176 What Images, and w/,at Ufe of Images, u Larvfrt!. mouth. But if mens inAitution or cuUornc fhall make this aJjmbol or badge of a Chri•ib;r ani twift. it in Baftifm, or adjoyn it, _a~ a DedicatingSjgn, and _as the Contmoo profeffing S)lmbot _,that ~vt'ry bapuzed pedon mull ufc, to figndie a11d declare that /he JS net afhamtd of Chrift cr:tcijicd, but be– lieveth in him, and wiU manfully fight under bi1 banner agairJl- the ftejh, the Jl)or/d, and tbe Divil to the dttctb: Though be call it but _a Pro[r!Jrng S~g'!' a~d {iy, He dotb but fignifit hi1 own mind, aJ 1 d not Gods alJ and-grace: I fho_uld w1fh h1m to ddtJngu1lh between a private. or arbitrary aCl of Pro– feffion' and a commoH pubiJC/z badge and rofrffing Symbol nf our Reli~ioH : And tdl him that I think the infiituting of the latter belongs to God alone; And that he bath made two Sacranm:u to that end; which Sacraments nre effetttially fuch jjmbols and badgu of our Profcf!ion, and are dedica~ ting f.gns on 1he receivers part; And that Chrift crrecified is the chief Grace or Mercy given ro the Ch~rch, and ~i~ Sacrifice is his own al1; And therefore ohjcct:ively, the Grace, and All of Gcd al– fo, 1s here figmfied; And therefore on two accounts fct together, I fear this ufc of the C1udlix is a tin: I· As it is an Image, ( though it fhould be tr~Jnjient) ufcd as a medium in GodJ lVorfoip, and fo forbidden in the ficond Commandment, (For it is not a mecr cirwm/lance of Wor(hip, bLU an otlt– rvard all of Wodhip ). 2· Becaufc it is a new humane Sacrament, or bath too much of the Effmct of a S.acramcm, and fo is an ufur'pation of his Prerogative thit made the Sacraments : For as I faid, It belongeth to the King to make the common badge or fymbol of his own fubjdli , or any Order honoured by him. And the: (1eneral givcth out his own ColourJ. And though one: may arbitrarily wear alto•her Colour, yet if any nu.ll give out common Ct:lours to his !Jrtr~.y, Rcgimem or Troop, be– fide fJJ1 oll?n, to be the Jjmbol or badge of his Souldicrs, I think he ~ould tal<c it for too much boldbt~. Yet if only an inferiour Captain gave but fobordinateC.olours, not to norifie a Souldicr of the .AnJJ}' as fuch, but to &ifiinguiili IJM Troop from the rdi, it were not fo much as the other: So rf a Bi01op orl\ultr ~id but m•ke fuch a fymbol by which the Chriltiar.s of his charlt,e might be difcc:rned trorn all others, and not as a badge ofChrifiianiry it felf, though I know no rcaton for fuc:h diiltnction. and it may be faulty othcrwifc, yet would it not be this uCu,ping of Sacrammul InjfitutiMt, which now l fpeak of. All Profclling figns are not Jjmbo/J •f Cbr~lianity. Chrifl hath done hi~ ')J'Mt w<'r.k well already; H~s Colours, Sacraments or Symbols are fufficient ; we need nor dcv1fe mdre, and accufc his inflituti.ons of infufficiency; nor make mo1e work for our felves in Rcli· gion, when we leave undone fo much that he hath made us. · • 5· All abufc oflmages will not warrant us to fepa~ate from the Church which abufcth them : nor is all fuch abufe, Idolatry. If the Church or our Rulers will again!t our will place Images in– conveniently in Churches,we may lawfully be there,fo that they be not Symb,IJ ofIdol Worjhip, or ofa Religion or Wat!hip fo finful in the fubU~nce, as thtt God will not a<Cept it; and fo be it we make no finful ufe of thofe inconyenient Images our felves. Though rneer Temptation and Scandal make them finful in thofe that foabufe them, and fet them up; yet he that is not the author of that Tem– ptation or Scandal, may not forfakc Gods Woriliip, bccaufe that fuch things are prefint, nor is not ;_to be interpreted a Confentcr to them, while he cometh only about lawful Wor!hip, (and perhaps · bath fit opportunity at other times to profefs his dilfent. ) 16. It is )awful to prcfcrve the honefi and fober Love to our friends, by keeping their Pictures ; or to Chew our Love by decent Monuments. . '7· Where we may ufe Crwurrs thtm{elves to profit us by the hht, we may (ordinarily ) ufe the Images of thofc creatures. As the fight of Trees, t'ruits, Cities, &c. may delight us, and mind us of the Power,Wifdom and Goodnefs of God, (or the fight of the Sun,Moon, StatS, &c.) So rtl>y the pitluresofthefamcthings. And as a dead body, skcllcton, or skull, may profit. blyinind us of our Jattcr eild; fo may the pielurc of any of thdf, which we may more conveniently keep. 18. It is not unlawful to pray before or towards an Image, in a room where Images arc placed only for Ornament, and we have no refpect to them as a mtdiHm or object of our Worfl>ip, ( except by accid<nt, as aforefaid. ) 19• It is not unlawful to make an.lmagc ( out of the cafes of accidental evil h<fore narn<d) to be objt.Oum vel medium excitans ad cultumDei, an objed: or medium of our CrmfidcratioJt, exciting ou 1• minds to worjhip God: (As a Deaths·head, or a Crucifix, ?r _an hifioricallma~e of Chrifi or tome holy man, yea, the fight of any of Gods Crt~JtureJ, may be fo liohly ufed, as to fi1r up in us <\ worjhipping o./fellion, and fo is medium cultm excitans vel tfficier.ter.) But no Creature, or Image, ( 1 think J may lawfully .. be made the medinm cHitum vel terminu1, in gemre cauf.e finalis, a wor(hippedmtdi– um, or the ter·minm, or the thing which we ftlorjhip meJiately, on pretence of reprr]tnti11gGod, and that we worjhip him in it ultimately. And this I take to be the thing forbidden directly in the fecond Commandment; viz. To wodhip aCreature (with mind or body) in the A& of Divine Worlhip, as rc:prefenting God, or as the Medi.ate term of our Wor£hip, by which we fend it unto God, as if it were the more acceptable to him. So that it is lawful by the fight of a Crucifix ro be provokJd to r.orjhip God; But its unlawful to offer him that worfhip, by offrriHg it to the Crucifix firjl, as the jign ~ way or mtanJ of our fending it to God. . 20. Yet a Creature may be honoured or wmilijpped with fuch wor01ip as: • due to him, by t~e means of fuch a reprefenring tfrminus or Image. If the King command his Subjects to bow towards his Image or Throne w~en he is abfenr, as an atl of honour, or humane worChip to himfelf. ir is ·lawful to to do, God having not forbid it. But God hath forbid ·us to do fo by him[elf, becaufe he hath noImage, and is confined to no place, and to avoid the danger and appearance of Idolatry. or. Yet is it lawful to lift up our handsand ryrs towards Heavtn, as the place of Gods Glory: And
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=