Tracts of the Anglican Fathers.

No. I.

HOLY BAPTISM.

A SERMON,

SET FORTH BY THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD,

THOMAS CRANMER,

ARCHBISHOP AND MARTYR.

Reprinted from the First Edition of his "Catechismus" of 1548.

ADVERTISEMENT.

The following is a plain reprint of a Sermon, set forth at the time of our English Reformation, by the chief of our Fathers, Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury. It will be observed that this Sermon was originally published a short time after Cranmer's Sermons of Salvation, Faith, and Good Works (in the Homilies), and in the same year as the first Prayer Book of Edward the Sixth; and in that book the Office for the Public Baptism of Infants is essentially the same as at present.

CAMBRIDGE,

The Feast of the Resurrection.

Ꭱ.

A SERMON OF BAPTISM.

OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, good children, in the Gospel of Saint John, saith thus: "Except a man be born again of the water and the SPIRIT, he cannot enter into the kingdom of GOD." Now we ought to direct our whole life to come to the kingdom of heaven. For the LORD saith, "First seek the kingdom of GOD." And you have heard heretofore, that we daily make this petition to GOD," Thy kingdom come." Wherefore it is very necessary for us to know how we must be born again, and what this second birth is, without the which we cannot enter into the kingdom GOD. But when we speak of a second birth, you shall not so grossly understand this saying, as though a man which is once born, should enter again into his mother's womb, and so be born again as he was before. (For it were great foolishness so to think.) But here we mean of a second birth, which is spiritual, whereby our inward man and mind is renewed by the HOLY GHOST, so that our hearts and minds receive new desires, which they had not of their first birth or nativity.

And the second birth is by the water of Baptism, which Paul calleth the bath of regeneration, because our sins be forgiven us in Baptism, and the HOLY GHOST is poured into us as into GOD's beloved children, so that by the power and working of the HOLY GHOST we be born again spiritually, and made new creatures. And so by Baptism we enter into the kingdom of

1 "The fountain of our regeneration is there [in the Church] presented unto us. -The Homily for repairing and keeping clean of Churches. Homilies, edit. 1587. See also The Homily of Fasting

abroad the love of GoD in our hearts, and did also deliver us from the bondage and tyranny of sin, and gave us new strength and power to wrestle against sin, and manfully to withstand our ghostly enemy, the devil, then after a certain manner we were able to fulfil GoD's commandments. And this is a great change and renewing of the inward man. And this I would you should know for a surety, good children, and stedfastly believe the same, that no child of the Jews or Turks which is not baptized, hath the HOLY GHOST, neither that any such can understand the Word of GOD, neither that any such is holy or righteous before GOD.

Wherefore you shall thank God with all your heart which hath brought you to Baptism. And when you believe in the Name of CHRIST, and love the Gospel, and are glad and diligent to hear the same, then this is a sure token that by the Gospel you have received the HOLY Ghost.

Furthermore, he that is a sinner, and not baptized, although he had the HOLY GHOST to this effect, to help him to fight against sin, yet oftentimes he is overcome and falleth to sin. And although he doth oftentimes overcome sin, yet this is a great imperfectness that he doth it not willingly, but that this fight against sin is tedious and grievous unto him. Wherefore he is ever in peril, lest he be overcome of sin. And in case he doth manfully withstand sin, yet he seeth that his justice and obedience be too weak and imperfect to stand before the judgment of GOD (as indeed no man, not the holiest, is able to stand before the judgment of GOD by his own righteousness). But when in Baptism, the righteousness of CHRIST is given and imputed to him, then he is delivered from all those perils. For he knoweth for a surety, that he hath put upon him CHRIST, and that his weakness and imperfection is covered and hid with the perfect righteousness and holiness of CHRIST.

Wherefore after Baptism he doth not trust in his own righteousness, but in CHRIST only. And he is no more pensive or

1

Sacraments, or holy seals, of His covenant and league made with us. And by these three, God's Ministers do work with us in the name and place of GOD (yea, GOD Himself worketh with us,) to confirm us in our faith, to asserten [assure] us that we are the lively members of God's true Church, and the chosen people of GOD, to whom the Gospel is sent, and that all those things belong to us whereof the promises of the Gospel make mention. The first of these Sacraments is BAPTISM, by the which we be born again to a new and heavenly life, and be received into GOD's Church and Congregation which is the foundation and pillar of the truth. The second is ABSOLUTION Or the authority of the keys, whereby we be absolved from such sins as we be fallen into after our Baptism. The third Sacrament is the COMMUNION or the LORD'S SUPPER, by the which we be fed, and nourished, and fortified in the faith of the Gospel and knowledge of CHRIST, that by this food we may grow more and more in newness of life, so that we may be no longer children, but may wax perfect men, and full grown in CHRIST.

For I would that ye should well know this, good children, that a Christian man's knowledge and life is a more excellent thing than unlearned people can judge. For a Christian man hath the certain Word of GOD whereupon he may ground his conscience that he is made a Christian man, and is one of CHRIST'S members which he is assured of by Baptism. For he that is baptized may assuredly say thus, I am not now in this wavering opinion that I only suppose myself to be a Christian. man, but I am in a sure belief that I am made a Christian man.

1 Albeit the learned author here speaketh of three Sacraments of the New Law, he is not to be so understood as to sanction any corrupt doctrine of the Church of Rome touching the Sacraments, or to interfere with that truth which the English Church teacheth in her Catechism, namely, that there are but two proper Sacraments generally necessary to salvation. That which is here expressed as the Sacrament of absolution, is no more than what the later divines, as Hooker, Taylor, and others, more accurately signified by the name Sacramental."-See The Homily of Common Prayer and the Sacraments.

66