to his commands, without the admixture of any inventions of our own. Hence the frequent commendations of pious kings, that they "walked in all his commandments, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left." (z) I go still further; though in some services of human invention there appears no manifest impiety, yet as soon as ever men have departed from the command of God, it is severely condemned by the Holy Spirit. The altar of Ahaz, the model of which was brought from Damascus, might seem to be an addition to the ornaments of the temple, because his design was to offer sacrifices upon it to God alone, with a view to perform these services in a more splendid manner than upon the ancient and original altar; yet we see how the Holy Spirit detests such audacity, for no other reason than because all the inventions of men in the worship of God are impure corruptions. (a) And the more clearly the will of God is revealed to us, the more inexcusable is our presumption in making any such attempt. Wherefore the guilt of Manasseh is justly aggravated by the circumstance of his having "built" new "altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord said, in Jerusalem will I put my name;" (b) because such conduct was like a professed rejection of the authority of God.

XXIV. Many persons wonder why the Lord so severely threatened that he would "do a marvellous work among the people," whose "fear toward him" was "taught by the precepts of men," and pronounces that he is "worshipped in vain" by "the commandments of men." But if such persons would consider what it is to follow the word of God alone in matters of religion, that is, of heavenly wisdom, they would immediately perceive it to be for no trivial reason that the Lord abominates such corrupt services, which are` rendered to him according to the caprice of the human mind. For though persons who obey such laws for the worship of God, have a certain appearance of humility in this their obedience, yet they are very far from being humble before God, to whom they prescribe the same laws which they observe themselves. This is the reason why Paul requires us

(2)2 Kings xxii. 2. 2 Chron. xvii. 4, et alib. (a) 2 Kings xvi. 10, &c. (6)2 Kings xxi. 4.

to be so particularly cautious against being deceived by the traditions of men, and will-worship, that is voluntary worship, invented by men without the word of God. (c) And so indeed it is, that our own wisdom, and that of all other men, must become folly in our esteem, that we may allow God alone to be truly wise. This is very far from being the case with those who study to render themselves acceptable to him by petty observances of human contrivance, and obtrude upon him, in opposition to his commands, a hypocritical obedience, which in reality is rendered to men. This was the conduct of men in former ages; the same has happened within our own remembrance, and still happens in those places where the authority of the creature is more regarded than that of the Creator; where religion, if religion it deserves to be called, is polluted with more numerous and senseless superstitions than ever disgraced the worship of paganism. For what could proceed from the minds of men, but things carnal, foolish, and truly expressive of their authors?

XXV. When the advocates of superstition allege, that Samuel sacrificed in Ramah, that there this was done without the direction of the law, yet it was acceptable to God; (d) the answer is easy, that this was not the erection of a second altar in opposition to one already erected, and appointed by the Divine command to supersede every other, but as there had yet been no fixed place assigned for the ark of the covenant, he appointed the town which he inhabited for the oblation of sacrifices, as the most convenient place. It certainly was not the intention of the holy prophet to make any innovation in religious worship, in which God had so strictly forbidden any thing to be added or diminished. The example of Manoah I consider as an extraordinary and singular case. Though a private man, he offered a sacrifice to God, yet not without the Divine approbation; because he did it not from the hasty impulse of his own mind, but in consequence of the secret inspiration of heaven. (e) But of the Lord's utter abomination of all the contrivances of mortals in his worship, we have a memorable example in another

(c) Col. ii. 4, 8, 18, 23.

(d) 1 Sam. vii. 17.

(e) Judges xiii. 19.

person, not inferior to Manoah, I mean Gideon, whose ephod produced fatal consequences, not only to himself and his family, but to all the people. (ƒ) In short every additional invention by which men pretend to serve God, is nothing but a pollution of true holiness.

