An Exposition of Hosea 1-3, Chapter 2 · Lecture 15
The Fifteenth Lecture.
HOSEA 2. 15. 16.
—And ſhe ſhall ſing there, as in the dayes of her youth, and as in the day when ſhe came up out of the land of Egypt.
And it ſhall be at that day, ſaith the Lord, that thou ſhalt call me Iſhi; and ſhalt call me no more Baali.
SOme few Obſervations are to be added to the 15. verſe.
Mercies that have been much ſought for, that have had many cryes ſent up to God to obtaine, when once they are granted, ſhould cauſe ſinging forth the praiſes of God. The people of Iſrael cryed much, before God granted them deliverance from Egypt, Exodus 3. 7. I have heard their cryes, ſaith God: And God ſayes here, They ſhall ſing as they did when they came out of Egypt. Pſal. 22. 26. They ſhall praiſe the Lord that ſeek him. The more we ſeek God for any mercy, the more we ſhall praiſe God when we have obtained that mercy. Pſal. 28. 6. 7. Bleſſed be the Lord, becauſe he hath heard the voyce of my ſupplication; my heart truſted in him, and I am helped. Mercies got by prayers are ſweet.What followeth? Therefore my heart greatly rejoyceth, and with my ſong will I praiſe him. Becauſe God had heard the voyce of his ſupplication, therefore with his ſong he would praiſe him. Thoſe mercies that we get by crying unto God, thoſe are ſinging mercies indeed. Such mercies as come to us only through a generall providence, without ſeeking to God, they are not ſuch ſweet mercies; as Hannah ſaid to Eli concerning her ſon whom ſhe had got by prayer, (and therefore named him [Samuel,] Sought of God) As thy ſoul liveth, this is the ſon, this is the child that I was here praying for, and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him.
This ſhe ſpake,Lect. 15 triumphing in Gods goodneſſe. Mercies got by prayer may be triumphed in. When you want a mercy, pray much for it; the more you pray for it, the more you will ſing when you have it, and the leſſe prayer went before, the leſſe ſinging will follow after.
Further;Obſer. Mercies that make way for the enjoyment of Ordinances are very ſweet mercies, ſinging mercies, They ſhall ſing as they did when they came up out of the land of Egypt. Why did they ſing when they came up out of the land of Egypt?Mercies that make way for ordinances are ſweet. Becauſe that mercy, that deliverance from Egypt made way to that rich mercy of the injoyment of Gods worſhip in his Ordinances. How doth that appear? Thus, Exod. 15. where they ſung when they came out of Egypt, ver. 2. I will build him an habitation ſaith Moſes, together with the people; they rejoyced in that, that now they were going on in the way to build God an habitation; but more, ver. 13. Thou haſt guided them in thy ſtrength unto thy holy habitation: as if Moſes and the Iſraeli…es ſhould ſay, this indeed is a great deliverance that we are delivered out of bondage, but what is this but in order to a higher mercy that we looke at yet further, that is, guiding of thy people in thy ſtrength to thy habitation? we looke upon this preſent mercy of our deliverance, for which we doe now ſing and give thee praiſe, but in order to the guiding of thy people to thy habitation, and that in thy ſtrength: as if Moſes ſhould ſay, Lord there will be a great many difficulties between this and our comming to enjoy thy habitation, but thou wilt guide us in thy ſtrength, thy ſtrength ſhall carry thy people along till it bring them to thy habitation; this was that which made them ſing ſo chearfully as they did. And again, v. 17. Thou ſhalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountaine of thine inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which thou haſt made for thee to dwell in, in the ſanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have eſtabliſhed. This was that that made them ſo ſing. So David, Pſa. 27. 4. One thing have I deſired of the Lord, that I will ſeeke after; that I may dwell in the houſe of the Lord all the dayes of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, & to enquire in his Temple; That is a choice mercy, therefore all mercies that make way for that mercy, are indeed ſweet mercies. So we ſhould looke upon all our deliverances, from outward troubles, and whatſoever peace God giveth us to enjoy, as ſweet and comfortable, in order to this mercy of enjoying Gods mountaine, of living in God… habitation, that we may dwell there all the dayes of our life.
A third Obſervation is,
New mercies ſhould renew the memory of old. They ſhall ſing as in the day when they came up out of the land of Egypt, that is, I will grant to them yet further mercies,New mercies should renew the memory of old mercies. and that mercy that I ſhall grant, ſhall renew the memory of all the former mercies they have enjoyed from me. As new guilt renews the memory of former guilt, ſo new mercies the memory of former. Hath God delivered you from any danger now? were you never delivered before? if but when you were a childe, thoſe deliverances you now have ſhould bring into your memory what then were.
So in a nation, doth God grant to a nation any new mercy? this new mercy ſhould bring into the memory of that nation all the former mercies that ever that nation hath received. Pſal. 68. 26. Bleſſe ye God in the congregatations, even the Lord from the fountaine of Iſrael. Not only you who are true Iſraelites, but in your bleſſing God now, let preſent mercies be to you but as ſtreames to bring you to the fountaine. Conſider of all the mercies along till you come to the fountaine, even that Covenant that God hath made with Iſrael.
A fourth is,Obſer. All former mercies to Gods people ſhould help Faith in beleeving future mercies. That is raiſed from hence. Why doth the Prophet tell them or comming out of the land of Egypt? He ſpeaks of ſome mercy that was to come to Iſrael;Former mercies muſt ſtrengthen our faith in future. now hee names this coming out of the land of Egypt, that he might helpe and ſtrengthen their Faith in the beleeving of what mercy was to come: As if he ſhould ſay, That God that hath wrought ſo wonderfully for you, in delivering you out of the land of Egypt, is able, and willing to make good his word in granting to you deliverance for time to come. We have excellent Scriptures for this, as Pſal. 66. 6. He turned the ſea into dry land, they went thorough the flood on foot, there did we rejoyce in him. Marke, they went thorough the flood, and there did we rejoyce in him: How did we rejoyce in him? it was many hundred yeares after that we came to rejoyce: But upon the manifeſtation of Gods great goodneſſe to his people in former dayes, our faith commeth to be ſtrengthened in Gods mercies for our times, and there did we rejoyce in him, we did rejoice in the worke of God when they went thorough the Red-ſea upon dry land, for it is an argument of Gods mercy to us of the power, goodneſſe, and faithfulneſſe of God to us. Another temarkable Text is, Hoſ. 12. 4. Hee had power over the Angel, Obſ.he found him in Bethel, and there he ſpake with us: Marke, he had power over the Angel, he found him in Bethel; VVho was that? It was Jacob, who many years before, but there he ſpake with us, hee did not ſpeake with Jacob onelyonly, but there hee ſpake with us, that is, whatſoever goodneſſe the Lord did ſhew to Jacob in Bethel, it concerned us for the ſtrengthening of our faith, Mat. 22. 31. 32. Have ye not read that which was ſpoken unto you, ſaying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Iſaac, and the God of Iacob? This was ſpoken to Moſes many hundred yeares before; but that expreſſion of Gods grace then, was a ſtrengthening the faith of the godly, when Chriſt ſpake, and is the ſame to us now.Obſer.
