Exposition of the Moral Law, Book 1 · Commandment 2 · Exercitation 2
EXERCITAT. II. No ſpirituall worſhip is due to any creature inviſible. Commandement II.
Exod. 20.4. Or any likeneſſe of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
GOd knowing the wandring heart of man how prone it is to idolatrie, and to goe a whoring after other Gods, firſt he forbiddeth them to worſhip any thing in heaven, ſecondly in the earth, thirdly in water under the earth. He forbiddeth them to worſhip theſe viſible creatures; but there is more comprehended here: God ſaid, in the creation, that he created heaven and earth. Gen. 1.1. But the Apoſtle expreſſeth it more largely. Coloſſ. 1.16. For by him were created all things that are in heaven, and that are in earth, viſible and inviſible. So ſhould this be reſolved here more largely, as to things inviſible now in the heavens, and to the devills who are caſt out of the heavens, & appeare to men in viſible ſhapes.
Things in heaven which are not to be worſhiped: as firſt, the humanity of Chriſt; Chriſt God and man is the object of our worſhip, but not Chriſt in his manhead.Iohn 5.23. Chriſt God and man is the object of our worſhip. He that honoureth not the ſonne, honoureth not the father. Ro. 14.11. All knees ſhall bow to me. Iohn 20.28. Thomas ſaid, My Lord, and my God; yet the man Chriſt was to be worſhipped when he was lying in the grave: becauſe the hypoſtaticall union was not ſeparated by death; but the humanity by it ſelf is not to be worſhiped▪ for Chriſt as man he worſhiped. Ioh. 4.22. We know what we worſhip. The humani…y of Chriſt by it ſelfe is not to worſhiped. Nicen. epiſt. 7. ad Conſtant.Secondly, Curſed is he that putteth his truſt in man. Ier. 17.5. But the humane nature of Chriſt conſidered by it ſelfe, is a man, and therefore not to be worſhiped. And the councell of Nice accurſed Neſtorius, and condemned him as an idolater, becauſe he did hold that Chriſt the ſonne of God was but a mere man, and yet was to be worſhiped; Cyrill calleth this foreign: it is true, we worſhip Chriſts manhood with his Godhead aſſociativè, but we worſhip not his Godhead & his māhood copulativè; we worſhip the king with his crown aſſociativè, but we worſhip not the king and the crowne copulativè; Adorati… Aſſociativa. Copulat…va.and we worſhip not the humanitie of Chriſt for it ſelfe, but becauſe it is hypoſtatically united to the Godhead, and ſo it is worſhipped foreign. If we ſhould worſhip the humanity of Chriſt with civil honour,To worſhip the godhead of Chriſt with civill honour is blaſphemie. as it is hypoſtatically united to the Godhead, then we ſhould worſhip the Godhead but with civill honour, which were blaſphemie; for ſpirituall honour is onelyonly due to the Godhead, and the worſhip which is due to one of the perſons in the hypoſtaticall union, is due alſo to the other: therefore it is not civill honour which is given to the humanitie of Chriſt, as it is united hypoſtatically with the Godhead; and ſeeing adoration reſpecteth totum ſuppoſitum, Adoration looketh t… the greateſt excellencie in the perſon.the whole perſon; it looketh alwayes to the greateſt excellencie in the perſon, for otherwiſe if we ſhould worſhip a perſon, and not looke to his chiefeſt excellencie, it were no leſſe then to profeſſe that there were no greater excellencie in him. Example,Simile. If a King were both a Duke, a Marqueſſe, & an Earle, and if one ſhould giuegive him the honour onelyonly which is due to an Earle, this were in effect to degrade him of his kingly honour: ſo to conſider Chriſt as God and man, and yet to giuegive him onelyonly but civill honour, this were to degrade him of his greateſt honour: To conclude this with Athanaſius, Nec Verbum ſine Carne, nec Caro ſine Verbo adorari poteſt; Neither the Godhead of Chriſt without the manhood, nor the manhood without the Godhead are to be worſhiped. Ob.but ſo that the reaſon and cauſe of the adoration is ſtill in the deitie; and the humanitie is adored becauſe it is hypoſtatically joyned to the deitie.
