Of Chri/iian Liberty. 87 is effentially infeparable from our entrance SE R M. into the chriftian ítate, the fame freedom IV. muff accompany the whole courfe of our religious faith and obedience ; and without this no aft of compliance with the gofpel inftitution, or any part of it, can anfwer its end, or be accepted ; and then it followeth, that no vifible power on earth can have any participation in the government of Chrift, not fo much as to join in fupporting or in- forcing it ; for that would defeat and fub- vert the liberty wherewith he has made his fubjec`ts free ; for no temporal or proper human authority can be exercifed without coertion, and therefore it cannot poffibly in the leaft contribute to promote fuch pure religion as chriftianity requireth .; on the contrary, fo far as it is regarded (and if it is not to be regarded, to what purpofe is it applied ?) juft fo much is diminifhed front the fincerity of religion. This I take to be the true foundation up- on which we are to explain what the apoftle direEtly afferteth in the text to be an im- portant part of that liberty wherewith Chrift hath made chriftians free, namely, their de- liverance from the ceremonial law. Any one who readeth the New Teftament, muff ebferve a great difference often infifted on ç; 4 between
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