VI.

raise the Affections of the Mind, or if any SER M. particular Method or Scheme for publick Devotion is better fitted to answer the Ends of it than others, it well becomes the Wif dom of Governors to ordain the Ufe of thefe; and it is the Duty of the Governed to submit chearfully to fuch Ordinances.

40.

For the external and circumftantial Parts of publick Worship are not strictly speaking the Objects of Confcience, because they are not divinely commanded, unless they come within that general Precept of St. Paul, Let all Things be done decently and in1 Cor. 14. order. And who is in that Cafe, to judge" of Decency? Surely not every particular Man, for then Decency would be a moft various and undetermined Thing, and the Precept would amount to no more than this, let every Man be governed by his own weak Judgment, or particular Humour, or Caprice, and I am afraid we should then fee many odd and fantastical Appearances in all Christian Affemblies, as we do in Fact observe in the Meetings of a certain Denomination of People who would pafs for Chriftians.

And if every particular Man is not a fit Judge of Decency and Order, for the fame

Reafon

SER M. Reason every Minifter is not, for as he is VI. but a Man he is liable to Singularity and Weakness of Judgment in common with

other Men.

Nor is it fit that any voluntary Society of Men not legally Authorized, fhould judge for others in this Matter, because Men of the fame fingular Turn and Complection, would by a natural Attraction of like to like, join to form fuch a Society; and the fame Inconveniency might arise from a Collection of fingular and fantastical Men, as from any one of them.

It remains therefore, that the supreme Power in all Chriftian Countries is the proper Judge concerning the external Parts of publick Worship. And this is the Cafe in the Worship of our established Church, where the Rules and Orders for the more folemn and uniform Performance of it, being first recommended by Men most eminent for their Wisdom and Learning in the Church, have received the Sanction of the Legislature.

This is undeniably what St. Peter in the Text calls, the Ordinance of Man, requiring all Chriftians to fubmit themselves to it for the Lord's Sake.

The

VI.

The Roman Emperors indeed being at that SER M Time Heathens, and ill difpofed to the, Chriftian Religion, were unfit Judges of Christian Worship, and therefore here must in the Nature of the Thing be an Exception to the general Precept. But where the fupreme Power is Chriftian, the Excep tion ceases, and the Precept must univer fally bind for the Reasons before alledged.

And here I am naturally led to confider briefly the Cafe of our Proteftant Brethren, who separate themselves from the publick Worship and Communion of our Church, established by the fupream Authority.

Men of different Perfuafions will always find something to fay for themselves; but in the Light that this Practice appears to me, I confefs my felf to be at a Lofs how to reconcile it with the Precept in my Text, Submit your felves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's Sake. St. Paul delivers the fame Precept to the Chriftians at Rome, Let every Soul be fubject unto the higher Rom. 13. 1. Powers, for there is no Power but of God, the Powers that be, are ordained of God. Here is a Chriftian Law, established in the plainest and ftrongeft Terms by the concurrent Authority of the two principal Apostles,

N

SERM.

VI.

postles St. Peter and St. Paul without any Limitation. But tho' no Limitation is expreffed, yet in the Nature of the Thing, one Limitation is, and must ever be implied, which is that the Commands of the fupreme Power must be in themselves lawful and honeft; for if they should be contrary to moral Goodness, or to any plain and clear Precept of the Gofpel, they are void for want of fufficient Authority; Obedience to Man would in that Cafe be Difcbedience to God.

And this is the only Limitation to be admitted with Regard to these general Precepts. Abuse of Power in commanding Things inconvenient and inexpedient, provided they do not tend to the Ruin of the Conftitution, can be no lawful Plea for Difobedience, because these being Matters of Prudence, the fupreme Magiftrate is the only proper Judge; and if he should judge amifs, Representations and Remonftrances are the only Remedies that remain to Christians. For if the fupreme Power, by which I mean the Legislature, be not the proper and ultimate Judge in Matters of Convenience and meer Prudence, it cannot be a Judge at all.

VI.

If this Cafe be truly stated, it clearly follows SER M. that the fupreme Power is the proper Judge of the Modes and Rites and external Parts of publick Worship, and may make Laws for the uniform Performance of it; for these being only Circumftantials that vary in every Christian Country, are Matters of Wisdom and Prudence only.

If every Man were at Liberty to use his own Prudence in thefe Matters, many great Inconveniences might poffibly arife; he might think it prudent to fing Pfalms while other People are praying, or to use odd and ridiculous Geftures and Poftures to the Dif turbance of the Congregation. No Man will deny that there ought to be a legal Power refiding fome where to controul and regulate fuch Misbehaviour, and reduce him to Order and Uniformity; and if fuch Power be refiding any where, it must be traced up ultimately to the fupreme Power. I do not mention this as a Thing likely to happen, but barely poffible, and only to fhew that it is the Province of the fupreme Power to regulate the external Parts of publick Worship, for the more orderly, folemn, and edifying Performance of the fame.