The Protestant religion truely stated and justified by the late Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter ; prepared for the press some time before his death ; whereunto is added, by way of preface, some account of the learned author, by Mr. Danel Williams and Mr. Matthew Sylvester.

The Fiftieth accused Point.

That no man hath seen God in any Form, and that therefore his Picture or Image can∣not be made.

Ans. 1. But what if it were Lawful to Paint God? Is it Necessary? Why may you not be contented to have a painted God your selves? Must all be burnt and damned as Hereticks that are not of your mind? Will you be jealous against those that bow not to a painted God, as God is jealous against those that do it? God saith Thou shalt not bow down to them, nor worship them: Where saith he, Thou shalt bow down to them, and worship them? Or bow to∣wards them, and say, It is not to them?

2. God saith, Thou shalt not make to thy self the likeness of any thing in Hea∣ven or Earth, to bow down to them and worship them. Bowing down purposely towards them, and before them, is inter∣pretatively bowing down to them, wor∣shipping them. And God would not be so worshipped: Isa. 40.16, 25. To whom will ye liken God? Or what likeness will ye compare unto him? To whom will ye liken me, or shall I be equal, saith the Holy one?

See Lev. 26.1. Deut. 16.22. Hab. 18.2. The Molten Image is a Teacher of Lies.

It is Blasphemy to make a Picture or Image of God, but what he maketh him∣self; as if we said, God is like that Image or Creature.

But this Deceiver tells us, how God appeared to Adam and others, in a hu∣mane or some certain shape. Ans. 1. And yet he hath oft and earnestly forbid mak∣ing Images of him to worship.

2. Anthopomorphits, that take God to have parts like man, are Condemned as Hereticks by the Church of Rome it self. Every notifying sign of Gods attributes, is not called his Image; and man is called his Image, for the Divine Impressions on his Soul, which cannot it self be seen and Pictured. If God appear by an Angel, and that Angel appear in humane shape, we are nevertheless forbidden to worship God pictured as a man. Sun, Moon, Stars, yea, every Creature notifieth God to us; yet may we not paint him like these, or any other Creature. Did not Gods transcendency, and his express Word plainly and frequently reprove this, Popery had some small excuses.

If they deny Christs and his Apostles Words, that no man hath seen God at any time, save his Son, they reproach him: To see his Works, is only to se•• that which notifieth him, and not him∣self: Else every Pagan and Brute seeth God. We deny not but the Sun, and Fire, and a man may be pictured, and that God being partly notified to us by these, (and every Creature) may be said so far to appear in them? And when did he appear so wonderfully as in Christ▪ And yet it being not his Essence in it sell that we see in them, but his attributes is part; an Image of a man, of the Sun, Moon, Stars, of a Horse, or a Dog, or a Toad, is not to be called an Image of God, else God may have as many Images as Creatures.