2 As touching the supposed Idolatry of serving God in Ordinances, written, read, and preached Scriptures of the old and new Testament. 1. We do not include and imprison the infinite God who is incomprehensible in sounds, letters, written or spoken; in creatures, Sacraments, that are not God (we confess) but holy and warrantable Ordinances of God, for we are here to do as God himself doth, for we teach no man to fix or pin the Almighty within his ordinances, the way of the Spirit with the word we dare not determine, but the Spirit goes along with the word, the Lord putteth his word and his Spirit in the holy seed in Covenant with him, Esa. 59.21. The foolishness of preaching is a mean to save 1 Cor. 1.23.18. And if it be Idolatry to serve God in his own Ordinances. Familists stumble the same way at preaching, calling it Idolatry, as these that were lost break their necks upon the preaching of the Gospel as foolishness, 1 Cor. 1.18.23. And these that stumbled at the word, 1 Pet. 1.2.8. stumbled not at the internal word and the law written in their heart, the only word of Swinckefeld and Familists, 1but at the external word preached, for they never knew the internal word. 2. When (saith he) Protestants set up such a form of worshipping God (in Ordinances, hearing, searching the Scriptures, reading, praying, seals) it is an immediate way of fixing God and his Spirit upon it, and indeed a finer kind of Idolatry to conceive that God enters ⟨p. 235⟩into outward things; he means the written and preached Scriptures, Sacraments, praying, hearing, &c. so the Antichristian Beast H. Nicholas speaketh, Evangely, or joyful message of the Kingdom, chap. 34. But the while now that the Figurative Services and ceremonies of the Christians flourished in their vigour, he hath raised up me H. N. H. Nicholas meaneth hearing, reading of Scriptures, and all outward Ordinances, which he calleth Figurative Services and Ceremonies; and Saltmarsh saith, worshipping God according to the Scriptures, is an immediate way of fixing God and his Spirit to this form. To Scriptures and Ordinances then he giveth us his good leave, except we would be finer Idolaters to follow the Spirit without and beside the Scripture. For the Scripture is but a Form, and a thing of Figures and Letters:
2 As touching the supposed Idolatry of serving God in Ordinances, written, read, and preached Scriptures of the old and new Testament. 1. We doe not include and imprison the infinite God who is incomprehensible in sounds, letters, writen or spoken; in creatures, Sacraments, that are not God (we confesse) but holy and warrantable Ordinances of God, for we are here to do as God himself doth, for we teach no man to fix or pin the Almighty within his ordinances, the way of the Spirit with the word we dare not determine, but the Spirit goes along with the word, the Lord putteth his word and his Spirit in the holy seed in Covenant with him, Esa. 59.21. The foolishnesse of preaching is a mean to save 1 Cor. 1.23.18. And if it be Idolatry to serve God in his own Ordinances. Familists stumble the same way at preaching, calling it Idolatry, as these that were lost break their necks upon the preaching of the Gospell as foolishnesse, 1 Cor. 1.18.23. And these that stumbled at the word, 1 Pet. 1.2.8. stumbled not at the internal word and the law written in their heart, the only word of Swinckefeld and Familists, 1but at the externall word preached, for they never knew the internall word. 2. When (saith he) Protestants set up such a form of worshipping God (in Ordinances, hearing, searching the Scriptures, reading, praying, seales) it is an immediate way of fixing God and his Spirit upon it, and indeed a finer kinde of Idolatry to conceive that God enters ⟨p. 235⟩into outward things; he means the written and preached Scriptures, Sacraments, praying, hearing, &c. so the Antichristian Beast H. Nicholas speaketh, Evangely, or joyfull message of the Kingdome, chap. 34. But the while now that the Figurative Services and ceremonies of the Christians flourished in their vigor, he hath raised up me H. N. H. Nicholas meaneth hearing, reading of Scrip•ures, and all outward Ordinances, which he calleth Figurative Services and Ceremonies; and Saltmarsh saith, worshipping God according to the Scriptures, is an immediate way of fixing God and his Spirit to this forme. To Scriptures and Ordinances then he giveth us his good leave, except we would be finer Idolaters to follow the Spirit without and beside the Scripture. For the Scripture is but a Form, and a thing of Figures and Letters:
- 1Saltmarsh and Familists call it Idolatry to se•ve God in ordinances, the contrary is proven.
