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 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 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 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 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 hâ—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 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 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 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 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 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 â—â—th love ye 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 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 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 Valerâ—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 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 blâ—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 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
THE NURSE OF Pious Thoughts Wherein is briefly shewed That the use which Roman Catholikes do make of sacred Pictures Signes and Images is not Idolatry or any other misdemeanour as some imagine but the Nurse of Pious Thoughts and Healthfull Meditations Written By F. P. Philopater Proverbs 11.16 Evill thoughts are abominable to our Lord. DOVAY Printed in the Yeere 1652. To the Right Honorable Lords worshipfull Knights Esquires Gentry and all the free-born people of England who desire the redresse of notorious scandalls health and all happinesse Right Honorable c. AMongst the many notorious scandalls which contrary to the Lawes of God just Lawes of the Land solemn oaths and Engagements of this Nation are committed in these distracted times there are almost none more common in this Island then the defacing disgracing beating down and demolishing of sacred pictures signes memories and images of our Saviour his Saint's worthy men and all holy things the Nurses of Pious Thoughts the remembrances of vertuous actions and monuments of heroical deeds without any notice thereof taken by the State to the unspeakable detriment of the Commonwealth for if you do not permit visible signes pictures images and remembrances of piety vertue and the Obligations which men have unto God and Christ Jesus his only Son to be exposed to the senses the windows of their souls and yet allow of vain idle and prophane you shall shut up the door to vertue and gratitude and let loose the reines to sin and misery experience telling us that what the eye seriously and constantly with affection beholdeth the heart thinketh and evill thoughts consented unto corrupt good manners and corrupt manners have brought forth these present calamities and divisions which to go about to redresse will be in vain unless you permit men to injoy the means Wherefore not to be wanting in good wishes to my native soyl I have written this book of sacred pictures signes and images the Nurses of Pious Thoughts and out of my affection have dedicated it unto your Honors unto whom doth belong the correction of these scandalls that protected by your Authority and backed by your power the sacred objects of piety vertue and godlinesse may every where appear obvious unto the eyes not only to the extirpation of vice reconciliation of dissentions rooting out of malice but also to the planting of a true unity perfect peace and a sincere charity in the hearts of all the Inhabitants of this Island to the great glory of God and prosperity of our Country which is all the interest or desires of profit I seek for by these my labours more then to be esteemed as by Gods grace I shall ever remain Your Honors most humble servant in Christ Jesu F. P. Philopater The Preface to the Reader Dear Reader THe holy Apostle of our Lord S. Peter considering the danger which even the faithful and children of God live in whilest they remain in this mortall life through the craft and policy of the enemy of mankind saith unto them Brethren be sober and watch because our adversary the divell as a roaring Lion goeth about seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet. 5.8 not with his teeth or jawes but by a crafty and subtill kind of suggestion of impious thoughts unto the minds of men by which consented unto as the Scriptures affirm Mat. 15.18 1 Cor. 6.15 he not only defileth their hearts expelleth God out of their bodies and entereth himselfe to dwell there Mat. 12.45 but also raigneth and domineereth over them so rigorously that they must not constantly think but what he will Mat. 13.19 And knowing by the excellency of his wit and long experience that if he should suffer sacred pictures signes memories and images the instruments of pious thoughts every where publikely to stand and be respected as they ought there would be no quiet resting or abode for him in their hearts without seeking for himself a new lodging in other parts because there is no agreement betweene Christ and Belial therefore so by certain slights and cunning suggestions stirreth up men of light belief and unconstant minds in whose heart as our Saviour saith he liveth to disgrace and beat them down as idolls after this manner Whereas all words have divers senses and all things divers formalities conceptions