The right method for a settled peace of conscience, and spiritual comfort in 32…

And in matter of Worship, worst of all: When he could not persuade the world to persecute Christ, and to refuse him and his Worship, the Serpent will be the most zealous Worshipper, and saith, as Herod, and with the same mind, Come and tell me, that I may worship him. He persuades men to Do and Over-do: He sets them on laying out their Revenues in sumptuous Fabrics, in fighting to be Masters of the Holy Land and Sepulchre of Christ, on going Pilgrimages. ⟨p. 362⟩Worshipping Saints, Angels, Shrines, Relics, Adoring the very bread of the Sacrament as God, excessive fastings, choice of meats, Numbered Prayers on beads, Repetitions of words, so many Ave Maries, Pater Nosters, the name Jesus so oft Repeated in a breath, so many Holy-days to Saints, Canonical hours, even at midnight to pray, and that in Latin for greater reverence, Crossings, holy garments, variety of prescribed gestures, kneeling and worshipping before Images, sacrificing Christ again to his Father in the Mass; forswearing Marriage; living retiredly as separate from the world; multitudes of new prescribed Rules and orders of life; vowing poverty, begging without need; creeping to the Cross, Holy water, and Holy bread, carrying Palms, kneeling at Altars, bearing Candles, Ashes; In Baptism, Crossing, Conjuring out the Devil, salting, spittle, oil; taking Pardons, Indulgences and Dispensations of the Pope; praying for the Dead, perambulations, serving God to Merit Heaven, or to ease souls in Purgatory; doing Works of supererogation, with multitudes the like: All these hath the Devil added to Gods Worship, so zealous a Worshipper of Christ is he, when he takes that way. Read Mr. Herbert's Church Militant of Rome, pag. 188, 189, 190. I could trace ⟨p. 363⟩this Deceiver yet further, and tell you wherein, when he could not hinder Reformation in Luther's days, he would needs over-do in Reforming! But O how sad an example of it have we before our eyes in England! Never people on earth more hot upon Reforming! Never any deeper engaged for it. The Devil could not hinder it by fire and sword; when he sees that, he will needs turn Reformer as I said before, and he gets the Word, and cries down Antichrist, and cries up Reformation, till he hath done what we see! He hath made a Babel of our work, by confounding our languages;

And in matter of Worship, worst of all: When he could not perswade the world to persecute Christ, and to refuse him and his Worship, the Serpent will be the most zealous Worshipper, and saith, as Herod, and with the same mind, Come and tell me, that I may worship him. He perswades men to Do and Over-do: He sets them on laying out their Revenues in sumptuous Fabricks, in fighting to be Masters of the Holy Land and Sepulcher of Christ, on going Pilgrimages.