Worth the effort it takes

THE SECOND COMMANDMENT

Exodus 20:4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

[But] images are so far from helping unto this thing, (the true worship and honoring of God)  that the same do (in) diverse ways hinder and restrain every man from the true honoring of God.

Martin Bucer, Images

I've been slowly slogging my way through an article written in Old English entitled Images, by Martin Bucer, an early German Reformer.  Once you get going, it's not that hard to figure out what is being said, however, I am having a hard time reading it with comprehension.  Here's an example:

Bycause the trewe honouring of god can nat be but either mynisshed, orels dyverse wayes letted: as sone as we shall suffre the sayde ymages, contrary to the commaundement of god in churches, or in other places, where they be honoured or els maye be honoured. For substancyall & parfyte fayth, & the parfyte honouryng of god requyreth, that we shulde do our dilygence to cause this only god to be knowen in all places, that we shulde drede and honour him: that we shulde in all places and at all tymes with full mouth, prayse & magnify the workes of him alone. But ymages ar so farre from helpynge unto this thyng, that the same do dyverse wayes hyndre & let every man from the trewe honouring of god.

I'm finding that I can mentally figure out the words but in a sentence, those parts don't make a whole; the sense of the sentence is lost to me until I type it out and then re-read it.  It's a challenge, but it's fun--and worth it:

Because the true honoring of God cannot be but either 'minished (diminished) or else diverse ways letted (lead away from?): as soon as we shall suffer (permit) the said images, contrary to the commandment of God in churches, or in other places, wehre they be honored or else may be honored.  For substantial and (perfect?) faith, and the (perfect?) honoring of God requires that we should do our diligence to cause this only God to be known in all places, that we should dread and honor him:  that we should in all places and at all times with full mouth, praise and magnify the works of Him alone.  But images are so far from helping this thing that the same do (in) diverse ways hyndre and restrain every man from the true honoring of God.

Comments

[rebecca]

Oh, I'm impressed! That's a lot of work.