they please and as experience shews oppose them too against the determination of the Church which allowance I hope I may have to defend them But do not these men lay a foul aspersion upon the Church who say They do allow those men that will give an hearty assent and subscribe to their authority ceremonies and traditions and injunctions to interpret and secretly undermine and openly oppose the Doctrines of Faith of the true Christian Religion I profess I do not believe it of the whole Church-representative of England of which I should believe he speaks though I have not heard of one of them or of any Conformist that hath appeared against these mens false interpretations yea open contradictions of the articles of Religion concerning the true Christian faith But what security of peace and truth the Magistrate whom like their elder brethren in Holland they claw while he will suffer them to carry on their destructive designâ— can have by these mens subscriptions declarations yea oaths I know not Would not all the Jesuits of Rome subscribe declare and swear too upon these conditions I have heard of one Minister that would subscribe assent consent and declare if they would hate him but one syllable un And so it may be would others too if they might do as they do not perform what they promise and write against what they subscribe assent and consent to too as these men say they are allowed by the Church But I know not well what Church the man means by our Church for I do not know well of what church he is though I hear he is in the Church of England and promoted so was the Bishop of Spalato till King James found out his Knavery and so was Dr. Lewes who returned to Winchester and when he had received some thousands of pounds of current English money he returned to his Church of Rome who therein followed not the cunning advice of Thuanus a learned and cunning Papist to Casaubon * Wedderbornes Book p 23 vid. Supplement to Laudensium autocatacrifis p. 18. not to come away to them but stay here seeing he had and might have more means here than he could or would have there and might do them more service here than he could do them if there I have dwelt too long upon this large man else I could set before your eyes many more of his erroneous and dangerous Doctrines but I must leave him What I have said in my following Renunciation will I hope sufficiently confute Dr. Patrick's Doctrine of Justification by our own good works and by faith as it worketh by love and some Friendly Debate pag. 13 〈◊〉 14. other of his false Doctrines I meddle not with some others because better heads and pens have undertaken them Though the Arminian c. faction he they say much increased yet that it was greater and more Popish before the late Civil Wars and that there was more danger of bringing in Popery then than there is now I could offer many reasons as I. That the body of Popery except the Popes Supremacy was then preached and printed as Dr. Fuller shews was complained of and so much Dr. Heylin confesseth as was shewed before and may in a very great part he seen gathered to your hands in Laudensium Autocatacrisis and the Supplement thereunto and Laudensium Apostasia which I believe cannot be proved now 2. Then there were the High Commission and the Star-Chamber Courts which are not now wherein A. B. Laud and his party used to crush whosoever appeared in the least against their Arminian Doctrines and Popish Innovations 'T is true we have some disadvantages we want a Dr. Humphrie Abbot Holland and Prideaux in the Chair in Oxford a Cartwright Whitakers Davenant and Ward at Cambridge a Dr. Ames Twisse Kendal and a Mr. Jeanes who are gone to their Rests and we lack liberty and encouragement for our thousands of Orthodox Nonconforming Ministers freely to preach and print against Popish Arminian and Socinian Innovations in Doctrine Discipline and Worship If orthodox and learned and godly Divines Nonconformists indeed to the Ceremonies but real Conformists to the Doctrine of Faith of the Church of England who did not only preach the truth to the elder but taught it to the younger sort of people had not been turned and kept out of the Ministry and silenced and cast out of their Freeholds and Corporations except they would do such things as they judged unlawful or at least inexpediâ—â— and put into their places either ignorant or erroneous or scandalous persons men either unapt or unfit to teach though I acknowledg there are many learned sober men sound in the faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apt to teach in the Ministry whose persons God knows I love and whose learning I honour and admire yet I say there are many as selfish malicious covetous ambitious some as erroneous if not idolatrous men as many that are of the Church of Rome and so would openly profess themselves to be if time should serve them 't is very probable and verily believed that neither Popery nor Arminianism that cunning way to bring in Popery nor Prophaneness and Atheism would have gotten that head which some say they have Where the fault is is not for me to determine not suggest But verily I think his Gracious Majesty cannot be so much as suspected much less accused of it for he was graciously pleased to issue out a Declaration for liberty for tender Consciences from Bredah and another soon after his return home which was turned into a Bill by a worthy Gentleman and offered to the Parliament then called healing Since that his Majesty made another Gracious Declaration for liberty of Conscience but that 't is known was cried down by the Episcopal party and now at last his Majesty upon pious and politick accounts hath given forth another and more Gracious Declaration for liberty of Conscience and licensed several sound Protestant Divines who have lost their livings and suffered the spoiling of their goods and refused dignities rather than comply with our Bishops and their Latitudinarian party in things they judged unlawful inexpedient and inductive to Popery c. to preach and teach the word of God truly and worship God purely as he hath commanded in his Word without humane additions and inventions c. But this also the Episcopal party under the specious pretence of being against bringing in Popery which many of them preach and practise and love more than the truth and the pure worship of God as God and their own consciences well know though they have formerly extolled the Kings Supremacy and Prerogative above Law Right Reason and Religion and these thirteen years last past scarce ever executed one Law of those many that are made against Popish Recusants no nor mentioned publickly any fear of Popery till his Majesty granted his most loyal Protestant Subjects liberty to serve God purely as he hath commanded in his Word
the name of an Author 2. He makes the Whores attire and Ceremonies to be the most effectual means to bear up the state of Religion which is most abominably false and scandalous if he means true state but if he means false and formal and corrupt it may be true 3. That he had rather have Popery restored at least the hopes of its restoring continued by keeping up her Ceremonies than they abolished 4. That he makes the state of Religion to consist in at least to depend upon Romish Ceremonies and not the natural and true beauty and simple purity of the Gospel 5. That he with the great Whore of Rome seeks to please fond lovers they being best pleased with whorish attire and painted Shews and not Jesus Christ who is best pleased with simple honest plainness 6. That he suggests a most false position that if Romish Ceremonies be removed Paganism will re-enter whose contrary is most true as common experience and all the Reformed Churches can witness 7. That he makes Popish Ceremonies and Popery and Barbarity to be but evils of punishment and not evils of sin for of two evils of sin neither is to be chosen 8. That Popery being Antichristianism made up of superstition idolatry blasphemy heresie usurpation c. it 's unlawful to give men any hopes of restoring it true beauty and great loathsomeness which of her self she hath doth after the custom of such Harlots paint her self with gold pearl stone and all kind of precious jewels that she shining with the outward beauty and glory of them may please the foolish fantasie of fond lovers and so entice them to spiritual fornication with her who if they saw her but in simple apparel would abhor her as the foulest and filthiest Harlot that ever was seen Apoc. 17. But the true Church of God as a chaste Matron espoused to one husband our Saviour Jesus Christ whom she is content only to please and serve and delighteth not to delight the fantasie of any other lovers or woers is content with her natural ornaments not doubting by such sincere simplicity best to please him who can well skill of the difference between a painted visage and true natural beauty St. Jerome upon Jer. 10. saith thus Though Images be decked with gold yet good or profit is there none in them And such deckings of Images are tokens of Antichrists Kingdom who as Daniel saith shall worship God with gorgeous things Lactantius saith that as little Girls play with little Puppets so be these deckt Images great Puppets for old fools to play with Homily of the pâ—ril of Idolatry Part 3. p. 71. But away with these coloured cloaks of Idolatry of the books and scriptures of Images and Pictures to * That the Papists Doctrine of Images that they are Lay-mens Books is directly contrary to the word of God and therefore as false and erroneous to be detested of all Gods children Habbak 2. 