of fire were seen to break out of the earth, and then the Per­sians who fought upon thesr bul­warks, perceiving their danger, Costroes striving against the divine vertue and power, turneth the conduct of water, which ran in the outside of the City upon the fire, thinking thereby to extinguish it, but the fire receiving the water as if it had been oyle, or brimstone, or some such other thing, which easily taketh fire, burnt the more, untill it had destroyed all the works of the enemy, and brought them to ashes; whereupon Co­stroes failing of his hope, returned home with shame. Thus Evagrius of the picture which our Saviour had sent to King Abgarus.

Mention is also made of this i­mage which our Saviour made by his divine power, without work­manship of hands, and sent to Ab­garus by Procopius a Scholar of [Page 211]S. Augustines, in his 2. book De bel­lo Persico, and by the seventh Gene­rall Councell in the 5. Act, where Leo a Lecturer of the Cathedrall church of Constantinople saith, I your unworthy servant, when J went into Syria with the Kings Commissioners, passed to Edessa, and there see the holy image not made with hands, honored and also adored by the faithfull. Of this image likewise make mention Adrian the first, in the 18. chapter of his book to Charles the Great, S. Da­mascenus in the 17. chapter of his 4. book Orthodoxa fidei, and in his O­ration de Imaginibus, and Constanti­us Porphyrogenitus in his Oration made before the Emperors, the Clergy, and the people, which is set down in Metaphrases upon the 16. of August.

Moreover this image was of such fame and respect, that it was transla­ted from Edessa unto Constantinople, as witnesse Zonoras in Romana Leca­peno, [Page 212]Nicephorus Callistus in the 7. chapter of his 2. book, and S. Tho­mas upon the third of the sentences dist. 9. q. 1. Art. 2.

Marianus Scotus in his Chronicle at the yeare 39. and others relate, that our Saviour going to his passi­on, a woman called Ʋeronica gave him a handkerchiefe to wipe the sweat which run down his face, and he returned it unto her again with his image upon it, which image was in the time of Tyberius conveighed by the Christians to Rome, where e­ven untill this day it hath been pre­served, and reverenced with a rela­tive religious worship of all pious Christians, and is commonly set forth to be seen in S. Peters church, upon Maunday Thursday.

Moreover Athanasius in his book of the suffering of the image of our Lord, printed amongst the works of S. Athanasius speaketh of an image of Christ our Lord, which Nicode­mus, [Page 213]who took him downe from the eross gave to Gamaliel, which after many ages fell into the hands of the Jewes at Berith, who out of spite to our Saviour spit upon it, struck it with a reed, crucified it, and pierced the side thereof with a spear, whereat bloud and water issued out, which cured all diseases, as is more at large set down in the said history, to manifest it is that sacred images have alwayes beene in use amongst Catholique Christians and that a re­lative religious worship ought to be bestowed upon them, seeing that even from our Saviours time the faithfull have practised it, and God hath been pleased to confirme their piety by miracles.

CHAP. XXVI: Of the enemies of the Crosse, and sacred Images, and of the miseries that befell Images, and of the miseries that befell them.

THe first enemy that the cross had was Satan, who lived long with the Apostles, who as S. Ignatius in his Epistle to the Phillipenses saith, Before the cross was framed, the divel laboured that it might be made, and to that purpose he wrought with the chil­dren of disobedience, in Judas, in the Pharisees, in the Sadduces, in old men, in young, in the Priests; but af­ter that the cross was finished, he was troubled, moved Judas to repent, shew­ed him a halter, and taught him how to hang himselfe with it; he terrified and troubled the same woman in her sleep, (that is to say) Pilates wife, spoken of in the 27. of S. Mathew, and he endeavoured that they should cease from crucifying, who before had laboured by all means, that the same [Page 215]cross should be had in a readinesse, not that he repented him of so great an e­vill, for so he should have beene less wicked; but now he begun to apprehend his own destruction, for the cross of Christ was to be the chiefest cause of his condemnation, death, and perditi­on, therefore he worketh it in many that they should deny the cross, and be asha­med of the passion, and affirme that Christ tasted death only in opinion, &c. for the divel is divers and sundry ways the author of all evill, deceiving mens minds by false reasons. Thus S. Ignati­us, to demonstrate unto us, that the first enemy of the cross was the divel.

The second enemies of the cross were the Jewes, who as S. Ignatius in the same place before cited af­firmeth, the divell stirred up to deny the cross, who also unto this day remain reprobate.

