is Mysterious and the Doctrine of the Trinity is Incomprehensible to humane Reason but yet it is not repugnant to it The Unity of the three Persons of the Godhead transcends indeed our conceptions but reason connot prove it to be an impossibility or to include a contradiction for altho among creatures one nature is still join'd with one subsistence yet the Divine Nature being not of the same condition with created substances it can never be prov'd impossible that three Divine Persons should subsist in one Nature the manner indeed is incomprehensible to reason and it is not to be expected that a finite creature should be able fully to comprehend an infinite being In a word The Christian Religion gives us the most exalted lovely apprehensions of the Divine Nature without any of those jarring notions which the Heathens entertained and tho there be some mysteries in our Faith yet they tend only to exalt God and debase Man and 't is our duty to believe what God says of himself and to fall down and worship what we cannot comprehend But further the manner of worshipping God prescrib'd by the Apostles is highly suitable to his Majesty and becoming his Spiritual Nature not with the follies and extravagancies of the Heathens nor pompous and gaudy Ceremonies of the Jews but with a modest magnificence and comely simplicity with prayer and praise and singing and other solemn exercises of Devotion with a reverent celebration of its mysteries without I dolatry or Superstition on the one hand and without contempt of a Being so worthy of the most humble adoration on the other This is the method of Devotion in the Christian Church much more comely and decent and agreeable to the Nature of God and Reasons of Men than the butchery of Sacrifices and numerous gay solemnities among the Jews which except they had prefigured the great undertakings of the Messiah would never have been injoyn'd Much more then the ridiculous charms and impure rites of the Heathen Worship which the wisest among them were asham'd of and only join'd therein ut legibus jussa non ut diis grata as commanded by their laws not as pleasing to their Gods 2. Their Doctrine concerning mans reconciliation with God by the Lord Jesus tho it was above the sphere of reason to invent yet when once reveal'd appears highly satisfactory to reason for when man had wilfully broke the Divine Law and exposed himself to the threatned punishments of infinite justice God that he might signalize his mercy and fill the hearts and mouths of Men and Angels with the most ardent love and admiring Hallelujahs was pleas'd to dispence with his threatning and show himself ready to be reconcil'd Now what imaginable way can we think of more agreeable to reason whereby man may be restor'd to the divine favour shall he meerly pardon sinners this clemency would be but weakness and foolish pity for it would argue either that he wanted Power to effect what he threatned or was defective in Wisdom as if he thought his law unadvisedly made and foresaw not the inconveniences it would occasion Or that he was not infinite in Holiness who could so easily be reconcil'd to sinful rebels Besides this would weaken his Government over Angels and Men and encourage them to sin for the future in hopes of the same mercy and compassion Thus we see how unreasonable it is to imagine God should meerly pardon sinners It was necessary therefore that some satisfaction should be made and except this be proportionable to the offence the same inconveniences will still follow the repute of the Law will not be kept up God will still labour under the dishonourable reflections of Levity Impotence and Impurity and Men will be encouraged to sin for the future with hopes of an easy remedy This burden was too weighty for the shoulders of any creature such is the Malignity of sin and so great a dishonour to the Divine Male sty that it is impossible the services and sufferings of a meer creature should compensate for the affront It was necessary that God should satisfy Himfelf and because those satisfactions do most secure the ends of satisfaction which come as near the threatned penalty as may be 't was necessary he should become man live a life of misery and dye an accurfed death and endure such agonies and torments of Body and Soul as might represent more livelyly to the sons of men what their sins had deserved and come as near the penalty as the dignity and innocence of his Nature would permit Thus Gods hatred of sin is most clearly display'd and men are mosâ— effectually deterr'd from continuance in any iniquity Thus the Divine Wisdom and Power and Holiness and Mercy shine in their brightest lustre and conspire together in a most admirable harmony and agreement and that men might still be more apprehensive of their own vileness God not withstanding all the wonders of his love testifies his hatred to our sins by refusing to admit any immediate applications to him and resolving to accept of no services nor hear any prayers that are not perfum'd by the intercession of his beloved Son This is the admirable Gospel-method of propitiating the Divine Favour which we indeed dar'd not once to have thought of till God had reveal'd it but now it is made known appears to be only satisfactory to reason What the Sacrifices and Offerings and other contrived methods of satisfaction among the Jews and Gentiles were too weak to effect this this is done by the great Sacrisice of our Lord Redeemer 3. Their precepts and rules of Life were all reasonable and advantagious to our interest conducive to the health of our bodies the tranquility of our minds the peace of our consciences the sweetning of our tempers the exalting our natures the improvement of our estates the advancement of our reputation and the comfort of our lives By the practise of them we shall consult our private interest obtain the good will and respect of men and promote the publick benefit of all We shall act worthy of our selves and becoming our reason obtain the Divine Favour and resemble the Divine Nature What more comely and decent than a profound admiration of him who is so Glorious and excellent in himself An ardent love of him who is so kind and beneficial to us An awful reverence of him who is so Powerful Holy Wise and Just and a cheerful obedience to all his Laws who is our Soveraign and our Father our Friend and best Benefactor What more reasonable than prayer to him who is able to supply our wants and praise and thanksgiving to the same God who gives all the comforts of this life and from whom we expect the rewards of a better What more just and fit and conducible to our interest than that we should be upright in our dealings with our neighbour veracious in our words faithful in our trusts sincere in our contracts innocent and inoffensive in our