18. Teachers of lies Jer. 10. 8. The stock is a Doctrine of vanities Isa 40. 10. 'T is profitable for nothing 'T is forbidden in the second Commandment saith A. B. Vsher in his Sum of Christian Religion p. 230. teach Ideots nay to make Ideots and stark fools and beasts of Christians Ibid. Godly men will respect not only their own city country time and the health of men of their age but be careful for all places and times and the salvation of all ages at the least not lay such stumbling-blocks and snares for the feet of other country-men and ages which experience hath already proved to be the ruin of the world Wherefore I make a general conclusion of all that I have hitherto said If the stumbling-blocks and poysons of mens souls by setting up of Images will be many yea infinite if they be suffered and the warning of the same stumbling-blocks and remedies for the said poysons by preaching be few if the stumbling-blocks be easie to be laid the poysons soon provided and the warnings and remedies hard to know and come by if the stumbling-blocks be continually in the way and poyson be ready at hand every where and warning and remedies but seldom given and if all men be more ready of themselves to stumble and be offended than to be warned all men more ready to drink of the poyson then to taste of the remedy and so in fine the poyson continually and deeply drunk of many the remedy seldom and faintly tasted of a few how can it be but that infinite of the weak and infirm shall be offended infinite by ruin shall break their necks infinite by deadly venome be poysoned in their souls And how is the charity of God and love of our neighbours in our hearts then if when we may remove such dangerous stumbling-blocks such pestilent * So Mr. Hawks Martyr called the Popes Traditions and Ceremonies Fox his Book of Martyrs p. 1504. poysons we will not remove them what shall I say of them which lay stumbling-blocks where there were none before and set snares for the feet nay for the souls of weak and simple men and work the danger of their everlasting destruction for whom our Saviour Christ shed his most precious blood So the Homily 2. Images are not to be tolerated in Churches 1. Because they are occasions of Idolatry as the Homily of the Church of England against the peril of Idolatry abundantly sheweth Now occasions of Idolatry are to be avoided as may be gathered from Deut. 7. 3 4. Neither shalt thou make marriages with them thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son Now mark the reason why the Israelites were forbidden to marry wives of the Idolaters daughters which God cast out before them for they will turn away thy son from following me that they may serve other gods Lo here you may see that though it should be granted that it were lawful in it self for any of Gods Church to marry with Idolaters which is thought to be utterly unlawful 1. Because 't is expresly forbidden Deut 7. 34. Ezra 9. 12 13. not only to the Israelites but also to the Christians 2 Cor. 6. 14. Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness Idolaters are * Whosoever seeketh righteousnesâ— by works without faith denieth God and maketh himself god and they are not only Idolaters but very Infidels saith Luther upon Gal. 3. 10. p. 125 128. unbelievers though they may make a kind of profession of faith in Christ yet they virtually deny him to be God by their worshipping of his Creatures with Religious worship and by their worshipping of him not as he hath appointed but after their own inventions they make an Idol of him And you know that our Homily of Salvation of Mankind p. 16. 17. saith That he is not to be accounted a Christian man that denieth this truth that faith alone doth
which ought to be the rule of all mens religious actions declaim against and thereby condemn his Majesties piety and prudence and suppress in many places the Whosoever forbids us to do what God commandeth or commandeth us to do what God forbiddeth is accursed unto all them that love the Lord. Basilius Moral c. 14. quoted by Bishop Jewel in his Reply to Harding a. 14. d5 p 373. most pure worship and service of God the preaching up the real interests of the Lord Jesus Christ and the preaching down the Errors Heresies Idolatries and Suâ—â—â—stitions and Antichristian inventions of the Apostatized Church of Rome with whom the Laudensian party long laboured a reconciliation Let any unprejudiced man that is judicious seriously read Dr. Heylin's Cyprianus Anglicus and his Introduction thereunto and he will see much more than I do but hint and also what a mongrel Religion he would make ours and have established here and what principles of Tyranny and Popery he therein lays down and commends But though these things might be true in some heretofore yet now they see the error their selfish and passion hath led themselves and it may be others inconsiderately into that they may fear they shall be put besides the saddle it may be beaten with those rods which they made for other men that earnestly desired the Churches peacé and the Kingdoms welfare by any powerful ill-minded and ill-principled Prince as Heylin most falsely saith King Edward the sixth was of that will but make use of those weapons which they have made to subvert their dissenting brethren they are well content at least some of them to tolerate Protestant dissenters as may be seen in and about the Cities of London and Westminster and they preach against Popery very much Very good 't is well their eyes begin to be opened if they be not shut again before they 'l see and forsake the true causes and sin no more Old Bishop Bonner told them long since That liking of the Popes Broth would incline men to like in time their Beef too I wish their moderation might be known to all men But is a toleration of the pure Worship of God and preaching his truth all the fruit the sight of their error hath brought them to no question they I mean the Episcopal party would grant as much to home-born Papists 'T is granted to foreign Protestants though 't is true their great Father in God A. B. Laud overthrew that liberty of the Protestant Religion which King Edward the sixth Queen Elizabeth and King James granted them under hand and seal as Dr. Heylin largely shews in his Cyprianus Anglicus and thereby he made such an evil president as 't is believed did his present Majesty much mischief in his late Wars and rendred his gracious offers to the Netherlanders of protection and liberty of their Religion if they would come under his Government ineffectual lest such Bishops as A. B. Laud was should in time have though not his yet some succeeding Princes ears and thereby as he make void all grants and promises unto them What is no more to be granted to home-born Protestants who adhere to our doctrine of Faith and the Sacramants than to Foreigners Is granting a bare and uncertain toleration of the pure Worship of God to those godly Protestants that adhere most firmly to the pure Protestant Religion in Doctrine Discipline and Worship and a full comprehension with rewards and great promotions allowed and given to those that hold Popish Doctrines not only contrary to the Word of God but also to the sound Doctrine of the Church of England well becoming those Bishops that are in profession Protestant Is this a sufficient and the right way to keep out Popery is it proper for the chast Spouse of Christ to take upon her the badges of the great Whore of Rome Is it proper for the Israel of God to sâ—mbolize with her who is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt Is it proper for those that profess themselves the Saints and servants of the most high God and the followers of Jesus Christ to impose and contend for the proper marks of the Beast spoken of in Revelations the 1â— and 17 Chapters Doth not learned and religious Peter * Et nos si verè Christiani sumus non decet ritus caeremonias vel a Judoeis vel à nationibus aliis accipere sed tantum debem is usurpare quae nobis mandata sunt in literis divinis P. Martyr loc com clas 2 ae c. 5. S. 16. P. 220. Martyr say That if we be Christians indeed it becomes us not to receive Rites and Ceremonies from the Jews or other Nations but that we ought to use those things only which are commanded in the Divine Writings a Should we believe that those men †Aquin. 12 ae q. 103. a 2. Pet. Mart. loc Com. cl 2 ae p. 197. Pareus Beza in 1 Cor. 10. 