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" reject Images, [Horrefce Idola, refpue Simula"cra,] which I think is hardly to be reconcil'd "with the Practice of the Church of Rome, "or with the Faith which the profeffes and "avows: It being exprefsly made an Article σε of Faith, in that Church, that Honour and "Veneration is due and to be given to the I"mages of Chrift, the Virgin Mary and the o

ther Saints; Nor does it appear that the Hea"thens themselves paid greater Worship to

their Images, than what is maintain'd and "practic'd in thofe Countries where the Roman "Religion is Eftablifh'd. Some perhaps will "tell you, that Simulacrum and Imago have not

exactly the fame Signification: For answer to " which, I need only refer you to a Latin Dicti"onary. Or if there fhould be fome fmall Diffe"rence in the Signification of these two Words "(as I profefs I can find none) yet this would be "but a poor Diftinction to rely upon in Matters "of Faith and Religion, upon which the Salvati "on of our Souls depends. But I must return "to the Point which I am now upon."

Abhor Idols, reject Images, Horrefce Idola, refpue Simulacra: With humble Submiffion, My Lord, I think refpue Simulacra is not well interpreted. Whatever Politick Ends the Compilers of English Dictionarys may have in rendering Simulacrum an Image; I am of Opinion that in the common Acceptation of that Word among Chriftians, it is taken only for the Statue of falfe Gods, and that Idolum, and Simulacrum are one and the fame thing. Thus the Words of St. Luke, Acts Cap. 7. Ver. 41. Et Vitulum fecerunt in Diebus illis, & obtulerunt Hoftiam Simulacro. Are rendred in your own English

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Tranflation. And they made a Calf in thofe Days, and offer'd Sacrifice unto the Idol. Again, Acts Cap. 15. Ver. 20. Sed fcribere ad eos ut abftineant fe a Contaminationibus Simulacrorum But that we write unto them, that they abftain from Pollutions of Idols. In both which Places the Original Greek has ΕΙΔΩΛΩΝ. Where the Latin has Simulacrum. I hope, My Lord, your Grace would not call King George's Statue or Image at Effex's Bridge Simulacrum, if you were to make it Latin.

And as to the Refpect we pay to the Images of Chrift and of the Saints, be pleas'd, My Lord, to call to Mind, that at the Dedication (if I may be allow'd that Term) of this Statue, or when the Canvas was taken off it, the Aldermen and Magiftrates in their Robes, and the Officers prefent at the Ceremony, took off their Hats and bowed their Heads towards it, the Soldiers, in the mean Time, firing Vollies of fmall Shot; And if I may rely upon the Word and Honour of a very worthy Proteftant Gentleman (who averr'd he was Eye Witnefs of the Fact) Some Officers of the Army as they marched at the Head of their Men did Salute King William's Statue, when they pafs'd by it, with the ufual Form of turning their Pikes down to the Ground, as is commonly done to Kings and Princes when perfonally prefent. Of this Fact I have, indeed, but one Evidence, becaufe I never made it my bufinefs to enquire for any; but of the former, I could produce a Thousand. And I am pretty fure, if any Man would prefume to offer any Violence or Injury to the faid Statues, the Magiftrates and Judges of the Land would, very juflly, punish him for the fame:

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This we had once exemplify'd in the Perfons of certain young Proteftant Gentlemen, who were feverely punish'd for fome Violence they offer'd to King William's Statue. And pray, My Lord, do not these Proceedings manifeftly fhew, that you yourselves do honour and refpect the Monuments of your Benefactors, and look upon the Injuries or Violence offer'd to their Reprefentations, as intended to their Perfons? If so, why should it be thought a Crime in us to pay due Honour and Refpect to the Monument or Representation of our Redeemer, our best Benefactor, or to the Representations of the Saints, who were the happy Inftruments of conveying the Knowledge of our Redemption to us? In a Word, My Lord, the Honour and Refpect we pay to the Crucifix, and to the Images of the Saints, is no more than what common Senfe and Gratitude fuggeft to all Men indued with right Reason to practice in their refpective Degrees, towards their Benefactors in erecting Monuments, and Statues to perpetuate their Memory, and commemorate their Benefits; and which even yourselves practice upon feveral Occafions. Befides, you kneel down when you receive the Sacrament: You bow your Heads towards, the Altar when you approach it, you uncover your Heads when you come into the Church. We do the fame. We are all told by St. Paul, Phil. 2. 10. that at the Name of Jefus every Knee fhould bow, of things in Heaven, and things in Earth, and things under the Earth: Is not the Crucifix to the Eye, what the Sound of the Name of Jefus is to the Ear? If then ye may kneel down when ye receive the Sacrament, bow down at the Altar, uncover the Head in

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the Church, bow or bend the Knee at the Name of Jefus, without any danger of Idolatry; How can we be juftly charg'd with that Crime for doing only the very things which you practice yourfelves? Or if the Practice of thefe things, which, as your Grace very well knows, are only exterior Marks of the Honour and Ve neration we pay the Crucifix, or the Images of Saints; And, at the fame Time, declare our Intention is only to refer it to the Originals; to Chrift, as our Redeemer; and to the Saints, as the happy Inftruments of our Salvation; be Idolatry in us, how will your Grace juftifie your felves from the like Impeachment? This I hope, My Lord, may be thought fufficient to vindi cate our Church from Idolatry when the gives due Honour and Veneration to the Images of Chrift, the Virgin Mary, and the other Saints.

In this fame Paragraph, your Grace is pleas'd to fay: This is exprefsiy made an Article of Faith in our Church:

The Catholick Church affembled in the fe cond Council of Nice, and the fame Church af fembled in Trent, has declared, that due Ho nour and Veneration is to be given to the Images of Chrift, the Virgin Mary and the other Saints, which implys no more than, that the Honour and Veneration which is due to them, is to be given to them. And furely your Grace will not fay, that there is no Honour or Veneration due to the Monument of our Redemption, to the Representation of our beft Benefactor; when, in our own Days, due Honour and Veneration is paid, (and that without any Crime, or Appearance of Idolatry) to Benefactors of a much inferior Degree. As to what your B Grace

Grace fays, that this Doctrine, viz. That Honour and Veneration is due, and to be given to the Images of Chrift, the Virgin Mary, and other Saints, is exprefsly made an Article of Faith in the Church of Rome: I think, My Lord, the Church of Rome, or (as I fuppofe your Grace Means) the Church in Communion with the See of Rome, never pretended to make New Articles of Faith, fhe only declares and defines the feveral Points of the Depofitum Fidei contain'd in the Old and New Teftament, or handed down by univerfal Tradition to be of Faith, and makes them then Terms of Communion when they are queftion'd or oppos'd. Of thefe we have many which were never yet defin'd; because they were not oppos'd or deny'd; and yet if any Man fhou'd deny them to be DiVine Truths revealed by Almighty God, he wou'd be reputed an Heretick: For inftance: Suppofe a Man fhould deny what is recorded of Gideons Fleece, Jud 6. 17. 18. that it was wet, when the Floor about it was dry; and again, that the Floor was wet and the Fleece dry; and that in Process of time, this Man fhould continue obftinate, or bring over any Number of Chriftians to be of hisOpinion, fo as to difturb the Peace of the Church, and infect others with his Error; the Catholick Church, nơ doubt, would condemn him and his Sectators as Hereticks. And thus it was when the Iconoclafts, in the latter End of the Eight Century, broke down the Images of Jefus Chrift and of his Saints, and maintain'd that no Honour or Refpect fhould be paid them; the fecond Council of Nice declar'd the Iconoclafts Hereticks: And in like manner in the Beginning of the fixteenth Century,

when