doth punish some for the glory of his justice but not through any hatred of their sin This last reason affirmed by Mr. Banes is now revoaked Thus we see by what spirit these men are led being ashamed of his error And now I have set before you the Christ of the Legalists as they scornfully call us and the Christ of the Antinomians Now if it seem evil to you to serve the Lords Christ chuse you this day whom you will serve whether the Antinomians fained Christ or the true Christ of God But as for me and my house we wil serve the Lord Josh 24.15 Halt no longer between two opinions But if Baal be God follow him but if the Lord be God follow him And like Iehn destroy the name of Baal out of Israel 2 Kings 10.28 Hos 2.17 Let us not put the Lord to decide the controversie by fire from heaven having his word the true Judge of all controversies Therefore whosoever shall despise the Word shal be destroyed and he that feareth the Commandement shall be rewarded prov 13.13 Then be not led away with a fained Christ but cleave to the Lords Christ who is able to keep that which thou committest to his trust and to present thee faultlesse and unreprovable in his sight Coloss 1.22 Now the Lord open thine eyes to see clearly into all these things that differ and give thee grace to hold fast that which is good that thou maist be setled upon the true foundation and there stand like mount Zion unmoveable for ever Psalm 125.1 The grounds of true Christian Religion very necessary to build us on the true Rocke Iesus Christ WHat is the true Christian Religion Answ It is the way to worship God through Jesus Christ according to his own appoyntment First it is called the way of holinesse Isa 35.8 The new and living way Heb. 10 20. The narrow way Mat. 7. the way everlasting Ps 139.14 And it must be in Christ For God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe 2 Cor 5.19 And according to his own appointment For all those Ceremonies Types of Christ were done as the Lord commanded Moses Exo. 40. Therefore Christ as a son over his owne house Heb. 3.6 Spake as having authority not as the Scribes Mat. 7.29 He saith all power in heaven earth is givento him ver 28.18 Therefore he in his own name saith Thus you have heard but I say thus unto you Math. 5.28 What are the parts of Religion to be known Answ They are two First is concerning truths to be known that you may prove what is that good acceptable perfect will of God Thou art a Iew knowst his wil Rom. 12.2 3.18 The 2 concerning truths to be practised Thy people shal be willing in the day of thy power Ps 110.3 If ye be willing obedient ye shal eat the good of the land Isa 3.19 Not he that saith Lord Lord but he that doth the will of my Father shal be saved Math. 7.21 The doer of the work shal be blessed in the deed Iam 1.25 Let us hold fast our profession Heb. 4.14.10.23 He that holdeth out to the end shall be saved Mark 13.13 What are the grounds of Religion Answ They are two First it is a right knowledge of God as hee hath revealed himselfe unto us in his word concerning his unity of essence in the Trinity of persons his names and attributes and works of Creation and providence The second maine ground of Religion is a right knowledg of our selves as we were first created righteous holy after Gods own Image Gen. 1.26 Since the fal none is righteous Rom. 3.10 Thirdly as we are in the state of â—race righteous in part Phil. 3 12.15.16 Fourthly in the state of glory perfect in degrees as creatures Heb. 12 23. How do you know there is a God Answ I know there is a God by the testimony of conscience accusing for sin committed and is â—â— were Gods deputy to arraign and condemn us for it which could not be but from a displeased God 1 Kings 17.8 John 8.9 Secondly from the comfortable refreshing wee finde in our soules when we are faithful and conscionable in our obedience to the Lord 2 Cor. 1.12 Rom. 9.1 Acts 22.1 Thirdly I know there is a God by the frame of the world By these vâ—â—ble things are clearly sâ—en his eternal power aâ—d God-head Rom. 1.20 The heavens could not make themselves because they cannot keep themselves from perishing Psal 102.25.26 Heb. 1.10.11 Neither could the earth make it self nor the silly creatures that are in it could not make it nor themselves they being all mortall and vanity which plainly shews that their first beginning was by a divine power Fourthly all nations do acknowledg that there is a God and that he ought to be worshipped although they cannot find out the true God nor truely how to worship him Fifthly I know there is a God that provideth food for all creatures and not onely so but in making their food nourishing being of it selfe without life yet without which they could not live although our cloaths being void of heate yet keepeth our bodies warm which could not be without a God also that all the creatures being at variance feed one upon another yet every kind preserved which could not be without a God How many Gods be there Ans There be many idol-gods which are nothing in the world and many that are called gods Lords But to us there is but one God There is none other Gods but one Cor. 8.4 5 6 In this God there are 3. real distinct Persons having subsistance in the same Essence The Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one â— John 5.7 How do you know the true God from all false