Q19. What is fignified by fprinkling of water upon the body?

A. The application of the blood of Chrift unto the foul but the Spirit of God, Tit. iii. 5, 6.

22. What is the analogy, or resemblance, betwin the fign in baptifm, and the thing fignified?

A. Water makes clean, what before was foul and nafty; fo the blood and Spirit of Chrift purify from the guilt and pollution of fin, Zech. xii. 1.; water is open and free to all; fo Chrift and his benefits are freely offered to all the hearers of the gospel, Rev. xxii. 17.

Q. 21. In whofe name are we baptized?

A. [In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of th Holy Ghoft, Mat. xxviii. 19.

Q22. What is it to be baptized in the name of the Fa ther, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft?

A. It is not only to be baptized by the will, command, and authority of the Three one God; but like wife to be, by baptism, folemnly dedicated and devoted to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Gholt, as our God and portion for ever, Ifa. xliv. 5.

2 24. What is it to be baptized by the command and authority of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft?

Alt intimates that the Trinity of perfons, do not on ly authorize and appoint baptifm to be a facrament of the New Teftament; but that they become jointly engaged to make good all the bleffings of the covenant, fignified and fealed by that ordinance, Jer. xxxi. 33. I will be their God, and they fhall be my people.

224. What is included in our being, by baptism, fo lemnly dedicated and devoted to the Father, Son, and Ho ly Ghoft, as our God and portion for ever?

A. It includes a folemn profeffion, that these three ador. able perfons have the fole right to all our religious worship, Pfal. v. 7.; that all our hope of falvation is from them,Pfal. Ixii. 1. 5.; and that we should be wholly and for ever the Lord's, Pfal. xlvii. 14.

Q. 25. Is it neceffary that baptifm be difpenfed in these exprefs words, " In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ""

A. Yes; because ministers are peremptorily commanded by Chrift, to baptize in this very form, Mat. xxxviii. 9. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

2. 26. Did not the apoftles baptize in another form, when they baptized in the name of the Lord Jefus, A&s viii. 16? A It is not to be fuppofed, that the apoftles would alter the form, fo exprefsly delivered to them, by their glorious Mater; and therefore when any are faid to be bap tized in the name of the Lord Jefus, it is not defigned thereby to notify to us, in what form of words they were bap tized; but only that they were baptized by the authority of Chrift, who appointed this facrament; and unto faith in him, and communion with him.

27. How ought the mentioning of the holy Trinity to be introduced in baptifm?

A. It is proper that it be introduced by words in the firft perfon, expreffing the prefent act of adminiftration; and likewife fetting forth the authority that a minifter, lawfully called, has to difpenfe this facrament; fuch as, "I baptize thee, in the name, &•.*.'

2. 28. What are the ends and ufes of baptifm?

A.They are to fignify and feal cur ingrafting into Chrift, and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace].

Q29. What is it to fignify and feal [our ingrafting into Chrift]

A.lt is to fignify and feal our union with him, and confequently the imputation of his righteousness to us, Gal. iii. 27. As many of you as have been baptized into Ch. ift, have put on Chrift.

2. 30. What are the [benefits of the covenant of grace], the partaking whereof is fignified and fealed in baptifm? A. They are "remiffion of fins by the blood of Chrift; "regeneration by his Spirit, adoption, and refurrection unto everlaffing life f."

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231. What is the confequence of its being fignified and fealed to us in baptifm, that we partake of fuch great and glorious benefits?

A. The confequence is, that on this account, હું we en"ter into an open and profeffed engagement to be-the "Lord's,"

Q3. What is included in our engagement to be the Lord's ?"

See the Directory for public worship, on the head of baptifm.

Larger Cat. Queft. 163. See all these explained, PART I. on justifications fanctification. adoption, and refurrection.

Larger Cat Quest, 165,

PART. II,

E e

A. That we shall be his "wholly and only *.”

233 What is it to be his wholly ?

A. It is to be his, in all that we are, foul, fpirit, and body, Cor, vi, 19, 20.; and in all that we have, whether gifts, graces, or worldly comforts, 1 Chron. xxix. 14. 2 34. What is it to be the Lord's only ?

4. It is to be his in oppofition to all his rivals and com. petitors, every one of which we profess to renounce in bap. tifm, Hof. xiv. 8.

Q 35. Who are these rivals and competitors with God, whom we profess to renounce in baptism ?

A. They are fin, Rom. vi. 6. Satan, Acts xxvi. 18. and the world, John xvii. 14.

Q36. Does baptifm make or conftitute perfons church. members?

A. No: they are fuppofed to be church members before they are baptized, and if they are children of profes fing parents, they are born members of the vifible church, I Cor. vii 14.

