rebellion for most clement Princes must needs with a severe hand chastise rebellion such is the vile nature of rebellion that found in children against the Parents by Gods Ordinance among the Jewes the subject of it must be stoned with stones Deut. 21.18 19 20. And when Moses would exalt Gods mercies to Israel he aggravates their unworthinesse by charging them to have been a stiffe-necked and rebellious people Deut 9.6 23 24. And Samuel charging Saul with this guilt asserts rebellion to be as the sin of witchcraft for its vile nature And when Jerusalems enemies would make her vile they wil denominate her a rebellious City Ezra 4.12 15. And did ever any yet rebel against the Lord and prosper let the severe judgements of God upon Judah and Israel for their rebellions witnesse Whil'st then this sin of Altar-building appears so vile not only in the ground but also the acts thereof let all sincere worshippers at Gods Altar consider whether their loyalty to their great Creator and gracious Redeemer do not engage them in their places to see to so great and crying a sin The third thing that may evidence building Altars beside the Altar of God to be a sin exceeding sinful is the sad effects thereof which we cannot but expect to be exceeding sad and bitter whilest the root and branches thereof are so exceeding vile for the fruit must needs be suitable to the tree that beares it and those are these foure 1. A rending from the body of the Church a withdrawing from the communion God himself hath set us in a making a schisme and rent in the Church of God as Diodate notes a severing our selves from the communion of the Church in which alone is the true service of God and the participation of his grace and Covenant that sad effect of sins Soveraignty among the Corinthians 1 Cor. 3.4 which is so evil that the Propagators thereof are to be declined Rom. 16.17 which violates unity and deprives the Church of that blessed fruit of the Spirit this is that which as nature condemnes in the body so the Gospel in the Church 1 Cor. 12.25 which when making factions and parties in the Church as sedition in a Common-weale is dangerous and many times destructive being attended and seconded with envies strifes hatred and the like yet this evil fruit springs from Altar-building as its sad effect as is evident in the story under consideration wherein it is clear that the two Tribes suspected the act in hand to be to this end to withdraw from any longer communion with their brethten and to worship God distinct and by themselves which they desire to prevent by rather giving them inheritances on the same side of the river with them See more of this schisme Mr. Hollinsworths Rejoynder to Mr. Eaton and Mr Tailors Reply then the division of portions should divide their piety and joynt attendance on Gods Altar So Corah and his company did rend themselves from the body of the Church and make a fearful division in refusing to keep communion with the people of God according to his appointed administration in Numb 16. when they were about to erect their Altar against Gods what a sad rent from the Church did Ieroboams Altar-building make not to this day semented though sought after by such as earnestly supplicate the accomplishment of the gracious Promise of God that the stick of Ephraim and the stick of Judah shall become one in his hand in Ezek 37. from 16 to 21. In which is to be noted that the accomplishment thereof is promised to be accompanied with the abolishment of their Altar-building sin and unity in Gods wayes and worship v. 22 unto the end of the chapter which grievous rent from the communion of the Church a burden not to be borne by the sincere worshippers at Gods Altar provokes as I before noted out of Mr. Cotton * His Exposition on Canticles that pathetical prayer to be directed to the true Church and Altar of Christ in Cant. 1.7 that they might be delivered from the danger thereof nay it perswaded not only the Priests and Levites to prefer the Altar and Church of God above their suburbs and possessions but also all such as set their heart to seek the Lord to run the hazard of going to Ierusalem to sacrifice unto the Lord with their brethren 2 Chron. 