A03622:104
A declaration of the ten holy co[m]maundementes of almighty God written Exo. 20. Deu.…A declaration of the ten holy co[m]maundementes of allmygthye God wroten Exo. 20. Deu.…
A declaration of the ten holy co[m]maundementes of almighty God written Exo. 20. Deu. 5. Collected out of the scripture canonical, by Joanne Hopper.A declaration of the ten holy co[m]maundementes of allmygthye God wroten Exo. 20. Deu. 5. Collectyd out of the scripture canonicall, by Joanne Hopper.
Zurich: printed by Augustin Fries, 1549
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Therefore / God first for biddeth / this inward / and spiritual Idolatry / of the mind / when he saith / thou shalt have no strange Gods before my face. if the mind be corrupted and not persuaded a right: then followeth the making of images / and after / the honouring of them. The cause therefore of external Idolatry ⟨p. LXXIII⟩is internal / and inward ignorance of God / and his word / as Lactantius writeth in his book / of the original of error. As it cannot be other wise / but where as the air is corrupted / there must follow pestilence / and infection of the blood Galen. lib. 1. De diffe. feb. cap. 5. So where the mind is not purely persuaded of god / must follow this gross / and sensible Idolatry / that would honour God in an Idol. The original cause why the are made is / that man thinketh / God would not be present / to help him / except he be / presented some ways unto the recarnall Eyes / as the example of the Israelites declareth. that required Aron to make them Gods / that might lead them in there Journey. They knew right well / that there was but one God / whom they knew / by the miracles / that he wrought among them. but •hey thought / he would not be present / and at hand with them / except they might see him in some corporal figure / and image / and that the image / might be a testimony of his presence. so see we that no man falleth into this gross Idolatry: but such as be first infected with a false opinion of God / and his word. then say they / they worship not the image / but the thing represented by the image. against whom writeth saint Augustine in Psal. 118. et 113. in the 4. book of the cite of God cap. 5. that images take a way ⟨p. LXXIIII⟩fear from men / and bring them into error. The ancient Romans more religiously saith he / honoured there gods / with out images. Seeing there is no commandment / in any of the both testaments / to have images / but as ye see the contrary. and likewise the universal / catholic / and holy church / never used images / as the writings of the apostles / and prophets / testify: it is but an ethnic verity / and gentiles Idolatry / to say / God and his saints be honoured in them / when that all Histories testify / that in manner for the space of five hundred years / after Christs ascension / when the doctrine of the gospel was most sincerely preached / was no image used.