The faith, doctrine, and religion, professed, & protected in the realme of England, and dominions of the same expressed in 39 articles, concordablie agreed vpon by the reuerend bishops, and clergie of this kingdome, at two seuerall meetings, or conuocations of theirs, in the yeares of our Lord, 1562, and 1604: the said articles analised into propositions, and the propositions prooued to be agreeable both to the written word of God, and to the extant confessions of all the neighbour churches, Christianlie reformed: the aduersaries also of note, and name, which from the apostles daies, and primitiue Church hetherto, haue crossed, or contradicted the said articles in generall, or any particle, or proposition arising from anie of them in particular, heereby are discouered, laid open, and so confuted. Perused, and by the lawfull authoritie of the Church of England, allowed to be publique.

The Errors and adversaries vnto this truth.

Hereby wee declare our selues not to fauour the opinion, that publikely.

Some may minister the Sacraments, which are not meerely, and full ministers of the word, and Sacraments; and so thinke both the Anabaptists, among whome, their king (when it was) after Supper tooke bread, and reaching it among the Commu∣nicants did say, Take, eate, & shew forth the Lords death; their Queene also reaching the Cuppe, said, Drinke yee, and shew forth the Lords death a 1.1, and the Presbyterians at Geneua, where the Elder (a Laie man) ministereth the Cup ordinarily at the Communion b 1.2. Some ministers (and namely the Puri∣tane Doctors) may not minister the Sacraments. For (say the disciplinarians) the office of Doctors is onely to teach true do∣ctrine c 1.3, but in our Church (of England) the Doctor encroach∣eth vpon the office of the Pastor. For both indifferently doth teach, exhort, and minister the Sacraments d 1.4.

None though a lawfull Minister, may administer, the Sacra∣ments, which either is no preacher e 1.5, or when hee ministreth them doth not preach f 1.6, which be the errors of the Disciplina∣rians, or Puritanes.

Publiquely, and priuately too the Sacrament of Baptisme may be administred by any man, yea by women, if necessitie doe vrge. So hold the Papist. For saith Iauell g 1.7, in the time of ne∣cessitie the minister of Baptisme is euery man, both male and female. A woman, be shee yong or old, sacred or wicked, Euery male that hath his wits, and is neither dumbe, nor so drunken, that he can vtter the the words, as wel Pagā, Infidel, & heretik: the bad as the good; the schismatik, as the Catholike, may bap∣tize. And yet vsually in the ciuill warres both in France, and in Netherland, the Papists did rebaptize such children, as of the Protestant not lai-mē, but ministers, had afore bin baptized h 1.8.

This priuate Baptisme by priuate persons was also taught long since both by the Marcionites i 1.9, and Pepuzians k 1.10.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Suri••s com. p. 237.
• b 1.2

  Survay of dis. cap. 15. out of the Geneva lavves.
• c 1.3

  Lear. discours. p. 17.
• d 1.4

  Fruct. Ser. on Rom. 12. p. 40.
• e 1.5

  The admini∣stration of the Sacraments ought to be committed to none, but such as are preach∣ers of the word. Lear. dis∣co. p. 60. It is sacriledge to separate the word (viz. Preaching) frō the Sacram. Ibid. The preaching of the word is the life of the Sacraments. T.C. 1. rep. p. 125
• f 1.6

  The vnchan¦geable lawes of God be (saith T.C.) that none mi∣nister the Sacraments, which doe not preach. T.C. 1. repl. p. 104. § 3. Where there is no Prea∣cher of the word, there ought to be no minister of the Sacraments. Lear. disc. p. 62.
• g 1.7

  Iauel. phil. Cor. par. 5. fol. 559.
• h 1.8

  So in Netherland were children rebaptized, when the Duke of Al∣va there tyranized. Trag. hist. of Antvverp. The like Repabtization was vsed by the Papists at Tholouse, Troys, and other cities in France, especially an. 1562. See the Chron. of France.
• i 1.9

  D. August. ad Quodv••••t. c. ••7.
• k 1.10

  Epiphan. h••res▪ 42.