18. those Jews who after pretence of sight of their errors are sound Christians and intend really to keep out and root out Judaism yet command and rigorously enjoin the use of the Rites and Ceremonies of the Jewish Religion which are the proper badges and real professions thereof as Papists themselves say and our men prove Can any rational sound Protestant be so silly as to think and say that if the Ceremonies be left in their use as the Bishops themselves say they are in their own nature indifferent that then farewell the Church of England For what is the Church of England like the Church of Rome built upon such sandy weak or unnecessary foundations or must the Kingdom be said to be so much in love with the Ceremonies of the Church of Rome as to give 400000 l. per Annum to the Bishops and their agents and dependants to uphold them Doth not the Church of England say * Homily against peril of Idolatry Part 3. p. 69. That the Church of Rome Knowing her self to be a foul filthy old withered Harlot understanding her lack of natural and true beauty and great lothsomeness which of her self she hath doth after the custom of such Harlots paint her self and deck and attire her self with gold pearl stone and all kind of precious jewels that she shining with the outward beauty and glory of them may please the foolish phantacy of some lovers and so entice them to spiritual fornication with her who if they saw her but in simple apparrel would abhor her as the foulest and filthiest Harlot that ever was seen Are not Ministers bound and do they not subscribe and give assent to this very Doctrine how can we then without great shame and suspicion wear her apparel and call her a true Church carry her name as it were in our foreheads comply with her in suâ—h unnecessary things except we have a months-mind to return to her ugly bosom and base drâ—â—gery Are not the Lords people forbidden Mark the word Unnecessary to do any
by God Mr. Cartwright upon the place referreth the sigh of the Cross to the mark of the Beast Dionis Carthusianus Vpon Revel 13. 13. saith That conformity to the Doctrine and life of Antichrist is the mark of the Beast and upon this account did * Vid. General Confession of Faith of the Church and Kingdom of Scotland to be seen at the end of the Harmony of Confessions King James renounce and detest the Bishop of Rome's five bastard Sacraments with all his rites ceremonies and false doctrine added to the administration of the true Sacraments without the word of God 'T is observed by Mr. Mede that one may receive the number of the name of the Beast that is his impieties and yet not receive the mark of his name that is not subject himself to his authority Which is exemplified in the Greek Church who imbrace the same form of impiety derived from the Dragon or the Idolatry of the Latins and yet refuse to be subject to the Latin Bishop or to bear his name So may others refuse to subject themselves to the supreme authority of Antichrist and to be called Papists and yet they may imbrace his Altars Images Fasts Feasts Ceremonies forms of Worship Government Laws Number yea and many of his Antichristian Doctrines and like well of much if not of almost all of that he holds and doth and yet will be called Protestants and take it very ill at the Papists hands when they call them Calvino-Papistae Calvin-Papists that is partly Papists and partly Protestants such as hold with the Papists and yet profess with the Protestants Mungrels as Bishop Abbâ—t called them in his Sermon above have great charity for professed 〈◊〉 but crâ—el hatred for real Protestants account true Calvinism heresie yea little less than Treason as Knot the Jesuit told some of our Mungrels but gross Popery yea blasphemy in doctrine to be but errour and more tollerable than Presbytery and Popery in practise to be indifferent and therefore lawful and commendable Many of these Heresies and errors I have renounced are by some of our Mungrels called the Doctrines of the Heylin's Introd to his Cyprianus Anglic. Church of England and Books have been printed if not licensed to confirm it but very falsely and slanderously except by Church of England they understand a faction for sure I am that the true and whole Church of England â—olds soundly against all these ensuing false Doctrines renounced Only her doctrine at least practise about Apocriphal Scriptures is not I fear so full and clear as I believe it might be Some mens plausible Sermons are abroad which are by too many persons swallowed down without due examination 'T is said by one a learned man That God doth only * Dr. Till Ser. offer grace in his Gospel but he forceth none to receive it To prevent mistakes I say and acknowledg 1. That God doth not force men against their wills to accept of the grace and assistance that he doth offer them but I deny that Quo minus tolerabilis est eorum inscitia qui Evangelium communiter ita Offerâ—i fingunt ut promiscuâ— liberum sit omnibus salutem fide amplecti Calvin in 1 Cor. 2. 14. God doth only offer assistance or grace to his children for though he do not convert them against their wills whether they will or no yet he takes away their hearts of stone and gives them hearts of flesh and makes them of unwilling to become willing in the day of his power Psal 110. 3. He worketh in them to will and to do of his good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. 2. I acknowledg that Reprobates may finally resist the ineffectual grace of God 3. I affirm that the elect of God to Salvation shall not cannot finally withstand the effectual grace of God but that they shall at one time or other be effectually called converted and eternally saved And 4. That God who hath from all eternity elected them to the end everlasting Salvation hath also appointed them to the means conducing to the attainment of it as Faith in Christ Repentance for sin sincere obedience to the Law of God and perseverance in the same to the end Though I have not used many Arguments to confute every particular Error that would have been Voluminous yet I have sufficiently confuted them and proved that Papists and Protestants Religion differ or that the Church of Rome and Protestants hold a different Religion which was the main design of my undertaking and in alledging the Doctrine of the Church of England I should I conceive if I had done no more he thought to have done enough to convince if not professed Papists yet those that pretend to be the most dutiful Sons of the Church of England that these Doctrines are not Protestant but rather Popish and at least contrary to their Professions Subscriptions and Declarations as well as to Gods word and keep others from imbracing and imbibing and spreading of them If by alledging the Sermons Speeches and Writings of any learned Conformist heretofore I have displeased any of our great Conformists now I hope they will excuse and pardon me and blame them that printed and licensed them or themselves or others that have traduced or suffered the Truth to be bespattered or gainsayed or undermined by any Pelagian Arminian Socinian or Popish writer upon any pretence whatsoever And now my prayer to the God of Peace and Truth for England is That Gods true Religion may be setled here in its power and purity and that all Popery in Doctrine and Discipline and Worship may be burned with fire Revel 17. 16. that is as learned Dr. Moor expounds the place utterly consumed and to this end that God who hath the hearts of Kings and all men in his hands would incline the heart of our King and Parliament and all sorts of people to deny themselves and resign up themselves wholly to be guided by the will of God revealed in the Canonical Scriptures which ought to be the rule of all mens actions as our Book of * Homil. for Rogat on Week Part 3. p 230 Homil against Wilful Rebellion Part 6. p. 318. Homilies plainly declares which saith thus In Gods word Princes must learn how to obey God and to govern men in Gods word Subjects must learn obedience both to God and their Princes Is our reverend Fathers of the Church would stick close to the sound and necessary Articles of Religion established which concern the Doctrine of the true Christian Faith and the Sacraments to * Anno 3 Edw. 6. c. 11. which only all Ministers were bound to subscribe and give their assent and countenance men that do so and discountenance all those that hold or vent any Doctrine against the same and not stand too much upon those things which they have devised to uphold their own worldly power and interests and abate those things that are not of themselves or by Divine institution