A fifth is, where there is a proportion of mercies, there ought to be a proportion of thankfulneſſe. They ſhall ſing as they did in the day when they came out of Egypt. I will grant unto you as great mercies as they had, and I expect as great thankfulneſſe from you as I had from them; as they ſung to my praiſe, ſo muſt you ſing too. God ſheweth as much mercy to you now, as he hath done heretofore, I appeale now to you, nay God appeales to your conſciences, Is there a proportion of thankfulneſſe as of mercies?
There hath been a time when you have ſung to the praiſe of God, when your hearts have been inlarged to give God praiſe, why ſhould it not be ſo now? A ſixt obſervation is, deliverance out of Egypt is an aſcending condition, That ariſeth from the words as they are in the Originall, They ſhal aſcend out of the land of Egypt, ſo I told you the words were in the Hebrew; as then God would never reſt till he brought them up to Mount Zion, ſo when God beginneth to deliver his people from Antichriſtian bondage, they ſhould never reſt in their ſpirits, untill they be got to the height of Reformation, to the height of their deliverance, that is, to come to enjoy Gods Ordinances in his own wayes, in the purity and the power of them. This is our miſery and our b…ſeneſſe, that upon ſome little deliverance we preſently are ready to reſt, whereas we ſhould riſe yet higher and higher, and expect that God ſhould goe on ſtill with us, and raiſe us in the wayes of mercy, untill he hath brought us even to the top of Mount Zion.
Seventhly, From the connection of theſe words with what followes, They ſhall ſing as in the day when they came up out of the land of Egypt, and they ſhall call me Iſhi, and ſhall call me no more Baali, for I will take even the very names of Baalim out of their mouths, and they ſhall remember them no more, that is, there ſhall be a moſt glorious reformation, & they ſhal be delivered from all the remainders of their Idolatrous worſhip, they ſhall not ſo much as remember their very names, the Reformation ſhall be ſo perfect;
From thence the Obſervation is,
When God raiſeth the ſpirits of people to rejoyce in his mercy, then is the time for them if ever, to ſet up a through Reformation; then when their hearts are warmed, inflamed, and inlarged with the goodneſſe of God unto them, then is the time to caſt out all the remainders of all ſuperſtition, of all kinde of falſe worſhip. I will give you two excellent Scriptures for this, the one is, Eſay 30. 19. Thou ſhalt weep no more (ſaith he) he will be very gracious unto thee at the voyce of thy cry; The Lord promiſeth abundance of mercy, he tells them that they ſhall weep no more, he will be very gracious; now marke what followeth in the 22. verſe, Ye ſhall defile the covering of thy graven Images of ſilver, the ornaments of thy molten Images of gold, thou ſhalt caſt them away as a menſtruous cloth, thou ſhalt ſay unto it, Get thee hence; The other Scripture is, 2 Chron. 30. 26. there you finde that there was great joy in Jeruſalem, ſuch joy as the text ſaith, was not ſince the dayes of Solomon, it was upon the celebration of their Paſſe-over, there had not beene the like; Marke then in the beginning of the next Chapter, ſaith the text, when all this was finiſhed, that is, when they had celebrated a Paſſeover ſo full, and had ſuch abundance of joy, ſuch a joy as had not beene in Jeruſalem ſince the time of Solomon; Now all Iſrael went out to the Cities of Iudah, and brake the Images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places, and the Altars out of all Iudah & Benjamin. Their hearts were inflamed with the joy they had, & they went with reſolution and brake down … …ages, &c. And marke it, the Text ſaith, it was … that did this; … went out into the Cities of Iudah, and brake the the Images in pieces, and threw down the high places, & the Altars out of all Iudah: What had Iſrael to doe with Iudah? Iudah and Iſrael were divided; But now their hearts were ſo inflamed for God, that they were not able to abide any falſe worſhip amongſt their brethren, though it belonged to Judah, yet they would goe help their brethren to caſt down all their Images, and to cut down their Groves and Altars, this was when their hearts were warmed with joy in bleſſing the name of God. VVhen God once warmeth the hearts of people, it is much what they will doe for God then: They will not ſtand examining every nicety, but they will fall upon the work directly; the joy of the Lord was the ſtrength of their hearts at this time: as it is with the luſts of wicked men, when they get into company, at feaſts, in Taverns, and there they are drinking, while their luſts are warmed, then what deſperate reſolutions have they to doe wickedneſſe! So when Gods Saints are exerciſed in Gods Ordinances, and are refreſhed with the ſweet love of God, when that lies glowing at their hearts, what ſtrong reſolutions have they for God! then they can doe any thing for God.
Now the very name of Baalim muſt be taken away.
VERSE 16. And it ſhall be in that day, ſaith the Lord, that thou call me Iſhi, and ſhalt call me no more Baali.
17. For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, & they ſhall be no more remembred by their name.
Here we have as full a Propheſie and promiſe of as thorough reformation of the Church, as any I know we have in Scripture, God hath a time to reforme his Church thorowly, the very names of their Idols, the very remembrance of them ſhall be taken away. This reformation is …ods worke, I will doe it ſaith God, I will take away the names of Baalim
They ſhall call me Iſhi, and no more Baali.]
Why? what great difference is there betweene theſe two names Iſhi and Baali, that God will have one but not the other?
