Rhemes against Rome: or, The remoouing of the gagg of the new Gospell, and rightly placing it in the mouthes of the Romists, by the Rhemists in their English translation of the Scriptures. Which counter-gagg is heere fitted by the industrious hand of Richard Bernard ...

Scriptures obiected answered.

1. For making Images to be worshipped.

Exo. 25. 18. And thou shalt make two Cherubims, &c.

Ans. This is no warrant now for vs. For we haue a perpetuall law forbidding the making of Images & likenesses, Exod. 20. to worship them, Leu. 26. 1. This binds vs for euer. But God is not bound: he makes a Law for vs, not to himselfe. And this com∣mandement which he gaue, was extraordinarie, for a time, and therefore not imitable of vs, no more then his command to A∣braham to kill his sonne; or to Israel, to rob the Egyptians, are to be warrants for vs, to kill, or rob any.

2. This was not done before they had receiued this com∣mandement. When we haue such a command, then haue wee

authoritie so to doe. But till then, wee must make no Images to worship them.

3. This is of making Cherubims: and is no warrant for picturing men and women, or the holy Trinitie.

4. After what fashion they were made, is not shewed. For the conceit, that they were made with faces of beautifull yong men, is vncertaine, seeing they appeared in vision otherwise, Ezek. 1. & 10.

5. These were in the Sanctum Sanctorum, into which onely the High Priest came, and that but once a yeere; the people saw none of these, nor were they to be worshipped by any. What is this then for making Images openly for the people in Chur∣ches, to be adored by the people?

1. King. 6. 35. And he carued thereon Cherubims, &c.

Answ. 1. Salomon did herein nothing of his owne head, but had a patterne to follow in euery thing, 1. Chro. 28. 11, 12, 19. 2. Chron. 3. 3. Let them shew such a warrant from Christ.

2. These were not seene to the people, being in the in∣ner Court, 1. King. 6. 27. into which onely the Priests came.

3. This was a speciall commandement, onely for the vse of the Temple, which being temporarie, for the time of the Cere∣moniall Law, what warrant is this to vs?

4. We must remember the Morall Law, Thou shalt not make, &c. This euer binds vs; we may not take vpon vs of our owne Authoritie to make Images.

Heb. 9. 1, 5. The first couenant had ordinances of diuine seruice, and a worldly Sanctuarie, and ouer it the Cherubims of glory, sha∣dowing the Mercy-Seat.

Answ. The Author of the Gag would hence proue the Che∣rubims to be an ordinance of diuine seruice, and allowed for vs to follow. But hee was grazing in so thinking. For all the building was called a secular Sanctuary: but we are a spirituall building, 1. Pet. 25. We therefore are to take heed of such Iew∣ish ordinances, and rudiments of the world, Col. 2. weake and poore elements, as the Apostle is bold to call them, Gal. 4. 9.

Numb. 21. 8. Make a brazen Serpent, and set it for a signe.

Answ. 1. This had a speciall warrant for the making. Neither

Moses nor Aaron durst inuent it of themselues. This being a spe∣ciall and extraordinarie commandement, is not of vs to bee imi∣tated, against a perpetuall precept, Exod. 20.

Secondly, this was made, not to be worshipped, but to bee a typicall and operatiue signe, as the euent teacheth.

Thirdly, this had a miraculous effect by Gods diuine power; a promise annexed to it of life, to euery one bitten, that looked vpon it, Numb. 21. 9. being a liuely type of Christ, Ioh. 3. 14.

Fourthly, this was abroad in the Campe; set on a pole, not in the Tabernacle. What is this to Images in the Churches?

Fiftly, this was an Images of a Serpent. Is it fit to set vp such in Churches to adore them?

Sixtly, Hezekiah, 2. King. 18. 4. did, among other defacings of Idolatries, breake in pieces this Brazen Serpent: for that the people burnt incense to it. And the vse being past, and a foule abuse crept in, in contempt he called it Nehushtan, a piece of brasse.

Math. 22. 20. This place speakes of an Image vpon a piece of coyne. What's this to Images set vp in Churches? We doe not deny but such Images for ciuill vse may be made. And I thinke that Image-mongers loue well these stamped Images, and get many of them by their grauen Images.

Exod. 31. 2. & 35. 30. God bestowedon Bezaleel and his fel∣low, wisedome, vnderstanding, and knowledge, to carue, graue, and paint.

Answ. We approue of the Art, and the vse thereof to the right end, as of God: and that to make such Images as God commanded them, to be in the Tabernacle. But Gods furnish∣ing them for his speciall seruice then, is no warrant for any man now, to abuse his skill, now to make Imagery in Churches, con∣trarie to Gods morall precept, Exod. 20.

Gen. 28. 13. Exo. 33. Esa. 6. Amos 9. Dan. 7. All these places shew how God appeared: and there is ascribed to him eyes, hands, and face; and therefore may God be pictured.

Answ. 1. Howsoeuer it pleased God to appeare, and set out himselfe to vs; yet hee hath plainely forbidden vs to set

out any similitude of him, Deut. 4. 15, 23.

Secondly, the ancient Prophets, and people of God neuer made any such vse hereof.

Agrippa told Caligula, that the Temple neuer admitted any Image made with hands, and said farther, Our forefathers haue holden it a thing vnlawfull, to paint or carue him that is inui∣sible. Philo. Iud. de Legat. ad Caium. But if they had learned this Popish Diuinitie, as lawfull from such apparitions, and from such ascribing of parts of mans bodie to him, they would haue done it.

Thirdly, Saint Austin de fide & Symbolo. cap. 7. saith, To forme an Image of God, is abominable.

In Gregory the seconds time, Anno 726. in an Epistle to Leo Isauricus, it is said, they vsed not to paint, or represent God the Father.

The sixt generall Councell holden, Anno 687. Can. 28. for∣bids the making of the holy Ghost in the forme of a Doue: yet he so appeared. Those Fathers had not yet learned this Popish Doctrine.

Durand calleth it a foolery (hee might better haue said, an horrible impietie,) to make or adore an Image of the Trinitie, in 3. dist. 9. q. 2. Many Papists hold it vnlawfull to paint the holy Trinitie.

Caietan, Catharinus, Diegus, Abulensis, Peresius, and others.

Fourthly, if God may be so pictured, as hee by apparitions or words sets himselfe forth; we should haue represented to our senses, a very abominable Idol, in such varietie of parts and fashions, as it should be a very Idolatrous Monster; a picture of that which is not, which they themselues say is an Idol, and so forbidden.

Fiftly, howsoeuer God did appeare: yet was he neuer seene, Ioh. 1. 18. 1. Tim. 6. 16. Moses could not see his face, and liue, Exod. 33. 20. For Gods speaking to him face to face, is expoun∣ded of a familiar manner, as a man speaketh to his friend, as is there in the Text. How can hee be truely pictured that neuer was seene, nor can be seene?

Sixtly, though he might be pictured as he appeared: yet the

popish picture is an abominable idol: for no where euer appea∣red he like an old side-bearded man, with three crownes, yea, and sometime with three faces, sitting on a fear, with his Sonne before him, and a Doue ouer his head. This childish baby, or rather Idol, is their owne inuention.

Notes

• Ioseph. Antiq. lib. 8. cap. 2.
• Caranz. ibid.