1. They will receive nothing, practice nothing, own nothing in his worship, but what is of his Appointment. They know that from the foundation of the world he never did allow, nor ever will, that in any thing the will of the creatures should be the measure of his honour, or the principle of his worship, either as to matter or manner. It was a witty and true sense that one gave of the second Commandement; Non imago, non simulachrum prohibetur; sed, non facies tibi: it is a making to our selves, an inventing, a finding out ways of worship or means of honouring God, not by him appointed, that is so severely forbidden. Believers know what entertainment all will worship finds with God. Who hath required those things at your hands? and, in vain do you worship me, teaching for doctrines the traditions of men, is the best it meets with: I shall take leave to say what is upon my Heart, and what (the Lord assisting,) I shall willingly endeavour to make good against all the world; namely, that that principle, that the Church hath power to institute & appoint any thing, or ceremony belonging to the worship of God, either as to matter or to manner beyond the orderly observance of such circumstances as necessarily attend such ordinances as Christ himself hath instituted, lies at the bottom of all the horrible superstition and idolatry, of all the confusion, blood, persecution and wars that have for so long a season spread themselves over the face of the Christian world; and that it is the design of a great part of the Revelation, to make a discovery of this Truth. And I doubt not but that the great controversy which God hath had with this Nation for so many years, & which he hath pursued with so much Anger and Indignation, was upon this account! that contrary to that glorious light of the Gospel which shone among us, the wills and fancies of men, under the name of order, decency, and the Authority of the Church (a Chimaera that none knew what it was, nor wherein the power of it did consist, nor in whom reside) were imposed on men, in the ways and worship of God. Neither was all that pretence of ⟨p. 171⟩Glory, beauty, comeliness, and conformity, that then was pleaded, any thing more or less, then what God doth so describe in the Church of Israel, Ezek. 16. v. 25, and forwards.
1. They will receive nothing, practice nothing, owne nothing in his worship, but what is of his Appointment. They know that from the foundation of the world he never did allow, nor ever will, that in any thing the will of the creatures should be the measure of his honour, or the principle of his worship, either as to matter or manner. It was a witty and true sence that one gave of the second Commandement; Non imago, non simulachrum prohibetur; sed, non facies tibi: it is a making to our selves, an inventing, a finding out ways of worship or meanes of honouring God, not by him appointed, that is so severely forbidden. Believers know what entertainement all will worship finds with God. Who hath required those things at your hands? and, in vaine doe you worship me, teaching for doctrines the traditions of men, is the best it meets with: I shall take leave to say what is upon my Heart, and what (the Lord assisting,) I shall willingly endeavour to make good against all the world; namely, that that principle, that the Church hath power to institute & appoint any thing, or ceremony belonging to the worship of God, either as to matter or to manner beyond the orderly observance of such circumstances as necessarily attend such ordinances as Christ himself hath instituted, lyes at the bottome of all the horrible superstition and idolatry, of all the confusion, blood, persecution and warres that have for so long a season spread themselves over the face of the Christian world; and that it is the designe of a great part of the Revelation, to make a discovery of this Truth. And I doubt not but that the great controversy which God hath had with this Nation for so many yeares, & which he hath pursued with so much Anger and Indignation, was upon this account! that contrary to that glorious light of the Gospell which shone among us, the wills and fancys of men, under the name of order, decency, and the Authority of the Church (a Chimaera that none knew what it was, nor wherein the power of it did consist, nor in whome reside) were imposed on men, in the ways and worship of God. Neither was all that pretence of ⟨p. 171⟩Glory, beauty, comlinesse, and conformity, that then was pleaded, any thing more or lesse, then what God doth so describe in the Church of Israel, Ezek. 16. v. 25, and forwards.
