To the first , The 1. Argument answered . which pleadeth how little hope there is for us in these times to prevail against the strong holds of Images ; we answer , First , That not onely a hope to prevail , but also an apprehension of duty is a fair ( if not the better ) motive unto the attempting of businesse : it being no dispensation unto the dog to give over his barking because the theef will not be gone , but rather it lying upon him to double his barking so much the more ; and the Lord appointing his Prophets to speak his words unto the people , Ezek . 2.5 , 7. whether they wil heare them or not . Secondly , considering how the light fallings of weak water ( Gutta cavat lapidem , &c. ) do in time make hollow the hardest flint ; it is not a thing to be despaired of , but that our weak distillations , if we can rightly level them upon the faces of these Images , which the overflowings of others have already so well washed upon , may pit and fret into them a greater defacement then hitherto hath befallen them ; the latter droppings alwayes making the first dint in the flint , though never a whit more piercing then those that fell before . Thirdly , one good effect we are sure shall follow upon our pains , whether it be by writing or speaking ( yea , though it be but babbling or scribbling ) and that is this ; That in the mean time Falshood shall not be able to prescribe any peaceable possession against the Truth , as long as any amongst us shall though with never so stammering a tongue but babble , or never so ragged a quill but scribble against the same . Yea , the perverse world it self shall reap some benefit by our such babbling and scribbling ; there being good hope for them , that the Lord will not come himself in person to vindicate the Truth ( which when he doeth , fire and brimstone must follow ) as long as he shall observe any of the sonnes of men fighting for it , and that we have not utterly forsaken the field . And as for us , the pusillus grex , and sorie company of these babblers and scribblers ( for so the industrious contenders for the Truth use to be termed ; ) beside the reward which the God of truth hath laid up for those that sell all they have toward the purchasing of this pearl , Matth . 13.46 . we shall also in this vale of misery reap many a sweet contentment : And while we are muddling in the mines of this hidden Truth , and working for it through the hardest rocks , we shall meet with many a living spring wherewith to refresh our thirstie souls , and many a clear fountain wherein we may bathe and revive our tired spirits : and all the way along as we go by the silver streamings , pleasant passages , delicate windings , turnings and returnings of this crystall and celestiall Truth , we shall every foot be entertained with most admirable varieties of sparkling and spangling and most unsatiating contemplations .

The second allegation toward the favouring and bearing with Images , The 2. Argument answered . is this ; That every child being able to discern how such kind of things have mouthes and speak not , eyes and see not , &c. it can be but a frivolous piece of work to make any businesse about such poore things . Whereunto we answer : If the Lord our God be a jealous God , and withall especially jealous against Images ; what mortall man shall once dare to term it a frivolous piece of work to be never so cautelous against Images ? For can we be too cautelous , or too timorous , how we provoke the jealousie of the most terrible God ? Now , that the Lord so is , namely , both a jealous God , and also especially jealous against Images ; many considerations have offered themselves to make it good : and we fear we shall offend the Lord , unlesse we admonish the sonnes of men thereof .

Touching therefore the first of them , namely , That the Lord is a jealous God ; it is no more then the Scripture every where supposeth : And the Prophet Esay , when he saith that he putteth on Jealousie like a cloke , Isa . 59.17 giveth us fairly to think , not onely that the Lord is a jealous God , but also that he will be known and plainly professe himself so to be : the cloke of a man being his most outward garment , and which doth , livery-wise , best make a man known from other men . Yea , Moses goeth further , and maketh it no lesse then one of the names of God , to be a Jealous God : For thus he saith , Exod . 34.14 . The Lord whose name is Jealous , is a jealous God . Whereof also , finally , good reason may be given : For what more fit to make the name of a thing then that which is sufficient to distinguish the thing from all other things of the same kind ? And doth not the name of The Jealous God , sufficiently distinguish the true God from all other gods whatsoever ? For as for other gods , so farre were they alwayes from being jealous gods , as that though their lovers went to never so many beside themselves , yet to them it was all one ; whensoever they returned unto them , and brought their gifts with them , like common whores they received them without more ado : Whereas the true God was alwayes so far from admitting any partners with him in his love , as that when at any time his people went unto any other god beside himself , he did most severely punish them ; and ( as Joshua at first gave them warning ) after he had done thē never so much good , Josh . 24.20 . he would do them as much harm . True indeed ; strange it may seem , that he in whose eyes all the nations of the earth are as nothing , Isa . 40.17 . should once vouchsafe to look upon the sonnes of men ; much more , that he should love them , and that with the highest degree of love , the love of Jealousie : notwithstanding , whatsoever the cause be ; whether it be because he would amaze the sonnes of men with the immensitie of his love , or whether it be to make them the more watchfull over every thing that offereth to get into their love ; whatsoever the cause be , so it is his pleasure , & so he hath determined , even with no lesse love then the love of Jealousie to embrace the sonnes of men .

