2. The reference which it bears to this head; it is made a part of it, we are warily to distinguish between that which is Essential, and that is merely accidental, or a common adjunct: Man is to be considered, not only as he is Religious, but also as he is a man: and in this last respect, there are many things that are inseparable from his actions, and for that reason, are common to all both natural, civil, and religious: such as time, and place, and what else of like nature: and therefore their consideration in Religion is not Essential, but Accidental to it, and that have a mere civil respect in it: and are directed to by the Law of nature, and common prudence is to direct men in their usage of them; though these also, when they have a religious respect put on them, are made essential, and come under the things our Saviour here refers to: But a thing may then be said to be made a part of Worship, when it hath such an Holiness put upon it, as to be reputed ⟨p. 8⟩a medium of our Communion with God: and this is not to be judged of, by what men say of it, but by the necessary consequence of […] usage of it: of this nature were all the Observances of the Ceremonial Law of Old, & they continued to be such, till such time as Christ abolished them; and such was this usage which he here condemns in our Content: it was not the washing of their hands at meals, as it was a point of civility and outward cleanliness, that our Saviour was offended at, or would ever have found fault withal; but it was for their placing of a Ceremonial Holiness in this Tradition, thinking that God was a great deal more Honoured by them that did it, than by such as omitted it: which Opinion of theirs removed it from among Civils, and placed it among religious things.
2. The reference which it bears to this head; it is made a part of it, we are warily to distinguish between that which is Essential, and that is meerly accidental, or a common adjunct: Man is to be considered, not only as he is Religious, but also as he is a man: and in this last respect, there are many things that are inseparable from his actions, and for that reason, are common to all both natural, civil, and religious: such as time, and place, and what else of like nature: and therefore their consideration in Religion is not Essential, but Accidental to it, and that have a meer civil respect in it: and are directed to by the Law of nature, and common prudence is to direct men in their usage of them; though these also, when they have a religious respect put on them, are made essential, and come under the things our Saviour here refers to: But a thing may then be said to be made a part of Worship, when it hath such an Holiness put upon it, as to be reputed ⟨p. 8⟩a medium of our Communion with God: and this is not to be judged of, by what men say of it, but by the necessary consequence of 〈…〉 usage of it: of this nature were all the Observances of the Ceremonial Law of Old, & they continued to be such, till such time as Christ abolished them; and such was this usage which he here condemns in our Content: it was not the washing of their hands at meals, as it was a point of civility and outward cleanliness, that our Saviour was offended at, or would ever have found fault withall; but it was for their placing of a Ceremonial Holiness in this Tradition, thinking that God was a great deal more Honoured by them that did it, than by such as omitted it: which Opinion of theirs removed it from among Civils, and placed it among religious things.
