An antidote agaynst poperie: most necessarie for all in this back-slyding age. Wherein 1. The trueth is confirmed, by authoritie of scriptures, witnessing of antiquitie, and confession of the popish partie. 2. Popish scripturall arguments are answered, by the exposition both of father and of their own doctours / by William Guild.

SECT. 3. Of the worshipping of Images.

The state of the Question.

WEE acknowledge the civi•…•… vse of Images, as freelie a•…•… the Church of Rome; to wit, th•…•… vse that is made of them in th•…•… common societies of men, out o•…•… the appoynted places of GODS solemne worsh••p, for ornament and historicall vse. But to repre∣sent GOD by anie Image, wee count it vnlawfull; and to worship the Images of CHRIST, or o•…•… Saynctes, with anie religious ado∣ration, as the Councell of Tren•…•… decreeth them to bee, and to bee kissed, and fallen downe before, wee oppose, as most grosse Idola∣trie: Especiallie, seeing all the Schoole-men, allmoste, (sayeth their owne Bishop Peresius) doe teach, That the Images are to bee

worshipped, with that selfe same worship, as those whom they re∣present. And, that the Images of CHRIST, and the Saynctes, are to bee worshipped properlie, (say∣eth Bellarmine) that is, as they are considered in themselues; so that the worship stayeth it selfe in the Image: For if the Image (sayeth hee) were not to bee worshipped but improperlie, to wit, because before it, or in it, or by it, that which it representeth is adored, then surelie it might bee simplie denyed, that Images should bee worshipped at all. And as for such subtile distinctions, whereby they would palliate their Idola∣trie, they are such, (as Bellarmine himselfe sayeth of such) which neyther themselues vnderstande who haue broached them, and farre lesse the vnlearned people.

So that it is more than ma•…•…¦fest, (sayeth their owne Cassan•…•… than can bee expressed by wor•…•… that the worship of Images,〈…〉〈…〉 come to that hight of adorati•…•… that the verie Paganes themsel•…•… haue given to their Idoles. N•…•…¦ther is their excuse of anie wo•…•… (sayeth hee) which some vse〈…〉〈…〉 pretende, That they giue this w•…•…¦ship not to the Images, but〈…〉〈…〉 them whom they represent:〈…〉〈…〉 this colour the Paganes also〈…〉〈…〉 for their Idolatrie, as wee see〈…〉〈…〉 Arnobius, (sayeth hee) Yea, p•…•…¦ple are so affected to them, (s•…•…¦eth their owne Biell) that t•…•… thinke some divine grace, or•…•…¦linesse, doeth reside in them,〈…〉〈…〉 which they are able to worke•…•…¦racles, and giue cures: and〈…〉〈…〉 that cause they worship them,〈…〉〈…〉 goe in pilgrimage to them.

Our Argumentes, then, f•…•… agaynst the representation of G•…•… by anie image; and next, aga•…•… adoration of anie Image,〈…〉〈…〉 these.

1. Authoritie of Scripture.

ISAI. 40.18. To whom [ 1] will yee liken GOD? Or what likenesse will yee compare vnto Him?

Wherevpon sayeth Ierom, To whom will yee liken GOD? Or what image will yee make to Him, who is a Spirit, in all, and everie where? &c. Lykewyse, sayeth Perusin (an Augustine Eremite, and Professor of divinitie) By these words is refuted and rejected the rashnesse of men; yea, their mad∣nesse and ignorance, (sayth hee) who dare bee bolde to represent GOD by anie image, or resemble Him by anie similitude: seeing the Majestie and Essence of GOD is invisible, and incomprehensible.

Vpon which words of the Pro∣phet, in lyke manner, sayeth Pin∣tus, a Portiugall Frier; Seeing GOD is a Spirit, who filleth all places, how can yee resemble Him by anie graven Image? Or

what lykenesse can yee make v•…•… Him?

