Against Idolatry and Superstition, Sermon 2 · Part 5
V. Bowing at the Name of I…sus.
A most vile piece of Syllabical Idolatry grounded upon a very gross and carnal mistaking, and wresting of that Text, Phil. 2. 9, 10. For,
1. It is but odly and untowardly translated at, for in, for the word is foreign▪ and it is constantly in all other places rendred in the name, as when it is said, baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, it would marre both the Sence and English of the Text, and …ke it non-sence to say, baptize them at the Name of the Father, S…n, and Holy Ghost, so to say, Our Father which art at Heaven, Mary kept all these sayings at her heart, so in the Creed to say, I believe at God the Father, and at Iesus Christ his Son, and at the Holy Ghost: you see how absurd such a phrase would be, There is no such phrase as at the Name, to be sound in any English Author, nor in any other Text of Scripture, beside this. ls…e the Book called Quaeres …o Bower… at the Name of Jesus. page 2, 3.And I have heard and read, that the Translaters of the Bible did render it in the Name of Iesus, as the same phrase is constantly translated by them, in all other places throughout the whole Bible. But King Iames committing▪ the Translation to the Bishops, to be published and printed, besides other bold and wretched Alterations, they did corrupt the Translation in this place, blotting out the word in, and rendring it at the name of Jesus, to countenance their own Syllabical Idolatry and Superstition.
2. By the Name of …esus is not meant …he Sound of the Letters and Syllables of▪ h… … or… Iesus, …t the Authority, the Power, and Majesty of the person of the Lord Iesus. To expound it of the word, letters, and Syllables, is to make it a kind of a Magical word, which hath all its efficacy included in the Sound, and so to abuse it unto Superstition, as the Iewish Rabbins have abused the word Iehovah with their Cabalis…cal fooleries and vanities. Why should we not bow as well at the name of God all-Sufficient, Elshaddai, or at the name Iehovah, Elohim, God the Father, Son and Spirit, or at the name Emm…nuel, Messiah, Lord, and Saviour, or any other name or Attribute of God and Christ, all those other names being no less precious and glorious then the name of Jesus: and seing they do not bow, when they hear Christ described, doth not this plainly shew, that this honour is not▪ done to the person of Christ, but meerly to Letters and Syllables. And it seems to make a manifest disparity and Inequality between the three glorious persons of the Trinity, who are Coequal, Coessential, and Coeternal. If Jews, or Infidels should come into our Assemblies, and hear men say, I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of Heaven and Earth, without any incurvation at all, and then to pronounce the next words and, in Jesus Christ our Lord, with a Stentorean voyce, bowing and scraping the ground, they could not but think, and conclude, that according to our mQueres to Bowers. pag… 11, 12.principles, God the Father, and the Holy Ghost are not God, or not so much God, as the Son, and that Christ and Jesus were two several persons, the one being bowed too, and not the other. And some have nBabington exposit. of …h… S…cond Articl… page 24….well observed, that of the two, the name Christ seems to be more peculiar and distinguishing then the name Jesus. For the Jews never took offence at any for calling him Jesus, but they excommunicated such as confessed-him to be the Christ, Joh. 9▪ 22. neither did they ask him, art thou Iesus, Luk. 22. 67. but art thou the very Christ? and when he did own it, they rent their Cloaths. For if you respect the litteral name, there were many others that were called Iesus, as well as He, at the hearing of whose names, the gro…sest Idolatry is oftentimes commi…ted, by Capping, and bowing, before they know what Iesus is intended and spoken of. For the Apochrypha mentions Iesus the Son of Syrach, and we read in the Scripture of Iesus the Son of Nun, called in the old▪ Testament Ioshua, but the Greek renders it Iesus, for want of some Hebrew Letters, Act. 7. 47. Heb. 4. 8. and Iesus Sirnamed …ust…s, Col. 4. 1…. and Barj…s…s the Sorcerer, Act. 13. 6. at whose name Cousins oQuae…es to B…w…rs Qu. 29. pag… 2….with many more at Durham did most devou…ly bow, no less then twic… in one day, one after another, such was their gross Superstitious dotage. And I require a Reason, if the word Iesus must be bowed to, why they should not bow to it, when they see it written, printed, carved, painted, or Ingraven, as well as when they hear i…? why▪ not at the sight, as we…l as▪ at the Sound of it? and why not at home, as well as in the Church? and if bowing pBp. Andrews Serm. on Phil. 9. 10, 11.at the name of Iesus, be a means to keep men from swearing by it, as some would make us believe, how is it then that, the profanest Swearers are the devoutest Bowers? and drunkards, and blasphemers, and such doleful Creatures, who Swear, and curse, and damn themselves, and drink healths upon their knees to the confusion of Sion, and Sions King, such is the raging, Hellish madness of profaneness in these Times, yet such incarnate Devils are the hottest Zelots for every false way, and the fiercest Persecutours of those they call Fanaticks, who testifie against them.
