in the Church afterwards and certainly the want hereof is such a defect as doth more then spoile the Beauty of a Church it is a main cause of the decay of all true piety and therefore the ignorance and stubbornness of the Generality of this Nation is much to be lamented which discourage our Governours from Establishing this Dayly Worship of GOD in Towns Cities and other populous Places which I may confidently call a Necessary as well as a Reasonable Service But as we ought thus to hallow every Day by devoting some part thereof to the publick Service of GOD so we are oblidg'd to Sanctify for this end one whole Day in seven viz. the first day of the Week commonly called the Lord's Day partly because of its being peculiarly consecrate to the Service of GOD and partly because of that special Honour whiich the LORD IESUS CHRIST conferred on this Day by his Triumphant resurrection from the Dead which was the Reason for its consecration we should set a part one day of the seven not that this portion appears necessary by Natural Light but because 't was expresly exacted of the Iews and that we are unjust if our expressions of Piety and Devotion towards GOD be lesse then what was sought of them and what oblidgeth us to the observation of the first day particularly is the practice of the Holy Apostles who either had an expresse command for what they did themseves and enjoyned others in the Worship of GOD or were led thereto by the holy Ghost Now their practice in this particular is declared to us Act. 20. 7. 1. Cor. 16. 2. And is witnessed by a constant universal Tradition of the Church Besides the LORD'S Day no other is strictly necessary to be kept except in obedience to our Rulers Civil and Ecclesiastical who without all question may as well as the Iewish Church and State formerly appoint dayes for the publick Worship and service of GOD upon the account either of some particular emergency wherein Church or State is concerned or of some special Mercy granted them But they ought to be careful neither to burden People with too many such appointments nor yet to give them a disgust by ordering Solemn Dayes upon mean silly accounts if Men be not serious in these Solemn Addresses they are a meer Mockery and Dishonour to GOD and it is impossible to make them Serious when the cause and occasion of them is frivolous and unworthy to be made the matter of Divine Worship And so the Church of Rome has miserably transgressed for first she hath so multiplied her Fasts and Festivals that the number of them almost exceeds the dayes of the Year the year would need to be enlarg'd if all their Holy Dayes should be distinctly and exactly keept And though it be pretended that all are not required to observe each of them yet there be too many imposed upon every person and every place so that the French King was necessitate to deall with the Pope lately for the dispensing with a great many in his Kingdom Again the Church of Rome is not only to blame for enjoyning such an intollerable burden of dayes but also because the Reason of these injunctions for the most part are frivolous scarce worthy of a Man's serious attention much lesse of being the matter and occasion of solemn Devotions as for example the invention of some pitiful Relicts the dedication of Bells some ridiculous passage of their Legendary Saints c. and as most of their Holy-dayes are in honour of their Saints so the most of their Saints according to their own relation did nothing memorable their lives are more Foolish and impertinent then Old Wives Fables or the Tales of Children as we might shew by several instances did we not fear to be tedious But leaving this we come next to speak to the Nature of this Worship which should be payed unto GOD publickly and to shew the Particulars whereof it should consist which ought especially to be considered And First as to the General nature of this Worship it must first answer the end thereof which is the Glory of GOD the Celebration and Praise of his Greatness Wisdom Goodness and other Glorious perfections that the Souls of the Worshippers may be enflamed with the love of GOD and that they may be excited to Fear Trust and Obey Him 2ly It must be agreeable to the Will and Mind of GOD and altogether free of what he hath forbidden or signified his displeasure with otherwayes it will be so far from being acceptable that it will be very abominable 3ly It must not only contain all the parts of Natural Religion but besides carry Characters of the Gospel for it is not only Reasonable but Necessary that the Worship of GOD be Regulate by special dispensations of his Grace and made to expresse the particulars of such Dispensations the Iews were required to Worship God in a different Manner from what is discernable by Natural Light and so those who believe the Truth and Mysteries of the Christian Religion must have a Peculiar Worship that is distinct from such as own no Revelation or only that of the old Testament Fourthly from these considerations it follows that Christians must Worship GOD together in spirit and Truth For so our Saviour directed us Iohn 4. 