The Truth and Certainty of the Protestant Faith, Section 15 – Section 16
SECT. XV.
Qu. IS there not ſafe Worſhipping God, under a viſible repreſentation, and in an Image, according to the practice of the Romiſh Church? Anſ. It is not their practice only; but profeſſed Doctrine and Principle, that the Images of the Trinity are not for a ſhew ſet up, but for Religious adoration; which, 1. Is a moſt direct violation of the moral Law: Deut. 5: 8. Thou ſhall not make unto thy ſelf any graven Image, or the ſimilitude of any thing, to bow down to it. 2. It is to change the glory of the inviſible God, into the likeneſſe of a ſinful creature, Rom. 1: 23. Which none can deny to be the groſſeſt Idolatry. 3. It is a moſt expreſſe breach of the Command, which forbids all ſerving the true God, after the manner which the Heathens uſed in ſerving their Idols, Deut. 12: 30, 31. Take heed to thy ſelf, that thou be not ſnared, by asking how theſe Nations did ſerve their Gods, thou ſhalt not do ſo to the Lord thy God; which is not, thou ſhalt not do ſo to theſe Idols, but not in that manner to the true God, as they did to their Idols. 4. There can be no poſſible repreſenting the Inviſible God, by any outward reſemblance: To whom will ye liken me? Iſa. 46: 5. And therefore, when the Law was given, Deut. 4: 12. The People Heard a voice, but ſaw no ſhape, leſt thereby they ſhould take occaſion to repreſent him by an external image. 5. How great a ſin it is to conceive, or imagine in our hearts, that the glorious God is like any thing, how excellent ſoever, We think, it is clear, Acts 17: 29. Qu. But can this charge the Romiſh Church with Idolatry. ſince they do not fix or terminate their Worſhip on the Image, but on what is thus repreſented? Anſ. No ſubtil diſtinction will acquit before the Lord, and at the bar of his Word, what he hath ſo expreſly condemned; when it is clear, 1. That not only worſhipping with our mind the Image, but all corporal adoration thereof is forbidden, as Idolatrous worſhip, Thou ſhalt not bow down thereto. 2. None will deny but Aarons calf, and thoſe of Jeroboams, were intended for the true God; yet their worſhip was moſt groſſe Idolatrie. 3. We find the brazen Serpent, though an inſtituted type, under the Old Teſtament, taken down and deſtroyed, when once the People begun in an Idolatrous way, to look after it. Qu. Is it not lawful to make an Image of Chriſt, who is truly Man, for keeping up the remembrance of him in our Worſhip? Anſ. We may not, 1. Becauſe it is expreſlie forbidden to frame unto ourſelves the likeneſſe of any thing in Heaven, where the bleſſed body of Chriſt now is. 2. Since both natures in him are inſeparable, this were to fix a repreſentation in our mind of his manhood only. dividing it from his Divinity; and thus give a manifeſt advantage to Arrianiſm. 3. Nothing from the Scripture giveth the leaſt ſhew of any ſhape, or lineament of his Body, to let us ſee, that under no viſible Image, we ſhould ſeek to repreſent him. 4. The true portraicture of Chriſt crucified, we have ſet before our eyes in the Goſpel, and adminiſtration of the Sacraments, as is clear, Gal. 3: verſ. 1. Qu. Yet is there not ſafe ground, for the worſhip of Angels, of the Virgin Mary, and of the Saints; ſince this is not directed unto them, as unto God, but in a lower degree? Anſ. God alone is. and ought to be the object of Religious Worſhip, which in no degree can be given unto any creature whatſoever, as is expreſſe from the Command, Matth. 4: 10. Thou ſhalt worſhip the Lord thy God, and him only ſhalt thou ſerve. 2. All worſhipping of Angels is forbidden; Col. 2: 18. Rev. 10: 10. 3. Since Religious Worſhip is due to God alone, we may in no degree give it to the Virgin Mary, or the Saints, ſince there is but one Mediator Jeſus Chriſt, 1 Tim. 2: 5. Yea this were, ſo far, to put them in the place of God, to provoke his jealouſie, Exo. 24: 14. Thou ſhalt worſhip no other God, for the Lord, whoſe Name is Jealous, is a Iealous God: And of this is he in a ſpecial way Jealous, that none be copartners with him in his Worſhip. Qu. Is there no warrantable uſe of Images? Anſ. The uſe of Images is not ſimply condemned, for we find ſome in the Temple by expreſſe Command, though they were only Typical, to ſhadow out things to be fulfilled under the New Teſtament: there is a Political uſe of Images alſo lawful for ornament, and to keep up the remembrance of friends; ſome hiſtorical and for doctrinal uſe: but none ſhould be ſet up in Churches, or in the leaſt ſet apart for Religious Worſhip.