The third were the Gentiles, whom as the said S. Jgnatius in the same place affirmeth, calumniated [Page 216]the cross of witchcraft, or inchant­ment, as divers do at this day.

The fourth were certaine Liber­tine Christians and Apostates, who in the Apostles times fell from the faith, denied the cross, and put their whole felicity in sensuall life, and carnall pleasure, of whom S. Paul speaketh, saying, Many walk, whom often I have told you of (and now weeping, also I tell you) enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destructi­on, whose God is the belly, and their glory in their confusion, who mind worldly things, Phil. 3.18. Thus S. Paul against certaine Heretikes, who in his time were enemies of the cross of Christ, and gave themselves to luxury, gluttony, and sensual de­lights, casting off abstinence, tempe­rance, continency, mortification, and austere life, which the crosse doth teach us, which heresie then took root, not onely in Juda, but in Greece, in divers of his Epistles [Page 217]doth so extoll the cross of Christ, as to affirm, that he knew nothing but Jesus Christ crucified.

These Heretiques were Simon M [...]gus and his followers, Cerinthus, B [...]silides, &c. who taught that Christ was not indeed crucified, but with­drew himself from the cross, and suffered only in his image, and the like; whereof see S. Ironaeus in his 1. book and 25. chapter of heresies, and Epiphanius heresie 24. and 28. and S. Ignatius in his Epistle to the Trallians.

After these followed the hereti­call Nicolaites, Theo [...]orus and Cleo­bulus, who as affirmeth S. Ignatius in his aforesaid Epistles, were so great lovers of voluptuousnesse, car­nall pleasures, and such Sycoph [...]nts, as that they became enemies of the cross of Christ, denied the cross, and were ashamed of his passion. And it is a thing worthy to be noted, that all those who denied the vertue of the [Page 218]cross, or the signing themselves with the cross, were carnall sensuall peo­ple, whose God was their belly, and their glory in their confusion; for with­in few years they ended their dayes in ignominy and shame; and these also denied that the Christians ought to give any reverence or re­spect to the images or pictures of the Apostles, or Saints, affirming themselves to be immediately sent from God to reform the world, as witnesseth S. Epiphanius, Haeres. 21. and 22. and contemned the Martyrs of Christ, as witnesseth S. Irenaeus in the 20. chapter of his 3. book of he­resies, saying, they ascended to that madness, as to despise the Martyrs, and found fault with these who had beene slaine for the confession of our Lord.

After these followed the Mani­cheans, who as the former Heretikes had done, taught that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ had not a true [Page 219]body, but a phantasma, or an ap­pearance of a body, whereof no pi­ctures or images were to be wor­shipped, as affirmeth Terasius in the 2. Councell of Nice, Michael Syn­gelus in the life of Dionisius Areopa­gita, and S. Augustine in the fifteenth chapter of his 20. book against Fau­stus a Manichean. This Manicheus or Manes taking upon him by his vertue and power to cure the son of the King of Persia, sick in the hands of the Physitians, the Physitians be­ing dismissed, and Manes taking upon him the cure, he died present­ly; whereupon the King, as affirm­eth Suidas, caused Manicheus or Manes to be flay'd quick, and so na­ked to be delivered to dogs to be eaten.

After the Manicheans followed the Arians, so called of Arius, who as is affirmed in the 7. Synod, deni­ed that any worship ought to be gi­ven by Christians to the image of [Page 220]Christ, or his Saints: This Arius af­ter many troubles and afflictions which he had brought upon the courch, at an appointed time that he was to dispute with Alexander Bishop of Alexandria, f [...]ll into a Flux, and as Carion in his Chronicle relateth, going aside to ease himself, died suddainly upon the privy.

After these followed Julian the Apostata, who falling from Christi­anity to Paganism, not only erected his own image in the place where the statua of our Lord stood in Cae­sarea (of which I have spoken of heretofore) but also, as affirmeth S. C ril B shop of Alexandria in his sixth book against him, upbraided the Catholike Christians of his time with the adoration of the cross, as our Adversaries do at this day, say­ing, O wretched men who adore the wood of the cross, and imprint the sign thereof in your foreheads, and before your doors. Thus the Emperor Julian [Page 221]in his heat against the Christians, who soon after in the middest of his Army was slain from heaven, as af­firmeth S. Gregory Nazianzen in his second Oration against him, and Z z [...]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 [Page 222]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, [Page 223]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 [Page 224]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 [Page 225]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 worsh [...]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 handl [...]d or treated upon, but holily, with a relative re­ligious worship, respect and esteem, [Page 226]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 [Page 227]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, [Page 228]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 Corn [...]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 [Page 229]in the way of our Lord, will not make so slight accompt of the Scri­ptures, as to read them only transi­torily, but he will meditate upon them, which is performed alwayes with great humility and submission of mind; whereupon S. Hilary upon this text saith, The meditation of the law is not onely in the words of the reader, but in the religion of works.

