Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	aaron_n	calf_n	worship_n	12	3	6.7333	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69775	The history of popery, or, Pacquet of advice from Rome the fourth volume containing the lives of eighteen popes and the most remarkable occurrences in the church, for near one hundred and fifty years, viz. from the beginning of Wickliff's preaching, to the first appearance of Martin Luther, intermixt with several large polemical discourses, as whether the present Church of Rome be to be accounted a Church of Christ, whether any Protestant may be present at Mass and other important subjects : together with continued courants, or innocent reflections weekly on the distempers of the times.	Care, Henry, 1646-1688.	1682 (1682)	Wing C521; ESTC P479002	208,882	288

compliance with the times c. do resort thereunto and this we averr they cannot do without great and dangerous sin For 1. Though God by the wise Preacher saith to every man My Son give me thy heart and that without the inward affection all external Postures of Devotion are vain yet it is also true that God requires the whole Man and we must serve him with our Bodies as well as with our Spirits for which he himself in his Holy Word Assigns the Reason viz. Because the one as well as the other is his since our Bodies are Redeemed with the Blood of a Crucified Jesus of infinite value shall we dare to prostitute the same before an Idol since they ought to be Temples of the Holy Ghost will you pollute them with abominable Sacriledge since they are designed for a blessed Immortality and to be partakers of Divine Glory How vile a thing is it to sully them with assisting at loathsome Superstitions St. Paul envying against Vncleanness uses this very Argument Your Bodies are Members of Christ how monstrously wicked then is it to make them Members of an Harlot when the Lord speaks of his faithful Servants he Characterizeth them by this special note They have not bow'd the Knee to Baal nor have kissed his Hand He might have said they are not corrupted with Superstition or they do not own Baal for God but to express that the same was not enough the Holy Spirit by name declares that they have not so much as by outward gesture exhibited any worship to the Idol and does he not by this Description admonish us also to abstain from all such Pollution if we would be accounted of the number of his people But you will say you keep your hearts right to God and whatever others do you fix your Devotion on him and know that 't is abomination to direct your prayers unto or to expect help from an Idol and therefore you address your prayers only to God though with your Face directed towards an Image With this very pretence the Corinthians of old endeavoured to excuse themselves when Paul reprehended this Crime in them 1 Cor. 8. They went to the Feasts which were kept in honour of Idols and with others were partakers of those solemn Banquets But did they do this superstitiously No for Paul as in their person brings in this excuse We know that an Idol is nothing whatever men esteem it and that there is but one God But the Apostle does not take this for a sufficient Plea but tells them that for all that a weak Brother that sees them may conclude that they do it in honour to the Idol and so by your example may be tempted to Idolatry When the wicked Sacrifice to the Devil whoever in such an action mixes himself with them adjoyns himself to the Devil you cannot at once be partakers of the Lords Table and of the Table of Devils whoever chuses the one must of necessity renounce the other Were such evasions of a good Intention to be allow'd how rashly and foolishly did Daniel's Companions expose themselves Could not they thus have concluded amongst themselves others indeed will Worship the Image which the King hath set up but we though we bow before it will still Worship the living God In the mean time to avoid danger we will go with the Crowd and pretend to do as they do would such a Cavil have excused them before God sure none will dare to say it What then shall we ●ame them for an inconsiderate Zeal that they would rather be cast into a fiery Furnace than by dissembling derogate from the Honour of God This we cannot do because the Holy Ghost expresly commends them for this noble Resolution and Constancy and Heaven gave Testimony to it by a Miracle and what is written is for Example and Instruction But how witty is man to find out Glosses and Colours to palliate his Crimes some fancy to eyade all this by saying These things are true of Heathen superstitions who sinned not only in using ill Ceremonies but also by Worshipping false Gods and therefore 't is no wonder if the Lord did so abominate their Rites but this is nothing to the Papists for though the Worship of God be corrupted amongst them yet they have no other intention but to Worship the true God But to this I answer whenever the World goes about to Worship God in a perverse and unlawful manner at the same Instant it Adores an Idol with whatsoever varnish it may colour its impiety In vain do those that set up Superstitions Condemned by God alleadge that they mean thereby to Worship God for since that the Lord neither hath instituted nor will accept thereof such Worship is exhibited to the Devil rather than to him For which cause the Apostle Paul speaking of those who turn ' 〈…〉 Corruptible Image says they served the 〈…〉 Brazen Serpent was not made by the Capricio of men but by the Command of God nor was it only a Symbol of a Divine Benefit but also a Type of Christ In after-times this was abused to Idolatry nor did that abuse want a specious pretext of the name of God Now suppose any one had feigned to Worship that Serpent to accommodate himself to the Superstition of the Rabble would any say he were guiltless The Golden Calf was made by Aaron to represent the true God but being against God's Command and contrary to Truth the Lord pronounc'd it Idolatry The like may be said of Jeroboam's Calves for he did not pretend to Introduce any new God only set up those Figures to prevent his people's going up to Jerusalem to pay their Devotion whereby he thought the State of his Kingdom would be endangered yet still it was gross Idolatry because he instituted a Rite without warrant from the Word of God and contrary to the Divine Command Now if any one had offered Sacrifice there not cordially but only in Complement to the King would he have been innocent or do we read of any of the Servants of God paying their Devotions there or rather on the contrary do not we find that God by his Prophets continually did forbid and condemn the same Was the Temple at Samaria Dedicated to Jove or Mars to Baal or Ashdod No no 't was Consecrated to the God of Israel but was it ever the more lawful to Worship there Secret Idolatry though varnish't with the name of God is prohibited as well as that which is open as was that of the Gentiles But the better to understand wherein and how far it may be lawful for a Christian to whom God hath made known the Abominations which abound in the Popish Church to Communicate with them we must note that of those things wherein they place the Worship of God some are inventions directly contrary to God's Word some other are depraved and corrupted by latter use though originally not evil 2. Some of their Ceremonies are in no sort to