SECTION X. Concerning the WRITINGS of the A APOSTLES. S to the writings of the apoftles, they plainly appear to have been written occafionally, occafionally, and feem fuited to the exigencies of thofe upon whose account, and for whofe fakes they were written; and, as fuch, it is not unlikely that fome of the arguments contained in those writings were arguments only to those to whom they were fent, as they might affect their respective cafes only, and as it was reasoning with them upon their own principles. And as the apoftles were bred Jews; fo they, fometimes, borrowed their figures` of fpeech from the laws and cuftoms of that people. And as the apoftles were very much concerned for, and laboured the converfion of their countrymen the Jews, and as they likewife likewise endeavoured to make those Jews eafy who had been converted to chriftianity, and who otherwife might be offended * The converfions referred to, do not always imply the changing men from bad to good, because fometimes the converted man was not a whit better man after his converfion than before, which plainly appears to have been Cornelius's cafe; and this may have been the cafe of many of those three thoufand who are confidered as having been converted by St. Peter's preaching, A&ts ii. So that converfion, in fome inftances, was no more than a man's discharging his mind of one set of religious principles, and embracing another; his setting aside one external form of religion, and making ufe of another; and his being translated from one religious party or faction to another. And in this view of the cafe, tho' converfion may answer good purposes to a good man, by correcting the errors both in judgment and practice which he may, through education or otherwife, have unwittingly fallen into, and therefore, every good man will be difpofed to work the converfion of his neighbours, in this fenfe of the word converfion; yet fuch converfion did not, nor does not, in the leaft, affect a man, as to the favour of God and his future safety. For if a man was as good a man before his converfion as after it, then he was as much approved of God, and was in as fafe a state, before his converfion as after it, and which was most affuredly Cornelius's cafe. In like manner, if a man was a bad man before his converfion, and continued to be fuch after it, then he was as difapprovable to God, and in as unfafe a ftate, after his converfion as before it, and that is the cafe among us. When a man changes fides, and paffes from one religious system and party to another, as from Popery to Proteftantifim, or from Proteftantifm. to Popery, and the like; the party he paffes from calls fuch change apoftacy; and the party he paffes to calls it converfion; but then, fuch change does not in the least affect a man, as to God's favour and his future fafety, ex cept fended on account of the abolishing Mofes's law, which thofe Jews confidered to have been of a divine original, and which they had ftill a great veneration for; fo they endeavoured to affimulate, or draw a refemblance betwixt the law and the gospel, in order to render chriftianity the more acceptable to them; and this is putting the most favourable conftruction upon their conduct. For example: As the Jews had their temple, their altar, their highprieft, their facrifices, and the like; fo the apostles, in order to make Christianity bear a refemblance to, and as it were taily with Judaifm, and thereby render it more acceptable to the Jews, found out fomething or other in cbriftianity, which they by a figure of fpeech called by thofe names. And thus christians have their temple, their altar, their high priest, and their facrifices; but then these are such only in a figurative sense. And thus, as St. Paul faith of himself, he became all things to all men, that he might gain the more ; fo the apoftles became, as it were, Jews to the Jews, by affimulating chrifti cept he is really made a better or a worfe man thereby; and therefore, converfions of this fort are not greatly to be boasted of. |