the Church: The promises of forgiveness of sin, and of our adoption to be the sons of God by the Holy Ghost, are visibly signed and sealed, faith is confirmed, fand grace increased, by virtue of prayer unto God. 8 The baptism of young chil

e

d Acts ii. 38. Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost.-Acts xxii. 16.-Gal. iv. 6. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

e Acts ii. 41, 42. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized-and they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine, &c.

f Col. i. 9, 10. For this cause we also do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.-Luke xvii. 5.-xi. 13.

g Gen. xvii. 9, 12. God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou and thy seed after thee in their generations. He that is eight days old shall be circumcised-Mark x. 13, 14. And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them, and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for such is the kingdom of God.-Ver. 15, 16.-Acts ii. 38, 39. Be baptized, every one of you, &c. for the promise is unto you and your children, &c.-1 Cor. vii. 14.

dren is any wise to be retained in the Church, as most agreeable with the institution of Christ.

As it was by Circumcision that the Jews were distinguished from the Gentiles; so it is by Baptism that Christians are distinguished both from Jews and others; but this is not all, it is likewise a sign of Regeneration or new birth, i. e. whereas we are by nature born in sin and children of wrath, we are hereby made the children of grace, children of God, members of Christ, and heirs of the kingdom of Heaven. Thus St. Paul, see texts, ref. b. Baptism therefore is a federal admission into Christianity it is the seal of a contract in which all the blessings and privileges of the Gospel are on God's part conditionally promised to the persons baptized and they on the other hand engage, by a solemn profession and vow, to maintain the doctrines and observe the precepts of the Christian religion.

:

Baptism as a religious rite is not confined to Christianity: it was in use both among the Heathen and the Jews. The Jews principally used it at the admission of those Gentile converts whom they did not circum

cise.

St. John the forerunner of Christ baptized all those who looked for the coming of Christ

H

upon their repentance and confessing of their sins. But our Sacrament of Baptism was instituted by Christ after his resurrection in that solemn form, "Go ye, teach all nations, baptizing them," &c. See Matt. xxviii. 19.

On

The last head in this Article relates to the Baptism of Infants, which is spoken of with that moderation which appears eminently through all the Articles of our Church. this head it is only said to be most agreeable with the institution, and therefore that it is in any ways to be retained in the Church. See texts, ref. g.

Peter Bouis, a Frenchman who lived about the year 1030, was the first Antipædobaptist teacher who had a regular congregation. The Antibaptists of Germany took their rise in the beginning of the 16th century: but it does not appear that there was any congregation of Anabaptists in England till the year 1640.

a

ARTICLE XXVIII.

Of the Lord's Supper.

THE supper of the Lord is not only a sign of the love that Christians ought to

a John iv. 11. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.-1 Cor. x. 17. For we being

have among themselves one to another; b but rather it is a sacrament of our redemption by Christ's death, insomuch that to such as rightly, worthily, and with faith, receive the same, the bread which we break is a partaking of the body of Christ; and likewise the cup of blessing is a partaking of the blood of Christ.

d Transubstantiation (or the change of the substance of bread and wine) in the supper of the Lord, cannot be proved by holy writ, but is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture, overthroweth the nature of a sacrament, and hath given occasion to many superstitions.

many are one bread, and one body, for we are all par takers of that one bread.

b Luke xxii. 19, 20. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body, which is given for you; this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. Matt. xxvi. 26, 27, 28.

c 1 Cor. x. 16. The cup of blessing, which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ,

d1 Cor. xi. 26. As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

• The body of Christ is given, taken, and eaten, in the supper only after an heavenly and spiritual manner. 'And the mean whereby the body of Christ is received and eaten in the supper is faith.

• The sacrament of the Lord's supper was not by Christ's ordinance reserved, carried about, lifted up, or worshipped.

* John vi. 51, 54, 60, 61, 63. I am the living bread, which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. Many of his disciples, when they heard this, said, This is a hard saying, who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing: The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.

f John vi. 35. Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

g Matt. xxvi. 26, 27.-See note b.

The institution of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is recorded by the three first Evangelists, and by the Apostle St. Paul, whose words differ very little from those of his companion St. Luke: and the only difference between St. Matthew and St. Mark is, that the latter omits the words, "for the re