increasing mercies in after-ages so also did increase this sinne of Altar-building causing the sad complaints of the Prophets in Hos 10.1 according to the multitude of fruit they have increased their Altars Throughout the Old Testament whensoever God by his servants reproves this sin he aggravates the same by the exprâ—ssions of their pride as in Is â—5 from the 2. to the 7. verse And in the New Testament we finde Apostates Seducers Innovators in to the Lords Word and Worship stigmatized with this brand of pride the Apostle Paul describing such as labour to draw aside silly women and to set up their own Altar saith of them among other properties that apt them for this work that they are proud heady high-minded in 2 Tim. 3.2 4. and in his first Epistle the sixth chapter the third and fourth verses notes that such as teach othâ—rwise and consent not to wholesome doctrine are puft up knowing nothing and that he may clearly evidence that this proud propertie produceth a declining of the Altar of God and building others he labours to anticipate this sad effect by a necessary caution concerning the cause in such as take the charge of the Churches of God * Non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sâ—d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prâ—hibet apostolus quales etant Cateâ—humeni Calv. 1 Tim. 3.6 where he adviseth that a Bishop be not a novice ungrounded in the principles of Religion and that for this very cause lest he be proud and so fall into the snare of the devil The Apostle Peter in his se-second Epistle the second chapter sets out seducers with the same characters They speak evil of dignities and of what they know not and speak great swelling words of vanity And Jude omits not this propertie when he asserts them to despise Governments and to speak evil of dignities to speak proud things and analogically asserts their way to be the gain-saying of Corah But to close up what might be more largely spoken to evidence this gracelesse propertie to be the ground of this grand iniquity that might appear grievous in the eyes of the sincerely gracious I will only adde this one general observation viz. the sin of Altar-buildng never was so eminently acted in the Churches of God before or since the Gospel preached Christ come in flesh as when the peace and prosperities of the world had procreated and matured pride In the Church of the Jews it is evident whilest they were beset with wars and troubles though by some men and at some times this sin was acted yet Solomons peace plenty and glory was attended with the eminencie of encreasing various and glorious Altars to Ashteroth and Milcom and the gods of the Nations to which his wives were related And in the Christian Church As Paulus Samosatenus who having unjustly gained riches and puffed up with pride usurp'd secular dignities and made himself a lofty seat and stately throne after the manner of the Princes of the world exacting obeisance from the people by check and reviling termes not much unlike John of Leyden who knowes not that the ten pressing persecutions did generally by the humility of the Churches conserve purity of Word and Ordinances notwithstanding the sometime endeavours of particular hereticks to subvert the same until the Churches peace and prosperity conferred by Constantine the Christian Emperour gave occasion for the proud man of sin to appeare and advance his abominations increasing his Altars to the very casting down of the Altar of God in the greatest part of the Christian world giving the Church on sad experience to complain the truth of that saying reported to be heard from heaven Hodie venenum infunditur in Ecclesiam Now is the poison of pride poured into the bosome of the Church nay my brethren it is well if we finde not on serious observation this sin to be admitted and advanced by such as present prosperity and external glory hath lifted up And so I have done with the second ground of Altar building which must needs evidence it to be exceeding sinful whilest acted from such vile principles I now passe to the third and last ground of this sin and that is Third ground of Altar-building Self-advancement and advantage that cursed principle which is inconsistent with sincere affections to God and his worship which hurrieth a man forward by right or wrong to establish his own glory and possesse himself of creature transitory enjoyments this is that which will make a man active for God and his Altar so long as ambitious self can in that way obtain its object but that once missed or obtained affections abate nay are altogether alienated from the wayes of God this useth Religion on a Machivilian account to establish their own throne and keep up their own glory so that whatsoever is but serviceable to this base end though but for a season that shall be embraced and advanced In a word this is that cursed principle decried by Christ in such as take upon them the Profession of his Name as that which unsits them for adherencie to his Altar yet this we shall finde clearly to be a ground of this grievous sin of Altar-building if we do but consider how the wages of unrighteousnesse engaged Balaam to go contrary to Gods Will and by building many Altars in different places to attempt the cursing of Israel contrary to Gods declared pleasure as in Numb 22.23 chap. is to be seen in which regard seducing Apostates under the Gospel Altar-builders acted by this principle of self-advantage and advancement are said to follow the way of Balaam who loved the wages of unrighteousnesse 2 Pet. 2.15 and to be cast away by the deceit of Balaams wages Jude 11. so also we shall