circumstantial Modes of it I had told him That if his words be taken in this strict sense they contain such an Assertion that if a man believ'd it he would find it hard to joyn in any Assembly in the Christian World and must renounce Communion with the Parish Churches For many circumstantial Modes of Worship are practis'd there which are neither expresly contain'd in the Scriptures nor warranted by any Examples of Holy Men that have us'd those particular circumstantial Modes ex gr The singing Psalms as appointed in the common-prayer-Common-Prayer-Book or in the Metre compos'd by Sternhold and Hopkins the use of a stinted Liturgy in general and particularly our English one Reading the Apocrypha bowing at the Name of Jesus kneeling at the Sacrament c. But his Lordship instead of taking any notice of this objection against his Rule very silently now extends it Admon p. 165. only to make those things unlawful that are not contain'd in Scripture or warranted by Example of Holy Men in it or may not be deduc'd by clear consequence or parity of Reason from them Now 't is evident that many things may be drawn by clear consequence and parity of reason from the Precepts of Scripture that are not expresly contain'd in ' em And the same may be said of Scripture Examples So that the Bishop has now really charg'd his Rule by this new comprehensive Addition to it and as 't is now laid down 't is much the same with what I have asserted tho' I think not so clear And now he will find there 's nothing in our Worship but what is easily justifiable by his own Rule in this just latitude For our manner of singing it self which is the Instance he so often insists on may be drawn by just consequence and by parity of reason both from the Precepts and Examples of singing in the Holy Scriptures For if we must sing Psalms and that in a way most conducive to general Edification we must use such Metre and Tunes as the People can joyn in And if the Jews us'd such sort of Metre and Tunes as were most known and common among them we may by parity of reason choose those that are most familiar to us And now I hope the Bishop will upon the review see how little reason he had to except against this part of the Remarks when they have really oblig'd him to reform and correct his own Rule and bring it up to that I had laid down tho' to conceal the matter he has thought fit to misunderstand and pervert mine or rather to coyn a new one for me 2. The Bishop alledges That I endeavour to perswade the Dissenters of his Diocese that the greatest Exception against joyning with the establisht Church is not the matter of their Publick ordinary Worship On which he makes several Observations Before I consider 'em I must premise that 't is true I have told his Lordship that the Contest between the establisht Church and Dissenters does not lye chiefly about their ordinary Lord's-Day Worship but what occurs in other Offices and chiefly about the corruptions and abuses of Discipline and 't is no more than has been frequently suggested by the most judicious N.C. Divines that have wrote on the Subject of our Differences But why does he pretend that I diswade any Dissenters from joyning with the establisht Church if he mean it concerning all occasional Communion with 'em when I have so expresly declar'd my Judgment for it and in vain urg'd him to the like declaration of his Charity towards us and never pretend to alledge our Differences in Reference to Worship or Discipline as any Argument against such occasional Communion in their ordinary Lord's-Day Service There is no reason then to pervert what I have offer'd to such an uncharitable purpose so that his following Observations are founded on a mistaken supposition And therefore I shall content my self with these short Remarks on ' em 1. I did then and do still think it requisite to acquaint the Reader that the Bishop had not in this Discourse so much as touch'd the Principal Matters in Difference between the establisht Church and the Dissenters and particularly those to which this charge of Human Inventions does most properly belong And whereas be now tells us that if he writ about Discipline we should be less pleas'd with his performance Adm. p. 165 166. because he must look on the general Frame of our whole Constitution as a meer Human Creature c. I must so far agree with him That if he treat that Subject in the same manner that he has done this about Worship we shall certainly be less pleas'd with it because all those faults that occur in the manner of handling this Subject will be the more aggrevated if he repeat 'em on another 2. Whereas the Bishop pretends I desire to shift ground and thence presumes I apprehend some disadvantage in it I do not find he has any reason for such a Triumph for my having avoided the consideration of any thing in his Book that carried the face of an Argument Nor have I any need to multiply Matters of Controversie from any Answer that his Lordship has yet given to the Remarks Admon p. 46. And whereas he saith That I attempt not to justifie their sitting at Prayers nor their omitting to add their Amen to their Prayers nor the manner and frequency of their Communion nor their way of singing Psalms I shall only add That for sitting at Publick Prayer I was no more oblig'd to defend any particular persons in that posture that indulge it out of sloth than he to defend the Toying or Laughing that 's too often us'd in their Churches But his Lordship was oblig'd either to defend his charging this upon our Opinion as if we taught That no postures of Reverence may be