And though the apostle Paul, in his Epiftle to the Romans, ch. vii. argues, in a figurative manner, that the Jews were become "dead to the law "by the body of Chrift, that they might be mar"ried to another," yet it appears from the book of Acts, that he himself strictly conformed to the temple-fervice, as all other Jewish chriftians did, after the refurrection and afcenfion of Chrift. Paul did not only himself "walk orderly, and keep the "law," Acts xxi. 24. but caused Timothy to be circumcifed upon his converfion to christianity, because his mother was a Jewefs, though his father was a Greek. Acts xvi. I.

With respect to meats, the divine being seems to have intimated to Peter, that the diftinction between clean and unclean was abolished. For by the vifion of the fheet let down from heaven, Acts X. II. and the command, "Rife, Peter, kill and "eat," it seems to have been intended to intimate, not only that no nation or people were unclean in the fight of God, but that thofe kinds of food which the Jews had been taught to confider as unclean, were now no longer fo. We also find that Peter himself, when he was among the Gentiles, at Antioch," lived after the manner of the Gentiles, and not as the Jews." Gal. ii. 14. though, upon the arrival of Jews from Jerufalem, he abftained, for fear of giving offence; a conduct for which he was justly reproved by Paul.

As

As long as the temple ftood, the fervice of it was kept up, and attended upon by the believing, as well as the unbelieving Jews, and none of the apostles dropped so much as a hint of there being any thing improper or wrong in it. When the temple was destroyed, the fervice of it ceased of course, just as it did at the Babylonish captivity. But it is remarkable, that in the' prophecies of Ezekiel, relating to the restoration of the Jews, the moft exprefs mention is made of the rebuilding of the temple, and the restoration of the temple-fervice, and especially of facrifices, Ezekiel xliii. 18. And it will hardly be fuppofed, that the converfion of the Jews to chriftianity will not take place at least very foon after their restoration.

As the Jews are ftill to continue a diftinct people, and will probably be the medium of the divine communications, to the rest of the world, it is not improbable, but that they will always continue to be distinguished by certain peculiar obfervances and religious rites; but whether the whole, or what particular part of their antient ritual will be retained, it is impoffible for us to say.

$ 4. Of Baptifm.

ALL the pofitive inftitutions, of which an ac

count has yet been given, were antecedent to christianity. The two which remain to be treated of, viz. baptifm and the Lord's fupper, are pecu

liar to it.

Baptifm is the appointed manner in which a perfon takes upon him the profeffion of christianity, or by which a person is admitted to the privileges of the difciples of Chrift; and was probably intended to represent the washing away, or renouncing the impurities of fome former ftate, viz. the fins he had committed, and the vicious habits he had contracted; and it is to be observed, that the profeffion of repentance always accompanied, or was understood to accompany, the profeffion of faith in Chrift. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven "is at hand," was the general exhortation both of John the Baptift and of Chrift; and, " " Repent

and believe the gofpel; Repent and be convert❝ed, that your fins may be blotted out," was the general strain of the apostles' preaching. Now, says Paul to the Athenians, "God commandeth all "men, every where, to repent." Acts xvii. 30.

We find no account of baptifm, as a diftinct religious rite, before the miffion of John, the fore

runner

runner of Chrift, who was called the Baptift, on account of his being commanded by God to baptize with water all who fhould hearken to his invi

tation to repent. Washing, however, accompanied many of the Jewish rites, and, indeed, was required after contracting any kind of uncleanness. Alfo, foon after the time of our Saviour, we find it to have been the cuftom of the Jews folemnly to baptize, as well as to circumcise all their profelytes. As their writers treat largely of the reafons for this rite, and give no hint of its being a novel institution, it is probable, that this had always been the custom antecedent to the time of Mofes, whofe account of the rite of circumcifion, and of the manner of performing it, is by no means circumstantial. Or baptism, after circumcifing, might have come into ufe gradually, from the natural propriety of the thing, and its easy conformity to other Jewish cuftoms. For, if no Jew could approach the tabernacle, or temple, after the most trifling uncleannefs, without bathing, much less would it be thought proper to admit a profelyte from a state so impure and unclean as heathenifm was conceived to be, without the fame mode of purification.

When a master of a family became a profelyte to Judaism, he was required to circumcife both himself and his houfhold. Thus Abraham was exprefsly commanded to circumcife both his fon

Ishmael,

Ishmael, who had no intereft in the promise of which circumcifion was a feal, and alfo all his flaves," those who were bought with his money." Gen. xvii. 13.

The reafon of this practice does not eafily appear to us, whofe cuftoms and modes of thinking are fo different from those which prevailed, and which still prevail, in the Eaft. The power of a mafter of a family was very extensive, and the actions and customs by which he expressed his own character or refolution, generally extended to all the branches of it. Thus, when the Ninevites made folemn profeffion of their repentance, they clothed even their cattle in fack-cloth, and made them fast as well as themselves; not that they could imagine that the brute beafts were capable of repentance, or could have done any thing to difplease God; but this mournful appearance of every thing about them, was conceived to be expreffive of their own contrition and humiliation. Jonah

iii. 7.

It being the univerfal custom, therefore, for the mafter of a family to circumcife, and probably, alfo, to baptize his children and flaves, as well as himself, upon his making profeffion of Judaism; and the propriety of the thing being exceedingly obvious to all the people in the East, it would be taken for granted, that baptism, if it was used at all, was to be administered in the fame undiftin

guished