some Jupiter, Juno, Diana, Saturnus, Apollo,1 Neptunus Ceres, Bacchus, and other dead men and women: Some therewith not satisfied, worshipped diverse kinds of beasts, birds, fish, foul, and serpents ⟨image 33⟩every Region, town, and house, in manner being divided, and setting up Images of such things as they liked, and worshipping the same. Such was the rudeness of the people, after they fell to their own phantasies, and left the eternal living GOD and his commandments, that they devised innumerable Images, & Gods. In which error and blindness they did remain, until such time as almighty GOD, pitying the blindness of man, sent his true prophet Moses into the world, to reprehend this extreme madness, and to teach the people to know the only living God, and his true honour and worship. But the corrupt inclination of man, was so much given to follow his own phantasies, and (as you would say) to favour his own bird, that he brought up himself, that all the admonitions, exhortations, benefits, and threatenings of God, could not keep him from such his inventions. For notwithstanding all the benefits of God,2 showed unto the people of Israel, yet when Moses went up into the mountain, to speak with almighty God: he had tarried there but a few days, when the people began to invent new gods. And as it cam in their heads, they made a calf of gold,3 and knelled down & worshipped it. And after that, they followed the Moabites, & worshipped Beelphegor the Moabites God. Read the book of Judges, the books of the Kings and the Prophets, and there shall you find, how inconstant the people were, how full of inventions, and more ready to run after their own phantasies, then Gods most holy commandments. There shall you read of Baal, Moloch, Chamos, Mechom, ⟨image 33⟩Baalpeor, Astaroth, Beel the dragon, Priapus, the brazen serpent, the twelve signs, and many other: unto whose images, the people with great devotion, invented Pilgrimages, preciously decking and censing them, kneeling down and offering to them, thinking that, an high merit before God, and to be esteemed above the precepts and commandments of god.
some Iupiter, Iuno, Diana, Saturnus, Apollo,1 Neptunus Ceres, Bacchus, and other dedde men and women: Some therewith not satisfied, worshipped diuerse kyndes of beastes, birdes, fishe, foule, and serpentes ⟨image 33⟩euery Region, toune, and house, in maner beyng diuided, and settyng vp Images of suche thynges as thei liked, and worshippyng thesame. Suche was the rudenes of ye people, after thei fell to their awne phantasies, and left the eternall liuyng GOD and his commaundementes, that thei deuised innumerable Images, & Gods. In whiche error and blindnes thei did reamain, vntill suche time as almighty GOD, pitiyng the blindnesse of man, sent his true prophet Moses into the worlde, to reprehende this extreme madnes, and to teache the people to knowe the onely liuyng God, and his true honor and worshippe. But the corrupt inclinacion of man, was so muche geuen to folowe his awne phātasies, and (as you would saie) to fauoure his awne birde, that he brought vp hymself, that al the admonicions, exhortacions, benefites, and threatnynges of God, could not kepe hym from suche his inuencions. For notwithstandyng al the benefites of God,2 shewed vnto the people of Israell, yet when Moses went vp into the mountain, to speake with almighty God: he had taried there but a few daies, when the people began to inuent new gods. And as it cam in their heddes, thei made a calfe of golde,3 and kneled doune & worshipped it. And after that, thei folowed the Moabites, & worshipped Beelphegor the Moabites God. Read the boke of Iudges, the bokes of the Kynges and the Prophetes, and there shal you find, how inconstant the people wer, how ful of inuencions, and more ready to runne after their awne phantasies, then Gods moste holy cōmaundementes. Ther shal you reade of Baall, Moloche, Chamos, Mechom, ⟨image 33⟩Baalpeor, Astaroth, Beel the dragon, Priapus, the brasen serpente, the twelue signes, and many other: vnto whose images, the people with greate deuocion, inuented Pilgrimages, preciously deckyng and censyng them, kneling doune and offering to them, thinking that, an high merite before God, and to be estemed aboue the preceptes and commaundementes of god.
- 1The devises & Idolatry of the Gentiles.The deuises & Idolatrye of the Gentiles.
- 2The devises & Idolatry of the Gentiles.The deuises & Idolatrye of the Gentiles.
- 3Exod xxxii.
