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"the hours of ten in the morning and two "in the afternoon, to preach eight Divinity "Lecture Sermons, the year following, at "St. Mary's in Oxford, between the com"mencement of the laft month in Lent "Term, and the end of the third week in "Act Term.

« Also I direct and appoint, that the eight Divinity Lecture Sermons fhall be preach"ed upon either of the following fubjects to confirm and establish the Chriftian Faith, and to confute all heretics and fchif"matics-upon the divine authority of the "Holy Scriptures upon the authority of the writings of the primitive Fathers, as

to the faith and practice of the primitive * Church - upon the Divinity of our Lord "and Saviour Jefus Chrift-upon the Divi"nity of the Holy Ghoft-upon the Articles "of the Chriftian Faith, as comprehended "in the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds.

"Alfo I direct, that thirty copies of the "eight Divinity Lecture Sermons shall be always printed, within two months after "they are preached, and one copy fhall be "given to the Chancellor of the University,

" and

"and one copy to the Head of every Col

lege, and one copy to the Mayor of the

City of Oxford, and one copy to be put "into the Bodleian Library; and the ex66 pence of printing them shall be paid out "of the revenue of the Lands or Eftates given for establishing the Divinity Lecture "Sermons; and the Preacher fhall not be paid, nor be entitled to the revenue, before they are printed.

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"Also I direct and appoint, that no perfon "shall be qualified to preach the Divinity "Lecture Sermons, unless he hath taken the :'Degree of Master of Arts at least, in one " of the two Univerfities of Oxford or Cam

bridge; and that the fame perfon shall "never preach the Divinity Lecture Sermons "twice."

PRINCIPAL CONTENTS.

SERMON I.

Luke iii. 3, 4.

The word of the Lord came unto John, the Son

of Zacharias, in the wilderness; and he came

into all the country about Jordan, preaching

the Baptifm of Repentance.

General defign, pag. 6.Subftance of the first discourse,

ibid. I. The Jews admitted that John was a prophet, 7.

-

the account, given of him by Jofephus, correfpondent

to that by the Evangelifts, 8. John called a prophet by
Jofippon, 9.believed to be a prophet, without any view
to the Meffiah, ib.- this fhewn from the Gospels, and Acts of
the Apostles, ibid.—II. upon what evidence the prophetical
character of John could be acknowledged, without connecting
him with the Meffiah, 10. 1. the outward appearances of
a prophetical character in John, ibid. 2. his ministry of
Baptifm, and his call to Repentance, ibid.
3. the uni
verfal expectation of the Meffiah, 13.- 4. miraculous cir-
cumstances attending the conception and infancy of John, ib.

from all these circumstances, arofe a juft prefumption,

but not a certainty, that John was a prophet, 15.-III. the true

criterion of his infpiration, 16.—it was prophecy, with near-

ly prefent accomplishment, 19. illuftration of this point,

20. the connection, between the Baptist and the Messiah,

neceffary, 21. John, not a prophet, unless he was the
Meffiah's forerunner, laft page.

SER-

Then went out to him Jerufalem, and all

Judæa, and all the region round about For-

dan, and were baptized of him in Jordan,

confeffing their fins.

John, fent to prepare the way of the Lord, pag. 24.

to be fhewn partly in this difcourfe, from the baptismal doc-

trine, as it refpected the kingdom of heaven, and the Jewish

people, ibid.
import of the notice, the kingdom of hea-

ven is at hand, 25. - Jewish notions of that kingdom, ib.

the true notion of it implied in John's preaching the baptifm

of repentance, 27. a caution attributed to the Baptift

by Jofephus, with respect to his baptism, 29. — the mi-

niftry of the Baptift proceeded upon principles, exclufive of

the Law, and entirely Evangelical, 32, hence he appears

an original prophet, 33. particular view of the claufes in

the baptifmal doctrine of John. 34. — he predicted the de-

ftruction of Ifrael, 36. the original circumstances, in this

prophecy, fhewed him a real prophet, 37. he predicted

the rejection of Ifrael, and the call of the Gentiles, 38.

hence alfo he appeared an original prophet, 41. his bap-
tifmal doctrine levelled againft the Jewish corruptions of the
Scripture-fenfe, 43.-he taught that the Meffiah's kingdom,
the true righteoufnefs, the promise, and the genuine fonship
to Abraham, were all spiritual, 44.-inference, that he was
a real prophet, to the end.

There cometh One, Mightier than I, after me.

Further