quently a right to the initiating seal thereof. Q. 41. Is there any express precept in the New Testament for baptizing the infants of visible believers? A. The privilege of the infant seed of visible church-members, having been settled ever since Abraham's time, and never reversed, there was no need of any more than the general precept, "Go and baptize," Matt. xxviii. 19. Q. 42. Why is there need of no precept more express than this general one? A. Because the privilege of infants' being assumed into the same covenant with their parents, is declared to be continued in New Testament times, Acts ii. 39. "The promise is unto you, and to your children." Q. 43. Have we any scripture example for infant baptism? A. Yes: the apostle baptized whole households or families at once; such as the household of Lydia, Acts xvi. 15; all the jailor's family, ver. 33; and the household of Stephanus, 1 Cor. i. 16. Q. 44. But is there no mention of their baptizing infants in those families? A. Neither is there mention of their baptizing adult persons in them; only, since they baptized the whole, it is not to be supposed, but that there were some infants or young ones among them. Q. 45. "How is our baptism to be improved by us?” A. "By serious and thankful consideration of the nature of it, and of the ends for which Christ instituted it;-by being humbled for our sinful defilement, our falling short of and walking contra ry to our engagements;-and by endeavouring to live by faith, to have our conversation in holiness and righteousness, as those that have therein given up their names to Christ, and to walk in brotherly love, as being baptized by the same Spirit into one body."* Q. 46. When should we thus improve our baptism? A. "All our life long, especially in time of temptation, and when we are present at the administration of it to others."* QUEST. 96. What is the Lord's supper? ANSW. The Lord's supper is a sacrament, wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine, according to Christ's appointment, his death is showed forth; and the worthy receivers are, not after a corporal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers of his body and blood, with all his benefits, to their spiritual nourishment, and growth in grace. Q. 1. Why is this sacrament compared to a [supper]? A. Because it was instituted immediately after eating the passover, (Matt. xxvi. 26.) which was always at night, Exod. xii, 6, 8, Q.2. Why is it called [the Lord's supper]? A. Because the Lord Jesus was the sole author of it, 1 Cor. xi. 23, and it was highly requisite it should be so. Q. 3. Why was it highly requisite that the Lord Jesus should be the sole author of this holy ordinance? * Larger Cat. Quest. 167. A. Because all the grace that was held forth therein, is treasured up wholly in him; and is conveyed and applied by him unto the soul, John i. 16. Q. 4. When did Christ institute and appoint this sacrament? A. "The same night in which he was betrayed," 1 Cor. xi. 23. Q. 5. What night was that? A. It was the very last night before his death, Matt. xxvi. 47, 48. compared with chap. xxvii. 1. 35. 46.50. bread, or wafer, is changed into the real body of Christ, and therefore to be worshipped. Q. 10. What are the outward ELEMENTS, appointed by Christ, in this sacrament? A. They are [bread and wine], Mark xiv. 22, 23. Q. 11. What sort of bread and wine is proper to be used? A. Just such as is ordinarily used in entertainments among men. Q. 12. Is the sacrament of the Q. 6. What is implied in his in-supper to be received, by every stituting this sacrament the same partaker, in both elements? night in which he was betrayed? A. Certainly it ought; for our A. It implies his infinite good-Lord gave both elements to his ness, and inviolable attachment to disciples; and the apostle apmankind lost, whom he represent-points both the elements to be dised: that in the immediate pros-pensed to communicants, 1 Cor. pect of his greatest sufferings and xi. 28. Let a man examine himsoul agonies in their stead, he should have their salvation and comfort so much at heart, as to leave this memorial and pledge of bis dying love among them, till he come again, Matt. xxvi. 29. self, and so let him eat of that BREAD, and drink of that CUP." And therefore the withholding of the cup from the people, as is done by the church of Rome, is a piece of sacrilegious impiety. Q. 13. What is signified by the Q. 7. Are Christians under any obligation to celebrate this ordi-bread and wine? nance at night, as our Lord and his disciples did at the first institution of it? A. No; the substituting this sacrament in the room of the passover, [which was eaten immediately before], was the occasion of its being first administered at night; and that particular occasion can never recur again. Q. 8. In what posture should the Lord's supper be received? A. This sacrament being called the Lord's table, 1 Cor. x. 21. a table posture, which is sitting, seems to be most agreeable to the practice of our Lord, and his disciples, at the first supper, Matt. xxvi. 20. 