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on Chrift. There is neithe: Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male ñor female: For

ye wi one in Christ Jesús. And if ye be Christ's; then aře ye Abraham's feed, and heirs according to the promise.

Q. 8. What are the blessings signified by bread and wine ?

A. They fignify Christ's body and blood, broken and pourtd out for us, with all the blessings of remission, peace, and fal. vation, purchased by his blood; 1 Cor. 1. 16, 17. The cup of bleffing which we btefs, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ ? For we being many, are one bread and one body; for we are all partakers of that one bread.

Q. 9. Do the facraments feal, as well as fignify these things ?

A. Yes, they do; Rom. iv. 11. And he received the dign of circumcision, a seal of the righteoufness of the faith, &c. Their use is to confirm God's covenant with believers.

Q. 10. Who are the proper subjects of the facraments ?

A. Believers, and their feed, are the subjects of baptism, but adult Christians only of the Lord's fupper ; Acts ii. 38, 39. Repent, and be baptized every one of you ; for the promise is unto

you, and to your children; even as many as the Lord out God tħall call. 1 Cor. xi. 28. But let a man examine himfelf, and fo let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

Q. 11. What is the main use and end of facraments?

A. It is to ratify and confirm God's covenant with believers; Rom. iv. 11. And he received the fign of circumcifion, à feal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised; bocor Cor. xi. 26. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do fhew the Lord's deatk till he come.

Q.' 12: What is the first instruction from hence ?

A. That the abuse of such holy and folemn mysteries is a sin of dreadful aggravation, and such as God will punish; 1 Cor. xi. 27. Wherefore, whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lordi

Q. 13. What is the second instruction ?

A. Hence we learn the tender care and love of Christ ovet the church, in instituting such useful and comfortable ordinances for us.

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Of the Number of Sacraments. Queft. 93.

Hich are the facraments of the New Testa

ment? A. The facraments of the New Testament are, baptism, and the Lord's fupper.

Q. 1. How many facraments hath Christ appointed in the New Testament?

A. Christ hath appointed two, and no more; these being fufficient for our initiation and confirmation.

Q. 2. How many have the Papifts added to them?

A. They have added five more ; viz. Confirmation, pen, mance, ordination, marriage, and extreme unction.

Q. 3. What is their facrament of confirmation ?

A. It is the anointing of the baptized with chrism in the fore-head, with this form of words ; I sign thee with the lign of the cross, and confirm thee with the chrism of falvation, in the name of the Father, Son, and holy Ghost.

Q. 4. What is their ground for this practice ?

A. The abuse of that Scripture, Heb. vi. 2. Of the doctrine of baptisms, and laying on of hands, &c. which, by å figur. ative speech, expresseth the whole standing ministry in the church, by laying on of hands.

Q. 5. What is their facrament of pennance ?

A. It is repentance manifested by outward figns, to which the word of abfolution coming, makes it a facrament, mifgrounded on John xx. 2 3. Whofe foever fins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose foever fins ye retain, they are retained.

Q. 6. What is their facrament of orders, or ordination ?

A. It is the laying on of hands in ordination of ministers, by which they conceive fpiritual grace is given ; by mistake of 2 Tim. i. 6. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance, that thou ftir up the gift of God which is in thee, by the putting on of

my hands.

Q. 7. What is their fourth superadded facrament?

A. It is marriage, grounded upon those words of the apostle, Eph. v. 32. This is a great mystery; but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Which only thews a similitude, of our union with Christ, not an instituted sign to that end.

Q. 8. What is their fifth superadded sacrament?

A. Extreme unction, or anointing the sick, near death, with consecrated oil, grounded on Mark vi. 13. And anointed with oil many that were liek, and healed them. And James.

V. 14. Is any fick among you ? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. Which are neither facramentai rites, nor of ordinary standing use in the church, but extraordinary, and temporary for that age.

Q. 9. What learn we hence?

A. Hence we learn, how apt men are to corrupt God's ordinances, by their superftitious additions ; Matth. xv. 9. Teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Q. 10. What is the second instruction bence ?

A. Howjust and necessary our separation from Rome is, who have grossly corrupted God's ordinances, and left men no other remedy ; Rev. xiii. 6. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy againft God, to blafpheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

l. 11. What is the third instruction ?