In the New T [...]stament our Savi­our saith, Give not that which is holy to dogs, neither cast ye you pearles be­fore swine, least they trample them un­der their feet, and turn again, and tear you in pieces, Mat. 7.6. Pearls (saith S. Hierome upon this text and the 13. of Matthew) are the Gospel, and the Law, and the Prophets; the dogs, saith he, are those, who after they have received the faith, returne to the vomit of their former sins; and swine, those who have not yet be­lieved the Gospell, but stick fast in the mine of infidelity and vices, to [Page 230]demonstrate unto us, that our Lord would not have heretiques, vitious men, or infidells, to read the Scri­ptures, whereof in the 13. of S. Mat­thew he yeeldeth a reason, because they do not esteem them above the things of this world; and therefore if such men read the Scriptures in lieu of reaping benefit by them, they corrupt them, and become, as our Saviour there saith, persecuters of the church, which we find true by ex­perience in this age.

Again, our Saviour saith to the Jewes, Search the Scriptures, Joh. 5.39. with that honor, care and affe­ction that they ought to be searched into: for, as S. Chrysostome, in his Sermon of Abraham, well obser­veth, he saith, Search the Scriptures, do not corrupt them: search them not onely by reading them, but carefully inquiring after the sense: God gave indeed the sacred letters or characters, but he laid not open their contempla­tions [Page 231]or mysteries, but reserved them to their senses, that so he might main­tain equity or justice, and behold thy care or industry. Thus S. Chrysostome, to shew unto us, that he who shall read the sacred letters or characters of the Bible without a relative reli­gious worship unto the text, for the divine things they represent, and follow the sense which God gave unto the text, will reap no thing but error and heresie: for, our Saviour commanding a diligent search to be made into the Scriptures, forbid­eth us to corrupt them, and willeth us that we should not omit any means of finding out the sense or height of their contemplation, which (amongst other things) is an inward and outward relative religi­ous worship to the sacred text, signes, pictures, or images of the Bible, as did the Jewes in the old Law, lest for want thereof we cor­rupt the text by false senses, or in­terpretations.

Our Saviour, out of a desire that all men might be saved, and to fulfill what was necessary on his behalf, commanded the Apostles, saying, Going into the whole world, preach the Gospell to all creatures. And they go­ing forth preached every where, Mar. 16.20. Yet our Saviour himself in Matth. 13. saith, that of four sorts of hearers of the Gospel, three hear to their greater damnation. The first are only hearers, who are like men who dwell by the high-way, and look aftere very thing that pas­seth, and entertain all kind of thoughts, friendships and affairs; like an Inne, which is open to good and bad, known and unknown, friends and strangers, of whom S. James speaketh, saying, If a man be a hearer of the word, and not a do­er, he is like unto a man beholding the feature of his face in a glasse, who considered himself, and went his way, and presently forgetteth what a man­ner [Page 233]of man he was, James 1.24. The second hear, and with joy receive the Word, but are temporall, and have no root, and so for a time they be­lieve, and in time of t [...]mptation they revolt, because they did not e­steem of the Gospel above all earthly things, as did the Prophet David, saying, The law of thy mouth is good to me above thousands of gold and silver, Psal. 118.71. and therfore for temporall pl [...]asures or commo­dities easily forsook it.

The third hear the Word, and the care of the world, and the deceiptful­nesse of riches, and concupiscences a­bout other things entring in choak the word, and it is made fruitlesse. For, as S Paul saith, They who will be made rich, fall into temptations, and the snare of the D [...]vill, and into many unprofitable and hurtfull desires, which drown men in destruction and perdition, 1 Tim. 6.9. The fourth are they, who with with a good and very [Page 234]good heart hearing the word of God, do reteine it, and yeeld fruit in pati­ence. Thus our Saviour, to demon­strate unto us, that there is required on our parts an esteem of the Word of God above all earthly things, that we may adhere and cleave unto the sense given unto it by God, and it to us, and fill our hearts with pi­ous thoughts, otherwise the reading or hearing of it, or picking of our faith out of it, will but increase our damnation.

