the Scripture holds out to us this Object of worship excluding all others 1 Sam. 7.3 Prepare your hearts to the Lord and serve him only Mat. 4.10 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve 2. We must worship the True God or worship God as God therefore we must have true apprehensions of God right conceptions of him in his Nature Attributes and Properties and a true knowledge of God in Christ and as he hath revealed himself in the Covenant of Grace 3. God must be worshipped and served as our God with an appropriation of him to our selves apprehending our Covenant-Relation to him and Interest in him Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God God the true God our God is the sole Object of Religious worship Concl. 2 2. The right worshipping of this our God is a religious holy observance of him and obedience to him so that true full worship takes up the inward and the outward man and takes in all sorts of duties and all points of obedience there is an Universality both respecting the Subject of worship which must be the whole man and respecting the Parts of worship how far it is to extend in point of duty to all duty it must be whole obedience First Inward worship there must be the worship of the inward man heart-worship soul-worship which consisteth in 1. A right knowledge and acknowledgment of God as he hath revealed himself in his Word and Works And 2. A Religious holy affection toward God thus known and acknowledged for we must know that the Law of God which is the rule of his worship is Spiritual reaching the understanding and affections and all the powers of the Soul We have both this knowledge and acknowledgement of God and this affection toward God called for by Moses Deut. 6.4 5. Hear O Israel the Lord thy God is one Lord know this and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and withal thy might Now Religious holy affection towards God hath in it and noteth out to us Internal duties all the internal duties of worship which are the Souls more immediate actings wherein we glorifie God It cannot be expected that I should name them all I shall but touch upon some few specialties 1. 1 Faith Faith is one part of the Internal worship of God I say Faith to believe God and Faith to believe in God for there is a great difference between these two And the first of these viz. to believe God is to be taken in a double sence 1. 1 To believe God Credere Deum to believe the Being of the true God that there is a God and that he is such a God as the Scripture speaks him to be 2. Credere Deo to assent unto and be thoroughly perswaded of all that God hath spoken in his Word so submitting our judgement and stooping our reason to Gods revelations resting satisfied with them This surely is part of that worship and honour which every soul oweth to God To believe God his Being and to believe his Sayings Then 2 To believe in God to beleive in or on God is to have the Soul carried by Faith unto God in Christ as my God and Father and to apply to my self the promises of Grace which in Christ are yea and amen So casting my self upon God and depending on his Fatherly goodness for all good things for Soul and body This Faith is to be lookt upon as a vertue or work of the Soul which appertaineth to and is part of the inward worship of God 2. 2 Love Another ingredient of Divine internal worship is Love when knowing God to be the chief good and apprehending our own interest in him we love him truly and above all other things desiting nothing so much as communion with him and to be conformed to him This worship is called for in Scripture Mat. 22.37 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God withal thy heart and withal thy soul and with all thy mind 3. 3. Fear The fear of God is the internal worship of God when reverencing the Word of God and the Majesty and Holiness and Justice of God we flie sin as being fearful to offend God and careful to please him in all things This holy fear is called for in many places of Scripture Deut. 6.13 Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God Fear the Lord ye his Saints Psal 34. â— In thy fear will I worship saith David This fear of God is such a special part of inward worship that is is not rarely put for the whole worship of God for all Religion and godliness The Prophet Esay saith Isa 29.13 Their fear toward me is taught by the Precepts of men Our Saviour quoting this Text gives us the sence of it thus Mat. 15.9 In vain do they worship me teaching for Doctrine the commandments of men 4. 4. Repentance True Gospel-Repentance which comprehends Faith in it and is the turning of the whole Soul unto God lookt upon as an effect of Sanctification is the internal worship of God When we acknowledge our sinnes and acknowledging them bewail them and cast our selves by Faith upon the Mercies of God through the Merits of Jesus Christ firmly purposing by the help of Grace to abstain from sin and to obey God in all things herein we give God the glory of his Omniscience and Holiness and Justice and Mercy and this is surely to worship God when in our hearts we reverence him and give him the glory of his Attributes This is that worship which Paul taught Repentance toward God Act. 20.21 and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ 5. The inward worship of God is with a thankful heart to acknowledge the goodness and beneficence of God towards us looking upon our selves as utterly unworthy of any of his