The Christians Alphabet, Part 2 · Section 8
H Of one God onelyonly to bee worshipped with religious worship.
Q. Rehearse the letter H?
A. HE, euen this God alone is to be worshipped and called vponupon: and that onelyonly in the name of Christ, with vnderstanding, and as him selfe hath commanded.
For thus euer did the true Church of God: and to worship and pray vntounto any other, is to giuegive Gods glory to a creature.
Q. Proue that God onelyonly is to be worshiped?
A. It is written Matth. 4.10.1God only is to be worshiped Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him onelyonly shalt thou serue. And Reu. 22.8.9. S. Iohn saith, I fell downe to worship before the feete of the Angell: but he said vntounto mee, See thou doe it not: for I am they fellow seruant, and of thy brethren the Prophets, and of them which keepe the words of this booke: Worship God.
Q. Proue that God only is to be called vponupon?
2He only is to be called vponupon.A. God himselfe saith Ps. 50.15. Call vponupon me, in the day of trouble; I will deliuer thee, and thou shalt glorifie me. And Luk. 11.2. Our Sauiour teaching the most perfect forme of prayer, saith. When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in Heauen, &c.
Q. Proue that we are to call vponupon God, only in the name of Christ?
3Only in the name of Christ.A. Christ himselfe saith, Ioh. 1….22. Verily, verily, I say vntounto you, whatsoeuer yee shall aske the Father in my name, he will giuegive it you. And 1 Tim. 2.5. There is one God, and one mediator betweene God and man, the man Christ Jesus. Therefore he is called, Heb. 12.24. The mediator of the new Testament.
Q. Proue that we must worship, and pray to God with vnderstanding?4With vnderstanding.
A. So saith the Apostle in the name of eueryevery good Christian; 1 Cor. 14.15. I will pray with the spirit, and will pray with vnderstanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and will si…g with vnderstanding also. And our Sauiour sheweth the reason, why we ought so to doe, Ioh. 4.24. because, God is a spirit, and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit aud in truth.
Q. Proue that we must worship and call vponupon God onelyonly as himselfe hath commanded?
A. It is written, 5Only a… he hath commanded.Deu. 12.32. What thing soeuer I command you, obserue to do it, thou shalt not adde thereto, nor diminish from it. And Isa. 29.13. God complaineth, that their feare towards him, is taught by the precept of men. And Christ saith Matth. 15.9. In vaine they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandements of men.
Q. Proue that the true Church did euer thus worship, and pray vntounto God onelyonly.
A. It will manifestly appeare, if wee take a view of all ages from the beginning of the world; 6So it was in all ages.both before the Law; vnderunder the Law; and after the Law, vnderunder the Gospel, in the time of Christ and his Apostles.
Q. Prooue that before the Law, God onelyonly was worshipped and called vponupon?
1Before the Law.A. The sacred history of Gods word from the first man Adam vntounto Moses, doeth manifestly prooue it. And it is expresly said, Gen. 4.26. at the restitution and reformation of Religion, formerly corrupted by the posterity of Cain▪ That then men began to call vponupon the name of the Lord.
Q. Prooue that vnderunder the Law God onelyonly was worshiped and called vponupon?
2VnderUnder the Law.A. The trueth of this may euidently appeare, in that by the Law all religious seruice and sacrifice was offered vntounto God onelyonly. And it is sayd Psal. 22.4.5. Our fathers trusted in thee, they trusted, and thou diddest deliuer them, they called vponupon thee and were deliuered, they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
Q. Proue that after the Law in the time of the Gospell, God only was worshipped & prayed vntounto?
A. It is euident in that Christ did so teach; ☜3Af…er the law.the Apostles did both so preach and practise. Againe, a good Christian is stiled or sayd to be, A worshipper of God, or one that calleth on the name of the Lord. And such are called the true worshippers.
Q. Prooue that Christ did so teach?☜
A. That our Sauiour Christ did so teach and maintayne, 1Christ did so teach.may appeare euidently, both by his combate with Satan Mat. 4.10. where he proueth by the Scriptures, that religious worship and seruice is to bee done vntounto God onelyonly. And Matth. 6.9. teaching his Disciples, and in them vsus, to pray, hee sayth, After this maner therefore pray ye, Our father which art in heauen, &c.
☞Q. Prooue the Apostles did both so teach and practise?2…he Apostles did so preach & practise.
A. That the Apostles did so teach, see Phil. 4.6. Be nothing ca…efull, but in all things let your requ…sts bee shewed vntounto God in prayer and supplication, with giui…g of thankes. And that they did so practise, and that all the …aithfull did the like, accordin… to their doctrine and example, is manifest by all the formes of prayer recorded in the New Testament; and specially by that of the Apostle, Eph. 3.14. I bow my k…e…s vntounto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ &c.
☞Q. Proue that a good Christian is stiled a worshipper of God?
A. It is euident in that speech of the blinde man cured by Christ, 3A worshipper of God is the title of a Christiā.Io. 9.31. Ye know, sayth hee, that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doth his will, him heareth he. Where wee see, hee calleth a good Christian or godly man, a worshipper of God. And 2. Tim. 2.19. In stead of saying, let eueryevery Christian, S. Paul sayth, Let eueryevery one that calleth on the name of Christ, depart from iniquity.
Q Proue that such as worship God onelyonly, are the true worshippers?
A. That such as worship & call vponupon God onelyonly,☜ 4The worshipper of God only, is the true worshipper.are the true worshippers, may be gathered by the words of Christ to the woman of Samaria, Io. 4.22.23. Ye worship, sayth hee, ye know not what; we know what wee worship, &c. But the houre commeth, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the father in spirit and in trueth: for the father seeketh such to worship him.
Q. How proue you, that to worship or pray vntounto any other, is to giuegive Gods glory to a creature?
7Otherwise Gods glory is giuen to a creature.A. Because the prayse of hearing all prayer, of all creatures, belongeth to God, see Psal. 65.1.2. Prayse wayteth for thee, O God, in Sion: and vntounto thee shall the vow be performed. O thou that hearest prayer, vntounto thee shall all flesh come. And Isa. 42.8. I am the Lord, that is my name, and my glory will I not giuegive to another, neyther my prayse to grauen Images.