Honor is due unto vertue, as affir­meth Aristotle chap. 5. of his book of Ethicks, and also the Scriptures, 1 Tim. 5.17. And the Scriptures are the vertue of God, Rom. 1.16. 1 Cor. 1.18. wherefore as to God is due an absolute religious worship, so to the Scriptures, which are his Word, signes, figures and images, is due a relative religious worship, because it is his Word; whereupon S. Paul, describing the manner how the [Page 235]Christians in the Primitive church received the word of the Gospell, saith, We also give thanks to God con­tinually, because that when you had received of us the word of the hearing of God, you received it not as the word of men, but (as it is indeed) the word of God, 1 Thes. 2.12. and there also shewing the effect which the Word of God worketh in men, when to­gether with the sense it is received and imbraced after this relative re­ligious manner, presently addeth their constant suffering for the Go­spell, as received into a good and very good heart, which yeeldeth fruit in pa­tience.

In regard of this visible and invi­sible relative religious worship, and honor which is due unto the sacred Word of God, when Bishops make Deacons, and give them authority to read the Gospell, they receive the holy books kneeling, as is set down in the Pontificall: And anti­ently [Page 236]when the Gospell was read in the church, all men who were pre­sent laid down their weapons, stood barehead, even the Christian Kings and Emperors, and the Bishops, Priests and Deacons, who celebra­ted the divi [...]e Service, and handled the book of the Go [...]pell in honor th [...]reof, often kissed the sacred book with a holy kisse, as witness [...]th the antient Roman order, publ [...]shed in the 8. Tome Biblioth [...]cae Patrum; which rel [...]tive relig [...]ous honor is so due unto the sacred Scriptures, as that Justinus Martyr, who liv [...]d with the Apostles cholars, in his O­ration to the Gentiles, commend­eth Prolomaeus King of Egypt for u­sing it, saith, after that the seventy Interpreters had translated the Old Testament into Greek, P [...]olom [...] us sent them home with rich gifts, and as it was befitting, kissed the books, and consecrated to God, put them in his Li­brary.

Moreover in honor of the Gos­pell, when it was read in the church, candles were lighted, not to drive a­way darknesse, for the Sun then ma­ny times shined bright, but to shew signes of joy, and to expresse under the type of a temporall light, that light which is spoken of in the Scri­ptures, saying, He was the true light, as witnesseth S. Isidorus in the 12. ch. of his 7. bo [...]k of Etimologies, and S. Hierome in his book against Vigi­lantius; a [...]d to distinguish the honor which they gave unto the holy Bible from other books, they made a sa­cred place in the church only to keep it in, as witnesseth S. Paulinus in his 12. Epistle to Severus. So the rela­tive religious respect which the Pri­mitive Fathers bare unto the sacred books, and their divine Christian Catholique senses, delivered unto them by doctrinall succession from the Apostles, brought forth in them an abundance of pious thoughts, [Page 238]and healthfull meditations of the u­nity of the Christian Catholike faith, constancy in one and the same Reli­gion, sincerity in all their actions, and charity towards God and man, seeing the relative religious honor and respect which they bare, both to the sacred materiall letter, and divine sense imposed upon them, an obligation rather to die a thousand deaths, then to suffer any alterati­on, or change in one jot of the ma­teriall text, or title of the divine sense.

On the contrary, our adversaries by denying all kind of visible religi­ous respect, honor, or worship to the sacred Word of God, have made those books which they now call the Bible, as they use them, the most wretched, miserable, visible creatures that are upon the earth, the Panders of all heresies, schismes, and blasphe­mies, and the protector and defen­der of all rebellions, wickedness, and [Page 239]sin, as we find by too lamentable ex­perience; whereby appeareth the ne­cessity of this visible and invisible relative religious worship, and ho­nor unto the sacred Word of God, by all Christian men, to nourish in their hearts pious thoughts of the things contained therein, and to pos­sesse them with a firm and constant resolution to adhere unto that ma­teriall text, and divine sense, which were delivered unto the faithfull in the beginning, to persevere in the same untill the end of the world, according to the words of S. John, saying; That which you have heard from the beginning, let it abide in you; if that abide in you which you have heard from the beginning, you also shall abide in the Son, and in the Fa­ther, 1 Joh. 2.24.

