Object. IT is sufficient that the people be taught and admonished, that Idols and Images are not to be worshipped, and not to be taken away.
Ans. The Apostle exhorteth us to abstaine from all appearances* 1.1 of evill, 1 Pet. 3. 22. and the surest way is to remove from the sight, the occasion of stumbling, and therefore Moses did not on∣ly restraine the people from worshipping the abominable Idol, but he defaced it, and took it away; which practice and example of Moses condemneth the Luthreans, who allow not the worship∣ing of Images, and yet will tollerate them in their publick places of meeting; for it appeares that Moses could not indure the very sight of that Idol: which president may teach us, not only to be ware of worshipping them, but also of the offence that may hap∣pen by the very sight of them. The example of Hezekiah is also very pertinent to this purpose, who brake in pieces the brazen Serpent, 2 King. 18. 4. moreover, whatsoever it is in religious worship which hath not the testimony of the Word for its ap∣provement, may without controversie be reputed for a device of man, and so consequently rejected; for the true worship of God* 1.2 must be spirituall, answering to his nature, as our Saviour saith, Joh. 4. 24. God is a Spirit, and such as worship him, must worship him in spirit and truth; which worship cannot be performed by the naturall, or artificiall abilities of men, in regard it is wrapt up in the mystery of the Word, to which it is not lawfull to adde or detract any thing, Deut. 4. 2. & 12. 32. Rev. 22. 18, 19. but to be directly agreeable to that patterne, and therefore the Lord com∣manded Moses to make the forme of the Tabernacle agreeable in every thing, to that which he had shewed in the Mount, Exod. 25. 9.