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Transcriber's Note:

The text of Part III of A Christian Directory (or, a sum of Practical
Theology and Cases of Conscience) has been transcribed from pages 547
to 736 of Volume I of Baxter's Practical Works, as lithographed from
the 1846 edition. Part III addresses church duties. A table of
contents has been inserted to assist the reader.

Small capitals have been rendered in full capitals, and "oe" ligatures
in ordinary font. Italics are indicated by _underscores_ and
transliterated Greek by =equal signs=. Sidenotes refer to the
following paragraph.

The anchors for footnotes 119, 366 and 391 are missing. The first of
these has been inserted after consulting another edition of the text.
The reference in footnote 417 to the Book of Acts appears to be incorrect.

Inconsistencies in hyphenation, and apparent typographical errors,
have been corrected.


PART III.

CHRISTIAN ECCLESIASTICS.

OR,

DIRECTIONS TO PASTORS AND PEOPLE ABOUT SACRED DOCTRINE, WORSHIP, AND
DISCIPLINE, AND THEIR MUTUAL DUTIES. WITH THE SOLUTION OF A MULTITUDE
OF CHURCH CONTROVERSIES AND CASES OF CONSCIENCE.




Table of Contents


                                                                    Page

        To the Reader.                                               547
     I. Of the worship of God in general.                            547
    II. Directions about the manner of worship, to avoid all
        corruptions, and false, unacceptable worshipping of God.     553
   III. Directions about the christian covenant with God,
        and baptism.                                                 559
    IV. Directions about the profession of our religion to others.   562
     V. Directions about vows and particular covenants with God.     564
    VI. Directions to the people concerning their internal and
        private duty to their pastors, and the improvement of
        their ministerial office and gifts.                          580
   VII. Directions for the discovery of the truth among contenders,
        and the escape of heresy and deceit.                         590
  VIII. Directions for the union and communion of saints, and the
        avoiding unpeaceableness and schism.                         595
    IX. How to behave ourselves in the public assemblies, and the
        worship there performed, and after them.                     616
     X. Directions about our communion with holy souls departed,
        and now with Christ.                                         618
    XI. Directions about our communion with the holy angels.         622

  CASES OF CONSCIENCE, ABOUT MATTERS ECCLESIASTICAL.
        To the Reader.                                               626
        Questions I to CLXXIV.                                       626




READER,

That this part and the next are imperfect, and so much only is written
as I might, and not as I would, I need not excuse to thee if thou know
me, and where and when I live. But some of that which is wanting, if
thou desire, thou mayst find, 1. In my "Universal Concord." 2. In my
"Christian Concord." 3. In our "Agreement for Catechising," and my
"Reformed Pastor." 4. In the "Reformed Liturgy," offered to the
commissioned bishops at the Savoy. Farewell.




CHAPTER I.

OF THE WORSHIP OF GOD IN GENERAL.


That God is to be worshipped solemnly by man, is confessed by all that
acknowledge that there is a God.[1] But about the matter and manner of
his worship, there are no small dissensions and contentions in the
world. I am not now attempting a reconciliation of these contenders;
the sickness of men's minds and wills doth make that impossible to any
but God, which else were not only possible, but easy, the terms of
reconciliation being in themselves so plain and obvious as they are.
But it is directions to those that are willing to worship God aright,
which I am now to give.

_Direct._ I. Understand what it is to worship God aright, lest you
offer him vanity and sin for worship. The worshipping of God is the
direct acknowledging of his being and perfections to his honour.
Indirectly or consequentially he is acknowledged in every obediential
act by those that truly obey and serve him; and this is indirectly and
participatively to worship him; and therefore all things are holy to
the holy, because they are holy in the use of all, and Holiness to the
Lord is, as it were, written upon all that they possess or do (as they
are holy): but this is not the worship which we are here to speak of;
but that which is primarily and directly done to glorify him by the
acknowledgment of his excellencies. Thus God is worshipped either
inwardly by the soul alone, or also outwardly by the body expressing
the worship of the soul. For that which is done by the body alone,
without the concurrence of the heart, is not true worship, but a
hypocritical image or show of it, equivocally called worship.[2] The
inward worship of the heart alone, I have spoken of in the former
part. The outward or expressive worship, is simple or mixed: simple
when we only intend God's worship immediately in the action; and this
is found chiefly in praises and thanksgiving, which therefore are the
most pure and simple sort of expressive worship. Mixed worship is that
in which we join some other intention, for our own benefit in the
action; as in prayer, where we worship God by seeking to him for
mercy; and in reverent hearing or reading of his word, where we
worship him by a holy attendance upon his instructions and commands;
and in his sacraments, where we worship him by receiving and
acknowledging his benefits to our souls; and in oblations, where we
have respect also to the use of the thing offered; and in holy vows
and oaths, in which we acknowledge him our Lord and Judge. All these
are acts of divine worship, though mixed with other uses.

