-8. 2. Wherefore are we taught to fay, OUR Father?

A. Not as if God were not the Father of Every One of Us in Particular, as well as of Us All in General; or that we might not Each of Us truly and properly fay, My Father: But to enlarge our Affections; to correct our Pride; and increase our Charity; and to teach us that there is no Man fo mean, but what has as good a Right to call God his Father, as the Greatest among Us; nor any, therefore, who ought not to be look'd upon as a Brother by Us, and to be treated, and loved, and pray'd for by Us, accordingly.

1.

2

SE C T. XXXV.

Of the firft
Petition,
Hallowed
be thy

HOW many Petitions are there in this Name.

Prayer?

A. Six: Three with refpect to the Honour, and Glory of God; which may be accounted pious Wifbes, rather than formal Petitions: And Three with Relation to our Own Needs.

2. 2. What is the First of These? A. Hallowed be thy Name.

3. 2. Wherefore did Chrift begin his Prayer, with this Petition, or Defire?

4. To fhew us that we ought to make God's Glory the First Thing in our Prayers, as well as the Chief End of all our Actions, 1 Cor. x. 31. Whether ye Eat, or Drink, or whatsoever ye Do, do all to the Glory of God.

Pfal. viii. 2.

cxlviii. 13. Ifa. vi. 3.

xii. 4.

4.2. What is here meant by the Name of 1 Kin. v. 5. God?

A. The fame as in the Third Commandment: viz. God Himself; and whatfoever does in any wife Relate to Him, Exod. vi. 3, xxxiv. 5, 6. Pfal. cxxxviii. 2.

Pfal. xx. I.

xliv. 20. lxxx. 13.

Chron. xxii. 8.

1 Jo. v. 13.

5.2

2

Washing of Regeneration, Tit. iii. 5. by the One; the Body and Blood of Chrift by the Other. 1 Cor. x. 16.

3dly, There is for both a Divine Inftitution. For Baptifm, Mat. xxviii. 19. Go ye and teach all Nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft. For the Lord's Supper, Luke xxii. 19, 20. This do in Remembrance of me. See 1 Cor. xi.

24, 25.

4thly, They were both ordain'd as a means whereby to convey their feveral Graces to Us, Mat.xxviii, and as a Pledge to affure Us of them. a Baptifm to Regenerate Us; Jo. iii. 5. Tit. iii. 5. The b Mat. xxvi. Blood of Chrift: 1 Cor. x. 16. Mark xvi.15. Lord's Supper to communicate to Us the Body, and

19.

26.

1 Cor. xi. 23, *24.

For which Reafon, laftly, they are Generally neceffary to Salvation: All Christians have a Right to them; nor may Any, without hazard of miffing of these Graces, refufe to Use them; who have the Opportunity of being made Partakers of them. Fo. iii. 5. Except a Man be born of Water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Mark xvi. 16. He that Believeth, and is Baptized, shall be Saved. 1 Cor. xi. 24. This do in Remembrance of Me. 5. 2. Are thefe all the Sacraments that any Chriftians Receive, as eftablifh'd by Chrift? A. The Church of Rome to thefe adds five more; though They cannot fay that they are all of Chrift's Inftitution: viz. Confirmation: Penance: Extreme Unction: Orders: and Matrimony.

6. 2. How does it appear that these are not truly Sacraments?

A. Because not One of them hath ALL the Conditions Required to make a Sacrament, and the most part have hardly Any of Them.

CON

CONFIRMATION, is, we confefs, an Apof. See below tolical Ceremony: As fuch it is ftill Retain'd, Sect lli. and Practifed by Us. But then it is, at moft, but an Apoftolical Ceremony. Chrift neither Or dained any fuch Sign; nor made it either the Means of conveying any special spiritual Grace to Us, or a Pledge to affure Us thereof.

PENANCE, if Publick, is confeffedly a part of Church-Difcipline: If Private, is only the Application of the Power of the Keys to a particular Perfon for his Comfort, and Correction. It has neither any Outward Sign inftituted by Chrift, nor any Inward Grace, particularly annex'd to it. Indeed if a true Penitent receives Abfolution from his Minifter, God Ratifies the Sentence, and forgives the Sin. But fo God would have done, had neither any Confeffion been made to, or Abfolution Received from, Him. And that the Sin is forgiven, is Owing to the Mercy of God, upon the Repentance of the Sinner; and not to be afcribed to the Prieft's Sentence.

