ALL Idolatry is utterly to be abhorred. Propositi: Assump­tion. Conclusi­on.

But, Adoration or Bowing at the name IE­SUS is Idolatry.

Therefore such adoration is altogether to be abhorred.

First, That all idolatry is to be abhorred the Apostle sheweth, 1 Cor. 10. 14. And all men confesse it.

Secondly, That adotation at the name, or naming the name JESUS is idolatry, is thus proved: That name that is adored be­fore, or above the name JEHOVAH, is made an Idol, and so the adoration of it is idolatry; But, adoration at the name JE­SUS, is to adote that name above the name JEHOVAH. There­fore the name JESUS, so adored, is an idol, and it's adoration is idolatry.

The reason of this act is taken from the practice of the IESU-Worshippers, who never use any adoration or signe of reverence when JEHOVAH is named, but only when JESUS is named they give both outward and inward adoration to the name JESUS, but not to the name JEHOVAH: So that they adore the name JeSUS above the name JEHOVAH.

[Page 3] If they say their adoration of the name JESUS is not termina­ted, not bounded in the word or syllables JESUS, but passet [...] to the person of JESUS.

I answer, It is but a frivolous, absurd and rediculous shift which Dr. Fulk on Phil. 2. 10. against the Rhemists, confuteth in the Je­suits, saying; That this their evasion is too short a Cloak to co­ver their Idolatry. As also in the case of Image-worship, the Papists use the very same shift; namely, that their worship rests not in the Image, but passes through it to the thing repre­sented by it. Agustinie in Ps. 113. Serm. 2. Origen con­tra celsum: lib: 7. Lac­tàn: fixtus. Seneca li. 1. Biblioth. 247. & others. And the ancient idolatrous Gentiles could plead the same for their worshipping of Images, which the ancient Fa­thers shewed the vanity of. And again, It is as clear that this IESU-Worship is terminated in the very name JESUS, by the common and singular Worshippers of it, as Image-worship is by ordinary Papists (at least) terminated in the very Image, as Au­gustine ibidem. Quis (saith he) adorat, velorat, Who adoreth or prayeth, looking upon an Image, & is not so affected that he thinks he is not heard of it which he prayeth to; ducit enim saith he, &c. for the similitude of a form, and the apt frame of the members in a Picture or Image, doth draw & carry along with it the weak hearts of mortal men by a kind of base affection; and so this use of bowing at the name JESUS intimates unto the peoples minds an opinion of some excellency in this name above JEHOVAH.

And if they do by this name JESUS worship the person JE­SUS, yet this teacheth the people a most grosse and impious er­ror, in preferring JESUS before God the Father. And Chryso­stom reciting those words of the Apostle, 1 Cor. 8. 2. To us there is but one God the Father, and one Lord Jesus Christ, think not (saith he) that one of these names is greater then another in their signification, or more excellent; and to prefer one before another, argues a contentious disposition, to introduce into the orthodox doctrine, mens own inventions; yea, its plain; that they prefer the name JESUS before the person of Christ, seeing when JESUS is named they worship with Cap and Knee, but none at all when Christ is named; so as they shew hereby, that this their wor [...]hip appropriated unto, and terminated in the very name and syllables of JESUS, as Bishop Andrews blusheth not to affirm, in his Court Sermon on Phil: 2. 10.

A Second Argument proving JESU-worship, or bowing and capping at the name JESUS when it is mentioned or soun­ded in the ear, to be idolatry, is, If the adoration of the name JESUS when it is painted on a Wall be idolatry, then the adora­tion of the name when it is heard or pronounced with the mouth, is also idolatry, but the first is true, therefore also the second, namely that the worshipping of the name JESUS when it is heard pronounced with the mouth is idolatry.

That the first is true, to wit, that the worshipping of the name JESUS painted on a Wall is idolatry, no good and sound Prote­stant will deny, for, there is this same reason thereof, as of all other Image-worship, names being a kind of the things they re­present or intend.

