be charged with Schism And these Rules observed would have prevented those Persecutions which have bin in the Christian World upon the account of Rites and Ceremonies or some little difference in Religion And this is all I shall speak about christian-Christian-Worship in the External part of it And therefore shall next speak of it in the Internal part of it Of which our Saviour speaks John 4. 23. The hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth But this is General but more Particularly he that worships as a Christian 1. He Worships in the Faith of the New Testament which is a Faith respecting Christ as already come and not as yet to come as the Faith of the Old Testament did And he worships in greater assurance of Faith also which the Apostle speaks of as proper to the New Testament Heb. 10. 22. Christ having now actually Suffered and the New Covenant sealed with his Blood and ascended Heaven to make Intercession as our great High-Priest The Faith of the New Testament hath more assurance in it wherein the Saints do worship and draw nigh to God. Let us draw nigh with full assurance of Faith c. Heb. 10. 22. Let us come boldly to the Throne of Grace Heb. 4. 16. Having therefore boldness to enter the Holiest Heb. 10. 19. 2. He Worships not in the Oldness of the Letter but in the Newness of the Spirit This oldness of the Letter referrs either to the Ceremonial or Moral Law. The true Christian worships not in the oldness of the first Covenant He worships not in the Ordinances of the Ceremonial Law but only in what was spiritually signified in them His Incense is fervent Prayer ascending to Heaven in the Fire of the Holy Ghost His Peace-offering is hearty Thanksgiving His Heave-offering is an Heart lifted up to Heaven His Wine-offering Joy in God His Sin-offering is Repentance Confession of Sin and a Broken Heart His Burnt-offering is his whole Body of Sin offered up to be destroyed He keeps the Feast of Tabernacles by living as a Stranger upon Earth and Travelling towards the Heavenly Countrey He keeps the Feast of Passover in his worshipping and living without the Leaven of Hypocrisie and Malice in his Heart all his Days His Washings and Purifyings are the Sanctifyings of his Heart and Conscience And his looking towards the Temple in Worship is his looking to Christ herein And this is one part of his worshipping God in Spirit and in Truth and not in the Letter of the Ceremonial Law. So also he Worships not God in the outward Letter of the Moral Law that is meerly by the force of an outward Letter without the inward Principle of a renewed mind when the outward Letter of the Law striking upon the natural Conscience carries a Man sorth to Worship without any love to the Duty any life or delight in it this is to worship in the oldness of the Letter Rom. 7. 6. The Letter is said to kill but the Spirit giveth life 2 Cor. 3. 6. So that all Worship in the outward Letter without the Spirit is dead Worship and not truly Christian 3. The true Christian Worship is not to Worship in a Spirit of Bondage but in a Spirit of Adoption As the Apostle speaks of Christian Believers Gal. 4. 6 7. that They were no more Servants but Sons so they serve not God in the Spirit of Servants but of Sons Not so much for fear of Wrath and Punishment as love to please God honour him and enjoy him which is the Principle that they act from Perfect love casts out fear for fear hath Torment 1 Joh. 4. 18. And God hath not given us the Spirit of fear but of power love and a sound mind 2 Tim. 1. 7. And to the same purpose Rom. 8. 15. Christianity brings not Men to Mount Sinai where are Thunders and Earthquakes Blackness and Darkness and Tempests which made not only the People but Moses himself to fear and quake And in this Principle of servile fear did the Jews for the most part serve and worship God which is not the proper principle of true Christian Worship Though this Worship excludes not all fear of God but requires it Let us have Grace to serve God with Reverence â—nd Godly Fear saith the Apostle Heb. 12. 28. A Reverential Fear of God atâ—ended with an holy Modesty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Caution as the Greek words import ought to be found in all Christian Worship He worships God as a Father and with a filial fear suited to that Relation but not with servile fear 4. The true Christian Worships God as a Redeemer in Christ and so it is distinguisht from the worship of the Heathen who worshipt him only as the Creator of the World. They worshipt and adored him beholding the Characters of his Power Wisdom and Goodness in the Works of his Creation but the Christian Worships and Adores him beholding his Love Mercy and Grace c. manifested in the Work of Redemption He worships God rather as he is in Christ than in the Creatures And the Heathen worshipping God in the Creatures did lead them at last to worship the Creatures themselves and so became Idolaters instead of true Worshippers yea the Apostle saith They worshipt and served the Creature more than the Creator Rom. 1. 