Gospel Public Worship, Exposition · Analysis 1
Of Falſe, Counterfeit, or World-Worſhip.
FAlſe, Counterfeit, or World-worſhip, is inſtituted by Man, having two Roots, and moving Reaſons, but both rotten and unreaſonable: the firſt is, becauſe man hath inſtituted in him a duty to pleaſe God in a viſible inſtituted Worſhip, which he ſuppoſeth he hath diſcharged when he hath ſeparated to him from common uſe the beſt and moſt acceptable thing in his judgment, which he therefore preſumeth, that God ſo judgeth and accepteth alſo; which is expreſſed Eſa. 41.1. to 7. and illuſtrated unto Chap. 44.20. as the Sum and Index of this point, whoſe vindex poſſeſſeth the third part of the Scripture, and all the world but a few.
The other reaſon is, becauſe the ſame ordinances in kind are ſanctified and bleſſed by GOD, eſpecially by Chriſt under the Goſpel, or at, or ſince his coming in the fleſh.
This is the Soul, Spirit, and Life of Antichriſtianiſme, typical before Chriſt, and antitypical ſince: as the other reaſon is of Heatheniſme; which conſiſting of inſtinctive devotion of Will, and this of diſtinctive notion of Wit, ſo neceſſite a concord between the blind and the lame, that the God of this World, and its World-worſhip, hath ever compounded, or rather confounded his World-worſhip of theſe two; though the former more predominateth in Heatheniſme; and the latter in Antichriſtianiſme: yet do both by the former palliate the ignorant multitude; and by the latter, the wiſe, learned, witty, and practick ſort: and by an aſſociative mixture of both, bewitch and beſot the whole world, except the few whoſe names are written in the Book of Life, Rev. 13:3, 8.15:2. 18:4. 20:4. or through their guilded hypocriſie ſeem ſo to them that are, as Judas did to the other Apoſtles, and Achitophel (his type) to David, Simon Magus to Peter, Demas to Paul, &c. who yet like a Mer-man, Sea-lew, Sea-horſe, Dog-fiſh, &c. will make a ſhift to live in the Land of Canaan, and by twy-light to ſeem a courſe man, Lyon, Horſe, Dog, &c. to the ſand-blind, or ſemi-blind, while their tails or hind-parts are in the water, who yet long for the Sea-banks of the Philiſtims, and by day may and will be diſcovered to be but Dagons of Paleſtina, and Fiſhes of the Antichriſtian Sea, either Meer main, and Romane, or mixt mean or Britromane, and that they were but maſſingilt, not maſſie-gold, which Chriſts Temple and Templaries ought, to be toward, and through him, 1 King. 6.21, 22.
The particulars of this falſe-inſtituted Divine, (or rather undivine or diviline) worſhipping God, are, and have been innumerable, eſpecially in reſpect of the firſt root and reaſon, even neer ſo many as there have been ſeveral Nations, Kingdoms, Stocks, and Independent Families; yea, when Nationed-Families could but ſlack the bridle of Superiority, Judg. 17. with v. 6. and 18. with v. 30, 31. Wherefore I aim not to enumerate them all, but onelyonly all the ſpecial ones mentioned in the Scripture, and that in their Hiſtorical order; and then to ſhew that they all were intended, inſtituted, and conſtituted, unto God the Creatour, Preſerver, and Governour of the world, and of thoſe World-worſhippers: and that therefore the difference between unchriſtian and Antichriſtian worſhip is not in the falſhood and difference of the object or divine perſon worſhipped, but onelyonly in the inſtituted order and meanes of worſhipping that moſt, higheſt, laſt, and properly ſole divine worſhipfull perſon, patterned to their power by his own; ſet by Adam, Moſes, Chriſt, &c.
The firſt Falſe-Worſhip mentioned in the Word, is onelyonly in the general, that there was one erected, and ſo inſtituted and conſtituted in the days of En…ſh, Gen. 4.26. which bred the diſtinguiſhing names of the ſons of God, and the ſons of Man (the Worſhippers being to be denominated according to their inſtituted worſhip, which before was but one;) and alſo the peculiar names of a Preacher of righteouſneſs, and of its contrary, the matter preached being of the nature, and ſo ought to be of the name of the ſtative worſhip, which yieldeth him his Office: wherefore, and from which time Noah is called the eight Preacher of Righteouſneſs, wherefore Enoſh was the firſt in this reſpect; but ſimply, or otherwiſe the third: but this being controverted, and not particularized, it is not for this place. Nor the like of Babel, its Workmen, and their confuſion of tongues; nor the Egyptian worſhip, though imported in Aarons and Jeroboams Steers: But onelyonly of thoſe expreſſed in the Word.
