Your wrong Exposition of all the Texts of Scripture, here cited by you, is more than one mistake. Deut. 4.2. and 12.32. Prov. 30.6. forbid adding to Gods Worship,1 which is broken by all that either say, that that is in Gods Word which is not there, (as you here do); or that devise any Worship-Ordinances coordinate, or of the same sort with his own, as if they were imperfect: ⟨p. 13⟩But there is not a word forbidding subordinate secondary Acts of Worship, such as Kneeling, putting off the Hat, using written Notes in Preaching, or Forms of Singing, Praying, Catechising, laying the Hand on the Book, or putting it under the Thigh, or lifting it up in Swearing, the formal words of Vows, Oaths, Covenants, Confessions, Professions, and many such. Jer. 7.31. condemneth them that offered their Children in Fire to Idols, because God never commanded such Cruelty and Idolatry. It is not true, that therefore we may not Kneel, or put off the Hat, or Preach, Pray, or Sing in an humane Form of words, till God determine it by Command. It was forbidden things which Isa. 29.13. and Mat. 14. are reproved, as being the Precepts of Men, or things feigned to be necessary Acts of Obedience to God, which were not so. But this you think your self doth not forbid your Form of Church-Covenant, nor your Books, Translation of Scripture, Hymns, written Sermons, because they are devised by Man; nor Children's Forms of Prayer, for being commanded by Parents. Matth. 28.20. It follows not, that because Christ bid the Apostles teach all, that he commanded therefore nothing else subordinate may be taught. He commanded not the additional Form of the Creed, but only the Form of Baptism in three Articles; nor the Hymns and spiritual Songs in Form mentioned by Paul, nor the Kiss of Peace, the Women's Veils, the Mens being uncovered, not wearing long Hair, the selling all and laying it down at the Apostles Feet, &c.
Your wrong Exposition of all the Texts of Scripture, here cited by you, is more than one mistake. Deut. 4.2. and 12.32. Prov. 30.6. forbid adding to Gods Worship,1 which is broken by all that either say, that that is in Gods Word which is not there, (as you here do); or that devise any Woship-Ordinances coordinate, or of the same sort with his own, as if they were imperfect: ⟨p. 13⟩But there is not a word forbidding subordinate secondary Acts of Worship, such as Kneeling, putting off the Hat, using written Notes in Preaching, or Forms of Singing, Praying, Catechising, laying the Hand on the Book, or putting it under the Thigh, or lifting it up in Swearing, the formal words of Vows, Oaths, Covenants, Confessions, Professions, and many such. Ier. 7.31. condemneth them that offered their Children in Fire to Idols, because God never commanded such Cruelty and Idolatry. It is not true, that therefore we may not Kneel, or put off the Hat, or Preach, Pray, or Sing in an humane Form of words, till God determine it by Command. It was forbidden things which Isa. 29.13. and Mat. 14. are reproved, as being the Precepts of Men, or things feigned to be necessary Acts of Obedience to God, which were not so. But this you think your self doth not forbid your Form of Church-Covenant, nor your Books, Translation of Scripture, Hymns, written Sermons, because they are devised by Man; nor Childrens Forms of Prayer, for being commanded by Parents. Matth. 28.20. It follows not, that because Christ bid the Apostles teach all, that he commanded therefore nothing else subordinate may be taught. He commanded not the additional Form of the Creed, but only the Form of Baptism in three Articles; nor the Hymns and spiritual Songs in Form mentioned by Paul, nor the Kiss of Peace, the Womens Vails, the Mens being uncovered, not wearing long Hair, the selling all and laying it down at the Apostles Feet, &c.
- 1XIV. Error.
