The principles of Christian Religion necessary to be knowen of all the faythful: set forth to the great profite in trayning vp of all youth, by Tho. Becon.

¶To what vse Baptisme was vsed.

First, to be a sure seale and an euident te∣stimony vnto vs, that God the father, for his sonne Iesus Christes sake, hath freely forge∣uen vs all our sinnes, receaued vs into hys fauour, and geuen vs the holy ghost, by whō we are borne a new, not of mortall, but of immortall seede, by whom also we are made the sonnes and heyres of God, and through sayth, reckened pure and holy in hys god∣ly sight.

☜Probations out of the holy Scriptures.

He that beleueth, and is bapti∣sed, shall be saued.

Repent you of your sinnes, and be baptised euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remis∣sion of sinnes, and ye shall receaue the gift of the holy ghost.

Christ loued the congregation, & gaue him selfe for it, to sanctifie it, and clensed it in the fountaine of water through the worde, to make it vnto him self a glorious cōgrega∣tion, without spot or wrinckle, or

any such thing, that it should be ho∣ly and without blame.

Not by the deedes of righteous∣nes, which we wrought, but accor∣ding to his mercy hath hee saued vs by y^e fountaine of the new birth, and renuing of y^e holy ghost, which he shed on vs abundantly, through Iesus Christ our Sauiour, that w•• iustified by hys grace, should bee made heyres according to the hope of eternall life.

Baptisme saueth vs, not by the putting away of the filth of y^• flesh, but in that a good conscience con∣senteth to God, by the resurrection of Iesus Christ, which is on the right hand of God, and is gone in∣to heauen.

Notes

• Mar. xvj.
• Acte. ij.
• Ephe. v.
• Titus. iij.
• j. Pet. iij.