is cultus religiosus of which incurvation in such circumstances is assuredly one kind I mean exhibited to either an invisible power or to its visible representation in an Image And consent of Nations Dr. More Mystery of Iniquity c. 11. p. 36. hath made it an appropriate sign of religious worshipâ— especially in a Temple Yea c. 5. p. 14. of the same learned Book he saith thus To do religious worship to the picture or image of any creature of any Person of the holy Trâ—nity or of all three or particularly to the image of Christ though this religious worship is intended to pass through the representation to God himself Father Son or Holy Ghost is notwithstanding Idolatry according to the second instance where worshipping the true God by an image is proved to be Idolatry and every thing that is not God that hath religious worship given to it thereby becomes an Idol And c. 14. p. 46. of the same Book he saith That an Idol and Images in religious worship are all one one is a Latin and the other is a Greek word they both signifie the likeness of some thing and the worshipping of the true God by an Idol is Idolatry And p. 50. of the same Book he saith That whatsoever is interposed betwixt God and us by way of God in our worshipping is not an help but an hinderance to the perfection of that worship You may read much more to this purpose in that useful and learned Book but I forbear Now apply this to your Altars and corporal bowing to them upon your religious accounts of divine excellency and then I believe you will be forced either to acquit the Papists yea the Jews of Idolatry in worshipping the true God by Images or representations or else you must condemn your selves of Idolatry and will I hope renounce it But lest this should not suffice consider what other of our learned Divines say To worship God in at or before an image purposely is Idolatry and superstition and God so worshipped is made an Idol which is forbidden Deut. 4. 15 16 17 18 19. So Perkins in his Cases of Conscience l. 2. c. 11. S. 2. p. 206. A. B. Vsher upon the second Commandment saith 1. That such are Sum of Christ Religion p. 229. 230. guilty of Idolatry as worship those things that are not God 2. Such as countenance them or do any thing to the furtherance of Idolatry and that outward religious adoration of those things that are not God is forbidden in the second Commandment and that this worship be denied to every thing that is not God as the Sun and Moon Angels Saints Reliques Images and such trash as Rome alloweth Deut. 4. 17 19. Col. 2. 18. Revel 19. 10. 22. 8 9. Act. 10. 25 26. That Idem ibidem p. 232. we must not give the least token of reverence either in body or soul unto any religious Images Psal 97. 7. Hab. 2. 18. Isa 44. 15. Exod. 32. 4. for that is a further degree of Idotry as to shrine clothe or cover them with precious things to light candles before them to kneel and creep to them or to use any gestures of religious adoration unto them 1 King 19. 18. wherein although the gross Idolatry of Popery be taken away from amongst us yet the corruption cleaveth still to the hearts of many as may be seen in them that make courtesie to the Chancel where the high Altar stood and give the right hand unto standing Crosses and Crucifixes c. Now upon this account do our learned Divines condemn the Papists as guilty of Idolaty for their worshipping as they say Bishop Andrews upon 2 d. Comm. p. 279. the true God before or in or by Images or Crucifixes as some amongst us do before in or by or through their Altars And indeed I think they are as much Idolaters as the Heathens were who as the Ancients say and prove out of the Heathen Authors that they intended not the worship of their Images of Jupiter * Bishop Andrews ubi supra A. B. Usher upon 2 d. Comm. in Sum of Christ Religion p. 232. Mars but those Deities as they called them whom they represented as the Papists pretend they worship not the Image but the thing represented by it 8. That is an abuse of Gods Ordinance to use any thing that God hath commanded for his Worship otherwise than he himself hath appointed forbidden in the second Commandment as to hang pieces of St. John ' s Gospel about mens necks c. 1 Chron. 15. 13. 2 King 18. 4. 2 Sam. 6. 3 7 8. So saith reverend A. B. Usher Now though it be Sum of Christ Relig. p. 226. granted that God hath appointed the Communion-table as an help or mean for the decent comely and orderly celebration of the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper viz. To be consecrated and set thereon to shew forth the Lords death till he come 1 Cor. 11 24 25. yet he hath not appointed it to be used in his worship as a mean motive or memorative object to mind men of and move them to adoring him or worshipping God before towards in or by it Good King Hezekiah's breaking the Brazen Serpent set up by Moses at Gods command when 't was abused to Idolatry is a good president for good Magistrates to destroy Altars and restore Communion-tables when set up altarwise against the East-wall of the Chancel and abused to Idolatry to their ancient place the body of the Church and forbid their subjects purposely and upon any religious accounts whatsoever to bow or adore or do bodily reverence to or towards them 9. If to bow corporally versus altare or worship God towards the Communion-table purposely and upon religious accounts it being will-worship be not flat Idolatry yet 't is a manifest appearance of Popish Idolatry which should be carefully avoided 1 Thes 5. 22. Abstain from all appearance of evil Upon which place Bishop * Exposition in locum Jewel saith thus Be not Idolaters leave off to do any thing that may bring you into suspition of Idolatry give not that honour unto any creature which is proper unto God Have no fellowship with their works bear no appearance of liking their evil Abstain from appearance of evil in word and deed it 's an appearance of evil needlesly to use Idolaters words as Priest Altar Sacrifice as they do it 's a greater appearance of evil and the more to be avoided to set our Communion-tables altarwise it 's a preparation to make them Altars and to bowing to them and it 's the greatest appearance of evil and the more to be abstained from when any Crucifix or Image is set upon the altar or on the wall or glass window over or near it as was in times of professed Popery and in some places in A. B. Laud's time directly contrary to the drift of the Homily against the peril of Idolatry and Queen Elizabeths Injunctions so much
one in the world they worship the idol of their own brains and therefore may lawfully be called Idolaters Will-worship is the worship of any besides God or of God himself otherwise than he hath commanded as A. B. Vsher shews in his Sum of Christian Religion p. 222. and in p. 223. he saith expresly That we are to worship God by those means only which he approveth in his Word according to his saying to Moses Do that which I command thee and do no more Deut. 〈◊〉 12. 6. That if any thing in Gods Worship be done contrary to or besides his command Non est honor sed dedicus it is not an honour to him but a disgrace to him as both St. * Hom. 51. in Matthew Chrysostome and Jerom †Honor praeter mandatum est dedicus affirm as Bishop Andrews quotes them in his Exposition of the second Commandment Where p. 274. he divides the external worship of God into two parts Substance and Ceremony By which 't is clear that Ceremonies are parts of Worship then if they be not specially commanded by God they are forbidden under the notion of Will-worship And Mr. Henry Jeanes in his first and second part of his Scholastical and Practical Divinity shews * Mr. H. Jeanes his mixture of Scholastical and Practical Divinity pag. 1. of Christs All-fulness pag. 64 68. that the Ceremonies of the Church of Rome are forbidden in 1 Cor. 14. ult out of Dr. Ames in answer to Dr. Hammond especially in his second Part. But in his first Part after a most learned Discourse of the All fulness of Christ he infers reprehension to Papists and Prelatists 1. To Papists who prejudice him in all his Offices 2. To Prelatists who have prejudiced him in his Kingly Office as he is the chief so the only Law-giver in his Church by institution of divers Church-Officers which he hath not appointed nor given them authority to appoint as also of divers Ceremonies of ordained and mystical signification appropriated unto the worship and service of God And in his Prophetical Office by their institution of Doctrinal Ceremonies which teach spiritual duties by their mystical signification which he saith is made good by the abridgment of that Book which the Ministers of Lincoln Diocess delivered to King James December 1. 