SECT. X.

And of Days,

THESE were all instituted in Memory of the Benefit they had received from God, when they were delivered from the Egyptian Bondage, and brought into the Promised Land. Now the Prophet Jeremiah says, Chap. xvi. and xxiii. that the Time would come when new and much greater Benefits should so eclipse the Memory of that Benefit, that there would scarce be any Mention made of it. And moreover, what we now said of Sacrifices, is as true of Festivals; the People began to put their Trust in them so far, that if they rightly observed them, it was no great Matter how they offended in other Respects. Wherefore in Isaiah, Chap. i. God says, that he hated their New Moons and Feast-Days, they were such a Burden to him, that he was not able to bear them. Concerning the Sabbath, it uses particularly to be objected, that it is an universal and perpetual Precept, not given to one People only, but, in the Beginning of the World, to Adam the Father of them all. To which I answer, agreeable to the Opinions of the most learned Hebrews, that this Precept concerning the Sabbath is two-fold: (a) A Precept of Remembrance, Exodus xx. 8. and (b) a Precept of Observation, Exodus xxxi. 31. The Precept of Remembrance is fulfilled, in a religious Memory of the Creation of the World; the Precept of Observation consists in an exact Absti

(a) A Precept of Remembrance, &c.]

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(b) A Precept of Observation, &c.] pw. Thus Moses Gerundensis, and Isaac Aramas distinguish. Observation and Remembrance signify the same Thing in Moses, as to this Matter, as we have shewn in Deuter. v. 1. however the Thing here treated of is true. Le Clerc.

nence from all Manner of Labour. The first Precept was given from the Beginning, and without Doubt (a) the pious Men before the Law obeyed it, as Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob; the latter of whom, though we have a Relation of many of their Travels, (b) yet there is no Sign of their stopping their Journey on the Account of the Sabbath; which Thing we frequently meet with, after their coming out of Egypt. For after the People were brought out of Egypt, and had safely passed through the Red-Sea, they kept the first Day a Sabbath of Rest, and sung an Hymn to God upon that Account; and from this Time, that exact Rest of the Sabbath was commanded, the first Mention of which is in the Gathering of Manna, Exod. xxxv. 2. Levit. xxiii. 3. And in this Sense, the Reason alledged, Deut. v. 21. for the Law of the Sabbath, is the Deliverance out of Egypt. And further, this Law had Regard to Servants against the Severity of those Masters, who allowed them no Respite from their Labours, as you find it in the forecited Places. is true indeed, that (c) Strangers were obliged by this Law, and that for this Reason, that there might be an universal Rest of all the People. But that this Law of perfect Rest was not given to other People, appears from hence, that in many Places it is called a Sign, and a particular Covenant between God and the Israelites, Exod.

It

(a) The pious Men before the Law, &c.] From whom a certain Veneration for the Seventh Day was derived to the Grecks, as Clemens observes. See what is said in Relation to this, Book I. (b) Yet there is no Sign, &c.] That the pious Men of those Times did in this Sense raccarica, that is, observe the Sabbath, is denied by Justin, in his Dialogue with Tryphon, and by Tertullian in two Places against the Jews.

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(c) Strangers were obliged by this Law, &c.] Not those others, who out of Judæa observed the Precepts given to the Posterity of Noah. This is the Opinion of the Hebrews.

xxxi. 13, 16. And further, that those Things which were instituted in Memory of the coming out of Egypt, are not such as ought never to cease, we have before shewn, from the Promise of much greater Benefits. To which may be added, that if the Law concerning Rest on the Sabbath, had been given from the Beginning, and in such a Manner as never to be abolished; certainly that Law would have prevailed over all other Laws, the contrary to which we now find. For it is evident (a) that Children were rightly circumcised on the Sabbath-Day; and while the Temple stood, (b) the Sacrifices were slain on the Sabbath-Day, as well as on other Days. The Hebrew Teachers themselves shew, that this Law is changeable, when they say that Work may justly be done on the Sabbath, at the Command of a Prophet, which they prove by the Example of the taking of Jericho on the Sabbath-Day by the Command of Joshua. And that in the Time of the Messiah, the Difference of Days should be taken away; some of them shew very well, from that Place of Isaiah lxvi. 23. where it is foretold, that there should be a continual Worship of God from Sabbath to Sabbath, from New Moon to New Moon.

