Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)

The Lord left the place, to serve and worship God in, free without exception ¹or binding to any one prescribed or peculiar place, when in the Gospel after John he said, The hour shall come, and is already, when the true worshippers shall worship the father neither in this mountain nor at Jerusalem, but in the spirit and in truth. For such the father requireth to worship him. God is a spirit, and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth. The Apostle followed the Lord in this doctrine and said, I will that men pray in every place lifting up pure hands without anger. Neither did the Lord in •aine, as I showed you even now, suf••r the temple to be utterly overthrown, considering that at his death he had rent the veil thereof. And yet for all that, the Ecclesiastical assemblies are not thereby condemned: Of which I spake in the exposition of the 4. precept, Remember that thou keep holy the sabbath day. Verily y• tabernacle & the temple bare the type of the catholic Church of God, out of which there are no prayers nor oblations acceptable to the Lord. But the Church is extended to the very ends of the world. And yet it followeth not thereupon, that all are in the Church, which are in the world: they alone are in the Church which thorough the Catholic faith are in the fellowship of Christ Jesus, and by the agreement of doctrine, by charity, & by the participation of the Sacraments (unless some great necessity hinder them) are in the communion of the holy Saints. But they burn incense & sacrifice in high places, ²whosoever seek after any other sacrifice, than the one and only oblation of Christ Jesus or look for any other to offer their prayers to God the father than Christ alone, as they are taught by the mouth of the Pastor sincerely preaching the word of God. Moreover the Church of God hath no need now of any ark, any table, any shewbread, any golden candlestick, any altar either of incense or burnt offerings, nor yet of any brazen laver:

The Lord left the place, to serue and worshipp God in, frée without exception ¹or binding to any one prescribed or peculiar place, when in the Gospel after Iohn he said, The houre shall come, and is alreadie, when the true worshippers shall worshipp the father neither in this mountaine nor at Hierusalem, but in the spirite and in truth. For such the father requireth to worship him. God is a spirite, and they that worship him, must worship him in spirite and in truth. The Apostle followed the Lord in this doctrine and said, I will that men pray in euerie place lifting vp pure hands without anger. Neither did the Lord in aine, as I shewed you euē now, sufr the temple to bee vtterlye ouerthrowne, considering that at his death hée had rent the vaile therof. And yet for all that, the Ecclesiasticall assemblies are not thereby condemned: Of whiche I spake in the exposition of the 4. precepte, Remēber that thou keepe holy the sabboth day. Verily y tabernacle & the temple bare the type of the catholique Church of God, out of which there are no prayers noroblations acceptable to the Lord. But the Church is extēded to the very ends of ye world. And yet it followeth not theruppon, yt all are in the Church, which are in the world: they alone are in the Churche whiche thorough the Catholique faith are in the fellowship of Christ Iesus, and by the agréement of doctrine, by charitie, & by the participation of the Sacramentes (vnlesse some great necessitie hinder them) are in the cōmunion of the holy Sainctes. But they burne incense & sacrifice in highe places,