and respects he never permitteth them over whom he hath power or in whose heart he dwelleth to take the words of sacred signs pictures and images in the same sense formality conception or respect in which they were delivered unto the Church of God by our Saviour and the Apostles or in which Roman Catholiques take them at this day that is to say as relatives which of themselves are nothing but a connotation of the things which they represent the divell maliciously will alwayes have them in whom he dwelleth to take them for things absolute and so deceiveth them to the banishing of pious thoughts out of their souls As for example we may consider the things which we commonly call an image either to be a carved or an ingraven stock or stone or a painted cloth or paper or els we may consider it as it is an image of some common thing or els of some heavenly or divine or of the mysteries of our faith without any further reflection upon it or els we may understand it not only as it is the image of some heavenly and divine thing or of the mysteries of our faith but also as it doth represent unto us the said heavenly and divine things or the mysteries of our faith and doth or may beget in our hearts pious thoughts as the image or resemblance of Christ upon the cross as it doth represent his sufferings for us or his image as he is in heaven as it doth represent him unto us in that glory and so doth or may beget in us pious thoughts of his mercy and suffering for us or els of the glory of the other life in which last sense the Church of God and Roman Catholikes alwayes take sacred pictures signs and images when they give unto them any religious respect honor or reverence And Satan to deceive those in whom he dwelleth as in his house and home to continue his possession alwayes maliciously and wittingly suggesteth unto them that the church of God and Roman Catholikes take images in the first or second sense that is to say either as they are carved or ingraven stocks and stones of painted cloaths or papers or an image in common without any further representation and then stirreth them up by his suggestions not only to beat them down as idols but also to accuse Roman Catholikes of idolatry as though they adored stocks and stones or painted papers or cloaths not only to the extirpation of pious thoughts out of the hearts of men but also to the great disturbance of the peace and unity which should be amongst Christians by the alâ—enation of the minds of silly people one from another who ignorant of
this craft of Satan believe Roman Catholikes really to be idolaters for the respect they bear to sacred images as they represent unto them pious thoughts and persecute them severely as idolaters to the losse of their own souls by their calumniations and cruelty with out cause Satan well knowing that the soul of man is so inclosed in his body that he cannot naturally understand supernaturall divine and invisible things but by some visible audible or sensible means and also that every vertuous action hath two vitious extremes as hath the use of signes pictures or images which extremes are superstition and prophanenesse and that it were a hard task for him to win men who formerly had been faithfull Christians to fall into superstition and publikely to use these or the like images signs or pictures as his similitudes and adore them to his honor and glory as if he were their God as he doth the Heathen and Gentiles suggesteth unto them in whom he hath power either to prophane them or wholly to deface or beat them down that though he cannot directly and publikely apply them or the like to his honor as he doth amongst the Pagans yet by breaking disgracing or casting them down he may at least conduct men into ignorance misprision or contempt of divine holy and supernaturall things and the mysteries of our faith so to lead them into such a prophane and barbarous kind of life as that they shall not bear any affection either unto Religion or Superstition or unto any kind of Sect good or evill more then may serve them for a cloak to colour their barbarism or advance their temporall affâ—irs or not to be discovered that they are Atheists or prophane Wherefore to prevent this mischiefe and the utter ruine of our Nation by Atheisme and prophanenesse I have written this book of The Nurse of Pious Thoughts thereby at large to shew unto thee dear Reader that the relative religious worship which Roman Catholikes do give unto sacred pictures signs and images and the use they make of them is neither idolatry or any sin or misdemeanour as theâ—enemy of mankindâ— suggesteth but to nourish in themselves and others pious thoughts divine meditations and elevation of their soules to heavenly things thereby to keep out the divell from dwelling in their hearts or doing them any mischiefe and to conduct the Holy Ghost to their infinite comfort and consolation to dwell with them for ever which is that I wish unto thee Reader and so I rest Thy servant in Christ Jesu F. P. Philopater The Contents of the Chapters Chap. 1. WHat our thoughts be in generall and how they are visions or words or speeches of our hearts p. 1 Chap. 2. Of pious and impious thoughts and what pious thoughts are 5 Chap. 3. How all evills proceed from evil