Abrahams Faith, Part 1 · Chapter 3 · Article 11
The eleuenth article, of the exerciſes in religion, in generall: how to be vſed in the church.
11. Wee ought to worſhip God onelyonly, and namely to praie to him alone.
THis article is plaine needing no explanation. And we may ſee it clerely in the ſtory of Abraham, that he being called from thebIoſh. 24.2.3. woorſhip of ſtrange Gods; for euer after woorſhipped the onelyonly true and liuing God:cGen. 12. ver. 14. & 15. & 17. &c. to him he made his alter and called vponupon his name, ſwore by his name, and in all religious woorſhip, as ſacrifice, circumciſion and vowes, he did ſtil keepe himſelfe alwaies to worſhip God onelyonly. Such is the minde of the church of England. For we ſay:dArtic. 22. of purgatorie. The Romiſh doctrine concerning purgatorie, pardons, worſhipping, and adoration, as well of images as of reliques, and alſo inuocation of Saints, is a fond thing, vainely fayned, and grounded vponupon no warrant of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the word of God. For hereby we vnderſtande, that the Scripture teacheth, that wee ſhould worſhip God onelyonly and pray to him onelyonly, and therefore we condemne al woorſhip and praiers, which are not made, giuen and directed to God onelyonly, and therefore we commaunde the ten commandements to be read in our churches, to teach men to acknowledge one god and him onelyonly to worſhip. Moſes alſo (if we will heere him) ſheweth the ſame truth. Firſt in the affirmatiue he ſaith:eDeut. 6.13. Thou ſhalt feare the Lord thy God and ſerue him and ſweare by his name, which wordes our Sauior ChriſtfMatth. 4.10. alleaging in their meaning ſheweth that they commaunde vsus to worſhip and ſerue God onelyonly. And in the negatiue Moſes,aDeut. 4.14. &c. cap. 12.2.3. &c. cap. 13. & 21.8. Num. 6.24. teſtifying that God ſhewed the people no image of the likeneſſe of any thing whatſoeuer, forbiddeth them the making of all images of the likeneſſe of any thing whatſoeuer, and the worſhipping of any ſuch image or likeneſſe of any thing whatſoeuer, directing them in all cauſes to turne to him, to pray to him, and to bleſſe in his name. To this alſo accorde the Prophets, in whom God ſpeaketh on this maner:bPſal. 50.15. Call vponupon mee &c. cEſai 42.8.I am the Lord this is my name, and my glorie will I not giuegive vntounto an other, neither my praiſe to carued images: dCap. 45.23.I hauehave ſworne by my ſelfe the worde is gone out of my mouth, in righteouſnes and ſhall not returne, That euerie knee ſhall bow vntounto me, and euerie toonge ſhall ſweare by mee. And therefore on the one ſide hee reprooueth them,eZepan. 1.5. which woorſhip and ſweare by the Lord and Malcham: that is, doe any way communicate Gods worſhip to others: and on the other ſide teacheth vsus to pray onelyonly to God, as it is written:fPſal. 62.8. Trust in him alwaie yee people, power out your hartes vntounto him, for GOD is our hope: gPſal. 95.6.Let vsus vvorſhip and fall downe and kneele before the Lorde our maker.
And this is alſo the rule of the Goſpell: as where our Sauiour teacheth vsus to pray:hMatth. 6.9. Our father which art in heauen &c. ſaying when yee pray, pray after this maner, there you may perceiue all other excluded: For wee cannot ſay to any other, Our father which art in heauen, or Thine is the kingdome, the power and the glorie, therefore if this be the maner of prayer, wee muſt pray to none other but to God. And the Apoſtles in their doctriniAct. 14.15. 1. Theſſ. 1.9. called men from dumme idols to worſhip and ſerue the liuing God. And that I may not vſe many wordes in ſo manifeſt a matter, I onelyonly obſerue this, that this phraſe,kReuel. 19.10 & 22.9. Act. 10.25.26. Rom. 1.23.25. Worſhip GOD, in the newe Teſtament, ſhutteth out all creatures men and angels from all maner of religious worſhip: which ſeruice being due to him, ſhould bee giuen or done to none other. And ſo it is verie apparant, that in this article wee are of the moſt auncient and Catholike faith with Abraham, Moſes, &c.