A Body of Divinity, Vol. 2 (of 4): Wherein the doctrines of the Christian religion are explained and defended, being the substance of several lectures on the Assembly's Larger CatechismRidgley, Thomas
Religion
A Body of Divinity, Vol. 2 (of 4): Wherein the doctrines of the Christian religion are explained and defended, being the substance of several lectures on the Assembly's Larger Catechism
There are others, who make farther advances on this subject, tending to
overthrow that which appears to be the main design of the ceremonial
law, together with the spiritual meaning of it; these not only conclude,
that the main end of God’s giving it to the Jews, was because it was
necessary that there should be some form of worship erected, otherwise
they would have invented one of their own, or practised that which they
had received from the Egyptians; and the more pompous and ceremonious
this form was, and especially the nearer it came to that of neighbouring
nations, it would more readily be received and complied with: but, that
there was no design herein to typify, or shadow forth Christ, or the
blessings of the covenant of grace; these therefore, were commanded
duties[106], (whereby the people were to be kept employed,) but not
typical ordinances. But it is very strange that any, who have read some
explications hereof, occasionally mentioned in the Old Testament, and
especially that large comment on the ceremonial law, given by the
apostle, in his epistle to the Hebrews, should embrace this opinion.
_2dly_, Whatever ordinances were typical, they respected Christ, his
person, offices, the grace of the covenant, and the way of salvation, by
him; therefore I cannot approve of what I occasionally meet with, in
some ancient commentators, and other modern writers, who sometimes speak
of things being typical of other things besides Christ, and what relates
to the work of redemption by him. Thus some speak of those notorious
wicked persons mentioned in scripture, as Cain, Pharaoh, and others, as
though they were types of the devil; and of Antiochus Epiphanes, as a
type of Anti-christ. And others speak of some things as types of
Gospel-ordinances, so they call circumcision a type of baptism, and the
passover of the Lord’s supper; and several writers, amongst the Papists,
suppose, that the bread and wine, that was brought forth by Melchisedek
to Abraham, was a type of the Eucharist, as they call that ordinance.
Others speak of Noah’s being saved in the ark from the deluge, as a type
of baptism, being mis-led herein by a mistaken sense of the word, used
by the apostle, when he says, having spoken before of Noah’s being saved
in the ark, _The like figure whereunto, even baptism, doth also now save
us_, 1 Pet. iii. 21. &c. whereas the meaning of the Greek word[107] is
not that this was a type of baptism, but that it signified, as baptism
also doth, that salvation, which we have by Christ.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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