couraging of the superstitious Po- | Q. 44. How doth the scripture

pish notion, that baptism makes even those, who are born within the visible church, to become Christians; and that by the want of it, they remain Infidels, and are left to uncovenanted mercy.

Q. 43. What are the extremes about the necessity of baptism? A. The Socinians and Quakers deny that it is necessary at all: on the other hand the Papists, and some others, maintain that it is so absolutely necessary, that no salvation can be expected without it.

Q. 41. What is the doctrine of our Confession of Faith, on this head?

A. That "although it be a great sin to contemn or neglect this ordinance, yet grace and salvation are not so inseparably annexed unto it, as that no person can be regenerated and saved without it; or that all that are baptized | are undoubtedly regenerated."*

Q. 42. Wherein consists the greatness of the sin of contemning and slighting this ordinance?

A. It consists in despising an express and positive institution of Christ, appointed to be admistered in his church to the end of the world, Matt. xxviii. 19, 20; and in slighting all the great and glorious benefits and privileges signified and sealed thereby, Luke vii. 30.

Q. 43. How doth it appear that grace and salvation are not inseparably annexed to baptism?

evince, that all who are baptized are not regenerated and saved?

A. From the instance of Simon Magus, who was baptized, and yet after baptism, remained "in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity," Acts viii. 13. 23.†

Q. 45. Whether doth baptism give a right to covenant-blessings; or, is it a declarative sign and seal of them only?

A. It is only a declarative sign and seal of them, as circumcision was, Rom. iv. 11.

Q. 46. What then gives a right?

A. The promise of the covenant, which is endorsed to the children, as well as to the parents, Acts i 39. "The promise is unto you, and to your children."

Q. 47. Whether is baptism designed to make the covenant surer, or our faith stronger?

A. It is designed only to make our faith stronger; for the sureness of the covenant flows from the faithfulness of God, which is inviolable and unchangeable, Psal. lxxxix. 33, 34. Isa. liv. 10.

Q. 48. Wherein consists the efficacy of baptism?

A. It consists in sealing and ratifying the right to covenantblessings, which persons have from the promise, so infallibly, that they shall certainly be put in possession of them, Eph. v. 25, 26. For, according to the doctrine of our Confession, "the grace proA. From the instance of Abra-mised is not only offered, but reham, who had the righteousness ally exhibited and conferred by of faith before he was circumcis- the Holy Ghost, to such (whether ed, Rom. iv. 11; of Cornelius, of age, or infants) as that grace who feared God, and was accept- belongeth unto, according to the ed of him, before he was baptized, counsel of God's own will, in his Acts x. 2. 4: and from the instance appointed time."+ of the thief on the cross, who was saved without being baptized at all, Luke xxiii. 43.

Q. 49. Is baptism efficacious at the time of its administration? A. Not always: "the efficacy of + Ibid. + Ibid. sect. 6.

* Confession of Faith, chap. xxviil. sect. 5.

baptism is not tied to that moment of time wherein it is administered," but may take place

Q. 50. What may we learn from the nature of baptism?

A. The infinite goodness of

afterwards, as God in his sove-God, in appointing an initiating

reignty has fixed it; "for the wind bloweth where it listeth," &c. John iii. 8.

ordinance, irreversibly sealing all the blessings of the covenant to the elect seed, Gen. xvii. 7.

QUEST. 95. To whom is baptism to be administered? ANSW. Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible church, till they profess 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 may administer the | for the divine blessing to attend sacrament of baptism? the dispensation of that solemn orA. Neither of the two sacra-dinance, 1 Cor. xi. 24; and therements "may be dispensed by any, fore, by a parity of reason, minisbut by a minister of the word, ters ought to pray, and the people lawfully ordained."t to join therein, for the same blessing upon the administration of the sacrament of baptism.

Q. 2. How do you prove, that ordination by presbyters is lawful and valid, without a diocesan bishop?

A. From express scripture testimony, asserting the validity of ordination to the ministry, by the laying on of the hands of the PRESBYTERY, 1 Tim. iv. 14.

Q. 3. Why should ministers lawfully ordained, and no other persons whatsoever, dispense the sacraments of the New Testament?

A. Because they only are the "stewards of the mysteries of God," 2 Cor. iv. 1; and have the sole commission and authority from Christ to preach and baptize, Matt. xxviii. 19. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them," &c.

Q. 4. Is public prayer requisite before the administration of baptism?

A. It is evident, that our Lord, at the first institution of the supper, and his apostles, afterwards, according to his example, did pray

Q. 5. Ought not teaching, or preaching of the word, to go before baptism?

A. Yes: because our Lord has joined them together, Matt. xxviii. 19. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them," &c. And accordingly it was the uniform practice of the apostles to preach when they baptized, Acts ii. 38. 41. and viii. 35. 38. and xvi. 32, 33.

Q. 6. Is naming of children necessary at baptism?

A. No; baptism dispensed by sprinkling of water, together with the words of institution, is every way valid and complete, though the person baptized is not named at all.

Q. 7. But was not the naming of children, at circumcision, an ancient practice among the Jews, Luke i. 59?

A. It was so; and the names of children may be published at bap

* Confession of Faith, chap. xxviii. sect. 6. + Ibid. chap. xxvii, sect. 4.

tism still, provided it is not looked, upon as essential to that solemn ordinance; for it is the parent, and not the minister, who gives the

A. Then the parents may comfort themselves in this, that they were neither guilty of an unneces- A. It is to profess a belief of the sary delay, nor of contemning the whole doctrines of the Christian ordinance; and that, in these cir-religion, Acts viii. 37. cumstances, the want of it cannot

Q. 18. What is it to profess

harm the child, 2 Sam. xii. 18. 23. [obedience to him]?