That the second is as true as the first, I prove thus, Because it skils not by which of the sences idolatry is committed, for it may be indifferently and alike committed by all the sences. For example, the Scripture shews idolatry to be committed, somtimes by the sence of tasting, as eating and drinking, 1 Cor. 10. 17. Neither be ye Idolaters as were some of them, as it is written, the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Sometimes by the sence of touching, as kissing of Baals mouth, 1 Kings 19. 18. Sometimes by the sence of smelling, as burning of Incense to Idols was idolatry committed, Jer. 11. 12. And as in Julians time offering of incense, and sweet perfumes. Frequently also by the sence of seeing is idolatry committed. And lastly idolatry is made, (and now adayes no lesse frequently committed by pressing this JESU-worship) by the sence of hearing, as when the Papists at the very sound of the Bell that goes tinkling before their Brea­den-god, or Hoast carried to the sick, or in procession whereso­ever they be, or whatsoever they are doing; though they see no­thing, yet they must slap down on their Marrow-bones. Thus by the sence of Hearing their God in the Hoast being presented or conveyed to their minds, they commit idolatry as if it were pre­sented to their eye: And therefore the provincial Synod of Le­no in France, resolved (in the behalf of their Image-worship) that there was the same reason of adoration, when the Image of Christ is represented to the eye, as when the name JESUS is sounded [Page 5] in the ear, for that which the one insinuates into the mind by the ear, the other insinuates the same by the eye. If therefore it be idolatry to worship the name JESUS written on a Wall, then it is no lesse idolatry to give adoration when it is uttered with the mouth.

THat which is not the name above every name, is not to be a­dored or reverenced above of before other names. But the name JESUS is not the name above every name; therefore it is not to be reverenced or adored before, or above all other names.

The Major is cleer, for that which is honoured above others hath some excellency above others; either really in it selfe, or else in the opinion of honour. And that the name JESUS is the name above other names, what Divine is so doltish as to imagine it, so bold as to avow it? Even the JESU-worshippers themselves have been much beaten off from their false glosse of a late devi­sing, and by one of their greatest Patrones hereof, falsely father­ed upon all the Fathers, whereas not one of them did ever so in­terpret that place, Phil. 2. 10. For as they dare not affirm it, so its clear that the Text is clean otherwise interpreted by two other places; as Isa. 45. 23. & Rom. 14. 10. As they are conferred in the Margents of our Bibles, which (at least) are far more anci­ent and authentick, then any authority which can produce the contrary, whatsoever, as I suppose and believe.

A Fourth Argument may be framed thus; All will-worship, devised, prescribed and imposed by the will, commande­ments and doctrines of men, whatsoever pretence and specious shew it hath of wisdom or piety, is condemned by the Apostle, and so is damnable for Christians to conform and yeeld unto it. But such is the adoration or worshipping of the name JESUS: I say it is a meer will worship of mans devising, prescribing, and imposing. For proof, Pope Gregory a superstitious Pope (as all of them write) and very zealous in setting up new guids of worship, was the first that under a Canon for this Jesu-worship to be used, especially in the Masse, and in the reading of the Gospel. And another Pope John 21. granted indulgence and pardon of sins to all such worshippers of the name JESUS; such a high esteem have men of these things which themselves have devised, as part of [Page 6] Gods worship, but indeed will-worship, (as the Crow thinks her own birds fairest) that they therefore prefer them before Gods Ordinances and Commandements, and will favour and encourage such as conform to them and more severely punish those that out of tendernesse and truth of conscience refuse so to doe. Yea, the Papists have a Holy-day dedicated to the name of Jesu, and Jesu-worshippers have even thrust it into our Kalenders, but in black letters, mourning that it is not in scarlet, as their hope is it wil shortly be, if it can find worshippers enough! And our Jesu-wor­shippers confesse that they are bound in conscience to bow at the name JESUS, because the By the Church is meant the Bishops. Church commands it, that is, because men do command it; Ergo, by their own confession being devi­sed by man, and having no ground in Scripture, it is a will-wor­ship, and so damnable, and surely they condemned in their own consciences.

But where I pray doth the Church command this Jesu-worship­ping? in the Canons say they, I deny it, for the Canon sayes, when the Lord Jesus is mentioned due reverence shall be given; now the Lord Jesus is not the name Jesus, nor the name Jesus, the Lord Jesus, and to confound the name Jesus with the Lord Jesus deserves a hissing, but they are at a Non-plus-ultra; but if they will force the letter of the Canon to serve their corrupt sence, they are together to be exploded, seeing they fight against a canonical Scripture, the only Canon and right rule of the worship of God.