But now concerning our second suppose , namely , That the Lord is so especially jealous against Images : that we grant may well seem something strange , especially considering what a world of creatures there are which both have Images as well as these ( whatsoever the eye seeeth being an Image ) and also such kind of Images as may farre better ravish the beholders then these counterfeits possibly can : Notwithstanding , first , thus much we are sure of , That none of the Commandments are grounded upon his Jealousie but onely that which is against Images ; Thou shalt not make any kind of Images , &c. — For I the Lord thy God am a Jealous God . Secondly , all the false gods that ever were , what were they else ( ordinarily ) but Images ? Thirdly , not onely the Images of honourable creatures ( as of Saints , Princes , Parents , &c. ) and of profitable creatures ( as Kine , Oxen , Sheep , Horses , Fowls , &c. ) but also of terrible and hatefull creatures ( as Lions , Dragons , Serpents , &c. ) and even of noysome , common , and vile creatures ( as Mice , Rats , Cats , Dogges , Worms , &c. ) have been made gods of : Which may the more plainly convince , that not onely the thing signified by the Image , but also the Image it self was the thing so deified and regarded . For though it be never so manifest that such kind of things have mouthes and speak not , eyes and see not , &c. yet such ( who knoweth not ? ) is the perversenesse of man , as that if he once setteth on it , he will maintain , that not onely the thing that hath eyes and seeth not , &c. but also the thing which neither seeth , nor hath eyes , nor any similitude of eyes , is notwithstanding a god : witnesse not onely those old heathen , which made a plain stone their god , and which also they called Matrem Deûm , Liv . dec . 3. lib . 9. the Mother-god ; but also the disciples of Trent at this very day , which maintain that to be the very true God , which hath the perfect similitude ( at least the similitude ) of a cake of bread . For though all their wits and senses do never so strongly reclaim against such monstrous positions ; yet if they once set on it , they will be so far from relenting thereupon , as that they will rather double their resistance so much the more , and make that a principall argument that it must be so , because their common sense saith it cannot be so : Even just as they which Austine speaketh of , August . in Psal . 113. qui in illo figmento numen inesse credebant , quia vitalem in eo motum non videbant ; which kind of argument none but such as had resolved to be wilfully mad would ever make . Fourthly , we find the Scripture farre more frequent in forbidding the making gods of Images & worshipping them , then in making gods of any other kind of things and worshipping them : And yet the making gods of other things is as much forbidden as the making gods of Images ; even in that first Commandment , Thou shalt have none other gods but me . A fifth reason why the Jealousie of God may so especially set it self against Images , may be this : Because no kind of false god is so fit for the purposes of false-priesthood as an Image-god is ; namely , because such a kind of god may both be most easily contained in their temples , under their locks and keyes , and shall put them to little or no charge , either to guard them ( for they are not worth the stealing away ) or to find them daily meat and drink ( for there is no life in them ) they having also many concavities and cells fit for wire-drawings , jugglings , and such miraculous feats ; and finally , being apt to be continued in their full glitterings and beauties , and to make as fair a shew when they are rotten as when they were first made . Sixthly , there is no kind of false god which doth beget the mind of man with a more grosse opinion of God and religion then an Image-god : And that may be a speciall cause why the true God doth take such indignation against Images . For when such kind of things are esteemed for gods as have eyes and see not , mouthes and speak not , &c. the beholders are given to think , that either there is not any true God at all ; or if there be any , that he is some poore , brute , senselesse thing , and such as can do little good or harm : And thus much also a mere naturall man , Varro , could observe , when he said , that the first setters forth of gods by Images , did not onely increase errour , but also take away all fear of religion : whereof Austine giveth this fair reason , August . De Civ . Dei , 4.31 . Quia facilè dii possunt in stoliditate simulacrorum contemni , i.e. Because the stoliditie of Images made men think accordingly of their gods . Moreover , there is no kind of false god so hard to be dispossessed and cast out of the heart of man as these Image-gods . For whereas all men are at the first in the state of childhood and ignorance , and children and ignorant persons are most easily taken up with these Image-gods : it so cometh to passe , that they take up the first and deepest rooms in the hearts of men ; and so must needs be most hard to remove and cast up again . Again , there is no kind of false god that doth more strongly resist the entertainment of the true God then these Image-gods : which may well be another speciall cause of the true Gods indignation against them . For the true God being altogether invisible , and taking up his mansion onely in the heart ; and these Image-gods being nothing but visible , and having no abidance but in the outward eye ; it must needs be , that such as have once been taken up with them , will very hardly be brought to brook and put confidence in the invisible God . And though at length they be brought to acknowledge that the true God is altogether invisible ; yet will it be a hard matter for them to put up a prayer unto that invisible God , but these old wonted Images will obstruct and infect the same : It being a good reason which Austine giveth , why the Heathens did rather direct their prayers unto the Images of the Sunne or Sea , then unto the reall Sunne or Sea it self ; August . in Psal . 113. because ( saith he ) they might think it more likely that the things which carry the similitudes of men ( as those Images of the Sunne and Sea , called Phoebus and Neptunus , did ) should heare their prayers , then such kind of things as had no similitude , but either of an orb , as the Sunne hath ; or of a wavie and undeterminate nature , as the Sea hath . Finally , when men will not stick to give incredible summs of money for Images , Plin hist . Nat. 35.10 . as sometime twenty talents of gold , sometime thirty , forty , sixty , eighty , and an hundred for an Image ; hath not the Lord great reason to be Jealous of Images ? For what more likely to become an Idol , then that which men esteem at an unreasonable rate ; and that also notwithstanding the Lord hath pronounced of it , that it is profitable for nothing ? Isa . 44.10 . But to conclude ; ( for it would be an endlesse piece of work to heap up all the probabilities that offer themselves for this purpose : ) That which one of the Fathers affirmed of his times , Lactant . 2.7 . when he saith , Tanta homines imaginum cupiditas tenet , ut jam viliora ducantur illa quae vera sunt , i.e. So greatly are men enamoured upon Images , as that now-a-dayes the more true and reall things are , the more vile and base they are esteemed : what age hath not found it true in their particular times ? As if the sonnes of men had a desire to compare with their Maker , and to find more excellencie in their own works then in his . Surely ( may we not say ? ) the true and reall servants and Saints of God were not more esteemed and respected when they lived , then their Images have been : And no doubt it will easily be granted , that when poore Lazarus himself would not be suffered to peep in at the doores , the picture of Lazarus shall be advanced in the parlour . Last of all ; Not onely the Heathens in their times , but also the very people of God in their times , have they not continually doted upon and runne a whoring after Images ? Yea , and that also as well in the time of the Gospel as in the time of the Law ? For what else meant those tumults , wars , and bloudsheds in the time of the Eastern Empire , about the setting up and pulling down of Images ? as our Homily at large declareth . Tom . 2. hom . 2. part . 2. And even in these last times ( at least as farre as the bounds of Rome extend ) hath extremitie of zeal been wanting unto the cause of Images ? Naclantus , in Rom. 1. cited more largely in the Homily , Tom . 2. hom . 2. p. 3. For , We must adore , saith one of their Doctours , not onely before an Image , but also the Image it self . And another of them thus ; Constanti us , in lib . Carol . Magn . The same honour which is due to the Trinity , do I attribute unto an Image ; and whoso doth not likewise , him I accurse . And their most classicall Doctour thus ; Bellarm . De imag . Sanct . lib . 2. cap . 21. The Images of Christ and the Saints are to be reverenced , not onely as they are samples , but also per se propriè , properly & by themselves ; even so farre as that the veneration may settle and determine it self upon the Image , & non solùm ut vicem gerat exemplaris . And whoever among the Heathen did more thoroughly rivet and imp the soul of man into an Image , toward the making it most perfect in Idolatry ? But enough no doubt hath been said to make it probable ( and more then probable we are loth to make it ) that the Jealousie of God is more strongly set against Images then against any inveiglement which the soul of man is apt to be beguiled withall whatsoever . And therefore to judge us frivolous ( idle , precise , fantasticall , iconoclasticall , &c. ) for being cautelous against Images , or for our resolving to admit of no reasons in their behalf but such onely as shall be substantiall and demonstrative , is a judgement ( we are perswaded ) that pleaseth not God : And therefore we will proceed and persist in our intention , and not give over till we have acquainted the world with our exceptions against the rest of the allegations .

