The gentlemans exercise Or an exquisite practise, as well for drawing all manner of beasts in their true portraitures: as also the making of all kinds of colours, to be vsed in lymming, painting, tricking, and blason of coates, and armes, with diuers others most delightfull and pleasurable obseruations, for all yong gentlemen and others. As also seruing for the necessarie vse and generall benefite of diuers trades-men and artificers, as namly painters, ioyners, free-masons, cutters and caruers, &c. for the farther gracing, beautifying, and garnishing of all their absolute and worthie peeces, either for borders, architecks, or columnes, &c. By Henrie Peacham Master of Artes.

Of the Pictures of our Sauiour Christ, the A∣postles and Martyrs.

NEither by any meanes may the pic••ure of our Sauiour, the Apostles and Martyrs of the Church be drawne to an Idolatrous vse, or be set vp in Churches to be worshipped.

Saith the Elibertine Councell:* 1.1 Placuit in templis non haberi picturas, ne quod colitur, vel adoratur, in pa∣rietibus depingatur: which is, It hath pleased vs (saith the Coūcel) that pictures be not set vp in Churches, nor any thing be painted vpon the walles, which is reuerenced or worshipped.

Epiphanius moreouer in an Epistle to Iohn Bishop* 1.2

of Ierusalem, saith it is against the authoritie of the Scripture, that an Image be hanged vp in a Church, there speaking of the Image of Christ, or some o∣ther Saint which he found painted vpon a cloth.* 1.3

Adrian the Emperour caused Churches to be built for the Christians without Images.

Beside the holy Scripture, these with many other be the arguments of our writers: whom Bellarmine after his manner answereth seuerally. That pictures of these kindes may be drawne, and set vp to draw the beholder ad Histo••icum vsum, and not ad cul∣tum, I hold them very lawfull and tolerable in the windowes of Churches and the priuate houses, and deseruing not to bee beaten downe with that vio∣lence and furie as they haue beene by our Puritanes in many places.

Touching the picture of Christ according to his humanity I would scarce change it for the best Iewel in the world, if I had it truly drawne, neither of the lawfulnesse thereof I thinke any wise man will make question.

* 1.4Tertullian who hath liued within the first fiue hun∣dred yeares reporteth that the picture of Christ was engrauen vpon the communion Cup carrying the lost sheepe vpon his shoulder.

Gregory Nyss••nus in his Oration for Theodorus the Emperour, saith, the Emperour was delighted when he saw the Temple of God beautified with stately buildings, & with sundrie ornaments within, where the pain••er had shewed the excellency of his art in setting forth the valiant sufferings of the Matyrs, their torments, the cruell countenances of Tyrantes

their violence, the fiery furnace, the blessed ende of those valiant champions. &c.

Zozomen and Nicephorus write that in the time of Iulian the Apostata,* 1.5 the Image of Christ, which was at Panneades, was brought by the Christians into one of their Churches and there preserued.

Nazianzen grieued much that a Citie of Dioece∣saria was to bee razed and destroyed,* 1.6 wherein was a Temple, which himselfe had adorned with sun∣drie statues.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Co••cil. Eli••e••t. Canon. 36.
• * 1.2

  Bishop I••w••l against Har∣ding.
• * 1.3

  AElius Lampridi u•• in vita Alex.
• * 1.4

  Tertul. in lib. de pudic••tia.
• * 1.5

  ••••zom••••. lib. 5. cap. ••0.
• * 1.6

  N••zianz••n. E∣pist. 49. ad O∣lympium.