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.U.S. E.

Perform your Baptifmal Vow.
Confider,

1. It is not only your Duty, but your Happiness and Pleasure; even in this Life, there is none comparable to it, Prov.iii. 17. Pfal. xix. II.

2. It will be your Honour and Glory, I Sam. ii. 30. Ifa. xliii. 4.

3. Your greateft Safety and Security, Ifa. xliii. 1, 2. Prov.iii. 21.

4. The only Profit. and Advantage you can make in this World, 1 Tim. iv. 8.

5. The only Way to everlasting Life and Happiness in the World to come, Heb. xii. 14. Matt. v. 20. Matt. XXV. 23, 34.

C.

f

HEB.

Hi B. vi. 2.

Laying on of Hands.

THIS Imposition of Hands was made Use

of,

I. In the Old Testament.

1. In Benediction, Gen. xlviii. 14, 15.

2. In Confecration, Numb. xxvii. 18. Deut. xxxiv. 9.

II. In the New.

1. In Benediction, Mark x. 16.

2. In Abfolution.

1. From Bodily Difeafes, Mark vi. 5. Mark
xvi. 18. Acts xxviii. 8.

2. From Sin. Hence in the Primitive
Church all Penitents or Converts from
Sin and Herefy were received into the
Church by Impofition of Hands.

3. In Confecration of Perfons to Ecclefiafti-
cal Offices, Acts vi. 6. c. xiii. 3. 1 Tim.iv. 14.

2 Tim. i. 6.

4. In Confirmation, or Strengthening Perfons baptized with the Gifts and Graces of the Holy Ghost, Acts viii. 14, 15, 17. cap. xix. 5, 6.

And although in the Text, Laying on of Hands, may be understood in general of that Rite used upon all these Accounts; yet it is acknowledged

by

by moft, to be understood here of Confirmation, because it is put after Baptism..

1. This is a Cuftom that was always retained in the Church...

Caro alluitur, ut Anima emaculetur; Caro fignatur, ut Anima miniatur; Caro Manus impofitione adum→ bratur, ut Anima Spiritu illuminetur. Tertull.

Ut ad eos qui longe in minoribus Urbibus per Presby teros & Diaconos baptizati funt, Epifcopus ad Invocationem Spiritus Sancti Manus impofiturus excurrat. Hieron.

Δεν φωτιζομένες μετά το βάπτισμα χρίεται χρίσματο Tevi. They who are baptized, ought after Baptifm to be confirmed, Syn. Laod. c. 48. For Confirmation in thofe Days was ordinarily called Unction:

2. All Churches in the World agree in the Substance of it; Papists, Proteftants, Presbyterians, Independents, Huguenots, Greek, Latin.

3. None ought to be admitted to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper till he be confirmed, and fo ftand upon his own Bottom; it being by this, that they were always believed to receive the Holy Ghoft, by which alone they are made compleat Chriftians, capable of all the Privi leges of the Gofpel."

US E.

I. To all that have been Godfathers or Godmothers Bring the Children to Confirmation, that so you may be difcharged of your Truft.

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II. To those that have not been confirmed: Fit your felves for it.

III. To thofe that are confirmed: Live as those who are no longer Babes, but Men, in Christ.

1. Firm in your Faith, Eph. iv. 14. 1 Cor.

xiv. 20.

2. Conftant in your Obedience, 1 Cor. xvi. 13. Eph. vi. 10.

JOHN XIV. I.

Te believe in God.

HE Creed is General, Matt. xxviii. 19.

THE

I Believe in God.

This runs through the whole Creed, We believe every Article of it.

Queft. 1. What is it to believe?

Πἷς ἐςὶν ἑκέσθ ς ψυχής συγκατάθεσις. Theodoret.

It is the Affenting fully to a Truth as attested by another.

We affent to fome Things:

1. Because we perceive them to be fo by our Sense; as, Snow white, Ice cold, Fire hot. This is Experience.

2. Because evident of it self to our Under ftanding; as, that totum eft majus fud Parte. 3. Be

Vol. I

F

3.

Because demonftrated by Reason. And this is properly Science, Scire eft per Caufas fuas fcire. Arift.

4. Because it is attefted by another. This is properly Faith; which is,

1. Humane, relying upon an humane Teftimony; by which we believe many Things which we never faw. John iv. 39.

But this is fallible.

2. A divine Faith, grounded upon the infallible Teftimony of God himfelf, 1 John v. 9. Rom. iii. 4.

This is more certain than what we affent unto from Senfe and Reafon. For God is fo wife, that he cannot be deceived; and fo holy, that he cannot deceive, Tit. i. 2.

Hence Faith is a full Perfwafion of the Truths afferted by God.

Пéноμa, Rom. viii. 38.

Πεποιθώς αυτὸ τοτο, Phil. i. 6.

Hence called niss.

To this agrees St. Paul's Defcription, "Es ♫ Πιες ἐλπιζομένων ὑπόςασις πραγμάτων ἔλεγχθ ἐ βλεπο rav. Heb. xi. 1.

Queft. 2. What is it to believe in God?

The Latins diftinguifh between Credere Deo and

in Deum.

• Quid

Quid eft credere in Deum? Credendo amare, credendo deligere. Aug.

Ille credit in Chriftum, qui & fperat in Chriftum, diligit Chriftum. Id.

But the Greeks make no Difference; for St. BaQl explains is doμεν εἰς * Θεὸν, in the Nicene Creed, Εν Πισομεν καὶ ὁμολογέμεν ἕνα μόνον ἀληθινὸν κα ἀγαθὸν Θεὸν.

And

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