gods Answ First the true God is known from all false gods by the simple purity of his divine nature being void of all composition the creatures are made up of the 4 Elements but God is not so and his essence is free from all division or parts We may not say this is one part of God and that is another as we say of the creature Again what is in God cannot be multiplyed or encreased as to have more wisedome or more strength Neither can there be any decrease of any thing that is in God Againe no accidents can cleave to him or adde any thing to his perfection but what ever he is he is the same essentially But are not the three Persons so many parts of his God-head Answ No the Father is God the Son is God the holy Ghost is God and yet not three Gods but one God This Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity is a holy mistery and is rather to be religiously adored by faith then curiously searched by reason further then God hath revealed in his word The mean time let us neither confound the Persons nor divide the substance of his perfect Essence
page 242 243 244. he saith a man reconciled God cannot tax him for any sin page 306. he sayth all occasion of quarrell or controversie between God and thee is absolutely taken away page 303. he sayth God doth never punish a beleever for sinne committed page 25. the reason because the travaile of Christ gave the Father such satisfaction that he saith it did the heart of God good to see his Sonne tormented for us he saw it and was satisfied page 46 47. I ans This is hellish blasphemy for when our sinnes were upon him yet then sayth the Lord Thou art my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased and in his agony he sent an Angell to comfort him and that place in Isa 53.11 is spoken of Christ himselfe he saw the travaile of his soule and was satisfied not that the Father saw it and rejoyced to see it the Doctor saith although the free man of Christ fall into the same sins that a reprobate doth yet although the law say to the reprobate thou art damned for this yet the law cannot say one word to the free man of Christ so that he may esteem of the curse of th law as an English man may esteem of the lawes of Spain page 189. but Christ threatned the damnation of hell other judgments to the Churches of Asia Mat. 23.33 Rev. 2.3 chap. the Doctor saith if a beleever fall into some scandalous sinne as murder and adultery as David did yet he may looke upon Christ and in Christ at that very time he commits them he may see a discharge of his sinnes and reconciliation by Christ and his part in Christ nay further he saith a beleever cannot commit those sinnes that may give occasion of suspicion that if he come to Christ he should cast him out page 330 331. this also puzzeled Lancaster that he came off basely I demanded of him if a beleever having a cleere apprehension of God in Christ can commit those foule sinnes he answered 10 now this was well for saith Joseph how can I doe this great wickednesse and sinne against God Gen. 39.9 thâ—n I demanded of him whether David or Peter or any other in the act of those foule sins did see God in Christ to their comfort he answered whether they did or no yet a man may doe it I answered it was a flat contradiction for he sayd before if they had that cleere apprehension they neither could nor durst thus sinne and now he sayd in the act of those sinnes they may have this cleere apprehension then he discerned himselfe to be almost foyled and shuffled it thus saying although he had not that cleere light in the entrance into that sinne yet God may shew it him before the act is over I told him that he was yet upon his contradiction but then he shuffled it off thus saying that he ought to see his part in Christ at that instant and nor to adde unbeliese to his other sinne I answered he ought not to sinne at all but we are not â—â—â—king what he ought to doe but what he can doe at such a time but he could not find a starting hole ready therefore he said the Doctors meaning was that at such a time they ought to see their part in Christ yet I suppose all this will hardly cleere the Doctor for I suppose in the act of such a foule sinne that a man ought not to lay his foule singers on Christ for some are too forward to close with Christ but faith the Lord your hands are full of blood goe wash you make you cleane and then he saith come now let us reason together Isa 1.15 16 18. I need not to speak how David being hurried in temptation and saw it not till Nathan said thou art the man and Peter was in a passion and not himselfe when he came to himselfe he wept and the Prodigall when he came to himselfe he went home but these were so farre from comfort in the time of those sinnes that I suppose they rather never obtained their former joy but they had some grudging of them to their dying day sayth David ake away blood guiltinesse O God and in his old age sayth he pardon the sinnes of my youth Psal 25.7.11 so then I rather thinke he that can sinne thus and think he may then close with Christ that as yet he never had any true faith in Christ but the Doctor sayth beleevers need not to be threatned for sayth the Doctor the sonne sayd to the father thy people shall be a willing people in the day of thy power Ps 110. which is flat against the text and that the Sonne brought down the Father