not taughte / but they ar cleane contrarie and repugnaunte vnto
it: wherfore when the wicked papistes do their popish seruice
vnto a god (they saye) it is plaine that they do not worshippe
that true lyuinge godd / whom the holy scripture teachith vs to
knowe and worship / but sum such other godd as they haue fayned
in their fantesie to be their god / such a one as is delighted
with these their seruices: But seinge that in verye dede there
is no suche true god at all / as they do Imagine / the god then
whom they serue is but a newe god / fantasied and inuented in
their owne myndes: wherfore by righte their god maye and must be
called / an horribe Idoll / their masse likewise with all
popishe seruice done vnto him / abhominable Idolatrie / And they
which do such popishe seruice vile Idolatrors. But wher as they
saye that those thinges wich be done and spoken in the masse
hadde their begynnynge of the ordinaunce of Christe, and that by
the wikednes of men they are corrupted: This sainge helpethe not
at all / for in these thinges / it is not the begynnynge that is
to be consydered only / or that can make them good onlie /
seinge they are swarued from the truithe / but nowe their
nature / and vse vs to be tried / whether they do agree with the
verie worde of god or no.

[[numer. 21.]]

what thinge hade a more pure begynynge euen by goddes
commaundement then the brasen serpent? It was erected god both
willinge and commandinge it. It was sett forthe with miracles /
for whosoeuer dyd beholde it he was deliuered from the bytinge
of deathlie serpentes /

[[4 Reg. 18.]]

But this not withstondinge when men dyd worshippe the same
serpent and offered incense vnto it / the godlie dyd so abhorre
it / that Ezechias that most holy kynge not regardinge at all
the begynnynge of yt / dyd breake it in peces / and vtterlie
destroyed the worshippinge of yt / Therfore it is not sufficient
to consider the begynnynge of a thinge / but howe the ordre and
vse of yt dothe agree wyth the firste institution and
ordinaunce. This acte of Ezechias is praised in the scripture.
And wolde to god that we hade now an Ezechias wich wold so
handle the masse. ffurthermoore our men wolde haue this thinge
to be consydered in them / that thoughe they go to the masse /
yet they haue no mynde to decline and departe frome god / but
that they worshipp hym ther: vnto this I answer / that the
Israelites when they dyd compell Aaron to make them a calfe to
w