1605 pag. 41. Christ say they is the only teacher of his Church and appointer of all means whereby we should be taught and admonished of any holy duty and whatsoever he hath thought good to teach his Church and the means whereby he hath perfectly set down in the Scriptures so that to acknowledg any other means of teaching and admonishing us of our duty than such as he hath appointed is to receive another teacher into the Church besides him and to confess some imperfection in those means he hath ordained to teach us by To which he takes leave to add the words of Dr. Ames in his fresh suit of Ceremonies pag. 210 211. Only this by the way I would learn how we ca◠acknowledg and receive any means of Religious teaching with faith except it appear to be Appointed by an authentick teacher and law-giver And how our Prelates in appointing means of spiritual teaching which Christ appointed not can be accounted therein Ministerial teachers under him is their and our only authentick teacher as also if Christ be our authentick teacher in all good that we learn about Religion who taught our Prelates such good manners as to put Pescues of their own making into his hand and so appoint him after what manner and by what means he should teach us Though this that Mr. Jeanes hath alledged and said be very pat to his purpose and hard to be answered or fairly wiped off yet I conceive that which he saith in his Bellarmines Enervatus in answer to Bellarmines Bellar. Enervat T. 3. c. 8. p. 57 58 59 61. arguments for Ceremonies more full and pertinent to my purpose to prove them unlawful because they are Will-worship or works of Supererogation besides the words of God to which for brevities sake I must refer the learned Reader where his arguments against them may be seen Where p. 61. he answers to Bellarmine urging for humane Ceremonies 1 Cor. 14. ult thus 1. Honesty and order did best consist in the Primitive * Yet Dr. Heylin calls the pure Worship of God performed by the French and Dutch Churches here in Archbishop Lauds time indecencies and thereby condemus our Saviour Christ and his holy Apostles of indecencies in their worship of God because without the Ceremonies of the Church of Rome Cyprian Angl. l. 4. p. 281. Church without humane Ceremonies 2. In that very place they are tacitly prohibited because there is nothing left to the Church besides the honest ordering of things instituted by Christ for the things instituted and the ordering of them do differ as the subject and its external adjunct 3. We must obey rulers that are set over us by God while they do the Commendments of him that set them over us 4. True Religion doth bring honour to God according to his will by those means that are appointed by him therefore it admits not humane Ceremonies Bellarmine argueth for Ceremonies that some Ceremonies have a spiritual virtue in them Protestants answer 1. Why some and not all if they all proceed from the same spirit 2. Seeing the Scripture is a rule perfectly directing us in spiritual life from it alone we must be shewed what those means are which have a spiritual virtue 3. If those some Ceremonies have a spiritual virtue in them or assisting them then they are of more efficacy and dignity than the Sacraments of the Old Testament or the Baptism of John They are parts of the New Testament which alone is the ministry of the Spirit and then the whole New Testament by Bellarmines judgment is not contained in the Scriptures which is too absurd Bellarmine saith the Church may institute new Ceremonies to spiritual effects as to adorn and represent some mystery of Religion and by that means help rude and ignorant people Protestants answer 1. That the Church is not called to make 〈◊〉 Institutes but to observe those that have been already instituted by Christ Mat. 28. 20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you 2. Every one may institute a Ceremony saith Bellarmine to adorn and represent as well as the Church Bellar. l. 2. c. 8. or God himself But indeed no man can institute 〈◊〉 ceremony to represent a mystery of Religion but he that hath authority over Religion over the minds of men to enlighten them when and how he pleaseth and over the consciences of men to subject them to himself and his ordinances for all these things are required rightly to institute such a ceremony Bellarmine saith It 's lawful for the Church to institute new Ceremonies for some ends because private men inspired by God have invented new
who gave direction for it to his General Joab and he is guilty of it too for following of David's unjust command 2 Sam. 12. 9. Thou hast killed Vriah the Hittiâ—e with the sword and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon So here what the ten-horned beast is said to do may be well charged upon the Church of Rome the Pope and his Hierarchy because he causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast whose deadly wound was healed and he deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of these miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast Rev. 13. 12 14. Rev. 19. 20. And therefore is the blood of the Prophets and of all the Saints and of them that were slain upon the earth for Religion said to be found in her Rome Revel 18. 24. 2. Their activity v. 14. These shall make war with the Lamb. In Rev. 13. 7. 't is said That this ten-horned beast shall make war with the Saints and overcome them But here in Revel 17. 14. he makes war with Christ and is overcome by him for he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and they that are with him are called and faithful and chosen 'T is true that they that make war against Christs Saints do make war against Christ Act 9 4 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Those Kings that make war against and persecute Christs Saints as such do make war against and persecute Christ himself and so he takes it and will reward it That this ten-horned beast is said to overcome the Saints and yet to be overcome by Christ may be both true of the same beast for he did overcome the Saints at first but he is or shall be overcome by Christ and his called chosen and faithful Soldiers at last and therefore 't is said That he that leadeâ—h into captivity shall go into captivity he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword here is the patience and faith of the Saints to suffer in the mean time and to believe and wait for the performance of this promise Rev. 13. 10. 2. The Whore is described more plainly by her large Dominion by the people upon whom she sitteth called in the first verse many waters which is interpreted by the Angel v. 15. And he saith uâ—â—o the waters which thou sawest where the whore sitteth are people and multitudes and nations and tongues which is a manifest description of the Roman Empire which consisted of many People and Nations and Tongues and upon these as well as upon the ten-horned beast or chief secular rulers did the great Whore of Rome sit that is reign and rule prick on and stir up to Superstition Idolatry and Persecution against Christs Church And therefore 't is said That the Kings of the earth that is of the Empire or earthly Church and the inhabitants of the earth have committed fornication and been made drunk with the wine of her fornication Revel 17. 2. she claims universal power over all this Terrestial world 3. This great Whore is described by her destruction And that 1. By the * A learned man by ten Kings understands their Kingdoms or people who against the minds of their Kings will thus destroy the great whore Antic p. 23. Revel 18. 9. instruments of her ruin and they are the ten horns or the ten Kings unto whom the Roman Empire was divided v. 16. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast these shall hate the whore c. 2. By the degrees of her destruction these ten Kings shall hate the whore and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire 1. They shall hate the whore of Rome the Pope his Cardinals Hierarchy and Clergy with whom they have committed spiritual fornication whereas before they loved her while the virtue of her intoxicating cup lasted but now seeing their own folly and her cunning craftiness selfishness pride covetousness luxury filthiness hypocrisie and cruelty that her whole Government Religion Worship pompous Ceremonies Purgatory Indulgences Excommunions Jubilees Processions Doctrines of the Popes Infallibility and Supremacy Justification of mens persons before God by their own good works traditions merits holiness of times places Churches Altars Vestments Copes Hats Palls Surplices Crosses Spittle Cream Salt Holy-water Auricular confession of sins worshipping of Saints departed Angels Images Reliques of Saints kissing of the Popes Toe of the Tayl of the Asse on which Christ rode adoring of the pretended Cross on which Christ was Crucified bowing to the East setting up of Altars and Crucifixes and Tapers on them and bowing to them as they do baptizing of Bells forbidding to Marry but allowing of Stews dispensing with Oaths incestuous Marriages holding of Plurality of Dignities Benefices with cure of souls and causeless Non-residency and many more such Doctrines and practises politick devices to uphold enrich and advance themselves their relations and servants and suppress the pure Doctrine and Worship of Christ and undo and destroy his most faithful servants and sincere Worshippers I say these Kings seeing these things and many more clearly their inordinate love is turned into well-guided hatred of her They hate her that is they separate from her they avoid communion with her they cease to commit any spiritual fornication with her 2. They make her desolate they do not only forsake her themselves but also they cause their subjects to do so too and that they do by setting up in their respective Kingdoms Gods pure worship and service without her proper ceremonies which she calls * Bellar. de effectibus Sacrament l. 2. c. 3. a. 20. badges and †Aquinas 12â— q. 103. a. 4. O. professions of her Religion and Gods pure word without her Legends Apocriphals and Traditions 3. They make her naked which they do both by words and deeds 1. By words by publick Preaching Confessions and Writings declaring and demonstrating her abominable filthiness that she may be detested by others 2. By deeds by with-drawing her gold silver precious stones first-fruits Peter-pence Abbies Friories Commendams Benefices Dignities and Revenues from her which were wont to be given her which the Whore by her pious frauds cunning craftiness got from the Ancestors of Kings and deluded people 4. They shall eat her flesh which is to be understood not carnally but mystically these Kings shall not prove Canibals and corporally with their teeth eat the flesh that is upon the bones of the great Whore of the Pope and his Cardinals but they will retain either to their own proper use or rather for the maintenance of Gods pure Worship and Interests those revenues which were paid to the Whore out of their Dominions as such to the upholding of her Pride and Idolatries Superstitions Luxuries and Bawds and they shall persecute her which in Scripture-language is eating of ones flesh Job 19. 22. Why do ye persecute
