A Just Defense of Hearing the Sermons, Answer to preface · Section 20
Sect. 20. Gods love to us is not less, in not determining the whole of his Worship to us, as to the Jews.
3. Saith he, Whether God doth not bear as much love to, and exercise as much faithfulness over his New Testament Churches, as over the National Church of the Jews?
Answ. No doubt of it: yet doth not God shew his love, nor exercise his faithfulness over his New Testament Churches in the same way or course of Providence as he did, and perhaps, will do over the National Church of the Jews. He doth not gather the New Testament Churches by a mighty hand, and a stretched-out arm; as he did, when he brought Israel out of Egypt by the hand of Moses; but by the calling of his Word, and operation of his Spirit. Nor doth he make them Conquerours by Arms; but they overcome the old Serpent by the blood of the Lamb, and by the Word of their Testimony, and they love not their lives unto the death, Rev. 12.11. Nor doth God now settle his Church in one fruitful Land, under one earthly King, as he did the Jews under David, and Solomon; but in all Countries, where they are called; protects, and feeds them by the Great Shepherd of the Sheep, the Lord Jesus Christ, and his Spirit, in that estate and station, wherein they are called. Nor is it improbable, that in the future calling of the Jews, God will shew more remarkable Providences, for their re-ingraffing into their own Olive, than ever he hath yet shewed towards the Churches of the Gentiles,
It is added. If so, then 4. Whether he hath not (as of old he did, with reference unto the then Church) determined the whole of the Worship, appertaining unto them, to whose Institutions, without any Humane additions, it is the duty of souls solely to conform?
Answ. The whole of the Worship appertaining to the New Testament Churches, is either inward or outward. To the New Testament Churches, God hath determined the whole of his inward Worship, as of old he did, with reference unto the then Chu…ch; or rather, he hath more fully determined the Worship of himself, by exercise of Faith, and hope in Prayer and Thanksgiving, having now more … opened the mystery of his Will, in the way of access to him, and accepting of our service; than he did to the Jews before Christs coming. But for the outward Worship, though he have set down sufficiently what we are to place his Worship in, and wherein he hath determined by Precept or Example; that hath the force of a Precept, what is to be done by us; that alone we are to account his Worship, and to conform solely to it as his Institution, without any Humane Additions or Alterations; yet in respect of Circumstantials, such as are, Time, Place, Meetings, Order in Doing, and the like, God hath not determined the whole of the outward Worship appertaining to the New Testament Churches, as of old he did with reference to the then Church; but hath left such things (though needful to the well performing of the Worship he hath determined) under general rules prescribed in holy Scripture, to be set down by men, who are Governours; to whom obedience is due in order to the end of their directions, though not with equal tie of Conscience, as to Divine Institutions. Nor doth God hereby bear less love, or exercise less faithfulness over his New Testament Churches, than he did over the National Church of the Jews; but rather more:
1. Because the determination of the whole of the Worship of God to the National Church of the Jews, was the imposing of a yoke on them, which neither the elder nor later Jews were able to bear, Acts 15.10. and therefore God shewed more love, and exercised more faithfulness over his New Testament Churches, in not determining the whole of his Worship in Circumstantials, as he did to the Jews.
2. The determination of the whole of Gods Worship to the Jews, in Circumstantials of outward Worship, did bring in many things which were unprofitable, and weak, and made nothing perfect, Heb. 7.18, 19. And if God had so determined to us, he had commanded things unprofitable, weak, which made nothing perfect; therefore he shewed more love and faithfulness to us, in not so determining.
3. The things God had determined to the Jews about the Circumstantials and Rituals of his Worship, were but shadows of good things to come, which were not fit to be continued, or to be supplied with any other, Christ being come, who was the Body, or Substance, Col. 2.16, 17. Heb. 10.1. Therefore God in not determining such things to us, hath shewed more love and faithfulness.
4 Such Ordinances were carnal, to endure only until the time of Reformation; therefore it is a part of Gods love and faithfulness, that neither the same in particular, nor other, are precisely determined to us by God, this time of the Gospel, being the time of Reformation, Heb 9.9, 10.
5. God so determined the whole of his Worship to the Jews, because they were in their Minority, and therefore were to be kept under those weak and beggerly Elements of the World, as under Tutors, and Governours, until the time appointed of the Father, Gal. 4 1, 2, 3, 9. But the Christian Believers are as sons come to age, and therefore fit to be released of them, and such like; and to be at more liberty in these things, than they were before, v. 7.
6. The time before Christs coming, was an estate under Moses a Servant; but now the estate of Christians is under Christ the Son, Gal. 4.4, 5, 6, 7 Heb 3.5, 6. Therefore our freedom from such determinations as were upon the Jews, is more congruous, than to have them imposed on us; and consequently, a sign of more love in God.
7. If such determinations of the whole of Gods Worship had been to us, as were to the Jews, we had not reaped the fruit of Christs death, by which he did abolish them, Eph. 2.14, 15. Col. 2.14. and consequ…ntly, had tasted less of the love of God than we have; if the same, or such precise determinations of the whole of Gods Worship, had been continued to us.
8. The Apostles judged it a great benefit to the Christian Churches, that they were exempt from them; and it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to them, to lay upon the Churches no greater burden, than those necessary things, mentioned Acts 15.28, 29. therefore they counted it an effect of Gods love, that he had not determined the whole of his Worship to us, as he did to the Jews.
9. This yields us also another reason why it is an effect of Gods greater love to the Gentile Churches, that he hath not determined to them the whole of his Worship, as he did to the Jews; because those Gentile Christians being of divers Nations and Languages under divers Governments, used to divers Customs, could not conveniently, if at all, practice such an uniformity of Circumstances, as they must have done if God had determined the whole of his Worship, as he did to the Jews.
10 To averr that God hath determined the whole of his outward Worship in Circumstantials, as he did to the Jews, is to infringe our Christian liberty, and to bring us into such bondage as they were in, who were under the Law; which is not agreeable to that love which God hath born to the New Testament Churches, and the New Covenant, which he hath made under the Gospel, Gal. 4.20, 21, 24. This Author adds: