AN APPENDIX UNTO THE HOMILY Against Images in Churches, By EDM: GURNAY bachelor in Divinity, and Minister of God's Word at Harpley in Norfolk. AUGUST. de Civit, Dei, Lib. 1. C. 3. Vtile est ut plures libri à pluribus fiant, etiam de quaestionibus eisdem. LONDON, Printed by A.N. for J. Rothwel at the Sun in Paul's churchyard, 1641. TO The honoured and Judicious Sir JOHN HOBART; Knight Baronet, As also unto the Noble and virtuous the Lady FRANCES his Wife, I humbly dedicate these ensuing endeavours in the LORD. AN APPENDIX UNTO THE Homily against IMAGES IN Churches NEither an idleness nor yet a rashness can it be esteemed in any under the Government of the Church of England to write or speak against the Images; the proneness of the Times to advance them, making it rather an act of necessity then of idleness to oppose them; and the expressness of our Church doctrine against them making ●t rather an act of Authority then of rashness utterly to deface them. How express and positive the doctrine of our Church is against them, our English Homily entitled Against the peril of idolatry, abundantly declareth; And that sufficiently in any of these ensuing parcels thereof: As first in these words: To conclude, It appeareth evidently by all Stories, and writing, and experience, that neither preaching, neither writing, nor the consent of the Learned, nor the authority of the Godly, nor the Decrees of Councils, nor the Laws of Princes, nor extreme punishment of the offenders in that behalf, nor any other remedy or means can help against Idolatry if Images be suffered publicly: Libro Homil. Tom. 2. Homil. 2. part. 3. p. 60. Impres. ult. Secondly, left we should think that it excepted only against Heathen images, it addeth further in these words: All those names of abomination, which God● Word in the holy Scripture giveth unto the Idols of the Gentiles, the same appertain also to our Images set up in our Churches, and unto the makers and maintainers thereof, pag. 80. And finally, lest we should think that it did except only against the Images of ordinary and inferior persons, and not against the Images of canonised Saints and persons of special reckoning, it hath a proviso to that purpose in these words: The Images of God, our Saviour, the virgin, the Apostles, Martyrs, and others of notable holiness, are of all others the most dangerous, and therefore of all other, greatest care ought to be had hat none of them be suffered to stand publicly in Temples and Churches. pag. 66. On the other side, what a proneness there is in the Times to advance them this alone may be argument sufficient, in that, notwithstanding the so peremptory determination of our Church against them, they be nevertheless still retained, and also, for one pretence or other more and more multiplied and advanced. In this therefore so palpable a schism betwixt doctrine & practice, my duty binding me, and my judgement serving me to side with the doctrine, my desire is to exercise my pen as my Title imported; and my purpose is to confine my pains unto the making answer unto only two of those allegations, which use to be made in the behalf of Church-images, and they shall be these: 1 That Images do greatly adorn & beautify Churches. 2 That they furnish the dead with tombs and Monuments. For though it also use to be pleaded in their behalf, that they are special good to give instruction, and also toward the quickening of devotion: yet because we have already (toward the vindication of the second commandment) made particular answers unto those allegations; we will wholly for this time confine ourselves unto those two premised. 1 To the first of them, then, which pleadeth how greatly they adorn and beautify Churches, we answer; First, that in the prophecy of Esay the Lord saith thus; a Esay 30.22. ye shall defile the covering of thy graven Images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten Images of gold; thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth, thou shalt say unto them get thee hence: And in the prophecy of Ezechiel we read thus; b Ezech. 7 20. As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty: but they have made the Images of their abominations, and of their detestable things therein. Secondly, it is a necessary condition in an ornament that it be without scandal; but Images in Churches are not without scandal: therefore Images in Churches are no Ornaments. Touching the ground of this our argument, namely that Ornaments must not be scandalous, it is no more than the general rule of Justice doth require. For life must always be preferred before beauty, as c Matth. 6. life is more worth than meat, and the body than raiment: whereupon it fairly follows that the things which endanger life, especially the spiritual life, must rather be forborn then the things which serve only for beauty & ornament, procured therewith: yea, the Apostle esteems it a d 〈…〉 warn of Charity if a man had not rather sometime part with his food then be the cause of another man's sin. Now that Images are scandalous things in Churches, it is many ways apparent. For (first) there being an unreasonable proneness in the heart of man to sin by Images, even to the bowing down unto them, and committing spiritual fornication with them; It must needs be that the setting up such kind of sights in those kind of places where persons that are spiritually incontinent are allowed (yea and bound) to repair, will prove a palpable incensement and provocation thereunto; especially when as such kind of pollution is apt to be committed through the mere aspect of the outward Eye, and that without the privity or knowledge of the nearest slander by. Surely if incontinent persons should be invited unto such kind of houses as had every corner stuffed with baggages for such purposes, and such also as were not able to say then nay (for such kind of things wear sure are Images) were it not a most ready way to provoke such kind of iniquity? Secondly we read in the prophet Ezechiel that when e Ezech. 