gifts seriously purposing to glorifie our good God I might multiply particulars wherein the internal worship of God consisteth But these few hints shall suffice Secondly Outward worship As concerning External worship I shall only hint what it is in general To worship God Externally is sincerely and regularly to professe and practice true Religion carefully and conscionably endeavouring to perform all outward duties incumbent on us by the command of God I say sincerely to profess and practice true Religion in performing such duties Note Note this by the way Though Internal worship may be where there is at present no acting of that which is External yet there is no External worship which is indeed worship without Internal that which is only an action of the outward man meerly bodily exercise and not an act likewise of the inward man the act of the heart and Soul moving toward God that is not the worship of God However the Soul may and doth often act toward God in holy Worship in Faith and Love and godly Fear c. when no visible
come neer unto God our best services are so faulty and so filthy that in themselves they are rather a dishonouring of God than otherwise and therefore cannot be pleasing to God but onely through Jesus Christ in whom the Father is well pleased Therefore when we worship God we must gather into Jesus Christ and lay hold upon his Righteousness and present our services to God through Christ and leave our duties with Christ to be offered by him to his Father and our Father that they may be accepted through him as from him and for his sake I shall insist a little longer upon this forth Position that we are in hand with further to evince the necessity of Faith in the Mediator unto a right worshipping of God First I shall shew it respecting Prayer in particular and then respecting all Worship in general First respecting Prayer Faith is necessary To set Prayer on foot and To carry on the work and duty of Prayer and To the concluding of Prayer with an Amen and To keep the heart in a right frame after Prayer 1. It is necessary to set Prayer on foot or to bring the Soul to Prayer Can a man have any stomack to go and crave and make request where he hath no hope to speed Now where effectual Faith is not there can be no hope to speed in any suit to God and that upon this twofold account 1. It is upon account of the relation in which any soul standeth unto God that it can have any hope of obtaining that which it seeketh from God It is the consideration of God his Father-Hood and our Son-Ship that must bring us to Prayer giving us encouragement to go to God with our petitions The Prodigal saith I will arise Luk. 15.18 and go to my Father A Child hath reason to hope that his Father will hear him and do for him when he cannot expect it from a stranger Now how come we into the Religion of God to have him to be our Father How come we to have the Son-ship of Christ upon us by vertue of which we may be admitted into the presence of God and be received by him See that Scripture John 1.12 As many as received him to them gave he this Power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Priviledge to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name Ye are all the children of God Gal. 3.26 saith the Apostle by Faith in Christ Jesus 2. We cannot stand before God without Righteousness and this the Soul hath not of its own in it self We cannot look upon our selves but as sinful guilty persons nor upon our duties but as very defective The Righteousness which we must have that we may be accepted of God must be a Righteousness out of our selves another's Righteousness viz. the Righteousness of Christ which yet must be ours that it may do us good Now it becomes ours by Faith the Righteousness which gives us access to God by Jesus Christ is the Righteousnes of Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 3.22 the Righteousness of God which is by the Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe Now for as much as without this Righteousness we can have no hope God-ward How can we with any confidence draw neer to God till such time as by Faith we close with Jesus Christ and apply his Righteousness to our selves Upon this account Faith is necessary to set Prayer on foot to set the Spirit of Prayer on work 2. Faith is necessary to carry on the work of Prayer and for the discharging of the duty 1. That we may with humble holy boldness with a Child-like confidence pray unto God Eph. 3.12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the Faith of him 2. That we may lift up holy hands in Prayer I will saith the Apostle that men pray every where 1 Tim. 2.8 lifting up pure hands without wrath or doubting It is Faith that purifies the heart 2 Cor. 7.1 Having these promises let us cleanse our selves form all filthyness of the flesh and spirit Revelations concerning the Love and good Will of God concerning Christ and Grace do purge the Soul that takes them in 3. Faith is necessary for the enlarging of the heart in Prayer and to make us lively and earnest in praying I believed therefore have I spoken The believing Soul will utter it self and even pour it self forth before the Lord being perswaded it shall through Christ obtain at the hands of God that Grace which it sues for but the Unbelieving heart is straitned and where Faith is not fervency cannot be and where fervency is not the success of prayer is doubtful at least The effectual fervent Prayer of