planted in hym through baptisme? If they answere that they so beleve, he shall aske them further, by whom it was done, and whoe were present. And whan they have named them, He shal aske him, which by there relation, Baptised the chylde, if he bee present, or other whyche then were presente, whether the name of the Lorde were called upon him and prayer made for him. If they answere that they dyd so, He shall aske how the chylde was baptized. If thei than answere in water and wyth these wordes, I baptise the in the name of the father the sonne and the holye gost, He shall aske them laste of all, whether they certainly knowe that they have rightly used the worde of God, and if they answere that they know and remembre that they dyd so, lette the pastoure say this moreover.

Forasmuch as Beloved in Christe, I hear that all things concernynge the baptisme of thys infante, have been done in the name of God, and accordyng to his institution, I pronounce in the name of Christ that ye have doone well. For infantes wante the grace of God, whiche our saviour Christ deniethe not unto theym, whensoever it is asked for children, accordyng to hys worde, for He hath not bound the benefite of his redemption to anye places, tymes, or persons. for in what place soever they that beleve in hym come togither in hys name, He is presente in the middest of them, and whan He is called upon throughe fayeth, he worketh in hys worde and sacramentes, and He performethe in dede whatsoever He offereth in hys sacramentes, and promiseth in hys wordes. And to confirme this fayeth, and that we maye sterre up oureselves, to thanke the Lorde for thys hys so great benifyte ministred to thys infante by baptisme, lette us heare out of the gospell, howe the Lorde wyll have children brought unto hym, and howe He wyll bountouslye blesse them that be offered unto hym.*

* Marcke x.

And they broughte children unto Him, that He myght touch them etc.

By these wordes of Christ we bee certifyed that as manye infantes, as bee offered unto Christ accordyng to his word, pertaine to the kingdome of God, be the chyldren of God, the membres of Christ, that the Angles be present with them as ministres, and that al the creatures of God be subject unto them, to do them good. Wherfore we must ministre to such with singuler diligence, that they maye bee well brought up in Christe, and growe in him, and this charge pertaineth to you parentes, kinsfolkes, godfathers, and all other frendes, which be of the bodye of thys our congregation. I commend than thys infante, the sonne, and heire of God, the brother, and coheire of Christ, the membre of Christ, and youre membre in Christe, to your faithfulnes, and charge that ye procure hym wyth al diligence to be nourished, brought up and enstructed to the Lorde, to whom he is borne againe, and to the kingdom of God to which He is borne againe, everie man accordinge to his vocacion and power, that assone as he can for his age, he maye learne to keepe all those thynges, that Christe commaunded to bee kepte. Wherefore it pertayneth to you chiefely parentes, godfathers, and kinsfoke, thoughe all other in this congregacion, and all christian men to whomesoever He shall come, ought not to denye theyre labour and healpe to procure, that thys infant assone as he maye for hys age be brought to the schole and to the congregacion, and be enstructed in the misteries of god with al faithfulness, that he may learne to acknoledge, and magnifie the moste ample benifites of God receyved in baptisme that afterwarde he may professe his fayth hymselfe in the congregacion that wyth his owne voyce he maye renounce Satan, and the worlde with all his entysementes, and workes before the holy congregation, that He may bynd himselfe to Christ, and to hys congregacion, unto al obedience, and

continue in the same unto the ende, as a lyvelye membre of Christ, and a branch continuynge in Christe, and bringe furth plentifull fruite unto the prayse and glorie of God and edificacion of his church.

After thys let him saye, laing his hande on the childe. The Lord be wyth you.

Answere. And wyth thy spirite.

Lette us praye.

Lorde God, the father of oure Lorde Jesus Christe, who haste begotten agayne this infaunt of water, and the holye goste, and haste gyven hym in holye Baptisme, remission of all synnes, confirme the same with thy grace, and guide, and further thys newe life, whiche thou haste given and fynyshe it up whereunto thou haste bounde the infante wyth this hollye sacramente. Graunte also to hys parentes, and unto us all that we maye fayethfully, and diligently serve the in takynge charge of hym that thoroughe hym, and us all, thy name dayely be more, and more sanctified, and thy kingdom promoted, unto the full fruision of blesfulness, thorough Christ our Lord. AMEN.

But if they, whiche offer the infante, cannot answere sufficiently to the sayde demandes, so that thei graunt that they do not well knowe what they thought, or dyd in baptisme, being sore trobled with the present danger, as it often chaunceth, than, omitting curious disputations, lette the pastoure judge suche an infante not to be yet baptised, and let him do all those thynges that pertaninge to thys ministration, as we described before that is to say, let Him use an admonition and catechisme to theim that brynge the chylde, and an exorsisme of the child, the commen confession of fayth, and al other thinges, which done lette him baptise the infant wythout condition in the name of the father, the soone, and the hollye goste.

THE FORMULARIES OF FAITH

PUT FORTH BY AUTHORITY

DURING THE REIGN OF HENRY VIII.

In any attempt to ascertain the principles on which the baptismal offices of the English ritual were framed, we shall, without a knowledge of the sentiments of those who compiled them, be left almost entirely to the vagueness of conjecture. In this point of view, the formularies of the reign of Henry VIII. are of the greatest value. Without possessing any authority in the present day, they are nevertheless acknowledged to be authentic records of the opinions then held by Cranmer, on all points where that prelate was allowed the free and unfettered expression of his sentiments. And as this was the case on all topics, except the more prominent points of controversy with Rome, we may at least expect to discover in them some clue to the principles, which guided him in compiling those offices in which, it is universally admitted, he had the chief hand.

The first formulary of the reign, as printed in Wilkins from a MS. in the Cotton Library, is entitled, Articles about religion set out by the Convocation and published by the King's authority, anno Christi

1536.* It was, however, published the same year by Berthelet, the king's printer, with the following title: Articles devysed by the Kinges Highnes Majestie, to stablyshe Christen quietnes and unitie among us, and to avoyde contentious opinions, which articles be also approved by the consent of the hole clergie of this Realme. The articles were most probably drawn up by a committee,† under the superintendence of Cranmer; and, after being revised by Henry himself, were submitted to convocation: having been agreed upon in convocation, they were again referred to the king, and probably a second time revised by him.

The MS. in the Cotton Library varies in certain particulars from the work published by Berthelet ; and it has, not without reason, been conjectured, that the former contains the articles, as they were agreed upon in convocation, and the latter, as they were subsequently revised by the king.‡

The article on Baptism given below agrees with the Cotton MS.; and the variations of Berthelet's edition are printed at the bottom of the page.

The next formulary that appeared was The Institution of a Christian Man; or, as it was also called, The Bishops' Book. Its preparation was

*Concilia, vol. iii. p. 817.

+ Vid. pref. to Cranmer's Works, Oxford edition, vol. i. pp. 14, 15. Vid. pref. to the Form, of Faith, Oxford edition, 1825.