This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. Searching, reading, printing, or downloading EEBO-TCP texts is reserved for the authorized users of these project partner institutions. Permission must be granted for subsequent distribution, in print or electronically, of this text, in whole or in part. Please contact project staff at eebotcp-info@umich.edu for further information or permissions.
1. The First Part of the Catechism contains an Ac∣count of our baptismal Benefits, Vow and Cove∣nant: That is, it teaches us to understand and consider what was done for us, and in our Name, when we were received into the Family of our Sa∣viour;
into the Christian Church: And takes care that we should know what we then promised to do our selves.
Question.
WHAT is your Name?
Answer.
N. or M.
THE First Question is, What is your Name? and the Reason of it is this, That we may remember, that when our Name was given us, we were received into Christ's Church, made Disciples of his, and admitted into the number of his Flock by Baptism. That we may remember whose we are, and to whom we belong: That we may re∣member whose Faith, and Love, and Obedience we have undertaken here; from whose Merits and whose Gospel we derive our Hopes and Expecta∣tions of a joyful Resurrection: And that we may be constantly put in mind, that seeing we name the name of Christ, we are to depart from iniquity.
Question.
Who gave you this name?
Answer.
My Godfathers and Godmothers in my Baptism; &c.
THE meaning is: This Name was given me by them, who brought me (when I knew it not) to be admitted to the Favour of God, and to be made a Lamb of Christ's Flock.
And by my Baptism I was made (I thank God) a Lamb of that Flock, a Member of his Church, and an Heir to an Inheritance above in Heaven.
Question.
What did your Godfathers and God∣mothers, &c.
Answer.
They did promise and vow three things in my name, &c.
THE meaning is: They promised for me, what I should have promised for my self, had I been of Age; but seeing I was not, and they did pro∣mise it, I will now stand to it: And so I am sen∣sible I must, if I hope to receive the Benefits of my Baptism. These were then the Three Things they promised, which follow.
1. They promised, I should renounce the World, the Flesh and the Devil. The Pomps of the World, that is, all that Pride, Vain-glory, and Excess that is in the World, in Food, Raiment, or any thing else. All vain and sinful Companies and Customs of the World. All the Temptations of the World. All that is vain or wicked in the World. All that Friend∣ship of the World that is Enmity with God. All things of the World that may be an occasion of sin to me. All the unlawful Riches, Honours, or Pleasures of the World; and never greedily to seek, or set my heart upon those that are lawful. Thus they renoun∣ced for me the Pomps and Vanities of the World, which was the first thing they renounced in my name.
The next was, All the sinful Lusts of the Flesh. That is, all the evil Affections, sinful Desires, and unlawful Lusts of my corrupt Heart: By no means either to be led by them, to yeild to them, or con∣sent to them.
The other Branch of what they renounced in my name, was, The Devil and all his Works. Which works are; Lying, Envying, Slandering,
Pride, Murder, Hatred, but especially tempting others to sin. And the actual committing, or ha∣bitual living in any one wilful known sin. Thus in this sense they promised,
I should renounce
Which Renunciation of all these, was the First of the Three things they did for me.
2. When they presented me to Baptism, the se∣cond thing they did for me, was, they promised in my Name, That I should believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith.
The meaning is: They promised in my Name, that I should believe all the Parts of the Christian Religion; which are briefly contained in the Creed. That is, they promised I should believe in God, and I do now believe in him.
They promised I should believe in Jesus Christ and I do firmly believe in him. That he was born of a Virgin, was crucified, died, and rose again, &c. All which I stedfastly believe. They promised, I should believe the Resurrection of the Body, and a Life eternal after Death. And I firmly believe these, and all other Parts of the Gospel.
That I should believe these things, was the second thing they did for me.
3. They promised in my name, That I should keep God's holy Will and Commandments, and walk in them all the days of my Life.
The meaning is: When they presented me to Baptism, they promised in my Name, That I should obey God's Will, in avoiding all those things which he hath forbidden me; and in performing all those things he hath commanded me: And to do this, not for a day only, or a year, but all the days of my Life.
Thus for instance, 'Tis God's Will and Com∣mandment that I should be Sober, Temperate, Chast, Pure, Just and Upright; Repent of, and Re∣form my Sins; believe in Christ; be a very chari∣table Person. That I should be meek, humble and peaceable; self-denying and mortified; fear him, love him above all things, trust in him, be patient in Afflictions, submitting to his Will and to his Wisdom; attend upon his Ordinances, attend upon his Word, attend upon Prayer, attend upon his holy Sacraments, and perform all other parts and instances of my Duty to God, to my self, and Neigh∣bour: This is to keep his holy Will and Command∣ments.
So that they who presented me to Baptism, and charitably brought me to be received into Christ's Church by it, promised (in summ) these things in my Name.
1. That I should renounce the World, the Flesh, and the Devil, so as by neither of them to be led to any known Sin.
2. That I should believe the Christian Religion, and live according to that belief.
3. That I should give God one short life of Love and Obedience, in sincerely (though imperfectly) doing what he has commanded.
As they promised this in my Name before I was baptized, so I am now to keep it afterward; that after death I may enjoy the Promises of God (which he has made me upon these three Conditions) in a joyful Resurrection, and an eternal Life of Glory.
Question.
Dost thou not think that thou art bound, &c.
Answer.
Yes verily: and by God's help so I will, &c.
THE meaning is: As they promised these things in my name (or for me) when I was an In∣fant, and could promise nothing for my self; so, I do now heartily own them all, and take them in∣tirely upon my self.
1. I will, and do renounce what they promised in my Name to renounce.
2. I will, and do believe firmly, what they pro∣mised in my Name I should believe.
3. I will ever (by divine aid) keep that holy Will, and those Commandments of my God and Saviour, which they promised in my Name I should.
And I bless God that he hath in infinite Love to me, and Compassion to my Soul, called me to this hope, this great hope of being saved when I die: And I earnestly beg his Grace, that I may continue in this Faith, this Hope, this Love, and this Obe∣dience, till the end of my Life; till I change Worlds, and come up to him.