vnthankfulnesse to him bitterly by his Prophet Hosea because they said I will goe after my louers Hos 2.5 that giue me my bread and my water my wool and my flaxe mine oyle and my drinke As the Iewes in like manner thought it was well with them when they burnt incense to the Queen of heauen say they had we plenty of vittailes and were well Ier. 44.17 and felt none euill But since we left off to burne incense to the Queen of heauen and to powre out drink offerings to her wee haue had scarcenesse of bread and haue been consumed by the sword and by famine vers 18. Euen as now our silly papists lul them selues in security of superstition because say they we had a good or merrie world before this new learning was knowne among vs for so basely they reckon of the glorious light of the Gospell But as by Hosea God threatneth that vnthankfull people of Israel to take those his blessings from them because they yeelded not thankes to him for them but to their louers that is to their Idols so hee by his seruaunt Ieremy telleth the Iewes they had no cause to bragge of their welfare when they worshipped the Quéen of heauen for the Lord considered of it ver 21.23 and plagued them for it Q. What duty then doth the Lord require of vs for his benefits that hee bestoweth vpon vs Can we make anie recompence to God for the same A. None at all For hee standeth not in néed of any thing that we haue The whole world is his and all that is therein Only a thankefull heart is the acceptable Sacrifice What shall I render vnto the Lord saith Dauid for all his benefits towards mee Psal 116.12 I will take the Cup of thankesgiuing for my saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord 13. I will offer to thee a Sacrifice of praise 27. Of which sacrifice of praise God himself giueth this testimony Psal 50.23 He that offreth praise shall glorifie mee This dutie Noah performed at his going out of the Arke Gen. 8.20 Gen. 12.7 Abraham when God promised to his seed the land of Canaan and after also at diuers times when vpon sundry occasions he had in his hart this promise confirmed Gen. 13.4.18 Gen. 26.25 Isaak also vpon promise of Gods presence and multiplying his seede Lastly Iaacob when he had escaped the danger of his brother Esau built an Altar there that is at Shechem where hée bought a piece of ground to set vp his Altar thereon and in token of a thankfull heart for his great deliuerance he called the Altar The mighty God But among infinite examples of this Sacrifice which the godly did offer for Gods goodnes towards them I will conclude with that of Iosaphat and his Souldiers who when God had giuen them a great victorie ouer their enemies 2. Chron. 20.26 they blessed the Lord in the valley of Berachah vpon performance of which godly duety that it should neuer be forgottē that place receiued that name And as if this had not beene sufficient once to haue giuen thanks vnto God for this benefit euery one of them goe to Ierusalem yea to the very Temple to reioyce before the Lord for this his mercy Thus were the godly at all times very careful by offering to God only praise for his goodnesse to acknowledge their obediēce to the first Commandement and to professe that they trusted not in any other God but in him alone Q. The summe of all that is sayd is this that God forbiddeth all kind of religious worship either to the works of mens hands or fancies of mens braine or to the Host of heauen or to Angels though excellent and glorious creatures of God then also all vaine confidence in worldly helpes or in any kind of thing that we haue or can doe Lastly all inordinate or excessiue loue to any creature or delight whatsoeuer Then it commandeth vs that wee rest vpon him as our only hope and helpe looking for all good things from him alone praying vnto him for whatsoeuer wee want and intreating him to keepe vs from whatsoeuer wee feare or would shun and in regard of his manifold mercies whereof we daily taste vnlesse we be too senselesse let vs knit vp the duties required of vs in this Cōmandement With giuing thankes alwaies for all things to God euen the Father in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ Eph. 5.20 A. These are in deed the generall duties that God here requireth of vs in this first precept whereby we are to learne that seeing we must know that all good must come from him we must not then thinke that wee can so much as offer to God a good thought of our selues much lesse doe a good deed vnlesse he inable vs and therefore he must haue the glory of all that we haue or can doe Q. Let vs now come to the second Commandement wherein it seemeth to mee GOD teacheth vs how and after what manner hee will bee worshipped A. Very true and it is néedfull hee should so do For when wee are once assured that there is a God our own heart within vs telleth vs that this God must bee worshipped and therefore wee search and examine by our own reason and iudgement