I94 Ch*p.r. Thegeneralparts of thefecondCommandment. Corn., the belt expoftor of Laws) among the Yews was againft all rife of filch reprefcn- tations, as appears in Jofephus, in Decal, explic. & Hift. Antip, lib. 17. Maimonices, Tacitus, Leo, Modena , and others: yet though this were prohibited the people, God might make exceptions in this,as hedid inother precepts whichwere pofitive,as in erciting the brazen Serpent, and in placing the Cherubims upon the 4rk,,, and in the Holy of Heiie, before which it was lawful to worfhip God, without Godsfpecial appointment had not been warrantable : and that Solomon had the like warrant for the Lions and Oxen that upheld the brazen Laver is probable, or elfe that this was afiep to thefefens which hefell into after - ward, as Jofephus and other 3ewifls Writers think. ils for PiCfures, orfetch reprefenta- tions by painting, ( they being not fo apt to nourifh the opinion ofan inherent Deity in them, as inframes, or imagms extantes were) the making or ailing them ( if no divine Honour weregiven them) wu not eebfolutelyprohibited, and thereforewe find themufed among the Yews, as appeanc by theirbannersand enfigns, wherein were the reprefentations of divers Cromares ; yet in other places, ( though not here ) they teem to be forbidden, if there were ufed by Idolaters about their falte worfhip. Levit. 26. t. & Numb. 33. 25. See Scal. in pofthumis ex Cofmogr, Arab. & Grot.in explic.Decal,pag. 33, 34, &c. And a God forbade the Jews the making or Images, and commanded them to break them in pieces, if any were made, Exod. 34. 13 . Numb. 33. 52. Deutcr, 7. 5. fo if they came into anyftrangeCountrey, where they had no power to demolifh them, be forbids not only their religious worfhip, which is intrinfecally evil, but even all reverential gefture of the Body before an Image, by bowing , kneeling, &c. though it were withno intent tohonour theImage ; for ( to bow to them and worfhip them) is all one , ( with to bow or worfhip before them ) eu the 9ewifh Dollars expound , andmay appear by collation ofMatthew, 4.9. with Luke, 4.7. in the Greek, andJer. 22.9. with 2 Chronicles, 25. 14. and Leviticus, 26. r. in the Hebrew ; not that it is (amply evil, to bow or kneel before them , when it is with no relation to them , but becaufe Gód would prevent all occafions, and (hews of complyingwith the Heathen ; and therefore forbadhis People many things , not evil in themfelvea , becaufe they were prailifed by the Heathen. So much then of this Precept as forbids things morally evil, or forbidden by any Law of Chrift , obligesus, as well as the Jews: but what was purelypoftive, and notcontinued by Chrift, obliged themonly. This invented or will-worfhip, Cultos arbitrarios, bath two fpecious things in it , as theApoftle faith. r. The firft is a kind ofWifdom, and carrieth with it, a trimPhew thereof: when a Man (hall be thought fo wife, as that he is able to devife, and invent a worfhip for God; efpecially when Men confider not what God hath already prefcribed, where. by their rites prove contrary to what he hath appointed , and fo they will be evifer than God. 2. The fccond is, a (hew of Humility : when a Man will be fohumble, as not only to proftrate himfelfbefore God , but to bow down to an Image , Saint Angel, or the like. But thefe howfoever they carry a (hewofWifdom, and Humility, yet are they no ways for us to ofe: ifwe intend to beexempt from the penalty of this Commandment. Addition 22.. Although, all will.worjhip, :so,,aempd., be taken inan evil fenfe by many, upon the Ofvolatntary vulgar expof:tion of that place in Colof. 2. 23. yet that there may be fume voleen- wmt[hip, tary, or free worfhip acceptable to Ged, though not ffecially , commanded, provided, it be not corruptive of, or contrary to any right, or worfhip commanded by him, but fabfervient or agreeable thereto, is the judgement of learned Divines; for under the Law they had their voluntaryand freewill-offerings, befides chofe commanded byGod ; and though things were more particularly defcribed , in the Levitical worfhip , than now under the Gofpel , the Church being then in its Child hood , and confined to one s King.8.64. Nation, and the ilia* notthenfo plentifullygiven, as nowfeece theafcenftonof Chriff, Eft. 9.zs. yet even then the Church prefcribed divers things in Gods war'hip not Ifieeially com- a 5,:in3o manded, as in Fafis, and Feftival days, as that of the dedication of the Temple, approved by Chrifts own obfervance, John, to. and fandry other things, all which were never taxed as unlawful , unlefs the warfhip appointed by God himfelf were thereby coi1kpted, ernegletfed, and fo the continual pra.rlife of the ChriftianChurch bath
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