The truth is, both of them ſignifie even almoſt the ſame thing; Both of them are names very fit for a wife to call her husband by, Iſhi is my husband, and Baali is my husband too. But the word Iſhi cometh from a word that ſignifieth ſtrength, the woman being the weaker veſſel, therefore ſhee calls her husband Iſhi, my ſtrength; for the husband ſhould be ſtrength to the wife, he ſhould live with her as a man of knowledge, he ſhould be a protection to her, he ſhould help her in all her weakneſſes, & afflictions. Baali ſignifieth my Lord, as well as my husband; it is a word that moteth rule and authority, Iſhi is a word that hath more love and familiarity in it; Baali is a word that noteth the inferiority of the wife to the husband. Now God ſaith he will be called Iſhi, but not Baali; why? there is no hurt in the word Baali it ſelfe; the word Baali is a very good word, and hath a good ſignification, & it is proper to God, as any word that can be given to him by the Church (but that God did forbid it here) for it is no more when the church cals God Baali, then if the Church ſhould ſay, O God that art my Lord, my husband, who art to rule & govern me;
Yea and we find that God gives to himſelf this name, Iſa. 54. 5. Thy Maker is thy [husband,] ſo it is in your books, but the word in the Hebrew is the ſame that we have here, Thy Maker is thy [Baali,] ſo that husband and Baal is the very ſame. But now becauſe they had abuſed this word Baal, and given into their Idols, therefore God would have no more of it; though it was a good word, a ſignificant word, and as proper to God as any was. As the word Tyrannus was a name once for a King, Kings were called Tyrants, without any ſuch ill ſignification as now it carries with it; but becauſe they had gotten the ſole power into their hands, they did ſo oppreſs, abuſe their power, therefore oppreſſors were called Tyrants. So the Latine word fur, which is for a thiefe, it was once the ordinary word for a ſervant, Fures, and Servi were wont to be the ſame, and without any ill ſignification; but becauſe afterward many ſervants grew to be falſe, to ſteale from their Maſters, therefore fures was altogether taken in the worſt part, onelyonly for theeves. So Sophiſta, a Sophiſter, was one that ſtudied wiſdome, but becauſe they did ſo much degenerate, many under the colour of the ſtudy of wiſdome, deceived others, therefore the name Sophiſter was uſed in the worſt part. I might inſtance in many other.
For further opening this. May not the name Baal be mentioned? God tells them that he would take away the name of Baalim out of their mouths. VVhy may not we uſe this word Baali in our mouths?
To this I anſwer, Yes, it is not unlawfull for us to mention the word, notwithſtanding this, for the holy Ghoſt a long time after this mentions the word in an hiſtoricall way: Rom. 11. 4. hee ſpeaks there of thoſe that had not bowed their knees to Baal, the word you ſee is mentioned & remembred by the ſpirit of God, therefore it was not a ſin; nay not only the word Baal, b…r it is not unlawfull to mention the names of any Idols of the heathen, for the holy Ghoſt doth ſo likewiſe, Acts 18. 11. ſpeaking of the ſhip that they ſayled in, he ſaith there, whoſe ſigne was Caſtor and Pollux, the names of two heathen Idols. And you may obſerve that here in the text the remembring is as much forbidden as the mentioning. Now if it were a finne meerly to mention the names of the heathen gods, it were a ſin to remember them. Therefore God means the mentioning of them Honoris gratia, any way for their honour, or without deteſtation of them.
The words being thus opened, you have many excellent obſervations out of them very uſefull and ſeaſonable for our times.
Firſt,Obſer. There is a great deale of danger in words and names. You ſhall call me Iſhi, I will not have you call me Baali, I will not have that word uſed; the Devill hath got much by words and names, heretofore by the word Puritane, though … knew not what it meant; now by this new name that he hath of late invented;The danger of ſuperſtitious & Idolatrous names. the devill hath alwayes ſome words, ſome names for diſtinction of men, in which he ſees advantage is to be had. The ſpeaki… …f the ways of … the language of ſuperſtition doth much hurt. … a notabl… … …etion from the Papiſts themſelves concerning that, it is in the Rhemiſts Teſtament in their notes upon that place, 1 Tim. 6. 20. Keep that which is committed to thy truſt, avoyding prophane, and vaine bablings, ſo we tranſlate it, they tranſlate it, prophane novelties, this is their note upon it; Let us (ſay they) keep our fore-fathers words, and we ſhall eaſily keepe our old faith; you ſhall ſee that wee had not long ſince the very ſpirit of theſe men breathing in many amongſt us. The Hereticks call repentance amendment, but let us ſay they keep the old word Penance, they ſay the Lords Supper, but we will keep the old word Maſſe; they ſay Communion Table, but let us keep the old word Altar; Was it not juſt thus with us? the call Elders and Miniſters, let us ſay Prieſts; they ſay ſuperintendents, but let us keep the word Biſhop; (it is a Scripture word indeed, but not in that ſenſe they call it, for in the Scripture ſenſe every Presbyter is a Biſhop) they ſay Sacrament, let us keep the word Sacrifice and Hoſt; they ſay Congregation, let us keep the word Church; they morning, evening prayer, let us keep the words Mattens, even-ſong; and ſo Oblation & Lent, and Palmſunday, and Chriſtmas day, &c. This was the policy of Papiſts, and it hath been the policy of many of us to bring in popery by. Let us take heed of this, for the Devill is ſubtile in this; for though theſe words have ſome kind of good ſenſe in the Originall, yet there is danger in the uſe of them.Melior in ore chriſtianc ritus loquend… Eecleſiaſticus, Aug. in praef. enar. in Pſ. 93. ep. 200 non debemus conſuetudinem ſerntonis humani in epta loquaſitate confundare. Auguſtine in his preface to his narration upon the Pſalms hath this expreſſion. It is a better thing in the mouths of Chriſtians to ſpeak according to the manner of the Church, ſo we may well ſay, it had been better that in the mouths of Proteſtants, there had been the ordinary language of Proteſtants, not the language of Papiſts. Certainly if God had not been very mercifull unto us, the very language of Papiſts that began to be amongſt us would have done abundance of miſchief, take heed as long as you live of the language of Papiſts, whatſoever pretence they may have for their words. In that place of the Rhemiſts Teſtament quoted, they ſay, Let us take heed of the words of hereticks, they there confeſs that heretiques (as they call us) uſe many words that have no great hurt in them, but becauſe they are the words of heretiques, let us not (ſay they) uſe them; They are wiſe enough, they will not uſe our words, though they confeſſe the words themſelves have no harme in them, yet becauſe they are our proper language (as they make them) diſtinct from themſelves, therefore no Catholiques ſhould uſe them, why ſhould not we be as wiſe as they?