godly hearted and peerless young Christian Prince Whom Dr. Heylin saith He was a man of ill principles and that 't was no infelicity to the Church he means Rome sure that he died so soon And in p. 1673 col 2. he saith thus Now then seeing the Doctrine of Antichrist is returned again into this Realm and the old Laws of Antichrist are allowed to return with the power of their father again c. Mr. John Philpot Martyr in his seventh Examination and Answer saith That the Church of Rome is a false Church and the Synagogue of Satan Ibid. p. 1704. col 2. And in his ninth Examination he tells Harpsfield That the Religion of Rome is a false Religion Ib. p. 1709. col 1. So he told Chadsey Ibid. p. 1715. col 1. And at his last Examination he told the Lord Mayor of London That he was sorry to see that that authority which representeth the Kings and Queens persons should now be changed and be at the commandment of Antichrist And ye speaking to the Bishops pretend to be the follows of the Apostles of Christ and yet ye be very Antichrists and deceivers of the people and that Church which ye pretend to be the Catholick Church is the Church of Rome the Babylonical and not the Catholick Church of that Church I am not Ibid. p. 1721. col 1. Thomas Whittel Priest and Martyr saith That he was well content to give over his body for the testimony of Gods truth and pure Religion against Antichrist and all his false Religion and Doctrine Ibid. p. 1738. Barthlet Green a Scholar and Martyr affirmeth That the Church of Rome is the Church of Antichrist Ibid. p. 1744. A. B. Cranmer M. calleth and proveth the Pope of Rome to be Antichrist Fox his Book of Martyrs p. 1768. col 2. That the Traditions and Religion of that usurping Prelate of Rome are most erroneous false and against the Doctrine of the whole Scripture and the author of the same to be very Antichrist so often preached by the Apostles and Prophets in whom do most evidently concur all signs and tokens whereby he is painted to the world to be known Ibid. p. 1774. col 2. Many of which marks he sets down there And at St. Maries in Oxford when he recanted his Recantation he said thus And for the Pope I refuse him as Christs enemy and Antichrist with all his false Doctrine and this he declared he spake without dissimulation Ibid. p. 1781. col 1. And in his Letter to Queen Mary he saith thus of the Pope If this be not to play Antichrists part I cannot tell what is Antichrist which is no more to say but Christs enemy and adversary who shall sit in the Temple of God advancing himself above all others yet by hypocrisie and fained religion shall subvert the true Religion of Christ and under pretence and colour of Christian Religion shall work against Christ and therefore hath the name of Antichrist whom he there proves to be Antichrist Ibid. p. 1784. col 2. John Mandrell Robert Spicer and William Coverley denying the Pope to be head of the Church or Christs Vicar affirmed him to be Antichrist and Gods enemy Ibid. p. 1788. William Times Curate and Martyr answered Bonner That the See of Rome is the See of Antichrist and therefore to that Church I will not conform my self nor once consent to it Ibid. p. 1791. And p. 1793. he saith The Church of Rome is the Antichristian Church Sixteen Martyrs at once make this Confession The See of Rome is the See of Antichrist the congregation of the wicked whereof the Pope is head under the Devil Article the third for proof of which they offer to be burnt Ibid. p. 1810. col 1. ART XV. That it is lawful to set up and suffer Bishop Mountague in his Gag pag. 300. saith That Images and Pictures of Christ may stand in Churches pro institutione rudiorum commone factione Historiae excitatione devotionis And pag. 318. that the Images and Pictures of Christ the blessed Virgin and Saints may not only for Civil uses but also for Religious imployment and helps of piety be set up in Churches and that the Church of Rome and we differ not therein so practise exceed not Doctrine And p. 317. that Dulia may be given to them Images of the Sacred Trinity of God the Father of God the Son Crucifixes of God the Holy Ghost or of Saints departed this life in Temples or Churches where Gods people do usually meet to worship God THis I renounce 1. Because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England in her excellent Homily against the peril of Idolatry wherein she saith as followeth p. 12. These costly deckiâ—â— of Churches and Images have nothing profited those that are wise and of understanding but have thereby greatly hurt the simple and unwise occasiâ—â—ing them thereby to commit most horrible Idolatry p. 13. Our Images 〈◊〉 been be and if they be publickly suffered in Churches and Temples 〈◊〉 will be worshipped and so Idolatry committed to them Wherefore our Iâ—â—ges in Temples and Churches be indeed none other but Idols as unto 〈◊〉 which Idolatry hath been is and ever will be committed p. 15. That 〈◊〉 honouring of abominable Images is the cause the beginning and end of 〈◊〉 evil and that the worshippers of them be either mad-men or most wicked men p. 17. Although it be said now commonly that Images be Lay 〈◊〉 Books yet we see they teach no good lesson neither of God nor of goâ—â—ness but all error and wickedness and therefore God as he forbiddeth 〈◊〉 Idols or Images to be made or set up so doth command such as we find 〈◊〉 and set up to be pulled down broken and destroyed Deut. 7th and 〈◊〉 Chapters where 't is observable that all the occasions of Idolatry 〈◊〉 to be avoided and therefore did God forbid marriages with the children of Idolaters for they will turn away thy son from following me that they may serve other gods so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you and destroy thee suddenly p. 18. To set up Images or Altars is a wickedness and great offence and abomination in the sight of the Lord. p. 19. It is impossible that we should be worshippers of Images and the true servants of God also as Paul teacheth 2 Cor. 6. p. 21. Upon 1 Joh. 5. ult Tertullian saith Keep your selves from Images and Idols he saith not now keep your selves from Idolatry as it were from the service of them but from the Images or Idols themselves that is from the very shape or likeness of them do ye think those persons which place Images and Idols in Churches and Temples yea shrine them even over the Lords-Table as 't were of purpose to the worshipping and honouring of them take good heed either to St. John ' s counsel or Tertullian ' s for so to place Images and Idols is it to keep themselves from them
Images so directly against Gods holy word and strait commandment how they should enter in And P. 28. Serenus Bishop of Masile a godly and learned man who lived about 600 years after Christ seeing the people by occasion of Images fall to most abominable Idolatry brake to pieces all the Images of Christ and Saints that were in that City and was therefore complained of to Gregory the first of that name Bishop of Rome who was the first learned Bishop that did allow the having of Images in Churches that can be known by any writing or history of antiquity But though he permitted that Images should be in Churches yet he forbad worshipping of them as appears by his Epistle to Serenus yet blames him for breaking of them upon whose authority they were set up in Churches but they fell presently all in heaps to manifest Idolatry by worshipping of them which Bishop Serenus not without just cause feared would come to pass Now if Serenus his judgment thinking it meet that Images whereunto Idolatry was committed should be destroyed had taken place Idolatry had been overthrown for to that which is not no man committeth Idolatry But of Gregories judgment thinking that Images might be suffered in Churches so iâ— were taught that they should not be worshipped what ruin of Religion and what mischief ensued afterward to all Christendoth experience hath to our hurt and sorrow proved by the schism arising between the East and West Church about the said Images next by the division of the Empire into two parts by the same occasion of Images to the great weakning of all Christendom Whereupon last of all hath followed the utter overthrow of the Christian Religion and noble Empire of Greece and all the East-parts of the world * And by this means Antichrist got into the Saddle and his Throne