in this Chapter are come to Thessalonica where was a Synagogue of the Jews and a mixture of Heathen Greeks and those v. 2. call'd devout i. e. Proselytes of the Gate that disown'd the Follies and Superstitions of the vulgar Heathen worship'd one God and complied with the seven Precepts of the Sons of Noah St. Paul gives the preference to his own Nation and according to his usual custom in other places goes into the Jewish Synagogue and for three successive v. 3. Sabbaths reason'd with them and proves by their Law That Jesus must be the expected Missiah And his v. 4 Arguments were so covincing that he gain'd some converts among the Jews and proselyted a numerous company of Religious Greeks But those v. 5. who remain'd obstinate in their infidelity being fill'd with rage gathered together a Rabble of the baser sort and tumultuously throng to the house of Jason whose Guest St. Paul was and would forcibly have drag'd the Apostles before the Civil Magistrate but they having prudently declin'd their fury Jason with some other Converts is hal'd before the Rulers of the City and accus'd as an Harbourer v. 6. of Traytors or at least Disturbers of the publick Peace For they cry out These that have turn'd the world upside down are come hither also Whom Jason hath receiv'd These they speak concerning the Apostles these whom Jason hath receiv'd That have turn'd the world upside down The Greek word is as I remember us'd but once more in the New Testament and there it is rendred to trouble Gal. 5. 12. I wish they were even cut off which trouble you i. e. unsettle your minds and seek to pervert you by teaching that new Doctrine of Circumcision and keeping the Ceremonial part of Moses's Law The word properly signifies to Disorder Disquiet and raise Confusion So that the Accusation against the Apostles may be understood either more Generally or Particularly 1. More Generally So the Accusation may be These that have disturb'd the World by bringing in a new Religion that have overturn'd the Ancient Religions and brought in new Doctrines directly opposite to the former as if they should have said They propagate new Principles destructive of the Ancient Religion of us Jews and customary rites of you Gentiles they have in every place argued against that Law which we are assured came down from Heaven and laugh at that Worship which you account most sacred and venerable They have not only created disturbance by this means in other Cities but with the same design are come hither also and therefore your duty to your Gods obliges you to silence and restrain them they indeed have escaped our hands but we have brought these before you who have given entertainment to their Persons in their Houses and their Doctrines in their hearts 2. More Particularly The Apostles may be here accus'd as disturbing the World by teaching Doctrines of Rebellion and Sedition Indeed as they brought in a new Religion they might be accounted Authors of Sedition because all Innovations were look'd upon as tending to unsettle the Peace of the State but the more particular crime of which they may here accuse them seems to be the immediate tendency of some of their Doctrines to Rebellion and this is countenanc'd by the 7th verse These all do contrary to the decrees of Cesar saying there is another King one Jesus we may therefore suppose the charge of the Jews to be manag'd after such a manner as this These that are the Pests of Societies and highly disaffected to the establish'd Government Friends of Anarchy and Enemies to Cesar that maintain rebellious Principles and sow Sedition wherever they come that have cast off all sense of Allegiance and teach others to renounce their Subjection to their Emperor that will not obey the Laws themselves and perswade others to refuse their Obedience also and preach up Subjection to another King one Jesus these as they have disturb'd the Government in other Cities so here also have they spread their Infection These are the men these are their Principles and whether they are worthy of restraint judg ye Thus do the malicious Jews misrepresent the Doctrines of these Messengers of Peace and Innocence it self was not a sufficient Guard against the Persecution of their envenom'd Tongues And oh that I might say concerning the whole Christian World at this day that such an Accusation would be Slanderous against them as well as the Apostles but alas the Groans and Sighs of England as well as other Lands gives too sad occasion to cry out These that have turn'd the world upside down have come hither also I shall speak to the words in both these senses seeing they will well bear it and are exactly suited to my design In order to a more methodical Progress I shall speak to four Generals 1. Whether the Apostles did introduce a new Religion different from what was before entertain'd in the World and whether they had the Divine Commission to do so For if they could produce the Warrant of God for what they did they could not justly be blam'd or accus'd 2. Whether the Apostles Doctrine tended to Rebellion 3. Whether any professed Christians at this day are justly liable to this charge