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To the Duty incumbent on these God-fathers and Godmothers, by virtue of this Engagement. This is a Matter well worthy to be known and minded; for too many enter upon this Spiritual Relation, merely out of Custom and Formality, without ever confidering the Obligation they take upon themselves thereby, or minding the Duties of it. Such Perfons would do well, ferioufly to call to mind the weight of their Engagement, or what it is they folemnly undertake in the behalf of thofe Children they prefent to be baptiz'd: What that is, will be more fully explain'd, when we come to the Baptifmal Vow; in the mean time, we may find the Duty of thofe Undertakers plainly laid down in the Office of Baptifm, and more particuTarly in the Charge given to the Sureties at the end of it; where they are bid

First, To remember that 'tis their Part and Duty, to fee that the Infants they engage for be taught, as foon as they fhall be able to learn, what a Solemn Vow, Promife and Profeffion, they have made by them. 'Tis impoffible for · Children to keep a Vow, of which they have no Knowledge; and therefore Sureties are to give them to underftand, what they promis'd for them, and upon what Terms they ftand with Almighty God: and because the firft Impreffions commonly fink deep and last long, therefore they are to begin early with them, and teach them betimes what has been done for them, and lies upon them to perform. And left these things fhould be forgotten, or juffled out by other and leffer Matters, they are often to mind and inculcate upon them these weighty and neceffary things. The

Second is, That they call upon them to hear Sermons, and bring them as foon as poffible to God's Houfe to be farther inftructed: For Faith comes by Hearing, and Hearing by the Word of God, Rom. 10. 7. Sermons are appointed to lead them on to greater Perfection, that have been before initiated in the first Principles of Religion. They that frequent them, are commonly built up in their holy Faith; whereas they that neglect them, not only forget their Vow, but fall into Atheism and all manner of Profaneness. To prevent which, because Sermons will do but little good without laying a good Foundation, therefore Sureties are directed,

Thirdly, To teach them chiefly the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and Ten Commandments; which comprizing all

that

that is neceffary to be believ'd, to be pray'd for, and to be done, contain the whole of a Chriftian's Duty; and being brief Epitomes of each, as they may be cafily learnt, fo are they carefully to be taught by all that undertake the Education of Children.

Fourthly, The Sureties are directed to call upon the Parents, that the Children they engage for, may be virtuoufly brought up, to lead a Godly and a Chriftian Life. Without this, all other Knowledge or Advantage is vain and useless; and with it, a flender Measure of each will be available to their Salvation: and therefore it highly concerns these Undertakers, as to difcourage Children from doing evil, fo by all good ways to encourage them in welldoing; and likewife to admonifh the Parents if they find them faulty in either of thofe Ways. Again,

Fifthly, They are bid to remember them of the great End of Baptifm, and the Profeffion made in it; which is to follow the Example of our Saviour Chrift, and to be made like unto him: that is, to be real Chriftians, leading holy Lives, and becoming like unto Chrift, into whose Name they were baptiz'd, and whofe Religion they profefs. And that this may be the more effectually done, the Sureties are directed,

Laftly, To bring Children to Confirmation, when they have learnt their Catechifm; at which time they folemnly ratify and renew that Vow in their own Perfons, which was before made by others in their behalf; and the better to perform it, they are affifted by the Bleffing and Prayers of the Bishop, to enable them thereunto. Then, and not till then, are the Sureties freed from this Obligation; which fhould make them as forward and earnest for the doing of this, as a Surety is to be freed from another's Debt for which he ftands engaged.

But all this (fay fome of our Sectaries) may be done by the Parents, none being more concern'd in the Welfare of their Children, and confequently none may be fuppofed to be more ready and willing to these things than they; for which reason they take thefe God-fathers and God-mothers to be a vain and needlefs Inftitution.

Now the Answer to this is eafy and obvious; for the ufe of God-fathers and God-mothers is not defign'd to exclude the Care and Duty of Parents, but to confirm and add to it. Parents are, by the Laws of God and Nature, bound to take care of the Education of their Children, and

to feek the good both of their Souls and Bodies; and there is that natural Affection commonly planted in them, which prompts them to defire and wifh well to both. But yet (as was before obferv'd) Parents are mortal, and may die before their Children are grown up to years of Underftanding; in which cafe, without fome farther care, they may be left helplefs and deftitute of all Inftruction. Again,

2dly, Others may and have been found too remifs and negligent in their Duty, to the great hazard of their Children, both as to Soul and Body; and therefore it can be no ways repugnant to Reafon or Religion, but very agreeable to both, to have fome others join'd with them for their better Security, and in thefe and the like cafes to provide for their Welfare and Inftruction. And therefore it is, and always hath been the pious Wisdom of the Church, to take the best and greatest care it can of thofe that are receiv'd into it; and left any, by reafon of the Mortality or Negligence of Parents, fhould be left void of all the Means of Knowledge, it has ever thought fit to require Sureties to undertake for them, to provide against the worft; and in all cafes to afford their beft Affiftance and Encouragement to them.

