at the inftant He forbad it? or that GOD'S law is only binding on the confciences of men, where it has the fanction of human * inftitutions to inforce it? If it be time which wears out the malignity of fuch an evil, or the obligation of the divine law against it, we may as well imagine that other crimes ftand in the fame predicament, and the moft atrocious violations of the fecurity and happiness of mankind, will have a prefcriptive innocence to plead in their excufe.

That all fuch reafonings are not only without foundation, but directly oppofite to the divine truth, we learn from that truth itself, which hath affured us, that "it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail." And that we may be affured He ftamped the most permanent authority on that law, and ticularly on that part of the law of which we have now been speaking, He adds, in the very next words" Whofoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery; and whofoever marrieth ber that is put away from her husband, com

par

*We may say of human laws, ceremonies, and inftitutions, which interfere with the obligation of GOD's ordinances or commandments, as Henry II. King of France faid of the papal difpenfations, that

they are not able to fecure the confcience, and are nothing but a fhadow caft before the eyes of men, "which cannot hide the truth from God."

mitteth

mitteth adultery." This is no new law en→ acted by our bleffed Saviour on the fubject, but an application and explanation of that law which he had, immediately before, faid "could never fail," and which was given to Mofes at mount Sinai. See Luke xvi. 17, 18.

very

When our Lord in his fermon on the mount, as recorded by St. Matthew, is about to explain the moral law, and vindicate it from the falfe gloffes which the Scribes and Pharifees had put upon it, he prefaces his explanation with thefe remarkable words" Verily I fay unto you, 'till heaven and earth pafs, one jot or one tittle (one, even the most seemingly inconfiderable part of a fingle letter) hall in no wife pafs from the law, 'till all be fulfilled." ἕως ἂν παντα γενηται. Until all things be done. Which, with the learned Dr. Hammond on Matth. v. 18. I would thus paraphrafe: ""Till the world be deftroyed, and all things come to an end, no one leaft

particle fhall depart from the law, or "be taken away, or lofe its force and "obligation." "Whosoever therefore, faith Chrift, ver. 19. fhail break one of thefe leaft commandments, and shall teach men fo, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but whofoever shall do, and teach them, the fame shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." After fuch a teftimony as this to the immutability of the divine law, it would

hardly

hardly be decent in me to attempt an addition to its force, by any further argu

ments.

I will therefore now proceed to examine the fubjects propofed, which I shall do fingly on the authority of GOD's word; and this, not by detaching one text here and there from the rest of the facred fcriptures; but by examining carefully the whole throughout, comparing Spiritual things with Spiritual, I Cor. ii. 13. and thus allowing the word of GOD to be, what God doubtlefs intended it should be, the best comment upon itself.

Nor fhall I venture to rest any one point on the authority of even the best * tranflations, but conftantly have recourse to the original fcriptures, being defirous to follow that sensible maxim, that "nothing should "be received in proof, but on the best

66

teftimony which the nature of the thing "will admit of." If, in matters of civil property, a copy will not be admitted "in evidence, where the original can be "come at," how much more doth it behove us, in matters of eternal concern, to have the best evidence for our determina

* Whofoever reads the ftrictures on, or rather againft, the facred fcriptures, of that ignorant and malicious reviler of them, M. de Voltaire, may fee how he has been led into his mistakes by fome of the Latin and French tranflations.

tions? Satius eft petere fontes quam fečtari rivulos.

I have endeavoured to clear my imagination of all worldly systems, and human inventions whatfoever, whether Popish or Proteftant, and to allow no authority more modern than the facred fcripture, lefs weighty than inspiration itself, to amount to a proof of what is true or false. As for the writings of primitive * fathers, Chrif tians, &c. the whole rabble of schoolmen, together with the decrees of councils, churches, fynods, &c. a man, who wishes to know the truth, fhould no more receive a matter of doctrine on their authority, than

*Thefe were but fallible men, like ourfelves, at beft; and if we confider the ftrange opinions which are to be found in their writings, we must acknowledge them to be very faulty. Though they have been fo mutilated, changed, interpolated, and corrupted, by the various fects who have wanted their teftimony to fpeak for them, that it is difficult to know what is genuine, and what is not. I remember to have met with the following difinal, though fhort account, of the writings of the fathers" Scatent erroribus tum "veterûm tum recentiorum hæreticorum." "They "abound with the errors, as well of the old, as of "the more modern hæretics." The apoftl, Tit. i. 14warns us against Jewish fables; we fhould be equally careful of giving heed to thofe which feem to bear a Chriftian ftamp.

We might as well recommend a young man to the ftudy of fo many volumes of news-papers to make him an accurate hiftoriographer, as to the study of the fathers to make him a found divine.

he should a matter of fact on the teftimony of a Popish legend. Nay, I will go farther, and fay, that the dying words, and unfhaken conftancy of faints, martyrs, and confeffors, ought to prove no more than that " they themselves believed what they "faid," unless the holy fcriptures bear teftimony to their opinions.

However clear the Spring is, yet, when it divides itself, flowing from the fountain-head into different channels, it will naturally present to the eye the colour, and to the palate the taste, of the different foils through which it may happen to take its course. I have therefore found little encouragement to reft any thing on the authority of commentators; who, being prejudiced by education, influenced by cuftom, and misled by others that have gone before them-instead of thinking as the Bible Speaks, too frequently make the Bible speak as they think. The conclufion of the matter therefore ought to be-To the LAW and to the TESTIMONY! If. viii. 20.

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