23. Where he saith The hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and Truth For the Father seeketh such to Worship him GOD is a Spirit and they that Worship must Worship him in Spirit and Truth Which words whither we consider them abstractly in a general notion as delivering a certain Natural Truth or with a reference to the way of Worshipping GOD then usual in the World I say which way so ever we consider them they teach us that GOD will now be Worshipped not by a Multitude of carnal and external Observances or a number of Mysterious and almost unintelligible rites and Ceremonies as the Gentiles used to doe and as he thought fit for a time to impose upon the Iews But by actions of a Spiritual Nature and whose signification and use is Reasonable and easily understood The Law considered Men as in a weak Infant State and so prescribed a Worship sutable to such a State but the Gospel endeavours to bring us to the full Stature of perfect Men and considers us as such and therefore our way of worshipping GOD now must speak out more perfect Reason and understanding The worship required of Christians is not a Pompous shew of Ceremonies which may affect Children or Childish Persons but Real and Substantial expressions of Faith Love Fear Ioy and Confidence in GOD There must not be more or other Ceremonies used in the Worship of GOD then what is requisite for Order and Decency or necessary to Excite and Fix the inward attention of our minds for that is not True or proper Worship which is wholly External and doth not come
of GOD. Rom 12. 1 2. Now what is it to make a Sacrifice of our selves but only to Walk with GOD for who Walketh with GOD as we have shewed Sacrifices his understanding to God to Believe what he reveales and to Contemplate what he does he Sacrificeth his will to be entirely regulate by his Laws his Affections to be placed or displaced according to his Order and in a word his whole Life and all its Operations to set forward the purposes of his Counsel and the Glory of his Name Which indeed is a most Reasonable Service for what lesse can be payed to him who is the Authour and preserver of our Beeing and gives us whatever we enjoy It is also agreeable to his Word nay the very thing it calls for which perhaps is true meaning of the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the very scope of the Scripture is to teach us this and to obliege us thereto Finally it is most acceptable GOD is very well pleased with these Spiri tual Sacrifices they have an Odour of sweet Smell with him But if they be wanting that thing which is savoury if we do not walk closely and constantly with God as above though we would bring never so many Burnt Offerings and Calves of a Year old Thousand of Rams and ten thousand Rivers of Oyl yet He would not regard them Sacrifice and Offering thou didst not desire Burnt Offering and Sin Offering thou hast not required then said I Lo I come in the Volume of the Book it is written of Me I delight to do thy will O my GOD yea they Law is within my Heart Psal. 40. 6. 7. Let none think saith Lactantius that GOD requires Victims Incense Donations c. For if he be not capable of Hunger Thrist Cold neither hath the Desire of Earthly things he will not use thâ—…se and the like which are brought unto the Temples but as Corporeal Beings require things of the like Nature so a Spiritual Sacrifice is only necessary to be offered to a Spiritual Being What GOD hath given to Man for his use he himself needs not and besides the whole World is his and the fulness thereof he needs not a Temple who hath the World for his dwelling place nor an Image or Statue who is incomprehensible he stands not in need of Lamps and Earthly Lights who hath kindled the Sun and the rest of the Stars for Mans behoof what is it therefore saith he which GOD requireth of Man but the inward Worship of the mind seing He himself is pure and Holy for these things which are wrought by the Hands and which are without the Man is no true or proper Sacrifice neither that which is taken out of the Coffer but which cometh from the Heart nor what is offered by the Hand but by the Soul This is a true Sacrifice when the Soul offereth it self unto GOD For what signifieth other Sacrifices What doth inccnse what do Garments and Gold and Silver and Precious stones profit if the Worshippers mind be not holy and pure 'T is only Righteousness which GOD seeks after 'T is in this that the True Worship of GOD doth consist The true Worshippers of GOD saith CHRIST shall Worship him in Spirit and Truth for the Father seeketh such to Worship him And what is it to Worship GOD in Spirit and Truth but to worship him by a truly holy Life and an upright walking with him In this is his Delight and who taketh this way to please him shall be counted worthy of the Kingdom of GOD. Enoch walked with GOD and it 's said GOD took him that is he took him out of this wretched Life unto his Heavenly Glory And all who tread the same paths shall meet with the same Reward GOD will take every one to himself who walketh with GOD though not after the same manner Death puts a stop to our Walking with Men and forces us and them to part but it doth not break off our Walking with GOD it doth unite us more firmly to him this fellowship which we thus begin here results into an Eternal Friendship and Society in the other World CHAP III. Of these Words And this Stone which I have set for a Pillar shall be GODS House The Reason and Meaning of them GOD is to be Worshipped not only in Private but in Publick he is not only to be Owned and Acknowledg'd a part by our selves in Secret but ought to be professed openly before all the World by the Performance of such things as Reason and the universall Consent of Mankind hath established to be publick Testimonies of our Alleagiance to him He who doth not this Last can never â—…e very sincere in the First neither will GOD own such to be true Worshippers of him who do not avowedly professe him before Men according to that of our Saviour whosoever shall confesse me before Men him shall the Son of Man also confesse before the Angels of God but he that denyeth me before Men shall be denyed before the Angels of God Luke 12. 