DISí."OIIRSR IV. T,ie Jereish Worship, and the Christian compared ; or Reasons why the Worship and Order of Christian Churches, are not so particularly prescribed, as those which Muses gave to the Church of Israel. IF social religion and worship, or the communion of saints, as our creed expresses it, together with the duties that depend thereon, are so necessary to maintain Christianity in the world, what reason can be given why our blessed Lord did not, in a more express and direct manner, institute the formationof chris- tian churches, with all the parts of public worship and order, in the New Testament ? If church worship be of such import- ance, why have we not all the affairs, that relate to the officers of a church, and their ministry, preaching, praying, and cele- brating divine ordinances, more particularly described and appointed by an express command ? Was not God pleased, to give express rules and orders to the Jews, concerning their wor- ship at the tabernacle and temple, their priests and sacrifices, and other solemnities ? Why should the blessed God so exactly mark out and prescribe every lesser ceremony, in the Jewish church, which was but a shadowy dispensation, and yet bath not descended to so veryparticular a description of every form and circumstance, that relates to his churches, under the nobler dis- pensation of the gospel ? Why should that fabric of carnal ordinances have a more exact model, than this spiritual building, which so far excels in glory ? It is granted indeed, that there might some difficulties and doubts arise in the Jewish worship, about some of the natural circumstances, that relate to the performance'of it As, whether the child must be circumcised with a sharp stone as Zipporah did, or a. knife as Joshua ? And, who must perform that office ? Whether the father or mother, the ruler or the priest ? Whe- ther in sacrifices the jugular vein of the creature must be cut, or whether it must be stabbed to the heart ? Whether in their washings and purifications, for any Accidental impurity, they must ptit their whole bodies under water, with every part of all their garments,or whether sprinklingor other methods of wash- ing in some cases, were not sufficient ? These things, and many others, as the Jews pretend, are to be determined by their oral lawand tradition, wherein the
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