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
sacred name of Jesus whereat three fountains gushed out which yet remain untill this day and was so desirous 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 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 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 to his custome came and putting his fâ—ot ovâ—â— the pale to enter into the Oâ—câ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 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 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 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 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
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
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 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 victimeâ— the holocausts of rams and the fat of fat things and the bloud of calves and lambs and buck goats I have not 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 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 proâ—â—â—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 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 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 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 saâ—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 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
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 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 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 Catholâ—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 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 Moâ—ses a vertuous and learned old Eâ—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 Water-mill which is so continu â—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 Millâ—rs or Masters power whether it shall grind Wheat or Barley or if he will cast into it to grind oâ— 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 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 kâ—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 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 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 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 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 digâ—ity or esteem which the said creatâ—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 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 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 2 a. 2 ae quaest 81. to be one speciall most noble morall vertue distinct onely by reason from holinesse which according to her proper acts and operation 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 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 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 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 in the same place S. Iames saith A Religion clean and unspotted with God the Father is this to
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 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 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 the whole work of the Incarnation and our redemption wheâ—â— to doe concur the wisdome power goodnesse Majesty and all the attributes of God more then in any his other works made oâ— created and putâ—eth us in mind of all these things wheâ—â— 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 Jâ—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 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 1â— 2 Thus these Fathers of the Old Law whereby it appeareth 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 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 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 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 lâ—t us challenge to our selves from it ornament and forces Thus S. Chrysostom whereupon Theophilact upon these words of S. Paul Whatsoever you do in word or in work all thingâ— in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ saith for the name of God driveth away divells and doth make all things easie unto thee and to succeed well which being so he is worthy to perish who will not beare a relative religious respect and honor unto this sacred name of Iesus From hence it is that Abulensis upon the twentieth chapter of Exodus saith That it is a greater-sin to take the name of Jesus in vain then that of God And giving a reason addeth The common and laudable custome of the Church doth more honor that name of Jesus then this of God From whence it is that the devout faithfull people as soon as they hear the name of Jesus either bow down their heads or bend their knees which they do not when they hear the name of God he therefore who doth offend against this custome dishonoring the name of Jesus doth commit a greater sin then he who dishonoreth the name of God Thus Abulensis of the outward and inward relative religious honor and worship which the Church of God hath alwayes given unto the name of Iesus because it is the proper name of the Word Incarnate and of God as he is our Redeemer a name so much honored by S. Paul as that he not only hath it 219. times in his Epistles but also the faithfull perswading him with many tears that he would not go to Hierusalem because as the Prophet Agabus had foretold there he was to be taken prisoner and to be cast into bands by the Jewes he answered I am ready not only to be bound but to die also in Hierusalem for the name of our Lord Jesus Acts 21.13 After the people of Israel were conducted by God through the red Sea and delivered out of the hands of Pharoah and the Egyptians Wisdome saith that they sung thy O Lord Wisdome 10.20 If this the faithfull in the Old Law did because they were preserved out of the hands of their temporall enemies by the passage through the red Sea how much more ought Christians to sing and extoll the name of