26. Q. 9. From whence did the practice of kneeling at the sacrament take its rise? A. From the church of Rome, who maintain that the consecrated A. The [body] and [blood] of Christ, 1 Cor. xi. 24, 25. Q. 14. What is to be understood by Christ's body and blood? A. His incarnation and satisfaction, for the complete accomplishment of our redemption, John vi. 51.—“The bread that I give, is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." Q. 15. What is the analogy, or resemblance, betwixt the bread and wine, and what is signified and represented by these elements? A. As bread and wine make a sufficient entertainment for the nourishment of the body; so the righteousness and fulness of Christ, are a full and satisfying feast for the refreshment of the soul, John vi. 55. "My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed." Q. 16. What are the sacramen tal actions with reference to these elements? A. They are all of them comprehended in the answer, under [giving and receiving bread and wine, according to Christ's appointment]. Q. 17. Whom do these sacramental actions respect? A. Some of them respect the administrator, and some the partakers in this holy ordinance. Q. 18. Who are the administrators of this sacrament? A. CHRIST himself was the first administrator thereof; and after him, ministers of the word, lawfully called and set apart unto that office. Q. 19. What were the actions of Christ, the first administrator, which ministers are to imitate and copy after, in dispensing this sacrament? A. After his example, they take the bread and the cup; they bless these elements; they break the bread, and give both the bread and the wine to be distributed among the communicants. Q. 20. What is meant by taking the bread and the cup? A. Christ's voluntary assuming the human nature into union with his divine person, Heb. ii. 16. that therein he might be a sacrifice of infinite value in our stead, Eph. v. 2. Q. 21. What is implied in blessing the elements? A. That Christ hath appointed the bread and the wine in this sacrament, to be the visible signs or symbols of his body and blood; and likewise by his example, has warranted ministers to set apart, by solemn prayer, so much of these elements, as shall be used in this sacrament, from a common, to a holy use. Q. 22. Why is Christ's blessing the elements called his giving thanks, 1 Cor. xi. 24? A. Because so inconceivably great was his love to lost sinners of mankind, that he was thankful he had all their debt to pay, Psal. xl. 7, 8; and that he was able to do it to the uttermost, Heb. vii. 25. Q. 23. What is to be understood by breaking the bread? A. The most exquisite sufferings of the Son of God, Psal. xxii. 14, 15. and the necessity of them, as the channel wherein mercy was to be vented to the sinner, Rom. v. 21. Q. 24. What is intimated to us by [giving] the bread and [giving] the cup, Matt. xxvi. 26, 27? A. It intimates, that Christ is the free gift of God to sinners of mankind, for salvation and eternal life, John iii. 16. Q. 25. What are the sacramental actions of the partakers in this sacrament, included in their [re- ■ ceiving] of bread and wine? A. They take the bread and the cup: they eat the bread and drink a part of the wine in the cup. Q. 26. What is imported in their taking the bread and the cup? A. It imports that our receiving of Christ, is founded on the gift and grant that is made of him in the word; for, "a man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven," John iii. 27. Q. 27. What is included in their eating the bread, and drinking the wine? A. It includes, that there ought to be an application of Christ to the soul in particular in virtue of the particular indorsement of the promise, to every one that hears the gospel: "For the promise (says the apostle Peter) is unto you, (that is, unto every one of you), and to your children," Acts ii. 39. Q. 28. For what end did Christ institute these sacramental elements and actions? A. That thereby [his death] might be [showed forth] 1 Cor. xi. 26. and the remembrance of it kept up, Luke xxii. 19. Q. 29. What is it to show forth the death of Christ? A. It is to profess [by partaking of this sacrament], that we believe his death, in our room, to have been most acceptable to God, Eph. v. 2; and that we acquiesce therein, together with his obedience, as the sole ground of our hope of salvation, Rom. iv. 25. Q. 30. How doth it appear, that his death, in our room, was most acceptable unto God? A. By his resurrection from the dead, 1 Thess. i. 10. and his entrance into glory, Luke xxiv. 26. Q. 31. How may we know if we acquiesce in the obedience and death of Christ, as the sole ground of our hope of salvation? A. If we are renouncing all other confidences, Hos. xiv 3. and are convinced that the meritorious obedience unto death of the Son of God as our surety, is the sole payment of the debt we were owing to law and justice, Jer. xxiii. 6.