on fuch articles as were then controverted; and the questions put to them fo formed as the affirmative contained an affent unto the doctrines oppofed; and the negative a rejection of the errors condemned. Now, every one knows, that covenants were ratified by making propofals on the one hand, and accepting them on the other.

2. THEY ratified thefe engagements by oaths, and gave them the form as well as the nature of covenants. The infpired writers themfelves fuggest as much, I humbly judge: They affure us not only of the profeffion of faith, repentance, and obedience, which they made; but alfo of the SOLEMNITY by which that profellion was ratified. This folemnity is marked in the very term by which profeffion is expreffed in the infpired original. We fhall run over a few Scripture teftimonies for evidence in this matter: "And many that believed came and cONFESSED, and fhewed their decds."-" Whiles by the experiment of this miniftration, they glorify God for your PROSUBJECTION unto the gospel of Chrift "-" Seeing then that we have a great High-prieft, that is paffed into the heavens, Jefus the Son of God, let us hold faft our PROFESSION."—"Let us hold fast the PROFESSION OF OUR FAITH without wavering; Heb. iv. 14.

FESSED

Acts xix. 18. 2 Cor. ix. 13.

for

7.

A

for he is faithful that hath promifed *." The folemnity of our profeffion is marked in the term HOMOLOGIA, importing a covenanted profeffion. If we furvey the writings of the New Teftament, the term will be found to exprefs fuch coVENANTS as are confirmed with oaths. When Judas accepted of the offer which the chief-priefs and captains made him, his engagement is expreffed by a term of nearly the fame compofition: "They COVENANT

ED

*Heb. x. 23.-As the thoughts offered on this fubject are entirely new, as far as I know, I fhall lay down the foundation on which I mean to proceed, fubmitting the whole to the intelligent reader. Though this application of the term is new, yet this fenfe of duchovia is by no means newly invented. PASOR obferves, that it properly fignifies a mutual STIPULATION: "Proprie ufurpatur in mutua ftipulatione, fignificatque factam ftipulationem, refponfo fuo ratam habere: ut quum unas quærit, SPONDES? Alter refpondet SPONDEO. Pofterior hic dicitur proprie soy q. d. ous ay i. e. fimul dicere affirmare, affentire, et confeffione fua fefe ad præftandum obligare." Lexicon N. T. in vocem. With him agrees HOMBERGK, whofe criticifin on the term deferves to be inferted in this place, "uonoyia hic utique eft PACTUM ASSENSUS, DEDITIO et quæ fignificationes apud profanos paffim ocurrunt. Sic enim ὁμολογίαν ποιεῖν eft FOEDUS FACERE, PACISCI CUM ALIQUO, quod exemplis non comprobabimus, quia Lexica eis plena funt. Igitur (Heb. x. 23.) eft tenere firmiter promiffionem, vel conditionem FOEDERIS; quibus mediantibus affùmti, et IN DEDITIONEM QUASI, ET FOEDUS recepti fumus. Cor. ix. 13." Vid. Parerga Sacra I. F. HOMBERGK in Heb. x. 23. Though various critics befides HOMBERGK have explained this term after the fame manner; yet they appear to have been at fome lofs how to apply it.

Sic 2

Dr

ED to give him money, and he PROMISED*,** &c. Here it imports the acceptance of fœderal terms, and a foederal engagement on the part of Judas. Herod's covenant, which was alfo ratified with an oath, is expreffed by a term of the very fame derivation with that under confideration †: "When Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleafed Herod: Whereupon he PROMISED, WITH AN OATH, to give her

*Luke xxii. 6. fo. Matth. xiv. 7. pohonors ežwμoro[nos. Dr OWEN gives the best account of it of any I have met with, ohoya is properly a joint agreement, confent, or concurrence in the declaration of any thing. It is alfo ufed, in good authors, for a CONVENTION, COVENANT, or AGREEMENT. Ομολογέω is but once ufed in the New Teftament for TO CONFESS (1 John i. 9.), any other ways than as TO CONFESS is coincident in fignifica tion with TO PROFESS: And this hath obtained in common ufe; whence the doctrines that men profefs being declared, are called their confeffion; or the CONFESSION OF THEIR FAITH. 1 Tim. vi. 12. Heb. iv. 14." Vide Expof. on Heb. Vol. II. p. 2. "It fignifies our SACRED SUBJECTION unto the Gospel, and our SOLEMN DECLARATION of it." p. 299.-It were eafy to fhew, that covenant, or ftipulation, is the proper fignification of the term among good Greek authors, whether Historians, Poets, or Philofophers, Ælian H. V. Lib. X. cap. xviii. EλUSE ANY Quoλoɣiav, PACTUM TRANSGRESSUS EST,--HE BRAKE THE COVENANT. Take alfo the inftances enumerated by STEPHANUS, as a fpecimen, Oporoyia, Pactum, Pactio, Conditio, Compofitio. Thucyd. uohovia in dixit pro Conditione æqua, ut fcribit Budæus. Sed alibi apud eum ablativus uoλoyia varie redditur. lib. 1. και χρόνος Euronous xas' o'uohofar, Tandem compofuerunt certa condi

