Page An Explanation of the Two Covenants; the great Feasts and Fasts of our Church; with AN INTRODUCTION, &c. PART I. Being an Explanation of the most naterial Words and Things in the Church Catechism. SECTION I. Of the Baptismal Vow. Question. WHAT is your name? A. My Christian name. Q. Why do you call it your Christian name? A. Because it was given to me when I was made a Christian. Q. When where you made a Christian? A. When I was baptised or christened. A. It is to be made a member of Christ, a child Q. What is to be a member of Christ's Church? A. One of that body or society of men who believe in Jesus Christ. Q. What is it to be a child of God? A. God's receiving us into his love and favour, for the sake of Christ; and giving us the promise of a portion, which we had not before. Q. What is that portion? A. An inheritance in the kingdom of heaven. Q. Wherein does this inheritance consist? A. In a life of everlasting happiness after death. Q. Upon what conditions are you to expect it? A. If I do those things which my godfathers and godmothers promised for me at my baptism. Q. Why are you asked your Christian name? A. To remind me of my baptism in which I was dedicated to Christ, solemnly given up to God, and taken into covenant with him. Q. In what state were you born by nature? A. I was by nature a child of wrath, and a stranger to the covenant of promise. Q. In what state did God create man? A. God created man in a state of holiness and happiness. Q. How then came man to be a child of wrath? A. By eating of the tree, of which God commanded him that he should not eat. Q. What is it to renounce the Devil? A. It is to resist all evil, in thoughts, words, and actions. Q. What is it to renounce the world? A. It is to renounce the love of pleasure, riches, worldly consequence, and evil company. Q. What is it to renounce the flesh? A. It is to oppose and mortify all our corrupt ffections. SECT. II. Q. WHAT did your godfathers and godmothers promise for you at your baptism? A. They did promise and vow three things in my name. Q. What is the first thing they promised for you at your baptism? A. That I should renounce the Devil, the world, and the flesh. Q. Who is the Devil ? A. The chief of the wicked fallen angels. A. All wickedness, but especially lying, and tempting men to sin. Q. What do you mean by the pomps and vani. ties of this wicked world. A. Pride, gaming. ill company, and all vain pleasures. Q. What do you mean by the sinful lusts of the flesh? A. Drunkenness, fornication, and all unclean. ness. Q. What do you mean by renouncing all these? A. The forsaking and avoiding of them, the not following or being led by them. Q. What is the second thing your godfathers and godmothers promised for you A. That I should believe all the articles of the Christian faith. Q. What do you mean by the articles of your Christian faith? A. All such points of doctrine as Christ has taught us in order to Salvation, which are briefly contained in the Apostles' Creed. Q. What is the third thing your godfathers and godmothers promised for you? A. That I should keep God's holy will and commandments, and walk in the same all the days of my life. Q. Why are we bound to believe and do all that our godfathers and godmothers promised for us? A. Because, if we do not, we can never attain to the kingdom of heaven. Q. What is the state of Salvation we here thank God for calling us to? A. That happy state we are admitted into by baptism. Q. What does every one gain by being baptized? A. He is taken into covenant with God. Q. What are the terms and conditions of this covenant? A. God on his part promises to bestow upon us eternal life. Q. And what do we promise to God en our part when we are baptized? A. That we will serve and obey Him, and live according to the gospel of Christ. Q. Are you able to do this? A. Yes: by the help of God and the assistance of his Holy Spirit. Q. But will the performance of these conditions obtain for you eternal life? A. Not on account of our own deserts, but for the sake and through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. |