our Craft is in danger to be set at naught but also that the Temple of the Great Goddess Diana should be despised and her Magnificence should be destroyed whom all Asia and the World Worshippeth So that this was in a matter of Worship also But further since that the Nations have been brought over from the Worship of Dumb Idols unto the true living and only God the Creator of Heaven and Earth and of all things therein yet still there hath been all along no small stir about the way and manner of the worship of this true God The main Controversie Question and Doubt therein hath been chiefly as to this Point whither God is to be served and worshipped according to the Pattern shewed to us in the Gospel as Moses was Admonished of God for saith he see that thou do all things according to the Partern shewed to thee in the Mount And now in these last days under the Dispensation of the Son of God All the Rudiments of the World with all the Jewish Ordinances and Observances Which all are to Perish with the using the Commandments and Doctrines of Men Col. 2.22 They having been all abolished and done away ever since that Jesus Christ the High Priest of our Profession said that it was finished on the Cross which is so as to all that dispensation and way of Worship But now the hour being come wherein People are not to Worship at Jerusalem nor yet at yonder Mountain But the hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the father in Spirit and in Truth for the father seeketh such to worship him God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth John 4.23 24. From this place again it is evident and manifest that all things now in the Worship of God and of his Son Jesus Christ ought to be done according to the Pattern shewed to us in the Gospel For that is Spiritual and True yea Spirit and Truth it self So that the stir which hath been all along in the Christian Churches about the way and manner of the worship of God hath been as to this Question whither God ought only to be worshipped according to the Pattern shewed to us in the Gospel or whither he is to be worshipped by the meer Ordinances and Inventions of Men or whither they also should be brought in and intermingled therewith As to which they that contend earnestly for the faith wherein also is the worship of God included which was once delivered unto the Saints do also contend earnestly that God ought to be worshipped only the first way and they are for having every Plant in his worship which our Heavenly father hath not Planted to be Rooted up But as for the others again who have sought and found out many Inventions in the worship of God after the Commandments and Doctrines of Men they are for keeping unto them still thinking within themselves and alledging to one another as Demetrius did to his fellow Crafts-men Ye know that by this Craft we have our wealth And so it is By these Liturgies Rites Ceremonies Traditions and Institutions of our own we have our Church Preferments and Livelihood And if we should once yield or consent unto them who go about to perswade and turn away the People That as Paul said they be no Gods which are made with hands So that is not the worship of the true God which is the Circumcision made with hands That is not the worship of the true God for he is not pleased therewith nor will accept of it which is made and devised by Man However this Foundation and Truth stands firm it being an Eternal Maxim fixed in the Heavens Notwithstanding Men through Corrupt Interest would gainsay or distinguish against it But if this truth were once Universally received into the minds of Men as indeed it ought to be so as for them to obey it and do accordingly what would be the Consequence of all It follows So that not only this our Craft is in danger to be set at naught We should not only be in danger to lose our Tythes and Church Revenues and our Cathedral service would be despised and the Magnificence and outward shew and Pomp of our worship would be destroyed Which the Rich and Chief of the People are most of all for Such being the Vanity of their minds as to falsely think that God is altogether such an one as themselves Psal 50.21 So that because they like nothing but what is costly and makes a Goodly outward shew thereupon they wrongly imagine as if God was not pleased with any worship but what did make an outward shew As to which it is thus Written The Kings Daughter whereby Mystically and Spiritually is signified the Church of God is all Glorious within Psal 45.13 The Kingdom of God cometh not with Observation in the Margent there it is with outward shew Neither shall they say Lo here or Lo there for behold the Kingdom of God is within you Luke 17.21 The true worship of God doth not stand nor consist in Divers washings or sprinklings or in Carnal Ordinances imposed on the worshippers until the Time of Reformation which words do imply that they should be utterly laid aside now the Time of Reformation is fully come under the Gospel nor yet doth the true worship of God stand or consist so much in Divers Bowings and Cringings or Gestures but it is an inward thing for what is Spiritual or in Spirit is inward But they being vainly puffed up in their fleshy mind Colos 2.18 Would have Gospel worship which is altogether an Inward and Spiritual thing to be so modelled and framed as to make a fair shew in the flesh and they have got their Worldly Interest and Livelihood to be interwoven and mixed therewith This is the very reason why the Errour and Corruption of the Papacy hath been and continued so long even unto this Day and the end thereof is