The false Methods of governing and establishing the Church of England exploded, &c. in a Discourse upon

GALAT. II. 5.

To whom we gave place by Subjection, no not for an Hour; that the Truth of the Gospel might continue with you.

I

Fin the Compass of so small a Space, as from the first Entrance of Chriftianity into the World, to the Times of the Apostle Paul, the Church of Galatia (then but newly plant

ed) could pass into so corrupt and degenerate a Condition as this Epistle represents it in, let none be surprised to find the very grossest Errors fometimes got into the very best and puGg2

rest Churches, but wonder rather, that after fo many Centuries since passed, there should still be (what our Saviour foretold there should scarce be at his fecond coming) such a thing as Faith upon Earth, or indeed any Church

at all.

As for that of Galatia, the Subject of the Text before us, and confifting of great Numbers both of Jews and Gentiles, just converted to Christianity, there arose a very early and fierce Dispute amongst them, whether the Jewish Customs and Ceremonies were to be joined with, and adopted into the Christian Profeffion? And confequently, Whether the converted Gentiles ought not to be circumcised according to the Law of Mofes, as well as they had been baptized according to the Institution of Christ? The Jewish Converts, whose Education had made them infinitely fond of the Mosaick Rites, and who, tho' they had the Substance, still doated upon the Shadow; even after they had given up their Names to Christ, eagerly contended for the Continuance of Circumcision, and that not amongst themselves only, but for obliging the converted Gentiles also to the fame. And in this their Error they chanced unhappily to be the more confirmed by a temporizing Practice of St. Peter himself, the great Apostle of the Circumcifion. Who yet (as great as he was) by judaizing in fome Things, and that even contrary

contrary to his own Judgment, as well as to the Truth of the Gospel (the Text itself telling us in ver. 12, 13. of this Chapter, that it was indeed no better than downright Diffimulation) he spread and carried the Infection much farther by the Authority of his Exanıple; so that by this his infincere Dealing and Compliance, he mightily fixed these half ChriStian Jews, not only in a confident Persistance in their Error, but gave them Heart also to expoftulate the Matter very insolently even with St. Paul himself, who being by divine Commission no less the Apostle of the Gentiles than St. Peter was of the Jews, with a Courage equal to his Sincerity, both taught and practifed quite otherwise than that his Brother Apostle. Nay, so high did their judaizing Impudence work, that they began to question the very Truth of his Doctrine, as St. Paul not obscurely intimates in Chap. 1. of this Epistle, ver. 9. To all which they add their no less rude Reflections upon his Apostleship, extolling St. Peter and others as Pillars, but undervaluing St. Paul,as nothing in comparison of them. And lastly, to compleat these Scurrilities, we have their vilifying Reproaches of his Perfon, their ridiculing his Bodily Presence as mean, and his Speech as contemptible; and in a word, himself also as by no means so gifted a Brother (fofooth) so powerful an Holderforth, nor of fuch

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fuch edifying Lungs and Loudness, as some of their own Schifmatical Tribe.

This, I say, was the Language of a set of Schifmaticks in the Church of Corinth, mentioned in 2 Cor. x. 10. and the like, no doubt, of the Brotherhood in Galatia; and not of them only, but so long as there shall be Governors and Government in the Church, the fame, we may be sure, will be naturally the Cry and Virulence against them of all Schifmaticks, Sectaries, and Diffenters whatsoever.

But as to St. Paul's Cafe now before us, he in his Apoftolick Circuit or Visitation, coming to visit these hopeful Converts in Galatia, accompanied with his beloved Titus, (not indeed then circumcised) finds himself very vehemently pressed by them, and that with an Importunity next to Compulfion, to have him Circumcised also, according to the false perfuafion they had conceived, of the neceffary and perpetual use of Circumcifion. Nevertheless, as false and confident as this Perfuafion of theirs was, and as positively as it stood condemned by St. Paul, it wanted not for several Arguments, and those, seemingly at least, not inconfiderable, to give Colour to the defence of it. As, to instance in some of them, might not these Galatians have pleaded for the continuance of Circumcision; that Chrift himself declared, that he came not to destroy the Laws

Laws of Mofes, but to fulfil it; and if fo, was not Circumcision one of the most confiderable parts of that Law? And indeed so confiderable, as to be the grand Obligation to bind Men to all the rest? Did not also Christ command his own Disciples to hear and to do whatsoever the Scribes taught them out of Mofes's Chair? And did those Scribes teach or own any thing as more neceffary than Circumcifion? Moreover, did not St. Peter, who was the proper Apoftle of the Circumcision (as we have shewn) agree and concur with these Men in this Practice? Or, at least, not dissuade them from it? Nay, and did not St. Paul himself cause his beloved Timothy to be circumcised? And if in this matter there should be any Difference between these two Apostles, would not the Advantage be clearly on St. Peter's side, who having conversed with Christ in the Flesh, might rationally be presumed to know the true Sense and Design of the Gospel more exactly than St. Paul, who had not so conversed with him? And confequently, that it must be much safer to adhere to the former, in this Controversy, than to the latter? And lastly, befides, and above all this, might they not plead them. selves extremely scandalized, grieved, and offended at the Practice of such Brethren, as should lay afide Circumcision, which they were fure was at first commanded, and never fince (for

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