But the Apostle in the Text speaks of such a name as was given to Christ at his Resurrection, as the Fruit and reward of his death and humiliation. Which therefore can be no other, but that Supream Authority, Lordship, and dominion over all things and Creatures, which was then committed to him by the Father. For the Name Iesus was given Him in the very beginning of his Humiliation, Math. 1. 21, 25. and 2. 1. and Luk. 2. 21. but when God did raise Him from the dead, then did he set Him at his own right hand, farre above all Principality, and Power, and Might, and Dominion, and every Name that is named, not only in this World, but also in that which is to come, Eph. 1. 20, 21. then was all Power given unto Him is Heaven and Earth, Math. 28. 19. then did God make Him both Lord and Christ, Act. 2. 36. because then, and not till then, he did advance Him to the full and plenary exercise of his Kingly Power and Authority, so that, by the Name of Jesus is meant, Christ Exalted, Christ as Lord.
3. By bo…ing the knee, is meant, that universal Subjection of all Creatures to this Sovereign Lordship, Iudicature, and Power of Christ, especially at the day of judgement. For bowing the knee, is a Sign of Subjection, as when it is said, I have left me seven Thousand that have not bowed the knee to Baal, that is, have not submitted to that Idolatry, & toties Diabolo flectimus, qu…ties pe…camus. Men are said to bow to the Devil, as oft as they obey him, and commit sin. It cannot be meant litterally, and carnally of bodily geniculation, because those in Heaven and Hell have no bodily knees to bow withal. Neither is it meant meerly of voluntary heart submission, and obedience to Christ; For the bowing here spoken of, is performed not only by the Saints and Angels, but by those under the Earth, even by the Devils, and all the wicked and damned Spirits, though unwillingly, and to their confusion; whence Ambrose and others read it passively, that every knee should be bowed, for they are under the feet of Christ, and forced to Submit, and stoop to Him, will they, …nill they, as the passive Objects of his Power and Justice. Thus Hierome, non ad genua corporis, sed ad subjectionem mentis, & inclinationem spectat, sicut David dicit, adbasit pavimento anima mea. It doth not belong to the knees of the body, but to the Subjection and bowing of the mind, as when David saith, my Soul cleaveth to the Earth and dust, nothing his inward humiliation, not any outward gesture. And the whole stream of Expofitors goes this way. As Calvin, Cartwright, A…ry upon the place. qAlley poor mat… Library. tom. 2. printed London 15 …1. sol. 42, 43, …, 103, 104. Babington on the Creed. Art. 2. pag. (…) 244, 245, 246. Whitake…. Answer to Reighno…ds Cambridg 159…. page. 398, 399 …d Quzry to Bowers, page 18, 20. 32.And all our Divines against the Papists, Alley, Babington, Whitaker, and many others, who have fully vindicated this much abused Text, and con…uted this beggerly Popish Ceremony, shewing, that we ought to look at the Person and Office of the Lord Jesus, and not to be like Children playing with Letters and Syllables.