Wesley Corpus

They venerate these, in order to obtain the help of the saints. And they believe, “by these many benefits are conferred on mankind; that by these relics of the saints, the sick have been cured, the dead raised, and devils cast out.” We read of good King Hezekiah, that “he brake in pieces the brazen serpent which Moses had made.” (2 Kings xviii.4.) And the reason was, because the children of Israel burnt incense to it. By looking up to this, the people bitten by the fiery serpents had been healed. And it was preserved from generation to generation, as a memorial of that divine opera tion. Yet, when it was abused to idolatry, he ordered it to be broke in pieces. And were these true relics of the saints, and did they truly work these miracles, yet that would be no sufficient cause for the worship that is given them. Rather, this worship would be a good reason, according to Hezekiah’s practice, for giving them a decent interment. 6. Let us next consider what reverence the Church of Rome requires to be given to images and pictures. She requires “to kiss them, to uncover the head, to fall down before them, and use all such postures of worship as they would do to the persons represented, if present.” And, accordingly, “the Priest is to direct the people to them, that they may be worshipped.” They say, indeed, that, in falling down before the image, they “worship the saint or angel whom it represents.” We answer, (1.) We are absolutely forbidden in Scripture to worship saints or angels themselves. (2.) We are expressly forbidden “to fall down and worship any image or likeness of anything in heaven or earth,” whomsoever it may represent. This, therefore, is flat idolatry, directly contrary to the commandment of God. 7. Such, likewise, without all possibility of evasion, is the worship they pay to the cross. They pray that God may make the wood of the cross to “be the stability of faith, an increase of good works, the redemption of souls.” They use all expressions of outward adoration, as kissing, and falling down before it. They pray directly to it, to “increase grace in the ungodly, and blot out the sins of the guilty.” Yea, they give latria to it.