is mention of Moloch there is nothing else meant by it but the Starre of Saturne and there is also mention made of the Star of the god Rempham Fifthly after those things that are in Heaven then he commeth downe to the earth and there is forbidden the serving of any in earth to men as the Images of Baal Pâ—rizzim Baal Peor Baal Zebus Hercules Antidotus Muscarum Secondly Women as was that of Astarothe Thirdly of fowles as Ibis in Aegypt the Owle amongst the wise Graecians Fourthly Serpents as the Otter and Crocodiles and Belus was one while worshipped in the shape of a Dragon Fifthly Wormes as the Snailes among the Troglodytae Sixthly Plants as Isis in Aegypt and all other things whatsoever even things made by art as pieces of red cloth as Strabo testifieth of them that were towards the East and West Ezek. 8.14 2 Kings 23.11 Jer. 44.17 Exod. 6.32 1 Kings 12. Golden Calfe Sixthly All that is in the water as Syrens water-snakes fishes Neptune god of Philistims Dagon his similitude was like a male watersnake Aesculapius was worshipped under a watersnakes shape There was occasion given him by the Gentiles of all those that are here forbidden so that we are not onely forbidden our Simile but also our Paterne Now Deut. 4.12 13 14. Moses making as it were a Comment on this Commandement saith Remember this that when God came into the Mount ye saw no likenesse or similitude but onely heard a voice and ergo a voice say the Rabbines because a voyce not being able to be painted nor drawne into any shape it was never like to deprive God any way of his honour But the reasons they weigh thus much in the Chap as if he should say If it had beene the will of God that there should have beene any Image he would have shewed you somewhat when he came into the Mount but you saw nothing but heard onely a voyce take heed ergo that you correct not God and make to your selves any Image And as it is Heb. 11.1 it is the nature of faith to be rerum invisibilium not to see Now to bring visible things into Religion and Faith it is the next way to dishonour God and the overthrow of Faith and Religion Joh. 4.23 Christ himselfe telleth the Woman that the time was come when all Ceremonies and invented places for worship should goe for nothing and even the very Temple at Jerusalem God would not accept it But this was it that should be accepted that they should worship him in spirit and truth whereunto nothing is more opposite than Images no truth being in them but onely the shew of a truth and visible Then they will aske if all likenesses be condemned why was then that of the Cherubims permitted yea prescribed by God to be made for that was a resemblance Heb. 9.5 But yet it was no such * * * Num. 21.8 2 King 10. resemblance as they define an Image to be quod habet exemplar in rerum natura For the Cherubims were made round like two young men or boyes without armes and in stead thereof with two wings But for that matter it is plaine that he made them not to be worshipped but if he would have had them worshipped he would not have put them into the darkest place but they were put into the Sanctum Sanctorum where none ever came but the high Priest and he but once in the yeare And they were made as appeareth Exod. 25.22 to this end that the high Priest might know from whence God would give answer But Tertullian in his Book De Idololatria Tom. 2. pag. 447. answereth this fully God saith not that an Image may not be made But non facies tibi that we make not any to our selves But they say then Why did Moses make an Image and he hath that objection in the same place Ait quidam Cur ergo Moses ex aere fecit serpentem His answer is there Quod idem Deus lege vetuit similitudinem fieri extraordinario praescripto aeneum serpentem fieri fecit Tibi eundem deum observa Legem habes eam observa quod si post praeceptum factum sine libidine feceris tu imitare Mosem i. ne facias nisi deus te jusserit licuit deo legem ponere licet ei quod vult si idem deus diceret tibi Facies qui dixerat Non facies jure faceres God by his generall law forbade that any Image should be made then by an extraordinary cause by an extraordinary priviledge of an extraordinary matter caused an Image to be made except you have particular commandement from God as Moses had doe not you make any Image Concerning this point we have shewed on Gods behalfe what did move him to make this restraint now it followeth that we shew that in regard of our selves and our owne corruptions it is necessary this restraint should be made Tertullian in the same Book De Idololatria setteth it downe that before the Flood even during the dayes of Seth the worship of God was corrupted with Images and that Enoch's restoring was nothing else but the restoring of the true Religion unto her purenesse againe and that he is ergo said in his dayes to have walked with God This is it that Tertullian saith For the likelyhood of it since Adam we have example of it that it was true for Jacob by being in the house of Laban had learned to take Teraphim gods of Images to mingle them with God The reason of this is in Gen. 6.3 God will trouble himselfe no more nor set himselfe against man and his reason is because man is wholly evill fleshly i. though