It is not only worshipping God, when our acknowledgments (by word or
deed) are directed immediately to himself; but also when we direct our
speech to others, if his praises be the subject of them, and they are
intended directly to his honour: such are many of David's psalms of
praise. But where God's honour is not the thing directly intended, it
is no direct worshipping of God, though all the same words be spoken
as by others.

_Direct._ II. Understand the true ends and reasons of our worshipping
God; lest you be deceived by the impious who take it to be all in
vain. When they have imagined some false reasons to themselves, they
judge it vain to worship God, because those reasons of it are vain.
And he that understandeth not the true reasons why he should worship
God, will not truly worship him, but be profane in neglecting it, or
hypocritical in dissembling, and heartless in performing it. The
reasons then are such as these.

1. The first ariseth from the use of all the world, and the nature of
the rational creature in special. The whole world is made and upheld
to be expressive and participative of the image and benefits of God.
God is most perfect and blessed in himself, and needeth not the world
to add to his felicity. But he made it to please his blessed will, as
a communicative good, by communication and appearance; that he might
have creatures to know him, and to be happy in his light; and those
creatures might have a fit representation or revelation of him that
they might know him. And man is specially endowed with reason and
utterance, that he might know his Creator appearing in his works, and
might communicate this knowledge, and express that glory of his Maker
with his tongue, which the inferior creatures express to him in their
being.[3] So that if God were not to be worshipped, the end of man's
faculties, and of all the creation, must be much frustrated. Man's
reason is given him that he may know his Maker; his will, and
affections, and executive powers are given him, that he may freely
love him and obey him; and his tongue is given him principally to
acknowledge him and praise him: whom should God's work be serviceable
to, but to him that made it?

2. As it is the natural use, so it is the highest honour of the
creature to worship and honour his Creator: is there a nobler or more
excellent object for our thoughts, affections, or expressions? And
nature, which desireth its own perfection, forbiddeth us to choose a
sordid, vile, dishonourable work, and to neglect the highest and most
honourable.

3. The right worshipping of God doth powerfully tend to make us in our
measure like him, and so to sanctify and raise the soul, and to heal
it of its sinful distempers and imperfections. What can make us good
so effectually as our knowledge, and love, and communion with him that
is the chiefest good? Nay, what is goodness itself in the creature if
this be not? As nearness to the sun giveth light and heat, so
nearness to God is the way to make us wise and good; for the
contemplation of his perfections is the means to make us like him. The
worshippers of God do not exercise their bare understandings upon him
in barren speculations; but they exercise all their affections towards
him, and all the faculties of their souls, in the most practical and
serious manner, and therefore are likeliest to have the liveliest
impressions of God upon their hearts; and hence it is that the true
worshippers of God are really the wisest and the best of men, when
many that at a distance are employed in mere speculations about his
works and him, remain almost as vain and wicked as before, and
professing themselves wise, are (practically) fools, Rom. i. 21, 22.

4. The right worshipping of God, by bringing the heart into a
cleansed, holy, and obedient frame, doth prepare it to command the
body, and make us upright and regular in all the actions of our lives;
for the fruit will be like the tree; and as men are, so will they do.
He that honoureth not his God, is not like well to honour his parents
or his king: he that is not moved to it by his regard to God, is never
like to be universally and constantly just and faithful unto men.
Experience telleth us that it is the truest worshippers of God that
are truest and most conscionable in their dealings with their
neighbours: this windeth up the spring, and ordereth and strengtheneth
all the causes of a good conversation.

