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Ten Commandments
1st Commandment ⇐ ⇒ 3rd Commandment
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“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 shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me and keep my commandments.”
Ex. 20:4-6
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Subsections
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Order of Contents
Shorter 3
Longer 3
More
Latin 5
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Shorter
1500’s
Bullinger, Henry – 2nd Sermon, ‘Of God’s Law, & of the Two First Commandments of the First Table’ in The Decades ed. Thomas Harding (Cambridge: Parker Society, 1849), vol. 1, 2nd Decade, pp. 209-37
Calvin, John – 2nd Commandment in Institutes of the Christian Religion tr. Henry Beveridge (1559; Edinburgh: Calvin Translation Society, 1845), vol. 1, bk. 2, ch. 8, pp. 447-52
Vermigli, Peter Martyr – The Common Places… (London: Henrie Denham et al., 1583), pt. 2
5. ‘The Second Precept, which concerns Images, their Beginning, Antiquity & Cause’ 333
‘Whether it be lawful to express Christ, the angels and other creatures in Images’ 340
‘Whether it be lawful to place images in churches’ 351
‘Of Cherubim and Teraphim’ 356
‘Of human sacrifices’ 359
‘Of the establishing of the Second Commandment, whether the child shall bear the iniquity of the father’ 362-68
Beza, Theodore, Anthony Faius & Students – 30. ‘Upon the Second Commandment’ in Propositions & Principles of Divinity Propounded & Disputed in the University of Geneva by Certain Students of Divinity there, under Mr. Theodore Beza & Mr. Anthony Faius… (Edinburgh: Waldegrave, 1591), pp. 68-72
Virel, Matthew – 2nd Commandment in A Learned & Excellent Treatise Containing All the Principal Grounds of Christian Religion (London, 1594), bk. 2, 1. Of Good Works, 1st Part
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1600’s
Heidegger, Johann H. – VI. ‘The Second Commandment’ in The Concise Marrow of Theology trans. Casey Carmichael in Classic Reformed Theology, vol. 4 (Reformation Heritage Books, 2019), Locus 14, ‘On the Decalogue’, p. 97
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Longer
1500’s
Musculus, Wolfgang – Common Places of the Christian Religion (1560; London, 1563)
2nd Commandment 41.b
Kneeling to Images 46.b
Of them which worship the image of the Father and the Son 47.a
The images of God in the Papists’ Churches 47.a
Of the Image of Christ 47.b
How worshipping appertains unto Christ 47.b
All worship and adoration only to God the Lord 48.b
That God is jealous 48.b
The nature of zeal and emulation 49.b
How these words agree with that of Eze. 18:4, 18 50.a
How the revenge of God is extended to the third and fourth generation 51.a
Against the teachers of merits 53.b
Ursinus, Zachary
The Sum of Christian Religion: Delivered… in his Lectures upon the Catechism… tr. Henrie Parrie (d. 1583; Oxford, 1587)
1. How Far Images may be Allowed to be Made
2. Why Images are to be abolished in the churches of Christians
3. How images are to be abolished
Certain objections of the Papists
20. Of the Six First Commandments in Rules & Axions of Certain Chief Points of Christianity in A Collection of Certain Learned Discourses… (Oxford, 1600)
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1600’s
Perkins, William – 21. 2nd Commandment in A Golden Chain (Cambridge: Legat, 1600), pp. 42-54
Wolleb, Johannes – Abridgment of Christian Divinity (1626) in ed. John Beardslee, Reformed Dogmatics: J. Wollebius, G. Voetius & F. Turretin (Oxford Univ. Press, 1965), bk. 2
4. ‘The Works Connected with the Second, Third & Fourth Commandments in General’, pp. 201-2
5. ‘The Works of the Second Commandment Specifically’, pp. 201-14
Wolleb (1589–1629) was a Swiss reformed theologian. He was a student of Amandus Polanus.
Leigh, Edward – ch. 3, ‘Of the Second Commandment’ in A System or Body of Divinity… (London, A.M., 1654), bk. 9, pp. 749-57
Durham, James – ‘The Second Commandment’ in The Law Unsealed, or a Practical Exposition of the Ten Commandments (†1658), pp. 50-120
Durham was a leading Scottish covenanter during the 2nd Reformation in Scotland.
