fhews to all the World, that She has Other Gods, befides Him.

Q. What do you then fuppofe to be the full import, of this Second Part, of the prefent Commandment?

A. That we should neither Believe in, Account of,or Worship any Other, as God, befides the LORD: Whether it be by Forfaking Him, and Falling off altogether to Idolatry; or by Giving the Honour of God to Any Other Being, together with Him.

SECT. XXIII.

Q.WHAT is the Second Commandment?

A. Thou shalt not make to thy felf any Gzaver Image,&c.

Q. How does this Commandment differ from the Foregoing?

A. The Design of the First Commandment was to determine, and fet us Right in, the Object of our Religious Worship; and to prevent Us from giving Divine Honour to any befides the true God. The Design of this, is to direct Us in the Manner of worshipping Him; that fo we may not only ferve the true God, but may ferve him after fuch a Manner as he Requires, and is moft fitting for Us to do.

Q. What is the full Import of this Commandment?

A. It is this; Firft, That we must not make any Image of God, at all; be our Defign what it will, in making of it. Nor, Secondly, *That of any Other Being, with an Intention to pay any Honour, or Worship, to it,

A

Lev. xix. 4. xxvi. i.

Acts xvii.29.

Q. Do you think it utterly Unlawful to make any Image at all of God?

A. It is certainly Unlawful, and is in many Places of Scripture exprefly forbidden, as being Ezck.zivs. highly dishonourable to the Infinite Nature, and Majefty of God, and of Great danger, and harm to us. See Deut. iv. 15. Ifai. xl. 18. xlii. 8. Rom. i. 23.

Amos v. 26.

Q. What think you of the Image of Christ; may that be made without offending against this Commandment?

A. Chrift being Man, as well as God, his Bo dy may certainly be aptly enough Reprefented by an Image; nor would it be any Sin fo to do, provided that No Ufe were made of any fuch Image, in any part of our Religious Worship. But to Reprefent God the Father in a Graven Image; to paint the Holy Trinity, and that in fo profane a manner as it has often been done in the Church of Rome, is certainly a Great Sin, and a Great Scandal ? and directly contrary to the Intention of this Commandment.

Q: Do you then look upon all Ufe of Images in God's Service to be Unlawful?

A. I do account it contrary to the Prohibition Deut. iv.16. of this Commandment, and by confequence, Unlawful. And therefore when Aaron firft, and afterwards Jeroboam, made Ufe of them for this purpofe; we find how highly God was pleased to Refent it; and with what deteftation it is condemn'd in the Holy Scriptures. Exod. xxxii. 1 Kings xii. 30. xiii. 34. Pfal. cvi. 20.

Q. What fay you to the Practice of the Church of Rome, in this particular?

A. That it is Scandalous, and Intolerable: There having never been greater Idolatry.committed among the Heathen in the business of

Image-Worship, than has been committed in that Church; and is, by Publick Authority, ftill pra&tifed by it; efpecially in the Ceremony of their = Good Friday, Cross-Worship:

Q. Do you think they are fo foolish as to Worship the Cross; or is it Idolatry to worship Christ, in prefence of the Cross?

A. If we may either believe their Own Words, or judge by their Actions, they Adore the Crofs, as well as Chrift; and Both alike, and with the fame Worship. As for the new pretence of worshipping Chrift in Prefence of the Crofs, it is a meer delufion, contrived only to cheat ignorant People: And carries just as much fenfe in it, as if you should ask, whether it I were lawful to fay your Prayers in Prefence of a Poft or to write a Letter in the Prefence of a Candleftick; the Nonfenfe of which there is no One fo dull as not to discover.

Q. What is the Pofitive Duty Required of Us in this Commandment?

A. To worship God after a manner fuitable to his Divine Nature, and Excellencies: God is a Spirit, and whofo will Worship Him aright, must do it in Spirit and in Trath, Jo. iv. 24. Rom. xii. 1. Comp. Mat. xv. 8, 9.

Q. How has God enforced thefe Commandments?

A. He has done it after a very fingular Manner: By declaring, ift; That He is a jealous God, Alts xvii. 29. and will not fuffer His Glory to be given to Another; neither bis Praife to Graven Deut. vili-19. Images. Ifai. xlii. 8. But 2dly, Will fit this Itai. xlii. 8. Sin not only upon Those who commit it, but on their Posterity alfo, to the Third, and Fourth Generation. As, on the Other fide, 3dly, To Palcxv.14. those who are Careful to Worship Him as they

ought

ought to do, He will fhew abundant Mercy in this prefent Time; and, in the World to come, Give them Life Everlasting.

}

Q. Can it confift with the Juftice of God to Punifh One for the Sin of Another ?

A. No certainly, nor does God here threaten any fuch thing. But God, who is the great LORD of the whole World, may fo punish a Man for his Sins, that the Evil of it fhall Reach not to Himself alone, but to his Pofterity alfo. And thus the Children may be Vifited, and yet! not Punish'd, for their Father's Idolatry. As in the Cafe of High-Treafon, the Father by forfeiting his Honour, and Eftate, brings the Illconfequence of his Crime upon his Family as well as upon himself, and the Prince, by exacting the Penalty of the Law,does truly vifit; tho not Punish, his Pofterity; for the Offence which He alone Committed.

Q. How then do you Understand this Part of the Commandment?

A. God had, in general, promised to the Jews Temporal Bleffings to Encourage their Obedience; and had denounced prefent Evils against them, to keep them from Sinning. But to fet a particular Mark of his Indignation upon the Sin of Idolatry, He thought fit to declare, that if they Offended in this Matter, He would not only feverely punish them Himself, but would deliver them up into the Hands of their Enemies, who fhould both Opprefs Them, and their Children after Them. Whereas if they continued firm to his Worship, tho' otherwise they *King xi 34. fhould be guilty of many leffer Crimes, yet he Kings viii. would not caft them off from his Favour; but, on the contrary, would bless both Them, and their Pofterity, with Plenty, and Profperity, all

Kings xiv. 22, XV. 13 7. xxiv. 3. Lam. v. 6.

2 Kings xxii.

19.

their Days. This I take to have been the literal meaning of the prefent Denunciation; and how exactly it was made Good to Them, their History fufficiently declares to Us.

Q. May this be, in any wife, Apply'd to Us Now?

I

A. Thus far it may, To teach us how heinons the Sin of Idolatry is; how Odious in the fight of God; how worthy of his Vengeance; how certain to feel it. The Jews were, in their whole Eftate, a Figure to Us: As therefore 1 Cor. vi. 9. God threatned that he would, with the utmoft Severity, Require this Sin of Them; fo moft certainly he will do it of Us; It may be in this prefent Life, but without all Controversie in the Life which is to Come.

SECT. XXV.

Q. What is the Third Commandment?

A. Thou shalt not take the Panie of the LORD thy God in Wain, &c.

Q. What is the Defign of this Commandment? A. To fecure that Honour we ought to Pay to God, by a reverend Efteem of whatsoever Relates to Him.

Q. What mean you by the Name of God?

A. I understand thereby God Himself, and whatsoever has any Immediate Relation to Him. Pfal.xxix.2. Exod.xxxiv. 14. Deutr. xxviii. 58.

Q. When may we be accounted to take God's Name in Vain?

A. When we make mention of God, or of any thing which belongs unto Him, Rafhly, and Irreverently: In a way that is not fuitable to his Divine Honour, and Majefty; nor to that de

ference

Gal. v. 20.

Rev. xxi. 8.

xxii. 15.