lawfully us'd and condemn'd such as standing and kneeling as Relicks of Idolatry or else to retract so hainous Calumnies as these must be if they are untrue and groundless For adding Amen I shall if that will please the Bishop concur with him that 't is more agreeable to Scripture Pattern that the People pronounce it more audibly but I hope this omission signifies nothing to his Charge of Human Inventions For the Matter of Celebrating the Lord's-Supper if it refer to the posture I hope the Bishop is convinc'd that ours is more agreeable to Scripture Pattern For the frequency of it I hope hee 'l allow the generality of the Dissenters have much the advantage above the generality of the Parish Churches by communicating much oftner And for what concerns the Practice of the Dissenters in his Diocese it has been already consider'd in the Account of Matters of Fact and I have there shown that their way of Administring it once a year is equivalent to its being Administred thrice in the Parish Churches as to the frequency of their Members Communicating And for singing Psalms I have already
his Answer and more largely without excepting the Winter Quarter since in his Diocess all the Dissenting Ministers except one continue their Lecturing thro the whole year Now this matter of Fact all the World must allow to be directly contrary to his severe charge so that if it prove true His Lordship could have no pretence to complain of my Reproving him for offering such barefac't untruths for undeniable matters of Fact Let 's then enquire what he hath said to make good his Charge and to that purpose he alledges Two Things 1. That the Reading the Scriptures should be so ordered That the diligent Hearers may in a competent time be acquainted with the whole Body of them Whereupon he challenges me to produce one Meeting in the North where this has been observed Admon p. 144. Answ As to this Allegation 't is evident That it concerns not the matter of Fact in Dispute at all which is Whether setting aside a verse or two for a Text or Quotation at the discretion of the Teacher the voice of God is never publickly heard among them and a Man may attend most Meetings many years and never hear an entire Chapter read in them For the Allegation concerns only the manner of Reading them whereas the Accusation supposes them not Read at all except a verse or two for a Text or Quotation c. so that I might justly dismiss any farther Consideration of it but since the Bishop gives me this occasion to compare their Practise and ours I shall suggest to him That tho we Read not so much of Scripture as they in such entire Portions as whole Chapters yet we Read the Scriptures more regularly then they and a Man may sooner hear them Read through in a Meeting than he can in most of the Parish-Churches To clear this I must premise That in the generality of the Parish-Churches through the Kingdom there is no Divine Service Read except on Sundays Now if we consult the Calender in the Common-Prayer-Book we shall find That excepting the Psalms there is never read from one generation to another but about 104 Chapters of the Old Testament and that in such order or rather disorder as breaks the Coherence of the Sacred History So that a Man may if he lived to 80 years attend the Publick Worship in most Parish-Churches all his Days and never hear the 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th Chapter of Gen. and so on See the Lessons proper for Sundays and how is the New Testament Read This Sunday we have the Matt. 1. and the Rom. 1. Read the next Sunday the 8th of each and next 15th Four Months hence the 3d of Matt. and the 4th of Rom. So that in the generality of the Parish-Churches the Scriptures are Read most confusedly so that the Hearers are incapable of observing the admirable Connexion of its parts and in most Parishes the far greater part of them is never read at all Whereas in the Meetings 't is the general Practice to Read on a Book in order and tho their Exposition hinder them from Reading so large a Portion for which there is abundant Compensation by their Expounding what is read from Parallel places of Scripture yet they will in the course of some years be read all over which they never are nor can be in the generality of the Parish-Churches that are shut all the Week But as this first Allegation had it been true signifies nothing to the purpose 't is brought for so let us see whether the other be more considerable 2. The Bishop Appeals to our selves Whether any of our Ministers ever read one Portion of Scripture but what was either designed for a Text to a Lecture or Sermon or a Quotation If any one pretend the contrary he desires me to name the time and place that he may reprove those Informers which I affirm have so grosly imposed on him Admon p. 144. but till the time and place be named his Assertion he saith is literally true and in a larger sence then he expressed it Ans I must desire his Lordship to review this passage and tell us Whether it be literally true that except a verse or two for a Text or Quotation the voice of God is never publickly heard in their Meetings when 't is as Mr. Craghead informs him their ordinary Practice to Lecture every Lord's Day and usually to Read a whole Chapter or divide a long one that 's full of Textual difficulties Is a whole Chapter or half a long one only a verse or two for a Text Nay is it literally true That a Man may go to most Meetings many years and neuer Hear an entire Chapter Read when in the generality of them he shall most commonly Hear a whole one Read every