was written, and
it is chiefly intended to counteract their influence, and prevent that
church from being moved away from the hope of the gospel, which they
had received.

In discussing the subject, We shall first _glance at the measures used
by those deceivers_--then consider _the success which hath attended
this mode of fighting against God, and seducing mankind, adding a few
observations on the influence of tradition and the rudiments and
customs of the world_.

The Colossian seducers appear to have been of two kinds--Jewish and
Gentile. The former seem not to have differed from those at Rome,
Corinth, Galatia, and those in Judea. They were Jewish Christians, who
were so attached to the Mosaic ritual, that they wished to continue
it, and graft Christianity upon it, rendering the religion of Christ
only an appendage to that of Moses. They insisted that the ceremonial
law remained in force--insisted especially on the observance of
circumcision; and probably on the traditions so highly valued by the
Pharisees. But the apostle assured this Gentile Church, that they were
complete "in Christ", and needed nothing of this kind to recommend
them to God, or to secure his favor--that "Christ had blotted out the
hand writing of ordinances, and taken it away, nailing it to his
cross"--that the ceremonial law, being only "a shadow of good things
to come," was fulfilled in Christ, and no longer obligatory; and
warned them to stand fast in their Christian liberty, and suffer no
man to judge them respecting such things, or impose such burdens upon
them.

The Gentile seducers were converts from Paganism, and no less eager to
introduce the tenets and rites of their superstition. One of
the errors, which, from the particular mention made of it, they seem to
have urged, was the worshipping of angels, "Let no man beguile you of
your reward, in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels,
intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up
by his fleshly mind." *

* Verse 18.

Mankind seem, at a pretty early period, generally to have given into
the idea of so vast a distance between God and man, that man is
unworthy to come into his presence, and can approach him acceptably
only through a mediator. But just views of a mediator were never
communicated to the scattered branches of our race, or soon lost
from among them. Most of the heathens offered religious homage to
departed heroes; or to those who had been reve