A17183:576
Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)
Fifty godly and learned sermons divided into five decades, containing the chief and principal points of Christian religion, written in three several tomes or sections, by Henry Bullinger minister of the church of Tigure in Switzerland. Whereunto is adjoined a triple or three-fold table very fruitful and necessary. Translated out of Latin into English by H.I. student in divinity.Fiftie godlie and learned sermons diuided into fiue decades, conteyning the chiefe and principall pointes of Christian religion, written in three seuerall tomes or sections, by Henrie Bullinger minister of the churche of Tigure in Swicerlande. Whereunto is adioyned a triple or three-folde table verie fruitefull and necessarie. Translated out of Latine into English by H.I. student in diuinitie.
London: printed by Henry Middleton for Ralph Newberrie, 1577London: printed by Henry Middleton for Ralphe Newberrie, 1577
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.
Now to proceed, this commandment standeth of three several parts. 1For first of all, God flatly forbiddeth to make a graven image or other kind of Idol: that is, God doth utterly forbid to set up or hallow to him any image, of what shape or substance soever it be. For as God will not, so in deed he can not be expressly represented in any manner of likeness. Now, in this commandment are reckoned up, in a manner, all the similitudes of those things, whereunto we are wont in portraying, to liken our pictures. Thou shalt not, saith he, fashion like unto God any shape or figure of those things which are in heaven, which are I say above us. Above us are the celestial bodies, the Sun the Moon, the Planets, the Stars, and divers birds of sundry fashions. In all which figures and shapes, almost, no small number of the Gentiles did solemnly honour, and reverently worship the name of God. Thou shalt not liken unto God, saith he, any shape or fashion of those things that are in the earth. In the earth are men, beasts, herbs, shrubs, trees, and such like. Now it is manifest that the Gentiles worshipped God under the likeness of men and beasts. Cornelius Tacitus writing of the Germans, saith: But by the greatness of the visible 2celestial bodies, they do conjecture and verily think, that the Gods are neither enclosed in walls, nor yet in favour resembling mens visages, and therefore do they hallow woods and groves, calling that hidden mystery by the name of the Gods, which with outward eyes they see not, but with inward reverence alone. Lo here our ancestors worshipped God in the likeness of trees and woods: which nevertheless, men are forbidden here to do, even as also we are prohibited to worship our God in the likeness of any thing, that is in, or under the water. The Philistines worshipped God in the image of a fish. For Dagon their God bare the shape of a fish. Egypt honoured God in the similitude ⟨p. 118⟩of Serpents. All which and many other, Paul knitteth up together in the first to the Romans, where he argueth against the Gentiles, and saith: Their foolish heart was blinded: when they counted them selves wise they became fools, and turned the glory of the incorruptible God unto the likeness, not only of a mortal man, but also of birds, and of four-footed beasts, and of creeping beasts.