A sermon of Baptisme

OUre Lorde Iesus
Christe good children,
in the gospell
of Iohn saith thus
Except a manne be
borne againe of the
water and the spret, he can not enter
in to the kyngdome of God.
Nowe we ought to direct our hole
lyfe to come to the kyngedome of
heauen. For the Lorde sayth. First
seke the kyngdome of God. And
you haue hearde heretofore that

we daylye make thys petition to
God, thy kyngdome come. Wherfore
it is verie necessarie for vs, to
knowe, howe we muste be borne agayne,
and what this second birth
is without the whiche we can not
entre into the kyngdome of God.
But when we speake of a seconde
byrthe, you shal not so grossely vnderstande
this sayieng, as though
a man which is once borne, should
entre agayne into hys mothers
wombe, and so be borne agayne as
he was before. (For it were greate
folyshenes so to thinke) But here
we meane of a second byrth which
is spirituall, where by oure inwarde
man and minde is renewed
by the holye ghost, so that our hertes
and myndes receaue newe desiers,
which they had not of theyr
fyrst byrth or natiuitie.
And the seconde birth is by the

water of Baptisme, whiche Paule
calleth the bathe of regeneration,
because oure synnes be forgyuen
vs in Baptisme, and the holy gost
is powred into vs, as into goddes
beloued childre~, so that by the power
and wourkynge of the holye
Ghost, we be borne agayne spiritually,
and made new creatures.
And so by baptisme we enter into
the kyngdome of God, & shalbe saued
for euer, yf we contynewe to
oure lyues ende in the faythe of
Christe.
Wherfore good children, consydre
diligently ye strength of baptisme,
and marke wel, howe greate treasures
and how excellent benefytes
you receaued in youre baptisme,
that you maye thanke God for the
same, and comfort your selfes by
theim in al your temptations and
endeuoure youre selfes, faithfully

Ee.iiii.

to performe al thinges, which you
promysed in your baptisme. And
that you may do this ye better, hear
and learne the wordes of our master
Christe, by the whiche he dyd
ordeyne and institute baptisme.
And ofentymes repete the same,
that you maye learne them worde
for worde without ye boke. These
be the wordes of our Lorde Iesus
Christe, spoken to his dysciples.
Go into the whole world /
and teache all nations / &
baptise the~ / in the name
of the father / & the sonne /
and the holy gost. He that
wil beleue / and be baptised
/ shalbe saued. But
he that wyll not beleue /
shall be damned.
By these wordes oure Lorde

Iesus Christe dyd institute baptisme,
wherby we be borne agayne
to the kyngdom of God. And you
good childre~ shal gyue dilygence,
not onely to reherse these wordes,
but also to vndersta~d, what Christ
ment by the same. That when you
be demaunded any questyon herein,
you maye bothe make a dyrecte
answere, and also in tyme to come
be able to teach your children, as
you your selues are nowe instructed.
For what greater shame can
ther be, then a man to professe himselfe
to be a Chrsiten man, because
he is baptised, and yet he knoweth
not what baptisme is, nor what
strength the same hath, nor what
the dyppyng in the water doth betoken?
wher as all oure lyfe tyme
we ought to kepe those promises,
which there we solemply made before
God and man, and all oure

Ee.v.

profession and lyfe ought to agre
to our baptisme. Wherefore good
children, to thentent you may the
better know the strength & power
of baptisme, you shall first vnderstande,
that our lorde Iesus Christ
hath instituted and annexed to the
gospel, thre sacramen~ts or holy seales,
of his couena~t and lege made
with vs. And by these thre, gods
ministers do worke with vs in the
name and place of God (yea God
himselfe worketh with vs) to confirme
vs in our faith, & to asserten
vs, that we are ye lyuely membres
of Gods trew churche, and ye chosen
people of God, to whome the
gospell is sent, and that all those
thinges belong to vs, wherof the
promises of the gospel make mentio~.
The first of these sacramentes
is baptisme, by the whiche we be
borne again to a new and heauenly

lyfe, and be receaued into gods
churche and congregation, whiche
is the foundation and pyller of the
trueth. The seconde is absolution
or the authoritie of ye kayes, wherby
we be absolued from suche synnes,
as we be fallen into after our
baptisme. The thirde sacrament is
the communion or ye Lordes supper,
by the whiche we be fedde and
nourished, and fortified in ye faith
of the ghospell and knowlege of
Christ, that by this fode we maye
growe more and more in newnes
of lyfe, so that we maye be no longer
children, but maye waxe perfecte
men, and ful growe~ in Christ
For I wold you should wel know
this good children, that a Christen
ma~s knowlege and lyfe, is a more
excelle~t thing, than vnlerned people
can iudge. For a christen man
hathe the certen worde of God,