CHAP. XXVIII. Answer to Obj [...]ctions.

OBject. Some Roman Catho­likes pray to pictures, and a­dore them as God.

Answ. I do not think that any of our Adversaries ever heard any Ro­man Catholique to say, Picture pray for me, or have mercy upon me, or to call a picture a God, or to say that there were more Gods then one; if he should hear any to say so, or know of any who should believe that any picture or image were a God, this man or woman could not be a Roman Catholique, but an he­retique or Pagan idolater, seeing that the [...]atholique Roman Church teacheth all her followers in the three Creeds, and in her Cate­chismes, to believe u [...]der penalty of damnation, that there is but one God.

Ob. They pray before pictures, [Page 241]and kneele before images.

Ans. So our adversaries pray before their Bibles, and kneel before their books, yet I do not think that they believe their Bible, or other Prayer-books to be Gods.

Ob. They say that their pictures are holy, & call the cross holy cross.

Ans. So do our adversaries call their Communion the holy Com­munion, and their Bible the holy Bi­ble, and the Scriptures the sacred Word of God; for the same reason that they call the Bible holy, and the Scriptures sacred, for the same reason Roman Catholiques call the picture of our Saviour and his Saints holy, that is, because they represent unto us holy things, as well as words, as I have said heretofore: antiently in Egypt, and at this day in China, that which we in Europe ex­presse by letters and characters, they expr [...]sse by pictures and images; so that the Christians of these coun­tryes [Page 242]must either have no Bible, or a Bible of pictures, and images; and if our adversaries will allow them to have an holy Bible, and sacred Scriptures, then they must also al­low of holy pictures and sacred i­mages, distinct from prophane.

Ob. Images and idols are all one.

Ans. How absurd this is, appear­eth by the Scriptures, which say, Christ is the image of the invisible God, Col. 15. God created man to his own image, to the image of God he created him, Gen. 1.17. Adam lived 130. years, and begat to his own image and likenesse, Gen. 5.3. man is the i­mage and glory of God, 1 Cor. 11.7. And if images and idols be all one, then the Christians in Egypt and China when they put forth Bibles, set forth idols, and when they re­spect or reverence their Bibles or sa­cred Scriptures, they worship idols; which how absurd it is, I leave to the piety of the Reader. Again, many [Page 243]idols are no images, as trees, moun­tains, the Sun, Moon, and Stars, unto which the Heathen offered Sacrifice, as unto their gods; whereby they made them idols, which yet were no images.

Moreover images and idols differ in this: First; that idols, as they are idols, had no truth at all in nature, but were feigned things, all our sa­cred images have some estentiall truth extant, either in heaven or earth, which they represent. Se­condly, all idols are without truth, concerning faith and religion; all our images contain such a truth as belongeth to Christian faith or reli­gion. Thirdly, Sacrifice was offered to idols, but we never offer sacrifice to any image or picture. Fourthly i­dols, as they are idols, were either images of wicked men, or creatures not worthy of honor; ours of our Saviour and his Saints, who are wor­thy of worship and honor; whereby it appeareth that sacred images and i­dols are not all one.

Ob. Roman Catholiques adore, kneel before, and worship their ima­ges, as the heathen did their idols.

Ans. The heathen, at least for the most part, adored, kneeled, and worshipped the materiall carved piece of wood, or ingraven stone, or molten image, or painted cloth, as a God, as witnesse the Scriptures, saying, make us gods, that may go be­fore us, Exod. 32.1. Againe, he cut down Cedars &c. and kindled them, and baked bread, but of the rest he wrought a god, and adored, Isa. 44.15. Againe, Balthasar the King made a great feast to his Nobles, &c. and they praised their gods of gold, and of sil­ver, of brasse, of iron, and of wood, and of stone, Daniel 5.4. whereup­on God himselfe said to the Israe­lites, that when they should fall in­to idolatry, you shall serve gods that were framed with mens hands, wood & stone that see not, Deut. 4.18. But as I have said heretofore, no Roman [Page 245]Catholique either esteemeth or thinketh any sacred image to be a God, or adoreth or kneeleth to it, or worshippeth it as a God; if he should, he should cease to be a Ro­man Catholique, and become an in­fidell. Again, the heathen termina­ted their adoration, kneeling, and worshipping in their idolls, as in their last end, God and chiefest good, as is before shewed; Roman Catho­liques adore and kneel before their sacred pictures, and worship their i­mages onely as remembrances of holy things, and neither as gods, or as things which containe any God­head, nor yet as before an absolute thing, creature or person. Thirdly, they offered sacrifice unto their i­dols, as witnesse the Scriptures, say­ing, They have made to themselves a molten calf, and have adored, and im­molated hosts unto it, Exod. 32.8. A­gain, They sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, Psal. 105.38. The Roman [Page 246]Catholiques never offer sacrifice un­to any picture, or image whatsoever.

