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was important to confine within a moderate compass, obliged the author to adopt this course, instead of undertaking to expatiate at large through the immense field of learning, which has been cultivated-and sometimes unprofitably enough-on the subjects in question. Nor even upon this plan, has he given place to more than a small part of the passages which he had noted for insertion; although, if he is not greatly deceived, there will be found an ample sufficiency of the best authority on every point which called for its support.

He commits his humble work to the candid consideration of his readers; and especially to the blessing of Him, who is the Great Head of the Church, and who has promised to be with. it, 'alway, even to the end of the world.'

Burlington, Vermont,
May 3d, 1835.

B

CONTENTS.

LECTURE I. The command to come to Christ-Obedience
rendered to it by uniting with his Apostles-The Church
established by them still exists-And the necessity for uni-
ting with it is still the same-How is this to be done in our
day, when the Church is so much divided—All sects can-
not be equally near the Apostolic system-Christians are
therefore bound to examine and select that Church which
is the most Scriptural and Primitive---We may not con-
demn our Christian brethren, since God is the Judge-But it
is, nevertheless, absurd to say, that error is equally safe
with truth-The society of Friends The Swedenborgi-
ans-The Roman Catholics-Our own branch of the uni-
versal Church is the nearest to the Apostolic pattern-Rea-
sons for the present undertaking.

1-12

LECTURE II. The Protestant Episcopal Church misunder-
stood and therefore misrepresented-The particular accu-
sations popularly brought against it-First, that Episcopali-
ans do not believe in any spiritual change of heart—an
inference drawn from our baptismal office-Quotations from
the Liturgy-The Catechism-The twenty seventh article,
-Regeneration in baptism-What is this regeneration-
What is a change of heart-It is synonymous with the re-
pentance and faith required of those who receive adult bap-
tism-Modern theologians have confounded regeneration
with this change, whereas they are distinct things-Regen-

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

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