Commentaries, Commentary on Judges · Chapter 2 · Excursus 3
¶Of Idolatry.
BVt bycauſe we hauehave now heard of the tranſgreſſion of the Hebrewes how they polluted them ſelues with Idolatry, I thinke it good to ſpeake a fewe wordes of thys deteſtable ſynne.
The woord is a greeke woord, and is compounded of foreign and foreign and it is nothing els but the worſhipping of Idoles.The Etimologye of Idolatry. What an Idol is And foreign is deriued of this woord foreign, which ſignifieth a fourme, or as you woulde ſaye a ſhape. But an Idole is (as wee nowe ſpeake of it) euerye fourme or ſhape whyche menne hauehave inuented vntounto them ſelues to ſignifye or expreſſe God. And as there are found many and ſundry matters of theſe fourmes, ſo alſo are ther diuers kindes of Idoles. Wherfore whether they be ſtones, wood, or mettals,A diuiſion of Idoles by matters. by which God is outwardly expreſſed there to be worſhipped, theſe are groſſe and moſt manyfeſt Idoles. There may be alſo a ſpiritual matter: which then happeneth, when thoſe formes and images are nothing els but the conceauinges of the hart and minde, which men make for them ſelues to repreſent God,An Idole viſible & inuiſible. not as the Scripture declareth him, but raſhly, and according to their own fantaſy. Wherfore according to the conditions of the matter an Idole is deuided into two kindes,Two partes of religious worſhipping. ye one is outward & viſible, which runneth into the ſenſes of man, and the other is inward, that is, wrought in the inward partes of the mynde. There are alſo twoo partes of religious woorſhipping. The one is inwarde,Of what thinges inwarde woorſhipping conſiſteth. wherein wee beleue in God hymſelfe, wee put our confidence in him, wee geue him thankes, wee ſubmyt our ſelues and ours vntounto hym, and religiouſlye by prayers call vponupon hym. Of theſe actions vndoubtedly the inwarde adoration conſiſteth.
Of what thinges outward worſhipping cō ſiſteth.But the other part hath outward notes, whereby we expreſſe our hart, in proſtrating the body, in bowing the knee, in vncouering the head, in ſpeaking and in exerciſing rites and ceremonies inſtituted by God. And this is an outwarde woorſhipping or adoration.Outward ſygnes of adoratiō are alſo geuen vntounto Princes But wee muſt note that ſuche outwarde ſignes of bowing the body or knees, and ſuche other lyke are alſo geuen vntounto creatures, to Princes I ſaye and Kinges which doo in earth repreſent vntounto men the authority of God, and are his Vicars in the adminiſtration of thinges. And without doubt they are then to bee eſteemed nothing els, but certaine ſure teſtimonies, by which as many as are Subiectes, doo trulye and from the hart confeſſe, that they in the name of God wyll be ſubiect and obey ſuch powers, as much as ſhalbe by godlynes and the woord of God lawfull.
But we muſt there take heede, leaſt in our inward iudgement we attribute more vntounto them than is meete,What we muſt beware of whē we geue vntounto Princes ſignes of adoration. or looke for greater thinges at theyr handes than their power and might is able to perfourme. Otherwiſe we ſhould not auoyde idolatrye. Wherefore if a man in bowing him ſelfe to his Prince, would teſtifye that his Prince coulde not erre, and that it were lawfull for him to doo any thing, and as he luſt him ſelfe to commaunde whatſoeuer pleaſed him, that man vodoubtedly ſhould be counted an Idolatrer, and ſhould commit the ſame both inwardly and outwardlye.The Papiſtes commit Idolatrye towarde their Pope. And whether the hirelinges of the Pope vſe this, we may hereby eaſely gather, bicauſe they do ſo throw them ſelues downe at his feete, that there teſtify that they wyll be ſubiect vntounto him as to the onelyonly Vicar of Chriſt in earth, as to the vniuerſall Biſhoppe of the Church, as to him which cannot erre in decreing doctrine of fayth, and finally, to whom onelye it is lawfull to diſcerne as hee lyſt him ſelfe of religion and Chriſtian diſcipline. Wherefore let this be eueryevery where a ſure and firme rule,Note a certain ſure rule. that theſe outwarde ſubmiſſions of the body doo then pertayne vntounto Idolatry, when as they are teſtimonies of the mynd, attributing more vntounto a creature than is mete, or which are onelyonly proper vntounto God. For they are not referred vntounto God him ſelfe, or to the obedience of his commaundementes, but to vayne formes & ſhewes, which we hauehave fayned vntounto our ſelues, and conceaued in our mynde.