in both senses 4. I shall deduce such Inferences as naturally result from the whole Discourse 1. Whether the Apostles did introduce a new Religion and had a Commission from God to do so To this I answer affirmatively Christ did institute and his Apostles did publish a more perfect platform of Religion than was before existent in the World but not without sufficient discoveries of Gods Approbation In this sense they did turn the World upside down taught Doctrines contrary to the universally receiv'd Opinions of the Gentiles and darling Traditions and Practiseâ— of the Jews The Christian Religion did silence the Pagan Oracles where it prevail'd and caus'd the Heathen Dagons to fall down before it the carnal Ceremonies of the Jews were disus'd and Moses was not able to stand before him whom they call'd a Magician The Brutish rites of the Heathens were abolish'd at the appearance of Christianity and the Light of the Gospel dispers'd the Shadows of the Law and took off the vail from Moses The Impurities of the Heathen and Imperfection of the Jewish Worship did render a more perfect Revelation of the Divine will very necessary and this was the Province undertaken by our Saviour and his Apostles 1. The Christian Religion hath given a more compleat discovery of the Nature of God and the manner how he will be Worshipped The Conceptions of the Heathens concerning the Nature of God were very gross and confus'd and the Wise-men of Athens and Rome were at continual jars and disagreement about his Attributes and they entertain'd very lame and imperfect and some blasphemous and unworthy Notions of him They did indeed generally acknowledg there could be but one Supreme and Sovereign God and of him Varro
tells us they made no Images and Pictures at Rome till 170 Years after the Building of that City but afterwards they carv'd him out in Wood and Stone and still worship'd inferior Deities with the same external reverence they paid to their Jupiter To thâ—se they dedicated Temples consecrated Altars burnt large portions of Incense and ador'd with the same outward expressions of Devotion and thus they debased his Infinite Power as if he needed a rabble of petty pigmy Deities to rule the World To him the common people being influenced by the tales of the wanton Poets Ascrib'd the most enormous Vices the Murders and Adulteries Sodomies and Rapes which are related of ' Jupiter of Crete were appli'd by them to him whom they call'd Supreme And tho many Philosophers entertain'd more refind Notions yet they dared not contradict the vulgar Follies without incurring the Odium of the Rabble and join'd in the same Rites and vile Ceremonies and observ'd the same Customs with them Indeed among the common people reason was debas'd below common sense the idle Fables of their iustful Poets were readily receiv'd Orvids Metamorphosis and Homers Iliads and the Divine Theology of the great Virgil were their Systems of Divinity The vilest of men who deserv'd publick Punishment on Earth were ador'd as Gods in Heaven and those whose memories ought to be loath'd and detested were reverenc'd with Divine Adoration in some places they worship'd bruit Beasts Cows and Dogs were deifi'd Serpents and Crocodiles were devoutly ador'd Apes and Monkeys receiv'd their submissive Prostrations so that it was very questionable which were more ridiculous the gods or their worshippers The Sun Moon and Stars Rivers and Elements the Fruits of their Trees Flowers in their Gardens Herbs in their Fields and the vilest inanimate things in nature were the objects of their religious worship they paid a Divine Veneration to the Diseases of their Bodies the Passions of their Minds and the Accidents of their Lives Nay further the cursed Fiends of Hell were treated with awful Reverence and the sworn Enemies to mankind had Temples and Altars consecrated to their honour thus vile were the Gods they ador'd and the Rites wherewith they worship'd them were equally abominable What were the Mysteries of their Religion but mixtures of the most extravagant folly and filthiness Their Eleusinia Sacra Floralia and Bacchanal Solemnities were compos'd of Antick tricks and such pieces of uncleanness as cannot be spoken without a blush nor thought of without polluting the mind with immodest Idea's What more Fantastick than their Auguries by the flight of Birds Presages by the smoak of Incense Fat of Sacrifices Intrails of Beasts and all the other Charms and Sorceries in their Worship these were the Notions the Gentiles entertain'd of God this was the Worship they paid unto him but the Christian Religion overturn'd the whole Fabrick of their Worship demolish'd their Altars silenc'd their Oracles brake down their Images and shew'd them the Folly and Superstition of which they had been so long guilty A Religion that gives us the best and most compleat Character of the Divine Attributes and represents him as a Being insinitely perfect in whom all the scatter'd excellencies of the creatures are concenter'd without any of their Imperfections A Religion that declares the Greatness of his Majesty the Infinity of his Power the unsearchableness of his Wisdom the Invariability of his Truth the Purity of his Nature and Boundlesness of his Goodness A Religion which gives us the most lovely Description of his Nature and naturally tends to work in us the most awful reverence and lowly humility silial fear and dependent confidence the most ardent Love and unspotted Purity chearsul Obedience to every Command and ready Submission to every Providence A Religion whose Mysteries are grave and serious becoming the Solemnities of Divine Worship without any mixtures of folly and prophaneness A Religion which declares Gods severe Indignation against Sin and love to vertue and goodness and strictly charges us to imitate the Divine Purity and thus become partakers of a Divine Nature And now no wonder that such a discovery as this was a terrible Alarm to that World that lay