A17183:584
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 touching other images also which men erect to creatures or to the 1heathen gods, they are no less forbidden then the pictures of God him self. For if we may not hallow an image to the true and very God, much less shall it be lawful for us to erect or consecrate an Idol to a strange or foreign God. Man in his mind doth choose him self a God, and of his own invention, deviseth a shape or figure for it, which lastly he frameth with the workmanship of his hands: so that it may truly be said that the mind conceiveth an Idol, and the hand doth bring it forth. But the Lord in the first commandment, forbade us to have any strange Gods. Now, he that neither hath, nor chooseth to him self any strange or foreign Gods, doth not in his imagination devise any shape for them, and so consequently erecteth no images. For he thinketh it a detestable thing, to make an image to the true and very God, he is persuaded that it is a wicked thing to choose him self a foreign God, and therefore he judgeth it to be most abominable to place the picture of a foreign God in the Church or Temple of the true and very God. And that is the cause that in the Church before Christ his time, we do not read that any images were erected to any Saints, whereof at that time there were a ⟨p. 121⟩great number, (suppose) of patriarchs, Judges, Kings, Priests, Prophets, & whole troupes of Martyrs, Matrons, & modest widows. The primitive Church also of Christ his Apostles had no images, either of Christ him self, or of other Saints set up in their places of public prayer, nor in their Churches. The deed of Epiphanius is very well known which he committed at Anablacha in Syria. It is written in Greek in an Epistle to John Bishop of Jerusalem, and translated into Latin by S. Hierome: He rent the veil that hung in the Temple, bearing in it the image of Christ or some other Saint, testifying therewithal that it is against Christian religion, for the picture of a man, to hang in the Church of God▪ Saint Augustine in Catalogo haerese [Greek or Hebrew] maketh mention of one Marcella a follower of Carpocrates his sect, which, worshipped the images of Jesus, Paul Homer, and Pythagoras, with falling down prostrate before them, and offering incense unto them.
Nowe touching other images also which men erect to creatures or to ye