11.13 14 16. This sad effect doth the Spirit witnesse to follow this sin nay flow from it under the Gospel The Apostle Paul Acts 20.30 foreseeing the appearance of seducers Apostate-Altar-builders that would innovate doctrines and formes of worship contrary to Christs institution chargeth the Elders of the Ephesian Church to see to this sin at least that their members be not seduced urging this sad effect as a swaying reason They shall draw aside many disciples after them from the communion of the Church * Ut abducant ab Ecclesiastica unitate post se ad inhaerendum eorum erroribus Dyonys Carthus in loc Abstrahere autem significat inani gloria tumidos compellere sectatores in sua nomina jurare Aret. in loc as did Novatus vid. Euseb l. 6. c. 4. Religionum Confusio dissipat Ecclesiae consensionem Mas in Text. saith one or make sects saith another and the Apostle Peter in the second Epistle the second chapter the third verse prophesies false teachers should be in the Christian Churches which building their owne Altars of damnable doctrines many should follow their pernicious wayes speaking evil of the way of truth for the confusion of Religion must needs be destructive to the concord of the Churches which God witnessed by constituting one only Altar for all his peoples attendance with one only forme of administration and this cannot but be seen in the Apostles dayes by such as shall seriously observe the Apostolical redargution of schismes and seducers characterizing false apostles charging the Churches to observe and decline them as those that make divisions and trouble them frequent commendations of the union and communion of the Church and disciples and fervent perswasion to and prayers for the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace which all suggest to us and clearly imply that this sin of Altar-building by will-worshippers was in act to the dividing of the members from the body in their very dayes and who is there that looking into Ecclesiastical story Dyonys Bishop of Aleaxndriâ— his Epistle to Novatus recited by Eusebius Pamphil l. 6. c. 45. or translat 44. sees not the sad rentings from and confusions in the Church effected by the Altar-building of doctrines dissonant to truth and the Altar of Christ propagated by the many hereticks of the primitive times as Novatus whom Dionysius in his Epistle to him chargeth with a renting and dividing from the Church as a sin most grievous counting the suffering for the unity of the Church a more glorious martyrdome then the sufferings for not sacrificing to devils for this is suffered for one
authority of the Scriptures With the Arians to deny Christ his divine nature With the Seekers to deny Gospel-Ordinances in the matter or with Anabaptists in the manner of their administration With the Separatists to teach that pollutions are sufficient ground of separation from true Churches though retaining fundamentals that Baptisme is not sufficient to admission to Church-membership without the Congregational Covenant that the holinesse of men as Saints meerely Saints is a sufficient authority to invade the Ministerial function and the like there we may see and with sorrow say Altars are in building against the Altars of God for these principles being oppugnant to the rules of the Lords worship must needs lead to practices opposite to his prescribed performances this Character is so commonly the concomitant of Altar-building that many times the professors of this sinne conceale from their disciples the absurdest of their doctrines till by some of lesse concernment they are made Skepticks in Religion and so capable of admitting any doctrines and when they dictate any it is only as present light which they may oppose shortly as much as may be declining the teste and trial of the Word that they may be usually and well called by the epithete Tertullian gave them Lucifugae Scripturarum shunners of Scriptures light The second Character of Altar-building as many times it 's concomitant 2. Charact. and indeed cause t is the publike exhibition of Astrological predictions a religion amongst the Heathen whose Altars stand opposite to the Altar of God and willing to be received as an Art among Christians and professed people of God but could never finde entertainment but under the defection from Gods true worship and the erection of Idolatry and Superstition Starrie prophecies were ever more suitable for Egyptian and Babylonish idolaters then Israel-worshippers at Gods Altars never shall we read the same acted or allowed in Israel but in Altar-building dayes and by Altar-building Princes and as it rose with this sinne it fell with the same being both together removed by religious Altar-reforming Princes and usually the Prophets of God were found in Jerusalem the place of Gods Altar whilest Soothsayers and false Diviners were in Samaria the Altar-building Citie the Prophet Isaiah joynes Iacobs being full with the manners of the East Deute 18.10 11 12. Isa 44.25.57.12 13 14 and Sorcerers of the Philistines with their being full of Idols as the causes of Gods desertion of them Isa 1.6 Not to stand upon the several upbraiding expostulations of God with his owne people and other Nations for attending to the divined lies of their Magicians Soothsayers Star gazers and monethly Prognost cators I shall only desire you to observe that which seemes a very observable evidence of this concomitant Character viz Gods promise in the restoration of his Church by Christ to cut off Enchanters and that they should have no more Soothsayers is joyned with the reforming of his owne Altar