The Institution of Christian Religion

Whosoever deny that it hath thus ben done in time past, yea within §10our own remembrance, they impudently lie. For, why fall they down before them. And when they pray, why turn they toward them as to the ears of God?¹ For it is true that Augustine sayeth, that no man prayeth or worshippeth when he so beholdeth an image but he is so affected in mind that he thinketh himself to be heard of it, or that it will do for him what he desireth. Why is there such difference between the images of one God. that passing by one image with little reverence or none done to it they honour an other solemnly? Why do they weary themselves with vowed pilgrimages to visit those images whereof they have like at home? Why do they at this day in defence of them as it were for their religion and country, fight to slaughter and destruction, in such sort as they would better suffer to have the one only God than their idols to be taken from them? And yet I do not reckon up the gross errors of the common people, which are almost infinite, and do in manner possess the hearts of all men. I do only show what themselves do confess when they mean most of all to excuse themselves of idolatry. We do not call them (say they) our Goddes. No more did the Jews nor the gentiles call them theirs in time paste: and yet the Prophets each where cease not to caste ⟨image 35⟩in their teeth their fornication with stocks and stones, for doing no more but such things as are daily done by them that would be counted Christians, that is to say, that they carnally worshipped God in stocks and stones.

Whosoeuer deny that it hath thus ben done in time past, yea within §10our own remembraunce, they impudently lie. For, why fall they down before thē. And when they pray, why turne they toward them as to the eares of God?¹ For it is true that Augustine saieth, that no man praieth or worshippeth when he so beholdeth an image but he is so affected in minde that he thinketh himself to be heard of it, or that it will do for him what he desireth. Why is there such difference betwene the images of one God. yt passing by one image with litle reuerence or none done to it they honor an other solemnely? Why doe they werry thēselues with vowed pilgremages to visit those images wherof they haue like at home? Why do they at this day in defense of them as it were for their religion and countrey, fight to slaughter and destruction, in suche sorte as they would better suffer to have the one only God than their idols to be takē from them? And yet I do not recken vp the grosse errors of the cōmon people, which are almost infinite, and do in manner possesse the hartes of all men. I do only shew what thēselues do confesse when they meane most of al to excuse themselues of idolatry. We do not cal them (say they) oure Goddes. No more did the Iewes nor the gentiles cal them theirs in tyme paste: and yet the Prophetes eche where cesse not to caste