Hereby may we alſo gather, that the inuocations of Saintes which the Papiſtes vſe,Inuocatiōs of the dead pertayne to idolatry. are Idolatrous. For they geue vntounto ſayntes that which longeth onelyonly vntounto God, namelye that they being abſent ſhoulde heare our praiers, or that they can be preſent at one time, either eueryevery wher, or els in many places, therby to ſuccour thoſe which call vponupon their names in diuers partes of the worlde. Auguſtine in his Epiſtle to Dardanus durſt not affirme that,Auguſtine. A creature can not be in many places at one tyme. no not euen of the ſoule of Chriſt, namely that at one time it might be in many places Wherfore that which Chriſt ſaid vntounto the theefe: This daye ſhalt thou be with me in Paradiſe, he expoundeth the ſame to be vnderſtand as touching his diuine nature, for that the bodye of Chriſt ſhould the ſame daye be layde in the ſepulchre, and his ſoule ſhould be in hell.Baſilius. Didimus. Neither coulde that ſoule be both in Paradiſe and in hell at one time Baſilius alſo de ſpiritu ſancto, & alſo Didimus would not graunt this vntounto the Angels, that they can at one time be in diuers places, affirming that that ſoly is to be graunted vntounto the onelyonly nature of God. But they which do cal vponupon ſaintes, they beleue that they doo heare them, and that they are preſent with them, which without doubt is to attribute more vntounto them than the ſtrength and order of a nature created can ſuffer.
But here they trifle and ſay, that they doo not thinke ſo, but that God hym ſelfe which heareth their prayers doth open vntounto the Sayntes, what is required of them. But thus I aunſwer, that they deceaue both them ſelues, and alſo others. For they knowe not whether God wyll ſhewe vntounto the Sayntes their vowes or prayers. Wherfore the praiers which they poure out cannot leane vntounto faith, which ought to be certaine and without doubt.
They bryng alſo a fayned lye of the glaſſe (as they ſay) of the deuine eſſenſe, wherein the Sainctes beholde all thynges.A fayned lie of the papiſts of a glaſſe of the deuine eſſence. But this theyr fayning hath no foundation in the holy Scriptures. Furthermore, ſeing they will needes hauehave it ſo, admitte it were as they fayne it to bee. Yet ſhoulde they bee compelled to graunte that that theyr glaſſe hath not a naturall repreſentyng but a voluntarye, ſo that there the Sainctes can ſee that onelyonly which GOD will hauehave ſene: Otherwiſe withoute any exception the Sainctes myghte there ſee all thynges: whiche is both falſe, and alſo moſte manifeſtlye reſiſteth the holy Scriptures. Bycauſe, of that daye (ſayeth the Lorde) neyther doe the Aungelles knowe, whiche yet doe ſee the face of the Father. Moreouer the Papiſtes doe not after thys manner call vppon Sainctes: for if they did they ſhoulde ſaye thus, Cauſe O God that thys or that Saincte maye knowe thoſe thinges whiche I deſire of hym, and that he maye bee with me, and graunte me that whiche I deſire. But they doe cleane contrarilye, O Saincte Peter (ſaye they) Sainct Paule pray for me, bryng thys or that to paſſe for me. Wherfore they thinke that the ſaincts do altogether heare & vnderſtand their voyces, whiche thing if they thoughte not, then were their doinges vtterly folyſhe.
