A defence of the Apologie of the Churche of Englande conteininge an answeare to a certaine booke lately set foorthe by M. Hardinge, and entituled, A confutation of &c. By Iohn Iewel Bishop of Sarisburie.

The Apologie, Cap. 3. Diuision. 3.

The Olde Father Epiphanius saith,* 1.1 It is an horrible wickednesse, and a Sinne not to be suffered, for any man, to set vp any Picture in the Churche of the Christians, yea, though it were the Picture of Christe him selfe. Yet these menne store al theire Temples, and eche corner of them with painted, and carued Images, as though without them, Religion were nothinge woorthe.

M. Hardinge.

To that ye pretende to allege out of Epiphanius, we saie, first, that although he were of the minde you make him to be of,* 1.2 and saide, as you reporte of him, yet is he but one man, whose singular opinion is not to be preferred before the‡ 1.3 Iudgemēt of al other so many excellent Fathers, and the determination of the whole Churche.* 1.4 Nowe in deede you misreporte Epiphanius. For he saithe not so, as your write. He calleth not the hauing of the Image of Christe, of any Saincte in the Churche an horrible wic∣kednesse, or a sinne not to be suffered: he hath no sutch wordes.

Secondly, what if we saie, this place maketh nothinge at al againste the vse of Images, and that ‡ 1.5 he speaketh neuer a woorde againste the Image of Christe, or his Sainctes in the Churche, but onely againste one particular Image, whiche he founde hanginge at a Churche dore in a village of Pale∣stine called Anablatha? And seing he* 1.6 speaketh not generally againste al Images, but against sutche as that was, which there he noteth by this special word, Istiusmodi Vela, vailes of this sorte: he ge∣ueth vs to vnderstande that he misliked some qualitie or circumstance of that one Image, and not re∣proued the‡ 1.7 common and receiued custome of the Churche in hauing Images in due order. Now, what circumstance that was, it dependeth of so many particularities. whiche might happen either on the Images parte, as it is moste like, or on the peoples parte there inhabitant, and is so litle declared by Epi∣phanius in that place, that neither we can saie any thinge determinately thereof, nor ye should bring sutche an obscure, and vncertaine matter to the disproufe of a veritie alwaies so wel in the Churche acknowledged and practised.

The B. of Sarisburie.

O, how many, and howe prety shiftes here be diuised, if any woulde healpe, to serue the pourpose? One of the late Louanian Cleregie, for that he sawe, these woordes were cleare, and might not be auoided by any Glose, therefore be thought it the wisest waie, Firste to bringe the Authoritie,* 1.8 and credite hereof in question, [unspec 1] and to saie,* 1.9 that Epiphanius neuer wrote any sutche Epistle: Nexte he saith, The same Epistle was neuer translated by S. Hierome. But, for as mutche as he sawe, that his folie herein was open, and easy to be controlled, Thirdely he saithe,

that the Image,* 1.10 that Epiphanius rente in sunder,* 1.11 was not the Image, either of Christe, or of any Christian Saincte, but the Heathen Image of Iuppiter, or Hercules,* 1.12 or somma other Idole, he knoweth not what. Fourthly he saithe, The saide Holy Father Epiphanius was an Heretique,* 1.13 one of those, that were called Anthropomorphitae,* 1.14 whose erroure was, That God in his Diuinitie had the whole shape, and proportion of a Man. How be it, this folie far passeth al the reste. For it behoued those Heretiques moste of al others, for defense of their er∣roure, to maineteine Images. And yet it seemeth a very vnciuile parte, to con∣demne so Reuerende, & so Godly a Father of so grosse an Heresie, without prouse: and specially sutche a Father, as hath so learnedly written againste al Heresies. Fifthly he saithe,* 1.15 euen as M. Hardinge here saithe,* 1.16 Epiphanius was but a man, & one man, and his Iudgemente singulare, and therefore the lesse to be estéemed. Laste of al,* 1.17 he saithe,* 1.18 The same Holy Father Epiphanius was a Ievve: and be∣inge a Christian, and a Reuerende Father, and a Christian Bishop, yet notwith∣standinge maineteined the Religion of the Iewes, and therefore rente in sunder the Image of Christe,* 1.19 in despite of Christe. And for proufe hereof, he allegeth Si∣meon Metaphrastes, a Doctoure as wise as him selfe.