Ob. Some of you say, that the same honor is due unto the image, which is due unto the example, but Christ, as you confess, is to be adored with divine honor, or honor of latria.

Ans. Whatsoever any of ours for disputation sake shall say in this point, yet they all submit their judgements to the church, which in the 7. Act of the seventh Generall Councell hath decreed, that the i­mage of Christ is not to be honored with divine honor, and in the third Canon of the last Act, that the i­mage of Christ is no otherwise to be adored, then is the books of the Gospell: and before these Councels, to worship the image of Christ with divine honor, was condemned a­mongst us for heresie, as witnesseth S. Jrenaeus in the 24. cha. of his. 1. book of heresies, S. Epiphanius in his 27 he­resie, and S. Augustine in the 7. heresie [Page 247]of his book ad quod vult Deus.

So first no Christian Catholique ever affirmed that it was lawfull to offer exteriour visible sacrifice to the image of Christ our Lord. Second­ly, these men do not say that the i­mage of Christ, as it is the image of Christ, and as it is separated from Christ, may by it selfe independent of Christ be worshipped with di­vine honor, but as it is one thing with Christ, or is reduced to Christ, as the garments of a King are an­nexed to the King, or as the splen­dor, beauty or proportion of a body is coherent to a body; and so by a subtill distinction they may perad­venture defend, that the image of Christ may by accident, or reductive­ly, be honored with the same honor that Christ our Lord is honored, though not of it selfe, or by it selfe, for all Roman Catholiques do hold, that a thing which hath neither life, sense, nor reason, (such as is an arti­ficiall [Page 248]image or picture of it selfe, and in regard of it selfe) is neither worthy of any honor, nor capable; and therefore though these Roman Catholiques do differ in words, and subtill distinctions, yet they agree in substance, effect, and meaning, and say, that the cross or picture of our Saviour, as it is a molten, or graven, or painted thing, & hath no relation to our Lord, is worthy of no honor or worship, but may be burned or bro­ken without offence; & as it hath re­lation to our Saviour, or as it is the pi­cture of Christ of it selfe, it speaketh of an inferiour thing to Christ our Lord, as the picture of Caesar speaketh of an inferiour thing to Caesar, and therefore cannot be worshipped with the same honor which is due to Christ, but by accident or depen­dence, and this is the opinion of all. Roman Catholiques.

Ob. Moyses said to the Israelites, You saw not any similitude in the day [Page 249]that our Lord spoke to you in Horeb from the middest of the fire, lest per­haps deceived, you might make you a graven similitude, or image of male or female, Deut. 4.15.

Ans. This text answereth it selfe in the verses following, Beware lest at any time thou forget the Cove­nant of the Lord thy God, &c. and make to thee a graven similitude of these things which our Lord hath pro­hibited to be made. So this text only prohibiteth the making of vain ima­ges to our selves, and not to the ho­nor of God, as I have shewed more at large hereupon, and so the al­ledged text saith, lest deceived, you might make you for your selves, and not for the honor of God. Againe in this same chapter it saith, and being deceived, make to you some similitude; whereby it appeareth, that this text only prohibiteth the making of vain and idle pictures to our selves, and not the pious pictures of our Savi­our and his Saints, nor yet of the [Page 250]civill pictures of well-deserving men, which may redound to the ho­nor and glory of God, by putting civil good thoughts into our minds.

Ob. You picture God and the Ho­ly Ghost contrary to the Scriptures, which say, To whom have you made God like, or what image will you set to him? I say 40.18.

Ans. There be three sorts of ima­ges or pictures, some are made to expresse the perfect similitude, form, essence, and nature of the thing it self, and so no faithfull man goeth about to make an image or picture of God, because as so he is incom­prehensible and invisible, and this is that which is forbidden by this text.

