Catechismus, that is to say, a short instruction into Christian religion for the singular…Catechismus, that is to say, a shorte instruction into Christian religion for the synguler…

Here you see how he is accursed of god, that setteth but one image in a secret corner of his own house to worship it. But much more danger it is, to set up images in the temple of God which is the open & common place to honore the only living god. But peradventure some will say, that we are forbidden to worship images, but not to have images. To this I answer. First as touching the image of God, that when God spake unto the ⟨image 30⟩children of Israel in the mount of Oreb they heard a voice, but they saw no manner of image or likeness of any creature. And the cause was this. Lest if he had appeared in the similitude of a man or woman or of any beast upon earth, or of any bird in the air, or fish in the water, or of any other creature, the ignorant people would peradventure have made an image like thereto, and have worshipped it. Therefore they did see no manner of image, because they should make no image of God. Least that if they had made any image of god, they would also have worshipped it. And forasmuch as God is a ghost not only invisible but also incomprehensible, therefore he can neither be made with hands, nor compassed by wit, nether is it possible, that any thing made by mans hand ⟨image 31⟩should represent God unto us, as his image, so far those two be unlike, God, and an image made by man. For God is a ghost, without end, without measure, without mixture, without corruption and most perfect. But an image is a body, hath an end, may be compassed and measured, it is mixed, corruptible and unperfect. God is life in him self, of whom all things have life, but images can nether hear, see, nor move, nor have neither reason, understanding nor life. Therefore sayeth God him self by his prophet Isaiah, that no similitude nor image, can be made of him. God showed himself unto the people in the mount of Oreb, but in a cloud, smoke and fire, declaring thereby that no man can come to the perfect knowledge of God, as he is in him self. The ⟨image 31⟩Propitiatory also, whereby God was signified, was hid and not seen, aswell for that it stood in sancta sanctorum where the people never came, as also for because the Cherubins covered it with their wings. But in case any painter or carver were so conning, that he cold make an image, which should perfectly represent unto us God, (which is impossible) yet he ought to make no such image.