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Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2011 with funding from
Princeton Theological Seminary Library
http://www.archive.org/details/conferencebetweeOOwall
CONFERENCE
BETWEEN
TWO MEN
THAT HAD DOUBTS ABOUT
INFANT-BAPTISM.
BY W. WALL,
AUTHOR OF THE HISTORY OF INF AX T- BAPTISM;,
AND
VICAR OF SIIOREHAM IN KENT.
THE NINTH EDITION.
LONDON:
PRINTED FOR F. C. AND J. RIVINGTON,
Bo.kjdlers to the Society for pn meting Cbrlflian Kmivledgfy
no. 6iy st, Paul's church-yard.
1809.
TO THE
READER.
OIXCE the Time that I ptbUJhed a Booh, called The ^ Hiftory of I n f a n t-B ap r ism, continuing many Quotations of the Anticnts on that Subje£}\ which made the Book too large for poor People to buy, or to read ; I have been advifedhy fome Friends, to whom I oiue a Deference} to draw up for the Uje of the Poor, a jhort Summary of the Evidences therein given f making References to the larger Bosk J and of the Prooisr/W Reaions from Script ure, reiat ng to that Practice. I have not found it very feofible to bring a Con t rove r/y into fo narrow^ a Compajs : and am forced, for Brevity's fake, to refer to my own Book, not only for what I have there J aid mxfelf but aifo for what I have there quoted from the Fathers and others. Which would not be very modefls but that I could more readily and briefly refer to that, and you ef may more readily have recourfe to that, than to the Fathers Works. You will find there their own Words at- large, and the Book and Chapter whence they are copied. It is mentioned in the References only by this Word Hill.
And in this Con Terence, thofe that deny Infant -B apt if m, are named (not Anabaptiiis, which Name they difown ? but) As it* pee dob apt ift s : and thoje that praclfe Infant - Baptijm, are named Pcedobaptifis.
In the Conference P. reprefents one that has formerly had Doubts about Infant- Baptifm, but is now fatisjied : and A. one thai has now J itch Doubts.
I pray God to hep us ail in the Way of Truth and Unity.
Law and Gilbert, Printers, St. Jphn's Square, London
THE
CONTEXTS.
Page
A Difference in opinion concerning the age
** or manner ot deceiving Baptifrn, is not a
fufficientcaufeof renouncing communion, 2,S,&lc»
The duty of the people to confult t eir parlors concerning any doubt in religion, before they feparate for it, - - 9,10,8:0.
The proper translation of Matt, xxviii, 19, and
of John iii. 3, 5. - 14-, &c.
An in rant not uncapable of being entered into a
covenant with God, - l,>
The covenant oi circumcifion, a fpiritual cove- nant, - - - *- ]Q
Infants baptized bv theJews and calied in their language, Profelytes, or Difciples. Which teaches us to underhand our Saviour's words, Matt, xxviii. 19. MakeDifciples all nations, 23 — SI
Regeneration, in all old books, denotes baptifrn, 32
How an mtant is faid to be regenerated by the
fpirit, - - - - 34
The cafe of an infant dying unbaptized, - 2>'6
The Pelagians thought that he might be happy,
but yet n,ot go to heaven, - -36
An opinion of lome, that all infants of Hea- th-Mis, &c. go to heaven, - 37
The import of our Saviour's faying, Ma: k x. 1^. fb#
An explanation of the fenfe in which St. Paul fa\ s that fame children we:e holy, 1 Cor. ■ vii. 14-. - . - 59
Neither St. A u ft in nor Pc lagius had ever heard
oi any Antipoedobaptiits, - • ' 46
Their
The CONTENTS,
Page
Their comment on I Cor. vii. J 4 - 47
Baptifm is to us inftead of circumcifion, and
is called the Chriftian circumcifion, CololT. ^ ii. II, 1:2, 51
Gonfequeiices may be ufed in arguments from
fcripture, - . - - 5 6,57
The reafon why fo minute a thing as the cir-
cumcifing or baptizing of infants, is feldom
mentioned in fcripture hiftory, - - 59 — 64
An objection from the church-catechifm an-
fwered - - - - 65, 66
Proof that the primitive Chriftians praclifed
Infant Baptifm in the firft century, - 66, 71
And in the fecond, - - - 71
And in the third, - 71,72
And in the fourth, 72
All the feveral feels baptized infants, as well
as the catholics, - - -7*
The difingenuity of Mr. Danvers in quoting
of authors, - 67,72,78
Godfathers ufed in baptifm in the primitive
times - - - 75
Inftances of chriftians children pretended to
have been left un baptized, proved to be falfe, 76, 77 The manner of baptilm in the primitive times:
and the fignification of the word, to Baptize,
as it is ufed in fcripture, - - 78, &c»
A CON-
&1 <
Xt
^
CONFERENCE, $&
P. ' " AM forry to hear, that fince I left your country, your neighbour Jebn N. has forfaken the church, and is turned an Anabap- tift. I took him for a very honeft man : and he was a conftant keeper of the church and communion, and very (tudious in the fcriptures.
A. He is fo ; a very honeft man. And for his for faking the church I am as forry as you : and I and fome others have had conferences with him on that fubje&j and he has fludied the point fo well, that he has fome regret of conference for the fin of fchifm, and will, I believe, return to the communion of the church, provided he may be admitted holding that opi- nion. But for his opinion againft Infant-Bap- tifm, I cannot be forry, for I am of that opi- nion myfelf.
P. I crave your pardon ; it is more than I knew. You were not accounted of that opi- nion in my time : And I remember that your children were chriftened.
A A. I
2 A Conference between two Men
A. I was not then of that opinion fo abso- lutely as I am now. But I had even then doubts of the lawfulnefs of Infant-Baptifm ; which have fo far increafed fince, that they have turned the fcale with me : And I intend, God willing, to advife my children (when they are capable) to receive baptifm in the due way, and to receive it fo my felfj and had before this time, but that I find fome difficulty in getting one to baptize me.
P. I thought they had been very forward to do that office to any one that is of their opi- nion ?
A. Yes : to one that is of their opinion in all things. But I, though of their opinion for adult baptifm, yet have, I thank God, been made ■thoroughly feniible of the fin of divifion (<?), feparation, and renouncing communion with an cftablifhed church, though holding fome errors, provided they be not fuch as do avert the foundation of chriilian faith ; and therefore am defirous to continue in communion : and they do not much care for baptizing fuch an one. And indeed I was not very inclinable to receive it at their hands, becaufe of their fchifm ; but had rather have received it from fome minifler of the church, of whole ordination to the mi- niftryl am much better fatisfied, but I find that cannot be obtained.
P. Will not the minifler of the church bap- tize you by dipping^ if defired ?
{V) Bift. Part. II. Ch. xi. j 1—5.
A. Yesrj
*£$«/ Infant-Baptism. 3
A. Yes, very willingly, and the rubrick (/>) prefcribes it in the firft place •, if the perfon be willing to venture his health, which I %ip very willing to do ; being fatisfied that going into the water has more of fright than hurt in it. But they will refufe it to me, becaufe they reckon my baptifm received in infancy, to be a bap- tifm rightly adminiftered ; and confequently* that the baptifing me now, would be proper Anabaptifm : which both fides hold to be an un- fitting thing. I know thole that have aiked them, and they would not give it them : and indeed by their principle cannot. So that ic were better for me, if I had had antipcedobaptift parents ; for then the minifters would willingly have baptized me now.
P. What do you think to do in this cafe ?
A. I hear that there are in fome parts of England antipcedobaprifts that are more for a general communion of all faints ; and that dp either continue ija the communion of the efta- blifhed church themfelves, or at lead will bap- tize a man that does : and that do not require, that when one renounces the devil and wick- ednefs, one muft alio renounce all the catho- lick church except themfelves. And I think to find out fome Rich man ; for I would wil- lingly fo receive my baptifm, as to keep my old creeoV. and own (c) the catholic church, and the communion of Saints -, and be baptifed into the chrijlian church, as fuch^ and not into any
(b) Part II. Ch. ix. § z. (c) Hift, Part II,
Chap. ix. ^ io. p. 333.
A * parti-
4 A Conference between two Men
particular feet. I want fuch a man as Mr. Tombs was.
P. I xio the more heartily piry your cafe, becaufe I have had great doubts about Infant- Baptifm myfdf, and continued under them for fome years, and during all that time felt great perplexity of confeience. And I indeed was like to fall away farther than you are like to do ; for I fhould have gone totally over to them, and fhould not only have forfaken the church, but mould have been probably by this time a great hater of it, and railed againft it, as many of them do. For as for the way that you take, it would not have come into my mind : it is, you know, more fpoken againft than either of the other. You will be called a Jack on both fides, a halter between two opinions.
A. I do not halt between two opinions \ but do, by a perfuafion that is now firmly fettled, hold thefe two things : lft, That the doctrine of Infant-Baptifm is an error. idly, That one is not to feparate from a church merely for fome error held, or erroneous practice ufed by them ; provided this error be not fuch as does avert the foundation. And this is owned in the con- feffion of faith of one hundred churches of anti- ■pcedobapifts, printed at London, 1699. And (d) it appears alfo by plain confequences from what they there fay (if), that they themfelves do not take this error to be fuch.
(d) Chap, xxvl, xxviu [e ) In the Preface.
P. What! 9
"about Infant-Baptism. 5
P. What ! do thofe hundred churches live then in communion with the church of England? or do they feparate from it, as all the antipcedo- baptifts about us, you fee, do ?
A. That I do nor know. But by their own principles they ought to hold communion, if the church would admit them.
P. What do you do when in the time of public fervice an infant is baptized 1 You cannot join in thofe prayers.
A. Not in all of them. That (/) God would bids the infant, and that fin cafe he live to maturity) God would make him a good man, I pray with the reft. To the^ other prayers in that form of baptizing I give no amen : but I read in the mean while fome chapter in the Bible.
P. By this rule, not only the Antipoedobap- tiflsy but much more the prejbyterians, indepen- dents, &c. ought to come to church, though they hold their particular opinions. And by the fame rule, put the cafe that the church of England fhould declare for your opinion of antipcedobaptiiirr; and eftablifh it by vote in convocation, and by laWj I and others that believe Infant-Baptifm to be the right way, ought not even in that cafe to foriake her com- munion : but only getting our own children baptized, ought in other tilings to hold com- munion (g).
{/) Hijt. Part II. Chap. xi*. § 7. it. § 4. [g) Hift.
Part II. Chap. xi. J 6.
A3 A. I
6 A Conference between tiuo Men
A. I do conceive it clear from Scripture, that both thefe your confequences are true -, provided you and they may be admitted with- out declaring any aflent and confent contrary to your own opinions. And the church of Eng- land does not require any fuch (&) aflent and confent in order to lay communion. And it is plain alfd from fcripture, that fuch communion ought to be confiant; and that the man fo join- ing ought to avoid all that caiife divifionsi Rom. xvi. 17. (chat is, renounce communion with them) though thole dividers may hold opinions which he thinks to be truer in fome particular matters. And in a word, that all chriftians in the world that hold the fame fundamentals, ought to make one church, though differing in lefler opinions*; and that the fin, the mif- "chief, and danger to the fouls of men, that di- vide into thofe many feels and parties among us, does (for the moil of them) conhft not fo much in the opinions themfelves, as in their dividing and feparating for them.
P. This way of yours, if practicable, would cure at once, God knows, how many mifchiefs. But you fee the world is not of your fentiment : for as foon as they fail into any particular opi- nion in religion, they (ct up a feparate church for it.
A. Not all the "world. It is only in England and Holland where this humour does fo gene- rally prevail. In other parts of Chriftendom
\h) Hijt. Part II. Chap, xfc § 2.
they
about Infant-Baptism. 7
they (though holding different opinions, yet) do account fchifm from them a great wicked- nefs, and a great mifchief. And, to fhew you they are -in the right in thinking fa, I will (becaufe you Teem not to have confidered this matter fo well as fome Others) refer you to fome plain places of icripture, which if you pieafe now to perufe, I will be filent the while. See what our Saviour hirnfelf fays, John x. 16. John xvii. n. And what the primitive chrif- tians praetifed, Acls ii, 46. and iv. 32. And what St. Paul fays, 1 Cor. i. 10, 11, 12. and 2, 3, 4, alfo the whole twelfth chapter: Eph. ii. 18, fcfr, to the end. Where the Jewifh and Gentile chriftians are (hewed to be one body, cne houfiold, one temple fitly framed together: and yet thele were of different opinions in fe- veral matters. Like wife chap. iii. 6. iv. 1 to 13. Phil. ii. 1, 2. where he ufes the mo ft folemn adjurations to this purpofe. But I would more efpecially recommend to you the reading of GaL v. 20, 21. Yhil. iii. 15, *6\ The fourteenth chapter to the Remans, and part of the fifteenth, to verfe 7. and alfo Rom. xv. 17. — Have you read them ?
P. Yes, I have : and I thank you for direct- ing me to them. For though there is none of them but what I had read before, yet I had not minded how fully applicable they are to this purpofe.
A. Are they not plain, full and earned ?
Do you find any of the controverted points to
be determined by fcripture in words nigh fo
A 4 plain
8 A Conference between two Men
plain or pathetic ? Whatever difputes be railed, whether fuch or fuch a point be a fundamen- tal, there can be no doubt but this is one of the mod fundamental of all. You fee in that of Gal. v. where St. Paul gives a roll or cata- logue of fuch fins as mail certainly exclude men from heaven, that he reckons /editions and herefies among them. And.thofc are the words by which he commonly denotes parties, factions, divifions and fchiims in the church ; as appears by comparing i Csr, xi. 18, 19. and ieverai other places.
P. I obferve fome of thefe places to require that we mould be like-minded, of the Jam e mind, mind the fame things, &c. Do not thefe mean that we muft be all of one opinion : which is the thing that we find to be impoffible?
A. I have read a book of bifhop Stilling- fleet's, called The Unreafonabknejs of Separa- tion*, which mews (i) that the original words in thofe places do fignify no other than what we lay in Englifn, Unanimous. And men may be unanimous in the joint-worfhip of God, though they be not of the fame mind in all^ difputable things. And he alio plainly fliews there, that that command of St. Paul, Phil. iii. 15, 16. is to be applied fo, namely, that if we differ about the lawfulnefs or unlawfulnefs of fonie particular practices, it is to be hoped that God will in time bring us to a right and uniform underftahding of them : but that in
(/) Hifi. Part II. 17, 18, 19.
the
about Infant-Baptism. $
the mean time we mould, in the things where- unto we have attained, or wherein we have agreed, worfhip God with a joint rule of worfhip. But this is more fully and plainly commanded by St. Paul in that other place, Rom. chap. xiv. and xv. to verfe 8. where giving rules to thofe that differed in opinions, he orders them not to judge or defpife one another for them; but to> receive one ancther ; meaning to chriftian com- munion and brotherhood, as the fcope of the place (hews. .
P. That place is indeed full to this' purpofe. And the command he gives with fuch earneft- nefs, Rom. xvi. 17. to avoid thofe that cauje divifionSy is a plain proof that we ought not only to beware that we do not ourfelves make any divifion, but alfo to avoid thofe that do. But foine fay baptifm is a fundamental ; and therefore that they that differ about it cannot be of one communion.
A. That baptifm is a fundamental, I am in- clined to be of their opinion : It is fo plainly commanded in fcripture, and fo much ftrefs laid on it; which makes me amazed at the Quaker sy and fome of the Socinians, that call themfelves chriftians, while they rejecl: it. But the parties we fpeak of do both of them own baptifm : They differ only about the age or manner of receiving it.
P. Well. Upon the whole matter, I am fen-
fible what thanks I owe to "God for reflraining
me from the error of antipcedobaptifm, which
would in my cafe have been attended with the
A 5 fi&
10 A Conference between izvo Men
fin of fchifm -, which is, I fee, ten times worfe than the error itielf.
A. I ilia 11 be obliged to you, if you will let me know the grounds upon which you over- came the inclination to that which you call an error, but I think is the truth : For you fay you were once inclined to it. Were it not that you feem a ferious man, I fhculd be afraid that you overcame it as people ufe to overcome any good motion of confcience, namely, by (lifting the conviction you had.
P. Not fo : but I had certainly yielded my- felf up to it, if I had not confulted fome of -more underftanding than mvfelf, and particu- larly Mr. B. the minifter of the parilh I live in. And I would crave leave to afk you, whe- ther you have taken the fame courfe ; that is, whether you did propofe to him that has the cure of your foul, or fome other minifter, your doubts about your baptifm received in infancy, before you came to this refolution of renounc-
ing it ?
A. I confefs I have not.
P. How then can you acquit this courfe of yours from being rafii and precipitate, in a matter of fo great moment ? Thole men, who having doubts concerning any practice, or any doctrine received in the church, do ufe all means that are in their power for clearing of the truth: if they be yet at laft miftaken in judging; and the error do, after their bed endeavours for information, appear to them to be the truth; will, as we have reafon to
hope.
about Infant-Baptism. it
hope, obtain an eafy pardon of God for their miftake. But it it-ems plainly to be a fm of preemption in any of us to alter, on our own heads, a practice fo univerfally received in, Chriflfs church, without fo much as confult* ing thofe that are over us in the Lord, to fee whether they can give any fatisfadlion to our objections. You would not do fo with a title of land conveyed to you in your infancy : if you thought you had difcovered any flaw in your old title, you would confult a law er be- fore you threw it up to feek for a new one. If I did not otherwife perceive you to be a confeientious man, and converfant in the fcrip- tures, I fhould queftion whether you had learned thofe firfl chriilian leifons of humility and mo- defty, which teach us not to be wife in our ow& conceits. This duty of hearing and regarding our fpiritual guides and paftors, is enjoined m texts of fcripture as plain and exprefs as thofe you recommended to me, Epbef.lv. n, 12, ij> 14. where it is fhewn to be neceflary for us, in order to our prefervation from being tojfed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of new doctrine. Alfo 1 TbeJJ'. iv. 12, 13... Heb. xiii. 17. Malachi ii. 7. and many other fuch places. I am lure it is that without -which' I fhould have been undone.
A. What I fa Li before again (i divifions^ may fatisfy you that I am no dtfpifer of the church- or the minifters thereof. But I have read many of the books written for as well as thofe agarnjf infant-baptifm. Molt of the former are written A 6 by
12 A Conference between t-wo Men
by minifters : and it is in their .books that we expect the bell of their reafons and proofs.
P. I had done the fame : but I find that without the other, is not nigh ib ufeful. A living guide at hind, to explain things that are obfcure, aniwer any emergent objection, inforce and clear an argument where it Teems deficient, &c. is a help greater than one would think. A man that can read a good phyfic-book, may think himfelf able to prefcribe medicines to himfelf out of it : but he commonly makes mad work of it, if he goes about it, Befides that, in this cafe of fpi ritual direction, thefe are the men whom God has appointed to watch for our fouls, as they that mult give account : and he is mod likely to give a ble fling to his own jneans.
A. Did you find Mr. B. willing to difcourfe calmly and friendly with you ? I have heard that they generally are apt to defpife a man that comes with thefe fcruples ; and rather to chide, deride, and perhaps hate him; than pa- tiently hear his reafons, and take pains to fattsfy him.
P. I have heard the fame. But I found by experience that there is nothing more contrary to truth than that infinuation ; which feems to have been raifed on purpofe to obftruct the fruit of their miniftry. They do on the con- trary own that this is one of their proper bufi- nefles, and that one of the greateft difcourage- merits they meet with, is to find that people have fa little regard for their advice and afuft-
ance*
alout Infant-Baptism. ij
ance, as not to fend for them when they are fick, confult them when they are in any doubt, &c. When I had, in difcourfe with any An- tipcedobaptifts, met with any new argument or objection that did puzzle me, and came to him with it; he did not only patiently give me the hearing, but alfo fhewed an imwiliing- nefs to part with me, until he had given full fatisfaction to my mind : or, if the cafe re- quired, he would fnew me fome book to read at my leifure, where that matter was more fully cleared. In a word, as I have occaiion to love him better, fo I am iacisnrd that he loves me better than he did before I gave him that trouble.
A. I may then perhaps take your advice, and difcourfe with our minifter, or. fome other before I fully re foive. But in the mean time, I defire you to let me know what were the chief reafons by which Mr. B. fatisfied you.
P. It was the work of feveral conferences, reading of books and places of fcripture, to which he referred me. And you cannot think that the fubftance of all that can be given in this half hour, without great difadvantage to the force of the argument.
A. I mail make allowance for that. Only tell me the chief heads of matters. I will con- fider, confer, and read books about them at my* leifure.
P. He firft advifed me (feeing I had already read and thought much of that matter) that I would let him know which of the reafens and
objections
14 A Conference between two Men
objections brought by the Antipcedobaptifts I could anfwer myfelf. For they bring many ar- guments, fome of more weight, fome of lefs, and fome of none at all.
A. This was a good method, both to (horten the difpute, and make it more diftincT: and clear.
P. I told him ; That
Firft, I did already underftand that in the text of St. Matt, xxviii. 19. (which is the chief account of Chrift's commiQion to baptize the nations) Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations % baptizing them. The word which is tranflated, teach, does not properly fignify (k) teach, but make difciples ; or enter difciples : or, (to exprefs it in one word, as our Saviour does) difciple all the nations, or profelyte to me all the nations, bap- tizing them.
A. Well ; That is granted by all the under- flanding men of our opinion.
P. Secondly ', That whereas in the text of St. John iii. 5. Except a man be born of water, and ef the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God; fome Antipcedobaptiits do catch hold of the word man (/) there, and fay, it muft be a man grown, and not a child ; I underflood that to be a miftake, ' proceeding from ignorance of the original word : and that our Saviour's own word is fuch as fignifies, any one, or any perfon> man, woman, or child.
A. But was not this to yield the whole matter at once ? for if no perfon, man, woman,
(k) MJl. Part II. Chap, x, § 3. p. 377. (/) Ibid.
Eart II, Chap. vi. § 1,
W
about Inf an t-B autism, 15
or child, can in God's ordinary way enter the kingdom of God without baptifm -, is not this a proof that children, as well as grown men, muft be baptized ?
P. I do think fo now ; that this text is enough to carry the whole difpute before it.
But I thought then that though the words be general, yet they muft interpret them with a limitation to fuch fubjecls as are capable of the thing fpoken of: and I could not then conceive that a child, though he might be born of water, could be faid to be born of the fpirit. And befides j I queftioned whether by that phrafe [born of water and of the fpirit] was meant baptifm at all : or whether it were only an allegorical phrafe, denoting by the word water, only the internal cleanfing or fandlification of the heart (m). But thefe things he cleared to me afterward.
Another thing which I owned of myfelf, was, That I was fatisFjed that a child is not uncapable of being entered into a covenant with God. For this was the exprefs order of God himfelf; Beut. xxix. 10, 11, 12. Ton ft and this day all of you before the Lord : your captains , &c. ycur little ones, &c. that thou jhouldeft enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, and into his oath. And that they might and did, receive in their infancy an outward facrament, namely, the facrament of circum- cifion, as a feal of this covenant, is alfo plain and confefted. So that I myfelf was able to {m) Hift. Part II, Chap, x. j 3. page 380.
fee
1 6 A Conference between two Men
fee the weaknefs of all thofe arguments in the books of the Antipcedobaptiiis, which repre- fent an infant's being entered into any cove- nant at all with God, as an abfurd or ridiculous thing ; and that 1 accounted all finch their fayings as make a mock at this, (becaufe the -child has no fenfe) to be very profane; as calling a reproach on the wifdom and former conduct of God himfelf, in appointing cir- cumcition to children eight days old. More- over, whereas, fome of them fay, That this covenant which the little ones were entered into, and which was fealed to them by circurn- cifion, was only a carnal covenant, to give them the land of Canaan, and to engage them in fome carnal ordinances, and contained no fpiritual privilege or engagement in it; I could fee myfeif the faifhood of that pretence. For in Gen. xvii. where circumcifion to the infants is inftituted, the ftyle of the covenant is -, Walk before me and be thou perfecl. And on God's part, not only to give them the land of Canaan, but thus ; To be a God to thee, and to thy feed after thee, ver. 7. And fo likewifc in the afore faid place of Deut. xxix. (where the little ones are entered) That he may be a God unto thee. And in Chap. xxx. (which is one continued recital of the terms of the covenant then en- tered) And the Lord thy God will circumcife thine hearty and the heart of thy feed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, &c. v. 6. And on the man's part, v. 16, To love the Lordy to walk in his ways, and to keep his command-
ment$%
about Infant-Baptism. 17
mints, Sec. — Thefe furely are fpiritual things, and what our Saviour calls the firft and great commandment.
And as for the covenant of the ten com- mandments in Horeb, I perceived that it was made with the infants as well as others. For forty years after (when all (») that were twenty years old at the giving the law were dead in the wildernefs) Mofes fays, Deut. v. 2, 3, The Lord made a covenant with us in Horeb. Even with us, who are all of us alive here this day. Molt of thefe were infants and little children ac that time. So that I counted it plain, that infants may be entered into a covenant with God, to do fome fpiritual duties hereafter, of which they at preient can have no knowledge or fenfe; and to receive lome fpiritual pri- vileges.
A. Whether you call this covenant a carnal or a fpiritual covenant ; the right to it was conveyed down in a carnal way, from father to fon, by a flefhly generation ; and was a par- ticular privilege of the offspring of Abraham's body.
P. The covenant had this property, that whoibever was in it, had a right to bring all his children to be entered into it in their in- fancy. But this was not limited or contined to the offspring of Abraham's body ; for the words are (0) He that is bom in the be life, or bought with money of any. ftr anger > which is not
(//) Numb, xvi, 32. 33. it. xxvi. 64, 63, [c) Ge/u
xvii. 12, 13.
1 8 A Conference between two Men
ef thy feed, &c. muft be circumcifed. And fo a profelyte was to circumcife all his males (p), and then he was to be as one born in the land. So that the covenant extended then (as it does now) to all of any nation that would come into it ; and they were to bring into it all the infant children, not only of their own body, but all that they had the legal cuflody or pof- feffion of.
A. But here is a queftion hotly difputed, Whether the circumcifion given to thefe in- fants, were to them a feal of the right eoufnefs cf faith ? That it was fo to Abraham himfelf, is exprefsly faid by St. Paul, Romans iv. i jr. even of that faith, by which he is the Father cf all them that believe under the gofpel. But the AntipceJobaptifts do deny that it w7as fo to the infants : becaufe they were not capable of having any faith at the time of their circumci- fion, as Abraham had.
P. This difpute feems to me only a conten- tion about words. For as the Pcedobaptilis will not pretend that it was to the infants a feal of any actual faith then at that prefent wrought in their hearts : fo the other cannot deny that it was to the infants the feal of a covenant then entered, by which covenant they were engaged to believe in the true God when they came to years of difcredon. For I quoted before the very words of the covenant engaging them to love the Lord, to walk in his ways, &c. And that fuppofes .faith in him.
(/) Exod, xii. 48, 49.
And
about In fan-t- Baptism. 19
And you may obferve, that St. Paul, in Rom. x: 6, 7, S, when he is going to quote fome paflages out of that very recital of the covenant in Dent. xxx. (into which the little ones were entered, Dent, xxix.) premifes to the quotation theft: words ; But the right eoujnejs which is of faith fpeaketh en this wife : and then having recited thoie paflages, he adds, this is the word of faith, which we preach.
A. But do you think that the covenant made to Abraham, into which the little ones were ad- mitted, did contain any engagement on God's part, to give an eternal life after this ; which is the chief thing in the gofpel-covenant ?
P. Not only I do think h ; but all Chrif- tians, except the Sccinians. And it is plain by our Saviour's words. For he, at Matt. xxii. 31. proves to the Sadducees the refurreclion of Abraham to eternal life from thefe words ; / am the God cf Abraham. And thofe very words had been part of the covenant fealed . by circumcifion. Thefe Sadducees were the Only men in the Jewifh church that denied the- refurrection : and our Saviour here tells them, they err, not knowing the fcriptures. But all the orthodox Jews believed and expected it, as we perceive by St. Paul's appeal to them them- felves, Acls xxiv. 15. And it was from this co- venant (which was fealed by circumcifion) that they expected it.
A. It is, you know, difputed between the two parties, whether Abraham's covenant was the fame with ours: the Antipcedobaptifts,
many
ao A Conference between two Men
many of them fay, No : for ours is called, Heb. viii. 6. A better covenant, eftablijhed upon better promijes.
P. I know it is fo difputed. But that in which they are agreed, and which is plain, is enough for our purpofe, namely, that in both administrations, faith in God, and obedience to him, is required, and a faith alio in the Mefliahj the jews believing him as to come j we, as already come : and that in both there are delivered promifes, both for this life, and for that which is to come. On which account St. Paul, Ga). iii. 8, calls the former by the name of the Gojpsl preached before to Abraham : and at.^T. 17. the covenant confirmed before of God in Chrift. And that in both of them there is granted the direction and afiiftance of the fame fpirit.
They are alfo agreed on the other fide, that now fince the actual coming of Chrift, there are more clear revelations of the future glory, greater and ftronger motives to faith and obe- dience, (which, if we neglect or defpife, we mall be fubject to greater condemnation) a fuller and more particular knowledge of the nature and Offices of Chrift, and of his work of redemption wrought for us, £s?r. On which account ours may be called, in fome fcn^, a new or a better covenant : though the fubftance of the things declared, enacted, and revealed, be the fame.
But the only thing that concerns our prefent purpofe, is this -, that an infant then was en- tered
about Infant-Baptism. 21
tered into a covenant containing in it an engage- ment to fuch ipiritual things, as he could no more underftand, than an infant now can underftand the things covenanted at baptifm.
So far therefore I told Mr. B. I could go of myfeK, in anfwering the doubts and objections againft Infant Baptifm ; that I could fee plainly that an infant is not uncapable of being entered into a covenant with God, obliging him to do and to believe fome things hereafter, (if he live) of which at prefent he can have no. fenfej ani that upon fuch his entrance he may be made immediately an heir of eternal life by cove- nant, which will hold good fo longr till he by actual fin does break the faid covenant. And that I conceived this tranfaction, that was then done by God's command in fpiritual things, to bear fome refemblance to what we fee every day done in temporal affairs ; namely, a deed of land with covenants is fealed to an infant, and the guardian, in the infants name, feals the counterpart: there is no difficulty in un- derstanding that the infant, when he grows up, mud (if he will hold that land) perform the covenants mentioned in the deed : and that if he will not, he lofes all right to that inheri- tance ; but iii the mean time the deed is not infignificant, becaufe the infant does not under- ftand it.
A. You granted that an infant is not un- capable of all this j but that fuch a thing is poffible to be done, if God pleafe : and that fome fuch thing was done by his order in the
cafe
2 i A Conference between two Men
cafe cf circumcifion. But this does not prov?, That (now, fince circumcifion is abolifhed) we mn ft fet up any fucH practice in fpiiitual things without an order from him.
P. .No. So I thought then that this does not follow. Neither do I think now that it follows merely from thence j that becaufe an infant is capable of fuch a token of a covenant as baptifm is, therefore it muft be given to him. But this takes off the force of all thofe arguments of the Antipcedobaptifts, which they raife from the incapacity of an infant. One half of what they fay is, not only that God has not ordered infants to be baptized ; but alfo that it would have been an abfurd or fooliin thing to order it. And they do not mind, that all the jeers they cad upon baby-baptifm, (as they call it) taken from the incapacity of an infant for fuch an holy ordinance, do reflect upon the wifdom of God, who appointed circumcifion, which by the fame rule, they may call baly* circumcifion.
Mr. B. alfo (hewed me afterwards grounds from fcripture that do much confirm the con- fequence from the ufe of circumcifion to that of baptifm. But I am telling you as yet, only how far I could argue or anfwer their arguments myfelf.
A. Thus far you could go : and I do not fee but you might go fo far upon good ground. What were the remaining difficulties at which you ftuck ? -
about Infant-Baptism. 23
P. Nothing but that which you mentioned juft now. That though there is no/eafon but Cfirifi might have ordered baptifm to infants proportionably to the ufe of circumcifion ; yet that I could not find that he had done fo. And therefore I queftioned whether it were his meaning that infants fhould be entered (at lead by any vifible token) now, (though I law plainly they were formerly) becaufe nei- ther he nor his apoftles have exprefTed any iuch thing, (as it was plainly exprefTed before) nor have given us any example of it in the New Telia ment.
A. Well. That is the chief of all. And that was a thing in which I am fure Mr. B. could not fatisfy you. Pray,, what did he fay to that ?
P. He laid that our Saviour's command to difciple the nations, baptizing them, being given in very fhort and general words, exprefiing only the term nations, and not defcending to exprefs particularly the forts of perfons that make up the nation ; it was nrcefTiry, in order to our judging whether he meant infants and all, or only the adult men of the nations, to mind (q) what was then and before that time ufually done in the Jewifh church in receiving any profelyte of the nations that came over from his heathenifm to the true religion, and de- fired that he and his children might be admitted into covenant with the true God.
(?) Hjft< Introd*a. § i, 2.
Ana
2 4 A Conference between two Men
And that it was ufeful alio to know how the primitive chriilians (who lived fo nigh the times of the apoftles, as that they might eafily know what the Apoftles ordered with refpedt to infants) did practife tins command.
And as to the firft of thefe things : he made me underftand (what I knew not before) that fuch a profelyte of the nations was wont to be baptized, and his children like wife (r).
A. This is news. He was wont to be cir- cumcifed, he and all his males, we know. But baptized : how does he prove that ? » P. From a great many pafTages in the books of the Jewiih writers, who, in letting down the cuftbms of their nation, do mention the baptizing of fuch a profelyte and his children, male and female, as ordinarily as they do the circumcifing of the male ones.
A. Did he ihew you thefe pafTages in the books themfelves? I wifh I could be fatisfied whether there be any truth in this matter of fad.
P. The books themfelves are written in the Hebrew or Chaldee language. But there are feveral Englijh and Latin writers of unquef- tionable credit, who do quote the places : fuch as Dr. Hammond , Dr. Lightfoct, Mr. Seldeny Ainjworth, &c. Of theie he mewed and lent me fome, and directed me to others. They do produce the words of the Jewiih writers ; name the book and page, and give the tranfla- tion. He lent me alfo a book called The (r) Hi/?. Introduft. $ 2, 3*
Hifiory
about Infant-Baptism. i$*
Hiflory of Infant Baptifm, where (as in the book icfclf, are given the paiTages of the eldefb chriilians concerning the baptizing infants, fo) in the Introduction, the chief of thofe places concerning the Jewim Baptifm are col- lected ; and references given to the books be- fore named, and a great many others, for any one that will, to find more of the fame. I ipent two or three weeks in getting and read- ing thefe books about the jewifrl Baptifm of profelytes and their children, and at lad was folly fatisiied, that they had Rich a cuftom : And I underftand by a late book of Leo M<h dena (s), and by fome other accounts, that they have the fame cuftom fliil, if any profe- lyte comes over to them. And I found that though there was a difpute (/) between Dr. Ham- mond on one fide, and Mr. Selden and Mr. Tombs (who was the moft learned- of the Antipoedo- baptifts) on the other fide, concerning the children of natural Jews ; yet they all agree, that the infant children of Profelytes were baptized; and that it was a common phrafe with them to call fuch infants Profelytes, as well as their parents. For they have fuch fayings as thefe :
If (it) with a Profelyte, his Jons and his daughters be made Profelytes : that which is done by their father, redounds to their good. And again,
(;) Hi/}, of the Jews, Part V. Ch. ii. (/) Miji.
Introduft. & 3. («) Gemcra Bab, Chetubeth. Ch. i.
8 J
clG A Conference between two Men
A (x) Projelyte that is under age, is baptized upon tht knowledge [or profeffion\ of the houfe vf ' Judimen , [that is, the fynagogue or church of. t;;e pla ej and they become to bim a father. And ; gain,
An IJraelite that takes a little heathen child, cr finds' an heathen infant, and baptizes him for £i Projelyte \ behold he is a Projelyte. Maimon. Helach. Aibdim. c. viii. For it feems that it was iheir cuftom with infant children whom they either took in war, or found expofed in the highways by their heathen parents. Of which you may fee more in the aforefaid Books.
A. If I were fure of this it would go a great way with me. For fuch a cuftom would di- rect one to another fenfe of our Saviour's word, dijciple or make djciplesy than I fhould otherwiie have thought of. For putting the ale that it was then cuftomary to baptize fuch infants, and call them Projelyte s, and they were ufually faid to be made Prcfelytes (which feem.5 much the fame word as difciples) our Saviour's command in thefe WorJs; Go dij- ciple, or make difciples ail the nations, baptiz- ing them ; would feem to me to include the infants as well as others. For a man is to take Words in that fenfe, in which they were cur- rent at the place and time in which they were fpoken. So that it would in that cafe, feem to me necefl^y that our Saviour, if he meant
(x) Maimon. If. Bia. Ch. xiii. § 7.
they
about Infant-Baptism. zj
they mould, in baptizing the nations, not bap- tize infants, as had been ufually done, fhould have laid fo.
P. You draw naturally the fame confe- rence that Mr. B. urged to me. For when I had read the aforefaid books, and owned myfelf fatisfied that there was fuch a cuftom, he faid to me; " fuppofe an Antipcedobap- <f tift congregation fhould fend one of their " teachers to fome heathen ifland, with a " commiffion in thofe words; Go> difciple u that nation, and baptize them ; He indeed " would not think himfelf commanded to " baptize the infants, becaufe that was not " the cuftom of the church that fent him. u But fuppofing a minifter be fent by the " church of England with a commiffion in the cc very fame words; Go, difciple that nation, tc and baptize them ; would not he think him- *' ieif commanded to baptize the infants of t{ fuch as were converted and baptized ?" I granted he would : becaufe that was the known cuftom and meaning of the church that fent him. So, fays he, when the apoftles were fent with a commiffion given in the faid Words; what could they think other, but that they muft do as had been ufually done in the church where they and their mailer had always lived ?
He afked me alfo this queftion ; fuppofe pur Saviour had bid the apoftles, Goy difci- ple all the nations, and [inftead of baptizing fcad faid] circumcife them ; muft they not have B 2- circumciied
23 A Conference between two Men
circumcifed the infants of the nations as well as the grown, men, though there had been no expreis mention of infa/its in the commif- fion ? I granted it. " Then/' faid he, cc what <c is the reafon that in cafe circumcifion had <c been appointed to the Gentile nations, it cc muft of courfe have been given to infants ?" I faid, becaufe the apoftles knew of themfelves, that circumcifion was ufually given to infants. He de fired me to draw the fame confequence from what the apoftles muft know of baptifm ufually given to infants.
A. I mould be almoft of his mind, if the matter of fact were certain. But of what cre- dit are thofe Jewifh. books that mention this cuftom ?
