A Faithful Testimony Concerning the true WORSHIP OF GOD: What it is in itself, and who are the true worshippers.  
In opposition to all the false worship in this Nation, which is Idolatry, which is discovered in its foundation, and in its manifestation, not to be ever commanded of God, or practised by his Apostles and Saints; but it is declared to consist chiefly of such things and practices as had their first beginning and ordination in the Church of Rome, whereby the hypocrisy of this generation doth appear, in denying and crying against the Papists Idolatries, and yet are found in the practice of the same thing in their Church, Ministry, and Worship, which were first instituted by the Pope's Authority.  
And this is written for a general good to all such as are worshipping in Temples made with hands; By E. B.  
LONDON, Printed for Thomas Simmons, at the Bull and Mouth near Aldersgate, 1659.   

A faithful Testimony concerning the true Worship of God, what it is in itself, and who are the true Worshippers, &c.  
FOrasmuch as there is in the world a great controversy among people concerning the Worship of God, one crying, This is the right Worshp: Another, That is the right Worship; and People in these Nations are divided about the Worship of God, and divers one from another in their performances and practices of Worship, one sort worshipping after this manner, another after that, and there is great strife through the whole Nation about this matter, and a great dissatisfaction among people, which is the right Worship, and who are the right Worshippers, and thousands are desiring after the right Worship of God, and to become Worshippers of him as he requires: Therefore now it is upon me to show unto all the World what the true Worship of God is in itself, and who are his true Worshippers.  
First, The Worship of God in itself is this; It is a walking with God, and a living with him in converse and fellowship, in spirit and truth; for he is only worshipped therein; and to do the truth, and speak the truth; This is the true Worship of God, where the mind is guided with the spirit of Truth, and the presence of the Lord felt at all times, and his fear in the hearts of people, and his council stood in, and his Covenant felt, which unites to the Lord in spirit: This is the true Worship of God, and it is without respect of times or things, And now none upon earth can thus worship God, but who are changed and renewed in heart and mind, and born of the spirit, and led thereby, where the body of sin and death is put off, such as are redeemed out of the world, and out of all its ways and nature, such only can worship God in the spirit and in the truth, and such is the Father seeking to worship him now in this present age; and there is never a one upon Earth that can worship God as he requires, who remains unchanged, and are in the transgression, unrenewed and unconverted, such cannot worship the true and living God, but that which they perform and practise as the pretence of his Worship, is idolatry and abomination, and the Lord hath not required it at their hands; for none can walk with God, nor have unity with him, but who are renewed and changed; nor none can do the truth, and speak the truth in all things, but such who are led by the Spirit of Truth, and such are in the Covenant of God, and true Worshippers of him, and all that is contrary, is not the Worship of God, but Idolatry, as I have said.  
And now as concerning this Worship practised in England in these Steeplehouses, Churches, (so called) it is not the worship of the living God, but Superstition and Idolatry, for people hath not learned it by the teachings of the Spirit, neither doth the Spirit lead them therein, but it stands in form without power, and in the inventions and traditions of the Fathers, and there is not in it the manifest presence of God, neither do you Worshippers meet with the Lord, nor enjoy his pure life and presence in your practices; and the substance of your Worship (as it is now practised) is made up of Inventions some part of your own, and some part brought along from the Church of Rome; And is it not great hypocrisy in you to profess a denial of the Church of Rome, and yet be found practising some of the same things as your Worship, which the Church of Rome first instituted and practised as her Worship? Shall we instance unto you some particular things? Was it not by the Authority of the Church of Rome, that these houses in which you worship, which you call Churches, were first set up and made worshipping places for them? and is it not a little while since that the Mass, and the old Popish stuff was therein exercised with as great zeal towards God, (if not with as good sincerity) as you practise yours at this day? And are there not the very signs and symptoms of the Romish Idolatry yet upon these Houses, being full of Images on the Walls, and on the Pillars, and on the Glass-Windows and Crosses about them, and many other things which were Popish inventions, as also the names given unto them, and consecrated Bells in them, and such like stuff? And was it not a little while since that there was the Altars, and the Rails, and the Font, and other such like things which lately were broken down? But however though something there may be altered, and changed, and converted to another use, and something taken away, and other