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idols (h), ourselves (i), or any other creature (k). Q. 106. What are we especially taught by these words, (Before me) in the first commandment?

A. These words (Before me) or before my face, in the ..rst commandment, teach us, that God, who seeth all things, takes special notice of, and is much displeased with, the sin of having any other God: that so it may be an argument to dissuade from it, and to aggravate it as a most impudent provocation (1); as also to persuade us to do as in his sight, whatever we do in his service (m).

Q. 107. Which is the second commandment?

A. The second commandment is, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and shew mercy unto thousands of them

him for a trespass-offering, in a coffer by the side thereof, and send it away, that it may go. And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Beth-shemesh, then he hath done us this great evil : but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us.

(h) Dan. 5. 235. But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven, and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou and thy lords, thy wives and thy concubines have drunk wine in them, and thou hast praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified. (i) Deut. 8. 17. And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth. Dan, 4. 30. The king

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spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?

(k) Hab. 1. 16. Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag: because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous.

(1) Psal. 44. 20, 21. If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god: Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.

(m) 1 Cron. 28. 9. And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfeet heart, and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

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that love me, and keep my commandments (n).

Q. 108. What are the duties required in the second com mandment?

A. The duties required in the second commandment are, the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath instituted in his word (o); particularly prayer and thanksgiving in the name of Christ (p); the reading, preaching, and hearing of the word (q); the administration and receiving of the sacraments (r); church-government and discipline (s); the ministry and maintenance thereof (t); religious fasting (v); swearing by the name

(n) Exod. 20. 4, 5, 6.

o Deut. 32. 46. And he said unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day which ye shall command your children to observe to do all the words of this law. Mat. 28. 20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.

(p) Phil. 4. 6. Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. Eph. 5. 20. Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(9) Acts 15. 21. For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbathday. 2 Tim. 4. 2. Preach the word, be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. Acts 10. 33. Immediately, therefore, I send to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now, therefore, are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.

() Mat. 28. 19. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 1 Cor. 11. from verse 23 to verse 30. For I have re-. ceived of the Lord, that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread, &c.

(8) Mat. 16. 19. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven and whatso ever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. 1 Cor. 5 chapter. 1 Cor. 12. 28. And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles,then gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

(t) Eph. 4. 11, 12. And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers: For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. 1 Cor. 9. 7-15. Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit there

of God (w), and vowing unto him (x); as also the disapproving, detesting, opposing all false worship (y); and according to each one's place and calling, removing it, and all monuments of idolatry (z).

Q. 109. What are the sins forbidden in the second commandment?

A. The sins forbidden in the second commandment are, all devising (a), counselling (b), commanding (c), us

of? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? &c.

(v) Joel 2. 12, 13. Therefore also now, saith the Lord, Turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning; And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful.-1 Cor. 7. 5. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent, for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer.

(w) Deut. 6. 13. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. (x) Isa. 19. 21. And the Lord shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the Lord in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the Lord, and perform it. Psal. 76. 11. Vow, and pay unto the Lord your God; let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared.

of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.

(z) Deut. 7. 5. But this shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire. Isa. 30. 22. Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence.

(a) Numb. 15. 39. And it shan be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them: and that ye seek not after your own heart, and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring.

(b) Deut. 13. 6. 8. If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him.

Cy) Acts 17. 16, 17. Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. Therefore dis- (c) Mic. 6. 16. For the staputed he in the synagogue with tutes of Omri are kept, and all the Jews, and with the devout the works of the house of Ahab, persons, and in the market daily and ye walk in their counsels, that with them that met with him. I should make thee a desolation, Psal. 16. 4. Their sorrows shall and the inhabitants thereof an be multiplied that hasten after an- hissing: therefore ye shall bear other God: their drink-offerings the reproach of my people.

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ing (d), and any wise approving any religious worship not instituted by God himself (e); * tolerating a false religion (f); the making any representation of God, of all, or of any of the three persons, either inwardly in our mind, or outwardly in any kind of image or likeness of any creature whatsoever (g); all worshipping of it (h); or God in it or by it (i); the making of any representation of feigned deities (k), and all worship of them, or

(d) 1 Kings 11. 33. Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.

(e) Deut. 12. 32. What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add there. to, nor diminish from it..

(f) Zech. 13. 3. When any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the Lord. Gal. 1. 8. But though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. Rev. 2. 20. I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants. Rev. 17. 16. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate, and naked, and shall eat

her flesh, and burn her with fire.

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(g) Acts 17. 29. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone graven by art and man's device. Rom. 1. 21. 25. Because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

(h) Dan. 3. 18. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Gal. 4. 8. Howbeit,then when you knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.

(i) Exod. 32. 5. And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it, and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To-morrow is a feast to the Lord.

(k) Exod. 32. 8. They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

This entire clause is left out in the Answer authorized by the General Assembly. It is modified by the Associate Reformed Synod so as to read authorizing for tolerating.

service belonging to them (7); all superstitious devices (m), corrupting the worship of God (n), adding to it, or taking from it (o), whether invented and taken up of ourselves (p), or received by tradition from others (q), though under the title of antiquity (r), custom (s), devotion (t), good intent, or any other pretence whatsoever (v), simony (w); sacrilege (x); all neglect (y), con

(Isa. 65. 11. But ye are they that forsake the Lord, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink-offering unto that number.

(m) Acts 17. 22. Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars-hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. Col. 2. 21. Touch not, taste not, handle

not.

(n) Mal. 1. 7, 8. Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? in that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible. And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor, will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts.

(o) Deut. 4. 2. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.

(p) Psal. 106. 39. Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.

(q) Mat. 15. 9. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of

men.

(r) 1 Peter 1. 18. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things,

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as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers.

(8) Jer. 44. 17. But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drinkofferings unto her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.

(t) Isa, 65. 3-5. A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face, that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick: Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels : Which say, stand by thyself, come not near to me, for I am holier than thou: these are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.

() 1 Samuel 13. 11. And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together to Michmash.

(w) Acts 8. 18. And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands, the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them

money.

(x) Rom. 2. 22. Thou that

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