the Righteous man availeth much 3. Faith is necessary to the concluding of our prayers with an Amen testifying as our desires to have our petitions granted so our reliance on God and a penswasion that he will for Christ his sake grant our requests For it is by Faith that we leave our prayers with Christ in whom all the promises of God are Yea and Amen 4. Faith sets and keeps the Soul in a right frame after Prayer 1. It sets the heart at rest and keeps it quiet When I consider that Christ hath the offering up of my prayers and that God will not throw aside any of the petitions which his dear Son brings to him this quiets my heart 1 Sam. 1.18 When Hanna had prayed she did eat and her countenance was no more sad If she had not Faith her stomack would have been no better nor her heart quieter after Prayer than it was before but now believing that God had looked on the affliction of his Hand-maid and that he would give her that blessing which she prayed for now I say she goes away rejoycing in the goodness of God apprehended by Faith and eats her bread with a merry heart David being among many enemies and in the midst of dangers Psa 3.5 having prayed could lye down and take his rest believing that the Lord would preserve and deliver him as he had prayed 2. Faith sets the Soul and keeps it in a patient waiting frame and this is that which God requires and that which he loves psa 27.13 14. I had fainted saith David unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living wait on the Lord c. David's Faith resting on the promise of God upheld him to wait on the Lord for the accomplishment of his promise The Apostle tells us Hebr. 10.36 We have need of patience that after we have done the Will of God viz. in praying and using such means as God hath appointed we may receive the Promises There is a Promise of God to waiting Souls Isai 30 18 Blessed are they that wait for him Now it is onely the believing Soul that is a waiting Soul Isai 28.16
He that believeth will not make hast The godly are spoken of Psal 123.2 as having confidence in God and waiting for his goodness 3. Faith keeps the heart in a praying disposition frame sets the Soul on work to pray again and again often to ask the same things till we have a clear and full Answer from God And Faith makes the Soul importunate with God still rising higher and higher in holy importunity I believe that this Mercy will come in answer to Prayer therefore I will pray instantly that it may come and constantly till it doth come Thus Faith is necessary with respect to prayer-worship which is indeed a principal part of the Worship of God Secondly Faith is necessary to the Worship of God in general or to all Worship and that upon this account or for these reasons 1. Because to the worship of God there is required a knowledge of his Will and of the Rule of Worship and an assent unto and approbation of the Truth and Holiness and goodness of his Revelations and an Interest in him Can a man worship he knows not whom or when he understands not how he is to worship or when he is not perswaded in his own conscience that what he doth is right or when the Soul hath no recumbency on the Object of Worship Now this knowledge and this assent and this perswasion and this recumbency is Faith 2. Without Faith the Soul hath no way to God and so cannot draw nigh to him in Worship Jesus Christ is our onely way to God in him we have access with boldness and confidence to the Throne of Grace Now it is Faith in Jesus Christ which gives us the benefit of this way no Faith no Christ no Christ no way to God no possibility of any approach unto him without a Mediator for God out of Christ is a consuming Fire and poor Christless Souls have cause to fall into trembling when they think of God Now faithless souls are Christless and without Faith the Soul hath no access unto God or communion with him therefore Faith is necessary to the Worship of God It is only in this way of recumbencie by Faith on Jesus Christ that the Soul hath any peace toward God and hope and comfort in it's approaching unto him While we look unto weak corrupt sinful Self and upon our own imperfect faulty sinful performances there must needs be doubts and fears and unquietness of spirit Being justified by Faith Rom. 5.1 we have Peace toward God Peace i. e. that tranquility of Conscience or that comfort and joy which a Believer hath in a Conscience sprinkled with the blood of Christ and that boldnesse which he hath toward God as being his Father in Christ Jesus 3. Faith is necessary to the worship of God because where Faith is not there can be neither will nor ability for any hold action for any duty of worship What desire can the Soul have to draw near to God till it hath some hope through Christ of it's acceptance with God till it hath some hold-fast on the Covenant of God his Love so long as the Soul is estranged from Christ it is a stranger to God and God is a stranger to it Till there be an Vnion between Christ and the Soul even a Marriage Vnion there will be no desire of Communion or Spiritual Intercourse Christ his Spouse is delighted to see him even thorough the lattices to hear his voice at the door but she rejoyceth greatly to be with him in the Galleries to have his company in the Chamber delighteth to enjoy him in Ordinances and converse with him in worship Where there is such an Union to Christ there is pleasure in seeing him and hearing him joy to be with him The Soul having