aa Qef'}ions and Anfwere4, I, Command. Therefore not the rearing vp of a pillar, but the rearing vp of it to be worfhipped idolatrouflywasforbidden, Euenfooflmages, For,as I faid, they are ioyned of G O D in the place ofLeuatuur, as thingslike.rqually forbidden. A moll notable place all() for the proofe heereof is that in fofua, where the Iofua.za. ifraelnea would haue warred vppon their brethren, if they had ere&ed that al. tar forreligion, which indeede they did let vp for a ciuill vfe, as there youmay E od 5 fee. Befides all this, doe wee not fee that God himicifecommaunded theChe- rubims, Lillies, Pomegranettes, Oxen, Lyons, '.and fuch like pi&ures to bee made, and faicthhee had giueu his Spirit toBe ,aliel, whereby he might bane vo_ derftanding to worke all thefe worker. Now, thinkewith wour idle, wouldGod either haue commaunded Images to bee made, or afcribed the abilitie to doe fuels workes to the grace ofhis.Spirit, if in this Comsnaundement giueu and publifhcd before that time, bee had fimplie forbidden the fame in all refpe&s? It cannot bee, :voles God fhould bee con - trarie to himfelfe: and therefore the Tarbes, or whofoeuer elfe fo thinkes, are de- ceiued. The fame might yet further bee prooued by the commaundement ofGod to make the BrazenSerpent, and by Chrifles not finding fault with Grfarrlmage up- on the mony that was fhewed him, and manyproofes moe if neede were. For the fecond opinion of them that think e itlawfull to make anypi&ure, yeaeuenof God himfelfe, and to fet thcm vp in Churçher, fo long as- no wor(hip is done to them as they are bare Images, there is greatcaufè why. they fhould bee gainefaide m 'rhthee fenftom. c and.re(ifled cuen in both. But fpcciallie in_the,firft, for they. oppofe themfelues mdement to the true fente of thisCommamrdement, to diners other plaine Scriptures, to agaiafit. the natureof God, toreafoa, and to the iudgementes and pra &ifeofgodly.rnen, as by-particular viewe of merit one appeareth. For touching the true and dire& end of this commaundement,it bath bene laid !Defiler, and is moil true, that it is chiefly to forbid all pi&ures ofGod, as the moft Other(crip. grofleblinilneffe and impietieof all other , becaufe her may not be imagined to be like either manor woman, or any other creature.. He neuer was feene, and tuures` Deut.¢,rg, therefore cannot be painted orpiflured likeany creature,. but withabreach of Ela.,40.18, this commaundement. For other places of the Scripturé.plainelie forbidding the Aât.r7 z,. fame I haue quoted them before, and nothing can be more expreffe.Thirdly, they Nature a. oppofe themfelues to his nature, which is inch as no heauenlie creature can-refem- gainR;t, Me, much leffe any earthly :no naturall thing, much Idle any artificiall. And to fec vp a pidlure ofGod not like him, whether it bee t elend him, and to dif- honor him. ifotherwife wee can not conceiueit, let vs fudge by our felues, who quickly would take it in great fnuf, if one planting vs,fhould make either the eyes, too great, the nofe too long or high, the eares, mouth, armes, hands, or any, thing wrong. Yea, wee would buril it in pceces, bid away with it, and not abide the fight of ft. Yet dare wee abufr the God of heauen our Creator and maker, and fetvptwentiethoufand pi antes o f him in feuerall places, neuer a whit like him, fork is vnpoflible they fhould bee, neither one like another, O Chrift open our eyes,, that wee may fee this vanitie, and the fin of that Church, that maintaineth this as good. For truely it is fearefuli thus to play with the Lord, whom neuer eyes fawe, nor can fee, as he is in nature and being. Fourthly, they doe againfi all reafon: for God is a fpirit, & therefore cannot he pi&ured: God is infinite, & therefore can- not be planted. God, as often hath bene fayde, was neuer yet feene ofany, and, then how is it poflìble to pidîure him? Youth & age, length, breadth ,thicknes, whiteor blacke, this member or that, thefe are not things incident to the God. All prafti(eof head, & therefore inipoilible in very reafon to pisilure God. Laft of all, they op_ the godliea. polethifelurs both to the iudgemft &pra&ife of the godly in thus doing: for to gainilit. omit the judgements ofthe Prophets and Apoffies fo lately quoted,cryingagainft this impietie. 3 t
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