Brotherly Persuasion to Unity and Uniformity, Tract · Chapter 14
CHAP. 14. Anſwering more obiections againſt ſubſcription to the book of comon prayer.
NOw touching baptiſme & the tract thereof, in that priuate baptiſme is ſo vrged as it is therby, and by the 69. Canon, eſpecially ſeeing both it and the other ſacrament are ſaid in the Catechiſme to be neceſſarie to ſaluation, ſome thereupon gather that now it ſeemeth to be the meaning of the booke, and of our church alſo, to hold baptiſm ſo neceſſary to ſaluation, as that none can now be ſaued without it. But ſurely herein they wrong in my iudgement both the books and the meaning of our church. For hereby doubtleſſe they do not mean to tie God ſo to this ordinary meanes, as that he neither can nor will exraordinarily ſaue any without it, though neuer ſo much preuented by death, before according to Gods ordinance they may hauehave it. For then the booke neuer ſhould hauehave beene ſo explained in that point as now it is, that none but a lawfull miniſter ſhould baptiſe the chld in what danger ſoeuer it be. But onelyonly hereby would the ſtate take order as much as might be, (which was very neceſſary) to preuent all contempt or neglect thereof, if it could in time be had, for as the one extreame is to be auoided, ſo doubtles was and is the other: and ſo for any thing our Church hath done in this point, the ancient doctrine that alwaies hath in this caſe bene held and receiued of and in the Churches of Chriſt, ſince the firſt inſtitution of the ſacraments, namely not the want therof ſimply, but the contempt or neglect therof to be damnable, is held here ſtill, and therfore this of baptiſme is to be counted ſo neceſſary to ſaluatiō, as that by all means when & wher (as is aforeſaid) it may be had it is moſt carefully & diligētly to be ſought for.
2 Now whereas I heare that ſome ſtumble at that, that the child dying after baptiſme before yet it can be confirmed, it is ſaid in the book (immediatly before the Catechiſme, in a rubricke there) that ſuch a child hath all things neceſſary by the word of God to ſaluation, and is vndoubtedly ſaued, gathering thereupon that the meaning of our Church therin is abſolutely and ſimply ſo to tie ſaluation to baptiſme that whoſoeuer once is outwardly baptiſed, cannot be ſaued: ſurely this is as hard a collection & conſtruction of this as may be For firſt it is euident that there the ſpeach is of baptiſed children onelyonly dying before they be confirmed and that of purpoſe it is there ſo ſet down, to the cōfort of chriſtian parents in that caſe, & plainly to teach vsus all, howſoeuer our Church thinks it fit to retain the vſe of confirmation in ſundry good reſpects, yet (it holds it not to be of the ſame nature with the ſacraments of baptiſm & the Lords Supper, nor ſo neceſſary to ſaluation. And what reaſon is there to the contrary, but that we may and ought in Chriſtiā charity, ſo hope & perſwade our ſelues of al chriſtiā children ſo baptiſed, dying in their childhood, as that book ſpeaketh?