in wickedness No wonder that they who could injoy their Lusts without controul and plead the example of their gods in justification of their crimes were so hotly enrag'd against such as gave them a quite contrary discovery of the Divine Nature The light of the Gospel was hateful to them who were unwilling to be rous'd from their pleasing Slumbers and had rather have continued in their delusions Thus were the Apostles disturbers of the Heathen World by rectifying their gross Apprehensions concerning the Nature of God and calling them from Worshipping they knew not what to the Service of the only living and true God The Jews indeed had clearer discoveries of Gods Nature to them were committed his Oracles and in Judah was his name known But they had not such clear and satisfying light as we injoy under the Gospel they saw his back parts only but we behold his Face To them he was discover'd through a darkning veil but to us through a more perspicuous Glass His confining the special Testimonies of his Love to such a narrow spot of Ground as Judea did seem to represent him less amiable and diffusive in his goodness than WE have reason to apprehend him His so rigidly insisting on ceremonial Services and positive Institutions and connivence at many Breaches of moral Duties such as Polygamy Divorces upon light occasions and the Laws of Retaliation and Revenge did tend to beget a less awful sense of his Holiness and Purity than is due unto him In the Christian Religion the Divine Wisdom is displai'd in more lively Colours the Divine Goodness is written in more legible Characters his hatred to Sin his love to Piety is more perspicuously discover'd Never was there so lovely a Manifestation of all his Attributes as in the Redemption of the World by our Saviour the vastly extended Heavens and all the beauteous splendid Lights that thence dart down their Influences on the World and all the Flourishes of Divine Power and Wisdom which may be seen upon the Earth and all the admirable Acts of Providence whereby God hath startled his Enemies or sav'd his People afford not such exalted discoveries of the Divine Wisdom and Omnipotence as is legible in the Incarnation Life and Death of our Saviour The deluge of the old World the Flames of Sodom the Plagues of Egypt and all the Tremendous Judgments recorded in the Old Testament were not so sensible a Declaration of Gods Indignation against Sin as the anguish and direful Agonies of the Lord Jesus The miracles of Mercy extended to Noah and Abraham and Joseph and David and all the other Worthies of Israel give us not such elevated transporting Apprehensions of the depths of Divine Love as may be drawn from the consideration of that great My stery of Godliness God manifested
hardly possible to subsist The immortality of the Soul and a future State Another Sect the Herodians were Court-Flatterers and State-Politicians who made it an act of their Religion to comply with the humours of their Prince Those who pretended most to Sanctity and Piety the Pharisees had found an easie Religion which they fanci'd would please God and themselves too consisting mostly in trifles and shadows and very defective in the grear Duties of Religion they had put corrupt glosses on the Law of Moses and because the Magistrate could only punish the outward act they fondly presum'd God as indulgent and never imagin'd that their vain thoughts or idle words would be imputed to them as their sins They were indeed very careful to have a saint-like outside tho devillish Lusts dwelt within and hop'd to be justifi'd and sav'd tho their hearts were never purifi'd or amended All their Religion lay in the Observations of some Traditions and Customs handed down from their forefathers The Duties of Piety were suppli'd only by Ceremonious Services and Rites they were abominably guilty of Deceit and Injustice Cozenage and Over-reaching one another and neglected the Rules of Justice and common Honesty among men they knew no such thing as a Spirit of Divine unbounded Charity but were of very rugged sowr Dispositions they were swoln big with an high conceit of themselves and look'd with contempt and disdain on the rest of mankind their Charity was contracted within the consines of Judea and they would not so much as eat with an uncircumcis'd Gentile or Samaritan nor pay them the common Offices of Civilty In a word their righteousness was so lam'd and wofully imperfect that our Saviour tells us it could qualifie no man for Heaven Matt. 5. 20. Thus did the whole World lye in wickedness and therefore no wonder that the strictness of the Christian Doctrine was so disturbing to those who were unwilling to be freed from their pleasing mistakes A Doctrine that requires we should inwardly reverence and adore the Divine Majesty and express our Adoration by solemn Prayers and Praises and acts of Devotion A Doctrine that requires a flaming Love an humble Dependence an awful Fear and careful imitation of every imitable Perfection That we should give him the Supremacy of our Affections without any corrival or competitor That we should Worship him only in such a manner as is agreeable to the Dignity of his Nature and Revelation of his Will That we should never use his Name in a prophane irreverent manner but always with that becomingawe that is due to so Sovereign a Majesty That we should sanctifie that time he hath set a part for his Service and then Worship him with sincere devout Affections That we should be Pure and Chast and Sober and Temperate and Humble tame our Flesh subdue our Lusts be moderate in our pursuit of worldly Injoyments contemn the World entertain a mean Opinion of our selves and all things here below Sacrifice our secular Interests and even life it self for the sake of God and a good Conscience and always behave our selves as the Citizens of Heaven That we should love our Neighbour as our selves and not be so narrow-soul'd as to contain our Affections in smaller bounds than those