finde this principle provoking this sin of Altar-building in Jeroboam when he rebelled against the house of David and made Israel to sin in the same way with himself if we do but observe the Holy Ghost expressely noting his erection of a usurped Ministery to this very end that he might stablish his usurped Magistracie and his setting up his Altars at Dan and Bethel to be grounded on his desire and design to settle the Crown on his rebellious head for saith the text Jeroboam thought in his heart If this people go up and do sacrifice at Jerusalem then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their Lord even to Rehoboam King of Judah so shall they kill me and go again to Rehoboam whereupon the King took counsel c. 1 Kings 12.26 27 28. et ad finem capitis for usurpers know that the sincere Worship of God teacheth due subjection to their lawful Soveraignes this self-establishment is declared to be the cause of Ahaz sinful Altar-building who his faith not fixed in the living God of Israel feared his approaching fall and hoping to establish his throne built Altars to the gods of Damascus as we see 2 Chron. 28.23 2â— This cursed principle of self-advancement
backsliding from the worship and Altar of God by such as were joyned under the visible administration of his Covenant was with a Spirit of zeal and a strong hand to be restrained Is not this in this very story so very clear that he that runs may read See we not the people of the ten Tribes generally assembled with power in hand and purpose in heart to impede the suspected sinne and so to keep in due order of attendance on Gods Altar Is it not to this end that God hath invested his Church with authority and censures and requires the due execution thereof that by fear men may be forced from sinne Is not the cutting off the troublers of Gods Church rejection of hereticks casting off and delivering up to Satan for the buffetting of the flesh the very act of this resistance Was it not the discharge of this duty that emulated the Apostles in their dayes 1 Cor. 5. and succeeding faithful Ministers of the Gospel by the Authority of Christ to withstand the false Apostles Gal. 5.12 Tit. 3.10 and seducing teachers of their times as sinful Altar-builders that this lies as a duty on the authority of the Church is generally granted by all even by such as deny the same to be a duty in the Magistrate which at this time is not my part or purpose to dispâ—re having been done by more able men and that very fully that onely which I would dictate is that in general every professed sincere worshipper of God is to approve himself such not onely by cautionating against or counselling from but also in his place and according to his capacity in contending against the sinne of Altar-building as private Christians by friendly objurgations and discountenancing the same even by drawing from communion and otherwise when duly called Ministers of the Church by reproving condemning and censuring nay if thereunto called defending the place of Gods worship against their entrance into the same to correct their sin as did Alexander that famous Bishop of Constantinople and undergoing not onely censures of bitternesse and violence but even banishments and saddest sufferings as did Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria in withstanding the Arrians and when I consider Christian Magistrates waiting on the Altar of God by the fulnesse of their power and influence of their authority on the sons of men to be in the sittest capacity to manage to the purpose this resistance I cannot see whatever others say to the contrary how to exempt them from the approving themselves sincere worshippers at Gods Altar by the faithful and zealous discharge of this duty Thus then I have done with the second thing to be illustrated and have shewed you what duties he on the sincere worshippers of God in seeing to the sin of Altar-building and you see they must 1. See it 2. Be sensibly affected with it 3. Speedily cautionate from it 4. Seasonably remove accidental occasions as farre as may be 5. Zealously resist when other means will not availe that so they may not share in their guilt I now come to the confirmation of the Point thus illustrated by giving the reasons of it The reasons why the building of Altars besides the Altar of God is to be so seasonably seene unto by the sincere worshippers of God I shall briefly comprehend under one general head and that is this To build Altars besides the Altar of God is a sinne exceeding sinful it is sufficient to emulate a sanctified heart against it to assert it simply to be a sin though of the lowest order for saving grace doth militate against sinne as such not as it is more or lesse grievous yet how much more fervently and fully will it bend it self against sinne as it appears aggravated vile and exceeding sinneful more eminently and immediately dishonouring God provoking fury scandalizing religion and sadly dividing the Churches of God of which nature to the emulating of zeal and engaging the strength of sincere worshippers of God against it I shall labour to let the people of God see this sinne of Altar-building to be and that in the consideration of the grounds actings effects and sad aggravations thereof F rst Altar-building besides the Altar of God will appeare a sin exceeding sinful if we consider the sinneful grounds from whence it springs and ariseth amongst others we may specially take notice of these three common causes thereof First shameful novelty that frame Ground 1 of spirit which for its vilenesse is noted to be the effect of idlenesse and want of serious imployment