The Pulpits Patronage Against Unordained Usurpation, Part 1 · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII. The ſixt Argument.
THat ought to be in every ſetled, well-ordered Arg. 6 Church, that was not wanting in the Heathen Service of their Pagan Idols, in the worſhip and attendance of thoſe Idolatrous and Pagan Worſhippers; for when the Heathen knew not God, they did ſervice to them which by nature are no Gods (a)Gal. 4. 8.; Whether we conſider the Image or Picture they did adore, and was the preſent immediate object of their worſhip, for they knew that to be a peece of wood, or ſtone, or gold, or ſilver; as the Poet:
Olim truncus eram ficulnus, inutile lignum,
Cum faber incertus ſcamnum faceretve Priapum,
Maluit eſſe Deum.
They knew that their gods had not their dwellings here below with men, as they truly and wiſely anſwered to that great King (b)Dan. 2. 11.; but that they had foreign, as the Poet ſpeaks in the beginning of his Illiades; although they thought they ſometimes came down in the ſhapes of men, or other creatures, as they ſpeak (c)Act. 14 11. Or whether we conſider the thing repreſented to them by the Image; for that was either ſome puiſſant and famous man, as Belus, Jupiter, Oſyris, Mercury, or ſome evil ſpirit, that deluded and miſled them; for howſoever the ancient Platon…ſts, as Porphyrie & others, thought they did worſhip good ones as well as bad ones, and give Rules to know the good ones from the bad ones, yet we know the good ones never would admit of worſhip; (d)Rev. 19. 10See thou do it not, I am thy fellow-ſervant; and the Apoſtle expreſly ſayes, that they were devils, and not Gods (e)1 Cor. 10. 20, 21..
And as their object, unto which their worſhip was deſigned, was a creature; ſo their light whereby they acted was a very dim light, that would diſcover nothing but what was palpable and very obvious, as that Adultery and Murther was a ſin, and ſuch great characters and prin…s that were engraven on their hearts in the Creation, and could not eaſily be blotted and defaced, as the Apoſtle ſhews (f)Rom. 2. 14, 15.. Now what Pagans, guided by this dim, uncertain, polluted, and infected light of nature, did unto their Images and Idol Gods, muſt not be wanting and defective in the Religious Worſhip of the true God that's guided and directed by the inſpired and written Word of God; for Idolaters and Heathens muſt not out-do us, muſt not go farther, and be more ſerviceable, then pretenders to the higheſt and exacteſt ſtraines of Chriſtianity. What blind men ſee and ſettle, the ſeers muſt not ſtumble at and faile in.
But we find a Prieſt-hood and attendance upon holy things among the Heathen, ſome perſons ſet a part to attend and act in holy things among Idolaters; this due was given to the Devil by thoſe that in their Images did ſacrifice to him: for howſoever Noah were a Worſhipper of God, and had Religion in his Family, as well after as before the Flood (g)Gen. 8. 20, 21., yet his iſſue and poſterity ſoon fell off, and were drowned in the common practice of the Countries where they lived; for we find them charged with Idolatry, and the Worſhipping, and Serving other Gods, Whileſt Sem the ſonne of Noah was yet alive (h)Joſ. 24. 2., Your Fathers dwelt on the other ſide of the Flood in old time, even Terah, the Father of Abraham, and they ſerved other Gods; and ſome of the Rabbins ſay, that Terah got his living by making & ſelling of Image…; yet they had ſome that acted and attended in holy things; for the Caldeans became in after times an order and degree of Prieſt-hood and attendance, as appears (i)Dan. 2. …, 10; And for Japhets iſſue, that went further off to ſeek their habitations, among whom the Iſles of the Gentiles, (among which were reckoned alſo theſe Weſtern Nations of France, and Germany, and Spain, and Italy,) were at the firſt divided as Moſes ſhews (k)Gen. 10. 5▪; as alſo, the Provinces of the leſſer Aſia, as Pontus, Galathia, Cappadocia, Lycaonia, Bithinia, there is no doubt made by any, but that they ſoon forgot the pure Religion of their Patriarch and Father Noah, and fell into Idolatry: yet had they Prieſts that did attend and act in holy things; for when Paul and Barnabas were come down unto Lyſtra, a Citie within the confines of Lycaonia, and had healed a Cripple there, the people cryd out in the ſpeech of Lycaonia, that the Gods were come down to them in the likeneſſe of men, and the Prieſts of Jupiter which before the gates of the City, brought Oxen and Garlands unto the gates, and would have done ſacrifice, with the people (l)Act. 14. 11, 12, 13.; and for the other more Weſtern European Nations, its well known that they had their Pithias, Flamins, Druids, Bards, attending on their holy things, and had in great account among them.