They declare alſo by their titles & additions which they aſcribe vntounto ye bleſſed virgine, to the croſſe, and other creatures,The Papiſtes attribute more vntounto creatures than is conuenient. how far more worthy they eſteme and iudge of them, than their nature can ſuffer. Neither are they affeard (as I hauehave before declared, when I entreated of the hereſyes of the Papiſtes) to lyghte vp lyghtes, Waxe tapers and Lampes vntounto creatures, to cenſe them, and to doe other thyngs, which the Ethnikes,An alter is not to be erected but only vntounto God. and alſo the Iewes in the olde law were wont to geue vntounto God only. What more? Do they not builde alters vntounto Images of Sainctes? But vntounto whom alters are builte, the ſame are confyrmed by a ſure teſtimonye to be powers of God, or ells Gods. Auguſtine in hys x. Tome & .vi. Sermon writeth thus: An alter is,Auguſtine. which teſtifyeth yt to be counted for God to whom it is erected. For they, namely the Ethnikes, what GOD they hauehave, and yt they take that Image for a god the alter doth teſtifie. What ſhould the alter do there if they counted not yt for a god? Let no mā ſay vntounto me: It is not ye power of god, it is not god. But I hauehave already ſayd: I would to god they knew this ſo wel as all we know it. But what they count it, or what they make of it, that alter teſtifyeth.
But ſay the aduerſaries: we therfore do theſe things,Of miracles which are done at the alters of ſaintes. bicauſe we hauehave by experience proued yt they pleaſe god: for as much as he there worketh miracles. I know in dede that god hath ſometimes wrought miracles by ſainctes, and ſuch as were dead.God hath ſome times wrought miracles by dead bodyes & corpſes of dead ſaintes. For the bones of Elizeus by the touche of them reſtoreh one being dead to lyfe. And the ſame Elizeus vſed the cloke of Elias to deuide the waters of the riuers, that he myght make the more expedition on his iourney. But god doeth therefore woorke theſe thinges ſometymes, that the doctrine of the Prophetes and the Apoſtles whiche was the very woorde of god might bee confyrmed. And yet the Scripture declareth not that there was any inuocation made eyther vntounto Elias or Elizeus when thoſe miracles were done. But for as muche as the Papiſtes by theſe their inuocations ſeeke not the confyrmation of the doctrine of the Goſpell,Miracles which are done at the inuocations of the dead are to be referred vntounto Sathan. but rather are diligente aboute this, to eſtablyſhe ſuperſtitions, thoſe miracles whiche they boaſte of, are to be referred rather vntounto the deuill than to God. For Sathan ſeeketh for nothyng ſo much, as to leade men awaye from the ſincere worſhippyng of GOD. This vndoubtedlye was aſſayed by the enchaunters of Pharao, and that ſuche thinges ſhoulde ſometime happen vntounto vsus by Antichriſte,Why God ſuffreth ſuch miracles to be wrought by the deuill. Paule hath faythfully admoniſhed the Theſſalonians. But thou wilte ſaye that the deuill can not doe theſe thynges vnleſſe God will and permitte. I graunte that. And why it is hys will ſo, there are two cauſes ſette forthe in the Scriptures.
Of the which the one is gathered out of Deutr. namely bicauſe he would tempt vsus, wherby might euidently appeare how much we eſteme his word, and whether we will ſuffer our ſelues to be plucked from him by ſuche illuſions: the ſeconde cauſe is to punyſhe the vnbeleuers. For ſo doth Paule teache vsus to the Theſſalonians bycauſe (ſayeth he) they hauehave not receaued the louelove of the truth therefore they are deliuered to be deluded with inchantementes and deueliſhe miracles.