25. They did not worship God in his Creatures but divided their worship betwixt God and his Creatures and the Creatures got the greater share of it But none of this is Christian worship The Apostle gives account how he Worshipt God 2 Cor. 1. 3. Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ c. And Eph. 3. 14. I bow my Knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus And the Worship performed by the Elders and Angels and all Creatures that we read of Rev. 5. 13. is directed to him that Sits upon the Throne and the Lamb even that Lamb that hath Redeemed his People by his Blood. So that the Right Christian Worshipper looks at God as in Christ and as manifested in the Work of Redemption And so beholding him is inwardly acted and moved thereby to Adore and Worship him The true Principle of a Christian Lastly The true Christian Worshipper worships in Humility of Mind The Christian Religion so clearly shewing man above all Religions his lost and wretched State in his Fall and that he hath all his Righteousness Life Strength and Hope in another out of himself It teacheth him to worship in Humility As the twenty four Elders worship falling upon their Faces and casting down their Crowns before the Throne Rev. 4. 10. A Representation of right Gospel-worship which Christ therefore would have drest up in a decent plainness that it might be performed in Humility and not in Ostentation Thus we see what is the Internal part of Right Christian-Worship Not that it doth not require also the humble Gestures and Adorations of the outward
flattering Encomiums and Deisying Venerations as when the People shouted to Herod's Oration It is the Voice of a God and not of a Man it proved in the issue no honour nor kindness to him Again He will not be found in any wicked Conspiracies against Lawful Governours and abhors those Principles which justifie the Lawfulness of Killing and Assassinating Princes upon the account of Religion or any account whatsoever but thinks himself obliged to detect and discover them when they come to his knowledge neither will he publish false News or invent or scatter Seditious Libels in design to exasperate the Minds of People and disturb the peace of the Nation Lastly A good Christian Subject judgeth himself Obliged continually to Pray to Almighty God for the Peace and Welfare of the place where he dwelleth and of the Civil Government under which he is protected that he may live a peaceable Life in all Godliness and Honesty and will take heed of that Sin and Wickedness which bring down the Judgments of God upon a Nation And to speak truly to be a right Subject requires a Man to be a true Christian As Constantine or rather Constantius is said once to make tryal of his Servants by such a Test saying Qui in Deum etiam in Imperatorem perfidi essent Sozomen Lib. 1. Cap. 6. They who are perfidious to God will not be true to their Prince Thus I have run briefly through many particulars and given the World a short Taste what Christianity is and if it run in the Truth and power of it through Men in all Degrees Ranks and Relations it will make us an happy People in this World and that which is to come The Nation I know hath been sadly divided and in this woful State that one part of the Nation hath thought it their Interest to destroy the other and the foolish Names whereby we have distinguisht Men proclaimed our Folly to the World and argued the displeasure of Heaven against us By many years Experience it is made evident That there will never be Peace and Settlement in the Nation if we do not somewhat Codnescend to one another and 'till there be some Settlement Trading will decay Industry will be discouraged we shall have Breaking upon Breaking and Men will not dare to trust one another and the Revenue of the King will suffer in the End. I find most Men satisfied in the Model and Frame of our English Government Dissenters and all for the most part and can swear Allegiance to it unless a few odd People who scruple all Oaths And I believe after this unhappy and threatning Storm of the Papists is now as we hope blown over and the Providence of God so eminently appeared in the sudden scattering of it mens Minds are much disposed to quiet and settlement especially since their Majesties acceptance of the Regal Power and the Concurrence of the Lords and Commons therein And is it not a brave sight to see all sorts of People to follow their several Vocations without Distraction and Trouble The Countrey-Farmer improving his Land and Stock and paying well his Landlord The Plowman following his Plough the Carter to go Whistling by his Horses side the Sheppherd with his Dog attending his Sheep the Shoomaker sitting at his Last the Taylor upon his Board the Weaver at his Loom the Smith at his Anvill the Trades-man busie in his Shop and the Merchant exporting and importing to the enriching of the Nation To see â—o leading into Captivity no complainâ—ng in our Streets but Mens