[9.] Ninthly, They that plead for the reduction of all ordinances, worship, church-government, and discipline, to the primitive pattern and institution, in opposition to all human and antichristian inven- tions, traditions, and innovations in the toorship of God, they have a 1 Scultet. Annal. » Scultet. Annal., 274,
TO ALL SUFFERING SAINTS. 433
good cause ; and they that suffer upon that account, suffer as Chris- tians for well-doing. Surely this is a truth we must live and die by, viz., That no ordinance, worship,' government, or discipline, is to be held up or maintained in the church but what has the stamp of a divine institution upon it. The worsliipping of God in spirit and in truth is that worship which Grod commands, commends, accepts, and rewards; and therefore let us make it our business, our work, our heaven, to keep close to this kind of worship, John iv. 23, 24 ; Kom. i. 9 ; Phil. iii. 3. Christ will shortly come in flames of fire, and vindicate this kind of worship against all opposers, 2 Thes. i. 7-10. Hold out " faith and patience a little, and Christ will call all the troublers of his church and people into the valley of decision, Joel iii. 14 ; and there, with a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, he will plead with them, and with all such as have muddied the waters of his sanctuary, and polluted those silver streams ; and then it will appear whether the outward ceremonious worshipping of God, or the worshipping him in spirit and in truth, be the true worship, Isa. xl. 10 ; Jer. xxi. 5 ; Ezek. xxxii. 2. Judicious Hooker determines, that in God's service to do that which we are not to do is a greater fault than not to do that which we are commanded. Amongst other reasons, he gives this to our purpose, because in the one we seem to charge the law of God with hardness only, and in the other, with foolishness and insuffi- ciency, which God gave us as a perfect rule of his worship and service.^ But,
[10.] Tenthly and lastly. They that are assertors of those precioris privileges that are the purchase of the blood of Christ, they have a good cause ; and if they suffer upon that account, they suffer as Chris- tians for weU-doing, Eph. i. 22, 23 ; Col. i. 18 ; Phil. ii. 6-10. As for instance.
First, Christ as mediator hath purchased for himself a headship and supremacy over his church. Now such as stand up for the head- ship of the Lamb, against all those that would rob him of his head- ship, either at Rome or elsewhere, they have a righteous cause ; and if they suffer upon that account, they suffer as Christians for well- doing.
Secondly, He has purchased for his people a liberty to serve and worship him without fear, in holiness and righteousness all the days of their life, Luke i. 69, 70, 74, 75. He has purchased for his people a liberty from the ceremonies of Moses' law, which were originally the commands of God himself; how much more then from all Paganish and Antichristian ceremonies ! Gal. v. 1, The imposition of traditional observances and ceremonies, is to reduce us under the Jewish yoke, which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear. Acts xv. 10 ; or to impose them as equally obligatory to conscience, as divine com- mands ; or to impose them as the immediate worship of God, or as duties essentially necessary in order to salvation: Christians justly abhor, as the tyranny of Rome, as the infringement of Christian liberty, and as a violation and making void the commandment of God ; as our Saviour told the Pharisees of old, that ' they made the commandment
^ Ecclesiastical Politj-, book ii. c. vi. [2.] : Works by Keble, vol. i. p. 311, 2d ed., 18il.— G.
434 A GENERAL EPISTLE
of God of none effect,' Mat. xv. 6. The Greek word '^Kvpcoaare, signi- fies ' to deprive of all rule and authority.' They had such a superstitious esteem of their traditions, ceremonies, &c., that they sought to shoulder God out of his throne, to divest and spoil him of his rule and authority, to ungod him, as it were, by making his commandment void and invalid. Christ reprehends three things in the Jewish traditions ; (1.) That they obtruded outward cleanness on God, instead of the purity of the heart ; (2.) That by their human traditions, they made void the worship of God ; (3.) That they preferred human traditions be- fore the divine precepts ; and were so taken with their traditions, that they neglected the divine precepts ; yea, made them altogether vain, as the papists, and others that are popishly affected, do this day.i They that are the most zealous for the introducing of useless cere- monies in the church, are usually the most negligent to preach the cautions in using them ; and simple people, like children in eating of fish, swallow bones and all, to the danger of choking. Besides, what is observed of horse-hairs, that lying nine days in water, they turn to snakes ; so some ceremonies, though dead at first, in continuance of time quicken, get stings, and may do much mischief ; especially in such an age, wherein the meddling of some have justly awakened the jealousy of all. 2 Now, whoever shall suffer for asserting of any of the precious privileges, that are the purchase of Christ's blood, they suffer in a righteous cause, they suffer as Christians, for well-doing. And thus you see how a man may know when his cause is good, just, and righteous, and when he suffers as a Christian for well-doing. But,
7. Seventhly, Consider, TJiat it is not enoiigJifor a man to have a good cause, hut he must have a clear call ; else he may he a sufferer, but no martyr. Some may have a good cause, and yet want a clear call. Some may suffer for the cause of God, and yet sin in suffering, for want of a call.^ Christ calls not all to suffer ; to some it is given, to others it is not given. When a man's call is clear, his peace will be sweet, his courage will be high, and his comforts will be strong, though his sufferings be never so great, nor never so long. Though it be a high honour to suffer for the gospel, yet ' no man ought to take this honour upon himself, but he that is called of God.' Christians must take as much heed how they espouse a suffering state, as how they shun a suffering state. I am not to go to prison upon choice, but upon a call, but upon a warrant under God's own hand ; though it be an argument of a gracious spirit, to be always of a ready and forward mind to suffer for Christ. And when he demands, Who will go with me ? who will bear my cross ? cheerfully to answer, I will go. Lord, let me bear it : yet should we take heed, that as we hang not back when he says go ; so that we run not before he sends us, before he calls us.
Quest. But how shall I know when I am called to suffer, when I am called to lay down life, liberty, and all, for the profession of Christ and the gospel ? To this I answer : —
* Dr [Thomas] Fuller, Serm. [and cf. Spencer, as before under 'ceremonies.' — G.]