The firſt is that of Aarons and Iſraels Steer, and its appurtenances.
1. The Nation of Iſrael congregate as fool-ſacrificers, Eccleſ. 5.1. & haſters to worſhip before God called, being parted from the old Egyptian and new Moſaical worſhip; and having inſtituted and conſtituted anew their old Egyptian worſhip, Joſh. 24.14, 15. as the beſt they knew, but that of Moſes, whom they ſuppoſed to have been gone from them, and ſo that that his worſhip was aboliſhed, and therefore that a new one was to be erected to God, & therfore by Aaron, Ex. 32.
2. Aaron as the Erecter and Orderer of that Worſhip, with its Prieſts and Levites, and their works, and of the whole Congregation, and of each member thereof, and as the Exerciſer of the High-Prieſts Office himſelf, and the reſt doing theirs.
3. The golden Steer as the beſt ſign of God, as communicater with them, in giving it to work for, and maintain them by its life and death; and therefore in accepting it as his own due heriot or worſhip, i. e. homage of his Lordſhip practiſed in Egypt, and confirmed by Gods erecting his ſet divine ſigns, altars, ſacrifices, eating them, &c. all which Iſrael and Aaron made parts of that calviſh Egyptian worſhip, by their ſubordinating them unto it, and ſo made themſelves forſakers of God, and of his true worſhip, and turners of it unto, and into Idolatry, Exod. 32.4, 6, 8. Amos 5.25, 26. Act. 7.39. to 43. killing, burning, eating, drinking, ſinging, dancing on that Holy Day, and doing or countenancing any act or thing intended and ſet by them to be parts of that Moloch-worſhip; even but enforced looking on Taurus, or Chiun that day, was 4. Idolatrous communion with that falſe Worſhip, Altar, Prieſtood, Unholiday, falſe Gods, or ſigns of God, and with their inſtituters and conſtituters, and ſo with the Devil, the ſupream Author of them all, and ſo became forſakers of Jah, Jehovah, God.
The ſecond was that of Baal, or the Sun, as the eminenteſt mean between God and Man, from the ſecond age after Joſhuah unto the captivity, all the time of the Judges more ſcatteredly, and after Solomon more encorporately, in both, now with more authority and pomp, and then with leſs, 1 King. 16.32.
The third in the Scripture mentioned, was that of Micah, Jud. 17. which was the ſame with the Baal-worſhip of the Land, but according to his potency, erected in a chappel of his own, with all its appurtenances.
The fourth and next after Micha's, was Jeroboams Idolatry, ſubordinating all Gods Moſaicall adminiſtrations, unto his Temples, Miniſtries, and Sacraments of his inſtitu…ing, and thereby making them parts of his Bul-worſhip, or Baal-worſhip, though in Judah they were ſtill Gods, 1 King. 12.26. to 33.
The fift ſort was that of the Queen of Heaven (or the Moon, or Juno) primarily of the women of Judah, Jer. 44. though the husbands ſeconded them, v. 19. and offered for them, Chap. 7.18.
The ſixt was the worſhip of Dagon, a Mir-man, or King-fiſh, by the Aſhdodites, who lived by the Sea, 1 Sam. 5.
The ſeventh was that of Nebuchadnezzars great golden Image, Dan. 3.
The eighth was the worſhip of Jupiter, Act. 14.11. to 18. Chap. 17.23. to 32.
The ninth was that of Apollo, Act. 19.26. to 40. and of his Propheteſs, or Pythoniſs, foreign, v. 16.
The tenth was that of Diana of the Epheſians, Act. 19.
The eleventh is that of Antichriſt, 1 Ioh. 2.18. that Beaſt, Rev. 13.1. to 10. that deſolating abomination, Dan. 11.31. & 12.11. & Matth. 24.15. that man of ſinne, &c. 2 Theſ. 2.3, 4. Dan. 11.36. prophetically and hiſtor…cally, or hiſtorico-prophetically deſcribed pregnantly in the Word, as the compact complement of all Idolatry in its Romane perfection, and Whore-mother of all its derivative abominations, Prelatical and Presbyterial.
