own appetite, to the utter eversion of the Common-wealth, and their own destruction for want
of Union. And therefore the first Law of God was, They should not take for Gods, ALIENOS
DEOS, that is, the Gods of other nations, but that onely true God, who vouchsafed to
commune with Moses, and by him to give them laws and directions, for their peace, and for
their salvation from their enemies. And the second was, that they should not make to
themselves any Image to Worship, of their own Invention. For it is the same deposing of a
King, to submit to another King, whether he be set up by a neighbour nation, or by our selves.
Answer to certain seeming texts for Images.
The places of Scripture pretended to countenance the setting up of Images, to worship them;
or to set them up at all in the places where God is worshipped, are First, two Examples; one of
the Cherubins over the Ark of God; the other of the Brazen Serpent: Secondly, some texts
whereby we are commanded to worship certain Creatures for their relation to God; as to
worship his Footstool: And lastly, some other texts, by which is authorized, a religious
honoring of Holy things. But before I examine the force of those places, to prove that which is
pretended, I must first explain what is to be understood by Worshipping, and what by Images, and Idols.
What is Worship.
I have already shewn in the 20 Chapter of this Discourse, that to Honor, is to value highly the
Power of any person: and that such value is measured, by our comparing him with others. But
because there is nothing to be compared with God in Power; we Honor him not but Dishonour
him by any Value lesse than Infinite. And thus Honor is properly of its own nature, secret, and
internall in the heart. But the inward thoughts of men, which appeare outwardly in their words
and actions, are the signes of our Honoring, and these goe by the name of WORSHIP, in Latine
CULTUS. Therefore, to Pray to, to Swear by, to Obey, to bee Diligent, and Officious in Serving:
in summe, all words and actions that betoken Fear to Offend, or Desire to Please, is Worship, whether those words and actions be sincere, or feigned: and because they appear as signes of
Honoring, are ordinarily also called Honor.
Distinction between Divine and Civill Worship.
The Worship we exhibite to those we esteem to be but men, as to Kings, and men in Authority,
is Civill Worship: But the worship we exhibite to that which we think to bee God, whatsoever the words, ceremonies, gestures, or other actions be, is Divine Worship. To fall prostrate before a King, in him that thinks him but a Man, is but Civill Worship: And he that but putteth off his
hat in the Church, for this cause, that he thinketh it the House of God, worshippeth with Divine
Worship. They that seek the distinction of Divine and Civill Worship, not in the intention of the
Worshipper, but in the Words
and
deceive themselves. For whereas there
be two sorts of Servants; that sort, which is of those that are absolutely in the power of their
Masters, as Slaves taken in war, and their Issue, whose bodies are not in their own power,
(their lives depending on the Will of their Masters, in such manner as to forfeit them upon the
least disobedience,) and that are bought and sold as Beasts, were called
that is
properly, Slaves, and their Service
: The other, which is of those that serve (for hire,
or in hope of benefit from their Masters) voluntarily; are called
; that is, Domestique
Servants; to whose service the Masters have no further right, than is contained in the
Covenants made betwixt them. These two kinds of Servants have thus much common to them
both, that their labour is appointed them by another: And the word
is the generall
name of both, signifying him that worketh for another, whether, as a Slave, or a voluntary
Servant: So that
signifieth generally all Service; but
the service of
Bondmen onely, and the condition of Slavery: And both are used in Scripture (to signifie our
Service of God) promiscuously.
because we are Gods Slaves;
because
wee Serve him: and in all kinds of Service is contained, not onely Obedience, but also Worship;
that is, such actions, gestures, and words, as signifie Honor.
An Image what. Phantasmes.
An IMAGE (in the most strict signification of the word) is the Resemblance of some thing
visible: In which sense the Phantasticall Formes, Apparitions, or Seemings of visible Bodies to
the Sight, are onely Images; such as are the Shew of a man, or other thing in the Water, by
Reflexion, or Refraction; or of the Sun, or Stars by Direct Vision in the Air; which are nothing
reall in the things seen, nor in the place where they seem to bee; nor are their magnitudes and
figures the same with that of the object; but changeable, by the variation of the organs of
Sight, or by glasses; and are present oftentimes in our Imagination, and in our Dreams, when
the object is absent; or changed into other colours, and shapes, as things that depend onely
upon the Fancy. And these are the Images which are originally and most properly called Ideas, and IDOLS, and derived from the language of the Græcians, with whom the word
signifieth to See. They are also called PHANTASMES, which is in the same language,
Apparitions. And from these Images it is that one of the faculties of mans Nature, is called the Imagination. And from hence it is manifest, that there neither is, nor can bee any Image made of a thing Invisible.