M. Hardinge, for that he imagined, these shiftes were very vnsauery, & woulde hardly serue, therefore hath diuised to conueigh him selfe out somme other waie. Firste he saithe, Wée falsiste this Holy Father, and allege his woordes otherwise, then they be. Secondely he saithe, It was not the Image of Christe, that Epi∣phanius found painted in the Vele, but somme other prety thing, he knoweth not what. Lastely he saithe, Epiphaniusr reproueth not generally al sutche Veles, so painted, but onely that one Vele, that he founde.

For trial hereof,* 1.20 I referre mée self to y^e Original. The woordes thereof be these: Inueni ibi velum pendens in foribus eiusdem Ecclesiae tinctum, atque depictum, & habens Imaginem, quasi Christi, aut Sācti cuiusdam. Non enim satis memini, cuius Imago fuerit. Cùm ergo hoc vidissem in Ecclesia Christi, contra Authoritatem Scri∣pturarum, Hominis pendere Imaginem, scidi illud: & magis dedi consilium Custo∣dibus eiusdem loci, vt pauperem mortuum eo obuoluerent, & efferrent &c. Quaeso, vt iubeas Presbyteros eiudem loci praecipere, in Ecclesia Christi istiusmodi Vela, quae contra Religionem nostram veniunt, non appendi: Decet enim honestatem tuam hanc magis habere sollicitudinem, vt crupulositatem tollat, quae indigna est Ec∣clesia Christi, & populis, qui tibi crediti sunt: I founde there a Vele hanginge at the en∣trie of the Churche, stained, and painted, and hauinge the Image, as it were, of Christe, or of somme Saincte. For, whose Picture it was in deede, I doo not remember. There∣fore, when I sawe the Image of a man to hange in the Churche of Christe, con∣trarie to the commaundemente of the Scriptures, I tare it in sunder: and gaue counsel to the Wardens of that Churche, that they shoulde winde, and burie somme poore body in it &c. I beseeche you, charge the Priestes of that place, that they commaunde, that sutche Veles, as be contrarie to our Religion, be no more hanged vp in the Churche of Christe. It behooueth your reuerence to haue care hereof, that this Superstition, vn∣meete for the Churche of Christe, and vnmeete for the people to thee committed, be remoued. Nowe, iudge you, M. Hardinge, wherein wée haue falsified this Learned Fathers woordes. You saie, He speaketh not one woorde againste the Image of Christe, or his Sainctes. I beséeche you then, againste what other Image speaketh he?* 1.21 Epiphanius saithe plainely, It had the Image, as it vvere, of Christe, or of somme Saincte: You saie, He founde faulte with that Vele onely, & not with any other. Once againe, I beséeche you, telle vs, what had the Image of Christe, or of his Sainctes offended Epiphanius, more then other Images? If the Image of Christe maie not be suffered in the Churche of Christe, what Image then maie be suffered? What cause of difference can you imagine, that any other

Veles should be allowed rather,* 1.22 then this? Your answeare is this, VVee cannot saie any thinge determinately thereof. Whereby it appereth, ye woulde faine saie some∣what, if ye wiste what. Yet muste wée be ouerruled by al and euery your deter∣minations, yea, although you your selfe confesse, ye can determinately determine nothinge.