P. ^They are fuch as the Jews own for the moll authentic they have, except the Bible. And not only the books of particular men, but their Mifna and Talmud (which are to them much the fame as the book of Canons, or the Rubrick are with our church) are full of thefe orders about receiving and baptizing Profelytes, the Men and their Children. Now, how fallible foever the Jews were in judging what is fit to be done ; yet they cannot fail of being fufficient witnefTes of the matter of fad, and able to tell what was actually done among themfelves,
A. From what authorities in Mojes" law did the Jews infer this necefiity of a Profelyte's baptifm ?
P. They
about Infant-Baptism. 29
P. They reckoned that the whole body of their nation, men, women, and infants, was baptized unto Mofes (not only in the cloud and in the fea, as St. Paul fays they were, 1 Cor. x. 1, 2. Tor the cloud and lea covered men and children ail alike, but alio) juft before the giving of the law, in Exod. xix. where Mofes is ordered thus, vtrr. 10. Santlify the people to-day and to-morrow, &c. They hold, that the way by which Mofes fanctified them on thefe two days, was by warning them (for they prove from many places of their law, that- by fan £1 if ying, is often meant wafoing ; efpe- cialiy where any man is laid to ianctify other men.) And fmce it was commanded in Numb. xv. 16. One law and one manner Jhall be for you and for the ftrar.ger> [or Profelyte] &c. they conclude, that as their own nation, men, women, and children, were entered into covenant by the fanctitication of warning or baptifm, fo ought a Profelyte ; and if he will have his chil- dren entered, fo ought they.
A. I fee it neceflary to know the fenfe in which the words of any law were ufed at the time when that law was given. But does it not feem ftrange that we fhould have need to recur to the Jewiih Talmud for fettling a point in our religion ?
P. You exprefs that queftion improperly.- The point of profelyting (or making difciples) the nations, is fettled by Chrift. But fince he was a Jew by nation, and fpoke the phrafes of that languages what hinders but that we B 3 may
3<> A Conference between two Men
may learn from Jewifh books what that phrafe of projecting, or making difciples, did then ufually fignify in that language ? One of the main articles of our faith, is, that Chrift was trucified: and fince crucifying was a fort of death not ordinarily ufed by the Jews, but by the Romans^ (for it was a common way hv which the Roman flaves, guilty of any notori- ous crime, were executed) we understand by Roman writers what fort of death it was j the cruelty of it, the form of the gibbet or crofs to which they were nailed, &c. more parti- cularly than we do by the words of fcripture. And yet nobody is fo filly as to fay, we ground the belief of that article upon the Roman hi (lories. It is only the ufe and proper fig- nification of the word that we learn from them.
A. If this was the meaning of the word, dijcipling-, and this was the cuftom to make the infant children of Profelytes difciples, (a^s well as the parents) and call them fo,, and baptize them ; the rules and conditions of this dilpute are turned upon the Antipcedobaptifts, For whereas they ivied to fay ; " Since bap- " tifm was a new ordinance inflituted by " Chrift ; his faying nothing of infants, is a (C fign he meant not to include them. It will " be rather faid, on the contrary, fince it was <f no new ordinance, but a thing that had '* been ufually given to infants ; his not except- i€ ing of infants, is a fign he meant not to ex- « elude them." So that the proof will be on
them
about In fan t-B a ptis M. 3 1
them to fhew that infants are forbidden to be baptized.
P. You fay no more than Dr. Light/cot (a man of the greateft fkill in the Hebrew cui- toms and language) fays on this (%) argument. " If baptifm and trve baptizing of infants had been a new thing, and unheard of until John Baptiji came, as circumcifion was, until God appointed it to Abraham ; there would have been, no doubt, as exprefs command, " for baptizing infants, as there was forcircum- 14 cifing them. But when the baptizing, of " infants was a thing commonly known and " ufed, as appears by inconteftible evidence <c from their writers ; there needed not exprefs " aiTerrions that fuch and fuch perfons were to " be the objects of baptifm, £sfc"
And in another book (a) having fhewn at large that this was the cuuoitj, he concludes, <f That fince it was ordinary in all ages before, <c to have infants baptized, if Chrift would " have had that cufbom abolifhed, he would 14 have exprefsly forbidden it. So that his and <f the fcriptures fikhce in this matter, does 4C confirm and eftablifti infant-baptifm for " ever (£)."
And there is a quotation which Mr. B. (hewed me from a chriftian writer of ihe ekle'l times, which farther co< firms this notion and meaning of the Word difciyling^ to have
(z) Harmkny on John i. -5. {a) llor. Heb. on Matt. iii. [b) Hrfr. Introilua.
B 4 then
32 A Conference between two Men
then in common ufe. It is from JujYin Mar* tyr's apology for the chriftun religion to the' emperor Antoninus Pius. This Juftin was him- feJf a jew, (I mean a Samaritan Jew) born in the apofties times, and converted to chriftia- ifity about thirty years after; and he fpeaking there of the continent life led by the chriftians, fays, " Several perfons among us fixty or fe- " venty years old, of both iexes, that were tc difcipkd to Chrift in their childhood, do " continue virgins." He ufes the very fame word that is in the text of St. Matthew -, Go,
pie the nations, baptizing them. And this. " lie lays, was done to them in their childhood.
A* I iliall judge better of this matter, when I read the books you mention.
P. Our Saviour alfo, Matt. x. 42. fpeaks of a cup of cold water given to one of thofe little- ones in the name of a difciple. But there is one thing more, you will obierve if you read the laid books, namely, that the Jews did commonly, call the baptifm of fuch a Profelyte, his (r) Regeneration, [or being born again] and fo do all the chriftians of thofe eldeft times call the chriftiar. baptifm by that name (d), and the faid Juftin Martyr for one. This puts it beyond all doubt, that our Saviour by thofe words, John iii. 3, 5. Except any one be bom again, horn of water, &c. does mean baptifm -3 for that was the common phrafe for it at that time.
(c) Hifi. Introduce. § 6. (d) Uifi, Part I. Ch. xi. § 3, Ch. iii. § 2. Part II. ch. vi. § 1.
A. This
about Infant-Baptism. 33
A. This takes off one of the objections which you faid you had againft applying that text to the proof of Infant-Baptifm. But what fa1/ you to the other, born of water and of the fpirit? How can a baptized infant be faid to be born of the fpirit ?
P. There are fome operations of the holy fpirit, as working actual faith, repentance, &c. in the heart, of which an infant indeed is not capable. But when God does apply the pardon of original guilt, does transfer a perfon out of the flate of nature into the ftate of grace and of the chriftian covenant, does unite him as a member into the myftical body of Chrift, accept him for his child, &c. thefe things, and. thefe promifes, are fpoken of in fcripture as done, fealed, and applied to the perfon by the fpirit. Now of thefe latter an infant is capable. And John the Baptift is faid to be filled with the Holy Ghcfteven from his mother's womb.
And a perfon that is capable of fome of the great ends of baptifm wrought by the fpirit, may be baptized for them ; though he be not as yet capable of all the feveral ends for which baptifm is defigned. For our Saviour, who was not capable of remiflion of fins, regene- ration, &c. was baptifed for the other ends that baptifm is defigned for.
Mr. B. mewed me where the chief of the Antipcedobaptifts, (e) Toms> Danvers, &c.
W Bift% Part. II. Ch, vi. § u
B s do
34 <A Conference between two Men
do own this application of Chrift's Jpirlt to in- fants, and God's putting them into Chrift, uniting them to him by his holy fpiritj and the* ancients do fpeak at the fame rate (/).
A. Then it is in this fenfe, I fuppofe, that the church of England gives thanks to God, " That it has pleafed him to regenerate the cc baptized infant with the holy f fir it ; to re- Cf ceive him for his own child by adoption, cc and to incorporate him into his holy church."
P. Yes, doubtlefs.
A. But will not this text fo cleared from the objections, and underftood thus [that ex- cept any perfon, man, woman, or child, be baptized, they cannot enter into the kingdom of God] prove too much, in your fenfe, in ref- pect of fuch infants as by fome unavoidable accident do mifs of baptifm ?
P. Not more than it does now in your fenfe, being underilood of all grown perfons; many of whom do, after they have refolved to re- ceive baptifm, mifs e>f it by fudden death, &V. All fuch texts of fcripture are to be underftood with an allowance, namely, that fuch or fuch an ordinance is appointed by God as the ordi- nary (g) means, or ordinary condition of fal- vation : Nor that we are to bind God to the means that he has bound us to. As in the cafe of circumcifion omitted, though the rule was as peremptory as this; That foul fhall be cut off:
[f) Ibid. Part I. Ch. xv. § $, and 9, Q) HiJ}, Part II. Ch. vi. § 7, 8.
Yet
about Infant-Baptism. 35
Yet where his providence made it impractica- ble, he did not execute the penalty -, and yet in ordinary cafes the rule flood firm.
A. I think the Antipcedobaptifts generally have in this refpect, the mod charitable opinion of any. They, moft of them (all of them, ex- cept fuch as pry into the decrees of election and reprobation) are very pofitive that all chil- dren dying in infancy, baptized or not, born of parents godly or ungodly, chriftians, turks, or heathens, do go to heaven.
P. This were to good purpofe, if the kingdom of heaven were at their difpofing.
But if we have no promife of God, it is not a promife of man that will keep us from dc{- pair. I remember a faying of St. Auftin {h\ againft the Pelagians, (who denied any origi- nal fin in infants ; and laid, if infants died un- baptized, they might be faved ; that is, be in* fbme good place hereafter, though not in the kingdom of heaven) " Let us not of our own " heads promife any eternal falvation to in- cc fants without the baptifm of Chrift, which " the holy fcripture, that is to ke preferred " to all human wit, does not promife.' ■
A. What made thefe Pelagians* fay, they fhouid not go to heaven, and yet be in fome other good place ?
P. They faid they mould be in fome good place, as having no fin. But they did not- dare fay they mould go to heaven, except they were baptized : becaufe our Saviour had [h) Ibid. Parti, ch. vi. $ 5.
B 6 given
36 A Conference between two Men
given that rule laft mentioned, except any one be born of water, Sec.
A. Then they judged that that text does in- clude infants and all.
P. No chriftian at that time made any doubt ofthat(z). Suppofe you have a child that is like to die, and ibme advife you to pray for its foul, and others difTuade, faying, all chil- dren are faved, whether you pray for them or not : Which would you count the mo ft chari- table of thefe ?
A. I mould take the counfel of thofe that advife me to pray.
P. Do the fame in refpecl of thofe that ad- vife you to baptize it. For you fee that in both thefe texts, that of Matt, xxviii. 19. and this of John 'in. 5. our Saviours words are general and univerfal ; All nations ; every perfon : And that the reafons which the Antipcedobaptifts bring why infants fhould not be meant as well as others, do fail of proof. Therefore it is good to be fure : and take the advice of the iudicious Mr. Hooker (k) ; " If Chrift himfeif, who <c giveth falvation, do require baptifm; it is *f not for us that look for falvation, to found <c and examine him, whether unbaptized men " may be faved," [by men, he means any perfons of human nature ; for he is there fpeak- i'ng of infant baptifm] " but ferioufly to do " the thing that is required j and religioufly
. (/) Jiiji. Part I. Chap. vi. § 4. [i) Ibid. Part II, Ch. vi. $ 1..
4t
to
about Infant-Baptism. 37
cc to fear the danger which may grow by the cc want thereof."
A. But they fay, they do not protnife this of their own head. Our Saviour, fpeaking of little children, Mark x. 14. fays, Of Juch is the kingdom of heaven. Therefore ail children go to heaven.
P. He fays, Offuch is the kingdom of heaven : which proves that they are capable of going to heaven : and that many infants do go thither. But he adds at the fame place ; therefore fuf- ' fer them to come unto me and forbid -'[or with- hold] them not. And fince our Saviour is now -prefent with us only in his ordinances and fa- craments, what way have we to bring our chil- dren to him, as he orders, but by baptifm to offer and dedicate them to him ? And here I would afk you one queftion : they fay that ail children, heathen^' children and all, go to heaven. Do they judge that heaven is their natural portion, as being human creatures, and becaufe they are born of human race ? or that they have it by the merits and purchafe of Chrift and his death ?
A. O ! by Chriit. They do not offer to fay that the kingdom of heaven is given to any human creature, but only for the fake of Chrift's merits.
P. Now does it not feem to you ftrange, that the children of heathen men, of fuch men as are without Chrift3 (as St. Paul fays, Epb. ii. 12.) and ftrangers from the covenant of pro- pufe} having no hupe, and without God in the
world j
38 A Conference between two Men
world ; fhould have an equal intereft in Chrift with the children of chriftians, who do offer and dedicate both themfelves and their chil- dren to Chrift ? And that there fhould be no more promiie to a good chriftian for his chil- dren, than there is to the children of Pagans ? Sr. Paid, having told the Epheftans that they had been fuch ftrangers from the covenant, &c. lays in the next words ; But new in Chrift Je- fus, you who were feme time afar off, are made nigh by the blood of Chrift, But it feems they had been nigh once before, namely, in their infancy. Pray tell me : Do they count fuch infants members of Chrift, united to him, parts of his body the church, redeemed by him, included in his covenant and purchafe ?
A. They do not fay, that fuch infants or any infants are members of the church. For that would prove that they muft be baptized ; baptilm being the entrance into the church. And what they would fay to your other words, members of his body, united, redeemed, covenant, purchafe, Sec. I know not, (I believe fome of them would fay one thing, and fome another), but that they are faved by him, they fay.
P. The fcripture calls the church, his body (/) ; and him the Saviour (m) of the body : but that he fhould be the Saviour of any that are not of his body, is befide the fcripture. And that alfo puts, every where a great diffe- rence between being in Chrift on one fide, and
(/) Eph% U 23. {m) Ibid. v. 22:
about I n'F ant-Baptism. 39
cf the world, or without Chrift, or in the king- dom of darknefsy on the other. But that one place of St. Paid, J Cor. vii. 14. dees moft ex- prefsly fhew the different ftate of fome infants from that of others ; for he puts a cafe in which their children would be unclean : but vow, fays he, they are holy.
A. I v.ifh we had a good comment on that text. I muft frankly own to you, that I am not very well fatisfied with the exposition which thofe of our opinion give of it ; that St. Paul perfuading there the man that had an unbeliev- ing wife, not to put her away, becaufe fhe, an unbeliever, is fo fanctified by him a believer, that the children are holy, fhould mean no more than this ; that they are not baflards. For I do not fee that they would have been baflards if both the parents had continued in unbelief. Nor do I find the words ever fo ufed, that holy fhould fignify legitimate ; or that unclean, when oppofed to holy, (as it is here) fnould fignify baftard. Nor does that feem to have been the doubt, or queftion put by thefe people to St. Paul; Whether the ufe of the marriage bed did in fuch cafe continue lawful, and the ifTue legitimate : but whether the con- tinuing of cohabitation were advifable, confi- dering the danger of being drawn to idolatry, and the abomination which the heathen huf- band muft have of his wife's worfhipping Chrift* or the chxiftian hufband of his wife's worfhip- ping of idols in the fame houfe : and confider- ing that St. Paul bad before written to them,
not
40 A Conference between two Men
(n) not to accompany with fornicators, idolaters, Sec.
P. If one reads the place attentively from verfe 12 to 1 6, he fhall plainly perceive (what you fay) that the query which they had writ- ten to St. Paul about this matter, was not of lawful or unlawful ■, but of expedient or inexpe- dient. For they had fent to him feveral que- ries about feveral matters, as appears at ver. . 1 . Now concerning the things whereof you wrote to me.
Some of their queries had been about the lawfulness or finfulnefs of fome things. And to them St. Paul anfwers not by way of his ad- vice,, but by the authority of Chrift -, as at ver. 10. I command; yet not I, but the Lord.
But to this queftion, of cohabitation in cafe of different religions, he anfwers in another {train ; To theje /peak J, not the Lord. And his advice is not abfolute neither : for he ad- vifes the continuance of dwelling together on- ly in cafe the unbelieving party be willing. If any brother [that is, any man that has em- braced chriitianity] hath a wife that believeth not, and fhe be p leafed to dwell with him, let him not put her away : and the woman that has a hujband that believeth not, and if he be pleafed to dwell with her, let her not leave him. Now this is what he would never have laid, if the queftion had been of lawful or finful: as whe- ther the unbelieving woman would have been in the ftate of an harlot to a chriftian hufband, (//) 1 Cor, v. 9, 10..
or
d&j«/ Infant-Baptism. 41
or the children fo begotten baftards. For the willingnefs of the unbelieving party to co- habit, would not in fuch a cafe have mended the matter at all. For a willing harlot, that is pleafed to dwell with a man, is as bad, if not a worle harlot, than one that is over-perfuaded again ft her will, and the children as much baftards.
And befides : How could a man that had had feveral legitimate children by his wife, whilft they were both heathens, fall into a doubt that thofe that mould be born to him after he became a chrillian, would be baftardsj merely becaufe me would not become a chril- tjan too ?
A. I am perfuaded, as I faid, that St. Paul means fomething more by fanclified, unclean, and holy. But what he means I cannot tell. For the interpretation given by the Pcedobap- tifts of holy, that is, federally holy, or in cove- nant with God, is far-fetcht too. It makes St. Paul prove a thing that was obfeure by a thing that is more obfeure. / would not have yon fart. The unbelieving wife is fanclified by the believing hujband, fo that the children which floe fhall bear to him Jball be in covenant. In what covenant do they mean, in a ftate of falvation?
P. Some explain it fo : in the covenant of grace. But fome others that will not allow that a child who after proves wicked, (ever was in a ftate of falvation) do, by covenant holi- nefs, mean only a right to church privileges : every one that is a member of the vifible
church,
4^ A Conference between two Men
church, has a right to church-privileges, and fo is holy in that refpect; though every fuch member is not in a ftate of falvation. And from the child's having that covenant holinefs, they conclude its right to the feal of the covenant.
You cannot deny that this fenfe of the word holy, is much more agreeable to the general ufe of that word in fcripture, than the other. Holy, that is, belonging to God, accepted of God, Jet apart to God. And unclean, that is, out of cove- nant with God, is a very common ufe of the word. Ads x. 28. Rom. xi. 16.
A. Pray, how did Mr. B. expound this text to you ?
P. He conferTed there had been various in- terpretations of it. But that which feemed to frirn more natural, plain and agreeable to the fcope of St. Paul there, than any of thefe new ones, is that which, he faid, was moft cyrrent among the ancient chriftians. And I alfo do think it fo, fince I have confidered and com- pared it with the text : but I confefs at firft it feemed very new to me, becaufe the fenfe in which we have been ufed, in thefe later times, to take words, does prejudice us againft any other, though many times that other do upon fearch appear to be the ancient fenfe of them.
A. What was his interpretation, which you fay is the ancient one ?
P. Firft he obferved to me, that the word which is there translated [is fancJijied] is in the on-ginal [has been Janclified (0).
(v) lift. Part I. Chap. xi. § 1 1.
A. I
about Infant-Baptism. 43
A. I have feen many on both fides recite it fo. But then how came our translators to alter the fcnfe ?
P. The properties of languages are, it feems, fuch, that that is fometimes necefTary, when the fenfe requires it: and they thought, it feems, that it required it here. But lb it is in the original: An unbelieving bujband has been fantlified by bis wife : and an unbelieving wife has been fantlified by her bujband, &c. And by this the ancients underftand [has been converted, or perfuaded to receive the chriftian faith and baptifm] or, as St. Paul exprefTes it in the verfe next but one, has been Javed by her. So in l Cor. i. i, 2. To thofe that at Corinth are fantlified [or, (as ic is there alfo in the original) have been fantlified} called to be faints, that is, to all that have embraced chriftianity there : or have been baptized : for the word fantlified, is by all old chriftian writers frequently ufed for baptized.
A. Well. Suppofe it be fo : The unbelieving party has oftentimes been converted by the be- lieving party. This indeed agrees well with St. Paul's fcope : for he is there perfuading them to ftay with their unbelieving partners on account of this hope, and it is the fame encou- ragement that he ufes verfe 16. V/bat knowefl thou, O wife, whether thou fhalt fave wy buf- band? &c. But ftill I do net fee how this gives much light to what follows; Elfe were your children unclean ; but new are they holy.
P. You mull note that the word here trans- lated
44 A Conference between two Men
lated [holy] is in St. Paul's epiftles, (when it is applied to perfons) far oftner tranflated faints \ however they happened here to tranflate it holy. And that word, faints, was in the lame life then, as the word chriftians is with us. As in the Creed, the communion of faints, is nothing elfe but the communion of chriftians. And St. Paul's direction of his epiftles, To all the faints at fuch a place ; is as much as to lay, To all the chriftians there. And the word that he ufes here which we read holy, is the very fame as that in the Creed, and in the di- rections aforefaid of St. Paul's epiftles, is trap 6 lated faints.
A. Now I begin to undcrftand your mean- ing. " The unbelieving party is generally " prevailed on by the believing party. Were <f it not fo, the children of fuch matches " would be brought up to heathenifm : but <c now we fee they are generally made chriftians, <c or faints." This is what you underftand St. Paul to fay.
P. You take it right. He would have them ftay with their partners that did not yet be- lieve : and perfuades them thus : It fre- *c quently has, been obferved, that an unbe- Cf lieving hufband has been fan6lified, or <c brought to the faith, and fo to baptifm,, " by his, wife : and likewife an unbelieving u wife by her hufband. Were it not fo, that " the faith of the one did generally prevail Cf againft the infidelity of the other, the chil- u dren of fuch of you as are fo matched would
« be
about Infant-Baptism. 45
cc be generally kept unbaptized, and fo be un- (c clean. Bjt now we fee, by the grace of " God, a contrary effect : for they are gene- " rally baptized, and fo become holy faints, or " fanccified (/>)•" ^c ls mucn the fame advice that St. Peter gives to women that had unbeliev- ing hufbands, 1 Pet, iii. i. That if any obey not the word, they may be won by the converfation cf the wife, &c.
A. -Do they think that St. Paul means, Juch children as we now fee generally baptized ?
P. Yes. The term faints is not given in the New Teftament but to baptized perfons. They called no other by the names of faints or bre- thren.
A. This fits your purpofe indeed. This was all you wanted ; that there mould be in fcrip- ture mention of any infant baptized. I am apt to doubt that this interpretation has been in- vented to ferve a turn by fome Poedobaptift that was puzzled with that objection of the Antipcedobaptiih, that there is no example of it in fcripture : not that it has come naturally into the mind of any reader, but on that occa- fion.
P. I can, as it happens, cure your doubt/ For there are upon record, feveral (q) com- mentaries of ancient chriftian writers upon this text, who do expound it much to this purpofe. And I have noted down the words of two of them that lived 1300 years ago, and had never
(/) Hift, Part I. Chap. xi. § 1 1. Part II. Chap. x. § 3. p. 378. {q) Hiji. Part I. Ch. xix. § 19.
9 heard
46 A Conference between two Men
heard of any Antipcedobaptift, who do explain it jufb in the ienfe that I mentioned. I will, if you pleafe, lhew you in their own words.
A. How did you know firfl that they had never heard of any Amipcedobaptift ? This muft haye been within 300 years of the apoitles time.
P. They do both of them fay at other places of their books that they never did.
i. Now this looks very odd. How fhould men that lived at a time when no Antipcedo- baptiil had ever been heard of, come to fay in their books that they never heard of any ? What gave them occafion to fpeak of it then ?
P. They difpured about original fin, as I told you before. The Pelagians faid there is no fuch thing. St. Auftin faith \ Why then are in- fants baptized, if they have no fin ? They an- fwered (r), it was, cc that they might be fanc- <c tified [or made iamts ] in Chrift." St. Anfiin faid5 he had never before met with any ehrii- tian, churchman or fe&ary, (that owned the. fcriptures) nor read any chriftian writer, who taught any other doctrine, but that infants arc to be baptized for -pardon of fin. From whence it is my confequence, that much lefs had he heard or read of any that denied that they are to be bap- tized at all.
Pelagius was reproached by lome people, that by denying original fin in infants, he did deny any necefiity of baptifm to them. He anfwered in a rage ; That (s) the thing which they accufe him of faying, was a thing " that {r) Hi/l. Parti. Ch.xix. § 17. (s) Biji. Part I. Ch.xix. § 3°-
" .he
about I nf ant-Baptism. t 47
" he never heard any man, no not any impious cc fectary, fay. For who, fays he, is fb igno- " rant of what is read in the gofpel (meaning <c John iii. 5.) as to hinder infants from being " baptized, and born again in Chri.r, and to cc make tnem mifs of the kingdom of heaven ?■" For though he thought a child dying unbap- tized would have no punifhment, as having no fin ; yet he thought it could not come to hea- ven, as having no intereft in Chrift.
A. Did not Tertullian live before thefe men ?
P. Yes. He did.
A. Then how is this fenfe ? They never heard of any one that ever was againft Infant-Bap- tifm : and we know he gave his opinion againft
P. You obferve right. It muft be con- cluded that they had never feen (u) his book of baptifm : for he having revolted to herefy, his books were not much read by churchmen : and that obfervation of theirs, that there had been none before their time of that opinion, does not hold, without an exception of that one man. But even he, in the trueft editions (w), fpeaks againft the ufe of it only at fuch times, when there is no urgent neceflicy, by the child's ■being in danger of death.
A. Well. What is the comment on this text, given by thofe two men ?
P. You mall have it in their own words. St. Auftin fets down the texts (#) ; An iinbe-
(/) Hift. Part ^ Ch. bt. § J. (a) Hiji. Part. II. Ch. x. $2 to 5. (au)'Partl.Ch.iv. $8. Part II. Ch. ii. § 5. lx) Hijl. Part I. Ch. xv. § 2.
Ueving
4S A Conference be l ween two Men
ffeving hufband has been fanclified [fo he reads it; and lb it is in the original] by his believing wife : and an unbelieving wife by her believing hu/baud: and on that gives this comment; cc I fuppofe it had then happened, that feveral <c wives had been brought to the faith by their <c believing huibands, and huibands by their cc believing wives. And though he does not " mention their names, yet he makes life of cc their example to confirm his advice. " Then he lets down the reft of the text, eife were your children unclean; but now they are holy, [or faints] and gives this comment; <c For there ci were then chriftian infants that were fancli- " tied, [or made holy, or faints] fome by the iC authority of one of their parents ; fome by " the content of both: rhich would not be, c< if as foon as one party believed, the marriage " were diffolved ; and the infidelity of the " parties were not borne with, till there were " an opportunity of believing." By an in- fant's being fanclified by the authority of its parents, can be meant nothing but its being baptized: and the word fanclified, is a common word with him for baptized.
Pelagius wrote a comment on both the epiftlcs to the Corinthians. And on that text makes this comment (y) ; <c There were by cc this time examples, both of men whom their cf wives, and of women whom their huibands, cc had gained over to Chrilt; and of infants, <f concerning whom the chrilHan defire, even
(j) Hjft. Part I. Ch. xix. § 19.
"of
about Infant-Baptism. 45
" of one of their parents,, had prevailed that " they mould be made chriftians."
A. This is indeed as you explain it. But did not Mr. B. own to you that fome of the ancients expound the text otherwiie ?
P. He did own that there are fome (z) that make no more doubt of it than the Antipcedo- baptiits do. But that the moft, and thofe the mod ancient, do underftand it of baptifmal ho- linefs.
A. Are there any more texts of fcripture, or arguments that he produced to you ?
P. Yes, feveral. But the time will not allow to mention any more than the heads of things to you. By referring me to many texts where circumcifion is mentioned, and many where baptifm is mentioned, he made it plain to me, that baptifm ferves to the fame ufe and pur- pofe now, that circumcifion did to the Jewifh. church : to confirm the truth of the promifes on God's part, and inflate the partaker in the privileges of the church of God, and to denote the obligation of the party (if he lives) to faith and obedience.
That baptifm is a feal of the covenant, which is for iubftance the fame covenant that was eftablifhed then : and therefore that God's command to give the feal in infancy then, does continue a command to us, and is a fufficient declaration of his will to us now, unlefs he had fomewhere declared an alteration of his will ia that regard.
(z) Hi/i. Part I. Chap. xix. § 19.
C That,
50 A Conference between two Men
That the fcal fhould be given indifferently to all nations, and to both /exes, did need a par- ticular declaration (becaufe that was otherwife in the cafe of circumcifion), and that is ac- cordingly particularly declared by St. Paul, Gal. iii. 28. where ipeaking of baptifm, he fays, there is in refpedfc of it neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female -, that is, there is no difference between them : but that there mould be neither young nor old, needed no declaration, becaufe that was a ruled cafe before in the ufe (both of Jewiffi baptifm, of which we fpoke before, and) of circumcifion itfelf. It was a known thins; all along: before in the covenant, as it was made with Abraham and renewed to Mojes. There was need of an exprefs prohibition, if infants, that had ever been members of the vifible church and people of God, had been now to be excluded. Efpe- cially when St. Peter, perfuading the Jews to chriftianity and baptifm, tells them, Afits iii. 25. Ye are the children of the covenant •which God made with our fathers, &c. Now that covenant had ever included infants : and there- fore when he fays again, Acls ii. 39. Repent and be baptized, &c. for the promife is to you and your children, &c. it follows, that they were flill to have a covenant including infants : or elfe it would have been a covenant altered much to the worfe in that refpect ; if the Jews, when they became Chriftians, were to lofe the advantage of having their children admitted as
church-
^///Infant-Baptism. 51
church-members by circumcifion, and have no- thing fubftituted for them inftead thereof.
A. We grant that baptifm does refemble cir- cumcifion in many uies of it, as a feal, an en- trance into the church, &~c. But fo did many other things, the Ark of Noah, the Sea, the Clouci, tsc. And therefore your conference, that it is to be applied to the fame perfons as circumcifion was, is not very plain, unlefs you could mew from fcripture that it is appointed by Chrift to be to us in the ftead or place of cir- cumcifion.
P. The fcripture does fay that, in effect, when in Col. ii. 11, 11. it calls baptifm the circumcifion of Chrift : or (as it would more in- telligibly and more agreeably to the fenfe of Su Pauly be rendered, and is in feveral tranilations rendered) cc the chriftian circumcifion," (a) that is, the facrament which is appointed by Chrift to us inftead of circumcifion.
A. Turn to that text and expound it.
P. The Coloffians were going to make two additions to the chriftian religion. One was the worfhip of angels, taught by the philoso- phers; the other, circumcifion, taught by the Jews: St. Paul, at ver. 8, 9, 10. fhews that the firft was needlefs ; for that having Chrift they were complete in him, who is the head of all angels. And at ver. 1 r, 12, 13. that the other was needlefs too : for in Chrift , fays he, you. are circumcifed, &c. by the circumcifion of Chrift y buried with him in baptifm. Sec. He cannot («) Hifi. Part I. Chap. ii. § 2.
C 2 mean
$i A Conference between two Men
mean (b) that they were circumcifed by that action by which Chrift in his infancy was circum- cifed. Hemuft mean, by that which Chrift has appointed for, or inftead of circumcifion to a chriftian.
And here if St. Paul had meant this as appli- cable to the grown men only amongft them, and not to the children; might they not reafonably have objected; " It is true, we have baptifrn Ci inftead of circumcifion: But what have our <c children ? nothing at all."
You will find (e) all the ancient chriftians call baptifrn, cc the fpiritual circumcifion, the circum- " cifion done without hands, xht chriftian circum- cc cifion, our circumcifion, &c??
Do not you remember how angry fome Jews that had lately received the chriftian faith were with St. Pauly Acts xxi. 21. for that they had heard that he taught all the Jews that were among the Gentiles, that they ought not to cir- cumciie their children ? How much more, think you, would they have objected to him, if he had taught them that they ought not to baptize them neither ? And fince we do not find that they objected that to him, we have realbn to conclude that he never taught fo.
A. But neither do we rind, on the other fide, that St. Paul made that apology to them, that they had baptifrn inftead of it.
P. You do not read it there. But you do in the aforefaid place of his letter to the Coloffians (who were troubled with that fort of judaizing [b) Jbid. ~{c) Hift. Parti. § 2. Ch.vi. § io.Ch.xiv. § 1.
Chriftians)
3
about Infant-Baptism. S3
Chrirtians) that they had the Chriftian circum- cifion, viz. baptiim.
Does not he in his epiftle to the Romans, ch. ii. ver. 17. tell the Gentiles that had em- braced the faith, that they were now grafted into the olive tree from which the unbelieving Jews were cut off, and did partake of the root a)id fatnefs of the olive tree -3 that is, of all the privileges which the Jewilh church had ? And does he not fay, Gal. iii. 14. that the bleffing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles? And was not that a great part of it, to have their chil- dren admitted into the covenant, and into the privileges of the church and people of God ? And this privilege of bringing in their infants, had been ever granted to fuch Gentiles as did em- brace the Jewifh religion, as was faid before.
A. But as foon as John the Baptift came baptizing, this privilege was declared to be abrogated. For he fays to the Pharifees and Sadducees that came to be baptized ; Think not to Jay within your/elves, We have Abraham to our father. They mud fhew perfonal fruits of repentance, if they would be baptized, Matt, iii, 7> 8, 9.
P. Was this cafe of theirs any thing like that of infants ? Theje were a generation of vipers, that had by their actual fin and hypocrifies for- feited all the covenant right which they originally had: and had great need of actual repentance. This does not prove than any infant would have been fo fent back.
A. None could be fent back where none C 3 came,
54 A Conference between two Men
came, or were brought : and we do not read that any infants at al! were brought to him.
P. It is true : there is no exprefs mention of any : nor could it well be expected in an account that is fo fliort in all. But if you will read the books I mentioned, of the Jewifh bap- tifm, you will find that they prove it to have been fo ordinary a thing, and praclifed of courfe, for people that came to baptifm to bring their children with them, that they take it for granted that thofe that came to John, did fo : and that the reafon it is not mentioned, is, becaufe it was a practice fo ordinarily known at that time, that there was no need to mention it ; as for the fame reafon you may read in the Old Teftament the hiftory of five hundred years together without any mention of any one infant circumcifed.
St.Ambrofe, who lived fo near thofe times, tlfat he might enquire of the Jews their cuftoms, and know much better than we, fpeaks of (d) the infants baptized by John the baptift : and fo does St. Auftin after him. Now fince it was fo ordinary to bring infants ; if St. John had re- jected them that would have been as proper to have been recorded as the hiftory of his rejecting the Pharifees.
A. I will, God willing, read thofe books of baptifm ufed by the Jews. For matters of fact are more material to direct one in the right understanding of a practice, than thefe argu- ments from the reafon of the thing : which may (d) Hi/i. Part I. Chap. xiii. § i.
I fee
about Infant-Baptism. $$
I fee be banded to and fro eternally. Had you any other arguments from Mr. B. ?
P. He bade me confider how many abfur- dities do follow by coniequences from the Anti- pcedobaptift's opinion : as, if an infant cannot be a church member, or one of the church ; then Chrift in his infancy was out of his own church, neither head nor part of it. He bade me imagine St. Peter, when he exhorted his nation to turn chriftians, fpeaking thus to them; " You and your children have been *' hitherto in covenant; but now if you will " believe in Chrift, you yourfelves mail have i( the privileges of the covenant in a higher " degree ; but your children fhall be in no better p condition than the Pagan world 3 out of any " church-covenant;" and fo that their com- ing into a better condition put their children into a worfe. That Chrift came to difpoffefs infants of their covenant right. That if Chrift were now on earth, and we brought an infant to him ; he would receive and embrace him : and he will now receive fuch into his kingdom of heaven. But if we bring him to be ad- mitted into his church, or myftical body, he will rejedt him for his incapacity. That he that has now his angel in heaven beholding (e) the face of God, is not worthy to have his guaruian or fponfor in the church on earth. That in fo many families (■/) mentioned in fcripture to have been baptized (fuch an one and all his) there were no children. That all
(e) Matt. xviii. 10. (/) AStXvji. 15, 35. 1 Cor. i. 16.
C 4 the
56 A Conference between two Men
the christian world fhould be in an error, Pro- teftants, Papifls, Greek church, all the (g) na- tional churches in the world ; and they only in die right. May we not fay with St. Pau/, 1 Cor. xiv, 36. What? came the word of God out from you P or came it unto you wily ? Or as he fays, chap. xi. 16. If any man Jeem to be con- tentions, we have nofuch cufiom) neither the' churches if God.
A. Theft confequertfial proofs of a thing are in doctrines of morality, &c. of good ufe. But you know what the Antipcedobaptifts fay ; that in a facrament of pofitive inititntion we are to expect dire.61 orders, and are to keep clofe to the letter/
P. They are in this refpect: the mod: unfair arguers in the world. When we produce the pofitive inftitution, " Difciple all the nations, *f baptizing them/* they cannot deny but in lt the literal and grammatical fenfe, infants are part of the nations, as well as kings, &c. (who are no more particularly named than infants are ;) and when we bring Chrift's pofitive de- termination> No per/on that is not born of water can enter > &c. they own that infants are per- fons ; but then they come with their proofs by confequence from other places, that we mull in all reaibn except infants. And yet when we ufe the fame method in anfwering any place that they can bring, then confequences are no- thing. Can they think that God meant that
lg] Hjfi. Part II. Ch. viif.
about Infant-Baptism. 57
in reading his word, we mould fuperfede all ufe of our own understandings ?
For baptifm itfelf indeed to be a chriftian fa- crament, there was need of an exprefs precept: but for the fubjecl: of it, we may argue by parity of reafon, that thofe who formerly were admitted to it, may be now.
; The refurreclion is a fundamental : yet Chrift proved it (h) by a confequence. The alteration of the day of fabbath is a matter of pofitive wor- fnip : yet we ufe confequences in proving it; and thofe more liable to exception (if we would cavil) than the baptifm of infants.
But to come nearer to this very matter, the fit fubjects of baptifm : St. Peter thought that Gentiles, unlefs they were circumcifed, were not fit fubjects of baptifm. Nuw the way that he was convinced by, in Atls x. was not by any pofuive order, or exprefs words. cc Bap- " tize this Cornelius " or, cc Baptize Gentile " men, though uncircumcifed.,> But when he was told that they were no longer uncleany ver. 28. and faw the Holy Spirit come on them, he concluded by confequence, ver. 47. Can any one forbid water, that thefe ftoould not be bap- tized, who have received the Holy Spirit, &c. He went by this rule ; one that is capable of the ends of baptifm, mould be baptized. So we fay; the children of chriftians are not un- clean, but capable of feveral of the ends of baptifm ; and conclude (though not from thefe only) that they are not to be denied water.
{h) Matt. xxii. 31, 32.
C 5 Mr.
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Mr. Toms hirnfelf fays, (/) « If it fhould be <c made known to us that infants are fanclified, cc I mould not doubt but that they are to be *c baptized : remembering the faying of St. (< Peter." Meaning this faying.
A. It cannot be denied but St. Peter argued here by confequences. But I believe that will happen to me, which has often happened to me : when I have at any time heard or read liich reafonings as thefe of yours, I have been for the prefent moved, and inclined to return to my old opinion of Infant-Baptifm. But when I come again to reading of the fcripture irfelf, and find there the tenor of baptifm gene- rally to run thus ; Repent and be baptized — He that believetb, and is baptized — Baptizedy *cv.fejfwg their fins — If thou believeft with all thy hearty thou mayeft be baptized — then, methinks,. J fee plainly that infants have nothing to do with it. And then the anfwer which the Pce- ciobaptifts do give to this, is fo groundlefs and precarious, that it turns my ftomach. They diftinguifh and fay -, " Baptifm is of two forts, ° adult-baptifm and infant-baptifm ; thefe *f places fpeak of adult and not of infant- " baptifm." But when we fay, <c Where <c then are the places that fpeak of the other ?" they can produce none. If I fhould maintain that infants may receive the communion, and you fliould confute me with that fcripture. Let a man examine bimfelf> and Jo eaty &c. and I fhould diftinguifh, " Communicants are of (/) Exeixitatio?i% Page 2.4,
" two
about Infant-Baptism. 59
cc two forts, adult communicants, and infant cc communicants/' would you not fay that I begged the queftion ? adult baptifm : why that is all the baptifm that the fcripture anywhere fets forth !