It is also evident, that there can be no Image of a thing Infinite: for all the Images, and
Phantasmes that are made by the Impression of things visible, are figured: but Figure is a
quantity every way determined: And therefore there can bee no Image of God; nor of the
Soule of Man; nor of Spirits; but onely of Bodies Visible, that is, Bodies that have light in
themselves, or are by such enlightened.
Fictions./Materiall Images.
And whereas a man can fancy Shapes he never saw; making up a Figure out of the parts of
divers creatures; as the Poets make their Centaures, Chimæras, and other Monsters never
seen: So can he also give Matter to those Shapes, and make them in Wood, Clay or Metall. And
these are also called Images, not for the resemblance of any corporeall thing, but for the
resemblance of some Phantasticall Inhabitants of the Brain of the Maker. But in these Idols, as
they are originally in the Brain, and as they are painted, carved, moulded, or moulten in
matter, there is a similitude of the one to the other, for which the Materiall Body made by Art,
may be said to be the Image of the Phantasticall Idoll made by Nature.
But in a larger use of the word Image, is contained also, any Representation of one thing by
another. So an earthly Soveraign may be called the Image of God: And an inferiour Magistrate
the Image of an earthly Soveraign. And many times in the Idolatry of the Gentiles there was
little regard to the similitude of their Materiall Idol to the Idol in their fancy, and yet it was
called the Image of it. For a Stone unhewn has been set up for Neptune, and divers other
shapes far different from the shapes they conceived of their Gods. And at this day we see
many Images of the Virgin Mary, and other Saints, unlike one another, and without
correspondence to any one mans Fancy; and yet serve well enough for the purpose they were
erected for; which was no more but by the Names onely, to represent the Persons mentioned
in the History; to which every man applyeth a Mentall Image of his owne making, or none at
all. And thus an Image in the largest sense, is either the Resemblance, or the Representation
of some thing Visible; or both together, as it happeneth for the most part.
But the name of Idoll is extended yet further in Scripture, to signifie also the Sunne, or a
Starre, or any other Creature, visible or invisible, when they are worshipped for Gods.
Idolatry what.
Having shewn what is Worship, and what an Image; I will now put them together, and
examine what that IDOLATRY is, which is forbidden in the Second Commandement, and other
places of the Scripture.
To worship an Image, is voluntarily to doe those externall acts, which are signes of honoring
either the matter of the Image, which is Wood, Stone, Metall, or some other visible creature;
or the Phantasme of the brain, for the resemblance, or representation whereof, the matter was
formed and figured; or both together, as one animate Body, composed of the Matter and the
Phantasme, as of a Body and Soule.
To be uncovered, before a man of Power and Authority, or before the Throne of a Prince, or in
such other places as hee ordaineth to that purpose in his absence, is to Worship that man, or
Prince with Civill Worship; as being a signe, not of honoring the stoole, or place, but the
Person; and is not Idolatry. But if hee that doth it, should suppose the Soule of the Prince to be
in the Stool, or should present a Petition to the Stool, it were Divine Worship, and Idolatry.
To pray to a King for such things, as hee is able to doe for us, though we prostrate our selves
before him, is but Civill Worship; because we acknowledge no other power in him, but
humane: But voluntarily to pray unto him for fair weather, or for any thing which God onely
can doe for us, is Divine Worship, and Idolatry. On the other side, if a King compell a man to it
by the terrour of Death, or other great corporall punishment, it is not Idolatry: For the Worship
which the Soveraign commandeth to bee done unto himself by the terrour of his Laws, is not a
sign that he that obeyeth him, does inwardly honour him as a God, but that he is desirous to
save himselfe from death, or from a miserable life; and that which is not a sign of internall
honor, is no Worship; and therefore no Idolatry. Neither can it bee said, that hee that does it,
scandalizeth, or layeth any stumbling block before his Brother; because how wise, or learned
soever he be that worshippeth in that manner, another man cannot from thence argue, that he
approveth it; but that he doth it for fear; and that it is not his act, but the act of his Soveraign.