2. 37. Why muft they be church members before they are baptized?

A. Because the feals of the covenant can never be appli ed to any, but fuch as are supposed to be in the covenant; nor can the privileges of the church be confirmed to any that are without the church.

238. Why then do our Confeffion +, and Larger Catechifm, fay, that "the parties baptized are folemnly ad"mitted into the visible church ?"

A. Because there is a vast difference between making a perfon a church member, who was none before; and the folemnity of the admiffion of one, who is already a member. All that our Confession and Catechifm affirm, is, that by bap. tifm, we are folemnly admitted into the visible church; that is, by baptifm we are publicly declared to be church members before, and have now our membership folemnly sealed to us thereby: For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, 1 Cor. xii. 13.

239 Is it warrantable to call the baptizing of any, the Chriftening of them?

4. No: because this is an encouraging of the fuperstitious Popish notion, that baptifm makes even thofe, who are

*Larg. Gat. 2. 165. ↑ Chap. xxviii. feit. 3. Ib. 2.165.

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born within the visible church, to become Christians; and that by the want of it, they remain Infidels, and are left to uncovenanted mercy.

Q4. What are the extremes about the neceffity of baptifm?

A.The Socinians and Quakers deny that it is neceffary at all: on the other hand, the Papifts, and fome others, maintain, that it is fo abfolutely neceffary, that no falvation can be expected without it.

Q41. What is the doctrine of our Confeffion of Faith, on this head?

A. That" although it be a great fin to contemn or ne"glect this ordinance, yet grace and falvation are not fo infeparably annexed unto it, as that no perfon can be 16 regenerated and faved without it, or that all that are "baptized are undoubtedly regenerated *."

2. 42. Wherein confifts the greatness of the fin of contemning and flighting this ordinance ?

A. It confifts in defpifing an exprefs and pofitive inftitution of Chrift, appointed to be administered in his church to the end of the world, Mat. xxviii. 19, 20.; and in flight. ing all the great and glorious benefits and privileges fignified and fealed thereby, Luke vii. 30.

2. 43. How doth it appear that grace and falvation are not infeparably annexed to baptifm?

A. From the inftance of Abraham, who had the righteousness of faith before he was circumcifed, Rom. iv. 11.; of Cornelius, who feared God, and was accepted of him, before he was baptized, Acts x. 2, 4.: and Trom the inftance of the thief on the cross, who was faved without being baptized at all, Luke xxiii. 43.

244 How doth the fcripture evince, that all who are baptized are not regenerated and faved?

A. From the inftance of Simon Magus, who was baptized, and yet after baptism, remained in the gall of bitternefs, and in the band of iniquity, Acts viii. 13, 23.*

Q. 45. Whether doth baptifm give a right to covenantbleffings; or, is it a declarative fign and feal of them, only? 4. It is only a declarative fign and feal of them, as circumcifion was, Rom. iv. 11.

2. 46. What then gives a right?

Confeffion of Faith, chap xxviii. fect 5.

A. The promife of the covenant, which is indorfed to the children, as well as to the parents, Acts ii. 49. The promife is unto you, and to your children.

Q47. Whether is baptifm defigned to make the covenant furer, and our faith fronger?

A. It is defigned only to make our faith fronger; for the furcacfs of the covenant flows from the faithfulness of God, which is inviolable and unchangeable, Pfal. Ixxxix. 33, 34. If. liv, 10.

248. Wherein confifts the efficacy of baptifm?

4. coafiles in falling and ratifying the right to covenan bieflings, which perfons have from the promife, fo infallibay, hatthey shall certainly be put in poffeffion of them, Eph. v. 25. 26. For, according to the doctrine of our Con feffion, The grace promifed is not only offered, but real.

ly exhibited and conferred by the Holy Ghoft, to fuch "(whether of age or infants) as that grace belongeth un"to, according to the counfel of God's own will, in his appointed time *"

9.49 Is baptifm efficacious at the time of its adminiftration?

A Not always "the efficacy of baptism is not tied to that moment of time wherein it is administered †,” but may take place afterwards, as God in his fovereignty has fixed it, for the wind bloweth where it lifteth, John iii, S.

Q. 50. What may we learn from the nature of baptifm? A. The infinite goodness of God, in appointing an initiating ordinance, irreverfibly fealing all the bleflings of the covenant to the elect feed, Gen. xvii 7:

95. QUEST. To whom is baptifm to be administered?

ANSW. Baptifm is not to be administered to any that are out of the vifible church, till they profefs their faith in Chrift, and obedience to him: but the infants of fuch as are members of the visible church, are to be baptized.

* Confession of Faith, chap. xxviii. feet, 6.

t Ibid.