P. If you fay thus (and I know that many Antipcedobaptifls do with a broad affurance fay fo ; but if you fay thus) then you mufl fay that all the places of fcripture which I have now produced, and others which others do produce, do iignify nothing at all to the mat- ter. And to fay that, unlefs you could difprove them, is either begging the quedion, or denying the conclufion, when you cannot overthrow the premifes.
A. I did not defign to undervalue your rea- fonings. But you cannot deny that the hiftory of the baptifm s in fcripture runs with thofe claufes which I mentioned.
P. It is true, for the moft part. But you do not feem to confider the ftate of thofe times, and of the people then. They were all of them people and nations that had had no gofpel or chriftian baptifm before. In fuch a Mate of things, the firft and main work was to per- fuade the adult perfons to believe the gofpel : and that order of words was in that cafe necef- fary, " Preach it to them : he that believes it, <c and is baptized, mall be faved." For thofe people muft be baptized after they were taught ; having had no fathers that believed the gofpel, to baptize them into it before. In the cafe I put before, if circumcifion inftead of baptifm C6 bad
6° A Conference between two Men
iiad been appointed, yet in fending apoftles to thefe people, our Saviour could hardly have exprefTed it after any other manner than thus : " Go, profelyte the nations, circumcifing them : €C he of them that believes the gofpel, and is Cf circumcifed, fhall be faved." And the hif- tory of their fuccefs would have run much as it does now; <c Such a heathen man, or fuch <c a number of them, in fuch a city, upon fuch ff preachings and arguments, repented, confejfed (< their fins, believed with all their heart, and *c were circumcifed." And yet ail this is no ar- gument that they mould not, or did not circum- cife their children.
A. I confefs that in fuch a (late of things, the converting and baptizing the grown per- fons was the principal work, and that there was more occafion for mentioning that, both in the commiffion and in the hiftory, than the baptizing of the infants. But methinks, there would have been fome mention of the infants (one at leafiY) as baptized, if they had been •generally baptized : efpecially when at fome places it might have come in fo naturally, that the context does feem to require it, if it had "been true. As in Acts viii. 12. They were haptized, both men and women. Here one word added [and children] would have ended all this difpute. Can we think that God would have fuffered fuch an omiffion of one word in the recital, which would have been of fuch ufe for the quiet of future ages ? this would not have jfwelled the book. For that, I know, is your
pretence,
ahout Infant-Baptism. 6t
pretence, that in a hiftory, which muft be jfhort, the particular things that were of courfe, could not be all fet down.
P. We are not to give rules how the fcrip- ture fhould have been exprefTed. In many other controverfies, as well as this, a few words added to the text, might (as we fhouLi think) have ended the difpute. But we fee the con- trary : for bapttfm itfeif is plainly exprefTed,. and ib is the other facrament ; and yet you fee a world of people in England deny them both. God might, for aught we know, leave fome things more difficult to be traced, that we mighc be under a neceffity of ftudying his word, and the nature of his covenant to us therein declared, more frequently and atten- tively. There mud be herefies, St. Paul lays, that they which are approved may be made manifeft. We are thankfully to take his word as it is -, and to follow that fenlc of it, which, upon a diligent fearch and weighing of the whole, Teems to us his true meaning; whether iQt down expreTsly, or gathered by good con- Tequence.
A. You Tpeak pioufly : we muft do {ot But that is a reafon againft our taking Infant-Bap- tifm to be his true meaning, that there are no plain examples of it in his word, That which you urge of houfholds baptized, is not a certain one. And the other, of fome children of the chriftians at Corinth mentioned by St. Paul to have been baptized (as you interpret it) is an obfeure one.
P. It
6 2 A Conference between two Men
P. It is obfcure to us now, only for this reafon : it is not common with us now to ufe the word ■" Janet \fied\ for [baptized'] but it was in thofe times a very ordinary ufe of it. I am (k) told, that it is not fo little as an hun- dred times, that St. Aujiin, for one, when he is to fpeak of perfons baptized, expreifes it [fanftified] as you faw he did in the paffage I recited to you. And Mr. IValker has taken the pains (/) to produce quotations out of the New Tedament, and almoft all the antient chriftian writers, to (hew that it was a com- mon phrafe with them to fay fanflified. inftead of baptifed, and faints inftead of baptized ihriftians. If you have a confeientious defire to underftand the. true meaning of a "fcripture parTage, you muft be at the pains to fatisfy yourfelf by reading fuch quotations : elfe, if a word in the fcripture times fignified one thing, and in our common ufe another thing; mil- takes will be unavoidable. I profefs to you fincerely, that I am now fully perfuaded that that is the true fenfe of the place; though at rlrft it feemed as new to me, as it does now to you. It mufl: have been fome vifible holinefs of the children, from which St. Paul draws an argument to fatisfy the parents of the expedi- ency of their cohabitation ; fome known and cuftomary privilege which fuch children had in the opinion and practice of that church ; and I know of no fuch that they could have>
{k) Hiji. Part I. Ch. xi. § 9. Ch. xv, § 2. (/) Modeji
Fteafor Infant -Baptijm) Chap, xxi*.
but
about Infant-Baptism. 63
but their baptifm. Pray let us put this cafe ; fuppofe you were not an Englifhman, but a foreigner, and beginning to learn the EngliGi language, and did meet in fome Englifh book with this paffage ; " Such a man's children <c are chriftened." The word chriftened being not u fed in fcripture, and having no parallel to it in the Latin language, nor in fcveral others, you might be to feek for the meaning of it. What muft you do in that cafe ?
A. Why ! I muft afk fome body that was more converfant in the Englifh language and cuftoms, what that word fignified, and what was the ufe of it. among the Englifh -, and they would tell me, that chrtftened fignifies, made a chriftian -, and that the ufe of it among the Englifh, is, to ftand as another word for bap- tized. So that it is, Such a man's children are baptized.
P. Juft lb, if you or I meet in St. Paul's, epiitles with this paffage : Now are your chil* dren faints -, and know not what to make of it : we muft afk fome minifter, or other perfon, that is more converfant in the ancient language and cuftoms : and he would mew us by forty inftances in St. Paul himfelf, and a thoufand, if need bei in other writers about that time, that the /life of that word, faints, among the ancients, is, to be as another word for chriftians. They faid ; children made Joints y or mac^e chriftians : and we in analogy to it* fay children chriftened, or made chriftians; and 9 the
64 -d Conference 'between two Men
the meaning both of the one, and of the other, is baptized.
A. Then I alfo, it feems, mud read thofe books. But pray tell me, to how many years do you reckon the hiftory of the Afts cf the Apoftles does reach ?
P. From Chrift's afcenfion to St. Paul's firlt imprifonment at Rome. It is much about thirty years.
A. The chriftians mud have had many thou- sand children born to them in that fpace of time.
P. No doubt of it. And you think, I fup- pofe, becaule none of them are regiitered in the Acts to have been baptized in infancy, that they were not baptized in infancy.
A. That feems to me an argument.
P. Well. Hold fad to that argument. And we will put the cafe for once, that the inftanccs which I brought from the Afls, of houfholds baptized, and the other, of the Corinthians children, do prove nothing. And then I afk you this queftion ; Do you think that thofe' thoufands of children were ever baptized at any time of their life at all ?
A. I fuppofe that as they grew to years of difcretion they were baptized.
P. And yet there is no fuch thing regiftered.
A. Let me fee. Were none of thofe men, whofe baptifm is recited in the Afis> the ions of chriftians ?
P. Not one ; if thofe houfholds that we read to have been baptized, had no children in
them.
about Infant-Baptism. 6$
them. Asd if you conclude that none of thofe thoufands were baptized in infancy, becaufe it is not mentioned •, and I conclude that they were not baptized at age, becaufe that is not mentioned neither ; the Quakers and Socinians (who hold that when the parents or mailers of families are baptized, there is no need that their children or pofterity ever after fhopld be baptized, but that all ufe of baptifm may ceafe in a chriftian nation) will take our conclufion, that they were not baptized at all.
A. Rather than they fhould do that, I would grant that there were children in the houfnolds that were baptized : and that the Corinthian infants were baptized.
P. I hope you will be ferious in a thing that affects your confeience fo much as you fay this does. And I hope alfo that you will not efpoufe a principle which muft eflablifh the error of thofe grofsly deluded people.
A. It feems to many, that the church of England itfelf has given up the caufe to the Antipcedobaptifts ; when in the catechifrn they (fpeaking of baptifm in general) do own, that there is required of perfons to be baptized, faith and repentance ; and that after this is eftablifhed in the general, what they fay after- wards of infants baptized on a promife of thefe, comes too late.
P. There is no. doubt, but nat all baptifm whatsoever is on a covenant ; as, of the king- dom of heaven to be given on God's part, or faith and repentance on the baptized perfon's
part i
66 A Conference between two Men
part : only with this difference as to infants and adults, namely, that thefe conditions are required to be performed at prefent of the adult ; of infants, when they are, on account of age, capable of them. And this is all the church means, namely, that hoth adult perfons and infants are baptized on the fame covenant, which, ought to be declared at the baptifm.
^ A. Why then did they not exprefs it more diftincTtly in the anfwer there given, and fay " of adult perfons is required faith, &c. at pre- " fent j of infants, if they live ?
P. Before the rife of any enemies to a doc- trine, men are apt to be unguarded, and not fo diftinct in their expreiTions about it. Now at the time of compofing this catechifm, there was never an Englifhman of their opinion, as the author of the afore faid Hi/lory of Infant- Baptifm nas (hewn (jn).
A. Let us come to the fecond thing, which Mr. B. told you was fo ufeful to give light in this matter : namely, the practice of the pri- mitive chriftians, who lived fo nigh the times of the apoftles, that they muft needs know whether infants were baptized in the apoftles time, or not. If I could any ways come by a true account of the practice of thole ancient times, I fhould be much fwayed by it : lince thefe men could by a little enquiry know with eafe and certainty, the matter of fadb about which we are in the dark ; as we Englifnmen cannot but know what was done in England in (m) Part Jl. Ch. viii. i 6,
queen
cjjout Infant-Baptism. 67
queen Elizabeth's time, in a practice fo pub- lic and notorious. And fince our queftion now is about a matter of fact (what the apoftles did in this cafe of in flints) let ibme people fay what they will in flighting of human authority, it never can, nor never mail, link into my head, but that they whofe fathers or grandfathers Jived in the apoftles time, mufl know what the apoftles did in this matter. And where the fcripture is Ihort, or doubtfully exprefTed, thefe mens books are, it feems, larger : fo that one would think that learned men might be agreed concerning the practice of the times I now fpeak of. But I find fo much contrariety in the accounts given, that there mud be on one fide or on the other, great difingenuicy ufed by them. I wifii I were able to read the books my felf: I would certainly give a true account, of which fide foever I were. You, I perceive, are confident that the ancient practice was wholly on your lide : and fome books that I have read, do give the account fo. But then others bring in thofe ancient fathers fpeaking all on the other fide. What verdict can one give upon fuch contrary evidence ?
P. I am afraid you have read Danvers. That book did me once a great deal of hurt.
A. And I thought it did me a great deal of good. For it leads one through all the firft centuries with quotations, mewing, that aduk bap til m only was then in ufc.
P, You muft of nccefilty read Mr. Baxter's Confutation of the ft range Forgeries of Mr. H.
Danvers*
63 A Conference between two Men
Danvers. Or, Mr. Wills 's two books on that: fubjecT: ; with his Appeal to the Antipcedobap- tifts themfelves, that they ought to renounce Arch a man. Or, Mr. Whifton : or, The Hiftory of Infant Baptijm («). You will find, that book (which has been fo magnified and handed about among thofe people, and has mifled feveral of them) to be a great fhame and dis- credit to their oaufe. And in this refpecl, I may fay, that afterwards it did me good too : for it gave me an averfion to that caufe which was thought to need fuch forging and pervert- ing of teitimonies, as even the Papifts do fel- dom ufe.
A. I fhall judge of that, when I read the book, you fpeak of. But J mull own to you my iufpicion, whether that quotation you brought juft now, as out of Juftin Martyr, be genuine, where he fpeaks of fome chriftians of his acquaintance that were then feventy years old, and had been baptized in their childhood.
P. The word ufed by Juftin, is not the word itfelf [baptized] but [difcipled, or made difci- ples] as I rehearfed it. It is, as I told you, the fame word that is ufed by St. Matt, xxviii. i 9. Difciple the nations, baptizing, Sec.
A. That fcems to me much at one. For our reafon why infants cannot be baptized, is, becaufe they cannot be difcipled. Nor do I fee what Juftin could mean by the infants being difcipled to Chrift, but their being baptized, But the reafon of my questioning whether it (») Past II. Ch, i. and all over the book.
be
about Infant-Baptism. 6g
be genuine, is, becanfc I have ufed to mind how early any' of the quotations are, that are brought for Infant -Baptifm, and I do not re- member that they brought any fo early. For Juftin wrote that Apology at the year after ChriiFs birth 140, as I remember ; that is, within 40 years of the death of fome of the laft apoftles : and 70 years reckoned back from that time, do reach in the midft of the apof- tles time, and come within 36 years of our Saviour's death.
P. The quotation is genuine (as Mr. B. af- fured me) and the book unqueftioned. You may not have met with it before. We are beholden to Mr. Dorrington {0) for obferving a paiTage which fo many before him had over-looked.
A. Some other paffages of antiquity that you have mentioned, I will remember and examine. Efpeciaily that of thofe men that fay, they never heard of any chriftians that did not baptize in- fants. Did Mr. B. tell you of any more ?
P. Yes. He gave me an account out of the four firft centuries. And in the firiT (p) of them (which is the age of Chrift and his apof- tks) there are, befides the books of fcripture, but two or three fhort pieces left. They are on other fubjects, and have no difcourfe directly about infants. But they fpeak of original fn with which we are born ; and one of them (who wrote before St. John) mentions the necefllr.y of baptifm to all peribns, in order to entrance into God's kingdom, as a known chriftian doctrine
(0) Vindication of the Chunk, (p) Hiji. Part I. Ch. i.
at
76 A Conference between two Men
at that time. For he fays, none can come there 'without the feal ; and that thatjeal is water.
In the iecond (q), there are alfo but few- books left. Yet of thofe few, what Jujiin fays, you have heard : and he difcourfes moreover of baptifm being to us inftead of circumcifion : and of original fin, &£. And L'ccneus, *who lived 30 years after Juftin> reckoning up the feveral forts of perfons that are by Chriji born again unto 'Gody mentions infants exprefsly among them. And the word [born again] does with him and all old writers (and Juftin for one) fignify baptifm as peculiarly as the word [chriitening] does with us.
A. I do not fee how infants can be faid to he born again in any other fenfe.
P. You obferve right. In the third cen- tury (r) Tertullian (year after the apofties 102) who was much given to fingular opinions, and oppofed the received practices in many things, difputes againft the cuftom of baptizing in- fants, virgins, young widows, &c. (at leaft ex- cept in clanger of death) I counted this tefti- mony to be as good an evidence for Infant- Baptifm as any : for he fo gives his reafons and opinion againft the cuftom, as that one plainly perceives by his words that it was then actually the cuftom to baptize them.
Origen9 ten years after, does in feveral places fpeak of Infant- Baptifm, as a known and un- doubted practice : and (in one of them) as hav- ing been ordered by the apofties. (2) Hift. Part I. ch. ii.and iii. (r) Hj/l, Part. I. ch. iv, v, vi.
A. U
about Ixfant-Baptism. 71
A. If that were a known thing at that time, that the apoftles ordered fo, Tertullicn mud have been a madman to oppofe it.
P. It is probable he did not know it. He lived in a country in Africa, where no apoftie ever came, nor nigh it. But Origen lived near Judea, and had been born of chriftian. parents, and fo might know it better. And St. Ambrofe and St. Auftin do affirm the lame thing, that the apoftles pradtifed and ordered it. About forty years after Origen, one Fidus, a country bifhop, fent a fcruple of his to St. Cyprian, and fixty-fix bifhops that were occafionally affem- bled ; " Whether the baotifm of an infant " mud not always be on the eighth day after " his birth, becaufe circumcifion was fo ?" They fend him a letter, in anfwer, fC That his ". fcruple is vain ; that the child may (and " muft, if there be danger of death) be bap- " tized fooner : and fpeak of the refufal of it " as dangerous to the foul's health of the cc child. '* This was about 150 years after the apoftles ; and fome of thefe fixty-fix bifhops muft be fuppofed to be 70 or 80 years old themfelves : which reaches xo half the fpace : and it appears by their words, that not one of them made any doubt of Infant-Baptifm.
A. I remember that letter : but Danvers would have it to be fpurious.
P. There is not a piece in all antiquity that can more certainly be proved to be genuine ; for St. Hierom and St. Auftin do very frequently quote pafTages out of it.
A, What
72 j? Conference between two Men
A. What, to confirm Infant Baptifm ?
P No. I told you before that they never lltard of any one that denied that : but to con- firm the doclrine of original fin, which the JV- lagians denied, though they owned In fant-Bap- tiiin.
As for the next century, it is endlefs to re- peat theii fayings : but I have here a note of their names. The council of Eiiberis (year afcer the apoftles 205) Of tains 260. Greg. Na- izi an z en 1 6 o . St. Am brcfe 274. Siriciu s 2 8 4 . St. Auftin :qo. Paulinas 293. Council of Carthage 297. Another 300. Another 301. Innocentius 302.
A . Hold. Was not that Pope Innocent ?
P. Yes.
A. Dauvers fays, he was the firft. that de- creed infants to be baptized.
P. How true that is you may guefs by what I have rehearfed. And St. An/tin (before Inno- cent was Pope) writes, fC that it was not de« <f creed in any council, but had been ever in " ufe*" And that " no chriftian man of any Cf fort, had ever denied it to be ufeful (sj.}>
A. Go on with your names.
P. No. Here I will give you the note — There are a great many more of them. They do all of them (feme in feveral places of their works, St. Auftin in above 1000 places) fhew by their words, that infants were baptized in their times : and that without controverfy. There is not one man of them that pleads for it, or goes (sj Hifi. Part I. Ch. vii, viii. &f4 to xxiii. Part II. Ch. x.
about
about Infant-Baptism. 73
about to prove it, as a thing denied by any chriftian, except thofe that denied all water- baptifm.
A. Were there then any Quakers in thofe days ?
P. There were fome heretics that denied all baptifm. But it was only fome of the groifeft and mod enormous ones, and fuch as denied the fcriptures alio.
A. And is there no author in all this fpace of time that fpeaks againft Infant-Baptifm, but only that Tertullian f
P. Not one among thofe that owned any bap- tifm at all.
A. Nor one that do fay that it was the cuftom of fome churches to baptize only the adult ?
P. No fuch thing.
A. Then (if I find what you fay to be true) I will never believe Danvers's book any more. For he quotes feveral authors of thefe times to fay : cc That in the eaftern church they bap- €C tized only the adult (/)." But then in a poftfcript he corrects that ; and for eaftern he fays we muft read weft em* And if it be true of neither of them, how grofs is that ?
But for the feveral feels (u) that were in thofe times, Novations, Bonatifts, Sec. and for the Britons he makes a pretence. You fay St. Auftin knew of no feci: that denied Infant- Bap- tifm. Had St. Auftin any great knowledge of
(/) Treatife of Infant -Baptifm > cent. 4. I. p. 56. Ed. 2.
See Hif. Part ] L Ch. i. {*) Hi/f. Part. II. Ch. iv.
D the
74 A Conference between two Men
the feds that were or had been ? You find he -was ignorant that Tertnllian had fpoken againft it.
P. He had fo good knowledge, that he wrote a book of all the fedls that were then, or had been (he reckons 88, and their feveral tenets) and of the Novations and Donatifts writes largely : but not a word of their denying Infant- Baptifm.
But it had been Pelagius's intereft (being fo "hard preffed with that argument; " Why are " infants baptized, if they have no fin ?") to have found out fome that denied it, if he could. And yet he alfo declares, as I told you, that he never heard' of any. And he was a Briton bom, but lived moft part of his time at Rome and Je- rujalem> and fo muft needs have heard of them, if there had been any.
A. Where may I find the paflages of the authois named in your note, and the reft that you refer to ?
P. If you will read them at large, and in their order of time, (which I think is better than reading of fcraps) you may fee them in a book, called, The Bijiory cf ' Infant- Baptifm. That writer pretends to little more than the mere pains of collecting them ; but he has done them at large, and in the author's own words, and referred to the book and chapter whence they are copied.
A. Do thefe fathers feem to have confidered thofe things, which the Antipcedobaptifts do now ufe as reafons againft the baptizing of in- fants :
about Infant-Baptism. 75
fants : as that they have no fenfe of the thing, no faith, &c.
P. Yes. As appears in the difcourfe they have about (w) the godfathers profefling in the* name of the child, that he does renounce, be- lieve, &c. Where they confefs that the child has not in any proper fenfe, faith, &c. but that it is only the godfathers declaring, in the name of the child, that part of the covenant which the child is bound to believe and perform, if he live. So far are they from thinking this a rea- fon againft the baptizing of them.
A. Then they ufed godfathers in thofe times too?
P. Yes. Your own friend Tertullian (year after the apoflles 100) fpeaks of them as being then in ufe, where he fpeaks of the other. And fo do many of the reft.
A. But if there was no church, fed:, or fo- ciety that renounced Infant-Baptifm ; there feems to have been a great many particular chriftians that let their children grow up un- baptized. For the Antipcedobaptifts bring many inftances of emperors, as Conft amine, &c. and many other men, as Aufiin, cVc. that had chriftian parents, and yet were baptized at full age. And here (excufe me if I deal freely with you) I can prove the contrary of what you have faid. You fay St? Auftin never had heard of any chriftian of our opinion : it is plain that his own father was of this opinion. I have my- fe\t read his book of ConfelTions; where he in [fit) Hi/i. Part II. Ch. v. § 1, 11, 16, 17.
D 2 the
;6 A Conference between two Men
the ninth book tells us how he was baptized at his own defire, being above* thirty years old.
P. I have ken fourteen fuch inftances brought : but I have (at) feen thirteen of them ihewn to be miftakes, or to fail of proof: and the fourteenth proved to be a difpurable cafe. But none of them more palpable miftakes than thofe two you mention. Did not you read in thofe books of St Auftin, that his father was a Heathen, and did not turn Chriftian till a little before his death ?
A. I did not mind any fuch thing.
P. Then when you read them again, mind ■what he fays, in the firft book, ch. ii. fecend book, ch. iii. ninth book, ch. ix. you will find what I fay to be true. And for Conftantine^ do not you remember that he was the firft Chriitian emperor ?
A. Yes. Every one has heard of that.
P. Do you think that the firft Chriftian em- peror had a Chriftian emperor for his father ?
A. Was his father emperor ?
P. Yes. (y) Conftantius Cblcrus. He died at Tcrk, poiTefled of the imperial dignity. He died a Heathen:
A. Then what makes people write fuch bulls? I think that after the fourth century the Antipcedobaptifts do confers that Infant-Baptifm did generally prevail.
P. Yes." Mr. Terns fays, (z) " that St. <c Aujlins authority carried it in the following
(x) Hi/}. Part II. Ch. iii. ( v) Ibid. 2. (z) Examcn, Part I. j 8.
" ages,
about Infant-Baptism. 77
" ages, almoft without controul." Which is hard, when St, Auftin profeffes folemnly, that he never heard of any one in his time, or ever before, that oppofed it.
A. Buc hark ye. E>id not thefe ancient chrii- tians give the communion to infants, as well as baptifm ?
P. No. None of the mod ancient {a). i In St. Cyprians time, there was a cuftom of giv- ing it in his church to yGung boys or girls of about four or five years old. And afterwards mere infants received it in fome churches. But not till after the year 400, as for as I can find. I believe that Pope Innocent, whom Danvers makes the firft decreet of Infant-Baptifm, was really the firft that decreed that they mud re- ceive the communion.
A. In what manner do you find that thefe an- cient chrifrians adrniniftered baptifm to infants and others ? By dipping r or, by pouring water en the face ?
P. By dipping generally (b). But if the per- fon were weak, io that going into the "water might endanger his life 5 or in times of great halte, want of water, or other neceflity, they gave it by putting water on the face.
A. Then they did not think dipping to be of the effence of baptifm •, fo as that a perfon baptized, by putting water on the face,' mould
{a) Hifi. Part II. Ch. ix.§ 15, 16, 17. [b) Hift. Parfll.
Ch. ix. i 2.
be
7 8 A Conference between two Men - v
be accounted as not fufficiently baptized ! Our Saviour in his command, ufed only this word, baptize. Now what did Mr. B. tell you was the proper fignification and ufe of that word in other places of fcripture?
P. The word, to baptize, in fcripture (c) is ufed for any washing, whether in whole or in part ; whether in a facramental way, or on other occafions. And the facramental warning is fometimes. expreded by the word baptize, and fometimes by other words, that are ufed for common warning.
A. What places of fcripture did he bring, where the word baptize is ufed for any other warning than that of dipping?
P. Luke xi. 38. The warning of the hands is called the baptizing of the man. For where we read; The Pharifee marvelled that he had not waffoed before dinner. St. Luke's own words are ; that he was not baptized before dinner. And fo where we read; Mark vii. 4. When they come from market, except they wafh, they eat not. St. Mark's own words are ; except they be baptized, they eat net. Now this warning before dinner, was only the warning of the hands -, as we fee, Mark vii. 5. and that was by a fervant's pouring water on the hands. Pie brought alfo feveral other places.
A. And where is the facramental warning ex- preiTed by other words than are ufed for com- mon wading?
[c) Ht/t, Part II. Chap, viii, § 6. pnge 219.
P. Eph.
about Infant-Baptism. 79
P. Eph. v. 26. The wajhing. of water. Tic. iii. 5. The wajhing of regeneration. Hcb. x. 22. Having our bodies wafloed. The word here ufed in the original, is not baptizing, but (as Mr. B. a fibred me) the fame that is ufed Aols xvi. 33. He wajhed their Jlripes. No man will think they were put into the water for that.
A. I fhali be lef> anxious about this; partly becaufe our Saviour has given us a rule, Matt. xii. 3, 4, 7, that cc what is needful to preferve <c life, is to be preferred before outward cere- <c monies :" and partly becaufe in the church of England (and fo I fuppofe in other churches) any man may have his child dipped at baptifm, if he will venture the life of his child.
But for the baptizing of infants, I mall con- fider, read, and confer on the feveral things you* have mentioned ; and what will be the re- fult I know not : but I am refolved to take your advice in conferring with our curate, or fome other minuter, before I determine on any alteration. For I find that they know many things that are ufeful to find out the true fenfe of a fcripture-pafiage, more than we do.
P. If you do fo, and with an unprejudiced mind, I do not much .doubt but tnar, by the grace of God, you will not only overcome ail your fcruples, but alfo be more confirmed in opinion of the validity of your.baptifm, and more thankful for the fpiritual benefits con- veyed to you by it, than ever you were before your doubting, as (I thank Gocl) I am. There
are
So A Conference between two Men, Sec.
are many that were of our church, who are now far gone in their new ways, and become teachers in them, who wanted nothing but this to have kept them fteady in the unity of the church of Chrift and of its doctrines.
FINIS.
I Fruited hy Law and Gilbert, St. John'f Square, LondoJ
SERIOUS CAUTION
AGAINST THE
DANGEROUS ERRORS
or THE
ANABAPTIST S.
BY THE LATE RIGHT REVEREND LEWIS, L0RD BISHOP OF ST. ASAPH.
_. - ' .*.. —I- .... ,, ... ■■ -^-t-.
Who hath bcuitched you that you Jhould not obey the Truth ? — Ga!. lii. 1.
loimon :
PRINTED FOR F. AND C. RIV1NGTOX. BOOKSF.I.1FS5 10 TITL IOCIETT FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KN0WLE8C^ NO. 62, ST. PAWL'S CHURCH-YAK*.
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X HERE is fomething fo unchriftian ia flighting the Ordinance of cur blefied Sa- viour himfelf ; fomething fo contrary to that unity of Spirit and bond of Peace, which the Apoftie recommends to us, in Separating from that found and pure part of Chrifts Church, wherein ye were born and bred, that I cannot perfuade myfelf any of you would knowingly and wilfully do either the one, or the other. But, it is poffible you may be mifinformed ; and perfuaded to do that blindfold, which, with your eyes open, you would iliun as moft foolifh and wicked. That fome of you have been fo milled, I am well informed; and I hear it with the deeped forrow; as it is a matter wherein the eternal welfare of your fouls is more nearly concerned than perhaps you are aware. I do entreat you, therefore, in the Lord Jefus, to coniider attentively what I here offer to remove fuch dangerous prejudices from your minds.
" Go and teach all nations, baptizing them
hi the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Glwft. (Matt, xxviii. 1.9.)
A 2 With
( * )
With thefe awful words did our Bleffed Saviour inftitutc Baptifm, asthefolemn Kite by which He would have all mankind ad- mitted into covenant with God, through hi3 Merits and atonement : and commifiioned the Apoftles and their Suectilbrs in the Church to admin ifter the fame. For, that the commiihon was not confined to the per- fons of the Apoftles only, but to extend to their Succeffors, is evident, beeaufe our Sa- .viour promifed, at the lame time, his prefence and bieffing on the Miniftry to the end of the world. " Lo! I am with you akray, veen unto the end of the world?
Before we leave this important pall age, I muft apprize you that the word we here find rendered tenth, according to its true mean- ing ihould be rendered make dijiiples of. For want of attending to this, our tranila- tors introduce a needlefs tautology, or re- petition, in our Lord's words, which doth not belong to them, u Co, teach all nations, bap- tizing them and teaching them." Whereas our Lord faith — "Go make difciples of all nations, baptizing them, and teaching them.* As if he had faid — The privileges of being 7 God's
( A )
God's people are no longer confined to the nation of the Jews; go, therefore, and confer them on thofe of all nations by baptizing them, &c. I thought it neceffary to clear up this point at fetting out, as this overfight of ourTranflators hath been wrefted to counte- nance a doctrine mo ft contrary to the na- ture of the inftitution, and to the Spirit of the Gofpel. — Now to proceed —
Baptifm being thus appointed, by our Bleffed Redeemer, if any have, agreeably in all points to the intent of this inftitu- tion, been once admitted into the Gofpel Covenant ; and had their title to all the Be- nefits of ChrihYs Death and Paffion thus fealed and confirmed, it muft be allowed by all, there can be no neceffity to repeat it. As far as externals go, our title once fealed, is as good as it can be. Moreover, to re- peat it is evidently not only unnecevTary and abfurd, but wicked. It is to trifle with the ordinance of Chrift, and in effect to introduce into his Church a facrament which Me hath not appointed.
But you have been told you were not at
firft admitted according to Curias Inftitu-
A 3 tiou
( o )
tion — You were fprinkled indeed with wa- ter— but it was when you were an infant, at a time when you knew not what was in- tended by it; that you were not in a ca- pacity to ftipulate any thing on your own part, nor to apprehend by Faith the mer- cies of God offered unto you in that Sa- crament.— Befides, that the word baptize, the principal word in the command, was not complied with : that it does not mean fprinkl'uig, but a total immerfion or dip- ping over head and ears ; and that the praclice of Chrift himfelf, and of his Apof- tles, was always agreeable to fnch a mean- ing.— The vanity of fiich objections will cadly appear.
As to the words baptize and bapiifm, they are greek words, and eonfequentiy their meaning muft be fought in that lan- guage. Now the moft approved Dictiona- ries of the greek tongue mow that the word Baptize figniries fimply to wajh. And it is u fed in Scripture for xvafking of any kind, and in inftances where there was cer- tainly no immerfion.
Matt. iii. 11. " He Jhatt baptize you with the Holy Gh oft \ and with Fire '," which pro-
mife
( 7 )
mife is applied (Ads i. 5.) to the fending down of the Holy Ghoft in the fhape of fiery tongues; and was fulfilled (Acts ii. 3.) when V there appeared unto the Apoftles cloven tongues like as of Fire, and it fat upon each of them. "
In St. Mark vii. 4. we read of thePhari- fees, that when they come from the market, except they wash (i. e. literally baptize them- \ felves) they eat not. Now the manner of waih- jng, before meat, we know to have been not by dipping, but by pouring water on the hands (2 Kings iii. 11.) And, in the fame place of St. Mark, we read of the waffling (baptifm) of Brazen verTels and of Tables. (Heb. ix. 10.) of divers warnings (baptifms) under the Law; fome of which were not by dipping, but fprinkling (Numb. xix. 13, }$, &c.)
For the practice of Chrift and his Apof- tles, 1 fee not how it can be collected that it was certainly a total immerfion in any one inftance : and there are feveral, in which it is more than probable that it was not.
It is true Chrift was baptifed by John in
the river, and fo was the Eunuch by Philip ;
but the text doth not fay that either Chrift
A 4 or
( 8 )
of the Eunuch, or any one baptized either by John or by Chart's Difciples were plunged over head and ears. But allowing that it were fo, the bare example in fuch a cafe could not bind without a precept. Provided the cifen- tials of a Sacrament arc preferred, the mere mode of application, wntefc limited by a pofi- tive reftriction, muft.be free. In matters of this kind, what may be proper at one place, and onetime, may in others become highly improper, and even impoffiblc. At the begin- ning*, Chriftians had no Churches with Fonts in them; befides, the multitudes of people to be baptized at one time, made it expedient to go down to rivers, and places where were many waters, as St. John did to /En on beyond Salem; at which place, by the accounts of the mof< creditable travellers, there are indeed manyzcatcrSy a great number of fmall rivulets, but fofhallow as hardly to reach to the ancles, and therefore could not well anfwer the pur- pole of dipping : but this by the bye. — In that clrmatc, they might very well go to ponds and rivers, for the purpofe ; but in this, it would many times be attended with great danger. In fome countries, they have fcarce water
enough
( 9 )
enough to drink, not a river nor a brook iti many miles compafs. What mult be done in fuch places ? Surely, dipping canot be ne- ceffary; fince, if it were, none could be bap- tized: and if not in fuch places, not effenti- ally requifite any where ; for, no (ituation can alter the effentials of a Sacrament. But if the examples of Scripture are to be our rule in this cafe, they mud have been clearly uniform; whereas there are many baptifms recorded in Scripture, which, from the circumflances of the feveral cafes, could not in any reasonable probability have been performed by dipping.
Acts ii. 41. We read of three thoufand baptized in one day, and that in the city of Jei ufalem, where water could not eafily have been procured for the dipping of fo many. . Befides which, it mull have taken up a much longertime in the performance than oneday; hardly lets than a week would have fuifked.
Read likewife the baptifm of Paul by Ana- nias; (Acls ix. 18, 19, lJ0.) where from the whole paffage it is next to certain that be was baptized iu the lodging. Likewife in the faouie of Cornelius, St. Peter's words, "can " ami forbid water that theft jhould not be A 5 "bap-
( io )
"baptized?" (A&s x. 47) imply certainly that the Water was to be brought for the Bap- tifm of the new Converts, and not that they were to go out to the Water.
The fituation of St. Paul (Ads xvi. 37.) renders it extremely improbable that he ihould carry the jailer and all his family out at the dead of night to a pond or river to be baptized.
Thefe inftauees are fufficient to mow that no conclusive argument can be drawn from the cafes recorded in Scripture, that a total immerfion is of abfolute neceifity to baptifm.
Neither is the fpiritual actor Grace figni- fied by baptifm at all more lively reprefented by dipping than fprinkling. — For if dipping be faid to rep re fen t the total burial of the old Man with the affections and lufts; and the emerfion from the water, the being born again and becoming a new creature : on the other hand, the cleanfing of the Soul from the guilt and filth of Sin, and putting axvay the filth of the flcjh may be Sufficiently exprelfed by fprinkling only. And we find accordingly that this outward a 61 of baptifm, reprefenting the inward ablution of the Soul, is in Holy Scripture expte&ly ftyiefi fprinklmg.
Heb,
c;
( M )
Heb. ix. 13. "7%e? blood of bulls and gents sprinkling the unclean J anciifeth " to the purifying of the flejh. Heb. x. 22. " Having our hearts sprinkled from an " evil confience, and our bodies wafhed with "pure water" 1 Pet. i. 2. " Through the "fanciification of the Spirit and sprinkling " the Blood of Jefus CkriJ."
I know, in the early ages of the Church, a threefold immerfion was practifed pretty ge- nerally, but as they had no precept for it any more than we, their example cannot of necefiity oblige us. And it mould be remem- bered, that the Church of England prefcribes dipping though it allows sprinkling; and the latter is generally practifed, not to the exclufion of the former, (which would always be adminiftered if required ;) but only as in all other refpecls a matter of indifference, and for practice rather more convenient. More- over, they who plead the authority of anti- quity in this trilling inftance (which by the by too was never practifed but with various exceptions) cannot expect their plea flioukj have much weight; feeing they thcmfelves reject the conftant and uninterrupted prac- A6 lice
( 12 )
ticc of the univerfal Church of Chrift, in a point of much greater confequence, the baptifm of Infants.
That the baptifm of Infants is perfectly agreeable to the nature of the inftitution, and to Scripture, I am now to fhow.
Baptifm, as hath been obferved, is the ap- pointed rite of admifiion into covenant with God, through the Merits of Chrift. By fuch admifiion, we are removed out of that ftate of nature, wherein we are born the chil- dren of wrath, fubjeft to the doom of that original Sin, which we inherit from our fir ft parents; and are placed in a ftate of Grace and Salvation and made heirs of the King- dom of Heaven. Children are juft as capable of this benefit, from baptifm, asperfons of ripe age. Chrift hath no where excluded them; for the words of the Inftitution are unlimited, <; baptize all Nations" And he hath not only exprerTcd his favour to them himfelf, but re- commended little children as patterns to all who fhall receive the Kingdom; they muft therefore be themfelves in the fame capacity to receive it as others; that is, by ufe of the appointed means. Now that admifiion by baptifm is generally neceffary to the Salvation
of
( 13 )
of all, ChrinYs own words fuftlcicntly prove, " Unit fs one be born of water and of the Spirit u he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." (John iii. 5.) I know our Tranilation reads "except a man be born, &c.:" and the Anabaptifts have argued from thence that none but a grown man fhould be baptized. But the word man is not in the original.
Obferve, I fay that Baptifm is generally neceffary to the falvation of all : but we are not thence to conclude, that all who die with- out Baptifm, are configned to eternal mifery. We may in charity believe that God doth and will fave thoufands of fuch. But al- though He is not tied to his own ordinances, We are: and parents are guilty of an hein- ous crime before God, who in contempt of Chriffs command take not care for their childrens baptifm, thereby depriving them of the ordinary remedy of that original ma- lady, in which they are conceived and born.
