As to what I have yet said, there is no controversy among the pious, or

among men of right and sane mind.

Let us now see what is meant by the due worship of God. Its chief

foundation is to acknowledge Him to be, as He is, the only source of all

virtue, justice, holiness, wisdom, truth, power, goodness, mercy, life, and

salvation; in accordance with this, to ascribe and render to Him the glory

of all that is good, to seek all things in Him alone, and in every want have

recourse to Him alone. Hence arises prayer, hence praise and thanksgiving

— these being attestations to the glory which we attribute to Him. This is

that genuine sanctification of His name which He requires of us above all

things. To this is united adoration, by which we manifest for Him the

reverence due to his greatness and excellency, and to this ceremonies are

subservient, as helps or instruments, in order that, in the performance of

divine worship, the body may be exercised at the same time with the soul.

Next after these comes self-abasement, when, renouncing the world and

the flesh, we are transformed in the renewing of our mind, and living no

longer to ourselves, submit to be ruled and actuated by Him. By this self -

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abasement we are trained to obedience and devotedness to his will, so that

his fear reigns in our hearts, and regulates all the actions of our lives. That

in these things consists the true and sincere worship which alone God

approves, and in which alone He delights, is both taught by the Holy

Spirit throughout the Scriptures and is also, antecedent to discussion, the

obvious dictate of piety. Nor from the beginning was there any other

method of worshipping God, the only difference being, that this spiritual

truth, which with us is naked and simple, was under the former

dispensation wrapt up in figures. And this is the meaning of our Savior’s

words,

“The hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall

worship the Father in spirit and in truth,” (<430423>John 4:23.)

For by these words he meant not to declare that God was not worshipped

by the fathers in this spiritual manner, but only to point out a distinction

in the external form, viz., That while they had the Spirit shadowed forth

by many figures, we have it in simplicity. But it has always been an

acknowledged point, that God, who is a Spirit, must be worshipped in

spirit and in truth.

Moreover, the rule which distinguishes between pure and vitiated worship

is of universal application, in order that we may not adopt any device

which seems fit to ourselves, but look to the injunction of Him who alone

is entitled to prescribe. Therefore, if we would have Him to approve our

worship, this rule, which he everywhere enforces with the utmost

strictness, must be carefully observed. For there is a twofold reason why

the Lord, in condemning and prohibiting all fictitious worship, requires us

to give obedience only to his own voice. First, it tends greatly to establish

His authority that we do not follow our own pleasures but depend

entirely on his sovereignty; and, secondly, such is our folly, that when we

are left at liberty, all we are able to do is to go astray. And then when once

we have turned aside from the right path, there is no end to our

wanderings, until we get buried under a multitude of superstitions. Justly,

therefore, does the Lord, in order to assert his full right of dominion,

strictly enjoin what he wishes us to do, and at once reject all human

devices which are at variance with his command. Justly, too, does he, in

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express terms, define our limits that we may not, by fabricating perverse

modes of worship, provoke His anger against us.

I know how difficult it is to persuade the world that God disapproves of

all modes of worship not expressly sanctioned by His Word. The

opposite persuasion which cleaves to them, being seated, as it were, in

their very bones and marrow, is, that whatever they do has in itself a

sufficient sanction, provided it exhibits some kind of zeal for the honor of

God. But since God not only regards as fruitless, but also plainly

abominates, whatever we undertake from zeal to His worship, if at

variance with His command, what do we gain by a contrary course? The

words of God are clear and distinct,

“Obedience is better than sacrifice.” “In vain do they worship me,

teaching for doctrines the commandments of men,”

(<091522>1 Samuel 15:22; Matthew. 15:9.)

Every addition to His word, especially in this matter, is a lie. Mere “will

worship” ejqeloqrhskei>a is vanity. This is the decision, and when once

the judge has decided, it is no longer time to debate. --from "necessity of Reforming the Church, Tracts Vol 1)