Several discourses tending to promote peace & holiness among Christians to which are added,…

Among those that entertain thoughts of Religion, there ever have been, and will be, many Contests, who are the True Church and People of God: The Lazy place their Plea and Claim in External Observations. The Serious look to the Vitals and Heart of Religion, and cannot satisfy themselves in an outward Form, without the Life and Power: This was the very difference between the True Christians, and a certain sort of Persons who took upon them to be the Circumcision. The Jews are often called the Circumcision; Therefore Christ is said to be a Minister of the Circumcision, as being sent to the ⟨p. 52⟩People that were to be Circumcised, Rom. 15. 8. And Peter is called the Apostle of the Circumcision, Gal. 2. 7, 8. as being appointed to deal with that People. Now these Judaizing Christians, who had a zeal for the Ceremonies of the Law, did falsely boast themselves to be the only People of God, and the true Circumcision. This was the difference between them; Who were to be accounted the true Circumcision, the Jewish Zealots, who placed their Justification in the Ceremonies of the Law; or those who adhered to Christ only, and looked for the Mercy of God through him? We are the Circumcision, say they, excluding the other and better sort of Christians: The one had the Form, and the other the Effect and Power; The one were circumcised outwardly, the other spiritually. The Apostle judgeth for the latter; the former were [Greek or Hebrew], The Concision; who instead of circumcising themselves, did cut asunder the Church of God: But the sound Believers were [Greek or Hebrew], the Circumcision indeed; as being circumcised by the Circumcision made without Hands, in putting off the Body of the Sins of the Fl•sh by Christ, C•ll. 2. 11. They were ⟨p. 53⟩the true Children of Abraham, who did indeed perform that for which Circumcision was intended: For we are the Circumcision, which worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the Flesh.

AMong those that entertain thoughts of Religion, there ever have been, and will be, many Contests, who are the True Church and People of God: The Lazy place their Plea and Claim in External Observations. The Serious look to the Vitals and Heart of Religion, and cannot satisfy themselves in an outward Form, without the Life and Power: This was the very difference between the True Christians, and a certain sort of Persons who took upon them to be the Circumcision. The Jews are often called the Circumcision; Therefore Christ is said to be a Minister of the Circumcision, as being sent to the