Swords turned â—nto Plough-shares and Spears into Pruning-â—ooks to which I may add with the Psalâ—ist as the Conclusion of all Happy is that â—eople who are in such a Case yea happy is that â—eople whose God is the Lord. Psal 144. ult v. But if War should arise I hope it will not continue long and the Ancient Proverb made good Bellum in Angliâ non senescit And that â—â— will soon issue in an happy Peace And â—othing is likely more to shorten it than a â—rm Union amongst our selves England beâ—ng compared by the Historian to a great Aâ—imal that will not dye until it Kill it self Of Right Christian Worship I Call it Christian to distinguish it from Jewish Mahometan Pagan or any false Worship That Worship which Christ hath appointed for his Church under the New Testament â—his I call Christian which I touch'd upon before this Worship is either External or Inâ—ernal External consists in the Ordinances appointed by him wherein the outward man is concerned As all Nations have some outward Rites Modes and Forms which they use in their Worship besides the Worship of the inward Man. God appointed such for the Church of the Old Testament and Christ hath appointed some for the Church of the New But hath laid aside those many Figures and Shadows and significant Ceremonies which clouded the Old testament-Testament-Worship intending a more spiritual Worship for his Church in its adulâ— State conversing more immediately with theâ— heavenly things themselves and so nearer resembling the Worship of Heaven And intending to give more of the help of his Spirit hath provided fewer sensible helps in his Worship And because he went out of the World before the Gospel Church and Worship werâ— fully establisht he sent forth his Spirit to direct his Apostles herein And we may observe 1. How they make no mention of the Blooâ— or Flesh of any Beasts or Fowls to be offereâ— in Sacrifice or of Flower Wine Oyl Incense c. as were used under the Law to be used in the New Testament-Church 2. Neither do they mention any Altar oâ— Earth Wood or Stone to which the Ministers of the New Testament are to approacâ— in the Service of God as the Priests were appointed under the Law. 3. Neither have they given notice of anâ— one general Place that is appointed for hiâ— People to assemble in as the Jews did at Jerusalem 4. Neither do they mention any particular Times or stated Days Months or Years to be observed for solemn Fasts or Festivals as God appointed under the Law Or any of the Jewish Sabbaths but only that of the Moral Law changed from the Seventh to the First day 5. Neither did the Apostles give Order about Consecrating of Temples and Worship therein whereby it might be the more acceptable to God for the Places sake as it was under the Law or prescribed the Forms or Dimensions of any such Temple or Temples as it was then 6. Neither have the Apostles mentioned any thing about Musicians and Choristers by Office or Singers or Players upon Instruments of Musick as the Law required 7. Neither have they left any thing upon Record about the Confining of the Instituted Worship of God to any particular Family Seed Countrey or Nation as it was under the Old Testament when the Ordinances of Gods Worship were the Inheritance of the House of Jacob Psal 47. 4. 8. Neither have they told us of any High-Priest or
Man which was practised in the Old Testament and ought to be also in the New and was practised by Christ himself and the Light of Nature did lead the Heathens to it in their Worship And the Christian Religion excludes none of the Principles of the Light of Nature But that worship which is more strictly Christian is worship in Spirit from an Evangelical Principle and according to the Laws and Institutions of the New Testament Neither doth this Religion exclude publick Oratories Temples or as we call them Churches for publick Worship or any convenient places appropriate thereunto The Light of Nature and the forementioned Rules of doing all things Decently and to Edification in the worship of God doth direct to them but to think that the Place makes the worship acceptable is no Christian Principle as having no holiness in it like the Jewish Temple and under no such Institution For that Temple was figurative both of Christ and the Gospel-Church So that God hath his Temple still his Visible Church as the Apostle tells the Corinthians Whose Temple you are And as that Temple of Solomon had its outward and inward Court so it is now Some who worship in the outward Form only which are the outward Court given up to the Gentiles or Paganizing Christians and are that Temple where the Man of Sin sits and which God regards not and will not have it measured And others who worship God in Spirit and are the inward Court and the true Temple and Altar measured by the line of Gods Sanctuary and where Christ doth sit and walk And was this Spiritual Worship more regarded I believe we should not contend so much about the Ceremonial part which when it is forced upon Men by Fines and