23.14, 15. etc, the people of Israel did see the Images of the Chaldeans portrayed up●● the City walls, girded with gir●les about their loins, exceeding ● died attire like Princes, &c. ●●ey entered into the Bed of love with them: And therefore when our people shall see the images, not of Infidels and profane persons, but of most holy Saints, in like manner portrayed, and that not up●n common walls, but upon he walls and most eminent places of holy Temples, Is it not to be feared that spiritual dotage will ensue thereupon even to the entering into the Bed of love with them? For admit that the dotage of those Israelites which the prophet report of was not upon the Images but upon the persons which those Images did represent: yet when such persons were once dead, or so far distant as that their lover● could not enjoy them, will not the dotage in the end rather double itself upon the Image than any way expire● or abate? Thirdly, to attribute unto Images the name and title of Church-ornaments, is a ready way to confer holiness upon them: For if the Temple be holy, shall not the ornaments of the Temple challenge holiness? Scandalous therefore it must needs be, if not plainly idolatrous, to give so much as the term of Church-ornaments 〈◊〉 ●ages. Fourthly, to ●mages in our English ●es must needs be ●ous, in a special man●nely, for that the au●ed Doctrine of our ●h is most palpably ●ned by the means. ●e book of Homilies, in Church Images are ●emptorily determined ●, not only is at this ● full force, but also a● fourscore years since ●●mpiled, and ever since ● been, both by Convo●●s confirmed, by Parlia● established, and by Vi● from time to time in●ed, and finally by a Su●●e Edict (not twenty years since) prescribe● pattern and Boundary fo● Preachers & Minister; ● are not they, then, culp● of capital scandal w● will contrary those Hom● within the bounds of ● Government where ● have been so long authori●● Or is there any thing 〈◊〉 scandalous (not to say 〈◊〉 pestilent and impious) the ● contemn authority? ●ly, they are in an other re● most scandalous within ● Bounds of England, nam● for that they afford a pro●●ble plea for Recusancy; ● may not the Recusant 〈◊〉 plead; It is impossible t● void Idolatry in those Ch●●here Images are suffe● the judgement of your ●ly; But in your English ●●hes, Images are suffe●●●erefore it is impossible ●id Idolatry in your ●h Churches, by the ●ment of your Homily: ●ave we not then good ● to refrain your Chur● Sixtly, the Lord ex● tells us, that 〈◊〉 6.7. his ●hall be called the house of●; But what more of●●e unto prayer than the ●●tes of the outward eye? ● therefore shutting (or ●ng) their eyes when they ●e to be fervent at that ex●▪ For the invisible God though otherwise never s● lawful, being bound to giv● place to scandal, wherewit● nothing but necessity (against which there is no remedy) i● able to dispense. Indeed i● there were any kind of necessity for the setting up Image in Churches we grant tha● scandalousness were no suff●cient exception against them▪ But who ever pleaded any kind of necessity for any kin● of Images in Churches▪ For we may both sing an● say, hear, preach, and pra● (which are all the Churc● duties of necessity requirable) not only without the help of Images, but als● without the help of our ve●● but also without the help of our very eyes and though we were stark blind. Secondly, ●dmit there were a necessity ●f outward ornature in a Temple, yet is there no ne●essitie of Images for such a ●urpose: witness that so beautiful Temple of Solo●on which had not an Image to be seen (though in those typical times) in that part of the Temple where the Congregation assembled. Wit●esse also our book of Homilies, which though it admits of no Images in Chur●hes, yet hath it a special ●omily entitled Tim. 2 hom. 3. for the comely ●dorning of Churches. We conclude therefore, since Images are so scandalous sights in Churches, and no kind of necessity does enforce the setting up of any kind of Images in Churches; therefore they must not be set up in Churches for mere ornament sake; all ornature though never so lawful being a matter of redundance, and not of necessity; things being apt to be sound and substantial, though beautiful they be not. 3 A third Argument against the allegation shall be this; All ornature is a kind of beauty; and all beauty is h Plotia. En. 2.6. Flos formae resultantis in materia, ●hat is, such a kind of flourish 〈◊〉 does result out of the fullness and ●●perabundance of inward vigour: ●t being otherwise no true beauty indeed, but only a kind of Jay-like, furtive, and ●surped weed; or like the ●uddy tincture of a face which proceeds not from the ●ife and spirit of the face, but only from some outward fal●ification and infection upon the Face. If therefore these Images be any true ornaments unto Temples they must proceed from the peculiar nature and property of a Temple. But do they so? Can they grow out of no ●tones but the stones of Temples? Can they hang upon no walls but the walls of Temples? Yea, what walls so common, rotten, or profane, but Images can be content to be plastered upon them, hanged and drawn round about them? they being indeed the very sperm and spawn of places most contrary unto Temples, namely, the Temples of Idolaters; Quorum (as a i Lacters. 2. ●. Father saith) quanto sunt ornatiora templa, & pulchriora simulachra, tant● plus majestatis haebe●e creduntur: that is, Whose Temples the more adorned they are, and the more goodly their Images, the more majestical they are supposed. The Scripture also testifying as much when it tells us, how the Heathens boasted that Esay 10 10. their Images did excel the Images of Jerusalem and Samaria: As also when it ●ermeth Idolatry l Nah●m 3 4. a wel-favord ●arlot, it gives us to understand, that mere outward and forged beauty is a Robe most proper to Idolatry: whereof our Homily gives a fair reason when it saith, m Tom. 2. ●●mil. p. 3. That Idolatry being of herself an old, foul, ●lihy and withered Harlot, and understanding her lack of true natural beauty, doth paint, and deck, and tire herself with gold, ●arle, stone, and all kind of pre●ious Jewels, the better to please and entice her foolish lovers, &c. 4 Fourthly, it is a necessary condition unto an ornament, that it be delightful in the eyes of those for whom it is intended. For all ornature and beauty is a kind of excellency; and excellency does suppose and require a degree of goodness more than mere necessity does enforce. Now there being three degrees of goodness, namely, lawfulness, profitableness, and delightsomeness; and the two first being of necessity required in every thing that is admitted into a Temple; It follows that nothing can be esteemed for an ornament in a Temple, unless it hath that third degree of goodness, namely, delightsomeness. And that the two first of these degrees namely lawfulness and profitableness are of necessity required in every thing that is endured in a Temple, it is easy to declare. For first, unless a thing be lawful, it is not in any place to be endured, whether in a Temple or without the Temple; Inhonestum & Impossibile being esteemed all one, in moral estates. And then in the second place unless it be also profitable it must not be allowed in a Temple, even by that rule of Scripture which appointeth that n 1 Cor. 14. All things in Churches be done to edifying: though our Homily doth not attribute unto Images in Churches, so much as profitableness, when it saith, o Tom. 2. homi●. 