Iesus who by the red Sea of his bloud hath redeemed us from our infernall enemies and say with the Prophet All Nations shall glorifie thy name because thou art great and doing marvellous things thou only art God conduct me O Lord in thy way and I will walk in thy truth let my heart rejoyce that I may fear thy name I will confesse to thee O Lord my God with all my heart and I will glorifie thy name for ever because thy mercy is great upon me and thou hast delivered my soul from the lower hell Psal 85.9 O Lord our Lord how marvellous is thy name in the whole earth Psal 8.10 because thou hast magnified above every thing thy holy name Psal 137.2 the name of Jesus which is magnified above all names or temporall things whereupon S. Hilarius upon this Psalme saith J have manifested thy name to men and what name this was he shewed before saying Father the hour cometh cause thy son to be honored therefore he adoreth this name Now if the Prophet did adore the name of God not for the materiall letters or characters but for that it represented unto him an infinite goodnesse and greatnesse why should we now doubt whether we ought to adore and worship holy names pictures and signes which conduct us unto the same God with a relative religious worship seeing that it doth fill our souls with pious thoughts Again the same Saint saith upon the same Psalm He confesseth the Word made flesh in truth and the cause of his confession is taken from this because thou hast magnified above every thing thy name the name of God is not known to one Nation only but it is magnified above all things and the greatnesse of his sanctity is extended to all not a barbarous nor Soyth nor servant nor freeman neither woman nor man nor any age is exeluded from it for the name of God is magnified above all Temples fall downe Idols grow mute Oracles at the coming of the Saints are silent the credit of Augures is lost the only name of God is holy amongst all Nations Thus S. Hilary Arnobius also expounding this Psalm saith The Prophet doth confess unto his name because in the name of Jesus every knee shall bow of the things in heaven of the things upon earth and of these things under the earth and what doth he confesse unto his holy name he saith thy mercy and thy truth A soul doth confesse nothing else to God in the sight of the Angels but the mercy wherewith he is redeemed and the truth which he is taught what truth without all doubt this wherein his holy name is magnified above all things for this is a name which is above all names Thus these Fathers of the relative religious honor respect reverence which the faithful in their times bare unto this sacred name of Jesus as it representeth Christ our Lord and all his mercies and putteth into their minds pious thoughts And to conclude the relative religious respect which the Primitive Christians bare unto this sacred name of Jesus was such that Procopius an antient Father who lived above eleven hundred years past in his Commentaries upon the forty fourth of Esay affirmeth they caused it to be imprinted with an hot iron upon their bodies and now the world is ascended to that height of pride that there are found men who will not call themselvs Christians and yet not vouchsafe either to uncover their heads or bend their knees or incline their stiffe necks at this sacred name to verifie upon them the prophecy of S. Paul saying In the last times men shall be haughty proud stubborn puffed up and lovers of voluptuousnesse more then of God 2 Tim. 3. If at the reading or publishing of a Proclamation all who are well-affected toward the King or State put off their hats or bow or bend their heads at the name of the King or State politique how much more ought all Christians to do it at the holy name of Jesus which is a name
in his Homily against Nestorius Bâ—shop of Constantinople for whoâ—â— condemnation the said Counceâ—â— was called set downe in the end 〈◊〉 the second act and made in the prâ—sence of the whole Councell saith All hail Mother of God c. by whoâ—â— the holy Trinity is glorified and adâ—â—red through whom the precious croâ—â— is made famous and is adored througâ—out 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 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 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 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 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 vexillumque crucis summis dominator adorat he that is cloathed in purple lyeth prostrate in the porch of Christ and the Emperor adoreth 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 dominuÌ„ 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 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 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
after in the middest of his Army was slain from heaven as affirmeth S. Gregory Nazianzen in his second Oration against him and Z zâ—menus in the 2. chapter of his 6. book of histories After Iulian the Apostata followed Xenaia a servant by condition and an Eutichian Heretike by profession a man who w s never baptized yet feigned himself a Christian Clergy-man and by the Eutychian Heretikes was made also a Bishop this man saith Nicephorus in in the 27. chapter of his 16. book of Histories was the f rst who in these times belched out this opinion that the images of Christ and of those who pleased h m were not to be worshipped and so to the Eutychian heresie added the contempt of sacred Images and died excommunicated by the Councell of Calcedon After him followed the Mahometans and Turks who do so abhor the Crosse as with the Sectaries of this age they call the Christians Idolaters for adoring it as witnesseth Cedrenus upon Heraclius neither do they permit unto those of their Sect the use of Images as appeareth by the 15. and 16. chapters of their Alcoran which Turks being enemies of Christ and Christian Religion are without all hope of salvation And this is sufficient to shew