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The 71 Question of the HEIDELBERG

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CATECHISM.

WHERE bath Chrift promifed, that he will as certainly wash us with his Blood and Spirit, as we have been wafbed with the Water of Baptifm? "A. In the Inftitution of Baptifm, (the Words whereof are thefe, Go, and teach all Nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft; he that believeth, and is baptized, fhall be faved; but he that believeth not fall be damned. This Promife is alío mentioned in those Places where the holy Scripture calls Baptifm, "The Wafhing of our Regeneration; and, The Cleanf ing us from our Sins.”

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The 72d Question of the HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

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OES then the outward Baptifm of Water,

DOES
cleanfe us from Sin?

"A. No. For the Blood of Jefus Chrift alone, and the Holy Ghoft, cleanfeth us from all Sin." Q. Who are they that are in Error about the Doctrine of Baptifm?

A. The Papifts and Annabaptifts.

Q. What do the Papifts teach of Baptifm?

A. That Baptifm is abfolutely necefiary to Salvation; becaufe Baptifm, according to their Opinion, fhould include Grace.

Q. How do you confute this Error?

A. As follows; 1ft, Because Baptifm is a Sacrament, i. e. a Sign and Seal of Grace, Rom. iv. II. 2dly, Because there is a Diftinction between the outward Washing of Water, and the inward Working of the Spirit, 1 Pet. iii. 21. 3dly, Because we find, Mark xvi. 16. He that believeth, and is baptifed, fall be faved; but he that believeth not, shall be damned, (but

be

not that he who is not baptized fhall be damned). Examples and Experience likewife fhewthe contrary, fuch as the Malefactor on the Crofs, was not baptized; yet fefus faid unto him, Luke xxiii. 43. This Day thou fhalt be with me in Paradife. Lydia believed, and was regenerated before fhe was baptized; and Simeon the Conjurer, was baptized, but not converted, Acts viii. 13, 24

Q. But hath not Jefus faid, John iii. 5. Verily, verily, I fay unto thee, except a Man be born of Water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God?

A. We must not underftand by this, the outward Water in Baptifm, but the Working of the Holy Ghost in the Elect, purifying their Souls internally, even as the Water doth externally; as, Mat. iii. 11. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghoft, and with Fire, which fignifies to be baptized by the Spirit, operating like Fire; and if there is indeed a Reference to Baptifm in thefe Words, it will by no Means follow, that Baptifm is Regeneration; but then the Senfe of the Paffage must be thus: Whofoever would become a regular Member of the Kingdom of God, muft not only be baptized, but as ever he defires to fhare in its fpiritual and eternal Bleffings, must experience the renewing and fanctifying Influences of the Holy Spirit on his Soul, to cleanfe it from the Power of Corrup tion, and to animate and quicken it to a spiritual and divine Life. Or better to underftand by that Water, the holy Gofpel, which cleanfeth the Soul of them that believeth, and by which Means the Holy Ghoft regenerates the Sinner, 1 Pet. i. 22. Pf. xix. 8. The 73d Question of the HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Q: WH

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HY then doth the Holy Ghoft call Baptifm the Washing of Regeneratian and cleansing from Sin? "A. It isn ot without great Reafon, that God thus "expref

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"expreffeth himfelf; for he does not only teach us "thereby, that as the Filth of the Body is clean"fed by Water, fo our Sins are expiated by the "Blood and Spirit of Chrift; but much more to "affure us, by this divine Token and Pledge, that 86 we are as really washed spiritually from our Sins, as we are outwardly with the Water of Baptifm." The 74th Question of the HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

RE Infants to be baptized also ?

"A. Yes; for fince they belong, as well as "the Adult, to the Covenant and Church of God, ❝ and also fince the Remiffion of Sins by the Blood "of Chrift, and the Holy Ghoft, which brings forth Faith, are not lefs promised to them, than to the

Adult; they ought likewife by Baptifm (as a "Seal of the Covenant) to be incorporated into the "Church of God, and be diftinguifhed by that << Means from the Children of Unbelievers; as is "practised under the old Covenant, by Circumcifion, "in the Stead of which, Baptifm has been inftituted * in the new Covenant.

