The Catholiques plea, or An explanation of the Roman Catholick belief. Concerning their [brace] church, manner of worship, justification, civill governement. : Together with a catalogue of all the pœnall statutes against popish recusants. : All which is humbly submitted to serious consideration. / By a Catholick gentleman.

Whether Papists be guilty of Idolatry in the Question of Angels, Saints, and Pictures.

THe Papist here first took for granted, which in∣deed I could not deny, that if any Opinion be probably true, persecution in that case is certainly unlawfull; because otherwise both sides, for both are probable, if one be, might justifiably persecute one another, to the utter destruction of all Society: and after returned this answer to my first objection.

We reverence indeed (saies he) the Angels and blessed Saints, with a respect far more than we use to men, be∣cause far above their Dignity, but infinitely below the a∣doration we give to GOD, because infinitely below his excellency. All the mistakes in this controversie arising from hence, that the language of men hath more distin∣ctivenesse and variety than the gestures of their bodies, and yet is far lesse copious than the thoughts of their minds; whence it is they so frequently apply to most dif∣ferent conceptions the self-same words and postures of body, as the titles of sacred Majesty, most High, most Mighty, given to Kings and States, the stile of Grace to Dukes and Archbishops, of Lord to Noblemen, Gene∣rals, Ambassadors, &c. of Worship to Gentlemen of quality, and such as bear any considerable Office in the Commonwealth; so kneeliug to Parents, standing bare to the Parliament and other Courts, bowing to one another, &c. All these very expressions are the same we use to∣wards God himself, and passe innocently, when rightly

understood; but to a scrupulous and wilfull spirit, how offensive would this one word Worshipfull be, if it be reflected with a little rigor and frowardnesse upon it? Now as every old woman has capacity enough to make a different apprehension betwixt going to speak with one at the Lion in Cheapside, and going to see the Lion in the Tower; so may any the most simple Catholique in the world, by a very little teaching, learn to distinguish the Crucifix which he sees in the Church, from Christ whom he believes to be in Heaven, and consequently in no more danger of committing Idolatry to that Picture, than the other of fearing to be torn in peeces by the Sign.

Upon this Argument of the Papist, I call'd to mind what I had read my self in Scripture, how the Prophet Balaam fell flat upon the ground, and ado∣red an Angel, Num. 22. 31. and Ioshua gave the same honour to another, that stiled himself Captain of the Lords Host, and therefore could not be the Lord, Ios. 5. 13. nay, he was commanded yet fur∣ther, to put off his shooes, because the ground was holy, by the presence of an Angel; these examples, I con∣fesse, being related in the Bible, without the least note of reproof, enforce us to admit severall de∣grees of worship, infinitely differing in the intention of the mind, though very little in outward expres∣sions; now by whatsoever names we Protestants shall agree to call this behavior of Balaam, Ioshua, and e∣ven all the Jews before the Ark and Cherubins, I see plainly will fully expresse, and shrewdly justi∣fie (at least from Idolatry) all the approved pra∣ctices of the Papists, which truly cast up, as far as I can discern, amouut to no more than a reverence towards Saints and Angels, suitable to the excel∣lency of their State; and for Churches, Altars, Pictures, &c. only to an Ecclesiasticall kind of good manners. And by the Light of Nature thus for seems to me evident, that all honor or dishonor done to

the Image reflects upon the Principall, since not one amongst us but would condemn him for a Ma∣lignant, that should shoot at my Lord Generals Pi∣cture without Temple-Bar, and if any should reprove him for his temerity, we would presently conclude such person wel-affected to the present Govern∣ment, and not at all sequestrable for Idolatry, un∣lesse we could prove that the abused and doting people superstitiously adored the painted cloth, which kind of worship, I am satisfied, no Recusant gives even to the Picture of our Saviour.

Lastly, I think it probable, not certain, as the Papists do, that the second Commandement intends not to forbid any such inferiour spirituall civilities, because wise Governors contrive their Laws against those vices, to which they see their Subjects parti∣cularly inclined; and therefore down-right Idolatry, by offering Sacrifice to Gods made with hands, and reposing confidence in their assistance, being the common sins of those times, 'tis probable we ought to interpret this Precept, as a provision a∣gainst Heathenish Idolatry, not against such kind of reverences as the Jewes by Gods own ap∣pointment used before the Ark and Cheruoins.

Agreeable to this, is the Opinion of the learned Master Hobs in his Leviathan, where fol. 360. he affirms, that to worship God in some peculiar place, or turning a mans face towards an Image, is not to wor∣ship the place or Image, but to acknowledge them holy, that is to say, set apart from common use; for that is the meaning of the word holy, which implies no new qua∣lity in the place or Image, but only a new relation by ap∣propriation to God, and therefore is not Idolatry. But to worship God, as inanimating or inhabiting such place or Image, is Idolatry; as also to worship God, not as in animating or present in the place or Image but to

the end to be put in mind of him or some of his works, in case the place or Image be dedica∣ted or set up by private authority, and not by the Autho∣rity of them that are our Soveraign Pastors, is Idolatry: For the Commandement is, THOV SHALT NOT MAKE TO THY SELF ANY GRAVEN IMAGE.

Thus in my judgement doth that learned Pro∣testant absolutely clear the Papists of Idolatry, though perhaps he had more precisely exprest this last way of transgressing the second Commande∣ment, if he had call'd it will-worship rather than Idolatry, because there is onely a want of Commissi∣on, no excess in the degree of reverence: And though afterwards he condemn praying to Saints departed, as Idolatry, yet it is only upon a particular supposition of his own, that there is yet no such thing as Saints in Heaven.

When I had read this passage of so famous an Au∣thor to the Recusant, he to requite my civility, im∣mediately shewed me the words of the Council of Trent, which he said differed nothing at all from Mr. Hobs, and very little from me: For as I thought, that the exhibition of some inferior kind of reverence towards Churches, and other Instruments of piety, was probably unforbidden; so that Council decrees the absolute lawfulnesse thereof, in the 25. Session, where to the Canon concerning Images, are added these words of explanation: Not that there is belie∣ved any divinity or vertue in them, for which they ought to be worshipped, or that they are to be petitioned for any thing, or any confidence ought to be reposed in Images, as of old was done by the Gentiles, who placed their hope in Idols, but because the honour exhibited to them is re∣ferred to the Prototypes they represent, that so through the Images, which we kisse, and before which we bare

our heads and kneel down, we may adore Christ and ve∣nerate his Saints.

Upon occasion of which words, the Papist assured me, that in no Council is used the phrase of Religi∣ous worship, when they treat of these questions, nor any thing concerning them commanded as necessary, but only their lawfulnesse declared, that such as find benefit by their assisting the memory, or exciting the affections, may safely use them, the rest may let them alone, provided they censure not the practice of o∣thers, over whom they have no jurisdiction, nor condemn the judgement of the Church, who has ju∣risdiction over them.

And hereupon we both agreed in this collaterall observation, That if all modern Controvertists would restrain their disputes to positions generally received as of Faith in the Church, of which they are members, attending only to her expressions, and not to the terms of particular Writers, the differences amongst Christians, so fatal to the peace of Europe, would be both lesse numerous, and far more recon∣cilable.