Of course, Christmas is Christian. Isn't the very name of Christ found in the word Christmas? Isn't Christmas the celebration of Christ's birth? Of course, Christmas is Christian. Well, no doubt the name of Christ is indeed found in the word Christmas, and at least for some, Christmas is the celebration of Christ's birth. But you see, what I am driving at in asking whether Christmas is Christian is this, is Jesus Christ pleased with our Christmas celebration? Perhaps you have never quite thought of it in that way. Perhaps you have always simply assumed it was acceptable to celebrate Christmas without having ever asked the question. On this Lord's Day and the next Lord's Day, we will seek to answer that question. Now, in answering a question in the way that I framed it requires some explanation. For you realize I did not ask whether Christmas pleases you or pleases me or pleases anyone else here upon the earth, did I? I ask the question, is Jesus Christ pleased with our Christmas celebration? The Lord Jesus Christ is no longer living upon the earth. Since his resurrection and ascension into heaven, you can't simply pick up the phone and call Christ and ask him. what he thinks about Christmas. You can't stop by, knock on his door and ask him what he thinks about Christmas and whether he's pleased with it or not. And since this is the case, we cannot use any of those means. We must then seek an answer to such a question by another means. We will have to go to his own word, his inspired word, the Bible. So the Bible, dear ones, is the very Word of Christ. The Bible reveals the mind of Jesus Christ. The Bible is not a collection of fables and children's stories written by well-intentioned men, but rather the Bible is and the Bible claims to be the very Word of God, the Word of Christ from beginning to end. In 2 Timothy 3.16, The Apostle Paul states, all Scripture is given by inspiration of God. That is, that it is God-breathed and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction. in righteousness. All of the Bible, from beginning to end, is inspired by God. Yes, he used human beings to write the scriptures, but the word of God teaches he preserved those human beings supernaturally from error. God, having created all things in the very beginning, is certainly capable of doing such a thing. Now, because it is the revelation of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, there cannot be any error in it without accusing God himself of that error. Dear ones, the Bible does not need to be altered so as to conform to man's tastes, desires or preferences in the twentieth or the twenty-first centuries. For truth is always truth and never changes from one age to the next, if it's truth. Customs change, cultures change, but truth does not change. The law of gravity is not limited to one particular culture. The law of gravity is true. It applies to every single culture. You cannot jump from one building in one culture and go up, and in another culture, fall to the ground and be crushed. What is true in one culture, if it is genuine truth, it will always be true. You see, man's perception of what is true may indeed change, but God's truth never changes, for God himself is immutable. That is, he never changes. He cannot change. Hebrews 13, verse 8 says, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever. Thus, dear ones, the only way we can find out what Christ thinks about Christmas is to search it out in his Holy Word, which is what we shall do by God's grace over the next two weeks. As we consider the question before us, I ask you to approach it as objectively, as possibly, as possible, by putting aside your own preferences, by putting aside your own desires, by putting aside your past memories of Christmas, by putting aside all the present sights, tastes and smells that you associate with Christmas. And simply look objectively at Christ's word. Does Christ desire Christmas? Is Christ pleased with Christmas? From our text in Matthew chapter 28, verse 20, as I've already read it, we would ask the three following questions in the sermon this Lord's Day. Who is the speaker? First of all, the second question, what is the message? And third, how is the message in Matthew 2820 to be applied to Christmas? Very simple outline. And so let us look at the very first point in that outline. Who is the speaker in Matthew 2820? Well, the text. as we consider it, leaves us in no doubtful state as to who the speaker is. For in verse 18 of Matthew, chapter 28, it says, And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, having suffered the taunting, mocking, spitting, beating and lashing of the Jews and the Romans, And having been maliciously condemned to death by means of crucifixion, Jesus Christ suffered and died not for his own sin, dear ones, but rather for the sins of all those who would take him by faith to be their Savior. He died that we who trust only in him for our eternal salvation might have everlasting life, for God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The gospel of John tells us in chapter 3 verse 16. And you know what? The Lord left us an undeniable proof that the sins of those who trust in him will certainly all be forgiven. He left us an undeniable proof. He left us an empty grave. He miraculously rose again the third day in demonstrating his absolute power over sin and death. And in so