very close imitators of them, were totally different. And the account which is given in the Acts, of the converfion of Cornelius, the Roman centurion, to the Chriftian faith, is a strong evidence of the regard that is ever paid to fincere piety and virtue by the Almighty; and what little ground there is for the notion, that men cannot recommend themselves by their own actions to the favour of God. It is on the contrary plainly declared in this relation, that the PRAYERS and ALMS, the piety and benevolence, of a Roman officer, had fo recommended him to the divine favour, that an angel was fent to him in order to occafion his conversion to Christianity. For the reason which the angel gave for his extraordinary appearance to him, was, "Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for 66 a memorial before God "." 25 This emi refpecter of perfons: he that feareth him, coufnefs, is accepted. e epiftles of St. Paul, Terved, that fome of of the Calviniftical hers which have been are fuppofed to be convicti of parti have be parts of annex a phrases, the orig naturally pret any all within the compass r into a particular dif from th paffages in St. Paul's ged in support of these e those more rational and custome and per obfervati fome of and confiftent interpretations, which have been given by several excellent commentators of fuch paffages. And, indeed, a proper attention to those parts of fcripture, the meaning of which is more obvious and lefs controverted, and to the general tenour of the facred writings, would carry more conviction with it, than any examination of particular texts. For when once men have been accustomed to read any particular parts of scripture in a certain sense, and to annex a certain fet of ideas to fuch and fuch phrases, though perhaps totally foreign from the original meaning of the writer, they naturally confider every attempt to inter-, pret any fuch paffages, in a different fenfe from that in which they have been accustomed to understand them, as wrefting and perverting them. But fome general obfervations upon St. Paul's epiftles, and fome of the doctrines which are founded IN the time of the apoftles, it appears, that there were many of the Jews who had embraced Chriftianity, but who were nevertheless very much attached to the ceremonial law of Mofes; and who laboured to prove, that it was neceffary for the Gentiles, and all the profeffors of Christianity, to conform to the Mofaic rites 26. St. Paul, in his epiftles, opposes the notions of these judaizing Chriftians; he teaches them, that all who believed in Chrift, and embraced his religion, would receive the free remiffion of their past fins, without any conformity to these ceremonial rites. But from thefe declarations of the apoftle, that they were admitted into the Christian church, and had received the remiflion of their fins, by virtue of their faith in Christ, and without any respect either to their obfervance, or non-observance, of the law of Mofes, 26 Acts xv. 1-29. xxi. 20-25. A a 4 the |