A Practical Commentary on the Epistle of Jude

Secondly, From setting up any Idol against God in your affections, when you set up any thing above God in your esteem, especially in your trust; that's an Idol, covetousness is twice called Idolatry, Col. 3. 5. Eph. 5▪ 5. because it doth withdraw our affections from God; yea our care, our esteem, our trust, which is the chiefest homage and respect which God expecteth from the Creature: I mention these things because I would speak somewhat to practice, and because Satan is gratified with spiritual Idolatry, as well as with that which is gross and bodily.

From that Clause [about the body of Moses] once more¹ observe, That of all kind of Idolatry, the Devil abuseth the world most with Idolatrous respects to the bodies and Relics of dead Saints. If you ask why, I answer. Partly because this kind of Idolatry is most likely to take, as being most plausible and suitable to that reverend esteem which we have of those that are departed in the Lord; and so our Religious affections become a snare to us: Partly because when men become objects of Worship and Adoration, the God-Head is made more contemptible, and mens conceits of a divine power, run at a lower rate every day. Partly because this malicious fiend hopeth this way to beat the Lord with his own weapon; when the bodies and Relics of those Saints, who by the famousness of their examples were likely to draw many to God, do as much, or more, withdraw men from him; and superstition doth as much hurt, as their example did good. Partly because the Devil by long experience hath found this to be a successful way in the world, Lactantius ⟨p. 377⟩proveth it, that the Idolizing of famous men, was the rise of all Idolatry; and Tertullian in the end of his Apology, observeth the same, that Heathen Idolatry came in this way; sub nominibus & imaginibus mortuorum, by a reverence to the images of dead men, whose memory was precious amongst them: Nines or Nimrod, the first Idolater, set up his own dead Father Blus; whence came the names of Baal and Bel, for an Idol: The Teraphim stolen by Rachel Gen 31. 35 were the images of their Ancestors, whom Laban worshipped; so in the primitive times, before any other Idolatry was brought into the Church, they began with the Tombs and Shrines of the Martyrs.