The Nature and Use of Things Indifferent, Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Of the WORSHIP of God. And that Things Indifferent, and Ceremonies ordained for Order and Decencie in the Church, are not the Worſhip of God.
WORSHIP OF GOD, The Worſhip of God what it is.is all that ſeruitude, obſeruancie, reuerence, and religion, whereby as well inwardly in the heart, as outwardly in the worke it ſelfe, wee honour GOD, and ſerue him.
2 This, if it be rightly performed according vntounto the will of GOD, is termed True Worſhip; but if contrariwiſe, it is called Falſe and Idolatrous Worſhip.
3 True Worſhip of God, True worſhip what.is eueryevery worke inward and outward commaunded by GOD, performed in faith, to this principall end, that GOD may be glorified.
4 And to worſhip GOD truly, is ſo to worſhip him, as he hath commanded in his Word how he would be worſhipped.
5 The Efficient Cauſe, The Efficient Cauſe of Worſhip.I meane the first and Principall Efficient of true Worſhip, is the Holy Ghoſt, by whom we are moued and ſtirred vp to worſhip and honor God.
6 For the Spirit is he, which giueth vsus Faith it ſelfe from whence floweth Worſhip, and exciteth vsus to do the works of pietie, both internall and externall. He worketh in vsus both the will and the deed, after the good pleaſure of his will, as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh.
7 The Secondarie and leſſe Principall Efficient Cauſe of Worſhip, are We our ſelues, who adore and honor God.The Material Cauſe of Worſhip.
8 The Materiall Cauſe, is the Worke it ſelfe commanded by GOD, whereby we ſerue him, a loring him with the greateſt reuerence we poſſiblie may: for no Creature hath any right of inſtituting the Worſhip of God.
9 Hereupon is excluded all Will-worſhip, and the figment of good Intention, to wit, when men do euill, that good may come thereof, or when they themſelues doe inuent workes, which they obtrude vntounto God for Worſhip, not workes euil in themſelues, but yet not commanded by God, 1. Sam. 15.22. Ezech. 20.19. Matth. 15.9. Eſay 29.13.
10 For it is not ſufficient, NW.for Worſhip, that ſome worke be not euill, or not forbidden, but it ought to be Commanded by GOD, 1. Sam. 15.22. Ezech. 20.19. Matth. 15.9. Eſay 29.13.
11 The Formall Cauſe, The Formall Cauſe of Worſhip.is Faith. For good workes and iuſt actions do not only flow from Faith, as from the Efficient Cauſe; euen as all humane actions proceed from the Soule: but alſo thoſe workes hauehave their being from Faith, as from a Forme, whereby they are godly, holy, and therefore acceptable vntounto God.
12 The Finall Cauſe, The Finall Cauſe of Worſhip. Worſhip of God two-fold 1. IMMEDIATE, which isis the Glory of God; whereunto muſt be referred all the whole Worſhip of God.
13 Worſhip of God is two-fold, Immediate, or Mediate.
14 Immediate Worſhip, is when our Workes are performed and attributed immediately vntounto God. Which is generally contained in the firſt Table of the Decalogue.
15 And this is, either Internall, or Externall.
16 Internall-Immediate Worſhip, I.conſiſteth of many parts, Internall.which howbeit they are indeed inſeparable one from another, yet are they really diſtinguiſhed among themſelues, and hauehave a certaine order.
17 And firſt of all, NW.this Worſhip is diſtinguiſhed into two principall kindes of Actions. For Some anſwere GOD ſpeaking vntounto vsus, manifeſting himſelfe, promiſing and offering the grace of the Couenant and other goood things vntounto vsus, by beleeuing in him, knowing him, humbling out ſelues, adoring, and receiuing his graces. And Some ſubſcribe vntounto God, couenanting with vsus and commanding, by promiſing in like manner and yeelding obedience vntounto him.
18 VntoUnto the former Kind, do appertaine, I. Faith, which is adhibited vntounto GOD ſpeaking vntounto vsus.
19 II. Knowledge of God, ſuch as hee manifeſteth in his Word by the Holy Spirit.
20 III. Adoration and Feare, whereby a faithfull man ſubmitteth himſelfe vntounto GOD being knowne, and reuerently adoreth and feareth him.
