76 Cafes of Confcience. ·2.Booke. tofigni6cand dccJarea man to bee aChrHli- A auncient times requittd of fuch pcrfons as an,by bemg within the couenantofgrace. were to b.c witnetles, rhat they lhould know I I. Q!!ellion. and vnderlland the Creede, and the Lords prayer. Therefore thofe are iulllyto be bla. Whether witnejfes, which med,rhat call fuch perfona ro bee wirneffes to their children,which though they haue years fufficient,yet they hauelide or no knowledge wecommoniy call (jodfathers of the grounds ofrheCatechifmc, orof the and(jodmothers,be necejfory? bond whereby they oblige rhcmfcluesfor the good ari'd godly educanon of rhe infants in ume to come. To this thereare giuco two an(ivers. Thirdly, that rhey be knowne ro beof an F~rtl,thatthe vfe ofGodfathers and God· hone!! and reformed life, not iuf!ly charge· mothers, is not fimply neccllarJe to the Sa· able ofimpicrie,mcJuiJiuc,ordiOionellu::that cramenr of bapufme. For fir(l,u feemesthat B by che1r example che children maymume to of auoc1ent t•mcs. the parents of children come be drawnero holinclfe of lite and conwhich werl! Heathen, and newly coouertcJ uerfation. For how can he that is of a ditTo. roChrtiban Religion, were etther 1gnoram lute and wicked life, bee able to bring others and could nor, or careletfe and would not committed to his charge)to theembiacingof bring vp their cbildron agreeably eo the word truerohgion~ of God, and rhe Religion wh1ch they newly Fourthly chat the{,be carefullto performe profe!Ted. And hence it was thought meere, their promifemade the face ofthe church, that fome perfons of good knowledge and for rhe good education and intlrudion of hfe,OJOuld be called to witnelfe rhe Baptifme, the cbilde in the feare ofGod,fpecially when and pronufe their care for thechildreos edu· rhe parenrs benegligent and carclelfein that cation. But no1v parents amongfl vs becing behalf<. better taught and qualified, rhcorher is not Now the reafons why thefe Suwiesarenot of fuch neccffitie. Secondly, Chrill bath in· ro befimply reiedcd, if they be qualified, as llituredandordained in his word, all thing• barb bcene faid,ace thefe: I. Becaufc this cu· fitt~, conuenienr, and necclfaric vnto lawfuil ilome though it be not d~reC!Iy grounded vpBaprili11e, amongll oil which, bee hatfi not on Scripture, y('t iris not rcpugnantthcreun 4 anywhereexpreflyprcfcribcd tbevfeofSure· C to. For becing rightly vfcd and kept,it ten· / tics. Thirdly,the whole congregation aiTemdeth tothe furtherance ofreligionandgodli· bled together at the adrninillratfon of this neffein particular families,and confcquently Sacramenr,do prefentthechihle io·theLord, to thecdific•tion ofthe Church. I I. ltis no and are wicnelfes rhat the childe is admitted new thing,but an ancientcommendable pra· mtotheChurch, and is exterhallyip rheco. Clife,continued in rhe Church ofGod aboue ueoaut. A therefore l: take it tobee afault, thefpaceof uo.yearcs. Ill. Becaufe thefe when the congregation dot!) depart before pames doe fupply the defect of narurall pa· thcchilde be.,.baptizcd. Fourrhly,rhatwhich rents when they bewaming, eitherbydearh, is required ofthem to pronufe and performe, or by negligencewhile theyliue; if they bee may,yea mull and ought to be perlormod of anfwerabletotheir promifemade in the be· the parents of the baplized; who are by the halfc of the children , touching the things word ofGoctro bringvp their children in the that ~tonfi:t9 their fal•ntion. ' feare ofGod. Yelftltcll'er touching thefeperfons, tluee The fecond anfwer is, that though fuch QEellioi!sarcmooued. · • perfons are not nccelfarie to the etfcnce of I. Q_ What dutie are they to doe in the Baptifmc, yet theyare not fimply tobereie- D behalfe ofthe parrie baptized1 tied;thisalway prefuppofed,tiJatthey be fir An(.Papifls reach, that the principalhnd men,and well qualified. Their firneffe flands proper act of the Suretie is,thcrakingofthe in foure •hings. mfant baptized from the hand•of rhe Priell, Firll,that they be of yearesof difcretion, into his owne armesand cuHodic. But this, fufficient to vnderrake fuch a charge. And though it bee an action noirher good nor e· therefore iris afaulc, when children arecaf.. uill,yer conFlderingit may aswell be done by led to he Godfathers and Godmothers, another as by h1m, and rhedoingof i!by an which neither arecome to yeares of difcrcorher, is nowhitpreiudiciaJI tothe ende, fdr tl<>n, norableto confider what they doe, or which, fncb perfons were fir(! appointed in ought to doe. the Church; namely, rhe good education of Secondly, that they haue at lea!! fome infants baptized ;it cannot bee the principall . kno\Vlcdge and vndernanding, notonely in durieofrhe Surerie. generall of the principles and groundcs of Butthe things required of them, are efpe· rcl1g1on, but alfo of the narure and code of dally rhefc: the Sacrament, andof the fubf!ance of the I. To be fpcciall witnctTesof the admifli· prom1fe wherewith they binde themfclues, on and entrance of the parrie baptized, into ' in rh< behalfe of their god-children. It was in . theChurcho(God. 11. To
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