head the titles and prerogatives of God himself. It is superstitious i in that it substitutes penances, and pil- grimages, and other ordinances of man's device, in the place of Christ, our only Advocate and Propitia- tion. And it is persecuting^ insomuch that the cruel- ties exercised by Pagans themselves against the pri- mitive Christians, do not exceed those vi^hich she has committed against those who have asserted their Christian liberty, and refused to comply with her abo- minations. But as, on the one hand, we cannot sup- pose that all the members of that Church shall pe- rish ; (for God will discriminate between those who serve him to the best of their knowledge, and those who, with high pretences to piety, are enemies to all that is good ;) so, on the other hand, all who drink into the spirit of that Church, or, in the language of our text, ** receive the mark of the beast in their forehead or their hand," will certainly be found amongst those who shall endure the judgments here denounced against them. Amongst these therefore we must specify,
1. The adherents of idolatry —
[We do not worship saints or images : tme ; but are there none who arrogate to themselves an authority in opposition to that of God, or who yield to such authority in points directly contrary to God's commands ? What is this, but to usurp, or acknowledge, a power superior to God ; or, in the language of the Apostle, " to worship and serve the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for evermore''?" We do not mean; to magnify every instance of wilfulness into an act of idolatry: but, where it is habitually exercised, or submitted to, in oppo- sition to God's will, there is, in fact, a power elevated above that of God himself ; and whether God will resent such usur- pation, you yoiu*selves may judge.]
2. The advocates for superstition —
[Superstition is not confined to penances and pilgrimages : it exists wherever there is a substitution made of any liuman observances in the place of our Redeemer's sacrifice. Some things may be more palpably absurd than others; but whether we seek to establish a righteousness of our own, by counting beads and repeating the Lord's prayer, or by a certain round of religious duties, we equally invalidate the Gospel, and make
void • Rom, i. 25.