to his articles which overthrowes the tenour of the Gospell which sayth the Father sent the Son and the Son came to do the Fathers businesse and to finish his work and not to do his own will then he saith Christ is the way for whore and drunkards in his fourth Sermon I answ Christ is the way for imitation to walk as he walked 1 Joh. 1.6 we ranst learne of him Mat. 11.28 Jah 13.15 we must follow his steps 1 Pet. 2.21 and Christ is our Counsellouâ— Isa 9.6 Rev. 3.8 now he that thus walketh imitating Christ and obeying his counsell this man walkes in Christ Col. 2.6 because the word of Christ rules in their heart 3.16 but for any to say they walk in Christ and yet for at naught his counsell he will laugh at their destraction and mock when their feare commeth Prov. 1.24 these men are led away with their Insts Jam. 1.14 now such the Lord may justly give up to their own hearts Iusts to walk in their own counsels Ps 81.12 but blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsell of the ungodly Psal 1.1 but freely yeelds himselfe unto Christ to be guided by his counsell and afterward brought unto his glory Psal 73.34 So much in answer to Doctor Crisp and Mr. Lancaster in which their Christ is exalted above all now followes the combat in the Den. A combat with the Antinomians Christ in his Den. WHen we seriously consider poore heathen people who naturally seeke after a God to worship and cannot find the true God nor rightly how to worship him then we bewaile the great losse that all mankind had by the fall of Adam wherein we lost the knowledge of the true God and rightly how to worship him but what shall we say when Israel is a long time without the true God 2 Chron. 15.3 or at leastwise halt between two opinions as not being resolved whether the Lord or Baal be the true God till the Lord himselfe by fire from heaven decide the controversie 1 King 18.21.38 39. but to the astonishment of all people that lay it to heart when Christians under the glorious Sunshine of the Gospell shall dispute and contend about the true Christ this is most abominable to all that heare it it is true when Christ came in the flesh
is true he had a great portion of grace given to him into his own hands to keep but no supportance from the Lord to keep him from falling and he being a mutable creature could not but fall and nothing is immutable but God alone and Satan in the serpent beguiled them saying you shall not dye but yee shall be as Gods knowing good and evill and they saw the tree was good for food and pleasant to the eye and a tree to be desired to make one wise so they did both eat of it and fell together Gen. 3.4.6 Why did not God support them from falling A. That man might see his weaknesse and that God might make knowne what he had decreed from all eternity and for the honour of his justice and mercy in the execution of his decrees in redeeming some and leaving others in that miserable condition What is the state of all men since the fall of Adam A. We have all lost our righteousnesse so that now there is none righteous no not one Rom. 3.10 and we have lost our holinesse we are all as an uncleane thing Isa 64.6 and we have lost our knowledge so that every man now is bruitish in his knowledge Jer. 10.14 having the understanding darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindnesse of their heart Ephes 4.18 and we have lost the soveraignty over the creatures here below will the Unicorne now be willing to serve thee wilt thou trust him because his strength is great wilt thou leave thy labour to him wilt thou beleeve that he will being home thy seed and gather it into thy Barn or doth the Eagle fly at thy command Job 39.9.11 12. Thus we have lost all our happinesse wherein we were created and not onely so but we are children of wrath Eph. 2.2 and slaves of Satan led captive at his will 2 Tim. 2.6 and under the curse Gal. 3.10 and lyable both to a corporal spirituall and eternall death Rom. 5.12 1 Cor. 15.22 Was that actuall sinne of Adam our actuall sinne as some would have it A. No for by one mans sinne death entred into the world and 〈◊〉 â—he offence of one many be dead by one that sinned for the judgement was by one to condemnation for by one mans offence death reigned by one and by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation and by one mans disobedience many were made sinners Rom. 5.12.15 16 17 18 19. Then how came that sinne of Adam to be ours if we did not then actually commit it A. It is ours potentially we being all then in his loynes as the fruit is in the body of the tree and also being begotten and borne by those polluted parents we receive originall defilement from them for Adam being defiled begat his children in his owne likenesse Gen. 5.3 and so his defilement spread over all men as when bondslaves had children they were all borne slaves by the law of God Ex. 21.4 and by mans law the fathers treason cuts off his posterity from his inheritance But cannot we recover our selves out of this miserable condition A. No we cannot think one good thought as of our selves all our sufficiency is of God 2 Cor. 3.5 it is God that worketh in us both to will and to doe of his own good pleasure Phil. 2.13 we are all dead in trespasses and sinnes Eph. 2.1 none of them can by any meanes redeeme his brother nor give to God a ransome for him for the