.Theftrfl C4mmindeme11t. :are made to rep:refent any ofrhe three perfons inTrinity,the Father,the Sonne and holy Ghotl:and thefe,whatfoeuer pre– tence and purpofe man hath in fetting them vp, are fim-plie cuili.Therefore Deut.4.12.MoftJ tels thepeopl~,that when God came purpofely eo manifeH his power neere vnto the, and to fpea·ke in therreares, yet he lhewed no Image ot· re– femblance of himfelfe, but they heard oriely a voyce; for which cau[e hee warnes them, thatthey &ould nor in. any cafe goe about to make any Image, whereby. to teprefent God vnto themfelues. So IfoJ' 40. t 8. H7 htreunttJ will )~tc /i.. k!, mee·: whtJtfirnilite~Je--r~illyee malzyofme? There he ffiewes · that the caufe ofmaking_Images to rcfemble God, is, fot that men do not conceiue ofhim, &his greatndfe,fo as they fhould. For ifheauen. and earth, and all thinges therein bee compared to·him, theyare not only nothing, butldfe than \ nothil1g; and therefore what thing c•n they finde to fet forth hh MaiefHe?What com.parifon is there betwixt a fpi~ · ritu.all fubflance, and a bodily ? betwixt an infinite thing, and that 'which is finite ; betwixt him that containes.all ·things·in .hiinfelfe, a~d that which. is lighter. tlian vanitie it felfe ~. - · - · · r . · . , · · ~ ·" ·Therefore it is amoll blafphem~u~ debafingo.f1is Maie– Llie, to goe about any fuch refemblance, and iS-fo farre from lifting vp our hearts vnto him, that it drawes our hearts do~ne from him, making vs conceiue carnally of him, as of thofe thh:tgs, whkh wee fee with our n.atutall eyes. If wee fhould fee a m~n bow downe to J(ukes, and toades, , and the .mofl contempt-ible creatures 7 affirmH1g that hee yeelded them this wortbippe, in honour and reuerence to his Prince, becaufe thefe did refemble him; were hee not to bee condemned of great abufe, and difbonour· to his Prince r For thefe bafe and vile things are no way fie to puc vs in mindeo(our honourable Soueraigne. What can you, finde no better thing whereby to reprefelilt your , Prince, . · than a toade ?·Now there is a thoufand times more agree– ment betwixt the mightidl man, an~ a tpade : than be.. ,twixt God and :an ldoll. For a toade is a creature ofGod, as well as the greate!l Potentate :but an !doll is the . : wmb
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