To worship God, in some peculiar Place, or turning a mans face towards an Image, or
determinate Place, is not to worship, or honor the Place, or Image; but to acknowledge it Holy,
that is to say, to acknowledge the Image, or the Place to be set apart from common use: for
that is the meaning of the word Holy; which implies no new quality in the Place, or Image; but onely a new Relation by Appropriation to God; and therefore is not Idolatry; no more than it
was Idolatry to worship God before the Brazen Serpent; or for the Jews when they were out of
their owne countrey, to turn their faces (when they prayed) toward the Temple of Jerusalem;
or for Moses to put off his Shoes when he was before the Flaming Bush, the ground
appertaining to Mount Sinai; which place God had chosen to appear in, and to give his Laws to
the People of Israel, and was therefore Holy ground, not by inhærent sanctity, but by
separation to Gods use; or for Christians to worship in the Churches, which are once solemnly
dedicated to God for that purpose, by the Authority of the King, or other true Representant of
the Church. But to worship God, as inanimating, or inhabiting, such Image, or place; that is to
say, an infinite substance in a finite place, is Idolatry: for such finite Gods, are but Idols of the brain, nothing reall; and are commonly called in the Scripture by the names of Vanity, and
Lyes, and Nothing. Also to worship God, not as inanimating, or present in the place, or Image; but to the end to be put in mind of him, or of some works of his, in case the Place, or Image be
dedicated, or set up by private authority, and not by the authority of them that are our
Soveraign Pastors, is Idolatry. For the Commandement is, Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any
graven Image. God commanded Moses to set up the Brazen Serpent; hee did not make it to
himselfe; it was not therefore against the Commandement. But the making of the Golden Calfe
by Aaron, and the People, as being done without authority from God, was Idolatry; not onely
because they held it for God, but also because they made it for a Religious use, without
warrant either from God their Soveraign, or from Moses, that was his Lieutenant.
The Gentiles worshipped for Gods, Jupiter, and others; that living, were men perhaps that had
done great and glorious Acts; and for the Children of God, divers men and women, supposing
them gotten between an Immortall Deity, and a mortall man. This was Idolatry, because they
made them so to themselves, having no authority from God, neither in his eternall Law of
Reason, nor in his positive and revealed Will. But though our Saviour was a man, whom wee
also beleeve to bee God Immortall, and the Son of God; yet this is no Idolatry; because wee
build not that beleef upon our own fancy, or judgment, but upon the Word of God revealed in
the Scriptures. And for the adoration of the Eucharist, if the words of Christ, This is my Body, signifie, that he himselfe, and the seeming bread in his hand; and not onely so, but that all the seeming morsells of bread that have ever since been, and any time hereafter shall bee
consecrated by Priests, bee so many Christs bodies, and yet all of them but one body, then is that no Idolatry, because it is authorized by our Saviour: but if that text doe not signifie that,
(for there is no other that can be alledged for it,) then, because it is a worship of humane
institution, it is Idolatry. For it is not enough to say, God can transubstantiate the Bread into
Christs Body: For the Gentiles also held God to be Omnipotent; and might upon that ground no
lesse excuse their Idolatry, by pretending, as well as others, a transubstantiation of their
Wood, and Stone into God Almighty.
Whereas there be, that pretend Divine Inspiration, to be a supernaturall entring of the Holy
Ghost into a man, and not an acquisition of Gods graces, by doctrine, and study; I think they
are in a very dangerous Dilemma. For if they worship not the men whom they beleeve to be so
inspired, they fall into Impiety; as not adoring Gods supernaturall Presence. And again, if they
worship them, they commit Idolatry; for the Apostles would never permit themselves to be so
worshipped. Therefore the safest way is to beleeve, that by the Descending of the Dove upon
the Apostles; and by Christs Breathing on them, when hee gave them the Holy Ghost; and by
the giving of it by Imposition of Hands, are understood the signes which God hath been
pleased to use, or ordain to bee used, of his promise to assist those persons in their study to
Preach his Kingdome, and in their Conversation, that it might not be Scandalous, but Edifying
to others.
