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

The whole matter is stated by the Apostle, Rom. 10.6, 7, 8. The Righteousness which is of Faith, speaketh on this wise, say not in thine heart who shall ascend unto heaven (that is to bring Christ down from above) or who shall descend into the deep (that is to bring Christ up again from the dead) but what ⟨p. 224⟩saith it? The word is nigh thee in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that is the word of faith which we preach. The Enquiry is, how we may be made partakers of Christ, and righteousness by him; or how we may have an interest in him, or have him present with us. This, saith the Apostle, is done by the word of the Gospel which is preached, which is nigh unto us in our mouths, and in our hearts; No say these men, we cannot understand how it should be so; we do not find that it is so, that Christ is made nigh unto us, present with us by this word. Wherefore we will ascend into Heaven to bring down Christ from above; for we will make Images of him in his glorious state in Heaven, and thereby he will be present with us, or nigh unto us. And we will descend into the deep, to bring up Christ again from the dead, and we will do it, by making first Crucifixes, and then Images of his glorious Resurrection bringing him again unto us from the dead. This shall be in the place and room of that word of the Gospel which you pretend to be alone useful and effectual unto these ends.

This therefore is evident, that the Introduction of this Abomination in principle and practise, destructive unto the Souls of men, took its Rise from the loss of an Experience of the Representation of Christ in the Gospel, and the transforming power in the minds of men, which it is accompanied with, in them that believe. Make us Gods say the Israelites to go before us; for as for this man Moses (who represented God unto us) we know not what is become of him. What would you have men do? would you have them live without all Sense of the presence of Christ with them, or being nigh unto them? Shall they have no Representation of him? no, no, make us Gods that may go before us; let us have Images unto this end; for how else it may be done, we cannot understand.