Shibboleth, or, Observations of severall errors in the last translations of the English & French Bibles together with many other received opinions in the Protestant churches, which being weighed in the ballance are found too light / written by John Despagne ... ; and translated into English by Robert Codrington ...

Of certain pictures which are in some Bibles.

AT the entrance into the Eng∣lish Bible, Jesus Christ with his twelve Disciples celebrating the Passeover, are represented sitting at a table, as we are accustomed to do when we take our Repast. But we know that Jesus Christ and his A∣postles sate not then in that posture, and that their Table did not resemble those in which we set our viands. They did not sit but did almost lye along ei∣ther upon some Cushions or on the ground, leaning upon their Elbows, ••s it is custom in these times in the Eastern Countries. The Originall ••ext saith not that they sate, but doth make use of a terme which cannot properly be expressed in our vulgar ••anguages. The French Bible in a more generall expression saith, he ••id set himself at the table, The Eng∣••ish hath it, He sate down, and this

word for the want of a better, and one more answerable to the Greek text, is tolerable in a translation. But a picture, which speaketh in all languages, ought not to corrupt the Histories in representing them otherwise than they are. The same picture doth very ill describe Saint John in the Bosom of Jesus Christ, The particulars are by so much the more considerable, because they con∣cern some circumstances of the Sup∣per of our Lord, and it is of great importance that we should under∣stand them, because they do furnish us with Arguments against Altars, against the elevation of the Host, and the worshipping of it.

I will not here speak of the igno∣rance of Painters, who representing Lazarus in the breast of Abraham, do paint him as a little Infant on the Knees of that great Patriark.

Moreover in some Bibles of the old Impression we may see GOD repre∣sented in the form of a man, produ∣cing

Eve from the side of Adam. We may truly paint Adam or Eve, but it is impossible to paint God. Those who have such pictures in their Bibles, ought rather to take them out, then take delight to be∣hold them, If it be unlawfull to have Images to represent God, much less it is permitted to have them in the Bible which doth prohi∣bite such portraictures.