CRITICAL REASONS.
Having given in the preface the doctrinal reasons for the exclusion of the worship of Christ, from the New Testament, Mr. Darby now gives his critical reasons in a note on Matt. iv. 10, as follows:
“The LXX. vary. The word is used alike for men and for God. [See 1 Chron. xxix. 20], and is all but always an act of personal reverence and homage. What in modern language is called worship, is latreuo. The nearest approach to this in the use of proskuneo is in John, iv. 23, 24.” What a criticism!
Of course the reader knows that by “The LXX.,” is meant the Greek Old Testament—a version most venerable. Mr. Darby says, “The LXX. vary.” Where do they vary, or how? He might have given a few examples to prove his assertion. We challenge Mr. Darby to produce any one passage where the LXX. vary. The Greek word for worship (proskuneo) is the highest word known in the language for worship, just as the English word; and the highest known in the Greek Scriptures, as the following will prove: “For thou shalt worship (proskunesete) no other God; for the Lord whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” (Ex. xxxiv. 14.) “And in thy fear will I worship (proskuneso) towards thy holy temple.” (Ps. vii. 5.) “All flesh shall come and worship (tou proskunesai) before me, saith the Lord.” (Is. lxvi. 23.) “Worship (proskunesate) him, all ye gods.” (Ps. xcvii. 7.) “Neither shalt thou worship (proskuneseis) any strange god.” (Ps. lxxxi. 9.) “The Lord shall ye fear, and him shall ye worship (proskunesete).” (2 Kings, xvii. 36.) Now these are but samples of all the other passages; and where is the variation? But Mr. Darby, still bent on calling it a lower word, says that it is “used alike for men and for God.” Of course it is—just as we say, “his worship the Lord Mayor.” But what has that to do with it? Who dreams of confounding the reverence due to the Lord Mayor with the worship of God or Christ, though the same word be used? or that the word is lowered on that account? But the last sentence in this extraordinary criticism beats all the rest. Mr. Darby adds, “What in modern language is called worship, is latreuo. The nearest approach to this in the use of proskuneo is in John, iv. 23, 24.”
If this be true, it settles the whole question, and settles it at once, as the apostles and writers of the New Testament are used in proof; for they never use Mr. Darby’s word for worship in reference to Christ, not even once. On the contrary, they use
