It is therefore a very fallacious and deceitful arguing of the
Pharisee, thus to speak before God in his prayers: I am righteous,
because I have not hurt my neighbour, and because I have acted in
ceremonial duties. Nor will that help him at all to say, he gave
tithes of all that he possessed. It had been more modest to say,
that he had paid them; for they, being commanded, were a due debt;
nor could they go before God for a free gift, because, by the
commandment, they were made a payment; but proud men and hypocrites
love so to word it both with God and man, as at least to imply, that
they are more forward to do, than God's command is to require them to
do.

The second part of his positive holiness was superstitious; for God
had appointed no such set fasts, neither more nor less but just twice
a-week: "I fast twice a-week." Ay, but who did command thee to do
so, other than by thy being put upon it by a superstitious and
erroneous conscience, doth not, nor canst thou make to appear. This
part, therefore, of this positive righteousness, was positive
superstition, and abuse of God's law, and a gratification of thy own
erroneous conscience. Hitherto, therefore, thou art defective in thy
so seemingly brave and glorious righteousness.

Yet this let me say, in commendation of the Pharisee, in my
conscience he was better than many of our English Christians; for
many of them are so far off from being at all partakers of positive
righteousness, that neither all their ministers, Bibles, and good
books, good sermons, nor yet God's judgments, can persuade them to
become so much as negatively holy, that is, to leave off evil.