he honour done to the image resulteth to him
whose image it is, there is no honour ascribed to the image as a passive
object; but they who honour an image for this respect, and with this
meaning, have it only for an active object which represents and calls to
their mind the first sampler, as the Archbishop of Spalato also
observeth.(704) Neither the Papists only, but some also of the very
heathen idolaters, _norunt in imaginibus nihil deitatis inesse, meras
autem esse rerum absentium repraesentationes_,(705) &c. And what if neither
heathens nor Papists had been of this opinion, that images are but active
objects of worship? Yet I have before observed, that the Bishop himself
acknowledgeth it were idolatry to set before us an image as the active
object of our adoration, though the worship should be abstracted from the
image.

_Sect._ 12. Finally, To shut up this point, it is to be noted that the
using of the sacramental elements, as active objects of worship only,
cannot make kneeling before them in the receiving to be idolatry; for then
might we lawfully, and without idolatry, kneel before every active object
which stirreth up our minds to worship God. All the works of God are such
active objects, as the Bishop also resolveth in the words before cited.
Yet may we not, at the sight of every one of God's works, kneel down and
adore, whilst the eyes, both of body and mind, are fixed upon it, as the
means and occasion which stirreth us up to worship God. The Bishop,
indeed, holdeth, we may, only he saith this is not necessary,(706) because
when, by the sight of the creatures of God we are moved privately to
worship, our external gesture of adoration is arbitrary, and sometimes no
gesture at all is required. But in the ordinary ministry, when the works
of God or his benefits are propounded, or applied publicly, to stir us up
to worship in the assemblies of the church, then our gesture ceaseth to be
arbitrary; for it must be such as is prescribed and received in the church
where we worship. _Ans._ 1. He shuffleth the point decently, for when he
speaks of being moved to worship at the sight of any creature, he means of
inward worship, as is evident by these words, "Sometime no gesture at all
is required;" but when he speaks of being moved to worship in the
assemblies of the church, by the benefits of God propounded publicly (for
example, by the blessed sacrament), then he means of outward worship, as
is evident by his requiring