doing, he gave us a preview, if you will, of the glorious resurrection of all those sinners who come to him in faith, acknowledging their need and their desperate need of the free and undeserved mercy of Christ. This is the one who appeared to his disciples in Matthew 28.20. after his resurrection and immediately before his ascension into heaven. Now, note that this Jesus does not speak as an impotent, weak, frail man when he says in Matthew 28, verse 18, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Not some power, not some authority. The Lord Jesus Christ says, all power has been given to me in heaven and in earth. Dear ones, Jesus Christ has the power and authority to reveal his will to all creatures in heaven, in hell and in the earth because he is our prophet. Jesus Christ has the power and authority to mercifully forgive all sinners, no matter how many they may be, no matter what degree of sin they've fallen into. The Lord Jesus Christ has the power and authority to forgive all sin on the part of those who come to Him in faith, believing, because He is our priest. And Jesus Christ, dear ones, has the power and authority to rule in heaven and in earth and to judge all his enemies. For Jesus Christ is our King. Thus, here is a speaker who cannot be casually ignored or tuned out without grave and serious consequences. To not heed this speaker, the Lord Jesus Christ, is in essence to love death and to love judgment, rather than to love eternal life and forgiveness of sins. The second part to our outline, the second question, what is the message that he gives in Matthew chapter 28 verse 20? The message that we find actually in verses 19 and 20 of that chapter is one in which Jesus Christ promises to be with his faithful ministers in all his authority and power as they go forth making disciples of all nations, baptizing those nations in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and teaching those same nations only what Christ himself has commanded them to teach. Note that Christ here does not say, teaching them, that is teaching the disciples of Christ who come to me, teaching them to observe all things that please men. He didn't say that. He didn't say, teaching them to observe all things that will fill the church, that will bring in the masses into the church so as to please men again. Nor did he say, teaching them to observe all things that are believed with much sincerity. But rather, the Lord Jesus, who has all power and authority in heaven and earth, says, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. Don't deviate to the right or to the left in what you teach. Teach only what I have commanded you. Don't take from nor add to what I have commanded you. Teach what I have told you to in my word. Dear ones, ministers are not given the freedom to invent new doctrines not revealed by Christ in his word. Ministers are not given the liberty to add to or subtract from biblical ordinances in worship so as to please the contemporary tastes of modern man. Ministers, dear ones, are not given the freedom to make the Church more acceptable to people by governing it according to popular opinion polls, rather than according to the mind of Christ, as found in his holy word. No such freedoms or liberties are given to faithful ministers. Simply stated, In matters related to religious worship, Christ desires no creative thinking nor innovative spirit, but rather desires an obedient heart and a submissive will to what he has already commanded in his word. Samuel, the prophet in the Old Testament, speaking to King Saul, who had violated the word of God, who thought that he would please God by offering sacrifices which God told him to destroy. Saul brought these sacrifices, did not slay them as God commanded, brought them to offer them to God, and Samuel said to Saul, to obey is better than sacrifice. God doesn't desire simply our sincerity. He desires our sincerity mixed with obedience. So, the principle given here by Jesus Christ in Matthew 28.20 to his faithful ministers may be summarized in this way. Listen closely. This is what the Lord is saying. What is not commanded or authorized by Christ in Scripture in matters related to religious worship or religious celebrations is thereby forbidden. For you see, dear ones, if Christ would only have his faithful ministers to teach what he has commanded, then whatever he has not commanded in his word is strictly forbidden to be taught, and for that matter to be practiced as well. Well, let me illustrate the principle that I've just given to you. Suppose you were dining in a restaurant and the waiter came to take your order. After looking over the menu, your eyes fell on that particular meal that you desired above all others. Prime rib. Having given the waiter your order, suppose then he returned with a broiled chicken breast. Will you not tell the waiter that you did not order the chicken breast? That you want the prime rib that you ordered? But what if the waiter were to reason with you this way? I sincerely thought that a lean chicken breast would be better for you. I was sincere. And at the very least, it would bring me great pleasure to know that I brought you what I thought was best for you. You can see the problem here, can't you? Who is supposed to be serving whom? I dare say you would tell the waiter to take back the chicken breast and bring the prime rib