redemption of the soule is precious and ceaseth for ever Psal 49.7 8. so that man hath neither power nor will to help himselfe but is dead in sinne O Israel thou hast destroyed thy selfe but in me is thy help Hosea 13.9 What meanes hath God appointed and decreed to help us out of this damnable estate A. By Jesus Christ the eternall Sonne of God he tooke our nature upon him that so he might be a fit mediator between God and man the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us Ioh. 1.14 he took not on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham wherefore it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a mercifull and a faithfull high Priest in all things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people Heb. 2.16 Wherefore must our Redeemer be both God and man A. He was man to dye and suffer in that nature that had sinned and he was God that he might overcome death and rise againe which none could doe but God alone againe he must be God and man to sanctifie that nature that had sinned and was defiled with it and he was God that so by the worthinesse of his person he may bring a satisfaction sufficient to reconcile an offended God for in that he dyed for us it was a thousand times more in value then if all men and Angels had dyed eternally for one poore sinner for it is unpossible that creatures should bring a satisfaction worthy of the acceptation and sufficient to appease the wrath of their Creator But if our Mediator was both God and man then he must be two persons but how can that be A. Although he be both God and man yet he is not two but one Christ as one body and soule make but one man neither are they one by turning the God-head into flesh but by taking the man-hood into God as the misletow lives in the Oake without any rooting so is the humarity in the God-head by a hupastacicall union unconceiveable unto us neither may we without danger search too farre into this holy mistery In what manner did God the father make that new covenant with God the sonne touching our salvation A. The Father promised to give unto christ his Son all the elect as they fall in the severall ages of the world upon condition that the Sonne will give him a full satisfaction for their ransome hereupon sayth the Sonne O father deliver them from going downe into the pit for I have found a ransome Iob 33.24 upon this they concluded and the sonne of man came not to be ministred unto but to minister and to give his life a ransome for many Mat. 20.28 for sayth Iohn thou hast given him power over all flesh to give eternall life to as many as thou hast given him Ioh. 17.2 so the father set the sonne a day to pay the ransome and took his word to performe it and gave him all the elect that fell in the times before his comming in the flesh in the time of their being and now christ hath actually payd the ransome he takes his fathers word for all the rest of the elect that fall in the severall ages of the world since the debt was actually payed Then hath Christ payed this ransome and in his humanity dyed for his people A. Yes he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised
to a covenant of workes but they stand as a people redeemed not onely from Pharaoâ—â—s bondage but from the bondage of sin and satan Gods wrath and damnation figured out by that from Aegypt in the preface againe Adam was to stand by his perfect obedience to it or to fall if he failed in the least title but the law at Mount Sinai was a rule to square their obedience by but the penalty is taken off as I sayd before and they and we are bound to doe our utmost endeavour to obey it although we can never legally fulfill it but evangellically as we are in Christ to testifie our thankfulnesse and obedience to our Redeemer 1 cor 6.19 20. What are the maine differences between the covenant of workes and the covenant of grace A. The first covenant was of mans workes the second of Gods grace againe the first was made to Adam and in him to all his posterity the second was made with Christ and so in him for all the elect called the seed of the woman but not with the seed of the serpent Gen. 3.15 againe the first stood upon mans righteousnesse the second upon the righteousnesse of Christ made ours by imputation againe the first was soon broken standing upon the mutability of mans will but the second stands upon a sure foundation being Gods unchangeable will and so never can be broken for sayth the Lord I will establish with thee an everlasting covenant Ezek. 16.60 againe the first was a covenant of justice without mercy the second was a covenant of mercy yet in Christ justice and mercy met together Psal 85.10.89.28 againe the first man is of the earth earthly the second man is of the Lord from heaven and as the earthly so were all they in that covenant and as the heavenly such are they also that are heavenly and as we have borne the image of the earthly we shall also beare the image of the heavenly 1 cor 15.47 48.49 What be the offices of Christ to make him an alsufficient saviour A. First he was a Priest as he was both God and man and he sacrificed his body Mat. 20 28. and his soule was made an offering for sinne Isa 53.10 upon the altar of his Godhead Heb. 13.16 so christ was once offered to beare the sinnes of many Heb. 9.28 also by his integrity or purity of his humane nature