Lord's Day But what does he mean when he challenges me to name the time and place in which any entire Portion of Scripture was Read but what was either designed for a Text to a Lecture or a Sermon What is this to the matter of Fact that he Ascerted For besides that a Text to a Lecture is a new Phrase Is a whole Chapter or half a long one only a verse or two Or is a whole Chapter never Read because 't is always read with a design to Expound it Nay is this so deplorable a fault as he has suppos'd it that we never Read an entire Portion of Scripture without intending to illustrate the sense of it by comparing parallel Scriptures with it for that 's all his Lordship can mean by making it a Text to a Lecture Is it not rather our great commendation That the Scripture is always Interpreted as well as Read and rather matter of Reproach to others that 't is barely Read without giving the People such help to understand it And shall our extraordinary diligence be made our deplorable crime and their sloth so great a virtue And upon the whole would it not have been more ingenuous in him to own that his Informers had grosly imposed upon him then to persist in so plain a mistake and then colour it over with an Apology the weakness and unreasonableness whereof had been so largely and justly exposed in that part of the Remarks to which he has not yet thought fit to give any Answer But tho' the Bishop be in the wrong as to the Substance of the Accusation he seems very confident of what he has said to vindicate that Circumstance of it viz. That in all the Meetings of the North in a whole year perhaps there is not so much Scripture read as in one day in the establisht Church This he pretends to prove so fully that by his Computation there appears to be four times more Scripture read in the establisht Church than in all the Meetings of the North. To this purpose he pretends to take my own Computation of half a Chapter read in each Meeting for three quarters of a year and so in the nine Meetings in his Diocese he computes
of Fact than he has done in this Admonition I come now to consider the Bishops few Exceptions against the Argumentative part of the Remarks In his Entrance on which he alledges That 't is the design of the Remarks to hinder the Dissenters from joyning with the establisht Church in their ordinary Lord's-Day Worship Admon p 159. Now I know no reason why his Lordship should pretend that to be my design which I no where propos'd as such For all I profest to attempt was the Vindication of our own worship from the weak charge of human Inventions and the retorting his Arguments where they were stronger against the Worship of the establisht Church than against ours But if the Bishop here speak of occasional Communion with the establisht Church in her ordinary Lord's-Days Worship 't is strange that he should suppose it my design to hinder the Dissenters from it when I expresly declare my own opinion for the lawfulness of it Remarks p. 146. and urg'd him to express the same Charity towards us which I perceive he cannot be so easily perswaded to He farther premises That it was incumbent on one that answer'd his Book to justifie our way of Worship by shewing that the manner of performing it in the several parts of it as distinguish 't from theirs is warranted by Scripture Precept or President or by direct consequence from thence c. But he saith instead of undertaking this Task Mr. B. argues against and condemns the Rule whereas as strict as it appears he has justified all the particular ways of Worship in the establisht Church by it and if I could have done the same for ours I need not have declin'd it Admon p. 159 160. Answ If his Lordship had answer'd the Remarks he would have had perhaps some pretence to have said this But he has none now when he himself is forc'd as I shall shew to alter his own Rule when I had so largely prov'd that our Worship in most particular parts of it was more agreeable to Scripture-Precept or Example than theirs and also shewn him that his Rule as laid down by himself would condemn all Churches in the World in which there were some circumstantial modes and those very lawful that neither express Scriptural Precept nor Pattern could be produc'd for nor indeed could reasonably be expected And therefore since the Bishop lays so great stress on this Matter I shall carefully examine the Three Heads he suggests in reference to it 1. He saith I give another Rule for the ordering God's Service 2. He saith I endeavour to perswade the Dissenters that the greatest Exception they have against joyning with the establisht Church is not matter of Worship 3. He saith I alledge that he has omitted to handle that part of Worship against which the Dissenters have the greatest Exception and that because he could not defend it 1. He saith I give another Rule for the ordering God's Service And to that purpose he thus pretends to cite my own Expressions As to his new Rule of Worship you will find it in p. 7. in these words Modes and Circumstances of Divine Worship tho' necessary in general by Divine Precept yet are left in particular to be determin'd by Human Prudence For tho' God has commanded Publick Prayer c. yet what time or place we shall assemble in in what order these parts of Worship shall be perform'd c. are left to Human Determination only therein the general Rules of Scripture must be regarded From whence his Lordship concludes That 't is my Rule or Principle That all Modes of Worship whatever are left to Human Prudence and particularly the determination of Time Place Order Circumstances