Section 1069
V. We dissent from the church of England, because the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s supper
Are not duly administered in it, according to the word of God, and so is not a regular church of Christ; for, as the above Article says, “The visible church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in the which—the sacraments be duly ministered, according to Christ’s own ordinance, in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same:” but the said ordinances are not duly administered in the church of England, according to the appointment of Christ; there are some things which are of necessity requisite to the same, which are not done; and others which are ot of necessity requisite, which are enjoined, and with which we cannot comply.
First, The ordinance of Baptism is not administered in the said church, according to the rule of God’s word: there are some things used in the administration of it, which are of human invention, and not of Christ’s ordination; and other things absolutely necessary to it, which are omitted; and indeed the whole administration of it, has nothing in it agreeable to the institution of Christ, unless it be the bare form of words made use of, I baptize thee in the name of the Father, etc.
1. The sign of the cross used in baptism is entirely unscriptural, an human invention, a rite and ceremony which the Papists are very fond of, and ascribe much unto; and indeed the church of England makes a kind of a sacrament of it, since the minister when he does it says, that it is done “in token, that hereafter he (the person baptized) shall not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified, and manfully to fight under his banner against sin, the world, and the devil, and to continue Christ’s faithful soldier unto his life’s end:” this is such an human addition to a divine ordinance, as by no means to be admitted.
2. The introduction of sponsors and sureties, or godfathers and godmothers, is without any foundation from the word of God; it is a device of men, and no ways requisite to the administration of the ordinance: besides, they are obliged to promise that for the child, which they cannot do for themselves, nor any creature under heaven; as “to renounce the devil and all his works, the vain pomp and glory of the world, with all covetous desires of the same, and the carnal desires of the flesh, so as not to follow or be led by them; and constantly believe God’s holy word, and obediently keep God’s holy will and commandments, and walk in the same all the days of his life.”
3. The prayers before and after baptism may well be objected to, suggesting that remission of sins and regeneration are obtained this way; and that such as are baptized are regenerated and undoubtedly saved: in the prayer before baptism are there words; “We call upon thee for this infant, that he coming to thy holy baptism, may receive remission of his sins by spiritual regeneration; ” and when the ceremony is performed, the minister declares, “that this child is regenerate, and grafted in the body of Christ’s church; ” and in the prayer after it, he says, “We yield thee hearty thanks, most merciful Father, that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this infant with thy holy Spirit:” and in the rubric are these words; “It is certain by God’s word, that children which are baptized, dying before they commit actual sin, are undoubtedly saved; ” yea in the Catechism, the person catechized is instructed to say, that in his baptism he “was made a member of Christ, the child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven:” which seems greatly to favor the popish notion, that the sacraments confer grace ex opere operato, upon the deed done. There are things which give disgust to many Dissenters, that are for infant-baptism; but some of us have greater reasons than these against the administration of baptism in the church of England; for,
4. The subjects to which it is administered are not the proper ones, namely infants; we do not find in all the word of God, that infants were commanded to be baptized, or that ever any were baptized by John, the first administrator of that ordinance, nor by Christ, nor by his apostles, nor in any of the primitive churches: the persons we read of, that were baptized in those early times, were such as were sensible of sin, had repentance for it, and had faith in Christ, or professed to have it; all which cannot be laid of infants: nor can we see, that any argument in favor of infant-baptism can be drawn from Abraham’s covenant, from circumcision, from the baptism of households, or from any passage either in the Old or New Testament. Moreover,
5. We cannot look upon baptism as administered in the church of England, to be valid, or true Christian baptism; because not administered in a right way, that is, by immersion, but either by sprinkling or pouring water, which the rubric allows of in care of weakness; nor do we understand, that it is ever performed in any other way, at least, very rarely; whereas we have abundant reason to believe, that the mode of immersion was always used by John the Baptist, and by the apostles of Christ, and by the churches of Christ for many ages.
Secondly, There are many things in the administration of the Lord’s supper, which we think we have reason to object unto, and which shew it to be an undue one: and not to take notice of the bread being ready cut with a knife, and not broken by the minister, whereas it is expressly said, that Christ brake the bread, and did it in token of his broken body; nor of the time of administering it, at noon, which makes it look more like a dinner, or rather like a breakfast, being taken fasting, than a supper; whereas to administer it in the evening best agrees with its name, and the time of its first institution and celebration; but not to insist on these things.
1. Kneeling at the receiving of it is made a necessary requisite to it, which looks like an adoration of the elements, and Foetus to favor the doctrine of the real presence; and certain it is, that it was brought in by pope Honorius, and that for the sake of transubstantiation and the real presence, which his predecessor Innocent the iii rd had introduced; and though the church of England disavows any such adoration of the elements, and of Christ’s corporal presence in them; yet inasmuch as it is notorious that this has been abused, and still is, to idolatry, it ought to be laid aside; and the rather sitting should be used, since it is a table-gesture, and more suitable to a feast; and was what was used by Christ and his apostles, and by the primitive churches, until transubstantiation obtained; or however, since kneeling at most is but an indifferent rite, it ought not to be imposed as necessary, but should be left to the liberty of persons to use it or not.
2. The ordinance is administered to all that desire it, whether qualified for it or not; and to many of vicious lives and conversations; yea the minister, when he intends to celebrate it, in the exhortation, which in the book of Common Prayer he is directed to use, says; “unto which, in God’s behalf, I bid you, all that are here present, and beseech you for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, that ye will not refuse to come thereto.” Whereas it cannot be thought, that all present, every one in a public congregation, or in a parish, are fit and proper communicants; and there are many persons described in the word of God, we art not to eat with (1 Corinthians 5:2). Yet the rubric enjoins, “that every parishioner shall communicate, at the least, three times in the year; ” and directs, “that new-married persons should receive the holy communion at the time of their marriage, or at the first opportunity after it; ” though none surely will say, that all married persons are qualified for it.
3. This sacred ordinance is most horridly prostituted, and most dreadfully profaned, by allowing and even obliging persons, and these often times some of the worst of characters, to come and partake of it as a civil test, to qualify them for places of profit and trust; whereas the design of this ordinance is to commemorate the sufferings and death of Christ, and his love therein; to strengthen the faith of Christians, and increase their love to Christ and one another, and to maintain communion and fellowship with him and among themselves.
4. This ordinance is sometimes administered in a private house, which took its rise from laying of private mass; and to sick persons, to whom it seems to be given as a viaticum, or a provision for the soul in its way to heaven; and to two or three persons only, and even in some cases to a single person; whereas it is a church-ordinance, and ought to be administered only in the church, and to the members of it.