and his obedience in performing all that the law requires as I shewed before thus Christ hath satisfied for our sinnes and he makes intercession for us How doth Christ make intercession foâ— us A. He appeares continually before his Father in heaven rom 8.34 Heb. 7.25 making their prayers acceptable to God by Iesus christ 1 Pet. 2.5 Eph. 5.2 by applying the merits of his owne perfect satisfaction to them rev 9.3.4 What other office hath Christ A. He is a Prophet to reveale unto his church the way and meanes of salvation it is written in the Prophets and they shall be all taught of God every man therefore he that hath heard and hath learned of the Father commeth to me Iohn 6.45 he teacheth continually by the ministery of word and by the inward teaching of his holy spirit Iohn 14.26.16.13 What other office hath Christ A. He is a King that he may bountifully bestow on us all the meanes of salvation he overcame the divell and hell and the grave and death as aconqueror see Acts 2.24.32.10.14 1 cor 15.55.57 all power in heaven and in earth is given to me goe ye therefore and teach all nations Mat. 28.18 19. on this rocke will I build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it Mat. 16.18 thus he is both a King to furnish and to defend his church You told me that faith was wrought in the soule by the fririt of God by the preaching of the Word now the question is how the Lord prepares the soule to receive that excellent grace of faith A. The Lord sayth I will give them one heart and I will put my spirit within you but the manner how this is wrought is this I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and then I will give them an heart of flesh then they shall walke in my statutes and keepe mine ordinances and doe them Ezek. 11.19 20. here you see the first worke is to take the stone out of the heart which in reason should be as painfull as to take the stone our of the bladder this is done by that sharp knife of the morall law when it bruiseth and humbleth us and worketh in us a sight of our sinne for by the law is the knowledge of sinne I had not knowne sinne but by the law for I had not knowne lust except the law had sayd thou shalt not lust rom 3 20.7 7. What is sorrow for sinne A. It is when a mans conscience is touched with a lively feeling of Gods displeasure for any sinne they were â—oricked in their hearts and sayd what shall we doe Acts 2.37 with an utter dispairing of salvation in regard of any thing in our selves O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death rom 7.24 and so acknowledge our deserved shame should be eternally czra 9.6 How doth God worke this sorrow in us A. By the terrible curse of the law thus he which breakes but one of the commandements of God though it be but once in all his life time and that onely but in thovght is subject too and in danger of eternall damnation for it Gal. 3.10 Jam. 2.10 When the heart is thus prepared how doth God ingrafâ— faith in it A. By casting into it inward motions which are the seeds of faith first when the heart is humbled under the burden of sin then to acknowledg to feel that we stand in need of christ this is the seed of faith for we see that we have spent our money for that which is not bread and our labour for that which satisfieth not Isa 55.2 secondly a hungry desire and a longing to be made partaker of christ his merits these also are the seeds of faith for such are blessed and promised to be filled Mat. 5.4 rev 21.6 thirdly using the meanes when we see the need of christ and have a longing desire after him flying from the sentence of the law pricking the conscience to the throne of grace such shall obtaine mercy and find grace to help in time of need Heb. 4.16 How is this done A. First as the Prodigall did to think our sinnes pardonable and to say Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne make me as one of thy hâ—red servants Luk. 15.18 19. then with loud cryes for Gods savour in christ in pardoning sinnes with a fervent perseverance herein till the desire of our heart be granted as the woman of Canaan did Mat. 15.22 23. What followes after this A. Then God according to
degrees of his sanctification theâ—e A. No saith Paul not as though I had already attained either were already perfect but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended â—n christ Iesus brethren I count not my selfe to have apprehended but this one thing I doe forgetting those things which are behind and reâ—ching fâ—rth unto thâ—â—se things which are before I presse toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Phil. 3.12 13 14. What meanes hath God appointed to helpe us in our groth of grace A. The sacraments and prayer What is a sacrament A. A sacrament is an outward signe whereby Christ and his saving graces are by certaine extetnall rights signified and sealed to a christian Abraham received the signe of circumcision and it was also the seale of the righteousnesse of faith which he had when he was yet uncircumcised rons 4.21 yee shaell circumcise the foreskin of your flesh and it shall be a signe of the covenant between me and you Gen. 17.11 Hath any others power to make a sacrament besides christ A No for the signe will consirme nothing at all but by the consent of him at whose hands the benefit promised must be received then none but christ can appoint