Of baptism,
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism.
v.14. Is any sick among you ? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let themprayover him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
Which are neither sacramental rites, nor of ordinary standing use in the church, but extraordinary, andtemporaryforthat age.
Q. 9. What learn we hence ?
A. Hence we learn,how aptmen are tocorruptGod's ordinances, by their superstitious additions ; Matth. xv. 9. Teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Q. 10. What is the second instruction hence ?
A.How just and necessary our separationfromRome is,who have grossly corrupted God's ordinances,and leftmenno other remedy ; Rev. xiii.6. And he opened his mouth inblafphemy againftGod, to blaspheme his name,and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
Q. 11. What is the third instruction ?
A. That the reformation of religion is an invaluable mercy, a great deliverance from spiritual bondage ; Rev. xi. 19. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament : and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
Q. 12. What is the fourth instruction ?
A. ThatRome shall certainly fall, and all her adherents, for thehorridinjurydonebythemto Christ, and the souls of men ;
Rev. xviii. 20, 21. Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets ; for God hath avenged you on her.
And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great milftone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great citý Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
OfBaptifm.
Hat is baptism?
Quest. 94.W A. Baptism is afacrament, wherein the washing with water, in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the holy Ghost, dothfignify andfealour ingrafting into Christ, and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace, and our engagement to be the Lord's.
Q. 1.What is the external part ofbaptifm ?
A. It is pure unmixedwater; Heb. x. 22. And our bodies washedwithpure water. And therefore it is a vile practice of Papifts, to add oil, salt, and spittle, to water, in baptism.
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism.
Q. 2. What doth water in baptism signify ?
A. Itfignifiestheblood of Christ; Rev. i. 5. Unto him that loved us,and washed us from our fins in his own blood.
Q.3. What is the first resemblance it hath to Christ's blood?
A. In the freeness of it to all, it represents the unpurchased blood of Christ ; Ifa. lv. 1. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come yeto the waters ; and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk, without money, and without price.
Q. 4. What is the second resemblance to Christ's blood ?
A. It resembles it in its refreshing quality; water refresheth the thirsty, so doth Christ's blood ; John vi. 35. He that be. lieveth on me, shall never thirst.
Q.5 . What is the third resemblance it hath to Christ'sblood?
A. The cleansing property of water, shews the purifying virtue of Christ'sblood ; Heb. ix. 14. How much more thall thebloodofChrift, who through the eternal Spirit,offeredhimfelfwithout spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works, to serve the living God?
Q. 6. What is the fourth resemblance it hath to Christ's blood?
A. It resembles it in the necessity of it : For as the body caunot live without water, so neither can the soul without Christ's blood; Heb. ix. 23. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
Q. 7. What is the fifth resemblance of water to the blood of Christ?
A. As water neither refresheth nor purifies the body without application ; so neither doth Christ's blood refresh or or purify the soul till applied; 1 Cor. i. 30. But of him areye in Christ
Jesus,who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.
Q.8. Is it necessary to plunge the wholebody under water, inbaptizing everyperfon?
A. The word [baptize] signifying as well to wash, as to plunge; a person maybe truly baptized,that is not plunged.
Andwecannotthink,by the circumstances oftimeandplace, that the jailor, in the night, was carried to a river out of the city; Acts xvi. 33. And he took them the fame hour of the night, and washed their stripes, and was baptized, he and all his straightway.
A Q. 9. But is it not said, John iii. 23. That John also was !