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Of the Sacrament of Baptism

1. What is Baptisme, and is it necessary to all?

THis is the first,1 and most necessary Sacrament of the new law, consisting in the outward washing of the body, and the due pronuntiation of the words, according vnto the institution of Christ.

A necessary Sacrament, I say, not only for those2 that are of yeeres of discretion; but3 for Infantes also: and withall, effectuall for them to life euerlasting. All are borne the sonnes of4 wrathe; and therefore euen Infantes also haue neede to be purged from sinne, neither can they bee cleansed & regenerated into the children of God, without this5 Sacrament. For generally hath the Lawmaker proclaimed, that,6 Vnlesse a man be borne againe of water and the spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God. And in an other place: It is 7 not the will of your Father which is in heauen, that one perish of those litle ones. But Infants8 also not baptised should perish, as of olde in the Synagogue of the Iewes, children9 vncircumcised.

Nowe forasmuch as there is but one10 Baptisme of Christs faithfull people: which once receiued, it is very wicked to11 iterate, whatsoeuer the long-since condemned Anabaptists12 do pretend: we must say with the Constantinopolitan Coun saile: I confesse one 13 Baptisme, for the remission of sinnes: And with S. AVGVSTINE: To 14 rebaptise an heretical man is certainly a sin: but to rebaptise a Catholike, is an horrible wickednes: which for that cause is also prohibited by the Emperors15 Laws.

2. What things are principally to be noted about this Sacrament?

THe Element that washeth, and the signification thereof, the worde, the Minister, and the effect of Baptisme. The Element is simple16 water, the matter very necessary h reuto, which is naturally wonte to washe away the filthes of the body. To which very aptly doth aunswer this signification: that by Baptisme the soule is17 cleansed from sinne, & the man made iust, as wee meane to shewe hereafter.

The Worde, wherein consisteth the forme of the18 Sacrament, by Christ his appointment is this.19 I Baptise thee in the name of the Father, & of the Sonne, & of the holy-Ghost.

And although it be properly the office of Priests to Baptise, yet wher there is very vrgent necessity, others20 also maie Baptise; yea though they be wicked persons & Heretiks, so that they goe not from the manner of the Church, & Her vsual words.

3. What profite and effecte doth Baptisme yeelde?

THat doubtlesse which by the teaching of Christ, &21 testimony of the Apostles S. PETER, & S. PAVL, we learn: to wit, that by Baptisme both sins are remitted, & the Spirit is giuen, wherby both the olde man is extinguished, & a newe creature is made in Christ. For Baptism rightly receiued doth not only yeeld this, that al sins be fully pardoned & taken away from the wicked man: but also that he being once baptised, is perfitly renued, & made truely innocent, iust, holy, & worthy in Christ of the heauenly glory. So that S. PAVL hath iustly said to al those that are Baptised: You are 22 washed, you are sanctified, you are iustified in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ, & in the spirite of our God. And in an other place23 he testifieth, that Baptisme is the lauer of regeneration, and of renouation of the holye-Ghoste: the24 lauer also of water in the word of life. And again he writeth: As 25 many of you as are Baptised in Christ, haue put on Christ.

Very fitly and brieflie doth26 S. BERNARD comprise the principall effects of this Sacrament, We are washed in Baptisme, saith he, because the hand-writing of our dannation is canceled: & this grace is bestowed vpon vs: that nowe concupiscence cannot hurt vs, yet so, that we keepe our selues from consent.

Which27 concupiscence remaining in the regenerate, is not of it selfe a sinne, but an inclination vnto sinne, (Fomes peccati) as the Diuines doe cal it; left vs Ad agonem to striue withal, that the Baptised by this occasion may more watchefully seeke Gods grace, & more feruently practise vertue, & more valiantly striueing get themselues a greater crown. Therfore as S. PAVL teacheth. There 28 is no damnation to them that are in Christ Iesus: that walke not according to the fleshe, but according to the spirit: & that29 according to the Doctrine and example of Saint PAVL, putting off the olde man, are renued from day to day according to the inwarde30 man: which is indeede the very property of the31 baptised.

4. What doth the benefite receiued of so great a Sacrament require at our handes?

FIrst it requireth of vs a speciall & continuall gratitude of minde, that we may praise, loue, and extoll him,32 Who according to his mercie hath saued vs by the lauer of regeneration, and renouation of the holy-Ghost, whom hee hath powred vpon vs aboundantly by Iesus Christ our Sauiour: that being iustified by his grace, wee may bee heires according to hope of life euerlasting.

Then so is the mysterie of this Sacrament to bee33 remembred, that euery man doe oftentimes admonishe himselfe of that notable promise, and Christian profession, which by his34 God-fathers hee made in the holy Lauer. Therefore let euery Christian consider, that of the childe of Wrathe, and slaue of Satan, hee there was made the Sonne35 of God, and a member and coheire of Christ, & a liuelie36 Temple of the holy-Ghost.

Thou enteredst into the sanctuary of regeneration, saith37 S. AMBROSE: call to minde what thou werte demaunded, Recognize what aunswer thou diddest make. Thou hast renounced the diuell and his workes, the worlde with all her luxuriousnesse & pleasures. 38 Bee mindfull of thy speache, and neuer let the processe of thy obligation depart out of thy remembrance. And it is an excellent speache of S. PAVL, exhorting all those that are Baptised:39 Are you ignorant that all we which are Baptised in Christ Iesus, in his death we are baptised? For wee are buried together with him by Baptisme into death; that as Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also may walke in the newenesse of life.

