Acts 15:1-5

And certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. (2) When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. (3) And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. (4) And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them. (5) But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.

I beseech the Reader not to overlook, how early dissention arose in the Church, notwithstanding the Apostles had been so openly ordained by the Holy Ghost to the ministry. One might have thought, that nothing would have sprung up to disturb the peace of the Church, at such a golden age, when men so highly taught, were alive to prevent it. Every case of dispute arising from the remains of in-dwelling corruption, might have been brought before them, and their decision unerring and final. But, we learn from hence, how universal and unceasing the deadly fruits of our fallen state are! It is blessed, however, to observe, how sweetly the Lord overrules evil for good; and makes that which is sinful in itself, by his grace, to minister to his glory. There must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. 1 Corinthians 11:19

I beg the Reader, however, to observe, (and the same will serve to guide him upon all similar occasions), that those men which came from Judaea, came not from the Apostles' authority. (See Acts 15:24). All schism, springs from the corruptions of men; they derive no sanction from God. And, it should be further observed, that this rite of circumcision, which they contended for, was joined with the necessity of keeping the law of Moses (see Acts 15:5). And thus they were shackling the free grace of God, with the will-worship, and will-working of man. And, the ultimate object was, to render Christ and his finished salvation, a matter of uncertainty, whether it should prove beneficial or not to the Church of God. Reader! pause over the subject. Will-worship is the same, in every age of the Church, under whatever covering it hides itself. Ordinances, even the purest, and the best of Ordinances, are no Saviors. When men lay more stress upon them, than they do upon the everlasting love of God the Father; the union of Christ with his Church, before all worlds; and his finished redemption in the glories of his Person, blood, and righteousness, when saving her from all the sin and evils of this time-State of her warfare; and the regenerating grace of God the Holy Ghost; they abuse them, in converting them into a purpose for which they were never intended. In such seasons of the Church, it is blessed to live above all party spirit of men, by living upon Christ; and suffering not God's' grace to be made subservient to man's will. If the Reader will consult what Paul said to the Ga 1-6 throughout, particularly Galatians 5:1

It appears, that Paul and Barnabas, who were preachers of free grace, in opposition to the doctrine of circumcision, had warm disputes with those free-will men and work-mongers, before the subject was proposed to be brought before the Apostles and Elders at Jerusalem. And probably, those men, as we find Paul himself took notice of upon several occasions, were disposed to call in question Paul's authority, and to run down his Apostleship as much as possible: as if his judgment was not to be considered, in point of value, with the first and original Apostles. See Galatians 2:1. Reader! think it not strange, at what is going on now in the Christian world, in the opposition made to the plainest and purest doctrines of the Gospel; when we find such men as Paul and Barnabas so lightly esteemed. The great enemy of souls, wageth war chiefly with those grand truths, in which the present and everlasting welfare of the Church depends. Such, I mean, as the eternal love, purpose, and grace, of God the Father, to the Church, before all worlds. The Godhead, Person, work, blood-shedding, and righteousness, of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Person, Godhead, love, and grace, of God the Holy Ghost, in his regenerating, convincing, converting, and sanctifying influence, upon the persons of the Lord's people, While these grand, and infinitely momentous doctrines are insisted upon, as the sole life of the soul; the enemy will raise up all the various methods his subtlety can devise, to counteract them, and keep as much as possible in the back ground their importance. He stirreth up enemies from without, among the ungodly and carnal, to say, that good order among men is in danger, and nothing but licentiousness will follow, if such doctrines are allowed to be preached. And, he stirreth up the corruptions of friends within, to lay more stress upon things of less moment, in order to keep out of view those most essential truths, Paul saw this, and felt it in his day, and before his departure from the Church at Ephesus foretold it, as an evil that would follow. I know, (said he), that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your ownselves shall men arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them, Acts 20:29. But, Reader! let you and I learn to make a proper distinction, between things which are essential, and others which are of no moment. If we are called upon to contend, let it be a holy contention for what is worth contending for; namely, the faith which was once delivered to the saints, Jude 1:3. And, let us see that we are living ourselves upon what we contend for with others, or would recommend to them to live upon also. All our springs of grace here, and glory hereafter, are in Christ. His Godhead, and our complete justification in him, are the life of our soul. To give up these, were to give up life. For, if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain, Galatians 2:21.