Postures and Utensils in all Cases Against which he argues That God has not only given us general Rules to praise him pray to him hear his Word c. but he has likewise given us many particular Rules and Examples concerning each of these to which if we diligently attend and mind the consequences of 'em and apply 'em to the like cases we may have sufficient Directions from Scripture to order our Worship without having recourse to Human Prudence Answ If the Bishop please to review the Marks he will find that he has plainly mistaken and misrepresented what they assert in reference to this matter that he might have some pretence to find fault with it For in the place he cites I am laying down no Rule at all but only mentioning an improper sense of Human Inventions as the Reader would have evidently perceiv'd if the Bishop had not by mis-citing my words maim'd 'em and perverted the plain sense of 'em For they run thus in the Remarks p. 7. It remains only that I subjoyn in order to the clearing the state of this Controversie That there is a very improper sense in which this phrase of Human Inventions in the Worship of God may possibly be us'd viz. To signifie such Modes and Circumstances of Divine Worship as tho' necessary in general by Divine Precept yet are left in particular to be determin'd by Human Prudence c. Of which kind of Circumstantial Modes I there produce several Instances relating to Time Place Orders Utensils c. and would gladly know whether his Lordship can produce any particular Determination of 'em in Scripture for every particular Church viz. What time of the Lord's-Day their Publick Worship shall begin what Place they shall assemble in what Translation of the Bible they shall use whether they shall begin with Prayer or Praise or what Vessels they shall use in the Celebration of the Sacraments But I do by no means suppose That God has given no particular Directions at all in reference to the Modes of Worship but the quite contrary for 't is one Instance I produce of Human Inventions p. 55. That whereas every part of Worship enjoyn'd by God as Prayer Praise c. is capable of being perform'd in various Circumstantial Modes if the Law of God expresly enjoyn us any particular Mode than to devise another of our own exclusive of that which he has chosen and determin'd is to bring in a sinful Human Invention into his Worship As I instance there in Prayers in an unknown Tongue Communicating without the Cup Solitary Communions c. Such Modes then as God has determin'd by the particular Directions of his Word I plainly exclude from the Determination of Human Prudence Nay so far am I from supposing that Human Prudence may Arbitrarily appoint any Modes of Worship that Men think fit that I rank among sinful Inventions p. 6. All such Rites and Ceremonies of Mens own devising as are no way warranted by any general Rules of Scripture and yet made stated Appendages of any part of Divine Worship and terms of Communion in it All therefore that I assert is That all those Circumstantial Modes of Worship that are in general necessary by Divine Precept because God's own Commands about his Worship cannot be
as needed this new Dispute to take it off But 't is true enough That the Debate about Human Inventions does more particularly concern Baptism than the other parts of Worship his Lordship had insisted on And therefore since the Bishop has offer'd us something new on this Subject I shall the more willingly address my self to the Examination of it because the precedent part of the Admonition has left the Argument between us almost wholly untouch'd and contains little but such slight Cavils about it as were in effect obviated in the Remarks themselves And here I. The Bishop gives us the Reason why he omitted this part of Worship viz. 1. Because it was occasional Admon p. 172 173. not ordinary 1. Answ But he knew that in a Discourse about the Inventions of Men in the Worship of God it was proper to consider that part of Worship about which that Dispute chiefly lay 2. Because he found the Defects and Additions of our Directory so great in this Office that they deserv'd a Discourse by themselves Admon p. 173 174. And accordingly he mentions these following Defects in the Directory 1. There is no express Covenant order'd in the Directory to be made in the name of the Child Baptiz'd either by the Parent or any else tho' there be no other way of engaging a Child that cannot Covenant for it self 2. There is no Profession of the Christian Faith required in the Directory from any Parent or Offerer of any Child 3. There is no solemn Recognition of the Vow of Baptism required from Persons Baptiz'd in their Infancy when they come to understand their Duty As it is in Confirmation with us 4. The express words of the Covenant are not prescribed out of the Word of God but is left to the Discretion of every Minister to impose what he will on the Baptiz'd c. Answ I know no great harm to the Cause of Dissenters if we should own there are some Omissions in the Directory especially when the Compilers to avoid the rigorous and imposing humour that had too long reign'd in others seem to have left many things to the discretion of particular Pastors which they would not positively enjoyn And for these Defects which the Bishop has cited out of Mr. Baxter's Treatise of Infant Baptism they are not so material as his Lordship seems to imagine and are easily supplyed by every Minister that thinks more express Professions requisite than are there positively enjoyn'd As to the first The making of an Express Covenant in the