The Height of Israels Heathenish Idolatry, Section 2 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Diuers vſes and inferences from the former Conſiderations.
Inferences from the former conſiderations.THeſe former conſiderations being of ſuch waight, are not thus to be left and paſſed ouer without our further meditation on them: what may we then gaine by the former diſcourſe?
Firſt, let vsus thus reaſon:1. Hypocrites in time ſhall be diſcouered were theſe goodly gods then of the Heathen but deuils, and hath God now vnmasked them, and diſcouered them to vsus his ſeruants ſo to bee? Then ſurely, God likewiſe in his good and appointed time will bring to light all ſuch things as now lye hid in darkneſſe, and take from all hypocrites the vaile of their hypocriſie. Now perhaps men ſtrout it out and liue as little gods here vponupon earth, or like the children of the moſt high, both in their owne and others eſtimation, but yet the time commeth, when, as the Lord ſaith, they ſhall die like men, Pſal. 82.6.7. Ezek. 28.2. and 7.8.9.and fall as one of the Princes. Thus ſaith the Lord God to the prince of Tyrus, becauſe thine heart is lifted vp, and thou haſt ſaid, I am a god, I ſit in the ſeat of god in the midst of the Seas, yet thou art a man and not God, though thou ſet thine heart as the heart of God.—Behold I will bring ſtrangers vponupon thee,— they ſhall bring thee downe to the pit, and thou ſhalt die the deaths of them that are ſlaine in the midſt of the Seas: wilt thou yet ſay before him that ſlayeth thee, I am God? but thou ſhalt be a man, and no God in the hand of him that ſlayeth thee, Ezek. 28.2. &c.
Wee read in the hiſtories of the Weſt Indies,Ioſeph. Acoſta in his naturall and morall hiſtory of the Eaſt and Weſt Indies, in Engliſh, lib. 5. cap. 10.21 and 30. that the Mexicans had a yearely ſacrifice, for the which, in ſome feaſts, ſixe moneths, in others, a whole yeare before, they tooke a Captiue, to whom, before they did ſacrifice him to their idoll, they gaue the name of the idoll to whom he ſhould be ſacrificed, and apparrelled him with like ornaments to thoſe of the idoll; during which time he was reuerenced and worſhipped in the ſame manner as the idoll it ſelfe: hee had the moſt honourable lodging in all the Temple, where he did eat and drinke what he would and was merry, but yet he had alwaies with him twelue men for his guard, leſt he ſhould flye, and to this end, at night he was put into a ſtrong priſon or cage: well, the feaſt being come and he growne fat, they diſrobed him, killed him, opened him, eate him, making thus a ſolemne feaſt and ſacrifice of him.
…The application is eaſie: what one man is that in the Church or yet on earth, that hath giuen vntounto him and takes vntounto himſelfe the name of God? inueſted in the titles and properties of God, exalting himſelfe againſt all that is called God or worſhipped; that ſits as God in the temple of God, ſhewing himſelfe that he is God? If you know not, the Apoſtle will tell you,… 2. Theſſ. 2. namely he it is, who, when that … withholdeth ſhall be taken out of the way, ſhall be reuealed in his time: whom the Lord ſhall conſume with the ſpirit of …s worth, and deſtroy with the brightneſſe of his comming: in the meane time,… Pride is as a chaine vntounto him, (not to beautifie him onelyonly, but to bind him) and his owne iniquities hauehave taken him, and he ſhall be holden with the cords of his ſinne: then ſhall the time be fulfilled ſpoken of Reuel. 19.… when all the fowles of heauen ſhall be gathered to the ſupper of the great God, that they may eate the fleſh of Kings, and the fleſh of Captaines, &c. …Then ſhall the ten hornes hate the Whore, and make her deſolate and naked, eate her fleſh and burne her with fire. Thus muſt Antichriſt, that man of ſinne the Pope of Rome, be dealt with in Gods good time, and ſo muſt all other ſuch like petty gods vponupon earth be dealt with alſo.