which might six * Variam dant otia mentem the soul this is that frame of Spirit which renders a man weary of every thing though in it self never so good whereby men become Athenians to give up themselves to things as they are new rather then as they are good and enquire after Pauls Doctrine as new Acts 17.19 and so suitable to their curiosities rather then as true and saving to their souls the which although noted as an occasion of Pauls preaching yet is taxed as an evidence of their vanity who minded nothing else but novelties which might be vanities according to the Greek proverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Novelties commonly are vanities This is that shameful sinne which brings a distaste on the most pleasont object * Apparet etiam quare tantopere novae res placeant quoniam mens cum primum quippiam nobile ac pâ—aestans affert se contemplandum acriter attente ipsum intâ—â—etur quo cognito de studio remittit ideo voluptas definit verum si priori objecto aliquid recens supponatur denuo intelligentia contendit studium ea contemplando voluptas redit atque hoc pacto semper rebus novis obiectamus Pet. Mart. loc com p. 330. and placeth affection on that which is more base a disposition more fit for babes and children then men of discretion who should embrace by reason this novelty is the mother of sedition in States and Republicks which a wise Lycurgus will labour to anticipate by his perpetual absence from his Lacedemonian subjects engaged to constancy of obedience till his return and chiefest polliticians by assenting to Plato his directions and seeing that ne quid in rebus ad religionem attinentibus innovetur that novelties in religion be not admitted In a word such is the vilenesse of this novellous temper that Satan cannot endure his wayes and doctrines to be charged with novelty which he therfore cloaks with the plea and brings in with the loud cry of Antiquity whilest he makes the truths and wayes of God distastful with the charge of * Paulus Samosatenus cast the Psalmes out of the Church as new found figments of late Writers Euseb Hist lib. 7. cap. 29. novelty which need no clearer proof then the Papists contention for their shameful absurdities and horrid innovations with the pretence of antiquity whilest their common captious calumniating question against the true Churches doctrine and
worship of God is Where was Protestant religion before Luthers time this sinful frame of spirit this shameful inconstancy of the soule in its object and wearinesse of any thing though in it self never so good when a little old is clearly in Scripture dictated to be the cause or reason of building Altars against the Altars of God God expressely charged it on the Jews that being more novellous then other Nations they had changed their glory into that which would not profit Jer. 2.11 When thou didst nothing else but build other Altars unto Idol-gods which in this very regard to note this very ground of following them by forsaking God are called new gods that came newly up whom their fathers feared not As in Deut. 32.17 And when God calls them off from this sinne of Altar-building we may finde him correcting their novelty as that which led them into the sin by calling on them to enquire after the good way and the old and walk therein Jer. 6.16 and many times he pleads his antiquity as a Creator and as their Redeemer to confirm against Babylonish idolatry and curb their novelty in acting this sinne thus and to this end is God opposed to idols with expostulating tearmes Have ye not heard hath it not beene told you from the beginning have you not understood from the foundations of the earth that I as the everlasting Creator of all things am the sole and onely object of Altar-worship * Non habetis novitium Deum sed eum ipsum qui Abrahamo Mosi patribusque ab initio patefecit certe non parva hinc confirmatio accedit quod vetustas doctrinae nobis constat quae per tot secula inter fideles continuata est Calv. in loc Isa 40. from ver 18. to the end of chap. 41. at large to be seen and so also we shall finde the sin of Gospel-Altar-building in turning away from the doctrine and worship of the Gospel to be expressely grounded on and flowing from this shameful novellous property the Apostle useth no enigmatical tearmes when he makes this sinful base disposition and its effects the argument to excite faithful Ministers of Christ to approve themselves sincere worshippers of God by zealous and diligent preaching in season and out of season for the time will come when men having itching eares given wholly to novelty not to be pleased for their delicacy will turne from the Altar of God not enduring sound Doctrine but will set up new Altars according to their own lusts by the heap of teachers gotten to themselves * Causam tanti mali dum vult assignare eleganti Metaphora utitur qua significat tam delicatis auribus mundum fore tamque rerum novarum perperam cupidis ut varios sibi magistros accumulet atque ad nova identidem figmenta circumferatur Calv. in loc 2 Tim. 4.3 4. So that shameful novelty to be the ground of this grand iniquity we see clearly and positively asserted in Scripture to which we might adde the experimented disposition of such in all ages of the Church of God who declining the sincere Word and worship of the Lord and dividing from the society of sincere worshippers have by the distastes of found doctrines and inconstancy in their own opposed principles and practices embracing and with zeale advancing for truth to day that which with no lesse zeale shall be condemned for errour to morrow increasing to themselves teachers and desirous