3. And in their equalising traditions, which are but the inventions of man's brain, \rith the Scriptures, they commit idolatry, in that they make their very church an idol. But what should we speak of their church,
* B. Jewel, D. Rainolds, D. Fulk, D. Whitaker, D. Willet, Perkins, &c. See Note q. — G.
380 THE RETURNING BACKSLIDER. [SeRMON XL
when the}' have the pope, who is their church virtually ? for what is said of the one may be said of the other. When they come to the issue, the church is nothing but the pope. Whatsoever their church or councils say, he is the whole church. Many ways they are gross idolaters, especially the common people. For though they say they give not Latria, worship to the image, but Dulia, service, but can the common people distinguish, who give worship to all ahke ? To say we worship not the image, but God before the image, was the heathen's excuse, as we may see in Arnobius (r). Can the common people distinguish ? No ; for they are ignorant images themselves. In this they are worse than the heathens, because they have more light, and still the more light the more sin. For they have been fore- told that the whore of Rome should be the mother of all fornications, the spiritual Babylon, Sodom, and Egypt in regard of idolatry, the mother of all these abominations, Rev. x\'ii. 5. Now, for them who have been fore- warned hereof, and in so much light still, to continue idolaters, and persist in false worship, is to be worse than the heathens, who had not the like light and warning.
Qites. But what is the reason that they are so impudent and audacious ? Ans. 1. First, to answer with the Scriptures, they are drunk ivith the whore's cup, Rev. xvii. 2 ; and we know a drunken man dares. do anything. 2. And then, again, as the psalmist speaks, because those who worship idols become blockish and stupid like unto them, for an idol is a blockish, dead thing, so idolaters are stupid, dead things in a sort, who are seldom con- verted, partly because they are drunk, and partly because they are stupid, like the idols they worship, Ps. cxv. 8.
Use 1. If this be so, as it is too true to the eye of the whole world, then how ought ice to bless God, who hath brought ?(s out of this paJjyable Egyptian darkness, out of spiritual Sodom, as Lot was out of that Sodom ! Gen. xix. 17. Oh, we cannot be thankful enough, nor ought we to desire to return to Sodom again, or unto Egypt. Where, then, is place left for neutrality ? Those neuters, that will be of neither religion ! Is such a disposition from the Spirit of God, which maketh Ephraim say here, ' What have I any more to do with idols?' Ephraim would not be a neuter. Therefore, what shall we say unto them that present themselves to Masses, in their travels especially ? Is this to say with Ephraim, ' What have I any more to do with idols ? ' We must ' believe with the heart, and confess with the mouth, to salvation,' Rom. x. 9. If a man might escape with having his heart to God-wards, and his body prostrate, where were confession ? In Elias's time, God told him, that there were left seven thousand in Israel, who had not bowed the knee to Baal, that is, who made no bodily prostra- tion, 1 Kings xix. 18. Therefore, as the papists do not join with us, so neither ought we with them, if we hold the contrary religion false. In this case we should not present ourselves with them in any service.
Use 2. Again, if this be true, what do we think of reconcilers of religion ? A thing impossible, as the apostle sheweth. * For what communion hath God with Belial? Christ with antichrist?' 2 Cor. vi. 14, 15. What communion ? The question is a strong negation, as that of Ephraim here. * What have I now any more to do with idols ? '
Obj. But some may say. We differ from them only in circumstance.
Ans. We may ask any man who hath his brains in his head, rvhether
idolatry be a circumstance or not ? it being clear that they are as great
idolaters as the heathens, in many instances. If any affirm that idolatry
is a circumstance, there is no disputing with such a one. That which is
HOSEA XTV. 8.] THE RETUBNING BACKSLIDEB. 381
the sin, which makes God abhor and desert his own people, is that a circumstance ? Is that a circumstance, which is the chief sin against the first table ? Granting that they are idolaters, that the pope is ' antichrist,' and Rome to be ' Babylon ' (s), and Babylon to be the ' mother of all fornica- tion,' this must needs follow, that there can be no reconciling of these two religions. We may come near them, and become papists, but they will never come near us, to be good Christians.
Use 3. Again, if this be so, that popery be idolatry, and that we must beware of all idolatry, let us take heed, therefore, that ice have nothin/j to do with them more than we must needs. Converse with them in our callings, we may ; because, as an ancient father saith, we be compossessors of the world, and not of religion. We must go out of the world, if we will not have to do with them sometimes in the places where we live ; but amity is very dangerous with such. The Scripture runs much upon it. Should we love them whom God hates ? It was Eve's fault, that without a calling she ventured to talk with the serpent. We should therefore shun convers- ing and parley with^them as much as may be. As there were rails set about Mount Sinai, to keep off the people from touching the mountain ; so God hath set hedges about the second commandment, to keep us off from offending in it, as it was usual with God in this kind. As, when he would keep them far from murder, he forbade them to kill the dam with the young, Deut. xxii. 6, and not to seethe a kid in his mother's milk, Exod. xxiii. 19; only to restrain them from murder, that abominable sin. Such precepts the Jews call ' the hedges of the commandments ' [t). So for idolatry, the Scripture would have us ' hate the garment spotted with the flesh,' Jude, verse 23 ; 'to defile the coverings of the images, to account them as a menstruous cloth,' &c., Isa. xxx. 22 ; and ' to have nothing to do with the unfruitful works of darkness,' Eph. v. 11 ; [and] to hate all monuments of idolatiy. As Augustine saith of monuments, ' Any monu- ment moves and stirs up the mind ;' so anything that may move or stir us to idolatry, we should abhor, and keep afar off from it.