godd / O Lord / it is thow that oughtest only to be worshipped.
But he gyuith the Iues instruction against Images which wer
caried about / and Idolatries which wer vsed in those places wher
they were exiles: ffor the Maneir of the Babilonians was / not
only to haue Images in ther temples / but also to haue them sett
abroode and caried openly vppon mens shulders. As it is not
vnlike that the Image of Nabugodonosor, which beinge dedicated
in the feilde of dura, was caried aboute the whole Region with
Musicall Instrumentes and songes / at the sownde of which
whersoeuer the Image was seene / commaundement was gyuen vnto all
men that they shuld worshipp it: which Daniels felows wolde not
do. Of theise thinges I saye / that epistle entreatithe /
playnlye to warne the godly / that they shuld not adore / nor
worshipp thos Idols thoughe that the heathenishe poeple did so
bothe before them / and behind them / but when they did see this
Idolatrie / detesting it / they shuld then saye / O lord / it is
thou to whome worshipp doth only belonge: he saied not / bowe the
knee with them / and saye in your hartes / o lord / it is thou
&c. but when ye do see these Idols and Idolatrye / say so. These
seyngs and suddayn meetings in the cytie streetes and fieldes /
could not be auoyded / and therfor the godly were to be
enstructed and admonished / how they shuld behaue them selues in
that case.
But our men / as they are veraye bolde to abuse the scripture
for their purpose / go on further and aske / how it happened
that Daniel was not throwen into the fierie fornace with his
felowes?
[[Daniel. 3.]]
seing lyke punishement was appointed vnto all men which did not
worshippe. They will of necessitie haue it graunted them
therfor / that Daniel did dissemble / (as they now do) and that
therfor nothing was done vnto hym: And that thinge which Daniel
dyd / they thincke that they maye do. I aunswer our men thus /
that they do not reason well to saye / He was not punished /
therfor he was ther and worshipped / they do out more in the
consequent / then is in the antecedent / and so to reason is to
make a subtill cauillacion / taking that to be a cause which is
no cause. For there might be many other causes / wherfor Daniel
was not likewise punished: happilie the Image and he did not
meete together: or yf he did meete it / men did not mark what he
did: or els though men marcked that he did not worshipp / yet he
was not accused: or yf he we
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