Know with all, that diverse Fathers both Greek and Latin, and most Histo∣rians say, that Iove was Buried also in Creet, and a Temple there built to him, with this Epigram (saith the Alexandrian Chronicle) (it might rather have said, Epitaph) Here lieth Picus dead, whom also they call Iupiter, or Iove. Yet there being 300 Iupiters, we had need to have a truer man, than a Cretan, to shew us which of the 300 Iupiters it was, who was there Intombed.
Prudentius wittily reproveth them;
Miror quod ipsum non sacratis Mentorem,
Nec templum & aras ipse Phidias habet,
Fabri Deorum, vel parentes Numinum.
Qui si caminis institissent segniùs,
Non esset ullus Jupiter conflatilis.
I marvell that you do not consecrate Mentor, and Phidias,
The God-makers, and Fathers of your deities;
For if they had not heated throughly their furnace,
No Molten Iupiter had nourished impieties.
Thirdly, the Famóus Heroës and Princes were in Rerum Naturâ, in the world, before their Images. The Statues being Statues of such and such eminent Men. For the Represented must be before the Representor; and the Similitude begin∣neth in time after that to whom it is like: Exemplar est prius exemplato, the Ex∣ample is before the thing Exemplified: As Ʋnio est rerum praeexistentium unio: as things must preexist and have a being, before they can be united, and joyned together. Graven Images were not the Chimeraes and wilde Anticks, or meere Fancies of mens braines, having reference to Non entia, not beings (if such a re∣ference be to be had) but were Remonstraces of things that had been extant, and were now out of sight and passed. Minutius Foelix in Octavio, Dum Reges suos colunt religiosè, Dum Defunctos eos desiderant in Imaginibus videre, Dum gestiunt corum memorias in Statuis detinere, sacra facta sunt, quae fuerant assumpta solatia. While they religiously do worship their Kings; Whilst when their Kings were dead, they desired to see them in their Images; Whilst they rejoyce to keep their memories in their Statues; What were at first Comforts, are now Sacred Re∣liques. And afterwards. Quis dubitat horum Imagines consecratas vulgus ora∣re, & publicè colere: Who doubteth that the Common people doth pray unto these consecrated Images, and publikely worship them?
I must adde out of Cicero against Verres; That the Mouth & Chin of the brazen Image of Hercules, were more worne than other parts thereof; because in their prayers and gratulations they were wont, not only to worship, but to kisse them also. And thus it is seen in many Images at Rome, where massy stones are worne bare by the kisses of Adorers. Woe worth the time when Rome Christian affected to be like Rome Ethnick or Pagan.
Cyprianus thus, Si aliquando Dii nati sunt, cur hodie quoque non nascuntur? nisi forte Iupiter senuit, & partus in Innone defecit. If Gods were sometimes borne, why is it not so now? unlesse Jupiter be grown Old, and Juno past Child-bearing.