To this the Minister addeth that part which is in the former Prayer marked thus (*).

Then the people are to sing a Psalm, as the Pastor appointeth : which ended, he is to pronounce one of these blessings, and so the Congregation departeth :

Num. vi.

THE Lord bless us, and save us: the Lord make his face to shine upon us, and be merciful unto us: the Lord turn his countenance towards us, and grant us his peace.

2 Cor. xiii.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and communion of the Holy Ghost, be with us all. So be it.

It shall not be necessary for the Pastor daily to repeat all these things before mentioned; but beginning with some like confession, to proceed to the Sermon: which ended, he either is to use the Prayer for all estates before-mentioned, or else to pray as the Spirit of God shall move his heart, framing the same according to the time and matter which he hath entreated of. And if there shall be at any time any present plague, famine, pestilence, war, or such like, which be evident tokens of God's wrath, as it is our part to acknowledge our sins to be the occasion thereof, so are we appointed by the Scriptures to give ourselves to mourning, fasting, and prayer, as the means to turn away God's heavy displeasure. Therefore it shall be convenient, that the Minister, during

such time, do not only admonish the people thereof, but also use some form of Prayer, according as the present necessity requireth; (to) the which he may appoint, by consent of the eldership, some several day, after the Sermon, weekly to be observed, where it may be done conveniently.

OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF

THE SACRAMENTS;

Baptism, and the Lord's Supper.

FIRST, OF THE ORDER OF BAPTISM. Forasmuch as it is not permitted by God's word, that women, or any private person, should preach, or minister the Sacraments; and it is evident that the Sacraments are not ordained of God to be used but in places of the public congregation, and necessarily annexed to the preaching of the word, as seals of the same; therefore the infant which is to be baptized shall be brought to the church, at some day appointed to common prayer and preaching, accompanied with the father and godfathers, as the Eldership of that congregation shall think convenient. After the Sermon, the child being presented to the Minister, he demandeth this question : Do you present this child to be baptized?

The Answer.

Yea, we require the same.

Then the Pastor is to proceed, saying:

THEN let us consider, dearly beloved, how Almighty God hath not only made us his children by

a

Gal. iv.
Ephes. i; ii.
Gen. xvii.

Exod. xvii.
Deut. vii.

Isa. lix.
Testament
Gen. xvii.

Rom. iv.

d Col. i; ii.

adoption, and received us into the Rom. viii. fellowship of bis Church; but also hath promised that he will be our God, and the God of our children, unto the thousandth generation. Which thing as he confirmed to his people of the Old by the Sacrament of Circumcision, so hath he also renewed the same to us in his New Testament by the Sacrament of Gal. iii. Baptism: commanding his Apostles to baptize in the name of the Father, Mark xvi. and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; declaring thereby that such as believe, and their infants, appertain to him by covenant, and therefore ought not to be defrauded of those holy signs and seals, f whereby his children are known from Acts x. infidels and pagans.

d

e

Acts ii.

• Matt. xxviii.

Neither is it requisite, that all those that receive this Sacrament have the use of understanding and faith, but that they be contained under the name of 8 God's people: so that remission of sins in the blood of Christ Jesus doth appertain unto them by God's promise.

Acts ii.

1 Cor. vii.

This thing is most evident by h St. h 1 Cor. vii.

Paul, who pronounceth the children begotten and

born, either of the parents being faithful, to be clean and holy. Also our Saviour Christ admitteth i children to his presence, embracing

i Mark x.
Matt. xix.
Luke xviii.
Ps. xxii.

and blessing them. Which testimonies of the Holy Ghost assure us, that infants be of the number of God's people, and that remission of sins doth also appertain to them in Christ. Therefore without injury they cannot be debarred from the common sign of God's children. And yet is not this outward action of such neces

k Rom. iv. Gal. iii.

Jas. ii.

sity, that the lack thereof should be hurtful to their salvation, if that, preGen. xv; xvii. vented by death, or such like cause of necessity, they may not conveniently be presented to the Church. But we, having respect to that obedience which Christians owe to the voice and ordinance of Christ Jesus, who commanded to Mark xvi.

preach and baptize all such without Matt. xxviii. exception, do judge them only unworthy of any fellowship with him, who contemptuously refuse such ordinary means as his wisdom hath appointed to the instruction of our dull senses.

Furthermore, it is evident that Baptism was ordained to be ministered in the element of m Matt. iii. m water, to teach us, that like as water