which you had ordered. Now, dear ones, if you, a mere fallible creature, would not appreciate such innovation in something as ordinary as a meal, Should it appear strange to us that the Most High God would not take pleasure in our innovations in worship, regardless of how sincere we might be or regardless of how much pleasure it might bring us? Dear ones, Christ only desires and approves of that doctrine, that worship and that church order which he has commanded. Nothing more or nothing less is acceptable to an infinitely holy God. Bring me what I command, is what Jesus says in Matthew 28.20 when it applies to our worship. Thus we see, dear ones, that there are two opposing principles that churches and professing Christians may follow. The first principle is this. What is not authorized or commanded by Christ in scripture in matters related to religious worship or celebrations is thereby forbidden. This is the principle taught by Christ in our text. But there's a second principle that churches and professing Christians follow today as well, and have followed in the past. And that is this principle. What is not forbidden expressly by Christ in scripture in matters related to religious worship or celebrations is thereby permitted. If Christ does not specifically say, do not do this, then we can do it in worship. That's the second principle. Well, the first principle, the first position is that, as I said, which Christ taught. and Matthew 28.20, and is the position that was taught and embraced by the Protestant Reformation, whereas the second position has been represented by the Romish Church and all her unfaithful daughters. For example, Rome has argued, where does Christ in the Scripture expressly forbid crossing oneself? or using a rosary, or going to a confessional booth, or offering incense, or using holy water, or having a priesthood, or wearing ornate robes. Rome likewise argues, where does Christ in the Scriptures specifically forbid special days of religious celebration like Christmas or Easter? Point to a passage where Christ says, Thou shalt not celebrate Christmas. And you know, in this regard, Rome is right. The scripture cannot be specifically cited chapter and verse to forbid these many additions to the worship of Christ. Can you imagine how large the Bible would have to be if God were to enumerate every possible addition that man could possibly invent to introduce into the worship of God? God has not taken that particular approach. God has rather taken the approach that only what he commands and authorizes in worship is to be practiced. and everything else is to be excluded. I submit, dear ones, that no church or person has a right granted to them by Christ to add to or subtract from what Christ himself has commanded and authorized in his word. For acts of worship and days of religious celebration are Christ's right alone to ordain, not man's right to ordain. And if he has not ordained a particular day of religious celebration in his word, dear ones, it is because he did not desire it. For neither worship Nor religious celebration is approved by Christ on the grounds of our mere sincerity, any more than that waiter who sincerely brings you the chicken breast rather than the prime rib. You know, there are many false religions around. There are many cults who are very, very sincere people. But their mere sincerity does not make what they proclaim right or true. In fact, the Bible says in Proverbs 14, 12, there is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. It may seem right to a man, but we do not judge truth by my word or by any other man's word. Truth is judged by God's word and God's word alone. Now, in order to confirm that Christ alone, who possesses all power and authority in heaven and in earth, has the right to authorize his own worship and his own holy days of religious celebration, I offer two texts, two examples, one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament, for you to consider. The first text is Deuteronomy chapter 12, verse 32. And the text says this, God speaking, What thing soever I command you, observe to do it, thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it. The entire chapter of Deuteronomy chapter 12 addresses various issues related to worship and religious celebrations. And the explicit command of the Lord is that his people are not to add to nor take away from his commands in their worship or in their religious celebrations. Don't add to what I've commanded nor take away from it. In fact, God gives an explicit prohibition against worship or religious celebrations that have the mere will of man to authorize them. as we shall see is the case with Christmas. In Deuteronomy 12.8, God says, in the same chapter there, God says, ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day. Every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes. He says, you are not to do as you are presently practicing, simply doing what you think is right. You are to follow the commandments of the Lord, not to add to them nor take away from them. Specifically, the Lord God declares in Deuteronomy 12 that his people are not to follow the pagan religious practices of the nations around them. And next Lord's Day, by God's grace, we will look at the pagan origins associated with Christmas. But in Deuteronomy 12.30, consider the words of the Lord. Take heed to thyself that