tasted the sweets of his Love desires to be led up to a more full enjoyment of him and so is making toward him in the use of means in attending on Ordinances and performing Duties Now this Union between Christ and the Soul is by the means of Faith it is by believing that the Soul comes to be one with Christ and so to be desirous of conversing with him to delight in his Ordinances and Worship Again It is by Faith that the Soul being made one with Christ doth fetch strength and abilities from Christ without whom we can do nothing that good is Of Christ his fulness the believer receiveth grace for grace Christ dwelling in the heart by Faith makes a holy heart is the worker of Grace in the heart and furnisheth the Soul with abilities for Duty that the Soul being justified and so sanctified by him may serve God and worship him acceptably Lastly There is one thing more which is considerable in the description of Worship viz. the End of it concerning which our Conclusion is this Concl. 5 5. The main end which we must aim at in all our Worship and Service is That God may be glorified by us This is God his great end of all his Works of all his appointments and Commands even his own Glory God hath made all things for himself and he will have all to be done to him 1 Cor. 10.31 Do all to the glory of God we are called upon to glorifie God in our souls 1 Cor. 6.20 and in our bodies Then may we be said to glorifie God when apprehending him to be such a God as he in his Word and Works hath discovered himself to be we make a sutable profession in Word and Deed really acknowledging his Power and Wisdom and Holiness and Goodness and Faithfulness and the rest of his Attributes and Properties reverently and humbly worshipping and serving the onely true God to whom all Worship and Service is due from us referring all our actions to the right end terminating all in him Paul would have the Philippians to be filled with the Fruits of Righteousess Phil. 1.11 which are by Christ Jesus to the praise and glory of God Thus I have finished the Explication of the Point explaining the Subject briefly and the Attribute more largely Proof Now for Proof of the Doctrine I shall refer you to the whole Sacred Story Look thorow the Book of God and you shall find it verified in all true Professors that the Scripture maketh mention of they were all worshippers of God I shall give you two words for the demonstration of the Point viz. That true Professors of the Christian Religion are worshippers of God according to the Principles and Rules of the Religion which they profess that real Christians do indeed worship the Father The first Demonstration shall be 1. From the true state of Religion 1. Demonstration and of a profession of Religion Religion properly notes a right acknowledgment and holy pure worship of God according to the rule laid down in his Word And Profession is a plain open declaration of our owning embracing and adhering to the true Religion Now Profession may be either that which
is verbal only or that which is real as well as verbal and the profession real may be either regular or irregular A Verbal profession practically contradicted is invalidated by such a contradiction so that it is to be accounted as no profession He that in word professeth himself to be of the Christian Religion i. e. a Worshipper of God in Christ and yet in practice is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that doth not worship God surely he is no true Professor Nor is he a true professor of Religion who though he doth act something in the worship of God yet acteth not according to the rule of true Religion and worship Religion and Christianity is not a meer Notion but it is something Practical it notes not only the Minds reception of and the Wills subscription to the principles and rules of Christianity but also the framing of the heart and of the whole man to be acting and working in those Principles and Rules Thus stands the Argument A true profession of Christianity is real there is practical Religion and Christianity in the life and it is Regular so that the business of Religion the true Professour acteth according to Rule therefore they who truly professe the Christian Religion and are true real Christians are real and regular Worshippers of God the Father 2. It must needs be 2. Demonstration that true Christians are real worshippers of God because they are possessed and acted by the Spirit of God and Christ which Spirit is the efficient of holy Worship leading Souls to it and acting them in it Every thing acteth according to it's Principles Principiatum respondet suis principiis Christians are principled by the Spirit of Christ which doth efficaciously incline and govern them to do that which is pleasing to Christ The Spirit 's in-Being is argued by the Spirit his working in the Soul The Spirit of Christ is a sanctifying Spirit that sets the heart right toward God and orders the conversation aright in all points of holy Obedience so that they who have this Spirit must needs be worshippers of God Now I have dispatched the Doctrinal part of my Discourse Application I come to Application I shall make but two Uses of the Point The first for Conviction the other a Use of Exhortation Vse 1 First for Conviction And as the way or Medium to the Conviction aimed at Conviction I shall propound this clear Inference from the Doctrine If all true Gospel-professors be true Worshippers then they who are not