XXVI. Why then, it is inquired, was it the will of Christ that men should submit to those intolerable burdens which were imposed upon them by the Scribes and Pharisees? (g) I ask on the other hand, why did Christ in another place direct men to "beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?” (h) By leaven, according to the interpretation given us by the Evangelist, intending every doctrine of their own that they mixed with the pure word of God. What can we wish for plainer, than when he commands us to avoid and beware of all their doctrine? Hence it is very evident to us, that in the other passage our Lord did not intend that the consciences of his disciples should be harassed with the traditions of the Pharisees; and the words themselves, if they are not perverted, convey no such meaning. For being about to deliver a severe invective against the conduct of the Pharisees, our Lord only prefaced it by instructing his hearers, that though they would see nothing in their lives worthy of imitation, yet they should continue to practise those things which were taught by them in their discourses, when they were sitting in the chair of Moses, that is to say, when they were expounding the law. His only design, therefore, was to guard the people against being induced to despise the doctrine by the bad examples of those who taught it. But as some persons are never affected by arguments, but always require authority, I will subjoin the words of Augustine, who gives exactly the same interpretation. "The Lord's fold has pastors, some faithful, some hireling. Those who are faithful are true shepherds; yet hear how the hirelings also are necessary. For many in the Church, pursuing worldly advantages, preach Christ, and the voice of Christ is heard through them; and the sheep follow not the hireling, but the Shephered by means of

(ƒ) Judges viii. 27. VOL. III.

(g) Matt. xxiii. S. (h) Matt. xvi. 6.

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the hireling. Hear how the hirelings are pointed out by the Lord himself. He says, The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses's chair; what they say, do; but what they do, imitate not. Is not this equivalent to saying, Hear the voice of the Shepherd through the hirelings; for sitting in the chair of Moses, they teach the law of God; therefore God teaches by them; but if they choose to teach any thing of their own, neither attend to it, nor practise it?

XXVII. But as many ignorant persons, when they hear that the consciences of men ought not to be bound by human traditions, and that it is in vain to worship God by such services, immediately conclude the same rule to be applicable to all the laws which regulate the order of the Church, we must also refute their error. It is easy indeed to be deceived in this point, because it does not immediately appear at the first glance what a difference there is between the one and the other: but I will place the whole subject in such a clear light in a few words, that no one may be misled by the resemblance. In the first place let us consider, that if in every society of men we see the necessity of some polity in order to preserve the common peace, and to maintain concord; if in the transaction of business there is always some order, which the interest of public virtue, and even of humanity itself, forbids to be rejected; the same ought particularly to be observed in Churches, which are best supported by a well-ordered regulation of all their affairs, and which without concord are no Churches at all. Wherefore if we would make a proper provision for the safety of the Church, we ought to pay the strictest attention to the injunction of Paul, that "all things be done decently and in order." (i) But as there is such great diversity in the manners of men, so great a variety in their minds, and so much contrariety in their judgments and inclinations, no polity will be sufficiently steady unless it be established by certain laws, nor can any order be preserved without some settled form. The laws therefore which promote this end, we are so far from condemning, that we contend, their abolition would be follow

(i) 1 Cor. xiv. 40.

ed by a disruption of the bands of union, and the total disorganization and dispersion of the Churches. For it is impossible to attain what Paul requires, that "all things be done decently and in order," unless order and decorum be supported by additional regulations. But in regard to such regulations, care must always be taken, that they be not considered necessary to salvation, and so imposing a religious obligation on the conscience; or applied to the worship of God, and so represented as essential to piety.

XXVIII. We have an excellent and most certain mark, therefore, which distinguishes those impious constitutions, by which it has been stated that true religion is obscured and men's consciences subverted, and the legitimate regulations of the Church, which are always directed to one of these two ends, or to both together; that in the holy assembly of the faithful, all things may be conducted with suitable decorum and dignity, or that the community may be kept in order by the firm bonds of courtesy and moderation. For when it is once understood that a law is made for the sake of public order, this removes the superstition embraced by them who place the worship of God in human inventions. Moreover, when it is known that it only refers to matters of common practice, this overturns all that false notion of obligation and necessity, which filled men's consciences with great terror, when traditions were thought necessary to salvation. For here nothing is required but the maintenance of charity among us by the common intercourse of friendly offices. But it is proper to describe more fully, what is comprehended under the decorum, and the order, which Paul recommends. The end of decorum is, partly, that while ceremonies are employed to conciliate veneration to sacred things, we may be excited to piety by such aids; partly, that the modesty and gravity, which ought to be discovered in all virtuous actions, may be most of all conspicuous in the Church. In order, the first point is, that those who preside should be acquainted with the rule and law of good government, and that the people who are governed should be accustomed to an obedience to God and to just discipline: the