T. p. 397.

De civit. Dei

De Imag. 1. 2.

most Knavish Actions imaginable. I never thought it fafe in thofe Countrics to be too warm a Difputant; my own thoughts were kept to God and my self, which I have now here at large fet down, if not to the Satisfaction of any other Man, I blefs God it is to my own.

Varro in St. Auguftin faith, that the old Heathen Romans Worshipped 1. 4. c. 31. their Gods a hundred and feventy Years without, Simulachro, any Image or Reprefentation of them; and that if it had fo continued, the Gods would have been obferved, caftiùs, more chaftly or uncorruptedly; and the fame, acutiffimus & doctiffimus most difcerning and most learned Author (as the Saint worthily called him) most oppofitely mention'd the Jews in confirmation of what he faid; and in his Conclufion adds, that those who first fet up Images for the People, took away from the Cities their Fear and encreafed their Error, prudently thinking that the Gods might be easily brought into Contempt by the doltishness of Images. I fay the very fame not only of the Latins Images and Pictures of the great God himself, (which I have before expofed and refuted,) but of thofe of the Angels and Saints alfo; of which as the Ideots must needs have very dull or abfurd thoughts, fo the wiser fort muft have very contemptible ones. See how Bellarmine poorly fhuffles off this pref c. 8. p. 314. H.fing Argument; viz. If the Heathen had been taught his diftinction between proper Images and Analogical ones, all had been well. He there faith as little to what Seneca complain'd of, viz. The Heathens representing the ImmorAuguft. de civ. D. 1.6. c. 10. tal and Inviolable Gods by vile and immoveable Matter; Their fault it seems was to the Cardinal, because the very Images were thought to be the very Gods, or, certè, certainly the Gods were judged to be like thofe Images. who will fecure Chriftian Idcots from the fame Error? Some at leaft may as T. p. 398. cafily take the Image of God to be he himself, (for the Heathen were not at all Duller then our common Chriftians) and most of them must think the 1mages like him; and the fame I fay of Angels and Saints. Some will, and do, verily think that there are as many feveral Virgin Maries as there are feveral different Images and Pictures of her in feveral places; A Pilgrimage to this Lady, or a Mass before her, certainly helps or cures this Infirmity; another Lady, hath a peculiar property of effecting cafe in fome other particular Difeafe or Calamity; and all may think the Angel or Saint as like the Figures which are before their Eyes, as, certè, certainly, as the Cardinal faith the Heathens judged of their Gods. Thus there are as many feveral and distinct and particular Shrines of the Virgin and of the Saints amongst them now, as there were of Venus and Jupiter and the rest of old; and the feveral Pilgrimages De Imag. 1. 2. to them, and Adorations of them, are thought to have as various Effects as were attributed to thofe in those days. But to all this we have these doughty Answers. 1. God works Miracles by one and not by the other, but if it be but one and the fame Virgin or Saint in every place, they always must certainly have the very fame Merit in every place alike, and the fame Mediation and Intereft in God; whofe lufinite Goodness they have been fo bold as to limit, and to ftint the Saints Power with him as they pleafe; for he hath no where declared or order'd any fuch thing, but it is purely Man's Invention; but they wave this Argument with, noftrum non eft difcutere, we will meddle no farther with it. Therefore as for these particu lar local Miracles which they pretend to, I shall confider them more by and by. 2dly. Some of thefe Pictures fay they of the Saints were made by Saints or Holy Men, as by St. Luke, Nicodemus, and others; and therefore they deferve our peculiar Devotion both for what they fignify and for the Author's fake; I cannot tell what Painters of old were Saints, but I fear that very few of our Modern ones are fuch. Truly I fhould gladly fee an Original or Primitive Copy of fome of thofe Saints work; furely they must be fixteen or near feventeen hundred years old at least, and deferve almost as much eftcem for their Antiquity, as for the fake of the Author. What fignifies it, if the Nofe be broken or the Face disfigured, it may fill (for all what

C. 18.

1.

2.

any

2

6. c. 10.

