A Just Defense of Hearing the Sermons, Chapter 7 · Section 3
Sect. 3. This Authors Argument as well proves himself an Idolater as the Conformist.
The minor (or second Proposition) viz. That the present Ministers of England worship the true God in another way than he hath said he will be worshipped in, and is prescribed by him, is that which is denied by some: but the truth thereof, we doubt not, will to the unprejudiced Reader be beyond exception evident, from the ensuing Demonstration, viz. Those that worship God after the way of the Common-Prayer-Book, worship him in another way than that he hath said he will be worshipped in, and is prescribed by him: But the present Ministers of England worship God after the way of the Common-Prayer-Book: Therefore, &c. The minor (or second Proposition) cannot be denied; their subscription before they are admitted to the Ministry, together with their daily and constant practice, are sufficient evidences thereof.
Answ. That unwary Readers may not be deceived by the ambiguity of the phrase here used, it is to be considered, That the way of Worship not prescribed by God, may be either when the worship is to another thing besides or with God, which alone proves Idolatry, and in which sense the minor was denied, and should have been proved: Or, by another way, is meant another Ceremony or Rite, in which the Worship of God is placed, such as was the Pharisees washing their hands, which may be Will-worship, if to God only, but not Idolatry; and so, if he could prove our Ministers guilty of this, yet should they not be proved Idolaters, any more than the Pharisees were, with which neither Christ nor his Apostles do charge them; But this Author doth no… so much as goe about to prove the minor denied in this sense. But in a third sense, to wit, by another way of Worship than what God hath prescribed, he understands another way of expression of worship, in which the worship is not placed, but is used only as an outward means for conveniency, yet accounted alterable. In which sense the minor is not denied. But the major of his Argument is denied in either of these two later senses of the phrase, and the minor in the two former: in neither of which doth he goe about to prove it. I add,
1. That he doth vainly suppose God hath appointed or prescribed the particularities of the modes or way of his Worship, in every of the sorts or kinds of worship he hath prescribed, as particularly in Prayer, that it must not, in a pre-conceived and stinted form of words, imposed by Rulers, be performed to him; but that it must by the Minister be done in a loose, undetermined, unpremeditate or unprescribed form of words by any man; The which supposition is before shewed to be an errour, in the Answer to the Preface, sect. 20. ch. 1. sect. 3. ch. 4. sect. 9. ch. 5. sect. 3, 4, 5, 7.
2. In this sense in which he useth the phrase, his Argument may be retorted upon himself. Those that worship the true God in any other way, that is, form of expression, than he hath said he will be worshipped in, and is prescribed by him, are Idolaters: But they who pray in a loose, undetermined, unpremeditated or unprescribed form of words by man; worship the true God in another way, that is, form of expression, than he hath said he will be worshipped in, and is prescribed by him: Therefore they (among whom th…s Author is one) are Idolaters. The major is his own; the minor by his own grants stands firm, till he can shew where God hath said, He will be worshipped in, and hath prescribed such a loose form of expression in Prayer; which I yet find not. What this Author hath said before, is answered before. Till he brings better proof, though I will not pronounce him an Idolater; yet I shall judge him to be guilty of superstition, in counting that to be sin, which God hath not made such, and of usurpation of Gods Legislative power, in Pharisee-like requiring observance of his own tradition as Gods command; together with evil censoriousness, rash judging, and uncharitable separation. But let us goe on.