SECT. XI.

And Circumcision of the Flesh.

WE come now to Circumcision, which is indeed ancienter than Moses; as being commanded to Abraham and his Posterity; but this very Precept was the Beginning of the Covenant de

(a) That Children were rightly circumcised, &c.] Thus the Hebrew Proverb: "The Sabbath gives way to Circumcision." See Jobn vi. 22.

(b) The Sacrifices were slain, &c.] Numb. xxviii. 9.

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clared by Moses. Thus we find God said to Abraham, Genesis xvii. I will give unto thee, and to thy Seed after thee, the Land wherein thou art a Stranger, even the Land of Canaan, for an everlasting Possession; therefore keep my Covenant, thou and thy Seed for ever; this is the Covenant betwixt me and thee and thy Seed, every Male shall be circumcised. But we have before seen, that there was to succeed a new Covenant in the Room of this Covenant, such as should be common to all Peo- ' ple; for which Reason the Necessity of a Mark of Distinction must cease. And this is further evident; that there was some mystical and higher Signification contained under this Precept of Circumcision; as appears from the Prophets, when they command (a) the heart to be circumcised, to which all the Precepts of Christ tend. So likewise the Promises added to Circumcision, must of Necessity relate to something further: Namely, that of an earthly Possession, (b) to the Revelation of an everlasting Possession; which was never made more manifest than by Jesus; (c) and that of making Abraham a Father of many Nations; till that Time, when not only some few People, but innumerable of them, spread all over the, World, should imitate that memorable Faith of Abraham towards God; which never yet came to pass, but by the Gospel. Now it is no Wonder, that when the Work is finished, the Shadow of the Work that was designed, should be taken away. (d) And that God's

(a) The Heart to be circumcised, &c.] Deut. x. 16. xxx. 6. Jer. iv. 4.

(b) To the Revelation, &c.] Heb. iv.

(c) And that of making Abraham a Father, &c.] Gen. xvii. 5. Rom. iv. 11, 13, 16, 17. Luke xix. 9. Gal. iii. 7.

(d) And that God's Mercy, &c.] Justin in his Dialogue with Tryphon, says, "Circumcision was given for a Sign, and

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God's Mercy was not confined to this Sign, is from hence manifest; that not only those who lived before Abraham, but even Abraham himself, was acceptable to God before he was circumcised And Circumcision was omitted by the Hebrews (a) all the while they journeyed through the Deserts of Arabia, without being reproved of God for it.

SECT. XII.

And yet the Apostles of Jesus easily allowed of those Things.

THERE was certainly very good Reason why the Hebrews should return their hearty Thanks to Jesus and his Ambassadors; in that he freed them from that heavy Burden of Rites, and secured their Liberty to them, (b) by Miracles and Gifts, no Way inferior to those of Moses. But yet they who first delivered this Doctrine, did not require this of them, that they should acknowledge such their Happiness; but if they would perform the Precepts of Jesus, which were full of all Virtue, they easily allowed them, in indifferent Things, (c) to follow what Course of Life they would; (d) pro"not for a Work of Righteousness." And Irenæus, Book IV. Ch. 30. "We learn from Scripture, that Circumcision is not "that which perfects Righteousness: but God gave it, that "Abraham's Posterity might continue distinguishable. For God "said to Abraham, Let every Male of you be circumcised, and "circumcise the Flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be for a Sign of a Covenant betwixt you and me."

(a) All the while they journeyed, &c.] Josh. v. 5, 6.

(b) By Miracles and Gifts no Way inferior, &c,] R. Levi Ben Gerson, said, that the Miracles of the Messiah ought to be greater than those of Moses, which is most evident in the Dead restored to Life.

(c) To follow what Course of Life they would, &c.] Acts xvi. 3. xxi. 24. Rom. xiv. 1. 1 Cor. ix. 17. Gal. v. 6. Colos. iii. 2. (d) Provided they did not impose, &c.] Acts xv. Gal. i. 3. 6, 15. iv. 10. vi. 12.