The second kind is by images to represent to our sight some visible apparitions of God unto men, in such shapes and formes as his will hath chosen, and not his nature fra­med, as his walking in Paradise to seek Adam and Eve in the shape of [Page 251]a man, Gen. 3. his standing upon the top of a ladder, Gen. 18. his conver­sing with Moyses, as one friend with another, Exod. 33. his sitting upon a Throne, as he appeared to the Pro­phets Isay and Micheas, Isa. 6. and the 3. of Kings and last chapter, his appearing in the form of a Dove, and cloven tongues as it were of fire, Mat. 3. Act. 2. &c. to picture God after any of these manners, to expresse the manner of his appariti­ons to mankind, hath alwayes beene lawfull, otherwise these who in place of letters and characters use pictures and images, as the Egyptians and Chinois could have no Bible, nei­ther doe they give him any new form, but express the form, in which (out of his infinite goodness) he ap­peared unto men.

A third kind of setting forth God unto our minds by pictures and ima­ges, is not to expresse his immedi­ate form, nature or essence by pi­ctures [Page 252]or images, which is impossi­ble, but by some remote and medi­ate similitude, which according to our weak capacity may put us in mind of him, or his attributes: As for example, to express him as all-seeing by an eye, or as of in speakable power, wisdom goodness, by a Stork, which hath no tongue, for that no tongue is able to expresse his essence, nature, goodness, &c. or els to shew that God is eternal, without beginning or end­ing, by a circle which hath neither end nor beginning, &c. as is more at large set downe by Pierius in his book of the sacred Egyptian let­ters, and this kind of painting or setting forth of God by pictures and images, hath also alwayes been law­full, otherwise those who write, or print pictures and images for letters or characters, could have no Bible, or writ any thing of God, or of the mysteries of our faith, as the Egypti­ans and Chinois; and this is called the [Page 253]expression of the nature of a thing by Analogies, or metaphoricall and mysticall significations: as also for example, to set forth the strength, agility, and glory of an Angell, by Analogy and mysticall signification, we use to paint, or print a beautiful young man with wings, as were the pictures of Angels in the Temple; & this kind also of setting forth God or Angels hath always been lawful.

Ob. The Scriptures say, whereunto have you resembled me, and made me equal, and compared me, and made me like? Isa. 46.5.

Ans. This text, as the former is spoken of idolls, as appeareth by the text it self, which saith whereunto have you made me equal, which can­not be, but by making of an idol, no Christian Catholique, either think­ing, or esteeming, or imagining any artificiall picture, or image to be e­quall with God; and it presently fol­loweth in the same text, You that [Page 254]contribute gold out of the bag, and w [...]gh silver with balance, hiring a goldsmith to make a god, to demon­strate unto us, that this and such like places alledged out of the Scriptures, only prohibit the making of idols, or the going about to paint or print an image or picture which immediately shall set forth the na­ture, substance, or essence of God, which is impossible, and forbidden.

Ob. The Councell of Eliberis in the 36. Canon, forbiddeth images in churches.

Ans. It prohibiteth the painting of them upon the church wall in time of persecution, least they should be prophaned or abused, but confesseth, that they ought to be worshipped or reverenced, as I have shewed heretofore.

Ob. Tertullian in the 12. chapter of his Apology for the Christians a­gainst the Gentiles, saith, they did not adore statues or images.

Ans. Not as the Gentiles did thei [...] statues or images with divine honor▪ as Gods, but with a relative religious worship, as in the 16. cha. of the same book he affirmeth, say­ing, who doth not think us to be religi­ous towards the cross, or of the cross?

Moreover the faithfull Christian souldiers at all times adored the i­mage of the Roman Emperors in the Imperiall standard, as witnesseth S. Gregory Nissen in his first Oration against Julian the Apostata, number 76. saying; They think it not enough that they themselves are adored, unless it be given also unto them in their pi­ctures and images. The like hath Zo­zonteus in the 4. cha. of his 1. book of histories, saying; The souldiers u­sed to adore the Ensign of war called Labarum, which was inferiour to sa­cred pictures, signs or images.

Ob. They adored the pictures and images of the Emperors with civill worship, but not with a religious worship.

