learned who cannot read : And to others who are difabled for want of fight or otherways from the ufe of prayer-books; by the means of this devotion they may be as conftant in prayer, as those who have choice of books. As to the Angelus Domini; it is a short devotion to put Chriftians in mind, even amidst the tumults and distractions of life, to give God thanks for the benefit of our redemption; and is fixed at three times of the day, morning, noon, and evening; that we may never forget the bleffing of our Redeemer's coming, but imprint him in our mind and memory; and learn to pray to God inceffantly: We fhould pray at all times, and not fail herein. (Luke xviii. 1.) EXHORTATION. O Chriflian! look upon all the addreffes which the Church makes to the Virgin Mary, as made to her beloved Son thro' her interceffion. O raise up your heart and mind to him every time you repeat this angelical Salutation, Hail Mary! and return thanks for the great myfte y of your Redemption. And can you repeat the memory of it too often, when fuch bleffings have come therefrom? O think of those eternal evils you once incurred by fin! Think of those eternal bleffings you reaped by Chrift's coming and his divine grace: Once flaves of the devil, now fons of God: Infinite once was your mifery; now infinite is your glory! And will you lay afide and forget this great bounty of Chrift your Saviour, expreffed in the angelical Salutation; and flight fo powerful an Advocate to your bleffed Jefus as the Virgin Mary who, as he is the Mother of Chrift, fhe is also the Mother of all Christians : Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for me, now, and in the hour of my death. Amen. SEC T. SECT. V. On Holy Pictures and Images. To God alone be Honour and Glory for ever. 2. WHAT is the intent of fo many Pictures and Images in Churches? A. They are as fo many books to the ignorant, to put them in mind of Chrift, and all the mysteries of our redemption; as alfo of the Virgin Mary and the Saints, that we may follow their example. 2. But is there not danger of idolatry in fetting fo many pictures and images before the eyes of the ignorant people? A. No: The faithful are fo well inftructed from their childhood in the belief of one only God, and of the meaning of holy Images, that idolatry, and all danger and fhadow of it, is entirely vanished in all Catholick Countries. 2. Is not your devotion and veneration of them carried to excefs? A. No: Strictly speaking, 'tis not the inanimate image we venerate, but the perfon it reprefents, whose memory is dear to us: Our veneration does not stop at the Image, but paffes to the Prototype, the perfon or things represented by it. 2. Do you think there is any virtue in holy Images? A. No: There is no virtue in them: They neither fee, nor hear, nor help us. 2. What benefit then do you receive by them? A. They movingly reprefent to us the mysteries of our redemption, and the acts and martyrdoms of the Saints. 2. Is 2. Is not the ufe of Images against the commandment, Thou shalt not make to thyfelf any graven thing? A. No: They are not idols, or images of false Gods, nor worshipped as fuch; which is the thing forbid by that commandment. INSTRUCTION. The faith of our Church is best known from the decrees of her General Conncils, where this article of the veneration of holy Images is defined. First, in the Nicene Council, held An. Do. 787. against the hereticks of those times, called Iconoclafts, or image-breakers, Calvin's predeceffors. This Oecumenical Synod defined as follows. “The Images of Chrift and his Saints are to be "retained and placed in the Churches; that at the fight of them the memory and affections of the beholders may be excited towards those who are "represented by them: And we are to falute and ' pay an honorary bowing down to the faid Images, "like as is given to the figure of the holy crofs, "to chalices, to the books of the gospels, or fuch like facred utenfils; but not Latria, which, as "true faith teaches, is due only to God." (Act. 7) The decree of the Council of Trent is worded to the fame purpose. "The Images of Chrift, of the blessed "Virgin Mother of God, and of other Saints, are to "be kept and retained, especially in Churches, and "due honour and veneration to be given them: "not for any divinity or virtue which is believed "to be in them, or that any thing is to be asked "of them, or any confidence to be placed in them, "as was anciently done by the heathens, who put their trust in idols, but because the honour which is done to the images is referred to the prototypes which they reprefent. So that by the Images "which we kifs, and before which we kneel and tr uncover our heads, we adore Chrift, and venerate "the Saints, whose pictures they are; as the Coun cils, "cils, especially the fecond of Nice, have defined against the impugners of images." (Coun. of Trent, Seff. 25.). Holy images therefore, are used in Churches for feveral good ends; as well for ornament, as for inftruction of the ignorant; but chiefly, as helps to devotion: While they movingly represent the myfteries of our redemption, and place before our eyes the acts and martyrdoms of the faints, whose example we profefs to follow. While my eye is on the picture or image of Chrift, I have the imagination of him in my mind; him I venerate, him I adore. If I have a veneration for his image, it is because it is his image, and puts me in mind of him: The veneration then which I have for the image, does not stop there, but is referred to the prototype, that is reprefented by it. As all the Faithful are well inftructed herein, and know there is no virtue or divinity in holy images for which they are to be adored; and that they neither fee, nor hear, nor help us; there can be no danger of idolatry while we kneel or pray before them. There have been many miraculous well-attefted cures wrought in the Churches, to reward the piety of fuch as came to recommend their diftreffes to the interceffions of the faints, and the Virgin Mary, before their images: Yet those wonderful cures are not to be attributed to any power or divinity in the image; but to the almighty power of God, moved to work those miracles, by the prayers of his faints, to reward the faith and piety of those who confide in his power; as alfo to atteft the faith of his Church, and give a divine approbation of her religious practice of the invocation of faints, and veneration of holy images. However, we do not pretend the hiftories of all thofe miraculous cures are to be believed as articles of Faith; but only to F be be credited as far as they appear certain. Hence, the Council of Trent decrees; That no new miracles be admitted for true, till the bishop of the diocefe has examined, and approved them. (Seff. 25. de facris imag.) But what virtue, you fay, in croffes or images to fright the devil; to diffolve charms; or drive away difeafes? No Catholick pretends there is any fuch virtue in them: The Council of Trent exprefly defines that no virtue or divinity refides in them. Now, the decrees of General Councils are the rule of our faith and practice. When therefore, Catholicks fign themfelves with the fign of the Crofs, or fet up that fign in their Churches or houses; they mean nothing more but to invoke God's Affistance against evil fpirits, and all that deal with them thro' Jefus Chrift crucified; which I conceive may put them to flight, and do all wonders for us. That fuch wonders have been done, very many authentic hiftories teftify. This is owned by Doctor Covel, an eminent Proteftant writer of the Church of England, in his anfwer to Burges, (p. 138.) "No man can deny, fays he, but that God after "the death of his Son manifefted his power to the "amazement of the world in this contemptible fign, as being the inftrument of many miracles." But what means our adoration of the Crofs, efpecially according to the ceremony on Good Friday? I answer; That 'tis not the graven image, but Chrift crucified reprefented thereby, is the object of our adoration that day: His image we venerate becaufe it is his image, and puts us in mind of the death he fuffered for us; but him only we adore with divine honour. But is there not something more done to the Cross, Seeing in the hymn for that feftival we read these words: |