P.

any one knows) be as like the Prototype or firft Exemplar as it was before; T. p. 398. or if it be quite decayed and not difcernable, yet under the very name of the Saint which it goes by, it might ferve the Idcots Devotion better, or with lefs harm then if it was Vifible; though Patriarch Jeremiah thought that fuck Refp. 2.p.253. a Figure, avert, being grown two smooth, or quite worn out, fhould best be burnt as they burn a ufeless log of Wood; and truly, as I remember, the Greck Lady Portaitetis (mention'd above) is much fuch a one. 3dly. Some Pictures fay they, may excite Men to Piety more then others, being more moving, Pious and Religious and the like; that is, the Features (as I have faid) being more choicely gathered from their Minions and Acquaintance, and put together more artfully and more fuitably to their defign. Befides it is faid, they go to Images to pray, not to call upon them, but to rub up their Memory of him to whom they pray. But alafs! Poor Ideots know nothing of this matter, and therefore cannot be thought to remember any thing of the Story. I wish the Cardinal had read that Chapter in Auguftin quite thorough, and De civ. Dei 1: well confidered it from the beginning to the end; where Seneca inveighing against the Egyptian Figures of the Gods, fome of them being very Myfe riously compounded, faith, they, fenfu mixto, in a mixt meaning put them on divers Bodies (join'd together, as in Anubis, and Canopus) and called them, Numina, Gods, which if, accepto Spiritu, taking Life they should appear would be counted Monsters. The first Inventors of them had no doubt fome fecret Speculations referved to themfelves thereby, whereof these were outward Symbols or Characters, but they ferved well to amuse the poor Ignorant People; we find the fame Hieroglyphick Interpretations made, of many Catech. Rom. Figures of God and the Saints made by the Romanifts; yet Bellarmine him- part 3. in 3. self is justly ashamed of many lewd Representations made of the Trinity; though De Imag. 1. 2. I cannot fee how he can excufe the common one made of it (which he allows)... 399. 8. p. 314. E.. as I have mention'd above. Gretfer and others tell us of feveral, axupozioíntoi, Pictures not made with mortal Hands, and without doubt they think that their followers may as well believe them fo, or perhaps that they came down from Heaven, as well as that Image of old fell down from Jupiter. Se. Act 19. 35. neca tells us in Auguftin, That the Heathen Adored the Ignobler Gods fo, as to remember that their Worship, magis ad morem quam ad rem pertinere, was more for Fashion fake then out of any Reality; we there read that this great Man, though he was an Illuftrious Philofopher, yet he was a Senator (or as we may fay a Courtier) and therefore for Fashion fake, colebat quod reprehendebat, agebat quod arguebat, quod culpabat, adorabat, he WorJhipped what he reprehended; did what he difliked or argued againft; Adored what he blamed: Philofophy had taught him not to be Superftitious, yet, propter leges civium morefque hominum, according to the Laws of the Citizens and the Cuftoms of Men he was Conformable in the Temple, which Auguftin fays, was, co damnabilius, fo much the more damnable, becaufe his diffembling cheated the People, who thought him in earnest, and committed down right Idolatry, being deceived and carried away with his dif-Gal. 2. 13. fimulation. I have met with many and many both Greeks and Latins, who, as to their Pofts or Station in the World, were much in Seneca's Condition; and as to the outward part of Religion, they were abfolutely of his Mind; and I verily believe that most of all the rest of the Wifer fort amongst them are so too; I could name many of good note both in the Eaft and in the Weft, who would own that they fhould very hardly hazard their Preferments, or quiet, for not following the common ftream; for not paying the fashionable outward Compliments to God, to the Saints, and to Men; or by talking against Tenets which neither they, nor perhaps any one else can well understand; they own'd a threefold Religion, Poetical, Civil, Real, (after the old Heathen way) but least of the laft. They did not stick to fay and own the common Maxim, (as well as the great Cardinal himself did, noftrum non est discutere, I will not trouble my felf about these matters) for my part I believe as

Ut fupr.

the

T. p. 399. the Church believes, and do as the Church doth. And truly if they meant by the Church, not this or that particular fect or People, or CongregaVincent. Lirin. tion, or Nation, but what is the Belief and Practice of all Chriftians, every where, and was fo always, I think they are fo far much in the right.

c. 3.

