John Bunyan on the Second Commandment

If Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost be no otherwise three than as notions, names, or nominal distinctions; then to worship these distinctly, or together, as such, is to commit most gross and horrible idolatry: For albeit we are commanded to fear that great and dreadful name, "The Lord our God ;" yet to worship a Father, a Son, and Holy Spirit, in the Godhead, as three, as really three as one, is by this doctrine to imagine falsely of God, and so to break the second commandment: but to worship God under the consideration of Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost, and to believe them as really three as one when I worship, being the sum and substance of the doctrine of the scriptures of God, there is really substantially three in the eternal Godhead.

But to help thee a little in thy study on this deep,

1. Thou must take heed when thou readest, there is in the Godhead, Father and Son, &c. that thou do not imagine about them according to thine own carnal and foolish fancy; for no man can apprehend this doctrine but in the light of the word and Spirit of God: "No man knoweth the Son but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son; and he to whom the Son will reveal him." If, therefore, thou be destitute of the Spirit of God, thou canst not apprehend the truth of this mystery as it is in itself, but will either by thy darkness be driven to a denial thereof; or if thou own it, thou wilt (that thy acknowledgement notwithstanding) falsely imagine about it.

2. If thou feel thy thoughts begin to wrestle about this truth, and to struggle concerning this, one against another, take heed of admitting of such a question, How can this thing be? for here is no room for reason to make it out; here is only room to believe it is a truth. You find not one of the prophets propounding an argument to prove it, but asserting it; they let it lie, for faith to take it up, and embrace it.

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen."

—John Bunyan, The works of that eminent servant of Christ, Mr. John Bunyan, Volume 5, pp. 286-287

Richard Sibbes on Occasions of Idolatry

If we must hate all idolatry, we must take heed of occasions. Not like some looser Christians, which make no matter of crucifixes. How doth the spirit of Ephraim here agree with such? A crucifix is but a teacher of lies, representing only the outside, and that falsely; for there is no expression in Scripture, what kind of man Christ was. And if there were, yet the apostle sheweth, 'that we must now no more know him any more after the flesh,' 2 Cor. v. 16. Not as such a man, as tall and fair, &c.; but know him as the Mediator, as king of heaven and earth, avoiding all lewd, base conceits of him. People in this kind are too bold, and run too near popery. A father saith well, 'No man is safe that is near danger.' We are commanded to 'fly from idolatry,' 1 Cor. x. 14. We must not come near the pit's brink, lest we fall in. Run and fly from it as from a serpent, dally not with the occasions.

—Richard Sibbes, The Returning Backslider

John Brown (of Haddington) on Images of Christ

The following selection on the Second Commandment (Exodus 20:4-6) is from John Brown's An essay towards and easy, plain, practical, and extensive explication of the Assembly's shorter catechism.

Q. May not we make images of mere creatures?—A. Yes; if they are not to be used for a religious use.

Q. What different kinds of images of God are forbidden in this commandment?—A. Images made by men's hands, and images made by their fancies, Deut. iv. 15.

Q. Is it idolatrous to make an image of any divine person; of the Father as an old man; of the Son as a babe; or man hanging on a cross; or of the Spirit as a dove; or to conceive any such fanciful idea of these persons?—A. Yes.

Q. Is it idolatrous, when we read of God's hands, feet, &c. to fancy him as having such members ?—A. Yes.

Q. Is it idolatrous to paint God as light, or the Trinity as a triangle, or body with three heads?—A. Yes.

Q. Why must we make no images of God with our hands or fancy ?—A. Because God hath forbidden it; and it misrepresents him as material, finite, &c. and so as no God at all, Deut. iv. 15—19, Isa. xl. 18—20.

Q. May not such images help to instruct the ignorant?— A. No; they are teachers of lies, Hab. ii. 18, Jer. x. 15.

Q. Is an image, or imaginary idea of Christ, as a suffering or glorified man, helpful to our faith?—A. No; it is very hurtful to it; for it divides the natures of Christ in our conception of him, whereas faith must still view them as united in one person, Isa. ix. 6, John i. 14.

"No Graven Images" A Sermon By Dr. Alan Cairns

Download and listen to "No Graven Images" (a sermon by Alan Cairns) here. Also, here is a my transcription of part of the sermon:

Rome's idolatry is in every hand. Her crucifixes are breaches of the Second Commandment. Her 'holy pictures' are breaches of the Second Commandment. Her images of saints and of Mary and, most blasphemous of all, even of the blessed Son of God Himself are breaches of the Second Commandment. Though She denies it, there is no escape.

But even Protestants are far from guiltless. What shall we say of all those crosses? Look around you. As long as I'm the minister here, you'll see no popish cross. Look around you coming up to this Easter time, and look at your Baptist churches, and your Presbyterian churches, and various other supposedly Protestant churches. The Good Friday they have a cross, with a black veil, and on Easter Sunday a cross with a white veil. What are these crosses? What are these 'holy pictures'? Of Jesus... of angels... Most ludicrous man! The Devil must be laughing! Most ludicrous when the mighty angels of God are painted as nude little babies, with dimpled cheeks and fat buttocks. An insult to God! What are these things? What are the manger scenes? Sheer rank, rampant idolatry.