by cutting off their Idols and turning them from worshipping the workâ— of their owne hands Mic 5.12 13. Not only under the Law was this found to be a concomitant if I may not say cause of the many Altars against God but also under the Gospel Soothsaying Starrie Prediction Astrological Prophecies will appeare an attendant on or indeed rather a preparer and precuâ—sor of Errors Heresies Schismes and saddest corruptions in the doctrine and worship of God that Gospel Altar at which we worship a witnesse hereof may be the Jewes who in their blindnesse retaining Moses against Christ are by the Apostle hinted to be opposite to the Altar of God Heb. 10.13 Do not the dictates of their Starre-numbring Cabalists obdurate them in their superstitious way Their false Prophets sometimes heighten their hopes of the approach of their fantastical Messiah as did Abraham the Jew assuring them that the time of his coming should be in 1464. to the hardening their of hearts against the true Messiah already come unto which we may adde the experiences of the Primitive Church in the Hereticks that rose up to corrupt the Word of truth if we consider those sorts of Hereticks viz. Simonianists Cleobianists Dositheans Gortheans Menandranists Carpocratians Marcionists Valentinians Basilidians and Saturnilians in the Primitive times noted to bring in the false Christs false Prophets false Apostles renting asunder the Church with their false doctrine against God and Christ which Thebulis at Jerusalem received and began to propagate Euseb Eccl. hist l. 4. c. 21. What a line of Astrology may be seene in their principles attributing the production of many and various things to many and various powers advancing their owne divinations above Scripture-Divinity and their Magical practices and enumerations to the astonishing of their auditors nay this line is not only to be seene in but as it were to lead unto their corrupting principles and practice Euseb Eccles hist lib. 4. c. 21. Socra Sch. lib. 1. c. 27. Euseb in Eccles hist lib. 4. c 11. We might hereunto adde Manes the author of the Manichees the founder of the Heresie of two beginnings who taught the worshipping of the Sunne and the like principles properly flowing from starrie divination and Marke the knowne Magician confuted by Jrenaeus who baptized in the name of the unknowne father of all things and in the truth mother of all things c. A clear Altar against Gods Altar But to what purpose should we send so farre to finde Heresie attended with Necromancie when nearer home in later years it hath beene and is the great instrument to advance the Mahumetan and Popish superstition who knowes any thing of the Papal stories that knowes not this to have beene the step to advance the man of sin and that Astrological conclusions starrie predictions and magical actions have not only beene countenanced and allowed but also studied and advanced in their order of exercises To the further evidencing its existence in the Church we might muster up the censures of free Councels and Ecclesiastical Assemblies the condemnations of it by the Primitive Fathers the wholesome Lawes Imperial Civil Ecclesiastical against Diviners Astrologers and the like the variety of punishments as banishment imprisonment confiscation death to the professors or indulgers of starrie predictions and confessions of some of their owne professors all which do not only evidence its existence in but also danger to the Christian Churches in the fulnesse of what is reported to have beene confessed by one Cornelius Agrippa once an Arch-Magician who bewailing his mis-spent youth in this Art saith They that professe to it feare not to teach most pernicious Heresies and Infidelities whilest they professe with impious temerity that the gift of Prophecie the power of Religâ—on the secrets of conscience the command over Devils the vertue of miracles the efficacie of supplications and the state of the life to come do all depend on the Starres are vouchsafed by them and may be knowne by them But thus much may be
hath appointed the which we may also infer from Davids care concerning the edification of the Temple when he not only leaves his charge on Solomon his son to do this work intended by himself but also to do it according to the patern he delivered him By some Prophet of God who revealed all that should be done to the Temple as he had anciently told Moses the form of the Tabernacle Diod. in loc enforcing his charge with this very reason All this God made me to understand in writing by his hand upon me even all the work of this patterne 1 Chon 28.11 12 19. therefore called the paterne of all that was with him by the Spirit by all which we may see the Soveraign God challenging which is his due the prerogative of prescribing his own worship and the very instruments and forme thereof yet such is the vilenesse of corrupt nature that though God