Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

4238

to obferve all things whatsoever I have commanded you : and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.' 2. By the working of the spirit (the effect and evidence of Chrift's bleffing and prefence) whereby Chrift doth put life, and virtue, and efficacy into his facraments and ordinances, without which they would be wholly dead, and altogether ineffectual. 1 Cor. xii. 13. are we all baptifed into one body, For by one Spirit whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free: and have been all made to drink into one Spirit?' Q. 3. In whom doth the Spirit by the facraments work ef fectually unto falvation?

A. The Spirit by the facraments doth not work effectu ally unto the falvation of all that receive them, but of all that by faith receive them.

XCII. Queft. What is a facrament?

4. A facrament is an holy ordinance inftituted b Chrift, wherein by fenfible figns, Chrift and the benefit of the new covenant are represented, fealed and applic unto believers.

[ocr errors]

Q. 1. What is the proper fignification of the word facr

ment?

A. The proper fignification of the word facrament, it was of old ufed, is a military oath, whereby the gener did oblige himself to be faithful unto his foldiers, an the foldiers did engage themfelves to be faithful un their general.

Q. 2. Why are any of Chrift's ordinances called facrament when we do not find the word facrament used in any place the holy fcriptures?

T

A. Although the word facrament be not used in fcripture any more than the word Trinity, yet becaufe things fignified by the facrament and Trinity, and oth words, are in the fcriptures, therefore we may lawful make ufe of fuch words.

t Q. 3. What is the thing fignified by the word facrament? A. The thing fignified by the word facrament, is 2 of the covenant of grace, whereby as the Lord doth obl himself to fulfil the promise of the covenant unto us by our receiving this feal, we oblige ourfelves to be Lord's, and to be true and faithful unto him.

Q.4. Whofe ordinance is the facrament which we are to make use of?

A. The facrament which we are to make ufe of, is an ordinance not of man's, inftitution and appointment, but -an holy ordinance of Chrift's inftitution and appointment, who, being the only King of the church, hath alone authority to appoint holy ordinances and facraments.

Q. 5. How many parts are there in a facrament?

A. There are two parts in a facrament : 1. The outward fenfible figns. 2. The things fignified by the figns. Q.6. How do the fenfible figns, and the things fignified in a facrament, differ?

A. The fenfible figns, and the things fignified in a facrament, do differ, as the fenfible figns are an object of the understanding and faith, being reprefented by the outward figns.

Q7. What kind of figns are the fenfible figns in a facra.

ment?

A. 1. The fenfible figns in a facrament are not natural figns, as the dawn of the morning is a fign of the approaching day, or as a smoke is a fign of fire; but they are arbitrary figns, and by the appointment not of men, but of Jefus Chrift. 2. They are not bare fignifying or representing figns, but withal, exhibiting, conveying, and applying figns; as a feal unto a bond, or laft will and teftament, doth both fignify the will of him whofe bond or laft will and teftament it is, and doth also exhibit and convey, confirm and apply, a right unto the things promised and engaged therein. When the minifter doth give forth the figns or outward elements in the facramental actions, the Lord doth give forth and convey the things fignified unto the worthy receivers.

Q. 8. What are the things fignified by the outward fenfible figns in a facrament?

A. The things fignified by the outward fenfible figus in a facrament, are Chrift, and the benefits of the new

covenant.

Q. 9. What is the ufe of a facrament, in reference unto Chrift, and the benefits of the new covenant?

A. The ufe of a facrament, in reference unto Chrift and the benefits of the new covenant, is, 1. To reprefent

Chrift and the benefits of the new covenant. Gen. xvii. 10. 'This is my covenant, which ye fhall keep between me and you, and your feed after you; Every man-child among you fhall be circumcifed." 2. To feal and apply Chrift, and the benefits of the new covenant. Rom. iv. II. And he received the fign of circumcifion, a feal of the righteousness of the faith which he had, being yet uncircumcifed.'

Q. 10. To whom doth a facrament reprefent, feal, and apply Chrift, and the benefits of the new covenant?

A. A facrament doth reprefent, feal, and apply Christ, and the benefits of the new covenant, not unto all that partake thereof, but unto believers only; faith being the eye of the foul, to difcern the things reprefented, and the hand of the foul, to receive the things fealed and exhibited in the facrament.

XCIII. Queft. Which are the facraments of the new tefta

ment ?

Anfw. The facraments of the new teftament are baptifm and the Lord's fupper.

Q. 1. Were there ever any other facraments used in the church befide thofe of the new teftament?

A. Formerly, under the old teftament, there were other facraments of ufe among the Jews, and not these of the new teftament.