8. The very Light of Nature teacheth this and therefore it is that when Iacob here did Solemnly take the LORD to be his GOD he did not only engage himself to that Inward Spiritual Worship which is acted within a Man 's own self whereof we have spoken already but also he binds Himself to that Outward and Visible Worship which is transacted by things without the Man that it may be manifest to alâ—… the World that he Honoured and Adored this GOD. This stone saith he which I have here set up for a Pillar shall be GOD'S house that is here in this place where I erect this Stone when I come back I will build and consecrat a House to my GOD for the Honour of his Name and the Celebrating of his Worship where I will Call upon him and Pray unto him The Reason why he pitched upon this particular place was because GOD had made it eminent by so signal an appearance unto him as we read before and what moved him to build a house to GOD was because this was universally agreed to as an Act of Honour due unto GOD and as an proper instance whereby men signify their Homage to him This which Iacob Vowed here gives us Occasion to speak of Churches or consecrated places of Prayer and of publick Worship SECTION I. Of Churches or Places Consecrat to GOD the Origine and Necessity thereof what Regard and Reverence should be payed them AND First as it is an universal Custome all the World over to erect Temples and to Consecrat places for the Honour and Service of GOD So this custome is most Ancient At present there are not only Churches throughout all the Christian World but Mahumetans and Pagans also have Temples and Religious houses of one sort or another and it was so from the very beginning It would seem that even our First Parents in Paradise had some more peculiar place for presenting themselves before
more then that we should encrease in knowledge The reading of the Holy Scripture should be recommended to People according to the practice of all the Fathers It was not the People who wrested the Scripture and spread Heresies they were the Bishops and Doctors and Persons of the Clergy Arrius Macedonius Nestorius Eutyches Pelagius were all Church-men 2ly The Worship of the Roman Church has not a Resemblance to the Christian Religion because it wants the purity and simplicity thereof to make Worship look like Christian as we formerly shewed it should be Plain and Simple that is free of Ceremonies except what are requisite to Excite and Fix the attention should chiefly consist of Actions which are Grave and Serious and which do properly expresse the Divine Majesty and Glory But the Worship of the Papists is meerly Pomp Pageantry a vain external Shew of Ceremonies fitter for the Theatre then the Church Their Churches are dressed with Gaudy Scenes like Play-Houses and like them too they use not the light of the Sun but the dazling deceiving light of Lamps and Wax-Candles their Priests are sumptuously decked with various kinds of Garments and as for the Service it self it consists in sprinkling of holywater kindling Perfumes Kneeling and bowing and often crossing Turning to the Right or Left Hand according to the Sign given the Elevating and Lowing of the Voice at certain Times the vain repetition of unintelligible Words and in a multitude of impertinent and insignificant Ceremonies which chock the very Spirit of Religion and which would render what is read or spoken to no purpose though it could be understood For 't is impossible that the mind can be attentive or make any Serious application where there is such a multitude of external performances The Worship enjoyn'd and practised in the Church of Rome has more resemblance to Paganisme then the Christian Religion it contains indeed Acts and Instances of the true Worship of GOD but so buried in Heathnish Superstition that they lose their Efficacy both with GOD and Man Their Sprinklings Processions Scourgings Pilgrimages and in a word the most of their Ceremonies both in their Ordinary and Extradinary Devotions are derived from ancient Paganisme and are indeed more suited to Pagan tempers then Christian minds for such as understand the Gospel know that GOD taketh no pleasure in such Actions The hour cometh saith Christ and now is that the true Worshippers of GOD shall Worship Him in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to Worship Him 3ly Popish worship is not only full of Superstition but Idolatry it not only is made up of many foolishly and uselesse Actions which can pretend to no Shadow of Reason or Divine Authority But it contains also many things expresly forbidden as the Invocation and Adoration of Angels and Saints c. What St. Paul said of Rome Pagan holds true of Rome Christian they have changed the truth of GOD into a lie and Worship the creature more then the Creator For the most of their Worship is not tendred to GOD and JESUS CHRIST but to Angels the blessed Virgin and other departed Saints to Images Reliques that is the Bones Ashes and other forged appurtenances of their supposed Saints I say supposed for their is no evidence for the most of them but the Popes Cannonization which