That God himfelf judges infants capable of being admitted into Covenantwith him, is undeniable, from his own appointment of cir- cumcifion to be performed the eighth day. They who wifli to tniflcad you will lay, I know, 4i Show us a like command for bap*
" tifm,
( H )
" tijm, and we will be fatisfied. " You may tell them that the command of Chrift is general "baptize all nations'" and to juftify their practice, it is incumbent on them to mow that infants are exprefsly excluded. 'Till they do this, their conduct is no better than prefump- tion and blafphemy. For, all the arguments they can produce againft the propriety of infant-baptifm not only proceed on falfe grounds, but if they prove any thing, muft conclude as ftrongly againft the propriety of Infant-Circumfion as of infant-baptifm. But God hath determined otherwile, and they make themfeives wifer than God. Cir- cumcifion was the leal of the felf-fame co- venant, as baptifm is; that Covenant of Pro- mi fe, which to Abraham was confirmed of God in Chrift, and which the Law that was added, four hundred and thirty years after- wards, could not difannul (Gal. iii. 17.) Shall we fay then, that they which were of the Seed of Abraham, according to the Flefli, were capable of being entitled to the blefTed- nefs of theGofpel; but they who are the feed of Abraham according to the promife, his children as he is Father of the faithful
arc
( 15 )
are in no better ftate than idolaters and in- fidels? this finely is to make thofe unclean and common, which the Apoftle calleth holy (1 Cor. vii. 14.) ^ el few ere your children an- i( clean but now are they holy." How could they be holy, but by the Grace of God? and if they have that, or are capable of it, who can deny water that they Jhould not he baptized ?
Had our Saviour laid " Go and difciple or profelyte all nations and circumcife them," none will pretend that in that cafe infants ought to be excluded. What reafon then can there be that the milder ordinance of bap- tifm, when appointed for the fame purpofe, fhould be denied them? Circumcifion, it may be laid, was known to the Jews, and had from the firft been performed upon infants. — Nei- ther was baptifm a new Tnftitution : as ap- pears by that queftion of the Jews to John the Baptift " Why baptizeft thou then if thou be not that Chrift nor Elias" (John i. 25.) The truth is that baptifm was con- ftant.ly praCtiied by the Jews from the time of Mofes. For they baptized as well as cir- cumcifed every profelyte, that came over to them from the nations. And this baptifm,
k
( 16 )
It has been lliown by thofe belt fellled in jcwifli cuftoms, was adminiftercd to in- fants as well as grown perfons. It is further remarkable with regard to the jewiih bap- tifm of profclytes, that it was 'called ttew birth, regeneration, or being born again, which mews that the chriftian baptifm, to which the fame terms are applied, was derived from thence. This mode of ad million our Sa- viour retained, as on many accounts better adapted to the fpirit and defign of the Gof- pel, than circumcihon. " lie took it into his " hands" (fays a learned Author) S( fiiek as " he found it; adding only this, that he eu- fi alted it t& a nobler purpofe, and a larger <; life." It is therefore reafonable to imagine that fuchas it was in the jewifli church, fuch it would continue in the chriftian, unlefs where a fpecial alteration were prefcribed : efpecially as the perfons, to whom it was firft committed were thcmfelves Jews; and would at leaft praelife it in all cafes that the Jews did, and confequently extend it to infants. An infant, we all allow, may have tem- poral privileges, and an intereft in temporal eftatcs conferred upon him, by legal wri- tings,
( I? )
tings, and forms, and feals. Thefe, I arn fure, you would not withhold from your children. Much lefe mould you be willing to deny them that feal which conveys unto them a title to an inheritance in Heaven, that fadeth not away.
You may ftill be told, that, whatever be the reafons one way or other, the Apoftles, who tfiQuld be our only guides in fuch a practice, actually baptized no infants. The contrary of this atTertion is probable from what is faid above ; but will be ftill more evident from fcripture fads. The Apoftles baptized whole families; that of Lydia (Ac~ts xvi. J 5.) that of the Jailor (Aels xvi. 33.) that of Stepha- nas (1 Cor. i. 16\) Surely, it is hardly to be credited, that in all thefe families, there were no children. And, if there were any, and the Apoftlehad not baptized them, he would have made the exception, as he doth in a like cafe (] Cor. i. 14.) " IthankGod, I baptized none u of you but Or if pus and Gains. I baptized 1 ' alfo the houjhold of Stephanas. " The Apof- tle doth not here except fucklingsand chil- dren, where his argument required that he ihould, if they had been in fact omitted. And
in
( 18 )
in the cafe of the jailor, it is faid, that he and all that belonged to him, all his, were bap- tized. But that the Practice of infant-
baptifm was actually derived to us from the Apoftles, may be collected from teftimonies immediately fubfequent to the times, in which they lived. I ihall mention only two inftanees of unqueftionable authority.
Juilin Martyr, in his Apology, takes occa- fion to fay that * ' there were among Chriftians, " at that time, many per fons of both fares, fome li Jixty, fame feventy years old, who had been V made difaiples to Chrijl from their irt- "fancy" Now he wrote this apology about the year of our Lord 140. Therefore, thofc perfons, whom he fpeaks of, as baptized fixty or feventy years before, in their infancy, mull; have been baptized in the fir ft age, while fome of the Apoftles were yet living.
At the fame time with Juilin Martyr, lived Irenaeus Biihopof Lyons, who (it hath been proved) was born at the end of the firft cen- tury, about the year 97: and was a difciple of Polycarp, who was a difciple of St. John. About the year of our Lord 17$, he wrote. his book againlt herefies, when he was
himfelf
( 19 )
himfelf near 80 years old, and muft needs be a competent judge of the Church's fenfe and practice in this point, during the fecond century. "The ordinary zvay of being freed "from original fin (he fays) is baptifm, which u is our regeneration (or new birth) unto " God." And this he exprefsly affirms to be adminiftered to children, as well as adult perfons, ".For," fays he, "Cfuijl came to fare " all perfons by Himfelf, all I fay who by him " are regenerated unto God, infants, and " little ones, and children, and youths and " elder perfons," Now Irenaeus had before told us that baptifm is our regeneration unto God, all, therefore, whom he here men- tions, as regenerated unto God, muft have been baptized.
Thus much may ferve to prove beyond dis- pute that infant-baptifm was an apoftolical practice, and is derived to us without inter- miflion from the Apoftles themfelves.
That from the time of Irensus above quoted, it was the uniform practice of the Church till the reformation, is evident from the mod authentic records of the acts and councils of the Church during that period.
After
( 20 )
After the reformation, all the protectant Churches, however they might differ in other points, agreed in the continuance of mfkiit- baptifm : one fe6t only excepted of mean and turbulent enthufiafts, whofe doctrines ■were blafphemy, and their lives a continued feries of the mod flagitious crimes. Thefe were the original Anabaptifls. And the peo- ple, who would thus miflead you, are thofe who inherit the name, and in this inftance the doctrine and practice of thefe men. I hope in God they have abandoned all the reft of their abominations, which were indeed blots in the reformation, and a difgrace to human nature. Shall the defcendants of fuch men rife up in oppofition to the whole Church of God, and charge it with impiety and profanation of the Sacraments? — Let me caution you again ft them, that they may not deceive you to the hazard of your pre- cious fouls, making you indeed blafphcme the ordinance of Chrift and deny to your dear babes the fcal of their redemption.
But betides that it cannot be delayed with- out danger, preemption and impiety, the practice of baptizing in infancy is attended
with
( 21 )
with very beneficial confequences. By this means, an additional obligation is laid by the Church feu* the bringing up of children fo dedicated to God, in the ways of his Laws, and the works of hkj commandments. More over, all fuch fhameful and fcandalous ne- glcels of baptifm, and delays in the admi- niftration, arc prevented, as would otherwife mo ft certainly arife in the Church. Were pcrfons wholly left to thcmfelves, there would be much difficulty to bring many to baptifm, efpecially ata time, when they would be moil ftrongly folicited by the allurements of the world, and the violence of their own inordinate paffions. How averfe men in ge- neral are to fo drift and fpiritual an engage- ment, is but too evident from the difficulty there often is to perfuade them to come to the Lord's Supper. But when the engage- ment is laid upon them in their Infancy, and they are brought up with a due fenfe of the obligation upon thcmfelves, they come into the world with great advantage, and an ad- ditional fecurity againft the firft encroach- ments of Sin from the checks of their own Conference, continually reminding them of
the
( 22 )
the folemn engagement they are under.— Let none, therefore, I entreat you, perfuade jou to deny your children this benefit, to turn out your dear lambs, without their Lord's mark, open, to be feized and branded by the watchful enemy of their falvation. Keep them, and yourfelves, rather within the fold of that Church, where, under Chrift the great Shepherd, your fpiritual fafety is pro- vided for by the wifdom and piety of as wife and pious men as have lived upon earth, fince the days of the Apoftlcs. And the advantage of what they planned and eftablifhed is now confirmed by the experience of ages. — Here you are admitted into covenant with God by baptifm, foon after you are born, in the mod decent and folemn manner, amidft the prayers of a devout congregation. — Here every means are provided for your proper in- ftrucHon in the nature of the engagement you are under; and at fuch time as you are fo inftruc~ted, you are directed to acknowledge yourfelf, in the moft awful manner, to be bound by the Vow made for you by others at your Baptifm. Here too aconftant and re- gular public worihip is prefcribed, and pious 4- prayers
( 23 )
prayers provided, wherein all may join with their heart and undei (landing ; which can- not be the cafe, where thev have no thins: to direct them hut the efTufionsand raptures of a heated imagination. Such xvorjhip (if it can be called worjfiip) may be downright madnefs in fome, but in the reft it mud; be grimace and hypocrify. Men may and ought to devife prayers fuitable to their own parti- cular fit nation and circumftances, in private : but our public relation to each other, and to the Church of Chrift, is continually and in- variably the fame ; the fubjiance of our pub- lic wormip and addreffes, therefore, rauft be continually the fame too. It is abfurd then to fay that the form need be varied, efpe- cially fince if the form be known and agreed on by all, all may join in it with fervour and devotion. By the bleffing of God, the Church of England is at this day in polfeffion of a Form of Prayer as near perfection as I be- lieve any human computation ever was. — But to proceed. — In this Church, care is taken that you ihall hear conftantly the pure word of God, and that it ihall be expounded to you in fobriety and truth. The other
Sacrament
( 24 )
Sacrament too of the Body and Blood of Chi ill is duly and rightly adminiftered.- And laftly a regular miniftry is appointed, moil agreeable to the institution of the Apoilles themfelves, under t[ie ftricleft engagements to watch over your ibuls with diligence and integrity, and guide you, as much as in them lieth, in the way of peace and falvation. In inch a Church, if your fouls are not fafe, they can be fafe no where. — Do not, therefore, for Chriffs fake, and as you value your own eter- nal happinefs, do not forego fuch advan- tages to follow whom and what ye know not. May the God of all truth keep you in the way of truth, in the knowledge and love of Jefus Chrift, in due reverence and obfervance of his ordinances, in unity, of' fpirit, in the bond of peace and in righte- oufnefs of life ; and finally bring you to eveiiafting joy, through the fame Jefus Chrift our Saviour, who with the Father and the Holy Ghoftliveth and reigncth one God, blevTed for ever. Amen.
FINIS. L*w and Gilbert, Printer* St. John's Square, Clcrkcnwell.
A
PRACTICAL EXPOSITION
ON THE OFFICES OF
BAPTISM AND CONFIRMATION;
AND ON THE
COMMUNION SEPiVICE
OF THE
CHURCH OF ENGLAND,
AS PRESCRIBED BY THE
BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER.
BEING THE
SUBSTANCE OF EIGHT SERMONS, PREACHED AT
THE CHAPEL AT IIIGHGATE, IN MIDDLESEX.
TO WHICH ARE ANNEXED
PRAYERS and DEVOTIONS
SUITABLE TO THOSE SUBJECTS.
By EDWARD YARDLEY, B. D.
ARCHDEACON OF CARDIGAN
THE SECOND EDITION,
PRINTED FOR F. C. AND J. RIVINGTONj
Biwkjellers to the Society for Promoting Ckri/t'an Knowledge,
NO. 623 ST. TAUL'S CHURCH-YARD ;
1810.
and Gilbert, Printers, St. John** Square, Lcn<3<m>
THE
PREFACE.
IT will be wholly needlefs to fpend Time in proving to the Members of the Proteftant Church of England, to whom thefe Difcourfes are addreffed, the Obli- gations they are under to have a com- petent Knowledge of thofe Offices of Devotion of which our Public Service confifts.
The Administration of the Two Sa- craments instituted by our bleffed Lord, and th? Order of the ApoStolical Rite of Confirmation, are of fuch interesting Concern to every one of us, that it is hardly pardonable in any to be wholly ignorant of what is therein tranikcted between Gou and us, for our Spiritual and internal Advantage,
Baptiftr*
iv PREFACE.
Baptifm is the Sacrament by which we are admitted into the Church of Christ, and therefore is never to be repeated. And as we are but once baptized, and moft of us received that Sacrament whilft we were in our Infant State, when we were incapable to under- stand either the Promifes which were then made in our Names, or the Benefits which we then became intitled to; this Sacrament is ordered to be administered, as often as may be, publicly in the Church; to the End that we may be frequently reminded of our own Duty9 and of the Heavenly Bleffings which were then conferred on us.
Hence arifeth the Neceflity of under- ftanding aright that holy Office of our Church, that whenever we are prefent at the Reception of any into the Church by Baptifm, we may not fland as mere idle Spectators, or Witneffes to the nam- ing of a Child, but may ferioufly recol- 8 - left
PREFACE. r
left and renew the Promifes which were made on our Behalf when we ourfelves were baptized, and the Happinefs which, upon the Performance of thofe Promifes, will infallibly accrue to us.
Thofe who were baptized in their In- fancy, and had Sureties to engage for them, are ordered, when they come of Age, to take thefe Engagements on themfelves, and in their own Perfons to promife the Performance of them in the Prefence of the Bifhop ; and to this End the Church hath provided the Office of Confirmation: And therefore the Necef- fity of underftanding this, as well as the Office for Baptifm,. muft appear plain- and evident..
What hath been find- in this Treatife
on Baptifm and Confirmation is the Sub»-
ftance of Four Sermons lately preached,
and now firft preiented to the Public.
a What
vi PREFACE.
What followeth under the Title of The Rational Communicant^ contains Foufc Discourses, formerly publifhed, with the Addition of feveral Notes, attempt- ing to (hew the Agreement of our pre- fent Communion Service with the an- cient Liturgies \ and of an Euchariftical Office, taken chiefly from thofe venerable Remains of primitive Chriftianity.
As the Author modeftly hopes the former Edition hath, through God's Blefling, done fome Good, he is encou* raged to reprint it in a fmaller Form* that the Cheapnefs of the Book may be a means of its being more widely dif- perfed, and thereby come into the Hand! of the greater Number.
In order to reduce the Treatife to this Size, the Notes are many of themL6mitted7 efpecially fuch as were intended only to fatisfy the learned Readers ; and thofe
which
preface: vii
which were thought necefiary to be re- tained, -are thrown into the Tex", that they may neither be neglected as ufele£f nor caufe any Interruption in the Courfe of Reading,
The Deiign of all thefe Difcourfes is, to inform the pious Chriftians in the true Senfe and Meaning; of the Sacred Offices? and to direct their Zeal anc\ Devotion to that Decency and Propriety of Beha- viour which the feveral Parts thereof juftly require of them. And it is hoped that the Prayers which are added, taken from Authors of great Piety, may be of Spiritual Benefit to thofe who are deftitute of other Helps of the fame Na- ture.
i STENTS,
CONTENTS.
Of BAPTISM,
Page
QF Public Baptlfm, - r 1» &c*
Of Private Baptlfm; - - 28-
Qf Baptlfm of thofe of riper Fears, - •* S4
Of CONFIRMATION, - 40
A Prayer on Baptlfm, - - - 50
^' Prayer and Thankf giving on ditto r 4 - 52
jf Prayer hefore Confirmation, — - 5 3
A Prayer after Confirmation, - -55
The RATIONAL COMMUNICANT,. 57 Communion Service, - - - 6 fe
7/f>* Three Creeds., - - - 74
Offertory, - .... 79
Exhortation and Invitation, - - 85
Confeffion and Ahfolutlon, - - 85
Eucharlfllcal Suffrages, - - - 92
Confecratlon of the Elements, * - 97
Difirlbutlon and Reception, - - L02
Poft Communion, - - - 108
Application of the whole, - - - 1 1 *•
.4 £//? of Books fait able to the Subjecls treated of
in this IVork, - - - 122
yfo Eucharlfiical Office, conftfling of Prayers,
Meditations, and Thaukfgivings, 19.5 to the End*
AN
EXPOSITION
ON THE
OFFICES*
OF
BAPTISM AND CONFIRMATION.
OF BAPTISM.
Matthew xxviii. 19, 20.
Go ye therefore, and teach all Nations ", baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and nf the Son, and cf the Holy Ghojl : teaching them to ahferve all Things whatsoever I have com- manded you : And lo, I am with you alzvay, even unto the End of the World.
THE Evangelist Sc Matthew having given us a large Account of the Birth and Circumciilon, the Preaching and the Mira- cles, the Crucifixion and the Refurrect i<jn of the BleiTed Jesus, concludes his Gbfpel with relating the folemn Manner in which. he inftituted the holy Sacrament of Bapttfrn. He tells us, that when the Eleven A^oities B were
2 An Expofition gh the Offices
were gathered together, according to th« Appointment of their Matter, jefus came, and /pake unto them , faying. All Power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth, ver. 18. As if he had faid, I havefinifhed the Work which my Father gave me to perform ; I have con- flicted and built a Church which I have pur- chaled with my own Blood; I was obedient unto Death, but now Death is fwaliowed up in Victory ; I am rifen from the Dead, and have triumphed over the Grave, and am by God the Father exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour; He hath given all Things into my Hands, and my Power is unlimited and unre- ftrained ; all Things both in Heaven and Earth obey my Will, and as an Act of this Autho- rity, As my Father hath fent me, tvtnfofend I you, and give you, by Virtue of the follow- ing Commiffion, Power to make Difciples, and in my Name lo admit them into the Church : What ye ihall do herein according to my ln- ftitution, I will ratify and confirm your Act, for Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the End §f the World ; Go ye therefore, and teach all Nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft.
The Word Baptfm implies dipping or plunging in Water, or fprinkiing or wafhing with it; and as the Element of Water hath a natural Property of cleanling, (6 this hath very anciently been ufed both by Jews ami Gentiles as a Sacred Rite to fignify inward Purification, and the wafhing away of Crimes and Guilt ;
and
of Baptifm and Confirmation. 3
and to this the Jews introduced another ufe of Baptifm, and be fides Circumcifion, adopted it as a Ceremony at the Initiation of Members into their Church. After this, John, the Fore- runner of the Meffiah, in order to prepare the way for the Reception of the Gofpel, did in the River Jordan adminifter the Baptifm of Repentance. The Jews then, being accuf- tomed to this Rite, did not look upon it as a new or uncouth Ceremony, when our Lord exalted ic into a perpetual Sacrament for the Admiffion of Members into his Church.
All the Eflentials of Baptifm were pointed ©ut by the Founder of our holy Religion, and thefe were to remain without any Alteration : But as to other Circumftances relating to the Adminiftration, He hath left the Church at Liberty to order fuch Ceremonies as fhallfeem fitted to the State and Condition fhe is at any time in ; and to make fuch Orders in relation to the Manner of adminiftring this Sacrament, which, though they are in themfelves indif- ferent, yet it becomes our Duty to comply with them, becaufe fhe prefcribes them.
The Primitive Churches were not without their Forms for the decent and folemn Admi- niftration of this Rite ; and the Church of Eng- land hath not been wanting in making the fame Provifion; and hath in her Common Prayer Book inferted three feveral Offices for the Mi- niftration of Bap.ifm, to be ufed according to her Direction. One of them is for the Sake of fuch whom the ancient Church ftiled Adultsy B 2 who
4 An Evpofition on the Offices
who were of Riper Years, and were come to the Ufe of* their Reafon, and capable of an- fwering for themfelves when they came to be Baptized. The other two are for the Ufe of Infants^ one of them to be performed in the Church j and the other in Private Houfes, out of Companion to fuch Children, whofe Health will not permit them to be carried out of Doors. As all our Offices of Religion ought to be well underwood by thofe who join in them, that their Zeal may be well guided, and their Behaviour iuitaby and properly directed -, and with this View the Communion Office hath been already explained, a.> being a Service which every good Chnftian ought frequently to be prefect at: So the B 'apt ijma I Office will require the fame 1 \iins, though it be but once ufed in Behalf of cve;y Member of our Church, and his Baptifm is never to be repeated. For as tothofc Few whowert Baptized fi nee they came to \ t a or Difc retion, and anfwered for then-i- ll I- ^ it is very fit that in attending to the "Baptifm of others, they Ihould be remindedof tlv: T i ngs tney tnemfelvea promifed, and of the Engag< menrs they entered into, which it is thri; bounden Duty to comply with. And as the far greatcft Part of us were Baptized in our tender Age, when we knew neither the B&hefits o;. this Sacrament, nor the Vows and Pro; piles which tfte charitable Care of our God- fa.- Godmothers made for us, and in
ovi Names undertook that we ihouid Perform them -, io it is exceeding ufetul for us ferioufly
to
of Baptifm a fid Confirmation, 5
to liften to the Baptifmal Service whenever it is performed, and to confider the Advantages we are entitled to from having received that Sacrament, and the Obligations which from thence we are bound to fulfil.
In order therefore to make this divine Ser- vice the better undtrftood, I /hall proceed to a Practical Explanation of The Miniftration of Public - B apt if in of Infants, to be ujed in the Church, This is the Title it bears in tht Com- mon Prayer Book; and this will remind us to make two Obfervations. Firfty That &i" Law- fulnefs of Infant Baptifm is maintained by our Church, who in her twenty-it venth Article of Religion declares, that it ought to " be re- " tamed in the Church, as melt agreeable with " the Inilitution of ChriuV' and hath here fur-- nifhed us with a peculiar Office Tor the Mmi- flration of it. The Baptizing of Infantb is no novel Practice, but was in ufe in the Primitive Church : And certainly when our Lord com- manded his Apoftles to Baptize all Nations, He would have exprefsly forbid the Baptizing of Infants, if he had meant that they mould be excluded ; but as he hath not, his Pcrmif- fion mult be underfbood, and even i.jfants comprehended under the Term of all Natk-ns, Baptifm fucceeded in the Room of Circumci- fion, and thofe who were then capable of the one, are undoubtedly now qualified for the ether. If Children of eight Days old were fit to enter into Covenant with God by Circumci- fion, no Reaibn can be given why Infants B 3 ihould
6 An Erpq/ition en the Offices
ffiould at any Time be debarred from enter- ing into Covenant with God by Baptifm : Nor is it any newThingfor Children or Minors to agree to, and Fromife thofe Things by their Guardians or Sureties, which thcmfelves arc not able either to underftand or perform at the Time in which they enter into that Engage- ment.
A fecond Obfervation is, That this Office is intended to be ufed only in the Church ; and therefore whenever this Public Service is ufed in any other Place, the Defign of the Church is oppofed, who hath provided another Office for Private Ufe. But I mall dtkr entering far- ther on this Topic, until I come to conlidex that other Form.
After the Title there follow fome Rubrics' of Direction, i. Though, " if Neceffity fo cc require, Children may be Baptized on any " Day, yet the People are to be admoniihed, <c that it is moil: convenient that Baptifm fhould " not be adminiftred but upon Sundays and rc other Holy-days, when the moil Number <c of People come together ; as well for that cc the Congregation there prefent may teftify " the receiving of them that be newly Bap- u tized into the Number of Christ's Church ; " as alfo becaufe in the Baptifm of Infants cc every Man prefent may be put in Remcm- <c brance of his own Profeffion made to God cc in his own Baptifm ; for which Caufe alfo <f it is expedient that Baptifm be miniftered " in the Vulgar Tongue/'
2. Cf There
<yf Baptifm and Confirmation. 7
£. fC There (ball be for every Male Child " to be Baptized, two Godfathers and one M Godmother j and for every Female, one " Godfather and two Godmothers." It will interfere lefs with the Explanation of the Of- fice, if I here fpeak of this Inftitution ; which feems to be borrowed from the Jews, who formerly did, and even now do require Spon- fors to anfwer for thofe who are to be Cir- cumcifed. Baptifm is a Covenant, wherein on one Side God promiieth to convey Pardon and Grace, and expects that Man mould, on his Part, promife Faith and Obedience : And fo when Infants, not yet arrived at the Ufe of their Speech or their Reafon, are Baptized, it becomes necefTary for fome other Perfons to lend their charitable AfTiftance, and to under- take in the Name of fuch Infants for the Per- formance of their Part of the Covenant,
In the firft Ages of Chriftianity this Cuftom was introduced into the Church ; and then in- deed there was efpecial need of it : For if thofe who were related to, and had the Care of any Child which was Baptized, were, by the Per- miflion of Providence, taken off by Perfec- tion ; — or if, through y their own Frailty they fell from the Faith, and revolted to Heathenifrn for fear of Perfeeutionj — in thefe Cafes the Church had ftill in referve fome who had fo- lemnly engaged themfelves to fee the Children brought up in the Faith and Fear of Christ. And as the Cafe (lands now with us, confider- ing the Coldnefs and IndirTerency of mod Peo- B4 pie
8 An Expojition on the Offices
pic in Affairs of Religion, the Ignorance which incapacitates fome Parents, and the wicked • Slothfulnefs which hinders others from Inftrucl- ing; it from hence becomes very fit, that ibme other Perfons, be fides the Parents, fhould promife to overlook the religious Education of the Children to be Baptized. The Parents are already bound by an inviolable Law to pro- mote the Spiritual, as well as the Temporal Happinefs of their Children ; and therefore they are not admitted as Sponfors in Baptifm, but the Church requires this from others, as a fupernumerary Security. If the Parents of the Children take all poffible Care to give them a virtuous and religious Education, the Sureties are then tafed of their Charge : But if the Pa- rents umit this \\ — if tht Children have the Misfortune to loft their Parents, and to be left Orphans 5 — if they take to ill Courfes, and neglect the Duties of Religion; — in thefe Cafes, Godfathers and Godmothers are obliged to exert themfelves, and to remind them what a folemn Vow, Promife and Profefiion was made in their Name atBaptifm ; for they have a Sort of Pa- ternal Right to aumoniin, exhort and rebuke thofe for whom they are Sponfors. If this kind of Guardianfhip be thought by any to be too great a Burden, let them remember, that as foon as the Child is come to Years of Difcre- tion, and is inftrucled in the firft Principles of Chriflianity, they may clifcharge the Obligation, and quit themfelves of the Truft, by bringing the young Perfon to thcBifhop to be Confirmed
bj
of Baptifm and Confirmation. 9
by him, and to take upon himfelf th'ofe Vows which his Sureties formerly made in his Name.
3. The next Rubric enjoins the giving de- cent and timely Notice of a Chriftening to the Miniftcr, either cf ever Night or before the C( beginning of Morning Prayer ;" and that when he hath " appointed" the Time of the Day, they are all, immediately after the laft LefTon, " to be ready at the Font," where <c Pure Water" is to be provided for the Per- formance of this facred Rite. Water is the Element appointed by our Saviour as an EiTential, without which the Sacrament cannot be adminiitred j and it ought to be cc Pure," both in regard to Decency, and to the fpi- ritual Signiricancy of it, as employed to wafh. away Sins. The Apoftles and Primitive Chrif- tians Baptized in Ponds and Rivers, and in any Place which had Water convenient; but when the Empire became Chriftian,. and Churches were built for the Worfhip of Christ, Baptifteries were joined to them, or Fonts (receiving their Name from the Foun- tains or Springs formerly ufed for the fame Purpofe) were fet up at the Entrance of them, to fignify by their Situation the Admiffion of Members into the Church by Baptifm.
The Time being now come, and every thing, ready for the Celebration, the Prieft, who un- der the Bifhop, and by Authority derived from him, is the proper and ordinary Minilter of Baptifm, or the Deacon^ as his Deputy or A£- iiftantj fianding at the Font is to enquire whe • B 5 cher
10 An Expofithn on the Offices
ther cf this Child hath already been Baptized, "or no?" The Rcafon of this Queftion is founded upon this Chriftian Maxim, that Bap- tifm is never to be repeated. There is but <c one Lord, one Faith, one Baptifm," Epb. iv. 5. As we are by that Sacrament admitted into the Church of Christ, the very Nature of it fhews that it ought to be but once admi- niftred. Circumcifion under the Law, and Bap- tifm under the Gofpel, were inftituted as Sa- craments by which Men were to enter into Co- venant with God; and if through Malice or Frailty they afterwards break his Covenant, they were not to be re-entered by thofe Rites, but other Means were provided whereby they might be reconciled to God, without being Circumcifed or Baptized again : And thus in the Nicene Creed we profefs to believe Cf one <f Baptifm for the Remiffion of Sins." If indeed this Rite mould be adminiftred in any other Manner than that in which our Lord inftituted it, and any of the EfTentials of Bap- tifm mould be omitted, it then ceafeth to be a Sacrament, it is of no Value or Efficacy, and the Perfon in Behalf of whom this vain Cere- mony was ufed, is obliged to receive the true Chriftian Baptifm, attended with all its effential Parts. Neither is this Rebaptization or a Re- petition of the Sacrament, becaufe the other was not according to the Inftitution of Christ, and fo no Baptifm.
If the Minifter, upon Enquiry, is informed that the Child hath not been already Baptized,
he
ofBaptifin and Confirmation* 11
he then begins the Office with a Preface, in which is declared that "ail Men are conceived ce and born in Sin, and none can enter into the <f Kingdom of God, except he be regenerate ** and born anew of Water and of the Holy £f Ghost j" and therefore he defires the Con- gregation fC to call upon God through Christ, " that he will grant to this Child that Thing <c which by Nature he cannot have, that he cc may be Baptized with Water and the Holy <c Ghost, and received into Christ's holy Cf Church, and be made a lively Member of Cf the fame." Then, after the ufual Invita- tion, " Let us Pray," follow two devout Pray- ers: The former of them commemorates God's Mercy in " faving Noah and his Family ia u the Ark from perifhing by Water, and in (c fafeiy leading the Children of IJrael through * the Red Sea,'' which were two remarkable Types of Baptifm; and alfo the Baptifm of his Beloved Son, who thereby did cc fanctify <c Water to the myftical warning away of Sin;" and then God is befought c< mercifully to look cf upon the Child, to wafh him and fanclify " him with the Holy Ghost, that he being (f delivered from Wrath, may be received into " the Ark of Christ's Church, and being " ftedfaft in Faith, joyful through Hope, and cc rooted in Charity, may fo pafs the Waves. " of this troublefome World, that finally he 4C'may come trothe Land of everlafting Life.* All here is fo eafy to the meaneft Chriftian^, that it needeth no Explanation; only thus B 6 muck
12 An Evpofifion on the Offices
much iruft be remembred, that every one in the Consecration ought devoutly to join in this and all the other Prayers, andtofhew their Piety, their Zea. and their Charity, in inter- ceding tor die Child or Children here offered to G d, that they may effectually receive all the Benefits annexed to this holy Saerament.
■ The next Prayer, by the moft awful and prevailing Titles, begs of God, that " the In- <f fant coming to his holy Baptifm, may receive <c Remiffion of Sins by Spiritual Regenera- " tion; that God, according to his Promife, " would give to thofe who afk, let them that cc feek find, and open the Gate unto them <c that knock; that this Infant may enjoy the <{ everlafting Benediction of his heavenly Wafh- <c ing, and come to his eternal Kingdom." What is meant here by Spiritual Regeneration requires to be fpoken to; to " be regenerate iC and born anew of Water/' are in the Be- ginning of this Office fpoken of as the fame Thing ; cc the Inward and Spiritual Grace," conveyed to us in this Sacrament, is by our Church Catechifm faid to be cc a Death unto cf Sin, and anew Birth unto Righteoufnefs; for " being by Nature born in Sin, and the Chil- iC drc'n of Wrath, we are hereby made the " Children of Grace." " We are buried with €< Christ by Baptifm into Death, that like ■J as Christ was raifed up from the Dead <c by the Glory of the Father, even fo we " fhould walk in Newnefs of Life." Rom.. y'u 4. And the fame St Paul ftiles Baptifm l « the
ofBaptifm and Confirmation. 13
<c the Warning of Regeneration;" Tit. iii. J. becaufe in Baptifm the Holy Spirit works in us a Change fomethinglike a new Birth, tranf- lating us from a natural State in jidam^ to a fpiritual State in Christ; both the Water and the Spirit at the fame Time concurring to this new Birth : For as we are but once born into our natural Life, io we are but once born into our Spiritual or Chriftian Life: We are but once Baptized, and once Regenerated -y — Regenerated at the very Time when we are Baptized. This is the Language of Scripture, thus this Term was applied by the antient Fa- thers, and thus it is ufed by our Church : So that to fpeak of a Chriftian's being Regene- rated in any other Stage of his Life ; or to ap- ply the Term of Regeneration or new Birth, to the turning from a iapfed State to a State of Holinefs, — to that Renovation, Amendment or Renewal of the Heart of Man, which is the Duty of a Chriftian, and which the Word of God exhorts us to acquire, — to make it fignify Converfion or Repentance -, is, if there were no worfe Confequences attending it, mixing and confounding of diflinct Notions, mifap- plying Scripture Phrafes, and abufing the an- cient and known Language of the Church- After this Prayer is ended, the Minifter reads that Portion of the Gofpel by St. Mark,. in which is related the kind Reception wnich little Children met with from the BleiTed Je- sus ; and then he is ordered to make*" a brief " Exhortation on the Words" which he hath
read 5
14 An Ejpofition on the Offices
read; obferving to the People that " Christ (C commanded horde Children to be brought cc unto him -, how he blamed thofe that would cf have kept them from him ; how he exhort- <c eth all Men to follow their Innocency; how Cf he declared his Good-will towards them, by cc Embracing them, Laying his Hands upon cc them, and BlefTing them :" Hence we ought to believe that he will be equally indulgent towards this prefent Infant, and favourably allow die charitable Work of thofe who bring him to Baptifm : And upon this he begins a Thankfgiving to Almighty God, for having u vouch fafed to call us 10 the Knowledge of cc his Grace, and Faith in him," begging that he would Cf increafe this Knowledge, and con- ct firm this Faith in us evermore, and give tc his Holy Spirit to this Infant, that he may " be born again, and be made an Heir of €C everlading Salvation, through our Lord ce Jesus Christ."
Next follows an Addrefs to the Godfathers and Godmothers, reminding them of what they have prayed for, and that they may furely depend on Christ's performing his Promife of granting their Petitions. But as in all Co- venants there mud be an Engagement on both Sides, fo in the prefent Cafe, the c< Infant muft <c alio faithfully for his Part promife by his " Sureties, until he come of Age to take it " upon himfelf, that he will renounce the " Devil and all his Works, and conftantly be-
" lieve
of&aptifm and Confirmation. 15
Cf lieve God's holy Word, and obediently u keep his Commandments."
Thefe Queries ought regularly to be made, to, and anfvvered by the PeiTon who is to enter into Covenant; but as the Infant is not capable of understanding the Queftions, or of making any Anfwer, this Incapacity muft be fupplied by thofe who undertake for him, who muft anfwer in his Name : And the Queftions might without any Abfurdity be put to the In- fant, " Don: thou Promife ? Wilt thou be Bap- <c tized ?" And the Anfwers made by the Sure- ties, reprefenting the Perfon of the Infant, might without the lead Impropriety be, " I <f promife, — I will:1' Or the Demand may be addreffed directly to the Sponfor, " Doit ct thou in the Name of this Child ?" — But however this be done, Anfwers ought to be made in the Words fet down in the Common Prayer Book, and not, as is too much the Practice of the Times, A (lent to be given only by Silence or a confenting Bow.
The firfl Demand relates to the Renuncia- tion of the Devil, and every Work which is oppofite to the Defign of Chriftianity, which are to be abjured by all who enter into. Cove- nant with God by Baptifm. The Second re- quires a ftedfaft and lively Faith in the Holy Trinity, and in ail the feveral Articles of the Religion of Christ, which are there briefly fummed up in the Words of the Apoftles ©reed. The Third regards the Will and De- fire of the Child to enter into the Church by 8 Baptinp,
1(5 An E.i pojtiion on the Offices
Baptifm, or " be Baptized in this Faith ?** and the pofitive Anfwer is, cc This is my De- " fire:" charitably fuppofing that if the In- fant underftood what is now tranfacling for eternal Benefit, and was capable of explain- ing himfelf, he would do it in thefe Words ; and if when he comes of Age, he doth not willingly and heartily confirm every Thing which is here done and promiferi for him un- der every one of thefe Demands, he thereby forfeits all the Benefits which Chriftian Baptifm confers. The fourth and 3a(l Queftion is, whether " he will obediently keep God's holy tc Will and Commandments, and walk in the €C fame all the Days of his Life ?" And the " Anfwer is, I .will." Thus then Wicked- nefs being renounced, Faith declared, Obedi- ence vowed, and Baptifm re quelled, the Mini- ftration of the Sacrament may folemnly proceed. But let me ftop to remark, that it is fup- pofed that the Sponfors who undertake frhis. kind Office in Behalf of another, do for them- felves renounce all Sin, believe the Truths of Chriftianity, and refolve to live as the Servants of Christ;, for otherwife they are unfit Re- prefentatives of an innocent Child, and fhame themfelves when they enter into this Engage- ment. Whiift thefe Demands and Anfwers are making, the reft of the Congregation are not to join therein : the whole Tranfaclion being between the Minifter on the one fide, and the Gourathers and Godmothers on the other. But that this Time, inftead of being loft, may be
employed
of Baptifm and Confirmation. 17
Employed to their Spiritual Advantage, let: every one ferioufly recoiled what palled at his own Baptifm -, and let him take this proper Opportunity of renewing the Vows which were then made in the Behalf of himfelf. When the Minifter begins, "Doft thou renounce ?" — Let him fay, not aloud fo as to difturb the Congregation, but to himfelf, with a devout Heart, " I do renounce the Devil and all his <f Works, the vain Pomp and Glory of the <f World, with all covetous Defires of the " fame, and the carnal defires of the Flefh, " fo that, God being my Helper, I will not " follow nor be kd by them." When the Miniftfer faith, " Doft thou believe I — repeat to yourfelf the Articles of your Christian Faith, and at the End fay in your Heart, « All this I ftedfaftly believe." When he faith, " Wilt thou be Baptized?— fay foftly, " Lord, I thank Thee that I have been Bap- <c tized in this Faith." And when he comes to the laft Demand, " Wilt thou then obedu " ently keep ? — fay within yourfelf, " I will <c obediently keep God's holy Will and Com- fc mandments, and walk in the fame all the " Days of my Life ; and may the Grace of " God afllft me herein. " Thus lhall we turn this Part of the Service to our own ufe, into an Acl of true Devotion, beneficial to our own Souls, and acceptable to Almighty God. The Stipulations being made, the Prieit of- fereth up to our merciful G ->d four fhort Pe- titions, to every one of which, as to every
other
18 An Expofitlon on the Offices
other Prayer in this Office, the People are t* aniwer " Amen" The Purport of them is, that God would " Grant that the old Adam u in this Child," the Original Corruption which every one brings with him into the World, c< may be fo Buried, that the new Man " may be railed up in him : — That all car- " nal Affections may die in him, and that all " Things belonging to the Spirit, may live cc and grow in him: — That he may have " Power and Strength to have Victory, and (i to triumph again!! the Devil, the World, fC and the Fiefh :" — And that all who are here (that is, at this Font, erecled in the Houfe of God, and fet apart for this facred Office) dedicated to God by his Minifters, " may alfo " be endued with heavenly Virtues, and ever- *f laftingly rewarded, through God's Mercy." Next after this, follows a Prayer for the Confecration of the Water. As in the other Sacrament we hold, that after Confecration the Elements retain the fame Nature, and are Bread and Wine ftill : So here we think not that there is any material Change of the Water, but that it is neverthelefs proper, that by reciting the Words which our Lord ufed when he in- ftituted this Sacrament, and by Prayer, we mould fet apart this Water from profane and common Ufes, and dedicate it to God for the facred Purpofe for which it is deugned, en- treating him that it may become the Laver of Regeneration to the Child to be Baptized there- in : And therefore the Church prayeth, that
He
of Baptifm and Confirmation. 3 9
He " whofe mod dearly beioved Son, for lhc f< Forgivenefs of our Sins, did fhed ouc of u his moft precious Side both Water and " Blood, and gave Commandment to his Dif- " ciples, that they mould go teach all Na- " tions, and Baptize them in the Name of the " Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy " Ghost; would regard the Supplications of " his Congregation, fan&ify this Water to H the myflical Warning away of Sin, and " grant that this Child now to be Baptized " therein, may receive the Fulnefs of Grace, " and ever remain in the Number of his faith - " ful and elect Children, throughjESus Christ " our Lord."
