saying a word. For what number of their people do they anoint after baptism? Why then do they suffer such semiChristians in their own community, from an imperfection which they might easily remedy? Why do they, with such supine negligence, suffer them to omit that which cannot be omitted. without great criminality? Why do they not more rigidly insist upon a thing so necessary and indispensable to salvation; unless any one be prevented by sudden death? Surely while they suffer it to be so easily despised, they tacitly confess it not to be of so much importance as they pretend it to be."

Archdeacon Blackburne in his critical commentary on Archbishop's Secker's letter concerning bishops in Americat argues "Shall we then lay it down for a rule, that it belongs to the nature of Episcopal churches, that all their members should be confirmed? If it does not, the colonists may do without it. And that it does not, appears from the practice, and indeed. from the constitution of the Church of England. In several Diocesses there are no confirmations for several years. By Canon cxii. if persons of the age of sixteen do not communicate, they are to be presented to the Archbishop, by the minister, churchwardens, &c. In consequence of this canon, thousands receive the communion who were never confirmed, because they never had an opportunity. And when such communicants present themselves for confirmation, they are told, it is not proper, after they have communicated; which shows that, how useful soever confirmation may be, where it can be had, where it cannot, it is, by the constitution of the Church of England herself, unnecessary. And after this, would it be sufficiently respectful to my Lords the Bishops, or indeed to our excellent establishment to say, that such and such people of Cumberland, for instance, or Northumberland, or the Welsh counties, are denied confirmation, unless they will go to London for it? Or that they are in effect prohibited the exercise of one part of their religion?"

I find, too, from Dalcho's History, that while it is true, as we have seen, that in all her other colonies, the members of the Church of England were allowed to get to heaven as well as they could without this "fundamental rite," that confirmation was administered in South Carolina for the first time in the year 1813, "to a considerable number of persons many of whom were in advanced years."‡

Now if the grace of confirmation was essential to enable all these millions of souls to live holy lives, it was equally necessary to enable them to die holy and happy deaths; and where then can they all be now, if there is neither a purgatory nor a

+ Philadelphia, 1771, p. 10.

#See Hist. of the Prot. Ep. Ch. in S. C.

19- VOL. III.

limbus patrum-where the negligence of their pastors here may be rectified, and their salvation completed?

And if, on the other hand, these facts show the utter absurdity and downright blasphemy of such a conclusion as to the eternal state of millions, it demonstrates the PRACTICAL UNBELIEF OF BOTH THE ROMISH AND THE PRELATICAL CHURCHES IN THE DIVINE ORIGIN OR NECESSITY OF THIS ORDINANCE; IMPRESSES UPON THE RIGHT ITSELF THE SEAL OF MAN'S DEVISING; AND STAMPS WITH UNUTTERABLE SCORN AND CONDEMNATION THE HARD-HEARTEDNESS OF THAT BIGOTRY WHICH, FOR THEIR REJECTION OF SUCH A RIGHT, CAN ANATHEMATIZE, EXCOMMUNICATE, AND EXCLUDE FROM COVENANTED MERCIES MILLIONS OF CHRIST'S FREE-BORN AND HEAVEN-BORN CHILDREN.

A FORM OF PUBLIC CHRISTIAN PROFESSION ON

FIRST UNITING WITH THE CHURCH.

SCRIPTURAL, REASONABLE, AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PRACTICE OF The Primitive and other ChURCHES

We will now offer some remarks on that form of public profession of religion, which is commonly used in Congregational and Presbyterian Churches in this country. Where this form has not been in use, and its many advantages therefore unknown, opposition to it may naturally be expected. Against any thing which has the appearance of innovation there will always exist much prejudice, especially if what is thus enforced makes any demand upon self-denial, or requires any effort and feeling. In those prejudices which array themselves against a public introduction to the church and a public profession of faith, the author has in time past participated. Feeling confident, however, that it would not be employed without good reason, he carefully examined the subject, and the result was a very deep conviction of its importance and propriety. That others may look at it in the same point of light, and regard it with similar feelings of approbation and interest, the grounds upon which this judgment was formed shall now be given. A public profession is, we think, of great importance.

1st. Because it is Scriptural.

2. Because it is in accordance with the custom of the primitive church.

3d. Because it is in some form retained in every church; and 4th. Because it is reasonable and advantageous.

Such a form is Scriptural. To understand the allusions which are made to this subject in the New Testament, it will be necessary previously to consider the practice of the Jewish church, as this was in very many things imitated in the Christian church, and is particularly followed in the Presbyterian form of church government, which is modelled after the government and discipline of the Jewish Synagogue.

