assembly, unless upon some special weighty cause. If there be occasion for baptizing the adult, let the Minister accordingly suit his expressions.

Of Catechising, and the Approbation of those that are to be admitted to the Lord's Supper.

SEEING none can be saved at years of discretion, that do not actually believe, and personally give up themselves in covenant to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; therefore, as parents must do their parts, so ministers must catechise the ignorant, and diligently labour to cause them both to learn the form of wholesome words, (even the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments, and some brief, yet full and sound, Catechism;) and to understand the meaning of them, and to engage their hearts into the love of God, and a holy obedience to his laws.

To this end, let the minister, either every Lord'sday, before the Evening Prayers, or at some convenient hour, or on some other day of the week, as oft as he can, examine publicly such as are not admitted to the Lord's Supper, and take an account of their learning, and understanding the Creed, the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and the Catechism. And let him, by questioning and ex

plication, help them to understand them; and let such of the several families of the parish come in their turns, when they are called by the minister to be thus catechised. Also, let the minister either go to their houses, or rather appoint the persons aforesaid in their courses, at a certain hour and place, (in the church or any other fit place,) to come to him for personal instructions, where he may confer with those that are unmeet to be catechised publicly, or unwilling to submit to it; and there with humble, prudent, serious instruction and exhortation, let him endeavour to acquaint them with the substance of Christian faith and duty, and to help them to make sure their calling and election, and to prepare for death and judgment, and exhort them to love and to good works, and warn them lest they be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. But let him not, in public or private, meddle with impertinencies, or spend the time about smaller matters, or singular opinions, nor sift people to know things unfit or unnecessary to be disclosed, nor meddle with matters that do not concern him as a minister to inquire after; but help them to learn, and understand, and practise the Christian religion expressed in the Catechism.

The Catechism.

for Catechism

clesiastical Af

LET none be admitted by the minister See the Rubric to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and Confirmatill they have, at years of discretion, tion in the Comunderstood the meaning of their baptis- also his Majesmon Prayer; and mal covenant; and with their own ty's Declaration mouths, and their own consent, openly concerning Ecbefore the Church, ratified and con- fairs. firmed, and also promised, that by the grace of God they will evermore endeavour themselves faithfully to observe and keep such things as by their own mouth and confession they have assented to; and so, being instructed in the Christian religion, do openly make a credible profession of their own faith, and promise to be obedient to the will of God.

A profession is credible, when it is made understandingly, seriously, voluntarily, deliberately; and not nullified by contradiction in word or deed. And that profession is incredible, that is made ignorantly, ludicrously, forcedly, rashly, or that is nullified by verbal or practical contradiction. And it must be practice first, that must make words credible, when the person by perfidiousness hath forfeited his credit.

It is not private persons only,

but the pastors of the Church that must approve of this profession. Therefore, before any are admitted to the Lord's Supper, they shall give a good account of their knowledge, faith, and Christian conversation conformable thereunto, unto the pastors of their respective congregations; or else shall produce a certificate, that they have been approved or admitted to the Lord's Supper in another congregation, of which they were members, and that by an allowed minister, upon such approved profession as aforesaid.

If the person be able and willing, let him before the congregation give the aforesaid account at large, of his knowledge, faith, and obedience: but if, through backwardness, or disability for public speech, he shall refuse it, let him make the same profession privately to the minister, and own it in the assembly, when the minister shall declare it, and ask him whether he owns it. But unless it be in case of some extraordinary natural imperfection, and disability of utterance, let him at least openly recite the Creed, and profess his consent to the covenant with God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost..

Let the minister of every parish keep a double

register one, of the names of all that are there baptized; another, of the names of all that are approved upon their aforesaid credible profession, and so admitted into the number of communicants, or that have a certificate of such approbation, regularly elsewhere performed.

And if Confirmation be continued, let his Majesty's Declaration be observed, requiring that Confirmation be rightly and solemnly performed, by the information, and with the consent, of the minister of the place.

Let no minister be enforced to admit any himself to the Lord's Supper, who hath been clancularly* and irregularly approved.

Those that after this approbation prove scandalous offenders, shall not by the minister be suffered to partake of the Lord's Table, until they have openly declared themselves to have truly repented, and amended their former naughty lives.

Of the Celebration of Matrimony.

BEFORE the solemnizing of marriage between any persons, their purpose of marriage shall be published by the minister three several Lord's-days in the Clancularly, (Lat. clanculum ;) secretly, surreptitiously.-P. H.

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