2. The World with

its Pomps and Va nities?

3. The Flesh with its

Sinful Lufts?

୮

A. Yes. 1 John ii. 14. Love not the World, nor the things of the World. し

A. Yes. I Pet. ii. 11.

Dearly Beloved, I beseech you, as Strangers and Pilgrims, abstain from fleshly Lufts, which war against the Soul. Rom.xiii. 14. And make not Provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lufts thereof.

Q. The fecond thing you promised was, to believe all the Articles of the Chriftian Faith. And is this required of you?

A. Yes. Mark xvi. 16. He that believeth and is baptized, fhall be faved; but he that believeth not, fhall be damned. 2 Tim. i. 13. Hold faft the Form of found Words, which thou haft heard of me in Faith and Love, which is in Chrift Jefus.

Q. Laftly you fay, that you promised to keep God's holy Will and Commandments, and to walk in the fame (i. e. continue in Obedience to them) all the Days of your Life. And is this required of you?

A. Yes. Rom. xii. 2. That ye may prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect Will of God. Ephef. ii. 10. For we are his Workmanship,created in Chrift Jefus un

to

to good Works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Q. Now feeing that God commands you all thefe faid Duties, is not this a fufficient Reafon, why we should obferve and practise them ?

A. Yes. Lev. xix. 37. Ye fhall observe my Statutes and do them, I am the Lord.

Q. We fee then, that our faid Baptifmal Du- 21 Obligaties are neceffary to be obferved, in regard to the tion. Will of God. Are they alfo neceffary in respect to our own Intereft?

A. Yes. The things to be renounced are fuch as naturally would make us miferable; and Faith and Obedience are as natural to our Happiness.

Q. Do's not Nature then oblige us to do all thefe faid Duties, in order to our Happiness?

A. Yes. For all Men naturally do defire their own Welfare. Pf. iv. 6. There be many that fay, Who will fhew us any Good?

Q. What is that Good of Man, wherein his Welfare does confift? Is it any worldly

Creature?

A. No. For all is Vanity, and Vexation of Spirit. Eccl. i. 14.

Q. But to inftance in fome Particulars, do's

it not confift,

h

A. No. Luke xii. 15°

A Man's Life confifteth

1. In Worldly Ri- not in the Abundance

ches?

of the things that he Lpoffeffeth.

A. No. Gal. v. 26.

2. In Applaufe and Let us not be defirous of vain Glory.

Honour?

3. In Sports and Pleafures?

A. No. Eccl. ii. 2, I faid of Laughter, it is mad, and of Mirth, what doth it?

A. No. For what is a

4. In all these to- Man profited, if he

gether?

gain the whole World, and lofe his own Soul? Mat. xvi. 26.

Q. What then is the Felicity, or true Happinefs of Man? Is it the Enjoyment of God's Fa

vour?

A. Yes. For in his Favour is Life. Pf. xxx. 5. And Pf. lxiii. 3. His loving Kindnefs is better than Life itself.

Q. And muft Faith and Obedience fit us for this Happinefs?

A. Yes. For without Faith it is impoffi ble to please God, or come unto him. Heb. xi. 6. And without Obedience or good Works, Faith is dead and unprofitable. Jam. ii. 20.

Q.Thus

Q. Thus upon two Accounts you are obliged, you fee, to your faid Baptifmal Duties. They are 3d Obligacommanded of God, and are necessary in their tion. own Nature. But farther, Did you not also promife them in your Baptifm?

A. Yes. For the Promifes thereof were then made in my Name.

Q. By whom did you promise them?

A. Primarily and principally, by my Parents (or Proparents.) And Secondly, but more exprefly by Perfons appointed by them, called God-Fathers, and God-Mothers, and fometimes Proparents, who in covenanting for me, were both their Depu ties, and their Affiftants.

Q. What did they do for you, or undertake in thefe Capacities?

A. As my Parents Deputies, they promifed in my Name, i. e. I by them promised my Covenant-Part and Duty. And in the other Capacity, namely as they were Affiftants, they undertook by their Place and Office to fee me Chriftianly brought up.

2.

7

Q. You fuppofe that Parents, and other Domeftick Owners, may Covenant with God for thofe that belong unto them. Can you prove this from Scripture?

A. Yes. Gen.xvii. 9 12. And God faid unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my Covenant therefor thou and thySeed after thee, in their Generations. This is my Covenant which ye shall keep between me and you, and thySeed after thee: Every Male-Child Ę 4

among

among you shall be circumcifed. And ye fhall circumcife the Flesh of your Foreskin, and it fhall be a Token of the Covenant between me and you. And he that is eight Days old, fhall be circumcifed among you; every Man - Child in your Generations, he that is born in the Houfe, or bought with Money of any Stranger which is not of thy Seed.

Q. It is plain from this and other Places of Holy Scripture, that Parents may covenant both for themfelves, and theirs. But in covenanting for theirs, can they fubftitute fome other Perfons, to reprefent them as their Deputies, and speak and promife what they do?

1

A. Yes. In fome Cafes a Parent cannot covenant for his Child in publick Baptifm, but by deputing fome other to represent him in that Affair. As when the Parent is fick, or imprisoned, &c. And none can deny the Validity of fuch an Act, And as in Covenants or Contracts, it is a common allowed Practice, fo it's no way contrary to natural Reason or Juftice, for one to perfo nate another,and act for him by his Confent.

Q. But when Children are baptized, and others act in their Parents Stead, Is this done by the Confent of their Parents?

A. Yes. For they themselves are required to beChoosers of thefe Sponfors, and to give notice to their Minifters before-hand; by which it appeareth, that their Confent is prefuppofed.

Q. You