And as a three-fold Cord is not eafily to be broken, fo it may well be prefum'd, that between the natural Obligation of Parents, and the voluntary Engagement of at leaft three Sureties, every baptiz'd Infant may be religioutly educated in the Knowledge of God, and the Means of being happy; which is fo fafe, fo excellent, and fo laudable a Cuftom, that 'tis to be wonder'd, how any that ten-der the good of Children, fhould have the face to quarrel at it.

But nothing of this (fay they) is perform'd by thefe Undertakers: For who is there that regards the educating, inAtructing, or confirming any they engage for? So that Godfathers and God-mothers are become rather a Matter of Formality than Ufe.

In answer to this, I am forry that in our degenerate Age there fhould be fo much of Truth in this Objection. It must be granted, that the Number of thofe is few who enter upon this Office with a due Confideration of the Weight and Bufiness of it, or make Confcience of anfwering the Obligation of it. There are but too many who take this Truft upon them merely out of Compliment and Custom,

who

who affign over the Duty of it to the Parents, and lay afide all thoughts of the Charge committed by it; these are the evil Practices of this licentious Age, which are rather to be lamented, than to be either excus'd or deny'd.

However, this can be no Argument against so antient and pious an Inftitution; the Violation of a Law may argue indeed the Badness of Mens Lives, but can be no just Exception to the Goodness of the Law. Perhaps there is fcarce any thing that tends more to the planting of Holiness and Virtue in the Minds of Children, than the early Counsel and Inftructions of these Monitors: for hereby they are directed betimes in the way that they fhould go, and are frequently call'd upon to go on and keep in it, without turning from it, either to the Right-hand or to the Left; by which means Children may grow in Grace as they do in Years, and Babes in Chrift may the better arrive to the Fulness of the Stature of Men in Christ Jesus.

Now, fhall fome Mens neglect bring a difparagement on fo wife and wholefome an Inftitution? Muft the Abuse of a good thing take away the Ufe of it? Is it not much better to join together to amend and reform this Neglect, than to make it an Argument for laying afide the Thing?

In fhort, The Church hath taken the best care it can to prevent this Evil, by joining Three at leaft with the Parents in this Stipulation, that if either of them neglect their Duty, the others may fupply the Defect; but if all of them fhould be negligent and unmindful of their Duty, they will hazard, not only the Child's but their own Souls, and will dearly rue at laft for the Violation of fuch folemn Engage

ments.

I fhall conclude this Point with a word or two of Advice to the Parents, the Sureties, and such as have been brought up and educated by them.

As for Parents; Let me advise them, not only to take all due care of their Children themfelves, but likewife to make choice of fuch Sureties as are most likely to mind the Duty, and discharge the Truft repos'd in them; confulting not fo much who will make the largest Presents, as who will most regard the Welfare of their Souls, and be moft affistant to them in their pious Education.

To this end, Kindred and Relations may be fitly enough made choice of, from whom more may be expected than from Strangers; Nature and Blood may prompt them more powerfully to their Duty than o

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thers,

Part I. thers, and lay thofe facred Promifes more clofely upon them.

Again, fuch as are nigh in their Abode and Habitation, are to be prefer'd in our Choice before thole that are more remote; for Diflance is apt to make Men forget their Charge, or at leaft renders them more uncapable of performing it; whereas Neighbours and Friends, by frequent Sight and Converfation, are better minded of it, and more 'difpos'd to discharge it.

Moreover, Men of Age and Understanding are to be made choice of on this occafion before Minors; it being a frivolous thing to make one Child engage for another, and to put fuch whofe Bonds are not good in human Courts upon this weighty Office. The Promifes made in Baptifm are facred and folemn things, and therefore to be made only by Perfons of mature Age and Judgment, who know the Nature and Obligation of them; and not to be us'd only as Rattles to please Children, and to be play'd with.

Laftly, Men of a ferious and orderly Behaviour are to be prefer'd for this Office, before loofe and vain Perfons; for fuch are very unlikely to mind others of their Duty, who are too unmindful of their own; and they who fhew little or no regard to their own Souls, may not reasonably be trufted with the Souls of others. The Education of Children, and the Engagements enter'd into about it, are too great and valuable Things to be committed to thofe, who daily fhew how ready they are to break them; and therefore Men of fober Principles and Practices are fitteft to be pitch'd upon for this Undertaking; for thofe will be moft fenfible of their Duty, and moft likely to make Confcience to dif charge it. Such as thefe Parents fhould make choice of, to affist them in this important Charge, to fupply their Place in cafe of Death; or if living, they fhould fail of their Care and Duty to their Children, they fhould be willing to hearken to, and attend upon the Admonition of fuch Supervifors.

Next, To the Sureties, two or three things are neceffary to be spoken.

First, Let none rafhly and inconfiderately enter upon this Office, or take this weighty Truft only as a formal and cuftomary Matter; but let them confider what they do, and what they engage in it; how they enter as it were into Bond unto Chrift and the Church, in the behalf of thofe whom they prefent to Baptifm; taking the care of them,

and

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