sine gravi dolore dicere compellor, frater et coepiscopus noster Johannes mandata Dominica, apostolica præcepta, regulas patrum despiciens, eum per elationem præcurrere conatur in nomine. Oportet ergo ut constanter et sine præjudicio servetis, sicut accepistis, ecclesias, et nihil sibi in vobis hæc tentatio diabolicæ usurpationis adscribat. State fortes, state securi, scripta cum universalis nomine falsitate nec dare unquam, nec suscipere præsumatis. Omnes episcopos curæ vestræ subjectos ab hujus elationis inquinatione prohibete; ut universa vos ecclesia Patriarchas, non solùm in bonis operibus, sed etiam in veritatis auctoritate cognoscat.-(Epist. xliii. Gregorius Eulogio, Episcopo Alexandrino, et Anastasio, Episcopo Antiocheno. Reg. Epist. Lib. v. indict. xiii. Tom. ii. p. 769. IMAGE S. AUGUSTINE. Illa causa est maxima impietatis vesanæ, quod plus valet in affectibus miserorum similis viventi forma, quæ sibi efficit supplicari, quam quod eam manifestum est non esse viventem, ut debeat a vivente contemni.-(In Ps. cxiii. Enarr.) EUSEBIUS. Και θαυμαστον ουδεν, τους παλαι εξ εθνών, ευεργηθέντας προς του Σωτηρος ημων, ταυτα πεποιηκέναι, ότι και των αποστ τολων αυτού τας εικονας Πανλου και Πετρου και αυτου δη του Χριστου, διαχρωματων εν γραφαις σωζόμενας εστορησαμεν, ως εικός των παλαιων απαραφυλάκτως για σωτηρας εθεκη συνηθεια παρ' εαυτοις τουτον τιμαν ειωθατων τον προπων. -(Hist. Eccles. Lib. vii. c. 18. Parisiis, 1659.) And it is no wonder if those of the Gentiles, who of old were cured by our Saviour, should do such things, seeing that we have seen the images of his Apostles Paul and Peter, yea, and of Christ himself, kept painted in tables; for that of old they have been unadvisedly accustomed by an usage among them thus to honour those whom they account to be their Saviours.* Romanists frequently quote the first part of this sentence to prove the antiquity of images, and leave out the latter part of it. CLEMENS ALEXANDRINUS. Ώσπερ Μωσης προπαλαι διαρρηδεν ενομοθετησεν, μηδεν δειν γλυπτον χωνευτον, η πλαστον η γραπτον αγαλμα τε και απεικονισμα ποιεισθαι ως μη αισθητοίς προσανεχωμεν, επι δε τα νοητα μετεωμεν. Εξευτελίζει γαρ την του Θείου σεμνότητα η εν ετοιμω της οψεως συνηθεια. Και την νοητην ουσίαν δε ύλης σεβαζεσθαι, ατιμάζειν εστιν αυτην δι θησεως.—(Stromat. Lib. v. p. 559. Lutetime, Paris. 1641.) αισ As Moses a long time ago clearly enacted that no image or likeness, graven or molten, or made or painted, should be made; in order that we may not be given up to things which are perceived by the senses, but may pass on to intellectual things. For the habit of familiarity of vision vilifes the majesty of the divine nature, and to worship the intellectual essence by a material substance is to dishonour it through the senses. Και * γαρ δε και απηγορευεται ημιν αναφανδον απατηλον ορίζεσθαι τεχνην. Ου γαρ ποιησεις, φησιν ο προφητης, παντος ομοιωμα, όσα εν τω ουρανω, και οσα εν τη γη κατω. -(Protreptic. ad Gentes. Parisiis, 1641.) TERTULLIAN. Omnis forma vel formula idolum se dici exposcit. Inde Idololatria omnis circa omne idolum famulatus et servitus... Idolum tum fieri quam coli Deus prohibet. Propter hanc causam ad eradicandum scilicet materiam idololatriæ, lex divina proclamat, "ne feceris idolum;" et conjungens, neque similitudinem eorum quæ in cœlo sunt, et quæ in terra, et quæ in mare,” toti mundo ejusmodi artibus interdixit. (De Idololatria, c. iv. Parisiis, 1675.) AMBROSE. Gentiles lignum adorant quia Dei imaginem putant; sed invisibilis Dei imago non in eo est quod videtur, sed in eo utique quod non videtur. (In Ps. cxviii. Bened. Edition. Parisiis, 1690.) Ecclesia inanes ideas, et vanas nescit simulachrorum figuras; * “ For he clearly forbids us to assume (or exercise) the deceitful art. For the prophet says, thou shalt not make any likeness, of the things in heaven or in the earth beneath." sed veram novit Trinitatis substantiam. De fugâ sæculi.