There is, then, sufficient evidence to prove that proselytes to Judaism, both they and their children, were introduced to full membership in the Jewish church by baptism and circumcision. This practice is thought by Jewish writers to be as old as the time of Jacob; and all the nation of Israel, as with one mouth, assert that they and their proselytes were always brought into the covenant by baptism. "Whensoever," says Maimonides,

"any heathen will betake himself and be joined to the covenant of Israel, and place himself under the wings of the divine majesty, and take the yoke of the law upon him voluntarily, circumcision, baptism, and oblation, are required; but if it be a woman, baptism and oblation;" and in the Babylonian Gemara it is written, "He is not a proselyte until he be circumcised and baptized."§

It is also as unquestionable, that when candidates for admission to the Jewish church were thus baptized, the proselyte was examined as to his faith, and required to make a public profession of his belief. In this matter the Jews were very scrupulous, for the admission of a proselyte was deemed no light matter, since, if not truly sincere, such persons were thought to be very dangerous.** When a proselyte or proselytess came to be admitted into the Jewish church, it was therefore inquired whether the individual entered into that religion for riches, or preferment, or fear. If the answer was in the negative, the officiating minister then proceeded to state all the difficulties he would encounter in sustaining his profession; if still firm, the fundamental doctrines of the Jewish law were repeated to him with the penalties and rewards attached to them, and he was told that if obedient, he would obtain the life of the world to come; if disobedient, he would endure everlasting misery. All of which, if the individual truly professed that he believed and was willing to receive, he was forthwith circumcised.

When recovered from this painful operation, he was brought to the water, and while standing in it was again acquainted with the great and small commandments, and upon signification of his assent to them, or if an infant, upon the assent of the parents, baptism was administered.++

Such is a brief declaration of the order pursued by the Jews, in the introduction of a proselyte to the full participation of all the privileges of their church. If necessary, we might abundantly confirm the truth of these statements here given. All that is essential to our present purpose is the fact, that in the admission of a converted heathen to the Jewish church, some form of public renunciation of his previous errors, and adoption of his new faith, was adopted. This fact will not, we presume, be questioned by any.

With this in view, let us then proceed to examine certain passages in the New Testament, which, it is to be remembered, were written by Jews, and primarily with a special reference to Jews, who were always the first to whom the divine message

Lightfoot, vol. ii. p. 55-56. See also vol. iii. p. 38, where infant baptism is taught. See also Lewis's Heb. Rep., vol. ii. p. 457.

**Lightfoot, vol. ii. p. 60.

See Lightfoot, vol. ii. 60, 61; vol. v. 62-64; and Lewis's Heb. Repub. vol. ii. pp. 458-467.

of salvation was presented. We shall find that there is, in some passages, a manifest allusion to this familiar and existing practice, while others can only be rescued from apparent obscurity by interpreting them as having reference to it.

There are a number of passages in which the very word profession, occurs in some one of its forms. Such are the following:

"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses." 1 Tim. vi. 12.‡‡

"That if thou shalt confess, with thy mouth, the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart, that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Rom. x. 9.

"Seeing, then, that we have a great Hight Priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession." Heb. iv. 14.

"While by the experiment of this ministration, they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men" (2 Cor. ix. 13);-that is, "for the obedience of your confession to the gospel, or your obedient profession of the gospel."

"Whosoever therefore will confess me before men, him also will I confess before my Father which is in heaven." Matt. x. 3.

"Also I say unto you, whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of Man confess before the angels of God." Luke xii. 8.††

If it were necessary, we might take up these several passages in detail, and inquire whether they are not all founded upon the supposition of some form of Christian profession, correspondent to what had been always customary in the Jewish Synagogue, and by which those who embraced the gospel were intro

These words, says Schleusner, are to be explained of that ingenuous and truly sincere profession, which in reverence is made to God-which we have made to Him of faith in this High Priest. See his Lex. in Vet. Test.

††The original word in these passages, is oμoλoyía, and the verb oμoλoyéw. I have carefully examined into the meaning of these words, in the Greek Lexicographers. Schleusner gives as the first and proper meaning of the noun, "assent, consent-a covenant;" and by metonyme, "that concerning which it is thus covenanted or agreed"-also, "a league." In the Septuagint, the word answers also to the word, vow, and signifies, "voluntary oblation." Bretschneider sanctions this interpretation, adding, as a full New Testament meaning, "public profession." Leigh gives the meaning, "to bear witness of one, plainly and sincerely, and to acknowledge us as his own; frankly and boldly to profess what we hold in matters of religion." Whence in ecclesiastical history, those professions which Christians made publicly before their judges, and in view of torture and death, were called by this name, and by a corresponding one, confessions. [See Leigh's Crit. Sacra, and Suiceri Thesaurus, p. 475, tom. ii.] In the Greek writers, this term means, "openly to say, affirm, witness, and declare, etc., what is openly affirmed."