never befet and moleft us; that the vain Shew of the World shall never appear inviting to us; that our own corrupt Nature fhall never prompt or incline us to Evil: but we undertake, what, through the Grace of God, though not without it, is in our Power: that we will not, either defignedly or carelessly, give these our fpiritual Enemies needlefs Advantages against us; and that, with whatever Advantage they may at any Time attack us, we will never yield to them, but always refift them with the utmoft Prudence and Strength. This is the Renunciation here meant and the Office of Baptifm expreffeth it more fully; where we engage fo to renounce the Devil, the World, and the Flesh, that we will not follow nor be led by them. Now God grant us all, faithfully to make this Engagement good, that after we have done his Will, we may receive his Promife! OUR LECTURE IV. UR Catechifm, in the Anfwer to its third Queftion, teaches, that three Things are promifed in our Name, when we are baptized: that we fhall renounce what God forbids, believe what he makes known, and do what he commands. The first of these hath been explained to you. The fecond and third shall be explained, God willing, hereafter. But before the Catechifm proceeds to them, it puts a fourth Question, and a very natural one, confidering that Children do not, as they cannot, promife thefe Things for themfelves, but their Godfathers and Godmothers in their Names. It afks them therefore, whether they think they are bound to believe and to do, as they have promifed for them? And to this the Perfon inftructed answers, Yes, Heb. x. 36. verily : verily the Fitnefs of which Anfwer will appear by in : 'quiring, 1. In what Senfe, and for what Reason, they promifed thefe Things in our Names. 2. On what Account we are bound to make their Promifes good. 1. In what Senfe, and for what Reafon, they promife thefe Things in our Names. A little Attention will fhew you this Matter clearly. The Perfons who began the Profeffion of Christianity in the World, muft have been fuch, as were of Age to make it their own free Choice. And when they entered into the Covenant of Baptifm, they undoubtedly both had the Privileges of it declared to them, and engaged to perform the Obligations of it, in some Manner, equivalent to that which we now ufe. When thefe were admitted by Baptifm into the Chriftian Church, their Children had a Right to be fo too, as will be proved in the fequel of thefe Lectures: at prefent let it be fuppofed. But if Baptifm had been adminiftered to Children, without any Thing faid to exprefs its Meaning, it would have had too much the Appearance of an infignificant Ceremony, or a fuperftitious Charm. And if only the Privileges to which it is entitled, had been rehearsed; they might feein annexed to it abfolutely, without any Conditions to be observed on the Childrens' Part. Ít was therefore needful to exprefs the Conditions alfo. Now it would naturally appear the ftrongeft and livelieft Way of expreffing them, to reprefent the Infant, as promifing by others then, what he was to promise by and for himfelf, as foon as he could. So the Form, ufed already for Perfons grown up, was applied, with a few Changes, to Children alfo. And though, by fuch Application, fome Words and Phrafes muft appear a little frange, if they were ftrictly interpreted; yet the Intention of them was and is underflood to be a very proper one; declaring in the fulleft Manner what the Child is to do hereafter, by a Figure and Representation made of it at present. But But then, as Baptifm is adminiftered only on the Prefumption, that this Reprefentation is to become in due Time a Reality: fo the Perfons, who thus promife in the Child's Name, are and always have been looked on as promifing, by the fame Words, in their own Name, not indeed abfolutely, that the Child fhall fulfil their Engagements, which nobody can promise; but that, fo far as need requires, they will endeavour that he fhall: on which it may be reasonably fuppofed, that he will. Anciently the Parents were the Perfons, who, at Bap tifm, both reprefented their Children, and promifed for their Inftruction and Admonition. But it was confidered afterwards, that they were obliged to it without promifing it and therefore other Perfons were procured to undertake it also: not to excufe the Parents from that Care from which nothing can excufe them; but only, in a Cafe of fuch Confequence, to provide an additional Security for it. If then the Parents give due Inftruction, and the Child follows it, the Godfathers have nothing to do, but to be heartily glad. But if on either Side there be a Failure, it is then their Part and Duty to interpofe, as far as they have Ability and Opportunity with any Profpect of Succefs. Nor