The ſecond Obſervation, Idolatry is a moſt loathſome and abominable thing;Obſ. Why? Surely that is moſt loath ſome that we may not ſo much as mention, that we may not ſo much as remember. We muſt ſeek to aboliſh the very name, the very remembrance of Idolatry as much as poſſibly we can. Firſt, one that we hate, we do not love his preſence, we do like his company.
Secondly, if we hate him very much, we doe not love ſo much as to ſee him;The loathſomeneſs of Idolatry. and if perhaps we doe ſee him afar off, out hearts riſe, that is a ſecond degree. But thirdly, if our hatred be ſo great thee wee cannot endur… name him, that is a greater degree of hatred. But fourthly, if wee cannot endure to remember him, that is more then to name him. Yet thus ſhould it be in our manifeſtation of our hatred to Idolatry: we ſhould not admit it into our company, much leſſe then to joyn in the Ordinances of God. We ſhould not admit, no not the very ſight of it, no not the name of it, no not the memory of it without a great deale of indignation. Jer. 44. 4. Oh doe not this abominable thing, ſaith the Lord there; The Lord cryes out with a ſhriek as it were, Oh! doe not this abominable thing, as if any of you ſhould ſee one ready to murther your child, or to cut the throat of your father, you would ſhrick out, Oh! what mean you to doe? do not ſuch a horrible villany as this; ſo God cries out as it were with a ſhriek, do not this abominable thing. It is obſervable in the ſecond commandement, that God ſaith hee will viſite the ſinn upon the third generation of them that hate him: none ſeem to love God more then wil-worſhippers; they will not only worſhip God as he hath appointed, but will deviſe ways of their owne, and yet God charges the breakers of no commandement with hatred of him but onelyonly theſe. As if God ſhould ſay, you pretend love to me, in that you will finde out new wayes to worſhip me by, you pretend decency and reverence, but I account it hating me, you can provoke me in nothing more. Tertullian in his book De Idololatria, Principale crimen generis, humani, ſummusſeculi reaatus tota cauſa judicii, Idolatria. Tertul. lib. de Idololat. Littlehath this expreſſion; Idolatry is the principall hey nous crime of mankind, it is the chief guilt of the world, and the onelyonly cauſe of judgment in the world.
It were good therefore, ſeeing God hates it, and loaths it ſo much, that we ſhould hate and loath it, and therefore even caſt out the name and the memory of it; it were a happy thing if this could be obtained, that now the names as of Popiſh, ſo of heatheniſh Idols could be got out from the Church; But I know not how it comes to paſſe that we Chriſtians do ſtill retaine the uſe of their names, the very dayes of the week am…g us are called by the names of Planets, or Heathen Gods: Not that I think it a ſin, when it is the ordinary language of the world, ſo to ſpeak as may be underſtood; for the Apoſtle (as I ſaid afore) mentioneth the name of Caſtor and Pollux: but if there could be an alteration by a generall conſent, it were a thing deſireable (as our brethren in New-England doe) and it were very deſireable likewiſe, that our children might not be educated in the uſe of heathen Poems, where the names of heathen Idols are kept up freſh amongſt us; The Papiſts themſelves acknowledge ſo much in their notes upon the Rhemiſts Teſtament, Rev. 1. 10. where they ſay, the name Sunday is Heatheniſh, as all other of the week dayes, ſome impoſed after the name of Planets by the Romans, ſome by the name of certaine Idols that the Saxons worſhipped, to which they dedicated their days before they were Chriſtians; which names the Church uſed not, but hath appointed to call the firſt day Dominike, (the Lords) the other by the name of Feries, untill the laſt day of the week, which ſhe calleth by … name Sabbath, becauſe that was of God, and … impoſition of … …eathen. And in their Annotations upon Luke, 24. 1. The firſt day of the Sabbath, that is, firſt after the Sabbath, which is our Lords day. And the Apoſtle (1 Cor. 16. 2.) commanded a collection to be made on the firſt of the Sabbath; whereby wee learn (ſay they) both the keeping that day, & the Churches count of days, 2, 3, 4. of the Sabbath: that is, the ſecond day, the third day of the week, and ſo on, to be Apoſtolicall, which S. Sylviſter afterward named 2. 3. 4. Feriam. Thus you have the Papiſts acknowledging the Lords day to be Apoſtolicall, and the calling the days of the week, the 2. the 3. the 4. &c. to bee likewiſe Apoſtolicall. The Heatheniſh Roman names of the days were from the ſeven Planets, 1. Sol, from thence Dies ſolis, Sunday, dedicated to the Sun. 2. Luna, Monday, dedicated to the Moon. 3. Mars, Tueſday, dedicated to Mars. Our Engliſh Tueſday is a Saxon name, from Tuiſco, who they ſay was chiefe leader and ruler of the German Nation from the Tower of Babel, who in honour of him called this day Tuiſday, Tuiſco his day. 4. Mercurius, to whom Wedneſday is dedicated. Our Engliſh is from the Saxons, Woden, who was a great Prince amongſt them: after his death they adored his Image. The 5. Jupiter, to whom Thurſday is dedicated: Our Engliſh is from the Saxon Thor, the name of an Idol which they anciently worſhiped. The 6. Venus, to whom Friday is dedicated: Our Engliſh is from Friga, an Idol of the Germans. This Idol repreſented both ſexes, as well man as woman, an Hermaphrodite. She was reputed the giver of plenty, and the cauſer of amity, it is like it was the ſame which the Romans called Venus. The 7. Saturnus, dedicated to Saturn, from whence our Saturday hath the name: or as others think, from Seater, an Idol of the Germans. Exod. 23. 13. we have this charge, In all things that I have ſaid unto you, be circumſpect, & make no mention of the names of other Gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth. Pſal. 16. 4. David profeſſeth he will not take the names of Idols into his lips. A third note is, that little things in point of Gods worſhip, any way tending to Idolatry are to be taken heed of.Obſer. The very word Baali, meerly to mention it, one would think to be one of the ſmalleſt things that could be, but yet we ſee God would have his people take heed of that.