Footnotes

  1. Act 2, 38. Mar. 16, 16. Io 3.22. & 4.1 Tit 3, 5. Mat. 28, 19. Eph 5, 26. 1. Pet. 3, 21. ↩

  2. Trid. sess. 6. c 4. & sess. 7. can. 5. de Baptismo. Aug. tract. 13. in Ioan. Amb. de mister. initi. c. 4 Clem. ep. 4. ad Iulium. ↩

  3. Concil. Later. can. 1 & Mil. can. 2. Dionys. Eccle. hierar. cap. 7. Cyp. l 3. ep. 8. Chrys. ho. de Adam. & Eua. ↩

  4. Eph. 2, 3. Trid. sess 5. ↩

  5. Aug. ep. 28. & l. 3. de anima. & eius orig. c. 9 Item. l. 1. de pec. mer. c. 23. ↩

  6. Io. 3, 5. Aug. lib. 3 de pec. mer. c 4 & 12 ↩

  7. Math. 13, 14. Ber. ser 66. in cantic & epi. 140. ad Hil. de fons. ↩

  8. Aug. de nupt. & concup. l. 1. c. 20. & l. 2. c. 17. Item. ser. 14. de verb. Apost. ↩

  9. Gen. 17, 14. ↩

  10. Eph. 4, 5. Bas. de spir. sanct. c. 15. ↩

  11. Heb. 6, 4. Clem. constit. Apost. l. 6. c. 15. Damas l. 4. c. 10. ↩

  12. in Conc. Carth. 1. c. 1 & Viennen. Trid. sess. 7. can 9. de Sacram. & 13 de Baptis. Aug. tract. 11. in Ioan. Beda. in c. 3. Ioan. ↩

  13. in symb. fid ↩

  14. Ep. 103. & in l. de vnic. Bapt con. Petil. c. 13. Leo. ep. 79. ad Nic. & 37. ad Leo. Ran. ↩

  15. C. l. Ne san. Bap. iteret ↩

  16. Io. 3, 5. Eph. 5, 26. Act. 8, 36. & 10, 47. Trid. c. 2. de Bapt. et Flor Chry. hom. 24. in Ioan. ↩

  17. Tit. 3, 5. Act. 2, 38. 1. Cor. 6, 11. ↩

  18. Con Lateran. & Flor. Aug. l. 6. cont. Donat. c. 25. Didym. li. 2. de spir. san. ↩

  19. Mat. 28, 19. Amb. de iis qui myst. initiant c. 4. ↩

  20. Aug. cont. Parmen l. 2. ca. 13. & de vnic. Bap. c. 9 con Donat. l. 3. c 5. & li. 7. c. 53. Hilar. in Psalm. 67. Conc. Later. c. 1. Florent & Trid. can. 4. de Baptism. ↩

  21. Mar. 16, 16. Act. 2, 38. & 22, 16. 1. Pet. 3, 21. Ezec. 36, 25. 1. Cor. 6, 11 Rom. 6, 3. Basil. ho. 13. in exhort. ad Bapt. & l. de spir. san. c. 15 Aug. l. 1. cont. 2. ep. Pelag. c. 13. & l. 3. c. 3. in Enc. c. 64. Bed. in ca. 3. Ioan. Damas. lib. 4. cap. 10. Greg. l. 9. ep. 39. Hier. ad Ocea. Naz. in san. Laua. Clen. Alex. l. 1. paedag. ca. 6. Chrysost. ad Neoph. & ad Baptizand. ↩

    1. Cor. 6, 11. Amb. l. 1 de Sacr. c. 4. conc. Flor. & Trid. ses. 5. can. 5.
    ↩

  23. Tit. 3, 5. Aug. ep. 23. & quaest. 33. super Num. li. 4. conf. c. 4 Lactant. l. 3. diuinarum instit. cap. 26. Cyprian. lib. 2. ep. 2. ↩

  24. Ephes. 5, 26. ↩

  25. Gal. 3, 27 Ro. 6, 3. ↩

  26. Ser. in caena Do. vide Cyprian. de bapt. Christ & ablut. pedum. Orig. in c. 6 ad Roma. Retic. Augustod. apud Aug. l. 1. cont. Iulian. c. 3. ↩

  27. Iac. 1, 14. Ro. 6, 12. & 7, 7. Trid. ses 5. can. 5. Aug. l. 1. de nupt. & concup. c. 23. & 25. & l. 1. cont. 2. ep. Pelag. cap. 13. Iten. l. 2. retract. c. 15. & l. 13. de Trin. c. 16. de pec. mer. l. 1. c. 39 & l. 2. c. 33. & 34. ↩

  28. Ro. 8, 1. ↩

  29. Col. 3, 9. Eph. 4, 22. ↩

    1. Cor. 4, 16.
    ↩

  31. Ro. 6, 4. ↩

  32. Tit. 3, 5. ↩

  33. Orig. 1. in Numeros. ↩

  34. Dionys. Areop. ca. 7. Eccl. hierar. Aug. de nup. & con. l. 1 c. 20. Iten. l. 1 de pec. mer. c. 19. & li. 4. contr. Donat. cap. 24. ↩

  35. Ro. 8, 1.14. Gal. 4, 5. ↩

    1. Cor. 6, 19.
    ↩

  37. Amb. de initian myst. ca. 2. Chrys. hom. 21. ad pop. Antioc. Aug li. 4. de symb. ad Cat. cap. 1. ↩

  38. Amb. l. 1. de Sacram. c. 2. Cyr. Hieros. catech. mystag. 1. ↩

  39. Ro. 6, 3. Gal. 3, 27. Aug. de fide & operibus cap. 26. ↩

Chapter 11 of 36