Catechism for Children, Sermon 1
¶A sermon of Baptisme
Mat. iii. b Mark. i.… Luke. iii. c. Iohn. i. d.OUre Lorde Iesus Christ good children▪ in ye gospell of Iohn saith thus Except a man be borne agayne of ye water and the spret,Iohn. iii 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 kyngdō of god.Math. … And you hauehave heard heretofore that we dayly make thys petition to god, thy kingdō come. Wherfore it is very necessarie for vsus, to know, how we must be borne againe, & what thys secōd birth is wtout the which we can not entre into the kingdōe of God. But when we speake of a seconde birth, you shal not so grosse lye vnderstande this sayinge, as though a mā which is once borne, should entre agayne into hys mothers wombe, & so be borne againe as he was before. (For it were great folyshenes so to thinke) But here we meane of a seconde birthe which is spiritual, wherby our 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 first birth or natiuitie.
And the seconde birth is by the water of Baptisme, whiche Paule calleth the bathe of regeneration, because oure synnes be forgyuen vsus in Baptisme, and the holy gost is powred into vsus, as into goddes beloued childrē, so that by the power and wourkynge of the holye Ghost, we be borne agayne spiritually, and made newe creatures. And so by baptisme we enter into the kingdome of God, & shalbe saued for euer,Titum. iii Iohn. iii. a Rom. vi a Collo. ii. b …. Pet. iii. … yf we continewe to oure lyues ende in the faithe of Christe.
Wherfore good childrē, cōsidre diligently ye strength of baptisme, and marke wel, howe greate treasures and howe excellent benefites you receaued in youre baptisme, that you maye thanke God for the same, and comfort youre selfes by theim in all your temptations and endeuoure youreselfes, faithfully to performe al thinges, which you promised in your baptisme. And that you mai do this ye better, hear and learne the wordes of our master Christe, by the whiche he dyd ordeyne and institute baptisme.
And oftentymes repete the same, that you maye lerne them worde, for worde wythout ye boke. These be the wordes of our Lord Iesus Christ, spoken to his dyscyples.
Go into the whole world / and teache al nations / & baptise thē / in the name of the father / & the sonne / and the holi gost.mat. xxviii Mar. xvi. He that wyl 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 childrē shall gyue diligence not onelyonly to reherse these wordes, but also to vnderstād, what christe 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 teache youre children, as you your selues are nowe instructed. For what greater shame can ther be, then a man to professe him selfe to be a Christen man, because he is baptised, and yet he knoweth not what baptysme is, nor what strength the same hathe, 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 profession and lyfe oughte 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 sacramēts or holy seales, of his couenāt and lege made with vsus. And by these thre, gods ministers do worke with vsus in the name and place of God (yea God him selfe worketh with vsus) to confirme vsus in our faith, & to asserten vsus, 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 vsus, wherof the promises of the gospel make mentiō. 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 keyes, wherby we be absolued from suche synnes, as we be fallen into after oure 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 growē in Christ. For I wolde you should wel know this good children, that a Christen mās knowlege and lyfe, is a more excellēt thing, than vnlerned people can iudge. For a christen man hathe the certen worde of God, where vponupon he maye grounde hys conscience, that he is made a christen man, and is one of Christes mēbers which he is assured of by baptisme. For he that is baptysed, maye assuredlye saye thus. I am not now in this wauering opiniō, that I only suppose my selfe to be a christiā man, but I am in a sure belefe, that I am made a Christen mā. For I know for a suerty that I am baptised, & I am sure also, that baptysme was ordeyned of God, and that he whiche baptysed me, did it by gods commission and commaundemente. And the holy goste doth witnes, that he whiche is baptysed, hathe put vponupon hym Christ. Wherfore the holy gost in my baptisme assureth me, that I am a Christen man. And this is a true and syncere fayth, whiche is able to stande agaynste 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 hauehave alredy herde, yt by baptisme we be borne agayne. The cause of this our secōd 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 whē we yssued out of oure mothers wombe we were laden with synne and Gods angre, as it was at large declared vntounto you in the exposition of ye ten cōmaundements, and speciallye in the last cōmaundement. For as Adam did synne, and by sinne was so corrupted both in his body and soule, that by his awne power or strēgth he was not able to do any good thinge, euen so all the children & ofspring 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 