authority and power it investeth others. By means whereof the state of idolaters is two ways miserable. First, in that which they worship they find no succoura; and, secondly, at his hands whom they ought to serve, there is no other thing to be looked for but the effects of most just displeasure, the withdrawing of grace, dereliction in this world, and in the world to come confusion. Paul and Barnabas, when infidels, admiring their virtues, went about to sacrifice unto them, rent their garments in token of horror, and as frightened persons ran crying through the press of the people, “O men, wherefore do ye these things?" They knew the force of that dreadful cursef whereunto idolatry maketh subject. Nor is there cause why the guilty sustaining the same should grudge or complain of injustice. For whatsoever befalleth in that respect, themselves have made themselves worthy to suffer it. As for those things either whereon or else wherewith superstition worketh, polluted they are by such abuse, and deprived of that dignity which their nature delighteth in. For there is nothing which doth not grieve, and as it were even loathe itself, whensoever iniquity causeth it to serve unto vile purposes. Idolatry therefore maketh whatsoever it toucheth the worse. Howbeit, sith creatures which have no understanding can show no will; and where no will is, there is no sin; and only that which sinneth is subject to punishment : which way should such creature be punishable a Isa. viii. 21. xlv. 20. b Psalm lxxxi. 13. d Apoc. xxi. 8. any Hos. xiv. 4. Rom. i. 24. Isa. ii. 21. by the law of God? There may be cause sometimes to abolish or to extinguish them; but surely never by way of punishment to the things themselves. Yea, farther, howsoever the law of Moses did punish idolaters, we find not that God hath appointed for us any definite or certain temporal judgment, which the Christian magistrate is of necessity for ever bound to execute upon offenders in that kind, much less upon things that way abused as mere instruments. For what God did command touching Canaan, the same concerneth not us any otherwise than only as a fearful pattern of his just displeasure and wrath against sinful nations. It teacheth us how God thought good to plague and afflict them: it doth not appoint in what form and manner we ought to punish the sin of idolatry in all others. Unless they will say, that because the Israelites were commanded to make no covenant with the people of that land, therefore leagues and truces made between superstitious persons and such as serve God aright are unlawful altogether; or because God commanded the Israelites to smite the inhabitants of Canaan, and to root them out, that therefore reformed churches are bound to put all others to the edge of the sword. Now, whereas commandment was also given to destroy all places where the Canaanites had served their gods, and not to convert any one of them to the honour of the true God: this precept had reference unto a special intent and purpose, which was, that there should be but one only place in the whole land, whereunto the people might bring such offerings, gifts, and a Deut. xii. 2. sacrifices, as their Levitical law did require. By which law, severe charge was given them in that respect not to convert those places to the worship of the living God, where nations before them had served idols, "but to seek the place which the Lord their God should choose out of all their tribes." a Besides, it is reason we should likewise consider how great a difference there is between their proceedings, who erect a new commonwealth, which is to have neither people nor law, neither regimen nor religion the same that was; and theirs who only reform a decayed estate, by reducing it to that perfection from which it hath swerved. In this case we are to retain as much, in the other as little, of former things as we may. Sith, therefore, examples have not generally the force of laws which all men ought to keep, but of counsels only, and persuasions not amiss to be followed by them whose case is the like; surely, where cases are so unlike as theirs and ours, I see not how that which they did should induce, much less any way enforce, us to the same practice; especially considering that groves and hill altars were, while they did remain, both dangerous in regard of the secret access which people superstitiously given might have always thereunto with ease, neither could they, remaining, serve with any fitness unto better purpose: whereas our temples (their former abuse being by order of law removed) are not only free from such peril, but withal so conveniently framed for the people of God to serve and honour him therein, a Deut. xii. 4, 5. that no man beholding them can choose but think it exceeding great pity they should be ever any otherwise employed. "Yea, but the cattle of Amalek," will you 66 say, were conceit which Nor do I any fit for sacrifice; and this was the very some time deceived Saul." It was so. thing doubt but that Saul upon this conceit might even lawfully have offered to God those reserved spoils, had not the Lord in that particular case given special charge to the contrary. As therefore, notwithstanding the commandment of Israel to destroy Canaanites, idolaters may be converted and live: so the temples which have served idolatry as instruments may be sanctified again and continue, albeit to Israel commandment have been given that they should destroy all idolatrous places in their land, and to the good kings of Israel commendation for fulfulling, to the evil for disobeying, the same commandment, sometimes punishment, always sharp and severe reproof, hath even from the Lord himself befallen. Thus much it may suffice to have written in defence of those Christian oratories, the overthrow and ruin whereof is desired, not now by infidels, Pagans, or Turks, but by a special refined sect of Christian believers, pretending themselves exceedingly grieved at our solemnities in erecting churches, at the names which we suffer them to hold, at their form and fashion, at the stateliness of them and costliness, at the opinion which we have of them, and at the manifold superstitious abuses whereunto they have been put. 130 ECCLESIASTICAL POLICY THE BEST POLICY; OR, RELIGION THE BEST REASON OF STATE. [ROBERT SOUTH, D.D.] 1 KINGS, xiii. 33, 34. After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places. And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off and to destroy it from off the face of the earth. JEROBOAM (from the name of a person become the character of impiety) is reported to posterity eminent, or rather infamous, for two things; usurpation of government, and innovation of religion. It is confessed the former is expressly said to have been from God; but since God may order and dispose what he does not approve, and use the wickedness of men while he forbids it, the design of the first cause does not excuse the malignity of the second: and therefore the advancement and sceptre of Jeroboam was in that sense only the work of God, in which it is said, Amos, iii. 6., "That there is no evil in the city which the Lord hath not |