to heare every one speak though they will know none to be over them in the Lord being in a word apt to try all things but never to determine any thing to hold it fast as good approve themselves men acted by no other principle then novelty but thus much may suffice I hope to convince that Altar-buildings many times comes from this very ground shameful sinful childish novelty which as you heard is so vile as to make a people to decline their God long nay alwayes enjoyed and approved merciful and gracious to them to imbrace those novellous vanities which are but momentany and with which they were not acquainted but I must passe to the consideration of the second ground or cause of Altar-building which we shall finde no lesse sinful to the aggravation of this effect Ground 2 The second ground of Altar-building is swelling pride that diabolical disposition that put the evil Angels on an opposition of their Creator from their very beginning to build their own Kingdome that high frame of spirit which admits no peeres much lesse superiours that boundlesse property that cannot endure to be prescribed by any rules or confined within any banks which advancing its own inventions will contend with men nay as much as may be with their sovereigne Creatour for Mastery to which nothing but singularity and superiority can give satisfaction In a word that cursed principle which sucks nourishment from Gods greatest mercies and most gracious favours and when strengthened thereby manageth a resistance of his sacred pleasures and struggles to seat it self in the divine chair much more easily to prescribe the form and bounds of that obedience which it will yield this is a root so notoriously vile that none will own it but where it reignes be ready to excuse I and with seeeming zeal condemne it its evil nature is so fully known as well by the light of nature and long experience as by the law of God that to enlarge on the discovery of its vilenesse were almost lost labour yet from this odious and abominable root doth spring this cursed branch of Altar-building which must needs savour of that seed it doth extract this was the principle that put forward Corah and his company to gather a Gnedah out of a Gnedah a Congregation out of a Congregration and to build an Altar against the Altar of God by declining nay diverting the formal administration of divine worship in the hand of Aaron Num. 16. for we see not that they went about to renounce the material Altar of God who can observe their stubborn refusal to come when Moses called with a proud though unjust recrimination on Moses their puffed up spirits expressed in their plea of universal holinesse with which they being too highly affected durst argue against order and priority and think al above them to take too much upon them who can consider the severity of Gods judgement and their censers made signes and monuments of caution to humility for future generations and not be clearly convinced that pride was the root of all their evil of sinne which caused their sorrow Moses charged this sin of Altar-building in the declining of the Altar of the true God and setting up Altars to their new gods to be the overflowing effect of the Jews swelling pride when he digitates the time of this abomination to be when Jesuron was waxed fat and expressely notes to have been the cause thereof Deut. 32.15 16 17. And as this evil disposition drew strength from God
wrath to the causing of the earth to open her mouth and swallow them up alive How did Solomons Altars stir up divine displeasure to the rending away ten Tribâ—â— from his Kingdome not to this day restored What sad monuments of divine justice and fury hath it made Jerusalem and Samaria it were easie to evidence the increasing property of this sin but this may suffice to such as do but consider the fiercenesse of the Lords fury which will make the mountaines to melt and hills to shake Mic. i. 4. and Kings of the earth to tremble for who can stand before his frown much more fatal then the frowne of the most cruel Turkish tyrant threatening present death Can this Lion roare and the beasts of the earth not tremble Amos 1.2 If while his wrath is kindled but a little they be happy that trust in Christ what terrour must possesse them that by their Altars-building are naked before it Psal 2.12 Exo. 32.25 so that the sinne must needs be vile to be avoided and seasonably seene to that is so highly displeasing unto God I have now done with the third thing in the discovery of the sinfulnesse of building Altars beside the Altar of God viz. the vile effects which spring from it which tasted by serious contemplation cannot but render it bitter in the mouth and excite sincere worshippers of God against it I shall only adde one thing more to the aggravation of its vilenesse and that very briefly and so passe to the Application of the Point viz. the aggravating properties The first aggravating property that may render Altar-building to be exceeding vile is the singularity of the subjects Singularity is not savoury in any it many times springs from pride and bespeaks an evil disposition this sinne is many times acted by Gods people only who know the true God and have worshipped at the true Altar this sin God himself aggravates with this very property in Jer. 2.11 expostulating with them Hath any Nation changed their gods though they be no gods and yet my people have changed their glory for that which will not profit and Isa 65. v. 5. the rebellious people which follow their owne thoughts and burne incense upon Altars of Brick have their sin aggravated by their singularity they say Stand by thy