Ans. Then first you confesse, that adoration may be given unto the pi­ctures and images of Christ and his Saints, but not a religious adorati­on; for if it be lawfull to adore the pictures or images of heathen men, you cannot deny it unto the pictures of our Saviour and his Saints, who are far more eminent; and that rela­tive religious worship may be given unto them, I have proved in the for­mer chapters; and by the same rea­son, that civill adoration may be gi­ven to the eminent temporal things of the world, by the same reason a relative religious adoration may be given to eminent, religious or spiri­tual things in the Kingdom of Gods church, because the hierarchy in the one, is answerable to the Monarchy in the other; wherefore seeing that you grant a civill adoration to the pictures of eminent men in the one, you cannot with any reason deny a relative religious adoration to the [Page 257]pictures or images of Christ and his Saints in the other.

Ob. Some of the Fathers say, that neither Angels or Saints, or any o­ther creature, may be worshipped or adored with a religious worship.

Ans. As I have said heretofore, the vertue of Religion hath divers acts or operations, whereof the chief is extended to God only, such as is the profoundest humiliation and prostration of the will, as to the first truth, first beginning, the chiefest good and last end of man, which for his excellency, is or may be cal­led absolute adoration, or a religious worship without addition, or a di­vine worship, because it hath no re­lation or dependence upon any o­ther, and this may not be given un­to any creature: So when the Fa­thers say that a religious worship may not be given to the Angels and Saints &c. they understand this ab­solute religious worship, which is [Page 258]made with a whole prostration or submission of the will, as to the chiefest good and last end of man, which were injustice to bestow up­on any creature; and when they say that a religious worship may be gi­ven to creatures, as S. Augustine doth in the 21. cha. of his 20. book against Faustus, and others; they intend this relative or inferiour kind of religi­ous worship, which we call for di­stinction sake relative, which may be bestowed either upon the eminent creatures of God, according to the supernaturall excellency or dignity which he hath communicated unto them, or upon sacred pictures, signs or images, for the relation they have unto the mysteries of our faith, or things in heaven; so as when we say God only is good, for that he is good of himself, infinite, and inde­pendent, it doth not hinder us to say that his creatures are good by com­munication from his goodnesse, no [Page 259]more doth it hinder us to say, that his eminent creatures, upon whom he hath bestowed grace and glory, or sacred pictures, signes or images, which have a relation to the myste­ries of our faith, or to the things of heaven, may be worshipped with a relative religious worship, depend­ing upon God, and sending us unto him, as unto our last end.

According to this argument, you may prove that we ought not to use charity or love towards our neigh­bour, or towards any man, because the Scripture saith, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God from thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and thy whole mind, Deut. 5.6. Mat. 22.37. therefore may you say as you do of religious worship, you may not use charity or love unto any creature which is absurd; but as the highest charity, and chiefest extension of our loves belongeth to God alone, as to our chiefest good, and an inferiour [Page 260]kind of charity with relation unto him, may be used, and ought to be used towards his creatures; so like­wise in the vertue of Religion, some acts are due unto God alone, others to be communicated to his eminent creatures; and if you can understand this of charity, you may easily under­stand the same of religious worship, or of any other vertue, how it may be used towards God alone, and how it may be communicated to his creatures depending upon him.

Ob. Some of the more simple sort of people amongst you adore your pictures of God, or pray unto them, as unto a living thing.

Ans. I never could either see or hear of any such amongst them: If we can­not find a dog that will not be able to distinguish between a true living Hare, and a painted, how much more the simplest man? but if any such things should be amongst them, he could not be a Roman Catholique, [Page 261]but an heretique or infidell▪ and as such would have been punished.

Ob. Mr. L [...]mbert in his preambu­lations, and divers of our Authors do write of the abuses, which were committed in England about ima­ges.

Ans. These abuses, and the like were committed by Protestants, and after the time that King Henry the VIII. had separated himselfe from the Cat holike Roman Church, and had by vertue of his Supremacy, and the Supremacy of his Protestant Clergy, placed Protestant Bishops, Abbats, and Abbatesses in the Mona­steries, who to disgrace them, and bring them to desolation and ruine into which they after fell, invented these and the like abuses, that they might with the better colour seize upon their lands and goods, as ap­peareth, for that images were not taken out of the Churches, Monaste­ries, untill the the time of King Ed­ward [Page 262]the VI. in the year 1547. which was about thirteen years after that the Popes Authority was by Parlia­ment excluded out of England, as do witnesse your own Chronicles.

Neither is it a sufficient cause to take away a good thing from a­mongst men, for that divers doe a­buse it, for so we should neither leave Bible nor Sacraments in the church, seeing that both are abused by ma­ny, our Lord (saith the Prophet) will not leave the rod of sinners upon the lot of the just, Psal. 124.3.