In EXTREME UNCTION there is an Outward Sign, but neither of Christ's nor his

Apostles Inftitution. They anointed Sick Perfons Mark vi.13. for the Recovery of their Bodily Health; and in Jam. v. 14 certain Cafes, advised the Elders of the Church 15. to be fent for to do likewife. But as to any Spiritual Effects, they neither used any fuch Sign Themselves, nor Recommended it to Others; Nor is there any the leaft Ground on which to expect any fuch Benefit from the Ufe of it. 'Tis true, if the Sickness were inflicted for any parti cular Sin which the Perfon had committed; the Healing of the Sicknefs was a Token that the Sin alfo was forgiven: Because 'till the Sin was forgiven, the Disease could not be removed. But the Anointing was of no more use to obtain the One, than it would have had Power, of itself, to effect the Other. MATRI

H 2

Job i. 21. ii.

10.

A. It does; and fo teaches us to Pray, that (with Refpect to the former of Them) we may always feriously confider the Ways of his ProActs xxi. 13, vidence, and difcern what it is that He would

Mat. xxvi.

42.

14%

have Us either Do, or Suffer, in Obedience thereunto. That whatfoever it be, that he fhall thereby call us to, whether to a Profperous, or Unprofperous State, to Receive Good from him, or to Suffer Evil; we may, in the One, improve his Bleffings to the Glory of his Name, and the Benefit of those about Us; in the other may patiently fubmit to whatsoever he shall call us to a Pfal. xl. 8. Suffer for his Sake. With Relation to the a Latter (the Rules which God has given Us to walk by} We are hereby taught to Pray, that we may faithfully Obey all his Commandments, how contrary foever they may chance to be, to our Own corrupt Defires, and Affections; and continue his Obedient and Conftant Servants, all the Days of our Life.

exliii. 10.

Mat. vii. 21.
Jo. iv. 34.

vi. 38.
Acts ix. 6.
Rom, xii. 2.
Eph. vi. 6.

1 Pet. ii. 15.
Jo. ii. 17..

3.2. Why is this Circumstance added, As it is in Heaven?

A. To fhew us what kind of Obedience wo ought to pay to God's Will. That as the Angels in Heaven not only Do the Will of God, but do it with all Readiness, Chearfulness, Conftan

су, and Delight; fo may We, in like manner,

if it fhall Please God, in fome measure fulfil it too, Pfal. ciii. 20, 21.

4.2. Is it poffible for us, ever to attain to fuch a Perfection of Obedience, in this present Life?

A. It is hardly to be Expected; yet we muft Pray for it, and endeavour to Come up as near as is poffible to it: And in the mean time, muft Learn from hence not only how we ought to Serve God now, but how we fhall hereafter do his Will; when we come to the blessed State, as well as Place of thofe Holy Spirits in Heaven.

SECT.

Church: Acts ii. 41. By the Outward Washing whereof, our Inward Washing from our Sins, by the Blood, and Spirit of Chrift, is both clearly exhibited, and certainly fealed to Us. Acts й. 38, 39. Tit. iii. 5. comp. Heb. ix. 13, 14. 3.2. How is Baptifm perform'd?

A. By dipping in, pouring on of, or sprinkling Num. viii.7. with, Water; in the Name of the Father, and of Ezek. xxxvi. the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft.

25.
Mark vii. 4.

4. 2. In which of these was this Sacrament Heb. ix. 14. adminifter'd at the Beginning?

X. 10, 21.

A. To Aged, and Healthful Perfons, in that Mat. iii. 6, Hot Country in which our Saviour lived, it 16. was for the most part administer'd by dipping, John iii. 23. or plunging, the Perfon who was Baptized, into Acts viii. 38. Water: According to the common Cuftom

among the Jews, of Receiving Profelytes with the very fame Ceremony; and from which our Saviour feems to have taken Occafion to inftitute this Sacrament.

5.2. Were any Baptized otherwise at the Beginning?

A. It cannot be doubted, but that as All who embraced the Gospel were Baptized, fo many of these could not be dipped in Water. Such were very Old, and Sick, Perfons; and it may be All, at the firft; when Three, and Five Thousand, at a time, Believed, and were Baptized; very likely in a private House, Acts ii. 2, 41. ix. 18. x. 47, 48. where it would have been difficult to have gotten Water enough, and endless to have dipped them all.

6. 2. What are the Necessary Parts of this Sacrament?

A. Water, and the Word: The One to Reprefent our Spiritual Washing, and Cleansing, by the Blood of Christ; the Other to declare the Faith into which we are Baptized, and by which