of his Precedents. To which I may add, that these Inftances of this Father prove no more than novel Usages in fome Parts of the Eaft, and not the Practice of the Universal Church. For the Purpose. 'Tis moft unlikely fuch Addreffes fhould have prevail'd amongst the Chriftians in Africa, fince St. Auguftine, who was contemporary with Theodoret, has declar'd fo fully against them. I fhould now proceed to prove, that religious Worship ought to be given to none but God, from the Reason of the Thing, from the Nature of God and Men, and from the Relation they have to each other. But of this in the next. Now to God the Father, &c. SERMON IX. S. LUKE iv. 8. And Jefus answered and faid unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worShip the Lord thy God, and him only fhalt thou ferve. F ROM the Text I endea. vour'd to prove, that reli gious Worship ought to be appropriated to God; this Point was to be made good I. From the Doctrine of the Scriptures. II. From the Teftimony of the Antients. And III. From the Reason of the Thing. The two firft Heads I have gone thro' already. I fhall now proceed to maintain my Propofition from the Reafon of the Thing, i. e. from the Nature of God and Men, and glorify'd Spirits, and from the Relation they have to each other. And here I fhall endeavour to prove these four Things: I. That we ought to worship none but God, because of the peculiar Excellency of his Nature, and the Sovereignty he has over us. II. That that Part of religious Worfhip which confifts in Prayer, ought to be addrefs'd to none but God; becaufe our applying to any middle Excellencies for Aid and Affiftance is apt to make us negligent, and have an ill Effect upon our Lives. III. Suppofing the Lawfulness of worfhipping Saints and Angels only doubtful, it was better to omit it; because we may may be as well affur'd of their Interceffion without it. And therefore, IV. The worshipping of them is fo far from procuring their Favour, that, on the contrary it rather makes them less inclinable to affist us. In fpeaking to these Particulars, I fhall have occafion to mention fome Objections which will lye in the Way. I. We ought to worship none but God upon the Account of the peculiar Excellency of his Nature, and the Sovereignty he has over us. 'Tis a Piece of Juftice generally acknowledg'd, that all Beings fhould have a regard paid them proportionably to the Dignity of their Nature, the Advantages we receive by them, and the Jurifdiction they have over us; neither ought we only to have a true Apprehenfion of these Distinctions in our Minds, but declare it vifibly in our Actions, that others may perceive our Notions are right, and our Difpofitions virtuous; that we are willing to pay an Esteem to abstracted Excellency, a Submiffion to Authority, and U 3 and an Acknowledgment for Benefits receiv'd; and all this fuitably to the Worth of Things and Perfons. Such a Beha viour as this, befides other Advantages, will make the World have a better Opinion of our Understanding and Justice, and confide in us accordingly, which will tend to the Benefit of Society. Now the Perfections of God are tranfcendent and peculiar to himself; the most glorious Creature falls infinitely fhort of him; he is the original Caufe of all Being and Bleffings, the Creator and fupreme Lord of Heaven and Earth. And fince the Excellencies of God are of a peculiar fupereminent Nature, our Acknowledgments of them ought to be so too. The Defign of publick Worship is to make a vifible Confeffion of our Dependence upon God, to own him as the Maker of the World, and to praise him for all the Advantages we enjoy. And, to make our Acknowledgments of God rational, they ought to be proportion'd to his Nature, and fuch as we give to no other Being. Since no Perfon helped |