SECT. 1. First part of Sanctification, Repentance-Its nature-Popish doctrine- 2. Second part of Sanctification, a new life-Habit of Righteousness- Immutability of the Moral Law-Christian Casuistry-Counsels of Perfection-Merit of good works-Works of Supererogation. 3. Imperfection of Sanctification-Anabaptists-Mortal and venial sins— Scriptural terms-Kingdom of Christ-Union of Christ and his disciples- SECT. 1. Meaning of deann-Covenant of Works-Sinaitic Covenant-Abra- 2. Mediator of the New Covenant-Offices of Christ-Mediatores Se- cundarii of the Church of Rome. 3. Prayer-Encouragements to it in the Covenant of Grace-Nature of 4. Sacraments-Explanation of the term-Signs and Seals of the Cove- SECT. 1. Prevalence of Washings in the religious ceremonies of all nations- How Baptism is a distinguishing rite of Christianity-Opinions of the Socinians and Quakers-Immersion and sprinkling-Giving a 2. Baptism more than an initiatory rite-Opinions of the Church of 3. Infant Baptism-View of arguments for it-Godfathers and God- mothers Confirmation-Admission for the first time to the Lord's QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE LORD'S SUPPER, Institution Correspondence between the Passover and the Lord's Supper- Origin of different opinions respecting it-System of the Church of Rome- Transubstantiation Of Luther-Consubstantiation-Ubiquity-Of Zuinglius -A Commemoration-Of Calvin-Spiritual presence of Christ-Time of 2. Independents, or Congregational Brethren-Leading principle-Un- authorized by the examples of the New Testament, and contrary to 3. Church of Rome-Papists and Roman Catholics-Gallican Church— Catholics of Great Britain-Unity of the Church-Grounds on which the primacy of the Pope is maintained-Matthew xvi. 16.- Scriptural and historical view of the Church of Rome-2 Thess. ii. 4. Episcopacy and Presbytery-Principles of the Episcopal form of Go- Not created by the State-Erastianism—A spiritual power-Conduct of our Scripture the only rule of faith-Articles of faith-Reasons for framing them— CHAP. V. Conditions of Salvation declared in Scripture-What enactments the Church has LECTURES IN DIVINITY. BOOK I. EVIDENCES OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. INTRODUCTORY DISCOURSE. THE professed design of students in divinity is to prepare for a most honourable and important office, for being workers together with God in that great and benevolent scheme, by which he is restoring the virtue and happiness of his intelligent offspring, and for holding, with credit to themselves and with advantage to the public, that station in society, by the establishment of which the wisdom of the state lends its aid to render the labours of the servants of Christ respectable and useful. Learning, prudence, and eloquence never can be so worthily employed as when they are devoted to the improvement of mankind; and a good man will find no exertion of his talents so pleasing as that by which he endeavours to make other men such as they ought to be. We expect the breast of every student of divinity to be possessed with these views. If any person is devoid of them, if he despises the office of a minister of the gospel, if the character of his mind is such as to derive no satisfaction from the employments of that office, or from the object towards which they are directed, he ought to turn his attention to some other pursuit. He cannot expect to attain eminence or to enjoy comfort in a station, for which he carries about with him an inward disqualification; and there is an hypocrisy most disgraceful and most hurtful to his moral character in all the external appearances of preparing for that station. In attempting to lead you through that course of study which is immediately connected with your profession, I begin with what is called the Deistical Controversy, that is, with a view of the Evidences of Christianity, and of the various questions which have arisen in canvassing the branches of which they are composed. I assume, as the ground-work of every religious system, these two great doctrines, that "God is, and that He is a rewarder of them that seek him."* When I say that I assume them, I do not mean that human reason unassisted by revelation was ever able to demonstrate these doctrines in a manner satisfactory to every understanding. But I mean that these doctrines are agreeable to the natural impressions of the human mind, and that any religious system which purifies them from the manifold errors with which they have been incorporated, corresponds, in that respect, to the clear deductions of enlightened reason. It is not my province to enter into any detail upon the proofs of these two doctrines of natural religion; and I am afraid to engage in discussions which have been conducted with much erudition and metaphysical acuteness, lest I should be enticed to employ too large a portion of your time in reviewing them. Leaving you to avail yourself of the copious sources of information which writers upon this subject afford, I will not enumerate, far less attempt to appreciate the different modes of reasoning which have been adopted in proof of the being of God, and his moral government. But, having assumed these doctrines, I think it proper to give by way of introduction to my course, a short view of the manner in which it appears to me that