Verf. 4. tbe Epifile to the R©mans. 425 anointed King of'Syria, and 3ehu King ly termed in Scripture fornicators, and ofSamaria,they should be revenged, on Idolatry called Whoredome, becaufe the Idolatrous and. cruell Ifraeliter , they forfook their faith plight co God, I sing. 19.16, 17. Then he accufeth and turned after ftrange gods. Alto they them of tyranny to himself, whom make their Idols their Patrons and De- they meant to kill,that God might have never a Prophet ; to which God ap- pointed this remedy, that Elifba (Mould be made Prophet in this place, to main - tain Gods worlhip and glory. Now the laft part was touching the fmall number of true worlhi.pperS in Ifrael : to this part God anfwereth,that he had refer - ved many thoufands befides Elras,which were not defiled with Idols. This part ofthe answer because it ferveth to Pauls purpofe, he fetteth it down alone, palling by the rat, as impertinent to his matter. T 1 M. Bat Paul loath left out fome words (a, every mouth that bath not kilted Baal.) S r L. It is true : the reafon is be- cause he citeth the Scripture as an In- terpreter, and therefore may ufe more or fewer words as he fhall fce it meet to expreffe the fenfe and drift of the Spirit, from which Paul never taketh any thing or addetti, or altereth ; howsoever he ufe his liberty in afledging the words of the Text, to teach that Scriptures be in fenfe, and not in fyllables. T 1 M. Come now to the words, and tell us what is meant by referving? S t L. To,caufe to remain and abide free from,and untouched by Idols. T 1 M. What is meant by fevers thoufand S r L. It is a certain number put for an uncertain, and fignifieth a multitude or a great number, as five foolish, and five wife Virgins : fee the like, ;Mat. 18. 22. Prov.24.I4, &c. TIM. What is meant by men ? S i L. Women alto, as well as men, even all that continued the true wor- fhippers of God, the more worthy Sexe being used for the lefie worthy, a thing very ufuall in Scripture. T 1 M. What fignifieth Baal? S I L. A Lord, or a husband, to thew that image'worfhippers, make their Idols their Lords by fubmiffion to them, and espouse themfelves by love unto them. Hence Idolaters are plain- fenders, as is to be teen in the Papacie, where every Count,ey and City bath tome Saint for their Lord and Defen- der, as Saint Andrew for Scotland, Saint George for England, Saint yames for Spain, Saint Patrick for Ireland,&c. T I M. What fgntiftes it [to bow to Baal ?] S i L. Thereby is hgnihed all the ado- ration and worlhip which is given to that Image, by a Synecdoche of the part for the whole : alto it teacheth the behaviour of Idolaters toward their Images whom they bow unto,in token offub'e &ion, and did k life them in fign ofdile& ion and love : which fuperftiti- ous gefure, is unto this day observed in Popery,where the Images of the Virgin Mary and Apofties, are honoured with the bending of the knee,and the kisses of the [mouth. T 1 M. Now what Marines do we learn from thefe words fo declared and made plain ? S r L. That when the eye men can- not, yet God knowes and fees many thoufand his fervants and children which belong to his Church. The rea- Con is, becaufe God knoweth who be his, and nothing can be hidfrorn his eyes. Thus howfoever Elias then; and Paul afterwards, and after them Ma- tter Luther,Wiclife, and Calvin teemed to be alone,yet as in Ifrael and ansongft the )ewes, fo in England, Bohemia, France, and Germany, there were even amidft the Papifts very many, which miflìked the fuperftition of Rome, and received the true Do&rine of Chrifi, though they were not for a time known and apparent to the world. Though Elias fee much being a Prophet, yet he is blinde where God Both clearly fee, for Gods knowledge is infinite. If any fhall aske how this may be, teeing either in thofe times they lacked the publick Miniflery, or had it corrupt: the anfwer is, that they had fo much 1"""1* the Do&sine of G O D privately, as was fuflicient to inftruft them, and fave Oo 2 through Dollrine. Keafon. D.xi.ß ü. JM. ..Mt1.. Doubt.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=