Sermons upon Deuteronomy

but we speak of the nations which have long time borne the renown of Christianity, because that through Gods gracious goodness some sign of holy baptism hath continued amongst them, and Jesus Christ is professed there in name. We see then that there is great variance nowadays. The one saith, that Christianity requireth, that in serving God, men should, or at leastwise may have images, & set them up in churches for Christian people: the other side upholdeth on the contrary part, that it is a villainous defiling of religion, and an utter forsaking of the true Christianity, and a taking in of a bastard religion in stead of it. If men can find in their hearts to hear Moses speak in this book (as they needs must, or else be convicted of renouncing God the Father and his son our Lord Jesus Christ who is very God and everlasting life, and of resisting the holy Ghost:) he showeth the thing which he forgetteth not in his other books also, namely that God could never away to be served after that fashion, but evermore expressly forbade images in case of Religion, and threatened his own people with horrible punishments, if they held not themselves contented with that single order, to rest thereupon without attempting any further. Were there no more but the only text of the second commandment, it were enough and sufficient. For (as Moses wrote in the twentieth of Exodus, and hath rehearsed again at large in the fifth of this present book,) God saith, Thou shalt ⟨image 4⟩not make to thy self any graven image. And to the intent that no man should use any wrangling by standing upon the particular, he addeth, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth. Moreover, to show that he will not have men to yield them any part of his service, how little soever it be: he addeth, Thou shalt not bow down to them, nor worship them. Last of all he addeth a horrible and dreadful threat, that he will take vengeance upon the transgressors and their children, to the third and fourth generation. This commandment then is set down in so express terms, that the matter is as manifest as may be.

but we speake of the nations which haue long time borne the renowne of Christianitie, bicause that through Gods gracious goodnes some signe of holy baptisme hath continued amongst them, and Iesus Christ is professed there in name. We see then that there is great variance nowadaies. The one saith, that Christianitie requireth, that in seruing God, men should, or at leastwise may haue images, & set them vp in churches for Christian people: the other side vpholdeth on the contrary part, that it is a vilanous defiling of religion, and an vtter forsaking of the true Christianitie, and a taking in of a bastard religion in steede of it. If men can finde in their hearts to heare Moses speake in this booke (as they needes must, or else be conuicted of renouncing God the Father and his sonne our Lord Iesus Christ who is very God and euerlasting life, and of resisting the holie Ghost:) he sheweth the thing which he forgetteth not in his other bookes also, namelie that God could neuer away to be serued after that fashion, but euermore expresselie forbade images in case of Religion, and threatened his owne people with horrible punishments, if they held not themselues contented with that single order, to rest thereupon without attempting any further. Were there no more but the onely text of the second commandement, it were ynough and sufficient. For (as Moses wrote in the twentith of Exodus, and hath rehearsed againe at large in the fifth of this present booke,) God saith, Thou shalt