make the tabernacle, to make two images of angels, and to place them in the Holy of Holies, where my prefence would reft, and to place the commandments in the ark of the covenant at the feet of the angels. If I intended to exclude and forbid every defcription of images, I could not have commanded these two angels to be made out and placed in the most holy and facred place, where my glory was in a particular manner prefent; and these commandments deposited in a place fo facred, that it was death for any but the high priest to enter; and it was to this place the congregation kneeled, prayed, and made their fupplica tions. Calv. I have turned my back, held Mofes and his two angels in derifion, as you hold Aaron's calf, and as all children of the Proteftant cause at this day deride your image and crucifixion, with every fpecies of popish idolatry and fuperftition. Luth. We acknowledge all fcripture and Proteftant images, and every other article belonging or appertaining to the two covenants, but cry vehemently against popish images, as your image, Virgin Mary's, or any other act of popery. In this article of religion we agree with the Calvinists. Calv. We deteft your Proteftant images equally with Jewish, popifh, or heathen idols. We turn our backs, and with uplifted hands, eyes fixed towards heaven, hearts pouring forth ftreams of heavenly and spiritual ejaculations of high perfumes, as the ointment that anoint ed ed Aaron's beard, which run down to his skirt most deliciously. Meff. I alfo commanded Mofes to make a molten image of a fnake, and hang it on a pole, that they who were bit by poisoned fnakes might live by looking on it. Luth. & Calv. The idolatrous image of the old ferpent that plotted the fall of man. Me. A fimilitude of man's redemption, which I foretold you in the gofpel, that as Mofes lifted up the ferpent in the wilderness, fo muft the fon of man be lifted up. In the gofpel you will read of a woman I healed of an iffue of blood. Eufebius tells you that he had my image fet up, and herself kneeling at my feet, as a teftimony of her gra titude, and that a fhrub grew at my feet, which he was witnefs to, that cured whoever applied. Mention is alfo made of my mother's image, drawn by Luke the evangelift, and of St. Peter's and Paul's; and as foon as the church was refpited from perfecution, they placed holy images, and teftified every other mark of gratitude and devotion in their churches and places of worship. You excufe yourselves, under the fanction of reason, to do homage to the chair of ftate, to love and refpect the images of yourselves, relations, and other friends, &c. and would confider it as the highest indignity and infult (in defpifing or injuring them) to the original; but all refemblances of myfelf, or fervants, are defpifed, hated, and, in your judgment, both them and F my my church, who you charge with idolatry fhould be caft into flames. You accuse my covenant of seven sacraments, yourselves having the fhadow of two. Luth. Baptifm and the fupper we think fufficient and neceffary. Calv. Are you then without charity, that univerfal charity and bulwark of the reforma tion, which teftifies a remnant of all fhall be faved, papifts excepted. Luth. What you obferve is too general to be difputed. I am therefore mum. Calv. Many branches of proteftantism do not baptife until our riper years, in general nothing more than to keep up fome fhew of Chriftianity. Luth. You will allow the neceffity and reality of the fupper.. Calv. Calvinifm grants neither, of which 90 out of 100 proteftants are of our number. Luth. We proteftants then have no facrament? Calv. Certainly we have none, otherwise we must excommunicate and anathematife our bulwark against popery, which is what I just before mentioned, a remnant of all religions fhall be faved, except papists. Luth, & Calv. Of two evils take the leaft; the bulwark must be fupported. Meff. According to the principles of the protestant religion, Chriftianity is not effentially neceffary to falvation. Luth.& Calv. According to the general fenfe of of the reformation it is not, for it would be cruel to damn all that were not proteftants. Me. In my first covenant with the Jews, I established one chair, the chair of Mofes; from this there was no appeal. In my fecond covenant, or Chriftian church, I established, as in the other, one chair, which is called the chair of Peter, from which there is no appeal; I am her teacher and director; fhe has paffed through near eighteen centuries, without adding or diminishing one tittle of her faith; fhe is the one, holy, catholic and apoftolical church, at this day, and muft remain the fame until the confummation of the world, as I firft eftablished her. Luth & Calv. Why are we taught that she has changed, and become the fynanogue of Satan? Me. This from the beginning was the charge of fchifmatics and heretics, through every age of the church, like fo many meteors, promifing light for a moment, then ends in darknefs; or a tempeftuous ocean, whofe waves beat and threaten destruction to the veffel, but prefently fubfides and difappears. Deftitute of reafon, you have neither ftability or uniformity, but, like a beggar's coat, patched up with the rags of others, which yourselves condemn. Your maggot, as your predeceffors, have your period, when fome other novelifts will fucceed to the end, that my elect may be tried as gold in the fire. Luth. & Calv. You have fpoken more forcible in the character of the Meffiah, particu larly in the latter part, than in your own; for no man of fenfe can be pleafed with novelty and deception; it is a character the most trifling, which none, but a Jackanaps, MerryAndrew, Coxcomb, or Buffoon would willingly affume. Another matter you have impreffed on our minds, which, in the course of fixty years, never appeared in our ftudies, the difference and distinction to be made betwixt good images and reprefentations, imprinted on the mind, by feeing or hearing, either ftatues, portraits, printings, writings, or any other ways or means of communicating fubjects to our understandings, to excite devotion and enlarge our minds with duty and affection which we owe the original or profane, devilish, detestable, lewd, prompting, aggravating and encouraging vice. Where is the man of flesh that looks attentively on an indecent image but what will find fomething deteftable, exciting to a breach of the commandment? equally fo in the reading a vicious or lewd book excites luft. Hercules and the earth-born giant raises the mind to battle, &c. We, therefore, conclude that whatever confirms virtue and the love of Almighty God and heavenly things iffue from the spirit of God; and, on the reverfe, whatever leffens or difunites 'our attachment, duty, love, and obedience to our God and his commandments must proceed from the spirit of wickednefs and every image, either of ftone, brafs, painting, printing, and writing, Speaking, or by any other conveyance, to with draw |