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And although our young children do not understand these things, we may not therefore exclude them from baptism, for as they are, without their knowledge, partakers of the condemnation in Adam; so are they again received unto grace in Christ; as God speaketh unto Abraham the father of all the faithful, and therefore unto us and our children—Gen. xvii. 7, saying, "I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations, for an everlasting covenant; to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.' This also the apostle Peter testifieth, with these words, Acts ii. 39, "For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." Therefore God formerly commanded them to be circumcised, which was a seal of the covenant, and of the righteousness of faith; and therefore Christ also embraced them, laid his hands upon them and blessed them: Mark, chap. x.

Since then baptism is come in the place of circumcision, therefore infants are to be baptised as heirs of the kingdom of God, and of his covenant. And parents are in duty bound, farther to instruct their children herein, when they shall arrive to years of discretion. That therefore this holy ordinance of God, may be administered to his glory, to our comfort, and to the edification of his church, let us call upon his holy name.

O ALMIGHTY and eternal God, we beseech thee, that thou wilt be pleased of thine infinite mercy, graciously to look upon these children, and incorporate them by thy holy spirit into thy Son Jesus Christ, that they may be buried with him into his death, and be raised with him in newness of life; that they may daily follow him, joyfully bearing their cross, and cleave unto him in true faith, firm hope, and ardent love: that they may, with a comfortable sense of thy favour, leave this life, which is nothing but a continual death, and at the last day, may appear without terror before the judgment-seat of Christ thy Son, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee and the Holy Ghost, one only God, lives and reigns for ever. Amen.

An Exhortation to the Parents, and those who come with them to Baptism.

BELOVED in the Lord Jesus Christ, you have heard that baptism is an ordinance of God, to seal unto us and to our seed his covenant, therefore it must be used for that end, and not out of custom or superstition. That it may then be manifest, that you are thus minded, you are to answer sincerely to these questions.

First. Whether you acknowledge, that although our children are conceived and born in sin, and therefore are subject to al miseries, yea, to condemnation itself; yet that they are sanctified* in Christ, and therefore, as members of his church, ought to be baptized?

Secondly. Whether you acknowledge the doctrine which is contained in the Old and New Testament, and in the articles of

*

My children, Ezek. 16, 21. They are holy, 1 Cor. 7. 14.

the Christian faith, and which is taught here in this Christian church, to be the true and *perfect doctrine of salvation?

Thirdly. Whether you promise and intend to see these children, when come to the years of discretion, (whereof thou art either parent or witness) instructed and brought up in the aforesaid doctrine, or help or cause them to be instructed therein, to the utmost of your power? Answer. Yes.

Then the minister of God's word, in baptizing, shall say, N. I baptize thee, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Thanksgiving.

ALMIGHTY God and merciful Father, we thank and praise thee, that thou hast forgiven us, and our children, all our sins, through the blood of thy beloved Son Jesus Christ, and received us through thy Holy Spirit, as members of thy only begotten Son, and adopted us to be thy children, and sealed and confirmed the same unto us by holy baptism: we beseech thee, through the same Son of thy love, that thou wilt be pleased always to govern these baptised children by thy holy Spirit, that they may be piously and religiously educated, increase and grow up in the Lord Jesus Christ, that they then may acknowledge thy fatherly goodness and mercy, which thou hast shown to them and us, and live in all righteousness, under our only Teacher, King and High Priest, Jesus Christ; and manfully fight against, and overcome sin, the devil and his whole dominion, to the end that they may eternally praise and magnify thee, and thy Son Jesus Christ, together with the Holy Ghost, the one only true God. Amen.

THE FORM

FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF HOLY BAPTISM TO ADULT PERSONS.

HOWEVER children of Christian parents (although they understand not this mystery) must be baptised by virtue of the covenant; yet it is not lawful to baptise those who are come to years of discretion, except they first be sensible of their sins, and make confession both of their repentance and faith in Christ: for this cause did not only John the Baptist preach (according to the command of God) the baptism of repentance, and baptised, for the remission of sin, those who confessed their sins, Mark 1, and Luke 3. But our Lord Jesus Christ also commanded his disciples to teach all nations, and then to baptise them, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Mat. 28, Mark 16. Adding this promise: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. According to which rule, the Apostles, as appeareth from Acts 2, 10, and 16, baptised none who were of years of discretion, but such who made confession of their faith and repent* D-Volkomene-complete.

ance; therefore it is not lawful now-a-days, to baptise any other adult persons, than such as have been taught the mysteries of holy baptism, by the preaching of the gospel, and are able to give an account of their faith by the confession of the mouth.-Since therefore you N. are also desirous of holy baptism, to the end, it may be to you a seal of your ingrafting into the church of God, that it may appear that you do not only receive the Christian religion, in which you have been privately instructed by us, and of which also you have made confession before us; but that you (through the grace of God) intend and purpose to lead a life according to the same; you are sincerely to give answer before God and his church; First: Dost thou believe in the only true God, distinct in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, who hath made heaven and earth, and all that in them is, of nothing, and still maintains and governs them, insomuch that nothing comes to pass, either in heaven or on earth, without his divine will? Answer. Yes.

Secondly. Dost thou believe that thou art conceived and born in sin, and therefore art a child of wrath by nature, wholly incapable of doing any good, and prone to all evil; and that thou hast frequently, both in thought, word, and deed, transgressed the commandments of the Lord: and whether thou art heartily sorry for these sins? Answer. Yes.

Thirdly. Dost thou believe that Christ, who is the true and eternal God, and very man, who took his human nature on him out of the flesh and blood of the Virgin Mary, is given thee of God, to be thy Saviour, and that thou dost receive by this faith, remission of sins in his blood, and that thou art made by the power of the Holy Ghost, a member of Jesus Christ and his church? Answer. Yes.

