learning, and depth of judgment, as Hermannus Venema, an eminent profeffor of divinity in Holland. By his Differtationes Sacra, published at Harlingen 1731, I was firft led to juft fentiments of the oppofite nature of the Jewish and Chriftian difpenfations and have received from them confiderable affiftance in compofing this and the preceding Differtation. With pleasure do I hearken to the voice of justice and gratitude in acknowledging thefe obligations, and returning my hearty thanks. Happy fhall I be, if my feeble attempts to illuftrate and ftrengthen his reafonings, to vindicate them against new objections, and to point out the important purposes for which hist discoveries may be improved, are not wholly in vain. SECTION VI. § 1. THE account I have endeavoured to efta blifh of the nature of the Chriftian church, however agreeable to Scripture and antiquity, has the misfortune to be diametrically oppofite to the fyftem advanced by the late learned and ingenious Dr. Taylor, in his Key to the Apoftolic writings. A view of that celebrated work, fhall close this Differtation. He rightly afferts, that men became members of the Chriftian church by faith, without the works of the law, no kind of obedience performed by them, whether perfect or imperfect, entitling them to that privilege, $247. But then he reduces the privileges of the Christian church to little, and faith to still less. F 5 The The faith, according to our author, § 250, 251, which gave a person a place or standing in the Chriftian church, was a faith consistent with a man's remaining wicked and perishing eternally being nothing more than a profeffion of faith in Chrift as the Saviour of the world, confidered fimply, and separately from the fruits and effects of it. I need only refer my reader, for a confutation of this notion, to Section . § 3. and Section iii. § 2. of this Differtation, and to the account of the nature of Chriftian faith, Differtation III. By virtue however of such a faith, he tells us, all without diftinction, are admitted to the church and covenant of God, and to all the honours, privileges and grants therewith connected, fuch as election, falvation, juftification, adoption, fanctification, &c. But these privileges do not afcertain the favour of God in a future world. Chriftians, though God's chofen people, may, and often do, mifimprove them, and then, as other wicked people, must have the wrath of God for their portion, chap. ix.-Indeed, though election, falvation, &c. found high, yet, when the Doctor comes to explain them, they amount to little more, than being delivered from the power of heathenifh darknefs, which many are who do not profefs Chriftianity, as much as they who profefs without believing it. §2. There are two pillars, on which Dr. Taylor's fyftem refts. The firft is this. God is faid to elect, fave, call, create, beget, nav, even to wash, purge, and fan&ify the people of the Jews; and is fpoke of as their God, Father and Hufband: and they are are termed his children, spouse, faints, a holy nation, &c. yet their being thus exalted in fpiritual privileges, above other nations, did not enfure to them the continuance of God's favour. The moft terrible judgments in time and eternity, were denounced against them, if they neglected duly to improve thefe privileges. And when difobedient to God's will, numbers of thefe, his chofen people, fell a facrifice to his vengeance, Key, chap. ii, and iii. Now believing Gentiles are taken into that church and covenant, out of which the unbelieving Jews were caft; the visible kingdom of God, whereof the Jews were of old the only members, being now enlarged, to admit all, who believe in Chrift, to the fame, nay, to greater fpiritual advantages than the Jews enjoyed, Key, chap. v. Since then Christians are taken into that kingdom, from which the unbelieving Jews were ejected, and fince the privileges of Chriftians are expreffed by the fame phrases with those of the antient Jewish church; unless we admit a ftrange abuse of language, thefe phrafes, when applied to them, and when applied to us, muft convey the fame general ideas. Chriftians therefore are God's elect, as felected from the rest of the world, and taken into his vifible kingdom. God has faved, redeemed, created, begot them, as he has bought and rescued them from their wretched fituation in heathen ignorance and idolatry. And they are faints, a holy nation, fanctified, washed, &c. as fet apart and appropriated in a special manner to God's honour, fervice, and obedience, and as furnished with extraordinary means and motives to holinefs. And as fuch privileges once belonged to every Jew, fo now they belong to all profeffed F 6 Christians, Chriftians, not even thofe excepted, who for mifimproving, are threatned to have their candleftick removed out of her place, Key, chap. ii. The Doctor's argument would have been fully conclufive, had he proved, that believing Gentiles are taken into a church and covenant, precifely the fame with that out of which God caft the unbelieving Jews. This he has indeed attempted to prove, chap. v. § 66,-75. But fome of his arguments only prove, that the Gentiles were received into the Abrahamic covenant, which, as appears from Gal. iii. 17. differs greatly from the covenant made with the Jews at mount Sinai. And if fome of them feem to fhow, that Gentile converts are taken into the church and kingdom of God, out of which the Jews were caft: even that will make nothing for his purpose, as we have proved in the three first Sections of this Differtation, that there was, in confequence of Chrift's coming, an alteration of the conftitution of God's kingdom, the character and privileges of his fubjects, and the tenor by which they were to hold thefe privileges. One thing further I would here obferve. They who, like Zacheus, were fons of Abraham, or members of the Jewish church, are fpoke of as loft, Luke xix. 10. and as loft fheep, Matth. x. 6. xv. 24. In this view Chrift came to fave them. Confequently Chrift's falvation, or the bleffings of the New Teftament, were what they had no intereft in, tho' members of the Jewish church. That vifible kingdom of God, of which every true Chriftian is a member, is therefore totally different in its nature, from that kingdom out of which the unbelieving Jews were caft. Men in the the one, might be in a loft condition. Of those In the other falvation was the common privilege. I acknowledge the ftate, membership, privileges, honours, and relations of Chriftians, are expreffed by the fame phrafes with thofe of the antient Jewish church. Yet, there is no abuse of language, though these phrases convey very different ideas, when applied to thefe different cafes. If a covenant fecuring outward privileges, typified a fpiritual difpenfation; the fame phra fes, when applied to the firft, muft of neceffity have a lower and meaner fenfe, than when applied to the fecond. Attention to this obvious remark, would have prevented the Doctor's leading his many followers into fo wretched a labyrinth. The name Ifrael is often given to the Christian church, Key, $75. Does it thence follow, that the Chriftian church, like the Jewifh, was compofed of Ifrael's natural feed? Our author will not fay fo. Why then is that name given to the Chriftian church? Doubtlefs, because Ifrael after the flesh typified that church. Just for the fame reafon, the privileges of the Jewish church, are often expreffed in terms, which, in their full and more fpiritual fenfe, are applicable only to true Chriftians. 3. His fecond argument has a more fpecious appearance. The fubftance of it is, Thofe to whom Paul and the other apoftles addreffed their epiftles, are fpoke of in general as faints, called of Jefus, beloved of God, juftified by faith, God's temple chofen in Chrift, faved by grace, holy brethren, children of God, &c. Yet these very persons are exhorted to stand fast in the faith; and walk worthy of their chriftian vocation: and cautioned to take heed, leaft they fall, leaft any |