3 o Chritirlitÿ doh not de.Ftroy, Vol. Ì. attempted and aimed at, and was -but, as I may fay, rudely begun under that imperfect Inftitution. And this the Gofpel, or the Chriftian Religion revealed by our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift -hath fully effet`ted, as will-evidentlyappear by a particular Survey and Confideration of the main defects of the Jecviflt Re- ligion, which I {hall thew to be alt perfe&ly 'made up by the revelation of the Gofpel, and the Do&rine of Chriftianity, in theft following_Particulars. T;41, It was a great defe& of the Jewi(h Religion, that a confderable part of : it was eneerly external, concergingethe purification of the Body and the Flefh, and only figurative of that inward Purity and real Righteoulnefs, which renders Men truly good, and like to God , for which reäfon the Jewiíh Inftitution is bjthig(tle to the Hebrews call'd the Lawofa Carnal Commandment, Her. 7. 16. and Ch. 9. to. is faid to confifi only (that is chiefly) in meats and drinks, and di- vers wafhings, and carnal Ordinances impofed on them until the time of Reforma- tion; that is, 'till the Meflias thould come, and give fuch Laws as thoulç really tend to reform the Hearts and Lives of Men and therefore theft Laws and'.Or- dinances are call'd poor pitiful Elements, and the Rudiments or IN'', arid, farted ra- ther for Children in underfranding and goodnefs, than to ` ;ring Men to any ma- turity and perfection in goodnefs. All their Rites or purification did onlyfanífi- fie to the purifying of the Refl.); but did notpurge the. Confciencefrom deadworks, ;ás the Apoltle to the Hebrews fpeaks, Ch. g. 13, 14. they could not make thofe that performed and obferved them perfec`l, as pertaining to the Confcience, v. 9. that is, there Laws had no effe& upon the minds of Men, to make them really better, to cure them of their Moral Defects and Impurities, their Sins and Vices. But the Chriftian Inftitution doth perfeffly fupply this defe&, by taking us off from thofe Carnal and External Obfervances, and principally requiring that we wor/lip God in firit and in truth; by giving us fuch Laws as wholly tend to ad- vance real and fubßantial goodnefs, purity and holinefs of heart and life, fuch as mainly tend to reform the Minds and Manners of Men; and to make us like to that Holy and perfë& Being whom we worfhip : and betides an external humble and reverent demeanour of our (elves in the woríhip of God, (to which Natural'Religiondoth likewife direct,) Chriftianity bath only Inftituted twofo- lemn External kites, viz. Baptifm, and the Lord's Supper; whereby we folemnly oblige our felves to the pra &ice,of, all virtue and goodnefs, I fay only thefe two, that by tue multitude of external Obfervances, Chri[tians might not be taken off from the minding of the real and fabfiantial Duties of Religion. And therefore the Church of Ronne have extreamly abated and weakned the force of Chriftianity upon the Hearts and Lives of Men, by amufing them with External Rites, which they have multiplied to that exceflive degree, as to make the Yoke of Chrift really heavier than that of Mofes, and the Chriftian Religion, a more exmrnal and carnal Commandment than that of the Law, and by this means have diverted and taken off the Minds of Men from the main defign of Chrilli- anity, infomuch that they are fo employed and taken up with Matters of external Ceremony, that they have no leifure to think of being good Men, and to mind the great and fubflantial Duties and Virtues of the Chriftian Life; fo that they have fpoil'd the Chriftian Religion of one of its chief Exceiltecies and Perfe- &ions, I mean the fimplicity of its WorJhip, which they have now encumbred with fo many foolifh and frivolous Rites and Obfervances, as do not only ren- der it more burthenfom, but lefs apt to make men inwardly and fubfiantialiy good, than even 7udaifm it felf. This is fo true and fo vifible, that the wifer and better fort of themhave cotnplain'dof it for leveral Ages, and (till do, as much as they dare for fear of the Inquiftion, or Come other cenfure. Secondly, Another defe& of the Law of Mofes was, that it did not give en- couragement enough to Repentance, by declaring and affuring to us any certain way and method for the expiation and forgivenefs of Sin. This the Rites ofall Religions aimed at, and pretended to but were very ineffe&ual to that end. The Heathen Sacrifices, and all the cruel and barbarous Rites belong- ing to them, did all pretend to be fo many waysof appealing the offended Deity, and of making atonement and expiation for Sin; and the Sacrifices of the Jews were
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