21 IV. Confidence, whereby he receiueth and reſteth in the promiſed and offered Grace, and wholly dependeth vponupon GOD.
22 V. Hope and Patience, whereby a faithfull man exſpecteth the performance of the promiſes, yea euen in the middeſt of death.
23 VntoUnto the latter Kinde doe appertaine, I. LoueLove, whereby eueryevery man doth conſecrate vntounto GOD, his whole heart, bodie and Soule.
24 II. Inuocation, whereby eueryevery one, opening his wants and neceſſities vntounto GOD, offereth, yeeldeth, and as it were deliuereth himſelf vntounto him, to be cured, eaſed, holpen and ſaued.
25 III. Thanks-giuing, whereby he offereth vntounto GOD, the ſacrifice of praiſe, for all his benefits.
26 IV. Repentance, whereby he killeth his owne heart, yea himſelfe wholly body and Soule, with the ſword of the Spirit, and offereth vntounto GOD a liuing, holy, reaſonable and pleaſing ſacrifice.
27 V. Obedience, whereby hee willingly offereth and exhibiteth vntounto GOD, his minde readie and carefull to fulfill all his commandements.
And ſo much for the Internall-immediate Worſhip. Now followeth the Externall.
28 Externall-Immediate Worſhip is two-fold, II. Externall, and this is 1. Morall, which is either.Morall, and Ceremoniall.
29 Morall Externall-Immediate Worſhip, is that which conſiſteth in the externall obedience of Gods Morall Commandements, proceeding notwithſtanding from the internall obedience.
30 Of this is diſputed in eueryevery Precept of the firſt Table, NW.whereunto is to be referred, whatſoeuer is otherwhere ſpoken by Moſes, the Prophets and Apoſtles in all the Scriptures; ſeeing all theſe things are the expoſition of the Decalogue.
31 And it is of two ſorts: for either it conſiſteth in Words, which wee call Verball; or in Fact, deede and worke, termed Reall.
32 Verball Morall Worſhip, Verball,are an Oath in generall, Confeſſion of the faith and name of GOD, Inuocation of GOD conceiued in words, Thanks-giuing, Praiſes of GOD, Witneſſe of the truth, and whatſoeuer the tongue can performe both publiquely and priuately, whereby GOD may be glorified and honoured.
33 Reall Morall Worſhip, O Reall.is that which conſiſteth in deede, fact, or worke, ſuch as are all other the externall workes of faith.
34 Ceremoniall Externall-Immediate Worſhip, 2. Ceremoniall.is that which conſiſteth in the externall obedience of GODS Ceremoniall Precepts.
35 And this is diuided into that I. Which was before the Law. II. Which was vnderunder the Law. III. Which now is vſed in the Church ſince the Law.
36 For the Church of GOD militant in earth, NW.neuer wanted Ceremonies, neither can want them: ſeeing that without Ceremonies, the Faithfull can neither aſſemble and meete together, nor worſhip GOD publikely.
37 Wherefore euen from the beginning of the World, yea before Moſes was borne, the Church euer had her Sacraments, Sacrifices, publique meetings, publique prayers, ſacred rites and ceremonies, as is euident out of the holie Scriptures.
38 But this was common to eueryevery particular ſtate of the Church in Ceremoniall Worſhip, that the ſame among all nations conſiſted, and doth conſiſt at this day, partly in Words, partly in Deede and worke, as alſo we hauehave ſpoken before of the Externall Morall Worſhip.
39 Becauſe the Sacraments could neuer be adminiſtred, nor Sacrifices euer offered, no nor any thing performed aright in the Worſhip of GOD, except Words were ioyned together with Deedes and workes.
Hitherto hauehave we ſpoken of the Immediate Worſhip of GOD.
Now let vsus come to the Mediate Worſhip.
40 Mediate Worſhip of God, 2. MEDIATE Worſhip of God.is when Morall workes are performed vntounto our Neighbour for GODS ſake.
