208 Tbe bejç Men liable to the r-2-0, /t 1rfn,trt2en.t, Voh I, and Elders, all his fubfiance fhould be devoted, and himfelf feparated from the congregation of thofe that had been carried away: o The Thir Degree was Shammatha, when the Rebellious and Contumacious Perron was Anathematiz'd and Devoted, and, as force conceive, according to the Law ( 27, 29.) was to be put to . death ; tho' other very knowing Men - in'the Jewifh Learning think it amounted, to no more, than a final Sentence, whereby they were left to the Judgment of God, by force remarkable Judgment of his tobe cut off from the Congregation of.Ifrael. Of the Firft andLaft of thefe Degrees of Excommunication, our Saviour feems here to fpeak ; but whether in both Inftances in the Text, he alludes in the one to the loweft, and in the other to the higheft Degree of Excommunication among theJews, is not fo certain. To the FirfI he plainly does, when he fays, they(hall putyou out ofthe Synagogues : And then he adds, that they fhould proceed much . higher againft them, even to put them to death ; the time cometh, that whofoever killethyou will think that he doth Godfervice ; that is, they fhould not only think it Lawfulto kill them, but look upon it as a Duty; as a high Aft of Religion, as an acceptable Piece of Worfhip, and a Sacrifice wellpleafng to God. For fo in deed the word does not only import, but molt properly fignifie, whofoever killeth youfhallthink, narpciav zrpoop pMV ìw Ósß, that he offers a Sacrifice to God; for fo the word nwspEict. is fometimes ufed for a Sacrifice; but being joyned with vrpov¢Épcvv feems neceffarily to be determined to that Senfe. From the words thus explained, I Ihall make thefe followingObbfervations, very proper for our Confideration upon theOccafion of this day. I. That thebelt of Menmay be feparated arid excluded from the Communion of thofe who may affume to themfelves to be the true and the only true Church and fuffer under the Notion of very Bad and Criminal Perfons. This our Saviour here foretold ofhis ApoftIes, force of the belt Men that ever lived: They (ball putyou out of the Synagogues. 2. That they who are thus Excommunicated, by the pretended true Church, may neverthelefs be real Members of the true Church of Chrift. Tho' the Apo- files were thus dealt withal by the Jewifh Church, they did not ceafe for all that to be Members of the true Churchof God. 3. That from uncharitable Cenfures Men do eafily and ahnoft naturally proceed to Cruel Adions. After they hadput the Difciples of our Lord out of their Syna- gogues, and thereby concluded them to be Hereticks and Reprobates, theyprefent- ly proceed tokill them, as not worthy to live. They'hall putyou out of their Sy- nagogues ; and when they have done that, they will foon after think it a thing not only fit, but Pious and Meritorious, to put you to death; the time will come, that they will think it agoodferviee to God, tokillyou. 4. That Men may do the Vileft things, and the molt Wicked, not only under a gravepretence of Religion, but out of a real opinion and perfwafaon that they do Religioufly. Murder is certainly oneof the greateft and molt crying Sins ; and yet our Saviour foretells, that the Jews should put his Difciples to death, being verily,perfwaded that in fo doing they offered a molt acceptable Sacrifice to God Tea the time(hall come, that whofoever killeth you (hall think that he offers a,Sa- crifice to God. 5. That fuch Adions are never the let's horribly Impious and Wicked, notwith- rtanding the good Mind with which, and the Good End for which they are done. The Jews were not excufed from the guilt of Perfecution and Murder, for all they thought they did well in killing the Difciples of our Lard. 6. .1 obferve that the Corruption of the belt things is the worth Religion is the higheft Accomplifhment and Perfedion of Humane Nature; and Zeal for God and his Truth an excellent Quality, and highly acceptable toGod : And yet nothingis more Barbarous, and fpurs Men on to more horrible Impieties, than a blind Zeal for God, and falls and miftaken Principles in the matter of Religion; as is plain from the Inflances here before us in the Text. I (hall fpeak as briefly as I can to thefe Obfervations. r. That
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