complain of the sin in the Jewes that their feare of him was taught by the precepts of men Is 29.13 and Christ chargeth and aggravateth their sin by the same asserting that in vain men worship him teaching for doctrines the commandments of men Mat. 15.9 that the sons of men are apt to measure the worship they will yield to God by the rule of their own will in which regard sinful Altar-builders are in Scripture-phrase commonly said to forsake the Covenant Deut. 29.25 1 Kings 19.10 and Commandments of God Ezra 9.10 and Law of the Lord Jer. 9.13 the right way 2 Pet. 2.15 and to follow their own inventions after which to the provocation of divine justice they go a whoring as Psal 106.29 39. of which God will take vengeance Psal 9◠8 in which regard the Apostle Paul calls seducements from the truth of the doctrine of Jesus Christ though upon never so eminent pretences of Piety 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or will-worship Opera hominum nominat omnes cultus quos sinc mandato Dei instituunt in quibus cultum aliquem religionis collocant bonâ aliquâ ut loqui solent intentione Mal. in loc Col. 2.23 the which he condemns and cautions Christians to take heed of as having only a shew of wisdom but being indeed sinful fooleries so that thus we see men whose spirits are subjects to motion à quo ad quem being in the first act loosed from the Altar and Worship of God in the sin of Altar-building not capable of living without some religion or other In the second act consult their own inventions and erect an Altar and Worship unto God according to their own will although to the shame of men it be registred in sacred record that God made man upright and he sought out many inventions Eccl. 7.29 Thus then I have done with the second act of Altar-builders Erat rectus conditus homo ab initio sed curiositate sua Dei verbo non contentus sibi malum ascivit toti posteritati Mer. in loc the rendering their own wills the rule of their obedience and now passe to the third act The third act is rebellion against God and against the authority to which God hath committed the charge of his Altar and to stand on the proving this at large were but time and paines spent in vain whilest I should but do what is done already for having cleared the two former acts of this sin viz. that it is a recession from God and rendering our own wills the rule of divine worship I have cleared the premises which must needs enforce this Conclusion for these two are the integral and essential parts of rebellion according to which it is denominated for when men go from the Covenant and Commandments of God what do they otherwise then stand opposite to him with a stubborne will uttering the rebellious language of the rebellious Gentiles in Psal 2.3 Let us break his bands in sunder and cast his cords from off us and those rebellious Citizens spoken of in the Parable in Luke 19.14 whose message was We will not have this man to reign over us and hence the words which in the * As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vid. Leigh Crit. sacr Bux Lex Scapulae The Septuagint do so use it See also Mr. Medes Apostasie of latter times p. 5. where he interprets Apostasie to be a rebellion against God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greek and Hebrew are commonly used to signifie rebellion are also used to signifie defection delinquencie and Apostasy or turning aside from God so that these several words in our language are and may be synonom◠or of the same signification to expresse the same sin and hence also all rebellion is said to be a defection from the superiours to whom they owe subjection yet might I give instances in Scripture where this sin is called a rebellion and stubborne opposition of God as Corah and his company Numb 16 17. ch and Jeroboam nay all the Altar-building Princes of Judah and Israel are said to rebel against the Lord when they follow after idols in the acting of this sin but why go I to look instances at this distance when the very text denominates it thus saying Rebel not against the Lord and rebel not against us only this you may take notice of in the text that the terme Rebel not against the Lord comes from the same root in the Hchrew from which is derived Nimrod the name of that great Hunter before or as Augustine Hierom and others of the Ancients against the Lord if he were so called from his Apostasie defection and rebellion his rebellion was so great as that his name is proverbially given to every rebellious tyrant by way of allusion to him he is noted to be the head of that rebellious work against God which we read of in Gen. 11. and that from a very probable conjecture seeing in Scripture that place of Babel is called his Kingdome Gen. 10.10 his rebellious act was this very sin of Altar-building if as Hugo notes he was the first bringer in of idolatry Hugo in Annot. in Gen. Joseph antiq c. 5. p. 