Second Commandment. bcftial fl:upidity; as if there were more. pi~inity in one ~nd of .a Stick than the other; and yet a Sin moft ftrangely bewttchmg, after wh1ch all the Heat~en World ra n a Whoring; and from whtch .all the RemonfttaJ~ccs and Thrc~tmngs wluch God makes to his own People of Jfrael, could not reftram them: yea, a·nd fo fi:rangc ,. ly befotting is it that a very great ~ft even. of thofe .who profcfs the Narhe.and Doctrine of Jeru; ChrHt, are mdft foully guilty of it; linean the Papifts; who to hide their. Ihame in this plrticular from the notice.of the .rebple, have covered it with a greater, and thought fit rather to expunge thts Secou<:tCo~mandmc.nt, than ~o leave their lma~c-Worlhip to be cen!hted and conde111ned by or: For In all then- Catechifins and Books of Devotion, whicll they ,have Publifued for the u.fe ohhe Vulgar, they ha Ye facrilegioufty omitted this Second G;6mmandmei~t, as fearing ~hat, the J!videncc of it would ·convi<l: and 0)ndemn them ofJdolatry 111- the Confciences of the moll: ignorant and illiterate that fholijd but h~r it reheat~fed.. ., : . . . Let tis nmv proceed to confider, who may JUftly be condemned of Idolatry, and the Violation of this Precept. . ~ - , . . Firft, He is an Idolater that prays unto any Saint or Angel; for he afcribes that nhto the Creature which is an Honour due only unto God the Creator. Our Faith and ou r Invocation ought to be terminated in the fame Objefr, Rom. 1 o. t 4· How fhall they caR on hi.m i11whom they have 11ot believed. And therefore, if we cannot without Blafphemy fay, that we believe in fuch a Saint, or Angel, neither can we without Idolatry, pray unto that Saint or Angel. Stcondly, The mdft execrable Idolatry that is, is that of entring into League artd ·Corrcfi)ondence with the Devil; to confuJt and invoke him, and by any wicked Arts implocc, or make nfc ofhis_Help and Affiftance. And of this arc thofc guilty in the higheft degree, who enter into any exprefs· Compac:t with the Devil ; which is always ratified with fome HOmage ofWorfhip given to him: And in a fccondary and. more low degree,thofe who apply themfelves to feek help frol)l fuch forlorn Wretch' es, fuch aS ufe Traditionary Charms and Incantations, or any vain Obfervanccs, to free them from Pains and Difeafes, or otherTroUbles that mol eft them. For all thofe things which have not a natural EfficienCy •to produce that Effi:Cl: for which they•are ·ufed, nlay very rcafonahly be fi1fpetl:ed to have been agreed·on formerly The tweed.the Devil and fome of his efpccial Scrvants;-.a.nd that all the Vertuc they ret!airt, • is onl y from that _Compaa; which as it was Explicite in thofe tHat made it, fo .it is Itl1plicitc in thofe that ufc them; for they 'frill ad. in the poWer_of that fh'fr Stipulation :lnd Agreemen t. - 1. •• • Thirdly, Whofoevcr bows down his Bad¥ in religious Addration of any Image, ot other Creature, is guilty of Idolatry; and doth moft exprefiy tranfgrcfs the very Letter of thi~ Command, 71JOZ~jhalr n,ot_.bot!' down before them,. nor wo':_{hip them. It is hnt hc~·e· ~ vam Refuge unto v9hich the Papdts betake themfelves, when they excufc · themfelves from being guilty of Idolatry, becaufe although they worlhip Imacrcs yet they worlhip the true God by therh.. ., 0 ' For, Firfl, they w~rfhip t~1 c Images of very n:tany CfCaturts, both Men and Angel!'. For me now to examme then· Evafion concernmg A.~/r~~ ~~";"" • and VmfJ'~,.,i~. would perh:tps be a<; imj)(opcr in this Auditory~ as the·DiftinCtion it felfis va in and frivolous. Secondly, \.Vhcrea s they .rretcnd to wortlilp the true God by an Image, we repl y That it is moft impious to_attempt to reprefent ·G~ by any vifible Re!~mblance and theref'orc much more t<? worfuip him, could he be fo r"eprefented. For God w'ho is infinite, cannot be draumfcr~l>ed by Lines and Linearncfits; _and bein~ in~if~bic can- .not _be rcfemblcd: And ~herefo_re God dot~ again and again· inculca~e 1t upon the-If- . -ril_clttes, that when he dellv.ered the Law unto them, he appeared notm:iny fuape that "' the~ might not auda:idl~ily: ..attempt todelin,eate hiin, ahd F? be !nticed to Ic\ol;try : Thus, Deur. 4• 12. 2e he~r~ :l;e,vo:ce of wordJ.ybut fow no fim'b~ude, only ye hea1:d" t'pice, . And Verfe I)· Take ye thertforr good heedrtintO your felvtJ, (fonye Jaw no manrur of fimi - litude in the day that the Lord fpake unto you ~ !foreb, ou't of the midft of the fire) left ye corrupt you: [elves, and make Jo~ A g~aven.. lriuige, the fimi{itude of any figUre. \V"he11 there..: fure they plead, That they worlhtp the10nly ,true!ildd b:y lmages; this is no better than to excufe one horrid Sin, by the.commiffion Of anotlief. · · Thi;d!J> To worlhip the true and ?nl)'l God~ an Image, is grofs Idolatry. This the Paptll:s deny; and place.ldolatr~ m, wor.!hipm~ of Ima~es Tet up to reprefent fulfe and fichuousGods; onlfe m worlhtpmgthem~iWith a belief that they themfelves are ~ods. But, , E e '6rjl, , ; 2 . r.
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