Among the many absurdities, which give us just cause to abhor the Religion of the present Roman Church, this seemeth to me none of the least; that they have filled all the Temples under the command of their politic Hierarchy, with Idols: and changed the glory of the Invisible God, into the worship of visible Images. They invocate the Saints by them, yea they dare not serve the Lord without them. As if God had repealed his unchangeable Law; and in stead of condemning all worship by an Image, would now receive no worship without an Image. I have observed this one, among the other famous marks of that Synagogue; that they strive to condemn that which God hath justified, and to justify what he hath condemned. For the former; He hath precisely directed our Justification only by faith in the merits of Christ: this they vehemently dispute against. For the other; He hath (not without mention of his Jealousy) forbidden all worship that hath the least tang of Idolatry: this they eagerly maintain. What large Volumes have they written against the Second Commandment! as if they were not content to expunge it out ⟨image 3⟩of their Catechisms, unless they did also Dogmaticè contradict it to the whole world. They first set the people upon a plain rebellion, & then make show to fetch them off again with a neat distinction. Thus do they pump their wits to legitimate that by a distinction, which God hath pronounced a Bastard by his definitive sentence: as if the Papal Decrees were that law, whereby the world should be judged at the last day. But who will regard a house of magnificent structure, of honourable & ancient memory, when the plague hath infected it, or thieves possess it? And who, in their right senses, will join themselves to that Temple, which after pretence of long standing, stately building, and of many such prerogatives and royalties, is found to be besmeared with superstitions, and profaned with innumerable Idols? Why should we delight to dwell there, where God hath refused to dwell with us.
AMong the many absurdities, which giue vs iust cause to abhorre the Religion of the present Roman Church, this seemeth to me none of the least; that they haue filled all the Temples vnder the commaund of their politike Hierarchy, with Idols: and changed the glory of the Inuisible God, into the worship of visible Images. They inuocate the Saints by them, yea they dare not serue the Lord without them. As if God had repealed his vnchangcable Law; and in stead of condemning all worship by an Image, would now receiue no worship without an Image. I haue obserued this one, among the other famous markes of that Synagogue; that they striue to condemne that which God hath iustified, and to iustifie what he hath condemned. For the former; He hath precisely directed our Iustification only by faith in the merits of Christ: this they vehemently dispute against. For the other; He hath (not without mention of his Ielousie) forbidden all worship that hath the least tang of Idolatry: this they eagerly maintaine. What large Volumes haue they written against the Second Commaundement! as if they were not content to expunge it out ⟨image 3⟩of their Catechismes, vnlesse they did also Dogmaticè contradict it to the whole world. They first set the people vpon a plaine rebellion, & then make shew to fetch them off again with a neat distinction. Thus doe they pumpe their wits to legitimate that by a distinction, which God hath pronounced a Bastard by his definitiue sentēce: as if the Papall Decrees were that law, wherby the world should bee iudged at the last day. But who will regard a house of magnificent structure, of honorable & ancient memory, when the plague hath infected it, or theeues possesse it? And who, in their right senses, will ioyne themselues to that Temple, which after pretence of long standing, stately building, and of many such prerogatiues and royalties, is foūd to be besmeared with superstitions, and profaned with innumerable Idols? Why should wee delight to dwell there, where God hath refused to dwell with vs.
