Everybody can see that the first commandment is directed against
polytheism, and the second against idolatry; and most people know that the
Church of Rome differs from the Church of England in joining these two into
one commandment, and dividing the tenth into two commandments, so as to
make up the full number, ten. This point of difference betwixt the two
churches must necessarily have been the subject of much dispute. There must
be plausible reasons on both sides for every commandment in the Anglican
ritual being different from its correspondent on the Roman tables: and the
settlement of this question must properly belong to the theologian, since
holy scripture only mentions how many divine commandments there are
(Exodus, xxxiv. 28.; Deuteronomy, iv. 13., x. 4.), without authoritatively
separating them.
Will any one kindly inform me where this question may be found fully
discussed; and where mention is made of the earliest known divisions of the
law? Also, I should be glad to know how the Jews at the present day divide
the commandments; and whether there is any record or tradition of there
ever having been discussions in their church upon this very interesting and
no less important matter?