[ 2] ROM. 1.23. And th•…•… changed the glorie of the inc•…•…¦ruptible GOD, into the sim•…•…¦tude of a corruptible man.

Vpon which words sayeth O•…•…¦gen; It is not to bee passed〈…〉〈…〉 that this speach of the Apostl•…•… not onelie condemneth them w•…•… worship Idoles, but also, t•…•… these are to bee accounted in l•…•… manner amongst Anthropom•…•…¦phit heretickes; who in t•…•… Church call that bodilie image〈…〉〈…〉 a man which they set vp there,〈…〉〈…〉 image of GOD. Therefore a•…•… Augustine giveth this reason, w•…•… it is not lawfull for anie Christ•…•… to make any such image of GO•…•… lest wee fall into that same sac•…•…¦ledge, (sayeth hee) whereby〈…〉〈…〉 Apostle maketh them execrab•…•… who change the glorie of the i•…•… corruptible GOD, into the si•…•…¦tude of a corruptible man.

Yea, it is extreame furie and i•…•… pietie, (sayeth Damascene, to〈…〉〈…〉

present GOD by anie figure: •…•…nd Nicephorus and Euthymius set •…•…his downe as the Heresie of the •…•…lde Armenians, saying: Neyther •…•…bhorre they to make the Image •…•…f the blessed Trinitie, (sayeth •…•…ee) which is onelie vncreated, •…•…nfinite, indefinite, and altogether •…•…nknowne.

In the Church of Rome also Gregorie the second, (Anno 726) •…•…ryting to Leo Isaurus, testifieth, •…•…hat then they paynted not, nor •…•…epresented GOD the Father, by •…•…nie image; because hee can not •…•…ee seene.

Vpon which wordes Baronius •…•…ath noted in the margent, that it was thereafter, that the custome grew to paynt GOD the Father. Therefore, their owne Vasques •…•…nd Catharinus declare also, that •…•…he representing GOD by anie •…•…mage, is expresslie agaynst the second Precept. As also (as witnesseth Bellarmine) Abulen∣sis, Durand, and their Bishop Pere∣sius, teach plainlie, that the image of GOD is nowayes lawfull to bee

made. Yea, himselfe sayeth, That it is not so surelie to bee believed by the Church, that the Image of GOD, or of the Trinitie, may bee as lawfully made as the Image of CHRIST, and of the Sayncts. And without good instruction of the Prelates and preachoures, l•…•… confesse, (sayeth hee) that such pictures without danger can no•…•… be set before vnlearned people.

[ 3] EXOD. 20.5. Thou shalt not bow downe to them, nor wor∣ship them. And agayne,

LEVIT. 26.1. Neyther shall yee set vp anie image of stone in your land, to bowe downe to it: For I am the LORD.

Wherevpon sayeth the ordina∣rie Glosse; This Divine Speach cutteth off both these; to wit. That neyther in affection thou worship such, neyther giue anie show of adoration to them. Ther∣fore also sayeth Theodoret, The LORD heere showeth, that both are impious, saying, Thou shalt

not bow downe before them, nor worship them. For which cause also Gerson (Chancellour of the Vniversitie of Paris) declareth, That all worship of Images, even •…•…he bowing before them, is vn∣•…•…awfull. Therefore sayde Origen of the Church in his tyme, Wee worship no Images. And after •…•…he Councell of Francford, (helde Anno 800) for opposing the wor∣•…•…hip of Images, decreed by the seconde of Nice, in that Booke which was purposelie written for confutation thereof, it is sayde, The Catholicke Church profes∣•…•…eth, that mortall men are to wor∣ship GOD not by Images, but •…•…y CHRIST the LORD.

This Thunder-clap from Hea∣•…•…en, of the second Precept of GOD'S Lawe, the Romanistes •…•…erceaving to threaten sore that grosse Idolatrie which they day∣•…•…ie commit, thought fit (with Pha∣•…•…ao, working wyselie) to conceale the knowledge thereof from the common people, by razing those

wordes out of the Decalogue that goeth abroade for common vse: And so to incurre that guilt, Deut. 12.32. and curse Rev. 22.19.

