by Chriftians, was, in our Saviour's time, and in his own plain Words, the Worfhip of the Father in Spirit and Truth; and this declared to be one great End propofed in the Chriftian Difpenfation: The Hour cometh, and now is, when the true Worshipers fhall Worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth: for the Father feeketh fuch to worfhip bim, John iv, 23. But the Notion of it is become quite anoteer thing: and in many Chrifian Countries, that which ftill retains the Name of the Worship of God, is indeed the Neglect, and the Diminution of the Father; and the Worship of other Beings befides, and more than, the Father. And this, performed in fuch a manner, as that any indifferent Spedator would conclude, that neither the Confciences nor Underftandings of Men, Neither Spirit nor Truth, were at all concerned in the Matter; or rather, that they had been banish'd from it by an exprefs Command. In the Mean time the Word or Sound, ftill remains the fame in Difcourfe. The whole Lump of indigefted, and inconfiftent Notions and Practices; Every thing that is folemnly faid or done, when the Worship of God is profefs'd, is equally cover'd under that general Name; and, by the help ofufing the fame Orginal Word, paffeth eafily for the Thing it felf, Again,

Prayer, in all our Lord's Directions about it, and Particularly in that Form, which he himfelf taught his Followers, was a calm, undisturbed, Addrefs to God, under the Notion of a Father, expreffing the fe Sentiments and wifhes before Him, which every fincere Mind ought to have. But the fame Werd, by the help of Men, and voluminous Rules of Art, is come to fignify Heat

and

and Flame, in fuch a manner, and to fuch a degree, that a Man may be in the beft Difpofition in the World, and yet not to be devout enough to Pray and many an honeft Perfon have been perplex'd, by this Means, with Doubts and Fears of being uncapable of Praying, for want of an intenfenefs of Heat, which hath no more relation to the Duty, than a Man's being in a Fever hath, to the Sincerity of his Profeffions, or Addreffes to any Earthly Prince.

Once more, the Love of God, and of our Siviour, was at first, in his own Words, and thofe of St. John, many times repeated, the keeping his Commandments, or doing his Will. John. 14. 15, 21, 23. ch. 15. 10. I John. 2. 5. ch.5. 3. II. Job. 6. But the Notion of it was, it seems, left very jejune; and fo hath been improved by his latter Followers, till the fame Name, ftill kept up in the Language of Chriftians, is far remo ved from the Thing principally and firft intend ed, and is come by degrees to fignify a violent Pafion, Commotion, and Ecftafy, venting it felf in fuch fort of Expreffions and Disorders, as o ther Paffions do and this regulated and defigned, by fuch a Variety of Immaginations, that an ordinary Chriftian, with the utmoft Sincerity in his Heart, is filled with nothing but eternal Sfpfcions, Doebts, and Perplexities, whether he hath any thing of the true Love of God, or

not.

I have mentioned thefe particulars, not only to fhew the Evil it felf, and to how great a Degree the Nature of Things hath fuffered in the Opinions of Men, by the Alteration of the fenfe of the fame Words and Sounds: but to give you Cccafion to obferve, that there can be no Cure

for

for it, in Chriftians, but to go back to the New Teftament it fell; because there alone we fhall find the Criginal Intention of fuch Words; or the Nature of the Things defign'd to be fignified by them, declared and fixed by our Lord, or his Apoftles from him, by fome fuh Marks. as may, if we will attend to them, guide and guard us in our Notions of thofe Matters, in which we are moft of all concern'd.

It is with this View, that I have chofen those Words, in which our Lord himself declared the Nature of his own Kingdom. This Kingdom of Chrift, is the fame with the Church of Chrift. And the Notion of the Church of Chrift, which, at firft. was only the Number, fmall or great, of Those who believed Him to be the Meffiah : or of Those who fubjected themfelves to Him. as their King, in the Affair of Religion; having fince that Time been fo diverfified by the various Alterations it hath undergone, that it is almoft impoffible fo much as to number up the many incon fiftent Images that have come, by dayly Additions, to be united together in it nothing, I think, can be more ufeful, than to confider the fame thing, under fome other Image, which hath not been fo much ufed; nor confequently fo much defered. And fince the Image of His Kingdom, is That, which our Lord himfelf chofe to reprefent it: Welmay be fure that, if we fincerely examine cur Notion of his Church by what he faith of his Kingdom, that it is not of this World, we fhall exclude out of it, every thing that he would hare excluded; and then, what remains will be true, pure, and uncor rupted- And what I have to fay, in order to this. will be comprehended under two General Heads.

Ι. Α.

I. As the Church of Chrift is the Kingdom of Chrift, He himself is King and in this it is implied, that He is himfelt the fole Law-giver to his Subjects, and himself the fole Judge of their Behaviour, in the Affairs of Confcience and Eternal Salvation. And in this Senfe therefore, His Kingdom is not of this World; that He hath, in thofe Points, left behind Him, no visible, humane Authority; no Vicegerents, who can be faid properly to fupply his Place; no Interpreters, upon whom his Subjects are abfolutely to depend; no Judges over the Confciences or Religion of his People. For if this were fo, that any fuch abfolute Vicegerant Authority, either for the Making new Laws, or interpreting Old Ones, o julging his Subjects, in Religious Matters, were lodged in any Men upon Earth; the Confequence would be, that what ftill retains the Name of the Church of Chrift, would not be the Kingdom of Chrift, but the Kingdom of those Men vefted with fuch Authority. For, whoever hath fuch an Authority of making Laws, is fo far a King and whoever can add New Laws to thofe of Christ, equally obligatory, is as truly a King, as Chrift himfelf is: Nay, whoever hath an abfolute Authority to interpret any written, or fpoken Laws; it is He, who is truly the Law giver, to all Intents and Purpofes; and not the Perfon who firft wrote, or spoke them.

In humane Society, the Interpretation of Laws may of neceflity, be lodged, in fome Cafes, in the Hands of Thofe who were not originally the Legiflators. But this is not abfolute; nor of bad Confequence to Society: becaule the Legiflators can refume the Interpretati n into their own Hands, as they are Witneffes to what paffes in

the

the World, and as They can, and will, fenfibly interpofe in all thofe Cafes, in which their Interpofition becomes neceffary. And therefore, They are ftill properly the Legiflators. But it is otherwife in Religion or the Kingdom of Chrift. He himself never interpofeth, fince his first Promulgation of his Law, either to convey Infallibility to Such as pretend to handle it over again; or to affert the true Interpretation of it, admidt the various and contradictory Opinions of Men about it. If He did certainly thus interpofe, He himself would ftill be the Legiftator. But, as He doth not; if fuch an abfolute Authority be once lodged with Men, under the Notion of Interpreters, They then become the Legrators, and not Chrift; and They rule in their own Kingdom, and not in His.

It is the fame thing, os to Rewards and Punifhments, to carry forward the great End of his Kingdom. If any Men upon Earth have a Right to add to the Sanctions of his Laws; that is, to increafe the Number, or alter the Nature, of the Rewards and Punishments of his Subjects, in Matters of Confcience, or Salvation: They are fo far Kings in his ftead, and Reign in their own Kingdom, and not in His. So it is, whenever they erect Tribunals, and exercife a Judgment over the Confciences of Men: and affume to Themselves the Determination of fuch Points, as cannot be determined, but by One who knows the Hearts; or, when they make any of their rown Declarations, or Decifions, to concern and affect the State of Chrift's Subjects, with regard to the Favour of God: this is fo far, the taking Cbriff's Kingdom out of His Hands, and placing it in their own.

No