important matter by the assistance of Divine Grace in reading and thinking I have here drawn in a narrow compass And I have done it to the intent that I might have a Scheme of my thoughts herein at hand and ready for view to be rectified where it is wrong and to be further improved where it is right and more readily managed as cause requires likewise that from others who will do me the favour to peruse and consider it I may have help for a better or clearer knowledg of these points For I know my great defectiveness in this knowledg and am an humble seeker of more clearness and exactness therein yet I am not dubious in the main heads In the body of an Animal the greater veins are more easily discernable in their whole Systeme the smaâ—â—er with more difficulty and the smallest are almost imperceptible So in Theology the large veins of the greatest and most important truths are very visible and palpable but the smaller branches thereof may not be easily discern'd and are not traced in their several passages without attentive and acurate investigation It behoves every one to do his best for as perfect understanding in matters of his own Function and Practice as he can reach unto But when we have done all we know but in part and see darkly as in a glass The sense whereof should dispose men of different judgments to that considerateness and sobriety which will cause that the one neither despise nor judg the other but that all receive one another with mutual charity The First Part. § 1. Of Worship in General AS touching Worship in general its Nature is by some set forth to be an observance yielded to others according to their excellency of Worthiness And in this largemotion it seems the same with giving honour and so it is due not only to Superiors but to equals and inferiors for any Worthiness Natural Moral or Political that is in them according to the Apostles Precept Honour all men But by others the notion of Worship is made and I think rightly narrower than that of Honour viz. a respect not meerly to anothers worth or excellence but to his Superiority and Power over us whether Natural Civil or Ecclesiastical and such an observance of him as implies Subjection The highest kind of Worship is that which is due to the highest Excellency and Soveraignity and is called Divine Worship § 2. Of Divine Worship in its more comprehensive Sense TO Worship God is to yield him that observance which is his due and his alone according to his incommunicable Excellence and Soveraingty over us and his other transcendent Relations to us Our observance due to God alone is our voluntary act of absolute or unlimited subjection and whatsoever is expressive thereof All Divine Worship herein consisting must needs be for nature or kind the highest that can be rendred yet there are several parts or kinds thereof that differ in the degrees of partaking of the nature of this kind Some partake thereof in a more noble and eminent and others in an inferior way and these are appendent and subservient to the former Every Act of obedience to God taken formally is Divine Worship in a larger sense for every such act considered formally as obedience is a direct rendring of that observance or honour to him which is his due Consequently Devotion towards God incompasseth the whole duty of man for mans whole duty is of no larger extent than observance due to God But those Acts which are the matter of our observance towards God yet nextly and immediately respect our neighbour or our selves being materially and in themselves considered are not directly Religious or Divine Worship but reductively as being imperated by Religion § 3. Of Divine Worship in the stricter or narrower sense and which is specially here intended THE Worshipping of God is the direct acknowledging of his being and perfections and soveraignty over us c. to his honour Consequently it is the yielding of such honour to God as no other being is capable of because his being and perfections and supreminent Relations are incommunicable to any other Wherefore it is no fit Question because no matter of debate Whether Divine Worship may be given to a Creature But the question concerning Worship given by some to a Creature is Whether it be Divine Worship or that which belongs to God or no And if it be found to be that which belongs to God it is evident without more ado that it cannot be given to a Creature For Gods Worship is communicable no more than his excellency is But to the question as ordinarily express'd Whether Religious Worship may be given to a Creature The answer is made by distinguishing Religious Worship into the elicite or imperate Acts of Religion That Religious Worship in the latter sense may be given to men is past doubt For all due Civil Worship is imperated by Religion but the elicite Acts of Religion being acts of Devotion due to God as God cannot be rendred to any Creature nor any outward and imperate Act immediately expressive thereof § 4. Divine Worship distinguished into internal and external ALL kind of Worship and consequently the Worship of God is divided into internal and external according to the essential parts of man internal and external the Soul and the Body The internal Worship of God is an Act of the Mind or Soul whereby according to the apprehension of his worthiness it entertains a worthy estimation of him and hath complacence in him and consents to the due expressions thereof Hence it is evident that the inmost and deepest part of Gods Worship is a superlative reverence and love of him The external Worship of God is the direct and immediate expression of the internal by any outward Sign Word Gesture Action The internal is to the external what the Soul is to the Body yea it may be compleat Worship of it self as when the outward expressions cannot be performed or are not requisite The external without the internal is a carkass without life Nevertheless it is an Observance or Worship and hath its moral Estimation or comes to account § 5. Divine Worship distinguished into Natural and Instituted And first of Natural Worship THE Worship of God is either natural or instituted Natural Worship is that which in specie and immediately is founded in the Nature of God and the Nature of man and Gods relation to Man and Mans relation to God And it is twofold either that which is naturally necessary or that which is naturally laudable That which is naturally necessary is indispensable and unchangeable That which is naturaly laudable must be used whensoever conveniently it may There is natural Worship due to God both as the Creator of man and as the Redeemer of fallen man As God is our Creator he is our absolute Owner and Ruler and Benefactor and as such he is to be acknowledged by us with all due observance And whatsoever