Scandalous worship of Images.
Besides the Idolatrous Worship of Images, there is also a Scandalous Worship of them; which
is also a sin; but not Idolatry. For Idolatry is to worship by signes of an internall, and reall honour: but Scandalous Worship, is but Seeming Worship; and may sometimes bee joined with
an inward, and hearty detestation, both of the Image, and of the Phantasticall Dæmon, or Idol, to which it is dedicated; and proceed onely from the fear of death, or other grievous
punishment; and is neverthelesse a sin in them that so worship, in case they be men whose
actions are looked at by others, as lights to guide them by; because following their ways, they
cannot but stumble, and fall in the way of Religion: Whereas the example of those we regard
not, works not on us at all, but leaves us to our own diligence and caution; and consequently
are no causes of our falling.
If therefore a Pastor lawfully called to teach and direct others, or any other, of whose
knowledge there is a great opinion, doe externall honor to an Idol for fear; unlesse he make his
feare, and unwillingnesse to it, as evident as the worship; he Scandalizeth his Brother, by
seeming to approve Idolatry. For his Brother arguing from the action of his teacher, or of him
whose knowledge he esteemeth great, concludes it to bee lawfull in it selfe. And this Scandall,
is Sin, and a Scandall given. But if one being no Pastor, nor of eminent reputation for
knowledge in Christian Doctrine, doe the same, and another follow him; this is no Scandall
given; for he had no cause to follow such example: but is a pretence of Scandall which hee
taketh of himselfe for an excuse before men: For an unlearned man, that is in the power of an
Idolatrous King, or State, if commanded on pain of death to worship before an Idoll, hee
detesteth the Idoll in his heart, hee doth well; though if he had the fortitude to suffer death,
rather than worship it, he should doe better. But if a Pastor, who as Christs Messenger, has
undertaken to teach Christs Doctrine to all nations, should doe the same, it were not onely a
sinfull Scandall, in respect of other Christian mens consciences, but a perfidious forsaking of
his charge.
The summe of that which I have said hitherto, concerning the Worship of Images, is this, that
he that worshippeth in an Image, or any Creature, either the Matter thereof, or any Fancy of
his own, which he thinketh to dwell in it; or both together; or beleeveth that such things hear
his Prayers, or see his Devotions, without Ears, or Eyes, committeth Idolatry: and he that
counterfeiteth such Worship for fear of punishment, if he bee a man whose example hath
power amongst his Brethren, committeth a sin: But he that worshippeth the Creator of the
world before such an Image, or in such a place as he hath not made, or chosen of himselfe, but
taken from the commandement of Gods Word, as the Jewes did in worshipping God before the
Cherubins, and before the Brazen Serpent for a time, and in, or towards the Temple of
Jerusalem, which was also but for a time, committeth not Idolatry.
Now for the Worship of Saints, and Images, and Reliques, and other things at this day
practised in the Church of Rome, I say they are not allowed by the Word of God, nor brought
into the Church of Rome, from the Doctrine there taught; but partly left in it at the first
conversion of the Gentiles; and afterwards countenanced, and confirmed, and augmented by
the Bishops of Rome.
Answer to the Argument from the Cherubins, and Brazen Serpent.