not as yet The Priests and Clergy Men thereof who may be stiled the Corrupters of all what was before true and undefiled Religion have got into their hands and possessions such and such Revenues and Riches and Tythes and yearly Estate called St. Peters Patrimony and the Patrimony of the Church and they well knowing the conveniency thereof and they being in no wise willing to part with them this makes them to stickle might and main for their own Errours and Corruptions And these Leaders of the People cause them to err as so many Thousands blindly and miserably do in what is called a great Part of the Christian World The like Errour and Corruption altho it be in a much less degree and measure remains as yet even in the reformed Church of England For if it were once modelled according to the Pure Word of God or if all things therein were done according to the Pattern shewed to us in the Gospel It should be yet further
that kind of worship perfect as pertaining to the Conscience it is evident that here People should not always rest therein but go further and press still after the mark of the high Calling after those things which can or at least in more measure make them that do the Service or use the Worship Perfect as pertaining unto the Conscience And as the Jewish Worship did stand only in Meats and Drinks and Divers Washings and Carnal Ordinances Imposed on them until the time of Reformation So it may be observed that the National Worship doth somewhat consist in Meats for it doth prescribe its Meat days and its Fish days and in Divers Bowings and Gestures and such and such kind of Rites and Ceremonies are to be observed and imposed upon the People by the Precept of Men Isa 29.13 Not here throughly considering and attending unto the last Words Which should indeed cut off and alrogate them all Vntil the time of Reformation which now being fully come under the Gospel the Dispensation of the Son of God Jesus Christ being the High Priest of our Profession and who is Greater in the House of God then Moses was for he was as a Servant but this Man as a Son It doth or should follow of Consequence that if we would to which we are Commanded stand fast in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free In order to that we should admit or suffer nothing to be imposed on us after the way of Carnal Ordinances or as Ordinances of Divine service or by way of Rites and Ceremonies By the Ordinances of Men unless Christ hath also ordained the same in his Gospel For that also serves unto the Example and Shadow of Heavenly things As Moses was Admonished of God when he was about to make the Tabernacle for see saith he that thou make all things according to the Pattern shewed to thee in the Mount Heb. 8.5 But as Jesus Christ himself saith But the hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall Worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth For the Father seeketh such to Worship him God is a Spirit and they that Worship him must Worship him in Spirit and in Truth John 4.23 24. So now the fullness of time is come and under this Dispensation of his Son all things in or pertaining to the Worship of God and of Jesus Christ ought to be done according to the Pattern shewed to us in his Gospel I say and repeat it again that People may more attend unto and observe the same That in these Days every thing in the Worship of God and of his Son Jesus Christ ought to be made and done according to the Pattern shewed to us in the Gospel This I do teach and affirm constantly So that as aforenoted such and such things were imposed on People until the Time of Reformation But that being now fully come It follows from hence that there should be yet a further Reformation even in our reformed Churches that is to bring them up or back again unto a Greater Degree of Spirituality and Truth And to do all things according to the Pattern shewed to us in the Gospel For then only Primitive times would return When they were all with one accord in one Place and all that believed were together When things shall be once again done according to the Primitive Rule and Manner When as it is Written A great Number of the Priests were Obedient unto the Faith So again some Good thing might be then expected for the Church of God and for the Unity thereof If the Priests or Clergy of this Nation were so Universally Obedient unto the faith of Jesus Christ as to prefer the Truth of his Worship before their own temporal Livelihood Corrupt Interest or filthy Lucre 1 Pet. 5.2 So that there might be the same mind in them also which was in the Apostle Paul As to count all things but Loss or Dung for the excellency of the Knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord. And as he saith For I could wish my self were accursed from Christ for my Brethren my Kinsmen according to the flesh So they could be contented to be devested of all things for the Glory of God and for the Truth of his Worship then indeed but not until then some good thing might be expected for the Church of God and for the Unity thereof But as long as Corrupt Interest hath the prevailing and upper hand things will still continue as they are For this hath been the subtlety of Satan the old Serpent who herein was more subtle then any Beast of the Field To get his threshold or a threshold of Mans making and devising To be set by Gods thresholds which his Prophet doth reprove and find fault with in Ezek. 43.8 And their Post by my Posts and then Satan the Enemy gets it to be confirmed and established by Annexing such a National Maintenance and Livelihood and such and such Preferments