Qef {ions and Anfwers, a. Command. Readcthefourteenth Chapter ofthe Booke ofWifedome; and =die the Storie The original( well._ The inucnting of Idols (faith hee) was the begiñning of whoredome, and of Images, the finding of them, isthe corruption oflite. They were not from thebegin- ning,neither (hall they continue for euer;& c. Before theFlöod wee reade notof them in theScrptures. And after the Flö'bd about three hundred yeares, hued Trrh,e brabamsFather, who as heewas, the firft Idolater that we readeof; So thinketh Epipbanius, Hee was the firft maker of an Image, and euen hee that is meant in the fourteenth ofïv[edomebefore -named. Buf whofoeuer firft inuen- ted them,and whenfoeuer they firl+beganne 'tskilleth not touch : onely note his judgement that writte the Booke of N'tfedome who foeuerhee was,how hee plainely afbrmeth from the beginning they were not, but the vain - glorie of man brought them in, and the finding of them was the corruption of life. Now, befides the vfe which there is touched, Namely, to mittigate the griefe of a Fa- ther-for his Childe, other vfes followed. For, Noble men, wife men,and good Common- wealths -men being dcad,had at theyr Gate's Doores, and other ,pla- ces,fet vppe their Pi &ores both to honour their tnemotié ,and to'mittigate the ' griefe of their Friends for their departure. So writeth Valerius of Scipio , and Cato , and'manie other Stories of the like, done to.other men. eAcceptadeinde res e57, (faith Plinth,) humanima Ambition ',ortolan Orbem. That is, The cufiome was taken oppe, euen throvgh the morlde, as it were óyacourteotu and ciui11kindeofAmbition. So that the Childe would haue his Fathers piklure, theClycnt his good Patron; 'theSouldier his Captaine, and the - Captaine,his Souldier,the Fielde,the Campe, and all circtimflances. And thus greme it fromdead -men to lining : and that fometime for honour, fometime for difhonour. And from private pfaces,to be fat by in Churches, from policie to Religion, as bath beene faide and (hewed before. And thus much of making of Images, and Ere&ing them,eythei in Hodes or Churches,private or pubhke places. of the wor. The fecond poynt generall of this Commaundement is, to confider the wer_ ihipping"of fhipping of Images,whether it bee lawfull fora Chrillian Manor Woman to fall Imam s. downe before a flock and a flone,and to do it reuerence,capping, kneeling,cree- ping,croffing,kifl ng,lightingvp candles to it,and filch like,as we fee done in the Church of Ruse, with great obis ruaton'. If we looke the Scriptures of haue aft here a plaine Commandement, Demme, 27. Thou, /halt not b wedomne ,to them ,norworfip them. Then iwue wee `,Dauidinplaine wordes,pronouncing deflruEìion to all that doe it,faying : ConfoundesP bee all they that worihip corned Ima,ees,dc. with a number liketeflimoníes. But Ipaffe them oue! becaufrouraiuer faries the Papillesthemfelnes, are afhamed of this theyr PGlm,97. follieandwickedilts; But how? A(hamed (I fay) to confeffeit,although they hauenotgrace to blufh at the doing of it. !For what fay theywith one confent,fo many as haue any wit,but that which their great Doihor, Thomas tAquinas, with many other, faieth; Namely,thatNeimaQini guidcmChrifli,in quantum eflres qua_ dam,putaliQnumfculptum; velpt5lum ,vlladebeturreuerentia,ie. That is, That torhe Summa e, mage par. very a of Ch-r , as it is but an Image, or matter of wood, yrauen, orpainted,no reue- n. i 3. ronceisdue, &c. and therefore in no cafe they will confeffe that they do any wor_ fhip robare Images. O happie men, if they haddegrace to ()lame to doe that, which they fo greatly (hame to fay they doe; or Confciences to take away it at the lafl, that which they knowe many thoufandes flumble and fall at, howfoeuer a fewe of them that haue Learning, can diflinguifb betwixt the Image , and the thingreprefented thereby. But what is it then that they fay,for the maintenance of theyr Images, if they Popilt flaiftts. denye toworfhip them i But forfooth they fay, theyworfhippe not the image, but ÇO D in the Image, audvwderthe Image. ' But
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