A. That the reformation of religion is an invaluable mercy, a great deliverance from fpiritual bondage ; Rev. xi. 19. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seeri in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and

great hail.

Q. 12. What is the fourth instruction ?

A. That Rome fhall certainly fall, and all her adherents, for the horrid injury done by them to Christ, and the souls of men ; Rev. xviii. 20, 21, Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great milftone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

Of Baptism. Quest. 94

Hat is baptism?

A. Baptism is a facrament, wherein the washing with water, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, 'and of the holy Ghost, doth hgnify and seal our ingrafting into Christ, and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of graces and our

engagement to be the Lord's.
Q. 1. What is the external part of baptism?
A. It is

unmixed water;

Heb. x. 22. And our bodies washed with pure water. And therefore it is a vile practice of Papifts, to add oil, falt, and spittle, to water, in baptism,

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Q. 2. What doth water in baptifm fignify?

A. It fignifies the blood of Christ; Rev. i. S. Unto him that loved us, and walked us from our sins in his own blood.

Q. 3. What is the first resemblance it hath to Christ's blood ?

A. In the freeness of it to all, it represents the unpurchased blood of Christ; Ifa. lv. 1. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ỳe to the waters

' ; and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat; yea; come, buy wine and milk, without money, and without price.

Q. 4. What is the second resemblance to Christ's blood ?

A. It resembles it in its refreshing quality; water refresheth the thirsty, fo doth Christ's blood; John vi. 35. He that be tieyeth on' me, shall never thirst.

Q. 5. What is the third resemblance it hath to Christ's blood?

A. The cleansing property of water, thews the purifying virtue of Christ's blood; Heb. ix. 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit, offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works, to ferve the living God?

Q. 6. What is the fourth resemblance it hath to Christ's blood ?

A. It resembles it in the necessity of it: For as the body, caunot live without water, fo neither can the soul without Christ's blood; Heb. ix. 23. It was therefore neceffary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than there. Q. 7.

1. What is the fifth resemblance of water to the blood of Christ?

A. As water neither refresheth nor purifies the body without application; so neither doth Christ's blood refresh or purify the foul till applied ; 1 Cor. i. 3o. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and fanctification, and redemption.

Q. 8. Is it necessary to plunge the whole body under water, in baptizing every person?

A. The word (baptize] fignifying as well to wash, as to plunge ; à person may be truly baptized, that is not plunged. And we cannot think, by the circumftances of time and place, that the jailor, in the night, was carried to a river out of the city; Acts xvi. 33. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes, and was baptized, he and all His straightway.

Q. 9. But is it not faid, John iii. 23. That John also was


A. The word fignifies many waters, that is, springs of waters there; which are known by travellers to be small, not capable of plunging into.

l. 10. What are the benefits accruing to us by baptism?

A: The benefits are twofold: some external, called the fatness of the olive-tree; i.e. ordinances, and visible members thip; Rom. xi. 17. And thou being a wild olive-tree, wert graffed in amongst them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive-tree. And some spiritual and saving ; i Pet. iji. 21. The like figure whereunto, even baptism, doth also now save us (not the putting away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God) by the resursection of Jesus Chrift. Q. 11. What engagements are laid on the baptized ?

4. They are engaged to be the Lord's people, and to walk suitably to that engagement; Rom. vi. 4. Therefore we are þuried with him by

baptism into death : that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even fo we also should walk in newness of life. 'Q. 12. Is baptism to be reiterated, as the Lord's supper?

A. No; for the Lord's supper is a facrament for nourishing, but this for implantation; Rom. vi. 4, s. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death : that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we állo should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.

Q. 13. Doth baptisin regenerate men, and confer saving grace?

A. No, it doth not, in its own virtue, convey grace, no more than the Lord's supper ; but the Spirit of God is the author of grace, and works it as he pleases, before or after baptism.

Of the Subjects of Baptism.
O whom is baptism to be administered?

A. Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible church, till they profejs, their faith in Christ, and obedience to him ; but the infants of such as are members of the visible church are to be baptized.

Q. 1. Who are to be baptized ? ; A. Believers, and their infant-offspring; Aas ii. 39. For the

Quest. 95.


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