There is no Commandement wherein God ſpeaks of himſelf as a jealous God, but in the ſecond: now jealouſie you know doth not only cauſe one to bee offended at ſome groſſe thing, but at any thing that doth but tend that way,things in matters of Religion muſt not be ſlighted. as if a Husband be a jealous Husband, hee is not onelyonly offended if hee ſhould meet with his wife committing the very act of adultery with another man, but the leaſt glance of a wanton look will diſpleaſe him, the leaſt thing that is any way tending that way will offend him. So ſaith God in this commandement. I am a jealous God, to note that though wee ſhould not agree to groſſe Idolatry, to worſhip Images in a groſs way, yet if we do any thing that doth but tend that way, that hath but any likeneſs to ſuperſtition, the Lord is jealous of that, even ſuch a thing would diſpleaſe him, in matters of Gods worſhip little things are not to be contemned (if in any things in the world) we are to make conſcience of little things then in point of worſhip, when we come to deal with God, we had need to look to the ſmaleſt things.
No queſtion but the Phariſes when they waſhed their hands, and Chriſt would not was his, would be ready to accuſe him of too much preciſeneſſe, what is there any hurt in the waſhing of a mans hands? yet Chriſt would not waſh his hands. Though this might ſeeme to be but a little matter before others, yet becauſe it had ſome kind of tendency to ſhew ſome reſpect to their ſuperſtitious waye, Chriſt would not agree to them therein.
There is a ſtory in the Primitive times of that noble ſervant of God and Miniſter of the Church Marcus Arethuſius, who in the time of Conſtantine had beene the cauſe of overthrowing an Idoll Temple, afterward when Julian came to be Emperor, he would force the people of that place to build it up againe, they were ready to doe it but he refuſed it, whereupon thoſe that were his own people, over whom he had been Biſhop, tooke him and ſtript him of all his cloathes, and abuſed his naked body, and gave it up the children to lance it with their pen-knives, and then cauſed him to be put in a basket and anoynted his naked body with honey, and ſet him in the ſun to be ſtung with waſpes, and all this cruelty they ſhewed becauſe he would not doe any thing toward the building up of this Idoll Temple; Nay they came to this, that if he would doe but the leaſt thing towards it, if he would give but a halfe-penny to it they would ſave him; but he refuſed all, though the giving but of one halfe-penny towards the re-edification of that Idoll Temple might have ſaved his life, hee would not doe it, for a little thing in that which concerns the worſhip of God in Religion, is of more concernment then your or my life.
I have read in Theodoret of Valentinian, who was afterwards Emperour, going before Julian into the Temple of the goddeſſe Fortune (which by the way, becauſe we are ſpeaking of the names of Idols, take this note; The word Fortune, as it is commonly uſed, ſuch a man hath a good forture, ſhould be forborne: The Heathen had a goddeſſe that they called Fortune, and we ſhould not continue thoſe names) when they went up into that Temple, the Prieſt there had his holy-water, (juſt as the Papiſts who imitate the Heathens) as he ſprinkled it upon Julian, by accident there came but one drop of water upon Valentinian, he thereupon preſently ſtruck the Prieſt, and withall tooke his garment and cut that part of it in pieces upon which the water was ſprinkled. Some would ſay, alas what was that? It was but a little water that dropped upon him, & that by accident; yet in deteſtation of that Idolatry, he cut in pieces that part of his garment. VVe cannot ſhew our hatred againſt Idolatry fully, except wee ſhow it in little things, as well as in things that are very groſſe and vile.
Theodoret lib. 4. cap. 15. tells of the zeale of children of Samoſaten, who becauſe a Tennis-ball with which they played, had but touched the foot of the Aſſe whereon L…ius their hereticall Biſhop rode, they cryed out it was defiled, and burnt it in the Market-place preſently; hatred is much ſhewn in little things.
Fourthly, It is the … of all Gods people, to keepe themſelves as free from Idolatry and ſuperſtition as can be, from the very verges of it: Why? Here they muſt not ſo much as mention the very names of their Idols,We muſt take heed of coming too neer Idolatry. certainly therefore they muſt keepe themſelves at a great diſtance from it: We muſt not thinke it enough to ſay, Can any man convince us that this is Idolatry? Though it be not, yet if it but borders upon it, it is your duty to keep your ſelves from it. Pſ. 81. 9. You ſhall not have any ſtrange God with you, or by you. It is not onelyonly ſorbidden that you ſhall not worſhip a falſe God, but you ſhal not ſo much as have a falſe God by you; as Deut. 25. 13. when God would forbid the ſinne of injuſtice, of ſelling wares by falſe weights, mark what the expreſſion is, Thou ſhalt not have in thy bag divers weights▪ a great & a ſmal one, it was ſin to have a great and a ſmall weight in a mans bag; Why? if you ſhould find a great and a ſmall weight in ones bag, perhaps you would ſay, but can you prove that ever I ſold wares by the ſmall weight, or tooke wares in by this great weight? Yea, bnt ſaith God, to the end you may be farre off from the ſinne of injuſtice, I require you that you ſhall not have them in your bag; God would have us keepe off from the very verge of that ſin, much more from Idolatry, which is the worſt of all other ſins; Eſay 65. 4. God chargeth upon them, not onelyonly that groſſe ſin of eating ſwines fleſh, but the having the broth of abominable things in their veſſels; They might ſay, we will not eate the fleſh, but the broth; no you muſt not have the broth of abominable things in your veſſels, you muſt keep far off from that defilement; As the Lord ſpeakes concerning corporall whoredome, Prov. 5. 8. Remove thy way farre from her, come not …igh the doore of her houſe; If one ſhould ſay, we will not commit uncleanneſſe, but ſaith God, you muſt remove your way farre from her, and you muſt not come nigh her, no not nigh the door of her houſe. We muſt not come nigh Popery, we muſt abſtaine from the appearance of that evill.
Certainly, it hath beene a great diſtemper in many of your hearts, that you went ſo nigh to Popery as you did, eſpecially at ſuch a time when the Tyde was comming in upon you; for a man to ſtand juſt at the edge of the water when the Sea is comming in, eſpecially if you were in ſome places, as in the Waſhes in Lincolneſhire, is a dangerous thing, to ſtand at the edge when the tyde is going away, is not ſo dangerous: Many of you when the tyde of Popery and ſuperſtition was comming in, you ſtood upon the very edge of the water;Obſer. this is a ſin you ought to repent off.
Fifthly, The Church of God muſt not worſhip God after the manner that Idolaters doe: They muſt not ſo much as make mention of the names that they did, certainly then not worſhip God in the way they doe, in thoſe orders and ceremonies they doe.
