An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters…

so your Papists with decking up their Churches and their Altars and their crings and bowings, they have a fine and brave Religion, their shadow is good, there is bravery and solemnity in it. Oh take heed of this in any point of Gods worship, to think that any addition of mans makes it more solemn and more reverent. It is the worst argument you can use, to say can we do things in Gods worship with too great reverence? ⟨p. 152⟩Is it that which you have warrant out of Gods word for? doth God enjoin it? Have you not either some rule or ensample at least for it? If you think by your own addition to do it with more reverence, this very argument spoils it, though it were lawful in other respects. Take some gesture, suppose it were indifferent, suppose it were lawful some way; but if you take it up thus, to think that by it you put more reverence and respect upon Gods worship than there is, there you spoil it; upon some other grounds it may perhaps be granted, but upon that ground you spoil it quite. Therefore the Lord forbade his people when they were to make an Altar to him, to lift up a tool upon it, for then saith he, you pollute it: They might have said, Lord we would fain have thine Altar not so plain as other things,¹ we would fain bestow carving and some cost upon it and so show some respect to it: No saith God, If you lift up a tool upon it, you pollute it. So if you think to put more reverence and solemnity upon Gods worship by any invention of your own, certainly you defile it. That was the sin of Israel at this time, they would sacrifice here, why? because the shadow was good. So much for that, for their high places, and their worshipping under trees.

so your Papists with decking up their Churches and their Altars and their crings and bowings, they have a fine and brave Religion, their shadow is good, there is bravery and solemnity in it. Oh take heed of this in any point of Gods worship, to think that any addition of mans makes it more solemn and more reverent. It is the worst argument you can use, to say can we do things in Gods worship with too great reverence? ⟨p. 152⟩Is it that which you have warrant out of Gods word for? doth God enjoyn it? Have you not either some rule or ensample at least for it? If you think by your own addition to do it with more reverence, this very argument spoils it, though it were lawful in other respects. Take some gesture, suppose it were indifferent, suppose it were lawful some way; but if you take it up thus, to think that by it you put more reverence and respect upon Gods worship than there is, there you spoil it; upon some other grounds it may perhaps be granted, but upon that ground you spoil it quite. Therfore the Lord orbad his people when they were to make an Altar to him, to lift up a tool upon it, for then saith he, you pollute it: They might have said, Lord we would fain have thine Altar not so plain as other things,