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CHAP. LVII.
Of Images.
THe worship of Images has not been antiently by all people admitted: For the Jews, as Josephus relates, after they had been so often chastized, and in∣deed at first the most strict observers of the Law, did
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abhor nothing more than the making of Images. For the commands of God, delivered by Moses, did utterly prohibit the use of Images, either in Temples or in any other place. And Eusebius testifies, that among the people call'd Seres, the adoration of Images was by Law absolutely forbidden. Neither do we read either in Clement or Plutarch, that (for so Numa had decreed) there was any Image to be seen, or that was spoken of, for above a hundred and seventy years after the buil∣ding of the City. Which also St. Austin alleadges out of Varro, whose words most clearly witness, that there was no Image or Idol in the City for one hundred and sixty years; and that afterwards it came to pass, that by reason of the Multitude of Images and Idols, the Worship of the Gods was not only neglected, but had in contempt. The Persians also, as Herodotus and Strabo Witness, never suffered Images among them. On the otherside, in the honour of Idols there were none more Superstitious and dotingly stupid than the Aegyptians, from whence that Impiety, as from a cor∣rupted Fountain, over-ran other Nations; which Su∣perstitious Customes, and false Religion of the Heathens, when the same People became to be Converted to the Christian Faith, did not a little contaminate the Pu∣rity of our Religion; introducing Idols and Images into our Church, together with many Barren Pomps and Ceremonies, of which there was nothing thought of among the Ancient and Primitive Christians: Nor can it be imagin'd how strongly and superstitiously Idolatry is riveted into the Minds of the Unlearned Multitude by the means of Images; the idle Priests among the Catholicks conniving thereat, as reaping not a little benefit thereby. 'Tis true, they endea∣vour to defend themselves by the help of St. Gregories Words; who saith, That Images are the Books of the Vulgar, whereby the Memory of things is by them the
Page 166
more easily retain'd; so that by these, they who cannot read, may yet be taught, and by the sight thereof be drawn to the Contemplation of God. However, these are but the humane Comments and Suppositions of Palliating St. Gregory; and though that good Man might in some sort approve of the Images themselves; yet it cannot be thought that he did any way allow the Worship thereof. For it is no part of our duty to learn from the Forbidden Book of Images, but from the Book of God, which is the Scripture. He there∣fore who desires to know God, let him not endeavour to obtain that Knowledge from the handy-work of Painters and Statuaries; but according to the Directi∣on of St. John, Let him search the Scriptures what testimony they give concerning him. And they who can∣not read, let them hear the Word of the same Scrip∣ture, where St. Paul pronounces, That Faith comes by hearing; and what Christ in another place •aith. My Sheep know my Voice. As also what in another place he avers, No man can come to him unless the Father draw him, and no man cometh to the Father but by Christ himself. Why then do we take the Glory from God, giving it to Pictures and Images, as if they could draw us to the Knowledge of the most Divine Being? To this we may add the vain and immode∣rate Worship of idle Reliques. We confess, That the Reliques of the Saints are Holy, and that they thall one day shine with the Glories of Eternity; Yet to give them Adoration as to the Reilqu•s of D•ities that hear our Prayers, is a most stupid piece of Fasci∣nation. Lest therefore we fall into Idolatry and Su∣perstition, it is the safest way for us not to fix our Faith upon visible things. But the Covetous Generation of the Romish Clergy, greedy after gain, raising matter to •eed their Avarice, not only out of Wood and Stones, but also from the Bones of the Dead, and Reliques
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of the Saints, make them the Instruments of their Ra∣pine and Extortion. They shew the Sepulchres of the Saints; they expose the Reliques of Martyrs; which no man must so much as touch or kiss, but for mony. They adorn their Pictures, set out their Festivals with great Pomp and State, they extol 'um for Saints, ad∣vance the Fame of their Miracles, utterly disagreeing in their Lives and Conversations, from the Lives and Examples of those whom they praise. These were the Men to whom our Saviour spoke, when he cry'd out, Wo be to you that build up the Sepulchres of the Prophets like to those that shew them. Like to the Heathen, to every Saint they allot his proper charge; to one with Neptune they share the Command of the Seas, and power of Deliverance from the dangers thereof: to another with Jupiter, to have the Do∣minion of Thunder: to another with Vulcan to con∣troul the Fire: to another they pray with Ceres for seasonable and plentiful Harvests: to another with Bacchus they give the Charge of their Vintages and Vines. The Women also have their Deities, from whom, as from Lucina, they beg for Children, and the cure of Barrenness: and another, by whose Power they either Appease, or Revenge themselves upon their An∣gry Husbands. Others there are, to whom they give the priviledge of recovering and finding Lost Goods. Neither is there any Disease which has not its pecu∣liar Physitian among the Saints. Which is the rea∣son that Physitians do not get so much as Lawyers; there being no sort of Action, though never so just, that ever could boast of a Saint for its Patron. 'Tis true, the Papists aver, That as the Soul in every Mem∣ber Displayes a several Act; and every Act, as it is variously dispos'd, receives a distinct Power, as the Eye to see, the Ears to hear: So Christ in his Mystical Body, of which he is the Soul, by his several Saints,
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as Members accommodated to the same Body, doth Administer and Distribute the several gifts of his Grace to the Inferiour Creatures; and that to every Saint is allotted a particular operation for the dispersing of se∣veral Graces, according to the variety of Graces given to each Man. But this Conjecture, as being one of Agrip∣pa's Vanities, for which there is no ground in Scripture, we cannot reckon among the Vanities of Science, but as a peculiar Invention of his own.
