RELIGION OF YHE FINE ARTS.
IMAGE WORSHIP!
ANCIENT ICONOCLAsM


and
MODERN CFIUR CH-BURNING

A LECTURE.

Delivered In st. Peters Church, New York,


Sunday Evening, Dec. Q, IsA4.

By the Rev. c. Pise, ID.
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chdpfeTp y, 9


And God spaks ali these words, and said,


am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out Of the


not


SThou shalt make yself any craven things nor
the likeness Of any thing in the heavens above the
earth beneath Of any thing in the waters under the
earth.


Thou shalt not adore them nor serve them.


ultimately connected with the subject which
have Just concluded-the veneration Of Saints--s
that upon which it is mypurpose to enter this even
ing, namely, the respect which the church teaches
her members to pay 10 sacred images. But on this
subject do not mean TO defend the usage, az mis-
represented either by prejudice or by ignorance.
In defending the usage OF veneratng sacred Pic
lures and images, 90 NOT mean TO defend the vul-
gar notions entertained by many OF those sects Of
christians opposed to our church-that in them we
believe to be contained any inherent or intrinsic
virtue-that we are accustomed to kneel be-
fore them as before many deities These
are the prejudiced notions and misrepresen,a-
tions which have been and are circulated
about from end OF this country to the
other; as much as to say that we Catholics are
so lost 10 all sense OF shame and propriety s0 per-
fecly Inconsistent with the first principles of Chris
rianity, as to transfer the homage we owe to the
Supreme Being to sticks and stones, or any other
materials by which those sacred images may be
represented In vindlcating the usuage of the
Church with regard TO the veneration paid to sa-
cred images. shall contine myself exclusively to
the doctrines which have been taught. and are to
this day, in every part of the Catholic world taught
on the subject There has just occurred to me an
idea, and one which have often heard repeated
in society by persons utterly unacquainted with our
dOctrnes-by individuals who have never given
themselves the trouble to investigate our docsrnes
or our Bible, that we suppress the second CON-
mandment, in order that we may blind the eyes of
poor people to the idoatry inculcated by
our Church. Now, / have read for You the
text as contained in the Catholic version of


the Ancient Testament where you find incalcate that


msge-any craven thing either in the heavens above or
in the earth beneath or in the wate under the EARTH for
IN s We mss
with proper understanding of this subject that may
in the &c ui the real


but as usual will have to standard Cste.
chsm the doctrines held by the Council Of Trent The
catechism Of the Council Of Trent "he honor and
veneration Of the Saints" psge 332 says" This COM
mandment hs have just ready not prohibit the
fore, at which we must arrive. is that images are
prohibited only because they may be instruments Of
y IT., s ins worship q God to many other GODS
following decision -" The images Of Christ the Virgin
Mary the Apostles and Saints kept and retained par
ticularly in onr churchesno that believe in the d.
vny or power Of them that any thing asked
Of them, or that any virtue is to be placed in
rect and positive and Of the vugaI
prejudices and Misrepresentation. which have gone
be allowed before enter into the argument, 10
speak-perhaps may be considered by egotisti-
caliyyes to show how prevalent is the absurd notion
classes Of society among those who have examined
our doctrines-I will beg leave to say from this place.
hat when had the honour Of officiating Chaplain in
Washington this question was put to me by member
Of Congress =" Do you pretend to vindicate Image
Of the term do notn What do you not adore msres1
Why in some parts Of the world have visited have


the morning in the sna S,ch &C
nght and people falling prosrate before it like idoater


said, IN what part 1.-THE world did you this and
who are the witnesses Again, If possible for
such to take place, as minister of the true religion


instead Of toleratng such superstition would be bound
by my religion to condemn them for while we are
always willing to defend the doctrine our faith we are
the first to reform any abuses which may have exsted
religion has often served as cloak but the Chrissn
religion therefore idolatrous7 Therefore, say that
taught by the holy Catholic Church Il Ras struck
extraordinary that enlightened men object 10 cur


aying need Of religious respect imsges whilst they
respect to images Of another kind And yet we basu.
perstous for entertaining respect for images Of dis
yrs. must not the blame fall the patriot who
honors tho pictures Of Warrington any other Of the
he rolls Of country What you blame nae for. you
commit before the image Of Washipgt veDerate the
images Of saints not that have for the cold
ble or the eess the materials which thew
good men. It Is the same feeling as that which
which represents our Lord % md savior as who disd
an ignominious death for eur salvation We enter.


ration for the nag of our counry and whenever we
behold nutterng in the breeze, hail with rover
suffer- Now is II the materials Of which that Gae il
composed which respected? II IL not but il Is res
pscted because represents our country and the fathers


our country, aud all the great and excellent virtues
hat exist the perversty the times
N this great commonwealth. But the ignorant DO not
notions the SUBJECT Now. when the most ignrrant
Catholic or the most simple child enters this church, i'll
would be the answer7 "No by no ssys the cate
chism because has no life sense feeling But
before w Secan,s IN ss n
who died for all and through whom he hopes for life
lasting and there is not an individual here whatever
he representative Jesus Christ whoever Il came from
Now taking this view Of the subject 10 not extraor-
dinary almost incredblethatt there should exist such
trange and vruent prejudces against this beautiful and
inspiring usage OF generating sacred pictures
please And yet against this usare there has existed


from the eighth century with alterations the ost
u prejudice and which s kept up now on the
must be allowed to by iptest-d politicians or ma


onal prsjudices It appeared IN England, for the first
trne supersious and idolarous The first persons to
rise sEaint the general ussge Of the Church were the
the meaning and etymology Of the term which means
" waging war against images" But those Tconclasts
derived their notions from the Mshomstans and cer-
first attacked by the barbarian Of the Mshometsns.
The Emperor Leo the rst to prosecute those who
clupg to the usage Of the Church In veneraing sacred
images grest number Of Bishops were compelled 10
assemble in convencle and under the influence Ct in
limitation and threats they drew up declaration that


to venerae sacred images error and no better
than dolasry" The spirit of opposition this "a.
cred ussge was kept up by Constantine but have
recourse to Ecclesiastical History will find that they
did not stop at venerang hut forbid the making of scred
limoges at all and this counsel had been drected-ss
the enemies Of the Church will have IT, by the spirit
Of God-then the spirit of God has condemned
the beautiful art Of painting Immediately they
began the work Of destruction under the pretext Of
vindicating the purity Of the faith and find that the


first image hat fcll victim to the fanacism of the Iss
Of Christ said to be executed by the commend OF Con-
santine the Great IT. then, Constantine the Great or
dered to be made and vcnerated image of Christ which
was continued downto the age Of Constantine lC-,k
may be asked who was rightthe latter, drawing his
errors from the Mahomeans and causing the destruction
Of the image, Constantine the Great who instructed
in the truths Of Christianity, caused 4 to be made and