The Greeks of all Chriftians in the World feem to me, pinofeoтonáτaTo, the moft zealous Adorers of the Mother of God; The Latins in this matter are extravagant enough, but truly the Grecks far out do them. In many many inftances, which I could give, they afcribe unto her almost as great a Providence as to God himself. Taking my leave in the Monafteries at Mount Athos, their laft Farewell to me was commonly this, Να σας φιλάγῃ ὁ Θεὸς καὶ ἡ Πανα vía, may God keep you and the all-holy Lady; Infinitely more Prayers are made particularly to her then to Chrift; and that not only in their private Devotions, but in their Euchologion or Common Prayer Book it felf, and in particular Offices appointed to her Worship. On the walls of many of their Cities is this Infcription, eoróxe nagleve Bondes TouTy Ty oλe, OVirgin, Mother of God, help this City; and you will find, not only in Temples, but every where in private Families, (that are of any Note,) and in publick Paffages (efpecially at Mount Athos) Lamps continually burning before her Picture, far oftner then before Chrift himself or any one of the Saints. I cannot but think that this Custom was firft brought into the Church by fome Gentile Profelites, in Imitation of what they had done, to Ifis, Minerva, Fefta, Saturn, and other of their Idols; of which you may fce enough, in the Learned Dallee. De cult. Lat. 1. The Virgin Mary is often called by the Greeks, duynTgía, the Guide, (or convoy) in their way, and had a Church in Conftantinople Dedicated to Her unIn Alex. Marder that name; and that according to them very justly, for Nicetas tells us chuf. p. 364. plainly that the Greek Emperors ufed to make the Picture of the Mother of d. §. 1. T. O. God, Eus párnyor, their fellow Soldier in their Wars, yet it was taken from Goar p. 619. them in the Fight with the Latins. Poor Lady, it seems she could not fave virgine Nico her felf much less their Army. This puts me in mind of a very remarkable, poca inde dicta. but very true Story; and I think it is pity that it fhould be loft. A worthy

8. c. 32.
T. p. 400.

Idem dicit, de

Sea Captain, who carried me to Malaga, and at an honourable Spanish Merchant's House there, (where we Lodged, and with whom he had many times been concern'd as he past and repast the Streights) before the whole Company, in presence of the Merchant himself, fpeaking of the mighty Deeds which the Spainards attribute to the Virgin Mary, recounted what had happen'd there, at his last Voyage, and told us, that in that House another Spainard (a zealous Worshipper of Her) apply'd himself mightily to him (my Captain) to make him a Convert; and told him that the next day there would be a folemn Proceffion in honour of Her, and faid if he (the Captain) would fee it, there would certainly be fuch Miracles wrought by her, as would convince him and convert him. The Captain being to go out of Town that Day about other bufinefs did not fee it. As the Priests, or Bearers, were carrying her Image upon a kind of Bier on their Shoulders, by an odd chance, it fell off and pitcht upon its Face on the ftones, which had much disfigur'd and fpoil'd it. At his Friend's house at night he again met the Devoto, who immediately told him, that if he had been there, he would have feen fo many wonderfull works done as would have certainly made him a good Catholick; one thing faid he, is most remarkable and to my own knowledge is very true. A poor Woman, my neighbour, who hath crept upon Crutches thefe feveral years, and her Legs and Ankles were grown so weak and distorted that he could not stand; she, as the Image paft by, earnestly praying to the Virgin for her help, was immediately made whole, and throwing away her Crutches fhe briskly walked and leaped before them all. Truly faid my Captain, I wonder how she fo Miraculously helpt the Woman; but I heard that she her felf fell down and broke her Nofe, I pray did he cure that. This fiart touch so incenfed the zealous Don, as his Friend and the rest of the Company had much ado to

