Of idolatry a discourse, in which is endeavoured a declaration of, its distinction from superstition, its notion, cause, commencement, and progress, its practice charged on Gentiles, Jews, Mahometans, Gnosticks, Manichees Arians, Socinians, Romanists : as also, of the means which God hath vouchsafed towards the cure of it by the Shechinah of His Son / by Tho. Tenison ...

PART 2. Of the Idolatry of the Jews.

IT appeareth then that God gave the Jews sufficient antidotes against Idolatry; and it is as manifest that their folly rendred them very often ineffectual. They by their ritual inclination, by cohabitation, by com∣merce, by apish affectation of foreign modes, learned the Egyptian, Assyrian, and Babylonian Idolatries. Some of this leaven brake out in the Wilderness. There they began to lean towards the worship of false gods by ado∣ring the true one (as shall be shewed) in the unmeet Symbol of the Golden Calf. Hence God in his just Judg∣ment,

gave some of them up to the direct worship of false gods a, besides the true one, though not whol∣ly without him. They worshipped Moloch (as some think by the Tabernacle which the Priests took up, and Remphan by a Star, and the Host of Heaven. A∣mongst that Host of orderly Lights, some have placed the Prototype of Apis, and supposed him to be the Sun. But it seemeth absurd to say, that God permitted the people of the Jews to fall into the worship of the Sun afterwards, because they had worshipped him al∣ready.

At the entrance of the People into Canaan, that Ge∣neration who had seen the hand of God so remarkably upon their disobedient and Idolatrous Forefathers, and who by his Miraculous power and mercy were possessed of part of the good Land, did in pious manner adhere to him. And when Joshuah, under whose wise and suc∣cessful conduct they had been brought over Jordan, advised them at his death, to renounce the Idols of their Fathers, and of the Amorites b, they with pi∣ous earnestness cried out, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord to serve other Gods. And they ratified this holy resolution of theirs by a solemn Covenant be∣twixt them and Joshuah.

Joshuah being dead, and that pious Generation be∣ing gathered to their Fathers, There arose c another Generation after them who knew not [or owned not] the Lord,—but served Baal and Ashtaroth. This Idola∣trous disposition continued in the people under their Judges d, insomuch that in the time of Eli (e) the Palladium of Israel, the Ark of the Covenant, was per∣mitted to fall into the hands of the Philistins. They were a very terrible enemy to the Israelites for many years: and in order to the removal of their yoke, and to the regaining the favour of God, Samuel f spake

unto all the house of Israel, saying, If you do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods, and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistins. Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim [The Idols of the Sun a,] and Ashtaroth, [in the LXX. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the Idols in the Groves of Astarte, or the Earth] and ser∣ved the Lord only. Such Piety of Samuel their Judg, and of David their King, and of Solomon also in the former part of his Reign, together with Gods Pre∣sence in that Magnificent Temple built by him, did much promote the true Religion, and stop the growth of Idolatrous worship. But at length Solomon himself gave them an unhappy Example of it in his own person, being seduced to Idols by the charms and softnesses of his many Heathen Women b So fatal an evil is Lust to the best Understandings, which whensoever it pos∣fesseth them, it perfectly besotteth, and reigneth over them with uncontrouled power. This Impiety was ma∣nifest in Solomon about the thirtieth year of his Reign, as Chronologers commonly account. But the more se∣cret beginning of his defection is by Josephus and other Jews dated from the Images of Oxen made at his com∣mand, as supporters of the Brazen Sea c. It is the common opinion of the Arabians, and particularly of Abulfarajus d, that Solomon died in his Sin without Repentance. Of that God is judg. It is more certain that before he died, he persisted in it notwithstanding a repeated appearance of Gods Shechinah e, and that God was highly displeased with him, and threatned to rend the Kingdom from him after his death. Of that Rent the Instrument was Jeroboam, by whose means one Kingdom became divided into two, rather Facti∣ons than Kingdoms, those of Judah and Israel. In the

