on the word of God, viz. That a man BINDS HIMSELF by oath to what is GOOD and JUS r, that in ANY THING not finful, it BINDS to performance; That by a vow we more frictly BIND OURSELVES TO NECESSARY DUTIES. c. must be grofly erroneous.

2. Inftructed by fome Papift or fome ring-leader in the perjurious violation of these covenants in the laft century, you have indeed now hit upon a fentiment, which if proven, would effectually undermine the obligation of our covenants, and for ought I know, all religion,all morality,-all mutual truft and order among mankind along with it. If our promises, oaths, vows or covenants can have no binding force except in things to which the revelation and law of God cannot reach; neither Adam, nor Chrift as Mediator, could bind themselves to fulfil God's law; and so there must be no proper, no real covenant of works or of grace; and fo no religion among mankind. And, for the fame reason, the promifes of God, in fo far as their matter correfponds to his natural excellencies can have no binding force; and thus the foundation of our faith and hope is quite overturned. All engagements in Baptifm or the Lord's Supper to believe what God reveals, receive what he offers, and do what he commands, must be abfolutely null and void, deftitute of all binding force.-Jefuitical equivocation and mental refervation are no more neceffary in the making of promifes, covenants or vows, or in fwearing promiffory oaths of allegiance, fidelity or witnefs bearing; or in fubfcribing Articles, Creeds or Confeffions of Faith, Calls to minifters, Bonds or Bills of fervice or debt.

If the law of God, which is exceeding broad can but reach to the matter of them, and require the believing, maintaining or practifing of what is therein engaged, that alone renders them null and void, and not binding to all intents and purposes. And fo

there can be no fuch a thing as perjury, perfidy, or breach of promife, except it be with refpect to fuch things as the law of God could not directly or indi rectly reach,-which if it be as perfect and exceed ing broad as the Bible affirms, must certainly be very few and very trifling;-for where there is no law, no binding of a law, there can be no tranfgreffion.. Mens' promises, covenants, oaths and vows, in word or writ, in fo far as they refpect things to which the law of God can reach, must be mere villainous impofitions, feeming to bind, while they do not, in the fmallest degree; and therefore ought to be detested, instead of being required, made or trufted.-For the fame reason, no commands of parents, masters, magistrates, or any other fuperiors being human deeds, can have any binding force in any thing relative to religion, equity, kindness, &c. to which the law of God can reach its requirements, and hence cannot be lawfully OBEYED, or their authority regarded, except when they commend what is abfolutely indiffer ent and trifling.-If human engagements and com mands can only bind men to that which is abfolutely indifferent, it is plain, that we can only be anfwer able to men for fuch parts of our conduct as the law of God did not reach;-but, let men once firmly believe, that their promifes, covenants, oaths or vows, and the commands of fuperiors, have no bind ing force, but in that which is left abfolutely indiffer ent by the law of God; and that they are answer able to men only for fuch parts of their conduct as the law of God could not reach,how naturally they will rush headlong into all manner of profligacy, every man doing that which is right in his own eyes, in every thing important.

3. How abfurd to pretend honouring of religion, or of the law of God by making it the murderer of that deputed authority which God hath, by it, grant

ed to men; or of these covenants, oaths or vows, which He hath therein appointed as means of his worship.--Not only fcripture, but even common fenfe dictates, that the authority of God in his law cannot be rightly regarded, unless in a way of also regarding that authority which he hath deputed to men, and all the commands or felf engagements which proceed from it, in due fubordination to it. If I read my Bible daily, in obedience to the command of God as my God in Christ,-in obedience to Chrift as appointed by God to be my mediatorial prophet and king,and at the fame time in due fubordination hereto,--in obedience to my civil ruler, as the minifter of God for good to men,--in obedience to my paftor or Church judicature as the meflenger of Chrift to me,-in obedience to my parents or mafters as God's deputy-governors over me,

-and in fulfilment of the vow, which I as God's deputy governor over myfelf, have laid myfelf under, according to his appointment, where is the inconfiftency? Muft I wickedly put afunder the immediate and deputed authority of God, which he hath so closely and delightfully joined together? God forbid.

