but that it is water taken by the divine command, and sealed with the Word of God, and thus sanctified that the virtue, work, fruit, and end of baptism, is, that men may be saved, and admitted into the Christian communion. That by baptism victory is offered over death and the devil; remission of sins; the grace of God; Christ with all his works; and the Holy Spirit with all his gifts; and eternal blessedness to all and every believer. Whether faith be given to infants, also, by baptism, is a question too deep to be solicitously inquired into. That immersion in water signifies the mortification of the old man, and the resurrection of the new; that therefore it may be called, the laver of regeneration; and the true laver in the Word; also in the death and burial of Christ. That the life of a Christian is a daily baptism once begun in this manner that the water does not effect this, but the Word of God, which is in and with the water, and the faith of God's Word added to the water; that hence it follows, that baptism in the name of God, is performed by men indeed, but is not from them, but from God himself. That baptism does not take away original sin, by extinguishing evil concupiscence, but only the guilt of it.

"But others of the Reformed believe, that baptism is an external laver of water, whereby an internal ablution from sin is signified: that it does not confer regeneration, faith, the grace of God, and salvation, but only signifies and seals them; and that they are not conferred in and with baptism, but afterwards as the person grows up; and that the elect alone obtain the grace of Christ and the gift of faith and because salvation does not depend upon baptism, that therefore it is permitted to be performed by another for want of a regular minister.

"VIII. ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. They of the Reformed Church, who are called Lutherans, teach that in the holy supper or sacrament of the altar, the body and blood of Christ are really and substantially present, and are actually distributed and received with the bread and wine; that therefore the real body and the real blood of Christ are in, with, and under the bread and wine, and are given to Christians to eat and drink; and that therefore they are not simply bread and wine, but are included and bound in the Word of God, and that this causes them to be the body and blood of Christ; for when the Word accedes to the element, it becomes a sacrament; but yet that there is no transubstantiation, such as is that of the papists: that it is the food of the

soul, nourishing and strengthening the new man: that it was instituted, to the end that faith might repair and receive its strength, to give remission of sins, and a new life, which Christ merited for us: that thus the body and blood of Christ are not only taken spiritually by faith, but also by the mouth, in a supernatural way, by reason of their sacramental union with the bread and wine: that the worthiness of this supper consists in obedience alone, and in the merit of Christ, which is applied by true faith. In a word, that the sacraments of the Lord's supper and of baptism, are testimonies of the will and grace of God towards men; and that the sacrament of the supper is a promise of remission of sins through faith; that it may move the heart to believe; and that the Holy Spirit may operate through the Word and the sacraments: that the consecration of the minister does not produce these effects, but that they are to be attributed to the sole omnipotent virtue of the Lord. That the unworthy, as well as the worthy, receive the real body and blood of Christ, as it hung upon the cross; but the worthy to salvation, the unworthy to condemnation; that they are worthy who have faith that no one is to be forced to that supper, but every one may approach when urged by spiritual hunger.

"Others, however, of the Reformed Church teach, that in the holy supper the body and blood of Christ are only taken spiritually, and that the bread and wine are only signs, types, symbols, marks, figures, and similitudes; that Christ is not bodily present, but only in virtue and operation from his Divine Essence; but that in heaven there is a conjunction according to the communication of idioms: that the worthiness of this supper depends not only upon faith, but also upon preparation that the worthy alone receive its virtue, but the unworthy bread and wine only. Although there are these disagreements in sentiment, yet all the Reformed agree in this; that it is altogether necessary that they should do the work of repentance, who desire to receive that holy supper worthily; the Lutherans insist that if they do not do repentance from evil works, and yet approach, they are eternally condemned; and the English, that otherwise the devil will enter into them as he did into Judas; this is evident from the prayers read before the communion.

"IX. ON FREE WILL. They make a distinction between the state before the fall, after the fall, after the reception of faith and renovation, and after the resurrection. That man since the fall is entirely incapable of beginning, think

ing, understanding, believing, willing, operating or coöperating any thing from his own powers in matters of a spiritual and divine nature; or of applying or accommodating himself to grace; but that his natural will is only for those things which are contrary to God, and displease him; therefore that man in spiritual things is like a stock, but that still he has a capacity, not active but passive, whereby he can be turned to good by the grace of God; that nevertheless there remains in man since the fall, the free-will and power either to hear or not to hear the Word of God, and that thus a spark of faith may be kindled in his heart, which embraces the remission of sins for Christ's sake, and imparts consolation. That nevertheless the human will enjoys the liberty of performing civil righteousness, and of making choice of such things as are within the province of reason. "X. ON THE CHURCH. That the church is the congregation and communion of saints, and that it is dispersed over the whole world among those who have the same Christ and the same Holy Spirit, and the same sacraments, whether they have similar or dissimilar traditions: and that it is principally a society of faith; and that this church alone is the body of Christ, and that the good are both really and nominally a church, but the wicked only nominally; that the wicked and hypocrites, because they are intermixed, are members of the church according to its external signs, provided they are not excommunicated, but that they are not members of the body of Christ. That ecclesiastical rites, which are called ceremonies, are matters of indifference (adiaphori), and that they are not the worship of God, nor a part of the worship of God; that therefore the church is at liberty to institute, change, and abrogate them, as, for instance, the distinctions of garments, times, days, meats, and the like; and that therefore one church ought not to condemn another on account of things of this nature."

These are the doctrines of the Reformed Church and Religion in the abstract; but those which are taught by the Schwengfeldians, Pelagians, Manichæans, Donatists, Anabaptists, Armenians, Cinglians, Antitrinitarians, Socinians, Arians, and, at this day, by the Quakers and Moravians, are passed over, because they are reprobated and rejected by the Reformed Church as heretical.

THE APOCALYPSE.

CHAPTER I.

1. THE Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he signified [it] sending, by his angel, to his servant John,

2. Who bore witness of the Word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, whatsoever things he saw.

3. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear, the words of the prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein; for the time is at hand.

4. John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come; and from the seven spirits which are before his throne;

5. And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the first-begotten from the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. To Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his blood,

6. And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father: to him be glory and might for ever and ever. Amen.

7. Behold he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they [also] who pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so; Amen.

8. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, saith the Lord, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.

9. I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the island called Patmos, for the Word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

10. I was in the spirit on the Lord's day; and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

11. Saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the