name of the Child if the Bishop mean by it that the Parent should explicitly profess his Dedicating his Child to God and bringing it thereby under a Solemn Obligation to the Duties of his Covenant this is really included in that Profession he is required by the Directory to make of his desire to have it Baptiz'd and accordingly 't is usual for the Ministers to propose the Question more fully to this purpose Do you profess your desire of having this Child dedicated by Baptism to the Faith Worship and Service of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost But if he mean that the Parent or Offerer of the Child should make such a Profession in the Child's name as our Sponsors are order'd to do in the common-prayer-Common-Prayer-Book 't is so far from being a Defect in our Directory that it enjoyns no such thing that 't is no small Blemish of the Office of Baptism in the Service-Book that it requires such a Profession from 'em as personating the Child they present And that his Lordship may be assured Mr. Baxter intended no such Express Covenanting in the name of the Child as this is I shall produce his own words and the rather because I take them to carry great weight and force in 'em in his N. Conformity stated c. he brings in the Lawyer asking What is your fourth Objection against our way of Baptism To which the Minister thus Answers That in personating the Child they say that they and so he by them doth at present believe renounce and desire c. falsly intimating that Infants are at present bound to do this by another And yet the same Men plead that God doth not accept him for the Faith of his Parents when as God requireth no Faith or Repentance of Infants but only that they be the Seed of Penitent Believers devoted to Christ And in the Catechism 't is said that Repentance and Faith are requir'd of Persons to be Baptiz'd and that Infants who cannot perform these are Baptiz'd because they promise 'em by their Sureties which Promise when they come to Age themselves are bound to perform Where note that the former Common-Prayer-Book had They perform 'em by their Sureties They perceiv'd that having said Faith and Repentance are requisite Infants they saw must have at present what is requisite at present And they knew that they had them not themselves and so were fain to hold that the Sureties Faith and Repentance was theirs and a performance of that requir'd Condition But the Makers of the new Book saw that this would not hold and so they say Tho' Faith and Repentance be requir'd of Persons to be Baptiz'd yet Infants are Baptiz'd because they promise 'em by their Sureties to be hereafter perform'd amending the former Errour by a greater or a double one 1. Granting Faith and Repentance are pre-requisite and yet confessing that Infants have neither of their own or Sureties for 'em and yet are to be Baptiz'd 2. Or making a Promise Future Faith and Repentance to be Present Faith and Repentance 3. Or tho' Faith and Repentance be requisite in those that are to be Baptiz'd yet God will at present justifie and save all that have it not in Infancy because they promise it hereafter All plain Contradictions as if they said 'T is requisite in Persons to be Baptiz'd and 't is not requisite L How would you have 'em have answer'd these M. Professed Faith and Repentance are requisite in adult Persons to be Baptiz'd and in Infants that they be the Seed of the Faithful devoted by them to God in Christ according to his offer'd Covenant of Grace Thus far that accurate Divine from whom his Lordship may learn That the modesty of the Compilers of the Directory which made their Orders about this Matter seem defective by leaving some Particulars to the prudence and liberty of particular Ministers is far more excusable than the assurance of those who impose in such solemn Professions things so confus'd and inconsistent If there be any defect in their Orders 't is easily supplied but the mistakes of the Service-Book are remedilesly impos'd on all that Administer this Ordinance according to it For the second Defect viz. That there is in the Directory no Profession of the Christian Faith requir'd from the Parent or Offerer of any Child I think there is such a virtual Profession requir'd by the Directory when it enjoyns the Minister to require
from the Parent a solemn Promise to bring up his Child in the knowledge of the Grounds of the Christian Religion and in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord. For this implys his owning himself the Christian Religion besides that his being a known Professor of it is presuppos'd to his Childrens Admission to that Ordinance Nor does the Directory hinder the Minister from requiring a more express Profession from the Parent of the Christian Faith where it is doubtful whether he own it or no. And I am sure the Form of Baptism drawn up by the N. C. Divines at the Savoy-Conference in their Proposals for Accommodation does expresly require it and I have observ'd it ordinarily requir'd at least in general terms For the third and fourth Defects of the Directory That there is no solemn Recognition of the Vow of Baptism requir'd of Persons Baptiz'd in Infancy when they come to understand their Duty as there is in the Confirmation practis'd in the establisht Church and that the express words of the Covenant are not prescribed out of the Word of God Tho' I take this to be an Omission and therefore have both my self practis'd and known many others practise that Confirmation recommended in the Reformed Liturgy drawn up by the N. C. Divines at the Savoy-Conference