Divine Worship, Chapter 1 – Chapter 2
A Treatiſe OF DIVINE WORSHIP, TENDING to prove that the Ceremonies impoſed vponupon the Miniſters of the Goſpell in England, in preſent controverſie, are in their vſe vnlawfull.
1604.
A Treatiſe of Divine worship, tending to prove that the Ceremonies impoſed vponupon the Miniſters of the Goſpell in Enland, in preſent controverſie, are in their vſe vnlawfull.
CHAP. I. Of divine worſhip in generall.
DIVINE worſhip is any actiō or ſervice that is immediatlie and directlie performed vntounto God him ſelfe, whether the true God or a falſe, whether commanded by divine authoritie, impoſed by humane, or aſſumed vponupon our owne heads & pleaſures. For in this latitude of ſenſe is divine worſhip to be cōceaved, that it may comprehend vnderunder it both true and falſe worſhip.
2. Though all Actions and ſervices that Man performeth vntounto Man are not partes of civill worſhip, yet every Action and Service that man performeth directly to God, is a parte of divine worſhip, and ought meerely to concerne his own glorie. It being impoſſible to imagine how the creature ſhould performe any ſervice, or doe any action to the Creator him ſelfe but worſhip. For the ground of worſhip is the ſence of ſome excellent eminencie of goodnes in the partie worſhipped & defect and inabilitie to doe an anſwerable good to a good receaved in the partie worſhipping, for wee need not to worſhip God, if we could be as good to him as he is to vsus, & therfore (except we ſhould mock him) becauſe receaving all good from him, we are not able to doe the leaſt good vntounto him, all that we can doe, is to worſhip him, that is, to glorifie him aboue all thinges; & debaſe our ſelues before him as nothing in his preſence.
3. All ſpeciall things therfore done in the ſervice and worſhip of God, is worſhip: and a part of that honor that is done vntounto him. And what ſo ever ſpeciall thing done in divine ſervice, is not a ſpeciall honor and worſhip vntounto God, muſt needes be a diſhonor and abuſe of his Maieſty, who requireth nothing but worſhip at our handes, & vntounto whom we can not poſſibly doe any other good.
4. If therefore a man ſhall doe any ſpeciall action in the ſervice of God, of which there is no vſe out of the ſame: and that action ſo done, bring no ſpeciall honor to God; the doing of it is a profanatiō of the name of God. For all ſpeciall actions done in the Service of God, muſt either bring ſpeciall honor to God, or els they muſt needes diſhonor him.
5. Divine worſhip is Internal only or Externall alſo. Internall worſhip is meerely ſpirituall, & performed only within the temple of mans heart, of which none are witneſſes but God & a mans owne conſcience. All the inward motions of the hart directed vntounto God are partes of this worſhip, as faith, hope, confidence, love, feare and ioy in God, &c. which are all of them diverſe actes & partes of Inward worſhip, in every one of which God is honored. All which ſpring from the apprehenſion of our owne wantes, and Gods infinite excellēcy and goodnes towardes vsus. We need not proceed anie further in handlinge of this worſhip, it nothing appertayneth to our preſent purpoſe.
6. Externall worſhip is an expreſſing and ſetting forth of the Internall by outward ſignes and rites: by which as by certaine outwarde bodily ſhadowes and colors the ſpirituall & Inward worſhip of God is made viſible and ſenſible to others.
CHAP. II. Of Ceremonies in generall.
THESE ſignes and rites are called Ceremonies. A Ceremonie is a corporeall advmbration of ſome hidden thing in the mind, that it deſireth to affect others withall, in ſome effectuall maner, for by ſuch meanes as theſe, are the ſecretes of the ſoule diſcloſed and paynted out or figured to our owne and others bodily ſenſes.
2. Such actions properlie are ceremoniall, that are meere ſhadowes and ſignes exhibiting nothing but ſome ſimilitude and reſemblance of ſuch things, as man is deſirous but not able to exhibite in ſubſtance and in deede. And therefore are called cōplements, becauſe in doing thē a man laboureth to ſupply that in a ſhadow, that he can not doe in ſubſtance. And hence it is that the more vnable a man is to doe that he would, the more he vſeth to ſupply his defect with ſignes and tokens.