Book 2, Chapter 11: Adoration

Of Adoration.

The Fourth Head of the outward worship of God, is Adoration; wherein we consider two things. First, what it is? Secondly, what be the Questions propounded concerning it?

Sect. 1.

For the former. Adoration in general, is an outward worship, signifying and testifying the inward worship of the heart. More specially, by it we must conceive, the bowing of the head, and knee; the bending and prostrating of the body; the lifting up of the hands, eyes, and such like.

Adoration is two-fold; Religious, or Civil.

Religious Adoration, is that worship of God, in which religion and godliness is exercised, expressed, and signified. In it there be two things always joined together, and yet distinctly to be considered. The first and principal, being the foundation of all the rest, is the intention of the mind, whereby God is conceived, as an absolute and omnipotent Lord, knowing all things, yes the heart of man: hearing the prayers of all men, in all places, at all times; the author, preserver, and giver of all good things. The second, depending upon the former, is the outward prostrating of the body, as the bowing of the knee, and such like, for this end, to testify our subjection to God, as our absolute Lord, &c. This is it, which makes Adoration a true religious worship.

The other kind of Adoration, is Civil, pertaining to the second Table, termed by some social; because it is the adoration or worship, that fellow-creatures give one to another. And this (as the former) has in it two things. The one is, the intention of him, that performs it, which must be this; That the creature worshipped, is endued with excellent gifts of God; Or, that he has a power of government over us. For one of these two, is ever the ground of Civil Adoration. The other is, the action or outward gesture of the body; in token that the creature worshipped, is endued with excellent gifts, and graced with authority before-named: Here we must remember, that the bowing of the body, &c. and in general, all bodily gesture performed, is one and the same, both in Religious, and Civil worship; and the distinction stands only in the intent of the mind.

Sect. 2.

Now the Questions about Adoration, are two.

1. Question. To what things is Adoration due, and in what manner?

Ans. We must distinguish the things that are; and they be of three sorts, or ranks. In the first rank, comes God the Creator; in the second, the creatures: in the third, the work of the creatures.

For the first; Adoration that is due to God the Creator, must not be social, (for we are not God's mates and companions,) but only Religious. Yes, all religious worship is due to God, and to him alone; which I prove thus. The Devil when he tempted our Savior, desired no more of him, but the prostrating of his body; Yet upon this ground, that he was the giver and disposer of all the kingdoms of the earth. But Christ denies it, and answers, You shall worship the Lord your God, and HIM ONLY shall you serve (Matthew 4:10). Again, the very scope of Religious Adoration, is to acknowledge the Godhead, and the properties thereof. And hereupon, it must be given to God alone, and consequently not to the creature, unless we will acknowledge a Godhead in the creature.

Here we are to remember two caveats, touching Religious Adoration.

First, if Adoration be given to the true God, with a false and erroneous intention, it makes him an Idol. For example; If the body be bowed, with this intent, to worship God out of the Trinity, as the Turk does; or if he be worshipped out of the Son, with the Jew; thus doing, we worship not the true God, but an Idol. The reason is, because God is so to be conceived of us, as he has manifested himself in his own word, and no otherwise. If otherwise, God is not conceived, but an Idol or fiction of the brain; and the Adoration is not done to God, but to the Idol.

Secondly, to worship God in, at, or before an Image, is idolatry and superstition; and God so worshipped, is made an Idol. For he that thus worships him, binds his presence, operation, and grace, to those places, to which God never bound himself, or his presence, &c. God has not appointed Images, to be pledges of these things, either by promise, or commandment. Hence it follows, that the man, which worships God, otherwise than he would be worshipped, or looks to be heard, when God will not be heard, is an idolater. Again, God expressly forbids the worship of his Majesty, in, at, or before any creature in heaven or in earth (Deuteronomy 4:16, 17, 18, 19).

But the idolater in excuse of his sin, is wont to pretend many things.

First, that when he worships, he intends not to worship the Image, but God in the Image. To this we answer, that it matters not what his meaning is. For let him intend what he will, if God detests that manner of worship, it is not to be tendered to him, in any sort. The Israelites worshipped not the calf itself, but God in the calf (Exodus 32:8). Yet then Moses says, that they worshipped an Idol.

Secondly he alleges, that in the old Testament, God was worshipped before the Ark; and that there he promised to hear the prayers of his people. Ans. The reason is not alike. For they had an express commandment, given them by God, touching Adoration before the Ark; and a promise, that they should be accepted and heard. But the idolater has no such commandment, or promise.