true Worshippers are no◠true Professours Now if we come to try the hearts and practices of people by the description of true worship what a multitude of nominal Christians shall we find that are by our Doctrine shut out of the number of true Professors and real Christians How few Souls that are religiously observant of God and obedient to him Where there i◠no observance of God and obedience to him there is no true profession of Religion where there is no care to conform to the mind of Christ there is no rea◠Christianity What a number o◠Souls are there that do not believe do not love God do no◠turn to him do not thankfully acknowledg his goodness toward them do not set themselves to glorifie him for his Mercies Ah Souls Do you choose God for your portion and cheif good Do you affectionately accept of Jesus Christ to be your Saviour and Lord not only acknowledging his Sufferings and accepting of Pardon and Salvation through him but also acknowledging his Soveraignty and submitting to his Government and way of saving Where there is not such a choice of God and such an acceptation of Christ there is not that Faith which is a part of Internal Worship Do you love God above all inferiour earthly things loving these things but with a love subordinate to the love of God Where God is not thus loved the Soul doth not worship him Now alas how doth Self-love Creature-love love of the World yea and the love of Lusts shut God out of the affections of very many of us Where is that fear of God to be found which in all addresses to God composeth the Spirit by an awful apprehension of that infinite distance which is betwixt God and Us Where is that fear of God which fenceth the Soul against temptation unto sin and is operative and instrumental unto holy walking How few true Penitents are there that disallow and detest fin and carefully abstain from it and do actually resist it and turn from all sin unto God unto Piety and acts of Religion Now Friends If you do not believe do not love God and fear him and turn to him what Religion is in you what is your Profession where is your Christianity And now for external Worship to try men upon that account Some are not worshippers so much as in appearance practise no worship in their Families and seldome appear in the place of publick Worship And some there are alas how many that are worshippers only in appearance their Worship is meerly External they draw not near to God with their Spirits in any act of Worship nor is that which they do in point of Worship done with Conscience of God's Command or with any respect to his Glory or with Faith in the Mediator And how much vain Worship is taken up which is not ordered by God but by men which is not according to pure holy divine Institutions but according to corrupt rotten human inventions Now gather up all this and hence take conviction home to your selves You that do not acknowledge God in your hearts and lives You that do not believe his Revelations and believe in his Son You that love the world and love sin but love not God You that do not reverence the Holiness and the Majesty of God that stand not in awe of his Word that are not afraid to sin against him You that will not turn from your sins unto God You that regard not to worship God in publick and in private and you whose Worship is meerly External Take Conviction to your selves that you are not right Gospel-professors or real Christians forasmuch as you are not true Worshippers Vse 2 Being thus convinced learn what it is truly to Worship God Exhortation and become true Worshippers Labour to know the Lord and acknowledge the true God and believe in God and love God and fear God and worship him regularly according to the Scripture-rule as ever you desire that God should look upon you as Christians and own you as true Professors of Religion Now that you may be a little quickened Motives If you look into the Word of God you may thence take up Arguments fit for you to press upon your selves that you may be perswaded to give your selves up unto this Counsel The Apostle tells us Heb. 11.6 that God is a plentiful rewarder of them that diligently seek him that call upon his
powers is to resist the Ordinance of God and so to resist God himself and this wounds the Conscience and layes us under a fear of God his revenging Justice A Christian is bound to perform civil duties upon grounds of Religion God's Command binds the Conscience to keep men's righteous Laws Here is another Argument from the rule of Justice which is 7 Arg. ab aequo to render to every one his due and here he reckons up four particulars of civil obâ—dience according to the degrees of civil powers or the several Orders and Offices of men in power Render tribute to whom tribute is due viz. to the Prince his Treasurers Custome to whom custome is due To the Prince his Farmers and Collectours Fear to whom fear is due viz. to the Prince his Deputies to Governours Judges Justices Officers sent by him while they act in their places under him according to the Prince his declared will and the power derived to them and vested in them by the Laws as they are Ministers of Justice Lastly render honour to whom honour is due viz. to the Person and Authority of the Prince or cheif Ruler as Saint Peter commands honour the King Now Tribute is that which is charged upon and paid out of a man's possession and estate Custome is properly that which is paid out of Merchandize or Traffick exported or imported