But there are two places in the Scriptures whiche are diligentlye to bee weyghed and conſidered, that the doctrine now in hande may bee the more confyrmed. The fyrſte is written in the Actes of the Apoſtles the tenth Chapiter. Of Cornelius the Centurion,Cornelius caſte himſelf down at the feete of Peter. to whom when Peter came he caſte himſelfe at his feete. But Peter woulde not ſuffer that, yea he reprehended hym, and aunſwered in thys manner. Doe not ſo, ryſe vp, for I alſo am a man. We read alſo in the Apocalipſe,Iohn fel downe at the feete of the Angell. that Iohn fell downe before the Aungell, but he admoniſhed hym that he ſhoulde not ſo doe: I am (ſayeth he) thy fellowe ſeruaunt. Theſe two places maye thus bee vnderſtande, that Peter and the Aungell condemned theſe actes, as in a manner Idolatrous, as thoughe the Centurion and Iohn ſhoulde attribute any deuine nature,Neither Cornelius nor Iohn would worſhip creatures. the one to Peter, the other to the Aungell, and ſhoulde hauehave geuen vntounto them more honoure than was conueniente for creatures. But it ſeemeth that thys can not be eaſelye thoughte of eyther of theſe. The Scripture teſtifyeth that the Centurion feared and worſhipped God. How ſhould we therefore beleue that he coulde be led, to beleue that Peter was God or at the leaſte to attribute deuine honoures vntounto a creature? And it is not very likely that Iohn whiche was either an Apoſtle or ells a notable deuine (as ſome call hym) coulde not diſcerne an Aungell from God. If ſo bee that neyther of theſe woulde worſhip a creature in ſtead of the Creator, thys remaineth, that it is not lawfull to geue vntounto creatures this kind of outward reuerence. Wherfore we ſhall ſeme not to hauehave ſayd well before, in ſaying that theſe thynges may be geuen vntounto Princes and Kinges. To thys I aunſwere, there muſte be a difference obſerued betwene a ciuile and a worldelye honoure and a deuine and religious woorſhipping, as we hauehave before expounded.The Centuriō & Iohn ſinned in exceſſe but they can not be accuſed of Idolatrye. Furthermore we muſte knowe that theſe two men, Cornelius I ſay and Iohn intended not by thys their worſhipping to tranſferre the honour of God vntounto creatures. Howbeit it may eaſely bee, that they fell to an vnmeaſurable ſigne of reuerence, and ſo in that exceſſe they ſomewhat committed ſinne.
But as touching Kinges and Princes, we are in much leſſe daunger of falling, than toward Angels or miniſters of Chriſt. For theſe bycauſe they exerciſe the ſpiritual office, the honor which is geuen vntounto thē draweth nighe to a religious adoration. Wherfore in thoſe places eyther the bowing of the knee or of the bodye are not by themſelues condemned. But in as muche as they are geuen for Religion ſake. Moderate honoures therefore maye bee geuen eſpecially when they are geuen for Religion ſake. And thus muche at this preſente as concerning thys thyng. But let vsus remember that whiche I hauehave alſo before admonyſhed, that thys alſo belongeth to Idolatrye, when we woorſhip the true God by other wayes and rytes,They which worſhip God otherwiſe thā he hath inſtituted, are Idolatrers. than he hath willed vsus, and preſcribed vntounto vsus. If we ſhall doe otherwyſe, we ſhall woorſhip an Idole accordyng to that ſeconde forme before deſcribed, in fayning to oure ſelues in oure mynde or harte any God, whiche delighteth in a woorſhippyng inuented by men: and there is none ſuche. Wherfore we ſhall not honoure and worſhip the true God, but an Idole whiche we hauehave conceaued in our mynde.
And vndoubtedlye ſo oughte we to vnderſtande Paule, when he ſayeth to the Corrinthians in the fyrſte Epiſtle: we knowe that an Idole is nothyng in the worlde. Paule teacheth not that an Idole is nothyng as touchyng the ſhape and outwarde forme. For no man doubteth but that thoſe Idoles hauehave place either in the outwarde matter or ells in oure hartes. By an Idole there fore he vnderſtoode not the ſigne it ſelfe, but the thing whereunto it is referred. And he meant that the thing it ſelfe whiche is ſignified by Idoles, is nothing, for as much as there is no where a God which may be repreſented, or els deliteth in ſuch Images.