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two Sacraments which our Lord Jesus Christ ordained in his Church. These two Sacraments our Lord committed to his Apostles, to be administered by them, and the ministers of the church after them, to the end of the world. Both these sacraments are generally necessary to salvation: that is, all who desire to be saved through Christ, must obey these divine ordinances, if it be possible for them to do so; but if they happen to be placed, without their own fault, where they actually cannot have the sacraments, they must trust to God's mercy through Christ without them.

Question.-How many Sacraments hath Christ ordained in his Church?

Answer. Two only-as generally necessary to salvation-that is to say-Baptism and the Supper of the Lord.

Question -What meanest thou, (or what do you mean) by this word Sacrament?

Answer. I mean an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace-given unto us--ordained by Christ himself, as a means whereby we receive the same, and a pledge to assure us thereof.

Explanation.---An outward and visible sign, is something which we can see with our eyes---An inward and spiritual grace is a favour or benefit bestowed upon our souls in an invisible manner. To have been ordained of Christ himself, signifies to have been appointed by our blessed Saviour, and commanded by him as a means of grace. By a means of grace is meant something by which we obtain a gift or favour from God. A pledge signifies something given by way of security when any promise is made, or engagement entered into.

Questions.---What is meant by an outward and visible sign? [Ans. Something that can be seen with our eyes.] What is an inward and spiritual grace? [Ans. Some benefit or favour conveyed to the soul.] Can we see with our eyes what is done to our souls? [Ans. No.] By whom must the outward and visible sign be ordained in order to its belonging to a sacrament? [Ans. Christ himself.] For what purpose must it be ordained? [Ans. As a means of grace.] What is meant by a means of grace? [Ans. Something by which we obtain a grace or favour from God.]. What is meant by a pledge? [Ans. Something given by way of security] Do you understand now that nothing is a Sacrament which has not an out

ward and visible sign, and an inward and spiritual grace, and that the appointment of the outward and visible sign is a pledge that the inward and spiritual grace will be granted? Ans. Yes.]

Explanation.---Baptism is that sacrament by which members are received into the Christian Church; no one can belong to this church till he has been baptized.

Our Lord Jesus Christ ordained this holy sacrament by saying to his disciples, before he ascended up into heaven after his resurrection from the dead, Go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and lo, I am with you always even unto the end of the world.

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Questions.---What Sacrament must be administered to every person in order to make him a member of the Christian Church? [Ans. Baptism.] Who ordained this sacrament? [Ans. Christ himself.] How did he ordain it? [Ans. By saying, Go and baptize all nations in the name of the Fa-ther, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.] How long was this to be done? [Ans. To the end of the world.]

Question. What is the outward visible sign or form in Baptism?

Answer. Water,-wherein the person is baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Question.-What is the inward and spiritual grace? Answer. A death unto sin, and a new birth unto righteousness:-for being by nature born in Sin, and the children of Wrath,-we are hereby made the children of Grace.

Explanation.---A death unto sin and a new birth unto righteousness, signify a change in our nature, which God alone can make. We are born in sin and the children of wrath; that is, with a sinful corrupt nature as the race of Adam, and subject to everlasting death. In the sacrament of baptism, through the mercy of God, we are made children of grace; that is, Children of God through his free grace, or by his favour bestowed upon us, without any merit of our own. The spiritual grace bestowed upon us in Bap tism is a principle of everlasting life by the Holy Ghost; thisis very properly called a death unto sin and a new birth unto righteousness; because our souls are cleansed from the de

filement of original sin, and a principle of everlasting life is implanted in our souls to enable us to lead holy lives.

Questions.---Why are we said to be born in sin? [Ans. Because we are of the race of Adam.] What are we subject to as belonging to the sinful race of Adam? [Ans. Everlasting death.] What does God bestow upon us in order to destroy the principle of death which we have from Adam? [Ans. The gift of the Holy Ghost.] What does it make us? [Ans. Holy.] Is not a baptized person a new creature in a spiritual sense? [Ans. Yes.] Is there not a great difference betwixt a child of wrath and a child of grace? [Ans. Yes.] What do you understand to be the spiritual grace bestowed in baptism? [Ans. The Holy Ghost.] For whose sake does God bestow it? [Ans. For Christ's sake.] What is the outward and visible sign or pledge to us that this divine gift is bestowed in baptism? [Ans. Water.] In whose name must we be baptized with water? [Ans. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.]

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Explanation.---It cannot be thought that God will bestow his spiritual grace upon us without expecting some return on our part; besides the Sacrament of Baptism is the Christian Covenant, in which God's grace is bestowed on certain conditions; what these are the Catechism tells us.