Now, I'm a Puritan. I suppose if I had lived in ancient times I would have been an iconoclast. It's a big word for those who believed you go in and you destroy out of your churches all of the remnants of popish idolatry. I do believe that 'religious art' has the freedom to represent many scenes from Scripture. As I pointed out, this is not a prohibition of all sculpture, all painting, all art. It is no such prohibition. Were I an artist, I would see no grave, or indeed no real difficulty at all in my representing Moses leading the children of Israel, or Elijah on Mount Carmel, or some such thing. Though I think it would be better kept out of Church, given the propensity of man to turn anything artistic into more than it ever should be allowed to become. So then, let's grant, let's grant, that 'religious art' may represent many scenes from Biblical history.

Let me ask a question: Can a Christian look on any representation of His Lord, in His birth, in His death, in His resurrection, in His ascension, or in His return? Can he look at any representation of His Lord without reference to worship? Can a Christian think of Christ apart from all context of worship? Indeed, should a Christian ever be invited to think of Christ apart from any context of worship! And I would defy any man to take God's Word... And remember what I said about will-worship? Let's keep it in mind now. I would defy any man to take God's Word and find me the slightest evidence from Scripture that I am ever meant to contemplate Christ apart from worshiping Him! When God brought His Son into the world He said even to the angels 'Worship Him!' How could we do less? When you have a picture of Jesus Christ... And I don't care who the artist is or who the sculptor is... When you have a representation of Jesus Christ, you have an object, not only the statement of a man's opinion, but you have an object that is deliberately intended to bring your mind into the channels of worship. And, in this connection, God has said, no matter what the logic of man says, no matter what the value of the artwork may be, God says 'Thou shalt not make unto thee any image, male or female, in heaven, earth, or under earth.' Any image! No images, pictures, or icons, of any place in the public or private worship of the people of God.

Catharine Evans and Sarah Cheevers against idols

Once, on a first day of the week, the friars came, and commanded them to kneel down with them to prayer. They signified they could not pray but as they were moved by the Lord. Then the friars commanded them the second time, and kneeled down by their bed-side, and prayed after this manner; which being done they said to the women, 'We have tried your spirits; now we know what spirit ye are of.' But they told them they could not know that, unless their minds were turned to the light of Christ in their consciences. The English friar then growing angry, showed them his crucifix, and bade them look on it. But they told him the Lord saith, "Thou shalt not make to thyself the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth ; thou shalt not bow down to them, nor worship them ; but I the Lord thy God am a jealous God." The friar seeing Sarah speak so boldly to him, called for the irons to chain her. She then bowed her head, and said to him, 'Not only my hands and feet, but my neck also for the testimony of Jesus.' The friar seeming appeased, said he would do them any good he could; for he saw what they did was not in malice. And the friars came often, and said to them, 'If ye would but do a little ye should be set at liberty; but you will do nothing at all, but are against every thing.' To which they returned, that they would do any thing that might tend to God's glory.

...

She [Catharine] then asking what kind of charity this was, since he kept her in prison; the friar said, it was for the good of their souls he kept them in prison; farther adding, 'If you had not been going to preach, ye might have gone where ye would.' She returned; 'Our souls are out of the inquisitor's reach. Why should your love extend more to us than to your own family: for they commit all manner of sin, which you cannot charge us with. Why do not ye put them into the inquisition, and bid them turn?' He then said, 'You have not the true faith;' and showing her his crucifix, asked her, if she thought he did worship that: and she asked him, what then did he with it: to which he answered, it was a representation. And she replied, it did not represent Christ, for he was the express image of his Father's glory, which is light and life. 'But,' continued she, 'if thou canst put any life in any of thy images, then bring them to me. What representation had Daniel in the lion's den, or Jonah in the whale's belly? They cried unto the Lord, and he delivered them.' The friar, who could not abide to hear her speak so much against idols, said she talked like a mad woman, adding, 'I will give you to the devil.' She not fearing this, said, 'Give thy own, I am the Lord's.' He then stood up, and said, 'I will do to you as the apostles did to Ananias and Sapphira.' She then standing up also, said, 'I deny thee in the name of the Lord the living God, thou hast no power over me.'

...

They [Catharine Evans and Sarah Cheevers] were assaulted both from abroad, and within doors from the friars, who fiercely threatened them for their bold testimony against idolatry. Once when they showed Sarah the Virgin Mary and her babe pictured against a wall, and would have her look upon it, she, to show her zeal against idol-worship, stamped with her foot, and said, 'Cursed are all images, and image makers, and those that fall down to worship them.'

—William Sewel, The history of the rise, increase, and progress of the Christian people, called Quakers [The whole story about Catharine Evans and Sarah Cheevers starts on p. 495]