SECT. XVI.
Qu. MAy not the Worſhip of God, in the publick Prayers of the Church be in an unknown tongue, according to the Popiſh Doctrine? Anſ. You have the Apoſtles anſwer to this, 1 Cor. 14: 2. He that ſpeaketh in an unknown tongue, ſpeaketh not unto men, but unto God; for who underſtands him? In which he ſhews, there can be no viſible communion, in ſuch an act of worſhip: and lets us ſee, how it contradicts one great end of publick worſhip, that ſuch can have no real and heart conſenting therein, which is indiſpenſiby called for in that dutie of publick Prayer; as we ſee, verſ. 16. For how ſhall be that occupieth the room of the unlearned, ſay Amen, at thy giving of thanks, ſince he underſtands not what thou ſayest? Qu. Is it not enough to intruſt Church-guides with this, to whom the People makes their Confeſſion? Anſ. We know no ſuch implicite relyance taught by the Scripture; but there is no cure, where men will intruſt both Religion, and Reaſon at once, to the diſpoſal of others. Qu. Yet is there not a neceſſity of ſome Implicite relyance on theſe, ſince according to the Romiſh Doctrine, none can be aſſured of his own Salvation, but what he hath on the aſſurance of his Prieſt and Confeſſor. Anſ. Nothing is more clear, than a Chriſtians acceſſe to be aſſured of his being in the ſtate of Grace, and that he hath paſſed from death to life, 1 Ioh. 3: 14. Upon theſe grounds, 1. Becauſe a rejoycing in the hope of the glory of God, is attainable here, as the Apoſtle ſheweth, Rom. 5: verſ. 2. 2. That by the works and evidences of Sanctification, a moſt firm and infallible aſſurance, is in this life given to the Saints, 1 Ioh, 3: 18, 19. Let us not love in tongue neither in word, but in deed and truth; and hereby do we know, that we are in the truth, and ſhall aſſure our hearts before him. 3. By the teſtimonie of the Spirit, witneſſing with our Spirits, That we are the children of God, Rom 8: 16. 4. By that earneſt of the Spirit in our hearts, whereby we are ſealed unto the day of Redemption, Eph. 1: 13, 14. & 4: 30. Qu. Is there no ground for that Article of the Romiſh Doctrine, that under pain of damnation, there be a Confeſſion of the most ſecret ſins of men, yea, their very thoughts, ſo far as they can remember, unto the Prieſt, according to that, James 5: 16. Confeſſe your faults one to another? Anſ. We ſee as much ground from this, to confeſſe to the people, as to the Prieſt; nor doth the Scripture warrant any ſuch thing; but this aſſurance have we, that He who confeſſeth and forſaketh his ſins ſhall find mercy, Prov. 28: 13. Which none will deny is there meant unto God: nor did the Saints in Scripture know Auricular Confeſſion. I ſaid, I will confeſſe my tranſgreſſions unto the Lord, and thou forgaveſt the iniquity of my ſin, Pſal. 32: 5. Though we deny not the duty of publick Confeſſion, in the caſe of publick and ſcandalous ſins; but if men ſhut not their eyes; nothing but a politick intereſt is here, to be thus on the moſt hid, and cloſe counſels of men, by ſuch a pretext to keep the Conſcience under awe.