Penalties it looks more like Antichristian than Christian Worship Of the English PARLIAMENT considered as Christian I Should not have added any thing upon this Head but that the present juncture of Affairs makes it seasonable we having at this Time a Parliament Assembled not only of Christian Men but of Protestants which profess Reformed Christianity And by a wonderful and unexpected Call brought together and in a critical Time when the Nation was in an Agony of Fear Distraction and Danger How welcome are Physicians to a Distempered Dying Patient who both know the Malady and have Skill to recover him Such we hope this Parliament to be to England consisting of so many Eminent Worthies freely chosen and freely debating sent from all parts of the Nation to Consult our Cure. And seeing that I have bin treating of the Christian Religion in the Excellency and Influence of it we cannot but expect its Eminent Influence upon that great Assembly And that true Christianity will be in the Chair and preside in all their Votes and Deâ—btes I do not presume to be capable of giving any Advice to those Honourable Persons who are every way so far above me All I shall presume unto is only to lay before them such things which they already know and present them in a fresh view to their Minds and that only in Hypothesi and only according to the Laws of Christianity and not the Rules of State-Policy Our English Parliament we know it to be the Supream Court of the Nation England's Sanhedrim and the Kings great Council of ancient Constitution acknowledged and maintained by successive Princes both of the Saxon and Norman Race for many Generations It is the Epitome of the whole Nation who are all here either present or represented It is the Fountain of Justice the Ne plus ultrà of Controversie It is the Bulwark of its Defence the Healer of its Breaches the united Reason Wisdom and Counsel of the whole Kingdom It is the true Ballance of our English Government holding the Scale even betwixt a Turkish Tyranny and Republican Democracy or betwixt Arbitrary Government and Popular Anarchy yea I may style it a brief Model of the whole Universe wherein the King may be considered as Regent in both Houses the Peers as the Planets compassing him about who as they receive the Splendour of their Honour from him so they reflect it back again upon him in their Loyalty and Allegiance to his Person and Government The House of Commons is as the middle Region which by its Coldness doth Temper and Moderate the Influence of the Superior Luminaries that the Earth of the Common People may not be Scorched by it The wholsome Laws here Enacted are as Rivers that Run forth to refresh the whole Land. And it subsists as the Universe by the Unity of its Parts and breaks in pieces by Division And as Natural things are formed by the Communion that is betwixt the Superior and Inferior World so things Political by that Communion which is betwixt the two Houses of Parliament But who is a right qualified Member of this great Assembly He that would describe him may have the easier Task by having the Instances before him hereof in the many eminent Worthies now met together in this present Parliament First He is one who sits in the House by a just Right either by the right of Birth and Peerage as the Lords or by a right of a free Election of the People in the Majority of their Votes and Suffrages as the Commons But yet as he is a Christian he takes notice of the Providence of God in calling him to this Publick Service Again He is a Man not Acted by Ambition cometh not thither meerly to assume Honour to himself but to do some publick Good to the Nation and Service to his Country which he accounts his greatest Honour which is a temper becoming Christianity He sits in the House with a mind free from Prejudice both with respect to Causes and the Persons of all Men and gives up himself to the conduct of Reason Equity and Conscience in all his Votes and Debates that he may not justly wrong any Man as becomes a Christian He is not pertinacious in his own sentiments and overweening his own Parts and Wisdom above other Men but is more ready to hear than to speak and will submit readily himself to Men of greater Judgment and Experience than his own and in Honour will prefer another before himself as becomes a Christian He looks not on himself as a private Person when he sits in that great Assembly and therefore lays aside the consideration of all private Interests when they stand in Competition with the publick Good that he may Faithfully discharge both towards God and Man the publick Trust that is in his Hand As becometh an English Senatour and a Christian He will not suffer himself to be transported with Heat or Passion whereby his Judgment may be blinded and his Speech precipitate and provoking but hath that Command over his own Spirit by the Dominion of Reason and the Grace of God in his Soul whereby he can either be Silent and not Speak or else can Speak with that Sedateness and Sobriety as