Fear is an acknowledgment of the power ordained by God and a care not to offend it lest we incur blame and punishment Honour is a due inward affection toward him whom we judg worthy of reverence and respect either for his vertue or for the eminency of his place or for his beneficence toward us or upon some other just consideration and an outward due signification and testification of our inward reverence and respect toward him honour is due to the powers especially the higher powers because of their Office and Place as to our civil Parents by vertue of God's command Honour thy Father Honour comprehends reverence fear subjection obedience love and thankfulness Thus I have dispatched the Doctrinal part of this my discourse I have stated the duty of subjection to Magistrates telling you that it imports mainly reverence and obedience and shewing you what reverence is and what it is to obey Now whereas I assigned this limitation of our universal obedience viz. it must be in the Lord in all things according to the mind of God only so far as God his Word gives us command or allowance to act This is the limitation which the Scripture suggesteth and in many place holdeth forth and therefore cannot be justly offensive to any nor will it offend any good Magistrate who acknowledgeth God to be his Superiour and the Supream Law-giver and desires that God should be honoured above all And whereas touching the binding power of humane Laws in the Conscience I determined That the Laws of men bind not the Conscience directly and immediately nor universally and unlimitedly nor absolutely as the Laws of God do but only by the intervention of God's Command and as they are grounded upon and derived from and agreeable to the Eternal Law the Law of God and I concluded That no voice but God's Voice is to be heard in the Conscience as commanding there and binding indispensibly to obedience This determination is warranted by Scripture and therefore not to be quarrelled with Concerning the whole I shall shew you what was the sence and Conscience of our late King Charles the First as he expresseth himself in that Book of his Entituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Portraiture of his Sacred Majesty his words are these I have often declared how little I desire that my Lawes and Scepter should entrench on God his Soveraignty who is the onely King of mens Consciences and yet he hath laid such restraint upon men as commands them to be subject for Conscience sake giving no men liberty to break the Law established further then with meekness and patience they are contented to suffer the penalty annexed rather than perturb the publick peace And again Next to fear God is honour the King next to it not before it Thus our late Soveraign I now come to a word or two of Application Application The first Use shall be for Confutation 1 Confutation First of Papists and Popish Doctrine Of Papists 1. Of that horrible and hellish Doctrine That it is lawful and meritorious to murther Princes in the quarrel of Religion justifying abetting and applauding the heinousest Treasons against the highest Powers upon earth Doth God say Let every Soul be subject to the higher Powers and shall the Pope teach Subjects to murther their Princes and to blow up Parliaments c. for the advantage of the Catholick Cause as they call it Doubtless saith a learned Divine The Romish Religion is the most horrid Rebel in the world 2. There is another false absurd idle Doctrine of theirs hereby confuted viz. this That the Pope and his Bishops and Clergy who call themselves Spiritual are exempted from subjection to civil Magistrates both as to their persons in the tryal of Ecclesiastical Civil and Criminal Causes and as to their purses and possessions in paying Tributes Whereas the Apostle here chargeth every Soul to be subject to the higher powers to the powers ordained of God and Christ we read paid tribute for himself and Peter Act. 25.11 and Paul pleaded before the civil Magistrate and we know that Aaron the high Priest was subject to Moses the chief Magistrate yet these men as if they were higher than high Priests and before Peter and better than Apostles must forsooth be exempted from subjection to any civil Powers Secondly Our Text and Doctrine serves for Confutation of Donatists and Millenaries and Quakers and some Anabaptists who look for the abolishing of all Magistracy that Christ alone may reign among the Saints who cry down Magistrates and deny that they have any coercive punitive Power that cry up an equality and parity among Christians holding that Christians need no Magistrates and that they need not be subject to any And why so What do they plead for this opinion of theirs and for their denial of subjection i. e. reverence and obedience to Magistrates Object They say that they are the Lord his Freemen and that it is against Christian liberty for Christians to be under the power of any but Christ who is their only King who hath made them free and that they must not be the servants of men Answ The Liberty unto which Christ doth free his people in this life is inward and spiritual Gospel liberty is a liberty from sin a liberty unto duty a liberty to serve God in our order place and station a liberty from the yoke of Ceremonies c. and surely civil subjection to Superiours is not inconsistent with such spiritual liberty Indeed the Apostle Paul discourseth largely of Christian liberty and yet he doth more than