Question 51

What are the chief sins forbidden in this Commandment?

Idolatry and Superstition.

Is it Idolatry, not only to worship Idols instead of God, which is forbidden in the first Commandment, but also to worship God by Images?

Yes.^a

How can persons be guilty of Idolatry in worshipping God by Images, when they worship the true God▪ the God that made the Heavens and the Earth?

Because the Images of these men, either do bear resemblance to the object of their worship, or they do not; If they do, then they worship false Gods, and are guilty of gross Idolatry, there being no similitude or likeness of the true God; If they do not, then is ignorance the Mother of that Devotion, and with the Samaritans they worship they know not what: Or if they do worship the true God, they worship him ignorantly, and know not the manner of the God that made the Heavens and the Earth. Deut. 4. 12, 15. Isa. 40. 18. Ioh. 4. 22. Acts 17. 23. 2 Kings▪ 7. 26.

Why can there be no manner of similitude of the true God?

Because he dwelleth not in Temples made with hands, and is the unapproachable invisible God. Acts 17. 24. 1 Tim. 6. 16.

The Papists worship God by Images, the Protestants worship God without them; which way therefore are we to worship the true God?

The way, the only infallible Judge of Controversies hath declared unto us.

Is the Pope this infallible Iudge?

There is no infallible Judge upon Earth, and the Pope being but the Head of a Party, the supream Head of the Romanists; neither he nor they can be Judge in their own Cause. Iam. 4. 12. Mat. 23. 9, 10. Prov. 18. 17.

Who then is the infallible Iudge of Controversies?

Christ, the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, He is the only infallible Judge of Controversies, who hath told us all things, and we have his Determinations upon Record.^b

Where are his Determinations Recorded?

In the holy Scriptures.

What are his Determinations concerning God, and the manner of his worship?

They are, 1. Negative, that God dwelleth not in Temples, neither is to be worshipped by Images made with mens hands. Acts 17.^c 24. with 1 Kings 8. 27. Acts 17. 25. 2. They are affirmative, viz. That God is a Spirit, and that they that worship him, must worship him in Spirit and truth. Ioh. 4. 23 24.

What other sin is chiefly forbidden in this Commandment?

Superstition.

What is Superstition?

Superstition in the proper and strict notion of the word is the worshipping of Idols, or dead men, Act. 17. 22. But this is the same with that Idolatry, (the giving that worship and glory to others which is due to God alone) which is forbidden in the first Commandment.

What is therefore Superstition in the 〈◊〉 generally received notion, and as it is forbidden in this Commandment?

It is when things are either abhorred or observed with a zealous or fearful, but erroneous relation to God: by means of which the superstitious serve either the true God with needless Offices, or defraud him of necessary Duties; or bestow such honours and service upon others, as is proper for, and should be peculiar for him only. Or, More plainly thus, It is the worshipping of God in any other way, or by any other means than what he hath appointed in his Word; called Ordinances, the Commandments and Doctrines of men.^d

How manifold is this Superstition?

Twofold, Affirmative, and Negative.

What is Affirmative Superstition?

That whereby the Superstitious serve the true God with needless Offices.

And what the Negative?

That whereby men out of a scrupulous Conscience, or ignorant fear of displeasing God, abstain from things lawful and laudable, as sinful and ungodly.

Doth the Scripture warrant this distinction?

Yes.^e

What is the Idolatry and Superstition of the Church of Rome?

The worshipping of the Bread and Wine in the Eucharist, out of a false and groundless perswasion, that they are substantially changed into the Body and Blood of Christ. 2. The worshipping and invocation of Saints and Angels; and particularly of the Virgin Mary, which hath now for some Ages been a principal part of their Religion. 3. Their worshipping of Images: Which practice (notwithstanding all their distinctions about it, which are no other but what the Heathens used in the same case) flies as full in the face of the second Commandment, as deliberate and malicious killing of a man is against the sixth. Acts 17. 29. Rom. 1. 23. 4. Their superstitious Fasting, and ab staining from Flesh in Lent; Their superstitious Holy-daies; Their adding Cream, Oyl, and Spittle to the water in Baptism, and their Baptizing of Bells; Their praying upon Beads, and mary more superstitious customs! For which there is not the least command in the Scriptures.^f

What if the Doctrine of Transubstantiation be not true?

Then by the confession of several of their own learned Writers they are guilty of gross Idolatry.