2. p. 3. Such decking of Temples hath nothing profited the wise, but greatly hurt the simple and unwise. And therefore the things which have not attained unto that third degree of goodness, namely delightsomeness, cannot be reputed amongst ornaments within the compass of Churches. It is true indeed and easily granted, that Images in time and place are delightful enough; the Scripture also acknowledging so much when it upbraideth the people by their Esay. 2.16. pleasing pi●tures; they being pleasing ●ights in the eyes of flesh and ●loud, even when the beholder does not know what they mean; — Rerumque ignarus imagine gaudet, saith the Poet: But the things which are delightful at one time are not of necessity delightful at all times; and in all places. For such we know ●s the force of time, place, persons, and other circum●tances, as that the things which at one time are never ●o delightful, may at another time be most hateful by their means. Yea, things that are never so lawful, may by the power of circumstance be found unlawful and intolerable. Surely to hire a farm, prove oxen, marry wives, &c. are no doubt in themselves lawful enough: But when the redeemer's marriage cannot be celebrated unless those kind of businesses be omitted: then do they become culpable of impiety and high contempt. Likewise to receive money, Vineyards, Olive-trees, &c. are actions in themselves lawful enough; But when the minding such matters might have hazarded the conversion of that Syrian Prince, was it then a time for Gehezi to receive money, Vineyards, Olive-trees, & c? Before therefore that it be granted that Images are delightful sights in Churches, it must first be resolved whether the circumstances do concur which are necessary toward the making a thing delightful, or not: And amongst those Circumstances one of them is this; seasonableness and suitableness. For though necessity does not stand upon it, whether a thing be in Season or out of Season; yet pleasure and delight are of that fickleness and delicacy as the unless the Season concurres it will not take: q Ecclesiasticus 22. A tale out of Season being like music in mourning; and candidus in Nauta turpis colour; a fair face though in itself so pleasing a sight, yet in a sailor, or in a person whose profession it is to wrestle with the weather, it is thought an ill-favoured sight, and no better than a Ring of Gold in a swine's snout: As on the contrary, dusty faces in soldiers ( r Flacc. non indecoro pulvere sordidis) when they return from the chase of their enemies, are sights not uncomely. Say then; are Images such seasonable sights in Churches? or are they so suitable unto such kind of places? Things which are so discrepant from the nature of God, and so apt to provoke the jealousy of God as we have formerly noted, are such things so seasonable sights in the Houses of God? Things which do so distemper and confound prayer, are such things so seasonable in the Houses of Prayer? Surely when a man after a weary journey hath taken up his lodging, and is fall'n into a sweet sleep; If some of his neighbours should come and awake him, only to bid him good morrow, were that a seasonable good morrow? Or while a man is waiting to put up a petition unto his Prince, if some of his companions should come and call him to a May game, were that a seasonable motion? Even ●o likewise when all the powers of the mind lie couching at the door of the heart, whereby to attain some glance of the invisible God; Shall those be seasonable sights which do allure those powers and spirits an other way, even to the door of the outward Eye? But we expect it will be objected, that howsoever unto some kind of dispositions, such kind of sights will not be acceptable, nor worthy to be reckoned amongst Church ornaments, yet because our vulgar, and little ones, do not stand upon such nice respects, as seasonableness & suitableness, but are apt to be taken with their delights wheresoever they find them: Therefore toward the better alluring such little ones unto God's Houses, it may stand with good discretion and policy to set forth those Houses with such kind of sights, and consequently to esteem those kind of sights amongst Temple ornaments: whereunto we answer that such kind of persons as are not able to discern betwixt the Houses of Prayer and the Houses of pleasure, are too little to be reckoned amongst God's little ones; the lock and not the key being ordained for such manner of persons; For if the Guest was worthily thrust out of the Wedding Feast, which refused to put on the wedding garment; How much more worthy shall they be, to be thrust out of the spiritual Feast, which not only neglect to put on the spiritual garment, but also resort unto those Feasts of purpose, that they may the more li●entiously wallow in their sensual garment. Yea, mere natural men have been more divinely minded then so; and have apprehended a far more noble beauty then that which the outward Eye 〈◊〉 capable of: It having been ●n ancient Proverb amongst ●hem, Hesperus and Vesperus, ●e. The Morning and Eve●●ng Star are nothing so beau●●full as virtue (yea, but one ●f the virtue's Justice) was: ●nd that Virtute nihil for●s●us, nihil amabilius, nihil ●chrius, &c. And concern●●g the beauty of a Temple, ●●e of their Poets could say; ●re●. lib. 2. Sed nil dulcius est bene quam munita tueri Edita doctrina sapientum Templa serenà. Another also of them af●●ming that the things which their gods most delighted in were Pers. Sat. 2. Compositumjus, fasque anim● sanct que recessus Mentis, & incoctum generos● pectus honesto: In comparison whereo● (saith he further) all you● golden and glorious offering are no better than Veneri donatae à Virgine Puppae. And therefore if Infidels and Heathens are able to imagine a kind of beauty which goes far beyond all outward eye-beauty: Shall it be supposed that any of the Believers (the least whereof must be supposed far more divine●y minded then