hee consist of two natures one of flesh and bones the other of the spirit yet he suffereth the grossenesse of the flesh to overgrow the purenesse of the spirit and to corrupt it turning the spirituall nature into flesh so that we wholly become flesh and ergo love that with which the flesh is delighted i. sense Insomuch as the Apostles many times in their writings and Paul giveth us warning to take heed of the flesh of the soule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The meaning of this is that we have an affection in us and that affection is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a desire to feele or see him This was Saint Thomas his disease that would not beleeve except he did feele his wounds and see him himselfe c. And it was the disease of Mary Magdalen about the death of her brother Master if thou hadst been here he had not dyed And we see it was not hers alone but of all the Apostles they desired that Christ might stay to erect an earthly kingdome and that they might be with him alwayes insomuch that he was faine to tell them that except he were taken from them the Comforter could not come to them Such a thing there is in Religion In Exodus Moses had been in the Mount but
by if nature were the first cause then they should reduce all things to it and bring a reason of every thing from it Hoc autem fieri non potest but this cannot be done For they themselves cannot give a reason of the ebbing and flowing of the sea the colour of the Rainebow the strength of the neather chappe which is able to snap a sunder iron yet hath a very weake upholder The heat of the stomacke why it consumeth any meat that hurteth not it selfe nor the next parts And even in vertues they make another kinde of vertue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divine heroicall 3. If nature were the first cause then seeing nothing can goe against the chiefe cause there should be nothing against nature But we see the Sunne stood at the commandement of Joshua the Sunnes eclyps in the full of the Moone against nature at Christs passion the Comet against nature in the constellation of Cassiopeia with the watery signes No naturall reasons prophecying that Cyrus should dâ—l ver and restore Isâ—ael 3. Prophecying and foretelling things to come in plaine names Esay 44 28. A prophecy of Cyrus 100 yeeres before he was borne 1 Kings 13.2 Of Iosias 300. before his birth Iosh 6.26 Of Hiel 500 yeeres before his time almost that he should â—uâ—ld Ierico and lay the foundation of it in his eldest sonne Abiram and set up the gates thereof in his yongest sonne Segub Id quodevenit that which camâ— to passe 1 Kin. 16.34 Ergo a Deo qui est agens voluntarium Therefore from God who is a voluntary agent prophecie of necessity must be referred to a superior cause God so sensibly proved to us in his creatures that we may as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 touch or handle him 4. The order of the creatures the wonderfull framing of them the hidden power in them and the great art in the searching out of them insomuch that the ordinary and contemptible things have wrought to the astonishment of all men Pliny marvelleth at the Gnat at the trunke of it where with she maketh a noyse and saith that witâ— out a power above nature that thing could not be created As also thâ— Butterflies and infinite others Galene de usu partium blasphemously intreating of the parts of man when he commeth to one of least account he is in admiration of it and is constrained to name God and saith he hath described Hymnum Domino a Hymne or song â—o the Lord in describing the use of that part And as we learne by those things that are without us that there is a God so may we learne the same by things in us We have a soule indued with reason and understanding immortall then this must either be the cause of it selfe or else have it of some other Of it selfe it is not for it knoweth not it selfe no not the body but by anatomy but every cause knoweth his effect not onely post quam productum fuerit sed etiam antequam producatur quibus quasi gradibus producitur after it is brought forth but even before the production and as it were by what meanes it is produced The cause must know its effect 2. Our parents our father in begetting us our mother in conceiving knew not what should be begotten ad causam autem necâ—ssariò requiritur ut cognoseat suum effectum antequam existat dum est in producendo For to the cause it is necessarily required that it know its effect before it be and while it is in producing The cause must command the effect 3. And after we be brought forth we cannot command every part of us as the beating of the Arteries in the heart therefore from our selves we proceed not Therefore we must necessarily have our cause aliunde from some other And there is no cause in the world partaker of mans understanding but man For no unreasonable thing and none is above reason but God And Arist 9. ad Eudemum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reason is not the cause of reason but reason commeth of a better thing then reason The cause is better than the effects Aratus alledged Acts 17.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We are also his off-spring Rom. 1.