vnlesse we follow the light of GODS word what may be the most acceptable seruice vnto Him whom wee estéeme as God This hath béene the cause that euen the Gentiles and such as knew not the true God haue thought those things that most delight the sences to be also best pleasing to their false gods And for that cause they had Musicke to please the Eares Lights and gay shewes to satisfie the Eyes Perfumes Odours for delighting the Nose and so as they set vp to themselues vaine gods and such as could make them no help so they serued them with vaine worship and such as could not be acceptable to the Diuine power Q. What is then the end which God here especially respecteth in this Commandement when Hee forbiddeth grauen Images any likenes of any thing in Heauen aboue or in the Earth beneath or in the waters vnder the earth A. God would not that his people should imagine that such worship as consisted onely in outward obseruances might please Him Hee would that his seruice should be answerable to his Nature spirituall and heauenly for as Christ saith The true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and Truth In Spirit I say Ioh. 4.23 and sincerity of heart without hypocrisie and in Truth not only in outward rights and obseruances which were but shadowes and figures of the true worship For saith our Sauiour Christ the Father requireth euen such to worship him Q. If God meant hereby to command a spirituall seruing of him why did he charge his people by the ministery of Moses with so many outward ceremonies as hee did and that euen in that place and about that
could not heare or be acquainted with their wants And as prayer so giuing of thanks for such good things as wee receiue is due to God only Dauid assuring himselfe of help from God in his distresse promiseth to prayse the name of God with a Song Psal 69.30 and magnifie him with thanksgiuing And hee confesseth this will please God better then a sacrifice So elsewhere the Prophet exhorts Gods people to offer sacrifices of prayse to God Psal 107.22 Chap. 14.3 which are called by the Prophet Hosea The calues of our lips and by the Apostle to the Hebrewes The fruite of the lippes to confesse Gods name Chap. 13.15 and must alwaies be offred to God as there the Apostle exhorteth Q. It seemeth then that God challengeth as due to him all religious seruice outward and inward of the body and of the mind so as wee must loue the Lord our God Deut. 6.5 with all our heart soule and might so must wee serue him too What seruice then is that of Dulia which the Saints must haue For all this that is spoken of is Latria and therefore by their owne confession is due to God only A. I know not any religious worship that their saints can haue much lesse their Images vnlesse they rob God of his honour as they haue done hitherto and Christ of his office or els that they must returne to Gentilisme or Iudaisme to borrow some rites and obseruances of theirs as their lights their censing and many such like But the true honour that wee can giue vnto the Saints is to commend as patternes of godlinesse and religion their vertues to others and our selues to imitate the same Thus howsoeuer they please themselues in this distinction when it is examined wee finde that they are all one and there is no difference betwéene them but that indifferently they are vsed to set forth the seruice of GOD but neuer for Saints in Scripture yea and the word it selfe vsed in the originall because it is generall and signifieth all kind of seruice euen that which is done vnto men and not only that which we performe to God may plainly teach vs that Gods meaning was not to allow of any such distinction as now is vsed for maintenance of Idolatry by Popish teachers far otherwise then euer St. Augustine vpon whom they father it did meane Q. This is then the summe of that which hath been sayd that any religious seruice whether outward or inward that is done to any Image or the likenesse of any thing is a breach of this second Commandement And because they say it is not done to the Image but to the Saint thereby represented therein they doe against the first Cōmandement of which though we haue heard before in expounding the first Commandement yet vpon occasion somewhat also hath beene sayd in teaching the things required in this second Commandment of that too And is there not any thing els forbidden in this second Commandement then this making and seruing of Images A. Yes for we may make Idols of our owne fancies or of such doctrines as God hath not commanded or taught but because my meaning is briefly to touch the most plain matters of this Precept although I might iustly haue spoken against all doctrines and traditions of men not grounded vppon Gods vndoubted word yet I meane rather to omit them for this present time and to follow the words of the Commaundement and point vnto that only that may plainly be gathered out of them Q. What may we learne