inventions brought in, instead thereof, yet still they are the same Houses which you worship your God in, which Houses were set up by the Authority of the Pope, and there remains yet the Pope's sign and symptom of the Romish Church upon them; and these Houses you call your Churches, and thousand of thousands of blind ignorant people esteeming and respecting in their minds of these places more than of any other, supposing them to be more holy and that other places are not so good to worship in; alas poor, blind, ignorant people, that deceives your own souls in the traditions & inventions of man, which you live in the practice of, supposing it to be the very Worship of God, which is no other in itself but Idolatry, and you Idolaters; for doth not all unconverted people, and unrighteous people, such who are not taught of the Lord, nor led by his Spirit, but daily rushes into iniquity, and into evil, are not such found Worshippers here in Steeplehouses, conforming themselves to these things, and these practices? And can such worship God? Or is God worshipped by such? I tell you nay, the Lord God is pure, and they that worship him, must be sanctified, and led by his Spirit which leadeth into all truth:  
But now as concerning your present practices which your Worship consists of, they are not such as ever the Lord instituted, but such as men hath set up in their own wills and wisdom, and not in the Lords. As for your sprinkling of Infants, which is a chief practice of your Worship, was not this first ordained at Rome? Read the Records. And was it not a Popish invention which you are thus zealously reforming, as if it were indeed required of the Lord? Can the unconverted and unregenerated be truly baptised into the faith of Christ? No; but the unconverted and unregenerated are partakers of your baptism into the faith which you profess: There was no such practice in the Christians Church before the apostasy; but when the apostasy came in, than came up these inventions and imitations which you practise as the Worship of God, whenas he never required it, neither did his Saints and his Apostles ever give your example for it. And by it, nor in it, God is not worshipped; neither is it in itself, nor as practised by you, any part of the Worship of God, but stands in the inventions of man, and is after their traditions, and not after the Commandments of the Lord.  
And as for your singing of David's Experiences in the form and manner as you do, practising it as another main part of your Worship; this is the same with the former, neither ever commanded of the Lord, nor (in the course and manner as you do it) was it ever practised by the Saints of old; and is it any better than a Popish Invention? For was the Nation in any better state than Popery, when that practice was first instituted and begun to be performed; you yourselves will confess that it was in the time of darkness, and through the ordination of the Bishops and Prelates, whom you yourselves say were little better than Papists in their worship and practise; and yet this you practise at this day as a part of your Worship, which hath no better beginning then as I have said, and from them you have received it, to wit, from the Bishops and Prelates; yea, the chief part of your Worship consists of the performances of such things as you have received traditionally from them, and from ●ome, for all these things they instituted.  
And as concerning your Ministry, is it any other with that, then with these particulars as I have mentioned? Is it not the same Ministry in substance, though in some particulars altered, as was in the days of Popery and Prelacy? Have not your Ministers the same Call to their Ministry, and the same practice in their Ministry, and the same Maintenance at this day, as was in generations past, when this Nation was under the Cloud of darkness and ignorance, as yourselves will confess? Are not they made Ministers now by natural learning, receiving ordination from man, through the attainments of such Arts, and Sciences, & Degrees, through natural learning and human policy, not having their Ministry by the gift of the Holy Ghost, no more than the Papists and Prelates had before them, who were made Ministers by the same power, and after the same manner as these are: And it was the Church of Rome, and by the Popish Authority, that colleges and Schools, to make Ministers by them, were first ordained and set up; and as that Ministry was sent forth in the time of Popery, by the same way and means (generally as to substance) are your Ministers now sent forth, though in some particulars differing in matter of form, yet the same for substance: But Christ's Ministers in the time of the true Church, were not thus sent forth, but had received power from on High, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, whereby they were made able Ministers, and not by any other thing, nor by any such means or way as your Ministers now are set up and established; and this Ministry is differing from the true Ministry which Christ sent forth, and is not according, but contrary in all things; and it is not the Ministry of God which brings people to God; but by this Ministry people are not converted, but such it is that the true Prophet cried against; They have run, saith the Lord, and I have not sent them, therefore they shall not profit the people at all.  