The next whereof is this ; The 3. Argument answered . That now in the time of the Gospel the Church of God is at more liberty for the use of Images then it was in the time of the Law . Whereunto we answer , First , That the time of the Law being the speciall time for types , shadows , figures , and similitudes , which all were a kind of Images ; the argument should rather follow on the contrary , and conclude , That Images do rather lose then gain any liberty by vertue of that Laws exspiration . For it being the determination of God to divide his Church into a state of minority and a state of maturity , and the state of minority being that which was under the discipline of Moses Law ; the Lord did think it good to set forth that state of minority in such kind of attires and habiliments as might best agree and suit with the fansie of minority ; which when the time of gravity & maturity should come , should thereupon be put off and laid aside ; even no otherwise then as the blooms of our trees fall away upon the putting forth of the fruit . Secondly , when the time of the old Law began first to exspire , we do not find that the primitive Church did take any more liberty for the use of Images then it did before ; or that Idolatry was esteemed a lesse sinne then it was before , but rather a greater ; S. John pronouncing a more terrible punishment against it ( even the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone ) then the old Law in so expresse terms ever did ; Rev. 21.8 . and calling even upon babes to beware of Idoles ; 1. Joh . 5.21 . & terming it a doctrine of Balaam , Rev. 2.14 . to teach liberty of eating meat that was ( though but ) sacrificed unto Idoles : which also the Apostles charged the Gentiles ( for their first lesson ) to abstain from . Acts 15.20 , 29. Thirdly , for many generations together immediately following the Apostles times , the Church of God ( as our Homilie at large declareth ) would not endure so much as the sight of Images in places where Gods name used to be called upon . Tom . 2. hom . 2. p. 2. Fourthly , the sounder part of the catholick Church have alwayes esteemed the Decalogue to be of eternall force , and to be rooted in the Law of Creation , before any positive or Mosaicall legislation was : as also Gods punishing Idolatry in the old Canaanites which lived before the time of Moses Law , and his promise to a thousand generations ( the tenth part of which time the Law of Moses was not in force ) may import . Finally , the Church of England at this day continually publisheth a Law against the worshipping of Images ; and in her Commination pronounceth the first and last curse against them that so do . We will therefore without more ado esteem them at too weak a passe , and not worthy any further to be contested against , which for the succouring of Images find themselves driven to plead the abrogation of Moses Law .