— (Edit. ut supra.) CYPRIAN. Quid te ad falsos Deos humilias et inclinas? Quid ante inepta simulachra et figmenta terrena captivum corpus incurvas? Rectum te Deus fecit, et cum cætera animalia prona et ad terram situ vergente depressa sint, tibi sublimis status, et ad cœlum atque ad Deum sursum vultus erectus est. Illuc intuere; illuc oculos tuos erige; in supernis Deum quære. Ad alta et cœlestia suspensum (pectus) attolle relinque idola quæ humanus error invenit. Ad Deum convertere, quem si imploraveris, subvenit. -(Ad Demetrianum. Oxonii, 1682.) LACTANTIUS. Quare non est dubium quin religio nulla est, ubicumque simulachrum est. Nam si religio ex divinis rebus est, divini autem nihil est nisi in cœlestibus rebus, carent ergo religione simulachra, quia nihil potest esse cœleste in eâ re, quæ fit ex terrâ.-(Lact. Lib. ii. de origine erroris. Parisiis, 1748.) EPIPHANIUS, elected bishop of Salamis, about 366. Inveni ibi velum pendens in foribus ejusdem ecclesiæ tinctum atque depinctum, et habens imaginem quasi Christi, vel sancti cujusdam, non enim satis memini cujus imago fuerit. Cùm ergo hoc vidissem in ecclesiâ Christi contra auctoritatem Scripturarum hominis pendere imaginem, scidi illud, et magis dedi consilium custodibus ejusdem loci ut pauperem mortuum eo obvolverent et efferrent. (Epiphan. Epist. ad Joann. tom. ii. p. 227. operum Hierosolymi; a quo epistola versa est.) ORIGEN. τω Ορων δ', οιμαι, ο Θεός και την αλαζονειαν, η την προς τους αλλους υπεροψίαν, των μεγαλων μεν φρονούντων επι εγνωκέναι τον Θεον, και απο φιλοσοφίας τα θεια μεμαθηκεναι, παραπλησίως δε τοις απαιδευτοτάτοις επι τα αγαλματα και τους νεως αυτων, και τα θρυλλουμένα μυστηρια αγον But God, I think, perceiving their vain boasting and their superciliousness towards others, (they being proud of their knowledge of God, and of having learnt divine things by philosophy, whilst just like uneducated men they betook themselves, or they conducted others, to εικοσι. τας, εξελέξατο τα μωρα του κόσμου, τους εν Χριστιανοις απλουστατους, και πολλων φιλοσοφων μετριωτερον και και θαρώτερον βιουντας ένα και ταισχύνη τους σοφους, ουκ αιδούμενος εν τουτοις αψύχοις προσομιλείν ως θεοις, η θεων Τις γαρ νουν εχων ου καταγελασαται του, μετα τους τηλικουτους και τοσούτους εν φιλοσοφία περι Θεου η θεων λογους, ενορώντος τοις αγαλμασι, και ήτοι αυτοις αναπεμποντος την ευχήν, η δια της τούτων οψεως, εφ' ον φανταζεται δειν αναβαινειν απο του βλεπομένου και συμβόλου αν τος, αναφεροντος τε επι νοουμενον; Χριστιανος δε, και ο ιδιωτης, παντα μεν τοπον του κόσμου πεπεισται είναι μέρος του όλου, ναου του Θεου οντος του παντος κόσμου. Εν παντί δε τοπω ευχομενος, μυσας τους της αισθήσεως οφθαλμους, και έγειρας τους της ψυχης, υπεραναβαίνει τον ολον κόσμον, και ουδ' επι την αψίδα ισταται του ουρανου, αλλ' εις τον επου ρανιον γενόμενος τη διανοια τοπον, οδηγέμενος υπό του Θεου τον πνεύματος, και ωσπερει εξω του κόσμου τυγχανων, αναπέμπει