appease

T. p. 401.

appease him and save the Captain from the Inquifition. This Story may teach T. p.400. Proteftant Travellers Wisdom and Caution in paffing through Bigotted Countries, as well as to expole the Folly (to fay no worfe) of thefe Practices when they come home. Give me leave to add a few Inftances of the Greeks, Fiducia, Confidence placed in the Virgin's Picture, when they went to fight. John Comnenus, when he was engaging and fore preft with the Scythians, looking Nicetos p. 116 upon, exóva, the Picture of the Virgin with Sighs and pitifull Gestures, §. 4. T. O. wept drops of Tears as warm as thofe of Sweat in the heat of War; and it was not in vain, faith my Author, for he fuddainly routed his Enemies, as Mofes did the Amelechites, extacu, by spreading out his Hands; This Victory is as much attributed to his Devotion to this Picture, as that was to Mofes. So when Manuel Comnenus had overcome the Panónians, in his Tri- Idem. 1. 5. §. umphal Proceffion, there went before him a Silver Chariot all gilt over with 3. p. 103. b. Gold, drawn by Snow-white Horfes, in which was fet, encov, the Picture of the Mother of God, ἀπροσμάχει συμμάχει καὶ ἀκαταγωνίες συσρατήγει τῷ βασιλεῖ, the Inconquerable Ally (or joint Concumbatant) and the infuperable Fellowfoldier of the Emperor; and that you may fee that they placed their Confi dence in the very Picture, or Figure it felf, is added, the Axel-tree of the Chariot did not creak much, because it carried not, dew, the terrible Goddefs, the falfe Virgin Minerva, but the true Virgin who, da λóÿor, af Móyor, Tov λoyor, by the Word, above all Word, brought forth the Word. Surely these Men as verily thought this Figure to be the very Virgin Mary, as ever the Athenians or others could think that of Minerva to be her herfelf; and attributed the Victory in like manner wholly to it. There is a very good Latin Note remaining there on the fide, which I perceive happen'd to pals the Paris Prefs, but feems not to have been minded by the Latins, nor understood by Greeks; At Soli Deo, but the Glory was to be attributed, not to the Image of the Virgin, but to God alone. Romanus Lacapenus, when continuator.p. he went to treat of Peace with Simeon Prince of Bulgaria, took out, wo-252. B. T. R. Pogor, the Cloak, or fhort Veft, of the Virgin (which was Religiously kept in a Box) and put it on, worép va Jágnna àdiapprиtov, as an Infrangible, or Impenetrable Breaft Plate; and making his Faith in her his Helmet, he went out defended by thefe Infallible Arms. So he plainly made the Virgin's Veft one. What can I think of the Words of that Famous Religous Monk, who came to Michael's General as he was going against the Saracens, and faid, go, phyrog. 1. 4. p. for you will have God to deliver you and go before you, if only you shall 112. C. T. R. carry his beloved Difciple John Painted or Defign'd upon all your shields, inftead of any other quλaxTMngis, Amulet or Prefervative. The General had the Victory indeed, and perhaps he himself might give God the Glory as his chief helper, but can any one think that the common Soldiers had fuch purely abftracted thoughts, as not to attribute it in the leaft unto the bare Pictures on their Shields, in which they had fo plainly put their, Fiducia, Truft, and Confidence? It is notoriously known how Heraclius carried the Picture of Chrift, axegomoin- Cedren. p. 410. Tov, not made with Hands, with him to his Wars, and great Succefs was often C. D. T. E. attributed to it; yet once the People threw ftones at it, and would have knockt Theoph. Simoc. his Commander Prifcus, who brought it, on the Head, if he had not fled away.1. 3. p. 63. A. This Picture, not made with Hands, might be one of fuch Miraculous Copies as Gretzer fpeaks of, perhaps made from the famous Handkerchief at Edessa; for the Original was brought to Conftantinople after Heraclius was dead.

