the Principles of his Religion, they all live in the breach of a plain Law, a Law made by the fupreme Law giver of the World, and muft accordingly an fwer for it at the Laft-day.

Wherefore all that are fenfible of the great Account which they muft give of all their Actions, at that time, to the Judge of the whole World, cannot but make as much Confcience of this as of any Duty whatfoever, fo as to ufe the utmost of their Care and Diligence, that their Children may grow in Grace, and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift, and fo be wife unto Salvation. Neither is this any hard matter for those to do, who live in the Communion of our Church, having fuch a Catechifm or Summary of the Chriftian Religion drawn up to their Hands, which is eafie both for Parents to teach, and for Children to learn: And yet fo full and comprehenfive, that it contains all things neceffary for any Man to know in order to his being faved. As you may clearly fee if you do but caft your Eye upon the Method and Contents of it, which may be all reduced to these five Heads, The Baptifmal Vow, the Apoftles Creed, the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and the Doctrine of the

Sacra

Sacraments, ordained by our Lord Chrift.

It begins where a Child begins to bẹ a Chriftian, and therefore hath a Chri ftian Name given him, even at his Baptifm, wherein be was made a Member of Chrift, a Child of God, and an Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven: Which great Privileges belong to all that are baptized, and to none else. None else being in the number of Chrift's Difciples; for our Lord Chrift, a little before his Afcenfion into Heaven, left Orders with his Apoftles, and in them, with all that fhould fucceed in the Miniftry of the Church to the End of the World, to make all Nations his Difciples, by baptizing them in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, as the Original Words plainly import, Mat. 28. 19. And therefore as People of all Nations are capable of being made his Difciples, fo none now are, nor ever can be made fo

any other other way, than by being baptized according to his Order. But they who are not thus made his Difciples by being baptized unto him, are not the Members of Chrift; and if they be not the Members of Chrift, they cannot be the Children of God, nor have any right to the Kingdom of Heaven, that being promifed

only

only to fuch as believe and are baptized, Mark 16. 16. And our Saviour himself elsewhere also faith, That except a man be born again of water, and of the Spirit, be cannot enter into the Kingdom of God, John 3.5. Whereby we may perceive the great Neceflity of this Sacrament, where it may be had, as our Church obferves in her Office for the Miniftration of it, to fuch as are of riper Years,

It is to be further obferved, that when our Saviour ordained Baptifm to be the Way or Means of admitting Perfons into his Church, or the Congregation of his Difciples, left we should think, as fome have done, that he meant it only of those who are of riper Years, he used the most general Terms that could be invented, requiring that all Nations fhould be fo baptized; and if all Nations, then Children alfo, which are a great, if not the greateft part of every Nation. And accordingly his Church hath always baptized Children as well as adult Perfons: When any who were come to Years of Difcretion, were willing and defirous to become Chrift's Dil ciples, that they might learn of him the Way to Heaven, they were made fo by being baptized; and if they had Children, they were alfo baptized at the fame

time with their Parents: And fo were the Children which were afterwards born to them; they also were baptized foon after they were born: And that it is our Saviour's pleasure that Children also should be brought into his Church, appears likewife in that when his Difciples rebuked those who brought Children to him, he was much difpleafed, and faid unto them, Suffer the little Children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of fuch is the Kingdom of Heaven, Mark

10. 14.

But feeing they who are thus baptized according to the Inftitution of Chrift, are thereby made his Difciples, and in him the Children of God,it is neceffary they fhould then promife to believe, and live from that time forward according as he hath commanded; which Promife therefore all that are grown up, always used to make every one in his own Perfon, and for that purpofe were, and ought to be catechized before hand, and put in mind of what they were to promife when they were baptized; and therefore were called Catechumens. But Children not being capable of making any fuch Promife themselves, in their own Persons, they were always admitted, and required to do it by their Guardians, that is,

by

by their Godfathers and Godmothers, which brought and offer'd them to be baptized; and are therefore obliged to take care that they be afterwards cate chifed, or inftructed in the Principles of that Religion into which they were admitted, and put in mind of the Promife which they then made of framing their Lives according to it.

This Promife therefore which Children make at their Baptifm by their Sureties, and which is implied in the ve ry nature of the Sacrament, whether they have any Sureties or no, it confifts of Three general Heads.

Firft, That they will renounce the Devil and all his Works, the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World, and all the finful Lufts of the Flefb.

Secondly, That they will believe all the Articles of the Chriftian Faith. Thirdly, That they will keep God's boby Will and Commandments, and walk in the fame all the days of their life,

Which Three Things, under which the whole fubftance of the Chriftian Religion is contained, being all promised by Children when they are baptized into it, it is abfolutely neceffary that they be afterwards put in mind fo foon as they are capable of the Promife which they

then