22,

great Mi

And, upon this Foundation the Apostles e began to build and raise up the glorious

Fabric of an Universal Church, Imme

diately after the Descent of the Holy i Ghost, to inspire and prepare them in a

proper manner for the Discharge of their I high Commission, we find St. Peter, the Aes ii, ' Chief of them, asserting the Divinity and 32. iii,

Messiahship of CHRIST from the
racle of his Resurrection : and appealing
to the Prediction of Mofes, as a Proof

that He was the Prophet whom God had - promis’d to their Fathers. St. Stephen Acts vii,

brings the same Testimony; and seals the 37,
Truth of it by his Death.

The Apology St. Paul makes for him-
self before King Agrippa, is built upon
the (same Foundation. Having obtained Acts

xxvi, 225 help of God, I continue unto this day, witneffing both to small and great, saying none other things than those,which the prophets and Moses did say should come. That CHRIST pould suffer; and that he should be the firft that should rise from the dead; and should

sew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles. And again, when he is at Rome, and the Jews come to visit him at his

Lodg.

1

Acts xxviii, 23.

&c.

even

Lodging, he expounds and testifies the kingdom of God to them; persuading them con, cerning Jesus both out of the law of Mo

ses, and out of the prophets. Heb. i. 5.

And endeavouring to convince his Brethren the Hebrews (for I am persuaded that he is the Author of that Epistle) that Jesus was the Son of God; no Angel,

but something far superior, and Heb. ii. very God; he proceeds to say; Verily be

took not on bim the nature of Angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore, in all things, it behoved him to be made like unto bis brethren; that he might be a merciful and faithful High-Priest in

things pertaining to God, to make reconciliaHeb. iii. tion for the fins of the people. Who was

faithful to Him that appointed him, as Mofes also was faithful.

Heb. i. 8.

16.

2.

SEC T. XVI.

The Ceremonial Law abolish’d.

Having brought these Proofs to thew that JESUS was the Prophet, by whom God promis'd Mofes, that he would deliver his whole Will to Mankind; we may

I 고

21.

be convinc'd likewise from sundry Places, % in the new Testament, that upon his

coming forth from God, and taking upon him the Nature of Man, the Ceremonial Law was to be abolish'd, and a new Covenant to take place.

He tells the Samaritan Woman, (who was desirous to argue with him about the ? peculiar Place of Worship, as whether it

were in Samaria or at Jerusalem) The hour Joh. iv. cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem; worship the father. This, in relation to Place; and chen, in regard to Ceremonies, he adds, The bour cometh and now is, when the true ib. 23. worshipers fall worship the father in spirit and in truth. He says, The law and the

Luke prophets were until John: fince that time xvi. 16. the kingdom of God is preached, (the new Covenant in the Gospel) and every man presseth into it. The Evangelist tells us, law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus CHRIST.

And when, after CHRIST's Ascension and the Coming of the Holy Ghost, certain of the Sect of the Pharisees, which were Converts to Christianity, in opposition to

Paul

The Jo 1.1.17.

10, 19.

Paul and Barnabas insisted upon having the Gentile Proselytes circumcised, and very warm Debates ensued thereupon, Pes ter rose up; and, among other Things which he offers upon that Occasion, con

cludes his Speech with this pathetick ExActs xv. postulation, Now therefore, why tempt ye

God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the difciples, which neither our fathers, nor we, were able to bear ?

St. James, who speaks next, is of Opinion, that they which, from among the Gentiles, were turned to God, should not be troubled with observing the ceremonial Law, And, at length, the whole Council make a

Decree concerning the Question; which Acts xv. begins in these Words; Forasmuch as we

have beard, that certain which went out from us, have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law; to whom we gave no such commandment: It seemed good unto us, &c.

St. Paul tells the Romans, They are become dead to the law through the body of CHRIST. Immediately after ; Now, says he, we are delivered from the law; that

Rom. vii.

4. 6.

Gal. ii. 16.

* being dead wherein we were held; that

: we should serve in newness of spirit, and I not in the oldness of the letter. He says E again, Cbrift is the End of the law. He Rom.x.4.

tells the Galatians that by the works of the laro no fless shall be justified. And asks, iïi. 1. 19; who bath bewitched them that they should 24, &c.

not obey the truth ? (that is, adhere to the -- Gospel,and abandon the Law.) And in case

any Judaizing Christian, by way of Op. · position, should demand of him, where

fore then serveth the law ? To what end was it instituted? He answers ; It was

added because of transgresions, till the feed - Should come, to whom the promise was made.

He says,Before faith came we were kept uns der the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore tbe law was our schoolmaster, to bring us unto Chrift; that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a school-master.

Again, he chides them severely, for their Inclination to Judaize, or observe the Ceremonies of the Law: Now, after that ye Gal. iv, , bave known God, or rather are known of 9, 10, 11. God, how turn ye again to the weak and

beggarly