Apology for the Reformed Churches, Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII. That this diſſembling is condemned by our Lord in the Scriptures.
FOr in truth, God will not be put off with ſuch quaint devices, which are but meer pretences, and colours, wherewith fleſh and bloud endeavour to ſmooth over their fearfulneſſe. He deals with us bonâ fide, plainly and in earneſt, and will not own them, who goe not the ſame pace, that is to ſay, who deal not roundly and plainly with him. As for ſuch ſly people as would halt with Him, and walk awry between Him and the world, and varniſh over their looſeneſſe with falſe and artificiall excuſes, He ſurprizeth them in their pretended ſubtilties: leaving them with thoſe, whoſe marks and badges they have accepted of, contrary to the judgement of their own conſciences.
There was doubtleſſe among the Iſraelites of old, during the corruptions that Ahaz and Jezabel brought into Religion, great ſtore of perſons, who overcome with their tyrannicall threats, did bow their knees to Baal ſore againſt their wills; and in their hearts deteſted thoſe idols, which through fear they were driven to adore: ſome who comforted themſelves with a vain imagination, that they might bow indeed to the Idol with their bodies, but keep their ſouls for God, and ſo inwardly addreſſing to Him all their veneration, they ſhould not deſerve either the name or puniſhment of idolaters. Notwithſtanding, the Lord not regarding this excuſe, excludeth them from the number of His ſervants; counting none for His, but onelyonly ſuch as had not bowed their knees to Baal. I have left me, ſaith he, Rom. xi. 4. 1. Kings xix. 18. ſeven thouſand in Iſrael, to wit, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kiſſed him. And then who would not take the reſt, who did fall before the images of Baal, or did kiſſe them, or ſalute them, if not for idolaters or hypocrites, yet for ſuch, in a word, as God rejected from his communion?
Long time before this, while the Iſraelites were yet in the wilderneſſe, where they caſt a golden calf, we cannot imagine they were ſo brutiſh, as to believe, That that image which they then caſt, was truly and really the God which brought them out of the land of Egypt, before it was in the world. All the circumſtances of the fact induce us to ſay, That they took it onelyonly for a viſible ſymbol of the Divinity, which ſhould be to them in ſtead of Moſes, who they thought was loſt: ſo that they ſhould have addreſſed to God the honours, which they gave to that image. But becauſe ſuch ſervices were now become the ordinary mark of idolatry, over all the land of Egypt, where they lived; God without having regard to that, which they might have ſaid was in their intentions, handleth them and puniſheth them, (Exod. xxxii.) as being truly and indeed idolaters: for ſo they are called by S. Paul, where he recordeth their fault, 1 Cor. x. 7. And that divine Apoſtle in the ſame place, is ſo far from permitting us, under any pretence whatſoever, to do any of thoſe actions, whereby ſuperſtitious men uſe to teſtifie their devotion to that which they ſerve (as proſtration before the ſubject which they adore) that he forbids the Corinthians (1 Cor. x. 19, 20, 21.) to eat the fleſh of thoſe living creatures, which they knew to have been ſacrificed to idols; and this under perill of rendring themſelves in ſo doing, partakers of devils, and of their Altars, and of depriving themſelves of the Table of the Lord, and of his Communion. Was it, becauſe the Chriſtians who eat of ſuch meats, had in ſo doing an intention to honour Demons or Idols? In no wiſe. They eat ſimply of it, for the refection of their bodies, as they would have eaten of other meats, if they had been at hand. Yet becauſe the idolaters eſteemed them ſacred, and ſanctified by the altars of their falſe Divinities; and becauſe eating at their feaſts was an action, which in the common uſe ſignified, that one had them in eſteem and veneration; or at leaſt, that one did not think, That the ſervice which they uſed was impure and unlawfull, the H. Apoſtle would not ſuffer Believers to eat as idolaters did. But you will ſay, I do it not to be ſanctified thereby; I will in this repaſt, addreſſe my thoughts, praiſes, and bleſſings, not (as the infidels do) to Idols upon altars, whereon they lay their viands; but to God, our onelyonly true Creatour and Preſerver. No, ſaith the Apoſtle; I would not have you be partakers of Devils. I know