Q. What is the Opinion of the Annabaptists of Baptifm?

A. They teach to the contrary of our Doctrine, that the Adminiftration of Baptifm to Children is. vain, and contrary to Scripture; and that the Adult only ought to be baptized.

Q. How doth it appear that the Infant Seed of Believers ought to be baptized?

A. It appears by this, that they being Abraham's Seed, were taken into Covenant with God, and ordered to have the Sign of the Covenant applied to them; and that Grant was never reverfed. Gen. xvii. 10. And I will establish my Covenant between me and thee, and thy Seed after thee, &c. Every Man Child among you fhall be circumcifed.

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Q. But

Q. But was not that the Covenant of Works? And will not hold to infer their Privilege under the Covenant of Grace?

A. No. For God never did, nor will become a God by Way of special Intereft, to any People, by Virtue of the Covenant of Works, fince the Breach of it by the Fall.

Q. But if it were the Covenant of Grace, how doth it appear the Right of Believers Infants, being fill the fame they were before in Abraham's Time?

A. It appears plainly from the Apostles own Words and Arguments, Acts ii. 29. The Promife is to you, and to your Children, &c.

Q. Admitting Infants then to have been Members of God's vifible Church among the Jews, How doth it appear that they are fo now, as God has caft them off?

A. The Membership and Privileges are as fure and ample to them now, that are the Children of Gentile Believers, as ever they were to the Jewish Infants. Rom. xi. 17. If fome of the Branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild Olive Tree, wert grafted in among ft them, and with them partakeft of the Root and Fatnefs of the Olive Tree.

Q. How doth it appear further, that they are within the Covenant?

A. By their being pronounced Holy, 1 Cor. vii. 14. Elfe were your Children unclean, but now are they boly.

Q. As Infants are not capable to covenant with God, or perform coverant Duties, why therefore fhould they be admitted to covenant Privileges?

A. A Child now of eight Days old, is as capable of being admitted into Covenant with God, as Children of the fame Age were in Abraham's Days, and that they were then admitted, is manifeft.

Q. Although they were admitted to Circumcifion then will it follow they may be fa to Baptifm now, feeing that that Ordinance is abolished?

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A. Yes;

A. Yes; although the Ordinance of Circumcifion ceafed, Baptifm is come into it's Place, Col. ii. 10. IF.

Q. But Circumcifion was a Seal of the Covenant of Works, and the Argument will not hold good, of the Seal of the Covenant of Works, corresponding to the Seal of the Covenant of Grace.

A. Circumcifion never was even intended to be a Seal of the Covenant of Works, but of the Righteousness of Faith, Rom. iv. II. And he received the Sign of Circumcifion, a Seal of the Righteousness of the Faith that he had yet being uncircumcifed, &c.

Q. Why was not there an express Command in the New Teftament to baptize Infants?

A. There needed no fuch Command to be given, as their Privilege hath been fettled many Ages before, upon them, and never reverfed by Chrift or his Apoftles, but their former Right declared to continue till to them, Acts ii. 39. For the Promife is to you,. and to your Children. And it is manifeft from Alts xvi. 15. 33. She was baptized and her Houfhold, &c.

Q. Do not many trust to Infant Baptifm, as being their Regeneration, and fo much Mifchief is done?

A. They do fo; yet the Duty is not therefore to be neglected. The Preaching of Chrift is to fome a Stumbling Block; yet Christ must be preached notwithstanding.

Q. What is the firft Inference you draw from hence? A. That our Catechift has answered quite fuitable to his Intention, to give his Difciple a plain Comprehenfion of Baptifm, fhewing clearly the Errors of the Adverfaries, and that in this pure Doctrine only is a true Confolation for Believers.

Q. What is the fecond Inference?

That all the Baptized are engaged to be the Lord's People, and to walk fuitably to that Engage ment, Rom. vi. 4.

Q. What is the third Inference?

A. That Parents ought to know their Duty; 1,

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