would not be Some say that in the old Law the least ceremony prescribed of God was a part of Worship Which Assertion I do not now so far examine as to declare my assent or dissent But if it were so I think it was not meerly as prescribed of God but upon some further Reason For I do not see that God cannot prescribe a meer adjunct of Worship but it must thereby lose its formal state or become formally another thing viz. a matter of Worship but think it may remain in its own state a meer Adjunct still Nevertheless the observation of that divinely prescribed Adjunct may be an act of Worship so far as every act of obedience to God as such may be so called But here we speak of Worship not in so large but in the stricter sense § 17. Of sacred Signs and significant Ceremonies in Divine Worship A Sign is something more known shewing another thing less known or that which is more open discovering something more latent or at least that which doth further clear and confirm the truth of what is alike evident There are Signs natural and customary and instituted and arbitrary and stated and occasional As things signified so Signs are either Sacred or Common And as of all other things so there may be Signs of Worship And Signs immediately expressive of Worship are Worship For all external worship is a sign of the internal whether it be true or feigned And Ceremonies that signifie or express an act of Worship are ceremonial Worship But all significant Ceremonies are not Worship because they do not all signifie or express an act of Worship Among significant Ceremonies that are parts of Worship I reckon the Cross in Baptism being confessedly a sign of our dedication to Christ § 18. Of the nature of being holy and the distinctions of holiness HOliness in Creatures signifies either a quality in Angels and Men which is called the Image of God or the relation of any thing to God as appropriated to him In a general sence all things in heaven and earth are the Lords but whatsoever is his in a special sence or separated to his use is called holy As first persons either more generally devoted to him and that heartily as all the faithful and their seed or professedly as all visible Christians or else by special Office as the Priests of old and now the Ministers of the Gospel 2ly Things some by his own immediate Command others by general directions to Men and of these some are more remotely others more nearly set apart unto him Things more nearly or strictly devoted to God are Temples Utensils Lands c. which are Holy being justly related to God by lawful Separation Ministers are more holy than these because more nearly related to God Things remotely or more at large devoted to God are the Meat Drink House Lands Labours Offices c. of every one that is godly who with himself devotes all that he hath to God Indeed as every thing is sanctified of God to a Believer so every thing is sanctified by a Believer unto God But the holiness of things is ordinarily understood of things not remotely and at large and ultimately but more nearly and in a stricter sence devoted to God Some say such a state of Separation to holy uses that the thing may no more be alienated is proper holiness But others think this too narrow a description For there may be a temporary Separation as well as perpetual to holy uses as here strictly taken for those onely that more nearly respect God's Worship and Service and not for all uses ultimately respecting God's Honour in which larger sence by the Holy all things as hath been said are used to holy uses Some say That those things are not sacred that accompany Religious Worship in a way common to it with other things as Time Place Furniture c. Things used in Religious Services may be civil in their own Nature and they do not then alter their Matter or Form but onely their Subject to which they are Adjuncts To which it is answered That things considered in their own nature that is Physically are neither civil nor sacred but are either the one or the other according to their relation and application Therefore many things of the same species Physically considered may be sometimes Civil and sometimes Sacred according to their different use and relation as the same Physical act that is but civil reverence in a civil affair may be religious reverence in a religious Service They accompany Religion in a way common to it with other actions Physically but not Morally or Relatively And whereas it is said they are of the same use out of God's service as in it as there is the same use of mens eyes in reading one Book as in reading another The Answer is They are of the same use Physically but not Relatively and Morally For explaining the former Paragraph be it noted That Religion presupposeth civility and consequently holy things and actions require civil things and actions as inferior attendants thereon Religious Worship or Divine Service must needs be accompanied with many things of a meer civil import which do not thereupon alter their state from civil to sacred as the civil Habits both of Ministers and People the civil order of their sitting according to their several ranks and other civil decencies observed in holy Assemblies that still remain but meer civilities For they are not applied nor related to Religion as adjuncts to a Subject nor are referred to a holy use or end otherwise then as all things are referred ultimately to a holy end onely they are requisite to accompany Religion in their lower state of Civility Nevertheless there be many things which in civil affairs are meerly civil yet in Religious Exercises are Religious their Relative state being altered for that they are directly applied to a religious or holy use and end as bowing of the Body lifting up the Hand or the Eyes standing up being Physically the same are Sacred actions being applied to Divine worship and civil when applied to civil repects Every thing should be reverenced according to the Degree and Measure of its Holiness The Second Part of Idolatry § 1. Of Superstition in general AS there is a defect in Religion so there is an excess and this is called Superstition This excess is not in the formal reason of Religion for we cannot too much observe reverence and love God but either in the undueness of the object or the acts thereof Internal or External Excess in the undueness of the object of Religious Worship is Idolatry Excess in the Internal acts thereof lies in the inward anxiety scrupulosity or other exorbitant fancy about it The Excess in the External acts is either in the Kind or the Measure thereof in the Kind as being forbidden either in particular or in general in the measure of what for the Kind is lawful as when it is to the
