Vol. II. and looked ruefully, Matth. vi.. 16. They faft ed two days in a Week, Luc. xviii. 12. They praifed God, and gave him thanks for his Mercies, Luc. xviii. 12. They were no fcandalous Offenders, Extortioners, Unjuft, Adulterers, Luc. xviii. 11. They were very ready to refolve Cafes of Confcience, Matth. xxiii. 16. They taught the Doctrine, and maintained the Law of Mofes, Matth. xxiii. 2, 3. They Garnish'd, Adorned, and Beautified the Sepulchres of the Prophets of old, Matth. xxiii. 29. They had a great Veneration for the Traditions of their Church, Marc. vii. 2, 3, 4. They were very punctual in paying Tithes, or the tenth part of the Fruits of the Earth, that fell to their fhare, Matth. xxiii. 23. They carried their Phylacteries about with them, where-ever they went, which were certain pieces of Parchment, wherein were written fome Sentences, or Sections of the Law, particularly of Exod. xii. and xiii. and Deut. vi. and xi. and these they tied to their Wrists and Foreheads, and made them very broad, Matth. xxiii. 5. They were often Purifying and Washing themselves, not only their Hands and Wrifts, axe τα ayrar, as Theophylact speaks, up to the Elbow, but their whole Bodies too, efpecially, when they came from the Market-place, being fearful, left fome filthinefs, contracted by converfe, fhould stick to them, Mark, vii. 3. They took great pains to make Profelytes,and Converts to their Religion, for they compassed Sea and Land to do it, Matth. xxiii. 15. They were so strict, or fo nice rather, that they

were

were afraid of touching a Perfon, who was counted an open and fcandalous Sinner; would not only not Eat with him, but not fo much as touch him, which was the reason why the Pharifee, in whofe Houfe Christ dined, found fault with our Saviour, for fuffering himself to be touch'd by a Woman, who had been a notorious Sinner, Luke vii. 39. And this is the account the Scripture gives of them..

Διὰ τὸ δῆθεν μὴ σωματικδη τι παθών τ Aazy Ꮑ vela and 79 puoi gopedτε φύσιν σομα *. Epiph. I. t. adv. Hær.

somatindy

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St. Epiphanius adds, that many of them would Vow very ftrict Chastity, and Abfti nence from the Partners of their Beds, fome for four Years, fome for eight, and fome for ten. They were very watchful against all Nocturnal Accidents, and partly to prevent them, and partly to a wake the fooner to Prayer, they would fleep upon Boards not above nine Inches broad, that falling or rolling off from thofe Boards on the Ground, they might go to their Devotion; fome would stuff their Pillows with Stones and Pebles, and fome would venture even upon Thorns, for that purpose. Befides their Tythes, they separated their First-Fruits, and the thir tieth and fiftieth part of their Incomes to Pious Ufes; and as to all Vows, and Sacrifices, no Perfons were more punctual to pay or discharge them, than they.

Eavidas T θαμῆς μόνης το do. Epiph. Ibid.

This was the Righteoufnefs of the Scribes and Pharifees. All this looks well, and hath a very good glofs. And one would wonder at

first fight, how Christ could find fault with thefe Performances. One would think, that inftead of blaming, he fhould have commended them for fo doing: How many Thousands are there in the World, that do not do half fo much in Matters of Religion; and fomet would look upon themselves as extraordinary Saints, if they came up to what the Scribes and Pharifees did; fo far are they from dreaming of going beyond them.

But have not you feen fome counterfeit Pearls, fo Artificiously contrived, that the ignorant Spectator hath taken them for truly Oriental? Have not you feen fome curious Limner, draw Infects and Butterflies, with that Life, that one would take them for living Animals? The fame may be faid of the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharifees. As fpacious, as glorious as it look'd, it was perfectly of the Nature of the Glow-Worm, and fhined bright in that dark Night of Ignorance, but view'd by Day-light was nothing but a fquallid Worm, a mere Skeleton of Devotion; which leads me,

II. To fhew you the Defects of their Righteoufnefs, and they will appear from the following Particulars.

1. They laid the Strefs of their Devotion upon the Opus Operatum, the bare Outward Task and Performance, without any regard to the Inward Frame; very indifferent whether their Minds at the fame time were feafon'd with a due fenfe of God's Greatnefs, and their own Imperfections: Juft as the People of the

Church

Church of Rome at this Day will fay fo many Credo's, fo many Pater Nofter's, fo many Ave Maria's, and fancy, they have done admirably well, when they have abfolved their Task, though their Minds, or Thoughts all the while, like the Evil Spirit in Job, have been wandring to and fro in the Earth: And I wish, too many, who profefs themselves Members of the best Church in the World, I mean, the Church of England, did not fplit their Vessel against this Rock; I am furè, the Scribes and Pharifees did: They made no account of the inward Frame, but rested in the Shell, and thought God would be pleased with the slaying of a Bullock, or Lamb, or He-Goat; and they measured the Goodness of their Prayers by their Length and Number, more than by the great Senfe they had of the Shekinah, or Divine Prefence, whereas an humble and devout Mind in the Religious Service, was the thing God required at their Hands, Matth. xv. 8:

2. They were very Zealous for the Cere monial part of Religion, but very regardless of the Moral, and more Subftantial part of it; hot as Fire for the one, cold as Ice with refpect to the other. The neglect of a Ceremo ny, anger'd them more, than the Omiffion of a fober, and pious Converfation; much as the Greeks at this Day look upon breaking a Fast of the Church, as a more heinous Crime, than killing, or murthering a Man, and to this purpose Christ tells the Pharifees, Matth. xxiii. 22, 23. Wo to you Scribes, and Pharifees, Hypocrites, who strain at a Gnat, and fallot a

D Z

Camet?

Gamel: Te pay Tithe of Mint, and Cummin, and Anife, and have omitted the weightier matters of the Law, Judgment, Mercy and Faith.

3. They were abominably felfish in all their Religious Undertakings, for all their Works they do to be feen of Men, faith our Saviour, Matth. xxiii. 5. This was the Worm that corrupted their Alms, their Prayers, their Fafts, their Self-denials, their Mortifications, and all they. did, even a defign to advance, and promote their Profit Intereft and Credit, and to gain the Applaufes, and Admirations of Men, and though they made long Prayers, yet it feems, it was to devour Widows Houfes, Matth. xxiii. 14. Their very Doctrines were fuited to their Profit and Intereft; As, Tranfubftantiation, Purgatory, Private Maffes, Indulgences, AuricuEar Confeffion, &c. in the Church of Rome are invented to aggrandize the Honour and Profit of the Prieft, fo the Tenets they held, were accommodated to their Gain and Lucre, for they taught the People, that there was greater Holinefs in the Gold of the Temple, than in the Temple, and greater Sanctity in the Gift upon the Altar, than in the Altar it felf, thereby to oblige the People, to bring Gold, and Gifts into the Temple, whereby the Priests, who were of the Order of the Pharifees, fuckt no fmall Advantage, Matth. xxiii.

16, 17.

4. They took care to purifie the outward Man, but took none to cleanfe the Heart and the Soul. Such Acts of Piety and Devotion, as were stately, and favour'd of Pomp, and