Thirdly, he objects, that subjects do kneel down before the chair of estate in the absence of the King or Queen, in token of subjection due to them; and therefore much more may they to the Images of God, and Saints in heaven glorified. Ans. This reason is also insufficient. For the kneeling before the chair of estate, is a mere civil testimony of civil worship, and being referred to this end, to show loyalty and subjection to lawful Princes, it stands in force by the commandment of God. But there is no such warrant from God's word, for bowing to Images; neither is it his will, that they should be tokens, and pledges of his presence.

The second sort of things that be, are the creatures, which must be distinguished into four kinds. 1. Wicked Spirits. 2. Good Angels. 3. Living men. 4. Men departed.

Touching wicked Spirits or Devils, the Question is, What is the Adoration that is due to them?

They are the enemies of God, and accursed of him; therefore no honor or service belongs to them, by his will and appointment. And for that very cause, we are to have no dealing with them at all. No, we are utterly to renounce, and abandon, whatever things come from the Devil, or his instruments; as namely all spells, charms, enchantments, &c. which serve to the working of wonders, and yet have no such virtue given them from God for that end, either by creation, nature, word, or institution.

Now concerning the good angels; if they did now appear to us, and we had certain knowledge thereof, we might adore them. But how? Only with civil and social worship. For so we read (Genesis 19:1) that Lot seeing two angels coming towards Sodom, rose up to meet them, and bowed himself with his face to the ground. By which example it appears, that though angels may be adored, yet not with religious, or that which is mixed with religious worship, but with worship purely and merely civil. Whereupon it was, that the angel refused the worship done to him by John, saying, See you do it not: I am your fellow servant, and one of your brethren, &c. (Revelation 19:10). I add moreover, that since at this day, the angels appear not to us; we may not worship them at all, either in civil or religious manner, albeit we must ever have a reverent estimation of them.

As for living men, adoration merely civil is only due to them, and that in respect of the gifts of God, which we see to be in them, as also of their authority and place, which they have among men. This is expressly enjoined in the fifth Commandment, Honor your father, &c. and confirmed also by the example of Abraham, who stood up, and bowed himself, before the people of the land of the Hittites (Genesis 23:7). Provided always, that this adoration, be according to the laudable custom of the country, where they live.

But for worship, either simply religious, or mixed, it is in no sort to be yielded them. Thus Peter (when Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet) refused to accept of the honor done to him; which notwithstanding was not a divine, but a mixed kind of worship, performed to Peter, in a reverent opinion of his person, as being more than an ordinary man (Acts 10:25, 26). In like manner, Mordecai the Jew denied to worship Haman, because the honor which the King appointed to be given to him, was an excessive honor, having some divine worship in it, such as was done to himself. Of the same sort, is the kissing of the Pope's feet, which indeed is civil worship, but mixed with religious. For it is tendered to him, as to the Vicar of Christ, and one that cannot err; the like to which, is not done to any Emperor or Potentate on earth.

Lastly, touching dead men, or saints departed, as Peter, Paul, and the rest; all the worship we owe to them, is no more, but a reverent estimation of their persons, and imitation of their [illegible]. Religious or civil adoration due to them, we acknowledge none; because neither we have to deal with them, nor they with us. Therefore Romish adoration of them we renounce, as flat idolatry; considering it gives to them a divinity, making them present in all places, to know our hearts, and hear our prayers at all times, which is the prerogative of God alone.

Now for unreasonable creatures, no adoration at all appertains to them, but only a reverent, and holy use of them. For adoration, is a sign of subjection of the inferior to the superior; but man is their superior, and therefore he is to do them no worship or service. And hereupon, we justly condemn the adoration of the relics of saints, of the bread and wine in the Sacrament, &c.

The third sort of things, is the work of the creature, to wit, images. Where if it be demanded, what adoration is due to them? I answer, None at all. Reasons. 1. We have an express inhibition to the contrary, in the third Commandment, You shall not bow down to them, nor worship them, &c. 2. The superior must perform no adoration to the inferior. Now though it should be granted, that they were the images of God, yet man is a more excellent image than they, and they are inferior not only to him, but even to the baser sort of creatures. The wo[illegible] is one of the basest creatures upon the earth, yet it is a work of God. The image is a work not of God, but of man. Man therefore may as well in all reason, and better, worship the worm, than the image.