XV. We offer God such Worship as we can prove by his Word that he commandeth and accepteth; and ⟨p. 192⟩such reasonable service in spirit and truth, which is not unsuitable to the Father of Spirits, and God of wisdom; yet using all reverent and decent behaviour of the body as well as of the mind. But it would be hard to number over all the Humane inventions of Formalities, and Rites, and Ceremonies, and Images, and other arbitrary external things, by which you have corrupted the Worship of God, and hid the body in your new fashioned Clothing, which you pretended to adorn; And as worldly minds do cumber themselves, as Martha, with many unnecessary things, and then say, [Is it not lawful to do this and that?] while they hereby alienate the thoughts, affections, and time, which should be laid out on the one thing needful; so do you in Gods Worship make such abundance of work with your Ceremonies, for thoughts, affections, and time, as maketh it very difficult to give the great and spiritual part of Worship its proportion, (far beyond what Augustine Epist. ad Januar. so much complained of in his time:) and then think you justify all, if you can say, How prove you this or that unlawful? As if your Servant should instead of his work play at Cards most of the day, and ask you [How you prove it unlawful?] You never well studied 2 Cor. 11. 3. [I […] lest by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ,] nor Col. 2. 18, 19, 20. 22, 23. nor Act. 15. 28. nor Rom. 14 and 15. nor Joh. 4. 20, 21. An ignorant Woman set upon Christ, just as you pervert all holy discourse, with turning all to [Which is the true Church?] Our Fathers Worshipped in this Mountain, and ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where men should Worship: But Christ answereth you in her, The true Worshippers shall Worship the Father in spirit and in truth: For the ⟨p. 193⟩Father seeketh such to worship him: God is a Spirit, &c.] Those that by Custom be not engaged in your way of numerous Formalities and bodily actions, can hardly think that you are spiritually and seriously worshipping God, or can believe that Infinite Wisdom would be pleased with such things as—I am loth to denominate or describe.
XV. We offer God such Worship as we can prove by his Word that he commandeth and accepteth; and ⟨p. 192⟩such reasonable service in spirit and truth, which is not unsuitable to the Father of Spirits, and God of wisdom; yet using all reverent and decent behaviour of the body as well as of the mind. But it would be hard to number over all the Humane inventions of Formalities, and Rites, and Ceremonies, and Images, and other arbitrary external things, by which you have corrupted the Worship of God, and hid the body in your new fashioned Cloathing, which you pretended to adorn; And as worldly minds do cumber themselves, as Martha, with many unnecessary things, and then say, [Is it not lawful to do this and that?] while they hereby alienate the thoughts, affections, and time, which should be laid out on the one thing needful; so do you in Gods Worship make such abundance of work with your Ceremonies, for thoughts, affections, and time, as maketh it very difficult to give the great and spiritual part of Worship its proportion, (far beyond what Augustine Epist. ad Januar. so much complained of in his time:) and then think you justifie all, if you can say, How prove you this or that unlawful? As if your Servant should instead of his work play at Cards most of the day, and ask you [How you prove it unlawful?] You never well studyed 2 Cor. 11. 3. [I 〈…〉 lest by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ,] nor Col. 2. 18, 19, 20. 22, 23. nor Act. 15. 28. nor Rom. 14 and 15. nor Ioh. 4. 20, 21. An ignorant Woman set upon Christ, just as you pervert all holy discourse, with turning all to [Which is the true Church?] Our Fathers Worshipped in this Mountain, and ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where men should Worship: But Christ answereth you in her, The true Worshippers shall Worship the Father in spirit and in truth: For the ⟨p. 193⟩Father seeketh such to worship him: God is a Spirit, &c.] Those that by Custom be not ingaged in your way of numerous Formalities and bodily actions, can hardly think that you are spiritually and seriously worshipping God, or can believe that Infinite Wisdom would be pleased with such things as—I am loth to denominate or describe.
