making of any Idol or graven Image, or Image of Stone to fall down thereto : But has alfo forbidden the fame under the Gofpel Difpenfation; as we may fee by the Preaching of St. Paul to the Athenians, when he tells them they must repent of thofe Practices, feeing (f) we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto Gold or Silver, or Stone graven by Art or Man's Device.

The Reafon given by Mofes to the Children of Ifrael, againft tranfgreffing the fecond Commandment, by attempting to make any Similitude of God, was, That when God was pleased to give them the Law from Mount Sinai (g), they faw no Manner of Similitude of any kind whatfoever. Now this Reafon is as binding upon us Chriftians; fince we are not only taught in feveral Places of the New Teftament (h), to face from Idolatry, and keep ourselves from Idols; but are likewife told, that God is invifible, and that no Man hath feen God at any Time; and that God is a Spirit, which it is therefore impoffible adequately or properly to represent by any Thing that hath either Figure or Parts. If then the Papifts, when they are at their Devotions, do make ufe of any Similitude whatfoever, though never fo improper (for none indeed can be proper) whereby to reprefent God, or any of the Perfons in the Godhead, to their Minds, whether the Father, the Son, or the Holy Ghoft, they are equally guilty of Idolatry, as well as the

17.

(f) Acts xvii. 29, 30. (g) Deut. iv. 15, 16. (h) 1 Cor. x. 7, 14: 1 John v. 21. 1 Tim. vi. 16. John i. 18. iv. 24. 1 John iv. 12. C

Children

Children of Ifrael. And that they do fo in the Manner before-mentioned, they will not furely deny? or if they fhould, there are an innumerable Cloud of Witneffes to prove it upon them, that might be produced, not only out of ours, but even out of their own Authors: But I fhall content myself to mention the Teftimony of one Perfon only (which is to me in lieu of a thoufand Witneffes) who told me he had feveral Times, in his Travels through Italy, feen the Picture of an old Man, a young Man, and a Dove, in the self-fame Picture, fet up in their Churches, Chapels, and religious Houfes, made to represent the Trinity, which is the very Crime that St. Paul charges upon the Heathens (i), who changed the Glory of the incorruptible God into the Image of corruptible Man and Birds.

But though the Romanists fhould not make any Picture of the Father, or Holy Ghost, yet they are certainly guilty of Idolatry, whenever they bow down to, or pay any inward or outward Worship, or religious Reverence, to the Picture or Image of our Saviour, either upon the Crofs, or otherwife vifibly reprefented before their Eyes; whether it be expreffed by kneeling or praying to, or before it, or by putting their Truft or Confidence in it, as believing his Diine Power or Prefence adjoined thereto As alfo when any Papifts put any Truft or Confidence in their Agnus Dei's; which, after having been bleffed by the Pope, are fent to Perfons of

(i) Rom. i. 23.

that

prevent Mischiefs from befalling them, and to cure Diseases; in Imitation of the Handkerchiefs or Aprons (k) that were carried from St. Paul's Body to the Difciples, who were thereby healed from their Diseases, and preserved from the Power of evil Spirits: But this is now idolatrous, from the Expectation of a Bleffing and Protection to be derived to thofe, who fo place their Affiance, Truft and Confidence thereon; and is juft like the Practice of Numa Pompilius, the fecond King of Rome, who used to carry about with him, a Palladium, or Image of Pallas, as a Pledge to him of Empire; or of Scylla the Dictator, who in time of Battel always wore about him the Image of Jupiter or Apollo, as a fure Defence. The Figure of the Crofs, either with or without the Picture or Image of our Saviour upon it, reprefents him to us, as dead; for which Reafon (were there no other) it is a very improper Medium to pray, or pay our Adorations to him by : Our Prayers are to be made to him, as he is gloriously reigning in Heaven, which cannot poffibly come under any Representation whatever; because we can have no Notion how tranfcendently glorious he is there; and therefore all Attempts to represent him in that State would be vain; and, fince we firmly believe him to be God bleffed for ever, would be alfo idolatrous; as being within the Prohibition of not worshipping God by any Similitude whatsoever.

I am not infenfible of the Apology made by fome of the modefteft of the Romanifts, for this Practice, viz. That they do not fall down to, or before, the Image of our Saviour on the Cross; or to that other Representation of him, when pictured in the Likeness of a young Man with a Glory round him, either fitting in Heaven, or afcending thither; with Defign to give Honour to the inanimate Picture or Image of Gold, Silver, &c. but only with Defign by the firft to bring to our Rembrance the Agonies which our Lord endured for our Sakes; and by the other, the Advantages he has procured for us by his Refurrection. Were there abfolutely no further Ufe made of them, I fay abfolutely no other, or bad, Ufe made of them, I cannot fay they would be Idols; because the bare making fuch a Picture, Image, or Statue, free from all Manner of Intention to bow down, or pay any religious Reverence or Worfhip to it, is not making an Idol; any more than the making the Picture, or Statue of fome great Warrior, Philofopher, Legiflator, or other extraordinary Perfon, as of Alexander, Ariftotle, Lycurgus, or others (in Memory of their great Victories; the ufeful Philosophy, or the admirable Laws they taught Mankind) can be called making an Idol, when no Proftration, or other religious Ceremonies are made to them. And therefore the Pictures of our Saviour and his Apoftles in the Chartons of Raphael, which hang up in the Gallery at Hampton-Court, not as Pictures to be worshipped, but as hiftorical Pieces, or Monuments of the Miracles there reprefented; I fay, thofe Pictures being placed

placed there with this latter Delign only, may very innocently be kept there. Nor can the Pictures of Mofes and Aaron in the Proteftant Churches; or of our Saviour and his Apostles in our Common Prayer-books, be called Idols, becaufe we never pay them any inward Worship of the Heart, or outward Reverence of the Body. However, I muft freely own, that in my private Opinion they had all of them much better be laid afide, because of the Offence and Scandal thereby given to our Diffenting Brethren, who are grieved at this Custom; and we are to give no Offence, neither to the Jew, nor to the Gentile, nor yet (furely) to the Church of God, which the Diffenters are as much as ourselves, though the Romanists are not; the continuing whereof, when we may fo fafely, and without Detriment, remove the former out of our Churches, and leave the latter out of our Books, is, I think, contrary to the Advice of St. Paur in his Epiftles to the Romans and Corinthians. where he pleads for our having great Regard (1) to our weak Brethren; and at least perfuades us very ftrongly, if he does not command us, to wave what may perhaps be ftrictly lawful for us to do, for that which may be more expedient, or more edifying to others, and particularly inftances in Meats offered to Idols. His Argument runs thus, That although a Man who knows that an Idol is nothing, may, without wounding his own Confcience, eat of the Meats offered to it; yet he is to abridge himself of that Liberty, if fo be that his ufing it is an Offence to his (1) Rom. xv. 1, 2. 1 Cor. x. 23, 24.

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