good and such sort Mast. firm that NOWELL'S CATECHISM. Master. What is the meaning of these words? Scholar. As in the First Commandment he commandeth that himself alone be honoured and worshipped, so in this Commandment he restraineth us from all superstition, and from all wrongful and bodily inventions, forasmuch as the worshipping of him ought to be spiritual and pure; and chiefly he prayeth us from the most gross fault of outward idolatry. Mast. It seemeth then that this Law wholly condemneth the acts of painting and portraiture, so that it is not lawful to have any images made at all. Scho. Not so. But he first forbiddeth us to make any images to express or counterfeit God, or to worship him withal; and secondly, he chargeth us not to worship the images themselves. Scho. be; but us nothin Mast. which is Scho. ourselve fall down our heads or, which Mast. Why is it not lawful to express God with a bodily and visible form? Scho. Because there can be no likeness or agreeing between God, which is a Spirit eternal, unmeasurable, infinite, incomprehensible, severed from all mortal composition, and a frail, bodily, nost injuriously apate the majesty of the most I and most great God, when they go about in sort to make resemblance of him. ast. Have they not then said well, which afthat images are unlearned men's books? ho. I know not what manner of books they but surely, concerning God, they can teach othing but errors. Cast. What manner of worshipping is that h is here condemned ? cho. When we, intending to pray, do turn elves to portraitures or images; when we do lown and kneel before them with uncovering heads, or with other signs shewing any honour them, as if God were represented unto us nem; briefly, we are in this Law forbidden, we neither seek nor worship God in images, which is all one, that we worship not the es themselves in honour of God, nor in any by idolatry or superstition abuse them with -y to his majesty. Otherwise the lawful use aking portraitures and of paintings are not dden. Tast. By this thou tellest me it may easily gathered that it is very perilous to set any ges or pictures in churches, which are pro✓ appointed for the only worshipping of God. cho. That that is true, we have had already much experience, by the decay in a manner of Le religion. Scho. "For I (saith he), I the Lord your God am a jealous God, and visit the sins of the fathers upon the," &c. &c. Mast. To what end, or wherefore, were these things spoken? Scho. These serve to this end, to stablish and confirm this law, by adding, as it were, a certain special decree. For in naming himself our Lord and our God, he doth by two reasons, that is, in respect of his authority, and of his bountifulness, urge us to obey him in all things. And by this word jealousy, he declareth that he can abide no partner or equal. Mast. What is the reason of this jealousy that thou speakest of? Scho. A most just reason. For since that to us which have nothing deserved, only of his own infinite goodness, he hath given himself; by most good right it is that he will have us, to be wholly altogether and entirely his own. For this is that bond, as it were, of a holy marriage, wherein to God, the faithful husband, our souls, as chaste spouses, are coupled; whose charity standeth in this, to be dedicated to God alone, and to cleave wholly to him, like as on the other side our souls are said to be defiled with adultery when they swerve from God to idolatry or superstition. And how much more heartily the husband loveth the wife, and the chaster he is himself, so much is he more Mast Scho. mently fear to threaten of them dren an Mas rightec punish Sche ficientl are all God do of him. love an their p tion w ungodling th yet inas he f disposi Mas Scho with o part, mising For he last. Go on. cho. Now to the intent to shew more vehetly how he hateth idolatry, and with greater to restrain us from offending therein, he ateneth that he will take vengeance not only hem that shall so offend, but also of their chila and posterity. Mast. But how doth this agree with the teousness of God, that any one should be nished for another's offence? Scho. The very state of mankind doth sufently assoil this question. For by nature we all subject to damnation, in which state if d do leave us, we have no cause to complain him. And as toward the godly he sheweth his e and mercy, in defending and cherishing ir posterity with giving them their preservan which he owed them not; so toward the godly he executeth his vengeance in withhold that his goodness from their children, and t in the mean time he doeth them no wrong, but he found them, so leaveth them to their own sposition and nature. Mast. Go forward to the rest. Scho. That he should not seem to enforce us th only threatenings, now followeth the other art, wherein God, with gentle and liberal proising, entreateth and allureth us to obey him. or he promiseth that he will shew most great ercifulness both toward all themselves that love Mast. by what reason dost thou think this to be righteous? Scho. Some reason it is because of the godly education wherein godly parents do so instruct their children, that they commonly use to succeed them as their heirs in the true fear and love of God: also nature itself draweth us to a good will towards our friends' children. But the surest reason is, that God so promiseth, who neither can swerve from righteousness, nor at any time break his promise. Mast. But it appeareth that this is not contmually certain, and ever falleth so. For sometimes godly parents beget ungodly children, for such as go out of kind from their parents' goodness, whom God, notwithstanding this promise, hath grievously punished. Schu. This indeed cannot be denied. For as God, when he will, sheweth himself merciful to the children of the wicked, so is he by no such necessity bounden to the children of the godly, but that he is at liberty to reject such of them as he will. But therein he always useth such moderation, that the truth of his promise ever remaineth steadfast... Mast. Where afore he speaketh of revenging, he nameth but three or four generations at the most, why doth he here, in speaking of mercy, contain a thousand? Scho. To shew that he is much more inclined |