neglect of other duties The Excess is more rare in natural than in instituted or positive Worship To be too religious is in some respect to be irreligious it is sometimes Sacrilegious in robbing God of his due in other kinds and at all times it wants the formal nature of True Religion Superstition is either positive in forbidden acts of Worship or negative in religious abstainings from things not forbidden as some distinguish But I conceive that in this latter kind the formale of Superstition lyes not in a negation or meer not doing but in a certain observance about not doing and a conscientious nolition § 2. Of Idolatry in general IDolatry is a species of Superstition being an excess in the object of Worship It is the giving of Worship that is proper to God to that which is not God An Idol in its most proper sence is an Image that is the likeness or resemblance of any Being more especially that which is made for the resemblance of the true or a false God It also signifies whatsoever Being visible or invisible yea or figment of the brain that is worshipped as God Moreover an Idol is not onely that which besides the true God is avowed for God but also that which hath any part or kind of Divine Honour given to it for it is thereby made interpretative another God If any incommunicable Attribute of God be given to another as Omniscience or to be the searcher of hearts that other is made another God though not simply yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or so far Idolatry may be committed by such as own no more gods than the onely living and true God for though they do not acknowledge more Gods than one yet they may give his incommunicable honour to that which they confess to be no God To pray to any Creature for that benefit which God onely can do for us as to give Rain or fair Weather is Divine Worship and Idolatry §. 3. Of Latria and Dulia AS for the famous distinction of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we will consider it first according to the Words then according to the Sence that is given thereof by those that use it As for the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not used onely for worship given to God Deut. 28.48 Levit. 23.7 Nor is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used onely for worship given to Creatures Acts 20.19 Rom. 12.11 1 Thes 1.9 Latria is a Word that generally signifies all Service and dulia signifies Service in a stricter way to wit of those that are not sui juris but absolutely at the disposing of him whom they serve As for the sense of this distinction given by the Users Latria is that worship whereby the object is acknowledged to be the first beginning and the ultimate end of all and dulia is that wherein the object is not acknowledged so to be This their way of distinguishing doth not make two kinds of worship either in the outward acts which are the same in latria and dulia even among the Papists except Sacrifice onely or in the Internal acts of the Will to wit Love Fear Trust c. which may be the same in both and through Superstition may be greater in their dulia than latria but onely in an intellectual apprehension which the vulgar are not apt to mind Moreover when the object is not apprehended to be the first Cause and last End that is the Supreme God nothing hinders but it may have that kind of Worship given to it which is due to him onely as to Pray to it to Swear by it to burn Incense to dedicate Temples and Altars and to make Vows to it The Worship which Cornelius was about to give to Peter and which John was about to give to the Angel from a transport of Mind was more than was due to Creatures yet Cornelius did not think Peter nor John the Angel to be the first Cause and last End Nor did the Devil move our Saviour so to acknowledge him when he would have had him fall down and Worship him yet he rejected his motion as seeking the worship due to God onely yea and that which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 4.8 §. 4. Of Idolatry serious and dissembled SErious Idolatry is when the mind gives the honour due to God or any part thereof to a Being that is not God and when the using of the External signs of that honour proceeds from the intention of the mind to honour it thereby In all serious or undissembled Idolatry there is ignorance or error about the object or the act of Worship First about the object either the thing worshipped is taken to be God when it is not God or it is taken to have some Attribute of God which it hath not or to injoy some Prerogative of God which it doth not In the Two later cases the thing is worshipped though not simply yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as God Secondly About the act of Worship 1. When the worship given to that which is not God is not taken to be Divine Worship when indeed it is such 2. When the Worship taken to be Divine is not taken to be applyed to the object when indeed it is applyed Dissembled Idolatry is meerly External when an External Sign of Honour due to God alone is given to that which is not God without the intention of the mind to honour it thereby Every outward act that is ordinarily used for signification of Divine Honour is not of it self as Physically considered a signification thereof and consequently not Idolatry But whensoever such an act is knowingly and voluntarily done at such time and place and in such circumstances as make it to be taken for a signification of Divine Honour it is imputed to him that doth it for a signification thereof Though it be true That that which is not a sign of Internal Honour is not Worship nevertheless he that doth not internally honour may give the outward sign of doing it He doth really give the sign of such honour though but a feigned one and so is really guilty of Idolatry though but dissembled He doth really make shew of giving that honour to another which is due to God onely and professedly owns another object of Divine worship and so far an other God And though it be not Mental yet it is Corporal Idolatry as an Atheist or impious person doth not Internally Honour God but contemn him yet doing those things which are External Signs thereof he doth Externally worship God §. 5. Of adoration given to the Host THat the Papists give Divine Worship to the Host is by themselves acknowledged and it is no small part of their Religion The Council of Trent determines That the same Divine Worship which we give to God himself is to be given to the most Holy Sacrament And by the Holy Sacrament they mean the Body of Christ under the accidents of the Bread This according