blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

For which reason, lastly, they are generally necessary to salvation: all Christians have a right to them; nor may any, without hazard of missing of these graces, refuse to use them, who have the opportunity of being made partakers of them. John, iii. 5. Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. Mark, xvi. 16. He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved. 1 Cor. xi. 24. This do in remembrance of me.

PROOFS SUBJOINED.- Matt. xxviii. 19. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Mark, xvi. 15. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Matt. xxvi. 26. And as they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 1 Cor. xi. 23, 24. For I have received of the Lord, that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks he brake it, and said, Take, eat; this is my body which is broken for you; this do in remembrance of me.

5. Q. Are these all the sacraments that any Christians receive as established by Christ?

A. The church of Rome to these adds five more; though they cannot say that they are all of Christ's institution: viz. confirmation, penance, extreme unction, orders, and matrimony.

6. Q. How does it appear that these are not truly sacraments?

A. Because not one of them hath all the conditions required to make a sacrament, and the most part have hardly any of them.

CONFIRMATION is, we confess, an apostolical ceremony, (see below, sect. iii.): as such it is still retained and practised by us. But then it is, at most, but an apostolical ceremony.

Christ neither ordained any

such sign, nor made it either the means of conveying any special spiritual grace to us, or a pledge to assure us thereof.

PENANCE, if public, is confessedly a part of church discipline: if private, is only the application of the power of the keys to a particular person for his comfort and correction. It has neither any outward sign instituted by Christ, nor any inward grace particularly annexed to it. Indeed if a true penitent receives absolution from his minister, God ratifies the sentence, and forgives the sin. But so God would have done had neither any confession been made to, or absolution received from him. And that the sin is forgiven, is owing to the mercy of God, upon the repentance of the sinner; and not to be ascribed to the priest's sentence.

In EXTREME UNCTION there is an outward sign, but neither of Christ's nor his apostles' institution. +They anointed sick persons for the recovery of their bodily health; and in certain cases, advised the elders of the church to be sent for to do likewise. But as to any spiritual effects, they neither used any such sign themselves, nor recommended it to others: nor is there any the least ground on which to expect any such benefit from the use of it. 'Tis true, if the sick

ness were inflicted for any particular sin which the person had committed; the healing of the sickness was a token that the sin also was forgiven: because till the sin was forgiven, the disease could not be removed. But the anointing was of no more use to obtain the one, than it would have had power of itself to effect the other.

PROOFS SUBJOINED.-† Mark, vi. 13. And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them. James, v. 14, 15. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil, in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

MATRIMONY is a holy state, ordained by God, and highly to be accounted of by all men. It was provided for a remedy against sin, and to avoid fornication; that such persons as have not the gift of continence might marry, and keep themselves undefiled members of Christ's body. But it neither confers any grace where it is not, nor increases it where it is: and therefore is not to be looked upon as a true and proper sacrament.

By the

ORDINATION is also a divine institution. administration of it, authority is given to those who partake of it, to minister in holy things; which otherwise, it would not have been lawful for them to do. We do not at all doubt but that the grace of God accompanies this ordinance, and the discharge of those ministeries which are performed in consequence of it. But then this grace is only the blessing of God upon a particular employ; and is given to such per

sons rather for the benefit of others, than for the furtherance of their own salvation.

7. Q. How many parts are there in a sacrament? A. Two: the outward and visible sign, and the inward and spiritual grace.

SECT. XLIII.

Of Baptism, and the several ways of administering of it.

I. Q. What is the first sacrament of the New Testament?

A. It is baptism.

2. Q. What is baptism?

A. It is the sacrament of our new and spiritual birth. John, iii. 4, 5. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

The seal of our adoption: Rom. iv. 11. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had, yet being uncircumcised.

And the solemn means of our admission into the communion of the Christian church. Acts, ii. 41. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

By the outward washing whereof, our inward washing from our sins, by the blood, and spirit of Christ, is both clearly exhibited, and certainly sealed to us.

Acts, ii. 38, 39. Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 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. Tit. iii. 5. Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. Compare Heb. ix. 13, 14. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

3. Q. How is baptism performed?

A. By dipping in, pouring on, of, or sprinkling with, water; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

PROOFS SUBJOINED.- Numb. viii. 7. And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean. Ezekiel, xxxvi. 25. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you. Mark, vii. 4. And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. Heb. ix. 14. As above. Heb. x. 10, 21. By the which will we are sanctified, through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.-And having an high-priest over the house of God, let us draw near