And as for this maintenance of the Ministry of the Church of England, is it not the same as was in the days of Popery & Prelacy? Was it not by the Pope's Authority that tithes were first established & set up to be the maintenance of his Ministry? & did not the Romish Church first ordain that the people should give the tenth to the use of Religion, and to maintain their Ministry? If you search the Records, you will find it so. And was it not the very practice of the Papists and Prelates Ministers, to have hire, and great sums of money by the year, and stipends, and large benefits for preaching; and the same things are practised by these Ministers, which they have borrowed from the Papists and Prelates which went before them; for are not these Ministers maintained by tithes as the Pope's Ministers were? And have they not hire and great sums of money by the year, or quarterly, even as the Papists and Prelates had? Wherefore it is plain, that the maintenance of your Ministers is the very same for substance as theirs were that went before you, which you yourselves say were Idolaters; and if they were Idolaters, how can you Ministers be free which doth practice the very same things, unto the very same end? And doth not the Priests of this generation far exceed the Papists and Prelates? Was there ever in generations past such casting people into prison, and spoiling people's goods, as is at this day through the means of these Priests, and all about their maintenance, and for their tithes and Hire, and yearly stipends, and quarterly gain▪ Did ever the Papists or Prelates worse in this particular, with any people that denied them wages, than these do that denied ●hem Oh! great blindness and ignorance is over your hearts, and great hypocrisy among your Ministers, who profess a denial and dissenting from the Church of Rome, and cries against them as heretics, and that they are in ignorance, and yet practises the very same things; their Call is the very same to their Ministry, and their Maintenance the same, and practise in many things the very same as theirs were, which they seem to deny; and this is great hypocrisy, to cast out and kill their persons, and yet to uphold in many things their practice, relating to their Worship and their Ministry: Oh abominable Idolatry! the hand of the Lord is against it. But this is not the way that Christ's Ministers were maintained, they had no such hire nor great sums of money, nor yearly tithes, as these Ministers have through the Pope's Institution; but into whatsoever house they entered, that was worthy, they might eat such things as were set before them, and the Apostles might freely reap carnal things, where they had sown spiritual things; but this was after another manner, and after another nature; for if they had not that, yet did they not cast men into prison, and spoil their goods that would not give it them, as this generation of Teachers do; and the Lord God is risen to confound this Worship and this Ministry, which is Idolatry, and this Church, which is but a false feigned imitation, and he will establish his true Worship that is in spirit and in truth; and his true Ministry that is by the gift of the Holy Ghost, and his true Church; and this shall be brought to pass in his day.  
But again, there is another practice which you have, which the Church of Rome, and the Prelates had, (your predecessors) if any come in the Name of the Lord to declare against you, and against your abominations, to cry against your sin, and cry repentance among you, that you may be converted to God, this you account a great Transgression, and persecutes them that doth it, by imprisoning, and whipping, and stocking, and by imposing great fines upon them, and causing them to suffer cruel things, and this did the Papists and Prelates in like manner as you do, if any was moved to cry against them, they indeed rewarded them even as you do at this day, the same thing you do against such as are moved of the Lord to come among you; and herein you succeed them, and brings forth the same persecution in your Churches, as they did in their Churches; and this is the defence of your Church, and of your Ministry, Carnal Weapons, Imprisonment, and Whipping, and Stocking, and causing the bodies of people to suffer through cruelty and injustice, and by this means is your Church & Ministry defended & preserved, or otherwise it would presently fall, as not being able to continue nor resist, nor gainsay the spirit & power of God, which now is risen to oppose them, if they had not carnal Laws, and Earthly Powers, and Gaols, and Houses of Correction to defend themselves by: And is this the Church of Christ? And is this Christ's Ministry that have need of such weapons as these? The Apostles nor true Churches never did thus, neither sent people to prison that opposed them, nor had such cruelty to execute upon the bodies of people, though many did oppose them out of wickedness, but the Spirit and Authority of the Lord did defend them from all their Enemies. But your Church and Ministry is manifest to be another then that was, and to be defended by another means, even by the same means that the Papists and Prelates of old were of a long time defended by; but when the measure of these things are fulfilled, they will come to an end: as the measure of that generations iniquity was fulfilled which went before you, so in the Lord's season will your measure be fulfilled, and the Lord's people shall be free, and all bonds of iniquity broken.  
