ß;óm.2. Againff reverence to, or.&efore Images. Ch4.6, z fi ges : laítly, S:Auguftine,Extitit nefcio quid diffutator,&c,there (tarts up I know not what difputer, (and he feems to thee to be a learned man) andPays, I worfhip not that ftone,nor that fenflefs Image,I know(like a fnbtil Prophet)that it canneither fpeaknor fee, but I ferve that Deity which I see not,I worfhip not that Imagé,but i adore what X fee, and fervehim that I fee not : And what is that ? why a certain invilible Deity? To which the Father anfwering faith, Hocmade reddendo retionem de Idolù,optime faltum putánt, &c. by this means they think they do well by rendring a reafon for its ç: their idols. And in another place he faith ofanother fort, Videnturfibi purgatioris effe religianù, qui dicunt nec fâmulachrum, nec D emonitam colo, fed per effagiem corpora. loriì ejtto reifignum intsteor, quays coleredebeo; but they feem to be of a morerefined Religion, that fay, I neither worfhip the image, nor the Devil in it, but by that cor- poreal (nape, Ibehold the reprefentation ofthat which I fhould worfhip. But what faith he to this? Ieaque Apofoli, una fententia ptomain, &c. one fentence of the Apoftle teftifies their punifhment anddamnation for fuch kind of ads ; God gave ftotn.t.2 , them up, etc. But indeed this error is as ancient as the Calf in the Wildcrnefs, and if we exit- Exod.;ä.a, mine it well, we(hall find this of theirs all one with that of the Ifraelites ; for they did not think the Calf to be a God, for there reafons. 1. For first'; they defired a God to go before them , and their reafon was be- caufe they could not tell what was ,become of Mofes (who formerlyhad bin a vi- fible reprefentation to them of God, and not a God himfelf) therefore they would have fomewhat made, instead of him, and this muff hold for one rea- fon, or elfe we mutt fay , that they took Mofes for their God before. 2. The alfene of Aaron , for ifhe bad not had fomewhat i.r his mind betides flat Idolatry inconfenting and complyingwith them, he had not-binfavoured as hewas , but destroyed.with the rest. And therefore it cannot be understood, that they con- eìved the calfas a vifible Reprefentation only, but that-in tbat'Ca1f God might be 'worfhipped ; for Aaron laid to themthat they fhould keep a'Feaft to the Lord, there- fore they intendedthat theCalffhould reprefent God in their folemnity; Exod. 32 5. And it is likely that it was fo ; becaufe that while they wer2 fn Egypt, they knew no other God than Apes anOtee, And it is reeorded,that Aaron,upon there words of the people[Thefe be thy Gods, O Ifracl, that brought thee up ont of the landofEgypt j took holdof them, and builtanAltar, and proclaimed a FaftIo ?ehevah, which, they must needs know , could not be afcribed to the Calf. 'So that this was the Elench that deceived him, thaç.they might worfhip God in the Calf,. though e íaafes could not be deceived fo ; for he brake it in pieces, and burnt it to allies. 3. The third evafion of the Papists is , That theft Images are not ereâed, either to adoreor worfhip them, or God by them ; but that ignorant people might have fomething to put them in mind ofGod : and therefore images are called by them lì- bri laicorum, the books of lay -tnen. This is no new device, but tifed of the old Idolaters as tve-may fee by the words I. toEp.54. òf-Symmachtu,There muffbe foinething toput the ignorant in'mtridof God : Which Am. brofe and'Prudentoen answer thus, Omnia Deoplena , 'all thingshave God 'to mani- `feft him, and put usin'rememberance of him. And by 'Arnobius ; Thefe that (tend 1,6.coh gent.' fo for:Images (faith he) ufe totoy, that they made no account.of the Image but only in refpeïl of the, ignorant, fart ofpeople that are put in mind of 'God by its And' Atha. ma/ fits in anoration faith, Iftiulmodi fimulächra effe prolibris, quadam legunt cogniti. onem dei dedifuunr, &c. 'That while they r-eed-thefe books-ofImages imfteadof learn. °tat,conttdol?; ing God,they lofe the knowledgofhim; and therefore calls itl-wooaayéii',nöt AeoAayÑr, morallizing'upon tales, not teaching true Divinity. So that-we fee, there is nothing ., Paid in thigcaüfe,tfiat tVasmót Paid before.. Now if we ask the Papists; that if the people mutt be putih mindof what it mull lie? Not of sheDeity, forthey ìhemfelves arewearyof mani'aining that.; and though they were wont often, and in 'many places do still, to reprefent God and the Trinity "inhuman fhapes; yet Hopis nowconfefÍ'eth; that fuck thingscarpe ,in 'eraïlieoribti -Ecclefia peapofstú, while-the Goveraoùrs'of the Church wereafleep. !' ` ç' 2. Not of thrift, as he is God, for his attributes are infinite, but as he is man c.66.in deco?, "only, and in fodoing,in reprefenting'{rm'bypiéture as man and not God, feeing`that perfon in the Deity cannot-be delineated, they imitare Neftorius, whodid divide the Natures of aria,and fo confequently may teem to runíntó the Anathetna of the Council
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=