The Works of Mr. George Gillespie (Vol. 1 of 2)Gillespie, George
Religion
The Works of Mr. George Gillespie (Vol. 1 of 2)
Gillespie, George
Church of Scotland -- History; Gillespie, George, 1613-1648
idols, as the Magdeburgians(539) have marked out of Theodoret, likewise
upon them of the religion in France, of whom Thuanus recordeth, that
_templa confractis ac disjectis statuis et altaribus, expilaverant_,
lastly, upon foreign divines,(540) who teach, that not only _idola_, but
_idolia_ also, and _omnia idololatria instrumenta_ should be abolished.
Moreover, what was it else but reason’s light which made Cambyses to fear
that the superstition of Egypt could not be well rooted out if the temples
wherein it was seated were not taken away; so that _offensus
superstitionibus AEgyptiorum, Apis cœterorumque Deorum œdes dirui jubet:
ad Ammonis quoque nobilissimum templum expugnandum, exercitum mittit_,
saith Justinus.(541) And is not the danger of retaining idolatrous
churches thus pointed at by P. Martyr: _Curavit_, &c. “Jehu (saith
he(542)) took care to have the temples of Baal overthrown, lest they
should return any more to their wonted use. Wherefore, it appears, that
many do not rightly, who, having embraced the gospel of the Son of God,
yet, notwithstanding, keep still the instruments of Popery. And they have
far better looked to piety who have taken care to have popish images,
statues and ornaments, utterly cut off; for, as we read in the
ecclesiastical histories, Constantine the Great, after he had given his
name to Christ, by an edict provided and took order that the temples of
the idols might be closed and shut up; but, because they did still remain,
Julian the Apostate did easily open and unlock them, and thereafter did
prostitute the idols of old superstition to be worshipped in them,—which
Theodosius, the best and commended prince, animadverting, commanded to
pull them down, lest they should again any more be restored.” But because
I suppose no sober spirit will deny that sometimes, and in some cases, it
may be expedient to rase and pull down some temples polluted with idols,
where other temples may be had to serve sufficiently the assemblies of
Christian congregations (which is all I plead for), therefore I leave this
purpose and return to Dr Forbesse.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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