And thus it is manifest that this Church and Ministry succeeds the Church of Rome and her Ministers, far more than the Church of Christ and its true Ministers, & to that it is not equal in any thing, but to the Church of Rome it is comparable in many things; so that it is manifest, that this Church and Ministry are not quite another than the Church and Ministry of Rome, but such as hath dissented from them, and are truly sprung out of that root, and is the same still in substance, though differing in some practices, having cast out some old inventions, and brought in some new, but as I have said, remains still the same in nature and substance, though dissented in some particulars, yet succeedeth in many particulars, as I may show more fully hereafter. And though you bare the Name, and style yourselves, The reformed Churches, you mean, reformed from the Church of Rome; but how are you reformed? but by some visible appearances, and not in the ground, having put off but some of her garments, and remains the same body for substance, in nature and matter, though differing only in appearances? For the Church which is the true Church of Christ, is not thus reformed, only changed in part, and altered in degrees, but the true Church denies the Church of Rome in her very being and ground, and in all her practices whatsoever; for though many Sects have risen one from another, yet all the same for substance, only differing in particulars: But as for you to whom this particular is written, that worship God in Steeplehouses, you are not so much differing from the Church of Rome, as many others are, which are not true Churches neither; but the Lord God is now gathering his people; wherefore come out of your Idol-worship, and Idol-Temples, for God dwells not in them, nor is not worshipped there, but he dwells and walks in his Saints, and is worshipped in spirit and in truth, and his day is dawned, and his glory is risen, and he will confound this Church and Ministry which bears the marks of the Romish Whore, & hath her symptoms and characters remaining upon them unto this day, as it is manifest.  
And though some may object and say, That God commanded a Temple to be builded for the worship of his Name, and Ordinances to be practised in the time of the old Covenant. To which I do say, Yea it was so, a Temple was builded by Solomon for the seed of the Jews to worship in, and to come to sacrifice to the Lord in, and there was an outward worship and ordinances; But it is many hundred years since this Temple was destroyed, and worship and ordinances thrown down, which God once commanded, and his people once practised; and Christ the life, the power, and wisdom of God, was the substance thereof, and unto whom he was made manifest, and in whom he was revealed in the spirit, they utterly renounced and denied the Temple, and the Worship therein, though God once had commanded it; and the Saints after the manifesting of Christ to them in spirit, and after that the Holy Ghost was given, we do not find through all the Churches of the Saints, that they worshipped in the Temple of the Jews, but witnessed against it, and said that God dwelled not in Temples made with hands, neither was he worshipped in Temples made with hands, but in the spirit, and in the truth their worship consisted, & therefore were persecuted; but they bare witness against the Temple, & the worship, & those Ordinances which God once had commanded, & which once his people practised, though it was to the peril of their lives; but as for these Temples, and these Ordinances, and this worship which are now on foot, they were never brought forth by any Ordination or Commandment of God, but the foundation of them was the inventions of men, and men's traditions taught them, and not the spirit of the Lord, and therefore against those things, those Temples, and those Ordinances, and worships, much reason have we to cry against them all, as being neither sign nor substance of good, but wholly inventions of men. The Jews Temple and Ordinance was signs of good things to come, and when the substance was come, the Saints denied the shadows and the figures; but as for these, they are denied wholly, as being Idolatry and Abomination from the beginning to the end of them; for as I have shown, these things (which are the matter of which your Worship and Ordinance doth consist) had their rise and beginning in the days of darkness and ignorance, since the apostasy came in, and so in the Name and Authority of the Lord, we do declare against them, even against your Temples and whole Worship, to the intent to bring you to the true Worship, that is in spirit and in truth, and that you might know your bodies the Temples of God, and that he might dwell in you, and walk in you, according as he hath promised in the New Covenant. Wherefore all people, awake and come out of your Idolatry, and Idolatrous Worships, separate yourselves, touch no more of it, that the Lord may receive you, and that you may come into his Covenant, which is life and peace for your souls, for in those Worships, and Temples, and all your practices therein, you have not true peace with the Lord, nor the refreshments from his pure presence, but sin and death reigns amongst you, and great ignorance is over your hearts, and Idolatry corrupts your minds, and the Lord hath been forgotten by you, days without number; God is not well-pleased, neither hath any delight in your Worship; for your worship of him, and fear towards him, is but taught by the precepts of men, and by the traditions of the Fathers in the days of Popery, and if ever he opens your eyes, you will see it, for it is with the humble and contrite in heart that the Lord dwells, him that crembleth at the word of the Lord, whose heart is right in his sight, and hath learned his judgements and fear, and such as are changed and renewed, and born of the seed of God, and begotten by his powerful Word, such are the true worshippers whom the Lord is seeking, and such will he find to worship him.  