out of the reason that is added in the end of this Commandement A. It séemeth to be a general inducement to obedience of Gods lawe terrifying the sinners by feare of Gods terrible iudgements and withall letting them knowe that by their sinne they shewe themselues to bee such as hate God And incouraging and comforting such as by their holy obedience shew that they loue God Q. But what more speciall reasons are in the Scriptures to worke in vs a detestation of all transgression against this Lawe A. Diuers and first the great care that God did shew when he gaue them his lawe in that hee did not appeare in any likenesse so that they only heard his voice but sawe nothing to the end as Moses himselfe doth testifie that they should not corrupt themselues Deut. 4.15 16. and make them a grauen Image or representation of any figure Secondly whereas the Image-worshippers would tell vs that Images are Lay mens books which they learned of the Gentile Idolaters the Spirit of God which can more truly iudge of them what these are then any popish Idolater telleth vs that The stocke is a doctrine of vanity Ier. 10.8 and an image is a teacher of lyes And must not they who looke vpon such bookes be led into errour Thirdly the men of God speake of them so scornefully in the Scriptures as if they disdained that such as professe themselues to be Gods seruants should esteeme of them as that they are the worke of mens hands eyes haue they but see not eares and heare not such like Yea the Prophet Esay telleth vs that men are in their Idolatry so besotted and witlesse that hauing rosted their meat by one piece of a trée and warmed themselues by another piece of it of the third they make a god Lastly if there were no other reason yet this one may make vs to detest them because that wheras God is a Spirit and they who will worship him Ioh. 4.24 must worship in Spirit and truth for so Christ teacheth vs the beholding of their painted Images or otherwise richly decked doth not a little withdraw the mind from heauenly and spiritual meditations and so hinder our true and spirituall seruice Q. The third Commandement hath in it I see a prohibition or forbidding of that which is vnlawful and a reason why we should obey A. It is true Q. But may wee not in diuers things transgresse against this Commandement A. Yes verely we haue so many by-waies to leade vs out of the right path of holy obedience that it is very hard to walk in it without wandring for in those things wherein Gods name should be glorified such is our corruption wee many times dishonour him for swearing if it be in such sort as it ought to be is a thing commended vnto vs and God is glorified thereby And therefore God himselfe by his Prophet Esay prophesiing of the calling of the Gentiles and that they shall set forth Gods honour saith Es 45.23 Euery tongue shall sweare by mee and elsewhere They shall sweare by the Lord of Hostes Es 19.18 but yet it is but too true and greatly to be lamented that by swearing the name of the Lord is taken in vaine and so this Commandement broken Q. But some ancient Haereticks thought and the Anabaptists now maintaine an Oath to be vnlawfull A. It is so but their errour may well bee confuted by diuers
them good Q. For a short view of the meaning of all the Commandements let this suffice But to returne to the first Commandement why is it as also many of the rest are deliuered negatiuely or forbidding that which is euill rather then cōmanding that which wee ought to do and the thing that is good A. Partly to giue vs to vnderstand that holy obedience cannot be performed vnlesse we first cleanse our harts from that which is euil as God by his Prophet aduiseth Esa 1.16.17 1. Pet. 3.11 Cease to doe euill learne to doe well and out of him S. Peter teacheth Eschew euill and doe good Insomuch as when God spoke to Iacob and willed him to goe to Bethel Gen. 35.1 Dwell there sayth God to him and make there an altar vnto GOD. Then said Iacob vnto his houshold and to all that were with him Put away the strange gods that are amongst you and cleanse your selues Ver. 2. Partly also God deliuereth the most of his cōmandements forbidding that which he would haue his seruants to auoide because he knoweth and he would also haue vs to consider earnestly with our selues that we are too ready prone naturally to sin and therefore that our first care should bee to deny our selues and our naturall inclinations that wee may more feruently follow after that which he willeth Q. Doth then this first Commandement require of vs any more then to take heed that we haue not any strange gods A. Yes verily For in that it forbiddeth any other it teacheth vs that hee and hée only ought to be acknowledged to be our God Therefore in the lawe such precepts are very common Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and shalt serue him Againe Deut. 6.13 Deut. 10.20 Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God