her whatfoever fhe would afk." The authors of the tranflation ftyled the Septuagint (according to the Alexandrine M. S.), ufe the fame term to exprefs an oath and word by God himself, to confirm a threatening: "Behold, I HAVE SWORN by my great name faith the Lord," &c. Yea, it has a special fitnefs to exprefs the duty for which we contend, as well as civil contracts, or wicked combinations; as it is used both by claffic authors in the Greek language †, and by the forefaid authors of the Septuagint, to denote a vow, which is nothing elfe than a facred covenant 1.

Hence we

may

*Jer. xliv. 26. + Exponitur et Vovére a Budxo in hoc loco Herodiani, Ωμολόγειτε χαριτήρια, και έθυς σωτήρια.

Levit. xxii. 18. Jer. xliv. 25.

tione, vel certis conditionibus. Aut, Accefferunt ad conditionem et pactionem, ut etiam loquunter interdum Latini. Exponitur item, Tandem compofuerunt et in fidem recepti funt."-" Apud eundem non femel wapashσastai aliquam verbem pro Ad deditionem adigere pactione, feu compofitione. ut, ξυνέβη και τοῖς τὴν Επιδαμνον πολιορκοῦντας παρατήσασθαι ὁμολογία. Sed et ipfe urbes dicuntur προς χωρίον alicui duena, pro Dedere fe feu deditionem facere pactione, (aut etiam omittendo hunc ablativum) vel, In fidem fe dare. Sic autem et duonofin xpãode, apud Herodotum. Item pro Fadus inire, Pacifci. quod et uorosiar moliodas apud eundem Thucydidem. Apud Ariftotelem xa' uorofíar Bud. vértit Cum eo ut pactum conftituatur. Exponit autem et Stipulationem contractus apud eundem. Plato in Critone ομολογίας et Συνθήκας copulavit, ut Latine Pacta et conventa fæpe conjunguntur."-" O'μorof& ferv

aas, vel fimpliciter podoyur, Plat. Inter nos convenit. Idem in Critone, pohonnivas spyo mas où éy, ita conveniffe.

Bbbb

may justly conclude, that the Church of Ephe fus was a covenanted church; yea, the profeflion of faith in all the Apoftolic Churches was a covenanted one,-a profeffion by which they vowed to abide,—a profeffion unto which they engaged with every folemnity, that of an oath not excepted. This fenfe of the term is as agreeable to the fcope of the place as to the ufual acceptation of it. It was extremely proper to put the Hebrews in mind of thofe folemn engagements into which they entered at their firit admiffion into the Gospel Church, when they were about to be exposed to hazard on account of them, left at any time they should fall from their own steadfastnefs.- -As to the feafon of this duty, It was performed prior to their admiffion to fealing ordinances, and fpecial privileges of the Gospel Church: It was the foundation of fellowship among her members: They entered into thefe engagements even prior unto their admiffion to baptifm; and, for this reafon, the ancients termed it the BAPTISMAL COVENANT. The greater part of those who were admitted into the Gospel

veniffe. Et cum infinitivo. Ifeus, xai ei μèv tò övqua aute ὡμολόγουν εἶναι το Νικοτρατου. Demofthenes, άνευ αυτα όμολο γησαντα μὴ ἀποδώσειν.-Ομολογώ Spondeo, Roganti promitto. ut Budæus exponit in hoc Libanii loco, yà μs oũrwμodóγηκα προς ἐκεῖνον ὡς πάντως ἂν παρὰ σου τύχοι.”. "Sic dicitur ¿podoysły μcolòv, pacifci mercedem." Thefaur. Ling. Grac. in vocem.- -Alfo, confult VALESIUS in notas ad HARPOCRATIONEM, p. 250.-LAMBERT Bos Anim adverfion. ad Scriptores quofdam Græcas, p. 24.

Church