A30242:758
The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole…
The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole third chapter of the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians to which is annexed The godly and the natural mans choice, upon Psal. 4, vers. 6, 7, 8 / by Anthony Burgess ...The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole third chapter of the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians to which is annexed The godly and the natural mans choice, upon Psal. 4, vers. 6, 7, 8 / by Anthony Burgesse ...
London: printed by Abraham Miller for T.U., 1659
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.
First, There is express Scripture to keep close to Gods Commandment. 1Deut. 31, 32. Thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it, is Gods Commandment. This Command is four times repeated in the Scripture, by which it appeareth, that no men under any pretence of stirring up devotion or decency, may add any thing unto his Command, or detract from it, as the public Coin of a Land my not be clipped; but it's a Capital crime to do so, and equivalent to this, is that Exhortation, Not to turn to the right hand or to the left, Deut. 17.11. & alibi. In the Hebrew they are Verbs, Not to dextrate it, or sinistrate it, as we may say. The left hand, is, when men out of profaneness and atheism, or irreverence neglect the due worship God hath appointed. The right hand is, when men out of pretended zeal, and good intentions set up that which God hath not commanded. We are not then in our worship to offer a Sacrifice without eyes, which then we do, when we have not Gods Word a light to direct us: We are not to be l•ke Sheep that follow those that go before: Non quà cundum est, sed quâ itur, as Seneca said. Hence those Pharisees that were so diligent and officious in their invented worship, our Saviour in two or three words throweth it all down: Who hath required these things at your hands? And, In vain do they worship me, Mark. 11.7. See there is no worship, no service of God, but thou must be able to answer this Question, Who hath required it? Who hath commanded it? Otherwise, it's a vain worship In vain do they worship me. And of all vanities, this is the saddest, when thy Religion and Worship will be found an empty vain thing: It hath not advantaged thy soul: There is no reward laid up for it.
First, There is express Scripture to keep close to Gods Commandement. 1Deut. 31, 32. Thou shalt not adde thereto, nor diminish from it, is Gods Commandement. This Command is four times repeated in the Scripture, by which it appeareth, that no men under any pretence of stirring up devotion or decency, may adde any thing unto his Command, or de•ract from it, as the publique Coin of a Land my not be clipt; but it's a Capital crime to do so, and equivalent to this, is that Exhortation, Not to turn to the right hand or to the left,