thoughts 8 Chap. 4. The excellency of pious thoughts and how good works and heroicall actions proceed from them 17 Chap. 5. How the thoughts commonly follow the senses and that the senses consented unto beget our thoughts 25 Chap. 6. The power which the senses have to move the mind to think good or evill as they present 28 Chap. 7. How pious objects and sacred pictures furnish our soules with pious thoughts 34 Chap. 8. The necessity of sacred artificiall pictures signes and images to the nourishing of pious thoughts and what we call sacred pictures and signes 40 Chap. 9. What we mean by a relative religious worship and of the distinction of honor and worship 48 Chap. 10. That a relative religious worship belongeth unto sacred things pictures signes and images as they immediately or mediately conduct us to God 55 Chap. 11. Almighty God never prohibited either the making of sacred pictures signes and images nor yet their relative religious worship 67. Chap. 12. That it is lawfull to make holy artificiall pictures signs and images which may immediately or mediately bring us to think upon God and heavenly things and place them in Churches or Temples 75 Chap. 13. That in time of peace when there is no persecution the pictures and images of Angels and Saints ought to be placed in Churches and there honored with a relative religious worship 86 Chap. 14. 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 a relative religious worship not for the materiall things themselves but for the sacred things which they represent 101 Chap. 15. How free Roman Catholikes are from idolatry by worshipping of sacred pictures signs and images with relative religious worship 107 Chap. 16. By the second Commandement God commanded all men to honor and worship his name which is but a sacred sign picture or image of himself with a relative religious worship thereby to beget pious thoughts in our souls 118 Chap. 17. The third Commandement commandeth all men to honor and reverence the Sabbath day which is but a sacred sign 124 Chap. 18. Of the sweet name or sign of Jesus and how this name is to be worshipped with a relative religious worship above all names thereby to beget pious thoughts of Jesus above all things 132 Chap. 19. Greater honor to be given unto the name Jesus as it signifieth Christ our Lord then to any other name of God 138 Chap. 20. How terrible the name of Jesus is unto the divells when it is honored with a relative religious worship 149 Chap. 21. Many miracles wrought in confirmation of the relative honor and worship given to the name of Jesus 155 Chap. 22. 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 163 Chap. 23. That the faithfull in the Primitive Church used a relative religious worship towards the sacred signe of the Crosse 173 Chap. 24. The Crosse adored with a relative religious worship in the Primitive Church not for the matter but for the holy passion of our Saviour which it representeth 191 Chap. 25. Of four sacred images which were made of Christ our Lord whilest be lived upon earth and of the religious relative honor done unto them to the inriching of their minds with pious thoughts 205 Chap. 26. Of the enemies of the Crosse and sacred images and of the miseries that befell them 214 Chap. 27. The relative religious worship which the faithfull in the Primitive Church used towards the sacred pictures signes and images of the written Word and thereby learned the true sense and indued their soules with pious thoughts 223 Chap. 28. Answer to objections 24â— The Conclusion 263 The Nurse of Pious Thoughts 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
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 tâ—nâ—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 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 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 only originall sin into the world but also evill thoughts and deeds and sicknesse and infirmities and all diseases and death which wâ—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 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 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 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 Aâ—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 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 saith we see by a glasse in a dark sort to have of the aforesaid things sacred artificiall pictures signes and images or borrowed formes which may represent unto thy senses these holy things as a Nurse to feed thy soul with pious thoughts Neither is it sufficient to the maintenance of pious thoughts only to have sacred artificiall pictures signes and images before you to behold but also it is necessary that you beare a relative religious honor and respect towards them for this doth not only prepare and open wide your heart to receive the said Species into your understanding and to love and understand the sacred things which they do represent but also doth imprint a perseverance of pious thoughts in your heart for every one easily imbraceth and entertaineth that which he honoreth and esteemeth as we see by daily experience for if a thing be never so good yet if you doe not esteem it to you it is not good but hurtfull who contemne a sacred thing For