Sermon 2: Witnessing against the Ceremonies of the Church of England

THE SECOND SERMON Witnessing more particularly against the Ceremonies of the Church of ENGLAND.

*The Text, 2 Kings 18:4.* And he removed the high places, and broke the images, and cut down the groves, and broke in pieces the brazen serpent, that Moses had made, for to those days, the children of Israel did burn incense to it, and he called it Nehushtan.

The doctrine as you may remember, was this,

That it is a thing very right, and pleasing in the sight of God, when the sin of idolatry and all the monuments of it, all the remembrances and remainders of it, are quite destroyed and rooted out from among his people.

This truth has been opened and largely proved to you from many Scriptures: and partly also applied; but not to repeat the truths formerly delivered, there was one use which then we did but mention, but shall now proceed (in the help of Christ) to finish it. It was this,

This doctrine condemns and cashiers at once all the ceremonies, and other corruptions, and inventions of men which were introduced and brought into the worship of God by the Pope, in the time of Anti-Christian bondage and darkness, but they have been continued by some reforming magistrates, who have made but incomplete and imperfect reformations. They are commonly known, and recommended by this name, the Ceremonies of the Church of England, the doctrine whereof in the thirty-nine Articles, is generally owned by good men as sound and good, but the worship has too much of the old leaven of popish corruptions unpurged out. I shall first give you some general grounds and arguments against them. Secondly, speak to the chief of them more particularly. [illegible] Thirdly, answer objections, and then close up this discourse with a [illegible] of use and application.

FINIS.