Marke that place; Deut. 12. 30. Take heed to thy ſelfe that thou be not ſnared by following them, and that thou enquire not after their Gods, ſaying, How did theſe Nations ſerve their Gods? even ſo will I doe likewiſe; thou ſhalt not doe ſo unto the Lord thy God; then verſe 32. VVhat thing ſoever I command you, obſerve to doe it, thou ſhalt not adde thereto nor diminiſh from it.
Thou ſhalt not ſo much as enquire how others ſerve their gods, what their rites and ordinances, and manners of ſerving their gods are, thou ſhalt not worſhip me ſo; How then Lord? as if they ſhould ſay, Whatſoever thing I command you, obſerve to doe it, thou ſhall not adde thereto, nor diminiſh from it, you muſt keep to that, and not think to worſhip me, as others worſhip their Idols. The Lord ſtands much upon this, though the thing in it ſelf may be a lawfulthing, yet becauſe it is the way idolaters have taken up, therefore it muſt be rejected, Ezek. 44. 20. there is a comandement to the Prieſts of the Lord, that they ſhall not ſhave their heads, nor ſuffer their lockes to grow long, but they ſhall round their heads, ſo the words are rendred in the old Tranſlation,Tondendo aeque, aeque atondebunt. and Arius Montarus tranſlates them thus, They ſhall clip equally their haire all of a length, that is the meaning of the words as they are in the Hebrew; the old Tranſlation, They ſhall round their heads, is according to the Hebrew; the reaſon is this, becauſe the idolatrous Prieſts, according to the ſeveral ways of worſhipping their Idols, ſome did ſhave their heads, others wore long hair as women, ſome kind of Idols being worſhipped one way, ſome another, all in exceſſive ways: Now ſaith God to his Prieſts, they ſhall doe neither; ſo that it is the injunction of God to his Miniſters there to be Round-heads. Certainly the Devil forgate that place of Scripture when he raiſed up ſuch a name to reproach men by, which we have the expreſſe word in Scripture for the injoyning it: And on the other ſide, when the Scripture would deſcribe the enemies of God, it deſcribeth them by the contrary, the hairy ſcalpe.Pſ. 68. 21.
I remember I have read of the Lacedemonians, when they would reform exceſſe in apparell, which was much amongſt them, at length their conſultation came to this reſult, that there ſhould be a law made, that none but harlots ſhould weare pompous and rich cloathes, and by this meanes they thought to get all women that regarded their credites, or chaſtity, to goe in meane or plain cloathing, by this they attained their end: If by the light of nature once a thing come to be in faſhion with harlots, grave and ſober Matrons will never meddle with it, then what Idolaters take up in worſhip, the Church ſhould abſtaine from; if there muſt not be a conformity betweene Matrons and harlots, there muſt not be a conformity between the Church of God and Idolaters.
Arius Montanus in a Treatiſe he hath De Templi fabrica, Tredecim menſas lapidias in Airiis exterioribus fuiſſe, quibus adſtantes homines orarent fuere vero illae partem ad meridiem ad occaſum, ad ſeptem trionem ſitae ad orientem nulla. Montan. de fabrica Templi. l. 96.ſaith, that the Jews report of 13. tables of ſtone that were in the outward court of the Temple, at which men were wont to pray, & all of them were made, ſaith he, ſo as ſome looked to the North,We muſt not imitate Idolaters in worship ſome to the South, and ſome to the Weſt, but not one toward the Eaſt: And ſo God built his Temple that the Holy of holieſt was not to look toward the Eaſt, but toward the Weſt: Hence Ezek. 8. 16. it is ſaid that …ſe that worſhip … the Sunne, with their faces toward the Eaſt, they had their backs upon the Temple, ſo that it appeareth plainly, that the Temple ſtood weſt-ward, and upon this ground, becauſe there were ſo many among whom the Jews lived, that were worſhippers of the Sun, and in their worſhip they would ever look Eaſtward, & upon that very reaſon the Lord would not have the Holy of holieſt built Eaſtward; Now all your Chancels in England are built Eaſtward, and it was wont to be the order and way of your ſuperſtitious worſhippers evermore when they came into ſuch a place to look Eaſtward, and bow ſolemnly themſelves, not only to the Altar, but Eaſtward. I have ſeen my ſelf a Biſhop, who when the Communion table was ſet down in another place, he neglected that, and goes to the Eaſt end of the Chancell, and boweth himſelf, though his back was upon the table. And you ſhall obſerve it in all your burials, the corps are laid Eaſt and Weſt, for this end by ſome, that when Chriſt comes to Judgment, they may be ready to look him in the face, it being a trodition that he ſhall come from the eaſt. You muſt not think, that thoſe who do not follow the old cuſtomes of ſuperſtition, do it out of croſneſs of diſpoſition; it is the ſame way that God brought his people up in, when they ſaw Idolaters worſhip one way, they ſhould worſhip another way; we muſt take heed of borrowing from the Egyptians, if you borrow from them you may think it riches, but you may get their botches and boils: we have enough in the word of God, we need no imitation of Idolaters and Papiſts in the way of worſhip.
Yet further,Obſer. that which lies more fully in the Text is, ſuch things that in themſelves conſidered have no hurt in them, yet when they come to be abuſed to Idolatry, they muſt be caſt away; I will take the name of Baali out of your mouths, the name was good, but being abuſed, was to be taken away; yea not only ſuch things as are in the originall of them from Idolaters, but even ſuch things as in the beginning were of Gods own inſtitution, if they do not yet continue his inſtitutions, if God doe not require the continuance of them ſtill, they muſt be taken away, not only corrected, but removed, and wholly rejected from Gods worſhip. I will give you an inſtance for both theſe together, Exod. 34. 13. Ye ſhall deſtroy their altars, break their images, cut down their groves. Many will eaſily grant, thoſe things that came from Idolaters at firſt, ſhould be rejected by us: but they ſay thoſe ceremonies we have,Things abuſed to Idolatry muſt be reiected. we have them from the ancient Fathers in the primitive times before Popery was. For a full anſwer to that which may for ever ſtopp the mouth of that objection, you have an expreſſe command here, that thoſe groves were to be cut downe whoſe originall was not from Idolaters, for Gen. 21. 33. the text ſaith that Abraham built an Altar, and planted a grove, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlaſting God; groves and altars had a good originall from Abraham, but afterwards being abuſed by Idolaters, God requires of them now to cut down the groves. And that example 2 K. 18. 4. of the Brazen Serpent, it had a good beginning, and was an ordinance of God for a time, only it did not continue as an ordinance afterward, but they might think and ſo plead that it was kep… as a religious monument:
But H…zekiah according to the command of God by Moſes, beat down the Braz…n Serpent, and called it Nehuſtan in a way of contempt, a piece of braſſe, though it had been a notable inſtrument of good to the people of Iſrael in former times, yet now it was but Nehuſtan, but a piece of braſſe.