The Minifter then, taking the Child into his Arms, require th of the Godfathers and Godmothers to Name it. The Jews always named their Children at the Time of their Cir- cumcifion, and Chriftians have always given them a Name at the Time of their Baptifm, both which were Sacraments of their Initiation into their refpective Churches. The Option of the Name undoubtedly belongeth to the Pa- rents, but as it is a Token of our new Birth, thofe who undertake for us are enjoined to ac- quaint the Minifter with it: Who calling the Child by his Name, and either dipping him in the Water, or pouring Water upon him, faith, " I Baptize thee in the Name of the Father, " and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." This Form of Words is an eflential Part of this Sacrament; it was prefcribed by our BleiTed
Lord,
20 An E,rpoJit?on on the Offices
Lord, and none but Heretics ever prefumed to make any Alteration in it. It denotes not only the Authority of the Adminiftrator, and by whom he is empowered to admit new Mem- bers into the Church 5 but ir ieclareth the Three Peribns in the holy and undivided Tri- nity, into whofe Faith, Worlhip and Obedi- ence every one is Baptized.
As to the Manner in which the Water is ufed, either by pouring it upon the Child, or dipping him in it, our Church hath not deter- mined, but left it at large thai either Way may be ufed according to Difcretion. In the firffc Ages of the Church, the mofc common Cus- tom was that of plunging or dipping the new Converts, numbers of whom were grown Per- fons, into the Water: And as long as the warm Climates of the Eaft, and the Strength of the Perfons Baptized prevented any Incon- veniency from following it, this was obferved; but yet not fo rigidly as never to be altered 5 for even then, in the Primitive Times, in the Cafe of Clinics or Sick Perfons who were con- fined to their Beds, and could not attend the public Baptifteries, this Sacrament was per- mitted to be adminiftred by Afperfion or pour- ing of Water on them. This Method after- wards grew more common; and as the Gofpel fpread towards the colder Countries of the North, fprinkling Was more commonly ufed, left the Perfon's Health fhould be endangered by the other Practice of dipping : And furely Infants require as tender Uiage as Sick Per- fons,
of Baptifm and Confirmation. 21
fons, and if fprinkling with Water hath always been thought furrlcie.it for thefe, it cannot with any fnew of Reafon be denied to the others. Water mutt be ufed ; as to the Quantity it is indifferent ; nor mud we think that the Grace given by God in Baptifm is meafuied by, tor bears any Proportion to the Quantity of Water ufed in that Sacrament.
The Baptifm being com pleated, and the In- fant thereby made a Chriftian, the Mmifter, (till holding him in his Arms, fojemnly declares his <c Reception into the Congregation of " Christ's Flock, and figns him on the Fore- t£ head with the Sign of the Crofs, in Token " that hereafter he mail not be afnamed to <c confefs the Faith of Christ crucified, and <c manfully to fight under his Banner againft <c Sin, the World, and the Devil, and to con- Cf tinue Christ's faithful Soldier and Servant « unto his Life's End."
This ancient, harmlefs and figniricant Cere- mony hath met with much Oppofition from the Adverfaries of our Church, and by foine been made an Argument for diffenting from us. The Rubric at the End of this Office re- fers us to the thirtieth Canon of our Church for Satisfaclion herein; and therefore initead of faying any Thing of my own on this Head, and becaufe many have not the B^ok of Ca- nons by them, I lhall beg Leave to make a large Extracl from it. It bears for its Title, <c The lawful LJfe of the Oofs in Baptilna ex- " plained." In it the Convocation (i com-
" mends
23 An ExpoJItion on the Offices
" mends to all the true Members of the ChurcU cc of England^ thefe their Dire&ions and Ob- cc fervations."
cc Firlt, That although the Jews and Hea- c; thens derided both the A pottles, and the reft cf of the Chriftians, for preaching and believ- cc ing in him who was Crucified upon the cc Crofs ; yet all, both Apoftles and Chriftians, <c were fo far from being difc our aged from <c their Profeflion by the Ignominy of the cc Crofs, as they rather rejoiced and triumphed cc in it. Yea, the Holy Ghost, by the Mouths cf of the Apoftles, did honour the Name of cc the Crofs (being hateful among the Jews) <c fo far, that under it be comprehended not (< only Christ crucified, but the Force, Ef- " feels, and Merits of his Death and PaiFion, <f with all the Comforts, Fruits and Promifes " which we receive or expect thereby."
" Secondly, The Honour and Dignity of " the Name of the Crofs, begat a reverend <f Erlimation even in the Apoilles Times of cc the Sign of the Crofs, which the Chrifliaris cc fhortly after ufed in all their Actions, there- Cfby making an outward Shew and Profeflion, _ " even to the A'ftonifhment of the Jews, that " they were not aftiamed to acknowledge him " for their Lord and Saviour, who died for " them upon the Crofs. And this Sign they c( did not only ufe themfelves with a kind of fC Glory, when they met with any Jews, but " figned therewith their Children when they cc were Chriilened, to dedicate them by that
" Badge
%f Baptlfm and Confirmation. 25
c< Badgre to his Service, whole Benefits be*r <c ltowed upon them in Baptifm, the Name Or " the Crofs did reprefent. And this Uie of cf the Sign of the Crofs in Bapcifm was held Cf in the Primitive Church, as well by the f£ Greeks as the Latins, with one Conient and " great Applaufe. At what Time, if any had u oppofcd themftlves againft it, they would cc certainly have been cenfured as Enemies of £C the Name of the Crofs, and confequently <c of Christ's Merits, the Sign whereof they " coulu no better endure. Tins continual and " general Ufe of the Sign of the Crofs, is tvi- cc dent by many Teftirnonies of the Ancient " Fathers/'
" Thirdly, It mull be confefTed that in pro- " cefs of Time the Sign of the Crofs was " greatly abufed in the Church of Rome^ el- " pecially after that Corruption of Popery had *' once poficilcd it. But the Abute of a Thing M doth not take away the lawful Ufe of it. " Nay, {o far was it from the Purpofe of the " Church of England to for fake and reject the " Churches of Italy , France, Stain, Germany, " or any fuch like Churches, in all Things " which they held and pradtiied; that it doth il with Reverence retain thofe Ceremonies " which do neither endamage the Church of is God, nor offend the Minds of fober Men : M And only departed from them in thofe par- " ticular Points, wherein they were fallen both " from themfelvcs in their ancient Integrity, " and from the Apoftolical Churches which
cc werc
24 An Expofition on the Offices
" were their firft Founders. In which rcfpecl:, cc amongft fome other very ancient Ceremo- cc nies, the Sign of the Crofs in Baptifm hath cc been retained in this Church, both by the <f Judgment and Practice of thofe Reverend cc Fathers and great Divines, of whom fome <c conftantly fuffered for the Confeflion of the <c Truth, and others being Exiled, did after cc their Return continually defend and ufe the cc fame. . This Resolution and Practice of our (< Church hath been allowed and approved, " becaufe indeed the Ufe of this Sign in Bap- cc tifm, was ever accompanied here with fnch " fuitlcient Cautions and Exceptions againft all " Popifh Superflition and Error, as in the like <c Cafes are either fit or convenient."
cc Firft, The Church of England fince the " abolifhing of Popery hath ever held and cc taught, and fo doth hold and teach (till, that " the Sign of the Crofs ufed in Baptifm, is no <c Part of the Subftance of that Sacrament: "' For when the Minifter dipping the Infant in " Water, or laying Water upon the Face of c< it, (as the Manner aifo is) hath pronounced C£ thefc Words, / Baptize Thee in the Name cf " the Father, and of the Sen, and of the Holy " Ghoft, the Infant is fully and perfectly Bap- " tized. So as the Sign of the Crofs being 4< afterwards ufed, doth neither add any thing C( to the Virtue and Perfection of Baptifm, <c nor being omitted doth detract: any thing cc from the Effect and Subftance of it."
<f Secondly^
of Baptifm and Confirmation. 25
il Secon'dly, It is apparent that the Infant " baptized is, by virtue of Baptifm, before it ff be figned with the Sign of the Croft re- 4S ceived into the Congregation of Christ's <c Flock as a perfeft Member thereof, and not " by any Power afcribed unto the Sign of the " Crofs. So that for the very Remembrance " of the Crofs, which is very precious to all H them that rightly believe in Jesus Christ, f^and in the other Refpecis mentioned, the " Church of England hath retained ftill the <( Sign of it in Baptifm : Following therein 3 the Primitive and Apodoiical Churches, and " accounting it a lawful outward Ceremony 'c and honourable Badge, whereby the Infant V. is dedicated to the Service of him th.it died iC upon the Crofs.' *
<f Laftly, The Ufe of the Sign of the Crofs <l in Baptifm, being thus purged from all Po- IC piih Superltition and Error, and reduced in " the Church of England to the primary In- cc ilitution of it, upon thofe true Rules of ic Doctrine concerning Things indifferent, cc which are confonant to the Word of God, ff and the Judgments of all the ancient Fa- ic thers, we hold it the Part of every private ^ " Man, ""both Minister and other, reverently <i to retain the true Ufe .of it prefcribeju1 by *l public Authority, confidering that Things Cf of themfelves indifferent, do in fome Sort <f alter their Natures, when they are either 4< commanded or forbidden by a lawful Ma- <c giltrate, and may not be omitted at every C ?« Man s
26 An Fjxpofitlon on the Offices
€C Man's Pleafure contrary to the Law when ec they be commanded, nor ufed when they are ** prohibited."
To return to the Baptifmal Office : After the Infant is received into the Congregation, the Lord's Prayer is repeated : And after that, •the Church, fenfible of the great Benefit the Child hath been made Partaker of, heartily thanks God that he hath been cc pleafed to Re- <f generate him with his holy Spirit, to receive #; him for his own Child by Adoption, and to tf incorporate him into his holy Church." And then God is humbly befought " to grant that fC this Infant being dead unto Sin, and living iC unto Righteoufnefs, and being buried with c< Christ in his Death, may crucify the old " Man, and utterly abolifh the whole Body ec of Sin ; and that as he is made Partaker of i( the Death of his Son, he may alio be Par- " taker of his Reiurre&icn ; fo that finally he " may be an Inheritor of the heavenly King- « com."
All how {landing up, nothing remains but an Exhortation which the Minifter is to make to the Godfathers and Godmothers; reminding .them of what they as Sureties have undertaken for the Child ; and that this is no Matter of mere Form, but that it is their cc Parts and 4C Duties to fee that this Infant be taught, fo £C loon as he i h all be able to learn, what a fo- <c lemn Vow, Promife and ProfeiTion he hath fC here made by them;" to do all that is in fcheir Power towards having him M VirtuoufSy
iC brought
of Bapiifm and Confirmation. 27
a brought up to lead a Godly and a Chriftian "Life;" that to this End he fhould attend to " hear Sermons, and fhould learn the Creed, cc the Lord's Prayer and the Ten Command- cc ments in the Vulgar Tongue, and be in- cc Unacted" not only in the Words, but the Senfe of the Church Qatechijm, and thtn they are to bring him to the Bifhop to be Confirmed, and to take upon himfelf thofe Vows which they his Sureties have now made in his Name. And here the Service Ends.
After this is added this Declaration for the Comfort of Parents, cc It is certain by God's cc Word, that Children which are Baptized, cc dying before they commit actual Sin, are " undoubtedly raved." For as full Pardon and Remifiion of Sin, is one of the Benefits 01 this Sacrament, the Baptized Infant can have remaining in him no Taint of that Ori- ginal Guilt which he derived from the Fail of his fir ft Parents ; and if he die in his tender Age, before there is any pofhbility of appre- hending Good and Evil, or of offending by the Commifhon of actual Sin-, he mud to that Time have continued Guiltlefs, and fo die in the Favour of God, and through Mercy and the Grace received in Baptifm, be admitted as one of Chust's Fold into the Kingdom of Heaven.
C 2
28 An Expq/ition on the Offices
Of PRIVATE BAPTISM.
HAVING already explained in an eafy and practical Manner, The Office of Public Baptifm ; I come now to confider the next Service in our Common Prayer Book, which is there intitled, The Miniftr at ionof Pri- vate Baptifm of Children in Houfes. And here my Labour will be much Abridged, as there are many Things in this Office which have been already explained in the former. The EfTentials of Baptifm are always the fame, and are never to be omitted or-alterech But the Time and the Place, the Manner and Circum- ilances admit of fome Variation.
The firft Rubric which precedes this Office; requires the Minifter or f< Curate of every Pa- <c rifli to Admonilh the People, that they de- Cf fer not the Baptifm of their Children longei cf than the tirib'or fecond Sunday after theii " Birth without great and reafonable Cauie." To delay any Point of Duty is dangerous, fina Time and the Accidents it brings with it are not in our Power ; and it Parents for no fub- ilantial Reafon defer the Baptifm of Children; when their precarious Lift depends on fo flendei a Thread, and in the mean Time Death fhoulc thatch them away Unbaptized ; how woulc 3 the]
of Baptifm and Confirmation. 29
they blame rhemfelves for fuch a Neglect of Duty?
The Minifters are farther to warn their Flock, H That without great Caufe and Ne- 11 cefilty they procure not rheir Children to be " Baptized at Home in their Houfes : But u when Need fhall compel them fo to do, then <c Baptifm fhall be adminiftered on this Fa- •', fhion," afterwards fet down. From whence we may draw two Obfervations, nrft, That the Church is the Place in which Baptifm ought generally and regularly to be adminiftered ; and, fecondly, That whenever it is done in a Private Houfe, this Private Office only mud: be ufed, I need not take any Pains to prove that no Part of God's Service more properly -demands Reverence and Solemnity, than the Adminiftration of thofe Sacraments which Christ himfeif hath ordained. The Jewi/b Sacrifices were confined folely to the Temple, and the Chrillian Sacraments, are with great Propriety to be celebrated in our Churches, except in thofe Cafes where Sicknefs or Infir- mity difpenfeth with Solemnity : and furely we fhall feem very undeferving of rae Grace of God, if we think much to wait in his Koufe to partake of the Means. And as to the Sacrament of Baptifm, it cannot well be ad- miniftered with fo much Reverence in private Houfes, where it is frequently attended with Indecencies very unbefitting fuch an holy Rite ; — where the Guefts come as to an Enter- tainment or a Merry-meeting, and too often, C 3 I fear,
30 An Eapojition on the Offices
I fear, look upon the Miniftration of it, and the Prayers ufed at it, only as a formal cuf- tomary Introduction to their Jollity and Feaft- ing, if not to their loofe Mirth. In order to prevent this Cuilom as much as poflible, let the Parents or thofe who have the Care of iin- baptized Infants, neither deceive the Minifters nor their own Souls, by pretending the Chil- dren are weak and in danger of Death, when they are not ; for to procure the Sacrament to be given in Private by a Lie, is a Crime which will certainly be very odious in the Sight of the God of Truth, and will not go un- pu mined.
Secondly, As our Church hath kindly pro- vided for Cafes of Neceiiky by a particular Office, fnc muft be underftood to forbid the Ufe of the other Office of Public Baptifm upon fuch Occasions. The former was compofed to be ufed when the Danger the Child is in re- quires Haite, and the Time and Exigence will not permit larger Forms or greater Solemnity; and therefore the EfTentials being obferved, the other Ceremonies muft give way to Neceffity ; and if thcChild furvives its prefent weak State, it is to be brought to Church to be received in- to the Congregation, and the Sponfors are then to Promife for it : Rut all this is prevented when the whole Solemnity is performed in a Chamber, which is ftrictly ordered to be done only at the Font. Befides which I might add, that there are feveral PalTages in the Public OfHce, which are peculiarly adapted to its Ufe
in
&f Baptifin and Confirmation, 31
In the Church, and which are not free from Abfurdity and Impropriety when they arc de- livered in a private Room. j
The next Rubric limits the Performance of this Sacrament to fc the Minifter of the Pafifh, <c or in his Abfence to any other lawful Mi- <c niiler that can be procure^." So that Wo- men and mere Lay-men are wholly excluded from intermeddling herein. When cur Lord inflituted Baptifm, he gave his CommilTion to his Apofties, and in them to their SuccciTors, and promifed, as to what they mould do here- in, to be with them " even unto the End of Cf the World," To admit Perfons into the Church, is an Act of Authority which none fhould pretend to, bu. . ~< who art thereunto impowered by Christ t [ead of it: And in his Name it is that they on God's Part pro- mife Remiffion of Sins and S] Regefte-
ration, which come primarily an i oris i ally from God, and are never conveyed to Man in the Sacraments, but by thole whom he hath been pleafed to make his Infrruments. That this is the Opinion of our Church is plain from her Declaration in the twenty-third Article, where fhe faith, cc It is not lawful for any Man <c to take upon him the Office of public Preach- <c ing or Miniftry, of the Sacraments in the <c Congregation, before he be lawfully called " and fent to execute the fame :" And in her twenty-fixth Article fhe difcovers the Grounds on which fhe pafTcth this Judgment, becaufe " Thofe who have Authority in die Miriifcra-
C 4 « tion
32 An L&xpqfiiion on the Offices
,f tion of the Word and Sacraments, do not *f the fame in their own Name, but in ^ Christ's, and do minifler by his Commif- 11 fSonand Authority/'
When therefore an infirm Infant is to be baptized at Home, and a lawful Minifler is procured, he " with them who are prefent, is " to call upon God, and fay the Lord's ,r Prayer, and as many of the Collects ap» " pointed to be (aid before in the Form of •* Public Baptifm, as the Time and prefent " Exigence will fufFer. And then the Child f< being named by fomt one that is prefent, *\ the Minifrer fhall pour Water upon it/' and ufe that divine and unalterable Form j Ci I •• Baptize Thee in the Name of the Father, <f and of the Son-, and of the holy Ghost. ' After which he concludes the Service witii a Thankfsnving from the former Office.
Left ar# one fhould imagine that the Sacra- jment adminiflered in this fhort and concife Manner, is not complete, and the Child here- by not made a Chriftian : or ihould be apt to think or fay, that the Child is only half Chrif- tened, as too many Ignorant People foolifnly and abfurdly exprefs themfelves ; the Church adds, by way of Explanation, c' Let them not 'f doubt, but that the Child fo Baptized is <c lawfully and fufficiently Baptized, and ought fC not to be Baptized again. Yetneverthelefs, " if the Child which is after this fort Bap- cc tized, do afterward live, it is expedient that <f it be brought into the Church, to the Intent
" that
of Baplifm and Confirmation. 33
€C that if the Minifter of the fame Parifh did " himfelf Baptize that Child, the Congrega- " tion may be certified of the true Form of c; Baptifm, by him privately before iifed:1' And then he is to declare this in the Words fet down in the Book.
" But if the Child were Baptized by any. c; other lawful Minifter," then he is to exa~ mine thofe who bring the Child to Church, by whom it was done, — in whofe Prefence, — and with what Matter and Words the Child was Baptized; and if by their " Anfwers he finds cc that all Things were done as they ought to (C be : then mail not he Chriften the Child " again,, but (hall receive him as one of the '.' Flock of true Chnftian People," and in Words let down, acquaint the Congregation, that all having been " well done, he is by the <c Laver of Regeneration in Baptifm received " into the Number of the Children of God, €i and Heirs of everlafting Life."
The Gofpel is read, and the Exhortation- upon it, the Lord's Prayer repeated, and the Thanksgiving follows, almoft all agreeing with the former Office, except the change of a few Words in regard to the Child's having been al* ready Baptized. Then the Name of the Child being afked, the Godfathers and Godmothers have the fame Demands put to them, and the fame Anfwers are required. After which the Minifter. receives him into the Congregation, and iigns him with the Crofs j and after the ihort Preface, returns God hearty Thanks in C 5 Behalf
34 An E.vpnfuion on the Offices
Behalf of the Infant, and concludes with an Exhortation relating to the Duty of the Spon- fors, all pretty nearly the fame a^ in the former Office. So that here no farther Explanation is requifue.
There is a Poflibility that when the Pried questions thofe who bring the Child, whether he hath been rightly Baptized, their Anfwers may be lb uncertain that he cannot learn whe- ther the Infant hath had the true Chriftian Baptifm. or whether any of the effential Parts of that Sacrament were omitted : And in this Cafe- he is ordered to ufe the whole Service of Public Baptifm, but when he comes to the Form of 'Baptifm to fay,~~" If thou art not al- cc ready Baptized, I Baptize thee, &c." And this Form of Hypothetical Baptifm is, I think, made ufe of for thofe Children whole Parents have deferred them in their Infancy, when they fall into charitable Hands, and it is not known whether they have been already Bap-
tized or not,
Of the BAPTISM of fnch as are of R'rpe'r Years.
T hath been cbferved that our Church, in
her Liturgy, hath .fnrniihed us with three
different Offices to be ufed in the Celebration
of the Sacrament of Baptifm, each adapted to
4 the
of Baptifm and Confirmalhn. 35
the particular Circum fiances either of Place or Perfon. The third and lad of thefe comes now to be briefly confidered. — I fay briefly, becaufe the Ellen tials of Baptifm being religf- oufly preferved in them all, and the Adcrcffes to the Almighty both hi the Petitions and Thankfgivings being nearlythe fame, a Single Explanation of them is fufficient, and Repe- titions would be ufelefs#and inflpid.
This Service is intitled*, <c The Ministration* <c of Baptifm to fuch as are of Riper Years,, cc and able to anfwer for themfelves." And therefore it is piain that, in this Cafe, fome Parts of k miift differ from the other Forms, which regarded onlv theJBaptizing of Infant?, who could not comprehend the Terms of the Gofpel Covenant, "nor were able to anfwer for themfelves.
This Office was not originally in our Litur- gy, but w^as compofed and inferted at the lad Review, fnon after the Reftorafiom of our Church and Nation : when with the R'eturn of thofe invaluable Bit Mings, we were overflowed with Jews and Infidels, and an Inundation of Sectaries who called themfHve^ Ohriftiaiv, when many of them had never been regularly, admitted into the Churcri. On thefe Accounts the tender Care of our Governors in the Church, thought it proper to cornpoie this Office, to be used in Favour of thofe nno mould be thoroughly periuaded of the Nricf- fity o( Chriftian Baptif u, and defi rotfc in that Sacrament to give their Name to Christ, and G6 . , who>
36 An Expojitlon on the Offices
who on Admittance into the Church would To- lemnly Promife and Vow to adhere to the Fairh . of Christ, and to live as his holy Gofpel re- quires. And, befides this, as our Commerce extended itfelf far both into the Eaftern and Weftern Parts of the World, and by the Care and Pains of good and pious Labourers in the Word and Doctrine, many were drawn from their Heathenifrn and Idolatry, and became perfuaded of the Truth of Chriftiariity ; this was ftill another and a very powerful Reafon for our having an Office fuitable to the Occa- fions of receiving thefe Converts into the Church of Christ by Baptifhv
But though our Defire is great to enlarge the Kingdom of our Lord, yet all poflible Care is taken not to admit as his Subjects any who for worldly Motives or with indirect Views would croud into it. We defire no Converts, but fuch who are Sincere and Honeft, — who are fully informed in the Nature of the Chrif- tian Covenant, and are perfuaded in their Minds that it is their Duty and their fpiritual Intereft to come into it. - The Hearts of Men are in- deed deceitful, and defperately wicked, fo that we cannot certainly know them. It is poffible we may be deceived in the Judgment we make of them : And this mould fpur us up to a more diligent Enquiry into the State of their Souls, and the Sincerity and Soundnefs of their Intentions; and with this View our Church orders in her Rubric before this Office, that "* when any fuch Perfons who are of Riper
" Years
of Baptifm and Confirmation. 37
<c Years are to be Baptized, timely Notice cc fhall be given to the Bifhop, or whom he " fhall appoint for that Purpofe, a Week be- cc fore at the lead, by the Parents, or fome ci other difcreet Perfons ; that fo due Care cc may betaken for their Examination,whether cc they be fufficiently indructed in the Princi- cc pies of the Chriftian Religion ; and that cc they may be exhorted to prepare themfclvcs cc with Prayers and Fading for the receiving €i of this Holy Sacrament/' Where, by the way, we may obferve, that as Retirement from the World, in order to give ourfelves up for a Time to ferious Thoughts and Meditations, and as Falling; and Abdinence, attended with fervent and earned Prayers to God for his Par- don and Ble fling, are the fitted Means to ob- tain his Favour before we enter upon any fo- Jemn and weighty Work j fo Perfons who defire to receive the Chriftian Baptifm will with the greated Propriety fpend the Time immediately preceding it in this devout and religious Manner.
" If they fnall be found fit, then the God- " fathers and Godmothers (the People being M afTembled upon the Sunday or Holy-day ap- " pointed) fhall be ready to prefent them at " the Foot immediately after the Second c< Lefibn, either at Morning or Evening Pray- " er, as the Curate in his Difcretion fhall think u fit." The Godfathers and Godmothers here mentioned prefent the Perfon at the Font to be Baptized, as thole mentioned in the other
Office
38 An Expofition on the Offices
Office bring the Infants to receive that Sacra- ment: but in other Refpects they are very- different. At the Baptifm of an Infant they are Sponfors to anfwer for him, and enter into an Engagement to fee him reiigioufly Edu- cated ; but here they are only Witnefles of the Perfon's entering into the Chriflian Covenant, when with his own Mouth he binds himfelf to comply with the Terms of it j and the only Duty incumbent on them, is to remind him of the folemn Vows he here takes upon him.
All being ready, and ttanding at the Font, the Prieil is to ei quire whether the Party hath been already Baptized : and being allured that he hath not ; he acquaints the Congregation, that all Men are born in Sin; and commit many actual TranfgrelTions, and that they cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, except they be born anew of Water -and of the Holy Ghost: He therefore befeeches them to call upon God for the gracious Ac- ceptance of the Perfon new prefent, and goes before them in the Prayers commented upon in the former Office.
The Gofpel is then read, beir>g taken out of the third Chapter of St. John, wherein the Evan gelid records the Difcourfe which our blefTed Lord had with Nicodenuis, when he fhewed the Necefiity of being born again' of Water and of the Spirit: A Portion of Scripture extremely well adapted to this Oc- cafion. And in the Exhortation following the Minuter riiateS the Application, and . fhews
them
of Baptif?n and Confirmation. 39
them the Commif&on fdr'v -g which the
Apoftles received or tl 4er, and the
readinefs with which the fir n fans fub-
mitted to this facred Ordinance, and gives them good Grounds of Bope that to this Per- fon truly repenting and coming unto Christ by Faith, he will grant Remiflion of Sins and iht Gifts of the holy Ghost, and eternal Life.
Next follows the Thankfgiving for our be- ing received into the Knowledge of Chrifti- anity, with a Petition for the Increafe and Confirmation of it; and then the Priefc, ad- dre fling hip felf to the Perfon to be Baptized, makes the fame Demands as in the former Office, and he with his own Mouth is to an- fwer every one of them particularly.
After this, is done the Pried takes the Can- didate for this Sacrament " by the right Hand; <c and placing him conveniently by the Font, u iL all afk the Godfathers and Godmothers " the Name ; and then will dip him in the <c Water or pour Water upon him, faying" thole folemn and invariable WTords which the hleiTed Jesus appointed always to be ufed when this Sacrament is adminiflered ; and then he " receives him into the Congregation of " Christ's Flock, and figns him with the <f Sign of the Oofs*" and exhorts the Con- gregation to join with him in the Lord's Prayer, and in humble Thanks for the Blefs- ings received, and devout Supplications for him who is now admitted into the Church by Chriftian Baptiim, He then addreileth himfelf
&ft
40 An Expofiilon on the Offices
fir ft to thoie who have been choferr WimeiTes of this facred Action, and chargeth them to put him in mind of the folemn Vow, Pro mile and Profellion which he hath here made j and then to the new Baptized Perfon, exhorting him <f to walk aniwerably to his Chriftian cc Calling, and as becometh the Children of « Life.";
Here the Office ends: Only a Rubric is added, declaring it to be " expedient that Cf every Perfon thus Baptized, mould be Con- ic firmed by the Bifhop lb foon after his Bap- cc tifm as conveniently may be : that fo he " may be admitted to the holy Communion."
Of CONFIRMATION.
THE ancient and Apoflolical Rite of Confirmation was in the firft Times of ChriOianity adminiftered with Prayer and Im- pofition of Hands : fome additional Ceremo- nies were afterwards inferted in the Celebration of it; and the Church ( f Rome hath brought into it feveral ridiculous Super ft it ions, and hereby wholly excluded the Primitive Kite of laying on of Hands. But our pious and pru- dent Reformers, who thought Confirmation to be of too great Ufe and Advantage to be laid afide and neglected, rejected all thoie adulte- rate Novelties, and reftored it to the Primitive
and
of Baptifm and Confirmation. 41
and Apoftolic Form ; and compofed a grave and folemn, a pithy and expreifive Office, which in our Common Prayer Books carries this Title, lc The Order of Confirmation, or " laying on of Hands on thofe that are Bap- iC tized and come to Years of Difrretion."
When a Day is appointed for the Celebration by the Bifhop, to whom for honour Sake this Ministration is folely referved, Notice is given to the Minifters, that they may enquire who there are in their Pari {lies of a proper Age who have not yet been Confirmed; — that when they have found them, they may examine them to difcover their Proficiency in Chriilian Know- ledge, and inflru£l: them in the Expediency of this Rite, and how they are to behave at it.
The Office begins with a fhort Preface> de- claring how convenient it is, that thofe who are come to Years of Dtfcfetton, and have learned the Purport of their Baptifmal Vow, should wich their own Mouth and Confent openly before the Church ratify and confirm the fame ; and therefore it is thought good to Order, ct that none hereafter (hall be Con- " firmed, but fuch as can fay the Creed, the <c Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Command- cc ments, and can alio anfwer to fuch other ** Que ft ions as in the Church Catechifm are " contained." From which Words we mud not imagine a bare Recital or faying by Heart of the Church Catechifm is fufficient to qua- lify any for Confirmation ; for then many Children of a younger Age than are ufually
allowed
42 An Expedition on the Offices
allowed of, would, by the help only of a good Memory, be fie for Confirmation : But the Church really intends that none mould be pre- fented to the Bifhop, before they can, not only fay, but underftand and give a rational Ac- count of the Chriftian Doclrine, and in parti- cular are well acquainted with their Baptifmal Vow, which they come hither to renew.
The Preface ended, the Bifhop demands of the Perfons to be Confirmed, whether they do^ in the Prefence of God and the Congregation, renew their Baptifmal Vow, and take it upon themfelves to believe and do thofeThings which, their Godfathers' and Godmothers undertook and promifed for them at their Baptifm ?
After every one of the Candidates for Con- firmation hath fhewn his readinefs to renew this Vow by a dire 61 Anfwer in an audible Voice ; the Biihop and Congregation join to exprefs their Joy in the Words of the Pfalmift j — in acknowledging their good Intentions to be owing to the Help of God ; — in Blefiing him for infpinng them with good Defires j — and begging that their Prayers which they are now about to offer up may be heard and accepted.
After thefe Verficles and Refponfes, follows a Prayer, which hath, with little Variation, been ufed for feveral Ages in the Office of Confirmation ; that thofe who in Baptifm have received the Holy Ghost the Sancli- fier, may at this Time receive the fevenfold Gifts of the Holy Ghost the Comforter.
When
ef Baptifm and Confirmation. 43
When the Bifhop hath in this Manner be- fought God, he lays his Hands on the Head of every one ieverally, and begs for them the Defence of God's heavenly Grace, and the daily Increafe of his holy Spirit, which are the Benefits of Confirmation when rightly and duly celebrated.
After the mutual Chriftian Salutation of the Bifhop and People, the Lord's Prayer is here fubjoined, and is immediately followed by two Collects; in which the Bifhop prays, that the Impofition of his Hands on thofe Perfons, may not be a vain and empty Ceremony, but that what is now done may be effectual to their well Living here, and their Salvation here- after : After which he difmiiTeth them with a folemn Bleffing.
Thus is this fhort, but excellent Office of our Church drawn up, fo as to avoid the two Extremes of Enthufiafm and foppifh Super- flition on the one Hand, and of flovenly Irre- verence and Indecency on the other : And as the Rite is itfelf undoubtedly Apoflolical, fo our Manner of admin.ilT.ring it is agreeable to the Practice of the Apofties.
At the End of this Office it is ordered, that <f none fhall be admitted to the holy Commu- " nion, until they be Confirmed, or be ready Cf and defirous to be Confirmed."
I now proceed to apply what hath been faid in the Examination of thefe Offices of Baptifm and Confirmation, in an Addrefs to thofe who are in a. peculiar Manner concerned in them.
In
44 An Ejpnfit'ion on the Offices
In regard to Baptifm, I muft fir it fpeak to thofe who have the Care of young Children who are not yet Baptized ; that, whether they be Parents or Relations, it is a Duty incumbent on them to caufe the Infants to be brought to Christ's holy Baptifm ; and there to be rege- nerated and born anew of Water and the Spi- rit, and be made Members of Christ, and Heirs of Salvation. Let them not dare to look upon this as a vain or empty Ceremony, which may fafely either be complied with, or omitted ; but as a Sacrament inftituted by Christ him- felf for a Means of Grace, and for the folemnt Entrance of his Difciples into the Chriftian Church. Let them not therefore detain the Infant by any unneceiTary Delays, but caufe it to be Baptized as foon after its Birth as they conveniently can, left by fome unforefeen Ac- cident the Child fhould die before it hath re- ceived this Sacrament, and they undergo the heavy Weight of their criminal Negleci. ' If the Child is well enough to be brought to Church, let them, by no falfe Pretence of 111- nefs or Danger, prevail on the Minijer to Baptize it at Home, for Deceit and Falfhood fhouid never keep Company with religious Du- ties. When the Sponfors and others bring the Child to the Church, iet them do it in iuch a decent and grave Manner, as may fhew that they are properly difpofed to perform an OfHce well-pleafing to God : And when they come to the Font let them there behave with a religious Compofure. Let their Attention be fixed upon.
the
of Baptifm and Cotifirmation. 45
the Service., the Prayers be offered up to God with Fervour, and all the Refponfes made with a becoming Gravity. The lame ferious De- portment will become them in their Return from the Church, and when they come Home they wifl have great Reafon to rejoice that the Infant is made a Chriftran ; but this Joy mull be kept within decent Bounds, and not be fuf- fered to degenerate into Ribaldry or Immo- dcfty. They may exprefs their Satisfaction by cheerfully entertaining their Friends, according to their Station and Circumftances, but it be- comes a Sin when theFeaft exceeds the Bounds of Temperance and Sobriety. And the Pa- rent, who for Joy that his Child is dedicated to Christ, mall himfelf Sacrifice to the De- vil in Rioting and Debauchery, will be far from finding any Excufe for his Behaviour: For what Concord hath Christ with Belial? What Agreement hath Purity with Impurity ?
As to Confirmation, there are three Sorts of Perfons to whom I mutt addrefs myfelf.
Firfttothofe who have not been Confirmed. Young People of the Age thought mo ft proper for Confirmation, are fubject to many and great Dangers, when they are coming into the World without Experience ; — when their Paf- fions have a greater Power over them than their Reafon i — when they are weak and defencelefs, and not well able to refill the Temptations of the World, the Flefh, and the Devil, which offer themfelves to them in fo many various Porms ; and therefore they have need of fome
fuperior
46 An Ejpofition on the Offices
fuperior Grace to enable them towithftand their artful Allurements and Infinuations ; and this God vouchfafes at Confirmation, and dif- penfeth tothofe who folemnly renew their Co- venant with him, and fubmit to this Rite which the Church hath ordered and appointed.
Let them moreover confider, that none are, according to the Rules of our Church, to be cc admitted to the holy Communion, until u they be Confirmed, or be ready anddefirous Cf to be Confirmed." So that, if they have any Value for the Commands of Christ, and any Emulation to be admitted to his holy Ta- ble, and to communicate in that higheft Act of Chriflian Worfhip, let them offer up them- felves to the Biiliop to be Confirmed ; fince that is the only regular Introduction, and the belt Preparation to thefe facred Myfteries.
Some are indeed admitted to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper before Confirmation, but then it is on this Condition, that they (hall the rlrft Opportunity that offers prefent them- selves to be Confirmed. So that I muff ad- mom fh all Perfons, of what Age lbever they be, not to think their Confirmation hereby Su- perceded or difpenfed with ; left' they mould be found deceitful, or at lead negligent, in not complying with that Condition, upon which they have been admitted to iht holy Table.
When Perfons areperfuaded oftheNeceffity of this Rite, let them make themfelves well acquainted with our fhort Catechifm, (o as to be able to render an Account of their Faith io
cording
» o/Baptifm and Confirmation* 47
cording to it. Let them read over diligently and carefully the Office of Baptifm, that they may there fee what their Sureties then promifed for them, and what they are now to take upon themfelves : And let them read over with the fame Care th^ Order or Office of Confirmation, that they may know beforehand what they are going to do, and may eonfider how to behave themfelves at it with Decency and Propriety. Let them not look upon this folemn Rite only as a matter of Form and Cuftom, or attend upon it only to oblige their Friends, or fatisfy their Importunity : But let them go to it with a cue Senfe of the great Ufefulnefs and Ne- ceiTity of it, and with a Defign to become bet- ter Chridians after it. They fhould fully re- iblve to let it have a right Effecl updn their future Lives, and to live agreeable to the Will of God, fo that they may be fully prepared to receive the holy Sacrament on the firft Oppor- tunity that oilers. And above all, let them be conftant and earnen: in their Prayers to God, for a Bleifing on thefe their Endea- vours ; without whom we can neither will nor do any Thing that is good, and who alone can a/Tin: them in the Performance of their pious Vows and Refolutions.
Secondly, I mud addrefs thofe who have the Care of young Perfons, who have not yet been Confirmed. Youth is too apt to be giddy and thoughtlefs, and do not enough con- fide r their own Advantage : And therefore Parents, or thofe who are in their Stead, fhouj j
remind
48 An Ejpojition on the Offices
remind them of their Duty, inflrucl: them in the Principles of their Religion, fit them for Confirmation, and fee that they be Confirmed the firft Opportunity that offers after they are fit for it. it is the Duty of Parents, becaufe they ought to take care of the Bodies and Souls of their Children, and to provide Food for the one as well as for the other.
