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Vulgar CAPACITIES, &c.

I. Queftion. WHAT is the Catechifm?

Anfwer. An Inftruction to Aas 8.14.

be learned of every perfon, before he be brought

to be Confirmed by the Bishop.

II. Q. How must you learn the Catechifm?

A. I must learn to understand it a, and re-a. Mat.13. member it b, and live according to it a, b.

III. Q. What else must you learn and do, before you are brought to be Confirm'd?

23. b. Luke 8.

15.

A. I must learn what it is to be Confirm'd; Ecclef.5.1. and to Understand the Service of Confirmation, John 4. that I may Devoutly do my part in it. I muft 24. alfo learn and do what is requir'd of me when I Heb. 12.

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Mal. 1. 8.

am 28, 29.

am to be brought to be Confirm'd. See, To be

learn'd after the Catechism, 4 th to be Con

IV. Q. How must you be brought to be Confirm'd ?

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a. As was Timothy

at Ephefus, (1 Tim. 1. 3.) and the other fix Angels of the Churches of Afia, (Revel, 1,20.) and Titus in Crete Tit. S

4. I must go to my Minifter, for him to fee whether I am duly prepar'd; and if he finds me duly prepar'd, then to bring me to the Bishop to be Confirm'd.

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Priefts of Parifies and Deacons
Patines;

are Officers under the Bin Deacons

as were

the Bishops or Elders, and Deacons under Timothy and Titus, 1 Tim. 3. I to 16. Ch. 5. 19 Tit. 1. 57. The word Bishop fignifies an Overseer: and fo thefe inferiour Bishops or Elders, whatever they were, might be all call'd Bifhops, as, the inferiour Priefs of the Jews were call'd Priefts.c

The holy Martyr Ignatius, (who was made Bishop of Antioch by St. Peter and St. Paul) in his Epistles very often speaks of Bishops, Presbyters and Deacons. And in his Epiftle to the Trallians, he affirms, That without the Bishop, and the Pref byters, and the Deacons, it is not call'd a Church.

The Univerfity of Oxford, in their Reafons againft the Solemn League and Covenant, declared concerning the Govern-: ment of the Church by Bifhops, in thefe words. We are affured by the undoubted Teftimony of ancient Records, and later Hiftories, that this Form of Government, bath been continued with fuch an univerfal, uninterrupted, unquestioned Succeffon in all the Churches of God, and in all kingdoms that have been call'd Chriftian throughout the whole world, for fifteen hundred years together; that there was never in all that time any confiderable oppofition made there against..

VI. Q. What

VI. Q. What is to be Confirm'd by the Bishop?

a Acts 8, 14, to 19.

Luke 11. 8, to 14.

The Bishop firft prays for all that they may receive the Holy Ghoft. Ats 8. 15. Then he lays his hand on every

one, and bleffes him,

A. By his Prayer, and his laying on of his hand and bleffing, and my earnest praying with him, to receive the Holy Ghoft a to make me plenteous in Godliness b.

that is, prays particularly for him. ver. 17, compar'd with Math. 19. 13, 15.

b. John 7. 37, 38, 39. chap. 14. 26. This is a plenteous Increase (chap. 7. 38, 39.) of the Grace given in Baptifm, (chap. 3, 5. chap. 4. 1, 10, 14. chap. 6. 35.) of that renewing of the Holy Ghost, whereby we are faved,. Tit. 3. 5.6.

This Increase of Grace did not ceafe to be given in Confirmation, when the miraculous gifts given to fome did cease to be given with it. For it is promised to all Chriftians, John 7. 37, 38, 39; for ever, chap. 14. 15, 16. And being given to the Apostles on the Day of Pentecoft Ats 2. the fame is by them again promised to all Baptifed Chriftians for ever, ver. 38, 39. See ver. 17, 33. The Grace of Confirmation is the Thing meant by the gift of the Holy Ghost, v: 38, given to those St. Peter then fpake to, fometime after their Baptism, chap. 4. 31. Only the Promise of this plenteous Increase of Grace fupposes and implies a Promife of the Grace given in Baptism.

