harmonious finging has refuted: breathe forth either a fweet harmony, or words A fweet fuitable to the prefent condition; whether they found. be words formerly used by the faints, and recorded in fcripture, fuch as the Pfalms of David, or other words; as were the hymns and fongs of Zacharias, Simeon, and the bleffed Virgin Mary. But as for the formal cuftomary way of finging, it But formal hath no foundation in fcripture, nor any ground no ground in true Christianity: yea, befides all the abuses in fcripture, incident to prayer and preaching, it hath this more peculiar, that oftentimes great and horrid lies are faid in the fight of God: for all manner of Profane finging of wicked profane people take upon them to perfo- David's nate the experiences and conditions of bleffed conditions David; which are not only false, as to them, but alfo as to fome of more fobriety, who utter them forth as where they will fing fometimes, Pfalm xxii. 14. My heart is like wax, it is melted in the midst of my bowels: and verse 15. My ftrength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou haft brought me into the duft of death: and Pfalm vi. 6. I am weary with my groaning, all the night make I my bed to fwim: I water my couch with my tears: and many more, which those that speak know to be falfe, as to them. And fometimes will confefs juft after, in their prayers, that they are guilty of the vices oppofite to thofe virtues, which but just before they have afferted themselves endued with. Who can fuppofe that God accepts of fuch juggling? And indeed fuch finging doth more pleate the carnal ears of men, than the pure ears of the Lord, who abhors all lying and hypocrify. That finging then that pleaseth him muft proceed from that which is PURE in the beart (even from the Word of Life therein) in and by which, richly dwelling in us, fpiritual fongs and hymns are returned to the Lord, according to that of the apoftle, Col. iii. 16. Dd 3 But Artificial mufick. But as to their artificial mufick, either by organs, or other inftruments, or voice, we have neither example nor precept for it in the New Teftament. §. XXVII. But Laftly; The great advantage of this true worship of God, which we profefs and practise, is, that it confifteth not in man's wisdom, No fplendor arts or induftry; neither needeth the glory, pomp, attends this riches, nor fplendor of this world to beautify it, inward wor- as being of a fpiritual and heavenly nature; and of this world ship. therefore too fimple and contemptible to the natural mind and will of man, that hath no delight to abide in it, because he finds no room there for his imaginations and inventions, and hath not the opportunity to gratify his outward and carnal fenfes fo that this form being obferved, is not likely to be long kept pure without the power; for it is of itself fo naked without it, that it hath nothing in it to invite and tempt men to dote upon it, further than it is accompanied with the The carnal power. Whereas the worship of our adverfaries, pleafes felf. being performed in their own wills, is felf-pleafing, worship The wor Quakers. as in which they can largely exercise their natural parts and invention: and fo (as to moit of them) having somewhat of an outward and worldly fplendor, delectable to the carnal and worldly fenfes, they can pleasantly continue it, and fatisfy themfelves, though without the Spirit and power; which they make no ways effential to the performance of their worship, and therefore neither wait for, nor expect it. §. XXVIII. So that to conclude, The worship, fhip of the preaching, praying and finging, which we plead for, is fuch as proceedeth from the Spirit of God, and is always accompanied with its influence, being begun by its motion, and carried on by the power and ftrength thereof; and fo is a worship purely Spiritual: fuch as the fcripture holds forth, John iv. 23, 24. 1 Cor. xiv. 15. Eph. vi. 18, &c, But faries wor But the worship, preaching, praying and finging, Our adver which our adverfaries plead for, and which we op- hip. pofe, is a worship which is both begun, carried on, and concluded in man's own natural will and strength, without the motion or influence of God's Spirit, which they judge they need not wait for; and therefore may be truly performed, both as to the matter and manner, by the wickedeft of men. Such was the worship and vain oblations which God always rejected, as appears from Ifa. lxvi. 3. Jer. xiv. 12, &c. Ifa. i. 13. Prov. xv. 29. John ix. 31. PROPOSITIO N. XII. Concerning BAPTISM. 1 Pet. 3.21. Rom. 6. 4. Col. 2. 12. As there is one Lord, and one faith, fo there is one Eph: 4: 5. baptifm, which is not the putting away the filth of the Aesh, but the answer of a good confcience Gal. 3. 27. before God, by the refurrection of Jefus Chrift. John 3. 30. And this baptifm is a pure and fpiritual thing, iCor. 1. 