And further, to the aboliſhing thoſe things that have been abuſed to Idolatry there is added a gracious promiſe, Eſay 27. 9. By this ſhall the iniquity of Iacob be purged, and this is all the fruit to take away his ſi…ne, when he maketh all the ſtones of the Altar as chalke-stones that are beaten in ſunder; Then indeed hath Jacobs correction the true fruite npon him to purge away his ſinne, when hee makes all the ſtones of the Altar as chalkeſtones; And Joſiah is commended 2 King. 23. for deſtroying the high places, the groves and altars and the charets for the ſun, &c. And repenting Manaſſes, 2 Chron. 33. 18. is commended that hee did take away the ſtrange gods, and the Idols out of the houſe of the Lord, and all the altars; and Daniel, chap. 1. would not eate of the Kings meat, becauſe it had been abuſed and conſecrated to his Idols.
But for the opening of this there will be ſomething required by way of anſwer to an objection.Object, You will ſay, are not thoſe prohibitions there particular, concerning the Jews and not ſo fully concerning us? they ſomtimes are forbidden to take of the gold and ſilver of the Idols, doe ſuch prohibitious concerne us in every thing that hath been abuſed to Idolatry?
For anſwer,Anſw. I confeſſe I thinke we are not bound in every particular circumſtance according to thoſe commandements that God required of them: neither doe I thinke that they had been bound if they had not had ſome expreſſe commandement in ſome things that they did, if they had made uſe of the ſilver, or gold of an image, for ſome civil uſe, before the expreſſe prohibition came to them, it had been no ſin unto them, thoſe things being required of them by ſome poſitive Law, and not required in the ſecond Commandement further then there is a morall equity in them.
But how farre do they binde us?Queſt. Anſ. All thoſe rules God gave to the Jews to deſtroy all things abuſed to Idolatry, binde us in theſe three caſes.
Firſt, we muſt retaine nothing whereby any falſe worſhip may retaine any honour. If Mordecai would not bow to a living monument of that nation, whoſe name God had ordained to be blotted out from under heaven, much leſſe ſhould we reverence dumbe monuments of thoſe Idols which God hath devoted to deſtruction; we muſt not ſhew reſpect to any thing that Idolaters have abuſed, when our reſerving of them, or reſpect to them may any way keepe up any honour of them. Therefore certainly thi… is a truth, that to take a ceremony from Papiſts, to bring it into the moſt ſolemne Ordinances of CHRIST, yea ſo into them to that end that it may adde to the honour of that Ordinance,Rules to know how far things abuſed to Idolatry are to be rejected. can never be juſtified. There never was any ceremony more abominably abuſed then that of the Croſſe; Now though it be not a ſin to make a croſſe, yet to bring it into one of the moſt … Ordinances of Chriſt in his Church, and to make it there to conduce to the honour of ſuch an Ordinance, it is impoſſible but men muſt ſhut their eyes if they doe not ſee it a great evil. So for veſtments, ſuppoſe there might be ſome uſe of them ſome other way, yet to bring them to make the worſhip of God to be decent, to think that thoſe veſtments that have beene …o notoriouſly abuſed, ſhould adde to the honour of divine worſhip muſt needs be ſinfull, ſurely all thoſe ſcriptures that required the Jews to aboliſh thoſe things that have been abuſed by Idolaters, if they have any morality in them, they will caſt out theſe. Secondly, When any thing that hath been abuſed to Idolatry, ſhall in the uſe of it imply any communicating with Idolaters, then it muſt be rejected: that is cleare out o… Rev. 2. 20. there the Church of …hyatira is charged that they did eate things ſacrificed to Idols; Why? the meat ſacrificed to Idols was good meat, a good creature of God, and we have that rule, that every creature of God is good, if it be ſanctified by the word and prayer, yet they are charged for it as a ſinning againſt Chriſt in it; You will ſay what is that to them if it were offered to Idols? they might eate it as Gods creature: But it was a ſin becauſe the eating of that did argue communion with them, that is plain in that 1 Cor. 10. 18. 19. 20. where you have the argument of the Apoſtle againſt eating things offered to Idols, thus he reaſoneth, When you eat the ſame bread in the Sacrament it is a note of your communion one with another, ſo when you eate of the things ſacrificed to idols, that is a note of your communion with them: that is the argument of the Apoſtle in that place, and upon that ground it is made a ſin, You cannot (ſaith he) partake of the Table of the Lord, aud the table of devils, if you eat of their meat, you communicate with them & ſo it is ſinne to you.
Thirdly,Quid enim illae c… remonia aliud, fuerint quam totidem lenocinia quae miſeras animas ad malumperducerent. To make uſe of any thing abuſed by Idolaters when it cometh to be a ſcandoll to our brethren, a ſnare to thoſe that are weake, then it is a ſin againſt God, 1 Cor. 10. 28. eating meat offered to Idols, is forbidden in the former place upon a ground of communicating, but in this 28. ver. it is forbidden upon the ground of ſcandoll, that is enough: Calvin in his Epiſtle to the Lord Protector in King Edwards dayes, hath theſe words; What other things were thoſe ceremonies maintayned by in England but ſo many pleaſing allurements that enſnare poore miſerable ſoules, & bring them into evil? certainly theſe that we have retayned have brought abundance of evil this way, they have been the enſnaring of many ſouls. In theſe three things the rules that concerne the Jews have a morality concerning us.
But yet theſe rules muſt be obſerved with ſome cautions, or elſe we may goe away and not underſtand the ruels aright.
They muſt be underſtood firſt in things that are not Ordinances continued by God; for certainly if it be an Ordinance that God hath appointed, though Idolaters abuſe it never ſo much, we muſt goe on in it. It is true, the brazen ſerpent was an Ordinance of God, but it was an Ordinance but for a time, it was not a continued Ordinance, and therefore being abuſed to Idolatry it was to be deſtroyed; but when a thing is an Ordinance appointed by God to be continued in the Church, we muſt go on in the uſe of it, though it be abuſed.
