We are commanded to abstain, not only from idolatrous worship itself, but from all things and persons connected with it. Acts xv. 20. that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication.' v. 29. 'from meats offered to idols....and from fornication.' Rev. ii. 14. who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.' v. 20. 'to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.' From a comparison of these passages, it would appear that the fornication here prohibited, was a part of idolatrous worship. 1 Cor. viii. 10. 'if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him that is weak be emboldened to eat,' &c. x. 14. flee from idolatry.' v. 20, &c. they sacrifice to devils, and not to God; and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.' 2 Cor. vi. 16. what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?' 1 Thess. i. 9. 'ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God.' 1 Pet. iv. 3. we walked in lasciviousness....and abominable idolatries.' 1 John v. 21. ' little children, keep yourselves from idols.' 6 6 6 A question here arises, whether it be lawful for a professor of the true religion to be present at idolworship, in cases where his attendance is necessary for the discharge of some civil duty. The affirmative seems to be established by the example of Naaman the Syrian, 2 Kings v. 17-19. who was permitted, as an additional mark of the divine approbation, to construct for himself a private altar of Israelitish earth, although, as a Gentile, he was uncircumcis ed."* It is however safer and more consistent with the fear of God, to avoid, as far as possible, duties of this kind, even of a civil nature, or to relinquish them altogether. 6 The invocation of saints and angels is forbidden. Acts x. 26. stand up; I myself also am a man.' xiv. 15. ‘sirs, why do ye these things? we also are men of like passions with you-.' Col. ii. 18. 'let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels.' Rev. xix. 10. 'I fell at his feet to worship him; and he said unto me, See thou do it not, I am thy fellow-servant.' See also xxii. 8, 9. The reason is, that God is kinder and more favourable to us than any saint or angel either is, or has power to be. Psal. lxxiii. 25. 'whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.' Isai. lxiii. 16. 'doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not; thou, O Jehovah, art our father, our redeemer.' Further, the charge of absurdity and folly which the prophets uniformly bring against the worshippers of idols, applies equally to those who worship images of saints or angels. Isai. xlvi. 6, 7, &c. they lavish gold out of the bag,' &c....and hire a goldsmith...they bear him upon the shoulder,' &c. See also other passages. The subterfuges by which the Papists defend the worship of saints and angels, are truly frivolous. They allege Gen. xlviii. 15, 16. 'the angel which * .....That he may dispense with me, or thee, For some important cause, thou need'st not doubt. Samson Agonistes. 1377. redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads.' Jacob here was not praying, but conferring his benediction on the sons of Joseph; no one therefore will contend that the words are to be taken as an invocation, but simply as an expression of hope that God, and the redeeming angel as his minister, should bless the lads. Some indeed contend that the angel here spoken of was not a created being; but whether this be true, or whether it entered into the mind of Jacob or not, involves another and a far more difficult controversy. They urge also Job v. 1. ' to which of the saints wilt thou turn?' which however may as properly be understood of living saints, as in James v. 14. let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him;' where it is not recommended that the dead should be invoked, but that those who are living and present should be intreated to pray for us. 6 Another opposite to invocation is the tempting of God. Exod. xvii. 7. they tempted Jehovah, saying, Is Jehovah among us or not?' Psal. lxxviii. 18, 19. 'they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust: yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness ? v. 41. 'they tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.' xciv. 7. yet they say, Jah shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it.' xcv. 7-9. 'as in the day of temptation in the wilderness, when your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works.' Matt. iv. 7. thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.' 1 Cor. x. 22. 'do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?' A third consists in the invocation of devils, and the practice of magical arts. Exod. xxii. 18. thou shalt 6 6 not suffer a witch to live.' Lev. xix. 26. 'neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times.' xx. 27. 'a man also or a woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death; they shall stone them with stones, their blood shall be upon them.' v. 6. the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.' xix. 31. neither seek after wizards, to be defiled with them.' Num. xxiii. 23. surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel.' Deut. xviii. 10-12. there shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer; for all that do these things are an abomination unto Jehovah.' 2 Kings xxi. 6. he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards.' Isai. viii. 19. when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep and that mutter; should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?' xliv. 25. 'I am he that frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad.' xlvii. 13, 14. 'let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee: behold, they shall be as stubble.' Jer. x. 2. 'be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them."* Mic. v. 12. 'I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand, and thou shalt have no more soothsayers.' All study of the heavenly bodies, however, is not unlawful or unprofitable; as appears from the journey of the wise men, and still more from the star itself, divinely appointed to announce the birth of Christ, Matt. ii. 1, 2. *Thus our Saviour in Paradise Regained, IV. 486. what they can do as signs Betok'ning, or ill boding, I contemn As false portents, not sent from God, but thee: Or heav'n write aught of fate, by what the stars In their conjunction met, give me to spell, Violence and stripes, and lastly cruel death. A kingdom they portend thee, but what kingdom, Real or allegoric, I discern not. These last words probably allude to the star, mentioned below, by which the birth of Christ, as 'King of the Jews,' was announced to the wise men. |