1. Direction.

In all the Duties thou performest to God or Man, see that thou hast a Divine war∣rant for it out of the Word of God; that which he Commands, is our Duty; and what he forbids, is our sin if we do it; where there is no Law, there is no Transgression; and where 'tis no Comman∣ded Duty, there thou canst expect no Blessing; yet many Men are apt to invent ways for God's Worship, as if the Scripture were difficult; and, with the Pharisees, Teach for Doctrines, the Com∣mandments of Men; they set up their Posts by God's Post, and their Dagon by God's Ark, but it will never stand; they take much pains, and be at much cost in the Worship of their own devising, but they will lose their Labour; and when they come for their Reward, God will ask them, who required these things at their hands? When there∣fore thou art prest unto a Duty, enquire whether God Command it, or at least, whether it be con∣sonant to his Word, if not, reject it; we must not Worship God after Mens invention, or Hu∣mane Traditions, contrary to his revealed Will. God hath left us work enough to do, we need not invent more. We read indeed of some Idola∣ters that fained themselves gods, and then patcht up a kind of Idolatrous Worship to these gods; thus Baals Priests cut and wounded themselves till the blood gushed out, not much unlike to our Po∣pish Page  29 whippings: Some also poured out Drink-Offerings to the Queen of Heaven, and baked Cakes for her, Jer. 44.17. Yea, some of them Offered their Children to Molech, and made them pass through the Fire; yet all this Labour was lost, yea, worse than lost, it became their sin, be∣cause it was to a strange god. In like manner, many Worship the true God in a false manner, by giving him such Worship he never Commanded, neither ever came it into his mind. But the Scrip∣ture is a sufficient Rule for Worship, where all the material parts of Worship are prescribed; only some necessary Circumstances are left to Hu∣mane prudence to determine, as the Time, and Place, and other such like, which may be altered according to the present occasion; yet we read in Scripture of Voluntary Humility, and Worship∣ping of Angels, but God doth not allow of it, Col. 2.18. The Church of Rome doth therefore ex∣ceedingly err in thrusting upon us those new in∣vented, needless Ceremonies, such as God never made, neither ever gave power to Man to intrude into his worship; yea, also they err in adding ma∣ny things as Fundamentals, which are errors of their own devising, such as their five added Sacra∣ments, their private Mass, Communicating in our kind, propitiatory Sacrifice for the Sick and dead, Prayers to Saints departed, and to Angels, Ima∣ges, Crucifixes, Popes Pardons, Indulgences, Pilgrimages, and many more; but these wanting Authority, are not to be heeded by us; yea, a∣mongst us also we have too many Popish Supersti∣tions, received by Traditions, which God hath never warranted, and therefore we ought not to observe them. But in all thy Duties, whether it Page  30 be an Act of Divine worship, or any Duty to thy Neighbour, search the Scriptures, if it be not accor∣ding to this Rule, own it not: See what need Chri∣stians have of knowledge to know what is sin, and what is Duty; what is Commanded, and what forbidden.