Question.---What is required of persons to be baptized? [Ans. Repentance,---whereby they forsake sin;---and Faith, ---whereby they stedfastly believe the promises of God made to them in that sacrament.]

Explanation.---Repentance signifies forsaking sin, or, in other words, renouncing the devil and all his works, the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh. The Faith of a Christian consists in stedfastly believing all that God has revealed in scripture; the person who is baptized is required to believe, in particular, the promises of God in Scripture concerning the Sacrament of Baptism, namely, that he will receive remission of sins, or perfect forgiveness for past sin, and a new birth unto righteousness. Those who are baptized are required to live a life agreeably to their new birth; unless they do so God will withdraw the spiritual grace bestowed in baptism, and this Holy Sacrament will be of no benefit to them.

Questions.---What is Repentance? [Ans. Forsaking sin? What is forsaking sin? [Ans. Renouncing the devil and all his works, the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh.] What is Faith? [Ans Stedfastly believing all the promises of God.] What pro

mises are made in scripture to persons that are baptized? [Ans. That their sins shall be forgiven, and that they shall have a new birth unto righteousness.] What kind of a lifeshould those who have been baptized lead? [Ans. A righeous life.] Suppose those who have been baptized should not lead a righteous life, what will God do? [Ans. Take away his grace.] What will their nature become then? [Ans. Corrupt.] Will Christ own them as members of his church? [Ans. No.] Whose children will they be? [Ans. Children of the devil.] What will they be inheritors of? [Ans. Everlasting misery.] Do not you see that Baptism is generally necessary to salvation? [Ans. Yes.] What two things are required of persons to be baptized? [Ans. Repentance and Faith.]

Question. Why then are infants baptized when by reason of their tender age they cannot perform them ?

Answer. Because they promise them both by their sureties-which promise when they come to age themselves are bound to perform.

Explanation.---When our Lord Jesus Christ was upon earth, he shewed great kindness to infants, and he said to his apostles, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven. And after our Lord's ascension, the apostles baptized whole households,.. amongst which must have been. many infants. There is no way of bringing infants to Christ at present but by making them members of his Church; for this reason our Church, as a branch of the holy Catholic Church, has provided a proper office for the baptism of children, in which, as they cannot answer for themselves, they have sureties, that is, per-sons to answer in their names, by means of which they gain a title to the privileges of the Christian covenant sooner than they possibly could do without; and what these sureties. promise, the children themselves are bound to perform when they come to years of discretion, otherwise they forfeit the benefits of the Christian covenant.

Questions.---Is it not a great happiness to be baptized in infancy? [Ans. Yes.] Can we become members of Christ, children of God, and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven, too early in life [Ans. No.] Can those who are born in sin, and children of wrath, be reconciled to God too soon? [Ans. No.] Would any one wish to put off having a new birth unto righteousness? [Ans. No.] Who were your sure...

ties; that is, who promised repentance and faith in your name? [Ans. My godfathers and godmothers.] Was it not a great act of kindness in them to do so? [Ans. Yes:] What are you bound to perform when you come of age? [Ans. What they promised.] Can you do this of yourself? [Ans. No.] By whose help will you do it? [Ans. By God's help.] What must you pray God to give you in order to enable you to believe, and do what your godfathers and godmothers promised for you? [Ans. His grace.] What will you forfeit if you do not perform what your godfathers and godmothers promised in your name? [Ans. The benefits of the Christian Covenant.] Read over at home, in the Common Prayer Book, the Ministration of Public Baptism to Infants, and you will see that the Catechism perfectly agrees with it, and ever keep in mind that you have been made a member of Christ's Church, as it is established in the nation you belong to, and let nothing draw you away from this Church, for the more you know of its tenets, the more reason you will have to be satisfied that it is truly a branch of the holy Catholic or universal Church of Christ.

Questions---As you have been baptized into the Church of England, should you separate yourself from it? [Ans. No.]

LECTURE VII.

Of the Lord's Supper.

Questions.---How many Sacraments hath Christ ordained in his Church, as generally necessary to salvation? [Ans. Two.] Which of them have you received? [Ans: Baptism.] Were you not taken into the church of Christ by means of it? [Ans. Yes.] Do not you wish to continue in this Church as long as you live? [Ans. Yes.] What is the other Sacrament? [Ans. The Supper of the Lord.]

Explanation.---This Sacrament is called the Supper of the Lord, because our Lord. Jesus Christ ordained it when he ate his last supper with his apostles.

Question.---Why was the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper ordained? [Ans. For the continual remembrance of the sacrifice of the death of Christ, and of the benefits which we receive thereby:]

Explanation.---When our Lord Jesus Christ instituted this holy Sacrament, he was going to offer himself as a sacrifice

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