Page 511
M. Hardinge. The .11. Diuision.
The seconde cause of the vse of Images, is the stirringe of our mindes to al godlynesse. For where as the affecte and desire of man is heauy, and dul in Diuine and spiritual thinges,* 1.1 because the Bodie that is corruptible weigheth downe the minde: when it is set foorthe before our eies by Images, what Christe hath doone for vs, and what the Sainctes haue doone for Christe: then it is quickned, and moued to the like will of dooinge, and sufferinge, and to al endeuour of holy and vertuouse life. As when we heare apte and fitte woordes vttered in a Sermon, or an Oration: so when we beholde lookes, and gestures liuely expressed in Images, we are mooued to pitie, to weepinge, to ioye, and to other affectes. VVherein verily it hathe alwaies beene thought, that painters haue had no lesse grace, then either Oratours, or Poetes.
VVho listeth to see examples hereof, he maye peruse the seconde Nicene Councel,* 1.2 where he shal finde amonge other moste notable thinges concerninge this pointe, one of S. Euphemia the Martyr, an other of Abraham sacrificinge his Sonne Isaac, woorthy of euerlastinge memorie, that of Asterius the holy Bishop, this of Gregorie Nyssene, very elegantly described. Virgil maketh Aeneas to weepe, to hope for better fortune, to gather courage of minde, to take good aduise, and order for redresse, and helpe of his greate calamities, by occasion of beholdinge a Painters woorke at Carthago, wherein the bat∣taile of Troye was expressed. VVhiche that wise Poete woulde not haue doone, were it not that Pi∣ctures haue greate force to moue mennes hartes.
Ouide likewise in the Epistle of Laodamia to Protesilaus hir husbande beinge foorth at warres, maketh hir so to write of his Image, whiche she had caused to be made of waxe for hir comforte in his absence, as it maye wel appeare, that Images haue a meruailouse power to stirre vehement af∣fectes, and to represente thinges absent, as though in manner they were presente, in the mindes of the beholders. Amonge al other examples for this purpose, that seemeth to me most notable, whiche Appianus writeth of C. Iulius Caesar li. 2. De bellis ciuilibus. After that Caesar had beene mur∣dered of the Senatours in the Councel house, one of his frendes, to shewe the crueltie of the facte to the people, laied Caesars bedde in the open markette place, and tooke foorth of it his Image made of waxe, whiche represented three and twentie woundes after a beastly sorte stabde into his face, and al the rest of his bodie, yet gapinge, and as it were freshe bleedinge. VVith whiche shewe he stir∣red the people to more wrathe and rage, then he coulde haue doone with any oration or gesture: whiche was declared foorthwith. For as soone as the people sawe it, not hable to beare their griefe, nor staye their furie any lenger, they wrought greate and strange cruelties againste them, that were founde to haue committed that murder.
The thirde cause, why Images haue beene set vp in Churches, is the keepinge of thinges in me∣mory necessary to our saluation. For when we cast our cies on them, our memorie, whiche otherwise is fraile and weake, gathereth togeather, and imbraceth the benefites, and merites of our Sauiour Christe, and the vertuouse examples of Sainctes, whiche we ought to folowe: that if we be suche, as they were, we maye by Goddes grace through Christe attaine the blisse they be in, and with them enioye life euerlastinge. And verily they that haue Images in regarde, and reuerence, must be so min∣ded, as they beholde, not onely the thinges by them represented, but also perfourme the same in deede with most diligent imitation.