where vpon he maye grounde hys
conscience, that he is made a Christen
man, and is one which he is of
Christes members assured of by
baptisme. For he that is baptysed,
maye assuredlye saye thus. I am
not now in this waueryng opinio~,
that I only suppose my selfe to be
a christian man, but I am in a sure
beleue that I am made a christen
man. For I know for a suerty that
I am baptised, and I am sure also,
that baptysme was ordeyned of
God, and that he which baptysed
me, did it by Gods commission and
commaundement. And the holy
gost doth witnes, that he whiche
is baptised, hath put vpon hym
Christ. Wherfore the holy gost in
my baptisme assureth me, that I
am a christen man. And this is a
true and syncere faith, whiche is
able to stande againste the gates

of hell, for asmuche as it hath for it
the euydence of gods worde, and
leaneth not to any mans saying or
opinion. Furthermore good chyldren,
you shall dylygentlye learne,
the cause, wherefore we are baptysed.
You haue alredy herde, yt by
baptisme we be borne agayne.
The cause of this our seco~d birth,
is, the synfulnes and filthynes of
our first birth. For by our first natiuitie
(whan we were borne of our
fathers and mothers) all we were
borne in synne, and whe~ we yssued
out of oure mothers woumbe we
were laden with synne and Gods
angre, as it was at large declared
vnto you in the exposition of ye ten
commaundements, and speciallye
in the last co~maundement. For as
Adam did synne, and by synne was
so corrupted both in his body and
soule, that by his awne power or

stre~gth he was not able to do any
good thynge, euen so all the children
& of spring of Adam be borne
synners, so that they can not be iustified
by themselues or by their
awn strength, but are inclined and
bent to synne at all tymes. And as
saynt Paule saieth, by nature they
be the children of Gods wrath.
That is to saye, God is angrye
wt vs for those synnes, whiche by
nature be, as it wer, a kinne to vs,
and we be borne with theim into
this world. But when we be borne
againe by baptisme, the~ our sinnes
be forgyuen vs, and the holy goste
is giue~ vs, which doth make vs also
holy, & doth moue vs to al goodnes.
Wherfore good children whe~
a man is baptysed, it is as muche
to saye, as he dothe there confesse,
that he is a synner, and that he is
vnder the rule and gouernau~ce of

sinne, so that of himselfe he can not
be good or ryghtuous. And therfore
he commeth to baptisme, and
there seketh for helpe and remedy,
and desyreth God, first to forgyue
him his synnes, & at length to deliuer
him clerely from all synne, and
perfectly to heale his soule from
the sykenes of synne, as the physitian
doth perfectely heale his patient
from bodily diseases. And for
his parte he promyseth to God againe,
and solemply voweth, that
he wyll fyght againste synne with
all his strength and power, & that
he wyl gladly beare the crosse, and
al suche afflictio~s, as it shal please
God to lay vpon him, and that also
he wil be conte~t to dye, yt he may
be perfectly healed and delyuered
from sinne. For God doth forgiue
vs our synnes by faith, but by afflictions
and death, he dothe take

theim cleane away, as saint Peter
witnesseth, sayinge. He yt suffereth
or is afflycted in yt fleshe, doth cesse
from synne. And saincte Paule
sayeth, he that is deade is iustified
or delyuered from synne. These be
the promyses, which we make, whe~
we are baptised. And of this minde
must all they be, whiche shall haue
any fruite by baptisme. Wherfore
seyng all you that be here are alredy
baptysed, continewe I praye
to you in this good mynde and purpose
knowlege in youre hartes before
God, that you be synners, be
sory for ye same, and praye to God,
to heale and deliuer you fro~ youre
sinne. Beware you fal not to sinne
againe, haue no delite in synne, nor
synne not wyllyngly. But be godly
and holy, and suffer gladly such
afflictions, as God shall lay vpon
your backes. And yf you do thus,

then your baptisme shal be auaileable
vnto you, & God shall worke
in you by his holy spirit, and shall
fynyshe in you all those thinges
which by baptisme he hath begon.
Hitherto you haue heard, what we
promyse to God, when we are baptised,
now learne also I praye you,
what God worketh in vs by baptisme,
& what benefites he gyueth
vs in the same. For baptysme is
not water alone, and nothing elles
besides, but it is the water of God,
and hath his strength by ye worde
of God, and is a seale of gods promyse.
Wherefore it dothe worke in
vs, all those thynges, where vnto
God hath ordeyned it. For oure
Lord Iesus Christ sayeth. Go and
teache all nations, and baptyse
theym, in the name of ye father, and
the sonne, and the holy gost. This
god commaunded his disciples to