As in Baptiſme, the ordinance is water, though they abuſe water, we muſt continue the uſe of it; in the ordinance in the Lords ſupper is the uſe of bread and wine, though they abuſe thoſe elements, we muſt continue them, why? becauſe no abuſe is an argument to refuſe that which is a duty; the ſubject of ſcandall is a thing indifferent, but if it be an ordinance, we muſt continue our obedience, whether men be offended or not offended.
Secondly, Neither can any of theſe rules hold in any thing that is of neceſſary uſe for the worſhip of God, ſo as we cannot enjoy the worſhip of God without them. As for places, ſupoſe Idolaters have abuſed a place of meeting for Gods worship, when we have no other place to meet in, this is (for the preſent at leaſt) of neceſſary uſe to Gods worſhip, there is a naturall neceſſity of a place, and if no other for the preſent may be had, we are bound to worship in that place, the abuſe of men muſt not hinder Gods worship, God hath never put his worship under the power of wicked men, ſo as they should keep his people off from it when they pleaſe.
Thirdly, If it be any ceremony that of its own nature (not by vertue of any inſtitution from man) hath that decency in it as that the want of it would be an undecency, then though it be never ſo much abuſed, we are to goe on in it; for it is the duty of Gods people to worſhip God in a decent way; It is the rule of the Apoſtle, Let all things be done decently, but there is a miſtake in that uſe that many make of that Scripture, this rule is, that which the light of nature teaches, though we had never found it in Scripture, it is not meant of ſuch a decency as the inſtitution of man puts upon a thing, but ſuch a decency as God in the nature of the thing puts upon it, ſo that if it were wanting, the worke would bee undecently performed: But if the things be meerly mans inventions and inſtitutions, having their ſuppoſed decency, not from what is indeed in the things themſelves, but from that which mans inſtitution puts upon them, then they come not under that rule of the Apoſtle, but the abuſe of them is argument enough for their rejection.
But it may be objected,Object. If we can inſtruct people what the abuſe is, and what right uſe they may make of ſuch things, will not that ſerve for the retaining them?
No certainly,Anſw. it had not been enough for the Jews to uſe the name Baali, though their Prophets had taught them what the abuſe of it was.
This is as if a man ſhould keep a company of rags, that have lien a great while upon plague ſores, and ſay it is enough, I will waſh them cleane, and lay them out to ayre them; will any wiſe man keep ſuch rags in his houſe upon this precence? Thoſe things that have had poyſon in them, none will be ſo unwiſe to keep them by them, upon pretence of waſhing them clean; if they be broken veſſels of which there is no uſe, they are caſt upon the dunghill with leſſe trouble and more ſafety.
All things that are of mans invention, yea thoſe things that have beene Gods Ordinances, but now are out of date, & are not for the preſent Gods Ordinances the Scripture calls them beggerly rudiments; you cannot compare mens inventions to cloaths, or any thing worth the ayring or keeping, but the truth is, all ſuch things that have been abuſed to Idolatry, are no other but as ſuch dirty rags, and plaiſters laid upon plague-ſores.
But further you will ſay, Object.If that uſe we receive them for be not the ſame uſe they were in, if we retain them for another uſe that is good, why may we not doe it?
The text anſwers that,Anſw. though the Jews ſhould call God Baali in a right ſenſe, it was not enough, they muſt wholly reject the very mentioning of the name. But further, ſuppoſe a harlot ſhould be brought out of a moſt notorious ſtews in Rome or Paris, and brought to Dover into an honeſt mans chamber, is ſhee not a harlot ſtill? and is there not a provocation in her to uncleanneſſe, though ſhe become now to lye not in the ſtewes, but in the chamber of an honeſt man? So in all thoſe things that have been abuſed to Idolatry, though you ſhould think you make uſe of them in a better way, it is no other then to bring a harlot out of the ſtews, into a place not ſo vile, and to company with the harlot there.
Beſides, if a mans wife whom her husband had not without juſt cauſe ſuſpected for uncleanneſſe with another man, ſhould get ſomething from that man, and keep it in her boſome, or lay it next her heart, and ſhould tell her husband, true, ſhe keeps ſuch a thing, but ſhe intends no hurt in it, it is a good thing, onelyonly ſhe had it from him, will this think you ſatisfie any jealous huſband? The Church is the wife of Chriſt, he is jealous, and he hath cauſe to be jealous, for he knows while we are in the fleſh, we are prone to ſpirituall filthineſſe; and if we take any ceremony from Popiſh Idolatry, and joyne with his own Ordinances, and think to put off Chriſt thus, we intend to make no ill uſe of it, this will not ſatisfie Chriſt.
If any ſay,Object. Anſw. why ſhould we not retain our liberty if the things be good?
But why ſhouldſt not thou manifeſt thy hatred to all Idolatry? And why ſhouldſt not thou tender thy brethren ſo, as to prevent all ſcandall that may come by the uſe of ſuch things?
But you will ſay, Object.the idolatry of Papiſts, and the idolatry of Heathen is not the ſame, there is a great deale of difference between the Heathens in worſhipping their Idols, and the Papiſts worſhipping of God, though in a falſe way?
Indeed the difference ſeems to be much,Anſw. but yet the Idolatry is even the ſame in both; for you are miſtaken, if you think that many of the Heathens worſhipped a falſe God, otherwiſe then the Papiſts doe; though they made ſtocks and ſtones their Idols, yet they worſhiped the God that was Primum Ens, Non lapidem colimus, ſed virtutes Deï magni.the firſt Being, in and through thoſe Idols: Therefore Auſtin upon Pſ. 96. brings in one anſwering thus, We do not worſhip a ſtone, but the vertues, the ſtrength, and the powers of the great God wee worſhip: And another, one Maximus Madaurenſis that Auſtin ſpeaks of in his 43. Epiſtle, Who is ſo madde, or ſo void of ſenſe that will doubt whether there be more Gods then one? we invocate the vertues of this one God under many names, diffuſed through the frame of the whole world.
VVhat more faire anſwer can Papiſts give for their Idolatry then they did? Therefore the thing continueth ſtill cleare, that (with thoſe rules and cautions that have been named) ſuch things as have been abuſed to Idolatry, muſt wholly be caſt away; we muſt not retaine them, and think to put off God with ſuch diſtinctions. To what end doe we retaine them? Is there not ſufficient in the worſhip of God it ſelfe to make it acceptable to him?