6. The scandal of seeming idolatry is a heinous sin, and not to be excused by the contrary meaning of the heart, no more than lying, idolatrous professions are. Because to blaspheme God as if he were like a creature, or to tell the world by our actions that a creature is God, are both very heinous. And so is it to murder our brethren's souls, by tempting them to the like.[355]
7. It is no appearance of idolatry to kneel to a king, or a father, or superior, when we are professing nothing but to honour them with due honour. But when the church assembleth professedly to worship God, if then they mix expressions of veneration to angels, and saints in heaven, or to a king, or any creature, in their worshipping of God, without a very notorious signification of sufficient difference, it will seem a joining them in part of the same divine honour.[356]
8. So we may put off our hats to the chair of state, or king's image, yea and kneel towards it as to him, if the command is in due time and place, when it is human worship only which we profess. But to kneel or bow as an act of honour towards the image of king, saints, or angels, in the time of our professed worshipping of God, is scandalous, and an appearance that we give them a part of that which we are giving to God.
9. Yet it is not unlawful even in the sacred assemblies, to bow to our superior at our entrance, or going out, or in the intervals of God's worship; because the time, and custom, and manner may sufficiently notify the distinction, and prevent the scandal.
10. If any presumptuous clergyman on pretence of their authority, will bring images into the churches, and set them before us in divine worship, as objects only of remembrance, and means of exciting our affections to God, that they may show _quam proxime se accedere posse ad peccatum sine peccato_, how near they can come to sin without sin, it is not meet for any good christians to follow them in their presumption, nor by obeying them to invite them to proceed in their church tyranny.[357] Though I now determine not, whether in case of necessity, a man may not be present with such a church, if their worship of God himself be sound, supposing him sufficiently to notify his dissent, and that he do not himself scandalously direct his worship toward such images. (As in the Lutheran churches we may suppose they do not.)
[352] Psal. xv 4.
[353] 1 Tim. iv. 5; Tit. i. 15; 1 Cor. x. 14; 1 Pet. iv. 3.
[354] 1 Cor. vi. 9; x. 17; Rev. xxi. 8; xxii. 15; Acts xvii. 16; Gal. v. 20; Second commandment; Rev. xxii. 8, 9; ii. 14, 20; 1 Cor. viii.; x. 19, 28; 1 John v. 21; Dan. iii.
[355] Rom. xi. 4; 1 Kings xix. 18; Rev. xxii. 8, 9; Josh. xxiii. 7; 2 Kings xvii. 35; Exod. xx. 5.
[356] Gen. xxvii. 29; xxxii. 10; xliv. 8; Exod. xi. 8; 2 Kings v. 18; Gen. xli. 43; Ruth ii. 10; 1 Sam. xxv. 23, 41.
[357] Lev. xxvi. 1; Gal. ii. 4, 5; v. 1; 1 Cor. vii. 23.
Quest. CXIII. _What images, and what use of images, is lawful or unlawful?_
_Answ._ 1. It is unlawful to make any image of God. Because it would be a blaspheming of him, as pretending him to be like to that which he is not like to, that is, a creature.[358]
_Object._ Man is God's image: it is lawful to make an image of man; and so an image of God's image, and that may be a secondary image of God.
_Answ._ 1. It is the soul of man, of which no image can be drawn or made, which is the image of God, and not the body. 2. The image of him who _secundum quid_ as to the soul is God's image, is not God's image, but man's _quoad corpus_ as to another part. We need not contend much about the name, whether this may be called a remote image of God (though undoubtedly unfit). But we must not really take it to be like him, or use it for his image.
_Object._ God hath imprinted his image on the whole creation; e. g. he is called a consuming fire; therefore fire may be pictured as his image.
_Answ._ The same answer serveth as to the former objection. And it is not all the impressions and _vestigia_ of God's power, wisdom, and goodness, which are called his image; as the house is not the image of the builder, or a clock of a clock-maker, &c. And if God be metaphorically called fire, as he is called a lion, &c. because of the similitude of some operation or effect, it followeth not that these are his image; much less that the image of these is his image.
2. No image may be made to be a teacher of lies; as we may not lie by words, so neither by images. Therefore false stories, or false images of realities, when made as true, and pretended to be true images or representations, are unlawful.
3. Therefore it is unlawful to make an image of a spirit, pretending it to be a true image. Because it will be a lie.
4. It is unlawful so to make, place, or use any image, as is like to do more harm than good.
5. Therefore it is unlawful so to make, place, or use them, as that they are like to tempt a man to any sin, unless necessity for some greater good require it. (Of which more anon.)