according to which no Person Baptiz'd is admitted to the Lord's Supper till at years of discretion not only understand the Baptismal Covenant but with his own mouth and with his own consent openly before the Church ratifie and confirm it and promise his faithful observance of it to the end In which Liturgy there is also an excellent Form of the Baptismal Covenant drawn up as agreeable to the Scripture as any I have yet seen yet I think this Omission of the Directory far more excusable than what the common-prayer-Common-Prayer-Book imposes in reference to Confirmation of which they have both made something too like a Sacrament and also turn'd a very useful practice and agreeable to the general Rules of Scripture into a Childish Formality as I had occasion to shew in the Remarks 'T is easier to supply such Defects than to remove such unreasonable Impositions I shall conclude this Head with observing that the Bishop has of all Men the least reason to blame the Directory for these Defects For unless he could produce express Scriptural Precepts or Pattern for these things which he saith the Directory has omitted as I think no Man can do it he must according to his former Principles censure 'em for Human Inventions and rather commend the Directory for omitting them For the Bishop's Charge against the Directory for requiring Additional Conditions contrary to Scripture Presidents of which he gives us only one Instance viz. It s ordering that Baptism be not Administred in private Places Admon p. 174. but in the place of Publick Worship and in the face of the Congregation I suppose the Bishop will grant that it should ordinarily be Administred in Publick and if these words of the Directory were intended in the strictest sense they are capable of I am sure the generality of Dissenters have receded from the rigour of this Rule II. The Bishop comes to shew that my Argument against the Cross is of no force Of this he only gives us this short Account Admon p. 175. His great Objection against it is That we make a new Human Sacrament and then it must be a Human Invention And upon this the Bishop proceeds to give us a new Account of his own concerning the Nature of a Sacrament and endeavours to shew that the Cross is not made a Sacrament by 'em according to that Account Now tho' I should have thought it fairer to have propos'd the Argument in the same manner I had done yet in order to the bringing this Debate to some issue I shall do these two things 1. I shall set the Argument I had propos'd against the Cross in Baptism in its due light by giving as distinct and clear an Account as I can of the Nature of those Parts of Positive Worship which we call Sacraments and applying it to the Subject in dispute 2. I shall shew the insufficiency of the Bishop's Answer to this Argument 1. I shall set the Argument I had propos'd against the Cross in Baptism in its due light by giving a distinct and clear Account of the Nature of those Parts of Positive Worship which we call Sacraments and applying it to the Subject in dispute And this is the more necessary not only because the uncertain signification of the word Sacrament has involv'd this Subject in great obscurity and confusion but especially because the Account which the Bishop gives of it when he supposes us ill-instructed in it and proposes to inform us better seems to me not only indistinct but also very lame and defective omitting several considerable uses of Sacraments which were the chief strength of this Argument against the Cross There are two Ordinances of Positive Worship prescrib'd in the New Testament viz. Baptism and the Lord's-Supper There have been two Names invented and frequently us'd among Christian Writers to signifie the common nature of these two Institutions that of Mysteries in the Greek Church and that of Sacraments in the Latin a word probably borrow'd from the Military Oath which Soldiers took with certain Rites appointed for that end and which was call'd the Military Sacrament But 't is the thing it self we are concern'd to enquire into Now if we can fix upon the true general Notion wherein these two Ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's-Supper agree we may thence easily infer what a Divine Sacrament is For of that I am now speaking And if we attentively consider this Matter we may soon observe that those two Ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper agree in this that they are Foederal Rites or Sacred Ceremonies instituted by God for Publick Solemnizing the Covenant between him and us And on the other hand in this they differ that the former is the Sacred Rite whereby that Covenant is first publickly Enter'd into the latter is that whereby 't is Renew'd And accordingly these Positive Institutions under the Gospel succeed in the place of two parallel Ordinances or foederal Rites under the Old Testament viz. Circumcision and the Feasts upon Sacrifices By the former the Israelites were initiated into that Covenant made with Abraham and his Seed By the latter their League of Amity and Peace with God was upon the Attonement made by Sacrifices renew'd by these Feasts upon ' em Of which more may occur anon Now these Sacred Rites that are appointed by God both in our first publick Entrance into the Covenant and our publick Renewal of it at the Lord's Table are design'd for several uses and principally for the three following 1. As representing signs for Instruction 2. As obliging signs to Confirm and Ratifie the Covenant Enter'd into 3. As distinguishing Signs or Badges of our Profession and the Relations