latter Jeroboam set up two Golden Calves which the people worshipped at Dan and Bethel; he being jea∣lous a that if they sacrificed at Jerusalem, they would return to their Allegiance due to the King of Judah. For this and other sins God suffered the Ten Tribes to be for ever led captive. Judah also polluted it self with Idolatry. It began under Rehoboam after his three good years of Government, and came to its height under Athaliah, Ahaz, and Manasseh b; and at length Ju∣dah likewise was carried into Captivity. After her re∣turn from Captivity under the favour of Cyrus, many of the Jews were more faithful to the true God, being sensible that for their serving of Idols he had cast them out of his most safe Protection; and the Statue of Mo∣ses on an Ass, found by Antiochus in the Holiest, is one of the Tales of Diodorus . Yet after this great delive∣rance, divers of them relapsed, through that persecu∣tion against them, and that toleration of all Gentilism in Judea, of which Antiochus Epiphanes was the Au∣thor c. He set up the abomination of Desolation, the Idol of Jupiter Olympius, on the Altar of God; and Idol apt to move the pious Jews to forsake the City, and to leave it desolate. Many of the Israelites d [either through fear, or vain inclination] consented to his Reli∣gion, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, (as the Seventy) to his worship; and they sacrificed to Idols, and profaned the Sabbath. But some e chose rather to sacrifice their own lives than to offer to Idols. The Samaritans of all others were under this Tyrant the most disloyal to God; they send Let∣ters of flattery to this impious Monster, of which Jo∣sephus in the Twelfth Book, and seventh Chapter of his Antiquities, hath given us a Copy. They inscribe them, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to Antiochus the illustrious God. They feign themselves to be the off-spring of the Si∣donians and Persians, that they may not be taken for

Jews, whom he hated. They consecrate a Temple on Mount Gerazim, to the Jupiter of Grece, and by such vile arts they insinuate themselves into the favour of Antiochus, who commandeth that they be esteemed, and used as Grecians. And yet a while after under Ptolomaeus Philometor, they abhor Idols, and contend with the Jews themselves about the sanctity of their Temple, which they preferred before that of Jerusa∣lem it self. The Jews by this means, and by former commerce with Grecians, in divers of their Cities and Colonies, and particularly in their own Jerusalem, [which Alexander himself is said to have visited;] and in Alexandria, [where the Ptolomies had advanced the Worship of Grece, and in which Philo in his time num∣bered exceeding many Jews a;] became leavened with the Grecian Demonology b. This Thales learnt in Egypt, and he enlarged and propagated it in the Re∣gions of Grece. I cannot accuse the Jews of erecting Statues, or of offering solemn Prayers, or Sacrifices to them. Yet all who mark that Translation of the Seven∣ty which is commonly in mens hands, may charge at least the Hellenistick Jews, with a false and dangerous estimation of Daemons; with an estimation of them as Presidents and Tutelar Spirits, who under God did go∣vern the World. He that runs may read thus much in their Version of the eighth verse of the thirty-second of Deuteronomy: When the most High divided the Nati∣ons c, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the People [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,] according to the number [not of the Children of Israel, as the He∣brew Copy readeth it, but according to the number] of the Angels of God; who (they say) were seventy, and whom they call the Sanedrim above. Such Angels ma∣ny Jews imagined to have their Thrones in several Stars, whilst their footstools, or inferior places of Go∣vernment

were in several parts of the Earth. Hence Aben Ezra saith a, that it appeared by Experiments [he meaneth sure miraculous effects succeeding the worship of Patrons of Places,] that every Nation and every City hath its particular Planet to which it is sub∣ject. But he excepteth the people of Israel, who being subject only to the Government of God, had it seems no Planet for their Superintendent. Also with allusion to the Government of the Nations by Angels in Stars and Constellations, and not by immediate Providence, the Jews b in their Liturgy give to God the name of the King of the Kings of Kings; that is, the King of those Angelical Powers who rule over the Potentates on Earth. This belief of the Hellenists containeth in it a twofold error: That of the Lieutenancy of Angels, and that of the Innocency of those Spirits which Chri∣stianity calleth Daemons, in the most infamous signifi∣cation of that name. This double error is found in one passage of Josephus, who recordeth it as one of the Precepts of Moses, [of Thales, he might have said more truly,]

That one Citizen ought not to blas∣pheme those Heavenly Powers c which other Ci∣ties have in esteem as Gods.

The Jews after the coming of the Messiah, had be∣sides the motives of their Religion, Political Reasons against Images or Idols. For they have been forced by a just vengeance pursuing such bloody murtherers, to live dispersedly under both Christian and Mahometan Power. And in Dominions of both kinds the Worship of Graven Idols, (besides that their zeal against them, and for their Sabbath was instrumental, as the char∣racter of a Party, to keep them still in some sort of body), would have much obstructed their Toleration. The Mahometans would have been, from the other ex∣treme, averse to them; their Law forbidding all Sta∣tues

and graven or painted Images. In pursuance of this Law, their zeal defaced the Grecian and Roman Coins, which had upon them the Image of their Empe∣rours. It did so formerly, but since that time it is so much cool'd, that they do not believe the Coin pro∣faned by the Superscription. Nay, they prefer the Vene∣tian Ducats which have Images upon them, before their own Sultanies which have none, but are stamped according to the will of their Prophet a. But so it is often seen, that the principle of Avarice becomes much stronger than that of false Religion.

