INTRODUCTION.

But I trust no one will have occafion to moleft me; for though I unavoidably interfect the Paths of others, whereby their way, may perhaps, be fomewhat obfcured, and not appear fo plain as heretofore; yet no one will need to feel himself, thereby disobliged or injured; for if his own Way fhould fill appear plaineft; he will travel in it, without moleftation or obftruction: Or if he fhould think that the Old Path I have cleared, is plainest, and travel therein, I hope he will find no inconvenience thereby.

THE principal inducement to write what is here offered; was finding in feveral inftances; that perfons who, for fometime, had been feeking to find the right Way, as to Baptifm, without fatisfaction; were fully fatisfied in their minds; on hearing me explain it, as I have done in this compofition.

BUT though Baptifm, was what I at firft con. templated: Yet when I began to write, I thought it might be of more fervice, to take up the matter Syftematically as to Sacraments, as I have done in this Treatife, and I hope what I have written, will afford fome light to my fellow creatures; and that I may have the fatisfaction, of finding that I have not labored in vain.

ON SACRAMENTS in general: Showing their Nature, Neceffity and Importance.

DEFINITION or SACRAMENTS.

ACRAMENT, as has long been ufed in Divinity, may be defined; to be a Sign or Token of fomething facred and holy. It is an outward Sign or Token, familiar to our fenfes; or faculty of difcernment; as a medium, to lead the mind, to the apprehenfion of fome holy or spiritual things, which are invifible : and to maintain in the mind, a proper fenfe, of thofe invisible and fpiritual things; which are fignified by thofe Sacramental Tokens. Which, by virtue of God's inftitution, have a fitnefs in them, to excite and maintain thofe apprehenfions and fenfe; which it is proper for creatures to have of the Deity; and of the relation his creatures ftand in to him.

Thefe Sacramental Tokens, muft be carefully dif tinguished from Idolatry, on the one hand, and

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Definition of Sacraments.

PART I.

Shadows on the other. The Neceffity of Sacramental Tokens, arifes principally, if not wholly, from the impoffibility of creatures apprehending abfolute Deity; or conceiving of the mode of his operations; from which it becomes neceffary, to have fome vifible fenfible Figure, or Token of God's existence; of the effects of his operations; and of the relation of his creatures to him. But Figures are not Similitudes or Images of the things denoted thereby; though fometimes they may in fome ref. pects resemble the things denoted.

Idolatry, no doubt arifes from the fame fource, viz. the impoffibility of creatures apprehending abfolute Deity. By men's becoming vain in their imaginations; they feign to themfelves, fome Image or Similitude of something, to represent Deity; or his operations or perfections. But God has frictly forbidden, the pretending any Similitudes of himfelf, or of the mode of his operations or per. fections. When he fpake with an audible voice, to his people at Mount Sinai, he fhowed them no Similitude; and ufes this as an argument with them, that they fhould never make or pretend any. Deut. vi. 12, 15, 16. Hence all feigning to our felves, any Similitudes of God; or of the mode of his operations, is Idolatry. Hence alfo all pre. tending to develope, or defcribe any of the incommunicable perfections of God; or mode of the Divine Exercifes; or operations, is of the nature of Idolatry. For all words which can be used must be fuch as relate to creatures, to exprefs fome.. thing concerning them; and to apply them to Deity, must be a virtual comparing him to creatures, in those things, wherein there is nothing in creatures, nor can be any thing in them, which compares with thofe perfections.

PART L

Nature and Necefity of Sacraments.

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On the other hand, as to fhadows; they are not the very image of the things they represent or to which they point. Heb. x. 1. The nature and design of them, are to lead to a fubfiance, hereafter to be attained.

But a Sacrament, is a Figure or Token, of some thing or things, now exifting; which it concerns.us to apprehend; and is defigned, to excite, quicken and maintain in our minds, a proper fenfe of thofe things.

But after all the diftinctions we can make, it depends wholly on the divine Inftitution, to make them proper and efficacious, for the purpose, for which they are defigned. And it highly concerns us, to examine into their true meaning and defign; what we are to understand by them, and how to im. prove them; that we may not degenerate con. cerning them, either into Infignificancy or Idolatry.

Nature and Neceffity of Sacraments.

THE more fully to understand the Nature and Neceffity of SACRAMENTS, we are lead to con. template the Creator; alfo the Creation. And confider the Relations of things in the Universe.

GOD the CREATOR eternally existed a SYS. TEM or SOCIETY of DEITY. A Plurality in Unity; poffeffed of moft perfect, and confummate attributes, and Perfections for general Good,

The Deity did not exist, in fimple perfonality. For if he had been, but a mere fimple perfonality of Existence, there could have been no poffib.lity, of any fuch things, as are called the moral Perfections of God. There can be no fuch thing as Right. coufnefs, where there is only, a mere fimple perfonality of Existence. For Righteoufness is a relative term; or a term expreffing the Relation, of ration.

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Divine Exiftence in Plurality.

So

PART I al Intelligences to each other. In order for there to be, any fuch thing as Righteousness; there mult be a fubject and an object. So alfo of Love, which is the foundation of all moral goodness; there mult be a subject and an object; a perfon to love and a perfon to be loved. We can have no Idea of love where there is a mere fimplicity of Existence. allo, it may be faid of Holiness, which confifts in general, or univerfal Love or Benevolence. Hence it is evident, to a demonftration, that God eternal. ly exifted in a plurality or diverfity of perfons; or could not be juft, righteous or holy: Because all thofe attributes are relative terms; requiring a fub, ject and an object, to have any Idea of them.

Moreover, in all the things we are acquainted with, abfolute fimplicity, cannot multiply or increafe. Which affords another, very confiderable argument, that the Deity did not exift in fimplic ity.

Accordingly, he very early revealed himself, ex.. ifting in a plurality of Perfons, before he had fin ifhed the Creation. Gen. i. 26. And God faid let us make man in OUR IMAGE, after OUR likeness. And the Plurality of the perfons, in the Deity, is abundantly alluded to, in various places in the Scriptures; and exprefsly afferted, in many... places. Chrift very abundantly, teaches this Doc trine; fpeaking of himfeif, the Father and the Comforter, the Holy Ghoft: And exprefsly afferts the three perfons in the God Head, in his inftitu. tion of Baptifm; and ordering it as a motto for that holy fign or feal. And the Apoftle John by divine infpiration afferts, "There are three that bear record in Heaven, the Father, the Word and