A brief instruction in the worship of God, and discipline of the churches of the New Testament, by way of question and answer with an explication and confirmation of those answers.

Qu. 6. May not such an Estate of faith and perfection in obedience be attained in this life, as wherein Believers may be freed from all obligation unto the observa∣tion of Gospel Institutions?

Answ. No! For the Ordinances and Institutions of the Gospel being inse∣parably annexed unto the Evangelical administration of the Covenant of Grace, they may not be left unob∣served, disused, or omitted, whilest we are to walk before God in that Cove∣nant, without contempt of the Cove∣nant it self, as also of the Wisdom and Authority of Jesus Christ. Heb. 3.3, 4, 5, 6. Rom. 6.3, 4, 5, 6. Luke 22.19, 20. 1 Cor. 11.24, 25, 26. Heb. 10.25. Rev. 2.5. chap. 3.3.

Explication.

All our faith, all our obedience in this life, what ever may be obtained, or attained unto therein, it all belongs unto our walking with God in the Covenant of Grace, wherein God dwells with Men, and they are his people, and God him∣self is with them to be their God. Other wayes of communion with him, of obe∣dience unto him, of enjoyment of him on this side Heaven and Glory, he hath not appointed nor revealed. Now this is the Covenant that God hath made with his people; That he will put his Laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts, and will be to them a God, and they shall be to him a people, and he will be mercifull to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will he remember no more, Heb. 8.9, 10, 11, 12. And what ever Men attain unto, it is by vertue of the grace of that Covenant, nor is there any Grace promised in the Covenant to lead men in this life, or to give them up unto a state of perfection short of glory. Unto this Covenant, are

the institutions of Gospel Worship an∣nexed, and unto that administration of it which is granted unto the Church up∣on the coming and death of Christ. Without a renunciation and relinquish∣ment of that Covenant, and the grace of it, these institutions cannot be omit∣ted or deserted. If Men suppose that they have attained to an estate wherein they need neither the grace of God, nor the mercy of God, nor the blood of Christ, nor the Spirit of Christ, it is not much material••, what they think of the Ordinances of worship. Their pride and folly, without that mercy which is taught, promised and exhibited in those Ordinances, will speedily be their ruine. Besides, the Lord Christ is the absolute Lord over his own house, Heb. 3.4, 5, 6. And he hath given out the Laws where∣by he will have it guided and ruled whilest it is in this World. In and by these Laws, are his Ordinances of Wor∣ship established: for any persons on what pretence soever, to plead an exemption from the obligation of those Laws, it is nothing but to cast of the Lordship and dominion of Christ himself. And yet

farther, to secure our obedience in this matter, he hath expresly commanded the continuance of them untill his come∣ing unto Judgement, as in the places above quoted will appear.