3 For all this ſome yet draw an argument to ſtay them from thus ſubſcribing as is required, for that by the booke as they alleage, ſo much is attributed to confirmation, that it is therby made as a third ſacrament contrary to the 25 article of the book of articles, alſo ſubſcribed vntounto, for that ſay they, the Biſhops impoſition of his hands, is in the tract of confirmation expreſly termed a ſigne, wherby they certify them whom they confirme of Gods gratious fauour and goodnes towads them, whereas the article ſaith that neyther confirmation nor any of the other foure by the Papiſts held to be ſacraments, can be ſacraments iindeed, becauſe they hauehave not any viſible ſigne or ceremony ordayned of God. But the contrariety that ſeemeth herein to be, betwixt theſe bookes, is eaſily to be remoued. For though the communion booke make impoſition of hands a ſigne drawne from the example of the Apoſtles, yet it deriues it not from Gods ordinance and inſtitution, as the outward ſignes in Sacraments are, and ſo that notwithanding, the words of the article may well enough ſtand therwith, which only denies it to hauehave any viſible ſigne ordained by God. Againe, there is great ods betwixt materiall and ſubſtantial ſignes, ſuch as water, bread, and wine are in the ſacraments & this bare action of impoſition of hands: & ſacraments properly taken are not only ſigns of ſome ſpiritual grace but of ſauing grace in Chriſt Ieſus: & they are means alſo to offer, to deliuer, & to ſeale the deliuery of the ſame, to the right receiuers therof: all which this is not hereby made. But I maruell what reaſon men hauehave, to allow of impoſition of hands, as a laudable rite and ceremonie, euen drawne alſo from the Apoſtles example, in the ordination of miniſters, thereby as it were by that ſolemne ceremony and prayer withall, to ſet them apart from all others, for the worke of the miniſterie, and yet ſo much to miſlike of this here: they thinke not that it makes ordination a ſacrament, why ſhould they thinke then that it makes ſo confirmation? it is vſed here with prayer, wherunto eſpecially the booke attributeth their confirmation, appointing the other but withall to be vſed as there by externally to certifie them, that to them particularly that ſtrength is wiſhed. Hierom, I am ſure, againſt the Luciferians, acknowledges that it was in vſe in churches in his time and before, and that only to be miniſtred by Biſhops as it is with vsus, propter honorem ſacerdotii, non legis neceſſitatem. And Bucer vponupon the fourth to the Eph. ſo allowes it, and ſo many other learned writers both ancient, and of theſe times, as you may ſee at large, Inſt. Cal. l. 4. c. 19. ſect. 4. & no reaſon it is why they ſhold not, becauſe now with this impoſiion of hands, extraordinary gifts of the ſpirit are not giuen; for thoſe were but to follow therupon for a time, and ſufficient it is now that further ſtrength doth folow. And it is vſed & hath bin thus, by the biſhops & not by the miniſters, not as ſom hardly therupon gather therby to intimate, as though it were a higher thing then either baptiſme or the ſupper, which they vſe to miniſter, but onelyonly for order and in good pollicy, thereby the better to draw both miniſters and godfathers and godmothers the more carefully to ſee children ſo catechiſed, as that being cald by the Biſhops to this, they may therewith their owne mouthes profeſſe and promiſe that which others before did for them. And verily being vſed to this end, in the good Pollicy of the Church, it would be a notable good meanes hereof, and therefore I hauehave long wiſht a more carefull and an vniuerſall vſe therof, & lament the neglect therof, for euen from thence the great negligence that hath beene both in miniſters to Catechiſe, & in the people in ſeking to hauehave their youth duly inſtructed, hath very much proceeded, & I hope the contrary good fruits in that behalfe, will grow by the wiſe and orderly reuiuing thereof.
What more of any moment, not formerly anſwered is now alleaged out of the communion booke to ſtay men from ſubſcription, I remember not, ſaue that ſome ſay the vrging of all preſcribed therby now to be read without leauing out any part therof in reſpect of a ſermon, or in any other regard (as it appeares Canon 14) ſhuts out preaching much. But my experience teacheth me the contrary, for though I read fully all that is appointed, and hauehave long vſed ſo to do, yet I praiſe God, beeing vponupon the point now of 60 yeares of age, yet I finde both ſtrength and time conuenient, eueryevery Sabbath, both forenoone and afternoone to do both. And they that finde not themſelues of ſtrength ſo to doe, they are not by any law forbid to get thē Curats and helpers, which may eaſe them, commonly if not of all, yet of a great part of the burden of the tone; and if their liuing bee ſo ſmall, and they are not able to hauehave that helpe, otherwiſe beeing conformeable, and doing what they can, their weakneſſe or ſickly eſtate, will eaſily with their ordinaries excuſe them. Sure any man may be, that reads the booke and the canons, there to find that the booke often directeth vsus to pray that all miniſters may be diligent preachers of the word, and that by the canons better order is taken, for often & diligent preaching of the word, then euer heretofore hath beene, and therefore this may goe amongſt other too hard collections and conſtructions of our Churches meaning well enough, and therfore need not in truth ſtay any man from ſubſcribing. I am not ignorant that yet many things more in this booke are obiected, but becauſe I know onelyonly a charitable conſtruction will eaſily remooue them, I paſſe thē ouer wiſhing eueryevery man therby, as he may & is bound, to ſatisfie him ſelfe therein.