The Institution of Christian Religion

As concerning the beginning of idols, that is by common consent thought to be true which is written in the book of wisdom, that they were the first authors of them,¹ which gave this honour to the dead, superstitiously to worship their memory. And truly I grant that this evil custom was very ancient, and I deny not that it was the firebrand wherewith the rage of men being kindled to idolatry did more and more burn therein. Yet do I not grant that this was the first original of this mischief. For it appeareth by moses that images were used before that this curiosity in dedicating the images of dead men, whereof the profane writers make otfen mention, were come in ure. When he telleth that Rachel had stolen her fathers idols, he speaketh it as of a common fault.² Whereby we may gather that the wit of man is, as I may so call it, a continual worship of idols. After the general flood, there was as it were a new regeneration of the world, and yet there passed not many years but that men according to their own lust feigned them gods. And it is likely that, the holy patriarch yet living, his children's children were given to idolatry, so that to his bitter grief he saw the earth defiled with idols, whose corruptions the Lord had but late purged with so horrible ⟨image 34⟩judgement.³ For Thare and Nath•r even before the birth of Abraham were worshippers of false Gods, as Joshua testifieth. Seeing the generation of Shem so soon swerved, what shall we judge of the posterity of Ham, who were already cursed in their father? The mind of men, as it is full of pride and rash boldness, presumeth to imagine God according to her own conceit: and as it is possessed with dullness, yea overwhelmed with gross ignorance, so it conceiveth vanity and a fend fantasy in stead of God. And to these evils is added a new mischief, that man attempteth to express in workmanship such a God as he inwardly conceiveth. Thus the mind begetteth the idol, and the hand bringeth it forth. The example of the Israelites proveth that this was the beginning of idolatry, that men do not believe that God is among them, unless he show himself carnally present. We know not (said they) what is become of this Moses: make us gods that may go before us.