to saie, straung from God repugnynge to the spirite, and judged to death and hell. Wherfore flesh and bloud shal not attayne to the kyngdome of God. for whatsoever is flesh, it savoureth fleshly thynges, and so lyveth, it is an adversary to God, for it is not subject to the lawe of God. Wherfore they that be fleshly, cannot please God, the wysdome of the flesh is death. And therfore our Lorde Christe disputeynge wyth Nicodemus concludeth thus, Verily verily I grace of God is ge saye unto the, except a man be borne againe of water and of the Spirite, He cannot enter into the kyngdome of God.* Secondly we muste consydre how plentifull Howe plenteous the grace of God gyven to us in baptisme is, ven in baptisme. wherein his bontuousnes, and love towarde men, truly appereth inasmuch as He hath saved us, not thorow ye works of rightuousnes, which we had done, but according to his mercie, by the laver of regeneracion, and renovacion of the holye goste† for He thorowe the vertue of hys worde washeth awaye, and abolisheth whatsoever maketh us giltie, and condemneth us, as in olde tyme, He drouned in the redde sea, the enemies of hys people, and destroyed all mankynde with the floude, eyghte soules reserved, whyche were saved in the arke. So this laver of water saveth us, thorowe the word, not in washyng awaye the filthe of the flesh, as it chaunceth in all other washynges, but thorow the certification of a good conscience towardes God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christe. ‡ for by vertue of Goddes covenaunt we are cleansed in oure consciences, and we are certified both thorowe the worde, and an outwarde sygne, that all the synnes that defiled and condemned us, be playnely abolished, because they be forgiven and be deade. Therfore thorow baptisme, we determine certeynly, that we are aceptable unto God and joyned unto Hym with an everlasteyng covenaunt of grace, so that nothynge can separat us from him, or condemne us. Wherefore hensforth we muste not onely eschewe synnes, but also feare them, and abhorre from them, none otherwyse than from hel, as men deade unto synnes. for all we, as S. Paule wytnesseth, whiche be baptized into Christe Jesus, be baptized into his death, for we are buried wyth him into death.* Therefore dead and damned tisme. That sinne is we be dead to synne, and to the whole olde in us after bap- man and broughte forth in Christe so farre, that nothynge can condemne us or separate us from the grace of God. for he that is deade is justified frome synne, he is no more subjecte to the tirannie of synne, death and hell,† thoughe He feele the remnauntes of synne in the fleshe, yet those be not imputed unto condemnacion by reason of the justificacion of the spirite in Christ. Baptisme doth worke a new life in us. Furthermore, Baptisme worketh a newe lyfe in us and acceptable to God. For as Christe was reysed frome the deade, by the glory of the father, so He worketh in us with his spirite, that we also maye walke in newnes of lyfe. for if we be grafted in hym by the likenes of his death, surely we shal also be parttakers of his resurrection unto everlastynge lyfe, knowinge thys that oure olde man is crucified with him, that the bodye of synne should be abolished, that hereafter we serve not unto synne. Wherfore let us recompte that we be deade to sinnes indede, and live to God in Christe oure Lorde, ‡ in whome also we be circumsised with a circumcision made wythout handes, whyle we put of the bodye of synnes thorow the circumcision of Christ. We are buried with hym thorow baptisme wherein we have also rysen agayne wyth hym, by the fayeth of the workynge of God.§ for God who raysed Christe from the deade, hath quickened us wyth him even *Romans c. 6. Rom. 8. Rom. 6. § Collos. 2. when we were deade thorowe synnes, by the uncircumcision of the fleshe, or fleshly lyfe.