Of Images.
THe worship of Images has not been antiently by all people admitted: For the Jews, as Josephus relates, after they had been so often chastized, and in∣deed at first the most strict observers of the Law, did
Page 165
abhor nothing more than the making of Images. For the commands of God, delivered by Moses, did utterly prohibit the use of Images, either in Temples or in any other place. And Eusebius testifies, that among the people call'd Seres, the adoration of Images was by Law absolutely forbidden. Neither do we read either in Clement or Plutarch, that (for so Numa had decreed) there was any Image to be seen, or that was spoken of, for above a hundred and seventy years after the buil∣ding of the City. Which also St. Austin alleadges out of Varro, whose words most clearly witness, that there was no Image or Idol in the City for one hundred and sixty years; and that afterwards it came to pass, that by reason of the Multitude of Images and Idols, the Worship of the Gods was not only neglected, but had in contempt. The Persians also, as Herodotus and Strabo Witness, never suffered Images among them. On the otherside, in the honour of Idols there were none more Superstitious and dotingly stupid than the Aegyptians, from whence that Impiety, as from a cor∣rupted Fountain, over-ran other Nations; which Su∣perstitious Customes, and false Religion of the Heathens, when the same People became to be Converted to the Christian Faith, did not a little contaminate the Pu∣rity of our Religion; introducing Idols and Images into our Church, together with many Barren Pomps and Ceremonies, of which there was nothing thought of among the Ancient and Primitive Christians: Nor can it be imagin'd how strongly and superstitiously Idolatry is riveted into the Minds of the Unlearned Multitude by the means of Images; the idle Priests among the Catholicks conniving thereat, as reaping not a little benefit thereby. 'Tis true, they endea∣vour to defend themselves by the help of St. Gregories Words; who saith, That Images are the Books of the Vulgar, whereby the Memory of things is by them the
Page 166
more easily retain'd; so that by these, they who cannot read, may yet be taught, and by the sight thereof be drawn to the Contemplation of God. However, these are but the humane Comments and Suppositions of Palliating St. Gregory; and though that good Man might in some sort approve of the Images themselves; yet it cannot be thought that he did any way allow the Worship thereof. For it is no part of our duty to learn from the Forbidden Book of Images, but from the Book of God, which is the Scripture. He there∣fore who desires to know God, let him not endeavour to obtain that Knowledge from the handy-work of Painters and Statuaries; but according to the Directi∣on of St. John, Let him search the Scriptures what testimony they give concerning him. And they who can∣not read, let them hear the Word of the same Scrip∣ture, where St. Paul pronounces, That Faith comes by hearing; and what Christ in another place •aith. My Sheep know my Voice. As also what in another place he avers, No man can come to him unless the Father draw him, and no man cometh to the Father but by Christ himself. Why then do we take the Glory from God, giving it to Pictures and Images, as if they could draw us to the Knowledge of the most Divine Being? To this we may add the vain and immode∣rate Worship of idle Reliques. We confess, That the Reliques of the Saints are Holy, and that they thall one day shine with the Glories of Eternity; Yet to give them Adoration as to the Reilqu•s of D•ities that hear our Prayers, is a most stupid piece of Fasci∣nation. Lest therefore we fall into Idolatry and Su∣perstition, it is the safest way for us not to fix our Faith upon visible things. But the Covetous Generation of the Romish Clergy, greedy after gain, raising matter to •eed their Avarice, not only out of Wood and Stones, but also from the Bones of the Dead, and Reliques
Page 167
of the Saints, make them the Instruments of their Ra∣pine and Extortion. They shew the Sepulchres of the Saints; they expose the Reliques of Martyrs; which no man must so much as touch or kiss, but for mony. They adorn their Pictures, set out their Festivals with great Pomp and State, they extol 'um for Saints, ad∣vance the Fame of their Miracles, utterly disagreeing in their Lives and Conversations, from the Lives and Examples of those whom they praise. These were the Men to whom our Saviour spoke, when he cry'd out, Wo be to you that build up the Sepulchres of the Prophets like to those that shew them. Like to the Heathen, to every Saint they allot his proper charge; to one with Neptune they share the Command of the Seas, and power of Deliverance from the dangers thereof: to another with Jupiter, to have the Do∣minion of Thunder: to another with Vulcan to con∣troul the Fire: to another they pray with Ceres for seasonable and plentiful Harvests: to another with Bacchus they give the Charge of their Vintages and Vines. The Women also have their Deities, from whom, as from Lucina, they beg for Children, and the cure of Barrenness: and another, by whose Power they either Appease, or Revenge themselves upon their An∣gry Husbands. Others there are, to whom they give the priviledge of recovering and finding Lost Goods. Neither is there any Disease which has not its pecu∣liar Physitian among the Saints. Which is the rea∣son that Physitians do not get so much as Lawyers; there being no sort of Action, though never so just, that ever could boast of a Saint for its Patron. 'Tis true, the Papists aver, That as the Soul in every Mem∣ber Displayes a several Act; and every Act, as it is variously dispos'd, receives a distinct Power, as the Eye to see, the Ears to hear: So Christ in his Mystical Body, of which he is the Soul, by his several Saints,
Page 168
as Members accommodated to the same Body, doth Administer and Distribute the several gifts of his Grace to the Inferiour Creatures; and that to every Saint is allotted a particular operation for the dispersing of se∣veral Graces, according to the variety of Graces given to each Man. But this Conjecture, as being one of Agrip∣pa's Vanities, for which there is no ground in Scripture, we cannot reckon among the Vanities of Science, but as a peculiar Invention of his own.