图书图片
PDF
ePub
[ocr errors]

and therefore they would Boaft of their Gods, one Country against another; thus faid Senacherib, Who are they among all the Gods of the Countries, that hath delivered their Country out of

35.

ii Kin. xviii. 342

mine Hand, that the Lord (the Tutelar God of Judea) fhould deliver Jerufalem out of mine Hand? Where are the Gods of Hamath and of Arpad ? &c. When Mofes and Aaron told Pharaob that the God of the Hebrews had met with them, he was not Offended that they had another God befides those which were Worshipped in Egypt; he took it as a thing granted, that every People had their own Tutelar God.

This then was the Difference betwixt the Jews and Gentiles, the Gentiles thought it lawful to Worship the Tutelar God of any Country, but ftill in. Subordination to the Most High God, as has been fhewed: On the other hand, the Jews were Obliged to Worship the Lord God, the Supreme God, and Him only, and they were forbid to Worship any of the Gods of the Nations.

Zeph.i. 5.

But this Sin they often fell into, they Wor fhipped these Gods, but still in Conjunction with the Lord their God, as it is faid, they did Worship and Swear by the Lord, and Swear by Malcham. But Samuel told them, If ye return unto the Lord with all your Hearts, then put away the Strange Gods, and Afhtaroth from among you→ and ferve Him only -Then they did put away Baalim and Afhtaroth, and served the Lord only. I L. But

1 Sam. vii. 3, 4.

L. But it is faid, that they had forfaken the Lord.

G. It is called forfaking the Lord, when we will not Obey His Commandments, but Worfhip Him otherwife than He has Required, and join others with Him which He has forbidden. He faid, The House of Ifrael is

Ezek. xiv. 5.7. Eftranged from Me, Separated from Me through their Idols; yet they come and Enquire of a Prophet concerning Me. And again,

When they had flain their Chap xxiii. 39. Children to their Idols, then came they the fame Day into my Sanctuary. And He fays to them, Will ye burn Jer. vii. 9. Incenfe unto Baal, and walk after other Gods, and come and stand before Me in this Houfe which is called by MyName? It is faid. They feared the Lord, and ferKin.xvii. 33. ved their own Gods, after the

34, 4I.

Manner of the Nations. But it follows immediately, They fear not the Lord, because they do not after His Statutes, wherein He Commanded them not to fear other Gods. And again, They feared the Lord, and ferved their graven Images. Yet this was departing from the Fear of the Lord, but not a downright Denial of the Supreme God, or throwing him off from being any more their God, and taking any other God in his Room as the Supreme God. No, But it was taking other Gods with Him, of which He fays, Oh do not this abominable thing that I hate.

Jer. xliv. 4.

This was the First Sin against which God took Care to Guard in the first Commandment, Thou shalt bave none other Gods before Me, or with Me. And for the Diftinction that the Worship

23.

Exod. xx. 3.

of Inferior Gods or Minifters of God is not here forbidden, we fay, Ubi Lex non Diftinguit, ibi non eft Diftinguendum, Where the Law does not Diftinguish, we must not; for ther is no Law but may be Diftinguished away. And this is exactly the fame Notion the Heathen had of their Dæmones. And the Worshiping of these or Fearing them, is literally what we call Superftition. It is a Means of Grace which God has not appointed.

L. But we have reason to Sufpect that feveral of the Heathen Dæmones, or Men Deify'd after they were Dead, were Suppofititious, and that no fuch Men ever were in the World.

G. Many fuch will be found in the Catalogue of your Saints. What think you of the Seven Sleepers, who Slept 362 Years, and thought it but One Night? What think you of the Eleven Thoufand English Virgins, all Martyred together at Cologne; and the fine Legend told of them? What do you believe of St. George his killing the Dragon, and Refcuing the King's Daughter? As true as our Ballad of the Dragon of Wantly. Yet ther are Days kept for all thele and Offices made for them, with Prayers to them, and to God, that we may be Saved by these their Merits. Ther are Multitudes of the like, which you will find, even to a Sur

I 2

1

à Surfeit, in the Devotions of the Roman Church, with their Breviaries, Miffals, Legends, and Authors quoted at large. And can these Prayers be in Faith, to Perfons that never were in Being, and for the Merit of Actions that were never done? This is a Means of Grace of our own Invention indeed!

Befides, many have been Canonized for Notorious Crimes, as our St. Thomas Becket of Canterbury, whofe Merit was, that he would Exempt all Ecclefiafticks from the Secular Power, though even in Civil or Criminal Causes, which was called Afferting the Liberties of Holy Church, and it is fully Afferted in the Bulla in Cena. But notwithstanding all these Authorities, it is a Wicked Principle, and diffolves all Civil Government, it Exempts from the King's Obedience the First of the three Estates of the Realm, which has or ought to have the greateft Influence upon the People; and transfers their Allegiance to another Soveraign, which is the Higheft Treafon, by the Laws of all well Governed Nations, as well as by the Laws of God. Yet for Afferting this Becket was Canonized; and for not giving way to it, the King was Whipped by the Monks of Canterbury, to which he was forced to Submit, in those times of Papal Supremacy.

Such another was the Laft Year's Saint Pope Pious V. the great Afferter and last Practicer of the Power of the Pope to Depofe Princes; and who broke the Communion of the Church of England.

But

But ther is one Saint (truly fo) of whom I have referved to speak in the last Place, because of the Exceffes of your Church in their Devotions to Her, bordering even upon Blafphemy to any Common Ear. No lefs than a Canonized Perfon St. Bonaventure has Published what he calls, The Pfalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary, wherein every one of the 150 Pfalms, as likewife the Te Deum, and other moft Solemn Adorations of God, are all turned to the Virgin Mary. Rofaries and Books of Devotion to Her are many, here is one tranflated into English for the Use of the Roman Catholicks here, intituled, The Devotion of Bondage, or the Practice of perfectly Confecrating our felves to the Service of the Blessed Virgin. Permiffu Superiorum, 1632. It is Licenfed and highly Recommended both to Clergy and People by the Bishop of St. Omars, with feveral Indulgences granted to those who fhall Devoutly make use of it; wherein we offer up our felves, both Souls and Bodies, as Bond-flaves to the B. Virgin: Among whofe High Prerogatives you will find this the Sixth, P. 32. The Soveraign Dominion that was given Her, not only over the World, but over the Creator of the World. This indeed might well Ground that Petition made to her, Jure Matris, Impera filio. By the Right of a Mother, Command your Son. And her being call'd The Mother of the whole Trinity, in the Miffal Polon. fol. 237. In the Primer or Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Printed

[ocr errors]
« 上一页继续 »