is Apostolical from the beginning, and that which hath been always practised by the Church of Christ." §. 1. Pope Gregory II. having, like a true infallible interpreter of Scripture, told us, that in that expression of our Lord's, "where the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together:" by the carcass was to be understood Christ, and by the eagles, religious men, and lovers of him: he adds, "that these religious men flew like eagles to Jerusalem; and having seen our Lord, and James his brother, and Stephen the first martyr, they painted them as they had seen them and that men no sooner beheld them, but leaving the worship of the devil, they fell immediately to worship these images; not indeed with latria; but with relative worship." : Pope Hadrian saith, that "all orthodox and Christian emperors, all priests and religious servants of God, and the whole company of Christians, observed the veneration of images and pictures, for memory of pious compunction, and even till then worshipped them, as they received a tradition from the beginning from the holy Fathers to do. That the special honour, adoration, and veneration of them, was delivered by the holy Apostles. And that throughout the whole world, wherever Christianity was planted, these venerable images were honoured by all the faithful." Tharasius, patriarch of Constantinople, declares that this of the venerable images was the tradition of the whole catholic Church of God from the beginning."§ Gregory, bishop of Possene, cites for it a synod of the Apostles met at Antioch,|| "commanding Christians no longer to err about idols, but instead of them, to paint the image of Christ, God and man.' And Leo, bishop of Rhodes adds, that "the holy and vener * Ὁ Χριστὸς δὲ τὸ πτῶμα, ἀετοὶ οἱ θεοσεβεῖς καὶ φιλόχριστοι ἄνθρω Concil. Nic. 2. Con. tom. 7. p. 12. ποι, † Ταύτας προσεκύνησαν οὐ λατρευτικῶς, ἀλλὰ σχετικῶς. [Ibid.] p. 13. Sicut a primordio traditionem a sanctis patribus susceperunt, Act. 2. [Ibid.] p. 103. Hoc enim traditum est a sanctis Apostolis. [Ibid.] p. 110 & p. 99. In universo mundo ubi Christianitas est, ipsæ S. Imagines ab omnibus fidelibus honorantur. [Ibid.] p. 106. § Παραδοθεῖν ἐκ τῶν ἀρχῆθεν χρόνων. Act. 5. [Ibid.] p. 348 & 388. [ ̓Αλλ ̓ ἀντεικονίζειν τὴν θεανδρικὴν στήλην τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν. Act. 1. [Ibid.] p. 64. [ Κατὰ τὴν παραδοθεῖσαν ἔκπαλαι τῶν χρόνων συνήθειαν ἀπὸ τῶν ̓Αποστόλων. Ibid. able images were to be in the Church, according to the custom delivered of old times from the Apostles." And at the conclusion of many of their actions, the Fathers* generally affirm, that they embraced and practised the worship of images, κατὰ τὴν τῶν ἁγίων Αποστόλων παράδοσιν, according to the tradition of the holy Apostles; and Kaç Taρédoσav ἡμῖν οἱ ἀπ ̓ ἀρχῆς αὐτόπται γινόμενοι τοῦ λόγου,† as they delivered to them, who from the beginning were eye-witnesses of the word." Yea, the whole Synod doth frequently assert they were taught thus to judge of the adoration of images by the holy Fathers, and by their doctrine delivered by God. That their tradition concerning it, was vdeoç Tapádoσis, § the divine tradition of the catholic Church. And that in defining and asserting it, they followed the doctrine of the holy Fathers taught them by God, and the tradition of the catholic Church, and knew this was the doctrine of that Holy Spirit which dwelt in her. That they followed in observing this tradition, St. Paul and the whole Apostolical college; and that thus the doctrine of the holy Fathers was confirmed, thus the tradition of the catholic Church, τῆς ἀπὸ περάτων εἰς πέρατα δεξαμένης τὸ Evayyeλov, from one end of the Christian world to the other, held and practised. That this was the doctrine received from the first founders of the Christian faith, and their divine successors. And lastly, they do often with full voice cry out, αὐτὴ ἡ πίστις τῶν ̓Αποστόλων—τῶν πατέρων-τῶν ὀρθοδόξων, "this is the faith of the Apostles, this is the faith of the Fathers; this is the faith of the orthodox, this is that faith which establisheth the world."