The fourth allegation is this ; The 4. Argument answered . That the present people of England are of better strength and judgement then to worship Images , or to take any harm from such kind of things . Whereunto we answer , First , That so also ignorance and dulnesse of conceit are farre enough off from worshipping Images , or taking any harm by them ; witnesse the bruit beasts : it requiring oftentimes a good degree of understanding , to be so much as capable of some kind of deceit . Yea , profanenesse and irreligion will also neglect , deride , and spoil Images as much as this strength and judgement ; witnesse Dionysius , Rabshakeh , Nero , and those like Atheists . For as when profane persons heare one another swear by the bloud and wounds of God , and are not moved thereat ; the cause why they are not moved , is not any strength of religion , but onely their sympathizing with one another in profanenesse and irreligion : So likewise if any proceed not so farre as to do reverence unto such kind of Images as represent the wounds and passions of God , there is no necessity to think thē so specially strong in religion ; it being no more then incredulity also and irreligion may withhold them from . Secondly , as ignorance , profanenesse and irreligion , so also carnall policie and affectation will make a shew of this kind of strength : witnesse those Manichees in the time of Augustine , which out of this carnall policie , to winne the Pagans unto their side against the sound Christians , Contra Adimant . cap . 13. simulabant se favere simulacris , and made a shew as if they could wel enough endure Images : As also witnesse those Corinthians in the time of Paul , 1. Cor . 8. which out of an affectation to be thought strong men , would needs make nothing of it to be present at those Idole-festivals . Thirdly , admit it were out of some degree of sound strength indeed , that our people at this day are so farre from worshipping Images ; yet must this strength needs be generall ? Shall we suppose that there are not any weak ones or little ones amongst us ? Or shall the weakest of our times be supposed wiser and stronger then the wisest or strongest in former times ? Those ancient Chaldeans , Egyptians , Persians , Grecians , & Romanes , from whom we have received our principall arts and sciences ; yea , the very people of God , unto their wisest Solomon ; yea , at this present day , the Papists ( whose abilities in all kind of faculties , arts and sciences , languages , antiquities , subtilties and policies , who doth not acknowledge ? ) have not all these fallen by Images ? And must all these , for strength of brain and ripenesse of judgement , needs come short of our little ones and very vulgar ? For what though the truth be never so abundantly preached amongst us ? is every child as ready to heare a preacher as to gape and gaze at a picture ? Admit also that preachers should at all times so abound , and withall find so little to do , as to never leave calling upon men to beware of those blocks which they wittingly cast in their own way . Fourthly , Col. 3.5 . the Scripture ( we know ) judgeth covetousnesse to be a worshipping of Images ; and the mere coveting of Images is a kind of covetousnesse no doubt : And are there none amongst us which are culpable of that kind of covetousnesse ? Fifthly , admit that none of our people be observed to do any perceivable worship unto Images : no more doth the covetous man do any perceivable worship unto his money , but useth it as familiarly as any thing in his house ; and yet the Scripture maketh him an Idolater . Ephes . 5.5 . Finally , if none of our people may be supposed to be so foolish or so weak as to worship Images , why do our Laws so peremptorily and continually forbid them so to do ? Thou shalt not bowe down to them , nor worship them , saith our Law ; and , Lord , incline our hearts to keep this Law , answereth the people : and yet none of our people must be supposed so foolish as to break such a Law ! Surely , superfluous must the Law needs be , and most frivolous the Suffrage of the people ; or most presumptuous the Suppose . We conclude therefore , that as the Suppose is not easie to be granted , That our people are so farre from worshipping Images ; so also were it granted , it would not thereupon follow , that therefore our people are of such speciall strength and judgement : it being no more then ignorance , profanenesse and irreligion , carnall policie and affectation have brought men unto .

