OF SERPENTS. 197 



The Cures effldled by the artificial Serpent, derived that 

 EfficGcy from the divine Inflitution of that Medium: Had their 

 Piefcripiion been the meer Device of Rabbi MofeSy that great and 

 valuable End would not have been anfwered ; therefore, fince the 

 Rcaion of that Inftitution ceafed, 'tWaS highly criminal in them, 

 to make an^ religious Ufe of it. 



It is the divine Imprefs upon Inflitutions that ufliers In the 

 Eleffings intended by them ; therefore to hope for Acceptance 

 with God on account of meer human Ordinances, (as bowing to 

 Images, to the Altar, to the Eaft, and to make ufe of Crucifixes, 

 Croffes, holy Water) is to hope for what God has never promijcd 

 to give. 



No wonder to fee the brazen Serpent ground to Powder, and 

 the Dull fcatter'd in the Air, that fo no Fragments of it might 

 re^nain, when Altars of divine Eftablifljiient, and facred to De- 

 votion, v/ere intirely deflroy'd, when they made Idols of themf 

 And how a holy and jealous God may refent the Adoration of 

 the Crofs in the Popip Churchy I pretend not to predicTt, much 

 lefs to determine. This Deifrudiion of the brazen Serpent, is 

 reckon'd among the good Deeds of King Hezekiab^ becaufe it 

 was made a Medium, and Fait of Worfliip not prefcrib'd by di- 

 vine Authority. 



CHAP. IV. 



^his Chapter begins with the Original of Idolatry^ as a Prelimi- 

 nary to the Adoration o/' Serpents, ufider three SeSiions. 



SECT. I. 



S introdudory to the Divinity of Serpents, I fhall make a 

 ^ ^^ brief Inquiry into the Original of facred Images, and Idol- 

 Worihipj the fiirfl Period of which is hard to trace. 



Some make Cain the iiril Founder of it, becaufe of his early 

 Apoftacy from the true Religion 5 which is not very improbable,- 

 fince 'tis faid, He went out fro?n the Prefence of the Lord .... 



He 