of the Universe That we should follow Peace with all men forgive our Enemies pray for our Persecutors and be kind and obliging to all with whom we converse That we should subdue all angry Resentments and quench all revengeful desires and carefully abstain from every thing that is injurious to our Neighbour and do to others as we should reasonably desire they should do to us were we in their circumstances That we should in order to these ends repent of our Sins believe in the Lord Jesus and depend upon the aids of Divine Grace to enable us to purifie our thoughts and words and purge our actions and â—it us for Heaven These are the chief heads of the Christian Doctrine These are the excellent Rules which our Saviour commanded by his word and blessed example These were the Precepts that startled the World and inflam'd the hearts of guilty Sinners with such hatred and malice against the Apostles This was the chief cause of their enmity against the Preachers of this new Faith even because they would have reclaim'd them from their vicious courses and invited to the utmost heights of holiness because they endeavour'd to pull down the Devils throne and establish the Empire of Christ to root up those Weeds and Briars that had over-run the Garden of God and plant those Seeds of Grace that might bring forth fruit unto righteousness Their design was to work in the hearts of men an holy conformity to the Divine Nature and because the Philosophy of the Heathens and Law of Moses was not so clear and perfect as was necessary to bring men to happiness therefore did God send his Son to give this last and most perfect Revelation of his Will which for clearness and certainty and perfection far exceeds all the Volumes of Morality compil'd by Heathens and even that Law which was given from Heaven to the Jews In these particulars 't is confessed the Apostles did turn the world upside down but they were so far from deserving a reproof that for this very Cause the highest veneration of them as the most noble Benefactors to mankind is their due The error of the men of Lystra who took them for gods in the shape of men Acts 14. 11. was much more excusable than the dangerous mistake of these who accused them for disturbing a vicious World For they testiâ—ied God's approbation to their Doctrines wherever they came 1 By their intrinsick Worth and Excellence they maintained none of the absurd Articles of the Gentile Faith and imposed none of the burthensom Ceremonies of the Jewish Worship but their Doctrines were all suited to the Reasons of men and commended themselves to their approbation by their intrinsick Excellence To go over the former particulars 1. Their conceptions of God and the manner how he will be Worshipp'd Reason tells us that he who gave to all their Beings and Perfections must be himself infinitely perfect Must injoy all excellencies in himself in an eminent degree and be divested of every Imperfection The works of Nature declare that he must be Infinite in Power who created the vast Fabrick of Heaven and Earth incomprehensible in Wisdom who order'd every thing with such admirable harmony and agreement and boundless in his Goodness who gave such comely Perfections to every creature and made them so useful and serviceable one to another the whole World is a Map to represent these several excellencles and every Creature a Herald to proclaim these glorious Perfections his works of Providence discover his Justice whereby he Thunders against obstinate Sinners his Holiness whereby he shows his delight in the sincerely Obedient and his Truth whereby he makes good his Promises and Threatnings Indeed the Nature of God
own Reason or convince the Judgments of others That his God is blasphem'd and his Saviour dishonour'd by an huge party of men who pretend to be of his Holy Religion But because this Infection is of a spreading nature and the growth of Popery is too common and too just a complaint and the Bigots of that Church are continually using all the artifices of Cunning and Insinuation and Treachery to delude the easie multitude and once more Introduce their blind Religion into our Nation I cannot think it an unseasonable work but a piece of charity to the Souls of men to give a just Character of that Religion which if God had not and did not still mercifully interpose would have again over spread this Land as well as other Nations I shall therefore pursue my former method and inquire Quest 1. Whether they have introduc'd new Doctrines different from what the Apostles taught and what warrant they can produce for doing so Ans He that runs over the former particulars may soon be satisfi'd that they have restor'd absur'd Gentile Idolatry and superannuated Jewish Ceremonies and wofully corrupted Christianity in those great Articles wherein I have show'd its pre-eminence to consist 1. They have introduc'd new Doctrines concerning God and the manner how he will be Worshipp'd This will be evident if we reflect upon these four particulars following 1. Their Representing and Worshipping God by Images 2. Their Adoration of Saints and Angels 3. Their Adoration of the Host 4. The manner of their Worship too exactly symbolizes with that of Jews and Heathens 1. Their Representing and Worshipping God by Images Those who are acquainted with any thing of the Romish Worship know how in their Churches nay in their Psalters Mass-books and Manuals of Devotion the incomprehensible Trinity is pictur'd sometimes like an old Man with a long grey Beard and a ray of light over his head with a Crucifix between his Knees or a Child in his Arms and a Dove with spread Wings under his Beard Sometimes like a Monster with three Faces in a Knot Now how abominably foolish and impious are such Representations as these What ridiculous entertainment doth this afford to the Socinian And how doth it expose this sacred Mystery to his Derision and Contempt How naturally doth this tend to debase the Divine Majesty as if the