The Hierarchick Antichriſt, or Antichriſtian embodied Hierarchy, or the counterfeit Goſpel Church, ſpiritual Body-politike, or Corporation of Prieſts, Paſtors, Prelates, Dioceſans, Metropolitans, Primats under one univerſal Head, Primate, or Pope, pretending and calling themſelves Chriſtian Biſhops, Prieſts and Deacons, and uſurping their Goſpel-offices, but in the execution extending and racking them to an Antichriſtian Tyranny, Hierarchy, Church-Supremacy, Word-abſoluteneſs, divine infiniteneſs, or godneſs, 2 Theſ. 2.4. with the World worſhipping it, wondering at it, and wandering after it, Rev. 13.4, 5. and its Forts, Temples, Baſilikes, or Mauzzim, Dan. 11.38. for its congregating and maintenance, v. 39. This is the confluence of all the ſubjects of Idolatry, and falſe Divine Worſhip. The ſtative parts, and actors, or active States Miniſtries, or Offices, that Hierarchick, &c. theſe are the compleat patterns of all Idolatrous States, Offices, and inſtituted Orders, rective, teaching, atoning, poſſeſſive, and fructive: the particulars of each of theſe are innumerable, and too large for this place; the ſupream State or Head is the popeſhip or office of the Pope, or univerſal Primate: The next ſort is the National Primates: The third, the Provincial: The fourth, the Dioceſan: The fift the Parochial: Each of theſe have many Nethinims and Levites. Their Actions, Functions, or Miniſtrations, far more innumerable and irregular, but more inobſervable: yet the ſoul of their abomination is in their God-Churchſhip, or God-Rome whoredome, which cauſeth the world to partake with the froth of her Fornication, by her pretended infallibility of Doctrine, and abſolute authority, obtruded by her emulous depoſing, and envious oppoſing all venerable Deities, and Dignities; ſo making the Gospel-preaching, Sacraments, Prayer, &c. Antichriſtian: all partaking in any of thoſe inſtituted actions, &c. is ſpiritual communion with thoſe ſtative parts, &c. and ſo with that Hierarchick Antichriſt, &c. and ſo with Devils, Rev. 20.10. of, and for whom they were ſo inſtituted, conſtituted, and uſed.
I forget not that other falſe worſhip of the Jews after the expiration of the ſeventy ſeveni'ts, three years and an half after Chriſts Reſurrection, but it paralleleth not with theſe eleven, either in their humane and diabolical inſtitution, conſtitution, or communion, but onelyonly in the unholy, and unhappy uſe; for there is no relative partaking, or ſpiritual communion, without a relative ſtate, ſpiritual union of a corporation, or authoritive erection of a Spiritual Miniſtry and Office, or of a Sacramental Rite, real or actional. For though the Moſaical Church-ſtate, Miniſtry, and Miniſtrations, continued the ſame in the Jews practiſe; yet the Apoſtles, and many thouſand believing Jews were both active and receptive in all the three real, and the two relative, or connexive parts of that Moſaical worſhip, either cultively, as the many thouſands, or indultively, as the Apoſtles and their peculiar ones, Act. 21.20. to 26. 1 Cor. 9.19, to 23. yet without Idolatry and inſtituted falſe worſhip in the Apoſtles & intrue underſtanding, becauſe it was not of any humane inſtitution & conſtitution: only it was without the ſpirits direction, aſſiſtance, or bleſſing in the devout thouſands, yea and in the Apoſtles, as worſhippers of God thereby; but onelyonly as underſtanding Indulgers of the weak knowledge of the ſincere Believers, and as commended Judaizers with them, Act. 21.23. 1 Cor. 9.20. The reaſon is, becauſe that compleat worſhip was inſtituted by God, his Angels, Act. 7.53. and his Mediatour Moſes, v. 37. and conſtituted by the concurrence of all thoſe, with the acceptance and free will of the Iſraelites in the Wilderneſs, and confirmed by all the powers of Gods ſpirit, as from him and in his people, then & ever after in all legal manner and meaſure, yea and unto all Goſpel-converſion, ſanctification, and bleſſings, except in the reſerved degree peculiar to the Goſpel, Heb. 1. to 3.6. and it was inveſted in the conſciences of the Saints by the word-light, and true zeal and devotion of the ſpirit unto heavenly content: but none of the other eleven ever were thus n any particular: & though it were mortal, & to ceaſe by its deaths wound and ſentence at Chriſts death, unto death and execution three years and an half after it: yet it was not deadly and peſtiferous to any of the then converted Jews; but after, and ever ſince their death, it was and ever ſhall be, and no more indulgeable then the other 11.
Of theſe, with other falſe Worſhips, the Author hath written more la…gly; whereof at preſent I ſhall only add one inſtance more at large, viz. that of Aarons and Iſraels Steer, and its appurtenances; and his ſeconding thereof with 2 Cor. 11.13. to 16.