Gods Holy Mind Touching Matters Moral, Tract 2 · Part 11 – Part 12
Now some obiections are to be answered.
Obiection. 1 First, the Scriptures doe ascribe to God humane parts, as hands, eyes, eares, feet, and such like: therefore say some, It is lawfull so to expresse, and so to resemble God.
Quest. How is this to be answered?
Answ. Thus; the Scriptures in ascribing humane parts to God, speake metaphorically, by way of similitude, and vse those borrowed speeches onelyonly for our vnderstanding and capacitie.
Obiection. 2 Secondly, Christ tooke on him mans nature; hee became man like to vsus: therefore, say some, he may be resembled, and an Image of him may be made.
Quest. How is this to be answered?
Answ. Thus; Christ being both God and Man, the chiefe thing that makes him Christ, is his God-head, and that cannot bee expressed by an Image; and therefore an Image made to resemble whole Christ, must needs be a liuing Image, leauing out the chiefe part of Christ, which is his God-head: so that an Image made of Christ, either separateth his God-head from his Man-hood, or else it makes his God-head to be such, as may bee circumscribed: both which are grosse errours; therefore there may no Image of Christ be made.
Obiection. 3 May not Christ as well be painted with colours, as set before vsus with words in a Sermon?
Quest. How is this to be answered?
Answ. No: the one, God alloweth in his Word, namely, the describing of Christ in speech, in the Preaching of the Word, and Administration of the Sacraments, but not the other.
Obiection. 4 The Papists obiect againe; They worship not the Image of God, or of Christ, but God or Christ, in, at, before, or vnderunder the Image.
Quest. How is this to be answered?
Answ. Two wayes.
1. First, God and Christ will not bee so worshipped, they hauehave no warrant in the Word of God so to worship them.
2. Secondly, God or Christ being worshipped in, at, before, or vnderunder an Image, a Crucifixe, Bread in the Sacrament, or such like, are thereby made Idoles, and to those that so worship them, are turned into Idoles.
Quest. How may this appeare?
Ans. First, by euidence of Scripture, as Psal. 106.19, 20.
Secondly, by this reason; Thereby they bind the presence, the grace, and operation of God and Christ to Images; and so make God such a God, and Christ such a Christ, as will bee present, and will heare them at Images; and so indeed they make them Idoles, and worshipping God and Christ in that manner, they worship Idoles of their owne braine.
Obiection. 5 They obiect further, They intend not to worship an Idole, but onelyonly the true God, the Maker of Heauen and earth in an Image.
Quest. How is this to bee answered?
Answ. Thus; First, no intention of man makes the true worship of God, but onelyonly Gods will.
Secondly, the Israelites did thus; they intended to worship the true God in the Golden Calfe, Exod. 32.5.Iudg. 2.11, 12, 13. yet that is called an Idole, Actes 7.49. so the Israelites worshipped Baal, Asteroth, Idoles fetched from the Gentiles: but their intent therein was,Hosea 2.16. to worship the true God in those Idoles.
Men may bow to the Chaire of Estate, the Letter of the Obiection. 6 Prince, without Idolatry; therefore much more to the Images of God, of Christ, and of the Saints.
Quest. How is this to bee answered?
Answ. Thus; the reason is not alike, for
1. First, reuerence, or bowing downe to the Chayre of Estate, or the Letter of the Prince, is meerely ciuill, and in ciuill respects performed: but bowing to Images, is religious.
2. Secondly, bowing to the Chayre of Estate, or the Letter of the Prince, is according the Princes will: but bowing to Images is not according to Gods will, but directly against it.
Obiection. 7 Images be Lay-mens Books, and they serue to put them in minde of God, and of Christ, therefore they may be vsed.
Quest. How is this to be answered?
Answ. EueryEvery kind of Booke is not good; there be books of Magicke, of Coniuring, and of lewd matters: and there bee dangerous lying and deceiuing Bookes;Ierem. 10.8, 15. Habak. 2.18. and such Bookes are Images, and therefore they may not be vsed.
