ΑΝ EXPOSITION OF THE Church-Catechifm. PART I. HAT is your Name? Anfw. N. 02 M. UPON Occafion of re peating our Chriftian Name, the Catechifm begins with reminding us of the Nature of our Holy Profeffion; Which is perpetually fignified to us by the very Name we bear, the Name of Chriftians. INTO This Holy Profeffion we are initiated or admitted by Baptifm ; And therefore our Inftruction begins, with an explication of the Nature of That Solemn Covenant, and of the Obligations incumbent upon us from thence. BAPTISM, as it has the nature of a Sacrament, will be confidered afterwards in the latter part of the Catechism. But in This place 'tis confidered barely as our Admittance or Entrance into the Christian Church; with the Privileges to which we are thereby received, and the Obligations we thereby take upon ourfelves. THESE Privileges are expreffed in the Anfwer to the following Queftion, and the Obligations in the Answer to the Question next following after That. Qu. Who gave you this Name & Anfw. My God-fathers and Godmothers in my Baptism, wherein I was made a Member of Chrift, the Child of God, and an Inheritoz of the Kingdom of Heaven. IN This Answer is contained an Account of the Privileges or Benefits to which we are admitted by Baptism. But before I enter upon the explication of These particulars, there are Two things remarkable in the Introduction of this Answer. I. THE confideration of the Name being Given at Baptism. 2. THE Perfons who are here faid to give us that Name. I. CONCERNING the Name being Given at Baptism, 'tis to be observed that This is No part of the Sacrament itself, nor at all of Divine inftitution, but of Humane appointment only. Baptifm therefore ought not to be lookt upon as the bare Form or Ceremony of Giving a Name: But on the contrary the Ceremony of giving the Name, is a mere external Form, annexed without any neceffity, and by mere Custom only, to the Solemn dedication B 2 dedication of ourselves unto God in Baptifm. And it was prudently defigned, for a perpetual Memorial of our Duty, that our very Name fhould remind us of our Holy Profeffion: And because we received our Own Name, at the same time we were baptized into the Name of our Lord; that therefore we should never hear our own Name mentioned, without being put in mind of our being dedicated to His. Thus ought we always to remember, that Baptifm doth reprefent unto us our Profeffion. And the very Mention of a Man's Chriftian Name is a perpetual Reproach to every one, who by his converfation renounces what was folemnly promised for him at his receiving That Title, and who does not answer the Character of a Chriftian. Better had it been for all such persons, never to have been baptized at all into the Name of Chrift; than that, by a Life unsuitable to that worthy Character, they should dishonour both His Name and their Own. Our Chriftian Name is a perpetual declaration of our being dedicated to the Service of Chrift; And And 'tis a fhameful Negligence and Want of confideration, that makes us generally seem so entirely to have forgot the Thing, while the Word is continually in our Mouths. 2. THE Perfons here faid to give us our Name, are our Godfathers and Godmothers. The reason and defign of which appointment, is; that Thofe Perfons fhould give the Name, who undertake (as far as in Them lies) to see the Signification of it answered; that the fame perfons should confer the Title of a Chriftian, who take upon themselves (as far as they shall have opportunity) to verify the Intention of it, and (next after the more immediate Care incumbent upon the Parents,) to see that the Person be brought up a Christian in deed. For, the Promise made by the Godfathers and Godmothers, is not a Promise for Themselves: Nor is it properly a Promife of what Another perfon fhall do, (which is a Promise in no man's power to make:) But 'tis only a Promise to remind the baptized person of his future Duty; a Promife B 3 |