CHAP. XXIX.

d

OF BAPTISM.

I.

BAPTISM is a Sacrament of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ,a to be unto the party, baptized a sign and seal of the Covenant of Grace; of his ingrafting into Christ; of regeneration; of remission of sins, and of his giving up unto God, through Jesus Christ, to walk in newness of life; which ordinance is by Christ's own appointment, to be continued in his church until the end of the world.g

a Matt. 28: 16. b Rom. 4: 11, with Col. 2: 11, 12. © Gal. 3: 27; Rom. 6: 5. d Tit. 3: 5. e Mark, 1:4; g Matt. 28: 19, 20.

f Rom. 6: 3, 4.

II.

The outward element to be used in this ordinance is water, wherewith the party is to be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, by a minister of the Gospel, lawfully called thereunto.h

h Matt. 3 11; John, 1: 33; Matt. 28: 19, 20.

III.

Dipping of the person into the water is not necessary; but baptism is rightly admin

istered by pouring or sprinkling water upon the person.i

i Heb. 9: 10, 19 to 22; Acts, 2: 41, and 16: 33; Mark, 7:4

IV.

k

Not only those that do actually profess faith in, and obedience unto Christ, but also the infants of one or both believing parents are to be baptized, and those only.1

k Mark, 16 15, 16; Acts, 8:37, 38. 1 Gen. 17: 7, 9, with Gal. 39, 14, and Col. 2: 11, and Acts, 2: 38, 39, and Rom. 4: 11, 12; 1 Cor. 7: 14; Matt. 28: 19; Mark, 10: 13 to 16; Luke, 18: 15.

V.

n

Although it be a great sin to contemn or neglect this ordinance, yet grace and salvation are not so inseparably annexed to it, as that no person can be regenerate or saved without it; or that all that are baptized are undoubtedly regenerated.

m Luke, 7:30, with Exod. 4: 24, 25, 26. n Rom. 4:11; Acts, 10: 2, 4, 22, 31, 45, 47. o Acts, 9:13, 23.

VI.

The efficacy of baptism is not tied to that moment of time wherein it is administered ;P yet notwithstanding, by the right use of this ordinance, the grace promised is not only offered, but really exhibited and conferred by the Holy Ghost to such, (whether of age or infants,) as that grace belongeth unto, according to the

counsel of God's own will in his appointed time.

P John, 35, 8. q Gal. 3: 27; Tit. 3:5; Eph. 5 : 25, 26; Acts, 2: 38, 41.

VII.

Baptism is but once to be administered to

any person.

n Titus, 3. 5.

CHAP. XXX.

OF THE LORD'S SUPPER.

I.

OUR Lord Jesus, in the night wherein he was betrayed, instituted the Sacrament of his body and blood, called the Lord's Supper, to be observed in his churches to the end of the world; for the perpetual remembrance, and showing forth of the sacrifice of himself in his death; the sealing of all benefits thereof unto true believers; their spiritual nourishment and growth in Him; their further engagement in and to all duties which they owe unto him; and to be a bond and pledge of their communion, with Him and with each other.a

a1 Cor. 11: 23, to 26, and 10: 16, 17, 21, and 12: 13.

II.

In this Sacrament, Christ is not offered up to his Father, nor any real sacrifice made at all for remission of sin of the quick or dead ; but only a memorial of that one offering up of himself upon the Cross, once for all, and a spiritual oblation of all possible praise unto God for the same; so that the Popish sacrifice of the Mass, (as they call it,) is most abominably injurious to Christ's own, only sacrifice, the alone propitiation for all the sins of the elect.d

b Heb. 9: 22, 25, 26, 28. c1 Cor. 11: 24, 25, 26; Matt 26 26, 27. d Heb. 7 23, 24, 27, and 10: 11, 12,

14, 18

III.

The Lord Jesus hath in this ordinance appointed his ministers to declare his Word of institution to the people, to pray, and bless the elements of bread and wine, and thereby to set them apart form a common to an holy use, and to take and break the bread, to take the cup, and (they communicating also themselves) to give both to the communicants, but to none who are not then present in the congregation.

d

e Matt. 26: 26, 27, 28; Mark, 14: 22, 23, 24; Luke, 22 19, 20; 1 Cor. 11: 23 to 26. f Acts, 20:7; 1 Cor. 11: 20.

IV.

Private Masses, or receiving the Sacrament by a Priest, or any other alone, as likewise the

h

denial of the cup to the people, worshipping the elements, the lifting them up or carrying them about for adoration, and reserving them for any pretended religious use, are all contrary to the nature of this sacrament, and to the institution of Christ.i

g 1 Cor. 10: 6. h Mark. 14: 23; 1 Cor. 11: 25 to 30. 1 Matt. 15 9.

V.

The outward elements in this Sacrament, duly set apart to the uses ordained by Christ, have such relation to him crucified, as that truly, yet sacramentally only, they are sometimes called by the name of the things they represent, to wit, the body and blood of Christ: albeit in substance and nature they still remain truly and only bread and wine as they were before. 1

k Matt. 26: 26, 27, 28. 11 Cor. 11: 26, 27 28; Matt. 26: 29.

VI.

That doctrine which maintains a change of the substance of bread and wine into the substance of Christ's body and blood, (commonly called transubstantiation,) by consecration of a Priest, or by any other way, is repugnant not to the Scripture alone, but even to common sense and reason, overthroweth the nature of the Sacrament, and hath been, and is the cause of manifold superstitions, yea, of gross idolatries.m

m Acts, 3: 21; 1 Cor. 11: 24, 25, 26; Luke, 26: 6, 39.