And whereas there is a great cry amongst you, and among many people at this day, about deceivers, and being deceived, and there are many deceivers, you say, and your cry is one to another, Take heed you be not deceived by false Teachers and false Doctrine. This is the cry of Parents to Children, and of Children to Parents, and of Masters to Servants, and of Servants to Masters, and chiefly, it is the cry of your Priests to the people, Take heed you be not deceived, &c.  
Now to all this I do say, That there are many deceivers, and many are deceived, this is certainly true, and plainly manifest; but now to show what a deceiver is, and what it is to be deceived, and who it is that are deceived. First, That is a deceiver, that person, that spirit, or that thing, that leadeth, or enticeth the minds of people into something, to do, or practise, or speak something which the Lord by his spirit doth not lead to. I say, That which leads the creature to take up a joy, or a delight, or a happiness in something of this world which is under the Sun, to place confidence or felicity in such a thing; that which thus leadeth or draweth the mind, whether it be person, or spirit, it is a deceiver, and deceiveth the soul; and he, or they that doth follow this, and give up themselves into the obedience of it, to do, or speak something that is contrary to God, or which his spirit doth not lead unto, nor guide in, this person is deceived of the presence of the Lord, and of the comfort, and joy, and happiness that is in him, and hath pleasure, and joy in something of the Creation that is not of him, but besides him, and this person is deceived, and in deceit, who hath placed a joy, and happiness, and confidence in some creature or thing that is not perfectly the Lord; and another spirit besides the Spirit of the Lord, hath seated its self in the heart, and taken possession of the mind, and the mind and heart is thereby captivated by that way, in the works and pleasures of this world; and this is a deceived estate; and thus much of a deceiver, and a deceiving in the ground, in that declared.  
But now you that are crying one to another, Be not deceived, Be not deceived; And you not such as are deceived already, and that lies wallowing in the deceit, and vanity, and evil of this world? For while sin hath power over you, and that spirit that is not of God doth lead you, you are deceived; and thus it is with you, being unchanged and unrenewed in mind and heart; are not you deceived? For you want the feeling of the presence, and of the comfort of the Lord God, and you are deceived of that, for that you have not, and another thing possesseth your mind, the joy and pleasure of this world, and in your exercise spiritual and temporal, the spirit that is of this world doth lead you, and guide you, the spirit of unrighteousness that leadeth contrary to him; and can you be otherways deceived, or more deceived? For you are without God a ready, and wants his peace, and the inheritance of life eternal that is in him, you want the possession thereof, and you are following dead Idols and vanities which steals away your mind, whereby it is manifest that you are deceived; For all people upon the Earth that are not led by the spirit into all truth, that hath not received the promise of the Father, they are all deceived, and cannot be more deceived than they are; and so is the cry in general among people, if any one forsake and deny their way of Worship and Religion, and Profession, be it of what manner and nature, soever, presently there is a cry, (chiefly by the Priests) Take heed you be not deceived, and you are in heresy and error, and such like: Thus have the Papists cried against them that have dissented from them, and the Prelates cried the same, and now you cry the same to them that dissent from you; but your zeal is not so much against heresy and Error, simply so, as it is to have your own Sect and Worship upheld, and against them that doth dissent from you; and it hath been Antichrists way since the apostasy, since the days of the Apostles, to cry heresy, and Error, and you are deceived, to all that did decline and dissent from him; for you may read in the Scriptures, Power was given to the Beast to compel all to worship him, and all that would not, he made war against, and had power to kill them. And thus have the Papists done, warred against them that denied their Church; and thus did the Prelates, and thus do you, your cry is, heresy, and Error, and they are deceived who do forsake your Church, and your Ministry; and this cry have you learned of your forefathers, the Romish Church. But cease all sorts of people to cry that others are deceived, and that others are in Error, and see how yourselves are led with the spirit of unrighteousness, and blindness, and ignorance, and a cloud of Error is over you, and between you and the Son of God, who is appearing now in Majesty and Renown, to exalt his Name over all the Earth; and Antichrists way you have been in, who would have all to bow under his Power, unto his Worship; but now the eyes of people are opened, and Life, and Righteousness, and Truth itself is sprung forth over all the Clouds of Darkness and Error.  
