A26906:831
The cure of church-divisions, or, Directions for weak Christians to keep them from being…
The cure of church-divisions, or, Directions for weak Christians to keep them from being dividers or troublers of the church with some directions to the pastors how to deal with such Christians / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for Nevil Symmons, 1670
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Sixthly, Lastly, Superstition much displeaseth God; and maketh us sinners, even in that, in which we think especially to honour him. Math. 15. 9. In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men: Though God in mercy can distinguish between his own and ours, and doth not count the whole worship to be in vain, where any degree of superstition is mixed (For then most zealous persons were undone;) yet the superstitious part of worship is always in vain; and all the rest is made as vain, where that is the predominant and denominating part. Thus overdoing is undoing, and thus the superstitious are (materially) righteous overmuch. And not only much cost and pains is lost, but the soul corrupted, the Church divided, Religion debased and endangered and God displeased, by ignorant zeal.
Sixthly, Lastly, Superstition much displeaseth God; and maketh us sinners, even in that, in which we think especially to honour him. Math. 15. 9. In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandements of men: Though God in mercy can distinguish between his own and ours, and doth not count the whole worship to be in vain, where any degree of superstition is mixed (For then most zealous persons were undone;) yet the superstitious part of worship is alwayes in vain; and all the rest is made as vain, where that is the predominant and denominating part. Thus overdoing is undoing, and thus the superstitious are (materially) righteous overmuch. And not only much cost and pains is lost, but the soul corrupted, the Church divided, Religion debased and endangered and God displeased, by ignorant zeal.
Here note to prevent mistakes; First, that as God is related to our actions, either as the efficient ⟨p. 285⟩commanding, or as the final cause; so there is a double superstition; One (which is the greatest as comprehending the other) when that which God never commanded or forbade, is feigned to be commanded or forbidden by him: The other when we feign him finally to be pleased with a Religious worship of our own invention, though we confess it to have no higher an original than our selves.