And becauſe our Argument is à minore, we will cloſe it with ſome inſtances derived from the worſt of Heathens, and thoſe were Chams poſterity, which were accurſed for their Fathers fault (m)Gen. 9. 25▪; for they inhabited the Land of Egypt, which is often in the Scripture called the Land of Ham (n)Pſa. 105. 23., and his ſon Mitzraim, who ſucceeded in the Government, is acknowledged to be that famous Oſyris, that ſetled the Government of all thoſe parts: yet here the Prieſts were in ſuch reputation and reſpect, that when all the other Natives were by the Famine made the Tenants and Farmers of the King, only the Prieſts were free (o)Gen. 47. 22; and not only among thoſe of Mi…zraim that planted there, but thoſe alſo that went up higher towards the North-Weſt, and inhabited the Sea-Coaſts of the Land of Canaan (p)Gen. 10. 13, 14.; for when the Ark of God was taken Captive (q)… Sam. 5. 1, 2., and had been carried round about from one place to another, and was too hot for every place, the Prieſts are called for, and give directions for the ſending of it back again unto Judea (r)1 Sam. 6. 2, 3.; which ſhews that in all theſe Countries of the Sons of Cham, the moſt ungracious of all that came out of the Ark, ſome perſons yet were ſet apart to attend and act in holy things. But Chams poſterity poſſ…ſſed other Countries as well as Egypt, and the Sea-Coaſts of the Land of Canaan, for Cuſh his eldeſt Son (s)Gen. 10. 6., took up his Quarters in Arabia, between the two Gulphs of Perſia and Arabia, now called the Red-ſea, from the ſtony and deſart part whereof thoſe came that robbed Job, and took away his Cattle (t)Job 1. 14, 15.; and thoſe Wiſe men, that were guided by a ſtarre unto our Saviour Chriſt at his Nativity, are thou…ht to come from theſe parts (u)Mat. 2. 1, 2:; and no queſtion were perſons ſet a part to attend and act in holy things; for Magi was a common name of the Divines and Prieſts of thoſe Eaſtern Countries; for we find in after times, when that Cyrus King of Perſia had gotten any notable and ſignall Victory, that the Magi, or Prieſts, were alwayes ſent for to pick out of the ſpoiles what they thought fit, to adorn the Temples, and Sacrifice unto their Gods, as Xenophon ſhewes in many places of his ſtory of the education, and acts of Cyrus; wherein he did no more then God himſelf expreſly ordered, in that great victory againſt the Midianites (w)Numb. 31. 28, 29, 30▪: now, if the worſt of Heathens had ſome perſons ſet apart to attend and act in holy things, ſhall we be worſe then they? our Saviour counted it a very grievous puniſhment to be as heathen (x)Mat. 18. 17., and it will be unhandſome to be worſe; if the men of Ninive ſhall riſe in judgement againſt Juda, and condemn it, becauſe they repented at Jonahs preaching (y)Mat▪ 12. 41, 42.; what ſhall they do to thoſe that will not own the Office and Authority of Jonah? for if he that is leaſt in the Kingdom of Heaven, be greater then John Baptiſt (z)Mat. 11. 11., then thoſe that ſlight them, will have as much to anſwer for, as they that ſlighted him.