But, befides the Parents, Godfathers and Godmothers are particularly obliged to over- look the Education of their God-children, and to fee that they be brought up in Virtue and Godiinefs. This was what they undertook, when the Children were Baptized, and they became fpi ritual Guardians of them. Then it was that the Miniiler told them they were to take Care, that the Children they were Sureties fur mould be brought to the Biihop to be Con- firmed, when they fhould come to Years of Difcretion; and this they afiented to : So that if they neglect to bring them, after fit Ex- amination and Instruction, to this Apoftolical Rite, Sin lieth at their Door : And to fuch I lay, until Confirmation, the Care of bringing them up in the Chriflian Religion is incumbent on you; unlefs you iee it taken off from year Hands by pious and careful Parents or Teach- ers, But when they are Confirmed, they take the Care of their Souls upon themielves, and releafe you from your Obligation.
Laftly, 1 mull addrefs myfelf to thofe who have already been Confirmed. For what hath been faid,- highly concerns us all. Let us
therefore
tfBapiijm and Confirmation. 49
therefore look back on our own Confirmation <> Let us reflect on the Solemnity with which it was adminilired, and how great a Part we bore in it. Let us confider the fblemn Vows we then made to Cod before many Wrtnefles ; — the Engagements we then laid ourfelves under of living as becometh Chriftians ; — and that what we then did, was done voluntarily and knowingly, without any Force or Compulfion, and when the Age we were of made us capa- ble o^ undemanding what we did. When We were Baptized in our Infancy, our Sponfors promifed for us, that we mould enter into the Terms of the Gofpel Covenant. Thole Pro- mifes which were then made in our Names, were, indeed, obligatory to us, and we were bound to perform them when we came to Age. But as, in our own Perfons, we have fince fo- lemnly renewed this Vow, at a Time when we were capable of understanding the Subflance and Import of il : As at Confirmation we took upon ourfelves to believe and do, what our Sureties undertook and promifed in our Behalf at our Baptifm j doth not this, think ye, highly increafeour Obligation* and add to our Guilt, -when we act contrary to this our facred Agree- ment ?
Let us remember that as Perfons are but once Baptized, lb they are never to be but once Confirmed ; but that thefc Engagements once entered into, bind m for the whole Courfe of our Lives ; and therefore let us never forget the Obligations we then laid ourfelves under D Let
50 An Expofitwn on the Offices
Let the Remembrance of them always keep us from giving way to the Enticements of Sin, and preferve us immoveable and unbiamcable in the Faith of Christ. Let us look upon ChriiHanity, not barely as a Religion which w7e have had the Chance to be Born and Edu- cated in, but as a Religion which we freely Chofe, willingly Embraced, and are refolved to Perfevere in. Then may we reafonably hope, that God will blefs with a large Portion of his Spirit us who have been entered into his Church by Baptifm, and afterwards fub- mitted to this Apoftolical Ordinance ; — that he will grant the Prayers we then made, and let his Fatherly Hand be over us, and his holy Spirit be ever with us, and fo lead us in the Knowledge and Obedience of his Word, that in the End we may obtain eternal Life, thro' our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be afcribed all Honour, Praifc and Adoration, now and for ever. Am ex.
A Prayer en Bapijm> to be added at any Time to our Private Devotions j from Bifiop Jeremy Taylor.
OHoly and eternal Jesus, who in thine own Perfon wall pleafed to fanclify the Waters of Baptifm, and by thy Inftkuticn and Commandment didfl make them effectual to
excellent
•/ TSapiifm and Confirmation. 51
excellent Purpofes of Grace and Remedy; be pleated to verify the holy Erfeis of Baprifm to me and all thy Servants whole Names arc dedicated to Thee in an early and timely Pre- mutation ; and enable -us with thy Grace to verify all our Promises, by which we were bound, then when thou didtt firft make us thy own Portion and Relatives, in the Confumma- tionof a holy Covenant.
O be pleafed to pardon all thofe indecest and wicked Interruptions of that State of Fa- vour in which thou didft plant us by thy Grace, and admit us by the Gates of Baptifm : And let that Spirit, which moved upon thofe holy Waters, never be abfcnt from us, but call upon us and invite us by a perpetual Ar- gument and daily Solicitations and Induce- ments to Holincfs ; that we may never return to the Fikhineis of Sin, but by the Anfwer of a good Conscience may pleafe Thee, and glo- rify thy Name, and do honour to thy Religion and Inititution in this World, and may receive the Ble flings and the Rewards of it in the World to come, being prefented to Thee pure and fpotlefs in the Day of thy Power, when thou (halt lead thy Church to a Kingdom- and endlefs Glories. Amen%
D 2 A P
52 AnEjpofdion on the Offices
A Prayer and Tbankf giving upon the Anniver- Jary-day of cur Baptijm : From Bijhop Co- iins.
OLor&j heavenly Father, Almighty and everlaffing God, who of thine in- finite Goodnefs towards me, when I was born in Sin, and Was no other than an Heir of ever- lading Wrath, didft vouchfafe that I fbould, as upon this Day, be born again of Water and the Holy Ghost in the bieffed Laver of Bap- tifm, being thereby made a Member of Christ and an Heir of eternal Life : For this thine ineflimable Favour I do here gratefully com- memorate that happy Day, and in moft hum- ble and hearty wife I do extol the abundant Riches of thy glorious Grace \ in thy Sight renewing, that fa c red Vow which was then made in my Name, to forTake this wicked World, and to live as a Chriliian ought to dc5 in Obedience to thy holy Faith and Command- ments : Moft humbly be leeching Thee of thy great Mtrcy to pardon me all former Breaches of my folemn Promife, and to endue me (o with the AfTiftance of thy Holy Spirit, that htneeforth I ■ may walk in Newness of Life, worthy of that bieffed Eflate whereunto thou hall called me; and keeping mykif ur.fpotted from the World, the Flefh and the Devil, I may daily die unto Sin, for which Caufe I was Baptized into the Death of Christ ; and as I foavje had my Fart this Day in the firft Rege- neration,
o/Bapfi/m and C '071/1 'r mat ion. o3
neration, fo I may at the Lift Day have my Part in the fecond and great Regeneration of the World, to live and reign with Thee for ever, through the Merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen,
A Prayer before Confirmation, to be ufed by thoje that are preparing for it : By Mr. Nel- fon.
*T\ /TOST merciful God, by whofe gracious .1? JL Providence I was born of Chriftian Pa- rent?, and early dedicated to thee in holy Bap- tifm ; make me thoroughly fenfi ble, I befeech thee, of thy infinite Goodnefs in bellowing upon me she Welled Privileges of being made a Member of thy Church, a Child of God, and an Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Grant, O Lord, that by the AffiihiLie of thy Grace, I may carefully and zealoufiy per- form all thofe Conditions, upon which thou. wert pieafed to vouchfafe tome fuch ineltima- ble Benefits : That I may conftantiy refift the Devil, and all thole Temptations by which he feeks to deftroy me : That 1 may renounce all covetous Defires of Honour, Riches, and Pleafure, and all thofe evil Cuitoms and [Max- ims of the World, which alienate Mens Minds- from the Love of God :. That I may mortify the inordinate Appetites of my own corrupt- Nature, of my own carnal Mind : That I may believe all thy holy Revelations, and keep thy D 3 bieiied;
-64 An Expofdion en the Offices
blefTed Will and Commandments all the Days of my Life.
And now, O Lord, that I am about to renew the folcmn Vow of my Baptifm, and publickly in thy Prcfencc to ratify ail thole Things I then promifed by my Sureties ; I humbly befeech thee to enlighten my Mind with the Knowledge and Underilanding of that fclemn Engagement I then made, and am now about to confirm j influence my Will, and all the Faculties of my Soul, heartily and fi nee rely to perform it. Let not the many and grievous Sins that I have committed, deprive me of inofe Affiliances of thy Holy Spirit which I now expect to receive ; but on my true Re- pentance, let the precious Blood of my Sa- viour wafh away all my pail Sins, and grant that 1 may be enabled to mortify and fubdue them for the Time to come. And forafmuch as without thee, I am not able to pleafe thee, pour thy Holy Spirit into my Heart, that by his holy Infpiration I may think thofe Things which are good, and by his merciful Guidance may perform the fame, through J ejus Cbriji our Lcrds in whofe blefTed Name and Words I continue to pray, faying,
Our Father, &c.
A Prayer
of Bdpfijm and Confirmation. 55
A Prayer after Confirmation ; which may be Jaid while others are confirming^ and may be added to the Evening Prayer by the Party con- firmed: By Mr Nelibn.
BLESSED and praifed he thy Holy Name, O Lord, for thofc frefh Supplies of Grace, which thou halt been pleated co com- municate to me.
Bleffed be thy Name for thofe comfortable • A durances thou haft given me of thy Favour and Goodnefs towards me. BleiTed be thy Name for that Privilege thou haft now be- llowed upon me of approaching thy holy Ta- ble, and of flrengthening and refreihing my Soul by partaking there of the Body and Blood of Cbrift.
Increafe in me, O Lord, more and more the Gifts of thy Holy Spirit, that I may be wife for Eternitv, and make it the chief Bu- finefs of my Life to pleafe thee in all my Ac- tions y that I may love and fear thee above all Things j that I may be juft and righteous in all my Dealings, and ready to communicate to the NecefTities of others ; that I may keep a conftant Watch over myfelf, fo as not to ex- ceed the Bounds of Temperance and Sobriety.
Grant, O Lord, that my corrupt Nature may be daily renewed and purified by thy Holy Spirit, that no Danger or Perfecution may affright me from my Duty; that no Plea- fure may make me carelefs and negligent in D 4 the
56 An Hxpofition on the Offices, cfc.
the Performance of it ; and that under Afflic- tions moil grievous to Fkfh and Blood, I may be en.irely refigped, and fubmit to thy holy Will and Pleaiure. Let thy Holy Spirit, O Lord, fo guide and govern me through the whole Courfe of my fhort Life in this World* that I may not fail to obtain eternal Life in the World to come, through Jefus CbriJZ our
THE
THE
RATIONAL COMMUNICANT,
i Cor. XIV. i«i,i#.
Elfe when Thoujhalt Blefs with the Spirit, how fo all He that occupeth the Room of the Un- learned, fay Amen at thy giving of Thanks, feeing He underftandeth not what thou fay eft ?■ For Thou verity giveft Thanks well \ hit the* other is not Edified.
SAINT Pml> in the 12th 'Chapter: of tbis- Epiftle, difcourfeth of the Diveriicy of thofe miraculous fpiritual Gifts which were then diftributed by the Holy Ghost among. the Faithful, and had each of them their pecu- liar Ufe in the Church. The lyiterfretcticn of Tongues i and fpeaking in Languages which ^ they had never learned, was at that Time con- ferred on many of the Primitive Chriilia-ns 3 and • wa s , as we u n d e r u a n d b y t h is C h a | fometimes ahufed and mi [applied. . The Gift of Languages was given fop! the Licrsqfe g( zhz:
58 The Rational Communicant.
Church of Christ >, that thofe Nations which fpake in ftrange Tongues, might be informed in their own Languages of the Truth of the Gofpcl, and be brought hereby -to receive it : And being converted to the Faith of Chjust by this miraculous Sign, might, by the fame Means, be more fully inftructed in his Reli- gion : Tongues then were not chiefly given for the Edification of the Church , for, in the Words of the Apoftle, He that fpeaketh in an unknown Tongue may edify hiwfelf-, but «r- cept he interpret, the Church can receive no Edifying thereby.
Hence it is that St Paul here argues largely againft Praying in the public Congregations in a Tongue unknown to the People ; and refolves for his own Part, though he fpake with Tongues more than they ally fo to pray that the Brethren might undentand him, and join with him in his Petitions : ILlfe, faith he in the Text, when thou jh alt blefs with the Spirit \ when thou, be- ing a Miniiter in the Church, fhalt ufe fuch! Forms of Prayer and Thankfgiving as the Spirit hath. dictated to thee, or, as being com- pofed by the Church, are agreeable to the Mind of the Spirit, but fhalt ufe them in an unknown Tongue, How jh all he that cccupieth the Room of the Unlearned, how fhall any of the Congregation who hath neither learned the Language thou fpeakefr, nor hath the Gift of interpreting Tongues j how fhall fuch an one join with thee in thy Addrefs to God, and fay Amen at thy giving of Thanks, feeing he under-
fiandetb
The Rational Communicant. 5§
ftavdetb not what thou Jay eft ? For thou verily giveft Thanks well, but the ether is not Edified,
If then it be unlawful to life Prayers in the Church in an unknown Tongue; we may from thence conclude, that it is the Duty of every one to underftand aright thofe Prayers which are offered up in their Name as the Com- mon Prayers of the Church, every time they; meet together to ferve God. For it is equally abfurd, whether the Minifter offers up Prayers in a Tongue unknown to the People ; or in Terms above their Comprehenfion.
But as our Service in general ihould be a reafonable Service ; as whenever we pray with the Spirit, we mould pray with the Under- ftanding alio : My Text minds me of a 'parti* cular Office which we fhoukl do our Diligence throughly and clearly to underftand, left: we offer the Sacrifice of Fools, initead of perform- ing rightly the higheft Act of our Religion, The Words of St Paul feem to relate to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, which was ce- lebrated with folemn BleJ/ing of the Elements,, with moft folemn Actions of BleJ/ing, Praijer and 7 ' hankjgiving ; and therefore in the Chris- tian Church the whole Action very early re- ceived the general Name of the Eucharift or Thank/giving.: And what confirms this Expla- nation of the Words is, what Juftin Martyr,. who lived in the Age after the Apoftles, tells us, fpeaking of the Prayer of Ccnjecration ; when the Bijhop has finifioed the Prayers and the Eucharij'iical Service, all the People prejent ecu- D 6 elude
60 The Hational Communicant.
elude with an audible Voice, faying^ Amen. The Meaning of Sc Paul then, fpcaking to him who officiates in an unknown Tongue, is this : — When thou (halt blijs the Sacramental Ele- ments,- and blefs Gop, the Fountain of Good- nefs, how fh all a private and unlearned Per ion in the Congregation, be able to confent and fay the Amen to thy giving of Thanks and Cele- bration of the Eucharijl , feeing he under fiandeth not what thou Jay eft ?
Our Church hath provided An Order for the Adminiftration of the lira's Supper or Holy Communicn ; an Office excellent for its Ufe and Beauty; which on the one Hand avoids any Puritanical Irreverence or Indecency in the Participation of the Holy Myfteries ; and on, the other^.fhuns with Caution the oppofite Ex- treme of Pcfijh Swperftition. An Office which acquaints us with the Nature and Ends of this Sacrament; and is fitly contrived to excite us to the aclual Exerc'fe of thofe fever al Graces which are required in thofe who come to the Lord's Supper.
But as this Care and Pains of our Church in ull come to nought, unle(s this Office be un- derftocd by her Members who make ufe of it : As without this, they cannot fay Amen, or ra- tionally aiTent to the Prayers which the Prielt at the Altar offers up in their Name*: I cannot but think that it will, through Gee's Blcffing, be of great Service, if I fhoirlcl thoroughly ex- amine and explain the Communicn Office, as ycu kayc it in your Common Prayer Becks, ami point
out
The Rational Communicant. 6$
out to you the Excellency and Propriety of every Part of it.
But firfl let us take Notice of what precedes the Celebration. Becaufe the Church would have none come to the Holy Communion but fuch as are fitly prepared to receive the Holy. Myfteries, and to partake of the Sacramental Grace; fhe hath ordered Warning to be given of its Celebration, on the Sunday, or feme Holi- day immediately proceeding, to give them time for a proper Preparation ; and hath compoied an Exhortation to be read to this Purpofe ;— That as this Sacrament is a- Remembrance of Christ^s meritorious Crofs and Paliion ; we fhould render Thanks to God, for that He hath given his Son our Saviour Jcfus Chrift, not only to die for us, but alfo to be cur Spiritual Food And Suftenance in that. Holy Sacrament. — That the Comfort of Receiving it worthily, and the Danger of Receiving it unworthily, mould teach us to conjider the Dignity of that Holy My fiery \ and Itridtly and fmcerely to fear ch our Consci- ences, and examine our Lives and Conversations by the Rule of God's Commandments ; to bewail and confefs our Offences to God with full pur poje of Amendment ; and to reconcile ourfelves, and make Reftituticn. and Satisfaction to our Neigh- bours, if we have injured or offended them; being likewife ready to forgive others that have offended us. — That without Repentance, the Holy Sacrament will profit us nothing. — That we muft ccme to it with a full Tmft in God's Mercy, and a quiet Confcience. — And that he 4 who
6*2 The Rational Communicant.
3 by the former Method cannot eafe his guilty and doubtful Mind, may open his Grief to fime Minifiier of God's Word, That by the Miniftr) of God's Holy Word he may recehe the Benefit of \ • /. t hit ion, together with ghoftly Coun- Jel and Advhe\ to the quieting of his Confidence^ and avoiding all Scruple and Doubtfulness.
From hence we may obferve the Do&rine of
cur Church concerning Confeffi 'on to the Priefi;
doth not hold it abfolutely necejfary, nor
think it criminal. She neither commands it, nor
ptfes it : But holds it in fome Cafes to be very ujeful and expedient. Here fhe recom- mends the Ufe of it: And in her office for the Vifttation of the Sick, the Prieil is inftru&ed to Zpove the Jick P erf on io make a fipecial Confiefjicn of his Si;isy if he feel his Confident* troubled with any -weighty matter ; and he is thereupon im- powered to Abfolvehim if he humbly and heartily deftre it.
Thefe are the plain Directions which the Church gives her Members, that they may come hoy and clean tofuch an heavenly Feafi, in the Marriage Garment required by God in Holy Scrip- ture, and be received as worthy Partakers of that Holy Table ; all along fuppoiing, that they are convinced it is their Duty to communicate; but as me is fully fenfible that Men are too apt to be backward in coming to the Holy Table ; another Exhortation is provided to be ufed by the Minifter, iniiead of the former, In Cafe he p? all fee the Peotle negligent to come to the Holy- Communion. He is, in Gcdys behalf to bejeech-
them.
The ~Ratwnal Communieant. ^ 65
them for the Sake of Chrift, not to refufe the In- vitation which is made to them of being Guefis at his Table, left their Unthankfulne/s draw down the Wrath of God upon them. He tells them, that Excufes are e after made, than accepted and allswed before God : That worldly BuMnefs mould not hinder them; and that Im- penitence, and Want of Preparation will not be any Plea. He profefTeth his readinefs to adminifler this Sacrament, and bids, calls*, and exhorts them in the moil moving Manner, to come and commemorate the Death o{ Chrift \ thereby performing what hhnfelf hath com- manded, and avoiding the fore Punifmnent which hangeth over the Heads of thofe who wilfully abftain from the Lord's Table, fetar ate them- felves from their Brethren, and do Injury to God. And finally, that they may return t& a better Mind, he promifes to affift them with his Prayers.
Thefe Exhortations are fo plain and eafy to be underftood, that they ftand in need of no Comment : And are of very great Ufe, in that they remind Men of this n e cellar y Dutyy and tell them bow to perform it aright-, in that they fhew them not only the Necefjity, but likewife the Nature of the Sacrament, and the Qualifications requifitc in thofe who would par- take of it. -
The
64 The Rational Communicant.
The COMMUNION SERVICE.
\ PASS we now to. the Communion Service it-, felf, which is to be ufcd at the Altar, or Holy Table s which we, in conformity to the Practice of the Ancients generally place at the Eaft End of the Church-; and encompafs it with Rails to fence off Rudenefs and Irreverence.
The Habit of the officiating Prieit is plain. enough to prevent any juft. Charge of Super- ftiticn : and, at the fame time, iuch as may prejerve an awful ReJpecJ to God's Holy Service and Worfhip.
As this is in itfelf a dffinfiand entire Office, fo it was the Cuftom of our Church at the Be- ginning of the Reformation, to (jng a Pfalm or a Portion of a Pfalm, to diftinguifh it from the preceeding Service. This laudable and ancient Practice is at prefent continued in moil: Churches amqngft us, but with this Differ- ence; that the Choice of the Pialm is now left at the Difcretion of the Clerk; whereas in King.. Edward the Sixth's firft Liturgy, every Collect, . Epiftle, and Gofpel had a proper Introite, as it, was called, prefixed, to be fung fbon after the Minifter had entered within the Railsof the Altar.
The iMinifter fianding at the North Side \cf: the Table, begins the Communion Office,- as the Church of Christ, formerly began her Services, with the divine Prayer of our Lord ; which isinfertcd in every diftinct Office of our-
'Ghurdv
The Hatianal Communicant. 65
Church, that we may not difcbey his Com- mand who faid, When ye pray Jay, Our Father, £?r.-; and that we may pray for thofe Things which are needful for us, and yet our Blind- jnefs hath omitted in the other Prayers, in this perfect and comprehenfiye Form. It was an- ciently uied by the Primitive Church at the Celebration of the Eucharift, as mofb of the ancient Liturgies teftify : And that, amongfl other Reafons, on account of the Petition, Give us this Day our daily Bread ; which they thought referred to this Holy Sacrament, and therefore tran dated it omjuperfubftantiai Bread ; becaufe it confirms the Subftance of the Soul, and is dijtributed through our whole Perfon for the Benefit of Body and Soul.
When this divine Form of Prayer is faid, the People being humbly on their Knees, are to accompany the Minifter not only in their Hearts, but with their Lips : For though it be not particularly ordered in this place; yet it is in the Rubric after the Confejfion in the Order for Morning Prayer ; where the Minifter is to ufe the Lord's Prayer, The people alfo kneeling, and repeating it with him, both here, and where- Jo ever elfe it is ujed in Divine Service.
After this follows a Collect, in which we beg of God to Cleanje the Thoughts of our Hearts by . the Injpiration of his Holy Spirit, For as David warned his Hands in Innocency, fo fhould we purify our Hearts in Holinejs before we approach the Altar of our God. The Thoughts of our Hearts are for the Time of this
fac red
66 The Rational Communicant.
facred Office to be employed wholly upon hea- venly Things, and to be dedicated entirely to God : And if our Hearts be fo cleanfed, as that we may perfectly love Him ; this perfect Love will teach us a zealous and willing Obe- dience lo all His Commandments , which are pre- sently to be recited. And if God grants us this Petition, we (hall then be able worthily to magnify his holy Name in the Eucharifiical ' Service which we are entering upon.
When the Children of Ifrael were to receive the Law from Mount Sinai, Ivlvjcs charged them to wajh and fanclijy themielves : And now, we, having prayed for Purity of Soul and Cleannefs of Heart, are the better pre- pared to attend to the Repetition of the .fame Law by the Mouth of God's Minifter. To have the Ten Commandments inferted in the Communion Office is peculiar to the Church of England, and an Excellency which^ all other Liturgies, both Ancient and Modern, are defti- tute of. Nov/ what can be more proper, than to have the Commandments of God rehearfed, at a Time when we are going- in the moil fo- lemn Manner to renew (xir Vows of Obedience to them ? If it be required of thofe who would communicate worthily, to examine their Lives and Converfaticns by the Rule of God's Com- mandments, as one of the Exhortations I have lately mentioned lays it is; then furely nothing can be more feafonable than to have thefe Com- .mandmenis, this Rule fct before us, that we may judge and examine our Confciences there- by,
The Rational Communicant. 67
by, before we p relume to receive that holy Sacrament.
Here then, whilft the Minifter turning to the People, rebearfes diftinftly all the Ten Command- ments, let every one lay his Hand upon his Heart, and ajk himfelf how he hath offended againft each particular Law ; and with the greateft Sincerity rejolve earneiily to endeavour againft the Attempts and Allurements to that Sin for the future : And left he (houid be at a Lofs for & penitential Form to exprels his Sorrow in, to afk Pardon of God for hhpafl Sins, and to beg his afiifting and preventing Grace for the Time to come-, the Church hath ordered, thatafter each Gommmdmentthe People fliouid fay, Lord have Mercy upon us, and incline our Hearts to keep this Law ; and at the End of the Tenth Commandment, that they mould hum- bly befeech God to write all tbeje Laws in their Hearts; fo to write them in their Hearts, that they might have an influence on whatever they fay, do, or think : that being always governed and determined by them, all our Thoughts, Words, and Aclions may tend to the Glory of God.
This Part of the Service is followed by a Prayer for the Kings Majefry, by whom we are protected in the Exejcite of the true Reli- gion, and by whofe Laws the Obfervauon of God's Commandments is enforced with Temporal Penalties. Herein the Church of 'England "mews \\tx faithful Loyalty xo God's Vicegerent, that fhe hath no ordinary Service of her Common
Prayer
C3 The Rational Communicant.
Prayer Book, in which his Authority is not particularly recognized, and his ~PeiJon prayed for.
And herein particularly fhe imitates the an- cient Church of Chrtst, in which the Sove- reign was always prayed for at iht Celebration of the Holy Sacrament.
But here we muft obferve, that this Colleff for the King is introduced by that primitive Liturgical Form, Let us Pray. The Senfe of which, as it is here ufed, feems to be as fol- lowed^ We have been attending to the Word of God, and hearkning to his- Law in the Ten Commandments -, let us now pafs over from Hearing unto Prayer. We have before prayed in the lhort Refponfes after each Commandment^ let us now addrefs ourfelves to God in the fol- lowing CollecJ. We have in thole brief Pe- titions begged of God Grace and Pardon for eurfehes ; let us now offer up our Supplications for his Anointed. Let us lay afide all intruding and improper Thoughts; let us not give way to the fmaileji Interruptions; left they quench the Spirit of our Zeal, or cauie the Lamp of our Devotion to burn with an unjleady Flame, Let us ferioufly attend to the Bufinefs we are. about. Let us reverently approach the Throne of Grace, and with a pious Earnefinejs gray to God. .
After this Introduction^ the Church hath propofed a double Form, either of which the JMinifter may ufe at his difcretion. In the firft we beg, that, as the King is the Minifter of
Go 3*
The Rational Communicant. 6Q
God, fo he may ?. ove all Ihings feek God's Honour and Git \ . for the Good of his Church : aad that we, on our Part, confidering from whence he receives his Authority ', may fefvey honour, and humbly obey him, notjmlyfcr Wrath , but alfo for Confcience Jake. The fecond ac- knowledges the Hearts of Kings to be in the Hand of God, and therefore befeeches him to dtfpcje our gracious Sovereign, to feek the Ho- nour of God and the Good of his Subjects.
After this comes the Collet for the Day, ap- propriated to'the Epiftleand Gofpel which fol- low it; and is, for the molt part, a Petition for fome Grace which they fet forth as neceiTary for us; or, on Saints-Days, that wTe may imi- tate the laudable Example of thofe holy Perfons, whole «:ood Deeds we on thofe Days com me-
&
rnorate and thank God for.
Hitherto the Minifter who officiates is en- joined to jland, and the People to kneel ; be- eaufe the Pofture of (landing is in him very be- coming in Euchnriftical or Tbankfgiving Of- fices; and it is efpecially proper when he deli- vers the Commandments from God, as Mofes from Mount Sinai, that he fhould do it in a Gefture intimating his Authority ', and that he is the Mejfenger of the Lord of Hefts . A rid Kneel- ing is as proper for the Congregation, Whiift they humbly implore Grace and Pardon of God, and beg a Bleffing for thofe whom he hath fet over them. And this I the rather uke Notice of, becaufe I have feen that feveral, for want: of obferving the Directions of the Rubric,
though
?0 The Rational Communicant.
though they kneel during the other Parts of the Service, have, whilft the Communion Office was reading, been wanting in the decent and hum- ble Pofture here required of them. Whereas, the very Nature of this folemn Of rice demands of us as much penitential Humility and lowly Reverence in our Geftures, as any one Part of the Liturgy.
From Praying we arife to hear the JVord of God in the Epijlles and Gcjpels, which are Por- tions of Scripture appointed for the fevtral Sun- day s> and fitted to the feveral Feftivals and Sea- fins of the Year. We are gradually led on to the mod facred Myfteries, by having firft the Law of the Ten Commandments read to us ; that Law which was firft giving to the Israelites, and which our Lord and Saviour came afterwards to Jill up, and to exalt the Duties of it to a more heavenly Perfection. After this, from the Old Tejlament we pafs to the New, the Law having ferved to bring us to Chrijl : And fo Lome Parages taken (for the mo ft Part) out of the Epiftolary Writings of the Apoftles, the Ser- vants of the Lord Jesus, are read to prepare us for the Hearing of the Go/pel, which con- tains the Words or Actions of their and our Lord and M after ; and is ou t of R e fpe 61 re ferv- ed to th< L'ifl Place: And for the fame Reaibn it was a Cuftom amongft the Primitive Chrifti- ans, and is pofitively enjoined by our Church, that the People \hc\Mjtand whilft the Go/pel is reading,
6 As
The Rational Communicant. 71
As the Jews read the Hiftory of their Belt" verance out of Egypt, before they eat t\vd Pafs- cver; fo in the Primitive Church t\\t Epiftles and Go/pets were ordered to be read at the Cele- bration of the Holy Communion ; though they read larger Portions of them than v/e do at pre- fent : But even tbofe very Eplfiles and Gofpels which are now in our Liturgy, are fo far from being but lately chofen, that moft of them have, in the Service of the Catholic Church, been af- fixed to thoje Sundays and Holidays on which we now ufe them for above thefe Thou/and Tears.
As Faith cometh by Hearing, and as the pure and fincere IVor d of God hath been juft read unto us; v/e pafs on in che next place to rehearje the. Articles cf our Belief, as contained in, and abdracled from tho \tfacred Writings which we have been giving Attention to. And as the Creed contains the Sum and Subffance of the Go/pel, the People are to repeat it /landing, in the fame Pofture as they did whilfc the Gof- pel was reading. And that, I fuppofe fays the late learned and pious Biihop Beveridge, is the Reafon, why, although after the Reading of the Epifile, the Minifier is to fay, Here endeth the Epiftle; yet after the Reading of the Gofpel he is not to fay, Here endeth the Gofpel, (as many, who do not confider the Rubric, are wont to do) becaufe the Gofpel doth not properly end there, but continues to be declared and publi fried in the following Creed: In which are briefly compre- hended
72 The Tiational Communicant.
bended all the great Articles of that Holy Religion which Chrift hath revealed in his Go/pel.
At our Baptifm, we, amongft other Things, promife to believe all the Articles of the Chrifti- an Faith y and therefore it is with the greateft Propriety that we here make an open ConfeJJion of our Failh, at a Time when we are going to renew our Baptifmal Vow in this other Sacra- went, And befides, it is but juft and reafoa- rble, that thofe who eat of t\iz fame Bread, and drink of thtfame Cup, mould profefs thefame Faith, and own themfelves to be joined toge- ther in Unity of Spirit, before they partake of thofe [acred Myfteries.
Add to this, that every folemn ConfeJJion of our Faith muft be looked upon as giving Glory and Honour to God, in recognizing his Effencc and Attributes, and the Bleffings which flow from thole Sources upon Mankind: And hence it, in a peculiar Manner, befits'//^ holy- Service of Thanks and Praife. In this we imi- tate the- mod ancient Liturgies of the Church; which, when this holy Sacrament was celebrat- ed, had an Euchariftical Form, in which God's Power and Goodnefs was acknowledged in the Creation, Preservation, and Redemption of the World. Thus we, though in a fhorter Form
J o
of undoubted Authority, confefs to the holy and undivided Trinityy and diftinctly own the Divinity of each Perfon: We commemorate the Creation of the World, by God the Father Almighty : We acknowledge J ejus Chrift to be our Lord, to have been begotten from all Eter- nity,
The Rational Communictmt. 7&
nity, to be of one Subftance with the Father y and with him Creator of all Things ; That for our Salvation he came down from Heaven ; was made Man, fuffered, and died for us. We commemorate his RefurreVion, AfcenJion> and Jit ting at Gods right Hand : Exprefs our Ex- pectation of his fecend Coming, and declare, That his Kingdom ft) all have no End. We con- fefs to God, that he hath infpired the r'repbets ; that he hath built a Church on the Foundation' of the Apo/lles •, that he hath appoifn ted Bap- tijm for the Rem'iflim of Sins ; and given us Leave to look for the RefurreJlion of the Dead, and an happy Eternity.
What more glorious Hymn than this can we Ting to the Honour of God ? Is it polfible to mention any thing elie that can fo much re- dound to his Glory ? May not Ibis our Ser- vice be well (tiled the Each arift, when we thus give Praife and Glory to Almighty God for' the wonderful ManifefUtion of his Attributes* and the ineftimable Bleftings lie hath bellowed upon us ? Let not any one therefore think, that repeating the Creed is barely a Declaration of his Faith to the reft of the Congregation ; for betides' that, it is a moil fikmn Act of Worfhio, in which we honour and magnify God both for what he is in himiclf, and tor what he hath done for us : And let us ail, f-n Ible of this, repeat it with reverential Voice and Ge fu- ture, and life up our Hearts with Faith > Thank* fulnefj, and humble Devotion, whenever we la}-, / believe, &c.
F> In
74 The Hational Communicant.
In the LeffbnSy and reading of the Scripture, the M in ift cri peaks to the People as from God. In the Prayers, he is the Mouth of the People, and fpeaks to God in their Behalf But when * the Creeds are rehearfed, the Minifter anfwers only for hi mf elf y and every one of the Congre- gation like wife fays in his own Name, I believe. We cannot dive into the Thoughts of others, and fearch out their Opinions : But when each one f erf on ally and exprefly joins in this Form of found Words ; when each one for himfelf fays, I believe •, then we difcover the Communion of Saints, and the happy Confent and Agree- ment of the whole Congregation, both with one another, and wkh the Catholic Church of Christ, in theie- fund a mental Doctrines of his Religion.
The THREE CREEDS.
A?%TD here I think it will not be amifs, if we lay hold on this Occafion to fpeak briefly of the Rife of Creeds in the Church : They had, probably, their Original from thofe Pro- feffions which were made by Perfons to be bap- tized. Philip demanded of the Eunuch, whe- ther he believed with all his Heart , and when tie. anfwercdandfiidy I believe that.Jefus Chrift is the Son of God , immediately he baptized him. This is what St. Peter calls the Anfwer of a good Confcience; and what the Church hath ever iince retained. In the Primitive Church, the Questions which were put> and ,the Anfwers
whicj*
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which were given to them, were but ihort. But as Tares greiv up among the Wheat ; as new Herefies daily fprang up in the Church, the Baptifmal Interrogatories were extended, and the Creed enlarged, fo as to oppofe thofc grofs and fundamental Errors and Herefies which had begun to infeft the Church. And hence, the ancienter the Creeds are, they are generally obferved to be cxprefTed in a more plain and Jimple Manner, and to be lejs expla- natory than thofe of after Ages,
I. That which we call the Apoftles Creed, is therefore, probably, the rnofl ancient of anjr which we publicly ufe. And though it is not likely that the whole Creed in the prefent Form of it was compiled by the Apoftles ; becaufe, if it had been lb, St. Luke would fcarce have omitted fuch a material Circumftance when he wrote their Aofs : Yet it is agreeable to their Doctrine, and might, in the main Branches ok it, be compofed in or near their Time. Thus much is certain, that it is to be found in the Works of Authors of the fourth Century, In the fame Terms as we ufe it in our Liturgy. And it is faid in the fame Age to have been in- troduced into the public Service, of the Church.
II* The next in Order of Time, is the Creed ufed in our Communion Ojjice, vulgarly called, the Nicene Creedy becaule it was chiefly compofed in the fit -ft general Council of Nice, which was called againft Arius in the Year 325 ; and therefore in this the Divinity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, is more E 2 fully
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fully and explicitly taught, in Oppofition t« the Novel Opinions of Arius and his Follow- ers, who denied it. But this Ccnfeffion of Faith received afterwards more Enlargements, when the fecond General Council was called at Conftantinopk 56 Years after, to condemn the heretical Tenets of thofe who refufed to own, thai the Holy Ghcjl ivas God: And therefore this Council made Additions to the Nicene Creed \ which in more precife Terms exprefTed . the Divinity of the Holy Ghoju So that the Title of Lord and Giver of Life there applied to him, ana the other Articles which follow it, were all affixed to the Nicene Creed by this Council : Excepting, that after it is faid of the H 0 1 y .Spirit, that he prcceedeth frGm the Fa- ther, the Latins, in the Middle of the film Century, or later, added theft Words, And from the Sou. becaufe forne of the Greek Wri- ters had before that denied trie Procefjion of the Holy Ghoft from tht Son.
HI. The other Cried which our Church makes uie of is \ commonly called the Creed of St Athanafius : Not that it is certain that he was the Author of it ; but becaufe it captains his Dbytrine of the Trinity, that fpund^and ortho- dox Faith which the h< iy Athanafius with Cou- . rage and Conftancy vindicated and defended , againft the moil powerful and numerous Part of the World. In this Confeffidn, the Divi- nity of the Three Perfcrs, and the Incarnation of the Son* are fully afTerted againft the Here- tics who had at that, Time broached contrary
Opinions.
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Opinions. From hence the Time in which it wascompofed is conjectured, which. muftneccf- farily be later than" the Rife of thole ilercfies which it oppofes. And it is thought, by the Worthy and Learned Dr. IVateriand, to have been drawn up about the Year of Chrifi 430, by Hilary >> Abbot ot her ins , and then Bijhof of Aries, for the Ufe of his Galilean Clergy.
Thefe are the three Barriers of the Faith- of our Church, extracted from the Holy Scrip- ture in the purer Ages of Chriftianity : Though varioufly exprelTed, yet the fame \n Subftance ; agreeable each to other ; and all agreeable to the Word of God, and approved all along by the Catholic Church. In thefe Forms fhe calls upon her Members to declare their Belief to be conlbnant to that of the Church Univerial. The Apojlles Creed, as the plainest and flior it it Form, is appointed for common And daily Uie. The Athanafian for Fejlivals which relate more immediately to our Saviour, or which are placed at fuch convenient Dijlances from each other as that none may be wholly igriorant of the Myi- teries therein contained. And die NUene Creed is to be repeated on everv FejHval\ a; d (as a Creed wab ufrd in the Communion O the
Primitive Church) wh< evei :he Eu char tft is ad*- minillred, accorciino; to ti>e InilitLition of our Lord ; whofe eternal Generation, Godhead, Incarnation, Sufferings aod Exaltation, are therein fummarily contained and acknow- ledged.
E 3 To
78 The Hational Communicant.
To proceed now in the farther Confidera- tion of the Communion Service ; having fome- thing gone off from my firft Ptirpofe to the Confideration of the Three Creeds, in hopes that the Ufefulnefs of what I have faid may cxcufe the DigrefTion.
After the Creed is finifhed, Then Jh all fol- low the Sermon, or one of the Homilies already Jet forth, or hereafter to be Jet forth by Autho- rity. For this, according as it is placed in our Liturgy, muftbc reckoned a Part of the Communion Service on thofe Days when the Holy Sacrament is adminiftred. In the Pri- mitive Church the Sermon followed the Read- ing of the Gofpel. it was called the Homily, Tofiily or Tratlate ; and was generally a Prac- tical Explanation of the Epiftle or Gofpel, by the Bifocf, if prefent, or elfe by fome fubordi- nate Minifter commiffioned by him : And at the End of this, the Catechumens, and all thofe who were not admitted to the facred Myfteries, were difmifTed.