Notwithstandinge, the Anciente Fathers of the Churche haue longe sithence determinately,* 1.23 and plainely iudged againste you. Lactantius saithe in plaine woordes: Non est dubium, quin Religio nulla sit, vbicunque Simulachrum est: Out of al doubte, there is no Religion, where so euer there is an Image. Tertullian saithe,* 1.24 Idolum tam fieri, quàm coli Deus prohibet. Quanto' praecedit, vt fiat, quod coli possit, tantò prius est, ne fiat, si coli non licet. Facio, ait quidam, sed non colo: quasi ob aliquam causam colere non audeat, nisi ob quam & facere non debeat: Scilicet, ob Dei offensam vtrobi{que}. Imò tu colis, qui facis vt coli possit: God hath fore∣bidden an Image, or an Idole, as wel to be made, as to be woorshipped. As farre as ma∣kinge goeth before woorshippinge, so far is it before, that the thinge be not made, that maie not be woorshipped. Somme man wil saie, I make it: but I woorship it not: As though he durste not to woorship it for any other cause, but onely for the same cause, for whiche he ought not to make it. I meane bothe waies for Goddes displeasure. Nay rather, thou woor∣shippest the Image, that geuest the cause, for others to woorship it. Therefore S. Au∣gustine, speakinge of the Image of God the Father,* 1.25 saithe thus, Tale simulachrum Deo fingere, nefarium est: To diuise sutche an Image for God, it is abominable.

Theodorus the Bishop of Ancyra saithe, Sanctorum Imagines, & Species ex Materialibus coloribus formati minimè decorum puramus.* 1.26 Manifestum enim est, quòd vana sit huiusmodi cogitatio, & Diabolicae deceptionis inuentum: Wee thinke it not conueniente, to Painte the Images of Sainctes with Material, or Earth∣ly colours. For it is euident, that this is a vaine Imagination, and the procuremente of the deceitefulnesse of the Diuel.

To like yourpose writeth Epiphanius, Estote memores, dilecti Filij, ne in Ec∣clesias Imagines inferatis, neque in Sanctorum Coemiterijs eas statuatis. Sed perpe∣tuò circumferte Deum in cordibus vestris. Quin etiam neque in domo communi tole∣rentur. Non enim fas est, Christianum per oculos suspensum teneri, sed per occu∣pationem mentis: My deere Children, be yee mindeful, that ye bringe no Images into the Churches, and that yee erecte vp none at the burialles of the Sainctes. But euermore carrie God in your Hartes. Nay, suffer not Images to be, no not in your priuate Houses. For it is not lawful, to leade a Christian man by his eies, but rather by the studie, or exercise of his minde.

For this cause Epiphanius saithe, The Superstition of Images is vnfitte for the Churche of Christe.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Epiphan. in Epi∣stol. ad Iohan. Episcop. Hiero∣solymitan.
• * 1.2

  Epipha∣nius but one man.
• ‡ 1.3

  Vntruthe. For the Anciente Fathers make no mention of Images.
• * 1.4

  Vntruthe For vvee report him truely, as shal appeare.
• ‡ 1.5

  Vntruthe For his vvoordes be plaine, Imagi∣nem, quasi Chri∣sti, aut Sancti cuiusdam.
• * 1.6

  A childishe, and a vaine shifte. For Epi∣phanius spea∣keth directly a∣gainst al images.
• ‡ 1.7

  Vntruthe. For Images then vvere not com∣monly receiued in the Churche.
• * 1.8

  Copus, Dialog. 5. Pag. 692. Copus, Pag. 698.
• * 1.9

  2.
• * 1.10

  Epiphani∣us rente the Image &c.
• * 1.11

  3.
• * 1.12

  4.
• * 1.13

  Copus, Pag. 702.
• * 1.14

  Copus, Pag. 703.
• * 1.15

  Copus. Pag. 703.
• * 1.16

  5.
• * 1.17

  Copus, Pag. 706. 707.
• * 1.18

  6.
• * 1.19

  Simeon Meta∣phrastes.
• * 1.20

  Epiphanius ad Iohan. Hieroso∣lymitan. Apud Hierony. Tom. 2.
• * 1.21

  Habens Imagi∣nem, quasi Chri∣sti, vel Sancti cuiusdam.
• * 1.22

  Images in churches.
• * 1.23

  Lactant. Lib. 2. Ca. 19.
• * 1.24

  Tertullian. De Idololatria.
• * 1.25

  August. De Fide & Symbolo. Ca. 7.
• * 1.26

  Citatur in Con∣cil. Nicen. 2. Action. 6.