In the days of Julian the Jews were noted amongst the Gentiles as the Worshippers of one God; and, what∣soever their opinion was concerning Angels, they were not observed for any external worship with which they honoured them. That Apostate maketh this dif∣ference betwixt the Jews and the Gentiles of his Age; that the Gentiles b worshipped many Gods [or Dae∣mons,] but the Jews one God only. And those unbe∣lievers pretend, at this day, to the strictest observance of the second Command.

It may be here taken a little notice of, how the Jews have been often accused by the Gentiles, and amongst them by Juvenal, Petronius, and Strabo, as Worshippers of the Clouds. If this reproach had been cast upon that Religion whilst the Ark remained in the most holy place, I should have thought it occasioned by that mi∣raculous Cloud which shadowed the Mercy-seat, and towards which the high-Priest did make his obeisance. But the scandal cannot be traced (so far as my know∣ledg leads me) beyond the days of Augustus. Mr. Selden c once guessed that this reproach might arise from a mistake of the Idiom of the Jews, who called the Ma∣jesty of God, Heaven d. This Idiom Christ useth, whilst he demandeth concerning the Baptism of John,

Whether it was of Heaven or of Men; of Divine or Hu∣mane Authority. Afterwards he was induced to think that the Slanderers of the Jews mistook them for the Gnosticks, who made so much noise about their Hea∣vens and AEons. At last he rejected the accusation with scorn, and placed it amongst such groundless and ex∣travagant forgeries as that of their worshipping an Ass, with which malicious ignorance had traduced them.

But it is not my purpose to write an entire History of the Jewish Worship, or to tell how often they served one God, and how often they worshipped many. I will only insist on one Instance, That Peccatum Maxi∣mum (as the Vulgar a Latine calls it) their greatest sin; to wit, their Idolatry committed with the Golden Calf. It is an instance which themselves take especial notice of, thinking that in every Judgment sent to them by God b, there is, as they speak, an ounce of that Idol; and it is a subject which hath occasioned a Controversie betwixt the Papists and the Reformed.

Notes

• a

  Act. 7. 39, to 43. Amos 5. 25, 26.
• See Thorndik. Epilogue, c. 25. p. 298.
• b

  Josh. 24. 14, to 29.
• c

  Judg. 2. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.
• d

  Judg. 2. 16, 17, 18, 19. e 1 Sam. 4.
• f

  1 Sam. 7. 3, 4.
• a

  See Grotius on Judg. 2. 13. p. 2002. ap. Crit. maj.
• b

  1 King. 11. 1, to 8.
• c

  1 King. 7. 25.
• d

  Abulsarajus, p. 55. Mortuus est [Solomon] sine poenitentiâ.
• e

  1 King. 11. 9•…•… 10, 11, 12.
• a

  1 King. 12. 27.
• b

  2 Chron. 33. 3, to 7.
• Diod. Sic. ap. Phot. Bibl. p. 1150. de Sta∣tuâ Mosis Asino insidentis. Undè Judaei (forte) dicti Asinarii.
• c

  See 1 Mac. 1.
• d

  1 Mach. 1. 43.
• e

  Vers. 60, 61, 62, 63.
• a

  Philo Jud. in Flaccum, p. 971, 972, &c.
• b

  See Diod. Sic. ap. Phot. Bibl. p. 1154. affir∣ming concer∣ning the Jews, that by reason of the Persian and Mac•…•…doni∣an Victories, they suffered many alterati∣ons, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• c

  Deut. 32. 8. See R. Sal. Francu, p. 3.
• a

  See Menasseh Ben Israel, in Quaest. 2. in Deut. p. 222.
• b

  R. Sal. Fran∣ce, p. 2, 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• c

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• a

  See Leon∣clav. Pand. Hist. Turcic. p. 139.
• b

  Julian. ap. Cyr. l. 9. 306.
• c

  Seld. de Diis Syris, Synt. 2. c. 17. p. 370, 371.
• d

  Rabbin. Prov. ap. H. Othon. Lex. c. Rabbin. in Judic. S. S. in Joh. 20. 4. Omnia ad Coe∣lum, i. e. Omnia ad Gloriam Dei.
• a

  Exod. 32. 21, •…•…0, 31.
• b

  See Moses Gerund. ap. Seld. Synt. de Diis Syris, C. de vit Aur. p. 155.