thou be not sneered by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee, and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? Even so will I do likewise. Dear ones, I submit that on the basis of this command from the Lord, his people, whether in the Old Testament or in the New Testament, may not offer to him as worship, whether in the form of acts of worship, rites of worship, or celebrations of worship, they may not offer to him that which is authorized by man's mere will, even if it is done with the best of intentions, for neither Moses Now he's a... Aaron nor any other person in Israel could innovate a new practice in worship or invent a new religious holy day or religious time of celebration apart from God's authoritative will. And dear ones, neither can we do so in the New Testament. For the Lord is the same God as he was in the Old Testament, as he is in the New Testament. God has not changed. He still wants us to worship him according to his revealed will, not according to our whims, not according to our own desires and our own caprice. The will of Christ, dear ones, must govern worship and religious celebrations, not the will of man. Then we turn to an example in the New Testament as well. And I would have you, if you're following along, to consider what Jesus himself says in Mark chapter 7, verses 6 through 9. There the Lord Jesus says, he answered and said unto them, he's speaking to the Pharisees here, where hath Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites? As it is written, this people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. How be it in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men? For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men as the washing of pots and cups, and many other such like things ye do." And he said unto them, full well, ye reject the commandment of God. that ye may keep your own tradition. Beloved, herein the Lord rebukes the principle of worship upon which the Pharisees proceeded. And I ask you, upon what principle did they institute their religious practices as in sprinkling their hands or sprinkling cups and pots? to cleanse them ceremonially, religiously, not to make them fit to drink out of or just before a meal to eat from as if their hands were dirty. This was a ceremony that they sprinkled water upon these various items. What principle were they operating from? Were they operating from the principle that they did this in obedience to the commandment of God? Or were they doing so because God had not expressly forbidden it, and therefore they thought they could do it? Well, very clearly, they introduced all of these practices related to the worship of God on the basis of their own, according to Jesus, their own man-made commands and man-made traditions. It didn't have the authority of Christ behind it. Now, they did not bring this practice of washing their hands before eating or this practice of washing their hands, sprinkling the pots and the cups into the actual place where they worship. They did it at home. But the Lord still condemns the practice as an act of worship which he has not authorized, even though it wasn't specifically brought into the church. Now, I ask you. to consider that very clearly. If the Lord did condemn the principle upon which the Pharisees were operating, does he not likewise still condemn the principle which many offer to him today for their reason for celebrating Christmas? For as we shall see, the Lord never authorized the celebration of Christmas. The Lord Jesus never commanded it. Does he desire it then? Is he pleased with it? The Lord says to the Pharisees in this passage, they've laid aside the commandment of God and they have taken up their own man-made traditions. The third and last point, dear ones, to the sermon this Lord's Day is this. How is the message in Matthew 28.20 to be applied to Christians? How is what we have just learned about the worship which Christ desires, the worship that pleases him, how is that to be applied to the matter of Christmas? First, I submit that Christmas as a religious holy day was never commanded or authorized by Christ in his word. Never do we hear of Christ or the apostles celebrating Christmas or Easter or any other man-made holy day. They did indeed celebrate the weekly Sabbath, and they did have times of fasting and thanksgiving, but there is absolute silence concerning Christmas. In fact, there was no official sanction to celebrate Christmas by the Christian Church for the first 300 years after the death of Christ. Now, this is not a fact that is hidden in the corner. This is a well-supported fact as evidenced by even secular writers, such as Jeffrey Sheeler, who in an article titled The Search for Christmas in the U.S. News makes the following statement. The earliest celebrations of the Nativity were surprisingly late. There is no record of official observance of Christ's birth until the fourth century, when Constantine, a Christian convert, was emperor of Rome. The first mention of a nativity feast, scholars say, appears in the Philokian calendar, a Roman document from A.D. 354, which lists December 25 as the day of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem of Judea. Clearly then, Christmas was not instituted, authorized, or commanded by Christ. It is purely a man-made holy day. And it's time that we, and all of those