The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

234 THE FAITH OF OUE, FATHERS.that tyrant s effigy, with these words: "Sire,whoseimage is this?" "It is mine," replied the Emperor. The monk then threw down the piece ofmoney and trampled He it. was instantly seizedby the imperial attendants, and soon after putto a painful death. "Alas!" cried the holy manto the "Emperorif I am punished for dishonor;ing the image of a mortal monarch, what punishment do they deserve who burn the image of JesusChrist?"The demolition of images was revived by the Reformers of the sixteenth century. Paintings andstatues were ruthlessly destroyed, chiefly in theBritish Isles, Germany, and Holland, under thepretext that the making of them was idolatrous.But as the Iconoclasts of the eighth century hadno scruple about appropriating to their own usethe gold and silver of the statues which theymelted, neither had the Iconoclasts of the sixteenth century any hesitation in confiscating andworshipping in the idolatrous churches whose statues and paintings they broke and disfigured.A stranger who visits some of the desecrated Catholic churches of Great Britain and the Continentwhich are now used as Protestant temples, cannotfailto notice the mutilated statues of the saints stillstanding in their niches.This barbaric warfare against religious memorialswas not only a grievous sacrilege, but an outrageagainst the fine arts and had the;destroying angels