OBJECT. VII. "What have we to do with our fathers' engagements in religion, to which we never gave any perfonal confent, especially after we have become capable to judge and choose for ourselves,--nay to do with engagements, which I cannot prove my ancestors ever took."

ANSW. 1. To reft obligation to pay debt or perform duty on the debtor's proving the contraction of it, or engagement to it, is highly abfurd in itfelf, and opens a wide door for breaking through almoft every engagement. According to this scheme you may hold your ancestors, who lived 130 years ago unbaptized Heathens, and perhaps yourself too, and fo renounce your baptifm, becaufe you cannot prove

that ever you received it. If God, who is our creditor in these covenants, can prove our ancestors' taking of them, he will hold us bound by their deed; and even though they did not take them, he will hold us bound by the deed of the fociety and its representatives.

2. You know, that Lord, about four hund red years ago, granted your ancestor, the valuable eftate of to be held under him and his heirs, for a very small honorary fervice, as an acknowledgment of vaffalage; and that the celebrated farmer A. B. about fix years ago took a ninety-nine years leafe of one of your farms at a very high rent. Have you certified the prefent heirs of that Lord and Farmer, That they are no-wife bound by their progenitors' deeds, unless they have given their own perfonal confent,and that the one may recal your eftate, and the other may keep your farm, and refufe to pay you any rent? You have not, nor ever will. You allow fuch freedoms only to be ufed with God, not with yourfelf;Arong a prefumption, That you more value your estate and rent, than all that you hold of God in religion, and all the honour you owe to him.

-too

3. If our fathers bound us to any thing in religion which is not warranted by the word of God, we have nothing to do with it, but to bewail their fin in fuch engagement. But, if they bound us to what is commanded by the law of God, we must stand bound,till we prove from fcripture, that vows binding to duty are not lawful; or that fathers have no right to devote their children to God's fervice. No flothful or wilful ignorance or withholding of perfonal confent, can fo much as excufe the non-performance of fuch engagements. Nothing can free. from their binding force, which would not annul our baptifmal vows.

4. Once more, Sir, be pleased to review thefe public covenants of our fathers, in their principal contents and meaning. They were a folemn acquiefcence in and confirmation of God's grant of the utmost ends of the earth to his Son Jefus Chrift for his poffeffion. They implied a folemn acceptance of God himself in Chrift as the God, Saviour and portion of the covenanters and their pofterity freely granted to them in the gofpel,-and of his oracles and ordinances as the means of familiar fellowship with Him,

a refolution through his grace to retain him and them, as their inestimable privileges,and a folemn engagement, thankfully to improve thefe privileges in an holy obedience to all his commandments, to promote his glory, and the temporal, fpiritual and eternal advantage of thefe covenanters and their feed. Now, Sir, do you fo heartily envy our Redeemer his Father's grant of the ends of the earth for his poffeffion, Pfal. ii. 8. that you would gladly renounce our ancestors' folemn acquiefcence in it? Do you fo heartily dislike the having of a reconciled God in Chrift for your and your pofterity's God, Saviour and portion, and his pure oracles and ordi nances for your privileges, that you would fondly renounce a folemn acceptance of God's gracious grant of them fealed and confirmed by the remarkable influences of his Spirit? Do you fo undervalue these enjoyments, and hate a grateful and self-profiting obedience to all the commandments of God, that you would gladly renounce a folemn obligation to it? Or, are you offended with the declared ends of these covenants, viz. the glorifying of God, the prefervation and reformation of religion and promoting the welfare of the nation,and that God may delight to dwell among us to the latest pofterity?-You will perhaps pretend, that you love our reformed doctrine, worship, Prefbyterian government and