9. teaching men to worship the fire or as Josephus that he excited men to contemn God and follow fortune in their own united power and so was the first founder of idolatry of whose minde is Dr. Willet Willets Hexa in Gen. 10.9 conceiving him to be the same whom forreigne story calls Belus and makes the first founder of their Babylonian Monarchy of whom the Gentiles in the Easterne parts of the world called their idols Belial Beelzebub Belphegor You see then clearly that Altar-builders by departing from God and following their own ways do rebel against the Lord which must needs render the sin exceeding vile in the eyes of such as are the Lords subjects for what spot of infamie and reproach can be cast on the sons of men more odious and hateful then rebellion what is so immediately and highly provoking unto Soveraignty as
Altar of God five Sacraments innovated which God never instituted objects of divine adoration advanced never by the Lord or themselves allowed Sacrifices presented for sinne which God never prescribed offices and orders of holy men and women maintained which in the Canon of Scripture are never mentioned nor by the same warranted principles pressed as matters of faith necessary to salvation and that on the paine of being branded with Heresie such as were never found in the Apostles Creed but repugnant to it prayers penance and many the like practices performed with much devotion which are not only not warranted but condemned in Scripture as superstitious and will-worship and dissonant to reason in the very light of nature all which may be matter of mourning to every gracious heart to see although in a subject somewhat remote but more especially if when in mercie God hath delivered us from serving at or suffering for not serving at such Altars as did our progenitors and whilest we our selves professe a reformation of the Altar of God Gospel-worship and Ordinances we shall even at home finde Altars of another kinde erected and erecting it may be some casting off Gods Altars of Gospel-Ordinances not worshipping in any external and formal administration but by their owne pretended spiritual supernatural celestial way of omitting all duties which God hath prescribed giving God only if indeed ever the privat retirements and inward actings of the soul instead of Word and Sacraments which is no lesse then down right profanenesse and if any worship a will-worship of their owne invention for it never was of divine prescription But in such also as professe to God and his Altar I feare we shall finde upon serious enquiry Altars at least formally if not materially built besides the Altars of God which if any do not discerne I shall say for their conviction as Samuel to Saul What meaneth the bleating of the sheepe in mine eares and the lowing of the oxen which I heare 1 Sam. 15 1â— So say I if we all cleave close to the Altar of God what meanes the gathering of Churches in the midst of us the distinct and opposite Assemblies the Church-Covenant made a dore of admission into Church-membershâ—p even unto the baptized into one body the cry of men against the Ministerie as Antichristian and the Assemblies of Christians reformed as Babylonish whores the lowest of the people making themselves Ministers with the cry that All the Lords people are holy and the very opposition of Gods owne Ordinances as to the matter of them in the different formes of administration Do we not see some dipping in rivers and standing pooles whilest others are baptizing in places of publick worship some breaking bread in distinct societies shutting the doore on such as themselves cannot deny to be by Baptism actually consecrated Church-members if that be which cannot be denied the doore of admission but also not ejected nay themselves being witnesses sincerely godly and savingly related to Christ though not conforming to their separate constitutions whilest others administer the Lords Supper to the Lords people as such though not in such a Church-way nay my brethren may not we see principle against principle preaching against preaching prayer against drayer thanksgiving against thanksgiving and Fast against Fast as if we were resolved to confound the very God of wisdome with our divided worship of him in which opposition both cannot be the Altar of God the one must needs be our owne threshold and post set by Gods threshold and post in the Lords Temple both cannot plead divine prescription and therefore the one must needs be humane invention and superstition whatever cry of holinesse and sanctity go before it or accompany it now which of these different administrations are the Altar of God and which the Altar against the Altar of God I will not determinately pronounce lest I be reputed censorious and charged with violence and bitternesse the common reproach of such as sincerely reprove the erroneous principles and practices of our dayes but to