The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

SACRED IMAGES. 233His cross, or bearing on His shoulders the lostsheep. You could also meet with the Lamb, andan anchor, and a ship, appropriate types of ouiLord, of hope, and of the Church.The first crusade against images was waged inthe eighth century by Leo the Isaurian, Emperurof Constantinople. He commanded the paintingsof oar Lord and His saints to be torn down fromthe church walls, and to be burnt. He eveninvaded the sanctuary of home, and snatched fromthence the sacred emblems which adorned privateresidences. He caused the statues of bronze, silver,and gold to be melted down, and conveniently converted them into coins, upon which his own imagewas stamped. Like Henry VIII. and Cromwell,this royal Iconoclast affected to be moved by azeal for purity of worship, while avarice was thereal motive of his action.The Emperor commanded the learned librariansof his imperial library to give public approbation tohis decrees against images;and when those conscientious men refused to endorse his course, they wereall confined in the imperial library, the buildingwas set on fire, and thirty thousand volumes, thesplendid basilica which contained them, innumerable paintings, and the librarians themselves, wereall involved in one common destruction.Constantine Copronymus prosecutedthe vandalism of Leo, his predecessor. Stephen, an intrepidmonk, presented to the Emperor a coin bearing20*