the ripest un●eliever) are so apt to be al●red unto the Temples of the only and invisible God ●y the means of gay Images? They whose wits are so su●ernaturally pointed as that ●hey can see incomparably more 2 Cor. 3. glory in the poor at●●re of Paul ministering the gospel, then in the royal Robes of Aaron ministering the Gospel: They that can see beauty in the very feet of those ●hat bring glad tidings; though the feet especially of Messengers have no more beauty ●n the judgement of the outward Eye then the dust under our feet: They that esteem x Esay 52 7. a Psal. 96. holiness for Beauty b 13●. righteousness for Clothing▪ c 1 Tim. 2.10. good Works for Decking, and the d Esay 49.18. gathering of the Nations unto the gospel, as the principal ornament of God's Church; Is it like that such will affect the places where such kind of Beauty, Clothing, Decking, Ornaments and tidings are freely offered, any whit the more for the gaudiness of Images? But, admit it were a suppose not intolerable that some of God's true little-ones should so little consider the nature and intent of those kind of places as to affect them any ●hit the more for such kind ●f Gazements sake; yet were ● wisdom in governors to ●ndescend thereunto? yea, ●●ere natural governors ●ve also in that respect been ●iser than so; witness those ●Lacedemonians which would ●t suffer any kind of Ima●es to stand in their Senate-●ouse, only for fear lest they ●●ould grow remiss in their ● will consultations by the ●ceans; witness also those ●uropians, which not only ●●●mitted no Images to stand ● their Temples, but also ●ould scarce endure the com●on light to shine into them: ●hereof the deviser of that 〈◊〉. commonwealth gives this honest reason (the goodness of his wit making him forget the quality of his Religion) f Europe, ●●. ●. quia parciore & veluti dubia luce intendi animos & riligionem putab●nt. i. e. Because they thought that the more obscure and sparing the outward Light should be, the more inten● would their ●●ndes and Religion be. Sh●llow therefore and preposterous is that policie● (admit it were never so lawful) which thinks it good to glaze and play star our Churches with such kind of Eye delights toward the better winning and alluring our little-ones thereunto; It being ●●deed no better than as if a ●rse, when she hath taken child, to wean, should wish ●e mother of the child to ●●me and keep with the ●●ild whereby she might the ●etter still the Child: For ●ough by that means she ●ay hap to still the child, ●t she may be sure by that ●eanes never to wean the ●hild. An I so likewise when God hath appointed Nurses ●Kings shall be thy nursing fathers, &c.) toward the wea●ing of his Children from ●ensual and transitory (not ●nly from wicked) delights; ● those nurses shall fraught ●is nurseries (his Temples) Esay 49. with such kind of delights as sensual and childish minds are best pleased withal: They shall by that means frustrate● the intent of those places, & make them become nurseries of those fancies, which their peculiar office is to wean them from. Yea such kind of policy, how much is it better then as if the husbandman should sow his field with all manner of weeds (as red-weed Bowd-weed, Carleekes, Cockle, Darnell, &c.) only because the Red, and blue, and Gay coloured blooms of those weeds were far more pleasing sights in the eyes of his little children, than the common grasse-co●ored corn use to be: But ●●e husbandman is wiser ●en so; and does not mean ●o poison his field and starve ●is family toward the plea●ing of his foolish children; ●ut rather when he sees his ●●eld so overgrown with such ●●mentable gaudiness, doth ●esolve upon some other plot ●o bestow his seed & tillage ●pon: And so the great ●Husbandman, the Lord of all things, when he shall find ●is Temples in like manner ●wer grown with (far worse ●eedes than the weeds of the ●ield) the entertainments of ●ensuality, and provocations ●f jealousy; Is it not to be Ioh. 15. feared that he will withdraw his presence from such Kin● of places? Yea the very wilderness is like to prove hi● chief repose in such case● for thither he hath promise● to Hosea, 2.14. allure his people and ther● to speak kindly unto them▪ And there if he may find either one true Jacob, which could say of his casual sleeping place, k Gen. 28.17. This is none othe● but the house of God; or one fervent Elias, which in a Cav● remained jealous for the Lord of hosts; or one honest Hilarius which could say, l Contra An●r●t. quid in parietes insanitis, &c. Male ecclesiam Dei in tectis aedificitsque veneramini, etc▪ ●ive me Dungeons, give me ●ults, Caves, and deserts, ra●●er than such kind of Temples: ●ven with such will he ra●●er settle himself and show ●●em all his glory, then with ●ultitudes of fools which ●nd glaring upon walls, and ●●ok the clean contrary way ● his approach. 6 Our next and last argu●ent against the allegation, ●●all be this; The life, and ●orme, and property of a ●emple does consist in no●hing so much as this; that ● be a place exempted and 〈◊〉 part from common uses ●nd common delights: But the ornature which Images ●e afford, serves only for a kind of common delight, and such as the ignorant, idle, an● superstitious, the carnal, sensual, and idolatrous are affected and pleased withal, a● well as the best (not to say incomparably more:) Therefore the ornature which Images do afford does rathe● profane and vilify, evacuate confound, and nullify a Temple, than any way adorn it, o● become any true beautific●tion unto it. Touching the ground o● this our argument, namely that the exempting and se●ting a place a part from common uses and common delights does most properly giv● life and form, and constitution unto a Temple, it must ●sse for sound and good, un●● some other qualification ● condition (Rite, respect, or ●eremony) be found, where● the life & form and quid●●tie of a Temple shall more ●culiarly consist. It is true ●●deed the respects & rights ●hich consist in Dedication, ●onsecration, Sanctification, 〈◊〉 are attributed unto Tem●●es; as also the ministry of ●●e Word and Sacraments, ●e exercises of holiness ●●d enjoyment of God's ●●esence are found in Tem●●es; and finally goodliness ●●d magnificence are conspi●ous in the fabric and stru●●ure of Temples: But if all these conditions, qualifications, and respects may be found attributed and imparted unto other things and places as well as Temples than must they not be esteemed of sufficient force t● give life and form, and specification unto a Temple. Fo● first concerning Dedicatio● we find how every m Deut. 20.5. new built house in the time of Moses la●● was also allowed it; And ● the time of Nehemiah, whe● the City was repaired, the very n Nehem. 