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which may be knowne of God is manifest in them 4. Within our soule are certaine sparkes of the light of nature â—i principles of infallible and undoubted truth as to honour our parents and superiours to doe as we would be done to to defend our selves to keepe promise to hurt no man without a cause c. at the first hearing whereof we assent And if these were not we were all naught and the overthrow of all sciences nature and society should follow All naturall notions infallible truths among which this is one that there is a God and that he is to be worshipped and howsoever all other faileth yet this never faileth all other principles yeeld to this A signe that it is deeper printed in us then the rest insomuch that the pride of mans nature which will yeeld to nothing else is contented miserably to submit it self to a peece of red cloath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 selfe-love rather then there should be no religion This notion therefore the chiefe and will not be pluckt out Object unlesse the heart goe also If exception be here taken If this notion be universall how then be there so many Atheists We will answer them with Seneca Sol. 1. Mentiuntur qui aiunt se non sentire esse Deum affirmant tibi non sibi affirmant interdiu non noctu evelli non potest è corde cor ipsum evellendum est They lie who affirme that they perceive not that there is a God they who say so they say it to thee but not to themselves they affirme it in the day time but not in the night and it cannot be pluckt out of the heart the heart it selfe must first be pluckt out But better thus A man may proceed to great hardnesse of heart Sol. 2. and blinding of himselfe yet must we hold that rule 1. Polit. 1. Specimen naturae cujuslibet è natura optima sumendum est the proofe of the nature of any one is to be taken from the best nature Cic. de nat deorum If we will know what notion is most universall in man we must take our argument from the best But they say there is an universall notion For the other which are sicke of the world and the flesh and the pleasures of them both as we cannot from a sicke man reason of taste so we are not to judge by these men what is naturally in man for they are a loose sort dissolute in life and having no leisure to thinke a good thing having their hearts fat yet though he be as fat as the Horse or a Mule yet if the Lord put his bit into their mouths these naturall sparkes will breake forth
The fifth Rule Signes There is no better signe then if wee say or prove nothing but either as the Prophets did Dictum Jehovae or else as Christ proved the Resurrection by a Syllogisme Mat. 22.32 or as the Apostle Quod accepistis haud alterum quam accepistis Quod accepi à Domino c. 1 Cor. 11. These three are good signes The sixth rule Be accessory to procure this that others doe it Exod. 34.12 Deut. 12.2 3. We must stand so affected to it as that we be ready to breake downe whatsoever is contrary to it But this must be understood of those that be in authority as Moses Exod. 32.20 He tooke the Calfe and burned it in the fire and grownd it c. It was Hezekiabs office to breake the Brasen serpent Secondly the private mans office is as Exod. 23.24 not to bow downe to them and to doe as the three Children Dan. 3.19 that is Though they may not runne and pull them downe yet they must not worship them And so much for the first part that is the manner of Gods externall worship The second part of the precept is how we must be affected in this worship 2 Part. Thou shalt not bow down to them c. For whereas it may be said to the first part thus Where he saith Non facies I may answer Non facio alius fecit ego factum reperio as we see the Danites Judg. 18. found in Michahs house an Idoll framed and not that alone but 1 King 12. not a private man but Jeroboam maketh a Calfe of gold And Dan. 3. Nebuchadnezzar doth not onely erect an Idoll but also commandeth it on paine of death to be worshipped Enough for the answer of this objection is that that followeth Non adorabis ea neque coles Howsoever they were made as thou hast no part in making so also in worshipping thou must not have any part The first word is * * * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Teshtacaveh and before used and the second * * * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tagnabhodh as * Pesel and Temunah 1. To bow down 2. To serve that word signifieth that that was then the usual manner of adoring That it was the usual manner it may appeare Gen. 18.21 as in Pesel and Temunah Now from this unto a generall word to Tagnabod non servies or non coles For we know a man may Colere and Gnabod unto that thing unto which he may not bow downe himselfe It is a diffused word and therefore as you find Psal 97.7 Gnobed Pesel so Gen. 14.4 you shall find Gnobed of men Genes 3.23 Gen. 2.15 Gnobed adamah Esay 19.9 Gnobed pishtim a trimmer of Lyme As in Latine Colo is not onely given to God and man but colore jus vitam glebam hortum And thereupon is Agricola called So that the Papists are in an erronous opinion that thinke the holy Ghost ascendeth from a word of lesse importance to a word of