Doth not the Bread in the Communion remain Bread after the words of Consecration?

Yes, the Scripture expresly calls it so after the words of Consecration. 1 Cor. 11. 26, 27, 28.

But what if the Bread be transubstantiate and turned into the very Body of Christ?

Then all mens senses are deceived in a plain sensible matter, wherein ’tis as hard for them to be deceived, as in any thing in the world.

Why so?

For two things can hardly be imagined more different, a little bit of Wafer, and the whole Body of a man.

But what if the Testimony of sense be not to be relied upon?

Then no man is sure that Christianity it self is true.

Why so?

For the utmost assurance that the Apostles had of the Truth of Christianity, was the Testimony of their own senses concerning our Saviours Miracles.

And what if the Testimony of sense 〈◊〉 to be relied upon?

Then it plainly follows that no man (no, not the Apostles themselves) had more reason to believe Christianity to be true, than every man hath to believe Transubstantiation to be false.

But if the case be so plain, a man would think that at least the Teachers and Guides of that Church should be sensible of it?

Why, they are so, and afraid the People should be so too; and therefore by their corrupt Glosses and Pharisaical Traditions in their interpreting the holy Scriptures, they tye up and keep the People in ignorance of the true meaning of those places, which do more expresly condemn their damnable Idolatrous practises, and their superstitious customs; and in their ordinary Catechisms and Manuals of Devotion, they leave out the second Commandment, and divide the tenth into two to make up the Number; lest if the common people should know it, their Consciences should startle at the doing of a thing so directly contrary to the plain command of God.

And is it not well observed by the learned from Deut. 11. 28. That he that professeth Idolatry, is as if he denied the whole Law?

Yes.

But because after all the unanswerable Objections and Arguments of the Protestants against Transubstantiation, (that Monster and shame of humane nature) and the other Blasphenies and absurd Doctrines of the Papists; they do all unanimously betake themselves to the authority of their Church, as their main and last Refuge; and tell us, that though they cannot give us a particular reason of every Doctrine they hold different from us; yet they have sufficient reason to submit their judgement wholly to their Churches authority, which they know to be infallible, and hath Decreed all the Doctrines they hold in opposition to 〈◊〉 Doth it not therefore concern all that are concerned in the matters of their Salvation to consider whether this easie way of believing be a safe way or no?

Yes, it doth very much concern 〈◊〉 all so to do; because our mistake herein will greatly hazzard our everlasting Salvation.

And are not they certainly mistaken that adventure all, even all their everlasting concerns, upon that authority which overthrows those very things which must be supposed antecedent to the belief of any such authority: As 1. The common sense of mankind. 2. The force of a Divine Law. And 3. The liberty of Iudgement concerning truth and falshood?

Yes.

And doth not the Church of Rome so?

Yes, and thereby forfeits its own authority over men. 1. It requires things contrary to common sense; as in the Eucharist, it requires all its members to deny what they see, and handle, and smell, and taste to be Bread, to be true Bread; and to believe that the same individual Body may be in a thousand places at once, and that things whose nature it is to be in another, 〈◊〉 subsist without their proper subject. 2. It requires things contrary to the force and reason of a divine Law; as it hath left out the second Commandment, and hath made it lawful to give religious worship to Images, and hath taken away from the people their share of the Cup in the Eucharist. 3. It takes away all liberty of judgement concerning truth and falshood in Religion. For this is a natural right which every man hath to judge for himself: And they that take this away, may as well command all men to put out their eyes, that they may the better follow their Guides. But the other is so much worse, because it is an assault upon our understandings; it is a robbing us of the greatest Talent God hath committed to our management, it is a Rape upon our best faculties, and prostituting them to the Lusts of spiritual Tyrants; it is not captivating our understandings to the obedience of Faith, but enslaving them to the proud and domineering usurpations of men; wherein they would do by us as the Philistins did by Sampson; they would put our eyes, that we might grind in their Prison, and make them sport.

How may men further offend and sin against the second Commandment?

Men offend and sin against the second Commandment not only by Idolatry and Superstition, but also when they are not zealous^g for pure worship according to Gods Institution, not endeavouring what in them lieth, in their places, the Reformation of worship, according to the pattern in the Word; as also when they disuse and neglect, especially^h when they contemn and oppose any of those Ordinances which God hath appointed to be the means of worship.