hearing so many Masses, saying such or such words, carrying Palms, taking ashes, carrying banners, following the Cross, and host in processions, and worshipping it, bearing candles: In Baptism, salting, crossing, spathing, exorcizing, washing hands: Also baptizing bells: Ceremonious consecrations; saying Dirges, and Masses for departed souls: forswearing marriage: renouncing propriety: pardons and indulgences from the Pope; with abundance of the like delusory carnal formalities in which much of the Popish devotion doth consist. And how can any unprejudiced man, that is but possessed with the Spirit of God, and truly knoweth what it is to worship him, imagine that God is pleased with such histrionical gauds, and childish things? I confess the reading of their very books of devotion, their offices to our Lady, and others the like, which are stuffed with such superstitious and unreasonable passages, seems enough to me to turn the heart of a sober man against their way. For who can think that the Holy and Blessed God will be delighted in their vain babblings and childish cantings, and affected repetitions of words, and saying, and hearing we know not what? would any wise man regard such expressions of love or honour? If your friend or your child should express his Love and respects to you by mimic gestures, and gambols, and making strange faces, or repeating over your name nine times in a breath, or ridiculous cantings, complements and actings like a Stage Player, would you applaud, or delight in such ⟨p. 164⟩expressions of love and honour as these? Or would you not rather say as the Philistine King of David, when he spit, and scraped on the Wall, Have I need of mad men? It is sure a carnal unreasonable doctrine, that leadeth men to such carnal unreasonable services, of that God who will be served reasonably in spirit and in truth. They that have but an Image or shadow of Faith and Grace, and can expect no more of Glory, are like enough to be well pleased with these Images and mere shadows of Gods worship: But its like to be otherwise with him that hath a spirit of supplication and holiness within him, and hath known by experience what it is to walk with God, and offer him acceptable sacrifices, and to receive the tokens of his acceptance and approbation.
hearing so many Masses, saying such or such words, carrying Palms, taking ashes, carrying banners, following the Cross, and host in processions, and worshiping it, bearing candles: In Baptisme, salting, crossing, spathing, exorcizing, washing hands: Also baptizing bels: Ceremonious consecrations; saying Dirges, and Masses for departed souls: forswearing marriage: renouncing propriety: pardons and indulgencies from the Pope; with abundance of the like delusory carnal formalities in which much of the Popish devotion doth consist. And how can any unprejudiced man, that is but possessed with the Spirit of God, and truely knoweth what it is to worship him, imagine that God is pleased with such histrionical gandes, and childish things? I confess the reading of their very books of devotion, their offices to our Lady, and others the like, which are stuffed with such superstitious and unreasonable passages, seems enough to me to turn the heart of a sober man against their way. For who can think that the Holy and Blessed God will be delighted in their vain bablings and childish cantings, and affected ropetitions of words, and saying, and hearing we know not what? would any wise man regard such expressions of love or honor? If your friend or your child should express his Love and respects to you by mimick gestures, and gambals, and making strange faces, or repeating over your name nine times in a breath, or ridiculous cantings, complements and actings like a Stage Player, would you applaud, or delight in such ⟨p. 164⟩expressions of love and honor as these? Or would you not rather say as the Philistine King of David, when he spit, and scraped on the Wall, Have I need of mad men? It is sure a carnal unreasonable doctrine, that leadeth men to such carnal unreasonable services, of that God who will be served reasonably in spirit and in truth. They that have but an Image or shadow of Faith and Grace, and can expect no more of Glory, are like enough to be well pleased with these Images and meer shadows of Gods worship: But its like to be otherwise with him that hath a spirit of supplication and holiness within him, and hath known by experience what it is to walk with God, and offer him acceptable sacrifices, and to receive the tokens of his acceptance and approbation.