Ff.i

do. Wherfore by the vertue of
this commaundeme~t, which came
from heuen, euen from the bosome
of god, baptisme doeth wourke in
vs, as the wourke of God. For
when we be baptised in the name
of God, that is as muche to saye,
as God him selfe shoulde baptise
vs. Wherfore we oughte not to
haue an eye only to the water, but
to God rather, whiche did ordeine
the baptisme of water, and commau~ded
it to be done in his name.
For he is almyghtye, and able to
worke in vs by baptisme, forgiuenes
of our synnes, & al those wonderful
effectes and operations, for
the whiche he hathe ordeyned the
same, althoughe mannes reason,
is not able to conceyue the same.
Therfore consider good children,
the greate treasures and benefytes,
whereof God maketh vs partakers,

when we are baptised, whiche
be these. The firste is, that in
baptisme our synnes be forgyuen
vs, as sainct Peter witnesseth, saiynge.
Let euerye one of you be
baptised
for the forgiuienes of his
synnes. The seconde is, that the
holy ghost is gyuen vs, the which
doth sprede abrod the loue of god
in oure heartes, wherby we maye
kepe Goddes commaundementes
accordyng to this saying of saynt
Peter. Let euerie one of you be
baptised in the name of Christ, and
then you shall receyue the gyft of
the holy ghost.
The thyrde is, that by baptisme
the whole rightuousnes of Christ
is gyuen vnto vs, that we maye
clayme the same as our owne.
For so sayncte Paule teachethe,
saying. As many of ye as are baptised
in Christe, haue putte vpon

Ff.ii.

you Christ. Fourthly by baptisme
we die with Christ, and are buried
(as it were) in his bloude & death,
that we shoulde suffer afflictions
and death, as Christe himself hath
suffered. And as that man, whiche
is baptised, doth promise to God,
that he will dye with Christe, that
he maye be deade to synne and to
the olde Adam, so on the other part
God doth promise againe to him,
that he shalbe partaker of christes
deathe and passion.
And also God maketh all afflictions
whiche he sufferethe to be
good and profitable vnto him, as
was the passion of Christ, and not
damnable, as it was to Iudas
passion, and diuerse other vngodly
persons.
By thys which I haue hetherto
spoken, I trust you vnderstand
good children, wherfore baptime

is called the bath of regeneratio~,
and howe in baptisme we be borne
agayne and be made new creatures
in Christe. The whiche doctryne
you shall the better vnderstande,
if you consider in what co~dition
you were, before you were
baptised, and in what state you
stande in, after your baptisme.
Fyrste before we were baptised,
it is euident, that we were sinners,
and he that is a synner, can haue
no peace nor quietnes of co~science
before he come to Christ, so muche
he feareth Goddes wroth and euerlastyng
damnation. But after
that oure synnes, in baptisme be
forgyuen vs, and we beleue the
promyse of God, and so by oure
fayth be iustified, than our consciences
be quieted, and we be glad
and merie, trusting assuredly, that
God is no more angrye wyth vs

Ff.iii.

for our former offences, and that
we shall not be damned for the
same. And this is a meruelous alteration
and renewyng of the inwarde
man the whiche coulde be
wrought by the power of no creature,
but by God alone. Also before
we were baptised, we were
slaues and boundemen to synne,
so that we neyther coulde do that
good, which we wolde haue done,
nor could kepe vs from that euil,
whiche we wolde not haue done,
as saynt Paule complayneth of
hymselfe. But whan by baptisme
the holy gost was gyuen vs, the
whiche did spread abrode the loue
of God in our hartes, & dyd also
delyuer vs from ye boundage and
tyrannye of synne, and gaue vs
new strength & power, to wrastle
against synne, and manfullye to
withstande our gostly enemye the

deuel, tha~ after a certen maner we
were able to fulfyl gods co~maundementes.
And this is a greate
chaunge, and renewyng of the inwarde
man. And this I wold you
shoulde knowe for a suertye good
children, & stedfastly beleue ye same
that no child of ye Iewes or Turkes,
whiche is not baptysed, hath
the holy ghost, neyther that anye
suche can vnderstande the worde
of God, neyther that any suche is
holy or righteous before God.
Wherefore you shall thanke God
with all your harte, whiche hathe
brought you to baptysme. And
when you beleue in the name of
Christ, and loue the ghospel, and
are glad & dylige~t to hear ye same,
the~ this is a suer toke~, yt by the gospel
you haue receaued ye holy gost.
Furthermore he that is a synner
& not baptised, althoughe he had