unto it For those outward things as the Kingdoms and Power and Glory of this World under which Riches and Money the greatest Idol thereof is also included Are delivered unto him so that to whomsoever he will he gives it according to what is Written Luke 4.6 Thus and hereby it comes to pass that those great Assertors and Vindicators of Rites and Ceremonies and of those Ordinances and Institutions of Men who are Ministers of the Worldly sanctuary which Man hath pitched and not the Lord who have set their threshold by Gods thresholds and their Post by his Posts do therefore contend with might and main for their own Traditions and Impositions and their own Interminglings with the Worship of God whereby they have Corrupted it from its Simplicity and Purity as it was in Christ Jesus in the first times Nevertheless they will in no wise consent nor yet admit of it that they should be laid aside nor yet that those Plants which our Heavenly father hath not Planted should be Rooted up Altho it be according to his express Will and Declaration that they should be laid aside yet nevertheless they do and will retain them Any Law or Ordinance of God to the contrary Notwithstanding whereby it is evident that they do Provoke the Lord to Jealousy and Indignation So that he will not accept of their Worship But yet for all they do thus and thus for the same and alike reason which we read of in Acts 19. And the same time there arose no small stir about that way For a certain Man Named Demetrius a Silversmith which made Silver shrines for Dianâ— brought no small Gain unto the Crafts-men whom he called together with the Work-men of the like Oâ—â—â—pation and said Sirs ye know that by this Craft we have our wealth Moreover ye see and hear that not alone at Ephesus but almost throughout all Asia this Paul hath perswaded and turned away much People saying that they be no Gods which are made with hands So that not only this
to be more then the first Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee Rev. 2.18 19 20. Notwithstanding the Church of England hath done several things well and she hath many things according to the Pattern of the Gospel and of the Pure and Primitive Church Yet nevertheless the Spirit of God hath a few things against her because she hath not come so clean out of Sodom to the Abominations whereof the Roman Church may be compared for she hath committed Spiritual Whordom and Fornication and Uncleanness in departing away from the Laws and Commandments of God so as not to leave an hoof behind For there should not be in her the least rellick or remainder of Popery or what is meerly the Popes nor yet any other Mans Institutions But she should have hearkened fully and throughly unto the Call and Requiring of God so as to have done accordingly Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you 2 Cor. 6.17 For even the very Monuments of Idolatry should be taken away and defaced The Altars and Groves were to be burnt cut downâ—â—â— destroyed And we are Commanded not to mention other â—ods nor yet to use their Names within our Lips And we are to abstain from all appearance of Evil and we keep our selves as far as ever we can from the Accursed thing â—nd so it should be of every thing that displeaseth the Lord. So likewise every thing should be laid aside in his Worship which is a great thing relating to that God with whom we have to do which he hath not Commanded nor Required nor entred into his 〈◊〉 Notwithstâ—â—â—â—â—â— these things ought to be so yet still by reason of custom â—nd continuance and when people have been long used unto a thing they will not be perswaded off from it altho it be the express Commandment of God to turn away from these Idols and Inventions of their own which also they make an Idol of in cleaving unto them in opposition to his Commands and chiefly because by this Craft and Usage they get their Living Therefore People will still go on in their own ways and their Soul delighteth in their Abominations Isa 66.3 And so they will keep unto their Inventions Imposed on us by the Precept of Men Any Law or Ordinance of God to the contrary Notwithstanding as here it hath been alledged to the contrary from the Scriptures of Truth which contain the Declaration and Mind of the most high God who saith by his Son Jesus Christ In vain 〈◊〉 they Worship me Teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of 〈◊〉 Mat. 15.9 As to which again it may be truly reasoned and inferred that such People who in vain do Worship God Let not those People think that they shall receive any thing of the Lord. Whether People will comply therewith or not Nevertheless the Foundation of God standeth sure and his Truth endureth to all Generations firm and unchangeable Notwithstanding the People of this World are Contentious and do not obey the Truth through the Temptation of Corrupt Interest and filthy Lucre yet still and all along the only way and means which can be understood from the Scriptures which were given by Inspiration of God and to make us wise unto salvation for all Christians however they are Named or Distinguished to come unto Unity that they may with one Heart and Mind Glorify God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is to have all things in his worship done according to the Paâ—tern shewed to us in the Gospel and that every Plant which our Heavenly Father hath not Planted be Rooted up And that all the Doctrines and Commandments and Inventions of Men be utterly abolished and laid asâ—â—e and not used at all That the Lord alone may be Exalted in that Dâ—â— LONDON Printed in the Year 1699.