17. to wit, the baptifm of the Spirit and Fire, by which we are buried with him, that being washed and purged from our fins, we may walk in newnefs of life: of which the baptifm of John was a figure, which was commanded for a time, and As to the baptifm of not to continue for ever. infants, it is a mere human tradition, for which neither precept nor practice is to be found in all the fcripture. §. I. I Did fufficiently demonftrate, in the explanation and proof of the former propofition, how greatly the profeffors of Christianity, as well Proteftants as Papifts, were degenerated in the matter of worship, and how much strangers to, and averfe from that true and acceptable warShip that is performed in the Spirit of truth, beDd 4 caufe From whence ido cause of man's natural propensity in his fallen state to exalt his own inventions, and to intermix his own work and product in the fervice of God: and from latries and this root fprung all the idle worships, idolatries, heathen fu- and numerous fuperftitious inventions among the did fpring. beathens. For when God, in condefcenfion to his perftitions chofen people the Jews, did prefcribe to them by his fervant Mofes many ceremonies and obfervations, as types and shadows of the fubftance, which in due time was to be revealed; which confifted for the most part in washings, outward purifications and cleanfings, which were to continue until the time of reformation, until the Spiritual worship should be fet up; and that God, by the more plentiful pouring forth of his Spirit, and guiding of that anointing, fhould lead his children into all truth, and teach them to worship him in a way more fpiritual and acceptable to him, though lefs agreeable to the carnal and outward fenfes; yet, notwithstanding God's condefcenfion to the Jews in fuch things, we fee that that part in man, which delights to follow its own inventions, could not be reftrained, nor yet fatisfied with all thefe obfervations, but that oftentimes they would be either declining to the other fuperftitions of the Gentiles, or adding fome new obfervations and ceremonies of their own; to which they were fo devoted, that they were ftill apt to prefer them before the commands of God, and that under the notion of zeal and piety. This we fee abundantly in the example of The Phari- the Pharifees, the chiefeft fect among the Jews, whom Chrift fo frequently reproves for making void the commandments of God by their traditions, Matth. xv. 6, 9, &c. This complaint may at this day be no lefs juftly made as to many bearing the name of Chriftians, who have introduced many things of this kind, partly borrowed from the Jews, which they more tenaciously ftick to, and more earnestly contend for, than for the weightier points fees the chiefeft among the Jews. of things in borrowed Gentiles. of Chriftianity; because that felf, yet alive, and Many ruling in them, loves their own inventions better Chriftca But if they can by any dom are than God's commands. means ftretch any fcripture practice, or conditional precept or permiffion, fitted to the weaknefs or capa- Jews and city of fome, or appropriate to fome particular difpenfation, to give fome colour for any of these their inventions; they do then fo tenacioufly ftick. to them, and fo obftinately and obftreperously plead for them, that they will not patiently hear the most folid Chriftian reafons against them. Which zeal, if they would but seriously examine it, they would find to be but the prejudice of education, and the love of felf, more than that of God, or his pure worship. This is verified concerning thofe things of facrawhich are called facraments, about which they are ments fo very ignorant in religious controverfies, who under- troverfies ftand not how much debate, contention, jangling, and quarrelling there has been among thofe called Chriftians: fo that I may fafely fay the controverfy about them, to wit, about their number, nature, virtue, efficacy, adminiftration, and other things, hath been more than about any other doctrine of Chrift, whether as betwixt Papifts and Proteftants, or among Proteftants betwixt themfelves. And how great prejudice these controverfies have brought to Chriftians is very obvious; whereas the things contended for among them are for the most part but empty fhadows, and mere outfide things: as I hope hereafter to make appear to the patient and unprejudicate reader. many con of facra ment (not is borrowed. §. II. That which comes first under observation, The name is the name [facrament] which it is ftrange that Christians fhould stick to and contend so much for, found in fince it is not to be found in all the fcripture; but fcripture) was borrowed from the military oaths among the from the heathens, from whom the Chriftians, when they began to apoftatize, did borrow many fuperftitious terms and obfervations, that they might thereby ingratiate heathen. |