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SERMON

LXXXVI.

The fin and danger of adding to the doctrine of the gospel.

GALAT. i. 8. 9.

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accurfed. As we faid before, fo say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you,. than that ye have received, let him be accurfed.

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EFORE I Come to handle the words, for the better understanding of them, I fhall give a brief account of the occafion of them, which was this. Some falfe Apoftles had made a great difturbance in the churches planted by the Apoftles of Chrift, by teaching that it was neceflary for Chriftians, not only to embrace and entertain the doctrines and precepts of the Chriftian religion, but likewife to be circumcifed, and keep the law of Mofes. Of this difturbance which was raifed in the Chriftian church, you have the history at large, Acts xv.; and as in feveral other churches, fo particularly in that of Galatia, these falfe Apoftles and feducers had perverted many, as appears by this epiftle; in the beginning whereof St Paul complains, that thofe who were feduced 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 altered the frame of it, and made the gospel another thing from that which our Saviour delivered, and commanded his Apostles to teach all nations.

For he tells us, ver. 6. of this chapter, that he mar velled, that they were fo foon removed from him that called them by (or through) the grace of Chrift, unto another gofpel, that is fo different from that which they had been VOL. V.

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inftructed in by those who first preached the gospel unto them; for the making of any thing neceffary to falvation, which our Saviour in his gofpel had not made fo, he calls another gospel. I marvel, that ye are fo foon removed from him that called you by the grace of Chrift, unto another gospel, which is not another, doux êsiv ånλo, which is no other thing, or by which I mean nothing else, but that there are fome that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Chrift; as if he had faid, when I fay that ye are removed to another gofpel, I do not mean that ye have renounced Chriftianity, and are gone over to another religion, but that ye are feduced by those who have a mind to pervert the gofpel of Chrift, by adding fomething to it, as a neceffary and effential part of it, which Chrift hath not made fo: This the Apostle calls a perverting or overthrowing of the gofpel; because, by thus altering the terms and conditions of it, they made it quite another thing from what our Saviour de livered it.

And then at the 8th and 9th verfes he denounceth a terrible anathema against thofe, whoever they fhould be, yea, though it were an Apoftle, or an angel from heaven, who by thus perverting the gospel of Christ, (that is, by making any thing neceffary to be believed or practifed, which our Saviour in his gofpel hath not made fo), fhould in effect preach another gofpel; but though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be anathema, an accurfed thing; and then to exprefs his confidence and vehemency in this matter, and to fhew that he did not fpeak this rafhly, and in a heat, but upon due confideration, he repeats it again in the next. verfe, As we faid before, fo fay I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you, than that ye have received, let him be accurfed.

From the words thus explained, by the confideration of the context, and of the main scope and design of this epiftle, these following obfervations do naturally arise. Firft, That the addition of any thing to the Chriftian religion, as neceffary to be believed and practised in or

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der to falvation, is a perverting of the gospel of Chrift, and preaching another gospel.

Secondly, That no pretence of infallibility is fufficient, to authorise and warrant the addition of any thing to the Chriftian doctrine, as neceffary to be believed and practifed in order to falvation.

Thirdly, That Chriftians may judge and difcern when fuch additions are made.

Fourthly, And confequently, that fince the declaration of the gofpel, and the confirmation of it, there is no authority in the Chriftian church to impofe upon Chriftians any thing as of neceffity to falvation, which the gofpel hath not made fo.

Fifthly, That there is no visible judge, (how infal lible foever he may pretend to be), to whofe definitions and declarations in matters of faith and practice neceffary to falvation we are bound to fubmit, without examination whether thefe things be agreeable to the gofpel of Chrift, or not.

Sixthly, and laftly, Whrofoever teacheth any thing as of neceffity to falvation, to be believed or practifed, befides what the gofpel of Chrift hath made neceffary, doth fall under the anathema here in the text, becaufe in fo doing, he perverteth the gospel of Chrift, and preacheth another gofpel. Now the Apoftle expressly declares, that though we, (that is, he himself, or any of the Apostles), or an angel from heaven, preach any other gofpel unto you, than what we have preached unto you, let him be accurfed: As we faid before, fo fay I now again, if any man preach any other gofpel unto you, than that ye have received, let him be accurfed.

1. That the addition of any thing to the Chriftian religion, as neceffary to be believed or practifed in order to falvation, is a perverting of the gospel of Chrift and preaching another gospel.

This is evident from the inftances here given in this epiftle; for the Apoftle chargeth the falfe Apostles. with perverting the gospel of Chrift, and preaching another gofpel, upon no other account, but because they added to the Chriftian religion, and made circumcifion,

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and the keeping of the law of Mofes, an effential part of the Chriftian religion, and impofed upon Christians the practice of these things, and the belief of the neceffity of them, as a condition of eternal falvation.

That this was the doctrine of thofe falfe, teachers, we find exprefsly, Acts xv. 1. And certain men which came down from Judea, taught the brethren, and faid, Except ye be circumcifed after the manner of Mefes, ye cannot be faved, and ver. 24. in the letter written by the Apostles and Elders at Jerufalem, to the churches. abroad, there is this account given of it: Forafmuch as we have heard that certain which went out from us, have troubled you with words, fubverting your fouls, fay ing, ye must be circumcifed, and keep the law, to whom we gave no fuch commandment. Where you fee that this doctrine is declared to be of pernicious confequence, tending to fubvert the fouls of men, and likewife to be an addition to the doctrine of the gofpel which was delivered by the Apoftles, who here with one confent declare, that they had given no fuch commandment; that is, had delivered no fuch doctrine as this, nor put any fuch yoke upon the necks of Chriftians but, on the contrary, had declared, that the death of Chrift having put an end to the Jewish difpenfation, there was now no obligation upon Chriftians to obferve the law of Mofes.

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And from the reafon of the thing, it is very plain, that the addition of any thing to the Chriftian religion, as neceffary to be believed or practifed in or der to falvation, which the gospel hath not made fo, is preaching another gospel; because it makes an effen tial change in the terms and conditions of the gospelcovenant, which declares falvation unto men upon fuch and fuch terms, and no other. Now to add any other terms to these, as of equal neceffity with them, is to alter the condition of the covenant of the gofpel, and the terms of the Chriftian religion, and confequently to preach another gospel, by declaring other terms of fal vation, than Chrift in his gofpel hath declared; which is to pervert the gospel of Chrift.

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