was by God's own ordinance obferved on the eighth day. This must be evident to those who compare the nature and end of both institutions; who will fee that if any thing can be faid againft the obfervance of Infant-Baptifm, it must apply equally against that of Infant-Circumcifion. Both are outward figns of entering into a Covenant, the actual embracing and obferving of which belong rather to maturer years, which is conditional, and therefore becomes void as to the acceptance of the initiated perfons by God, if their hearts and conduct are not to the end of their days upright before him. This coincidence of the inftitutions, and of their obfervance, is alfo fuch as might be expected from the relation between the Law and the Gospel, the Type and Anti-type in the Divine Oeconomy, whence the pofitive ordinances of one were framed to fhadow out thofe of the other. It is thus farther confirmed by, and in its turn establishes the perfect resemblance between the other Chriftian Sacrament and the Jewish Feasts on Sacrifice, particularly that of the Paffover. This laft was in commemoration of that saving Blood of the Lamb which exempted them alone from the hand of the deftroying angel, and was an ordinance appointed for ever with the fame power of preferving from his hand in future those who

kept

kept it. The other was expressly instituted in the room of this and the other facrificial ordinances, and is fignificative of the sacrifice of the real Lamb of God without fpot, that was offered on the crofs, and conveys to the faithful partaker of it the efficacy of that Blood, which was hed to fave mankind from the eternal deftruction that awaits those who neglect or refuse the covenanted mercies of God.

SERMON VII.

I COR. XI. 19.

For there must be alfo herefies among

N

you. *

Otwithstanding the conclufion to which a review of the Doctrines and Establishment of our Church ought to lead us, that they may be juftified to the apprehenfion of all, even unlearned men, a question is afked, on which a great stress is commonly laid, Whence is it then that fo many people are of a different opinion?

I answer first, with confidence, for I speak under the authority of St. Paul, as well as on the testimony of general experience, that oppofition to received fentiments, however plaufibly

* Matth. xviii. 7. Mark ix. 49, 50. See alfo Luke xii. 49, 51.

and vehemently it be carried on, and embraced by numbers, is never in itself fufficient proof that they deserve to be fufpected by reasonable and honest men. For if it were, the Apoftle's own

conftitution of the Corinthian Church would have been justly concluded liable to cenfure, as alfo that of others which he and the rest of the Apostles established; whofe writings abound with intimations of the doctrines and factions against which they had to contend. From this first epistle which St. Paul addressed to the Corinthians, we learn that contentions had already arifen among the members of that Church,* who were incited by fome to leffen or reject the authority of the Apostle. This he mentions in the first place, and afterwards notices another inftance of their untractableness; "When ye "come together in the Church, I hear that "there be Divifions among you; and I partly "believe it;" adding, " for there must be also "Herefies among you." There was indeed a confiderable one at that time, namely, a denial of the refurrection of the body, which he therefore combats towards the conclufion of the epiftle. This was followed in the Chriftian Church by many others: and, after the Apoftolic times, the history of Christianity is unhappily filled with little elfe than the account of opinions + XV. 12. See 2 Tim. i. 17, 18.

* 1 Cor. xiv. 26.

inconfiftent