is very unsufficient 'T is laid on the name of one Pope Gregory that he should have said multorum corpora venerantur in terris quorum animae cruciantur in infernis that is many are Worshipped as Saints who are damned in Hell The Papists in their publick Worship are required to adore Bread as GOD to Pray to the Dead and for the Dead and to do several other things which not only have no warrant in Scripture but are quite contrary thereto and therefore GOD can be pleased neither with such a worship nor those who offer it more then he was with the Nations whom the King of Assyria planted in Samaria of whom it is said that they feared the LORD and served other Gods besides 4ly The Mass which is the chiefest part of their Worship is the highest abomination For it is used in stead of the Holy Sacrament which our LORD instituted that night wherein he was betrayed but in Truth it is is quite another thing because they have added to it and pared from it and use it in another sense and to other purposes then what that Sacrament was design'd for First they withhold the Cup which is the one half of the Sacrament though it be clear that our Saviour commanded All to drink of it as both the Councill of Constance and Trent acknowledge in their Acts which prohibite the use of the Cup to the Laity And as for the other part of the Sacrament besides that their Wafers cannot be counted Bread they do not use the rite of breaking it which is so essential that this Sacrament is ordinarly denominat by it in Scripture Indeed what the Priest takes to himself he breaks in three pieces one whereof is cast into the Cup another is left upon the Altar until the end of the Service and the third he puts in his own Mouth but this doth not answer to that breaking which our LORD used and which is necessary to hold Forth the purport of the Sacrament That this Action may be agreeable to our LORD'S institution it is necessary that all the Communicants eat and have distribute to them one broken Bread 2ly Our LORD ordain'd the Bread in this Sacrament to be only a symbol of his Body but they give it out to be His very self and command Divine Adoration to be payed thereto which is the greatest absurdity and the grossest Idolatry imaginable as we have formerly made out 3ly Our LORD designed this Sacrament to be only a memorial of his Death and of that satisfaction was given thereby to the Iustice of GOD for the sins of men but they teach and command under pain of damnation to be believed that in the Masse there is a real propitiatory Sacrifice for the living and the dead because according to them Iesus Christ is dayly Sacrificed and Offered therein Which Doctrine contains a heap of Absurdities and makes their Mass a Blasphemous action and most injurious to the Sacrifice of the Cross. For hereby it would follow that Christ was Sacrificed before he was Crucified viz. when he instituted this Sacrament that his Death was no sufficient Attonement there being such necessity for repeating it so frequently and that St. Paul erred grossely in thinking it absurd that he should offer himself often in saying he was but once offered to bear the sins of many and in preferring that one Oblation of IESUS CHRIST upon the Cross to all the legal Sacrifices because they behoved to be offered year by year continually to shew their insufficiency whereas he by one offering hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified see Heb. 9. 25. 28. 10. 1.
even those who as yet deny a God will acknowledge the necessity of Worshipping One if he be found And in Truth it is hard to tell which of the two are most unreasonable he who denies there is a GOD or he who refuses to worship the GOD whom he believes If Prudence and Interest do oblidge Men to Honour and Obey Kings and Monarchs that under their Favour they may enjoy Safety and Peace should not every one for that same very Reason adore and do homage to the great King to whom all the Princes and Potentates of the World must submit and bow themselves Though he sit in the Heavens yet His Dominion reacheth over all the whole World is filled with his Presence he ruleth the Children of Men and there is no safety but in his Protection nor any Security but in his Favour The LORD saith the Psalmist is a great GOD and a great King above all Gods In his Hand are the deep places of the Earth The Strength of Hills is his also The Sea is His and he made it And his Hands formed the dry-land Therefore he infers and that rightly O come let us Worship and bow down Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker for he is our God and we are the People of his Pasture and the Sheep of his Hand Ps. 95. 3 c. If Men needed not either care for the Divine Favour or much to fear his Wrath they might be somewhat excusable though they did not highly regard GOD but seeing it is utterly impossible that ever they can be in such a Condition wherein they stand in no need of GOD or may easily protect themselves from the effects of his Anger it is the most unaccountable madness to neglect him and to be careless to please him It is even such and greater madness as 't would be for a poor Peasant or other mean Fellow to slight or shew a contempt of some mighty Monarch while under his Power and within his Reach None have less Reason to make Pretensions to wit then those who slight Piety and cast off all regard to GOD because none act more contrary to common Prudence and the Principles of Reason Contempt or carelesness of the Divine Worship can never be justified unless Men could be certainly assured that there is no God which the greatest Atheist never yet pretended to nor can he or else that they could extricate themselves from all dependence upon GOD which as it is not desireable so neither is it possible And therefore it is absolutely necessary that all Men concern themselves in the Worship of GOD and that they be carefull while they live to Own and Acknowledge Him which who so Refuseth shall not pass Unpunished They who will not willingly Own and Submit themselves to Him shall certainly fall under the dint of his Fury Now therefore consider this ye that forget GOD lest He tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver Psal. 50. 