they may be established as the ground-work of all religion. When we say that there is a God, we mean that the universe is the work of an intelligent Being; that is, from the things which we behold, we infer the existence of what is not the object of our senses. To show that the inference is legitimate, we must be able to state the principles upon which it proceeds, or the steps of that process by which the mind advances from the contemplation of the objects with which it is conversant, to the conviction of the existence of their Creator. These principles are found in the constitution of the human mind, in sentiments and perceptions which are natural and ultimate, which are manifested by all men upon various occasions, and which are only followed to their proper conclusion when they conduct us to the knowledge of God. One of these sentiments and perceptions appears in the spirit of inquiry and investigation which universally prevails; another is invariably excited by the contemplation of order, beauty and design. A spirit of inquiry and investigation has larger opportunities of exertion, it is better directed, and is applied to nobler objects with some than with others. But to a certain degree, it is common to all men, and traces of it are found amongst all ranks. Now you will observe, that this spirit of inquiry is an effort to discover the cause of what we behold. And it proceeds upon this natural perception, that every new event, every thing which we see coming into existence, every alteration in any being, is an effect. Without hesitation we conclude that it has been produced, and we are solicitous to discover the cause of it. We begin our inquiries with eagerness; we pursue them as far as we have light to carry us; and we do not rest satisfied till we arrive at something which renders farther inquiries unnecessary. This persevering spirit of inquiry which is daily exerted about trifles finds the noblest subject of exertion in the continual changes which we behold upon the appearance of the heavenly bodies, upon Hebrews xi. 6. the state of the atmosphere, upon the surface of the earth, and in those hidden regions which the progress of art leads man to explore. To every attentive and intelligent observer these continual changes present the whole universe as an effect; and, in contemplating the succession of them, he is led, as by the hand of nature, through a chain of subordinate and dependent causes to that great original Cause from whom the universe derived its being, upon whose operation depend all the changes of which it is susceptible, and by whose uncontrolled agency all events are directed. Even without forming any extensive observations upon the train of natural events, we are led by the same spirit of inquiry from considering our own species to the knowledge of our Creator. Every man knows that he had a beginning, and that he derived his being from a succession of creatures like himself. However far back he supposes this succession to be carried, it does not afford a satisfying account of the cause of his existence. By the same principle which directs him in every other research, he is still led to seek for some original Being, who has been produced by none, and is himself the Father of all. As every man knows that he came into existence, so he has the strongest reason to believe that the whole race to which he belongs had a beginning. A tradition has in all ages been preserved of the origin of the human race. Many nations have boasted of antiquity. None have pretended to eternity. All that their records contain beyond a certain period is fabulous or doubtful. In looking back upon the history of mankind, we find them increasing in numbers, acquiring a taste for the ornaments of life, and improving in the liberal arts and sciences; so that unless we adopt without proof and against all probability the supposition of successive deluges which drown in oblivion all the attainments of civilized nations, and spare only a few savage inhabitants to propagate the race, we find in the state of mankind all the marks of novelty which it must have borne, had it begun to be some few thousand years ago. But if the human race had a beginning, we unavoidably regard it as an effect of which we require some original cause; and to the same cause from which it derived existence we must also trace the qualities by which the race is distinguished. The Being who gave it existence must be capable of imparting to it these qualities, that is, must possess them in a much higher degree. "He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? He that formed the eye, shall he not see? He that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know?" Thus, from the intelligence of men, we necessarily infer that of their Creator; while the number of intelligent beings with whom we converse cannot fail to give us the noblest idea of that original primary intelligence from which theirs is derived. While the spirit of inquiry which is natural to man thus leads us from the consciousness of our own existence to acknowledge the existence of one supreme intelligent Being, the Father of Spirits, we are conducted to the same conclusion by that other natural perception which I said is invariably excited by the contemplation of order, beauty, and design, Psalm xciv. 9, 10, |