greater importance from the Species to the Genus The like may be said of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But if these two non incurvabis te non coles will not serve then we must take a third thing which is Exod. 23.24 doe nothing that any idolater doth to his gods doe nothing that pertaineth to the worship of them For the making plaine of truth against error and first against the error of the Romans We see the Commandement double First of making Secondly of serving and bowing downe to Images The Romans therefore which doe maintaine them should not onely bring a general commandement for making them but also for the worshipping which they cannot doe nor doe they goe about to doe For though they bring for the making that of the Cherubims yet not for the worshipping We must have a warrant for both Now for bowing downe ye shall understand that in their defence they are constrained to give us over And as in the former they went from Pesel and Temunah and leaned to Idolum and Icon◠so here they leave the Hebrew Tishtacaveh and Tagnabod and take them to the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They professe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet they breake the Commandement Now for some shift they say in the Rhemish Testament on Mat. 4.10 because that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not joyned with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therfore say they wee may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Saints c. But by looking to the verse precedent we rejoyce that the Devill required no more of Christ but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore unlesse we make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proper to God Christs answer will not serve nor be sufficient and the Devill might have replyed that he required not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was not joyned Secondly we come to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The distinction of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 although it have beene long in the Schooles yet in the Fathers it is not found except in August Lib. 10. de Civit. Dei cap. 1. 1. de Trinit cap. 6. he sets it downe and holdeth it But they doe falsly alleadge Eusebius Lib. 14. cap. 4. and Hierome Epist 52.53 cont Vigilant no such thing being to be found in them For Augustine we acknowledge him to have been a great and reverend man in the Church and such a one as tooke paines Yet this we may say of him without any irreverence Augustine said of himselfe he had no great knowledge in greek and Hebrew that the best part of his learning lay not in the Tongues And indeed he was very unskilfull both in the Hebrew and Greek which himselfe acknowledgeth in divers places and therefore not a meet man to pronounce that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is meant the service of men and by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the service of God But if we will distinguish these words wee may doe it truely thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is properly the service of our owne servant and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the service of him that is hired so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is our owne servant and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an hireling and so come in Latro which as Varro saith at first signified nothing else but an hired or stipendiary souldier of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Merces and after by the abuse of their calling and by their evill behaviour came into this odious name as it is now used It is not the service of God Heb. 8.5 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The reason why for Lagnabod the Septuagints use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be taken out of Tertullian in Lib. de Idolat Because they would not have Gods people to bee hired for money to dresse and
towards our heavenly countrey such as Iob speakes of Dominus dedit Dominus abstulit Iob 1.21 By gift he meaneth the felicity that is reserved for us after this life the Kingdome of Heaven that whereof our Saviour saith to Martha Luke 10. Mary hath chosen the better part which shall not be taken from her That which is a stay to us in this life is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the things which neither eye hath seene nor eare heard all which are reserved for them that love God 1 Cor. 2. these are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and as well the one as the other come from God So much we are taught by the adjectives that are joyned to these words Givings are called good and the Gifts of God are called perfect In which words the Apostles purpose is to teach us that not onely the great benefits of the life to come such as are perfect are of him but that even that good which we have in this life though it be yet imperfect and may be made better is received from him and not else where Who doth despise little things saith the Prophet Zach. 4.10 God is the Author both of perfect and good things as the Image of the Prince is to be seene as well in a small peece of coine as in a peece