Fourthly. Dost thou assent to all the articles of the Christian religion, as they are taught here in this Christian church, according to the word of God; and purpose steadfastly to continue in the same doctrine to the end of thy life; and also dost thou reject all heresies and schisms, repugnant to this doctrine, and promise to persevere in the communion of our Christian church, not only in the hearing of the word, but also in the use of the Lord's Supper? Answer. Yes.

Fifthly. Hast thou taken a firm resolution always to lead a Christian life; to forsake the world and its evil lusts, as is becoming the members of Christ and his church; and to submit thyself to all Christian admonitions? Answer. Yes.

The good and great God mercifully grant his grace and blessing to this your purpose, through Jesus Christ.

THE FORM

Amen.

FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE LORD'S SUPPER.

BELOVED in the Lord Jesus Christ, attend to the words of the institution of the holy Supper of our Lord Jesus Christ, as they are delivered by the holy Apostle Paul, 1 Cor. xi. 23-30.

"For I have received of the Lord, that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat; this is my body, which is broken for you, this do in remembrance of me. And after the same manner, also, he took the cup when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood; this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me for as oft as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore, whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup, of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup; for he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh *damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body."-That we may now celebrate the supper of the Lord to our comfort, it is above all things necessary,

FIRST. Rightly to examine ourselves.

SECONDLY. To direct it to that end, for which Christ hath ordained and instituted the same, namely, to his remembrance. The true examination of ourselves, consists of these three parts.

First. That every one consider by himself, his sins and the curse due to him for them, to the end that he may abhor and humble himself before God: considering that the wrath of God against sin is so great, that (rather than it should go unpunished) he hath punished the same in his beloved Son Jesus Christ, with the bitter and shameful death of the cross.

Secondly. That every one examine his own heart, whether he doth believe this faithful promise of God, that all his sins are forgiven him, only for the sake of the passion and death of Jesus Christ, and that the perfect righteousness of Christ is imputed and freely given him as his own, yea, so perfectly, as if he had satisfied in his own person for all his sins, and fulfilled all righteousness.

Thirdly. That every one examine his own conscience, whether he purposeth henceforth to show true thankfulness to God in his whole life, and to walk uprightly before him; as also, whether he hath laid aside unfeignedly all enmity, hatred, and envy, and doth firmly resolve henceforward to walk in true love and peace with his neighbour.

All those, then, who are thus disposed, God will certainly receive in mercy, and count them worthy partakers of the table of his son Jesus Christ. On the contrary, those who do not feel this testimony in their hearts, eat and drink judgment to themselves.

Therefore, we also, according to the command of Christ and the Apostle Paul, admonish all those who are defiled with the following sins, to keep themselves from the table of the Lord, and declare to them that they have no part of the kingdom of Christ; such as all idolaters, all those who invoke deceased saints, angels, or other creatures; all those who worship images;

* Gr.-κpiμa-D.-Oordeel-E. Judgment, condemnation.

all enchanters, diviners, charmers, and those who confide in such enchantments; all despisers of God and his word, and of the holy sacraments; all blasphemers; all those who are given to raise discord, sects, and mutiny, in church or state; all perjured persons; all those who are disobedient to their parents and superiors; all murderers, contentious persons, and those who live in hatred and envy against their neighbours; all adulterers, whoremongers, drunkards, thieves, usurers, robbers, gamesters, covetous, and all who lead offensive lives.

All these, while they continue in such sins, shall abstain from this meat, (which Christ hath ordained only for the faithful) lest their judgment and condemnation be made the heavier. But this is not designed (dearly beloved brethren and sisters in the Lord) to deject the contrite hearts of the faithful, as if none might come to the supper of the Lord, but those who are without sin: for we do not come to this supper, to testify thereby that we are perfect and righteous in ourselves; but on the contrary, considering that we seek our life out of ourselves in Jesus Christ, we acknowledge that we lie in the midst of death: therefore, notwithstanding we feel many infirmities and miseries in ourselves, as namely, that we have not perfect faith, and that we do not give ourselves to serve God with that zeal as we are bound, but have daily to strive with the weakness of our faith, and the evil lusts of our flesh; yet, since we are (by the grace of the Holy Ghost) sorry for these weaknesses, and earnestly desirous to fight against our unbelief, and to live according to all the commandments of God: therefore we rest assured that no sin or infirmity, which still remaineth against our will, in us, can hinder us from being received of God in mercy, and from being made worthy partakers of this heavenly meat and drink.

Let us now also consider, to what end the Lord hath instituted his supper, namely, that we do it in remembrance of him. Now after this manner are we to remember him by it.

First. That we are confidently persuaded in our hearts, that our Lord Jesus Christ (according to the promises made to our forefathers in the old Testament) was sent of the Father into the world: that he assumed our flesh and blood; that he bore for us the wrath of God (under which we should have perished everlastingly) from the beginning of his incarnation, to the end of his life upon earth; and that he hath fulfilled, for us, all obedience to the divine law and righteousness; especially, when the weight of our sins and the wrath of God pressed out of him the bloody sweat in the garden, where he was bound that we might be freed from our sins; that he afterwards suffered innumerable reproaches, that we might never be confounded. That he was innocently condemned to death, that we might be acquitted at the judgment-seat of God; yea, that he suffered his blessed body to be nailed on the cross-that he might affix thereon the handwriting of our sins; and hath also taken upon himself the curse due to us, that he might fill us with his blessings; and hath humbled himself unto the deepest reproach and pains of hell, both in body and soul, on the tree of the cross, when he cried out with a