signes of grace because none but he alone hath power to bestow grace christ is the author of our salvation therefore he alone may appoint the meanes which are the word and sacraments christ is the onely Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy Iam. 4.12 and he alone can make a sacrament offectuall by his spirit and he by his wisedome best knowes of what to institute the sacramentall signes neither may any presume to adde or to diminish to that he hath done rev 22.38 19. How doth christ make a sacrament A. By bringing the word of institution to the element the word is two-fold either a word of command as in baptisme goe yee into all the world baptizing them In the name of the father sonne and holy Ghost and in the Lords supper take eat drinke doe ye this the other part of institution is a promise whereby christ ordained elements that they might be instruments and seales of his grace as in baptisme I baptize thee in the name of the father of the senne and of the holy Ghost and in the Lords supper this is my body which is given for you and this is my blood of the new Testament therefore the word of institution ought to be pronounced distinctly in the administration of it May the impiety of the Minister make a nullity of the sacrament to a worthy receiver A. No no more then the piety of a good Minister can profit an unworthy receiver because all the efficacy and worthinesse thereof dependeth onely upon Gods institution What be the parts of a sacrament A. They be two the outward signe or sensible matter of the element or the action conversant about the same Is there any naturall change in the signe or element after consecration A. No it is but severed from a common to a holy use therefore there is no force or efficacy in the externall signes to make us inherently holy as there is in Bathes naturally to purifie corrupt diseases but all the efficacy is appropriate to Gods holy spirit yet so as it is an inseparable companion of true faith and repentance in such as turne to the Lord therefore by Gods ordinance a certaine signification of grace and sealing thereof agreeth to the signe What is the thing signified by the outward element A. It is Christ and his graces first of Christ and then of his graces for as no man can receive fruit of any ground till first he have a just title to it no more can we have benefit by Christ before we have a true title to him by faith What is the action of God in the sacrament A. It is either the offering of Christ or the application of Christ and his graces to the faithfull receiver What is the action of Faith in the Sacrament A. It is the consideration desire apprehension and receiving of christ in the lawfull use of the Sacrament What is the end why Sacraments were ordained A. For the better confirmation of our faith for God doth as it were by certaine pledges bind 〈◊〉 â—selfe unto us yet the sacrament doth not strengthen us by any inherent power of it selfe as a soveraigne medicine doth cure a patient but rather by a certaine reasoning upon using the signes framed by the holy Ghost thus All such as are converted rightly using the sacraments shall receive christ and his graces But I am converted and either doe now or else heretofore I have rightly used the sacraments therefore I shall receive christ and his graces What is another end why the sacrament was ordained A. That it might be a badge of that profession by which the true church of God is distinguished from all other congregations a third end is that it might be a meanes to preserve and to spread the doctrine of the Gospell a fourth end is that it might preferve and bind the faithfull to continue loyall and thankfull to their Lord God fiftly it serves as a bond of mutuall amity among the faithfull Is a sacrament necessary to salvation A. No yet the covenant of grace is absolutely necessary to salvation for it comprehendeth christ Iesus who is the substance of that covenant so that we must of necessity receive it or we perish eternally now a sacrament is but a prop or stay for faith as an help to en crease it but it cannot intitle us into the inheritance of the sonnâ—s of God as the covenant doth but onely as a seale to that covenant that we by faith received before But doth not the want of a sacrament condemne A. No it is the contempt of it that is damnable so then the neglect of it is a grievous sinne to be repented of and there is hope of pardon but if some be justly hindred from it either by living in some place where it cannot be had or taken away by death to such God will have mercy not sacrifice What is the difference betwixt a sacrament and a sacrifice A. In a sacrament God bestowes his graces upon us but in a sacrifice we returne unto God faith and thankfull obedience How doth our sacraments and those in the old Testament differ A. They were many and ours but few secondly they pointed at christ to come but these shew that he is already come thirdly they were to the posterity of Abraham alone but these are to the whole church called out of both Iewe and Gentiles How many sacraments is there in the church of christ A. Two the first is baptisme wherein christians are admitted into the church of God the second is the Lords supper whereby the church is nourished and preserved to eternall life What is baptisme A. It is a washing with water as they are