Infinite Lord of Angels and Men bore any resemblance to his imperfect Creatures and the incomprehensible Majesty of Heaven and Earth were like such Worms and Dust as we If any man should reverence a Worm or a Toad as the Image of his Prince would not such a mans honorary respect be interpreted as an high affront And is it not an infinitely greater Indignity to Worship the Divine Majesty in the shape of the most glorious of any of his Creatures There is very great danger lest the ignorant Vulgar should fancy God like the Images he is represented by and they naturally tend at least to debase our conceptions of his incomprehensible nature His Immensity cannot be represented by a piece of Wood nor his Infinity by a finite Idol Images are apt to suggest too low Thoughts and mean Apprehensions of his Nature and therefore are not to be us'd If it be pleaded That such Representations may be instrumental to raise our Thoughts and excite dovout Affections within us Alas he that hath not rais'd Apprehensions of the Divine Majesty and Greatness from the consideration of his own glorious works must expect little benefit by the imperfect Art and Invention of man Let them therefore call Images Laymen's books till they show us Gods License and Imprimatur for them we shall esteem them as Surreptitious Pamphlets offensive to the King of Heaven If it be again pleaded That God by his appearances to Abraham and the Patriarchs in the form of a man and his being represented as an old man to Daniel and the Holy Ghost's descent in the form of a Dove hath authoriz'd such Representations I answer The appearances to the Patriarchs were of the second Person in the Trinity as Anticipations of his Incarnation and were no Representations of his Nature but only signs that he was then and there present As to that in Dan. 7. 9. concerning the Ancient of days that was only represented to the inward sense of Daniel in a Vision and was only a Symbol of Gods fitness to Judg the World White to denote the purity of his Nature Ancient of days to represent his eternity and white hair to shadow out his Wisdom and Prudence As to that of Matth. 3. 16. Dr. Hammond's Exposition takes off all necessity of answer according to him the Expression like a Dove hath reference not to any assumed likeness Hammond in Matth. 3. 16. but to the manner of the descent that he came down upon him as Doves use to do when they light upon any thing hovering and overshadowing it Thus we know the Holy Ghost descended on the Virgin Mary Luke 1. 35. For St. Luke indeed adds in a bodily shape but that may be render'd with a bodily appearance so that perhaps the Holy Ghost might appear in no outward Figure but only appear to be present by the appearance of Angels and it is not unlikely it might be in a bright shining Cloud as at the transfiguration of our Saviour Matth. 17. 5. it is said A bright shining cloud overshadow'd them descending as Doves use to do For the full confirmation of this I must refer to the place But if the general Exposition be allow'd That the Holy Ghost did appear in such a symbolical Figure this was only to represent the Innocence of our Saviour and the purity and peaceableness of that Religion he was then beginning to teach the World No representation of his Nature Nor can God be worshipp'd under any corporal Figure without palpable Idolatry For as soon may deliberate Murder and Adultery be reconcil'd to the 6th and 7th as this can to the 2d Commandment And our Romish Doctors are very conscious of this and therefore have very fairly expung'd it out of their Catechisms and Manuals and split the tenth into two to keep up the number They had reason to fear lest the Laity not having such Metaphysical heads as themselves if they had left it standing should have been deterr'd from so gainful a sin For thou shalt not make a Graven Image would quickly make their Temples desolate and thou shalt not bow down to the likeness of any thing in Heaven or Earth would open the eyes of their deluded Proselytes if they were but permitted to read them Words so fully Emphatical and Comprehensive that all worship of Images could hardly have been condemn'd in more large and significant terms And Moses who best knew the meaning of the Lawgiver hath given a clear comment upon this Command Deut. 4. 15 16. Take ye therefore good heed unto your selves for you saw no manner of similitude when the Lord appeared unto you in Horeb
lest ye corrupt your selves and worship Graven Images If the Heathen Idolatry were only forbidden of what inconsequent arguing would Moses here be guilty Take heed lest ye worship the Images of false gods for ye never saw any Representation of the true God But if all Worship of Images be here forbidden then the Argument is very pertinent and forcible Take heed how ye Worship God in any outward Representation for if such a thing were pleasing to him he would not have left it to your choice to do it in what form you pleas'd but would have appear'd in such a likeness as best pleas'd himself Besides the golden Calf which the Israelites worshipp'd as a resemblance of God was a breach of this Commandment and is called an Idol Acts 7. 41. For that the Israelites did make this as a resemblance of the true God is Exodus 32. clear from the Story Aaron says these be thy Gods O Israel that brought thee out of the Land of Egypt and Proclaims a Feast to Jehovah for either we must suppose the Israelites to be so stupidly sottish as to suppose this Calf to be really that God that brought them out of Egypt before it was made or if we cannot find in our hearts to believe them so absurd we must believe they fell back to the Egyptian Idolatry or worshipt the true God under this representation That it was not a resemblance of the Egyptian Gods is evident from hence that he is call'd Jehovah and is represented as the God that brought them out of Egypt for could they once imagine that the Egyptian Gods had destroy'd their own most zealous worshippers and wrought such wonders for them who abhor'd their worship and would give them no adoration is it not much more rational to suppose that the Israelites expected some symbol of the Divine Presence going before them as they might expound that promise Exod. 23. 