The falfe Methods of governing and eftablishing 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. F in the Compass of fo fmall a Space, as from the first Entrance of Christianity into the World, to the Times of the Apostle Paul, the Church of Galatia (then but newly planted) could pass into fo corrupt and degenerate a Condition as this Epiftle reprefents it in, let none be surprised to find the very groffeft Errors fometimes got into the very beft and puG g 2 reft reft Churches, but wonder rather, that after fo many Centuries fince paffed, there fhould ftill be (what our Saviour foretold there fhould scarce be at his fecond coming) fuch 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, juft converted to Christianity, there arofe a very early and fierce Difpute amongst them, whether the Jewifb Customs and Ceremonies were to be joined with, and adopted into the Chriftian Profeffion? And confequently, Whether the converted Gentiles ought not to be circumcifed according to the Law of Mofes, as well as they had been baptized according to the Inftitution of Chrift? The Jewish Converts, whofe Education had made them infinitely fond of the Mofaick Rites, and who, tho' they had the Substance, ftill doated upon the Shadow; even after they had given up their Names to Chrift, eagerly contended for the Continuance of Circumcifion, and that not amongst themselves only, but for obliging the converted Gentiles alfo 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 Apoftle 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 Diffi mulation) he spread and carried the Infection much farther by the Authority of his Example; fo that by this his infincere Dealing and Compliance, he mightily fixed these half ChriStian Jews, not only in a confident Perfistance in their Error, but gave them Heart alfo to expoftulate the Matter very infolently even with St. Paul himself, who being by divine Commiffion no lefs the Apoftle 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 Apoftle. Nay, fo high did their judaizing Impudence work, that they began to question the very Truth of his Doctrine, as St. Paul not obfcurely intimates in Chap. 1. of this Epiftle, ver. 9. To all which they add their no lefs rude Reflections upon his Apoftleship, extolling St. Peter and others as Pillars, but undervalu ing St. Paul,as nothing in comparison of them. And lastly, to compleat thefe Scurrilities, we have their vilifying Reproaches of his Person, their ridiculing his Bodily Prefence as mean, and his Speech as contemptible; and in a word, himself also as by no means fo gifted a Brother (fofooth) fo powerful an an Holderforth, nor of Gg3 fuch such edifying Lungs and Loudness, as some of their own Schifmatical Tribe. This, I fay, 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 fo long as there fhall be Governors and Government in the Church, the fame, we may be fure, will be naturally the Cry and Virulence against them of all Śchifmaticks, Sectaries, and Diffenters whatsoever. But as to St. Paul's Cafe now before us, he in his Apoftolick Circuit or Vifitation,coming to visit these hopeful Converts in Galatia, accompanied with his beloved Titus, (not indeed then circumcifed) finds himself very vehemently preffed by them, and that with an Importunity next to Compulfion, to have him Circumcifed alfo, according to the falfe perfuafion they had conceived, of the neceffary and perpetual use of Circumcifion. Neverthelefs, as falfe and confident as this Persuasion of theirs was, and as pofitively 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 Circumcifion; that Chrift himfelf declared, that he came not to deftroy the Laws Laws of Mofes, but to fulfil it; and if fo, was not Circumcifion one of the most confiderable parts of that Law? And indeed fo confiderable, as to be the grand Obligation to bind Men to all the reft? Did not alfo Chrift command his own Difciples to hear and to do whatsoever the Scribes taught them out of Mofes's Chair? And did thofe Scribes teach or own any thing as more neceffary than Circumcifion? Moreover, did not St. Peter, who was the proper Apostle of the Circumcifion (as we have fhewn) agree and concur with these Men in this Practice? Or, at leaft, not diffuade them from it? Nay, and did not St. Paul himself caufe his beloved Timothy to be circumcifed? And if in this matter there should be any Difference between these two Apoftles, would not the Advantage be clearly on St. Peter's fide, who having converfed with Chrift in the Flesh,might rationally be prefumed to know the true Senfe and Defign of the Gospel more exactly than St. Paul, who had not fo converfed with him? And confequently, that it must be much fafer to adhere to the former, in this Controversy, than to the latter? And lastly, befides, and above all this, might they not plead them, felves extremely fcandalized, grieved, and offended at the Practice of fuch Brethren, as hould lay afide Circumcifion, which they were fure was at first commanded, and never fince Gg 4 (for |