Abolishing of Things Abused to Superstition and Idolatry, Tract · Section 3
Sect. 3.
Secondly, I ſhall ſhew what things they are that God upon their being abuſed to Idolatry would have laid aſide. And here I deſire you to take notice that I uſe not the term [things] in a ſtrict ſenſe as it ſtands oppoſed to perſons, Names, Times, as ſometimes it is taken, but in a large one, as comprehending both them, and the other particulars following.
1. He would have ſuch perſons, as forſaking true religion and his preſcribed worſhip, do give up themſelves to dunghill Idols, and the ſervice belonging to them, and therein do abuſe and defile themſelves to be removed and laid aſide. Though he be a very gratious God, and take no pleaſure in caſting off and undoing his creatures, yet ſuch is his purity, and holineſs, that when he ſees them go and proſtitute themſelves to baſe and filthy Idols that are worth nothing but ſcorn and hatred, he is ſo diſpleaſed with them, that he will not endure them. Such in times paſt was his zeal to his own worſhip, that if a man did but in ſome circumſtances depart from the rule, it was no leſs than death.Lev. 17.3, 4. What man (ſaith he) ſoever there be of the houſe of Iſrael that killeth an Oxe, Lamb, or Goat, and bringeth it not to the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, that man ſhall be cut off from among his people; that is, either by the hand of God, in caſe he did it ſecretly, or by the hand of the Judge, if it were open. And in obſervance hereof,Joſh. 2.12. when the children of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manaſſes, built an Altar upon the borders of Jordan, upon a civil account to ſignifie that though they lived dividedly from their brethren, yet they were Iſraelites as well as they, of the poſterity of Jacob, in covenant with God, of the number of his peculiar pbople, intereſted in his favour, promiſes, and ordinances; and the other tribes thought they had done it upon a religious account, with an intention to offer Sacrifice thereon, contrary to what God had appointed, they were ſo affected with it, that they preſently gathered themſelves together to go forth to warr with them: and if they had not ſatisfied them that they did it meerly upon a civil account, they would no doubt have put them to the Sword. So great was their hatred of falſe worſhip, that they were reſolv'd rather to hazard, nay loſe their lives than endure it.
And if God be thus impatient of one circumſtance in his worſhip which he hath not required, what may we then think he is of groſs and open Idolatry, and ſuch as are guilty thereof? As for ſuch he every where breaths forth death againſt them. So great is his ſeverity againſt Idols, that he peremptorily decrees, that whoſoever he is that pleads for them, offers to them, or performs them any ſervice, ſhall not only be look'd on as unfit to approach him,Levit. 20 2. Deut. 13.5. but alſo loſe his life. There were two ſorts of Idolaters that in the dayes of the Old Testament he required the Magiſtrates, whom he intruſted with the execution of the Law, to look after, and deſtroy; the impenitent Canaanites, and the apoſtate Iſraelites. Concerning the former, he tells them in plain terms,Numb. 32.15. that they muſt utterly deſtroy them: which yet is not to be taken abſolutely, and ſtrictly, but with this condition, if they perſiſted in their idolatry, enmity, and oppoſition againſt his truth and people;Joſh. 2.14.6.23.9.15. 2 Sam. 22.1. otherwiſe they might ſpare them, as appears not only by the league made with Rahab, and the ſparing of her, but alſo by the league made with the Gibeonites, and his puniſhing the breach thereof by Saul, in the dayes of David. And then for the latter, the caſe is no leſs plain: He determines peremptorily, that he that ſacrifices unto any, Exod. 22.20. Deut. 17.2.ſave unto the Lord only, ſhall be utterly destroyed. And he requires of the Magistrates, that if there were any one amongſt them that went and ſerved other Gods, they ſhould upon the teſtimony of two or three witneſſes, ſtone him to death. And in anſwer hereunto we find that religious Magiſtrates and ſuch as had authority, when they met with any that were guilty hereof, did for the puniſhment of them, and the terror and caution of others, put them to death. Thus Moſes, when he came down from the Mount, and ſaw the Iſraelites dancing before the Golden Calf, he cauſes the Levites forthwith to fall upon ſuch as were the capital Offenders, and ſlay them. And afterwards when he ſaw how they joyned to Baal Peor, Numb. 25.4, 5.he in obedience to the command of God to that purpoſe, calls to his Judges, and makes them take ſuch as were principal in the action, and hang them before the Sun. So Elijah, when in that famous conteſt upon Mount Carmel with four hundred and fifty Prophets of Baal, 1 Kings 18.40.and four hundred Prophers of the Grove, he had in a miraculous way before King Ahab and all the people evinced them to be Impoſtors and Deceivers, he takes them down to the Brook Kidron,, and there ſlays them every man.2 Kings 10.25. And Jehu having got a company of Baals Prieſts together, ſerves them after the ſame manner; he put them all to the Sword, not ſuffering one of them to eſcape.2 Kings 23.5, 20. But Joſiah willing to give Idolatry its deaths wound, and bury it in everlaſting oblivion, do's not only fall upon the Priests of Baal, and of the high places of Judah, but likewiſe goes to Dan and Bethel, and there deſtroys all before him. And whereas notwithſtanding his Godly zeal and diligence, ſome eſcaped, and ſculking up and down, ſecretly acted their wonted Idolatry, the Lord declares by one of his Prophets, who prophecyed after this reformation, that he would have them destroyed as well as the other. I will (ſaith he) cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, Zeph. 1.4.and the names of the Chemarims with the Prieſts. By this remnant of Baal, he means ſuch as had eſcaped the zealous ſeverity of the forementioned reformers; but what theſe Chemarims were, is not ſo eaſie to determine. The word foreign coming of foreign which in its primary notion, ſignifying Incaluit, Calefecit, aduſtus fuit, the generality of Orthodox interpreters, do by a Metalepſis render it atrati, which denotes ſuch as go in black or mourning; ſo that theſe Chemarims ſeem to have been a ſpecial ſort of Prieſts pertaining to Baal, who that they might the better gain to themſelves the reputation of ſeriouſneſs, mortifiedneſs, holineſs, went in a black or mourning garb. It's likely they were his domeſtick Chaplains, who pertain'd to that which the Scripture do's by way of eminency call his houſe, 2 Kings 10.26. Thoſe who would ſee other instances may read Zepperas de Leg. Moſaic. l. 4. c. 3. p. 244.and there perform'd the offices and ſervices belonging to him. Now theſe, by how much they were the nearer to Baal, and of greater account, by ſo much God takes the more notice of them, and declares more particularly againſt them.