and the increase of Mahomet's false Religion and the cruel dominion and tyranny of the Saracens and Turks in worshipping of them P. 30. and 31. Constantine the fifth after the example of Leo his Father kept Images out of the Church called a Council of all the learned men and Bishops of Asia and Greece who decreed that it is not lawful for them that believe in God through Jesus Christ to have any Images neither of the Creator nor of any creature set up in Temples to be worshipped but rather that all such things be by the Law of * Cum quid prohibetur prohibentur illa omnia per quae pâ—â—â—enitur 〈◊〉 illud God forbidden and for the avoiding of offence ought to be taken out of Churches But Paul Bishop of Rome and Stephen the third refused to obey the Emperours Decree and assembled another Council and therein condemned the Emperour and his Council of Heresie and made a Decree that the holy Images of Christ and the blessed Virgin and other Saints were indeed worthy of honour and worshipping And P. 33 Not only the simple and unwise were ensnared with Images but now the learned and Bishops fell to worshipping of Images For 't was decreed in the East also in Irene's and Theodora's time that Images should be set up in all Churches of Greece and that honour and worship should be given to them and now ye may see that come to pass which Serenus feared and Gregory the first forbad in vain viz. that Images should in no wise be worshipped Again 't is hard yea impossible any long time to have Images publickly in Churches without Idolatry And P. 34. At Eliberi a notable City in Spain the Spanish Bishops called and held a Council and there decreed in Article 36. thus We think that Pictures ought not to be in Churches lest that be honoured or worshipped which is painted on walls And Canon 44 they say thus We thought good to admonish the faithful that as much as in them lyeth they suffer no Images to be in their houses but if they fear any violence of their servants at the least let them keep themselves clean and pure from Images if they do not so let them be accounted none of the Church There was another Council in Spain called Concilium Tolletanum 12 which decreed against Images and Image-worshippers And P. 36. The Bishop of Rome Excommunicated the Emperour because he opposed his Images and chose Charles King of France to be Emperour because he succoured his Images Then the Nobles of Greece chose Nicephorus to be Emperour he and Scaurus the two Michael's Leo and Theophilus and other Emperour opposed Images And when Theodorus Emperour would have agreed with the Bishop of Rome at the Council at Lions and have set up Images He was by the Nobles of the Empire of Greece deprived and another chosen in his place And P. 40. All Images as well ours as the Idols of the Gentiles are forbidden and unlawful in Churches 1 Of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost Deut. 4. As in thâ— first part of this Homily Isa 40. 3. Part. To paint Christ for remembrance of his death is forbidden in the second Commandment For 1. because his body is a creature in heaven therefore not to be represented by an Image in the service of God 2. An Image can only represent the manhood of Christ and not his Godhead which is the chiefest part of him both which natures being in him unseparable it were dangerous by painting the one part from the other to give occasion of Arianism Apollinarism or other Heresies 3. Sith that in all the Scriptures which speak so much of him there is no shew of any portraiture or lineament of his body it 's plain that the wisdom of God would not have him painted A. B. Ushers Sum of Ch. Relig. p. 231. Act. 17. Hab. 2. 2. Of Christ for he is God and man and you cannot paint the Godhead P. 41. and p. 42. Images are lies therefore they are not Lay-mens Books And again If true Images of Christ and Saints could be made yet they are unlawful to be made and see up in Churches to the great and unavoidable danger of Idolalry Primitive Christians were complained of that they had no Images in their Churches Hence 't is inferred there that they took all Images to be unlawful in the Church or Temple oâ— God and therefore had nonâ— Which is a good negative argument for matter of fact And P. 44. The Primitive Church which is especially to be followed 〈◊〉 most incorrupt and pure had publickly in Churches neither Idols 〈◊〉 the Gentiles nor any other Images as things †Observe that the Homily saith before That they are not simply unlawful but for their offence as being occasions of Idolatry then it will follow that occasions of Idolatry and so of other sins are directly forbidden in Gods Word directly forbidden 〈◊〉 Gods Word But 't is objected Thâ—â— Images are not absolutely forbidden to be made but only that they should be made to be worshipped and thâ—â— therefore we may have Images so 〈◊〉 worship them not for
that they 〈◊〉 things indifferent which may be abâ—sed or well used Answ This 〈◊〉 yielded in part Flowers are wrougâ—â— in Carpets Arras and Pictures 〈◊〉 Princes printed or stamped in theâ—â— Coyns which when Christ did see in the Roman Coyn we read 〈◊〉 that he reprehended it neither do we condemn the art of Painting and Image-making as wicked of themselves but we would grant them that Images used for no Religion or Superstition rather we mean Images of none worshipped nor in danger to be worshipped of any may be suffered But Images placed publickly in Temples cannot possibly be without danger of worshipping and Idolatry wherefore they are not publickly to be had or suffered in Temples The Jews to whom the Law was first given and should best know the meaning of it would not suffer Images publickly to be in the Temple at Jerusalem though no worshipping was required at their hands but rather offered themselves to death than to assent that Images should be once placed in the Temple neither would they suffer any Image-maker among them And Origen added this clause lest their minds should be plucked from God to the contemplation of earthly things And they are much commended for this earnest zeal in maintaining Gods honour and true Religion P. 45. And truth it is that Jews and Turks who abhor Images and Idols as directly forbidden in Gods Word will never come to the truth of our Religion while the stumbling-blocks of Images remain among us and lie in their way And P. 49. What meaneth it that Christians after the use of the Gentiles Idolaters cap and knee before Images is not this stooping and kneeling before them adoration of them which is forbidden so directly by Gods Word P. 50. Satan desiring to rob God of his honour desireth exceedingly that such honour might be given to him wherefore those which give the honour due to the Creator to any creature do service acceptable to no Saints who be the friends of God but unto Satan Gods and mans mortal and sworn enemy Obj. But they say that they do not worship the Image as the Gentiles did their Idols but God and the Saints whom the Images do represent and therefore that their doings before Images are not like the Idolatry of the Gentiles before their Idols Answ 'T is answered thus St. Augustine Lactantius and Clemens do prove evidently that by this their answer they be all one with the Gentiles-Idolaters The Gentiles saith St. Augustine which seem to be of the purer Religion say We worship not the Images but by the corporal Images we do behold the signs of the things which we ought to worship And Lactantius saith the Gentiles say we fear not the Images but them after whose likenesses the Images be made and to whose names they be consecrated And Clemens saith that Serpent the Devil uttereth these words by the mouth of certain men We to the honour of the invisible God worship visible Images which surely is not false See how in using the same excuses which the Gentile-Idolaters pretended they shew themselves to join with them in Idolatry For notwithstanding this excuse Augustine Lactantius and Clemens prove them Idolaters And the Scriptures say they worship stocks and stones notwithstanding this excuse even as our Image-mongers do And Ezekiel therefore calleth the gods of the Assyrians stocks and stones although they were but Images of their gods So are our Images of God and the Saints named by the names of God and his Saints after the use of the Gentiles What should it mean that they according as did the Gentile-Idolaters light Candles at noon-time or at midnight before them but therewith to honour them for other use is none of so doing for in the day it needeth not but was ever a Proverb of foolishness to light a candle at noon-day And in the night it availeth not to light a candle before the blind and God hath neither use nor honour thereof By which it appeareth that Are not Tapers appearances of the same Religion to be abstained from as well as candles we do agree with the Gentile-Idolaters in our Candle-Religion And P. 52. As the Gentiles so our Image-maintainers have invented and spread many lying-tales and written many Fables and Miracles of Images And P. 53. Among the holy Relicks they have they say the tayl of the Asse on which our Saviour rode which they offer to be kissed and to be offered unto And P. 55. The having of Images in Churches publickly hath not only brought us to worshipping of them but to worshipping of them with the same kind of worship wherewith they worship the Copy as the Homily shews out of Naclaâ—tus Bishop of Clugium And P. 56. the Homily saith thus Having shewed and proved that our Images have been be and will be worshipped and by their own confession that they ought to be worshipped I will out of Gods Word make this general argument against all such makers setters up and maintainers of Images in publick places thus And first I will begin with the words of our Saviour Christ Wo be to that man by whom an offence is given Wo be to him that * Is there not the same reason against Popish Ceremonies and other unnecessary things offendeth one of these little ones or weak ones Mat. 18. Better were it for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck and he cast into the midst of the sea and drowned than that he should offend one of these little ones or weak ones And in Deut. 27. God himself denounceth him accursed that maketh the blind to wander out of the way And in Levit. 