The Homilies of our Church, which were fet out in the Beginning of the Reformation, do contain godly and wholejome Doclrine, and were particularly necejfary for thofe Times in which there was a Scarcity of Preachers.
I need fay nothing of the Sermons that are now preached, fince they are known to be ufe- ful Difcourfes, in which fome Text or Portion of Scripture is explained, fome Doclrine illuf- trated, or fome Duty inforced : But only fhall obferve, that as they tend to make us wifer
and
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and better, they cannot but be proper Prepa- ratives for the Table of the Lord.
The OFFERTORY,
THE Sermon being ended7 Then Jhall the Trieft return to the Lord' s 'Fable \ and begin the Offertory. Offerings at the Time of the Com- munion have been cuflomary ever fince the Times of the Apftles > and have been thoughc to have been pointed out by our Saviour, by way of Anticipation, even before he inltituted this Sacrament, when in the Sermon on the Mount he fpeaks to his Difciples of bringing their Gift to the Altar. The Primitive Chrifti- ans were fenfible that it was their Duty at that Time to offer unto God fome Part of thofe good Things which he had beftowed upon them. Thefc Gifts they brought partly in Money, and partly in Bread and Wine, or in fome other Things of Value. From hence was taken the Bread and Wine for the Cele- bration of the Euchariil \ and the Provifion for their Love-Feafts ; and the Remainder ferved for the Maintenance of the BiiTiop and Clergy (this being at that time their chief, if not only Dependence) for the Repairs and Or- naments of their Churches, and for the Relief of the Poor.
Wfnlit the Alms are collecting, the Mini- He r is to read feveral Sentences of Scripture, proper to excite the pec p!e to good Works of Charity to the Poor, and Benevolence to thofe E 4 who
SO The 'Rational Communicant.
who wait at the Altar. We are told that our Light fhould fhine before Men, our Treafures be laid up in Heaven, and that we fhould do ts others, as we defire they would do to us ; and fhould not only pfofefs, but practife Chrifti- anity. By the Example of Zaccheus we arc exhorted to Alms-giving and Reftuution ; and are encouraged to diftri^ute cheerfully accord- ing to our Power; to take all Opportunities of doing Good ; to be ready to Give, and glad to Ri (tribute ; becaufe God is pie a fed with juch Sacrifices, bicriTes thofe who offer them, and 'himielf becomes our Debtor for what we thus lay out.
And now the Bread and IVine, and the Alms of the Congregation being humbly prefenfed md placed upon the Holy Table"} the Prieft is to be- gin the Prayer for the State of Chrijl's Church. None of the Communion Offices of the Primi- tive Church was without fuch a Form. It was called the Catholic or General CvllecJ, or the Prayer J cr Peace : And this Prayer of ours is, as to the Subftance of what it contains, agree- able to the moil ancient Liturgies.
V- e have already, in the Creed, teftified our Faith, to be the fame with that of the univerfal Church: We have (hewed our Compajfion in Alms to the Poor : And here we declare the Exttnt of our Charity, in praying for all Con- ditions of Men in the Church, that they may live agreeable to their Profeffion of Chriftiani- ty j that thofe who govern the State, thofe who prefide over the Church, and wait at the
Altar,
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Altar, and the People in general, may, in their feveral Stations, promote the Glory of GoD,'and the Good of one another. Chriftianity teacheth Men Loyalty and Obedience ; and the Apoftle hath taught us to make Prayers, and Supplications, and Thanksgivings, or Euc ha- nds, for all Men, for Kings, and all in Autho- rity ; which Words feem particularly to bind it upon us as our efpecial Duty, when we cele- brate this Sacrament.
In this Prayer, .the Pried folemnly offers to God the Devotions of the People, and humbly begs of him to accept their Alms and Oblations ; — thofe Alms which, whilft the Sentences were reading, have been collected for the Ufe of the Poor, and are therefore, with great Pro- priety, offered unto God, who is pleafed with fuch Sacrifices :• — Thole Oblations of Bread and Wine, which are co be ufcd in this Holy Sacrament, and ought therefore to be humbly dedicated to God, with a Petition for His Ac- ceptance of them.
We make lbme Provifion for the Poor by our Alms ; but there are, befides, many others whom this Kind of Charity will not reach. Money will neither cure the Grief of the Mind, nor absolutely heal the Difteropers of the Body : and the Alms which are at this Time beitowed, cannot be fo diftributcd as to relieve all thofe that are in Neceiiity ; bur/ our heart)? Prayers we are allured will reach the;: , and God •••.ill- have regard to the Petitions we faithfully offer up in their Behalf: and therefore with exten- E 5 five
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five and umverfal Charity we befeech him of his Goodnefs to comfort and fuccour all them who are in Trouble, Sorrow, Need, Sicknefs, or any ether Adverfity. To our Prayers we then join our Thanks for all the Saints of God departed this Life; bejeeching him that we may follow their good Examples, and with them be Partakers tf/'his heavenly Kingdom.
The EXHORTATION and INVITATION.
THIS excellent Collect being concluded, the Priefr. is to read an Exhortation fit to pre- pare the Minds of the Communicants for re- ceiving the Holy Sacrament. In it he reminds them of the Qualifications neceiTary to a wor- thy Reception, namely, a -penitent Heart and a lively Faith : He fets before them the Advan- tages of Partaking in fbch a Manner, that then we Jpiritually eat the Flefh of Chrijl, and drink his Blood ; then we dwell in Chrijl, and Chrijl in us ; we are one with Chrift, and Chrijl with us. But if, on the contrary, we come without due Preparation, we are guilty of the Body and Blood of Chrijl -, and by not difcern- ing the Lord's Body* provoke God to fend the
Judgments
* This Part of the Exhortation is taken chiefly from i Car, xi„ The Word Damnation h-re borrowed from *v. 29. might with greater Propriety have been tranflated Judgment i and in the Text plainly refers to the Tempo- ral Funiiruaenju, Deaths, and SickueiTes, which were then
in-
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Judgments of his Wrath upon us here, which, if not averted by fincere Repentance, will at lad end in final Damnation. Hence it is, that He again prefies them to judge and examine themfelves, to repent of their Sins paft, to amend their Lives, to have a lively and ftedfajt Faith in Chrift our Saviour, and to be in perfe5t Charity with all Men, thaty^ they may be meet Partakers of thoje Holy Myjteries.
What follows is partly Admonitory, and partly Euchariftical : In which, whilft the Peo- ple are exhorted to be thankful, the Minifter recounts and acknowledges the Good nefs of God in the Redemption of the World, by the Death andPaffion of our Saviour Chrift both God and Man, who did humble himfelf even to the Death upon the Cro/s, for us miferable Sinners, nxho lay in Darknejs and the Shadow of Death $
ir.flifted by God "on thofe who vilely profaned this Sacra- ment. The Crimes of the Corinthians were, not difcerning the Lord's Body, looking upon the Sacrament as a common Meal, aud Eating and Drinking toexcefs at the Lord's Table : And for thefe God inflicted remarkable Judg- ments on them. So that Eating and Drinking unworthily, in the Senfe of St. Paul, is receiving the Sacrament in a carelefs and profane Manner, and abufing it to Intemper- ance ; Sins that cannot at prefent be charged on any Com- municants : But our Church here ufes it not fo much in refpecl to the Manner of receiving, as to the Qualification? of the Communicants,, and their fltnefs to receive. Let then no pious Chriftians fright themfelves from the Sa- crament by expounding thefe Word^ in too rigid a Man- ner : Let them but bring with them fincere Repentance, Faith, and Charity, and they will be mat Partakers of thofe Holy Myfierics,
K 6 that
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that H' might make us the Children of God, and exalt us to everlafting Life , and moreover injli- tuted thefe holy Myfieries to our great and end- lefs Comfort, as Pledges of bis Love, and for a continual Remembrance of his Death, and the in- numerable Benefits He hath thereby obtained for us.
After this, it ends with a folemn Dcxology to the ever-biefTed Trinity, and a Tender of Thanks, Submiffion, and Obedience to the Divine Will : And this the whole Congrega- tion is to afTent to, and Seal with an hearty Amen.
Is not therefore our Communion Office Eucharifiical? Do we not in it fhew ourfelves grateful to our bleiTed Redeemer, when- even iht preparatory Exhortation to it includes an Hymn of praije for our Redemption, and the Inftiturjon of the holy Sacrament ?
In the Primitive Church, before the Admi- niftration of the Eucharift, the Deacon was ordered to fay. Let n:ne of the Unbelievers, vene (f the Heterodox pay. — Let no one have g tight atainft <&y Man. Let no one come in Lhpccrijy. Thus they dic-ve the Unworthy from the Holy Table ; and though they fuffer- cd them to hear God's Word read, and to join in the preceding Prayers of the Church; yet *hey charged none to communicate in the ho- ly Mjfteries, but the Faithful and the Ortho- dox, in.i rhefe who came with Charity and £ tcenty of Heart. And thus our Church endeavours to prevent any from incurring the
Danger
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Danger of Receiving unworthily, by the fol- lowing Invitation-, in which, whilft fhc en- courages thofe who are qualified by Repentance and Chanty, to draw near with Faith; fhe at the fame time filently warns thofe who are not fitly prepared to withdraw themfelves.
This then is a proper time to confult with our Hearts, and ftriclly to afk ourlelves whe- ther we have thefe Qualifications ; and if we can fay, in the Sincerity of our Souls, that we truly and earneftly repent us of our Sins, and (ire in hove and Charity with our Neighbours, and intend* to lead a new Life, following the Commandments ef God, and walking from hence- forth in his holy Ways-, we may then draw near with Faith, and full Afflirance that the holy Sacrament which we take will be to our Comfort.
The CONFESSION and
ABSOLUTION.&c,
BUT as we cannot draw near with a true Heart, in full Ajfurdnce of Faith, without having our Hearts rirft fprinkled from an evil Confcience : What more efficacious Means of doing this, than to make our humble Confefjion to Almighty Gcd, meekly kneeling upon our Knees? The Form of Confeffion inicrted in the Communion Office is excellent as to the Place it bears, as to the Matter it contains/ and as to t he Form it is exprejfed in.
Firft, As to the Place it fianas in -, if we 1 refpedt
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refpect the Exhortations going before, nothing can be lore rcafonable, than, when we have been convinced of the efpecial Neceffity at this Time of a true and unfeigned Repentance, we immediately fall down at the Throne of Grace, and wich Shame and Sorrow acknow- ledge our Sins. If we regard the moft hcly Service which follows, we nuift allow, that as the Priefts amongft the Jews were to purify themfelves before they offered up their Sacri- fices; as the Primitive Chriftians warned their Hands before they confecrated the Holy Sacra- ment: fo we mould wajh our Hands in Inno- cence, before we go to God's Altar ; and purge ourfelves from Guilt by confe fling cur Offences, and craving Pardon for them, before we pre- iiime to take thofe holy Myfteries. We are unworthy through cur manifold Sins to offer un- to God any Sacrifice \ penitent Confefijon is the Condition of our- Pardon; and this we mult feek for, before we commemorate in this our Chriflian Sacrifice the Death and Paflion of our Lord and Saviour.
Secondly, This Confefiion is excellent as to the Matter it contains, and the Form it is ex- prefTed in. It reprefents God as the Maker of all Things, and fo we Sinners are the Work of his Plands, and at his Difpofal : As the Judge of all Men, and fo capable of knowing ail our Words and Actions, and of difcerning the Thoughts of our Hearts, and Juft to deal with every Man according to his Deeds : As an Al- mighty God, and fo able to punifh with utter
Ruin
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Ruin thofe who tranfgrefs his Will : But then it reprefents him as the Father of cur Lord Jefus Chrift, and fo for his fake Gracious and Merciful to Mankind, eafy to be intreated, and ready to forgive. When the Sinner thus fpeaks to God, the Words he ufeth teach him to dread his Power and juftice, and to fly for Safety to the Arms of his Mercy, and the Merits of his Saviour.
After thefe Compellaiions, we come to ac- knowledge, that our Sins are manifold -, that we have tranfgrefTed, in Thought , I Ford, and Deed -, that it is the Divine Majejty whom we have offended -, and that hereby we are juftly become obnoxious to his JVrath and Indignation. "We then exprefs our Scrrc-zv, we cry for Mer- cy, and beg to be delivered from the heavy Burden of our pail Sins, for ChrijVs Sake, and that ive may ever hereafter ferve and pleafe G c d to the Glory and Honour of his Name. Here then the penitent Sinner is taught to ccnfefs his Faults in a Form fo ccmprehenf.ve as to include all the Sins that he can pombly have been guilty of; and yet not fo particularized as to make any blame themfelves unjuftly for Sins of which they are not confaous: and in the mod pathetic Expreitions, to humble himfeif before the Throne of Grace, and implore God's Mercy on the mod prevailing Motives,
And as every cr.e of us are burdened with
Sins, the Church reauires that every one of us
mould, with his ozvn Mouth, make this his
Confefiion: That every one may accufe himfeif
4 before
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before God; and whilft he makes this out- ward Confeffion, he may privately in his own Heart reflect on the Sins he hath committed againit each Article, and fecretly confefs them with Sorrow to God who knows all the Mo- tions of his Soul.
When we do this, let us confider ourfelves as guilty Criminals appearing before the Judge of all the World, a powerful, a dreadful, an avenging God; and let us behave ourfelves as becometh thofe who have highly offended and provoked him; abamed at our own Vilenefs, and with fear and trembling meekly kneeling up- on our Knees. If in all the Prayers we make, we fhouid carry ourfelves with Reverence and Submiflion; furely this muft, in an efpecial manner, be attended with the mofl profound Humility and Devotion. Finally, let our Voice be as humble as our Gefture, not cla- morous fo as to difturb any, but fober fo as to excite and animate the Devotion of others.
The C.onfeJJiQn being ended, then jhall the Prie,°i pronounce the Absolution, becaufe to himy and not the Deaan, it is faid at Ordination, Whojefoever Sins ye remit , tbty are remitted : unlefs the BiJJoop be tirefent* and then for Ho- nour fake, and in token of his fpiritual Supe- riority, this A 61 of Authority is referved to him. Here it is he, in a peculiar manner, acts as the Meflenger of the Lord of Hods, as the Ambaffador of Christ; and therefore he is ordered to ft and whilft he pronounceth it; and to turn him/elf to the People, becaufe the
good
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good News he brings, and the Pardon he opens, directly concerns them.
Christ hath given Power and Commandment to his Minifters to declare and pronounce to his People, being penitent, the Absolution and Re- miffion of their Sins : And when they make a right Ufe of the Miniftry of Reconciliation which is committed unto them ; whatfoever they regularly declare on Earth, He who hath impowered them to do this, will, In His fove- reign Court in Heaven, make good ; and will there ratify what his Minifters do according to his own Rules and Orders.
Here then the Church, charitably fuppofing that thofc who come to the Holy Communion, come not without Faith and Repentance-, and that the Profeffions thereof which they have made in the Creed, and general Confeffion, arc hearty and fincere ; (lie hath ordered the Prieft to pronounce the Abfolution to the People, as fit- ly qualified to receive the Benefit of it; and grounding what he cloth on the Divine Pro- mife, to wifh them, from Cod, Pardon of their Sins, Confirmation in Goodnefs, and cverlafting Lire, through the Merits of Jesus Christ. This he wijhes them in the Name of cur Lord, as impowered by His Authority; and not after the manner of Men, as when we wifh each other any kind of Happinefs. Though the Church in her fcveral Offices va- ries the Form of Abfolution, according to the particular Circumftances of the Perfons to whom it is pronounced, the Variety of Ex-
preflion
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prefilon doth not render it lefs efficacious. The Abfolution of the Prieji is not a meer Prayer for Pardon, or a bare Declaration of God's Good- will to repenting Sinners, but carries with it fomething Authoritative and Judicial. As a Judge on the Bench reprefents the Perfon of the Prince, and pronounces thofe to be right in Court, and exempt from Punifhment, who are qualified to plead the Mercy of their Sove- reign -, fo the Prieft, in God's Stead, judicially pronouncces them to be Innocent, and allures and conveys Remiflion of Sins, to thofe w,hofe Faith and Repentance entitle them to Pardon, according to the Promifes of God, and the Conditions of the Gofpel: And therefore, when a true Penitent hears his Pardon thus Jolemnly pronounced by an Officer whom God has deputed and ccmmiffioned for it, he may quiet his Heart, as one whofe Cafe is judged, and firmly hope God will pronounce the fame at the laft Judgment.
Let every one therefore, with a lowly De- meanour andfober Joy, attend to the Absolution. Let them by no means ufurp the peculiar Office of the Prieft, and difturb the Congre- gation, by repeating it after him. But let them beg of God to confirm what he pro- nounces, by adding to it a devout and hearty Amen.
And now, that none may think the Minifter hath gone beyond his CommhTicn, or that our Lord himfelf will n%ot agree to what he hath declared j he affixes thereto the Seal of his Mailer, and fubjoins fome Sentences out of the
Word
The 'Rational Communicant. 91
Word of God, upon which the Declarations of Mercy and Forgivenefs are founded. We there hear what comfortable IV or ds our Saviour Chrift faith unto all that truly turn to bin. Come unto me, all that travel, and are heavy ladeny and I will refrejh you. What an affectionate Call is this to thofe who are Slaves to Vice, who toil and labour in Iniquity, and are grieved with the intolerable Burden of their Sins ! What Affurance doth it give to contrite Hearts, that Confeffing and Repenting they fhall find Mercy! What Comfort doth that which follows afford the Fathful, that God fe loved the World, that he gave his only-begotten Son, to the End that all that believe in himfhould not peri fn, but have everlafting Life I
Thus in the Words of the Son of God, we acknowledge the infinite Love of God the Father towards fallen Man, in not with- holding his Son, his only Son from us 3 and with the Apoftle profefs, that this is a true faying, and worthy of all Men to be received, that Chrift Jejus came into the World to Jave Sinners. The bare mention of the Goodnefs and Love of God is an Act of Praife: Such Goodnefs can never more properly be expreffed than in the Terms of him who is Truth itfelf : and, not to mention the other Forms of Thanks in this Office, for the Redemption of Man, thefe Sentences make our Service Euchariftical. None truly Pious and Faithful can hear or ut- ter them without Hearts full of Joy and reli- gious Gratitude. And in the next Words, we
exprefs
$c2 The Jxational Communicant.
exprefs our Confidence and Truft in the Satis- faction Christ once made for ail our Sins, and in die Intcrceftion He daily makes for us; fay- ing with St John, If any Man fin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jefus Chrift the Righteous, and He is the Propitiation for our Sins.
The EUCHARISTICAL
SUFFRAGES,&c.
H AV I N G fpoken of thofe Sentences of Scriptures, which are placed juft after the Abso- lution, I fhall now proceed to confider what immediately follows, which is ftri&ly Eucha- riftical ; and as to the Subftance of it, is taken from the ancient Liturgies, and by them chief- ly from the Holy Scriptures. Of this St. Cyril bears ..witnefs, who explains this Part of the Office, and -mews the Propriety of it. The Trie ft, faith he, calls out, Lift up your Hearts: for truly at that tremendous Hour we ought to have the Heart lifted up to God, and not Jet up- tn the Earth, and worldly slffairs. By the Force of thefe Words, the Fvieft requires all, that in this Hour they lay afide all the Concerns of this Life, and their demeftic Cares, and have their Hearts in Heaven with the Lover of Mankind. Then you anfwer, We lift them up unto the Lord; acknowledging that you AJfent to what be requires: But let no Man ft ay here, and Jay with his Mouth, We lift them up unto the Lord, whiift he lets his Mind reve upon the
Things
The Rational Communicant. 93
Things of tMs Life. We ought \ indeed, always to think upon God; but if this cannot be done, by reafon of the Infirmity of human Nature •, it is in an ef pedal Manner to be endeavoured at this Hour. Then the Priejl fays, Let us give Thanks unto the Lord. We ought certriuly to give Thanks that He hath called us Unworthy to Jo great a Grace-, that He hath reconciled us to Himfelf being his Enemies ; that He hath given us the Spirit of Adoption, and the Privi- lege of Feafting at hisHoly fab^e; and there- fore, when he hath invited them to glorify God in a foiemn and devout Form ; the Peo- ple are taught to anfwer, It is meet and right f 9 to do.
We are commanded in every Thing to give Thanhs i for this, fays the1 Apoitle, is the Will ff God in Chrifv Jefus concerning you: And in Obedience hereunto, the Priei:, who harh been fpeaking to the People, now turning to the Lord's Table, adcreiK :th himfelf to God, and ack 'owledgeth it to be meet, right, and our bounden Duty, at all Times , and in all Places to pay this Debt of Praifc to Him : And accord- ingly, as we are going to celebrate the fub- limeft My lie ties of the Gofpel, which Thihgs the Angels defire to look into, for which they glorify God, and congratulate the Happinefs of Man; to (hew that \\t worfhip the fame Lord of Holts, and chat we hold Communion with the Saints above; we in a full Chorus join with Angels and Arch-angels, and all the Company of Heaven, to laud and magnify the
Holy
94 The Rational Communicant.
Holy Trinity, in that Seraphic Hymn which Ifaiah tells us he heard the facred Choir fing to the Lord of Glory, Saying, Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Hoftst Heaven and Earth are full ef thy Glory.
PraifeisourboundenDuty at ^//Tirhes ; but on thofe Holydays and Seafons, on which we particularly commemorate lb me efpecialBlejfing, it is meet and right that we mould make efpe- cial mention of it, and in an efpecial manner render rour Thanks to God for that his graci- ous Goodnefs. And hence it is that our Church hath added proper Prefaces, taken out of the Service of the ancient Church, ro be prefixed to this general Act of Praife on fome of the grand Fefiivals.
On Chriftmcs-day, we are, in the Preface, taught to thank God for the Incarnation of the immn?ulate J £sus, who by the Operation cf the Holy Ghoft, was, at that Time, made Man, that He might make us clean from all Sin.
Upon Eajler-day, becaule this our Pafchal Lamb by his Death hath deftroyed Death, and by his RefurretJion hath rcjlored to us ever- lafiing Life. ,
Upon Afcenfion day^ becaufe Christ is af- cended up into Heaven to prepare a Place for us.
Thefe three firft proper Prefaces are to be ufed for eight Days together; for, fo long the Church, taking Pattern from thofe Laws which God gave the Jews, intends that the
Comme-
The Rational Communicant. 95
Commemoration of thefe fignal and extraor- dinary Mercies mould continue. If we think it but juft and realbnable to fet apart one Day to commemorate the Virtues of fome of God's Holy Saints and Martyr s> and to thank Him ( for the Benefit the Church receives by their Examples: Then, furely, the immenfe Bene- fits the Church receives by thefe principal Acts of our Saviour > which brought about and com- pleated our Redemption, muft needs require from us, that thefe Solemnities mould be drawn out to a greater Length.
Hereby the Church fhews how agreeable it would be to her Inclination, if the Number of thofe who are willing and ready to Communi- cate, did give occafion to the Adminiftration of the Holy Eucharifl on each of thofe Days, by having appointed a Preface proper to them : And that fo thofe pious Chriftians, who have Leifure equal to their Devotion, might meet daily to exprefs the Fulnefs of their Joy and Gratitude for the Bleflings which are then the chief Subject of our Meditations 3 and thofe who are unavoidably hindered from attending the public Worfhip on thefirft of thofe Days, might, at lead on fome of them, have Oppor- tunity of alTembling themfelves in the Houfe of God.
The Preface for Whit-Sunday acknowledges the Truth of Christ's Promifes, fjlMlied in fending down the Holy Ghoft> to enable the Apoftles to preach to all Nations. And this is to be repeated but fix Days after $ becaufe
the
§6 The Hational Communicant.
the Octave, or feventh Day after, is the Feaft of Trinity, for which a particular Preface is, appointed, confefllng the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity.
When thefe Prefaces are ufed, after each of them follows the Seraphkal Hymn: And then the Prieil, who hath hitherto been chiefly em- ployed in exhorting the People, and in praifing God, and (excepting in the Confefilon) hath continued flanding, kneeling down at the Lord's Table, fays the Prayer of humble Addrefs, in the Name of all them that /hall receive the Com- munion. Left the Joy which we haveexprefTed in our Lauds and Thanks, fliould make us for- get that we are yet in the Body, furrounded with Iinperfeciions and Infirmities, and look; upon ourfelvts as Members of the Church Tri- umphant: Left we mould not Jerve the Lord ivith Fear, and rejoice unto him with Reverence. We are here taught to check all Vanity and Confidence by an Act of Humility; not to ap- proach the Altar, but with Fear and Trem- bling; or dare to partake of his facred Myite ries, without a becoming Reverence and religi- ous Awe. We therefore lay afide all Pretence to Merit, and truft only in the Mercies of God ; and for his Mercies fake alone, we beg that we may Jo eat the Flefh of his dear Son, and drink his Blood in this holy Sacrament, that our Body and Soul may be cleanfed there- by, and we may evermore dwell in him} and be in us.
The
, The^ Rational Communicant. 97
The CONSECRATION,
AND now we come to the mod folemn and efTential Part of the Service -, the Confecration of the Elements, in order to their being reli- gioufly received by the Faithful. The Oblation of the Bread and Wine hath been already- made, and God hath been prayed to, to ac- cept them. What remains is, that God's Blef- fmg be craved upon them; and the Myftical and Holy Ufe for which they are defigned be declared in the Words which our Saviour ufed when he inftituted this Holy Sacrament.
As it is the Privilege of the Priefthood to blefs the Sacrifice ; as it belongs to that Order to confecrate the Elements of Bread and Wine, that from common Food they may become the Body and Blood of Chrift: as this is an authori- tative Act, it is to be performed by the -Pried fianding. He doth not ftand before the Altar \ as the Romifn Priefls do; nor, like them, pro- nounce the Words with a low Voice, to counte- nance their pretended Miracle of Tranjubftan- tiationy and to make the People gaze with Won- der on thofe who are thought to perform it in that fecret manner. ButthePrieft in the Church of England fays the Prayer with an audible Voice, as in the Primitive Church, that the People may hear, and join with him ; and {lands/fl as he may with the more Readinefs and Decency break the Bread before the Peopley and take the Cup into his Hands ; that they may ob- F fervc
98 The Rational Communicant.
ferve and meditate on thofe Actions which are figni Meant, and proper to this Rite.
The Prayer confifts of three Parts, of which one is Euchariftical, another Petitionary, and the lad Hiftorical. As our Saviour on takrng the Elements gave Thanks : fo it begins with a Form of Thank/giving, in which is acknow- ledged God's Power and Goodnefs, and his tender Mercy in giving his Son to Juffer Death for our Redemption : We there remember the full, perfect y and fufficient Sacrifice, Oblation y and Satisfaction which the Son of God made once for the Sins of the whole World ; and call- ing to mind that perpetual Memory of his Death whieh He hath commanded us to continue until his coming again , we, in Obedience to our blefled Lord, perform His Infiitution -, and from returning Thanks,
Pafs in the fecond Place to petition God the Father, that He would hear us of his Mercy, and make the Bread and Wine lying before Him the Body and Blood of his Son •— — . not by the periling of their Subftance and fubftitution of a new ; — not by a Change of their Nature ; — not by any concomitancy or an- nexing of the Subftance of Christ's natural Flejh and Blood to the Bread and Wine ; — but his Body and Blood in Virtue and EffecJ, his Sacramental Body and Bloody endued with a quickning and life-giving Power. But as this mufl be the Work of £od ; as the Elements cannot be changed, even as to their EffetJs, but by the Operation of his Holy Spirit, it be- 9 comes
The Rational Communicant. QS
comes necefTary for us to make our AddrefTes to God, that He would exert his Power to make them the Body and Blood of Chrift: And this we do when we beg that we, receiving the Elements, may be Partakers of his Body ana Blood.
To make the Confecration compleat, there is added, in the third Place, the Hiftory of the Inftitution, as related in the Holy Goipels. And here the Prieft is ordered not only to Jay what our Saviour /aid, but to do what He did; and to imitate His Atlion, as well as the Words He ufed at the Inftitution of this Sacra- ment. Our blelTed Lord took Bread into his Hand, as the Symbol of his Body, and the Cup, as the fymbolical Reprefentation of his Blood: He gave Thanks to God, and blejfed the Ele- ments ; He diftributed them to his Difciples, and commanded them to do this in Imitation and Remembrance of Him. When v/e fee the Prieft take the Elements into his Hand, and in the Words of our Lord declare the Signifi- cancy of that Rite ; let us with Hearts full or Gratitude reflect on the infinite Goodnefs and Compaflion of our blefled Saviour, who, on the Night before he was betrayed, willingly gave his Body to God, under the Reprefenta- tion of Bread, for the Sins of the World : and broke this Bread, which He dignified by- calling it his Body, to (hew, that as no LVEan could without His Confent have Power to lay Hands on Him \ fo He freely, of his own Good-will and Pleafure, offered His natural F 2 Body
100 The Rational Communicant.
Body to be broken upon the Crofs : Who
made the Fruit of the Vine, poured into the Cup, his Sacramental Blood, which He wil- lingly offered up for the Re million of our Sins ; in Token, that when His Blood fhould be fhed out of His natural Body upon the Crofs, it might not be thought to be done without His Confent or Agreement. Here Christ fuffered in Willy but on the Crofs in Deed. The Sacrifice began when He inftituted the Eucharift ; but was not finifhed till He expired on the Crofs. Let us reverently, (but filently) attend to the Words and Aclions of the Pried ; and with the Eye of Faith, look upon the one perfetl Sacrifice of our Saviour's natural Body and Blood, of which the Sacrifice we 'now affift at is only a Reprefentation and Me- morial: And let us conclude all with a fervent Amen.
If it be here demanded, to what Words the Conferral ion of the Elements ought to be aw cribed ? I anfwer, to the Prayer of the Faith- ful offered by the Prieft, and to the Words oiy Inftitnticn repeated by him. This was the Senfe of thcancient Church of Christ, which ufed them both in their Euchariflical Offices; and never held, that the Elements were chang- ed from their common to a more fublime Ufe and Efficacy, by the bare repeating of the. Words, This is my Body, and This is my Bloody\ as the Papifts abfurdly hold. To bring about this Change muft be the Work of the Holy Ghoft : and therefore it is requifite that wd
mould
The Rational Communicant. 101
(ho\A<\pray to God to endue the Elements with this life-giving Virtue. Now the Words of In- ftitution can by no Means be called a Prayer: They were addreffed by our Saviour to his Dif- ciples, and not to God ; to them he faid, Take and Eat. When we trie them, they are Hifto- rical, recounting what our Lord faid and did when He ordained this Sacrament. And, though when He faid, This is my Bcdy, This is my Bloody thefe Words effectually made them fo; (hewing that it was his Will and Pleafure, that they lhould be taken as His Sacramental Body and Blood : Though the Virtue of thofe Words once fpoken by Christ doth JIM ope- rate towards making the Bread and Wine his' Body and Blood : yet as now ufed and fpoken by the Prieft, they do not contain in them any fuch Power, unlefs they be joined with Prayer to God
Our Lord himfelf did, befides pronouncing theniy give Thanks, and blejs the Elements. Thus our Church ufes Prayer, as well as the Words z/i Inftitution • and doth not attribute the Consecration to the one without the other. If the conjee rated Bread or Wine be all /pent before all have communicated, the Prieft, it is true, is ordered by the Rubrics, to confecrate. more, by repeating only the Words of Inftitu- tion: But the Virtue of the Prayer which the Church hath laft made, is to be underftood as concurring therewith ; and this is only a parti- cular Application to thefe particular Elements; Hence comes the propriety of faying Amen at F 3 the
102 The Rational Communicant.
the End of thofe Words ; which would not be fo properly added, unlefs it referred back to the preceding Petitions. And that this is the Senfe of the Church of England \s farther plain, in that fhe, in her Rubric, calls this the Prayer of Conjuration* in which the Words of Inftitution are contained -, and it is addreffed to Almighty God, &c, whereas the Words of Christ were not Jupplicatory to God, but de- claratory to his Difciples.
After the fame Manner, in the Office of Public Baptijm (in Imitation of the Cuftom of the ancient Chriftians, who dedicated the Bap- tifmal Water to the holy and fpiritual Ufe for which it was defigned) our Church not only repeats the Words of Inftitution of that other Sacrament; but likewife adds afolemn Prayer •, that God would Jancli/y the Water to the myfti- cal i^aftjing away of Sin : And as in that Sa- crament fhe joins the Prayer of the Faithful to the Words ofChriJl, fo in the Sacrament of the Altar, Abe thinks them both neceflary to corn- pleat the Confecration.
The DISTRIBUTION and RECEPTION.
AFTER the Confecration of the Elements, immediately follow the Reception and Diftribu- Uon of them ; which continue ftill in their na- tural Subftances at Bread and IV me, though they are changed, as to their Virtue and Efficacy , into the Sacramental Body and Blood of Chrift.
And
The Rational Communicant. 103
And here we may confider the Order in which, and the Place where they are diftributed ; the Pofture oi the Communicants; the Manner in which they are delivered; and the Words ufed at the Diftribution.
I. The Order in which the Elements are to be adminiftred is taught by the Rubric ; which fays, The Minifter fh all fir ft receive the Commu- nion in both Kinds him/elf, and then proceed to deliver the fame to the Biftoops, Priefls, and Deacons in like manner {if any be prefent) and after that, to the People alfo in order. — The Church endeavours that every Thing fnould be done with Decency and Regularity ; and enjoins, that the Clergy mould receive firfl% both out of refpecl to the Dignity of the Mi- nifterial Function ; and likewife that they may be ready to help the chief Minifter in the Diftri- bution of the Elements to the People.
II. The Place where the Clergy communi- cate is within the Rails of the Holy Table or Altar -, and this, together with that of Receiv- ing before the People, was the Practice of the ancient Church. The Reft of the Congrega- tion was to receive without the Rails : And herein only conlifts the true Difference between Ecclefiaftical and Lay Communion ; and not, as the Papifts pretend, in the Clergy's receiv- ing under both Kinds, and the Cup being de- nied to the Laity.
III. The Church prefcribes, that the Sa- crament (hall be received by all meekly kneel- ing. Our Lord, when he inftituted this Holy,
F 4. Sacrament
104 The Rational Communicant,
Sacrament, enjoined us no particular Gefture; and therefore the Church is at Liberty to pre- fcribe herein, as fhe thinks fit. The Primitive Chriftians took it in a Pofture of Adoration ; and as Kneeling is the principal Gefture which we ufe in the Worfhip of God, that is fixed upon, as the Gefture which we are to ufe, when we approach God's Altar to receive the Holy Myfteries.
Nothing can be more proper than this Pof- ture of Adoration, at this Time efpecially, be- caufe the' Sacrament is a principal Part of Chriftian Worfoip : — becaufe it is a fcederal Rite, in which we mould, in the humbleft mam?
ner, dedicate curfelves to God : becaufe
meekly kneeling becomes fincere Penitents, who confefs their Sins to God, and take this Bread and /to Cup as a Means ofRemiilion of them : — becaufe a lefs humble Behaviour would very improperly befit a rebellious Subject, who ap- pears before the Throne of his Prince, to re- ceive his gracious Pardon :« and becaufe
the Minifter delivers the confecrated Elements with a Prayer, with which he who receives them joins in his Heart, and generally anfwers Amen to it.
To prevent any Objection which might be made hereunto, I need only repeat the Proteft which is added at the End of the Communion Office in Defence of this Order, IVhich, the Church faith, is well meant, for a Signification. §f our humble and grateful Acknowledgment of the Benefits of Chrift therein given to all worthy
Receivers^
The 'Rational Communicant. 105
Receivers, and for the avoiding of fuch Profa- nation and Diforder in the Holy Communion as might otherwtfe enfue : Tet left the fame kneel- ingfhould by any Perfons, either out of Ignorance and Infirmity, or out of Malice and Obftinacy, be mifconftrued and depraved -, // is declared, that thereby no Adoration is intended cr ought to be done, either unto the Sacramental Bread or Wine there bodily received, or unto any corporal Prefence of Chrift's natural Flefh and Blood. For thefacr anient al Bread and Wine remain ft ill in their very natural Subftances, and therefore may not be adored; (for that were Idolatry to be abhorred of all faithful Chriftians) and the na- tural Body and Blood of our Saviour Chrijl are in Heaven, and not here ; // being againft the Truth of Chrift's natural Body, to be at one Time in more Places than one..
IV. But Fourthly, As to the Manner ia which the Elements are to be delivered to the Communicants, namely , into theipfHnnds. This was the mo ft ancient Practice, though after- wards it was altered for no fignificant Reafons, and put into their Mouths by the officiating Priefts l But after the Reformation, the Church of England reftoved the Primitive Ufagerwhich is now in force.
V. Let us now, Fifthly, confider the Words which are ufed by the Minifter, when he deli- vers the Bread or the Cup :o any one..
The Promifes which God. hath given us in the Gofpel are generally belonging to the whole- Flock of Christ: But in the Sacraments Gcd F 5 applies
106 The Rational Communicant.
applies his Bleffings in particular unto every Man's Perfon. And therefore, both in Bap- tifm and the Lord's Supper, the Minifter ad- drefTeth himfelf particularly to every one who receives either Sacrament. Whether Chrift at his lafi Supper did /peak generally once to all, or to every one in particular, is a Thing uncertain. The Hiftory of the Inftitution is very fhort and concife, and doth not acquaint us with every minute Circumftance which is not effen- tial to this Holy Ordinance. But certain it is, that in regard the greateft Part of Mankind are dull, and heavy, and almoft infenfible of their Duty : that, in their Offices of Religion, they want continually to be awakened, and re- minded of the Duty they are about; it is ex- ceeding proper and ufeful, at this Time efpe- cially, that the Words at the Delivery of the facred Elements fhould be fpoken to every Communicant feverally -, and that they mould hereby be admoniihed of the folemn Service they are performing.
I. The Words themfelves confift of two Parts : The firft is Precatory, and the fecond Exhortatory: The Form begins with a folemn Prayer or Wifh of the Minifter, in behalf of the Perfon to whom he fpeaks, and delivers the facred My fteries; <c that the Body and Blood of Christ, which were given and Jhedfor him, may preserve his Body and Soul unto everlajting Life i * i. e. That he receiving with due Difpo- fitions the Means of Grace now offered to him, namely, the Sacramental Body and Blood of
Christ,
* The Rational Communicant. 107
Christ, may thereby have the Merits of Christ applied to him, and partake of all the Benefits of his Pafiion : That the confecrated Bread and Wine may exert the life-giving Virtue with which the Holy Ghost hath en- dued them, and be to him the Principle or Seed of an happy Immortality.
II. The other Part is Exhort at ory, when the Minifter, at the Delivery of the Bread, fays, Take and Eat this in Remembrance that Chrifl died for thee, and feed on him in thy Heart by Faith with Thanh/giving : The Com- municant is reminded, that this Sacrament was inftituted in Remembrance of the Death of Christ, and to convey to us the Benefits of
his Paffion : That, as the Sacramental
Body of Christ is now given to him j fo the natural Body of Christ was, on the Crofs, offered wo for him ; and that he is one of thofe whom Christ died for : — That whilft with his Mouth he eats the Holy Bread, he mould feed on Christ in his Heart by Faith j not fix- ing his Attention folely upon the external Sign, the Sacramental Body ; but lifting up his Soul to Heaven, where alone Christ fit tech in his glorious Body at the Right-hand of God, in that Body which was crucified for him, the Symbol and Type of which he is now to Take and Eat, and, by Faith in Christ, to make himfeif Partaker of the bleffed Effects of His Sufferings.