who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ, acknowledge that. Did Christ order it? Did Christ order Christmas? No, he didn't. then who are we to offer to him what is not ordered or to act as though it were pleasing to him? He says to us when we bring Christmas to him, take it back. That's not what I ordered. You know, there was Christians may be defined as followers and disciples of Christ. Yet if Christ himself neither celebrated nor authorized the celebration of Christmas, and if the apostles of Jesus Christ did not do so either, then how, I ask, can Christmas be Christian? Dear ones, it cannot be. It cannot be if Christ didn't authorize, if he didn't teach it, if he didn't say that we should practice it. It cannot be Christian. Next week we shall see more reasons to substantiate why Christmas is not Christian, as we consider the pagan origins of Christmas. But I close today by asking you that same question I asked at the very beginning of the sermon. Is Jesus Christ pleased with our Christmas celebration? The only way The only way we could know if he is pleased with Christmas is for him to tell us so. Where in all of his word has he told us that he is pleased to have us celebrate Christmas? Dear ones, again I say he hasn't. It's not there. Therefore, if we would be faithful followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, if we would be disciples of Christ, we will not do so either. For to do so is an express violation and sin against the very word of Christ to his faithful followers in Matthew 28.20 when he said, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." Dear ones, this Lord's Day we have the privilege of administering the sacrament of baptism to a brother who today is making a public profession of his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for eternal salvation. Whereas we have just learned from the word of God that Christmas has no approval or command from Christ, what about baptism? Does baptism have the approval of Christ? Does water baptism please the Lord Jesus Christ? Is there a command in Scripture by which we can know the mind of Christ as it pertains to baptism? Well, in the same passage that we have just read in Matthew chapter 28, After the Lord says in verse 18, all powers given unto me in heaven and in earth, he says, Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Yes, baptism has the sanction, express sanction of the Lord Jesus Christ. What is baptism? Why do we administer baptism? First, because Christ commanded us to do so. But what does it mean? In baptism, we acknowledge God has given to us this sign and this seal to acknowledge that we belong to him. We don't belong to ourselves. We acknowledge in our baptism that he is our God, that he has made covenant with us. And baptism is like the seal of that covenant. Like we exchange rings in a marriage, a marriage covenant, as a sign and a seal of that covenant. So baptism is a sign and seal of a covenant made with God. And in baptism, the water is applied, signifying that Jesus Christ alone can forgive sin and wash away sin. We cannot cleanse ourselves. If it depends upon us, we will certainly perish forever in hell. But in baptism, it is signified that Christ forgives sin and all of those who come to him in faith, believing, crying out to the Lord to forgive them. The Lord promises he will not exclude anyone who comes. No matter how great their sin, no matter how many sins they've committed, whether great or small, we all stand in need of a savior. And the Lord invites us all. But I would also point out to you, dear ones, that the mere application of the water to the one being baptized That is not what cleanses sin. We do not believe that water cleanses sin within a heart. It is only God, through Jesus Christ, that can do that. But this is a visible gospel. I have proclaimed to you this Lord's Day the gospel of Jesus Christ. But you will witness it. You will see it in action as you watch this baptism today. as the water is applied, and what it signifies that Jesus Christ is the one who forgives sin. I encourage you, dear ones, today, as you witness Terry's baptism, to reflect upon your own baptism. Maybe you are a child, and you don't remember when you were baptized. Perhaps you were an adult when you were baptized. But, dear ones, your baptism says something. Your baptism calls you to live for the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, to be baptized and to turn your back upon Christ is a very reprehensible sin. Because God has given to you such a sign to point you to Christ, and you've ignored and neglected it. I encourage you this day. Trust Christ. Turn to Him. Renew your covenant with God, even as you observe Terry's baptism today. Before I invite Terry to come forward, I would ask you to please stand with me and let us have a word of prayer together. Our Heavenly Father, we do come to thee now in the name of Christ, our Savior. Bringing nothing in ourselves that we can offer to Thee that would make us acceptable to Thee, for Lord, we have sinned against Thee. We are sinners. But Lord, due to Thy mercy and grace, Thou hast made us Thy children, and Thou hast told us as Thy children that we can come to Thee, bring our petitions, our requests, to bring to Thee our praises and our thanksgivings. To this day we do offer to Thee our praise, that another one Lord, has been brought into thy