the exciting of the humiliation required and the quickening of sincere worshippers of God to their duty I shall briefly direct to the object by some few Characters the usual concomitants of Altar-building that wheresoever we see such concomitants we may conclude or at least be jealous that they are the people acting the sinne of Altar-building and if any mans conscience shall inferre the conclusion from such premises rationally proposed I desire them to observe the counsel of the Apostle James to be swift to heare slow to speak slow to wrath knowing that the wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God Wherefore lay apart all filthinesse and superfluity of maliciousnesse and receive with meeknesse the Word that is graffed in you which is able to save the soule James 1.19 20 21. Considering the observation of a Reverend Expositor on the text Mr. Mant. on James 1 Caracter the worst thing we can bring to a religious controversie is anger the first character of Altars besides the Altar of God is doctrines dissonant to the truth of God for principles must needs square the practice and Altar-building must needs be theoretical before it be practical hence commonly called our owne inventions and imaginations so denominated from the corrupted understanding acting the same The first prophane Altar that ever Israel are noted to provoke divine wrath withall was erected with the dissonant doctrine These are thy gods O Israel that brought thee out of Egypt Exod. 32.4 And throughout the whole History of the Altar-building of the backsliding Jewes we shall finde when ever the Priests offered unto Baal the Prophets did prophesie lies in the Lords Name If they do but formally build Altars invading the Priesthood and corrupting the administration of divine worship it must be ushered in with the doctrine of the peoples holinesse and Moses and Aarons ambition as did Corah and his company under the Gospel this sinne is generally denominated mans doctrine another gospel the bringing in of damnable doctrine divers and strange doctrines by which such as follow them are said to be perverted and turned aside from the Gospel doctrine of Christ and this is observable that the Apostle dehorting from divers strange doctrines enforceth his dehortation with this reason We have an Alter c. Heb. 13.9 10. As if he would have said These divers and strange doctrines are Altars against that Altar we have received and owned and when the Fathers as was before noted said of Hereticks that they built Altar against Altar it was occasioned by their cursed doctrines so that where we see any with Arminius advance mans free will against Gods free grace or with Socinus teach our repentance to be Gods acquittance against the propitiatory satisfying to divine justice property of the blood of Christ With the Familists Seekers or Anabaptists to teach immediate Inspirations and Revelations of a pretended spirit to be equal to nay above the
reflect upon themselves and conclude it to be a self created crosse whilest in pride or peevishnesse they refuse to declare and submit to censure the ground and end of their strange proceedings Have not many a Phinehas both joyntly and singly desired of separating congregational brethren a platforme of their pretended way of Christ a sum of their setled principles to which they would stick without making new light old an expresse of the rules drawn from Scripture which shall regulate their practice and proceedings so different from their brethren if I may not say dividing from the body of the Church of God that they might be compared with the patterne in the Mount the Scriptures of God by which all the way of the Churches must be judged O that I might once more intreat in the name of the sincere worshippers at Gods Altar though not so immediately delegated as was Phinehas or some of the Ministers of Gods Gospel-Altar that have demanded it that they would at last after all their protestations that they would walk closest with Châ—ist according to Gospel-rule and Apostolical practice their solemne promise to their brethen the performance of which hath been long though in vaine expected approve their brotherly affection and a due subjection to the authority of the Churches of Jesus Christ by drawing up a plat-forme of the way in which they walk accommodating their brethren with the principles that rule their practice submitting the same with alacrity and meeknesse unto trial that an inability or unwillingnesse to discover the same stirre and strengthen not suspition and give us cause to conclude them Lucifugae Scripturarum decliners of trial Let me once more note to them this is necessary that their principles may justifie or condemne the practice of some that have taken up the profession of Christ in their way for if we must gather their principles from present practice their gathering Churches out of Churches their