this cause S. John Baptist honored and worshipped the latchet of our Saviours shoes with a relative religious worship which ended in our Saviour saying whose latchet of his shoe I am not worthy to unloose John 1.1.2.7 And he who so much honored the latchet of his shoe as that he thought himself not worthy to touch it in respect of the supereminent honor which belonged to our Saviour imagine if you can the innumerable pious thoughts of God and of the mysteries of our faith which were in his soul seeing that God exalteth the humble whereupon S. Augustine upon this text saith He humbled himself very much in that he thought himself not worthy to do this certainly saith S. Augustine he was full of the Holy Ghost what a consequence is this S. John said I am not worthy to unloose the latchet of his shoe and thereupon S. Augustine inferreth that he was full of the Holy Ghost because that relative religious honor which he gave unto the latchet of our Lords shoe for our Saviours sake opened wide his lâ—â— art to receive into it all kind of pious thoughts or any impression of our Saviour or of the Holy Ghost who dwelleth with a contrite and humble spirit Isay 57.15 From hence also it is that the faithfull in the Primitive Church so much honored with a relative religious honor the shadow of S. Peter and the handkerchiefs of S. Paul as that they did bring forth the sick into the streets and laid them in beds and couches that when Peter came his shadow at the least might overshadow them Act. 5.15 and brought from S. Pauls body napkins or handkerchiefs unto the sick Act. 19.11 that by any thing which had relation unto these holy servants of God they might at least beget in the sick pious thoughts and sometimes also health of body or cure of their diseases From hence also it is that the faithfull at all times have not onely had respect and reverence to the memory of the Martyrs the locall places of Churches Chappell 's and Altars and to the holy name of God and Iesus Christ our Lord but also unto the sacred text of the Scriptures pious books and service of the Church which are but holy signes notes pictures similitudes and objects to our senses which may Furnish our soules with pious thoughts as S. Augustine after his conversion in the sixth chapter of his nineth book of Confessions affirmeth they did in him with great consolation saying By the notes of the Church so sweetly sung the words did flâ—w into my ears and the truth which was contained therein distilled mâ—lting into my heart and the affection of piery even boyled in my breast my tears ran trickling down my cheeks and it was well with me Thus S. Augustine to demonstrate unto us that as obsceane and filthy objects and the names and notes of prophane loves and vitious things respected beget in our hearts impious and wicked thoughts so pious objects and sacred pictures when they are respected for the holy things which they represent do presently furnish our minds with pious thoughts as I shall further shew in the ensuing Chapters CHAP. VIII The necessity of sacred artificiall Pictures Signes and Images to the nourishing of pious thoughts and what we call sacred Pictures and Signes THe thoughts for the most part following the senses as I have shewed in the precedent chapter to have pious and golden thoughts it is not only necessary to avoid vaine and idle species and formes but also to have often or for the most part before our eyes sacred artificiall pictures signes and images thereby to imprint in our hearts sacred and pious thoughts but we call these sacred artificiall pictures signes and images which represent unto us holy and divine and invisible things or the mysteries of our faith c. and as they do represent them unto us and imprint in our hearts the knowledge of the aforesaid divine things or mysteries and beget in our minds pious thoughts these we call sacred not for the matter they are made of but for the sacred things they do or may represent and as they do represent them unto us this we understand by sacred artificiall pictures signes and images and nothing els Now how necessary these things are to the begetting in us pious thoughts appeareth first by what I have said in the former chapters for if we can learn nothing or understand or think of any thing but either by it selfe or els by some resemblance picture or signe it must passe by the senses and all the things of heaven and mysteries of our faith c. are invisible and insensible to the senses unlesse we use sacred artificiall pictures signes and images we can never come to know any thing of the heaven of glory or of the mysteries of our faith c. as further appeareth by the Heathen and Pagan people who for want of the use of these things and of a Preacher to preach or teach them these things by audible sacred artificiall signes or visible sacred artificiall pictures signes and images remain untill this day in their infidelity or Paganism And we also who at this day and in â—ormer timâ—s are Catholique Christianâ— have lâ—arned our Christiâ—â—â—â—y by those sacred artificiall signs pictures and images neither otherwise could we ever have knowne it as witnesseth S. Paul saying how shall they hear without a Preacher Rom. 10.14 If Preachers had not come and taught all the