The severity of this Law and the false ⟨image 111⟩worship that we and our fathers behold in them that profess the name of this man Jesus, withholdeth us from coming to make any covenant of peace with you, from joining hands with you, and entering into that familiarity with you, which should be between them that worship one God.1 We are commanded in our Law not to plough with an ox and an ass, neither to wear any garment of linsey woolsey: we understand it so, that we may not join God and Idols together: we may not serve our Lord otherwise than he hath commanded us, saying,2 Turn not aside to the right hand nor to the left. For he is a jealous God, and we are chosen to be an holy people unto him: which we are taught we can not be, unless we keep this commandment, Thou shalt have none other Gods but one: and this, Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image, nor the likeness of any thing. And because they do so, we have been withholden by the commandment of our God from making any covenant with them, or hearkening unto any of their Prophets & teachers: for that were but to make Israel to sin, and to provoke the holy one to anger. When they talk with us, they say ⟨image 112⟩they are not such as our Prophets speak of, who worshipped beasts and other creatures, as the sun & the moon: but they worship only the creature of man, who was made to the image of God, and by whom God hath wrought great and marvellous works upon the earth. To whom we answer by the words of our Law, that all idolatry is forbidden us: the commandment forbiddeth not one thing more than an other, neither giveth greater liberty for one thing, than for an other: but saith in these words, Thou shalt not make the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above or in the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth, thou shalt not bow down to them nor serve them. Whatsoever it be, it is forbidden by our commandment. And if any creature might be worshipped, reason would the sun & moon should have that honour done them: for they serve us to greatest purposes, & by them we reap daily profit. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: Mosheh, Samuel, and Elizahu with the rest of the Prophets were good men, and by them God wrought wonderful things, and yet we never worshipped any of them.
The seueritie of this Lawe and the false ⟨image 111⟩worshippe that we and our fathers behold in them that professe the name of this man Iesus, withholdeth vs from comming to make any couenāt of peace with you, from ioyning hands with you, and entring into that familiaritie with you, which should be betweene them that worship one God.1 We are commanded in our Lawe not to plowe with an oxe and an asse, neither to weare any garmēt of linsie wolsie: we vnderstande it so, that we may not ioyne God and Idols together: we may not serue our Lorde otherwise than he hath commanded vs, saying,2 Turne not aside to the right hand nor to the lefte. For he is a iealouse God, and we are chosen to be an holie people vnto him: which we are taught we can not be, vnlesse we keepe this commandement, Thou shalt haue none other Gods but one: and this, Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image, nor the likenesse of any thing. And because they do so, we haue bene withholden by the commandement of our God from making any couenant with them, or hearkening vnto any of their Prophets & teachers: for that were but to make Israel to sinne, and to prouoke the holy one to anger. When they talke with vs, they saye ⟨image 112⟩they are not such as our Prophets speake of, who worshipped beasts and other creatures, as the sunne & the moone: but they worship onely the creature of man, who was made to the image of God, and by whome God hath wrought great and marueilous workes vpō the earth. To whom we answere by ye words of our Lawe, that all idolatrie is forbiddē vs: the commaundement forbiddeth not one thing more than an other, neither giueth greater libertie for one thing, than for an other: but saith in these wordes, Thou shalt not make the likenesse of anie thing that is in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath, or in the water vnder the earth, thou shalt not bowe downe to them nor serue thē. Whatsoeuer it be, it is forbidden by our commandement. And if anie creature might be worshipped, reason would the sunne & moone should haue that honour done them: for they serue vs to greatest purposes, & by them we reape daily profit. Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob: Mosheh, Samuel, and Elizahu with the rest of the Prophets were good men, and by them God wrought wonderfull things, and yet we neuer worshipped any of them.
- 1Deu. 22,10
- 2Deut. 5,32