unto thee deare Reader the antient enemies of the Crosse and sacred images and the miseries they fell into In thee it lieth to be a follower of the Catholike Roman Church and to honor reverence and respect sacred images with a relation unto the things they represent thereby to nourish in thee good thoughts or with the Devill Jewes Turks Infidells and Heretikes to condemne them and fill thy heart and mind with filthy shapes vicious thoughts and ugly representations As for the more modern haters of the Crosse and sacred images and their evill ends or miseries which befell them If out of curiosity thou desire to see them I refer thee to the 12. chapter of Bellarmines book of the images of Saints and to the 9. Article of the 2. book of Coccius and to the 10. Article of his 5. book in his first Tome where they are set down at large CHAP. XXVII The visible and invisible relative religious worship which the faithfull in the Primitive Church used towards the sacred pictures signes and images of the written Word of God and thereby learned the true sense and indued their soules with wholesome meditations and pious thoughts IF thou wouldest dear Reader examine the cause from whence it proceedeth that divers in this age do so much apply their minds to the reading of the Bible that they have it almost continually in their hands or lying by them and are so earnest upon it as that many of them think they must have a text out of the Scriptures for whatsoever they doe or els they sin as witnesseth Mr. Sanderson a Protestant Minister in the sixth and eighth § of his second Sermon preached at Grantham in the year 1634. and yet for the most part reap no other benefit out of it but errors heresies and blasphemies against God thou shalt find the originall cause thereof to be First a pride of mind and a contempt or scorn to bestow any relative worship respect or honor upon the materiall character or books or letters sent from God himselfe unto his faithfull followers or chridren penned by the Holy Ghost as S. Peter affirmeth 2 Pet. 1.21 but handle look upon them and use them after the same manner and with the same respect they do the books or letters of sensuall carnall men and sometimes also to shew their contempt or little esteeme change the materiall word of God as though that should be the sacred word what they would and not what God had ordained And secondly a want of an invisible relative religious worshâ—p respect and honor unto the divine and supernaturall sense which God hath given unto his sacred word whereupon they also easily change the sense into their own or other prophane whereby they turn faith into infidelity truth into error and the things revealed by God himself into blasphemy and please themselves in it Whereas holy and sacred things are not to be handlâ—d or treated upon but holily with a relative religious worship respect and esteem for the sacred things which they do represent and as they do represent them the text of the Scriptures is not only called the holy or sacred Scriptures Rom. 1.2.2 Tim. 3.15 but also our faith is called our most holy faith Jude ver 20. those must needs fall into great errors heresies and blasphemies who read speak of or handle them without a relative religious honor and respect unto them for God disperseth the proud in the conceit of their hearts Luk. 1.51 Again To whom shall I have respect saith God but to him that trembleth at my words Isa 66.2 as at the words of his Creator S. Paul calleth the Gospell of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ The Gospell of the glory of the blessed God 1 Tim. 1.11 wherefore those who give no more religious worship and honor unto it then they give unto other books but rudely read interpret and handle them as they do prophane Authors must of necessity abound with errors heresies and blasphemies according to the words of our Lord saying Whosoever shall glorifie me I will glorifie him and they that contemn me shall be base 1 Kings or Samuel 2.29 as of no Religion established by the Son of God or Scriptures seeing that Religion even by the consent of our adversaries is described to be a due worship of God and holy things and fall into the error of those wicked Priests of whom God complained saying Between a holy thing and a prophane they have put no difference Ezek. 22.26 Whereupon the faithfull servants of God to profess a Religion and to nourish in their hearts and soules the pious thoughts and piety comprehended in the Bible alwayes honored and respected the sacred text or Bible with relative religious worship both for his sake that writ it and for the divine things it represented unto their memories in such sort as in the Old Law the faithfull Jewes kept it in the Tabernacle and adored it with the Tabernacle never touched it without first washing their hands kissed it as often as they either opened or shut it would not sit upon that seat upon which it lay and if by accident it fell to the earth they fasted for their negligence one whole day as affirmeth Cornâ—lius à Lapide in his preface to the phrases of the holy Scriptures The reason why they did so was for that wisdome will not enter into a malitious soule nor dwell in a body subject to sin Wisd 1.4 whereupon the Prophet prayeth saying establish thy word in thy servant in thy fear Psal 118.38 Again blessed is the man whose will is in the way of our Lord in his law he will meditate day and night Psal 1.1 where the Prophet affirmeth that those who walk in the way of
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 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 contribute gold out of the bag and wâ—â—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 theiâ— 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 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 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 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 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