12.27. walls thereof are sai● to be dedicated with singings an● thanksgivings upon the tops of the walls even to the prison-gate an● dung-gate, &c. Secondly, concerning Consecration (if that ●espect does differ any thing ●rom Dedication) neither is ●hat also a Ceremony pecu●●ar unto Temples; For even ●easts also and fields, and ●ossessions, and the persons of ●en are in the Scripture said ● be consecrated, and the ●ing at any time so consecra●d is termed no less than ●actum Sanctorum deo, (in Ie●●es translation). Likewise ●oncerning Sanctification, so ●●re is that respect also from ●●ing peculiar unto a Tem●le (though that of the three ●ay be thought the princi●all) as that our ordinary ●eat is afforded it; for 〈◊〉. 4.5. It (saith the Scripture) is sanctified by the Word and Prayer. Moreover (and fourthly) as neither Dedication, Consecration, nor Sanctification, so also neither is the ministry of the Word and Sacraments of sufficient force to give peculiarity and specification unto a Temple: For we also find in the Scripture, how we are allowed (yea, appointed) p Deut. 6.7. to talk of his word, even when we walk by the way, and in on● dwelling houses, and when we ly● down, and when we rise up: Also the Sacraments in the time of that Law were ordinarily administered in private houses; And our Saviour not only ●●d partake the Passeover, but 〈◊〉 ordained his last Supper ●n ●uk. 14.15. ordinary dining Cham●●● The r Eliz. 23.1. Law of England●o at this day allows us the ●e of Prayers and Psalms in 〈◊〉 private houses, and in ●●●aln cases (in case of di●●●nce) gives them the privi●●ge of Temples: again, ●ther are the exercises of ●●inesse, nor the enjoyment ● God's presence, peculiar ● to Temples; For in all ●●ces his presence may be ●●joyed, s Psal. 1 39 even though we 〈◊〉 down to hell we shall find 〈◊〉 there, or if we remain in the ●●id Sea, we shall find him there: ● if we be clapped up in the dungeon we hope to find hi● there. So likewise innocenc● and holiness are not peculia● unto Temples, nor is the excluding wickedness and unholiness the proper office o● a Temple; Every place ● the World being bound ● do as much, and no place ● the World being allowed ● commit ungodliness in. F●nally concerning outwa●● sumptuousness and magni●●cence of building so far is the also from giving propriet● and distinction unto Templ● as that not only the palac● of pride and vanity, but al●● the Houses and temples o● Idolatry, have also excelled and gloried therein ●itnesse that ●●n hist. n. 36.14. Temple of ●●esus, which cost all Asia●●o hundred years to build ●; and which had above six ●ore pillars, whereof every ●e had a several King to ●aintain it: witness also that ●emple u Herod. l. 1. of Belus, which is ●●ported to be duorum stadio●● amplitudine, and that it ●ed a Tower in the midst ●f it, crassitudine simul & alti●dine stadii; and so Tower ●●on Tower, usque adoctavam: ●itnesse also that Temple of ●●zicus (a city swallowed up ●ith an Earthquake) the Pil●●rs whereof were x Dio 〈◊〉. lib. 70. Singulae 〈◊〉 singulis lapidibus, and yet quinquaginta cubitorum alitudine, and quatuor ulnarum crassitudine: witness also that Temple which, belike, was sometime in our Britain; which had it not excelled for outward structure and magnificence, the people would never have adored it as a god as y Sen. de morte Claud. Seneca reporteth: yea so far is such outward sumptuousness from giving peculiarity unto a Temple, as that one of the ancient Fathers forbears not to say that z Hilarious contra Au●ent. such kind of sumptuous Temples are most likely to prove the seats of Antichrist. And wherein then is the property, form, and quiddity of a Temple so likely to consist, as in this respect and condition which we plead for; namely, in being a place exempted and set apart from common uses and delights (not only from wickedness?) which property as it was never found in any places but in Temples, so also where it alone is found there is nothing esteemed to be wanting unto the nature and substance of a Temple: And so much the Patriarch Jacob may be sufficient to teach us, when he called a plain a Gen. 28.22. Stone the house of God, though it had nothing belonging to such a house, but only his setting it apart from common uses, and confining it to be a mention and remembrance of his God; the Church of England also at this day, acknowledging as much in effect when it esteemeth all those places for Temples, which time out of mind have been exempted and set apart from common uses, though whether ever they had any Dedications or Consecrations, or other than such as were superstitious & idolatrous it be unknown. For as the nature of a Sabbath doth not consist in this, that it affords holy exercises, for so also other days must do; or in this that it debarreth wicked actions, for so also other days must do; or in this, that it affordeth much vacant time, for so also other days may do; but only in this, that it debars all manner of work: So may we well conceive that the nature of a Temple does consist, not in this, that it is a place dedicated, consecrated, &c. for so also other places and things are apt to be; nor in this, that it affords God's word or God's presence, for so also other places may do; nor in this that it excludes ungodliness & wickedness, for so also every place is bound to do; but only in this that it is exempted from common business and common delights: As also our Saviour did sufficiently declare, clare, when he forbade the carrying of b Mark. 11.16. vessels through the Temple, and Paul, when he permitted not so much as c 1 Cor. 11. eating and drinking in such kind of places; such kind of actions being notwithstanding both lawful and necessary, and having no exception against them but this, that God's houses might be supposed liable & appliable unto common uses and businesses by such means. For as those kinds of actions and business which do well become the week days are said in the Scripture to d Exod. 31.14. defile & pro●hane the sabbath day: So ●●y those kind of actions & ●elights be found to pro●hane and nullify a Temple, ●hich other places can take ●o exception against. Upon ●hich conclusion and ground 〈◊〉 fairly follows, that the ●●tting up of Images or any ●hing else in Churches, only ●o please the outward Eye, ●nd to afford a common kind ●f delight (the ornature which Images afford when it ●s at the best being no better) ●s rather a profanation, pollution, and prostitution unto those kind of places than any perfection or beautification. But very like it will be pleaded against us, that by this rule all outward Beautification whatsoever within the compass of a Templ● (though it be not by Images shall be excepted against; yea the beauty of King Solomon● Temple shall be found un●● warrantable by this rule; for no doubt all sorts of people as well the heathens, ungodly, and sensual, as the holy and spiritually minded were affected therewith: whereunto, Christian Reader, we are desirous to answer a few words: And first concerning such outward beautification in general; we may shortly answer, that when the intent of it is, only to cover unsightliness and outward eyesores, 〈◊〉 is to be esteemed as a ●ranch of necessity, and a ●reventing of scandal, rather ●hen an ornament intended to ●elight and please the out●ard Eye: Even as the e 1 Cor. 12 23. co●ering of our uncomely parts ●ith the more comeliness is not ●o please the beholders, or to ●ake our uncomely parts ex●ell those parts which are ●ore noble, but only to keep the more noble parts from disdaining the society of those inferior & less comely parts, and lest otherwise there might spring up f Verse 25. a schism in the Body. And as we admit beautiful and rich-attired persons into our Temples, not because they are so adorned and so beautiful (for their beauties do rather offend then edify in those kind of places) but only because either their beauties must be admitted, or their persons withal excluded: So our admitting of such kind of outward Beautifications into our Churches, may well be, not for the delighting and pleasing of outward eyes, but only because unless they be admitted, offensive and scandalous unsightliness must remain uncovered. Now in the second place concerning that special beautification of King Solomon's Temple, we ●nswer, First, that not only the analogy of Religion, ●ut also the body of the Fathers, do agree with our ● Homily in this, that the ●umptuousnes of those times was only a figure to signify, & not an example to follow: Even as the blooms of the spring, which though they may well signify what kind of Fruit may be expected, yet are they no examples for the rest of the Seasons to follow. Secondly, the indulgence of God might think good to entertain that minority of his people with some plausible shadow of a Temple g Tom. 2. Hom. 2. p. 3. until the true Temple, ( h Revel. 21.22. The Almighty God and the lamb) should be revealed. Thirdly, the waywardness of that Minority which (as our i Parte prima. Homily saith) was allured with nothing so much as with goodly gay things might somewhat be of force with the Lord to yield a little more unto them than was originally intended: Even as their like untractablenes extorted the bill of Divorcement from him, which from the k Mat. 19.8. beginning (our Saviour saith) was not so: or as it moved him to yield unto their burnt Offerings and Sacrifices which ●ay well be thought to have ●d no better beginning; the ●ord thus speaking of them ● the Prophet Jeremy, 〈◊〉. 7.22. I spoke 〈◊〉 unto your Fathers concerning ●●nt offerings and sacrifices, 〈◊〉 only I commanded them, say●●g, obey my voice: And the ●rophet Esay plainly saying, Esay 1.12. ●ho hath required these things ● your hands? Fourthly, it was ●●ly one such Sumptuous ●emple and that also (as the ●cripture saith) built n 1 King. 6.38. in seven ●●res, which was allowed ●●to that whole Nation, even 〈◊〉 that time of minority: ●heir Synagogues and O●●ories being no more sumptuous to the outwar● Eye (as far as can appear o● of any Writer for divers hu●dred years after that La● began) than their dwelli●● houses, and for along ti● were no other places. Fifth when David first motion● the building of that Templ● the Lord not only thus a●swered him, Thou shalt 〈◊〉 build me an house, but al● further expostulates with hi● in these very words; o 1 Chron. 17.6. Whe●soever I walked with all Isa● spoke I a word unto any of a Judges (whom I commanded feed my people) saying, why but you me not an house, & c? It 〈◊〉 indeed, he afterward ●e them directions about 〈◊〉 building of it; But what ● that? For so also he gave ●m directions how they ●●uld be ordered under a 〈◊〉, and yet the Scripture ●●h, that he ●●ea 13.11. gave them a 〈◊〉 in anger: From whence ●o (Sixthly) we may argue, 〈◊〉 as the Lord did take ●●eir desiring of a King to be ●ind of q 1 Sam. 8 7. rejecting him from 〈◊〉 their King, and so gave 〈◊〉 a King in anger; So it ●y be interpreted, that he ●ewise did take their desi●g of a Temple to proceed 〈◊〉 a kind of unwillingness to have him for their Temple, and so did give them ● Temple in some degree o● displeasure. Again, we fin● in Scripture how he ofte● checks them by their r Ier 7.4 Temple, and by their s Ezech. 24.21. dotage upo● the beauty of it; Ringing ● also as often in their ear▪ how that t Esay 66 heaven was his se● and earth his foot stool▪ what how will ye build me? Which te● as soon as Saint Steven in h● apology did but once me●tion, he presently broke for into that indignation, u Acts 7 51. Y● stifnecked and of uncircumcis● hearts and ears, ye have alwa●●●sted the Spirit of God, & c. ●oreover, and in the eighth ●ace, had the Lord made any ●ch special reckoning of that ●emple of Solomon would he we suffered it to be so razed 〈◊〉 destroyed, and that for ●●ers hundred years before ●●t Law expired? For we ●de in the Scripture when 〈◊〉 ark of God was taken 〈◊〉 the enemies, though it was ● thing most easy to be Sam. 6.7. car●● about and rifled, yet did 〈◊〉 providence of God so ●iraculously preserve it, as ●hat they that took it durst ●ot so much as touch it, but ●ith all the honour and cost they could devise did send back again. And therefo●● had the Lord so delighted that beautiful Temple woul● he have suffered it to be ● destroyed, and that when ● without any such miraculou● assistance (as the Ark needed it might have been preserved▪ It being also ordinary wit● the very heathens to preserv● Temples, even when the● preserved nothing else; an● much more, no doubt, woul● they have preserved tha● Temple which in those day was the mirror of the world and was then in their own possession, had not some degree of God's indignation a●●ost it made way to their ●●d rage, toward their ma●g no difference betwixt ●nd the City, but with the ●●fused stroke of fire and ●ord to destroy them both ●●gether. Moreover, had the ●●rd been so delighted with 〈◊〉 beauty of that Temple, ●w is it that the second ●emple, which was built by ●ods own appointment, and ●hich was so often promi●●and called for, did not●ithstanding come so far ●ort of it? the Scripture ●●inly saying of it, that 〈◊〉. 