Q. 10. With what frame and dis- A. It is to yield an external subposition of mind ought this sacra-jection to all the ordinances and ment to be dispensed and witness-institutions of Christ, Acts ii. 46. ed? Q. 19. Whom doth such a profession respect?

+ Confession of Faith, chap. xxvii. sect. 4.

fession of Faith, and Catechisms, as agreeing, in the main, with the Confessions of other reformed churches, 2 Tim. i. 13. "Hold fast the form of sound words."

Q. 23. What is it to profess the true religion?

A. It is openly to acknowledge, on all proper occasions, a steadfast adherence to the whole of divine truth, without espousing or countenancing any opposite error, Psal. cxix. 1. 5. Rom. x. 10. Q. 24. Is a bare profession of the true religion sufficient? A. No: for "faith without works is dead," James ii. 26.

Q. 25. Upon what ground have the infants of such as are members of the visible church a right to baptism?

covenant with their parents, extends to the Gentile nations?

A. Because the apostle says, that the promise is unto "all that are AFAR OFF, even as many as the Lord our God shall call;" namely, by the external call of the word, which is appointed to be published to every creature, Mark xvi. 15.

Q. 28. How doth it appear that this promise is the foundation of church membership, and consequently of baptism?

A. It appears from this, that the apostle enforces his exhortation to repent and be baptized, upon the adult persons to whom he is speaking, from this powerful and encouraging motive, that then their children should have a right and title to the privileges of the same covenant of promise, the seal whereof they themselves were to receive in their baptism; "Repent, [says he,] and be baptized; for the promise is unto you and to your

A. Upon the ground of the grace and goodness of God in the promise, assuming them into the same covenant with their parents; as in the promise made to Abraham, Gen. xvii. 7. "I will esta-children," blish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee."

Q. 26. But what if this promise of assuming the seed into the same covenant with the parents, have a respect only to the natural offspring of Abraham, and to none else?

A. The apostle Peter plainly affirms, that it is a promise of the covenant of grace, extending to the Gentiles, as well as to the Jews; and, at the same time, that it is the foundation of church membership, and consequently of baptism, when he says, Acts ii. 38, 39. "Repent, and be baptized every one of you;-for the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call,"

Q. 27. How doth it appear from this text, that the promise of assuming the children unto the same

Q. 29. What promise doth the apostle here point at?

A. He points at the promise made to Abraham, Gen. vii. 7. "I will be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee."

Q. 30. What seal was annexed to this promise, or promulgation of the covenant of grace, made to Abraham?

A. The seal of circumcision, ver. 10. "This is my covenant, which ye shall keep between me and you;-Every man-child among you shall be circumcised." And ver. 12. " He that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you."

Q. 31. What connection is there between circumcising the seed of Abraham on the eighth day under the Old Testament, and baptizing the children of professing parents under the New?

A. The connection is, that though circumcision and baptism be different signs, yet they are

both of them seals of the same covenant of grace; and since the infant seed of Abraham received the seal of circumcision under the Old Testament, by parity of reason, the infant children of professing parents should receive the seal of baptism under the New; especially as baptism is now come in the room of circumcision.

Q. 32. How do you prove, from scripture, that baptism is come in the room of circumcision?

A. An explicit or formal profession of faith, is only required of them that are adult, or come to age, when they are to be baptized: but not of infants now, any more than when they were cir cumcised of old, on the eighth day after their birth.

Q. 36. Are infants capable of the blessings signified and sealed in baptism?

A. Undoubtedly they are; for some of them have been filled with A. From Col. ii. 10, 11, 12. the Holy Ghost even from their "Ye are complete in him-In mother's womb, Luke i. 15; and whom also ye are circumcised consequently by grace, capable of with the circumcision made wITH-regeneration, pardon, and eternal our hands:-buried with him in life; wherefore the sign and seal baptism, wherein also ye are ris- of these blessings ought not to be en with him." withheld.

Q. 33. How doth it appear, Q. 37. How are children of profrom this text, that baptism is now fessing parents designated in scripcome in the room of circumci-ture?

sion?

A. If any one of the parents be a A. From the plain and obvious visible believer, or regular church scope of it, which is to show, that member, the children, on that acthere is no need now of that cir- count, are called holy, 1 Cor. vii. cumcision which was outward in 14. "The unbelieving husband is the flesh, in regard we have all sanctified by the wife; and the the blessed fruits and effects of unbelieving wife is sanctified by Christ's death and resurrection the husband; else were your more clearly, and, at the same children unclean, but now they time, more extensively, represent- are holy." ed and sealed in baptism; which is dispensed equally to both sexes.

Q. 34. What would be the consequence, if the infants of professing parents, under the New Testament, were not admitted to the initiating seal of the covenant, as well as the infants of the Jews under the Old?

A. The consequence would be, that the privileges of the New Testament church would be more abridged and lessened, than these of the Old, whereas they are rather increased and enlarged, Isa, liv. 2, 3.

Q. 38. What holiness is here meant?

A. Federal holiness, or being admitted to church membership, together with their believing or professing parent.

Q. 39. May not this holiness be understood of legitimacy, or being lawfully begotten?

A. No: because marriage being an ordinance of the law of nature, the children of married parents, though both of them be infidels, are as lawfully begotten as those of professing Christians.

Q. 40. How doth federal holi

Q. 35. How can infants be bap-ness tized, when they are incapable of making a profession of their faith, which seems to be required in order to baptism, Acts viii. 37?

entitle an infant to baptism? A. Federal holiness necessarily supposes a being within the covenant, in virtue of the credible profession of the parent, and conse