A20559:147
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A…
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandments gathered from the mouth of a faithful pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholar in Cambridge.The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandements gathered from the mouth of a faithfull pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholler in Cambridge.
London: printed by John Harison for Thomas Man, 1603London: printed by Iohn Harison for Thomas Man, 1603
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
If we should see a man have snakes and toads and adders in great account and reverence, and if we ask him why he gave such honour to these things, why, because I set them up as pictures of my prince, I but is there no other thing to set out your prince? these be not fit things nor comely, to put you in remembrance of your sovereign, who will not say, that this were a great disgrace to the prince: But now, there is a thousand times more agreement, betwixt the greatest prince and a toad, then betwixt God and an idol? for the toad is a creature of God, as well as the prince, but an idol is the work of mans fingers; a toad hath life and sense excellent gifts, and wherein it something resembles the prince: but to set God out by any Idol, him that is infinite in wisdom by a senseless thing, him to the workmanship of ⟨image 40⟩mans hands, that cannot sufficiently be conceived by all his own works, what a shameful and miserable disgrace is this unto his Majesty: but yet here ariseth an objection, that some make; indeed for God the Father, and the holy Ghost they be spirits, and cannot be represented to us, by any thing, but what say you of God the Son; he took upon him the nature of man, may not one make an image of him? But to this we may answer, that it is unlawful to make an image of Christ, because we cannot choose but in painting or making any image of him, we must needs leave out the chief part of him, which is his divinity, for it is the Godhead that makes him to be Christ, and what is this, but to separate those things which God hath unseperably joined together, which is accursed; and in so doing, what difference do we make betwixt Christ and the thief that did hang upon the cross with him; that therefore is a wretched resemblance, but if we would see an image of Christ, look upon poor christians, that walk up and down amongst us, for they be flesh of his flesh, & bone of his bone, & there is some resemblance of him; for they have a body and a reasonable soul, as he had. But for the Idol, he that vvill say he can be better put in mind of Christ, by gazing upon a picture painted on the wall, or an image hanged up in some place, then by looking on poor christians, for whom Christ shed his blood, and in whom he dwells continually by his spirit, he shows himself to be a blind and ignorant man.
If we should see a man haue snakes and toades and adders in great account and reuerence, and if wee aske him why he gaue such honour to these things, why, because I set them vp as pictures of my prince, I but is there no other thing to set out your prince? these be not fit things nor comely, to put you in remembrance of your soueraigne, who will not say, that this were a great disgrace to the prince: But now, there is a thousand times more agreement, betwixt the greatest prince and a toad, then betwixt God and an idoll? for the toad is a creature of God, as well as the prince, but an idoll is the worke of mans fingers; a toad hath life and sence excellent gifts, and wherein it something resembles the prince: but to set God out by any Idoll, him that is infinit in wisedome by a senceles thing, him to the vvorkmanship of