19. Thou shalt not lay a stumbling-block or stone before the blind But Images have been be and as afterwards shall be proved ever * May not the same be said of Popish Ceremonies Con the Popes Nuncio brought with him into England in A. B. Laud ' s reign many Reliques of Saints Medals and pieces of gold with the Popes picture on them to seduce the Ladies of the Court and Country Heylin ' s Cyp. Angl. l. 4. p. 358. will be offences and stumbling-blocks especially to the weak simple and blind common people deceiving their hearts by the cunning of the Artificer as the Scripture expresly in sundry places doth testifie and so bringeth them to Idolatry and therefore wo be to the erector setters up and maintainers of Images in Churches for a greater penalty remaineth for them than the death of the body Obj. If it be replied that this offence may be taken away by diligent and sincere doctrine and preaching of Gods Word as by other means and that Images in Churches therefore be not things absolutely evil to all men although dangerous to some and therefore that it were to be holden that the publick having of them in Churches is not expedient as a thing perilous rather than unlawful and utterly wicked Ans This will be answered by proving the third Article which
have the reins any longer you cannot expect any other issue thereof than the curse of God infamy throughout all the Reformed Churches and a perpetual rent and distraction in the whole body of your State Given at Westminster Octob. 6. 1611. And Sir Ralph Winwood his Majesties Ambassador there in his Remonstrance to the States-General by his Majesties approbation saith thus If therefore Religion be as the Palladium of your Common-wealth and that to preserve the one in your glory and perfection be to maintain the other in her purity let your selves then be judg in how great a danger the State must needs be at this present so long as you permit these Schisms of Arminius to have such vogue as now they have in the principal Towns of Holland and if you suffer Vorstius to be received Divinity-professor in the University of Leyden the Seminary of your Church who in scorn of the holy Word of God hath after his own fancy devised a new Sect patched together of several pieces of all sorts of ancient and modern Heresies Ibid. p. 358 and p. 361. he saith further thus His Majesty doth exhort you that you having gotten the upperhand of your miseries you would not suffer the followers of Arminius to make your actions an example for them to proclaim throughout the world that wicked The Doctrine of Arminians of the apostacy of the Saints a wicked Doctrine Doctrine of the Apostacy of the Saints To be short the account which his Majesty doth make of your amity appears sufficiently by the Treaties which he hath made with your Lordships by the succours which your Provinces have received from his Crowns and by the deluge of blood which his subjects have spent in your Wars Religion is the only sowder of this amity for his Majesty being by the Grace of God Defender of the Faith doth hold himself obliged to defend all those who profess the same The Protestant Hollanders of the same Faith and Religion with us Faith and Religion with him Ibid. p. 361. And p. 365. King James himself saith If the subject of Vorstius his Heresies had not been grounded upon questions of an higher quality than touching the number and nature of the Sacraments the points of Justification of Merits of Purgatory of the visible Head of the Church or any such matters as are in controversie at this day betwixt the Papists and us Nay more if he had medled only with the nature and works of God ad extra if we say he had soared no higher although we should have been very sorry to see such * Mark it he calls those points also Heresies Heresies begin to take root among our Allies and ancient Confederates we should not have been so zealons as we have been in this business And p. 368. he saith thus of the main point of Arminians The nature of man through the transgression of our first Parents hath lost free-will and retaineth not now any shadow hereof saving an inclination to evil those only excepted whom God hath sanctified and purged from their original Leprosie And p 366. he saith thus The principal bond of our conjunction is our uniformity in Religion King James was of a mind better than and different from A. B. Laud. He you see thought himself obliged to help the Hollanders as being of the same Profession and Religion with him yea and uniform in the same Religion for substance though they and he differed in Discipline mode of Worship and form of Church-Government but A. B. Laud would not acknowledg the Protestant Ministers of the Palatinate Churches to be of the same Religion with us here in the Church of England * Cypr. Anglicus l. 4. p. 305 306. where you 'l find that he caused the Letters-Patents for a Collection for those Orthodox Protestant Ministers though procured by the Queen of Bohemia of K. Ch. her Brother to be cancelled and new ones drawn and those expressions expunged c. and that because they received the Doctrine and rigors as Heylin calls them of Calvin in the point of Predestination and the rest depending thereupon as Orthodox And also for that they maintain a parity of Ministers and hold not our Episcopacy essential to the being of a Church as A. B. Laud plainly did and also for that they called the Doctrine and Government of the Church of Rome an Antichristian yoke King James called and proved the Pope of Rome to be Antichrist and the Doctrines of Arminius and his followers wicked and heretical and held those of Calvin to be Orthodox in those points and uniform with our Profession here in England as may be seen by his Declaration against Vorstius by his procuring the Synod of Dort and sending Orthodox Divines to it who condemned the five Articles of Arminius or Arminians and by his ratification of the nine Articles of Lambeth in the Articles of Ireland And for further proof of King James his judgment against Arminianism take and read a Jesuits Letter to the Rector at Bruxells Father Rector The Jesuits Letter c. We have now many strings to our bows and have strongly fortified our faction and have added two Bulwarks more for when King James lived WE KNOW HE WAS VERY VIOLENT AGAINST ARMINIANISM and interrupted with his pestilent wit and deep learning our strong designs in Holland now we have planted the Soveraign drug Arminianism which we hope will purge the Protestants from their Heresie This Letter was seized in A. B. Laud's Study Vide Prin's Introduction to A. B. Laud's tryal and attested against him at the Lords-Bar as Mr. Hickman informs me in his Justification of the Fathers and Schoolmen pag. 63. To which purpose the The Commons Declaration Commons of England assembled in Parliament declared to his late Majesty thus The hearts of your Subjects are perplexed when with sorrow they behold a daily growth and spreading of the faction of Arminians that being as your Majesty well knows but a cunning way to bring in Popery and the professors of those opinions the common disturbers of the Protestant Churches and Incendiaries of those States in which they have gotten any head being Protestants in shew but Jesuits in opinion and practise Of which growing faction Neile Bishop of Winchester and Laud Bishop of Bath and Wells are named particularly for the principal Patrons as Dr. Heylin saith Cyp. Angl. l. 3. p. 181. And though Dr. Heylin and Bishop Mountague stand much upon King James his words at the Conference at Hampton-Court yet being well considered they make nothing for their false Doctrine That truly justified persons may totally and finally fall away from the acts and habit of saving Grace but rather against it For 1. King James though he did not yield as they say at the Conference at Hampton-Court that those words totally and finally should be added to the sixteenth Article of our Church yet he yielded to it and to all the Articles of Lambeth