Dissertation Concerning the Antiquity of Temples, Introduction
IT is requiſite to ſpeak ſomething of Temples in general, before we proceed to treat of their Antiquity. It is needleſs to inſiſt on the Etymology of the word, or the Synonima's thereof, their general Parts or Utenſils; which may be ſeen in many Philologers, and even in Engliſh in the large Hiſtorical Dictionary newly publiſhed. It is enough to my purpoſe, that they were Places built for Publick Worſhip. Concerning which, the Learned Antiquary Lilius Giraldus (whoſe Works are lately printed at Leyden) in his Hiſtory of the Gods, Syntagm. 17 faith, Zenonis dogma fuit Templa Deorum non aedaficanda. It was Zeno's opinion, that Temples ought not to be built unto the Gods. And diſlikes that of Clemens Alexandrinus, in his Admonition to the Gentiles, Superſtitio Templa condere perſuaſit. Quae cnim prius bominum Sepulchra fuerunt, magnificentius condita, Templorum appellatione vocata ſunt. Superſtition perſuaded to build Temples. For thoſe Structures, which were before Sepulchres, being after magnificently built, were called Temples. But approves the Abbot of Cluny's opinion, who writing againſt the Petrobuſions (whom Morney accounts good Chriſtians, even the ſame with the Woldenſians) imputes it is an errour in them quod dicunt, Baſilicas vel Altaria fieri non debere, &c. to affirm that Temples and Altars ſhould not be made. But the Maſs being the chief uſe of their Temples in thoſe times (as Bellarm. de cultu Sanct. l. 3. c. 4.) in this regard they might well be oppoſed; for that they denied the lawfulneſs of Edifices, for the ſolemn Worſhip of God, is no way credible. The firſt Founder of Temples Clem. Alexandr. in's Admonition to the Gentiles, p. 28. Gr. Lat. conceives to have been Phoroneus, or Merops. And ſo alſo Arnobius l. 6. Varro in's Admiranda, Aeacus the Son of Jupiter. And Lactantius, Divin. Inſtit. l. 2. c. 10. faith the firſt Temple was erected in the days of Jupiter. Joh. Leo Baptista, in's Book of Architecture, thinks Janus's Temple the firſt. But the ſame Clemens Strom l. 5. writing of Moſes, faith, He ſuffered not Altars and Temples to be erected in many places, having built one Temple (he means the Sanctuary) did hereby declare unto all, that there was but one World and one God; alledging Iſaiah 66.1. and Acts 17.48. and commending Zeno for ſaying, in's Book of the Commonwealth, non oportere Templa faccre, nec ſimulacra, that Temples and Images ought not to be made. For a Temple is not of any great price, nor an holy thing, being it is the Work of Artificers. And in his Seventh Book diſtinguiſheth of foreign, commonly rendred a Temple, which he takes for that which is truly holy; and this he ſaith is twofold; God himſelf, and that which is built in honour of him; and this with him is the Church; which he calls the Church of God, not made with hands, but made the Temple of God, by the will of God. Non enim nunc locum, ſed electorum congregationem appello Eccleſiam. For I do not now call the place, but the Congregation of God's choſen ones the Church. Origen alſo againſt Celſus l. 8. p. 390, 391. profeſſeth, Chriſtians beware of building liveleſs and dead Temples to the giver of all Life. foreign, &c. which he ſpeaks to depreciate thoſe Works of men, that men might not think God is honoured by ſuch things, which for the matter of them are common, and for the figure and ſhape, the works of mens hands. As alſo to refute the Heathens, who thought God was more honoured, and better ſerved in ſuch Temples, than in the poor Conventicles, and Oratories of Chriſtians; and was in a more eſpecial manner preſent in ſuch Temples, then in other places. For we know that now under the Goſpel, God hath determined his Worſhip to no place, any more than before the Flood, or the days of the Patriarchs before Moſes. Who by God's appointment made the Sanctuary, which yet was not confined to any place; but portable, and moveable to and fro for 400 years; till the Temple was built, in a place appointed by God, to which all Sacrifices acceptable, were to be brought, and there offered upon his Altar. And this was done, as Athanaſius Epist. ad Adelph. contra Arrianos, and Auſtin in Pſal. 64. for a figure of Chriſt's Body which was to come; and when that Truth ſignified, began evidently to be preached, the Shadow was deſtroyed. So Arnobius l. 6. ſaith, We muſt not think, that God is delighted in Temples, becauſe built of Marble, and gloriouſly ſet forth with Gold: to overthrow the opinion of the Heathens, who profeſſed, that if their Gods were prayed unto, ſub axe nudo, & ſub aethereo regimine, nihil audiunt, under the cope of Heaven, and in the open Air, they would not hear. And Lactantius, Div. Inst. l. 6. c. 25. Non Templa illi congeſtis in altitudinem ſaxis extruenda ſunt, in ſuo cuique conſecrandus est pectore: Temples are not to be built unto him of Stones laid one upon another to a great height, every one ought to conſecrate him in his own heart. Not that theſe Ancients thought it unlawful, for Chriſtians to have Temples: but in oppoſition to the Heathens opinion, That God accepted of no Worſhip, but that performed in Temples made with hands; and that the more coſtly they were, the better he was pleaſed: as Lactant. l. 2. c. 6. Nec ullam religionem putant, ubi illa non fulſerint: They think there's no Religion where theſe are not ſhining; i. e. with Gold, precious Stones, Ivory, &c. Itaque ſub obtentu Deorum avaritia & cupiditas colitur, credunt cnim Deos amare, quicquid ipſi concupiſcunt. Under colour of Divine Worſhip, covetouſneſs is worſhipped. For they think the Gods love, whatſoever they are in love withal.