Why then ſhould the outward pompe and ſeeming proſperity of the wicked diſmay any true Chriſtian? Why doſt thou then holy Dauid fret at the fooliſh, …when thou ſeeſt the proſperity of the wicked, that they are luſty and ſtrong, that their eyes ſtand out for fatneſſe? ſhouldſt thou therefore preferre their eſtate before thine owne, and ſay, Surely I hauehave clenſed mine heart in vaine? And why, bleſſed Iob, art thou afraid, and why doth feare take hold on thy fleſh to ſee the wicked liue, …waxe old, and grow in wealth? &c. And why ſhould any be afraid when one is made rich, and when the glory of his houſe is increaſed? Stay but a little while and the wicked ſhall not appeare. Yea, they ſhall appeare indeed, but in their owne colours; they ſhall not appeare what before they appeared.
Goe now therefore better aduiſed into the ſanctuary of God, and then thou ſhalt vnderſtand their end: that when they dye they ſhall carry nothing away, their glory ſhall not deſcend after them. Iudge not then of them by the falſe gloze of outward appearance, for ſo they may be gods; ſtay but Gods leyſure, and of gods they ſhall proue men wretched and miſerable; as in my text, according to the Heathens conceit and outward view, Deuils were taken and worſhipped for gods; yet now God hath vncaſed them, and they are knowne Deuils.
So that now in the ſecond place if theſe Heathen and Iewes had beene asked whether they knew that they were Deuils indeed whom thus they ſerued, ſurely they would hauehave mainely denied it, and as ſtrongly affirmed that they were gods: and verily we may beleeue them; for we cannot imagine that they ſhould be ſo wittingly impious as to worſhip the Deuill with any ſuch intention: verily they thought they worſhipped the true God, or at the leaſt, ſome good ſpirits, and yet ſaith my text, They ſacrificed their ſonnes and their daughters vntounto Deuils.
Whence we obſerue,2. Our good intentions in Gods …eruice will not excuſe vsus. that our owne good meanings and intentions in matters of Gods ſeruice, without certaine and true knowledge of Gods will, are no rule to be followed: which if wee doe follow, we cannot be excuſed from ſeruing of Deuils. Intention, being an act of the will, preſuppoſeth the vnderſtanding and knowledge; it againe tending to a ſuppoſed good end in the vſe of ſome meanes muſt be directed by knowledge, which firſt giueth iudgement both of end and meanes. That therefore is a good intention which tends to a good end by good meanes, which diuine and true knowledge hath iudged and warranted ſo to be: where then the vnderſtanding iudgeth amiſſe either of the end or meanes, there the intention is naught. He then that would ſerue God aright and hauehave his intentions rightly directed, muſt take the light of Gods word and reuealed will in his hand, and follow that direction. For it is meet if we would ſerue God acceptably in regard of him, and profitably in regard of ourſelues that we doe it aright and according to his will: but how ſhall this be knowne vnleſſe he make it knowne vntounto vsus? wee cannot ſee the Sunne but by the light and helpe of the Sunne, how well lighted ſoeuer we be: much leſſe can we know God aright without the helpe and light of God himſelfe, which is his Word. Whoſoeuer then doth any thing tending to the ſeruice of God without certaine knowledge of Gods will, whether his ſeruice be acceptable or no, whatſoeuer his intention and good meaning is in his owne conceit, yet to God it is no other then will-worſhip at the beſt, if not worſhipping of deuils; how much more if it be a ſeruice forbidden of God? and moſt of all, if alſo commanded by the Deuill.
Without warrant from Gods word.If any then, following the deuiſes of his owne braine, or yet the examples of men, yea the teaching of Fathers, nay the injunctions of Popes and Councels, doe any thing as an acceptable ſeruice of God without direction and warrant from God, he comes within the compaſſe of a Premunire of rebellion and diſobedience to God, who hath ſaid, You ſhall not doe eueryevery man what ſeemeth him good in his owne eyes: Deut 12.8. Ezek. 20.18.and, Walke you not in the ſtatutes of your Fathers, neither obſerue their iudgements, nor defile your ſelues with their idols: that is,Verſe 16. as is expounded in the former verſes, when they deſpiſe Gods iudgements, Prouerb. 16.25.and walke not in his Statutes. If we do the perill is our owne: the wiſe man telling vsus, There is a way which ſeemeth right vntounto man, but the iſſues thereof are the waies of death. Coloſſ. 2.22.23.Let theſe waies then hauehave their ſhew of wiſedome in will-worſhip and humility, and in neglecting (puniſhing or not ſparing) the body, yet all theſe ſhall periſh with the vſing, as being after the commandements and doctrines of men.