selfe come not neare me I am holier then thou as that which makes a smoak in Gods nostrils and a fire to burne all the day so that this addes much to this vile sinne The isses of Chittim and coast of Kedar will not afford a parallel or shew such a thing for whilst the Ephesians suspecting any innovation against their Diana run together with great zeal crying Great is Diana of the Ephesians and readily contend for their Idol-goddesse and superstitious worship as resolved not to change though for a better and the Athenians though given to novelty think Paul odious in seeming to set forth new gods the people of the true God are only seene to change sometimes the object but many times the Altar the true God hath prescribed to be worshipped at The second aggravating propertie of Altar-building is that it is committed against standing directions dictated Lawes and Ordinances Gods revealed will and pleasure concerning his Altar and Worship as it is Israels glory that no Nation is so great a Nation that hath such Statutes and Judgements Deut. 7. as all the Law of the Lord their God so it is laid on them as the greater duty to take heed to themselves and to keep their soul diligently that they forget them not but teach them to their sons sons sons and observe to do them it is also their great aggravation Acts 17 13 that they forsake the Covenant of their God go away from his Statutes forget his Lawes cast off his Commandments to create to themselves an Altar and Worship according to their owne inventions and though the Athenian ignorance may extenuate their superstitious worship at the Altar to the unknown God yet now light is come abroad and God calls to repentance they must walk as children of the light for ignorance can now be no plea where prescript rule is proposed now as rebellion against a Kings Proclamation and disobedience against a fathers declared will so is this Altar-building hainous and abominable because against directions exhibited The third aggravating property of this sinne of Altar-building is that it shuts Gods eares against prayer What is spoken of sinnes in general in Isa 59.2 Your sins have hid his face from you that he will not heare is applicable nay applied to this sinne in special where God not only declares that when Israel his Altar-building people did cry to him in their trouble he would not hear them Ier. 11.11 but also prohibits the Prophets praying Thou shalt not pray for this people neither lift up a cry or prayer for them and that is urged with a therefore viz. because according to the numbers of the streets of Ierusalem they have set up Altars ver 12 13. Let me alone Moses was the angry voice of God produced by the Calf and Altar at Horeb Exod. 32.10 How just is it with God to deny the Petitions of them that deny prescriptions from him in the way of his owne worship Prov. 1.25 to 33. For as children when stubbornly following their own * Si cursum vitae nostrae propriis consiliis regere volumus religionis fideique negâ—tium secundum rationem nostram instituere idem nobis accidit quod pueris quos parentes primum docent incedere c. Lav. in Prov. 1.31 wills fall into harme their cries are not compassionated by the tender parent so deales God with his stubborne people that make their wills the way or rule of his divine worship I have now done with the Doctrinal consideration of the Point and shall leave it to the judgements of the sincere worshippers at Godâ— Altar to consider whether a sinne springing from such causes exercised in such acts producing such effects subject to such aggravations be not exceeding sinful and if but suspected to be undertaken sufficient to stir the zeale of the ten tribes to the resistance thereof much to be seene to sorrowed for and soone suppressed where it is really and indeed acted I shall now briefly apply to our more particular instruction The first Use of the point may be of enquiry and humiliation to put us apon the search whether in the midst of us we may not see some of our brethren professing the same and who have worshipped in the same Gospel-worship with our selves to withdraw from the Altar of God and erect Altars after their owne inventions which if we finde our hearts should be heavie in us and our eyes filled with tears as humbling our selves for so grievous a guilt and upon enquiry he that is not wilfully blinde cannot but see beyond the river in the Church of Rome material besides formal Altars built besides the
ground of suspition at the least of building Altars besides the Altar of God The fifth Character as the concomitant of building Altars besides the Altar of God is the dispensation of divine worship without the divine stamp of a due Call and Ordination God never yet appointed Altar-worship without an Altar-office which might not be common to every one nay which no man must take upon him but he which is called of God as was Aaron Heb. 5.4 If Ministery be as it cannot be denied a distinct Office under Law or Gospel it must needs have a due Inauguration thereunto for as in a State an every mans Magistracie is a no Magistracie so in the Church an every mans Ministery is no Ministery a sinful seeking of the Priests Office upon the pretence of the peoples holinesse to be witnessed against by the plates of their censers and the budding of Aarons rod is suitable to Corahs separate rebellion a Whosoever will let him bring a bullock and consecrate himself a Priest is a fit Canon of Jeroboams constituted Altar-worship at Dan and Bethel the high-way to bring the lowest of the people into the Priests Office When did false Prophets run so fast unsent by the Lord but when the