Your worship is to the unknown God, and him you ignorantly worship after the traditions of men, and not after the Commandments of God, for the tradition of the Fathers is seated in you above the Witness, and blinds the eye, and quencheth the spirit; your old customs, traditions and forms, and your exercise therein, feeds that part which is carnal, and answers that in others, and your worship which is out of the spirit of God, answers not the spirit of God in others, to convert any truly to the living God; and the Lord will destroy your worship, and confound it, and no more is the Lord worshipped in Steeplehouses, they are lest desolate of God's presence, and no more in days, and times, and things, but they that worship must be in the spirit changed by it, and led by it into the truth; so when the Lord doth open your eyes, you will see the worship of God to be another thing than you suppose it; you cannot be educated naturally in the worship of God, nor learn it by traditions, for it stands only in the spirit, and is taught by the spirit unto all them that are born of the spirit; and who comes to be born of that, are the true worshippers of God, in which the Father is well pleased. And as for your worship in Steeplehouses, God hath no delight in, he savoureth it not, but it is an abomination to him, it is not pleasing to him, because you be out of his spirit, and worships after your own traditions, and not after his spirit; and this worship hath stood all this long time of Antichrist, while the Whore and the Beast hath ruled over Nations, and so one tradition after another hath been brought in, and one false Worship hath risen out of another, and what people hath had, it hath been by tradition, and not from the immediate spirit of God and so the true God hath not been worshipped in his spirit; and now all the world hath been pleading for their traditions, and they be in respect above the Commandments of God, among ye that worship in Steeplehouses; you are even mad against them that cries against the Steeplehouses, and pleads the Antiquity of your Worship, and of your Traditions and Ordinances, now they are ancient, even as ancient as since the false Prophets and Antichrist came in, and put on the sheep's clothing, but inwardly are wolves; these killed the life, and slew the Prophets, and they set up inventions of their own; and your traditions and worships are as ancient as since power was given to the Beast over kindreds & peoples; & the Lord God is bringing down your worship, the original of which, came up when Antichrist went into the world, as you may read in John's Epistle, and so you may plead Antiquity, yet not as ancient as the true Church is, for when the true Churches were apostatised, than came up your worship, & your many traditions; & this hath been while the woman hath been fled into the wilderness, & the man-child caught up to God, which when the woman returns again, your Worship and Ordinance will be overthrown, & the true worship again established, & liberty; but first you must know the spirit to teach you, before you can worship in it, & the spirit must purify your hearts, & make them clean, before you can offer to God an acceptable sacrifice; for your sacrifices are not acceptable, but they are stained & polluted in the sight of the Lord, who now hath beheld what you are a doing, & you are in that which his soul hath no pleasure in, & in the day of your visitation the witness in your consciences shall answer it; so you are to know God by his spirit, before you can worship him; the word of the Lord must be felt in your hearts as a fire, & as a hammer, & you must be created anew, & have another spirit, before ye can worship God. So all you false worshippers, you are called that you may return, & may come into the true worship, which is in the commandment of God, and not the traditions of men, and in that Law written in the heart, is God known, who worketh man's salvation, and which leadeth in the true and perfect worship, of the true and living God, where the Lord is all in all. Therefore return, why will you die and perish in your iniquities? A lamentation is taken up for you, O! why will you perish through neglecting your own salvation? Come into the spirit, and into the truth, that you may worship God, and be accepted of him, who is now appeared in power and great glory, to gather his people to himself.  
This is to go abroad among all people who are worshipping in Temples made with hands, & who are under this Ministry, & are of this Church aforementioned, that they may come to consider, and see the error of their way, of their worship, and of their ministry, and this is a visitation from the Lord unto them all, by a friend unto all your souls.  
The End.