of greater value so we are to consider the goodnes of God as well in the things of this life as in the graces that concerne the life to come yea even in this To thinke that which is good 2 Cor. 3. Of him are the small things as well as the great Therefore out Saviour teacheth us to pray not onely for that perfect gift ut advenia Regnum but even for these lesser good things which are but his givings namely that he would give us our daily bread Under Good is contained all gifis both naturall or temporall Those givings which are naturall as to live to move and have understanding are good for of them it is said God saw all that he made and lo all was good Gen. 1. Of gifts temporall the Heathen have doubted whether they were good to wit riches honour c. but the Christians are resolved that they are good 1 Iohn 3. So our Saviour teacheth us to esteeme them when speaking of fish and bread he saith If you which are evill can give your children good things Luke 11. And the Apostle saith Hee that hath this worlds good 1 Iohn 3. For as Augustine saith That is not onely good quod facit bonum sed de quo fit bonum that is not onely good that makes good but whereof is made good so albeit riches do not make a man good alwaies yet because he may do good with them they are good The gift which the Apostle cals perfect is grace and glory whereof there is in this life the beginning of perfection the other in the life to come is the end and constancie of our perfection whereof the Prophet speaks Psal 84.12 The Lord will give grace and glory The Apostle saith Nihil perfectum adduxit Lex The Law brought nothing to perfection Heb. 7. that is by reason of the imperfection of our nature and the weaknesse of our flesh Rom. 8.3 To supply the defect that is in nature grace is added that grace might make that perfect which is imperfect The person that giveth us this grace is Jesus Christ by whom grace and truth came Iohn 1. And therefore he saith Estote perfecti sicut Pater vester coelestis perfectus est Matth. 5. And by this grace not only our sinnes are taken away but our soules are endued with inherent vertues and receive grace and ability from God to proceed from one degree of perfection to another all our life time even till the time of our death which is the beginning and accomplishment of our perfection as our Saviour speakes of his death Luke 13.32 In the latter part of the proposition we are to consider the place from whence and the person from whom we receive these gifts the one is supernè the other à Patre luminum Now he instructeth us to beware of a third errour that we looke not either on the right hand or on the left hand that we regard not the persons of great men which are but instruments of God if we have any good from them all the good we have it is de sursum the thoughts of our hearts that arise in them if they tend to good are not of our selves but infused into us by the divine power of Gods spirit and so is whatsoever good thought word or worke proceeding from us This is one of the first parts of divinity Iobn Baptist taught A man can receive nothing except it be given him from above Iohn 3.27 This was the cause of Christ ascending into Heaven Psal 68. He went up on high and dedit dona hominibus and the Evangelist faith the holy Ghost which is the most perfect gift that can come to men was not yet given because Christ was not yet ascended Iohn 7.39 Therefore if we possesse any blessing or receive any benefit we must not looke to earthly meanes but to Heaven The thing which is here mentioned excludeth the fourth errour we thinke that things come to us by fortune or customably he saies not that good things fall downe from above but they descend qui descendit proposito descendit Our instruction from hence is that they descend from a cause intelligent even from God himselfe who in his counsell and provision bestoweth his blessings as seemeth best to himselfe for as the Heathen man speakes God hath sinum facilem but not perforatum that is a lappe easie to receive and yeeld but not bored through to let things fall through without discretion When the Prophet saith Tu aper is manum Psal 145.15 he doth not say that God lets his blessings droppe out of his fingers Christ when he promised to his Disciples to send the Comforter saith Ego mittameum advos Iohn 16.7 Whereby he giveth them to understand that it is not by casualty or chance that the holy Ghost shall come upon them but by the deliberate counsell of God so the Apostle postle speaks Of his owne will begat he us by the word of truth The person from whom is the Father of lights The Heathens found this to be true that all good things come from above but they thought that the lights in Heaven are the causes of all good things therefore is it that they worship the Sunne Moone and Starres Iames saith Be not deceived all good things come not from the lights but from the Father of lights The naturall lights were made in ministerium cunctis gentibus Deut. 4. and the Angels that are the intellectuall lights are appointed to do service unto the Elect. Heb. 1.13 It is the Father of lights that giveth us all good things therefore he onely is to be worshipped and not the lights which he hath made to