This Increase of Grace was given after Baptism, first to the Apoftles on the Day of Pentecoft; then by the Prayer of the Apoftles, (Acts 4.31.) according to the Promife, chap. 2. 38, 39. And ever fince, in the ordinary fettled way, it was, and is given, not in Baptifm, (As 8. 16.) but by the Prayer and Laying on of the hands of the Apoftles, and their Succeffors the Bishops, v. 15, 17. chap. 19. 6.

Therefore, Heb. 6. 1, 2, laying on of hands is one of the firft Principles of the Doctrine of Chrift, to be taught to babes, chap. 5. 12, 13. And the folemn Commandment of Chrift, John 7. 37, 38, 39, to come to him for the Grace that is to be received only by this means, is a folemn Commandment, to use this Means. And his Words, If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink, require us to use this means with earnest thirst ing for his Grace.

The Lord's Supper will no more fupply the want of Confir mation, then it can fupply the want of Baptifm, or of any other means of Grace.

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THE

THE

Benefits and Vow of Baptism.

I. Question. WHAT is your Name?

Anfwer. N. or M. II. Q. What do thefe Questions of your Name

teach you?

As the Name of Abraham (which fignifies a great Father of multitude, and a

part of God's Covenant with him) was

A. That my Name is to put me in mind of my Baptifm, and of what I was then made, and of what was then promifed in my Name.

given him to put him in mind of that Covenant. Gen. 17. 4, 5. and of his Circumcifion then commanded for a token of the fame Covenant. ver. 9, 10, 11.

III. Q. Who gave you this Name?

a As God gave Abraham his name when he commanded him to be Circumcis'd; (Gen. 17. 5.) and Chrift and God's People had their names given them

A. My Godfathers and Godmothers in my Baptifm a; wherein I was made a member of Chrift b, the child of God c, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven d.

when they were Circumcis'd; (Luke 1. 59, 60. chap. 2. 21, which answers to our Baptifm. b Gal. 3. 27. To put on Chrift, is to believe in Chrift, (that is, believe and obey him) and to be made a member of him. Ver 26. By Baptifm we put on Chrift; and by faith in Chrift we are the Children of God. Infants are made the Children of God by the faith of their Parents bringing them to Baptifm. d. Ver. 29. By Baptifm we put on Chrift: and if we are Christ's, then we are Abrabam's feed, and heirs of the promife of God's bleffing (and in that bleffing everlasting life) promifed to Abraham, and to his

Seed,

Seed, Chrift and his members, ver. 16. Gen. 12. 2, 3. ch. 22. 17, 18. Tit. 3. 5, 7. Thefe Mercies are promised to Infants. Luke 18. 15, 16. See Baptifm 21 Q.

IV. Q. What is a member of Chrift?

I Cor. 12. 27. A Chriftian is a member of that body, that is, company of people of which Chrift is the Head, that is, the Lord and Saviour, (Eph. 5. 23.) and alfo Husband, v. 31, 32. Members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.v. 30, fignifies members of him: because He, his body, flesh and bones, is our Head, and because, as Eve taken out of Adam caft into a deep fleep, was bone of his bones, and flesh of his flesh: fo the Church has her whole being from Chrift's body, flesh and bones dead upon the Crofs.

A. One of Chrift's Church.

V. Q. What is a Child of God?

A. One that by the Grace of God is a true
Christian, and God loves as his Child.
VI. Q. What is an inheritor of the kingdom
beaven?

John 1.

12, 13.

of 1 John 3

of

I, 9, 10.

A. One that shall enjoy the great bleffedness of Matt. 25. heaven.

VII. Q. What did your Godfathers and Godmothers for you in your Baptifm?

34.

A. They did promife and vow three things in my name: Firft, that I fhould renounce the Devil and all his works, the pomps and vanity of this wicked world, and all the finful lufts of the flefh. a. Secondly, that I fhould believe all the Ar- a Alts. z. ticles of the Chriftian Faith. b. And, thirdly, 38, 40. that I fhould keep God's holy Will and Com-b Mark16. mandments, and walk in the fame all the days 15, 16. of my life. c.

VIII. Q. How did your Godfathers and Godmothers promife and vow these things in your Name?

A. Be

Mark 28.

19, 10,

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