2. Witnessing of Antiquitie.

NO Image of GOD is to bee worshipped, (sayeth Augu∣stine) but that which is the same that Himselfe is; to wit, CHRIST, who is consubstantiall with the Father, and the ingraven Chara∣cter of His person. In lyke man¦ner sayeth Gregorie to Serenus Bish•…•… of Marsils; The dispersed sonnes o•…•… the Church, are to bee called to¦gether, and it is to bee show•…•… vnto them, by the testimonies o•…•… holie Scripture, That it is n•…•… lawfull to worship anie thing tha•…•… is made with handes; because it i•…•… wr••tten, Thou shalt worsh••p th•…•… LORD thy GOD, and Him onlie shalt thou serue. And there after hee sayeth; Wherefore, es•…•…¦ch••w by all meanes the adoratio•…•… of Images.

3. Confession of partie.

AS for the worship of Images, (sayeth Polydor Virgill) not onelie those that are not of our Religion, but, as S. IEROME testifieth, all the ancient Fathers, allmost, condemned the same, for feare of Idolatrie. And the LORD inhibited not onelie anie Image to bee worshipped, (sayeth ABVLENSIS) but also that Himselfe should bee worshipped by anie Image.

Where also it is to bee noted, That their word Veneration, which they vse, sign••fieth Ado∣ration, and is one ther••with, as is evident BELLARMINE, and as THARASIVS wo••des, Bishop of CONSTANTINOPLE, in the second Councell of NICE, showe, saying, All who professe the Vene••ation of Images, and d••nye Adorat••on, are blamed, or disproved, as Hypoc••ites.

Notes

• Sess. 9. sub Pio 4
• Peres. de tra¦dit. part. 3.
• A∣quin. part. 3 q. 25. art. 3. Alex. part. 3 q. 30. art. vlt. Azor. instit. moral t. 1. l. 9. c. 6 Bona∣vent. & alii in 3. sent. dist. 9. B••ll. l. 2. de imag. c. 21. & 23. So Cabrera, in 3. Thomae, quaest. 25. art. 3. disp. 2. num. 34.35. B••ll. l. 2. de imag. cap, 22. §, 4^•. So Peres. de tradit. part. 3.
• Cas∣sand. cōsult. de i∣mag. art. 21
• See al∣so Aug l. 3. de doctr. Christ cap. 7. Biel in canon Missae lect. 49
• Aug. de fide 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sym¦bolo, c. 7. & epist. 222.
• Da∣masc. orthod fid. l. •• c. 17 Nicep lib. 18 c. 53 Eu∣thym. panopl part. 3 tit. 20
• Baron anno 726. p 87 Vasq. l. 2. de ador. cap. 3 disp. 4 Abul. Ca∣thar. opusc. de••∣mag.
• B••ll. l. 2. de sanct. cap. 8 See al¦so A∣quin. part. 3 qu. 25 art. 3.
• Theod cited in Ca∣••ena Lipo∣mani, in Ex∣od. 20 Ge••sō com∣pend. Theol. pre∣cept. 1 & Hel∣koc. in sap. lect. 157. b Orig. contr. Celsū, lib. 7 Baron anno 794. n. 1 Abb. Vrs∣perg. anno 793.
• Opus illust. Caroli Mag∣ni. cō∣tra synod. Nic. p. 468 lib. 4 cap. 2 Aug. 2. tom epist. 119. ad Ia∣nuar. c. 11 Greg. lib. 9 ep. 9 See al••o Con∣cil. E∣lib. can. 36.
• Polyd Virgil l. 6. de invēt rerū. c. 13.
• Abul. in Deut ••.
• Bello l. 2. de Imag c. 21. Conc. Nic 2 art. 4.