22. SECTION III. What Care should be had to Direct our Worship to the True GOD Rules how to do it Where also the Idolatry of the Romish Church is considered AS thus you see it is necessary we Worship God so by the same Reason it becomes no less necessary that we Worship the True GOD which was the Second particular we promised to speak to As there is a GOD so there is but One True GOD to whom and to none else we must direct our Worship and our Religious Services For if we adore any other then him or make any Partner of our Worship with him we are guilty of a Crime which is not easily pardoned for it is a dethroning of GOD. And therefore Iob saith If I beheld the Sun when it shined or the Moon walking in brightness And my heart hath been secretly enticed or my mouth hath Kissed my hand That is if ever he was guilty of Worshipping the Sun or the Moon he acknowledgeth that this were an iniquity to be punished by the Iudge For thereby saith the he I should have denied the GOD that is above Job 31. 26. 27. 28. Sceptra non ferunt socium Kings can endure no Copartners nor will God suffer any Rival with him he will not endure that any should share in that Honour which is due to himself alone I am the LORD saith he that is my Name and my Glory will I not give to another neither my Praise to graven Images Isa 42. 8. Idolatry or the Worship of false GODS is such an abomination and doth so highly provoke the True GOD that nothing will or can excuse it neither is there any thing which he is more Jealous of A Man's Serousness or Sincerity will never endear his Worship and render it acceptable Unless it be directed to the right Object Though one be a favourer of Monarchy in the general more than any other Government yet he can never be counted Loyal if he neglect his True Prince and follow an Usurper no more then he who is for no King at all Even so though one be never so Devout and Serious in his way yet unless it be the True GOD whom he Adores he is not to be esteemed a Friend and Lover of GOD he cannot be Reckoned otherwise then as an Enemy as well as those who are altogether Irreligious and Profane We must be sure then that we Worship the True GOD and none else otherwise it is to no purpose to Worship any For to worship none and to Worsh a False GOD will be alike profitable that is certainly they will be both of them hurtfull and pernicious for either of them will incense the true GOD and make him set himself against us to destroy us Now as it concerneth us to worship the true GOD and none else so that we may be sure to worship him and none other let us first Labour to get right Apprehensions of the Divine Nature and Attributes Let us be carefull to keep in mind how he is the Supreme Being Eternal Infinit and Independent from all others that he is Almighty most wise most just and good and Holy A pure Spirit who is not only free from all imperfections but who is infinitlie excellent beyond what can be apprehended and who is every where present For as the Apostle saith he is not far from every one of us in him we all live move and have our beeing 'T is this and nothing else which we call GOD He and none other hath these Properties and Excellencies And therefore not only what we Worship must be such but also we must be carefull to Worship Him under the consideration of a being thus infinitly excellent and glorious or else we Worship we know not what Instead of the True GOD we do but set up an Idol which our own Fancie hath devised 'T is true an adequat Comprehensive Knowledge of God or of any of his Attributes is not possible for he dwelleth in the light which no man can approach unto whom no
they did not commit to the oversight of some Deitie or other which they failed not to invock according to their various Conditions and Circumstances By this it appears that the Opinion which the Heathens had of their Deities was just such which the Papists have of Saints and Angels and that the One hath no other ground for the Worshipping of Saints and Angels then what the other pretended for the worshipping of Iupiter Iuno Minerva Mars Vulcan c. these Dij minorum gentium these Gods of the lower rank order Neither can any thing be said in defence of the one which may not be alledged for the other And in truth it would seem that the Romish Church hath been so much in love with that scheme of Heathen Religion as to think fit to transcribe it wholly for there be little difference in this point except some change of Names that whereas they Worshipped formerly Iuno Iupiter c. Now some more Christian names are set up to be adored And though certainly the holy Angels and some of the Christian Saints are by far preferable to the best of the Heathnish Deities yet it is no more lawfull to worship the