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

Whatsoever they do, Oh they do it for the honour of God, and for the service of God, and out of respect unto Him; and why should not we do this and this, we have good aims and good intentions, do we not seek to honour God in what we do? When those Idolaters of Israel set up the Calf, they proclaimed a day unto Jehovah, a day for the honouring of God, they pretended that what they did was out of respect unto God and to honour Him. The worst men and the most superstitious will yet pretend the honouring of God. So it is again in regard of those days that men have set apart for God, Use and it is that which hath settled men in the superstitious observation of them,¹ that it is for the honour of Christ; what (say they) shall we not honour the birth of our blessed Saviour? what a profaneness, what a disrespect is this unto Jesus Christ? well let others do what they will, for our parts we will do it, for hereby we shall do honour unto our blessed Saviour. So the Papists for the adoration of Images,² say they, What not regard not to reverence the Image, the Picture, of our blessed Saviour,³ and of the holy Saints? And the truth is if it be duly weighed, there is the same reason of Images of Christ and the Saints, and of days set apart for the honour of Christ by mans invention; and there is as fair a pretence of honouring Christ by setting up His Image before me to put me in mind of Him; as of honouring of Him by keeping a day of mine own appointment. There is (I say) the same reason of both, and whatsoever argument any man shall bring me against the one, I dare undertake to make it good to be against the other. As now,⁴ is not natural reason as strong to set up the picture of the King to honour him (and you do it for that end) is not this as much as to keep a day once a year to remember him? So the ⟨p. 409⟩reason may be as strong to honour Christ by way of picture, as to honour Him by observing any day set apart for that end by the inventions of men.

Whatsoever they do, Oh they do it for the honor of God, and for the service of God, and out of respect unto Him; and why should not we do this and this, we have good aims and good intentions, do we not seek to honor God in what we do? When those Idolaters of Israel set up the Calf, they proclaimed a day unto Jehovah, a day for the honoring of God, they pretended that what they did was out of respect unto God and to honor Him. The worst men and the most superstitious will yet pretend the honoring of God. So it is again in regard of those daies that men have set apart for God, Use and it is that which hath setled men in the superstitious observation of them,