Firft Commandment. 97 ------------------------------------ Iatcrs and Tranfgrelfors of this firft Command, but thofe alfo whocomponnd a God partly of_the figment of their own el!oneou~ ~inds, and F,r~l~ Ol~t of h~s own Infi. nite Attnbutes: And thus are all Anans, Sowt1tws, and .Anttmmtarums gu1lty of Ido- . la try· for they acknowledge one Infinite and Eternal Being, but denying the Perfans dr the Son and the Holy Ghoft, they worfhip an Idol, and not the true God, for the only true God, is both Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft. · SecrJndly, Whofoever ~ckn?wledgeth, and in his hcar.two:tbippet~ more Gods than the only Lord Jehovah, IS gutlty of Idolatry, andJ;he VIOlatiOn ofth1sfirft Commandment. Thus was the Idolatfy of tho[e Nations which the King of .Ajfyria planted in Jfrael after he had carried away the ten Tribes into Captiv ity; ·for it i ~ f:1id, 2 Kings 17. 33: That they feared the Lord, and fer-ved their own gods: .A.nd upon thts ac~oun~ alfo are a\1 A rians and Socinians, who deny the NaturJl Dtvuuty of Jefhs Chnft, Ju!l:ly charged with Idolatry; for fince they fay that Chrift is God, aqd do worfhip him as God, yet deny that he is of the fame Nature and Subfrance with t!te Lord Jehovah; they muft of neceffity make mqre Gods than one, and thofe of a dtvers Effence and Being; and therefore arc not only guilty of BlJfphcmy, but Idolatry; of Blafphemy in robbing Chrilt of his Eternal Sonfh ip and the Divine Nature; of Idolatry in attributing Divine Honour and Worfhip unto him whom they believe to be but a Crea~ ture, and not God by Nature. ThirdLy, Whofoever dot~ afcribe or render to .any Creature, that which is J?fOpcr and due only unto God, he ts an Idolater, and gmlty of the Tranfgreffion of tlus firft Commandment. Now this Attribution of the Divine Properties to the Creatures, is either Explicite or Implicite; Explicite when we do avow the Attributes of the Divine Nature to be in thofe thinrs which are not capable of them; as thofe who hold the Body of Chrift to be Omniprefent. Implicite when we render unto any CreJture that inward WorOtip, Ell:eem, and Affection which is dneonly unto the infinite Perfec"tio11S of the Deity. And although our RefOrmed Rel igion be very well )>urged from the former Idolatry, yet certa inly the Profeffours of it are not well pur~ ged from this latter Idolatry; for even among Protefiants themfcl'?es we fl1all find very many that are in th is fenfc ldolat.crs: For, Firfr, VVhofoever chiefly and fupremely loves any Creature, is an Idolater; becaufe our Chiefeft love is due only \lllto God. Hence the C?Vetous Perfon is cxprel1y call~ ed an Idolater, and Covetoufnefs Idolatry, OJL. 3· ) · Mortifte your earthLy members, unclMnne(s, wil concupi.{cmcc, 1t11d covetoufoefs, which i& idolatry. And the fenfital Epicure is likewifcan idolater, Phit . 3· 19. His Belly, faith the Apoftlc, is his God: · The proud Perfon is an ldobter, for he loves himfelf fuprcmely, fets up himfelf for his own Idol, and fulls profl:rate before that Image whieh he hath pourtraycd of his own Perfections in his own Fancy and Imagination. And generally all fuch who love and admire any thing above Gcxl, or efrecm a_ny thing fo dear that they would not \Vilpngly p:~rt with it for his fake, they have fet up another God betore him, to which they give thatServiccandRefpeB: which is due only to the great God of Hca\'en. Secon~ly, \VhofoeYer puts his trull: and confidence in any Creature more than in God, is guilty of this inward Heart~Idolatry; as when we depend upon lntere!t, or Power, or Policy for our fafe~guard and fitccefs, more than on that God, who is able both with and without created helps and means to relieve us: And that we do fo appears, when wearefecureand confident in the Enjoyment offuchcreated Comfortsand Supports, but altogether diffident and de jetted when we are deprived of. them:. For fince God is always the fame, we fhould likewifc have the fame Courage and Spi~ rit, did we place our whole Affiancc in him. Thirdly, He is an ldobter, and a very grofs one, who fets up any Cr eature in hi~ heart, Whether Saint or Angel, to pray unto it, and to betake himfelf unto that vain Refuge in our ftraigl~ts an~ neccffities: Forinvocatio1~ properly belongs toGod alone, as an Atl: of Worllnp wh •ch he hath challenged to lumfclf, and the higheft Glory that we can give to his Divine MaJefty: And th~refor~ he commanded us, Pfot. 5o. 15. Call upon me, not upon any Samt or Angel, m the ttme of trouble, and/will deli-ver thee: . .AnO. therefore the Papifis are moft grofs and ftupid Idolaters, who direct theit Pcttttons not Unto God, but unto Saints and Angels; which is nothing elfc but to advante them in his Throne, and to afcribe unto them his infinite Perfections· for Prayer and Adorationfuppofeth the Objetl: of it to be OmniprefentandOmnipo;ent· Ommprefertt to hear, and Ommpotent to fave, or elfe they ar.e in vain. ' Thm much fqr the firft OJmmandmenf. Cc Th~ '· z.
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