and returns Him his most hearty thanks for bringing him into this state of salvation, that is, into such a state and condition of life wherein he may be saved, and shall certainly be so, if he doth but perform what he promised, when he was by Baptism admitted or brought into it, and what he hath now promised again.

For seeing God addeth to the Church daily such as shall be saved, Acts ii. 47. he being now added to the Church, is in the ready way to be saved, and therefore is properly in a state of salvation, through Jesus Christ our Saviour; which he therefore adds, both because it is only through Jesus Christ that he is brought into this state, and because it is a state of salvation also only through Jesus Christ; whom he therefore calls our Saviour, because He is the only Saviour of mankind; without whom no man ever was or ever can be saved, Acts iv. 12.

But though he be now in a state of salvation, unless he continue in it he cannot be saved. As they who were with Noah in the ark, the type of Christ's Church, were safe so long as they stayed there, but if any of them had thrown themselves overboard, they would certainly have perished. Wherefore the child is here taught to pray unto God for grace to continue in the same state, not only for some time, but to his life's end without which he cannot be saved, Mark xiii. 13. Heb. iii. 4. Rev. ii. 26. But he cannot do that, nor any thing that is good, of himself, 2 Cor. iii. 5. nor any other way than by the grace of God through faith in Christ, Eph. ii. 7, 8. And therefore he prays God

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to give him His grace, to keep him stedfast in His true faith and fear, as long as he lives, through Jesus Christ our Saviour, 2 Cor. xii. 9. Phil. iv. 13.

QUESTIONS.

Are you not bound to perform what your Godfathers and
Godmothers promised in your name?

Do you now promise the same thing again yourself?
Why do you say, by God's help?

Why do you call God, our Heavenly Father ?
What do you mean by the state of salvation?

Why do you call Christ, our Saviour?

What must you do that you may be saved by Him?
Why do you pray to God to give you grace to do it?

THE CREED.

Catechist. Rehearse the Articles of thy Belief.

Answer. I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

Of the three things that are promised by every one that is baptized, the first, as we have seen, is that he should renounce the devil, the world, and the flesh; which he accordingly doth at the same time. Now the second is, that he should believe all the Articles of the Christian faith: which were therefore read to him before he was baptized; and he was asked, whether he believed every one of them? and he then answered, All this I stedfastly believe. He then professed to believe them all in his own person, if he was of riper years; or, if an infant, by his sureties. Wherefore

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the Catechist, or he that instructeth the child in his Catechism, doth not here ask him, what are the Articles of the Christian faith, nor whether he believeth them or no; but taking it for granted that he both knoweth and believeth them as he had professed at his Baptism, he only bids him rehearse, or say them over again, saying, Rehearse the Articles of thy Belief; those which thou didst profess stedfastly to believe, when thou wast baptized, and which thou dost still believe according to that profession. Upon which he repeats the same Creed to which he then gave his assent, and in which all the fundamental Articles of the Christian faith are briefly contained, to the end that he may now be more fully instructed in them. Which that he may, it will be necessary to explain every word and expression in the said Creed.

The first words, I believe, respect every one of the Articles or parts of the Creed, as well as those two to which they are prefixed. And this every one saith for himself, in his own person, I believe: not only I think, I suppose, I hope, or the like; but, I believe, that is to say, I heartily assent and consent, being fully persuaded of it upon the testimony of God Himself, and therefore in the highest manner that I can be persuaded of any thing in the world. For though all creatures may deceive me, God neither will nor can, Tit. i. 2. Wherefore having His word for every thing contained in this Creed, although my finite and corrupt understanding cannot reach or comprehend it, yet I verily believe, I am fully persuaded of the truth and certainty of it, as

I am that there is a sun in the firmament, although I know not what it is.

This is that true Christian belief, or faith, which the Apostle saith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, Heb. xi. 1. So that by it, I doubt no more of what God hath promised, and I therefore hope for, than as if I was already possessed of it: and the great things that He hath revealed, though I never saw, nor am able to comprehend them, yet they are as clear and evident to me, as if I did. This being the way whereby God is pleased to convey such things into our minds, and whereby he doth it in the most powerful manner that can be, even by His own infallible, almighty word.

He hath given us senses whereby to discern the figures, and colours, and other circumstances of bodies. And he hath given us reason, whereby to govern ourselves in the affairs of this life. But as for the things that concern Himself and belong to our everlasting peace, for them He hath given us His own word, as the ground of our belief; that there may be no place left for diffidence or doubting, but that we may rest fully satisfied in our minds about them: which we cannot always be about what our senses seem to discover, and our reason to dictate to us. For we find by experience that they often fail us: but God's word can never fail us.

Wherefore as we make no doubt of such things as we see and hear every day; nor of such things as appear self-evident to our reason, as that the whole is greater

than any part: nor yet of such things for which we have the concurrent testimony of many men, as that there are such places as France, and Spain, and India, though we never saw them: much less can we doubt of any of the Articles of the Christian faith; as, that God made and governs the world; that His Son became man, and died for the sins of mankind; that He is now in heaven, continually making intercession for us; and that He will come hither again at the last day, to raise the dead, and judge the world. For these and suchlike divine truths being revealed to us in the holy Scriptures, we have the testimony of God for them, the word of truth itself; by which, when duly considered, and fixed upon our minds, we are possessed with so strong a persuasion, so firm and constant a belief of them, that all the faculties of our souls are thereby influenced, and inclined to act accordingly: so that he that believes in God cannot but love Him and fear Him, and trust on His word and promise.

I thus first believe in God: for he that cometh to God, as I desire to do, must believe that He is, Heb. xi. 6. And I accordingly believe there is such an invisible Being in and over the world, which we call God, who is a Spirit, John iv. 24. and therefore without body, parts, or passions, Luke xxiv. 39. but a most pure, simple, immutable, eternal Being, Jehovah, the Lord, the Lord of Sabaoth, that is, of the world, or of all things that are; existing in and of Himself, Exod. iii. 14. in all things, above all things, every where the same, Ps. cxxxix. 7, 8, 9, 10. Of infinite wisdom, knowledge,