++ ** And suitable to this is the language of the Trent Council, which commands all bishops, and others, whose office it is to instruct the people, to teach them diligently, that "the images * Act. 2. [Ibid.] p. 132, 133, 136, 152, 153. Act. 3. p. 188. Act. 4. p. 328. Act. 5. p. 389. Act. 7. p. 576. † Act. 2. [Ibid.] p. 145. † Παρὰ τῶν ἁγίων πατέρων ἡμῶν, καὶ τῆς αὐτῶν Θεοπαραδότου didaoralías. Act. 4. [Ibid.] p. 321. § Act. 7. [Ibid.] p. 553. ß. [ Επακολουθοῦντες τῇ θεηγόρῳ διδασκαλίᾳ τῶν ἁγίων πατέρων· τοῦ γὰρ ἐν αὐτῇ ἐνοικήσαντος ἁγίου πνεύματος εἶναι ταύτην γινώσκομεν. [Ibid.] p. 556. [ Πάσῃ τῇ θείᾳ ἀποστολικῇ ὁμηγύρει. Ibid. item p. 588. ** Παρὰ τῶν ἁγίων πρωτάρχων τῆς ἡμῶν διδασκαλίας. [Ibid.] p. 581. tt 'H à yía Zúvodos eßónov. Act. 7. [Ibid.] p. 576. Act. 8. p. 592. of Christ, the mother of God, and other saints, are especially to be had and retained in temples; and that due honour and veneration is to be given to them, because the honour tendered to them, is referred to the prototype; so that by the images which they kiss, before which they uncover their heads, and prostrate themselves, they worship Christ, and venerate the saints, whose similitude they are.” And this, say they, is done "according to the custom of the catholic and apostolic Church, received from the first age of the Christian faith, and the consent of the holy Fathers."* §. 2. On the other hand, the Council of Constantinople, consisting of three hundred and thirty-eight bishops, assembled in the year 754, declares that "this evil invention of images neither hath its being from the tradition of Christ, or his Apostles, nor of the holy Fathers."+ And having forbidden all Christians to worship any, or to place an image in the Church, or in private houses, they conclude unanimously thus: avrà i πίστις τῶν ̓Αποστόλων,τῶν πατέρων,-τῶν ὀρθοδόξων ;] “ this is the faith of the Apostles; this is the faith of the Fathers; this is the faith of the orthodox." The Council of Frankfort, consisting of three hundred bishops, assembled by Charles the Great, out of Italy, Germany, and France, A.D. 794, declares that the second Nicene Council had offended in two things.§ 1. In decreeing that images should be worshipped. And, 2. In saying falsely, that this was delivered to them from the Apostles. They add, that leaving the traditions of the ancient Fathers, who decreed that images should not be worshipped, they endeavoured to bring into the Church new and unusual customs."|| That they endeavoured to bring into Christian religion the new adoration of images, ¶ without the doctrine of the holy * Juxta Catholicæ et Apostolicæ Ecclesiæ usum, a primævis Christianæ Religionis temporibus receptum, sanctorumque Patrum consensionem. Sess. 25. [Ibid. vol. 14. p. 895.] † Οὔτε ἐκ παραδόσεως Χριστοῦ ἢ ̓Αποστόλων ἢ πατέρων τὸ εἶναι Exε. Concil. Nic. 2. [Ibid. vol. 7.] p. 452. εikóva ǹ πρooкvvñσal στῆσαι ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ. [Ibid.] p. 508. Ibid. p. 532. § Quia ut hoc facerent, ab Apostolis sibi traditum mentiebantur. Lib. Carol. 1. 2. c. 25, 27. [p. 228, 241. ed. 1549.] Relictis priscorum Patrum traditionibus, qui imagines non colere sanxerunt, novas conari et insolitas Ecclesiæ consuetudines inferre. Præfat. in Lib. 1. [Ibid. p. 9.] Absque sanctorum Patrum doctrina et consacerdotum per diversas mundi partes consensu. L. 4. c. 21. [Ibid. p. 606.] Fathers, and the eonsent of their fellow-priests throughout the world. That this of image-worship was impudentissima traditio, a most impudent tradition. And that this pretended tradition was "neither to be found in the oracles of the Prophets, nor in the writings of the Gospels, nor in the doctrines of the Apostles, nor in the relations of the former holy Synods, nor in the doctrines of the orthodox Fathers."+ That it was instituted by them, nullo antiquitatis documento vel exemplo, without all instruction, or example from antiquity. A Synod held at Paris under Ludovicus Pius and Lotharius, A.D. 824, saith, "that the second Nicene Council declared for image worship against the divine authority, and the sayings of the holy Fathers. And that they determine against the worship of them according to divine authority, and, juxta sententias sanctorum Patrum, according to the judgments of the holy Fathers.