Obiection. 8 Moses caused the Cherubims to bee made ouer the Arke, and a Brazen Serpent for the people to looke on: therefore it is lawfull now to make Images for the vse of Religion.
Quest. How is this to be answered?
Exod. 25.18. Numb. 21.8.Answ. Thus; first, the Cherubims & Brazen Serpent were no inuentions of men, but were made by Gods owne commandement, and appointment.
Againe, the Cherubims, and the Brazen serpent, were made, not to be adored and worshipped; but to represent, or signifie some things fit for that time, when the ceremoniall Law was in vse; as the Cherubims stretching out their wings, signified, that God had his wings as it were, spread out for the protection and shelter of the Church at all times;Iohn 3.14. and the Brazen Serpent was a type and figure of Christ; and when it was worshipped of the people,… Kings 18.4. Hezekiah brake it downe, and is commended for it.
Quest. What is further forbidden vnderunder the name of Idolatrie?
Answ. Two things.
Quest. What is the first of those?
Hosea 13.2. Deut. 7.25, 26. Exod. 23.13. Psalm. 16.4.Answ. This; any allowance or approbation of Idolatry, by presence at idolatrous seruice, as at a Masse, or the like; by speech, by gesture, by silence, by keeping of reliques, monuments, or remembrances of Idoles vndefaced.
Deut. 7.2, 3. Ezra 9.2, 12, 14. 2 Chron. 19.2. Psal. 106.35, 36 Malac. 2.11. 2 Cor. 6.14, 15, 16.Quest. What is the second?
Answ. This; all vnnecessary dealing and familiaritie with Idolaters, by ioyning with them in marriage, by seeking helpe of them, or fauouring them, and assisting them in word, or deed.
Heere some doubts touching these two things forbidden, are to bee answered, as some may mooue this doubt.
Quest. Is it absolutely, and altogether vnlawfull to bee present at Idolatrous seruice?
Ans. No; a man may be there by compulsion, being violently haled and drawn thither, or hauing a calling therunto, he may be there with a purpose to obserue, and withall to reproue that seruice: but to be there with consent of mind, or outward act of body, signifying consent, as vncouering of the head, bowing or bending of the body, that is altogether vnlawfull. 1 Kin. 18.26, 27.1 King. 18.26, 27. Elijah was present at the seruice of Baal. 1 King. 13.1, 2.1 King. 13.1, 2 The Prophet of God was present at the Idolatrous seruice at Bethel.
Obiection. Wee read, 2 King. 5.18. That Naaman the Syrian being healed of his Leprosie, vowed to offer neither burnt sacrifice, nor offering vntounto any other God, but vntounto Iehouah; yet herein (saith he) the Lord bee mercifull vntounto thy seruant, that when my Master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and leaneth on mine hand, and I bow my selfe in the house of Rimmon: When I doe bow downe I say, in the house of Rimmon, the Lord bee mercifull vntounto thy seruant in this point. And the Prophet Elisha answered him Goe in peace. Therefore it may seeme, that either his bowing downe in the house of Rimmon was no sinne, or the Prophet dispenced with him for it.
Quest. How is this to be answered?
Answ. In Naamans speech is implied a request to the Prophet, that he would pray for him, that God would keepe him from falling into that sinne; and the Prophets answere, Goe in peace, is to bee vnderstood, not as a toleration, or permission: for hee saith not, Goe and doe so; but as a promise to helpe him with his prayers, and keepe Naaman that he should not so sinne.
Quest. If the Prophet knew it to bee a sinne, why did hee not reprooue him for it?
Answ. Because hee perceiued that Naaman was not ignorant, but knew well the thing to bee a sinne, and was afraid of falling into it, and therefore was not to be taught or reprooued, but to bee comforted and confirmed against it, with promise of Gods grace and assistance, to preserue him free from it.