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hands, which having mouths, speak not, having eyes, see not, having hands feel not, having feet go not; and so as well in form as matter are altogether like the Idols of the Gentiles; insomuch that all the titles which are given to Idols, in Scripture, may be verified of these Images. Wherefore no doubt but the like curses which are mentioned in the scriptures, will light upon the makers and worshippers of them both. And for that Idolatry standeth chiefly in the mind; it shall in this part first be proved that our image-maintainers have had, and still have the same opinions and judgment of saints, whose Images they have made and worshipped, as the Gentile Idolaters had of their gods. And afterwards shall be declared, that our Image-maintainers and worshippers have used, and do use the same outward rites and manner of honouring and worshipping their Images, as the Gentiles were accustomed to use before their Idols, and that therefore they commit Idolatry, as well inwardly as outwardly, as did those wicked Gentile Idolaters.

And as concerning the first part of the idolatrous opinions of our Image-maintainers. What I pray you, are those saints, to whom we attribute the defence of certain countries, spoiling God of his due honour thereby, but Dii Tutelares of the Gentile Idolaters : such as were Belus to the Babylonians, Osiris and Isis to the Egyptians; Vulcan to the Lemnians; and such others. What also be those saints to whom the safeguard of certain cities is appointed, but Dii Præsides, with the Gentile Idolaters? Such as were Apollo at Delphi, Minerva at Athens; Juno at Carthage; Quirinus at Rome, &c. &c. What be those saints, to whom, contrary to the use of the primitive Church, Temples and Churches are built, and altars erected, but the Dii

Patroni of the Gentile Idolaters? Such as Jupiter in the capitol; Venus in the Temple of Paphos; Diana in the Temple of Ephesus and such like. Surely we

seem in thus thinking and doing, to have learned our religion, not out of God's word, but out of the Poets. And men have not only spoiled the true living God of his due honour in temples, cities, countries, and lands, by such devices and inventions as the Gentile Idolaters have done before them; but the sea and waters have as well special saints with them, as they had gods with the Gentiles. For in place of Neptune, Triton, Castor, Pollux, Venus, and such others: they have St. Clement, St. Christopher and divers others, but specially our lady, to whom seamen sing, Ave Maria Stella, as the Gentiles sing to their gods. Neither do beasts lack their gods, for St. Loy is the horse-leech, St. Anthony the swine-herd, &c. &c. And diseases likewise have their special saints, as the curers of them.

But where is God's providence and due honour in the mean season, who saith, "The heavens are mine, and the earth is mine, the whole world and all that is in it, except I keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." It is the Lord that saveth both man and beast. But we have left him neither Heaven nor earth to govern, neither men nor beasts nor their diseases to cure. Surely a godly man might justly, for jealous indignation, cry out, Oh Heaven! Oh earth and sea, what madness and wickedness against God are men fallen into! What dishonour to their Creator and Maker; what neglect of their Saviour ! Doubtless we are become like horses and mules which have no understanding. For is there not one God only, who by his power and wisdom made all things, and by his providence governeth, and by his goodness maintaineth and saveth

them? are not all things of Him, by Him, and through Him? Why dost thou turn from the Creator to the creature? This is the manner of the Gentile Idolater, but thou art a Christian, and therefore by Christ alone hast access to God the Father, in whom alone there is help.

These things are not written to any reproach of the saints themselves; who were the true servants of God, and did all honour to Him, taking none to themselves, and are now blessed souls with God; but they are written against our foolishness and wickedness, which make of the true servants of God, false gods, by attributing to them the power and honour which is God's, and due to Him only, by making them helpers and deliverers, and addressing to them prayers and praises, as the Gentile Idolaters did to their false Gods; against which false opinions, the old godly and learned Christians would have written as they did against the images themselves. If answer is made, that they only apply to saints as intercessors with God; this answer is even after the Gentile Idolaters' usage; for their gods called Dii Medioximi, were only intercessors and helpers to God, as though he did not hear, or should be weary if he did all alone; for the Gentiles assuredly thought that there was one chief power, working by the others as means, and so they made all their gods subject to fate or destiny; as Lucian in his Dialogues feigneth, that Neptune made suit to Mercury, that he might speak with Jupiter. And so in this also it is most evident, that our Image-maintainers are all one in opinion with the Gentile Idolaters.

It now remains to show, that the rites and ceremonies of those that worship images or saints, are all one with the rites which the Gentile Idolaters used in worship

ping their Idols. And first, what meaneth it, that Christians, after the example of the Gentiles, go on pilgrimage to visit Images, when they have the like at home, but that they have a greater opinion of the holiness and virtue of one image than of another, as Idoiaters had ?—Again, what meaneth it, that Christian men cap and kneel before Images like the Gentile Idolaters would it not shew more wisdom and gratitude, to kneel before the carpenters, founders, and plasterers who made those Images out of ill-favoured lumps of wood, metal, or clay? What a fond thing is it for man, who hath life and reason, to bow himself to a dead and insensible Image, the work of his own hand! Is not this stooping and kneeling before them, that adoration of them which is forbidden in God's word? Let such as so fall down before Images or saints, know and confess, that they give that honour to dead stocks and stones, which the saints themselves, Peter, Paul, and Barnabas, would not allow to be given to them when they were alive, and which the angel of God, who appeared to John in the Isle of Patmos, forbad to be given to him; see Acts x. 25, 26; xiv. 14, 15: Rev. xix. 10. And if they say, they pay this honour, not to the Image, but to the saint it represents; these same scriptures convict them of folly in believing that they please the saints by giving them a species of honour, which they utterly abhorred, as spoiling God of His honour, And herein is confuted that distinction of Latria and Dulia; it being evident that the saints of God cannot endure that as much as any outward worshipping be done to them. But Satan, God's enemy, desiring to rob God of His honour, desireth exceedingly that such honour might be given to him. Matt. iv. 10. Wherefore those who give the honour due to the Creator, to MARCH, 1847.

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any creature, do service acceptable to no saints,-who are the friends of God-but unto Satan, the mortal and sworn enemy of both God and man. So that even to attribute to the saints a desire to receive divine honour, is to blot them with a most devilish ignominy and villany, and to transform faithful saints into devils, whose property it is to challenge to themselves the honour which is due to God only."

As the Homily runs to a great length in shewing the similarity between Christian and Pagan Image-worship, we must only refer the reader to it, and pass on to the conclusion drawn, which is,-"That it is not possible, if Images are suffered in Churches or Temples, either by preaching of God's word, or by any other means, to keep the people from worshipping them, so as to avoid Idolatry. And first as regards preaching, it is truly said, that to resist a tendency so strongly rooted in man's mind, as the desire for some sensible object to worship; it is necessary that faithful preachers should be as abundant as images; and yet it is well known, how rarely they are to be found, whilst, through the instrumentality of Princes, a multitude of Images may be set up, and continue to preach their doctrine to the beholders. Further, it appears not from the history of past times, that faithful preaching has endured in any place above one hundred years: while it is evident, that images, superstition, and worshipping of Images, which is Idolatry, have continued many hundred years. For all writings and experience do testify, that good things ever decay by little and little, until they be clean banished. And contrarywise, that evil things increase more and more, till they come to a full perfection of wickedness.

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"Wherefore I make a conclusion of all that I have said; namely, that the stumbling-blocks and poisons of

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