The next allegation is this ; The 5. Argument answered . That admit sometime some of our people do let fall some glance of honour unto an Image ; yet if it be but a Civil kind of honour and not the Divine ( dulia and not latria ) no just exception can be taken thereat . Against which position we thus demonstrate ;

That which is properly due to the Creatour may not be given to any kind of creature ( much lesse unto the Image of any creature ) but onely by vertue of the Creatours expresse appointment ;

But all kind of honour , glory and praise , of what degree or kind soever , is due onely to the Creatour ;

Therefore no kind of honour , glory or praise , of what degree or kind soever , may be given unto to any kind of creature ( much lesse unto the Image of any kind of creature ) but onely by vertue of the Creatours expresse appointment :

But never did the Creatour appoint any jote , or scrat , or scruple of honour to be done unto Images ;

Therefore must not any the least jote , or scrat , or scruple of honour be done unto them .

Touching the first ground of this our demonstration , namely , That the Lords proper due must not be disposed of but by vertue of his own expresse appointment : It is no more then the Law of the whole world doth acknowledge ; no man upon earth esteeming himself an owner of that which any besides himself hath power to dispose of : And therefore we shall not need to make any more words toward the stablishing of this ground , which the freehold of the whole world is grounded upon .

Likewise also our second ground , namely , That all honour , glory and praise is due onely unto the Lord ; is as clear a principle , and needeth no more words to establish it : the Scripture every-where ringing it in our eares , that unto him all honour , glory and praise is onely due ; and the condition of his honour of necessitie inforcing as much : For the honour of God cannot be infinite ( as of necessitie it must be ) if any jote or scrat or scruple of any kind of honour could be found not to belong unto him . Notwithstanding , because we find in the Scripture how the Lord appointeth us to give honour unto men ; as namely , unto Parents , Masters , Kings , Governours , &c. whereby it may be imagined , that perhaps the Lord hath dispossessed himself of some kinds and portions of honour : as also , for that it may be thought that some kinds of honour are too little , or common , or base to be presented unto the Lord ; and that therefore the sonnes of men are at liberty to dispose of those kinds of honour as themselves think good , and so ( finally ) to their Images as they list : we therefore purpose to stay a little longer upon this point ; namely , untill we have declared , That neither Gods appointing us to give any kinds of honour unto men , is of force to dispossesse himself thereof ; nor again , that the littlenesse or smalnesse or commonnesse of any kind of honour may be of force to exempt the same from belonging unto the Lord .

Touching then the first of these , namely , That the Lords appointing us to do any kinds of honour unto men , is not of force to dispossesse himself thereof , we prove ; Because the rest of his gifts which he daily giveth unto men , as wisdome , riches , power , authority , &c. do not thereupon cease to belong unto the Lord , but do still remain in his dominion and property neverthelesse ; even as the seed which the husbandman sprinkleth in his field , doth neverthelesse belong unto the husbandman . For as those gifts of wisdome , strength , riches , &c. so also the gifts and portions of honour which God bestoweth upon men , both may be and also must be improved unto the Lords finall honour and advantage : That being ( no doubt ) the reason why our Saviour appointeth us to give unto Cesar the things that are Cesars ; Because unlesse our Cesars and Governours be stocked & furnished with such portions of honour , authority , &c. they shall not be able to bring up whole kingdomes , cities , towns , and families unto the Lords finall honour , as their office is to do . Secondly , if it had been the intent of the Lord , to part finally with those kinds of honour which he appointeth us to give unto men ; it had been necessary that those kinds of honour should have been specified and laid out and severed from those kinds which were to be reserved onely unto the Lord : for else the sonnes of men might hap in their mutuall honouring one of another , to go beyond their bounds , and make bold with the Lords peculiar honour : But as we no-where find any such specification or partition ; so also we may every-where find , how those kinds of honour which are most likely to be proper unto God , as might , majesty and dominion , fear and trembling , singlenesse of heart , &c. are notwithstanding allowed to be given unto men : As on the other side , those kinds of honour which may be thought of a more common and inferiour nature , as obedience , love , subjection , thankfulnesse , &c. are notwithstanding usually called for to be performed unto God . Thirdly , if those kinds of honour which God alloweth us to perform unto men should thereupon cease to belong unto the Lord , by that means neither the honour of the eye , the tongue , the knee , yea nor of the heart , nor of the singlenesse of the heart should belong unto the Lord ; because with all these we honour men . We conclude therefore , That the Lords appointing us to give any kinds or portions of honour unto men ( whether Kings , Parents , Masters , &c. ) must not be of force to make us think that those kinds of honour do thereupon cease to belong unto the Lord .