The Direction at the Delivery of the Cup is
but little different from this : The Communi-
F 6 cant
108 The Rational Communicant.
cant is charged to drink this in Remembrance that Chrrft's Blood was jhed for him, and be thankful* A thankful Remembrance of Christ's Death is abiblutely necefiary to a worthy Par- ticipation of thefe facred Myfteries. Our fouls mould at this Time be tuned to the higheft Pitch of Gratitude, whilft we commemorate the greater! Teftimony of Love that ever was or could be mewn towards Mankind , whilft we take the Bread of Life, and the Cup of Salvation, by which we are made Partakers of all the Benefits of Christ's Death and Paf- fion ; which gives us an Earneft and Pledge of art happy Eternity, and a Right and Title to that exceeding Weight of Glory which He hath purchafed for US'.
And here we may obferve, That the Church of England defrauds none of her Members of any Part of the Sacrament -, the Laity, as well as the Clergy, partaking of it under both Kinds : For thus our Saviour inftituted it, and thus the Church adminiftred it for the flrft thoufand Years after He left the World.
The POST COMMUNION.
I HAVE purfued my Defign as far as that Part of the Service, in which the Elements are delivered to, and received by the Congre- gation. What follows is called t\\t P oft -Com- munion. After we* have been Guefts at the Table of the Lord, who hath fed us with this heavenly Repair, it would not be icemly 8 for
The Rational Comiminicant. 109
for us hallily and abruptly to depart out of His Houfe, without joining in fomc public Ac- knowledgment. We do not finifh our common and daily Meals, without giving Thanks to God the Founder of them, although they tend only to preferve this mortal Life : How much more then are we bound to exprefs our Thank- fulnefs to the Qovernor of this Feaft, who hath entertained us with fuch celeflial Food, as is able to preferve both Body and Soul unto everlafiing Life ?
Now when we hare been Feaftin» at the Table of the Lord, what Words can we more properly ufe, than that Form which our Lord Him/elf who inftituted this Sacrament, hath compofed ? — A Form which, being corn- pleat and perfect, may iupply whatfoever the other Prayers have of Deficiency : — and which may incline God to pardon us for the Failings or Indevotions we have been guilty of in any Part of the preceding Service , fince we are fure, that Prayer mull be acceptable to the Father, which was compofed by his beloved Son. Thole who h&vcfpiritually eaten the Flejb of Chrifty and drank his Blood, who dwell in ■Chrifty and Chrijt in them, who are one with Chrifty and Chrift with them, may, after that, be allowed the Privilege of calling- God their Father ; fince the Regenerate have the Title of the Sons of God.
In the Prayer that follows, we beg of God to look favourably with an Eye of Mercy on what we have been doing : — To accept the
Eucha-
110 The Rational Communicant.
Euchariftical Service, or Sacrifice of Praife and Thank/giving we have been offering up : — And to grant to His whole Church Remif- fion of Sins, and all other Benefits of the Death and Paffion of His Christ. And then, as St. Paul hath taught and enjoined us, we offer and prefent ourf elves, our Souls, and Bodies, to be a reafonable, holy, and lively Sacrifice unto God. This Holy Sacrament muft be looked upon as a folemn Dedication of ourfelves to God, and in thcfe Words we refign entirely both our Souls and Bodies to Him, and fub- mit ourfelves wholly to His holy Will a;;d P lea- fur e. But as we are not fufficient of ourfelves to do any thing as of ourfelves -, — as we cannot keep God's Commandments without His con- tinual Affiftance ; we beg that thofe who have been Partakers of the Communion, and now de- dicate themfelves to the Service of God, may be fulfilled with His Grace and heavenly Bene- diclion, which alone can enable them to per- form what they here promife. As none of our Services have any Merit inherent in them ; —as our beft Works are full of Defects -, it is fit we fhould own our Unworthinefs to offer any Sacrifice to God ; that we fhould intreat Him to accept that our bounden Duty and Ser- vice, not weighing our Merits (who difclaim all Pretenfions to defert) but pardoning our Offences for Christ's fake ; and then we con- clude this Prayer with giving all Honour and Glory to the facred and undivided Trinity,
There
The Rational "Communicant . Ill
There follows, in our Common Prayer Book, another Form, which the Minifter may, at his Difcretion, make ufe of inftead of the former. It is partly Eucharifiical and partly Petitionary. It begins with an hearty Acknowledgment of God's Goodnefs in feeding thofe with the Spiritual Food of our Lord's moft precious Body and Bloody u e. in making them Partakers of the Benefits purchafed by His Death, who have duly received the Sacramental Body and Blood : In hereby alluring them of His Fa- vour and Goodnefs towards them ; of their In- corporation into the Myftical Body of Christ ; and of their being, through His Death and PaJJiun, Heirs of his Kingdom. And then we humbly befeecb God through Christ; to keep us by His ^race in the Fellow/hip and Union of his Church -, and to enable us to do our Duty : Ending this Prayer likewife with a Doxology.
After this, in Imitation of our blerTed Lord and His Apoftles, who fang an Hymn before they concluded their Devotions, at the Time when our Lord inftituted this Holy Sacra- ment -, our Church hath fubjoined an Hymn to be Jaid or Jung, which is taken principally from the Holy Scriptures, and the Liturgies of the Primitive Church ; and is very fit and proper for us at that Time, to exprefs in it the Overflowings of our Joy, the Greatnefs of our Thankfulnefs, and the Zeal and Fervour of our Devotion. It begins with what the Angels faid, when they declared the Birth of
our
112 The Rational Communicant.
our blefled Saviour; in which we give Glory to God on High, and congratulate Mankind for the Happinefs they reap from His good-will towards Man, which inclined Him to give His Son for us on the Crofs, and now to give Him to us in the Sacrament. The Sequel of it confifls in an Acknowledgement of the Eter- nal Glory of the Three Perfons of the Holy Trinity; in Acts of Praife and Thanks, Ado- ration and Worfhip, in the moil pathetic Terms that can poffibly be conceived. Ic would enervate this fublime Hymn to exprefs the Senfe of it in other Words than thofe the Church hath made ufe of: And therefore I fhall only obferve from hence, that nothing can be more ftrong for the Divinity of the Son of God, or more evidently fhcw, that it is the Doctrine of our Church; though fome who communicate with us, and of confequence join* in repeating it, have (to their Shame be it fpoken) denied this grand Article of our , Holy Faith. Christ is here exprefsly called Lord God-, and as lie who only is Holy, and only is J be Lord, is invoked with a repeated Fervency to have Mercy upon us, and to receive our Praver. Let' us tiien pity either the Blind- nefs or Obilinacy of thofe unhappy Men, and do Thou, O Lord Chhistj who opened the Eyes of the Blind, O Lamb of God, that takefi away the Sins of the World, have Mercy upon them!
And, now we draw to a Conclufion of the whole Service, here are added feveral Collects
which
The Rational Communicant. 113
which may be ufed at the Difcretion of the Minilter. One of which, begs Acceptance of our Prayers, Defence of God in this Life, and his Direction in order to attain Salvation. Another for Sanclif cation and Direclion, in the Laws of God, and Prefervation both in Body and Soul. A Third, that what we hear may bring forth the Fruit of good Living. The next, that all our Works may tend to the Glory of God, and the Salvation of our Souls. Another, that God would pardon our Fail- ings, and grant what He knows to be Good for us. And the lad defires, that God, through Christ, would hear our Petitions, and anfwer them, fo that his Glory may be promoted, and our Neceffities relieved. No- thing can be more fit for the Conclufion of our Devotions.
And then all is fhut up with a folemn Bleffing: So was the Communion Service of the Primitive Church. As the High Prieft under the Law was commanded to blefs the Congregation: As our Saviour, when on Earth, blejfed His Difciples; fo before His^ Death He left His Peace with His Apoitles, and they, and their Succeffors, were commif- fioned to give it unto Men. When the Bifhopg or Priefts, under the Gofpel, blefs the People, if the Son of Peace be there, their Peace JJoall reft upon him; i.e. the Blefling of God fhall infallibly defcend on thofe who are fitly dii- pofed to receive it. God will not be wanting on His Part, but will confirm the Authoritative
and
1 14 The Rational Communicant.
and Minifterial Acts of His Priefts: He will blefs thofe whom they blefs in His Name, unlefs the Impediment be on the Side of Man. And here we obferve the Impropriety and Ab- furdity of that Cuftom which fome have of repeating it after the Prieft: He here fpeaks as from God} and the Duty of the People is only to attend with Silence and fubmiflive Re- verence.
That Part of this Form which relates to the Peace of God, is taken from the 7th Verfe of the ivth Chapter of the Epiltle to the Philippi- ans. And the other Part is a folemn Benedic- tion in the Name of the ever blefTed Trinity : and fo very fitly adapted to the Chriftian Church, to which this myfterious Doctrine is more fully revealed, than it was formerly to the Church of the Jews.
The APPLICATION.
AND thus I have gone through what I firft propofed, which was to give you a Ratio- nal Account of the Communion Office of the Church of England : I have pointed out to you the Excellency and Propriety of the feveral Parts of it, and the Behaviour which they fe- verally require from us : And cannot better beftowthe Time that remains, than in obferv- ing, by Way of Application;
I. Firft. The Excellency of this Office: And,
II. Secondly .,
The Rational Communicant. 115
II. Secondly, What is due from us in return for this Care of our Church.
The Excellency of our Communion-Office confifts in the following Particulars.
I. Firjl, In that it retains all the EJfentials of the Sacrament; it adminifters it with Be- cency ; and is free from Superftition.
1. In it the Elements of Bread and Wine (which were what our Lord made ufe of, and the only ones fpecified intheGofpel) are blefTed by a Prieft lawfully ordained, with Prayer and Thank/giving) and rehearfing the Words of In- ftitution; and are then taken and diftributed in both Kinds to the whole Congregation. And thus no one, who judges without Prejudice or Partiality, can tax our Church with ufing an Office that hath any ejfential Defects.
2. The Ornaments of our Altar or Holy Table, and the Vejfels to be ufed at the Mi- niftration, are fuch as Decency and the Dignity of this Chriftian Sacrifice requires. Accord- ing to the ancient Practice of the Church, the Table is to have a fair white Linen Cloth upon it ; than which nothing can be more Decent^ nothing freer from Exception.
3. We do not deck it with gorgeous and gaudy Furniture, fuch as may ferve to delight the wandring Eyes of the Vulgar; to pkafe them with the gay Pomp; and turn afidc their Minds from better Contemplation, more befitting the Place and Prefence they are in, and the Duty they come thither to perform.
Neither
116 The Rational Communicant.
Neither do we hold Images or Relics to be any ways befitting that holy Place, (or indeed any Part of thofe facred Buildings erected to the Honour of God) when they are let up to en- courage Superftition, and are apt to lead Men into Idolatry.
Our Church fuffers not even the Holy Sacra- went itfelf to be adored, though it be the typi- cal and Jymbolical Body and Blood of Christ; and therefore, as I have obferved, Pnt formal- ly p rote (Is, that me intends no Adoration to the Sacramental Bread and Wine, when the Communicants, according to Her Order, re- ceive them Kneeling.
To prevent the Abufe offolitary Majfes, in which, amongft the Papifts, the Priejl con- fecrates and receives by him/elf-, which is di- rectly contrary to the Notion of a Communion ; we have, at the End of this Office, a Rubric which forbids the Celebration of the Lord's Sup- per, except there be a convenient Number to com- municate with the Priejl : And this is by the fame Authority determined to be Three at haft.
The Compilers of our Liturgy were ex- ceedingly cautious, left they mould run into thofe Faults for which they blamed our Ad- verfaries ; and therefore, To take away allOc- cafion of Dijfention and Superftition, which any Perfon hath, or might have concerning the Bread and Wine, they lay down this Rule, // Jhall fuffice, that the Bread be fuch as is ufual to be eaten-, but the beft and pur eft Wheat Bread that
may
The llational Communicant. 117
may be gotten. — The Beft, out of Reverence to the Sacrament: and fuch as is ufually eaten, becaufe the Silence of the Gofpel intimates to us. that our Saviour Himfelf inflituted and adminiftred it with fuch Bread as was then at hand, and they had been eating of in the pre- ceding Meal.
And then further, left what remains of the confecrated Elements mould be abufed to Su- perfliticn -, it is ordered, That it Jhall not be carried, out of the Church, but the Prieft, and fuch other of the Communicants as he Jhall then call unto him, [fall, immediately after the Blef- Jing, reverently Eat and Brink the fame. And herein our Practice agrees with thofe Canons of the ancient Church, which, under fevere Pe- nalties, forbid private Perfons to referve the Elements.
IL But, Secondly, the Care and Prudence of our Church, and the Excellency of this Office, appear likewife in that frequent Communion is encouraged by it. Part of the Office is to be read every Sunday and Holiday : And it is the Indevotion of the People who neglect this Ho- ly Myftery, which hinders the Service from proceeding, and the Sacrament from being ad- miniftred > and prevents the good Defire of the Church, who cannot continue the Office for want of Communicants.
In Cathedral and Collegiate Churches, the Rubric enjoins a weekly Communion, every Sunday at the leaft. Thereby alfo (hewing, that the more frequently this Holy- Sacrament
is
118 The Hational Communicant,
is adminiftred, the Honour of God, and the Good of Mankind is thereby the more promot- ed ; and therefore where Men have, as in thefe Seminaries of Religion, more Leifure from worldly Affairs, it becomes their indif- penfible Duty to be more conftant in this A£t of Chriftian Worfhip.
And thus it is every one's Duty to communi- cate as often as Opportunity will permit them. They are frequently invited by the Minifter in the Name of God. But as Men are too neg- ligent in Affairs of this Nature ; the Church abfolutely infills upon every Parifhioner's com- municating at the leaft Three times in the Year, of which Eajier to be\one. She would have Men do it often, and mifs no Opportunities of thus remembring their Saviour ; as may be feen by thofe preffing Arguments made ufe of in her Jecond Warning before the Sacrament. But if they will not follow her Advice, ihe exerts her Authority, and commands at the leaft they mould do it thrice every Year.
And here I cannot but bewail the Decay of that Spirit of Zeal and Devotion, which was in thtftrft Chriftians, who made this Sacra- ment an erTential and conftant Part of their daily Worfhip; and that the Chriftians of this Age fhould give Occafion forfuch an Order ! But yet there are, God be praifed, many Con- gregations, (even in thefe loofe and degenerate Times) in which a Zeal for this facred Ordi- nance is apparent. May this their Devotion continue and increafe ! And may their own Ex- amples
The Rational Communicant. 119
amples inflame all thofe who live under their Roofs! It is the Duty of thofe who are Heads of Families to fee all their Bomeftics inftructed in their Religion^ and to bring them to the public Worihip in Prayers, Preaching, and the Sacraments: And know this afluredly, that as they are intruded to your Care -, you mud anfwer to God for thofe Faults or Omiflions, which through your Neglect or Connivance, through want of Advice or Admonition, your Bependants fall into. On this Account, I do, in the Name of God, charge it upon the Con- fciences of you whofe Servants they are, that you oblige them to follow your own Chriftian Pattern, and do your Endeavour to bring them to the Lord's Table; that in fo doing, not only you, but. your Houfe may ferve the Lord, and be frequent in €ommemorating the Death of Christ.
III. But, Thirdly, As this Office encourages frequent Communion, fo it takes all poflible Care that none mould rum haftily and unad- vifedly to the Holy Table, without being duly and worthily prepared to partake of the Lord's Supper : And therefore the Minifter is im- powered to repel all thofe who arc open and no- torious Evil Livers, or thofe between whom he per ceiveth Malice and "Hatred '-, fince while they continue in an impenitent State, or in an un- charitable Difpoiition of Mind, they are very unfit Guefts for the Table of the Lord. The Neceflity of preparing ourfelves for the Holy Sacrament, and the Manner in which we are
to
120 The Kalional Communicant .
to do it, are taught fully in the Firft of thofc Exhortations , which are to be read whea Warning is given of its Adminiftration ; in that which is to be read at the Time of the Communion; and in the fhort Invitation that immediately precedes the Confeffion-, and in this loft are fummarily contained the Qualifications of a worthy Communicant. I have already explained them feverally and at large, and only mention them now to (hew you, that as much Care is taken to prepare thole who come to the Sacrament, as Earneftnefs to invite them to it.
IV. And then, Fourthly, Our Communion- Office is an excellent Syftem of the Doctrine of the Church relating to the Lord' s-S upper. Be fides the T reparation required, it fets forth the End of its Injlitution-, the Benefits which flow from it; and with what Faith, what De- votion^ what Thankfulnefs, we fhould receive thofe Holy Myderies. Its Prayers are full of the mod fervent Zeal, mingled with Humility and a Senfe of our own Unworthinefs : Its Thankfgivings of the mod grateful and pious Joy: and all this couched under the moil pa- thetic and moving Exprejfions. There is in the whole Office, a noble Sublimity of Senti- ments and Strength of Words; fuch as is abundantly fufficient to ftir up the Affeclions of the Congregation ; and yet, at the lame time, a Plainnefs of Diction, a Simplicity and Pro- priety of Stile, which is familiar and tajy to the moft common Understandings.
II. If
The "Rational Communicant. 121
II. If then we have fo excellent a Communion Office provided, let us conlider, Secondly y what is due from us in return for this Care of our Church.
If we would fhew our Efteem for it, let us read it frequently, and ftudy it cfaoroug Let it be our Companion at Home, as v/eli as at Church ; in our Clofet, as well as an the Lord's Table. So mail we come to a Knowledge of the Holy Eucharul j — fo we fee the Neceftity of frequently parr, of it ; — fo fhall we approach God's Akar with due Qualifications ; — fo (nail we know how to behave ourfelves in every Part or Office with becoming Reverence;; — fo we relifh the Joy of this celefiml Ban and attain the Benefits of this II >Iy S ment : Whereas, if Men never look this Office, but when they ufe h Church, (which happens, perhaps, feldomer than it fhoul4 be) thejr tb$ :.nd themfelves about a Bufinefs they are hot teU acquainted with; by the NoveJty of wnicn, or the Scruples which may fuddeniy occur,, they are apt to be diverted from that Injtenfe- fiefs of Devotion, and Vehemence of Affec- tions, with which this Holy Service mould be attended.
There can be no better Rules laid down, no better Help given for the devout and pro* fitable Receiving of the Lord's Supper, th&iq thofe we have been explaining : And there- fore -when we once throughly underftand this G Ounces
122 The Rational Communicant.
Office ; when at our Approach to the Lord's Table it is ufed in the Church, let us conform ourfelves, as much as poffible, to the Direc- tions it gives us ; and refign up ourfelves to thofe pious Motions it is lb fitly adapted to in- fpire us with.
But as there are in this Service fome Inter- vals, in which every particular Perfon is not taken up in the 'public Service ; (fuch as the Space in which the refl of the Congregation is receiving ;) let us, at thofe Times, be com- pofed and filent, and neither by Indecency of Pofture offend others, or by an irregular Loud- nefs interrupt their Devotion.
This is the Time to commune with our own Hearts and be ft ill. And that we may not be at a Lofs how to employ this Time in a pro- fitable Manner, there are feveral Treat if es of Devotion * ufeful t© affift Communicants, and
to
* The Catalogue of Books difperfed by the Socictj for frc?noting Chriftian Knowledge, will direct the pious Enquirer to Books and Traces on the Subjects here treated of.
On Baptism.
Wall on Infant Baprifm. Price is. Serious Addrefs to Godfathers and Godmothers. Price 2d. Biihop Bradford on Baptifmal and Spiritual Regenera- tion* Price 3d.
On Confirmation.
Paftoral Advices before Confirmation. Price 2d. Palloral Advices after Confirmation. Price 2d. Nelson's Inflections for them that come to be Con- firmed. Price 2d.
O*
The Rational Communicant. 125
to furnifh them with proper Prayers and Me- ditations. But whilft I recommend fuch Books, and approve of the life of them; I muft caution you againft the Abufe of them. They are only as Handmaids to ferve, affift, and wait upon the Liturgy of the Church; and are to- take place only when that it filent.
Let then this be laid down as a fixed Rule, which is by no means to be deviated from ; No private Devotions whatsoever muft at any Time befuffered to interrupt the Public Service $f the Church ; or to employ us, when we are
On the Holy Communion.
Doctor Stebb i ng on Prayer and the Lord's Supper. Price is. 6d.
BifhopofSoD or and Mann (Dr. Wilson) on the Lord's Supper. Price 2s.
Bifliop Fleetwood's Reafonable Communicant. Price is.
Bifnop Gibson on the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper* Price is. 3d.
Archbifiiep Ti llotson's Perfuafive to frequent Commu- nion. Price 4d.
The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper explained to the meaneft Capacity, in a Dialogue between a Minifter and his Pariihioner, with Prayers proper for the Occa. fion, by Biftiop Greene. Price 4d.
An Anfwer to all Excufes and Pretences for not coming to the Holy Communion. Price 4d.
A Companion to the Altar. Price 6<S.
A friendly Call to the Holy Communion, wherein is ftiewn to the meaneft Capacity the Nature and End of the Lord's Supper; with a particular Addrefs to Ser« vants. To which are added, Prayers, Meditations, &c. Price is.
G 2 called
124 The 'Rational Communicant.
called upon to join with the Congregation in Com- ffion Prayers. If according to this Rule, you ufe thefe private Euchariftical Offices only during the Intervals of the Liturgy ; and ufe a Judg- ment of Difcretion^ to accommodate the Pray- ers they contain to your own particular Cir- cumftances; then may your whole Time, during the Adminiilration of this facred Or- „ dinance be employed to the Honour of God, and your own Advancement in Goodnefs and Piety.
Having thus, through God's Afliftance, gone through the Tafk I undertook, nothing remains, but that we humbly beieech the Almighty, that all who have heard me, being perfuaded of the Neceffity of frequent Commu- nion, and the Excellency of our Communion Office, may conftantly attend at His Holy Table; and receiving this Holy Sacrament with due Difpofitions of Mind, may partake of all the ineftimable Benefits of it, the Pardon of their Sins, Peace of Confcience, the Aflift- ance of God's Grace, and the Salvation of their Souls, through Jesus Christ our Lord ;
To whom, with the Father^ "and the Holy Ghoft, be ajcribed, as is moji due, all Honour, Praife, and Adoration^ now and for even
AN
AN •
EUCBARISTICAL OFFICE
FOR RECEIVING THE
HOLY SACRAMENT
*
OF THE
BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST.
©©LLECTED FROM THE HOLY SCRIPTURES, AND THE LITURGIES OF THE CHURCH.
f Preparatory Devotions before the Offertory begins,
C\ THOU that heareft the Prayer, unto W Thee mall all Flefh come. My Nfifdeeds prevail againft me : O be Thou merciful unto our Sins. PJalmlxv. 2,3.
Thou fhalt open ny Lips, O Lord ; and my Mouth fh'all ihew forth thy Praife, PJaim li. 15.
G 3 We
126 An Eucharijtical Office for
We wait for thy Loving Kindnefs, O God, in the midft of thy Tempie. Pfalm xlviii. 8.
Hear the Voice of my humble Petitions, when I cry unto Thee ; when fyhold up my Hands towards the Mercy Seatlof thy Holy Temple. P/alm xxviii. 2.
O our Lord and God reltrain our Thoughts, that they wander not upon the Vanities of this World.
Now, my God, let, I befeech Thee, thine Eyes be open, and let thine Ears be attent unto the Prayer that is made in this Place. 2 Cbron. vi. 40.
And mercifully accept this our bounden Duty and Service, this Sacrifice of Praife and Thankfgiving wi are. about to offer up to thy Divine Majefty, through J ejus Chrifi our Lord. Amen.
% If you have Time before the Offertory be- gins, or elfe at the Paufe between the Reading of the Sentences, fay the following Euchariftical Prayer.
Tif GST merciful God, the Father of our Lord 7efus thrift, having in Remembrace the Paffion of thy dear Son, his Death, and Re- furreclion from the Dead, his Return into Heaven, and his future fecond Appearance, when he mall come with Glory and Power to judge the Quick and the Dead, and to render to every Man according to his Works:
—We
receiving the Holy Sacrament. 127
—We give Thanks unto Thee, O God Al- mighty, not as we ought, but as we are able, and fulfil his Inftitution. — We befeech Thee that Thou wilt look gracioufiy on the Gifts now lying before Thee, O thou felf-fufficient God ; and accept them to the Honour of thy Christ : and fend down thy Holy Spirit/ the Witnefs of the Sufferings of the Lord Jesus, on this Sacrifice, that he may make the Bread the Body of thy Christ, and the Cup the Blood "of thy Christ : that all who partake of it may be confirmed in Godlinefs ; may receive Remiffion of their Sins ; may be delivered from the Devil and his Wiles j may be filled with the Holy Ghost ; may be worthy of thy Christ, and may obtain everlafting Life ; Thou, O Lord Almighty, being reconciled to them, through Je/us Chriji our Lord. Amen.
fl At the Offertory.
RECEIVE, O God, unto thy holy Heaven — the Euchariflical Praifes of thofe that offer Sacrifices and Oblations to Thee; of thofe who would offer much or little, privately ©r openly, but have it not to offer; of thofe who have this Day brought their Offerings, Receive them as Thou didft the Gifts of thy righteous Abel, the Sacrifice of our Father Abraham y the Incenfe of Zacbarias, the Alms of Cornelius , and the Widow\ Mites, Receive G 4 their
128 An Eucharl/tical Office for
their Offerings of Praife an3 Thankfgiving, and for their Earthly Things give them Hea- tc I >r their Temporal, Eternal j through
Jt .s Chiift our Lord, Amen.
<J At the Breaking of the Bread, Jay \
'TTIE Lamb cf God, the Son of the Father is broken and divided 5 He is divided, but not din iniihed ; he is always eaten, but nor confumedj but fanciilies ail who arc Par- takers of Him.
f As Join as the Confe oration Prayer is ended. Jay aloud, Amen.
% And then privately.
\y E flicw forth thy Death, O Lord ; we be- lieve thy holy Refurrection, thy Afcen- fion, and Second Coming. We befeech Thee, O Lord our God to Jlrengthen our Faith : We believe this to be true.
fl" Before the Elements are difiributed:
rvRAW near, O Lord Jesu Christ, our God, from the Habitation of thy Dwell- ing, and the Throne of Glory in thy King- dom, and come and fanctify us : O Thou who fitted on High at the Right Hand of the Fa- ther, and at the fame Time art invifibly p re- fen t with us here below.
O Holy
receiving the Holy Sacrament. If §
O Holy Lord who dwelled in the Seat of Holinefs, fanctify us by the Word of thy Grace, and the Defcent of thy Holy Spirit.
And vouchfafe to impart to us thine Im- maculate Body, and moft precious Blood, for the Remiflion of Sins, and Life Everlafting.
f Or this.
£\ God who art Great; Great in Name and Counfel ; Powerful in thy Works ; the God and Father of thy Holy Son Jesus our Saviour, look upon the Flock which Thou haft chofen through Him to the Glory of thy Name ; fanctify us in Body and Soul; and grant that we being purified from all Fil- thinefsof Flefh and Spirit, may partake of the myftic Bleffings now lying before Thee, and judge none of us unworthy of them ; but be Thou our Supporter, our Helper, and De- fender, through thy Christ, with whom Glory, Honour, Laud, Praife, Thankfgiving, be to Thee and the Holy Ghost for ever. Amen.
f Immediately before you receive, fay,
Q Lord our God, the Bread that came down from Heaven is the Life of the World. I have finned againft Heaven, and before thee, and am not worthy to partake oi cue immaculate Myfteries : But, O merci- ful
130 An Euchariftica! Office for
ful God, forgive Thpu mine Offences, and make me worthy by thy Grace, that I may receive thy holy Body and precious Blood, not to my Condemnation, but for the RemiiTion of my Sins and Eternal Life.
And grant, Q Lord, that T may boldly and without Blame prefume to call upon Thee our God and Heavenly Father, faying,
Our Father which art in Heaven, &c.
^f When the Prieji apprcacheth with the Bread,
J^HOU haft /aid, He that eateth my Flefh, and drinketh my Blood, hath Eternal Life : Be it unto the Servant of the Lord according to thy Word, John vi. 54.
^[ After receiving the Bread,
H^HIS hath touched my Lips, and fhall take away mine Iniquities, and fhall purge me from my Sins. Ifaiah vi. 7.
I have fworn, and am itedfaftly purpofed, to keep thy righteous Judgments. Pfalm cxix. 106.
*[ When the Minifter appro acheth with the Cup,
WHAT Reward fnall I give unto the Lord, for all the Benefits that he hath done unco me ? I will take the Cup of Salva- tion, and call upon the Name of the Lord. Pfalm cxvi. 11, 12.
«f After
receiving the Holy Sacrament. 131
5f After receiving the Cup, fay.
Lord. now letted Thou thy Servant depart in Peace, &V. Luke ii. 29 — 32.
Glory be to the Father, &V. As it was in the Beginning, £sfV.
*[ When you are returned to your Tew, ufe thefe following Acts of Prai/e.
gLESSED be the Lord God of Jjfrael, for He hath vifited and redeemed his People; and hath granted, that we being delivered out of the Hand of our Enemies, might ferve Him without Fear, in Holineis and Righteoufnefs before Him, all the Days of our Life. Luke u
68, 74> 75-
What fhall we then fay to thefe Things ? If God be for us, who can be againd us ? He that fpared not his own Son, but delivered Him up for us all : How fhall he not, with Him alfo, freely give us all Things ? Who fnall lay any Thing to the Charge of God's Elect ? It is God that juftirieth : Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is rifen again ; who is even at the Right Hand of God ; who alfo maketh Inter- ceffion for us. Romans viii. 3 1 — 34.
But of God are we in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us Wifdom, and Righteouf- nefs, and San<;lification and Redemption; that
according
132 An Eiichari/ikal Office for
according as it is written, He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord, i Corinthians u
Glory be to the Father, &c. As it was in the Beginning, &c9
*fi Afterwards what follows, if you have Tims,
JESUS /aid, He that eateth my Flefh, and drinketh my Blood hath Eternal Life, and I will raife him up at the Laft Day : for my Flefh is Meat indeed, and my Blood is Drink indeed. He that eateth my Fiefri, and drinketh my Blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. John vi. 54, $$, 56.
For this Caufe, I bow my Knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Chkist, of whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth/ is named ; that He would grant us according to the Riches of His Glory, to be ftrengthncd with Might by his Spirit in the Inner Man ; that Christ may dwell in our Hearts by Faith ; that we being rooted and grounded in Love, may be able to comprehend with all Saints, what is the Breadth and Length, and Depth, and Height ; and to know the Love of Christ, which pafTeih Knowledge ; that we might be filled with all the Fulnefs of God. Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly ab-veall that we afk or think, ac- cording to the Power that worketh in us i un- to
receiving the Holy Sacrament. 135
to Him be Glory in the Church of Christ Jesus, throughout all Ages, World without End. Amen. Ephefians iii. 14, fcfr.
f Then may he faid.
1i /TAY the God of our Lord Jesus A.YJL Christ, the Father of Glory, give unto us the Spirit of Wifdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of Him ; The Eyes of our Underftanding being enlightned; that we may- know what is the Hope of His Calling, and what the Riches of the Glory of His Inheri- tance in the Saints; and what is the exceeding Greatnefs of His Power to us-ward who be- lieve, according to the working of His mighty Power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raifed Him from the Dead, and fet Him at His own Right Hand in the Heavenly Pla- ces, far above all Principality, and Power, and Might, and Dominion, and every Name that is named, not only in this World, but alfo in that which is to come ; and hath put all Things under His Feet, and gave Him to be the Head, over all Things, to the Church, which is His Body, the Fulnefs of Him that filleth All in All. Ephefians i. 17, &V.
Glory be to the Father, &c. As it was in the Beginning, &V.
% lit
13i An Eacharijiical Office for
*L The remaining Time, whilft ethers are Communicating, cannot be more -properly /pent than in Jhezving our Charity, by interceding for Chrift's Church, &c.
REmember, O Lord, all Orthodox Bifhops, rightly dividing the Word of Truth. — Remember, O Lord, all Prefbyters and Deacons in Christ, — and put not thofe to Dishonour who officiate at Thy Holy Altar. Look upon us in Thy Loving Kindnefs, and manifeft Thyfelf to us, O Lord, in thine abundant Mercies. — Heal the Schifms in thy Church : abate the Rage of its Enemy; and put a Stop to growing Herefies by the Power of Thine Holy Spirit. Receive us all into Thy King dom and make us the Children of Light. Grant us, O Lord our God, thy Peace and Love, for it is Thou who beftoweft all Things upon us: And grant that we may, with one Mouth and Heart, praife and glorify Thy Great and Glorious Name, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, now, henceforth, and for evermore. Amen.
71/f 0 S T Merciful Father, unite all us who
partake of this One Bread and One Cup
in the Communion of One Holy Spirit -, and
fufTer none of us to partake of the Holy Body
and Blood of Thy Christ to our Judgment
and
receiving the Holy Sacrament. 135
and Condemnation ; but that we may find Mercy and Grace, with aii Thy Saints who have pleafed Thee from the Beginning of the World, our Fore Fathers, Patriarchs, Pro- phets, Apoftles, Preachers, Evangelifts, Mar- tyrs, ConfefTors, Teachers, and every juft Soul departed in the Faith.
Beieeching Thee, that it may pleafe Thee of thy Gracious Goodnefs, fhortly to accom- plifh the Number of Thine Elect, and to haften Thy Kingdom; that we, with all Thofe that are departed in the True Faith of Thy Holy Name, may have our perfect Confummation and Blifs, both in Body and Soul, in Thy Eternal and Everlafting Glory, through Jessts Christ our Lord. Amen.
WE commend unto Thy Mercy, O LoiiDj all our Enemies; all who hate us; and all who imagine Evil againft us: We commend them to Thee, not for Judgment and Vengeance, but for Pity and Salvation, and the Remiflion of their Sins; becaufe Thou willed that All mould be converted to the Knowledge of Thy Truth and live: For Thou haft taught us by both the Precept and Example of thy beloved Son J esu^ Chr'St, our Lord, that we mould pray for our Ene- mies, for thofe that hate us, and thofe that defpitefully ufe us, and perfecute us.
Have
136 An Eucharijtival Office for
Have Mercy upon all Jews, Turks, Infidels, and Heretics, and take from them all Igno- rance, Hardnefs of Heart, and contempt of Thy Word; and fo fetch them home, Blefled Lord, to thy Flock, that they may be faved among the Remnant of the true IJraelites^ and be made one Fold under one Shepherd, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, and the Holy Spirit, one Gob World without End. Amen.
% Incitements to an holy and Chriftian Life, proper for our Meditation at this Time.
KNOW ye not that ye are the Temple of God; and that the Spirit- of God dwelleth in you? If any Man defile the Temple of God, him mall God deftory; For the Temple of God is holy, which Temple ye are. 1 Corinthians iii. 16, 17.
Ye are bought with a Price; therefore glo- rify God in your Body and in your Spirit, which are God's- 1 Corinthians vi. 10.
Be ye therefore Followers of God, as dear Children; and walk in Love, as Christ alfo hath loved us; and hath given Himfelf for us as an Offering, and a Sacrifice to God for a {meet fmeiling Savor. Ephefians v. 1, 2.
The
receiving the Holy Sacrament. 137
The Night is far fpent, the Day is at Hand; let us therefore caft off the Works ofDarknefs, and let us put on the Armour of Light. Ro- mans xiii. 12.
Jefusjaid, Behold thou art made whole; fin no more, left a worfe Thing come unto thee. John v. 14.
If ye continue in my Word, then are ye my Difciples indeed: And ye (hall know the Truth, and the Truth mail make you free. John viii. 31, 32.
While ye have Light, believe the Light, that ye may be the Children of the Light. John xii. 36.
He that hath my Commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me, mall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifeft Myfelf to him. John xiv. 21.
If ye abide in Me, and my Words abide in you, ye fhall afk what you will, and it fhall be done unto you. John xv. 7.
If any Man will come after Me, let him deny himfelf, and take up his Crofs, and fol- low Me. Matthew xvi. 24.
H ' The
158 An Eiichorijlical Office for
The Hour cometh, and now is, when the true Worfhippers fhall worfhip the Father in Spirit and in Truth; for the Father feeketh uch to worfhip Him. John iv. 23.
He that fhall endure unto the End, the fame fhall be faved. Matthew xxiv. 13.
Blefled is that Servant whom his Lord, when he cometh, fhall find fo doing. But the Lord of that Servant who is negligent and wicked will come in a Day when he looketh not for Him, and at an Hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in funder, and will appoint him his Portion with the Unbelievers. And that Servant which knew his Lord's Will, and prepared not himfelf, neither did according to his Will, fhall be beaten with many Stripes. Luke xii. 43, Cste
N 0 te, The preceeding Variety of "Devotions a fte r the Receiving of the Hdy Elements, is put here, that you may employ your Time devoutly and "profitably, when there are large Numbers of Communicants to receive after you. When the Congregation is fmall, your own Discre- tion muft tell yen which are mojt proper to be ufed, and which omitted-, for no private D*- vctions fhould exclude the Public, or take y on up, whenyiu are to join in the Prayers of the Church. If you fhould want fill larger Forms , the following Pfalms may be ufeful.
BEFORE
receiving the Holy Sacrament. 139
KEFORE RECEIVING,
It will not he improper to ufefome of the Penitential Pfalms, viz. vi, xxxii, xxxviii, li, cii, exxx, cxliii. and,
AFTER RECEIVING,
Some of the following Pfalms, viz.
Pfalm xxxvii. Of Patience and Confidence in God.
Pfalm xxiii. Expr effing our Confidence in God's Grace and Goodnefs.
Pfalm cxvii. and cxlv. That God is to be praifedfor his Fame, his Goodnefs, his Power > and his Providence.
}'fa!m xxxiv. Of the Praifes of God, and the Privileges of the Righteous. To thefe may be added, Pfalms ciii. cxi. exxxviii. Of God's
Praifes.
1T After the Communion is endedy and the BUffing given by the Prieft, fay privately ^
OLord God of Hods, hear our Prayer; give Ear, O God of Jacob. Pfalm lxxxiv. 8.
The Good Lord pardon everyone that pre- pareth his Heart to feck God, the Lord God of his Fathers, though he be not cleanfcd ac- cording to the Purification of the Sanctuary, % Qoron* xxx. 18, i^
5 We
140 An Euchari/iical Office, #c.
We give Thanks to Thee, O Christ our God, that Thou hail vouchfafed to make us Partakers of thy Body and Blood for the Re- mifllon of our Sins, and for Eternal Life. Keep us, we befeech Thee, without Blame, according to thy Great Goodnefs and Love of Mankind.
Now to the King Eternal, Immortal, Invifi- ble, the only Wife God, be Honour and Glory, for ever and ever. Amen, i Tim*. i. 17.
FINIS.
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