A Continuation of morning-exercise questions and cases of conscience practically resolvedA Continuation of morning-exercise questions and cases of conscience practicaly resolved

Wherefore they will find out another way for it, another means, unto the same end. And this is, by making Images of him of wood and stone. or Gold and Silver, or painting on them. Hereby they supposed he would be made present unto his Worshippers, That he would be so represented unto them, as that they should be immediately stirred up unto the embraces of Faith and Love. And herein they found sensible effects unto their great satisfaction: For their minds being dark, carnal and prone to superstition, as are the minds of all men by nature, they would see nothing in the Spiritual Representation of him in the Gospel, that had any power on them, or did in any measure affect them. In these Images, by the means of sight and imagination they found that which did really work upon their Affections, and as they thought, did excite them unto the love of Christ.

And this was the true Original of all the Imagery in the Church of Rome, as something of the same nature in general was of all the Image-worship in the World. So the Israelites in the wilderness when they made the Golden Calf, did it to have a representation of a Deity near unto them, in such a visible manner, as that their Souls might be affected with it; so they expressed themselves, Exod 32 1.

Wherefore in this State, under a loss of Spiritual Light and Experience, men of superstitious minds, found themselves entangled. They knew it necessary that there should be such a Representation made of Christ as might render him a present Object of Faith and love, wherewith they might be immediately affected. How this was done in the Gospel, they could not understand, nor obtain any experience of the power and efficacy of it unto this end. Yet the Principle it self must be retained, as that without which there could be no Religion; wherefore to explicate themselves out of this difficulty, they break through all Gods Commands to the contrary, and betook themselves to the making Images of Christ, and their adoration. And from small beginnings, according as Darkness and Superstition increased in the minds of men, there was a progress in this practise, until these Images took the whole work of representing Christ and his Glory, out of the hands, as it were, of the Gospel, and appropriated it unto themselves.