A vindication of the Animadversions on Fiat lux

It is added in the Animadversions that it was God who appointed these Cherubims to be made, and placed where they were never seen of the people, and that his special dispensation of a Law constitutes no general rule; so he commanded his people to spoil the Egyptians, though he forbid all men to steal. This was said on supposition that they were Images or adored, both which I showed to be false. And it is the answer given by Tertullian; When he was pleading against all making up of pictures which we do not. Now do you produce Gods special command for the making, use and veneration of your Images, and this contest will soon be at an end. But whereas God ⟨p. 512⟩who commanded these Cherubims to be made, hath severely interdicted the making of Images, as to any use in his worship unto us, what conclusion you can hence draw I see not. To this you reply in a large discourse wherein are many things Atheological. I shall briefly pass through what you say. Thus then you begin, We must know, you as well as I, that God who forbids men to steal, did not then command to steal as you say he did, when he bad his People spoil the Egyptians under the species of a loan. Malum omen▪ You stumble at the threshold. Did I say that God commanded men to steal? porrige frontem; the words of the Animadversions lay before you when you wrote this, and you could not but know that you wrote that which was not true. This immorality doth not become any man of what Religion soever he be. Stealing denotes the pravity of taking that which is another mans. This God neither doth nor can command; for the taking of that which formerly belonged unto another, is not stealing if God command it; for the reason which your self have stumbled on, as we shall see afterwards. The Egyptians were spoiled by Gods Command, but the People did not steal; for his Command who is the Sovereign Lord of all things the great possessor of Heaven and earth, dispensed with his Law of one mans taking that which before belonged unto another as to that particular whereunto his Command extended, in reference whereunto stealing or the pravity of that act of alienation consists, and so it is in other Cases. It is murder for a Father to slay his Son. Neither can God command a man to murder his Son: and yet he commanded Abraham to slay his.

It is added in the Animadversions that it was God who appointed these Cherubims to be made, and placed where they were never seen of the people, and that his special dispensation of a Law constitutes no general rule; so he commanded his people to spoil the Aegyptians, though he forbid all men to steal. This was said on supposition that they were Images or adored, both which I shewed to be false. And it is the answer given by Tertullian; When he was pleading against all making up of pictures which we do not. Now do you produce Gods special command for the makeing, use and veneration of your Images, and this contest will soon be at an end. But whereas God