A vindication of the Animadversions on Fiat lux

3. There are besides these some unquestionable remnants of the conceptions that the Wisest and soberest of the heathen had concerning the Christians and their worship: as in the Epistle of Pliny about their Assemblies, and the rescript of Trajan, as also in Lucian Philopatris; in none of which is any intimation of the Nicene Images or their Adoration. It may be you will undervalue this consideration, because built upon testimony negatively, when it doth not follow, that because such and such mentioned them not, therefore they were not then in use or being. But Sir, an Argument taken from the absolute silence of all approved Authors, concerning any thing of importance, supposed to be or happen in their days, and who would have had just occasion to make mention of it, had any such thing then been in rerum naturâ, is as great an evidence, and of as full a certainty, as the monuments of times are capable of. Is it possible for any rational man to conceive, that if there had been such an use and veneration of Images in the primitive Churches as is now in the Roman, or that the reception and veneration of them was made the tessera of Church Communion, ⟨p. 492⟩as it is by the (Nicene Conventicle, that all the first Writers of Christianity treating expressly and purposely of the Assemblies of the Christians and the worship of God in them, with the manner and circumstances thereof, would have been utterly silent of them; or that those who set down and committed to record all the particularities of the Pagans rage in scattering their Assemblies, would not drop one word of any indignity showed to any of their sacred images, when they pass not by their wrath against their houses, goods and cattle? Such things are fond to imagine.

3. There are besides these some unquestionable remnants of the conceptions that the Wisest and soberest of the heathen had concerning the Christians and their worship: as in the Epistle of Pliny about their Assemblies, and the rescript of Trajan, as also in Lucian Philopatris; in none of which is any intimation of the Nicene Images or their Adoration. It may be you will undervalue this consideration, because built upon testimony negatively, when it doth not follow, that because such and such mentioned them not, therefore they were not then in use or being. But Sir, an Argument taken from the absolute silence of all approved Authors, concerning any thing of importance, supposed to be or happen in their dayes, and who would have had just occasion to make mention of it, had any such thing then been in rerum naturâ, is as great an evidence, and of as full a certainty, as the monuments of times are capable of. Is it possible for any rational man to conceive, that if there had been such an use and veneration of Images in the primitive Churches as is now in the Roman, or that the reception and veneration of them was made the tessara of Church Communion,