Jln Expojition upon the And "rhi,dly, We fin:d that even before f:hrift's coming, the <Jews thcmfclvcc; did not impofe the Obfervation 6f the Cetemoni:ll Rites of their Lav-.", upon a \I thofc Heathens whdrt1 they won over to be Profclytcs tO' their Religion ; for their Profclytes were of two forts: .. Ger-. huith Such as were Profotyti. Legis, who became perfect 1ews in Religion, lived amoog :;i~Z~~d them, a~d engaged themfclvcs to the full Obfcrvance of the whole Law. called alfo Ger. thtdtk, !'r~{e'.Jti '}ujliti1, And fuch as were called Pro{elyti Port£; th:Jt is, thofc H.cathcns who were fa far converted, a's to Acknowledg~ and WorJhip t,he otrlY tr.ue God, althougl! they lived in other Na.tions,and obliged not themfelves to the perforfuahce of what the Levitical La"l-v required: thefc the :Jtws admitted into Participation of the fame common Hope and Salvation with themfelvcs, whct1 they profeffed their Faith in God the 'Thefe Creator, aad their Obedience to the Law of Nature, together with the Seven Tra- ~;;;:rs ditional Precepts of NoaiJ. ,. I• The .Admi'lliflratif11 •f 1Nflict IIPffl Ojfmthr1. "l. Rt~ow'"i~,g of !d.ltttT}· 3. Wtrjhippmg tht mtt Gtl, D~tU:Ltpl"& t/;1 S4b6.¥th. i· .A~P4il•i•gfr•m Murthcr. S• Fnm P~rni,tttien. 6. Fnm R.D,fer_r. 7· .Frcm eatint 1/ Blo~:i, ~ ·,my ,\!nn&t, o[ABe•fl :•l:tn{romlt•live. · From all which it clearly appears, that the Ceremonial Law, to fj>eak properly, is not abrogated to us Gmtilu, it never being given with an intent to oblige us; but it is truly abrogated and difannulled to the <]nos by the coniing of Chrill:, the Meffias iitto the World, in whom all thefeTypes were to receive their full Actomf.lifhment. And concerning the Ablation of this Ceremonial Law, we mull: undci"ftand the Apoftle, when he frequently and CJrneftly afferts the Liberty of Believer5, and their Freedom from the Law; that is, the believing 'Jews were politively freed from the neceffity of obferving it; and the believing Gentiles were negatively free from ob~ ferviug it at all. And for the further clearing of this Matter, we muft know that in the very bcginnirlg of the Church, there arofe great Diffcntion between the believing :Jcwt, a)1d the b~lieving Gentiles, concerning the N~ccffity of obferving the Levitical Law: Am~ng for we find, Afls 15· 5· That certain of the sea of the Pha.rifees which believed, tbefe Ce· affinned,• That it was needful to Circumcife the Gentiles, and to command them rtnrhus to keep the Law of Mofes. Whkh yet was greater Rigour than was formerly ufcd ;~: 7e.d~ ,. to the Pr?felyte Par~y. To determine this Qpeftion, the Apoftles and Elders meet 41 {pipha· togeth~r m. a Council at 'Jtru('!ltm; where afte~ f~me Debat~, the. wh~lc Refu!t nius ~~.[- feems Ill bnef to have been thiS; Th:.tt the belwvmg 'Jews JTI!ght !bll, Wlthont Offirm, . fence, obfervc the Rites and Ceremonies of the Law; for though the Neccflity of Hrre(IJ them ...vere now abrogated, yet the Ufe of them might for a Seafon be lawfully continued; though they were mortutL, yet not mortifor.e; dead they were, bnt hitherto · not de::tdly : * They were expired, yet fome Time was thought eX- • C11"' veniffit fidu t]tu pril11 pedient for their decent Burial. And therefore we find St . Pmd lllisubftMJaaonib!!J pr.nun~iM• himfelf, who foearneftly in all his EpiftlesoppofcththeObfervatiou PJ/:,ni~r::,atf': t;cF::!J;~: o~ the Ccremo~ial La,y, yet ~e himfelf fl1bmirs to t~e ufe of thofe tanqu~~m v11a,R ojfioii Jisi. ~- Rttes, and punfieth lmnfclfm the Temple accordmg to the Law, runw»m tar.tJIIIIm de[ll1lfl•m· Ails 2r. 26. yea, he alfo circumcifeth Timothy, becaufc he was the pm ~mffPrt~rumoffi,iisduirtcm· Son of a :Jewtfs, A[fs r6. 3· by which he evidently declares, That {;a~~::t;:~:r7ftd ~~i~:~j1; thofe Believers who 'Ycre of that ~ation, though they were freed 11011 "'.ttmd~fmnda etntiml(}vtl, from t~eNeccffi~yo~ lt, yet they nught lawfull~ as .Y:t, obferve the inimiwum obtreiiarimtbttJ, tAn· Aaromcal ConftttutJons, efpec1allywhen toavOJdgJv~ngof 0./fence, quamcamml n:arjibus projiCitrlt(t. it might be expedient fo to do. So tender a thing lS the Peace of :0::-:.t 9::~v!;if}/',lllch;Z:7; the ~hurch, t~at even al~rogated Rites and Cerem~nie: fhould not ftmilim M celthrart vof11~it, be ViOlently reJected, to m~angeraWound~ndSch!fi'tl! and_therer.tn t"it pills deduflor, v el h•}u' fore much lefs ought conftttuted and reCeiVed Rttes m thmgs of lustorporis, {tdintpi~flpult!Ut~. lefs mbment than Sacrifice and Circumcifion, be fo ftifly and -ui~/,tot. Aug. Ep. '9· ad Hie· pettinacioully oppugned to the incurable Breach and Divifion of ronym. the Church. But then concerning the Gmtiles; althpugh before the comiq.g of qnrift, they might becQtne perfetl: Profelytes to the whole Law of Mofes, and rccetve the Se~}
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=