1705] REV. WILLIAM SMITH, D. D. I31 



16. Of Baptism. 



Baptism is not only a Sign of profession and mark of difference, 

 wliereby Christian men are discerned from others that be not Christened; 

 but it is also a sign of regeneration or new Birth, whereby as by an In- 

 strument, they that receive Baptism rightly, are grafted into the Church; 

 the promises of the forgiveness of sin, and of our Adoption to be the 

 Sons of God, by the Holy Ghost, are visibly sign'd and sealed ; Faith 

 is confirm' d, and Grace increas'd by virtue of prayer unto God. The 

 Baptism of young Children is in any wise to be retained in the Church, 

 as most agreeable with the Institution of Christ. 



17. Of the Lord's Supper. 



The Supper of the Lord is not only a Sign of the Love that Chris- 

 tians ought to have among themselves one to another ; but rather is a 

 Sacrament of our redemption by Christ's death : Insomuch that to such 

 as rightly, worthily and with faith receive the same, the Bread which 

 we break, is a partaking of the Body of Christ : and likewise the Cup 

 of Blessing, is a partaking of the Blood of Christ. 



Transubstantiation (or the change of the substance of Bread and 

 Wine) in the Supper of the'Lord cannot be proved by Holy Writ ; but 

 is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture, overthroweth the nature 

 of a Sacrament, and hath given occasion to many superstitions. 



The Body of Christ is given, taken and eaten in the Supper of the 

 Lord only after an heavenly and spiritual manner. And the mean 

 whereby the Body of Christ is received and eaten in the Supper is Faith. 



18. Of the one Oblation of Christ upon the Cross. 



The offering of Christ once made, is that perfect redemption, pro- 

 pitiation and satisfaction for all the sins of the whole world, both original 

 and actual; and there is none other satisfaction for sin, but that alone. 



19. Of Bishops and Ministers. 



The Book of Consecration of Bishops and Ordering of Priests and 

 Deacons ; excepting such part as requires any oaths or subscriptions in- 

 consistent with the American Revolution, is to be adopted as containing 

 all things necessary to such consecration and ordering. 



20. Of a Christian Man's Oath. 



The Christian Religion doth not prohibit any man from taking an 

 oath, when required by the Magistrate in testimony of Truth; But all 

 vain and rash swearing is forbidden by the Holy Scriptures.* 



* These articles, though now superceded by the original thirty-nine articles of the 

 Church of England, adopted by us in 1789, may still, /d';7/(7/j, I rather take it, be re- 

 ferred to as explaining these last when not clear. — H. W. S. 