Paul saieth,Ephes. ii. by nature they be the children of Gods wrath. That is to saye, God is angrye wt vsus for those synnes, whiche by nature be, as it wer, a kynne to vsus, and we be borne with theim into this world. But when we be borne againe by baptisme, thē our sinnes he forgyuen vsus, and the holy goste is giuē vsus, which doth make vsus al so holy, & doth moue vsus to al goodnes. Wherefore good children whē a man is baptysed, it is as muche to saye, as he dothe there confesse, that he is a synner, and that he is vnderunder the rule and gouernaūce of sinne, so that of himselfe he can not be good or ryghtuous. And therefore 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 perfectely to heale his soule from the sykenes of synne, as the physitian doth perfectely heale his patient from bodely diseases. And for his parte he promyseth to God againe, and solemply voweth, that he wyl fyght againste synne with all his strength and power, & that he wyll gladly beare the crosse, and al suche afflictiōs, as it shal please God to lay vponupon him, and that also he wil be contēt to dye, yt he may be perfectly healed and delyuered from synne. For God doth forgiue vsus our synnes by faith, but by afflyctions and death, he dothe take theim cleane away, as saint Peter witnesseth,i. Pet. iiii. sainge. He yt suffereth or is afflycted in ye fleshe, doth cesse from synne. And sainct Paule sayeth, he that is deade, is iustified or delyuered from synne. These be the promyses, which we make, whē we are baptised. And of this mind must all they be, whiche shall hauehave any fruite by baptisme. Wherfore seyng all you that be here are alredy baptysed, continewe I praye you in this good mynde and purpose, knowlege in your hartes before God, that you be synners, be sory for ye same, and praye to God, to heale and delyuer you frō youre sinne. Beware you fal not to sinne againe, hauehave no delite in sinne, nor synne not wyllyngly. But be godly and holy, and suffer gladly suche afflictions, as God shall lay vponupon your backes. And yf you do thus, then your baptisme shal be auaile able vntounto 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 hauehave herde, what we promyse to God, when we are baptised, now learne also I pray you, what God worketh in vsus by baptisme, & what benefites he gyueth vsus in the same. For baptysme is not water alone, and nothinge els 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 doth worke in vsus, all those thinges, where vntounto God hath ordeyned it. For oure Lord Iesus Christ saieth. Go and teache all nations, and baptyse them, in the name of ye father, and the sonne, and the holy gost. This god commaunded his disciples to do. Wherfore by the vertue of this commaūdement, which came from heuen, euen from the bosome of god, baptisme doeth wourke in vsus, 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 vsus. Wherfore we oughte not to hauehave an eye only to the water, but to God rather, whiche did ordeine the baptisme of water, and commaūded it to be done in his name. For he is almyghtye, and able to worke in vsus by baptisme, forgiuenes of our synnes, & al those wonderful effectes and operatiōs, for the whiche he hathe ordeyned the same, althoughe mannes reason, is not able to conceyue the same. Therfore consider good chyldren, the greate treasures and benefytes, whereof God maketh vsus partakers, when we are baptised, whiche be these. The firste is, that in baptisme our synnes be forgyuen vsus, as sainct Peter witnesseth, saiynge. Let euerye one of you be baptised for the forgiuenes of his synnes. The seconde is, that the holy gost is gyuen vsus, the whiche doth sprede abrod the louelove of God in oure harte, whereby we maye kepe Goddes commaundementes accordyng to this saying of saynt Peter. Let euerie one of you he baptised in the name of christ,Actū. ii. and then you shall receyue the gyft of the holy ghost.
The thirde is, that by baptisme the whole rightuousnes of Christ is gyuen vntounto vsus, that we maye clayme the same as our owne. For so saincte Paule teachethe, saying. As many of ye as are baptised in Christe, hauehave putte vponupon 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 Christ himself hath suffered. And as that man, whiche is baptised, doth promise to God, that he wyll dye with Christ, that he maye be deade to synne and to the old Adam, so on the other part God doth promise againe to him, that he shalbe partaker of christes death and passion.
And also God maketh al afflictions whiche he sufferethe to be good and profitable vntounto him, as was the passion of Christ and not damnable, as it was to Iudas, and dyuerse other vngodlye parsons.
By thys which I hauehave hetherto spoken, I trust you vnderstāde good children, wherfore baptisme is called the bath of regeneratiō, and howe in baptisme we be borne agayne and be made new creatures in Christe. The whiche doctryne you shall the better vnderstande, yf you consider in what cō dition you were, before you were baptised, and in what state you stande in, after your baptisme.