kingdom, profess faith in Jesus Christ and desires this outward sign of baptism. We ask, Lord, that in Terry's life, thou would use this sign to cause him to see what thou has done in making covenant with him, that he would look to his baptism as the seal of that covenant, that when he is tempted to doubt whether he belongs to you, That, Father, he would stir up the grace of God in his heart and look to his baptism and what thou dost say to him through that means. That thou would stir up all of our hearts, Lord, this day. That as Lord Terry is received into this church, as he is received into this family of God, that, Lord, we would extend our love to him. That, Lord, we would show gratitude and thankfulness to Thee for bringing yet another brother into our midst. And we ask, Lord God, that Thou would continue to add to our numbers in the congregations, Father, here and in Prince George and in Vancouver, that, Lord, Thou would do the work, for it is Thou alone who does save and not us. We are mere weak human beings. We are sinners. It is Thou alone who has the power to save. We commit, Lord, this time to Thee, asking Thee to bless this time of baptism, this water, Father, to use it. The Lord is a sign and carries life. In Jesus' name, Amen. Invite Terry to come forward and to stand over here at this time next to the baptismal font And I would simply ask Terry four questions, which we've gone over together already By way of his profession of faith in Christ Terry do you acknowledge that you are a sinner and therefore in need of a Savior I do Do you believe in one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, the same in substance, equal in power and glory? And do you profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as your only hope of eternal salvation? Do you believe the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the inspired word of God and the alone, infallible rule of faith and life? And do you acknowledge that by your baptism you are formally bound to fight against the wicked wisdom, desires, and works of the devil, the world, and the flesh all the days of your life? Terry, because the Lord has told us that we are to administer baptism to those who profess faith in him, because you have professed faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Terry James McKinnon, I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen. Please stand with me in prayer. Our gracious God, Our hearts are filled with joy at thanksgiving this day, thy abundant mercy in Christ. We thank thee, our Lord, for thy grace in our life and in Terry's life, and we pray, Lord, that thou would use him in thy kingdom to bring forth other souls into the kingdom of Christ, to bless his family, to use him, Lord, in his family and amongst his friends to bring glory to thee. We do pray, Father, that thou would cause us as a congregation to be of great encouragement to him in his Christian life. And we pray that thou would cause us, Lord, to reflect often upon this and other baptisms as to what thou are doing in our midst. In Jesus' name, amen. This Reformation audio track is a production of Stillwater's Revival Books. You are welcome to make copies and give them to those in need. SWRB makes thousands of classic Reformation resources available, free and for sale, in audio, video, and printed formats. It is likely that the sermon or book that you just listened to is also available on cassette or video, or as a printed book or booklet. Our many free resources, as well as our complete mail-order catalog, containing thousands of classic and contemporary Puritan and Reform books, tapes and videos at great discounts is on the web at www.swrb.com It can also be reached by email at swrb.com, by phone at 780-450-3730, by fax at 780-468-1096, or by mail at 4710-37A Edmonton, that's E-D-M-O-N-T-O-N, Alberta, abbreviated capital A, capital B, Canada, T6L3T5. You may also request a free printed catalog. And remember that John Calvin, in defending the Reformation's regulative principle of worship, or what is sometimes called the scriptural law of worship, commenting on the words of God, which I commanded them not, either came into my heart, from his commentary on Jeremiah 731, writes, God here cuts off from men every occasion for making evasions, since he condemns by this one phrase, I have not commanded them, whatever the Jews devised. There is then no other argument needed to condemn superstitions than that they are not commanded by God. For when men allow themselves to worship God according to their own fancies, and attend not to His commands, they pervert true religion. And if this principle was adopted by the Papists, all those fictitious modes of worship in which they absurdly exercise themselves would fall to the ground. It is indeed a horrible thing for the Papists to seek to discharge their duties towards God by performing their own superstitions. There is an immense number of them, as it is well known, and as it manifestly appears. Were they to admit this principle, that we cannot rightly worship God except by obeying His word, they would be delivered from their deep abyss of error. The Prophet's words, then, are very important, when he says that God had commanded no such thing, and that it never came to his mind, as though he had said that men assume too much wisdom when they devise what he never required, nay, what he never knew.