38 An Expofition upon Chap.'. Bxod. / 2. Kod.S.+O. and divers others renowned for great wifedo:ne : and Greece had her (even wife men. In Ægypt were men learned in all wifedonte;aud do we not reade of wifenien which came out of the Eaft from amongft Heathens, to enquire where the King of the Jewes (hould bee borne? To this objeFtion the Apoftle anfwereth, Grit granting indeed that in their owne opinion, and by profeffing to the world, they were clleemed for wonderfull wife men ; yet in deed and very truth they were fooles becaufe by leaving and leaping out of the bounds of that knowledge which God had im- printed in their mind,and manifefted in his workes ; and following their owne witty inventions and (harpe conceits, they fell from that worfhip of God whereunto their engravenlight,and the fight of their attire called them, unto moft grolle and abominable idolatry; not onely making fuch their Gods as were but creatures, yea the ba- left creatures, even creeping things had divine honour given them : but changing (what lay in them) the true Immortali and Spirituali God, and his glorious Majeftiy into earthly, corrup- tible, and contemptible fhewes and lì- militudes, which they adored religi- oufly , fin faking the right fpirituall worfhip of the onely true God, and fo became fooles, or rather mad in their folly, becaufe they would maintaine it by pretext of reafon. Ti so. Vpon what pretences and appea- rance of reafon did the rviJè ff (Ian Heathens maintaine their beathtn,jh idolatry, in ma- kings Creatures Gods, and worfbipping God by Images, a;fo making pitiures aridfhaper ofGod: What had they to fay? What did they profeffe to bee the ground and motive of (rich fuperffition ? S a L. Theirpretexts and excufes de- viled out of humane wit (wandering from light of nature) were fundry; not much unlike (and Come the very fame) with thefe which our Papifls ffragling from the light of the wordynow do ufe in the very like cafe for defence of their abominable Idols; and which fome- time the Ifraelites did plead for them- felves, when they declined from Gods love and fervice, to fuch their owne in- ventions. As firff,thatGod being a Spi- rit feparate from fenfe, therefore the people whole underltandings were groffe, muff have God vifible by fouie lhape. Againe, that they were not fo foolifh as to think the Images to bee God, but onely tokens and remem- brances, and helps whereby to corn( to God : that as men come to Empereurs by under - officers, fo accefle to God mutt bee by Saints,and inferiour Godc; which excufes and fuch like, are anlwe- red by Athana ftue,Ambrofe,çt Augufline. T t M. Now let me know of you, in =bat refpett the true God is called incorruptible ; feting mensfeules and Angela be fo too, and bow his glory can bee faid to bee changed,fee- ing it is immutable ae himfelfe it ? For ntee thinker it loth well follow, that God being incorruptible coronet change ; and at himfc f is, fo is hit glory exempted from change, why then dotb Paul fay they changed it ? Si L. The Angel- and mens foulesbe incorruptible, that is, free from cor- ruption,alteration, and change;not ori- ginally by themfelves,but by the will of God, who himfelfe is fuch of himfelfe, molt neceffarily and everlaflingly ex- empt from change and mutation : yea and his glory all() ablolutely confide - red, is fuch as (hall abide the fame for ever, though heaven and earth paffe away,it (hall not alter : but his glory be- ing relatively confidered in refpeâ of men as it is to bee honoured and wor- (hipped of his reafonable Creatures, it may bee, and is often changed by the lewd impiety of wicked Idolaters, who corrupt his glory two wayes ; both by making unto them Gods, which by na- ture are not fo,giving divine honor and fervice to things created : and fecondly by reprefentation of God in vifible fhapes and Imagcs,adoring him in and by fuch pi &ores andfhewes as men fan- cy of him; and after both there forts did the Gentiles difhononr God, wor- (hipping for Gods filch as had not divi- nity in them, alto by framing (ìmili- tudes of God to which they attributed divine honour by ereaing unto them Temples
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