eration is the act of our adoption to be the children of God

-The ordinance appointed to seal the promise of this ad-

option is baptism-In the case of adults to be baptised, the

change of heart must precede baptism-In the case of in-

fants this change must follow-Analogy drawn from the

ancient laws regarding the adoption of the children of oth-

ers-What benefit do infants derive from baptism-What is

the quality of the divine blessing granted to them in bap-

tism-The Church contemplates and requires that children

should receive a religious education.
13-34

LECTURE III. The objection made to sponsors in baptism-

Explanation of the sponsor's duty-Analogy from the prin-

ciples of human law-Brief sketch of the history of infant

dedication-The rite of circumcision-Its true character

-Examination of the argument of our Baptist brethren-

The circumstances of the Apostles in reference to the Mo-

saic system-The analogy of the two dispensations-Au-

thority of the New Testament on the nature and privilege

of baptism-Sentiments of the primitive fathers-Irenaeus

-Tertullian-Cyprian-The same on sprinkling or affu-

sion-Sentiments of the Reformers-Luther-Calvin-The

Confession of Augsburg-Melancthon-Hooker-Recapit-

ulation-Conclusion.

35-69

LECTURE IV. Confirmation-Definition of this ordinance-
Antiquity of the laying on of hands, in token of a benedic-
tion-Apostles laid their hands on all who were baptised-
Calvin's objection examined-Its absurdity demonstrated
-True principle laid down elsewhere by Calvin himself—
The primitive Church on Confirmation-Tertullian-Cyp-
rian-Urban-The Council of Arles-The Reformers on
Confirmation-Luther retained it in his system- Calvin
praised its primitive use and wished it restored-He
denied that it was of Apostolic origin in his first work, but
admitted it in his last-Objection that it is a Popish prac-
tice, considered and answered-The folly of quarrelling with

the Bible and the Apostles for the sake of differing with the
Church of Rome-Distinction between the doctrine of
that Church and ours upon the subject of confirmation-
Qualifications for confirmation are repentance and faith, or
a change of heart--Proved from the Liturgy and Catechism
-Objections to certain expressions in the Liturgy answer-
ed-Other objections answered-Review-Conclusion.

70-103

LECTURE V. The charges brought against the Church on

the score of missions--The Bible Society--Prayer meet-

ings--Revivals--Dangers of the modern revival system--

The good effected by it can be done as well and more safe-

ly in the old way--The defect of the ministry lies in the

private rather than in the public walk of their official duty

-Mode of exciting the zeal of our people most to be com-

mended-The defect and the proper remedy. 104-125

LECTURE VI. The progress of the age-The Temperance

Society-The Episcopal Church, as a body, accused of not

uniting with it--Reasons assigned at large. 126-152

LECTURE VII. The privilege of worshipping the Almighty--

Our mode the subject of many objections--The use of min-

isterial garments justified by Scripture and the primi-

tive Church--The surplice-Biblical proof--Primitive

practice--Spiritual associations-Objection that it is a rem-

nant of Popery, and derived from the priests of Isis, an-

swered--Forms of prayer--The Old Testament--Our

Lord's example--The Lord's prayer-Practice of the Jew-

ish synagogue--Buxtorf's testimony--Cyprian on the Lord's

prayer--Chrysostom on the Lord's prayer--The primitive

liturgies-Impossibility of liturgies being universally adop-

ted if the Apostolic Church had been accustomed to ex-

temporaneous worship-Principle on which the English re-

formers proceeded-The proper mode of conducting the

service-Preparatory prayer--Postures-Responses-Mu-

B*

sic-The spirit of piety essential-The approbation of

Calvin, Baxter, Wesley-The experience of all Christen-

dom for fifteen centuries, and the greater part of it to this

day in favor of liturgies-The testimony of those who have

tried both modes-Conclusion.
153-184

LECTURE VIII. Government necessary in all the relations of

the social state--Church government a subject which

ought to interest every Christian-Our system misrepre-

sented as being unscriptural, Popish, hostile to liberty, and

out of character with republican institutions-Four kinds

of Church government-The Episcopalian is the middle

between extremes-The general ground of the Episcopal

doctrine on this subject-The patriarchal system-The

Aaronic priesthood-The Saviour, the Apostles, and the

Seventy-The Apostles, the Presbyters, and the Deacons

The Apostles closed their labours by putting men in their

own office to ordain and govern particular districts-Coun-

cils assembled in cases of difficulty-The progress of Po-

pery after the time of Constanstine-The Church of Eng-

land and the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United

States possess the ecclesiastical government of the primi-

tive system, the latter being reformed to the earliest mo-

del. Objections of Dr. Miller, the champion of Presbyte-

rianism, discussed and refuted in their order-His error

with respect to the Apostolic commission-Futility of the

argument derived from the interchange of the names bishop

and presbyter--Error of his assertion that the government

of the Church was committed to Presbyters-Error of his

assertion that presbyters ordained-Error of his assertion

that the synagogue was the model of the Christian Church

-General view of the priestly office-The true analogy of

the Church is to be sought for in the Aaronic priesthood-

Buxtorf on the Jewish synagogue-Testimony of Scripture

directly opposed to Dr. Miller's hypothesis-Leading princi-

ples of the priesthood designed to be the lasting heritage of

the redeemed--Correspondence of the threefold ministry
with spiritual principle.

185-236

LECTURE IX. The testimony of the primitive Church in fa-
vour of the Episcopal system--Irenæus--Tertullian--Cyp-
rian-Extent of the bishoprick of Rome in the time of Cyp-
rian-Eusebius' testimony of the state of the Church prior
to the conversion of Constantine--Calvin's praise of prim-
itive Episcopacy-Contrast between Calvin and his suc-
cessors on this subject--Luther and Melancthon on Epis-
copacy-Le Clerc on Episcopacy--Grotius on the same--
Recapitulation-Conclusion.
237-266

LECTURE X. The accordance of the government of the
Protestant Episcopal Church, with republican principle-
The Federal unity of the Church--The districts allotted to
the bishops--The official character of a bishop, threefold,
including that of a father, of a governor and of a judge--
The term father explained--It is a name of love--but has
no connexion with power-The office of governor defined-
That of judge demonstrated more at large, first from the
reasonableness of such an office in every government of law
and order, secondly from Scripture--Proved from the Epis-
tles to Timothy and Titus--from the Apocalypse--from the
Apostolic succession--Cyprian quoted on this point-Cal-
vin's admission of the same principle--Boehmer's state-
ment of the canon law on the same--Hooker-Jeremy
Taylor--Archbishop Potter on the same-Power of the
Diocesan and General Conventions-Difference in this re-
spect between the Church of England and the American
system of Episcopacy-The responsibility of bishops is
the same with the responsibility of the civil judge-Con-
trast between the Episcopal and the Roman system-In-
justice of classing them together-Conclusion.
LECTURE XI. Importance of Christian unity-Difficulty at-
tending the common methods of attempting it--No unity

of people without unity of ministers-This is impossible in
the present distracted state of religious sentiment-Illus-
trations of this position-Folly of attempting to effect un-
ion with other denominations by departing from the rules of
the Church-Bigotry and intolerance condemned-But
zeal and frankness in the defence of religious truth are es-
sential--What is the course of duty in the selection of our
Church, under the difficulties of sectarian discord-We
must try the claims of each sect by the Apostolic rule, and
chuse accordingly--The idea of the restoration of primi-
itive unity pursued-How it seems alone possible to ac-
complish such a result-A reverie on this subject-Conclu-
sion.

293-310