The present seems to be a convenient place for observing, that however
the distinction is strongly insisted upon, or rather implicitly
acquiesced in by many, which would admit of a worship or service called
dulia (the Greek [Greek: douleia]) to saints and angels, and would limit
the worship or service called latria ([Greek: latreia]) to the supreme
God only, yet that such distinction has no ground whatever to rest upon
beyond the will and the imagination of those who draw it. The two words
are used in the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament, and in the
original Greek of the {58} New promiscuously, without any such
distinction whatever. The word which this distinction would limit to the
supreme worship of the Most High, is used to express the bodily service
paid by the vanquished to their conquerors, as well as the religious
service paid by idolaters to their fabled deities, and by the true
worshippers to the Most High. The word which this distinction would
reserve for the secondary worship paid to saints and angels, is employed
to express not only the service paid by man to man, but also the service
and worship paid to God alone, even when mentioned in contradistinction
to other worship. It will be necessary to establish this by one or two
instances; and first as to "latria." One single chapter in the Book of
Deuteronomy supplies us with instances of the word used in the three
senses, of service to men, service to idols, and service to God, xxviii.
36. 47, 48: "Because thou servedst [Greek: elatreusas] not the Lord thy
God with joyfulness and gladness of heart; Therefore thou shalt serve
[Greek: latreuseis] thine enemies which the Lord shall send against thee
in hunger and in thirst and nakedness." "The Lord shall bring thee unto
a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt
thou serve [Greek: latreuseis] other gods, wood and stone." Next as to
the word "dulia." The First Book of Samuel (called also the First of
Kings) alone supplies us with instances of this word being used in each
of the same three senses of service from man to man, from man to idols,