The Papists sometimes pretend that they do not worship the images, but God through the mediums of images; or, that the worship which they pay to images is inferior to that which they pay to the Deity himself. These distinctions would be scarcely understood by the common people, and formerly an enlightened heathen or Jew would probably have urged the same thing: but idolatry, in general, is condemned in Scripture; and all use of images in the worship of God, the making or the bowing to any likeness, is absolutely forbidden. Celsus, Porphyry, Maximus Tyrius, and Julian, in defending the worship of images, expressly acknowledge that they do not consider them as representations of the Godhead, but that they place them before their eyes to assist their imagination, and to enable them to fix their thoughts more strongly upon the real object of their adoration; but the Christian fathers by no means allow this reasoning, and uniformly reprobate the use of images as a part of divine worship, under whatever pretence it is urged, and however explained. The fourth doctrine condemned in this article is the WORSHIPPING AND ADORATION OF RELIQUES. In the early ages of the Gospel, when its professors were exposed to every species of danger and persecution, it was natural for Christians 363 Christians to show every mark of respect, both to the bodies, and to the memory, of those who had suffered death in its cause. They collected their remains, and buried them, not only with decency, but with all the solemnity and honour which circumstances would allow. A remarkable fact of this kind is recorded by Eusebius, which is of itself sufficient to prove the practice of the second century; he tells us that the Christians of Smyrna were very careful to seek for and bury the bones and ashes of their illustrious bishop and martyr, the aged Polycarp, who had been put to death, and his body burnt, by his implacable enemies. It was also the custom for Christians to hold their religious meetings at the places where their martyrs were buried, by which they seemed, as it were, united with them; and to display their attachment to their departed brethren by such rites as were dictated by the fervour of their devout affection, and were consistent with the principles of their religion. It does not appear that this boundary was ever transgressed in the first three centuries; but in the fourth century, when the pure and simple worship of the Gospel began to be debased by superstitious practices, we find strong proofs of an excessive love for every thing which had belonged to those who had distinguished themselves themselves by their exertions or their sufferings for the truth of Christianity, and especially for any part of their garments, hair, or bones. Augustine in Africa, and Vigilantius in Spain, complained loudly of this culpable fondness for reliques, which they speak of as a new corruption, then first appearing in the Christian world; but the warm disposition of Jerome led him to stand forward in their defence, with more zeal than discretion. However, this learned father, even while he leans to the opinion that miracles were sometimes wrought by reliques, explicitly disclaims all idea of offering them worship; but when superstition has once made its way into the minds of men, it gradually gains ground, and it is difficult to set limits to it, particularly when there is a set of persons respected for their piety, who are studious to encourage it. Monks carried about reliques; and with great ease, and no small advantage to themselves, persuaded that ignorant age of their value and importance. Under their recommendation and patronage, they were soon considered as the best preservatives against every possible evil of soul and body; and when the worshipping of images came to be established, the enshrining of reliques was a natural consequence of that doctrine. This led the way to absolute worship, which was now preached by the Romish clergy as a Christian duty. Every one thought it necessary to possess a relique of some saint or martyr, as the effectual means of securing his care and protection; and fraud and imposition did not fail to furnish a supply proportionable to the demand. The discovery of the catacombs at Rome was an inexhaustable source of reliques; and thus the popes themselves became directly interested in maintaining this superstitious worship. The Council of Trent authorized the adoration of reliques, and they continue in high esteem among the Papists of the present day. What has been already said is amply sufficient to point out the absurdity of worshipping reliques. It is a doctrine manifestly GROUNDED UPON NO WARRANTY OF SCRIPTURE; it is a FOND THING, that is, foolish and trifling, in the extreme, directly contrary to the practice of the primitive Christians, and utterly irreconcileable with common sense. THE INVOCATION OF SAINTS, is the fifth and last thing condemned by this article. There is a passage in the epistle already mentioned, written by the church of Smyrna immediately after the martyrdom of Polycarp, which clearly proves that the Christians of that age had no idea of invoking or worshipping saints: it refers to [PART IIF to the Jews, at whose suggestion Polycarp's body had been burnt, lest, as they pretended, it should be taken by the Christians and worshipped: "These men, say they, know not that we can neither forsake Christ, who suffered for the salvation of all that are saved, the innocent for the guilty, nor worship any other: him truly being the Son of God we adore: but the martyrs, and disciples, and followers of the Lord, we justly love, for that extraordinary good mind, which they have expressed toward their King and Master, of whose happiness God grant that we partake, and that we may learn by their examples (r)." It is indeed certain that the practice of invoking saints was not known in the first three centuries, or in the middle of the fourth century; for the invocation of Christ is urged by Athanasius, Cyril, Basil, and other fathers of that time, as an argument for his divinity, because they did not pray to angels or other creatures; and Augustine, who died at the age of seventy-six, in the year 430, says, "Let not the worship of dead men be any part of our religion; they ought to be so honoured that we may imitate them, but not worshipped (s)." This passage seems to refer to the invocation of martyrs, (r) Eus. Ep. lib. 4. cap. 15. which |