ου περι images and their temples, and the celebrated myste ries) chose the foolish things of the world, those who were the simplest among the Christians, who lived more moderately and purely than many philosophers, that he might put to shame the wise who were not ashamed to address lifeless things as gods, or (to address) the images of gods. For who is there who is in possession of his understanding, who would not laugh at him, who after such and so great talking about God or the gods in his philosophy, looks at images, and in very deed offers up to them his prayer, or by the sight of them thinks to ascend, borne up from that which is seen and which is a symbol, to that which is mentally perceived. But the Christian, even though he be a person of ordinary attainments, is convinced that every place in the world is a part of the whole, the entire world being the temple of the living God. And praying in every place, and of his senses, eyes and awakening those of the soul, he ascends above the whole world, and he does not stop upon the outer circle of heaven, but entering in his imagination in the higher heaven, guided by the Spirit of God, and being as it were without the world, he prefers closing the των τυχόντων, την ευχην τω Θεώ. Έμαθε γαρ απο του Ιησου μηδεν μικρον, του τεστιν αισθητον, ζητειν. κ. τ. λ. -(Origenis cont. Celsum. lib. vii. Cantabrigiæ, 1677.) Αγαλματα δε και πρέποντα Θεω αναθήματα, ουκ υπό βαναυσων τεχνιτών κατεσκευασμενα, αλλ' υπο λογου Θεου τρανουμενα και μορφούμενα εν ημιν, αι αρεται μιμηματα τυγχανουσαι του πρωτοτοκου πασης κτίσεως, εν ω εστι δικαιοσυνης και σωφροσυνης, και ανδρειας και σοφίας, και ευσεβειας, και των λοιπων αρετων παραδειγματα, εν πασιν ουν εστι τοις κατα του Θειου λογου σωφροσύνην αρετών εαυτοις είναι Αλλα και παλαιον κατασκευασασι, και δικαιοσύνην, και ανδρειαν, και σοφίαν, και ευσέβειαν, και των λοιπων τα κατασκευασματα, αγαλματα οις πρεπον πεπεισμεθα τιμασθαι το πρωτοτυπον παντων αγαλματων, την εικονα του Θεου του αορατου, τον μονογενη Θεον. οι εκδυόμενοι τον ανθρωπον συν ταις πράξεσιν αυτου, και ενδυομενοι τον νεον, τον ανακαινούμενον εις επιγνωσιν κατ' εικόνα του κτισαντος αυτόν, ΤΟ κατ' εικόνα κτίσαντος είναι αναλαμβανοντες, αγαλματα ποιουσιν, οποία βούλεται ο επι πασι Θεός. του εν εαυτοις a prayer to God, not about things of no moment; for he has learned from Jesus to seek nothing that is little, that is to say, appertaining to things sensible, &c. But the images and votive offerings which are worthy of God, are not wrought by mechanical artificers, but are exhibited and formed in us by the word of God, viz. virtues, which are imitations of him who is the first-born of every creature, in whom are the examples of justice, temperance, fortitude, wisdom, piety and the other virtues. In all, therefore, who furnish to themselves, according to the divine Word, temperance, and righteous ness, and fortitude, and wisdom, and piety, and the preparations of the other virtues, these are images, with which we are persuaded that it is becoming to honour the prototype of all images, the likeness of the invisible God, the only begotten God. old man with his works, and But those who put off the put on the new man, who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of his Creator, and who take upon themselves to be fashioned after the image of the Creator, form such images in themselves as the God, who is over all, desires. |