*** – ‘Whatever Durham has written is very precious. He has the pen of a ready writer, and indites good matter.’
Turretin, Francis – Institutes of Elenctic Theology, tr. George M. Giger, ed. James Dennison Jr. (1679–1685; P&R, 1994), vol. 2, 11th Topic
9. ‘Is it lawful to religiously worship images of God, the holy Trinity, Christ, the virgin and other saints? We deny against the papists.’ 51
10. ‘Whether not only the worship, but also the formation and use of religious images in sacred places is prohibited by the Second Commandment. We affirm against the Lutherans.’ 62
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1700’s
à Brakel, Wilhelmus – ch. 47, ‘The Second Commandment’ in The Christian’s Reasonable Service, vol. 3 ed. Joel Beeke, trans. Bartel Elshout Buy (1700; RHB, 1992/1999), pp. 105-19
a Brakel (1635-1711) was a contemporary of Voet and Witsius and a major representative of the Dutch Further Reformation.
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More Expositions of the Second Commandment
In Biblical Commentaries. See on Ex. 20:3:
Whole Old Testament Commentaries 60
Whole Old Testament Commentaries 11
Old Testament Commentaries see commentaries on the Pentateuch (6) and on Exodus (9)
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In Catechisms & Commentaries Thereon
Heidelberg Catechism Questions 91-115
See also Commentaries on the Heidelberg Catechism
Westminster Shorter Catechism Questions 39-82
See also Commentaries on the Shorter Catechism 151
Westminster Larger Catechism Questions 91-152
See also Commentaries on the Larger Catechism (4) and Commentaries on the Westminster Confession and Catechisms (3)
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In Systematic Theologies
Many systematic theologies (especially from the Reformation and Puritan eras) contain an exposition of God’s Moral Law, the 10 Commandments. See:
Every Reformed Systematic Theology Online
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Latin
1500’s
Zanchi, Girolamo – Of the Fall of the First Man, of Sin & of the Law in The Theological Works, vol. 4 (d. 1590; Stephanus Gamonetus, 1613)
14. An Explication of the Second Precept… and of shunning images, and of external worship 362
15. Of Images 380
Thesis 1. It is permitted to us to make no image respecting God by which He is represented. 382
Thesis 2. It is not prohibited by the law of God that images, of whatever visible thing outside the use of religion, are able to made. 384
Thesis 3. Images, which have been customarily adored, and hence are able to be easily adored yet by some in churches and chapels where they are customarily set out for worship, ought not to be borne with. 387
To the exucses of the Papists and Lutherans which have images in churches. 397
Thesis 4. It is not of private men to remove images from churches and public places, but rather of their magistrates which in those places have right and authority. 405
Thesis 5. They are so to remove images which have been set out for worship that they are not able restored any more in the churches. 410
16. Of the External Worship of God 410
Question 1, Thesis 1. Although God especially and per se takes pleasure in our internal piety, and certainly pious works, yet not from that thing, but what follows, because of that previous thing, He has even instituted exercises of piety, by which He wills from us worship 411
Question 2. Whether external worship pertains to the law of nature, or to the ceremonial? And hence how far those Christian men are bound, and how far they are not bound?
Thesis. The external worship of God pertains partly to the law of nature unto all gentiles commonly, partly and properly to the specific religion of any people.
Question 3. What is this external worship of God, and what are its parts?
Thesis 1. The true worship [cultu] of God is an action proceeding from piety, by which acting from the Holy Spirit, God being adored by the highest reverence, we serve Him from his will revealed in the Word: presenting that which He offers to receive, believing his promises with certain faith, and presenting that which is stipulated from us, having been in turn promised, and which He enjoins, and all that to his glory, to the edification of the Church and our neighbor, and our salvation. 418
[Zanchi defines worship’s four causes in this section, the efficient, material, formal and end causes.]