2.3. it 〈◊〉 as nothing in comparison of it: which precedent alo● may be sufficient to perswa● us, that the beauty of the 〈◊〉 Temple was rather offensi● then otherwise, even in t●● time of that nonage; the pe●ple by means thereof bei●● brought to linger after, and ● dote upon outward things and to catch at the shadow i● stead of the substance, the shell instead of the kernel and the Templum Domini, i● stead of Templum Dominum, a● experience did prove. We● conclude therefore, that the beauty of Solomon's Temple is no sufficient exception against the ground of our argument, which was this, that all outward Beautification in Tem●●●s, which is intended only ● please the outward eye, is ●egree of converting Tem●●es unto common uses, which ●e peculiar office and nature 〈◊〉 a Temple excludes; the ex●ellencie of Temples being ●ore or less, as they are ●ore or less exempted from ●ommon uses, whereby (if it ●ere possible) nothing but God himself in those kind ●f places might be thought upon: The Lord only indeed being the life and spirit of all Temples; yea, and not only so but also being (He hath expressly said ●t) the very z Revel. 21 22. Temple itself; there being no other Temple that ca● contain the Catholic Spou● of Christ but only he. An● that only Temple must ever● member of Christ long afte● and delight in; live and dwel● in day and night: And tha● they shall never do as long as they are so wedded unto visible Temples, and the beauty thereof. It is true indeed, this temporal life does need (at least can make use of) material and visible Temples, we grant: But considering how prone the nature of man is to relapsing, and to lownd after the beauty of old Jerusalem, when we should be ready to enter into ●●e gates of the new, and with ●ose Israelites to seek Amos 5.5. Gil●, and Beersheba, rather than ●e Lord; and with those car●all Jews (as b August. de Civit. Dei 18.45. Austin termeth ●hem therein) to interpret the ●eauty of the second Temple ●rophesied of by Haggie) to ●onsist in some glorious re●auration of a visible Tem●le: It therefore concerns the ●eople of God when they in●end to build any material Temples, to set them forth with such gravity and simpli●itie as may give the comers unto them to under●tand, that the beauty of a Temple is not like the beauty of other places, nor to be judged of with that kind of eye where with we judge of other buildings▪ At lest they must not be so indulg●nt unto weak and (supposed) little-ones as to set forth their Temples with the common, gross, and scandalous (not to say Idolatrous) beauty of Images, which the Allegation pleads for, and against which only we have hitherto (and that we hope sufficiently) excepted. 2 The other Allegation in the behalf of these Church-Images which we have specified in the beginning is this; that they furnish the dead with Tombs & Monuments: whereunto we answer, That the things which are especially scandalous must not be suffered in Churches, but only in case necessity, as we have already declared. Now that such kind of Monuments are scandalous sights in Churches, it cannot be denied: It being easy to observe through the course of the times that the ordinary original of Idols hath been from sepulchers, and such kind of Monuments. And the Scripture gives us a fair warrant so to think when the Lord says, that, He will Levit. 26 30. cast their carcases upon the carcases of their Idols; for other carcases than such dead bodies as were interred under their Idols, their Idols could not have: And it was the usual course amongst the Ancient Heathens first to erect Altars over their dead, and then to build Temples over those Altars, and then finally, to make their dead the gods of those Temples. Moreover, the reason why the Lord would not have the d Deut. 34.6. Burying place of Moses to be known, is agreed upon by all Divines to be for the preventing of Idolatry. And therefore if the mere Burying place ●f a Saint, and that in the wilderness, be so apt to be●et an idol, how much more ●ill it be fitted for such a pur●ose when it shall be in a ●emple, and withal shall ●ave the Image of the Saint ●rected upon it, and that so ●loriously and sumptuously ●s that if men had a desire to ●ake a god of it, they could ●ot do more. Thirdly, there ●eing a special proneness in the hearts of men to magnify ●heir forefathers ( e Aug. mortuos ●aitatur vanitas vulgi magis ●●am vivos) and to esteem most highly of those which lived in the former times; partly out of an envy against the presen● times ( f Flacc. Virtutem incolmem ● dimus, sublatam ex oculis quaer●mus Invidi) and partly becaus● the imperfections of the present times are more in sight how can it be otherwise like but that the Images of those so admired Ancients, wil● draw admiration and forbidden respects? Especially after on●e the moss of Antiquity is grown upon them; antiquity (as a g Hieron. in Prol. super Iob. Father saith) being of force to make even errors acceptable; & whereinto (as h Lact. 2.7. another saith) men think it a point of impiety to ●nquire: And can we then ●ake question but that such ●inde of Monuments must ●eeds be most scandalous ●ights in Churches? Now in the second place, that there is 〈◊〉 necessity of such kind of Monuments in those kind of ●laces (Necessity only being of force to dispense with scandals) It will easily be granted. For first, the only ●ntent and use of those Monuments is to do an honour ●nto the dead; whereas Honour, though it be never so sound and good, is not a matter of necessity; the Scripture telling us that the multitude of those which shall be admitted into the state o● bliss shall be such, as i Revel. 