And thus I have given you ſome inſtances of the ſeverity God hath appointed religious Magiſtrates to exerciſe towards Idolaters. For the due applying and improving whereof, we are to diſtinguiſh, 1. Betwixt ſuch as are within their dominions, and ſuch as are not. For the latter I may ſay as the Apoſtle in another caſe: What have they to do to judge them that are without? 1 Cor. 5.12.2. Betwixt ſuch as have been drawn to Idolatry through ignorance, evil education, fraud: and ſuch as have deliberately and of their own accord, betaken themſelves to it. 3. Betwixt ſuch as have had no due means applyed to them for their recovery; and ſuch as after the uſe of all due means remain obstinate in their errour. 4. Betwixt ſuch as commit Idolatry ſecretly; and thoſe that do it openly. 5. Betwixt ſuch as are content with being guilty of Idolatry themſelves; and ſuch as not thinking it ſufficient to commit it themſelves, ſollicite others to it. 6. Betwixt thoſe who out of the ſimplicity of their hearts, are followers in that wicked work; and ſuch as are the ring-leaders. Now for ſuch as lying under the diſadvantages of ignorance, evil education, fraud, or the like, have been drawn to Idolatry,Cham. Ep. ad Cotton. p. 45. Rainold. de Idol. Eccleſ. Rom. l. 2. c. 1. p. 327. Rivet. vol. 2. in Hoſ. p. 557. Walaeus loc. Com. p 513. Exod. 32.5. and have had no due means applyed for their recovery, eſpecially if they commit it ſecretly, and without ſolliciting others to it, they are to be inſtructed, and upon their repentance, received. But then for ſuch as deliberately, and of their own accord have cloſed with it, and after the uſe of due means, perſiſt in it, and commit it, not only ſecretly but openly, and labour to draw others to it, they are by the ſword of Juſtice to be cut off.
How far this concerns the Papiſts, the knowledge of their wayes and practiſes, will inform us. That they are Idolaters, the ſobereſt and beſt of our Proteſtant Writers do peremptorily determine. To alledge that they worſhip the true God, will not relieve them; for ſo did the Iſraelites when they worſhipped the Calf; yet no body queſtions but they were guilty of Idolatry. Though a people do worſhip the true God terminatively, and ultimately, yet if they worſhip him under any viſible repreſentation and ſimilitude, and not as he hath appointed, they do notwithſtanding that commit Idolatry. Now the Papiſts being evidently guilty hereof, in their uſe of Images, Tranſubstantiation, bowing to the Altar, how we are to deal with them, the forementioned distinctions will afford ſome direction.Zepp. de leg. Moſaic. l. 4. c. 3. p. 244. This I might have been larger on, but the Author in the margent is ſo clear and full on it, that I ſhall only anſwer an Objection, and ſo go on to what follows.
Perhaps you'l ſay, If it were indeed the pleaſure of God, that ſuch as corrupted his worſhip, and committed Idolatry, ſhould be cut off, how as Hezekiah did not deſtroy the Jews, when as they burnt incenſe to the brazen Serpent? Anſw. Though I reſerve the anſwering of Objections till I come towards the cloſe of this Diſcourſe, where I intend the doing of it under a particular head, to which I deſire my Reader as oft as there is occaſion to have recourſe; yet in regard this exception (with ſome others that follow) is of a more particular conſideration, I ſhall ſay ſomewhat to it now: And, 1. Perhaps the number of thoſe who had an hand therein was ſo great, that he could not, without deſtroying the body of the people (which in likelihood would have been a task too difficult for him) do it. It's ſaid in the Text, that the children of Iſrael did burn incenſe to it; that is, (according to an uſual figure, whereby we put the greater part for the whole) the generality of them; of all which to have attempted the puniſhment the Law required, would have been a buſineſs of dangerous conſequence. 2. How does it appear that he did not (as Moſes did before him) cut off the principal offenders? Though we may argue from Scripture Negatively in matters of faith, yet not in matters of fact. The Holy Ghoſt hath omitted the relating of many things, which he judg'd unneceſſary for us to know, and who can ſay but it is ſo in this caſe? As I cannot ſay he did deſtroy them, ſo neither can he that ſhall oppoſe me ſay he did not. 3. Admit he did not do it, how will it appear he did not ſin in it? we ſee what the Law required, and what others (ſome of which were divinely inſpired) practiſed; and that muſt needs be a ſtronger evidence for the puniſhing of Idolaters with death, than Hezekiahs omiſſion, whereof we are yet uncertain is for the ſparing of them.