As for the proofs alledged out of Scripture, namely, those examples of Images appointed by
God to bee set up; They were not set up for the people, or any man to worship; but that they
should worship God himselfe before them; as before the Cherubins over the Ark, and the
Brazen Serpent. For we read not, that the Priest, or any other did worship the Cherubins; but
contrarily wee read (2 Kings 18. 4.) that Hezekiah brake in pieces the Brazen Serpent which
Moses had set up, because the People burnt incense to it. Besides, those examples are not put
for our Imitation, that we also should set up Images, under pretence of worshipping God
before them; because the words of the second Commandement, Thou shalt not make to thy
selfe any graven Image, &c. distinguish between the Images that God commanded to be set
up, and those which wee set up to our selves. And therefore from the Cherubins, or Brazen
Serpent, to the Images of mans devising; and from the Worship commanded by God, to the
Will-Worship of men, the argument is not good. This also is to bee considered, that as
Hezekiah brake in pieces the Brazen Serpent, because the Jews did worship it, to the end they
should doe so no more; so also Christian Soveraigns ought to break down the Images which
their Subjects have been accustomed to worship; that there be no more occasion of such
Idolatry. For at this day, the ignorant People, where Images are worshipped, doe really beleeve
there is a Divine Power in the Images; and are told by their Pastors, that some of them have
spoken; and have bled; and that miracles have been done by them; which they apprehend as
done by the Saint, which they think either is the Image it self, or in it. The Israelites, when
they worshipped the Calfe, did think they worshipped the God that brought them out of Egypt;
and yet it was Idolatry, because they thought the Calfe either was that God, or had him in his
belly. And though some man may think it impossible for people to be so stupid, as to think the
Image to be God, or a Saint; or to worship it in that notion; yet it is manifest in Scripture to
the contrary; where when the Golden Calfe was made, the people said, 1 These are thy Gods O
Israel; and where the Images of Laban 2 are called his Gods. And wee see daily by experience in all sorts of People, that such men as study nothing but their food and ease, are content to
beleeve any absurdity, rather than to trouble themselves to examine it; holding their faith as it
were by entaile unalienable, except by an expresse and new Law.
Painting of Fancies no Idolatry: but abusing them to Religious Worship is.
But they inferre from some other places, that it is lawfull to paint Angels, and also God
himselfe: as from Gods walking in the Garden; from Jacobs seeing God at the top of the
ladder; and from other Visions, and Dreams. But Visions, and Dreams, whether naturall, or
supernaturall, are but Phantasmes: and he that painteth an Image of any of them, maketh not
an Image of God, but of his own Phantasm, which is, making of an Idol. I say not, that to draw
a Picture after a fancy, is a Sin; but when it is drawn, to hold it for a Representation of God, is
against the second Commandement; and can be of no use, but to worship. And the same may
be said of the Images of Angels, and of men dead; unlesse as Monuments of friends, or of men
worthy remembrance: For such use of an Image, is not Worship of the Image; but a civill
honoring of the Person, not that is, but that was: But when it is done to the Image which we
make of a Saint, for no other reason, but that we think he heareth our prayers, and is pleased
with the honour wee doe him when dead, and without sense, wee attribute to him more than
humane power; and therefore it is Idolatry.
Seeing therefore there is no authority, neither in the Law of Moses, nor in the Gospel, for the
religious Worship of Images, or other Representations of God, which men set up to
themselves; or for the Worship of the Image of any Creature in Heaven, or Earth, or under the
Earth: And whereas Christian Kings, who are living Representants of God, are not to be
worshipped by their Subjects, by any act, that signifieth a greater esteem of his power, than
the nature of mortall man is capable of; It cannot be imagined, that the Religious Worship now
in use, was brought into the Church, by misunderstanding of the Scripture. It resteth
therefore, that it was left in it, by not destroying the Images themselves, in the conversion of
the Gentiles that worshipped them.
How Idolatry was left in the Church.
The cause whereof, was the immoderate esteem, and prices set upon the workmanship of
them, which made the owners (though converted, from worshipping them as they had done
Religiously for Dæmons) to retain them still in their houses, upon pretence of doing it in the
honor of Christ, of the Virgin Mary, and of the Apostles, and other the Pastors of the Primitive Church; as being easie, by giving them new names, to make that an Image of the Virgin Mary,
and of her Sonne our Saviour, which before perhaps was called the Image of Venus, and Cupid; and so of a Jupiter to make a Barnabas, and of Mercury a Paul, and the like. And as
worldly ambition creeping by degrees into the Pastors, drew them to an endeavour of pleasing
the new made Christians; and also to a liking of this kind of honour, which they also might
hope for after their decease, as well as those that had already gained it: so the worshipping of
the Images of Christ and his Apostles, grew more and more Idolatrous; save that somewhat
after the time of Constantine, divers Emperors, and Bishops, and generall Councells observed,