I SERM. faw it, they said unto his Difciples, Why eateth your Mafter with Publicans and Sinners? But when Jefus beard that, he faid unto them, They that be whole need not a Phyfician, but they that are fick. To which he subjoins, in farther Vindication of that Practice, and Reproof of their Ignorance and Uncharitableness; But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice; for I am not come to call the Righteous, but Sinners to Repentance. I will endeavour to explain the Matter, and give its juft Weight to the Objection of the Pharifees, which fome overlook, and fo leffen the Ufe and Importance of the Answer. The Jews were forbidden generally by their Law, rightly fo interpreted, to converfe familiarly with, to use the House or Table of, the Gentiles. To this Effect the Words of St. Peter to Cornelius and his Roman Friends, are exprefs; Ye know how that it is an unlawful Thing for a Man that is a Jew to keep Company with or come unto one of another Nation, Acts x. 28. God indeed had then fhew'd him in a Vifion, and confirm'd it by a Command : of of the Spirit, that this Law did no longer SERM. oblige; and therefore he was to be blamed, I when afterwards he declined eating with the Gentiles, and withdrew and Separated bimfelf, fearing them which were of the Circumcifion. But there is no Footsteps of any Cenfure upon this Practice, as fuperstitious or unneceffary, while the Jewish OEconomy food. And agreeable hereunto was the Behaviour of Daniel * and the three Children, with refpect to the Meat and Drink of the King of Babylon's Table.+ But I forbear to argue from that, or other Instances of Scripture, because I take the first-mention'd to be plain and full enough, The Ground of this, taken from that Law, will open us the Confequence whereby the Converfation with Publicans is involved in the fame Prohibition. Now the Ground was, the Avoiding of that Uncleannefs or Defilement, (and the Exclufion from Divine Service confequent thereupon) which they incurr'd that approach'd the Unclean: And fuch were all the Gentiles by their promifcuous Use * See Thorndike's Forbear. or Penalt. p. 52. of SERM. of Meats, and other legal Pollutions, not I. to mention their common Disorders of Lewdnefs, and univerfal Idolatry. So Ifaiab l. 1. Put on thy beautiful Garments, O Jerufalem the holy City; for benceforth shall no more come into thee the Uncircumcifed and the Unclean. Now it is known, that the Romans collected the Duties impofed upon Goods by Undertakers of their own Nation, that farm'd them as well in the Provinces as at Home. The Publicans here mention'd are their Servants and Deputies, Jews who accepted Employments under them; and fome of them, it is likely, had Shares with them; and fo were obliged continually to converfe with them and their Slaves, in the Difpatch and Accounts of Bufinefs, notwithstanding their Uncircumcifion and Uncleannefs. But the Law fays, Numb. xix. 22. Whatfoever the unclean Perfon toucheth, shall be unclean; and the Soul, that toucheth it, fhall be unclean. From whence it is evident, that these Publicans were as much to be avoided with regard to the Law, as their Principals and Mafters the Heathen Romans themfelves. And n even our Lord seems to approve, for the SERM, Time, fuch avoiding them as upon the fame Level, where he fays, St. Matt. xviii. 17. If he neglect to hear the Church, let bim be unto thee as an Heathen Man and Publican. And fome think, that here alfo they are join'd together in the Objection of the Pharifees, Why eateth your Mafter with Publicans and Sinners? for they interpret Sinners by Heathens, according to that of St. Paul to the Galatians; We who are Jews by Nature, and not Sinners of the Gentiles; and St. Luke, the Son of Man must be deliver'd into the Hands of finful Men. But it seems, I confefs, to fignify no more in this Place than an Aggravation of the Charge of Converfing with the Publicans, as if it were faid, finful wicked Publicans. For this agrees best with the Reply our Saviour makes, in which he oppofes to Sinners the Righteous; and befides, it is probable from divers Paffages of the Gospels, that this was a common Addition of Reproach to thofe Men from the Jews and it must be acknowledged, that they generally well deferved it: For it appears from Hiftory, that SERM. that they were intolerable Oppreffors even I. at Home, much more in Juded and the other Provinces, far from following the Baptift's Rule of exacting no more than that which was appointed them. But how- |