neceffary for our admiffion into Heaven. Certainly that Faith which fufficeth to bring us hereafter into the Prefence of the Lamb, must be fufficient to bring us to the Supper of the Lamb; and that is, not a confident Prefumption of a Man's abfolute Pardon and Election unto Happiness, but a firm and comfortable Perfwafion, that Jefus Chrift came into the World, to Save Sinners, which is a most faithful faying, and worthy of all acceptation, faith St. Paul, 1 Tim. 1. 15.

2. THAT this Faith is enough for a Communicant will appear, Secondly, from its Anaglogy and Proportion to the Faith of the First Difciples. It was St. Peter's Confeffion (for which he was called Bleffed) Thou art Christ the Son of the Living God, Matth. 16. 16. It was Martha's Confeffion, Lord I believe that thou art Chrift the Son of God, that should come into the world, Job. 11. 27. It was the Eunuch's Confeffion, I believe that Jefus Christ is the Son of God, Act. 8. 37. Nay indeed, it was the Confeffion of all the Apoftles, before every particular was extracted which lay hid and folded up in it, We believe and are fure, that thou art that Chrift, the Son of the Living God, Joh. 6. 69. Now do but confider and judge in your felves: Is it poffible for any Ratianal Man

to

to believe, that the Faith which ferved for the Salvation of thofe, will not be enough to Difpofe and Fit Us for the Sacrament? Certainly, by the fame Faith whereby the Difciples of Old felt and handled the Word of Life, we, may also Feed on him. For this Faith is as unalterable as the Author of it, who is the fame yesterday, and to day, and for ever. And if in that plain and eafie Belief the Church went to Heaven of Old, why may we not do fo ftill? And why may we not go to the Sacrament, as to Heaven-gate, by that Faith whereby fo many Thousands have all along entered into Paradise.

3. ESPECIALLY if we Confider, in the 3d place, the Nature and Reason of this prefent Solemnity. It is the Evangelical Feaft, by partaking whereof, we do Renew our Covenant with God, as the Jews did by Eating of the Paffover. And hence we may conclude, that which Capacitates a Man to enter into Covenant with God first of all, is fufficient to Qualifie and Fit him for the Renewing of that Covenant now; because the Terms of the Covenant are all along the fame; and what we did at our Baptifm, and do now again, is but the fame thing acted over and over: Now it is evident from the Holy Scriptures, that the cordial belief

of

of the Authority and Merits of Chrift, was accounted enough in the Apostles days for the admiffion of People unto Baptifm, which is the Initiating Mystery, at which God and Men do interchangeably Seal Indentures first of all. In Act. 8. we find Philip Preaching to the Ethiopian Eunuch, and requiring a Confeffion of his Creed, that he might. be Baptized and when the Eunuch made this fhort Confeffion, I believe that Jefus Christ is the • Son of God, it was thought enough to give him a right to the Seal of the Covenant ; and fo ftraightway Philip went down into the Water, and Baptized him, v. 38. The like we Read of Paul and Silas, how they directed the frighted Jayler, to believe on the Lord Jefus, Act. 16. 33. and instantly upon that Confeffion, Baptized him. Now we do not any where read, or find any Reason to conjecture, that the Apostles demanded any other Faith of their Converts before the Communion, than what they had delivered unto them to prepare them for Baptifm. The fame. Belief which qualified them for that, did ålfo Qualifie them for this other Sacrament; for in Act, where we meet with the first Converts, and a great number of them, even three Thousand Souls, St. Luke relates, that they were Baptized, and conG tinued

tinued fedfaft in the Apostles Doctrine, and in breaking of Bread, v. 42. And by the Story it feems to be intimated, that in a very fhort time after they were Baptized, they were all admitted to the Lord's Table. I add to this, in the laft place, that the Primitive Church of Chrift required this of Communicants, that they should believe those things to be True, which were taught them by their Paftours; for fo Justin Martyr exprefly tells us; and thofe things were no other, than the common Faith of all true Chriftians in all Ages, and which in the Athanafian Creed is called, the Catholick Faith; confisting of the Fundamental Articles of our Religion, which were antiently drawn up into short Summaries. And by a paffage in St. Ambrofe it doth appear, that Baptifed Perfons were not prohibited from coming to the Communion, but for the space of a few days after their Baptifm: And this Prohibition was intended, not that they might in that time learn a New Creed; but only gain fome further Knowledge, touching the Nature and Ends of this Religious Mystery; ftill the Faith was one and the fame, even a comfortable. belief in Jefus Chrift, and him Crucified.

TO all which, I, fhall only add the Judgment of the Church, as to the Na

ture

ture of that Faith, which is neceffary for Baptifm, &c. as it appears in the Office of Publick and Private Baptifm, in the Vifitation of the Sick, in the Expofition of the Creed, in the Catechifm; as alfo in that old useful Book, called the Inftitution of a Christian Man: In all which, no more is lookt upon as neceffary, but an hearty affent to the Truth of those common Doctrines of Chriftianity contained in the Apoftolical Symbol.

BY what then hath been thus particularly fhew'd, any ordinary Communicant may easily discern, whether his Faith be genuine, and right, and approved, and fuch as the Gospel doth require. In short, you believe that the Holy Jefus was

do

the Son of God? That he came into the રે World, by the Appointment of his Father? That his great Errand, was to Redeem an undone and (without him) a loft World? That he Dyed upon the Crofs for this pur pofe? That his Blood was fhed as a Ranfom for all? That he paid a Price even for thy poor Soul? And that for his fake thou may'ft find Mercy at the hands of God? If this be thy Faith, thou may'st be affured, that thy Faith is as right and true, as ever was the Faith of an Apostle, tho' thou canst not Remove Mountains, nor Heal the Sick with thy fhadow. And G 2 there