41 This Mediate Worſhip, which conſiſteth in duties towards Men or our Neighbours, is contained in the ſecond Table of the Decalogue.
42 And it is in like manner, Mediate Worſhip two-foldeither Externall, or Internall.
43 Externall-Mediate Worſhip of GOD, 1. Externall.conſiſteth I. Partly in the Duties of Superiours towards their Inferiours, and contrariwiſe: of which Duties, as alſo of Politique Order and ſuch things as bee comprehended vnderunder the ſame, is handled in the Fift Precept.
44 II. Partly in the duties of one Neighbour towards another, ſpecified in the reſt of the Commandements.
45 And they are, either the Conſeruation of life and health, both of himſelfe, and of others, required in the Sixt Commandement.
46 Or the Conſeruation of chaſtitie and Wedlock, eſtabliſhed in the Seuenth Commandement.
47 Or the conſeruation of goods and poſſeſſions, contained in the Eight Commandement.
48 Or the Conſeruation of Veritie and truth, exacted in the Ninth Commandement.
49 Internall-Mediate Worſhip of God, 2. Jnternall.is the rectitude or vprightnes of all our affections towards our Neighbour, which is implied in all the precedent Commandements, and is ſpecially required in the Tenth Commandement.
And thus farre of the Mediate Worſhip of GOD.
50 Out of theſe things which hauehave been ſpoken, Eccleſiaſticall Ceremonies and Indifferent actions, are not the Worſhip of God.may plainly appeare, that the Worſhip of GOD, is ſuch a work, whoſe proper End is the Honour of GOD: and by the performance whereof he is ſpecially honoured and ſerued, as by the omiſſion of it, he is diſhonoured and reproched.
51 Hence we gather, that Ceremonies, or Rites, vſed in the publique aſſemblies and congregations of the Church, and Indifferent works or actions, ſuch as are neither commanded nor prohibited by God, are diligently to be diſtinguiſhed and diſcerned from the Worſhip of GOD.
52 I. 1Becauſe that to inuent OTHER WORSHIP of God, is to faine another Will of GOD, and conſequently, another GOD. And ſuch as doe ſo, as Aron and Ieroboam ſometimes did, are no leſſe to be accuſed of Idolatrie, than if purpoſely they ſhould worſhip ſome other God in the Church, beſides IEHOVAH the onelyonly true GOD.
53 II. 2.Becauſe that, if diuers kinds of Worſhips be promiſcuouſly vſed and confounded, the true GOD is confounded with Idols, which are honored with worſhip inuented by man. But GOD wil be diſcerned from Idols, by that properforme of worſhip inſtituted by himſelfe.
54 III. 3Becauſe that Whatſoeuer is not of Faith, is Sinne, (Ro. 14 23.) And he that doth any act to Worſhip GOD by, with an ignorant and doubtfull conſcience, whether GOD will be ſo worſhipped, or not, he doth it not of faith, ſeeing he knoweth not whether ſuch an act is pleaſing or diſpleaſing vntounto GOD; and thereby contemneth GOD, for that he dareth do any thing, albeit it pleaſe him not.
55 But the Church obſerueth Humane rites and ceremonies for corporall vtilitie, that the people might know, at what time to aſſemble and meet together; that al things might be grauely performed in the Church for examples ſake; and that the common people might hauehave ſome excitation and inducements to pietie and reuerence.
56 For theſe cauſes alſo the auncient Fathers obſerued Traditions & Ceremonies, as Epiphanius plainly witneſſeth (in his Disputation against the Encratites) who imagined (as the Papiſts do at this day) that Humane obſeruations were the Worſhip of GOD, and that Righteouſnes wherby God was pleaſed, and his wrath pacified.
57 This Opinion Epiphanius improueth and condemneth, affirming that there were other Ends of Traditions and Ceremonies in the Church: For ſo he ſaith, that thoſe Traditions are to be allowed, which were made foreign, that is, either to bridle the fleſh, or for the diſcipline and instruction of the rude people, or for politique Order.