EXPOSITION OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND CATECHISM, COMPILED CHIEFLY FROM THE BRISTOL CATECHISM, AND DR. BURROWES' SUMMARY OF CHRISTIAN FAITH AND PRACTICE. BY A YOUNG SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER. "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." 1 Thes. v. 21. Southampton: N. HORT, 29, BERNARD STREET. 1845. AN EXPOSITION OF THE CATECHISM OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. CHAP. I. THE Word Catechism, means instruction by question and answer, and the Catechism of the Church of England is an instruction in the principles of the Christian (a) religion, and this Catechism is divided into five Parts, viz. The Baptismal Vow, The Creed, The Ten Commandments, The Lord's Prayer, and The Doctrine of the Sacraments. We will first direct our attention to the Baptismal Vow. Baptism, (b) being a Sacrament, must, according to the strictest definition of the word,-1st, Contain an outward sign, which it does, the outward sign being water, and which is an outward sign of an inward and (b) See note in Appendix. (a) See note in Appendix. spiritual grace, viz." A death unto sin, and a new birth unto righteousness; for being by nature born in sin, and the children of wrath, we are hereby made the children of grace." And, 2ndly, It must be ordained by Christ himself; and so baptism was. See Matt. xxviii. 19. "Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Baptism is the initiatory rite by which we enter the family of Christ, and the name which is then given us is to be borne by us in token of our being made Christians; as the Jews did in former times receive a name at the time of admission into the Mosaic covenant. The word Baptism means washing in general; and as the Jews in former times used Baptism to wash away such legal pollutions as incapacitated from religious exercises, so do we now use Baptism as a sign of the inward regeneration which qualifies us to become members of the true Christian Church, "for being by nature the children of wrath, we are hereby made the children of grace." It is uncertain at what time this rite was first used, but possibly it commenced immediately after the flood, for we find that Jacob and his family washed themselves before they approached to God, at Bethel. See Genesis xxxv. 2. "And Jacob said unto his household and to all that were with him, put away the strange Gods that are with you, and be clean, and change your garments." The Hebrews washed themselves before they entered into covenant with God at Sinai. See Exodus xix. 14. "And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes." Aaron and his sons washed themselves before their consecration to the priesthood. Exodus xxix. 4." And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congre See gation, and shalt wash them with water." After the Jews circumcised their proselytes they washed them with water, but the Jewish Baptism was at that time only an ecclesiastical ceremony: Christ ordained it to a more sublime and spiritual use, and, abolishing circumcision, instituted Baptism as a Sacrament of his incipient Church. He did not however Himself baptize with water, but left this to his disciples, reserving to Himself the power of accompanying the outward sign with the gift of the Holy Spirit. And from the fact of our Lord's never having baptized Himself, we might be led to infer, that he wished to prove to us that the ordinance received no additional virtue from the Administrator. It has been argued at great length by Theologians, whether we are actually regenerated at Baptism? When we were first brought into the world, we were born "children of wrath," but when brought to the baptismal font, we, through our godfathers and godmothers, renounce the devil and all his works, and are enlisted under the banner of our Lord Jesus Christ. And the Minister, in the form of administration, when he pronounces the words of dedication, bears witness that the person on whom the water is sprinkled is actually cleansed and sanctified by the blood of Christ, and he actually receives, if he be duly qualified, the inward grace of which water is the sign. But now let us turn to our Bibles, and see how far it bears out the doctrine of Regeneration at Baptism. Our Saviour received the Holy Ghost at His Baptism. St. Paul is exhorted, by Ananias, to be baptized in these words, "And now, why tarriest thou? urise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." Acts xxii. 16. And Ananias, who was sent for the purpose of baptizing him, declares he came to lay his hands on him, that he might |