20. And Moses being See more of this in Stillingsleets Defence of the Idolatry of R. C. Page 747 absent for 40 Days they doubting whether ever they should see him more devise with themselves what token to have of Gods presence with them and the most part being sway'd by their Education in Egypt where they worship'd their chief god Osyris in the form of a Bull compel Aaron to make a Golden Calf And if this be in them accounted Idolatry must not the same title be given to our Romish worshippers of Graven Images Of the same sin was Micah guilty in Judg. 17. who to ease himself of the trouble of travelling so often to Sbiloh to worship there made a molten and graven image as a representation of the Lord Jehovah builds a Chappel in his house and hires a Levite to be his Priest and in this rejoyces exceedingly now know I says he that the Lord will do me good seeing I have a Levite to my Priest Judg. 17. 13. Of the same nature was that great sin of Jeroboam for which he is branded with so black a Character in Scripture he made two Calves in Dan and Bethel as a representation of God 'T is plain he design'd not to draw the Israelites from the Worshipping God but from going up to Jerusalem to Worship lest their converse with the Two Loyal Tribes should revive their principles of Loyalty also and reduce them to their subjection to their Lawful Sovereign and therefore his successors were look'd upon as worshippers of Jehovah Thus Jehu was zealous for the Lord 2 King 10. 16. Jehovah though he departed not from this sin of Jerobcam Thus it appears how plainly God hath forbidden all worship of him by images And that this Law was not only positive and temporary but unalterâ—bly obliging all men appears from the reason of the Law The unsuitableness of an image to the Divine Nature Isa 40. 18 25. The Prophet rhere after a stately and majestick description of the Divine Greatness concludes with this inference To whom then will ye liken God Or what likeness will ye compare unto him As if he should say Seeing God is so immensly Glorious a being your own reasons may convince you of the folly of making any representations of him John 4. 24. God is a Spirit and will be worship'd in spirit and truth That is as some interpret the words not in the Image of a Dove as the Samaritans Worship'd him on Mount Gerizim nor with the Typical Sliadows of the Jewish Law St. Paul when arguing with the Athenians bends his discourse against their Worshipping the Sovereign God in the likeness of silyer or gold or stone Acts 17. 29. and in Rom. 1. 23 He disputes against the wiser Philosophers and accuses them that when they knew God to be an Immensly Glorious being they fashion'd him like a man and Worship'd him by Images and the accusation will equally concern our present Romish pretenders to Wisdom The same apologies the wise men of Athens and Rome made to excuse their Heathenish Idolatry are adapted by the Popish Schools to justify their worshipping Images Plutarch and Celsus and Julian and Maximus Tyrius and many others tell us they look'd upon Images only as helps to remembrance and means of exciting their devotions nay the worshippers of the Sun and Moon and Stars might better apologize for themselves For these natural Images are great Monuments of the Divine Wisdom and Power and Goodness but the present artificial ones express only the Gravers skill and imperfect cunning Nay further the very same pleas might be us'd by the Priests of Egypt to justify their most ridiculous follies Leeks and Onions may as well draw forth my penitential tears deified Apes and Monkeys may as well be the objects of my adoration as the Monstrous Pictures of the Trinity in their Temples But how contradictory soever this practise be to Scripture Images may well agree to that Church which retains little more than the faine image and shadow of a Religion 2. Their Adoration of Saints and Angels and giving them the same Worship the Heathens gave to their Daemons or inferior Deities By Daemons the Heathens understood an inferior sort of deified powers as middle Beings between the Sovereign God and mortal men and because they thought the higher God too pure and sublime to meddle with Earthly affairs they placed these as Mediators to prefent the prayers of Men to God and convey the benefits of God to Men thus Plato and Hesiod and others that describe them To this opinion the Apostle seems to allude in 1 Cor. 8. 5. 6. As there be Gods many and Lords many yet to us there is but one God the Father and one Lord Jesus Christ i. e. Tho the Heathens Worship'd many Supreme See this confirm'd in Mede's Apostacy of the later times Gods and inferior powers as Presidents and Mediators in Earthly things yet we Christians acknowledg but one sovereign Deity and one Mediator who presents our Prayers to the Father and brings us back the rewards