Euſebius in like manner, in's Evangelical Preparation l. 1. c. 9. ſhews, That men in moſt ancient times, took no care or pains about building Temples. And that the firſt builders of them, were Heathens, with the occaſion thereof. And in very truth, we have not the leaſt colour of Evidence, for any built before the Flood: tho' we read how God was ſerved from the firſt by Sacrifice, in the ſtory of Cain and Abel; and was worſhipped, no doubt, by the holy Patriarchs. For tho' a degenerate condition increaſed, amongſt the Poſterity of Cain; yet Adam and Eve, after the promiſe of Grace, continued in the ſame gracious courſe, with others of their Off ſpring, who followed their Inſtitution and Religion, eſpecially in the race of Seth. And in his days, eſpecially about the birth of his Son Enoch; for the Scripture teſtifies that, then men began to call upon the name of the Lord. And near unto the Flood, we read of a diſtinction, between the Sons of God, and the Daughters of Men: tho' afterwards this came to be exceedingly confounded, which ended in a natural Confuſion of them all, through God's juſt judgment. After the Flood 400 years, Abram by Divine admonition left his own Country, and came into Canan; where he and his Poſterity liv'd long in Tents, like Strangers; and erected Altars, where God appeared to them, and worſhipped him in the open Air. And Lib. 3. c. 13. the ſame Euſebius faith, That it becomes wiſe men, with open face to preach unto all, that they do not reverence thoſe things which are ſeen with bodily eyes: but him alone whom no man ſeeth, even the Architect and Maker of all, with much more to that purpoſe, and that we ſhould not think, to worſhip the Divine Power, with building of Temples. And accordingly, in his firſt Book of Evangelical Demonſtration, p. 18. Graeco. Lat. To them who thought that God ought to be worſhipped only at Hieruſalem, or on certain Hills, and in definite places, our Saviour for good cauſe anſwered, The hour cometh, and now is, &c. John 4.23, 24. And adds, that now in theſe times of Grace, we are brought to the ſame manner of Worſhip, which was among the Patriarchs before Moſes, which he calls eadem benedictio, like that of Gal. 3.14. And p. 23. introduceth the Lord Chriſt ſpeaking. The Law of Moſes commanded men to go out of all other places, to a certain definite place of the World, there to worſhip God: But I command you, not to ſeek God out in any certain corner of the World, nor in Hills, nor in Temples made with hands: but giving all men liberty from ſuch reſtraint, I command every one to worſhip, and adore God, at his own houſe and home. Not that he held it unlawful to worſhip God in material Temples; but only to ſhew, that now there is no ſuch neceſſity, as ties men to the Service of God in Temples, as if he were better ſerved there than in other places. Like as Auſtin Tom. 6. contra Serm. Arrian. cui Templum non facimus, ſed nos ipſi ſumus; not as if no Temples were made by them, or ought to be; but in effect, That we not only make a Temple, but are his Temples. As Xixtus Biſhop of Rome and Martyr ſaid, Templum ſanctum eſt Deo mens pura, a pure Mind is a Temple holy unto God: This ſanctifies all places, and the Prayers ſent up unto him in ſuch a Temple, is always accepted of him. And how little Conſecrated places were inſiſted on, in Conſtantine's time, when Chriſtianity was ſet up and countenanced by Authority, may be ſeen in Athanaſius's. Apology for his preaching in ſuch at Alexandria, as was neither finiſhed nor conſecrated; alledging Alexander his Predeceſſor for doing the like; and others at Tryers and Aquilea. We ſhall now proceed to enquire further into