Firste before we were baptised it is euidēt, that we were synners, and he that is a synner, can hauehave no peace nor quietnes of cōscience before he come to Christ, so muche he feareth Goddes wroth and euerlastyng damnation. But after that oure synnes, in baptisme be forgyuen vsus, and we beleue the promyse of God, and so by oure faith be iustified, than our conscyences be quieted, and we be glad and mery, trustyng assuredly, that God is no more angrye with vsus for our former offences, and that we shal not be damned for ye same And thys is a meruelous alteration and renewyng of the inward manne the whyche 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 would hauehave done, nor could kepe vsus from that euil, whiche we would not hauehave done, as saint Paule complaynethe of himselfe.Rom. xvii But whan by baptysme the holy gost was gyuen vsus, the whiche did spread abrode the louelove of god in our hartes, and did also delyuer vsus from ye boundage and tyrannye of synne, and gaue vsus new strength & power, to wrastle against synne, and manfullye to withstande our gostly enemye the deuel, thā after a certen maner we were able to fulfyl gods commaū dementes. And this is a greate chaunge, and renewyng of the inwarde man. And this I wold you shoulde know for a suertye good childrē, & stedfastly beleue ye same that no child of ye Iewes or Turkes, whiche is not baptysed, hathe the holy ghoste, neyther that anye suche can vnderstande the worde of God, neyther that anye suche is holy or righteous before God. Wherefore you shall thanke God with all youre harte, whiche hath brought you to baptysme. And when you beleue in the name of Christ, and louelove the ghospell, and are glad & dyligēt to hear ye same, thē this is a suer tokē yt by the gospel you hauehave receaued ye holy gost
Furthermore he that is a synner & not baptised, althoughe he had the holy ghoste to this effecte, to helpe him to fight againste synne, yet oftentymes he is ouer come, and falleth to synne. And althoughe he doth oftentimes ouercome sinne, yet this is a great vnperfectenes, yt he dothe it not willingly, but that this fight against sinne is tedious and greuous vntounto him. Wherefore he is euer in perrel, lest he be ouercome of syn. And in case he doth manfully wt stande synne, yet he seeth, that his 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 iudgemēt of God by his awne rightuousnes). But when in baptisme the 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 vpō him Christ, and that his weakenes & imperfectiō, 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, cō syderynge his awne weaknes, but he is ioyful, because, he cōsidereth, that he is made partaker of Christes rightuousnes. And this agayne is a great alteratiō and renewyng, of the inwarde man. These newe affections and spiritual mocions, 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 whē they that beleue, and be baptysed, do continewe in this their faith to …he ende of their lyues, then God shall rayse them vp from death to lyfe, that they maye be immortall, and lyue euerlastingly with christ And then, when syn and the kingdome of death is vtterli 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 thynges doth baptisme worke in vsus, whē 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 dylygentlye 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.Actū. iii. God hath saued vsus thorowe hys mercy and made vsus partakers of the rightuosnes 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 childrē, learne these thinges dilygentlye, and when you be demaunded, what is baptisme. Thē 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 last chapter of sainct Mathew. Go and teache all nations, baptisynge theym in the name of the father, and the sonne, and the holy ghost. And when you shalbe asked what auayleth baptisme? you shal answer. 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, & promise of god, which are wrytten in the laste chapter of sainct Marke his gospel. He that wil beleue, and be baptised, shalbe saued. But he that will not beleue shalbe damned.
Thirdly, yf a man aske you, how can water bryng to passe so greate thynges? ye shall aunswer. Uerely the water worketh not these thynges, but the worde of God, whych 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 lyuyng God, is ioyned to the water, then it is baptisme, and water of wonderful holsomnes, and the bath of regeneration, through the holy gohst, as saincte Paule writeth.Actū. iii. God saued vsus by the bath of regeneratiō, and renewyng of the holy ghost, whom he powred vponupon vsus plenteously, by Iesus Christ our sauiour, that we beyng made rightuous by his grace, maye be heyres of euerlastyng lyfe. Fourthly. Yf a mā aske you, what doth the baptisynge in the water betoken? aunswer ye, it betokeneth, that olde Adam with all synnes and euel desyers, ought daylye to be kylled in vsus, by trewe contritiō 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 hauehave 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 vsus, 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 vsus all Amen.