dinances of God, to which they had been accustomed to pay respect. And in these their innocent scruples, which offended neither against the faith, the unity, nor the good order of the church, the apostle directs that these converts should be indulged, without prejudice to their Christian profession. To that sentence-Whatsoever is not of faith, is sin-there are some who would give a greater latitude of meaning; but he who wants faith to preserve him in the unity of the apostolical church, must want the faith of a Christian.

In the other chapters which I have mentioned, the allowance which is to be made to the scruples of a tender conscience, is exemplified in the eating of things which have been offered in sacrifice to idols. In that age of general idolatry, this must have been a very common case. The apostle informs us, that he that was strong in the faith, knowing that an idol is nothing in the world; that there is none other God but one; and that the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; felt a liberty in his own mind to partake of all meats alike, asking no questions for conscience sake. But there

were others, who, perhaps more justly, regarded that meat as an abomination, which had been offered in sacrifice to idols. And those who felt no such scruple in their own breast, are commanded, not only to respect the feelings of these more timid Christians, but also to abstain from using such things themselves, lest they should offend the conscience of their weaker brethren. And in this sense the apostle says-All things are lawful for me; but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me; but all things edify not. And he has laid it down as a general rule, that all things must be done to edification.

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Thus it appears, that the indulgence which the apostle grants to the scruples of a tender conscience has its due place in the assembly of the faithful, and its just limits. in things merely circumstantial and indifferIt does not extend to the division of the visible church. It affords no justification to latitude in the profession of the faith-no licence to remove the least of its fundamental principles-no plea for the contempt of just discipline. So far is it from authorising the most remote tendency to schism and se

paration, that it has a direction diametrically opposite to them. Its use and design are, to preserve the unity of the spirit, in the bond of peace.

But is this the case, likewise, with respect to the other great plea of which our separatists would avail themselves, when they urge the principle of Christian liberty?

The Gospel is, indeed, announced to us as a perfect law of liberty; but this liberty, upon enquiry, will be found to consist in a freedom from the dominion of sin, and from the yoke of the ceremonial law of Moses. Thus, when our Lord says to the believing Jews-Ye shall know the truth: and the truth shall make you free; (John, viii. 32.) it is evident, from the context, that he means "the knowledge of the Gospel shall make you free from the dominion of sin, by which ye were held in bondage under the operation of the ritual law." And so it is explained by St. Paul:-For sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the law, but under grace.-Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. (Rom. vi. 14-18.) And, in another place-The law of the spirit of life, in

Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Rom. viii. 2.) And, in the same chapter, he speaks of the glorious liberty of the children of God, as a deliverance, not from the rule of faith, or the laws of discipline, but from the bondage, of corruption. (V. 21.)

The word liberty, as applied to the members of the church, is variously used by the apostles. In the chapters I have considered above, with reference to a tender conscience, liberty means the persuasion of a man's own mind with regard to the lawfulness of things indifferent. But this liberty is not to be abused, to the offence of weaker brethren. Take heed, saith the apostle, that this liberty of yours become not a stumbling-block to them that are weak. (1 Cor. viii. 9.)

And again-Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience? (1 Cor. X. 29.)

Here Christians are restrained, in deference to the conscience of others, from the use of cer tain things which their own conscience allows.

In the second epistle to the Corinthians, St. Paul declares that-Where the spirit of

the Lord is, there is liberty. (2 Cor. iii. 17.) But we find that the operation of this liberty is not to dissolve the unity of the church, or to abrogate the authority of its ministers; but to remove the veil which had concealed the Mosaic ordinances.

The Galatians are frequently reminded of their Christian liberty, which, in the epistle addressed to their churches, constantly means a freedom from the right of circumcision and the ordinances of the Levitical law. And the apostle dwells the more on this subject, because of certain false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily, to spy out the liberty which they had in Christ Jesus, that they might bring them into bondage. (Gal. ii. 4.) And these false brethren had succeeded so far, as to persuade the Galatians, that an observance of these rites was necessary to their salvation. This was a dangerous error, which threatened to destroy the very foundation of their Christianity. And, in order to remove it, the apostle gives this charge Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

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