5. The right worshipping of God is the highest and most rational
delight of man. Though to a sick, corrupted soul it be unpleasant, as
food to a sick stomach, yet to a wise and holy soul there is nothing
so solidly and durably contentful. As it is God's damning sentence on
the wicked, to say, "Depart from me," Matt. xxv. 41; vii. 23, so holy
souls would lose their joys, and take themselves to be undone, if God
should bid them, "Depart from me; worship me, and love me, and praise
me no more." They would be weary of the world, were it not for God in
the world; and weary of their lives, if God were not their life.

6. The right worshipping of God prepareth us for heaven, where we are
to behold him, and love and worship him for ever. God bringeth not
unprepared souls to heaven: this life is the time that is purposely
given us for our preparation; as the apprenticeship is the time to
learn your trades. Heaven is a place of action and fruition, of
perfect knowledge, love, and praise: and the souls that will enjoy and
praise God there, must be disposed to it here; and therefore they must
be much employed in his worship.

7. And as it is in all these respects necessary as a means, so God
hath made it necessary by his command.[4] He hath made it our duty to
worship him constantly; and he knoweth the reason of his own commands.
"It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only
shalt thou serve," Matt. iv. 10. If God should command us nothing, how
is he our Governor and our God? and if he command us any thing, what
should he command us more fitly than to worship him? and he that will
not obey him in this, is not like to obey him well in any thing; for
there is nothing that he can with less show of reason except against;
seeing all the reason in the world must confess, that worship is most
due to God from his own creatures.

These reasons for the worship of God being undeniable, the objections
of the infidels and ungodly are unreasonable: as, _Object._ 1. That
our worship doth no good to God; for he hath no need of it. _Answ._
It pleaseth and honoureth him, as the making of the world, and the
happiness of man doth: doth it follow that there must be no world, nor
any man happy, because God hath no need of it, or no addition of
felicity by it? It is sufficient that it is necessary and good for us,
and pleasing unto God.

_Object._ 2. Proud men are unlikest unto God; and it is the proud that
love to be honoured and praised. _Answ._ Pride is the affecting of an
undue honour, or the undue affecting of that honour which is due.
Therefore it is that this affectation of honour in the creature is a
sin, because all honour is due to God, and none to the creature but
derivatively and subserviently. For a subject to affect any of the
honour of his king, is disloyalty; and to affect any of the honour of
his fellow-subjects is injustice: but God requireth nothing but what
is absolutely his due; and he hath commanded us, even towards men, to
give "fear and honour to whom they are due," Rom. xiii. 7.

_Direct._ III. Labour for the truest knowledge of the God whom you
worship. Let it not be said of you, as Christ said to the Samaritan
woman, John iv. 22, "Ye worship ye know not what;" nor as it is said
of the Athenians, whose altar was inscribed, "To the unknown God,"
Acts xvii. 23. You must know whom you worship; or else you cannot
worship him with the heart, nor worship him sincerely and acceptably,
though you were at never so great labour and cost: God hath no
"pleasure in the sacrifice of fools," Eccles. v. 1, 4. Though no man
know him perfectly, you must know him truly. And though God taketh not
every man for a blasphemer, and denier of his attributes, whom
contentious, peevish wranglers call so, because they consequentially
cross some espoused opinions of theirs; yet real misunderstanding of
God's nature and attributes is dangerous, and tendeth to corrupt his
worship by the corrupting of the worshippers. For such as you take God
to be, such worship you will offer him; for your worship is but the
honourable acknowledgment of his perfections; and mistakingly to
praise him for supposed imperfections, is to dishonour him and
dispraise him. If to know God be your eternal life, it must needs be
the life of all your worship. Take heed therefore of ignorance and
error about God.

_Direct._ IV. Understand the office of Jesus Christ as our great High
Priest, by whose mediation alone we must have access to God.[5]
Whether there should have been any priesthood for sacrifice or
intercession if there had been no sin, the Scripture telleth us