* for though our lyfe be hidden in God wyth Christ, yet when Christe our lyfe shall appeare, then shall we also in hym be manifested in glorie,† as men, whome God of hys exceddinge mercie hath begotten agayne into a lyvely hope, thorow the resurrection of Jesus Christe frome the deade, unto (I saye) an incorruptible inheritaunce, undefiled, and that fadeth not waye, not of corruptible seede, but uncorruptible,‡ namely the lyvely worde of God, by whiche worde baptisme consisteth, and worketh all the forsayed thynges in us truely and effectuously. mustbee confirm Thirdly. We shall comfort ourselves with Howe faythe so great excellencie of the grace of God, and ed by baptisme. benifites bestowed upon us thorowe baptisme, and we shall ever thanke God, and that so muche the more studiously, as we shall be oppressed, wyth more grevous calamities, confirminge oure fayth by this, that God worketh in us, mortifieth the olde man, and repareth the newe, though not after a visible sorte, yet by the vertue of baptisme through the worde, and the Spirite. Wherefore lette us confirme our consciences, and thynke that God careth for us, and that for the merite of hys sonne, we be acceptable and deare to hym. And when we bee exercised wyth adversite and sundrie miseries, we must remembre, that we are baptized, and that in baptisme all oure sinnes, and evils be overcomed, and dead, and that they be dayly wasted, and abolished more and more thorowe the crosse and sundrie aflictions which God sendeth unto us, and that the new man is continually renued and repared thorowe the vertue of the resurrection of Christ. Therefore of ryght we ought to thanke God, for hys so unspeakeable mercie, and we muste also praye therwyth, that He wyll vouchsafe even to further, and at last to finishe hys worke, which He hath * Ephe. 2. † Coloss. 3.. 1 Peter 1. begonne in us, and in all them, whome he hath called to baptisme. The preachers shal use such exhortations longer or shorter accordyng to the tyme, out of the forsayd places of the scripture and other lyke and then they shall add the questions folowynge. Interrogations, or demaundes which shall be propouned to the Godfathers and to the parentes of infantes. Do ye beleve that those thynges be true, whyche I shewed you out of the worde of God, concernynge the corruption of nature thorowe originall synne, and concernynge regeneration in Christe our Lorde, and everlastynge communion wyth God, which is exhibited thorowe holie baptisme? Answere. We beleve. Do you require then, wyth all your hertes, and wyth true fayeth, that thys your infant, whom you have brought and offered to Christe, be delivered from thys corruption of nature thorowe the meritte and vertue of Christe in baptisme, and be reconciled in God, and born agayne into a new and perpetuall lyfe ? Answere. We require it. Do ye then renounce in your name, and in the name of the chylde, the devyll and all hys workes? Answere. We renounce. And the worlde also, and all hys concupiscence? Do ye beleve in God, the father allmightye, maker of heaven and earth? Answere. We beleve. And do ye beleve that God wyll be a father to you, and to thys infante, when it is baptized, and that he wyll keepe you from al evyll thorowe his almightie power, wisedome and mercie, and heape benefites upon you and that therfore you oughte to feare him, and love him above al thinges? Answere. We beleve. Do ye beleve in oure Lorde Jesus Christe his onelye son, who to redeme us became man, suffered and died, and was raysed from death, ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hande of the father, and from thence governeth his churche, thorowe his almightie power, and shall come in the end of the worlde, and appeare to al men a Judge of the deade, and the quicke? Answere. We beleve. Do ye confesse out of thys fayth, that our Lorde Jesus Christe is also your savioure and Savioure of thys chylde, who by hys death hathe purged your synnes also, and hath reconciled you to God, and justified you thorowe hys resurrection, and wyll at length fully finishe up the Image and life of God in you, beynge cleansed from all synne ? Answere. We confesse. Do ye beleve also in the holye Goste, the holie and universall churche, the communion of sayntes, the remission of synnes, the resurrection of the fleshe, and lyfe everlastyng? Answere. We beleve. Out of thys confession do you beleve, that the holye Gooste wyll be your teacher, and comforter, and the teacher and comforter of thys chylde, and that you be the true membres of the bodie of Christe oure Lorde, and of hys churche, and that thys chylde by baptisme shall be a true membre of Christe and hys churche, wherein He shall have remission of synnes, a sure hope of resurrection, and life everlastynge? Answere. We beleve. Wyll ye then be godfathers to thys infante, and compte hym for a verie sonne of God, a brother and membre of Christe, and as sone as He cometh to the use of reason, if peraventure he shall leese hys parentes, or, if they shal be negligente in thys behalfe, wyll ye take the charge of hym, that he may learne the ten Commaundementes, the |