externally to Worship See this Argument largely prosecuted in Funeral of the Mass Chap. 5. God wherever he is but only where he displays some Beams of his Glory Therefore our Saviour teacheth us to say Our Father which art in Heaven Why not in Earth Air or Sea God is in all these but Heaven is the Throne of his Glory and therefore thither we are to direct our Eyes and Devotions Upon this account supposing Christs humanity really present he is but as a Prince in disguise and hath none of his Robes of Majesty and therefore expects not our religious Adoration all that is adorable in Christ is in the water of Baptism there is his Godhead Divine Person and Attributes and yet there we do not Worship him and therefore are not oblig'd to do it in the Eucharist supposing his Humanity really present For if his Godhead which is of it self adorable be not worshipp'd where there are no Beams of Glory much less is his Manhood to be Worshipp'd which is not of it self adorable where there are no glorious appearances of it Those therefore who adore the Host at best Worship God without a command but are really grosser Idolaters than the most Barbarous Heathens 4. The manner of the Romish Worship too exactly symbolizes with the ridiculous Superstitions of the Heathens and forbidden Ceremonies of the Jews and is unsuitable to the Divine Nature The Heathens us'd many ridiculous Ceremonies and antick Rites numerous Spells and Charms in their Worship and Râ—me-Papal hath equall'd if not exceeded them in her fond Superstitions Here I might â—ell of their Christening Bells and touching â—eads and charming Water Salt and Spittle for casting out Devils their hallowing Medals Swords and Agnus Deis for a security from temporal and spiritual Evils Their strange Actions in their Exorcisms and Conjurations indeed their very Worship being in an unknown Language looks like a Charm or Spell I mighâ— mention their muttering over little unintelligible Prayers numbring them by â—heir Beads and vain Repetitions too like the Tautologies of the Heathens condemn'd by our Saviour I might further instance in their impos'd Penances some trifling and ridiculous others severe and formidable Their pilgrimages walking barefoot wearing Hair shirts whipping and slashing themselves like the Priests of Baal and the Worshippers of the other Sanguinary Heathen Deities In their ordinary Worship of the Mass the Priest turns himself five times about at the Alter to denote the five Apparitions of Christ on the day of his Resurrection turns to the right hand to signifie that he hath a Stopfords Parallel page 261. right Intention for himself and the people He uses divers strange Bowings and Postures Sometimes with his hands close shut and at other times spread abroad Sometimes he cries aloud and at other times mutters over some things to himself Sometimes he makes as if he slept with his Eyes close shut then starts up and goes on with numerous mimical Actions fitter for a Stage-play than the House of God In the Sacrament of Baptism the Child must be first blown upon to drive away the Devil Then hallow'd Salt is put in his Mouth that he may be season'd with Wisdom His Breast and Shoulders are anointed with holy Oyl that he may be kept from evil Suggestion and strengthen'd to bear the Lords burden His Mouth Eyes Ears Nostrils Breast and Forehead are sign'd with the sign of the Cross that all may thereby be defended A white Garment is put upon him to betoken his Regeneration A Veil on his head in token that he is Crown'd with a Royal Diadem A burning Wax-candle in his hand to fulfil that saying of our Saviour Let your light so shine before men c. And the Priests holy Spittle for the very Excrements of such a sacred Person must needs be holy must be stroak'd on his Ears and Nostrils that the one may be open'd to hear the word and the other to discern between Good and Evil and after all follow the words of institution A bare Relation of these things is a sufficient Confutation and the consideration of them forc'd those honest Expressions from Polidore Virgil He that observes these things says he and is De Invent. lib. 5. cap. 1. but modestly scrupulous will say He questions whether we imitate the Religion of the Ancient Heathens or their Superstitions These numerous mystical Rites are perfectly opposite to the Religion of our Saviour and tend to bring in a dry Skelleton of bodily Actions instead of the Spiritual Worship of the Gospel Nay have they not gall'd the Necks of their Disciples with that heavy Yoke of Jewish Ceremonies which the Apostle would not impose on the Gentile Convers Is not superannuated Judaism restor'd and the high Priest translated from Jerusalem to Rome Are not their Pilgrimages and Jubilees burning Lamps at noon-day and perfumes of Incense distinction of Days and Meats and Rules about Fasting and Abstinence a perfect imitation of the Jews These hath the Infallible man at Rome reviv'd as if he would correct the Divine Wisdom that abolish'd them or at least as if the Church were now in its Dotage and again were to be rul'd like a Child or Infant But we have not so learn'd Christ We are to remember as Bishop Taylor speaks That Figures and Shadows were for the Old Testament but light and manifestation Ductor Dub. lib. 3. c. 4. rul 20. s 8. for the New The Egyptians did indeed teach Religion by Hierogliphical Symbols and the Schools of plato and Pythagoras by Numbers and Figures but we who walk in the light of the Gospel have an easier way of teaching the People and are not to return to the Elements and Rituals of Jews and Pagan Schools This manner of teaching by symbolical Actions is too low too suspicious too Dangerous to be mingled with Divine Liturgies and unbefitting the gravity and spirituality of our Religion Thus far he Thus we see how they have overturn'd the first design of Christianity Obscur'd the Light of the Gospel and instead of that compleat Character of the Nature of God and the manner of his Worship laid down in Scripture have by their Idolatry and Superstition given us unworthy Notions of his Attributes and brought in that blindness and thick darkness which was mercifully chas'd away by the Sunshine of the Gospel 2. They have invaded Christs Mediatory Office The Christian Religion discovers the only means of reconciling sinful Creatures by the Incarnation Death and Sufferings of the Lord Jesus who in pursuance of the great design of bringing us to Heaven is invested with the Offices of King Priest and Prophet of his Church all which the Papacy hath invaded 1. They have invaded Christs Kingly Office By this 't is his Prerogative to give Laws to his Church and Christians are bound to pay him the Subjection and entire Obedience of their Hearts and Lives If any therefore shall pretend a power of dispensing with his Laws and untying