Your Council of Trent is very wary in this matter, as it was in most of its other affairs: and indeed seeing it was resolved not to give place to the Truth, it became it so to be, that it might keep any footing in the minds of men, and not tumble headlong into contempt and reproach. Many difficulties it had to ⟨p. 479⟩wrestle withal. It saw the practice of their Church which was not totally to be deserted, least the great mystery of its Infallibility should be impaired, and its nakedness laid open: the general complaint on the other side of learned and sober men, that under a pretence of Image Worship as horrible Idolatry was brought into the Church of God, as ever was practiced among the Heathen, did not a little perplex it. It had also the various and contradictory opinions of the great Doctors of your Church, and Masters of your Faith about the kind of Worship which is due to Images, all which had great followers ready to dispute endlessly in the maintenance of their several conceits. Amidst these rocks and oppositions, the Fathers found no way to sail safely, but by the help of general and ambiguous words; a course which in the like difficulties had frequently before stood them in good stead. Wherefore they so expressed themselves, that no party at variance among them might think their opinions condemned, that the general practice of their Church might be countenanced, and yet no particular asserted that was most obnoxious to the exceptions of the Lutherans. Thus then they speak, Imagines porro Christi, Deiparae Virginis & aliorum Sanctorum in Templis praeertim habendas & retinendas; eisque debitum honorem & venerationem impertiendam, non quod credatur—quoniam honos qui eis exhibetur refertur ad Prototypa, quae illae representant; with much more to that purpose. And we may observe, That the Decree speaks only of the Images of Christ, the blessed Virgin, and other Saints, not expressly mentioning the Images of God the Father, of the Trinity, and of the Holy Ghost, nor of Angels, which they knew to be made, and to be had in veneration in their ⟨p. 480⟩Church, nor do they anywhere reject the use, making, or worshipping of them. Yea in their following words they do plainly allow of the figuring of the Deity.
Your Council of Trent is very wary in this matter, as it was in most of its other affairs: and indeed seeing it was resolved not to give place to the Truth, it became it so to be, that it might keep any footing in the minds of men, and not tumble headlong into contempt and reproach. Many difficulties it had to ⟨p. 479⟩wrestle withal. It saw the practice of their Church which was not totally to be deserted, least the great mysterie of its Infallibility should be impaired, and its nakedness laid open: the general complaint on the other side of learned and sober men, that under a pretence of Image Worship as horrible Idolatry was brought into the Church of God, as ever was practiced amongh the Heathen, did not a little perplex it. It had also the various and contradictory opinions of the great Doctors of your Church, and Masters of your Faith about the kind of Worship which is due to Images, all which had great followers ready to dispute endlesly in the maintenance of their several conceits. Amidst these rocks and oppositions, the Fathers found no way to sail safely, but by the help of general and ambiguous words; a course which in the like difficulties had frequently before stood them in good stead. Wherefore they so expressed themselves, that no party at variance among them might think their opinions condemned, that the general practice of their Church might be countenanced, and yet no particular asserted that was most obnoxious to the exceptions of the Lutherans. Thus then they speak, Imagines porro Christi, Deiparae Virginis & aliorum Sanctorum in Templis praeertim habendas & retinendas; eisque debitum honorem & venerationem impertiendam, non quod credatur—quoniam honos qui eis exhibetur refertur ad Prototypa, quae illae representant; with much more to that purpose. And we may observe, That the Decree speaks only of the Images of Christ, the blessed Virgin, and other Saints, not expresly mentioning the Images of God the Father, of the Trinity, and of the Holy Ghost, nor of Angels, which they knew to be made, and to be had in veneration in their ⟨p. 480⟩Church, nor do they anywhere reject the use, makeing, or worshipping of them. Yea in their following words they do plainly allow of the figuring of the Deity.
