228 Vol, I, SERMON XXXII. The Sin and Danger of adding to the Dodrine of the Gofpel. GALAT. I. 8, 9. But tho' We, or an Angel fromHeaven preach any other Gofpel unto you, than that which we have preachedunto you, let him be ac- turfed! As we faid before, fo fay I now again, If any man preach any other Gofpel unto you, than that ye bave received, let hint be occurred. BEfore I come to handle the Words, for our better underfianding of them, I !hall give a brief account of the occafion of them, which was this. Some falfe Apofiles had made a great Difturbance in the Churches planted by the Apofiles of Chrifi, by teaching that it was ,neceffary for Chriftians, not only to embrace, and entertain the Doctrines and Precepts of the Chriftian Religion, but Iikewife to be Circumcifed, and keep the Law of Mofes. Of this Difturbance which was raifed in the Chriftian Church, you have, the Hiftory at large, Adis 5.5. and as in feveral other Churches, fo par- ticularly in that of Galatia, thefe falfe Apofiles and' Seducers had perverted many, as appears by this Epiftle ; in the beginning whereof St. Paul complains, that thofe who were(educed into this Error of the Neceffity of Circumcifion, and keeping the Law of Mofes, had by this new Article of Faith, which they had added to the Chriftian Religion, quite alter'd the Frame of it, and made the Gofpel another thing from that which our Saviour delivered, and commanded his Apoftle to teach all Nations. For he tells us, ver. 6. of this Chapter, that be marvelled, that they were fo foon removed from him that called them by (or through)' the grace of Cbryl, unto another Gofpel, that is; fo different from that which they had been inftruftèd in by thofe who firfi preached the Gofpel unto them : For the making of any thing neceffary to Salvation, which our Saviour in his Gofpel had not made fo, he calls anotber Gofpel. I marvel thatye arefofoon removedfrom him that called you by the grace of Chri, unto another Gofpel, which is not another, & áx toy ä001.0, which is no other thing or by which Imean nothing elfe, but that there arefomethat troubleyou, andwouldpervert theGofpel of Chr; as ifhe had faid, when I fay that ye are removed toanother Gofpel, Ido not mean, that ye have renounced Chriftianity, and are gone over to another Religion, but that ye are (educed by thofe who have a mind to pervert theGofpel ofChrifi, by adding fomething to it, as aneceffary and effential part ofit, which Chrifibath not made fo: This theApoftlecalls aperverting or over- throwing ofthe Gofpel ; becaufe, by thus altering the Termsand Conditions of it, they made it quite another thing fromwhat our Saviourdelivered it. And then at the 8th and gth Verfes he denounceth a terrible Anathema againft . thofe, whoever they fhould be, yea tho' it were an Apoftle, or an Angel from Heaven, who by thus perverting the Gofpel ofChr (that is, by making any thing neceffary to be believed or prodded, which our Saviour inhis Gofpel bath not made fo) fhould in effe&preach another Gofpel; but tho' we, or an Angelfrom Heaven, preach any other Gofpel untoyou, than that which we have preached untoyou, let him beAnathema, an accurféd thing. And then to exprefs his confidence and vehe- mency in this matter, and to thew that he did not fpeak this rafhty, and in a heat, but
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