1. There is nothing accidental in the worship of God; everything that belongs to it is part of it. Matt, xxiii. 23. Some things are of more use, weight, and importance, than others, but all things that duly belong unto it are parts of it, or of its substance. Outward circumstances are natural and occasional, not accidental parts of worship.
2. Prayers and praises, absolutely considered, are not an institu- tion of Christ; they are a part of natural worship, common to all mankind. His institution respecteth only the internal form of them, and the manner of their performance; but this is that which the liturgy taketh on itself, — namely, to supply and determine the matter, to prescribe the manner, and to limit all the concerns of them to modes and forms of its own; which is to take the work of Christ out of his hands !
S. Outward rites and modes of worship divinely instituted and
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determined do become thereby necessary parts of divine worship, Lev. i. 1-6; therefore such as are humanly instituted, appointed, and determined, are thereby made parts of worship, — namely, of that which is false, for want of a divine institution.
4. Prayer and praise are not things prescribed and enjoined in and by the liturgy; it is so far from it, that thereby all prayers and praises in church-assemblies, merely as such, are prohibited; — but it is its own forms, ways, and modes, with their determination and limitation alone, that are instituted, prescribed, and enjoined by it; but these things have no divine institution, and therefore are so far false worship.
Second Argument. — That which was in its first contrivance, and hath been in its continuance, an invention or engine to defeat or render useless the promise of Christ unto his church of sending the Holy Spirit in all ages, to enable it unto a due dischai'ge and performance of all divine worship in its assemblies, is unlawful to be complied withal, nor can be admitted in religious worship; but such is the liturgical worship: ergo, etc.
That the Lord Jesus Christ did make such a promise, that he doth make it good, that the very being and continuance of the church (without which it is but a dead machine) doth depend thereon, I suppose will not be denied ; it hath been sufficiently proved. Hei-eon the church lived and acted for sundry ages, performing all divine worship in its assemblies by virtue of the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit, and no otherwise.
When these things were neglected, when the way of attaining them and the exercise of them appeared too difficult to men of car- nal minds, this way of worship by a prescribed liturgy was insen- sibly brought in, to render the promise of Christ and the whole work of the Holy Spirit in the administration of gifts useless; and there- upon two things did follow: —
L A total neglect of all the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the adminis- tration of church worship and ordinances.
2. When a plea for the work of the Holy Spirit began to be re- vived, it produced all that enmity, hatred, and contempt of and against the Spirit of God himself, and his whole work in the church, which the world is now filled withal. All the reproaches that are daily cast upon the Spirit of prayer, all that contempt and scorn which all duties of religious worship performed by his aid and assist- ance are entertained withal, arise from hence alone, — namely, from a justification of this devised way of worship as the only true way and means thereof. Take away this, and the wrath and anger of men against the Spirit of God and his work in the worship of the church will be abated, yea, the necessity of them will be evident.
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This we cannot comply with, lest we approve of the original de- sign of it, and partake in the sins which proceed from it.
Third Argument. — That in religious worship which derogates from the kingly office of Jesus Christ, so far as it doth so, is false worship.
Unto this office of Christ it inseparably belongs that he be the sole lawgiver of the church in all the Avorship of God. The rule of his government herein is, " Teach men to observe and do whatsoever I command." But the worship treated about consisteth wholly in the institutions, commands, prescriptions, orders, and rules of men; and on the authority of men alone do all their impositions on the practice of the church depend. What is this but to renounce the kingly office of Christ in the church?
Fourth Argument, — That which giveth testimony against the faithfulness of Christ in his house as a Son, and Lord of it, above that of any servant, is not to be complied withal ; let all his disciples judge.
Unto this faithfulness of Christ it doth belong to appoint and command all things whatever in the church that belong to the wor- ship of God, as is evident from his comparison with Moses lierein, and his preference above him. But the institution and prescription of all things in religious worship, of things never instituted or pre- scribed by Christ, in the forms and modes of them, ariseth from a supposition of a defect in the wisdom, care, and faithfulness of Christ; whence alone a necessity can arise of prescribing that in religious worship which he hath not prescribed.