Q. 2. What were the ordinary facraments of common ufe among the Jervs under the old teftament?

A The ordinary facraments of common ufe among the Jews under the old teftament, were circumcifion and the paffover; which, fince the coming of Chrift, are abrogated and abolished, and are no more to be used in the church under the gospel.

Q3. What are the facraments then of the new teftament, which are to be used in the church under the gospel?

A. The only facraments of the new teftament, which are to be used in the church under the gospel, are baptism and the Lord's fupper; baptifm, which is to be received but once, instead of circumcifion, for initiation and the Lord's fupper, which is to be received often, instead of the paffover, for nutrition.

Q.4. What is the doctrine of the Papifts concerning the number of the facrament: of the new teftament?

A. The doctrine of the Papifts concerning the number of the facraments, is, that there are feven facraments under the new teftament. Unto baptifm and the Lord's fupper, they add, confirmation, penance, ordination, marriage, and extreme unction: which, though fome of them are to be used, namely, marriage and ordination, yet none of them in their fuperftitious way; none of them have the stamp of divine inftitution, to be ufed as facraments; none of them are feals of the covenant of grace and therefore they are no facraments, but Popifh additions, whereby they would seem to make amends for their taking away the fecond commandment out of the decalogue, as contrary to their image-worship; whereas both fuch as add, andfuch as take away from God's laws and inftitutions are under a feverer curfe than any of the anathemas and eurfes of the Popish councils. Rev. xxii. 18, 19. • If any man add to thefe things, God fhall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book; And if any man fhall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God fhall take away his part out of the book of life." XCIV. Queft. What is baptifm?

Anfw. Baptifm is a facrament wherein the washing with water, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft, doth fignify and feal our ingrafting into Christ, and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace, and our engagement to be the Lord's.

Q.1. What is the outward fign or element in baptifm?

A. The outward fign or element in baptifm, is water, and that pure water; fo that the addition thereunto of oil, falt and fpittle, by the Päpifts in baptism, is an abominable profanation of the ordinance. Acts x. 47. • Canany man forbid water, that these should not be baptized?' Heb. x. 22. 'Our bodies wafhed with pure water.'

Q. 2. What is the thing fignified by water in baptifm? A. The thing fignified by water in baptifm, is the blood of our Lord Jefus Christ?

Q.3. What is the outward action in baptifm?

A. The outward action in baptifm, is washing of the body with water; which is all that the word baptifm doth fignify, and which may be fitly done by pouring waters upon the face, to reprefent Chrift's blood poured out for

us; or by fprinkling water upon the face, to reprefent the blood of sprinkling, with which the heart is fprinkled. Heb, x. 22. Having our hearts, fprinkled from an evil confcience, and our bodies wafhed with pure water.'

[ocr errors]

Q.4 Is it not necessary to dip or plunge the body into the water in baptifm, when the fcripture telleth us of feverals that avent down into the water when they were baptized; and we are to be buried with Chrift in baptifm, and therefore plunged and covered with water in baptifm, as Chrift was covered with earth in the grave ?

A. It is not neceffary that the body fhould be dipped or plunged all over in baptifm: For, 1. When we read of fome that went down into the water when they were baptized, we do not read, that they were dipped or plunged over head and ears: they might be baptized by pouring or fprinkling the water upon their faces: Yea, in fome places which the fcripture telleth us, perfons were baptized, travellers tell us they were but ankle-deep, in which it was impoffible they could be plunged all over; and Enon, where it is faid there was much water, the original words do not fignify deep waters, but many, ftreams, which are known to be fhallow, and not fit to plunge the body into. 2. Though fome went down into the water, when they were baptized, yet the fcripture doth not fay that all did: fo: but most probably water was brought into the house, when the jailer and all his household were baptized in the night; and not that he fuffered the apoftles (then prisoners) to go forth, and that he with them fhould go out with all his household, and leave all the other prifoners alone, to feek fome river to be baptized and plunged into.. 3. The burying with Chrift by baptifm, doth fignify theburying of fin in the foul, by the baptifm of the fpirit ;and not the burying of the body and covering it all over in the baptifm of water. There is a baptizing or washing, as was faid, in pouring or sprinkling water on the body; and as our Savior told Peter, when he would have been washed all over by him, that the washing of the feet was fufficient: fo the washing of the face is fufficient, especially for infants, who in our colder climates, cannot be plunged in a river, without manifeft hazard of their lives, which none can prove by fcripture to be neceffary.

« AnteriorContinua »