Ff.iiii.

the holy ghoste to this effecte, to
helpe him to fyght against synne,
yet oftentymes he is ouer come,
and falleth to synne. And althoughe
he doth oftentimes ouercome
synne, yet this is a great vnperfectenes,
yt he dothe it not willingly, but that this fight against
sinne is tedious and greuous vnto
him. Wherefore he is euer in
perrel, left he be ouercome of syn.
And in case he doth manfully wtstande
synne, yet he seeth, that hys
iustyce and obedience be to weake
and vnperfecte, to stande before
the iudgement of God, (as in dede
no man, not the holyest, is able to
stande before ye iudgeme~t of God
by his awne rightuousnes). But
when in baptisme ther rightuousenes
of Christ is gyuen and imputed
to hym, then he is delyuered
from al those perrels. For he knoweth

for a suerty, that he hath put
vpo~ him Christ, and that his weakenes
& imperfectio~, is couered &
hydde, with the perfecte ryghtuousnes
and holynes of Christ.
Wherfore after baptisme, he doth
not trust in his awne rightuousnes,
but in Christ only. And he is
no more pensyue or doubteful, co~syderynge
his awne weaknes, but
he is ioyful, because, he co~sidereth,
that he is made partake of Christes
rightuousnes. And this agayne
is a great alteratio~ and renewyng,
of the inwarde man.
These newe affections and spirytual
motions, are in the soulles of
suche as are borne again by baptisme,
but they be vnknowne to
worldly men, and suche as be not
led by the spirite of God. And whe~
they that beleue, and be baptysed,
do continewe in this their faith to

Ff.v

the ende of their lyues, then God
shall rayse them vp from death to
lyfe, that they maye be immortal,
and liue euerlastingly with Christ
And then, when sinne and ye kingdome
of death is vtterly abolished
and destroied, we shalbe perfectly
holy and rightuous, both in body
and soule. And for this cause, our
sauioure Christ doth cal in ye gospel
the rysyng againe from death,
a regeneration or a seconde begettyng.
Al these thinges doth baptisme
worke in vs, whe~ we beleue
in Christe. And therefore Christe
sayeth. He that wyll beleue and be
baptysed, shall be saued. But he
that wyl not beleue, shalbe damned.
Wherefore good children,
learne dilygentlye I praye you,
the fruyt & operation of baptisme.
For it worketh forgyuenes of sin,
it delyuereth from death & power

of the deuel, it gyueth saluation &
euerlastynge lyfe, to all them that
beleue. As the wordes of Christes
promyse doth euydently witnesse.
But peraduenture some wil saye.
Howe can water worke so greate
thinges? To whome I answere,
that it is not the water that dothe
these thinges, but the almyghtye
worde of God (whiche is knyt and
ioyned to the water) & faith, which
receyueth gods worde & promyse.
For with out the worde of God,
water is water, and not baptisme.
But when the worde of the liuing
God is added and ioyned to the water,
then it is the bathe of regeneration,
and baptisme water, and the
lyuely springe of eternall saluation,
and a bathe that wassheth
our soules by the holy ghoste, as
saynct Paule calleth it, saying.
God hath saued vs thorowe hys