covenant-admission into Church-membership their private mens preaching and administration of Sacraments with the Schisme they have made from that one body in which they were baptized we cannot but be jealous with a holy jealousie that they do at the least formally build Altars against the Altar of God The second exhortation which may rather be a dehortation is unto such as are turned aside from the holy command and do either materially as the Papâ—sts and others or formally as congregational Separatists build Altars besides the Altar of God in the Name of the Lord desist your work stay your proceeding cease to build for your work will finde no acceptance with the Lord. Shall I use to you the dialect in the text Rebel not against the Lord and against us your brethren to build you Altars beside the Aâ—tar of the Lord. Consider that although Gods patience may long beare and whilest you offer Incense to the Queene of heaven and corrupt the worship of a holy God you may have plenty of victuals you may be well and see no evil yet fury will be provoked and take away corne and wine and oyle c. Hos 2. Consider and lay it seriously to heart that offering false fire to the true God and adoring a false god are Homogeneal of the same nature Altars against God God is provoked to jealousie by the rivality of false worship as well as of false gods I shall not I hope againe need to open the fury of the Lord provoked by and expressed against this sin only let me in general note to you that God hath resolved to cover Altar-builders with shame and fill them with blushing notwithstanding his long silence he hath resolved that they shall be ashamed of their strange sacrifices Hos 4.19 and of the Oaks which they have made and the gardens which they have chosen Isa 1.29 Know that if any will presume to step out of his calling and speak in the Name of the Lord uncalled that God hath said who both can and will see it done The Prophet shall be ashamed every one of his Vision and in their shame shall say I am no Prophet I am an husbandman for men taught me to keepe cattel from my youth Zech. 13.4 I cease to admire cannot but adore the just dealing of a righteous God that the doctrine practice of the Nicolaitans was usually an attendant or effect of the Heresies and Innovations of the Primitive times and that sinful separations and Altar-building innovations in matter or in forme hath produced indulgence of filthy and abominable Ranting principles and practices in our dayes when I seriously consider that sad denunciation of this shameful judgement in Hos 4.12 13 14. The spirit of whoredome hath caused to erre and they have gone a whoring from under their God they sacrifice on the tops of the mountains and burne Incense upon the hills under the Oaks c. Therefore your daughters shall commit whoredome and your spouses shall commit adultery I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredome nor your spouses when they commit adultery for themselves are separated with whores and they sacrifice with harlots Take heed lest God say unto you as he once said unto Ephraim because they have multiplied Altars to sinne Altars shall be unto them to sin Hos 8.11 For pretended piety in the increase of Altars may be justly punished with obduracie in the sin that God may say Seeing they will introduce sinful innovations contrary to divine prescriptions they shal so do to their shame and sin The Lord perswade the hearts of such as superstitiously build Altars in matter or forme besides the Altar of God to returne and sincerely speak the language of repenting Ephraim What have I to do any more with Idols So what have we to do any more with Altars Innovatâ—ons humane inventions we will wait on and follow after divine prescriptions The third and last exhortation is to such as are sincerely and indeed worshippers of God at his own only Altar holding fast the Covenant of God walking according to divine commandment and keeping communion with the Churches of God them I would exhort in the Name of the Lord to stick close to the Altar of God and set your selves in your several places against such as build Altars against Gods Altar Let not your souls be unstable in the wayes of the Lord declining divine prescriptions and embracing humane inventions and superstitious innovations Let the world witnesse you to be conformable Non-conformists who not conforming to some Canons and Customes of the Churches contrary to and inconsistent with the Canon of Scripture yet readily conforme to the worship in matter and forme composed according to the patterne in the mount the Word of God conserving the unity of and communion with the Churches of God that continue the Altar according to divine prescription set your zeale against superstition rushing from extreme to extreme schismatical societies and heretical principles and practice proclaime sincerity and not schisme following