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ORIGINAL SIN, FREE-WILL, GRACE, REGENERATION, JUSTIFICATION, FAITH, GOOD WORKS, AND UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION, AS MAINTAINED IN THOSE DECLARATIONS OF OUR REFORMERS, WHICH ARE THE GROUNDWORK OF THE ARTICLES OF OUR ESTABLISHED CHURCH UPON THOSE SUBJECTS.

(a) FROM THE ARTICLES OF RELIGION,
edit. 1536.

The Sacrament of Baptism.

AS touching the Holy Sacrament of Baptism, we (b) will that all bishops and preachers shall instruct and teach (c) our people committed (d) by us unto their spiritual charge, that they ought and must of necessity believe certainly all those things,

(a) Articles devised by the King's Highness Majesty, to` stablish christian quietness and unity among us, and to avoid contentious opinions, &c. 4to. 1536. Collated with the Articles as delivered in the Institution of a Christian Man, 4to. 1537; and with the Copy of the King's Articles, printed by Bishop Burnet, in the Addenda to the first Volume of his History of the Reformation, from the MS. of the Cotton Collection, numbered Cleop. E. 5. Wilkins has printed the Articles from the same MS. in his Concil. Magna.

(b) Instit. think it convenient.

(c) Instit. the.

(d) Instit. by us, omitted.

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which hath been always by the whole consent of the Church approved, received, and used, in the Sacrament of Baptism; (e) that is to say, that the Sacrament of Baptism was instituted and ordained, in the New Testament, (f) by our Saviour Jesus Christ, as a thing necessary for the attaining of everlasting life; according to the saying of (g). Christ: Nisi quis renatus fuerit ex aquâ et Spiritu Sancto, non potest intrare in regnum cœlorum ; that is to say, No man can enter into the kingdom of heaven, except he be born again of water and the Holy Ghost.

Item, that it is offered unto all men, as well infants as such as have the use of reason; that by Baptism they shall have remission of (h) sins,

(e) Instit. and first.

(f) Instit. ordained by God in the New Testament.

(g) Instit. our Saviour Jesu Christ. The Latin, which follows above, is omitted in the Institution; and the reading is, where he sayth, that no man, &c. In Bishop Burnet's copy, the English interpretation is omitted. This is the case throughout; the Institution giving only the English citations, Bishop Burnet only the Latin. The old printed copies gave the Eng, lish for the benefit of the common people. Fuller gives the English citations only in his copy of these Articles, which he says he transcribed from the Acts of the Convocation. Ch. Hist. B. 5. p. 213.

(h) Instit. all their sins, the grace and favour of God, and everlastynge lyfe.

and

and the grace and favour of God; according to (i) the saying of (k) Christ: Qui crediderit, et baptizatus fuerit, salous erit; that is to say, whosoever believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved.

Item, the promise of grace and everlasting life, which promise is adjoined unto (1) this Sacrament of Baptism pertaineth not only unto such as have the use of reason, but also to infants, innocents, and children; and they ought therefore, and must needs be, baptized: And that by the Sacrament of Baptism they do also obtain remission of their sins, the grace and favour of God, and be made thereby the very sons and children of God; insomuch as infants and children dying in their infancy shall undoubtedly be saved thereby, (m) and (n) else

not.

Item,

(i) Burnet, that.

(k) The Institution rightly reads Christ. The Art. 1536, and Burnet, St. John.

(1) Burnet, the.

(m) Burnet, or.

(n) The reformers afterwards thought differently, and omitted this expression. "Infants, being baptized, and dying in their infancy, are by Christ's sacrifice washed from their sins, brought to God's favour, and made his children and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven." Homily of Salvation, P. I. Ascribed to Archbishop Cranmer. See the Introduction

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Item, that infants must needs be christened, because they be born in Original Sin; which sin must needs be remitted; which cannot be done but by the Sacrament of Baptism, whereby they receive the Holy Ghost, (which exerciseth his grace and efficacy in them, and cleanseth and purifieth them from sin by his most secret virtue and operation.)

to this compilation. "Illorum etiam impia videri debet superstitio, qui Dei Gratiam, et Spiritum Sanctum, tantoperè cum Sacramentorum elementis colligant, ut planè affirment unllum Christianorum infantem æternam salutem esse consequuturum, qui prius à morte fuerit occupatus quàm ad Baptismum adduci potuerit: quod longè secus habere judicamus." Ref. Leg. Eccl. De Hær. Cap. 18. "It is certain by God's word, that children, which are baptized, dying before they commit actual sin, are undoubtedly saved." Rubr. Publ. Baptism of Infauts. This passage in the Rubrick, a learned divine has observed, "is not original, but borrowed from a work of popular instruction, composed in the reign of Henry:" [that is, the Institution of a Christian Man, which copies the Article before us:] "While the omission of the latter part of the clause, [and else not, Art. of Rel. 1536, and Inst. of a Christ. Man. 1537,] in our Liturgy, evidently points out the improvement in the creed of our Reformers, the insertion of the short sentence prefixed, it is certain by God's word, seems no less convincingly to prove that they speak only of that, which the lips of truth have reveaied, and placed beyond conjecture, the covenanted mercy of Almighty God." Dr. Laurence, Serm. Bampt. Lect. p. 168.

Item,

Item, that children or men, once baptized, (0) can ne ought ever to be baptized again.

Item, that (p) they ought (q) to repute and take all the Anabaptists' and the Pelagians' opinions contrary to the premisses, and every other man's opinion agreeable unto the said Anabaptists' or the Pelagians' opinions in (r) this behalf, for detestable heresies, and utterly to be condemned.

Item, that men or children (s) having the use of reason, and willing and desiring to be baptized, shall by (t) the virtue of that holy Sacrament obtain the grace and remission of all their sins, if they shall come thereunto (u) perfectly and truly repentant and contrite of all their sins before committed, (w) and also perfectly and constantly confessing and believing all the Articles of our Faith;

(0) Can ne ought never, an old form of writing; the first negative, neither, being sometimes omitted. In the Saxon language this form is sometimes found. Burnet reads the The Institution, ought never.

same.

(p) Instit, al good christen men.

(q) Instit. and must.

(r) Instit. that.

(s) Instit. which having the use of reason, and being not christened already, desyre, &c.

(t) The Inst. and Burnet omit the,

(u) Instit. not only perfectly, &c, (w) Instit. but.

according

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