Vers. 4. Which remaine among the graues, and lodge in the deserts, which eate swines flesh, and the broth of things polluted are in their vessels.
HE reckons vp other sorts of superstitions. Which albeit by reason of the breuitie of the words, it bee somewhat obscure; yet from other places of the Scriptures, it may easily bee gathered what they were. For as Necromancy was a thing much in vse among profane nations, so also the Iewes went into the sepulchers and deserts, to aske counsell of diuels; whereas they should onely haue sought counsell at the mouth of God. And in supposing to fetch answers from the dead, they delited to be deciued by the illusions of wicked spirits.
Now by the 18. of Deuteronomie, vers. 11. and other places, it appeares, how expreslie the Lord had forbidden this. And we haue touched it somewhat before, in Chap. 8. We are here taught in generall, that the Lord re∣quires nothing more of vs then obedience, which hee accepts aboue all sacrifices: 1. Sam. 15.22.
Which eate svvines flesh.] He complained before that Gods seruice was polluted by their superstitions. Now he addes, that they reiected all difference of things: so as they discerned not between the pure and vncleane. And he recites one kind: namely, that they abstained not from swines flesh. This seemes but a light matter. Yet is it not so for all that. For we must not iudge how great this sinne is, by our rule: but according to that which the Lawgiuer hath prescribed. Neither is that sinne to be esteemed light, which God hath forbidden. This appertaines to the ex∣ternall profession of faith; by which the Iewes should haue shewed, how farre off they were from the prophanations of the Gen∣tiles. Wee must not recoile then from that rule which God hath giuen vs: no, not the thicknes of our naile.