SERM. 1 SERMON LXXXVI. The fin and danger of adding to the doctrine of the gospel. GALAT. I. 8. 9. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accurfed. As we faid before, fo fay I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you, than that ye have reseived, let bim be accurfed. B EFORE I come to handle the words, for the better understanding of them, I fhall give a brief account of the occafion of them, which was this. Some falfe apoftles had made a great difturbance in the churches planted by the apoftles of CHRIST, by teaching that it was neceffary for chriftians, not only to embrace and entertain the doctrines and precepts of the chriftian religion, but likewife to be circumcifed, and keep the law of Mofes. Of this disturbance which was raifed in the chriftian church, you have the hiftory at large, Acts xv. and as in feveral other churches, fo particularly in that of Galatia, thefe falfe apoftles and feducers had perverted many, as appears by this epiftle; in the beginning whereof St. Paul complains, that thofe who were feduced into this error of the neceffity of circumcifion, and keeping the law of Mofes, had by this new article of faith, which they had added to the LXXXVI the christian religion, quite altered the frame of it,SER M and made the gospel another thing from that which Our SAVIOUR delivered, and commanded his apostles to teach all nations. For he tells us, ver. 6. of this chapter, " that he "marvelled, that they were fo foon removed from 66 him that called them by (or through) the grace of "CHRIST, unto another gofpel," that is fo different from that which they had been inftructed in by those who first preached the gospel unto them: for the making of any thing neceffary to falvation, which our SAVIOUR in his gofpel had not made fo, he calls another gospel. "I marvel that ye are fo "foon removed from him that called you by the grace of CHRIST, unto another gospel, which is "not another, ex siv äλλo, which is no other thing, or by which I mean nothing else, but that "there are fome that trouble you, and would per"vert the gospel of CHRIST;" as if he had faid, when I fay that "ye are removed to another gof"pel," I do not mean, that ye have renounced christianity, and are gone over to another religion, but that ye are feduced by thofe who have a mind to pervert the gospel of CHRIST, by adding fomething to it, as a neceffary and effential part of it, which CHRIST hath not made fo: this the apostle calls a perverting or overthrowing of the gospel; because by thus altering the terms and conditions of it, they made it quite another thing from what our SAVIOUR delivered it. And then at the 8th and 9th verfes he denounceth a terrible anathema against thofe, whoever they shall be, yea though it were an apostle, or an angel from heaven, B 3 LXXXVI SERM. heaven, who by thus perverting the gospel of CHRIST (that is, by making any thing neceffary to be believed or practifed, which our SAVIOUR in his gofpel hath not made fo) fhould in effect" preach "another gofpel; but though we, or an angel from “heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, than "that which we have preached unto you, let him "be anathema, an accurfed thing." And then to exprefs his confidence and vehemency in this matter, and to fhew that he did not speak this rafhly, and in a heat, but upon due confideration, he repeats it again in the next verfe," as we faid before, fo fay I now again, if any man preach any other gofpel unto you, than that ye have received, let "him be accurfed." 66 From the words thus explained by the confideration of the context, and of the main fcope and defign of this epiftle, thefe following obfervations do naturally arife. First, that the addition of any thing to the chriftian religion, as neceffary to be believed and practifed in order to falvation, is "a perverting the gofpel of CHRIST, and preaching another gospel." 166 " Secondly, that no pretence of infallibility is fufficient to authorife and warrant the addition of any thing to the chriftian doctrine, as necessary to be believed and practifed in order to falvation. Thirdly, that chriftians may judge and difcern when fuch additions are made. Fourthly, and confequently, that fince the declaration of the gofpel, and the confirmation of it, there is no authority in the chriftian church to impose upon chriftians any thing as of neceffity to falvation, which the gofpel hath not made fo. Fifthly, LXXXVI Fifthly, that there is no vifible judge (how infal- SERM. lible foever he may pretend to be) to whofe definitions and declarations in matters of faith and practice, neceffary to falvation, we are bound to fubmit, without examination, whether thefe things be agree able to the gofpel of CHRIST, or not. Sixthly, and lastly, whofoever teacheth any thing as of neceffity to falvation, to be believed or practifed, befides what the gospel of CHRIST hath made neceffary, doth fall under the anathema here in the text, because in fo doing, "he perverteth the gospel "of CHRIST, and preacheth another gofpel." Now the apostle exprefly declares," that though we (that "is he himself, or any of the apoftles) or an angel "from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, "than what we have preached unto you, let him be "accurfed: as we faid before, fo fay I now again, "if any man preach any other gofpel unto you, "than that ye have received, let him be accurfed." 66 I. That the addition of any thing to the christian religion, as neceffary to be believed or practised, in order to falvation," is a perverting of the "is gofpel of CHRIST, and preaching another gospel." This is evident from the inftances here given in this epiftle; for the apoftle chargeth the false apostles with "perverting the gospel of CHRIST, and preach ing another gospel," upon no other account, but because they added to the chriftian religion, and made circumcifion, and the keeping of the law of Mofes, an effential part of the christian religion, and impofed upon chriftians the practice of these things, and the belief of the neceffity of them, as a condition of eternal falvation. SERM. That this was the doctrine of thofe falfe teachers LXXXVI we find exprefly, Acts xv. 1. " And certain men " which came down from Judea, taught the brethren, and faid, except ye be circumcifed after the man"ner of Mofes, ye cannot be faved ;" and ver. 24. in the letter written by the apostles and elders at Jerufalem, to the churches abroad, there is this account given of it; " forafmuch as we have heard, that "certain which went out from us, have troubled you with words, fubverting your fouls, faying, ye "must be circumcifed, and keep the law, to whom "we gave no fuch commandment." Where you fee that this doctrine is declared to be of pernicious confequence, tending to fubvert the fouls of men, and likewife to be an addition to the doctrine of the gospel which was delivered by the apostles, who here with one confent declare, "that they had given no "fuch commandment;" that is, had delivered no fuch doctrine as this, nor put any fuch yoke upon the necks of Chriftians; but on the contrary had declared, that the death of CHRIST having put an end to the jewish difpenfation, there was now no obligation upon Chriftians to obferve the law of Mofes. And from the reason of the thing it is very plain, that the addition of any thing to the chriftian religion as neceffary to be believed or practifed in order to falvation, which the gospel hath not made so, is preaching another gofpel; because it makes an effential change in the terms and conditions of the gospel covenant, which declares falvation unto men upon fuch and fuch terms, and no other. Now to add any other terms to these, as of equal neceffity with them, is to alter the condition of the covenant of the gofpel, and |