anfwer, That covenanting, accompanied with every requifite folemnity, was the mode of affenting unto the terms of communion. When an adult candidate offered himfelf for Baptifin, or the Lord's Supper, and was ranked among the COMPETENT by fuch as examined him, In the audience of the congregation he folemnly dedicated himfelf to Chrift, before the paftor difpenfed the facred rite unto him. Now, if folemn covenanting was a term of admiflion to Baptifm, fo was it likeways of the Lord's Supper; for unbaptized perfons might not approach the holy table. It was alfo a term of communion in the reftoration of fuch as had fallen either into error or immorality, as well as the reception of perfons at the firft. I fall fatisfy myself with the fingle inflance of NESTORIUS, in this matter. The Synod of Ephefus wrote unto him in the following terms: "It will not answer the ends of religion for thee fimply to confefs the creed of thy faith; but thon muft alfo affure us by OATH, that thou art of the fame fentiment with us, and wilt teach the church the very fame doctrine t."

SECONDLY, The propriety of thefe Creeds and covenants will appear, if we confider the

*The ufual mode of felf-dedication, as Vitringa and others deduce it from the ancients, was, Zorraccquai tā

† Vide Acta Synodi in Tom. Council.

peculiar

peculiar circumstances in which they were placed who framed and ufed them. When the Gof pel was addreffed to the Gentiles, after the refurrection of Chrift, however widely they differed from the Jews in other things, they perfectly agreed with them in their oppofition to it. The latter had formed themfelves into various fects, each of which had its peculiar dogmas, ftrongly tinctured with the fpirit of error. Befides the common and capital miftake refpecting the Meffiah, which blinded them all, and prevented them from finding his prophetic characters fully anfwered in Jefus of Nazareth; the greater part of them thewed a fuperior fondnefs for human traditions rather than divine inftitutions. The Romans, who had swallowed the religion of all other nations, had not incorporated the Jewish fyftem with their grand Catholicon however, although they had reduced Judea into the form of a Roman province. They were obliged to give a practical demonstration, that the Lord God of Ifrael cannot admit of any partner, or competitor, in his glory and fervice. On this account, they detefted the Mofaic fyftem, as far as they knew it. They imagined, the religion of Jefus was equally unfocial: Hence we find them fometimes confounding the Chriftians with the Jews; and detefting the former for the very fame reason they abhorred the latter. But this did not hinder both Jews and Romans from confpiring to crush the doctrine of Chrift Cruci

fied and Glorified, which is the centre of the Gofpel. And the deadly feuds which obtained between the Jewith fects feem, to have been forgotten by their union in perfecuting the followers of Jefus. The Sadducees, who held much the fame rank among them, as the deifts among us, coincided with the philofophers of Athens and Rome, in oppofition to the doctrine of a Refurrection, whether of Christ or his people. Thefe men confidered this doctrine as worthy of the keeneft fatire. The philofopher laughed in fecret at the fuperftition of the priest and populace, while he publicly profeffed to revere the vileft deities; and molt profound veneration for the most trifling, not to fay impious ceremonies. They were full as much mafters of diffimulation as any of our moderns, who profefs the eftablished religion of their country, while there is fcarce an article of it which they believe. They were at lefs pains, at leaft, to undeceive their fellow-worshippers in this matter. Nor were

the Jews more fincere, though better inftructed than the heathen. But, as it frequently happens, the lefs perfons are holy, and the more they are eftranged from working righteoufiefs, they trut the more unto their own merit; and are lefs fenfible of their infinite need of a righteoufnels better than their own: So, in this inftance, both went about to establifh a righteoufhefs of their own; the one, as it were, by the works of the Mofaic law; the o

ther,

ther, as it were, by the works of the law of nature, written on their hearts. The Philofopher and the Pharifee were alike enemies to the bleffednefs of the man unto whom GOD

IM PUTETH

RIGHTEOUSNESS

WITHOUT

WORKS. To combat thefe principles, to conquer these prejudices, was the work of the Apoftles and first preachers of the Gospel; when, aided by the Holy Ghoft, they first planted the Gospel Churches. We need not be furprized, though the cunning, but cruel pricfthood, addreffed the fears of the Roman Senate to procure a decree for crushing the kingdom of heaven in the bud ;-they could not fail to reprefent every innovation in religion as fatal to the State; and the Chriftian religion, in particular, as calculated to' convulfe it to its loweft bafe. Nero, the hater of mankind, readily believed that the followers of Jefus entertained as great an enmity against their fpecies as hir felf; or he was glad of this fpecious pretext to cover his own malicious defigns. "Thus, all the paffions, all the interefts of men, fought for idolatry: How powerful is intereft when it can cover itfelf with the pretext of religion or patriotifm!" Thus the followers of Chrift had to fuftain the fury, endure the mockery, and confute the errors of the whole world; as these were tied in the Roman Empire. The idolatrous priesthood, having called in the aid of the fword to fupport their falling caufe, it raged, with infernal fury, against

every one who profeffed faith in the name of Jefus; but the more it raged, the more thei number and fortitude encreased. Before the end of the firit century, there was not a province of the empire in which there were not multitudes of converts to the new religion. The faith and patience of the faints overcame the craft and cruelty of their perfecutors. The affured hope of a glorious refurrection, which was brought to light by the Gospel, fupported them under all the mifèries of life, and death itfelf, in all the hideous forms in which it was prefented.Philofophy alfo found itself attacked by the firft preachers of the Gospel, as to her notions of a Deity, and the creation of the univerfe; for they delivered the Mofaic fyftem in its fimplicity, without verging towards the fabulous traditions of the Jews, on the one hand; and the vain conceits of Epicurus or Ariftotle, on the other.

THESE things are fufficient to account for the various articles which formed the Creed of the primitive Church. If we apply them, we will find, that each article was laid in op pofition to fome error then prevalent, and eminently fuited unto the condemnation of it. The first article of almost every Creed, for example, was aimed not only against the general Polytheifin of the nations; but also against the abfurd notions of two principles, the one good and the other evil. The next affert

ed