Conftant. Por

What must we fay of the Virgin's Image (fometimes Crown'd with Stars, Goar p. 867, or with the Moon under her Feer) commonly fet at the Stern of their Ships, 868.§.2.869. by Latins now, as it was formerly by the Greeks? Or what muft we judge of §. 5. the Greeks, παναγία, οι ύψωμα, a piece of Bread Confecrated folemnly to the Virgin, and carried by Sea-faring Men and Travellers, and Infirm People, as a fure, quxaxtngor, Amulet or Prefervative? I have alfo feen it again and again in a Silver Cafe hang'd about Childrens, and Sick and Infirm Perfons Necks; is their no, Fiducia, Confidence, or Truft placed, (efpecially by the Vulgar,) Bbb

in

T. p. 461. in the thing it felt? Now if according to what is above noted out of BellarSupr. p. 393. mine and the Council, any, Fiducia, Divinitas vel Virtus, Affiance or Truft,

Divinity or Virtue to be put or placed in the Images or Pictures, or other Reprefentations of the Virgin or Saints, fo quite contrary to their Cautions and Directions, (as I think the few inftances which I have given (omitting many many more which I could add) fufficiently prove and fhew the matter of Fact, that both the Greeks and Latins, especially the Ideots, (have been and still are herein notoriously Guilty) how can they with all their Tricks and Sophiftry ever clear themselves from grofs Idolatry? And though we should allow that Ideots could be made fo difcreet, as nicely to divide their Worship, giving the greatest part to the Prototype, and fome leffer part to the Type or Reprefentative, yet fince they own even that little, (whatever it is,) to be, verus Cultus, true Worship, how can they ever answer their giving of it T. p. 402. to a Stock or a Stone, or a Gay, or any other fenfelefs thing? Yet Bellar1. 2. c. 21. de mine pofitively afferts, Imagines per fe & propriè colendas, that Images are Imag. P. 329° to be Worshipped properly and by, or for, themselves; but if he or any

other high-flying Speculator can fatisfy themfelves with his fublime and intricate Explications there offer'd for this Affertion, they can no ways reach the Apprehenfions of the Ideots, fo as to Justify or Excufe their blind Practice, Refp. 2. p. 245. as I have above noted; but the Patriarch Jeremiah is quite of another mind, and puts a manifeft difference between true Worship, and that which is only Relative; as I have noted before.

But there is yet another Caution given by the Council and revised by the Supra. p. 393. Cardinal; In the Worshipping of Images, nihil petatur, nothing should be asked from them. Though they allow fome part only of their true Worship, as due to their Picture or Image, yet their Prayer is wholy and intirely directed to them. They are the Principal and Immediate Objects of it; though, in Obliquo, by the by, or, reductivè, reductively and in fome remote Senfe, they alfo ftretch it to God himself, he being, as they fay, Glorified in this Ho. nour thus paid to his Saints. But I have already noted that we have neither Command nor Example of making any fuch Prayer to them; and it feems in it self a thing utterly Impoffible, whereever the deceased Saints are, that they should hear us and understand our Petitions. We pray only to Perfons who are present and can hear us; as for the Picture or Image, it is before their Eyes, but where the departed Saint is, no Soul alive can know; or affuredly can fay that he hears their Prayers any more then the fenfeless Statue or Picture it felf. Therefore Seraphick Schoolmen may pretend to pray to fome Invisible Phantom or Imaginary Prototype, which is they know not where, and they may fancy that he may poffibly hear them they know not how or when; but a poor Ideot muft needs make the Painted or Carved Image that is prefent before his Eyes, the only Object of his Prayers; and I could give many notorious Inftances of several poor deluded Souls who to my certain knowledge have many times thus mifplaced their blind, but well intended Devotions; but out of meer Pity and Compaffion of my Soul, I fhall not farther expose, much lefs (as fome do,) ridicule these fad and most lamentable Practices, which are crept into fo great parts of the Catholick Church. The Object of our Prayers must be believed to be always prefent to them, and able to hear them; and hence only it is that with humble Confidence and Affurance we can addrefs our felves in Prayers to the One, only Wife and Almighty God; nay, we are commanded by him fo to do; to fay Abba Father to him, who alone is always Prefent; in Private, with every humble and Contrite Heart; and in Publick alfo, where two or three are gathered together in his Name, he is in the midst of them. Prayers and Praises and Thanksgivings are the highest Acts of Religious Worship and Adoration, and are without all difpute God's due and property alone; how then, without his plain Command or exprefs Permiffion, fhall any Man dare to give them to any Invifible Creature, of whofe Prefence and Capacity of bearing and helping him, he is altogether Ignorant,

or