which doth make us also holy, and doth move us to all goodness. Wherefore, good children, when a man is baptized, it is as much [as] to say, as he doth there confess, that he is a sinner, and that he is under the rule and governance of sin, so that of himself he cannot be good or righteous. And therefore he cometh to Baptism, and there seeketh for help and remedy, and desireth GOD first to forgive him his sins, and at length to deliver him clearly from all sin, and perfectly to heal his soul from the sickness of sin, as the physician doth perfectly heal his patient from bodily diseases. And for his part he promiseth to GoD again, and solemnly voweth that he will fight against sin with all his strength and power, and that he will gladly bear the cross and all such afflictions as it shall please God to lay upon him, and that also he will be content to die, that he may be perfectly healed and delivered from sin. For GoD doth forgive us our sins by faith, but by afflictions and death he doth take them clean away, as Saint Peter witnesseth, saying, "He that suffereth or is afflicted in the flesh doth cease from sin." And Saint Paul saith, "He that is dead, is justified or delivered from sin." These be the promises which we make when we are baptized; and of this mind must all they be, which shall have any fruit by Baptism. Wherefore seeing all you, that be here, are already baptized, continue, I pray you, in this good mind and purpose, [ac]knowledge in your hearts before God that you be sinners, be sorry for the same, and pray to God to heal and deliver you from your sin. Beware you fall not to sin again; have no delight in sin, nor sin not willingly. But be godly and holy, and suffer gladly such afflictions, as God shall lay upon your backs. And if you do thus, then your Baptism shall be available unto you, and GoD shall work in you by His HOLY SPIRIT, and shall finish in you all those things which by Baptism He hath begun.

Hitherto you have heard what we promise to God when we are baptized; now learn also, I pray you, what GOD worketh

in us by Baptism, and what benefits He giveth us in the same. For Baptism is not water alone, and nothing else besides, but it is the water of GOD, and hath His strength by the word of God, and is a seal of God's promise. Wherefore, it doth work in us all those things whereunto God hath ordained it. For our LORD JESUS CHRIST saith, " Go and teach all nations, and baptize them in the name of the FATHER, and the Son, and the HOLY GHOST. This GoD commanded His disciples to do. Wherefore, by the virtue of this commandment, which came from heaven, even from the bosom of GOD, Baptism doth work in us, as the work of God. For when we be baptized in the name of GOD, that is as much [as] to say, as God Himself should baptize us. Wherefore we ought not to have an eye only to the water, but to GoD rather, which did ordain the Baptism of water, and commanded it to be done in His name. For He is almighty, and able to work in us by Baptism forgiveness of our sins, and all those wonderful effects and operations for the which He hath ordained the same, although man's reason is not able to conceive the same. Therefore, consider, good children, the great treasures and benefits whereof GoD maketh us partakers when we are baptized, which be these. The first is, that in Baptism our sins be forgiven us, as Saint Peter witnesseth, saying, "Let every one of you be baptized for the forgiveness of his sins." The second is, that the HOLY GHOST is given us, the which doth spread abroad the love of GoD in our hearts, whereby we may keep God's commandments according to this saying of Saint Peter, "Let every one of you be baptized in the name of CHRIST, and then you shall receive the gift of the HOLY GHOST."

The third is, that by Baptism the whole righteousness of CHRIST is given unto us that we may claim the same as our own. For so Saint Paul teacheth, saying, "As many of ye as are baptized in CHRIST have put upon you CHRIST."

Fourthly, by Baptism we die with CHRIST, and are buried (as it were) in His blood and death, that we should suffer afflictions

unto death, as CHRIST Himself hath suffered.

And as that man which is baptized doth promise to GOD that he will die with CHRIST, that he may be dead to sin and to the old Adam; so on the other part, GoD doth promise again to him, that he shall be partaker of CHRIST's death and passion.

And also, GOD maketh all afflictions which he suffereth to be good and profitable unto him, as was the passion of CHRIST, and not damnable, as it was to Judas and divers other ungodly

persons.

By this which I have hitherto spoken, I trust you understand, good children, wherefore Baptism is called the bath of regeneration, and how in Baptism we be born again, and be made new creatures in CHRIST. The which doctrine you shall the better understand, if you consider in what condition you were before you were baptized, and in what state you stand in, after your Baptism.

First, before we were baptized, it is evident that we were sinners, and he that is a sinner can have no peace nor quietness of conscience before he come to CHRIST, so much he feareth God's wrath and everlasting damnation. But after that our sins in Baptism be forgiven us, and we believe the promise of GOD, and so by our faith be justified,' then our consciences be quieted, and we be glad and merry, trusting assuredly that God is no more angry with us for our former offences, and that we shall not be damned for the same. And this is a marvellous alteration and renewing of the inward man, the which could be wrought by the power of no creature, but by GoD alone. Also, before we were baptized, we were slaves and bondmen to sin, so that we neither could do that good which we would have done, nor could keep us from that evil which we would not have done, as Saint Paul complaineth of himself. But when by Baptism the HOLY GHOST was given us, the which did spread

"After that we are baptized OR justified."

Third part of the Homily of Salvation.

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

doubtful considering his own weakness, but he is joyful because he considereth that he is made partaker of CHRIST's righteousness. And this again is a great alteration and renewing of the inward man.

These new affections and spiritual motions are in the souls of such as are born again by Baptism, but they be unknown to worldly men, and such as be not led by the SPIRIT of GOD. And when they, that believe and be baptized, do continue in this their faith to the end of their lives, then GoD shall raise them up from death to life that they may be immortal and live everlastingly with CHRIST and then when sin and the kingdom of death is utterly abolished and destroyed, we shall be perfectly holy and righteous both in body and soul. And for this cause our SAVIOUR CHRIST doth call in the Gospel the rising again from death a regeneration or a second begetting. All these things doth Baptism work in us when we believe in CHRIST. And therefore, CHRIST saith, “He that will believe and be baptized shall be saved, but he that will not believe shall be damned." Wherefore, good children, learn diligently, I pray you, the fruit and operation of Baptism; for it worketh forgiveness of sin, it delivereth from death and power of the devil, it giveth salvation and everlasting life to all them that believe, as the words of CHRIST's promise doth evidently witness.

But peradventure some will say, how can water work such great things? To whom I answer, that it is not the water that doth these things, but the almighty word of GOD (which is knit and joined to the water,) and Faith which receiveth God's word and promise. For without the word of GOD, water is water, and not Baptism. But when the word of the living GoD is added and joined to the water, then it is the bath of regeneration, and baptism water, and the lively spring of eternal salvation, and a bath that washeth our souls by the HOLY GHOST, as Saint Paul calleth it, saying, " God hath saved us through His mercy, by the bath of regeneration and renewing of the HOLY GHOST, whom He