is this to be done only till young Perfons take their baptifmal Vow upon themselves at Confirmation, but ever after." For to that End, even they, who are baptized in their riper Years, muft have Godfathers and Godmothers pre fent: not to reprefent them, or to promife for them, neither being wanted; but to remind them, if there bet Occafion, what a folemn Profeffion they have made before" thofe their chofen Witnesses". This then is the Nature, and thefe are the Reafons of that Promife, which the Sureties of Children baptized, make in their Name; which Promife therefore may without queftion be fafely and ufefully made, provided it be afterwards religioufly kept. But they, who probably will be wanted to perform their Promife, and yet will neglect it, fhould not be invited to enter into it and if they are, fhould refufe. Let every one concerned think feriously, whether he hath obferved these Rules, or not for evidently it is a ferious Matter, how little foever it be commonly confidered as fuch. 2. The fecond Question is, On what Account we are bound by what was promifed at our Baptism, fince we neither confented to that Engagement, nor knew of it. Now certainly we are not bound to do whatever any other Perfon fhall take upon him to promise in our Name. But if the Thing promised be Part of an Agreement advantageous to us, we are plainly bound in point of Intereft; and indeed of Confcience too; for we ought to confult our own Happinefs. Even by the Laws of Men, Persons, unable to exprefs their Confent, are yet prefumed to confent to what is for their own Good; and Obligations are underflood to lie upon them from fuch prefumed Confent ever after: especially if there be a Representative acting for them, who is empowered fo to do. And Parents are empowered by Nature to act for their Children; and by Scripture to do it in this very Cafe: and therefore may employ others to do it under them. But further fill: the Things promised in Baptifm would have been ablolutely incumbent on us, whether they had been promised For it is incumbent on all Perfons to believe and do what God commands. Only the Tie is made ftronger by the Care then taken, that we fhall be taught our Duty. And when we have acknowledged ourselves to have learnt it, and have folemnly engaged ourselves to perform it, as we do when we are confirmed, then the Obligation is complete. or not. But perhaps it will be afked, How fhall all Perfons, efpecially the poor and unlearned, know, that what they are taught to believe is really true; and what they The first Foundation of Obligations quafi ex contra&u is, that Quifque præfumitur confentire in id, quod Utilitatem affert. See Eden, El. Jur. Civ. 1. 3. tit. 28. p. 206. 9 Of Stipulations in another's Name, fee Inft. 3. 20. 20. are are taught to do, really their Duty? I answer: The greatest Part of it, when once it is duly proposed to them, they may perceive to be fo, by the Light of their own Reafon and Confcience: as I doubt not to fhew Such Points indeed as depend not on Reafon, but on the Revelation made in Scripture, cannot all of them be proved in fo fhort a Way, nor perhaps to an equal Degree of Plainnefs: but to a fufficient Degree they may; as I hope to fhew you alfo. And in fuch Matters, they, who have but fmall Abilities or Opportunies for Knowledge, muft, where they cannot do better for themselves, rely on those who have more: not blindly and abfolutely, but fo far as is prudent and fit: juft as, in common Business, and the very weightieft of our worldly Concerns, we all truft, on many Occafions, to one another's Judgment and Integrity: nor could the Affairs of human Life go on, if we did not. And though in this Method of Proceeding, fome will have far lefs Light, than others; yet all will have enough to direct their Steps: and they who have the leaft, are as much obliged to follow that carefully, as if they had the moft; and will be as furely led by it to a happy End. Hearken therefore to Inftruction diligently, and confider of it feriously, and judge of it uprightly and fear not at all after this, but that when you are afked, whether you think yourself bound to believe and to do what was promifed in your Name, you will be well able, and on good Grounds, to answer in the firft Place, Yes verily. : But your Answer must not stop here. When you are thus perfuaded, your next Concern is, immediately to act according to that Perfuafion. Now as this depends on two Things; our own Refolution, and Affiftance from above; fo both are expreffed in the following Words of the Anfwer, and, by God's Help, fo I will. Further: Because our own Refolution is beft fupported by our Senfe of the Advantage of keeping it; therefore the Perfon inftructed goes on, in the fame Anfwer, to B 3 acknow |