Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

and posterity unto the third and fourth genera

tion."

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.

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,

silly, spiritless, and vain shape. Therefore they do most injuriously abate the majesty of the most good and most great God, when they go about in such sort to make resemblance of him.

Mast. Have they not then said well, which affirm that images are unlearned men's books?

Scho. I know not what manner of books they be; but surely, concerning God, they can teach us nothing but errors.

Mast. What manner of worshipping is that which is here condemned?

Scho. When we, intending to pray, do turn ourselves to portraitures or images; when we do fall down and kneel before them with uncovering our heads, or with other signs shewing any honour unto them, as if God were represented unto us by them; briefly, we are in this Law forbidden, that we neither seek nor worship God in images, or, which is all one, that we worship not the images themselves in honour of God, nor in any wise by idolatry or superstition abuse them with injury to his majesty. Otherwise the lawful use of making portraitures and of paintings are not forbidden.

Mast. By this thou tellest me it may easily be gathered that it is very perilous to set any images or pictures in churches, which are properly appointed for the only worshipping of God.

Scho. That that is true, we have had already too much experience, by the decay in a manner of whole religion.

Mast.

Yet there remaineth a certain, as it

were, addition or appendant of this Law.

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

grievously displeased with his wife when she breaketh her faith.

Mast. Go on.

Scho. Now to the intent to shew more vehemently how he hateth idolatry, and with greater fear to restrain us from offending therein, he threateneth that he will take vengeance not only of them that shall so offend, but also of their children and posterity.

Mast. But how doth this agree with the righteousness of God, that any one should be punished for another's offence?

Scho. The very state of mankind doth sufficiently assoil this question. For by nature we are all subject to damnation, in which state if God do leave us, we have no cause to complain of him. And as toward the godly he sheweth his love and mercy, in defending and cherishing their posterity with giving them their preservation which he owed them not; so toward the ungodly he executeth his vengeance in withholding that his goodness from their children, and yet in the mean time he doeth them no wrong, but as he found them, so leaveth them to their own disposition and nature.

Mast. Go forward to the rest.

Scho. That he should not seem to enforce us with only threatenings, now followeth the other part, wherein God, with gentle and liberal promising, entreateth and allureth us to obey him. For he promiseth that he will shew most great mercifulness both toward all themselves that love

him and obey his Commandments, and also toward their posterity.

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 continually 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.

1

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

« AnteriorContinuar »