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Page 44
Having proved that the Old Testament declares the perpetuity of
the Mosaic Law, I proceed, 2dly, to prove that it is declared to be
perpetual by Jesus himself.
But before I adduce my proofs, I beg leave to premise, that when
any Law is solemnly enacted, we expect that the abrogation of it
should be equally solemn, and express, in order that no room for
dispute may remain upon the subject. Accordingly, it is the
custom, I believe, in all countries, not to make any new Law,
contradictory to another before subsisting, without a previous
express abrogation of the old one. And certainly it appears to me a
strange notion to suppose, that the elaborate and noble Law given
from mount Sinai amidst circumstances unexampled, awful, and
tremendously magnificent, and believed to have been declared by
the voice of God to be a perpetual and everlasting Code, should
vanish, perish, and be annihilated by the mere dictum of twelve
fishermen!!
But the fact is otherwise, for Jesus was so far from teaching the
abrogation of that law, that he expressly says--� Think not that I
am come to destroy the law, or the Prophets, I am not come to
destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and
earth pass, one jot, or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law,
till all be fulfilled.� This is a most explicit declaration that not the
smallest punctilio in the law of Moses was intended to be set aside
by the Gospel. Nay more, he expressly commanded his disciples to
the same purpose--�The Scribes and Pharisees (says he,) sit in
Moses� seat; all therefore whatsoever they command you, that
observe, and do.�
It is said in answer to this by Christian Divines, that his discourse
relates to things of a moral nature, and that he only meant, that no
part of the Moral Law was to be abolished. But besides that the
expression is general, there could be no occasion to make so
solemn a declaration against what he could not have been
suspected of intending, viz. of abolishing the moral law. He seems
in his discourse to have had in view the additions that had been
made to the law. These he sets aside, but no part of the original law
itself.
It has also been urged that by fulfilling, may be meant such an
accomplishment of it as would imply the superseding of it when
the purposes for which it was instituted should be answered. To
silence this explication it will be sufficient to produce a few out of
many passages of the New Testament where the term fulfil occurs
in connexion with the term law. Thus Paul says, Gal. v. 14, �All
the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself,� and again. Rom. xiii. 8, �He that loveth
another, hath fulfilled the law.� But certainly, notwithstanding this
fulfilment of the moral law, it remains in as full force as ever.
The Apostles understood Jesus to mean as we have asserted. For it
is evident from the Acts, that the Christians at Jerusalem were
zealous in attachment to the law of Moses; this is evident from
their surprise at Peter's conduct with regard to Cornelius; and in
the dispute about imposing circumcision upon the Gentiles;
observe there was no dispute about its being obligatory upon Jews.
Paul was indeed vehemently accused of teaching a contrary
doctrine, as we find in the history of the transactions respecting
him in his last journey to Jerusalem. Acts xxi. 21,� They (i. e. the
Christians) are informed of thee (says James to Paul) that thou
teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles, to forsake
Moses, saying that they ought not to circumscise their children,
neither to walk after the custom.� Here James gives Paul to
understand that he considered the report as a calumny, and
accordingly, to convince the Jewish Christians that it was a false
report, he advises Paul to be at charges with some Jewish
Christians, who were under a vow of Nazaritism, (which is an
instance in point to prove that the first Christians kept the law,) and
thus publicly manifest that he himself �walked orderly, and kept
the law.� Paul complies with this advice, and purified himself in
the temple, and did what was done in like cases by the strictest
Jews. He also circumcised Timothy, who was a convert to
Christianity, because he was the son of a Jewish Mother. And he
solemnly declared in open court. Acts xxv. 8, �Against the law of
the Jews, neither against the Temple, have I offended any thing at
all,� and again, to the Jews at Rome, Acts xxviii., 7, he assures
them that �he had done nothing against the people, or the customs
of the fathers.�
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