222

mercye, by the bathe of regeneracion,
and renewyng of ye holy gost,
whome he hath poured vpon vs
plenteously, by Iesus Christ oure
sauioure, that we beynge made
ryghtuous by his grace, maye be
heyres of euerlastyng lyfe. This
is a sure & trewe worde. Ye shall
also dylygently labour good children,
to kepe and perfourme those
promises, which you made to God
in your baptisme, and which baptisme
doth betoken. For baptisme
and the dyppyng into the water,
doth betoken, that the olde Adam,
with al his synne and euel lustes,
ought to be drowned and kylled
by daily contrition and repenta~ce,
and that by renewynge of the holy
gost, we ought to ryse with Christ
from the death of synne, and to
walke in a new lyfe, that our new
man maye lyue euerlastyngly, in

rightuousnes and truthe before
God, as saincte Paule teacheth
saying. Al we that are baptised in
Christ Iesu, are baptised in hys
death. For we are buried with
him by baptisme into deth, that as
Christ hath risen from death by ye
glori of his father, so we also shuld
walke in newnes of lyfe. And this
is the playne exposytion of ye wordes
of holy baptisme, yt is to saye,
that we shoulde acknowlege oure
selues to be synners, desyre pardo~
& forgyuenes of our synnes, be obedie~t
& wylling to beare Christes
crosse, and all kynde of afflyction,
and at the last to die, that by death
we may be perfectly deliuered fro~
synne. And therefore we ought to
hate synne, and with al our power
to fyght against synne. For God
in baptisme hath forgiuen vs our
synnes, and giue~ vs the holy gost,

and made vs partakers of the
rightuousnes of hys welbeloued
sonne Iesus Christ. Now consyder
depely I praie you, how great
benefytes these be, that you maye
not be vnkynde to him, that hath
done so much for you, but stedfastlye
beleue these thinges, mortifye
synne, patiently suffre al dyseases
& aduersities, whiche it shal please
god to send you, and than without
dowte you shalbe saued. Wherefore
good childre~, learne these thinges
dilygentlye, and when you be
demaunded, what is baptisme.
The~ you shal answer. Baptisme is
not water alone, but it is water inclosed
and ioyned to the worde of
God, and to the couenaunte of
Gods promyse. And these be the
wordes, wherby our Lorde Iesus
Christ did ordeine baptisme, which
be written in the laste chapter of

sainct Mathew. Go and teache al
nations, baptisynge them in the
name of the father, and the sonne,
and the holy ghost. And when you
shalbe asked what auayleth baptisme?
you shal answere. Baptisme
worketh forgyuenes of synne, it
delyuereth from the kyngdome of
the deuel and from death, & giueth
lyfe and euerlastyng saluation, to
all them that beleue these wordes
of Christ, & promyse of God, which
are written in the laste chapter of
sainct Marke his gospell. He that
wil beleue, and be baptised, shalbe
saued. But he that wil not beleue
shalbe damned.
Thirdly, yf a man aske you, how
can water bryng to passe so great
thynges? ye shall aunswer. Verely
the water worketh not these thynges,
but the worde of God, whiche
is ioyned to the water, and fayth

whiche dothe beleue the worde of
God. For without the worde of
God, water is water, and not baptisme,
but when the worde of the
lyuynge God, is ioyned to the water,
then it is baptisme, and water
of wonderful holsomnes, and the
bath of regeneration, through the
holy ghost, as saincte Paule writeth.
God saued vs by the bath of
regeneratio~, and renewyng of the
holy ghost, whom he powred vpon
vs plenteously, by Iesus Christ
our sauiour, that we beyng made
rightuous by his grace, maye be
heyres of euerlastyng lyfe. Fourthly.
Yf a ma~ aske you, what doth
the baptisynge in the water betoken?
aunswere ye, it betokeneth,
that olde Adam with all synnes
and euel desyers, ought daylye to
be kylled in vs, by trewe contricio~
and repentaunce: that he may rise

againe from death, and after he
is risen with Christ, may be a new
man, a new creature, and may liue
euerlastyngly in God, and before
God, in rightuousnes and holynes.
As saincte Paule wryteth,
saying. All we yt are baptised, are
buried wt Christe in to death, that
as Christ rose agayne, by the glorie
of his father, so we also should
walke in newnes of lyfe. Thus ye
haue hearde good children, what
is ment by ye wordes of baptisme,
by the which we are borne again,
and made newe to euerlastynge
lyfe. Learne these thynges dilygentlye,
and thanke God, who in
Christ hath called you to be partakers
of so large and ample benefites.
And expresse baptisme in
your lyfe, and baptisme shalbe the
greatest comforte to you, bothe in
your lyfe tyme, and also in youre

death bed. For by baptisme we be
grafted into the death of Christe,
wherfore synne, deathe or hell,
can not hurte vs, but we
shall ouercome all these
thynges by fayth, as
Christe himselfe ouercame
theym.
And so by this
newe
byrthe we shall enter
into the kyngdome
of God,
and lyfe euerlastynge.
The whiche God
graunte vs
all Amen.