Nor did he hesitate to avow his objections to a church which retained any traces of the superstitions of popery. “As for us that have the reformed religion, how many amongst us delight to worship God after the law of a carnal commandment! Are there not too many amongst us which are more for old, abrogated ceremonies than they are for a gospel worship? Bewail and lament the apostasy of this generation.” {147b} “If all the Mosaical rites and ceremonies were weak and imperfect, and God, for that reason, abolished them, because they could not reach the main end of man’s happiness; then, here you may see the folly of those men that set up these rites and ceremonies and human inventions, in part of their worship. If God’s own institutions were weak and unprofitable, what are men’s inventions? Are their priestly vestments profitable? their crosses and cringings, profitable? What profit is there in bowing the knee at the word ‘Jesus’? . . . But some will say, these are ornaments of the church of God. To that I answer, so is a painted glass an ornament to the house, yet it shuts out the light more than a plain glass . . . These painted and carnal ceremonies do shut out the light of the gospel; for the light of the gospel shines out more pure and clear in the plain administration of the gospel; and therefore all those things that carnal men so magnifie, are unprofitable.” {148a} Mr. Ottee was _congregational_ in his judgment; but he held his opinions in combination with so much modesty and moderation, as to win the esteem and affection of those who differed from him. In particular, he enjoyed the intimate friendship of Dr. John Collinges, the learned, pious, and eminent minister of St. Stephen’s church, Norwich. {148b} The discourses already quoted, contain ample evidence of the orthodox character of Mr. Ottee’s views. They indicate his belief in the doctrine of original sin; {149a} of the consequent moral inability of man to effect his own salvation; {149b} of the indispensable importance of the change called the new birth; {149c} of the Trinity; {149d} of the union of the divine and human natures in the person of the Son of God; {149e} of the atonement made by him for sin; {149f} of the obligation resting upon all men to apply themselves to the exercise of prayer, and to lead a life of personal holiness; {149g} and the vanity of trusting to the mere mercy of God, irrespectively of the channel through which he has revealed his willingness to bestow it. {149h}