§ Agobardus, bishop of Lyons, having declared against all image-worship, saith this is sincere religion, is mos Catholicus, hæc antiqua Patrum traditio;|| this is the Catholic custom, this is the tradition of the Fathers; as is easily proved even out of the Book of Sacraments which the Roman Church useth. And again, "None of the ancient Catholics did ever think that images were to be worshipped or adored."¶ Hincmarus, archbishop of Rheims, informs us that this Nicene Synod was condemned and evacuated by a General Synod called by the Emperor Charles the Great, ** according to the way of the Scripture and the tradition of the ancients. Aimoinust also complains of them, that they had decreed touching the adoration of images, aliter quam orthodoxi Patres antea definierant, otherwise than the orthodox Fathers had before defined. * Præfat. p. 10. + Neque in Evangeliorum tonitruis, neque in Apostolorum dogmatibus, vel quorumlibet orthodoxorum Patrum doctrinis uspiam reperimus insertam. L. 4. c. 13. [Ibid. p. 540.] Contra authoritatem divinam et sanctorum Patrum dicta. P. 23. [p.. 4. Francof. 1596.] § Ed. Pith. p. 25, 26. [Ibid. p. 7.] L. de Imag. sect. 30. p. 263. [Par. 1666.] Nullus antiquorum Catholicorum unquam eas colendas vel adorandas fore existimavit. [Ibid.] p. 265. ** Secundum Scripturarum tramitem, traditionemque majorum. Opusc. 5. cap. 20. [p. 93. Lut Par. 1615.] tt De Gestis Franc. Lib. 5. cap. 28. [p. 320. Par. 1603.] "In that Synod," saith Roger Hoveden, "it was confirmed that images should be adored; which the Church of God doth wholly execrate." Now in this matter let the truth lie where you please, it is sure no little prejudice against receiving any thing as a tradition upon the evidence of a few single Fathers, in matters of mere speculation, as some traditionary doctrines of the Church of Rome most surely are. That in a thing of this nature, which must be either daily practised, or omitted by the Church, whose Councils, of three hundred bishops at the least, in the same age, maintain such contradictory assertions; one saying frequently and expressly, that this was the doctrine of the Apostles, and all the ancient Fathers; the others as expressly, that it never was the doctrine of either of them. One, that this was the practice of all faithful Christians; the other, that they never found it practised by any of the orthodox professors. But though such contradictory assertions, in another case, might cause a wary person to suspend his assent to either of them; yet I am confident, that whosoever is unprejudiced, must, in this case, give in his verdict against the doctrine and assertions of the Trent and of the second Nicene Council. §. 3. For notwithstanding all the confident assertions of these Councils, the testimonies of the ancient Fathers are so full and clear against that honour and veneration of images, which by these Councils is imposed upon all Christians, with an anathema to them who do assert, or even think the contrary, that he who doth impartially read them, and doth conclude that the whole Church of Christ did, for five hundred years and more, condemn this practice; and in plain terms, or by just consequence assert they had no such tradition, cannot sustain much loss, if he quite want the use of reason. For, 1. The Fathers do expressly say, the Church of Christ hath no such custom or tradition. "We Christians," saith Theodotus, "have no tradition to form the images of saints in material colours." An " image," saith Clemens of Alex * In ea Synodo confirmatum est imagines adorari debere, quod omnino Ecclesia Dei execratur. Annal. Part 1. ad Ann. 791. † Τὰς τῶν ἁγίων ἰδέας οὐκ ἐν εἰκόσιν ἐξ ὑλικῶν χρωμάτων ἀναμορφοῦν παρειλήφαμεν. Apud 2 Nic. Concil. Act. 6. [ut supra,] p. 492. † Ἡμῖν δὲ οὐχ ὕλης αἰσθητῆς αἰσθητὸν τὸ ἄγαλμά ἐστιν. Protrept. p. 34. B. [p. 45. Venet. 1757.] |