And that the commonnesse of any kind of honour is not of force to abase it or dismisse it from being presentable unto the Lord , even no more then the commonnesse of coin doth make the coin the lesse presentable unto the king , it will easily be granted . For as our receiving the Sacrament with that mouth wherewith we receive common meat , is no dishonour unto the Sacrament ; we having Gods ordinance so to do : so likewise our honouring God with those kinds of honour wherewith we honour men , needeth not to be feared as any dishonour unto God ; we having the ordinance of God to warrant us so to do . But rather , as the money which we pay unto our creditours assignees both may be and also must be as good money ( for the quantity of it ) as that which we pay unto the creditour himself : So likewise the honour wch we perform unto Gods assignees ( as Parents , Princes , Masters , &c. are ) both may be and also must be ( for the quantity of it ) as good and sound as that which we perform unto God himself .

Finally , that neither the littlenesse ( no more then the commonnesse ) of any kind of honour may be of force to dismisse it from presenting it self unto the Lord , it is as easie ( and no lesse materiall ) to declare . For , first , if the littlenesse of any kind of honour might be of force to put it by from being presented unto the Lord ; it would thereupon follow , that no honour at all should be presented unto the Lord from the sonnes of men . For all the nations of men ( the Scripture saith ) are not onely mean and little , Isa . 40.17 . but also as nothing , yea , lesse then nothing in his eyes . Secondly , the Lord every-where professeth himself the Maker and Creatour of all things ; and so strictly standeth upon his prerogative therein , as that ( when time was ) he would not suffer the poorest kind of creatures that are ( even lice ) to own their production from any finger but his own . Exod . 8.17 , 18 , 19. Thirdly , the least degree of humane honour ( whereof onely our question is ) doth it not of necessitie contein the honour of the heart ? it being scarce worthy the name of an honest action , much lesse of an honourable action , which proceedeth not from the motion of the heart . But the heart we know , though it goeth alone , and is not accompanied with either knee , or tongue , or eye , or any bodily parts ( for these are oftentimes fast bound by sicknesse , imprisonments , or necessary callings ) yet is it allowed to have accesse unto the Lord , and to present him with such sighs , and grones , and ejaculations , and thanks , as it thinketh good . Fourthly , ( that no sacrilegious disposition may take up this trick of robbing the Lord , by excusing the neglect of it by the littlenesse or poorenesse of it ) the Lord himself hath said it and sworn it , Isa . 45.23 . that unto him every knee should bowe : Which also the Apostle extending to the knees of things in heaven , Phil . 2.10 . and things on earth , and things creeping under the earth ; he giveth us fairly and plainly to know , that the least ability in the nature of man not onely may but also must find a knee to bend unto him ; our least muscles and knuckles , inclinations and dispositions , having more composition then the nature of angels , and more understanding then the nature of worms and creeping things have . Yea , Matth . 10.30 . the very hairs of your head are all numbred , saith our Saviour : And therefore if the Lord keepeth a reckoning of our hairs , shall we think he will neglect the excellencies and honours of our substantiall abilities ? the least lifting up of the eye , or the least motion of the lip , being able to do God more honour then multitudes of our hairs , who knoweth not ? It is true indeed , the Lord sometime rejecteth some kinds of honour , as the honour of the Lips , the Tongue , the Eyes , &c. but it is not because they be small and little , but because they that offer them are false and double , and think with their lip-labour to be quit of the Lord , and so to keep their hearts and substantial parts to themselves : Even like unto deceitfull debtours , which with the tendring a small summe of money intend to defeat their creditours of the main . For else , as the peny being as good silver as the pound , and having the Kings stamp as well as the pound , may not be rejected from bearing a part in the Kings tribute no more then the pound : So the Tongue , and the Lips , and never so outward abilities , being the workmanship of God no lesse then the parts most inward and supreme , may not be debarred from tendering their offices and services unto the Lord , no more then the parts never so able and supreme : the withholding the least of them being of force to make our greatest honours imperfect ( as the want of a farthing may hinder the clearing of the debt ; ) and their accesse being of force to make the greatest honours the greater ; as the least digit is of force to give an augmentation to the greatest number . We conclude therefore , That as the Lords appointing us to perform divers kinds of honour unto sundry sorts of men , is not of force to dispossesse himself of those honours ; so also neither is the commonnesse or littlenesse of any kind of honour , of any force to exempt or dismisse the same from belonging unto the Lord . And so the first ground of our Demonstration is most certain and manifest , namely , That all kind of honour , glory and praise , of what degree or kind soever , is wholly and perpetually due onely unto the Lord ; and consequently , That no degree or kind of honour whatsoever may be given to any kind of creature ( much lesse to the Image of any kind of creature ) but onely by vertue of the Lords expresse and speciall appointment ; even no more then a creditours money may be payed unto any but such as the creditour hath assigned to receive it .

