Matthew Poole and continuators on Romans 1:23

23. And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God, into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things .

You have the same Phrase, Psal. 106.20. and Ier. 2.11. and from thence 'tis borrowed.

The Apostle proceedeth from the more worthy, to the less worthy Creatures, that the grossness of their Idolatry might the better appear; and these four are put for all other Kinds. This gross Idolatry of the Heathen in Worshipping such Images as are here spoken of, was practised by the Israelites, vid. Ezek. 8.10.11. And so it is by the Romanists to this day: Nor doth it avail them to say, They do not Worship Images, but the True God in or before those Images; for the same. Plea was made by the Idolators of old. Symachus in a Learned Oration, wherein he crav'd of the Emperors Valentinian and Theodosius, the Restitution of the Roman gods, affirms, that they had respect only to One God; but they had divers wayes to bring them to that God: They did not hold such things as they Worshipped to be God, but in them they said they Worshipped the True God. That Worship which is intended to God by an Image, is not the Worship of God, but of the Image. Compare Psal. 106.19.20. with Exod. 32.4.5.

Marginal references: Or, the [illegible: 1 span] image [illegible: 1 span].