Altars of Israel were increased like the streets in Jerusalem Not to multiply needles instances in this clear case let the observation of the Churches of God in al ages witnesse the usurpation of the Ministerial Function never to be found in the Church whilest the doctrine and worship of Christ was preserved pure and uncorrupted and never out of the Church when and where false doctrines and superstitious innovations did abound the promise of Christ concerning the restoring of his Altar and worship came not without a promise to vindicate this Office from the invasion of the uncalled trades-man to the shameful conviction which shall extract his owne confession I am no Prophet I am an husbandman men taught me to keep cattel from my youth Zâ—ch 13.5 If therefore we would finde who they are that sinfully build Altars we must consider who they are that preach and practise ministerial discharges without due Ordination who they are that countenance and contend for this usurpation counting it a glorious liberty that every man may lay his hand on his own head and speak in the Name of the Lord were the Lord as eminent and immediate in his vindicative stroaks for this sin under the Gospel 2 Sam. 6.8 as under the Law how many Vzzahs would be found dead for their uncalled setting hand to hold the Ark of Gods worship notwithstanding the pretence of necessity How many Vzziah-like leprous foreheads would be found amongst us 2 Chr. 26.17 18 19. of such that by at least eighty Ministers of the Lord have beene warned it is not for them but for the Ministers of the Gospel to offer unto the Lord. But I shall conclude this Character as a just cause to irritate our humiliation before the Lord with that observation of reverend Doctor Hall upon a case not much unlike this though something different It is a dangerous thiâ—â— in the service of God to decline from his owne institutions we have to do with a power which is wise to prescribe his owne worship in matter and forme just to require what he hath prescribed and powerful to revenge what he hath required The sixth and last Character which I shall note to you Blow at the root Observ 8. p. 157. and I will but briefly note it is doleful contests for universal Tolerotion of all religions which a wiâ—e observant notes is nothing else but the putting of the true Religion out of all protection whilest therein Satan labours to exempt priviledge and for ever to secure his Agents and Brokers the Seminaries and Teachers of soul-murthering doctrines from being molested discouraged and disturbed in his work by any Government and Discipline Ecclesiastical or Civil whereby the hands of all in power are bound up or rather cut quite off that they may never be able to serve God as they ought in the protection and propagation of his Gospel and worship who seriously considers the strict Lawes the Lord left the Jewes for the keeping of them to his true Altar and sees not universal liberty leading from the same to be sinful nay who considers mans novellous nature and sees not a necessity of being kept to some one Religion by authority knowing men are naturally bent to mint Gods services in their owne braine and to go a whoring after their owne inventions to the building of Altars beside the Altar of God Was this sinne ever acted in Israel where the sword was sharp and severe against innovations The same may be demanded concerning the Christian Churches and upon the contrary was not this impiety evermore the effect of impunity and universal liberty I have done with the first part of the enquiry whether in the midest of us Altars may not be seene besides the Altar of God which we have too much cause to conclude in the affirmative I have also noted the concomitants as Characters of this sin so that the subjects of dangerous doctrine of divining predictions of dangerous separations of deadly enmity to Gospel-Altar-Ministery of dispensing divine worship without due call and of doleful contests of Toleration of all religions may justly be more then suspected abettors advancers if not actors of Altar-building and who those are I leave to the observation of the wise whose eyes are in their head and passe forward to the second matter of enquiry in order to our humiliation The second thing to be enquired for the defect of which we are to be humbled in the presence of a God of jealousie is Whether the sincere worshippers have or do according to their duty see to this sinne of Altar-building wherein we might enquire after their sensible observation of and affectation with the sin their seasonable caution and serious counsel to desistance their speedy accommodations of their brethren in matter of accidental temptation and their zealous resistance of the sin according to their places which was before noted to be acts of this duty in the religious Israelites but instead of a spirit faithfully discharging these duties it were well if to our griefe and Gods great dishonour some that have and eminently do professe to the worship of the true God in truth and whose places more eminently engage their priority in suspecting and seeing to innovation superstition Altarbuilding were not to be seene First staid by their self-interest from furious driving with a seeming zeale for the Lord of Hosts against the Altars and Priests of Baal suffering Jehu-like Jeroboams Calves at Dan and Bethel and the high places thereof to stand unremoved and unrebuked if not unobserved as to their sinful nature so soone as the house of Ahab is subverted and themselvs established in the high places of the Kingdome as if Prelatical innovations and superstitious ceremonies were to be