7.9. no ma● can number; And therefore i● not so much as their persons can be known, much less can their Names and Fames be so great upon earth as to have distinct Monuments erected upon them. Secondly, such kind of Monuments may be erected in other places as well as Temples, and that more obviously & conspicuously; sepulchers & Graves (we are sure) having been extant before any Temples were known. Thirdly, there are other courses more apt to continue the remembrance of the ●●ad, than those kind of Mo●●ments; namely, Inscripti●●s & Epitaphs: For by such ●nd of expresssions, the truest, ●●d noblest, and most inward ●●ts of dead are apt to be 〈◊〉 more lively and properly forth; the tools of Car●s and pencils of Painters ●ing able to describe only ●●eir outsides, and so much of ●●em as Fools and unworthy ●●rsons (yea, Stones or lumps ● clay) may excel or resem●●e them in: whereas the pens ● the Muses are able to flou●●●h out their most hidden ex●●●lencies, and imprint their ●●●tues with such durable characters as shall make them able a thousand years after to say, as the Poet did truly divine of himself when he said, k Horace Carm. 3.30. Exegi monumentum ●re perennius, Regalique situ Pyramidum altius. And as another of this kind could say: l Valer. Mart. 7.84. Certior in nostro carmin● vultus er●t: Casibus his nullis, nullis delebilis annis Vivet: Apelleum cummorie●ur opus. Fourthly, mere natural men have made no reckoning of these kind of Monuments; witness that Plutarch de Agiselao. Grecian Prince, which would not suffer so much as his Picture (in his life time) to be taken; an● that for this worthy reason, because he would be known by nothing but his acts: witness also he that gave his Emperor this counsel (Maecenas to Augustus) n Dio Cass. Lib. ne●er to suffer any Images or Temples to be erected unto him; because (saith he) If you rule well, the whole world will be your Temple, and every City a Monument and Basis of your glory; But especially specially witness that whole commonwealth of those ancient o Arrian. lib. 8. Indies, which would never suffer any Sepulchers to be erected over their dead, because they thought no man worthy to be remembered any longer, then during the remembrance of his virtues: which so sound and impartial judgement of theirs, the providence of God (who loves always to requite sound judgement wheresoever he find it) did requite with another virtue like unto it; For so the same Author does further report of that Nation, that they were never known to tell a lie; His nefas est (saith ●e) falsi quicquam pro vero dice●●; neque Indorum quisquam ●●quam, in judicum, qoud men●tus esset, vocatus est: That so, ●●ch as scorned those kind of ●●ayses which could not be ●nd but by falsifications and ●ounterfeit Images, might be ●equited with such a special ●ellowship of the Truth (Ne●er to be taken with a lie) as never any Nation before ●hem, or after them, attained ●nto. And shall then the Christians (so incomparably ●raced of God above those ●●mes) be so liquorous or desi●●ous of those kind of com●on, painted, pybald, & scan●●lous Monuments which Heathens and mere natural Nations have thought so unworthy of? Especially when as the Lord hath promised them another manner of remembrance; for thus saith the Prophet Malachi, p Mal. ●. 16. A book of remembrance was written before him, for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. Finally it is the great decree● of God that the bodies of his servants (though they be never so holy and worthy) should be sown in corruption, though they shall rise in incorruption▪ &c. sown in dishonour, though they shall rise in honour: And there●ore to set forth those Bodies 〈◊〉 such pompous and glori●us manner while they are ●nder the doom of corrup●●on and dissolution in the ●rave, is little less than a ●inde of resistance unto mor●ality, and reluctation against ●hat great decree, as also a ●inde of falsification unto the ● state of the dead, besides ●hat provocation unto the di●●ine jealousy and stumbling ●nto posterity which general experience hath found to in●sue thereupon. And so, without further ado, and left we go beyond the scantling of an Appendix we will here make an end. Only Christian Reader before I dismiss you, I have a little request to make unto you, and it shall be this; that whereas I lately in a little book did show the insufficiency of divers reasons which use to be made in the behalf of Images, and in the end thereof did intimate that there were yet other allegations of that kind which deserved likewise to be excepted against: my request is, that if I once again and the third time shall publish something to that purpose, you be not unwilling to make some gentle construction of my so often coming about so common a point. For it was not at the first (nor yet is it) my in●ent to handle the point ac●ording to all the dimensi●ns of a common place, but ●nly to answer objections: ●nd objections having no mu●uall dependence one upon ●nother, but being apt to pro●ed from divers and distant, ●nd even contrary quarters, ●hough we should make as ●any several comings, and ●eturns, and books as we meet ●ith several objections, it might be without any inter●●ption unto our matter, and ●ll one to the Reader, and in ●ome respect also the better ●or both Writer and Reader. For the less is written at onc● the more easily it is read, an● the more thoroughly perused▪ whereas if much be written at once, the Readers leisur● (perhaps also a desk and a chair) must be expected▪ But for my part I plainly profess it, that it is no such politic consideration which moves me to write so little at once, but plain and right down necessity; my reach and reading not serving me to write much, and my fidelity to the Truth not suffering me to hold my peace. And though like enough I may hap to go in but the brand of a bawling cur by the means, 〈◊〉 the barking shawlt which ●ble to discover a thief, and ● not able to worry a ●epe, may be as fit for the ●●●pherds purpose as the best; ● so the little fingers are ● full unto the Body, as well the greater Limbs; and our ●iles manus, may (with that ●●norian Cripple) depile the ●mish train by a hair at ●●e, when the strongest arm one, single tug shall never ● it. Finally, it is the Com●andement of God, that eve●● soul should serve him with his might; And therefore ●●ey that have but little abili●●●s, must not bury them, or ● ashamed to pr●sent them to the view and judgement o● the Master Builders: wh● though perhaps they sometime find them not useful fo● their purposes, yet may they think good to pronounce tha● blessing upon the authors▪ Thou hast been faithful in little▪ Also the Lord himself shall be somewhat the more honoured by the means; the abundance of his gifts and graces the better appearing, when some of them be judged to be redundant, and to spare. And so Christian Reader, for the present I take my leave, and until our next meeting I commend you to the Grace of God. FINIS.