The Institution of Christian Religion

But as the Scripture providing for the rude & gross wit of man useth to speak after the common manner: so when it meaneth to make severally known the true God from the false gods, it chiefly compareth him with idols: not that it doth allow these inventions that are more subtly and finely taught by the Philosophers, but the plainlier to disclose the foolishness of the world, yea rather their madness in seeking God so long as they cleave every one to their own imaginations. Therefore that exclusive definition which we commonly hear, bringeth to nought all that manner of Godhead that men frame to themselves by their own opinion, because God himself is the only convenient witness of himself. In the mean time, sith this brutish grossness hath possessed the whole world, to covet visible shapes of God, and so to forge themselves Gods of timber, stone, gold, silver, and other dead and corruptible matter, we ought to hold this principle, that with wicked falsehood the glory of God is corrupted so oft as any shape is feigned to represent him. Therefore God in the law, after he had once challenged the glory of his deity to himself alone, meaning to teach us what manner of worshipping him he alloweth or refuseth, addeth immediately: Thou shalt make thee no graven image,¹ nor any similitude, in which words he restraineth our liberty, that we attempt not to represent him with any visible image. And there he shortly reckoneth up all the forms wherewith of long time before, superstition had begun to turn his trueth into lying. For we know that the Persians worshipped the sun, yea and so many stars as the foolish nations saw in the sky, so many gods they feigned them. And scarce was there any living creature which was not among the Egyptians a figure of God.² But the Grecians were thought to be wiser than the rest, because they worshipped God in the shape of a man. But God compareth not images one with an other, as though one were more and an other less mete to be used, but without any exception he rejecteth all images, pictures and other signs, whereby the superstitious §2thought to have God near unto them.

BUt as the Scripture prouiding for the rude & grosse wit of man vseth to speake after the common maner: so when it meaneth to make seuerally knowen the true God from the false gods, it chiefelye compareth him with idols: not that it doth allowe these inuencyons that are more suttelly and finely taughte by the Philosophers, but the plainlier to disclose the folishnesse of the world, yea rather their madnesse in sekyng God so long as they cleaue euery one to their own imaginations. Therfore that exclusiue definition whych we commonly heare, bryngeth to nought all that maner of Godhead that men frame to themselues by their own opinion, because God hymselfe is the only conueniente witnesse of hymselfe. In the meane tyme, sith thys brutysh grossenesse hath possessed ye whole world, to couet visible shapes of God, and so to forge themselues Gods of timber, stone, golde, siluer, and other dead and corruptible matter, we ought to holde thys prynciple, that wyth wycked falshode the glorye of God is corrupted so oft as any shape is fained to represent him. Therfore God in the law, after he had once chalenged the glory of hys deitie to hymselfe alone, meaning to teache vs what manner of worshipping him he aloweth or refuseth, addeth immediatly: Thou shalt make thee no grauen image,