flated us into the Kingdom of His Dear Son; in bom we have Redemption through His Blood, even the Forgivenefs of Sins, Col. 1, 12, 13, 14.

2. But is it not fufficient that we were once baptized into this State of Salvation?

A. No; we must continue in the fame by well doing, and be faithful unto Death, before we receive the Crown of Life.

2. By what means fhall we be enabled to do this?

A. One means is, to continue inftant in Prayer; by praying unto God to give us Grace, that we may continue in the fame unto our Lives End.

2. But why is this neceffary? May we not expect Grace without asking it?

A. No; the Promises of the Gofpel are conditional: Ask and ye fball have; feek and ye shall find; and your Father will give His Holy Spirit to them that ask Him.

2. But if we are fallen from Grace, and have broken our Baptifmal Vow, and thereby forfeited our Salvation, is there no renewing it again?

A. Yes, it may be renewed by Repentance: But the Favour of God is eafier kept than recovered, and wilful Sins easier avoided than repented of.

Confirmation.

Seeing, you penyedi me hour is that Covenant to
Eeing you entred into Covenant with God in

be renewed?

A. In Confirmation; and by then taking upon my felf to do all that my Godfathers &c. promised for me. Q. How ought you to be prepared for this?

A. By being rightly baptized, well inftructed, and of Years to understand and confirm the Promises that were made for me upon my Admiffion into the Church of Chrift.

2. Before whom are you to do this?

A. I

A. I am to do it in my own Perfon, before the Bishop, and in the Face of the Church.

What Part does the Bishop bear in this Office?

A. He firft demands of the Perfons to be confirm'd, Whether they do, in the Prefence of God, renew their Baptifmal Vow; after that he prays for them; and then, with laying on of his Hands, bleffes every one of them.

2. What Authority is there for this Ordinance?

A. It is generally believed that it was defigned by the Apoftle in the Sixth Chapter of Hebrews, where reckoning the Principles of the Doctrine of Chrift, immediately after the Doctrine of Baptifms, he adds that of Laying on of Hands, Ver. 2.

2. But why may not any other Office, where the Ceremony of laying on of Hands is used, be as well intended there, as this of Confirmation?

A. Because it is mentioned immediately after the Doctrine of Baptifms; and because no other Office, where that Ceremony was used, is neceffary or common to all Chriftians.

2. Was this practifed by the Apostles?

A. Yes, by Peter and John; who, after Baptism, laid their Hands on the Samaritans, as Paul did on the Ephefian Converts. See Acts, Ch. xviii and xix.

2. Were not the Samaritans converted by Philip? Why then did not he confirm them?

A. Because tho' he was a Baptist (a Person authorized to baptize) a Preacher and an Evangelift, yet being himself but a Deacon, he knew That Office was to be performed only by the Chief Minifters of the. Church, and fuch the Apoftles were at that Time.

Q. Who are they that fucceeded the Apostles in the Government of Chrift's Church?

A. The Bishops; and fo this Office of Confirmation is now only executed by them.

Q. What is the Ufe of this Office?

A. It is of Ufe, Firft, To put Young Perfons upon learning, and Parents upon inftructing them in the Things promised in Baptism.

Secondly, It is of Ufe to engage and help all, that are confirmed, to lead a Chriftian Life.

And lastly, The Obligation of fuch Perfons becomes thereby perfonal; which may fatisfie many Objections againft Infant.Baptifm.

WH

I believe.

Hat is the Second Part of the Church-Catechifm?

A. The Apostles Creed; which teaches me what I am to believe.

Q. Why is it called the Apostles Creed?

A. For one or both these Reasons: Either because it was (in part at leaft) compos'd by the Apoftles themfelves; or because it contains the principal Doctrines that were preached by them.

2. But what Reason is there to believe that any Part of this Creed was framed by the Apostles?

A. Because thofe that deny it cannot agree, who (befides them) fhould be the first Authors of it; and because St. Paul feems to refer to fome fuch Form as this, when he exhorts Timothy to hold faft the Form of Sound Words, which thou hast heard of me, 2 Tim. i. 13. 2. Are the two first Words of the Creed, I believe, to be understood only where they are expreffed?

A. No; they are expreffed but twice in the whole Creed; but they are to be carried on in our Minds, and applied to every fingle Doctrine contained in it.

Give me an Example of this in the First Article. A. In that first Article, I am not only understood to fay, I believe in God, but alfo that I believe that God to be a Father; that Father to be Almighty; that Father Almighty to be Maker of Heaven and Earth.

Q. What is it to believe?

A. It is to be perfwaded of the Truth of any thing upon the Teftimony of another, which we neither fee, nor know, nor can prove to be true.

Q. Is it ufual for Men to believe any thing upon no better Authority than this?

A. Yes; for it is upon the Teftimony of others, that we believe there are fuch Countries as we never faw; and that there were fuch Perfons as liv'd many Ages before us.

Q. Have you not more reason to believe any thing upon the Teftimony of God than of Man?

A. Yes; If we receive the Witness of Man, the Witnefs of God is greater, John v. 9.

Upon what Teftimony do you believe the Do&rine contain'd in the Apoftles Creed?

A. Upon the Testimony of God, revealed by His Son Christ Jesus.

But when can you be affur'd that you believe thefe Things as you ought?

A. Not till I live according to them: For as the Body without the Spirit is dead, fo Faith without Works is dead alfo, James ii. 26,

Q. Why are you taught in this Creed to fay, 1, rather than, We believe?

A. To put me in mind, that I muft believe for my felf, and that no one's Faith can be of Service to me but my own: Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for Righteoufnefs, Rom. iv. 3.

2. Is there any thing else implied in this Expreffion, I believe?

A. Yes; and not only the Neceffity of Believing, but of making Confeffion of my Faith.

Q. Where is that commanded?

A. Phil. ii. 11. For there it is required, That every Tongue fhould confefs that Jefus Chrift is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father.

Is this the Practice of this Church?

A. Yes; it is for this Reafon that the Minister in our Publick Affemblies makes Confeffion of his own Faith, faying, I believe; and it is required, that the People fhould at the fame Time make Confeffion of theirs in like Manner.

I believe in God.

Hat do you mean by faying, I believe in God? A. I mean, That I believe that God is; or, That there is a God.

2. What is God?

A. God is a Spirit, fays our Saviour, John iv. 24. Q. Do you apprehend God to be only fuch a Spirit as the Angels, and Souls of Men are?

A. No; His Nature is infinitely more Pure and Perfect, than any Created Being is, or can be.

Q. Why is it then that not the Soul only, but the Bodily Parts of Man, as Hands, Arms, Eyes, &c. are afcribed to God in Holy Scripture ?

.

A. These are afcribed to Him, the better to represent the Actions of God to us.

2. What Name did God give Himself, Exod. iii. 14. and what is fignified by that Name?

A. The Name He there gives Himself is, I am, to fignifie thereby His Permanent and Eternal Exiftence, that He ever was the Same that He now is, the Same Great and Glorious God.

2. What do you learn from hence?

A. That God is an Eternal and Unchangeable Being. 2. But by what Rules may you form to your fell a General Notion of God?

A. By afcribing all imaginable Perfections to Him; every Thing that is Great, Holy, Good and Excellent: By removing all Defects and Imperfections from Him: By acknowledging that He has all the Perfections of

D 2

His