thou shalt serue him and thou shalt cleaue vnto him Yea hee in his preface vnto his tenne Commandements doth challenge vnto himselfe that honour I am the Lord thy God Neither doth so speake this only to the Israelites who were his only knowne people at that time but euen vnto all vs who professe that wee are Gods children or seruants Q. You say then that this first commandement not onely forbiddeth all strange gods but also commandeth vs to cleaue vnto the true God A. It is so Q. But how shal we come to a more perfect vnderstanding of this first Commandement that we know how to keep and obey the same A. If we truly consider how many waies we may transgresse and carefully take heed to shun them and then remember what God requireth of vs that wée serue and worship him and set our selues to the vttermost of our power to doe them Q. Shew me then how many waies this first precept may be broken A. To speake of euery particular sin whereby this commandement may be broken it is hard but I shall deliuer certain general transgressions vnto the which all the rest may easily bée referred and by which wee may truly examine our selues and accuse our selues of disobeying Q. Is not the grosse Idolatry of the Gentiles a manifest breach of this Commandement A. Yes verily And God doth often complaine of his people for that they delighted in their abominations Deut. 32.21 Ier. 2.5 and elsewhere very often Q. But the Angels are excellent creatures alwaies waiting to do Gods will may we not seeke vnto them for helpe A. Wee may not For the Scriptures teach vs in many places that they are but ministring spirits and seruants vnder God for our good and therfore neither are willing of themselues to do any thing but when God sendeth them nor able by their owne strength or power to helpe vs. Q. Yet we see in Gods booke that good men sometimes haue offered to worship them As Manoah the father of Samson as may be gathered by the 13. Chap. 16. Verse of the booke of Iudges So likewise Apo. 19 10. 22.8 A. So it is But Manaoh knew not that it was an Angel as it is there testified but thought belike that God himselfe did speak to him we may also iudge the like of S. Iohn And therfore as that Angell commanded Manoah that if he would offer a burnt sacrifice hee should offer it to the Lord so S. Iohn is commanded by the Angell not to worship him because he is but his fellow seruant but worship must be done vnto God Q. Some haue worshipped the host of heauen and had affiance in those glorious creatures as the Egyptians who called the Sunne Osyris and the Moone Isis and worshipped them And also before them as Plato writeth the Grecians accounted the Sunne the Moone the Starres the earth also and the heauen for gods as Theodoret reporteth in his third booke of the healing the affections of the Grecians A. It is most true but not they only who had lesse meanes to know the true God But euen Gods people who were acquainted with Gods Law and were often reproued by Gods messengers sent vnto them for that purpose that they might know and detest that abomination euen they I say are accused not only by the Prophet Amos but also Amos. 5.26 by the first Martyr S. Steuen Although God gaue an expresse commandement vnto them Act. 7.43 Deut. 17.3.5 That if any haue gone and serued other gods and worshipped them as the Sun or the Moone or any of the hoast of heauen they should be stoned to death Q. It seemeth the excellency of these creatures who are very glorious in mens eies first alured the Gentiles to this folly and Gods people were deceiued by their example whilst they more regarded the dooings of men which are many times deceitfull then the expresse Commandement of God which alwaies pointeth to the right way A. That must needs be granted Therefore wée must hereby take héed that wee alwaies haue a carefull eye vnto Gods Law that we may frame all our actions both toward God and toward man by the right rule of the infallible word Otherwise we may easily transgresse this Commandement as these haue done in following after strange gods bowing before Angels and worshipping the host of heauen which were made for our vse and comfort and not that wee should serue them Q. Wee haue heard how many wayes such as haue professed themselues to be Gods seruants haue broken this first Commaundement vnder a perswasion though false of seruing God But may not the same also be transgressed by hauing too much confidence in things that cannot helpe A. Yes and that two waies Either in hauing too confident assurance in other worldly meanes that we can procure besides our selues or in trusting too much in our selues and our owne meanes Q. What meane you by them that seeke helpe by other worldly meanes then themselues A. All such as trust in mens strength or fauour for which sinne Gods people are very often bitterly reproued by Gods true Prophets for they so relyed sometime vpon the Aegyptians sometime vpon the