Now , that the Lord never assigned nor appointed any kind of honour to be done unto Images , we must take it for granted , and assuredly beleeve it , untill we find his expresse word under his own hand-writing for it . And lest any should busie themselves unprofitably , and misspend precious time about seeking for some texts and parcels of Scripture to prove such a matter , we shall give them a sufficient Item to save them that labour , and that is this : That unlesse the Scriptures which they bring for the honouring of Images , be farre more plain , peremptory , and abundant then any that can be brought for the honouring of men ( as Parents , Princes , Masters , &c. ) they must not be admitted . And the reason of this our Item and Caveat is this ; Because men being reasonable and understanding creatures , and such as are able to improve the honours that are done unto them , unto the honour and glory of the Lord ; it is a thing not incredible unto flesh and bloud , that some degrees & kinds of honour should be done to them : and therefore a few words from the mouth of God , or under his handwriting , might be sufficient for such a purpose : But now for Images , wch are most palpably void of all understanding , and utterly unable to improve the honour that is done unto them unto the Lords finall advantage ; it must needs be a thing most incredible unto flesh and bloud , and contrary to all the rules of reason , that any honour should be done unto them : And therefore , unlesse we have most peremptory charge from God so to do , and that farre more abundantly then ever we had for the honouring of men , it must not be done . But so farre is the Scripture from such superabundance of charge for the honouring of Images , as that whereas it every-where ( and most expressely in the Commandments ) teacheth the honouring of men ( as Parents , Masters , Kings , &c. ) it scarce once affordeth any shadow of appointment for the honouring of Images : And therefore we may securely conclude , That the Lord did never appoint any jote or scrat or scruple of honour to be done unto them . And so our Demonstration against the doing of Civil honour unto Images , is abundant and complete : The force whereof by the strings of art may thus be contrived ;

That kind of honour which the owner of all honour did never appoint us to give unto Images , must not be given unto Images :

But the Civil honour is such a kind of honour as the owner of all honour did never appoint us to give unto Images :

Therefore the Civil honour must not be given unto Images .