well enough, that an Idol is nothing; I know well too, that you take it to be what it is. But what ever your opinion be concerning it, you cannot exerciſe thoſe actions, which are the ordinary ſymboles of honour that idolaters render thereto, without defiling and rendring you unworthy of the Cup and Table of the Lord. And 'tis obſervable, That entring upon this buſineſſe, he uſeth this preface, Finally, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry… 1 Cor. x. 14. clearly intimating thereby, that he held all them guilty of idolatry, who with any heart or mind whatſoever, exerciſed any of thoſe actions, which in the common uſe of idolaters, ſignified the honour which they bore to that which they ſerved. And therefore, what can become of ſuch people, unleſſe they prevent the day of the Lord by a ſerious repentance; ſince there is no ſinne againſt which the Scripture threatneth a more horrible damnation, then againſt this of idolatry? But leſt they ſhould ſooth up themſelves with an opinion that they are not idolaters; it denounceth againſt them elſewhere the ſame judgement: but gives them a name which agreeth to them ſo properly, as they will not know how to diſavow it, Rev. xxi. 8. As for the fearfull, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murtherers, and whoremongers, and ſorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part ſhall be in the lake which burneth with fire and brimſtone, which is the ſecond death. I would fain have theſe people ſeriouſly conſider, what theſe fearful be, that are here thrown into hel-dungeon, with the worſt and moſt abominable malefactors. For if the word ſignifie not preciſely thoſe, who (leſt they ſhould diſpleaſe the world) do outwardly conform themſelves to ſervices and ceremonies, which in their heart they acknowledge to be a pernicious errour; I know not what other ſenſe this paſſage can beare. The H. Ghoſt meaneth not thoſe, who in this world are called fearfull. For He is not uſed to put valour and warlike force, among the qualities that be neceſſary for inheriting the Kingdome of heaven: nor doth He mean thoſe who follow errour, and ſerve creatures with a full heart, believing and approving inwardly, what they doe outwardly. For He is not wont to call them fearfull; They are rather ſuch as He calleth a little after, idolaters. Nor doth he mean hypocrites, who under an open profeſſion of vertue, hide a filthy and infamous life: though to call them ſo, were as bad as to call them fearfull. The name of liars, which followeth ſoon after, agreeth to them a great deal better. Nor is there any likelihood, that by fearfull he meaneth profane, or Atheiſts, or open ſinners, and malefactors. For who ever heard them ſet out by this name? And then who can be meant by theſe curſed fearfull perſons, which are here ranked in the forefront of all, that ſhall be inheritours of hell fire; but thoſe, who overcome with ſome carnall fear, do not confeſſe outwardly that holy truth which they believe inwardly; or thoſe who confeſſe outwardly ſome errour, which inwardly they misbelieve and deteſt? Thus was it in the Martyrs of Chriſt not imprudence, but a very excellent piece of wiſdome, That they choſe rather to ſuffer the moſt cruell deaths and puniſhments, than through fear to conceal that opinion, which they had concerning piety and errour. It was in them not a cruelty, but an act of ſweetneſſe in their loving devout ſouls, rather to undergoe death, then to perform any of the actions of Pagan ſuperſtition; ſince they had no other way to avoid thoſe puniſhments, which are threatned to fearfull men. And on the contrary, it will be ſound, That there are none more ſottiſh, nor more cruell to themſelves, then thoſe pretended Politicians, who to preſerve (as they ſay) the peace of the world, and to exempt themſelves from temporall puniſhments, that ſometimes betide open Believers, accommodate themſelves to the ſervices of one, and avoid the freedome and communion of the other. For as it is prudence for a man, to loſe a ſmall benefit, to preſerve a far greater; and that is truly and indeed to love a mans ſelf, when he ſuffers a little ſorrow (as a cut of a razour, or a Chirurgions lancet) to keep himſelf from death: ſo it is the higheſt degree of imprudence, for a man to looſe his Soveraigne good, to preſerve one that is incomparably leſſe; the worſt of cruelties, to ſuffer a mans ſelf to periſh eternally, rather then ſuffer a ſhort and ſlight inconvenience.