Much leſſe if againſt Gods word Exod. …0 4….How much more then when they are alſo againſt the commandements of God? God hath expreſſely forbidden the making of grauen images, our bowing downe vntounto them, and ſeruing of them: how then is it that any dare worſhip him at or before an image or crucifixe? ſhall their good meaning excuſe them? indeed they ſay they worſhip not the image, but God in the image: yet, though that be moſt falſe eſpecially in common Papiſts, when they hauehave ſayd all they can ſay, it is no other then the heatheniſh idolaters of formertimes ſaid,Arnob. contra Gen…es. lib. 6. as Arnobius relates; which is, that they worſhip not the ſtone, but Gods preſence there exhibited, and ſuch eſſentiall properties in God, as by the ſtone, wood, or mettall were ſignified. So Papiſts, who herein yet come ſhort of the Heathen, in aſmuch as they ſay and defend that if it be an image of ſomewhat truely exiſting in nature, and no imaginary Chimaera, they are no idolaters to worſhip God in it: nay though it be the very Deuill himſelfe, before whom, they ſay, we may bow downe, and worſhip God in him.Vaſquius lib. 3. num. 31.7. as he is cited in Tortura Torti, pag. 312.313. Thus their Ʋaſquius teacheth, which in all likelihood the Heathen would neuer hauehave done. For though indeed they ſacrificed to deuils, yet theſe Deuils were gods in their conceit: but I ſay, if Gods commandement expreſſely forbid it, what pretence, excuſe or intention of man can make it good?
But yet moreouer,Leaſt of all, if alſo according to the doctrines of Deuils. if in this and the like they not onelyonly doe againſt Gods commandement, but alſo according to the commandements and doctrines of deuils, how ſhall they not doe ſeruice to the deuill for all their good intentions? God hath ſaid, Heb. 13.4. Heb. 13.4.Mariage is honourable in all, and the bed vndefiled. And elſewhere: 1 Cor. 7.9.It is better to marrie then to burne. Againe: Tit. 1.15.Ʋnto the pure all things are pure. And1 Tim. 4.4., EueryEvery creature of God is good, and nothing to be refuſed, if it be receiued with thankeſgiuing. This is the doctrine of God. But ſaith the Apoſtle, or rather by the Apoſtle, The ſpirit ſpeaketh expreſly, 1 Tim. 4.1-3.that in the latter times ſome ſhall depart from the faith, giuing heed to ſeducing ſpirits, and doctrines of Deuils, — forbidding to marrie, (and commanding) to abſtaine from meats which God hath created to be receiued with thankeſgiuing of them which beleeue and know the truth. And this is the doctrine of Deuils. But now theſe are the latter dayes wherein we liue, and theſe ſelfe-ſame doctrines are both maintained and practiſed by Papiſts. I would now know whom in theſe they obey, and to whom they doe ſeruice, to God or the Deuill. The vnchaſte and impure life of their Prieſts, Monks, and Nunnes, wherein they burne in luſt becauſe they will not marrie, to whom is this a ſacrifice and ſeruice but to the Deuill? And may not I truly ſay, ſpeaking of popiſh parents, as in my text, They ſacrifice their ſonnes and daughters vntounto deuils? Well, the Lord open their eyes, and giuegive vsus to beware of ſuch doctrines and practiſes, and to iudge of things good and lawfull, by that rule which only cannot deceiue vsus, and which yet can ſufficiently inſtruct vsus. Pretences and good …en …ons may well blinde our eyes, but Gods they cannot, who iudgeth of things according to that they are indeed, and not according to that they are to vsus. Wiſedome ſaith,Prou 8… … that hate me, louelove death: yet no ſinner will ſay he e…ther hates God and wiſdome, or loues death, yet in Gods account it is otherwiſe. So, He that ſpareth the ro…, …ates the childe, though with no ſuch intention. So ſaith God of Idolaters,… that they ſay to a ſtocke, Thou art my …at…e…; and to a ſtone, Thou haſt brought me forth: not that any (as I conceiue) either ſaid or thought ſo of the ſtone, but in effect they did both.