But because every capacitie is not apt to be fastned upon by Demonstrations , nor readie enough to gather negatives from the want of affirmatives ( though in all kind of grants and conveyances betwixt man and man , the want of an affirmative is negative sufficient ) it hath therefore seemed good unto the indulgence of God , to declare his mind in this point to be expressely negative : & that not onely in general , when he forbiddeth the worshipping of any thing which he hath not commanded ; Deut . 17.3 and elsewhere where he saith , My glory will I not give to another , Isa . 42.8 . neither my praise to graven Images : but also most especially , and with his own mouth from heaven , when he saith , Thou shalt not bowe down to them nor worship them ; there being no kind of honour , whether actuall or intentionall , reall or personall , corporall or spirituall , naturall or morall , domestick or civil , divine or humane , but may easily be found most palpably forbidden in that short clause . Yea , what kind of honour can be imagined but may be found denied unto Images in the first half of that clause , Thou shalt not bowe down unto them ? For all honour being testimonium excellentiae , and attributing some degree of excellencie to the person unto whom it is given ; it must needs be , that whosoever giveth honour , doth withall perform some degree of bowing down : the attributing of excellencie of necessitie implying some bending , stouping , and submission , of the mind at least . For though some degrees of bowing down do not proceed so farre as to be visible and outward , yet may they be true and reall bowings down neverthelesse : Even as well as there be many kinds of knees which are not bodily and visible ( as the knees of Spirits , Hearts , and Angels ) and yet are true and reall knees even by the judgement of the Scripture . Secondly , admit there were some kinds of honour which did not imply a bowing down ( at least in the judgment of such weak ones as know no bowing down but that which is outward and visible ) yet when the Commandment addeth further , Neither shalt thou worship them , what could be said more toward the barring them all possible honour whatsoever ? Thirdly , in our English style , the title Worshipfull is more common then the title Honourable , and inferiour thereunto : And therefore the things which must not be worshipped , much lesse may be honoured . Fourthly , if all honour include either a bowing down or a doing worship , then much more must the Civil honour be found so to do : it being a necessary condition in the Civil honour , That it be not onely a true and reall honour , but also that it be an outward and visible honour ; for else it cannot serve to distinguish one person from another , as the intent of Civil honour is to do . Fifthly , if by Civil honour we mean those kinds of honour which passe betwixt man and man ; so we shall both bowe down to Images and worship them also , if we give them Civil honour in that sense : For unto men we usually bowe down , and term them Worshipfull , Honourable , Excellent , Majesticall , &c. Yea , Andrews , Resp . ad Bellarm . Apol . 8. Prostration and Adoration ( Nam civilis est adoratio , quis nescit ? ) have been esteemed allowable unto men . Sixthly , if by Civil honour we mean those kinds of honour which are due to the Civil body and the heads thereof ; so the Civil honour shall contain a principall kind of honour . For if Parents and Masters , which are but members of the Civil bodie , must be honoured with fear and trembling and singlenesse of heart ; then much more must the Civil body it self , or such as represent the same , be so honoured . Again , if by Civil honour we mean onely such forms of honour as by locall and civil constitutions do passe for acknowledgements of honour ; such as peradventure the uncovering of the head may be esteemed : ( for the uncovering of the head is not in all nations , and from the women-kind in no nation , esteemed as a doing of honour ) yet we must know , that when once any ceremonie is admitted for a form of honour , and is habituated thereunto , it must be esteemed as a Civil knee ; and the doing so much unto an Image , must be judged a bowing down thereunto , and that of the nobler kind of knee . Finally , they that set forth the Civil honour by the term of dulia , with telling us that it is no Idolatry , unlesse latria be given unto Images ; they do but give us exchange of words , Greek and forrein terms for familiar and modern ; that so the truth being obscured and puddled by the means , their Idoles may the better give us the slip . For the word dulia signifying service , & all service implying a bowing down ; it is plain , that the giving so much unto Images , is a palpable bowing down unto them . Secondly , the word latria signifying onely such a kind of service as consisteth in famulation and attendance , which is the most easie and liberall kind of service ; it is plain , that if the giving so much unto Images be granted to be against the Commandment , then the giving so much as dulia is apt to signifie , is much more against the Commandment . Thirdly , it is manifest in the Greek text , that dulia and latria are ordinarily used as words of one and the same signification ; and that latria is usually given unto men , and dulia as usually unto God . So as well might B. Repl . art . 14. Jewel compare this distinction to that of the Physicians wife : Who when ( belike ) she had mainteined that pepper was cold , and thereupon was opposed by some of the wives that it was hot enough in the mouth : she salved the matter with this distinction , That though it was hot in working , yet it might be cold in operation ; and so with her learned distinction put all the women to a stamme , and with a strong hand carried the cause : And so we may well think , that when this Image-worshipping ( or Image-honouring ) was first commended unto the world , and withall was opposed by those that were faithfull unto the Commandment ; the maintainers of it , partly being too great and too head-strong to mend their errour , and partly not being impudent enough to deny the Commandment , and partly ( finally ) not being allowed to work otherwise then by argument , at length drew forth these distinctions , That it was but a Civil honour and not the Divine , onely dulia & not latria , which they allowed unto Images : And so by the means of such new and strange terms they put many of their opposers to a stam ; especially such as more loved the peace of the world then the peace of conscience , or thought it an imputation to their learning , not to understand Greek & far-fetcht distinctions , though never so senselesse and impertinent . But when at length it grew most manifest , that through the gap of these distinctions the Commandment of God was not onely notoriously incroched upon , but also in a manner trodden under foot ; it was time for the servants of God to stand in the gap , and to resist such incrochers to the face . And for this cause , we for our part have taken the more pains about the stubbing up these distinctions ; wch hitherto have been the speciall Ivy-tods where these Images have a long time harboured themselves and bred their paddocks in ; and whereunto , when at any time they have been closely pursued , they have used to betake themselves , as their onely sanctuary and refuge : which after they shall be once finally put by , they shall be plainly discovered to be starknaked stocks and blocks , and not onely unworthy of any honour , but also most worthy to be thrown into the fire .