Thesis 2. The whole worship of God, by multifold partition, follows. 419
Thesis 3. The external and ceremonial worship of God is a sacred action proceeding from piety, by which acting by the Holy Spirit, adoring God with the highest reverence, we serve Him from his will revealed in the Word, by words and deeds, receiving sacraments and offering sacrifices, to his glory, the edification of the Church and our salvation. 421
Of the Ceremonial Worship amongst the Jews 421
Of the Sacraments of the Jews 422
Of Circumcision 423
Of the Passover 423
Of the Sacrifices of the Jews 424
Of the Adjuncts of Worship, ie. of Sacred Things 428
Of the External Worship of the Christian Church, which has been laid down in the Sacraments 433
Of Baptism 437
Of the Lord’s Supper 444
Definition of the Supper 445
Explanation of the Definition 446
Of Christian Sacrifices 475
Question 4. Whether it is lawful for Christians to worship God by other rites than what He has prescribed. 487
Thesis. No other kind of external and ceremonial worship is permitted to worship God than that which itself is in the sacred letters for us to worship Him by and to serve Him. 488-98
17. Of the Corruptions of the External Part of True Worship 498-547
Thesis 1. There are two primary corruptions by which in truth worship is defective: the contempt of external religion and by superstition. 494
Thesis 2. Of Anti-Worship there are Five Species in All 495
Thesis 3. Sacrilege properly pertains to Anti-Worship 497
Thesis 4. Simony is a corruption and a sin diametrically fighting with religion, pertaining to anti-worship 498
Of Superstition 501
Thesis 5. Superstition flows in two primary species: in idolatry and in will-worship 501
Of Idolatry 502
Thesis 1. Idolatry flows in two primary kinds: in that by which fictitious or (as Scripture speaks) foreign gods are worshipped, and in that by which images of whatever God are worshipped. 508
Thesis 2. He which by images, whether to the true God or to false representations having been posited, bows himself and worships them, admits idolatry. 509
Thesis 3. Idolatry is if any, at any time, knows and worships the Spirit for God, yet by what He is not, whom the sacred letters declare is the maker of all things, Elohim in three persons subsisting and having been manifested in the eternal Father, the eternal Son and the eteranl Holy Spirit, one and the same God. 512
Thesis 4. 513
Thesis 5. 513
Thesis 6. 520
Thesis 7. 520
Thesis 8. 523
Thesis 9. 530
Thesis 10. 531
Thesis 11. 533
Thesis 12. 540-47
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1600’s
Polanus, Amandus – ‘Second Commandment’ in A System of Theology (Hanau, 1609; 1615), vol. 2, bk. 8, ch. 1, col. 2280-2307
Voet, Gisbert
1-2 Commandments in Syllabus of Theological Problems (Utrecht, 1643), pt. 1, section 2, tract 1 Abbr.
‘On the 2nd Commandment’ in Select Theological Disputations, vol. 4 (Utrecht, 1667)
Of instituted worship 780
On the sacred 780
Of rites & ceremonies 780
On consecrations and consecrated things 781
On benedictions in general & on sacraments in specific 781
On images 781
On the cross 782
On the canonization and worship of saints 782
On relics & pilgrimages 782
On consecrated things, the Lamb of God, blessed water, etc. 782
Heidegger, Johann H.
Numerals 24-39 in The Marrow of Christian Theology: an Introductory Epitome of the Body of Theology (Zurich, 1713) Place 14, ‘Of the Decalogue’, pp. 310-16
Section 2, ‘Of the Decalog’, numerals 20-59 in A Body of Christian Theology, Exhibiting True Doctrine, which is according to Godliness, vol. 1 (Tigur, 1700), Place 14, ‘The Ten Commandments’, pp. 523-41
Heidegger (1633-1698)
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1700’s
De Moor, Bernard – A Continuous Commentary on John Marck’s Compendium of Didactic & Elenctic Christian Theology, vol. 2 (Leiden, 1761-71)
11. Of the Worship of God & the Regulating Rule of It, pp. 503-688
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12. Of the Decalogue, & of Each Precept of It. The Second, sections 5-8, pp. 714-47
De Moor (1709-1780)
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Related Pages
Natural vs. Instituted Worship
Expositions of the 1st Commandment
Expositions of the Ten Commandments
Regulative Principle of Worship