A diſtinct excellencie ſtirreth up a diſtinct affection and motion in the minde, but the excellencie of the humanitie is a diſtinct excellencie: therefore it ſhould ſtirre up a diſtinct adoration.
A diſtinct excellencie in diſtinct perſons ſhould have a diſtinct adoration; Anſw. A diſtinct excellence in diverſe perſons ſtirreth up a diſtinct reverence and affection:as a King ſhould be otherwiſe worſhiped then a Baron: but when they concurre in one perſon, then there ſhould not be a diſtinct adoration: here we give one ſort of adoration to the whole, to both the natures of Chriſt in one perſon.
Angels who are in heaven are not to be worſhipped.Angels not to be worſhiped. Coloſſ. 2.18. Let no man beguile you of your reward involuntary humility and worſhiping of angels, intruding himſelfe in thoſe things which he hath not ſeen, vainely puffed up in his fleſhly minde, and not holding the head. Where the Apoſtle reaſoneth this wayes, every one who is ſubject and ſubordinate, as the members are to the head, ſhould not have that honour which is due to the head. But the angels are ſubject to the head; therefore they ſhould not have that which is due to Chriſt the head: Let us pray to our father, and he can ſend legions of angels to defend us. Matt. 26.23.
There are two ſorts of worſhip, cultus religionis, Cultu… Religionis Societatis.& cultus ſocietatis; cultus ſocietatis belongeth to all thoſe who are of one ſociety, the angels are our fellow ſervants. Revel. 22.9. Therefore this worſhip which is done to them, is done to them as our fellow ſervants.
This civill worſhip which is performed by men, is either as they are politici in civitate mundi, or eccleſiaſtici in eccleſia D…i; that is, as they are civill men dwelling upon the earth, and gathered within the church and made members of her; as they are members of the church againe, either they are members of the Church triumphant, or militant: the angels now are of the Church triumphant, conciues triumphantes: therefore they hauehave not of us cultum ſocietatis now, and when they appeared of old to the Patriarchs they were worſhipped onelyonly with civill worſhip, Quest. and ſo if they ſhould appeare now.
Whether is it a diverſe ſort of worſhip which is given to an angell and to a king? it might ſeem to be a diverſe kinde of worſhip, becauſe the excellencie is diverſe, the king being civill, and the angell ſpirituall.
Anſw. There is no midſt betwixt religious worſhip and civill adoration: the adoration given to an angell and to a king,Adoration given to an angell and to a king differ in degree onelyonly. non differunt ſpecie, but gradu: for to make it civill worſhip, it is ſufficient that it be a creature to whom it is given; but if we will reſpect the degree, there may be greater or leſſer worſhip given; greater to the angels, and leſſer to the king.
The ſoules departed are not to be worſhiped.In heaven there are alſo the ſoules of the bleſſed departed, and them we may not worſhip: for they underſtand not what we are doing upon the earth. When Elias was to be taken up to heaven,The Iewes ſay of the dead, gnalau haſhalem, which they contract thus foreign on him is peace, and not on him be peace. hee ſaid to Eliſha, aske of me what I ſhall doe for thee before I goe hence. 2. Kings 2.9. whereby hee implyed that there was no place to aske him after he was gone. And if the Saints on earth refuſed this ſpirituall worſhip offered to them, as Paul and Barnabas Act. 14.15. much more will they refuſe it in heaven,Pſal. 115.1. Revel. 5.13. they will ſay, not unto us, not unto us, they caſt downe their crownes before him that ſitteth upon the throne, and give him all the honour.
Of old there were Idolaters called Collyridani, of whom Epiphanius maketh mention, who baked cakes,The Church of Rome make an idoll of the virgin Mary. and offered them to the virgin Mary, this was idolatrous worſhip offered to her. So when the Church of Rome take the fine flowre and the incenſe of prayer, and offer to the virgin Mary, they commit idolatrie and make an idoll of her.
The concluſion of this is, commandements, promiſes and practiſes are our warrant to worſhip the Lord onelyonly, and to call upon him in our neceſſity. Pſal. 50.15. call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou ſhalt glorifie mee.