But the ſpight is, that wheras indeed ſuch ſeruices deifie the Deuill, yet they muſt be thought to be ſeruice acceptable to God.… They ſhall excommunicate you, ſaith our Sauiour to vsus his diſciples in this laſt age of the world, yea the time commeth (and I may ſay now is) that whoſoeuer killeth you, will … that he doth God ſeruice. Nay ſome hauehave thought (the Schoole-men) that ſuch good intentions doe make … actions meritorious, and that of life eternall.
Yet for all this we hauehave ſaid, we denie not, but affirme that our good meanings and intentions are moſt neceſſary in actions good, lawfull, or indifferent, without which they could not be good. But yet, as in things ſimply euill, no… the beſt intention can make them good; ſo in things ne…e… ſo well intended, there is more required then the intention, to wit, that for matter they be alſo good and commanded.
To conclude: how neceſſary then is it for all Chriſtians w…o would ſerue God acceptably, that they both labour to know what is the whole will of God, and wholly ſub… themſelues and only thereunto?… Where this ſound knowledge and care is wan…ing, the…e will follow theſe ſequ…es. Firſt, we ſhall vſe had meanes to all … to (ſuppoſed) good ends. So the vnconſ…ionable Tradeſman and the …acking Landſlord, vnderunder pretence of prouiding for their families, will vſe deceit and fraud, griping and grinding the faces of the poore. So the Papiſt and Church of Rome, to fray ſimple people from reading our bookes, will agree that a he may be inuented againſt Heretickes. And thus to bring the ſimpler ſort amongſt them, in deteſtation of vsus and of our religion here in ENGLAND, they miſinforme the ſimpler ſort of Papiſts at Rome, of vsus. There may be ſeene in ſome of their Churches,Dall…ngton … Inference … Gu…tr… digreſſion Tables hung vp to pourtray and expreſſe to the life and eye, the ſeuerall perſecutions of Catholickes here in ENGLAND, in the late Queenes time; ſome worried to death in beaſts skins by maſtiffes, others pricked vnderunder the nailes with ſharpe needles, others drawne in peeces with wild horſes, and almoſt all the ſeuerall ſorts of torture repreſented vntounto vsus in hiſtorie out of the ten firſt perſecutions of the Primitiue Church. So by leaſing and inſinuation, the Ieſuites bring the ſimpler ſort here into admiration, or rather adoration of their Pope. And to prouoke the people to deuotion towards their Saints, they will allow the faining of tales, fables, miracles, legends, which therefore they call their pias fraudes, holy deceits.
Secondly, if we be giuen too much to follow our owne conceits, opinions, and intentions, in time (and that often by Gods iuſt iudgement) there ſhall nothing, no law, no not the law of nature it ſelfe, be able to preuaile againſt them.Bodinus de Rep. …, 5. ex Herodo…. From hence (ſaith Bodin) it comes to paſſe that in Thracia, men vnderunder pretence of pietie and louelove to their parents, being now very old, vſed to ſlay them and eat them, leſt they ſhould languiſh too long in the ſickneſſe of old age, and after become meat for baſe and filthy wormes. Let that relation be as true, as the Authors are of credit. Surely we ſee on the contrary, by authoritie vndeniable, that vponupon as weake grounds parents became vnmercifull, and vnnaturally affected towards their owne children, for they killed and ſacrificed them, and that to their enemies, for, ſuch my text, they ſacrificed their ſonnes and their daughters vntounto Deuils.
