A

DISCOURSE

CONCERNING LITURGIES,

AND

THEIR IMPOSITION.

CHAP. I.

The state of the Judaical church. The liberty given by Christ, 1. From the arbitrary impositions of men; 2. From the observances and rites instituted by Moses. The continuance of their observation in the patience and forbearance of God. Difference about them stated. Legal righteousness and legal ceremonies contended for together, the reason of it.

ALTHOUGH our present inquiry be merely after one part of instituted worship under the gospel, and the due performance of it according to the mind of God; yet there being a communication of some light to be obtained from the turning over of that worship from the Mosaical, to the care and practice of the evangelical church, we shall look a little back unto it as therein stated, hoping thereby to make way for our clearer progress. What was the state of the church of God amongst the Jews as to instituted worship, when our blessed Saviour came to make the last and perfect discovery of his mind and will, is manifest both from the appointment of that worship in the law of Moses, and the practice of it remarked in the gospel. That the rites and ordinances of the worship in the church observed, were from the original in their nature carnal, and for the number many, on both accounts burdensome and grievous to the worshippers, the Scripture frequently declares. Howbeit, the teachers and rulers of the church being grown wholly carnal in their spirits, and placing their only glory in their yoke, not being able to see

to the end of the things that were to be done away, had increased those institutions both in number and weight, with sundry inventions of their own, which by their authority they made necessary to be observed by their disciples. In an equal practice of these divine institutions and human inventions, did our Lord Jesus Christ find the generality of the church at his coming in the flesh. The former being to, continue in force until the time of reformation, at his resurrection from the dead, should come; both by his practice, and his teaching as a minister of circumcision, he confirmed and pressed frequently on the consciences of men, from the authority of the law-maker. The latter he utterly rejected, as introduced in a high derogation from the perfection of the law, and the honour of him whose prerogative it is to be the sole lawgiver of his church; the only fountain and disposer of his own worship. And this was the first dawning of liberty, that with the rising of this day-star did appear to the burdened and languishing consciences of men. He freed them by his teaching from the bondage of pharisaical arbitrary impositions, delivering their consciences from subjection to any thing in the worship of God, but his own immediate authority. For it may not be supposed that when he recommended unto his hearers an attendance unto the teaching of the scribes and Pharisees, with an injunction to obey their directions, that he intended aught but those commands which they gave from him, and according to his mind, whose fear they did outwardly profess; seeing that both in general and particular he did himself condemn their traditions and impositions, giving out a rule of liberty from them unto others in his own constant practice. Yea, and whereas he would do civil things in their own nature indifferent, whereunto he was by no righteous law obliged, to avoid the offence of any which he saw might fol low, Matt. xvii. 24. yet would he not practise or give coun tenance unto, nay, nor abstain from condemning of any o their ecclesiastical self-invented observances, though he sav them offended and scandalized at him, and was by other informed no less, chap. xv. 12-14. confirming his practic with that standing rule concerning all things relating to th worship of God, 'every plant which my heavenly Fathe hath not planted shall be rooted up.' But he is yet farther

to carry on the work of giving liberty to all the disciples, that he might take them into a subjection to himself, and his own authority only. The Aaronical priesthood being the hinge on which the whole ceremonial worship turned, so that upon a change thereof, the obligation of the law unto that worship, or any part of it, was necessarily to cease, our blessed Saviour in his death and oblation entering upon the office, and actually discharging the great duty of his priesthood, did virtually put an end to the whole obligation of the first institution of Mosaical worship, In his death was the procurement of the liberty of his disciples completely finished as unto conscience, the supposed obligation of men's traditions, and the real obligation of Mosaical institutions, being by him (the first as a prophet in his teaching, the last as a priest in his offering) dissolved and taken away. From that day all the disciples of Christ were taken under his immediate lordship, and made free to the end of the world from all obligations in conscience unto any thing in the worship of God, but what is of his own institution and command.

This dissolution of the obligation of the law of commandments contained in ordinances, being declared by his apostles and disciples, became a matter of great difference and debate amongst the Jews to whom the gospel was first preached. Those who before had slain him in pursuit of their own charge, that he would bring in such an alteration in the worship of God as was now divulged, were many of them exceedingly enraged at this new doctrine; and had their prejudices against him and his way much increased, hating indeed the light, because their deeds were evil; these being obstinately bent to seek after righteousness (as it were, at least) by the works of the law, contended for their ceremonial works as one of the best stakes in their hedge, in whose observance they placed their chiefest confidence of their acceptance with God. But this is not all; many, who falling under powerful convictions of his doctrine and miracles believed on him, did yet pertinaciously adhere to their old ceremonial worship; partly for want of clear light and understanding in the doctrine of the person and office of the Messiah, partly through the power of those unspeakable prejudices which influenced their minds in reference to thos

rites, which being from of old observed by their forefathers, derived their original from God himself (much the most noble pleas and pretences, that ever any of the sons of men had to insist upon, for a subjection to such a yoke, as indeed had lost all power to oblige them); they were very desirous to mix the observance of them with obedience unto those institutions which they through the Lord Jesus had superadded to them.

Things being thus stated amongst the Jews, God having a great work to accomplish among and upon them in a short time, would not have the effect of it turn upon this hinge merely, and therefore in his infinite wisdom and condescention waved the whole contest for a season. For whereas within the space of forty years or thereabout he was to call and gather out from the body, by the preaching of the gospel, his remnant according to the election of grace, and to leave the rest inexcusable, thereby visibly glorifying his justice in their temporal and eternal ruin; it pleased him in a way of connivance and forbearance, to continue unto that people an allowance of the observation of their old worship, until the time appointed for its utter removal and actual casting away should come. Though the original obligation in conscience from the first institution of their ceremonies was taken away, yet hence arose a new necessity of the observation of them, even in them who were acquainted with the dissolution of that obligation; namely, from the offence and scandal of them to whom their observance was providentially indulged. On this account the disciples of Christ (and the apostles themselves) continued in a promiscuous observation of Mosaical institutions, with the rest of the body of that people, until the oppointed season of the utter rejection and destruction of the apostate churches were come. Hence many of the ancients affirm that James the less, living at Jerusalem in great reputation with all the people for his sanctity and righteousness, was not to the very time of his martyrdom known to be a Christian; which had been utterly impossible, had he totally abstained from communion with them in legal worship. Neither had that old controversy about the feast of the passover any other rise or spring than the mistake of some who thought John had observed it as a Christian, who kept it only as a Judaical feast among the