One then the other for the doing either is to do service to them who by nature are no Gods which the Scripture condemns Gal. 4 8 And which they who are thus worshipped would abhore If there were any communication betwixt us and the Angels and Saints they would certainlie declare against the Worshipping of them and would shew themselves so far from being gratified thereby as to be highly displeased therewith That the Angels would forbid it we have good reason to believe seeing they have done it when occasion offered for when St Iohn was about to worship the Angel who shewed him these things he sets down in his Revelation he withheld him saying see thou do it not for I am thy fellow-servant And if Paul and Barnabas returned to the earth they would no doubt as earnestlie restrain men from paying Divine homage to them as they did once the People of Lystra and that too for the same reason even because they are Men of the like passions for though they be freed from sin and these frailties we are lyable to here yet they are men still they are Glorified indeed but not Deified and therefore not proper Objects of Worship But to return and to speak more particularly to this which is pretended for the Ground of Saint and Angel worship In the next place we say it is a thing very uncertain what use God makes of the Angels and Saints what be their charge and office and what imployments they are put to We read indeed in the Scriptures that God hath sometimes imployed Angels in the affairs of his Servants here below But whither he doth this always whither each Saint or Angel hath a particular constant imployment or what is the particular imployment of each of them is not reveal'd men can only guess at them neither have they any rule to make their guesses probable and therefore there is no reason to worship them or to make any adresses to them For Religious worship and service should stand upon better grounds then meer conjectures yea I may say idle and fantastick dreams What Ground of assurance can be given that Raphael is appointed for traveling St. Roche for the Pox St. Cornelis for the falling sickness St. Loy for Horse diseases St. Apollina for the tooth-ach and that the Virgin Mary can give all that either Soul or body needeth I say what assurance have we of this And if there be no assurance as certainly there is none what a foolish thing is it to make adresses to these Saints for these favours which for ought we know do not belong to them to give but to other Saints if to any at all if men be desirous of the favours they seek me thinks they should make application where they are surest to be had that is they should rather go to God then to Saints or Angels for we are sure he hath all good to bestow but what gifts are at their disposal or whither any is a thing we know not Thirdly though all should be true that is alledged that we receive good things from hands of Saints and Angels and that they could procure us what we desire yet this were no reall ground for worshipping them For they are not the Author and cause of these things which are thus supposed to come from them Do not erre my beloved Brethren saith St. Iames every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and least we should mistake him and think he included Angels and Saints he addeth and cometh down from the Father of Lights with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning Iames 1. 17. Saints and Angels at the best are but the means and Instruments of the conveyance of God's blessings and therefore it is not reasonable to worship them as we worship God If they ought to be honoured with Divine worship because God useth their Ministerie in blessing us with Spiritual and Temporal benefits then for the same reason a Merchant or Sea-man may adore the Wind when its favourable and every one may worship his meat for by the use of our Meat GOD gives us the Blessing of Life and it will not cast the Ballance as to the being a Ground of paying Divine Worship to Saints and Angels that they are Intelligent Beeings understand what they do and what good they do us they do it with good-will for if this were sufficient then it should be of as great force for the Worshipping of the Pastours of the Church or any other Earthly men whom GOD raiseth up to be the instruments of our Temporal or Spirituall good The Means and Instruments should indeed have a due respect but it should be far below what is payed to the Author and main cause Saints and Angels indeed ought to be honoured and had in great esteem because they stand alwayes near GOD and are his chief Servants But there is no Reason to equal then with GOD by giving them the same homage and paying them the same Acts of Adoration A great difference should be put between the Servant and his Lord Ministers of State and the Person of the King and so betwixt GOD and Angels and Saints Which also shewes the unsufficiencie of that other Reason and Pretence which some make for the worshipping of Saints and Angels viz. That hereby they do Honour to GOD for though GOD would have them Honoured yet he would not have them Honoured as Himself 2. Some of the Papists are so sensible of the absurdity of Worshipping Saints and Angels directlie that to take away the shame thereof they study to put another face on these acts of Adoration which they pay to Saints and Angels telling us that they intend thereby no more but to intreat the Saints and Angels to interceed with GOD for them which may be as