From the former conſiderations wee further obſerue in the third place,3. The miſerie of Pagans, and generally of Idolaters. Their God is the Deuill. the wofull and wretched eſtate and condition of all Pagans and Heathens out of the Church, yea and of all Idolaters in the Church. Their whole miſerie is reduced to this ſumme, Their God is the Deuill. Seeing then they are without the true and only God, we conclude that all their beſt ſeruices and deuotions, though neuer ſo ſtrict, neuer ſo hard, are neither acceptable to the true God, nor yet rewardable but with eternall puniſhment. They belong to another kingdome, and are in truth, as we are all by nature, deuoted ſlaues to the deuill, hauing him to rule and reigne in their hearts as their god. They muſt needs then ſerue a hard maſter that ſerue him, more cruell and tyrannicall then euer Pharao was to the Iſraelites, yea requiring harder ſeruice then that whereby the deuils themſelues ſerue him their prince great Beelzebub, of Lactantius called foreign: for hee vſeth them as the members of his owne body, he being their head; we neuer heard or read of any ſelfe-ſacrifice or ſelfe-killing among them, in honour and ſeruice to their prince: but men he vſeth as his beaſts and horſes, not only laying on them hard and heauy burdens, but alſo riding them himſelfe, hauing their wils ſubiugated vnderunder him, holding and guiding the reynes of their affections whither he will, ſpurring them to death, and violently driuing them to their deſtruction, as he did the heard of ſwine, which (he hauing them once in his power) was carried with violence from a ſteepe downe place into a lake and was drowned. Luk. 8.33.With like violence, but more inſenſibly, he hailes his ſeruants to ſuch ſlauiſh ſeruice and obedience, as whereby they are drawne to the vndoing of themſelues and others: for we ſee how he did tyrannize ouer the poore Heathen, what bloudy ſeruice he required of them, and alſo obtained, for they did euen ſacrifice themſelues and others to him: ſo that in this regard their condition was worſe then the condition of beaſts. Auguſtus tauntingly ſaid of Herod, who in the ſlaughter of infants killed alſo his owne ſonne, but ſpared his ſwine, as vncleane to eat, I had rather be Herods hogge then his ſonne. This wiſh might truly hauehave beene made by theſe Heathen.
Lactantius ſaith, ſpeaking of this argument, Nonne ſatius eſt pecudum more viuere, quàm deos tam impios, tam profanos, tam ſanguinarios colere? Were it not better to liue after the manner of beaſts then to ſerue gods ſo wicked, ſo profane, ſo bloody? Surely better it had beene for them not onelyonly ſo to hauehave liued, but to hauehave beene beaſts, then to hauehave performed ſuch beaſtlike ſeruice; For what ſhall the reward of this their ſtrict and burthen ſome ſeruice be? Surely if with the Aſſe in the Embleme, which on the day time carried the goddeſſe Iſis, they ſhould be turned out with galled backes to feed on hay, it were well: but inſtead of an euerlaſting reward, they muſt ſhare with their prince, and be damned with the Deuill and his Angels for euer: reward they cannot looke for from him who now himſelfe is to receiue the reward and wages of ſinne.
This ſlauiſh condition of theirs well thought on would on the one ſide moue pitty and true compaſſion in vsus, in regard of all ſuch as at this day hauehave the Deuill for their onelyonly God: and ſo I account all them whether Turkes or Infidels, who liue out of the true Chriſtian Church, as being without God, and without hope: Eph. 2.on the other ſide it ſhould teach vsus with all thankfulneſſe humbly to acknowledge Gods ſpeciall grace and mercy to vsus liuing now in theſe places and times, whom he hath made choice of to reueale himſelfe (the onelyonly true God) vntounto, to free vsus from Satans raging tyranny, and to giuegive vsus hope of a better life after our ſeruice of him here to be out and ended. Yet may not we Chriſtians hence be ſecure becauſe we make profeſſion of the onelyonly true God, and ſerue not the Deuill ſo manifeſtly as did the Heathen, by ſuch abominable and bloody ſeruice; for if our Engliſh prouerbe bee true, as experience makes it too true, that Where God hath his Church there the Deuill will hauehave his Chappell: Ezek. 43.7 8.and idolaters will ſet their threſhold by Gods threſhold, and their poſts by his poſts: then may we iuſtly feare leſt we find the Deuil ſitting and ruling as God in the hearts of many Chriſtians, though perhaps in another habite then among the Heathen.