A continuation of the exposition of the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the…

1. Such as adhered unto and maintained the Mosaical Institutions in Opposition unto Christ and the whole way of our coming unto God by him. These esteemed it the greatest Blasphemy imaginable for any to affirm, that the Law was to be changed or abrogated. And this was the occasion of the death of the first Martyr of Jesus Christ under the accusation of Blasphemy, which by the Law was to be punished with Death. For this they made their charge against Stephen, that he spake Blasphemous words against Moses, (whom they put in the first place) and against God. Act. 6. 11. And the proof of this Blasphemy they lay on those words, that Jesus should change the Customs which Moses had delivered to them. Accordingly on this very account they stirred up Persecution with rage and madness against the Holy Apostles all the World over. The mouths of these Cursed Unbelievers were to be stopped; and therefore Cogent Reasons and Unanswerable were in this Case to be urged by the Apostle; and they are so accordingly. And they were now to know that notwithstanding all their Rage and Bluster, those that believed were not ashamed of the Gospel, and they must be told that the Law was to be abrogated, whether they would hear or forbear, however they were provoked or enraged thereby.

2. There were others of them who, although they received the Gospel and believed in Christ, yet were persuaded that the Law was still in force, and the Worship prescribed in it still to be observed. And of these there were very great Multitudes as the Apostle declares; Acts 21. 20. This Error was in the Patience of God for a while tolerated among them, because the time of their full Conviction was not yet come. But those who were possessed with it, began after a while to be very troublesome unto the Church, and would not be content to observe the Law themselves, but would impose the Observation of it on all the Gentile Converts on the pain of Eternal Damnation. Acts 15. 1