An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth, & tenth chapters of…

And again, As we must not make what we think the rule for worship, so neither the^* Opinions of Learned men, nor Custom, nor Antiquity, must be the rule of our Worship, but what's written? I have written to them the great things of my Law, they must keep to that; whatsoever use we may make now of the Opinions of Ancients and the like, yet if the Ancients themselves were alive they would abhor the use that many make of their quotations; Cyprian in one of his Epistles saith, We must not look what this man, or that man that were before us (he speaks of his predecessors)▪ what he did, or what he taught, but what he that was before all, namely Christ, who alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. And so^† Augustin hath another Speech to the same effect, speaking of the Ancients, of learned men, saving all due respect that is due to them, yet for us to think that we may not cast out, even reject from their writings some things, because they were learned men, this must not be admitted, for (saith he) such a one I'll be in respect of the writings of other men, and such a one would I have those that understand my writings to be to me, I will not think of the writings of any other men before, that there should be nothing cast out nor mended, neither would I ⟨p. 87⟩have any body think so of my writings.³ And so Ambrose, Where the Scripture is silent we must not speak. Thus we see that those men for the maintaining of that which is evil they will make use of Quotation• and Antiquities, yet we see the Ancients did abhor this, Christ and his Apostles they quoted none of the Learned men before them, but Moses and the Prophets.

And again, As we must not make what we think the rule for worship, so neither the^* Opinions of Learned men, nor Custom, nor Ant•quity, must be the rule of our Worship, but what's written? I have written to them the great things of my Law, they must keep to that; whatsoever use we may make now of the Opinions of Antients and the like, yet if the Antients themselves were alive they would abhor the use that many make of their quotations; Cyprian in one of his Epistles saith, We must not look what this man, or that man that were before us (he speaks of his predecessors) what he did, or what he taught, but what he that was before all, namely Christ, who alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. And so