— "This is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR Q. 32. Why has Christ appointed this sacrament to be observed in remembrance of him, Luke xxii. 19. "This do in remembrance of me?" A. Because though his incarnation and satisfaction be the greatest events that ever happened in the world, and the most interesting to us, yet we are apt to forget them; or at least not to have the solid and lively impression of them habitually upon our spirits, Psal. cvi. 13. "They soon forgat his works." Q. 34. What is it to remember the truth of Christ's death? A. It is by a true and saving faith, to believe that Christ really did and suffered all these things for us, that are recorded of him in scripture, 1 Cor. xv. 3, 4. Q. 35. What is it to remember the necessity of his death, Luke xxiv. 26. "Ought not Christ to have suffered these things?" A. It is to believe, that we had certainly gone down to the pit, unless God had found a ransom, or an atonement, Job xxxiii. 24. Q. 36. What is it to remember the sufficiency of it? A. It is to believe that it is infinitely 'valuable: and therefore could have procured the salvation of thousands of worlds, had it been so ordained, it being the death and blood of him, who is the supreme God, Acts xx. 28.-"Feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." Q. 37. In what MANNER should we show forth and remember the death of Christ in this sacrament? A. We ought to do it fiducially, humbly, mournfully, and thankfully. Q. 38. Why ought we to remember his death fiducially? A. Because as he "was delivered for our offences," Rom. iv. 25, so "God raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory, that our faith and hope might be in God," 1 Pet. i. 21. Q. 39. Why ought we to remember it humbly? A. Because when we are unworthy of the least of all God's mercies, Gen. xxxii. 10. we are much more so of the greatest that can be conferred, John iii. 16. "God so loved the world," &c. Q. 40. Why mournfully? A. Because our sins were the A. The truth of it; the neces-procuring cause of his suffering, sity of it; and the sufficiency of Isa. liii. 5, 6. "He was wounded for OUR transgressions, he was Q. 33. What is it about the death of Christ we ought to remember in this sacrament? it. bruised for our iniquities:-The to their partaking worthily and Lord hath laid on him the iniqui- comfortably, ought to have grace ties of us all."* in exercise, as well as in the habit, Song i. 12. Q. 41. Why should the death of Christ be remembered thankfully? A. Because his death was in our room, Tit. ii. 14; and was the finishing stroke of the work which his Father gave him to do, John xix. 30. Q. 42. How often should the death of Christ be remembered by partaking of this sacrament? A. The scripture has not precisely determined how often; but it would appear that it ought frequently to be done. Q. 43. How doth it appear that the death of Christ should be frequently remembered in the supper? Q. 47. Why are true believers called WORTHY receivers? A. Not on account of any worthiness in themselves, for they have nothing of their own whereof they can boast; but because they are united to Christ, and have all that grace from him, which enables them to partake in a suitable and becoming manner, 2 Cor. iii. 5. Q. 48. What are the worthy receivers [made partakers of] in this sacrament? A. They are [made partakers of Christ's body and blood with all his benefits]. Q. 49. What is it to be partakers of Christ's body and blood? A. From the words of our Lord, 1 Cor. xi. 25, 26—"This do A. It is to be entertained, in ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remem- the sacrament, upon all that was brance of me; for, as often as ye transacted upon the person of eat this bread," &c. plainly imply-Christ, as God-man, Mediator : ing, that it ought OFTEN to be done. this being the only proper and Q. 44. When will the death of suitable food for the soul, John vi. Christ be remembered perpetual- 51. 53. ly without interruption? A. In heaven, though not in a sacramental way, Rev. xxi. 22. "I saw no temple there." Q. 45. How may it be proved, that it will be perpetually remembered in heaven? A. From the song of the redeemed there, recorded, Rev. i. 5, 6.-"Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood-to him be glory." And chap. v. 9-14. "And they sung a new song, saying,-Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood," &c. Q. 46. Who are called [worthy receivers], in the answer? A. None are worthy receivers of this sacrament, but true believers; and even they, in order Q. 50. In what respect is it, that the worthy receivers are NOT made partakers of his body and blood? A. They are not made partakers thereof [after a corporal and carnal manner]. Q. 51. Why are these words inserted in the answer, [not after a corporal and carnal manner]? A. They are inserted in opposition to the popish doctrine of transubstantiation, "which maintains a change of the substance of bread and wine, into the substance of Christ's body and blood, by consecration of a priest."+ Q. 52. What is the absurdity of this doctrine? A. It is "repugnant not to scripture alone, but even to common Marg. Hath made the iniquities of us all to meet in him. + Confession of Faith, chap. xxix. sec. 6. |